Happy Sad Confused - Elizabeth Olsen

Episode Date: May 4, 2015

The delightful Elizabeth Olsen aka Lizzy joins Josh to chat about the defining New York moment she recently had that would be a rare occurrence in Los Angeles, meeting with Woody Allen, the incredible work ethic of her sisters Mary-Kate & Ashley, becoming Scarlet Witch on the big screen, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the Volvo Fall Experience event, discover exceptional offers and thoughtful design that leaves plenty of room for autumn adventures. And see for yourself how Volvo's legendary safety brings peace of mind to every crisp morning commute. This September, lease a 2026 X-E-90 plug-in hybrid from $599 bi-weekly at 3.99% during the Volvo Fall Experience event. Conditions apply, visit your local Volvo retailer

or go to explorevolvo.com. Ontario, the wait is over. The gold standard of online casinos has arrived. Golden Nugget Online Casino is live. Bringing Vegas-style excitement and a world-class gaming experience right to your fingertips. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting. Signing up is fast and simple. And in just a few clicks, you can have access to our exclusive library of the best slots and top-tier table games.

Make the most of your downtime with unbeatable promotions and jackpots that can turn any mundane moment into a gold Opportunity at Golden Nugget Online Casino. Take a spin on the slots, challenge yourself at the tables, or join a live dealer game to feel the thrill of real-time action, all from the comfort of your own devices. Why settle for less when you can go for the gold at Golden Nugget Online Casino. Gambling Problem Call Connects Ontario 1866531-260-19 and over, physically present in Ontario. Eligibility restrictions apply. See Golden Nuggett Casino.com for details.

Please play responsibly. We want to thank Pop Sugar for sponsoring today's episode of Happy Say I Confused. The Pop Sugar Must Have box is a monthly subscription featuring the absolute best of products in fashion, beauty, home, fitness, food, and more. And it's not just a fashion and beauty box. Each box includes over $100 of handpicked full-sized products. It's the perfect gift to give yourself or someone special in your life, especially because every month's items are a complete surprise. Get your box for April now, using the code happy for $5 off at must have.pop sugar.com. That's code happy at must have.pop sugar.com.

Hey, guys, it's time for another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. I'm Josh Horowitz, and you're listening to my podcast. That's how this works. You hit play, I talk. You stop. I stop talking. But right now we're in it. Can you feel the mad?

Can you feel the power? Can you feel the majesty that is podcasting? Here we are, guys. Here we are. Another week. This did not happen on purpose, but it was definitely in my mind recently that sadly, for whatever reason, we had a glut of dudes on the podcast. Like, it's crazy disproportionate how many dudes have been on. And that sucks, and that is through no rhyme or reason or calculation or Illuminati plot. It just simply is how it's shaken out thus far. I'm thrilled to say that this week's guest marks, I think, it's our fourth amazing actress in a row, which is great. And it's progress, and we're getting there. And we also need to, you know, not have, you know, so many white dudes on the show.

So it's something that's definitely on my mind and something that we will endeavor to broaden the scope of who we talk to on the show in the future. But in the meanwhile, I'm thrilled to say that this week's guest is Elizabeth Olson, who is one of the best actors working today. She has in the last, I guess it's been about four years since she, you know, burst onto the scene in a big way with Martha Marcy May Marlene. She was in a film called Silent House and then, you know, suddenly in the last couple of years has gone into much bigger-scale films like Godzilla and now, of course, Avengers Age of Ultron, in which she stars as Scarlet Witch. She is a welcome addition to the franchise by the time you listen to this. Many of you will have seen Avengers Age of Ultron and seen Lizzie as she goes by in this film. And she's great in it. And that's a tough feat to add in new characters to an already stacked cast.

And I think Joss Whedon and the Marvel Gang did a really fine job. Is it a perfect movie? No. Did I have a blast watching it? Yes. So I had a good time with Avengers. and I'm sure you guys did too if you saw it. And I think you'll have a good time listening to this conversation with Lizzie

because she's comes from a very interesting background. I mean, the first thing most people know about Lizzie, of course, is her last name. You know, you can't help but know, I guess, if you've read anything about who her sisters are, Mary Kate and Ashley, who were and are an industry unto themselves. And it's funny how things go where the people you would expect. to be, I don't know, oddest, strangest, considering their backgrounds, considering who their family are,

end up being the most personable and cool. You know, I've said that about Daniel Radcliffe in the past, considering he's been part of a crazy franchise, he's crazy, well adjusted. And Lizzie Olson is someone that's really easy to talk to and really has a great perspective on her career and her life and her priorities, especially given, who her sisters are.

And she's really frank and open about sort of how, you know, at the end of the day, those two very famous sisters of her are just extremely hardworking, dedicated people, as is she, as evidenced by the spate

of great film she's made the last few years. It was a real treat to bring her into the office to talk to her. I found out early on as you'll hear my bubble was burst. She has left New York.

I counted Lizzie as a great New Yorker. She's still a great person, but she is now moved out to the West Coast. So that saddens me, but as we talk about it in the interview, I know she's going to be back doing theater and all sorts of fun stuff here frequently. What else can I tell you? Avengers, that's on the brain.

Summer movies generally are on my brain. By the time this goes up, I will have seen Mad Max for Fury Road. I can't tell you how I'm excited I am about this one. This has been the film I've been most excited for probably since it was actually greenlit and shot. I've been talking to, I had to read George Miller about this one

about four or five years ago. I've talked to Charlize about it. I talked to Tom Hardy about it last week when I was in Vegas. All the materials look so cool so different than the kind of summer blockbuster than we normally see.

So I hope to be able to report on next week's show and in further shows that it is as good as it looks and is as innovative and special as it looks. But that's very much on the brain, as is just summer movie season. I will never tire of quality popcorn flicks, which is what we're getting into the heat of right now.

We're in May. In case you didn't know. Okay, time for your questions. As always, guys, I encourage you to send me any question. I mean any question with the hashtag happy, sad, confused. I welcome absurd, silly. amazing, stupid, whatever you got, I will answer them on this podcast. So here are a couple. I'm looking at my Twitter feed right now. Let's see what do we got. This is from Minnie T. Mercury.

Okay. Because Benedict's been asked this random question. That's Benedict Cumberbatch. What's your favorite cheese? It's a good question. And it's actually a very important question to me because I, I'm a big fan of cheese. I enjoy it. I'm not one of these crazy people that doesn't eat cheese. I guess it's not just crazy people. Some people literally can't eat cheese. They're lactose intolerance. So I'm not going to say you're crazy if you can't eat cheese.

But I pity you. I feel for you. You're missing out on a world of happiness. It's kind of a tough question, though. My favorite, I guess, you know, I'm a simple man. I like a good mozzarella. A good fresh mozzarella. That's a deciding factor.

You want to go high-end, you go barata. Oh, oh, some barata. That's a good time. Then you go back to kind of normalish cheeses. You go into your cheddars. That's a good time. Not a huge Swiss person, but I'll take it. Like a good blue cheese?

Okay, I've said too much. Welcome to Cheese Talk with Josh Horowitz. Let's see. One more best. Is this one? Which one are you most of the time? Happy, sad, or confused? That's from Irish Girl O'Hara. Irish girl O'Hara. Which one of I, most of the time, happy sad or confused? I'm confused most of the time. I mean, I'm a generally, I don't know. It seems a word for me to say I'm a generally happy person, because I'm such like a, I think of myself as a curmudgeon as just someone that, I'm not exactly negative, but I'm kind of like a little, a little acerbic, jaded New Yorker. I'm a mix.

We're a mix of all three, aren't we? Aren't we all? But confused, I feel like, tends to fit my temperament. Temperament best temperament? Temperament. Oh my God. I think I'm having a stroke. Guys, help.

Someone, that's the sad part. By the time you listen to this, I'll already have died from my stroke. That's the question-answer period of Happy Sighted Confused this week. Please hit me up with more of your questions, and I will continue to answer them on this very podcast. In the meanwhile, let's get to the main show. It is time to listen to the lovely, the talented, the brilliant. Insert your adjective here. Elizabeth Olson, enjoy. You've got your microphone and everything, got your chair. Do I need to talk to it specifically? I mean, you can adjust it slightly. Do I need it to be below me?

I think you got it. You don't pretend like you don't know. I actually don't know because I feel like mics are a very specific thing. Like, some can pick up. Like, I'm sure this isn't a good idea. That's not going to be friendly for the audience. We're getting in their face right now. Didn't you just, you wrap that the Tom Hiddleston shenanigans?

Yeah, we wrapped that right before the new year, though. Were you singing in that one? Yes, but that's right on the mic. You're right on the mic. Because we used actual old 40s microphones. Oh, nice. And you're supposed to sing right on the mic for those. And if you're actually away from them, they don't pick up sound.

Oh, interesting. Yeah. And they only pick up from a certain angle. They don't pick up. It's not like omnidirectional. It's like, you have to kind of do that, which makes it really fun. Also, that actually makes sense. This is like why in those like old.

Which is why they're all like. Right. They're letting around the microphone. They're dancing with the microphone as it were. Yeah. As I said, well, my God. There he is. Which one?

Yes, there's Tommy. Oh, my goodness. He did a very much. memorable sketch with me once where he was playing off his low-key character and he was like a really horrible prankster. So he was torturing me and every prank he would pull on me was really bad. No way. He's so funny as you probably know by now. He likes, but he also likes that. Yeah. I don't like, I don't know how to do that. How to do what? The prankster or the comedy, the wacky, wacky, I'm a character.

Sure you do. It's just buried deep. Way, way, way deep. Hidden. He's an impressionist. He's a man of many talents. As are you. Not a man of many talents. A lady of many talents. Let's see. Last time we spoke, we spoke a couple times in L.A.

Crazy shenanigans. Are you almost done? Are you at least in the home stretch? Yes, we're almost done. I'm going to Miami on Wednesday, which I've never really done press there. So that's going to be fun. It's going to be warm. And then, like, knocking on fake plastic wood.

Right. I want to go to Japan with Joss the end of June after Capp. Have you ever been before? No, I really want to. I wanted to go for Godzilla because I wanted to go Ken Watnabi. Yeah, go with the cake, basically. Yeah, but that didn't happen. And so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I get to go this time.

Nice. What's intriguing about Japan? It's just a world. Like, I've never been anywhere in that part of the world. And I've never experienced just, I don't. like whatever the like my mind has just like lights and it's just like there's so many like over sensory overload um i've never experienced it and i want to know what it actually feels like to like be in Tokyo sure well which people also say they're the it's like the nicest place

you can go obviously it seemed that like it sounded like that when they had their earthquake and then the tsunami the tsunami right yeah yeah and and they didn't have any rise in crime. Right. Like that's pretty crazy. Like we're like, oh, hey, let's go have a silent peace protest and then break stores and steal things and loot. And they never had one crime reported.

It's interesting, too, also as like, you mentioned like the sensory overload because I always describe like New York as that's the people that aren't from here. Especially where you guys are. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for coming. We just joke to people. Like, we can grab a bite at Bubba Gump after words if you want.

a lot of good cuisine around here. No, but like, yeah, there's only so many places that, like, us New Yorkers can go to feel actual sensory overload and Tokyo is probably one of the field. Yeah, I bet. I mean, I actually felt so silly because I was telling Scarlett that I really wanted to go to Tokyo for the film. And she was talking about it very familiarly. And I was like, oh, have you been a lot?

And I was thinking, I'm such a fucking, I'm such an idiot. Sorry, okay. You are a fucking idiot. I'm such an idiot. Of course. She filmed a movie there, Lizzie, when she was, like, really young. It was pretty good, too. You might want to check it out.

There's a great female director. It's ringing a bell. I can't be on place. I think Bill Murray was in it. I know, that's a good movie. Yeah. Yeah, that was a great movie. Yeah, that's on my list, too.

I, yeah. You've never been either. I went to Hong Kong last year. How is that? It was okay. It's a little, it's not, I don't know. The smog is very much there. Right here that you can't actually see the top of buildings.

It's scary. But like, but the sheer magnitude, the sheer size of it was overwhelming. Yeah. Yeah. That's one of the perks of, I guess, both are jobs as you get to travel a lot. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's also the reason why you like, it's like hard to pick a home in a way because

you just want to make sure that that home has what you need for when you stop traveling. Yeah. So, okay, let's apply that to New York. I just moved to L.A. in February. What? Yeah. Listen, no. What happened?

but I left New York. Yeah, it was just like eight years. I did it. Oh, no, I'm so sad. Why? What happened? My favorite thing to say, which is true, is that I had one door in my apartment and it was to the bathroom.

And I was tired of like eating, sleeping and chinting in the same room. Right. Kind of thing. I get it. And I really wanted space. I grew up in L.A., so I don't have like a, I don't have a weird thing about L.A. It's not like a place you move to because you're an actor. Right.

It's just where I grew up. And so I have a lot of great memories about it. I loved growing up there. So moved back. And space and sunshine are two very great things for people's lives, apparently. I've heard people talk about it. I don't quite get it yet. But whatever, if it's working for you, I'm happy for you.

I immediately felt like they had this huge thing that's off my shoulders. And I was like, wow, I feel like I'm living. But you're going to miss some things. What are you going to miss? I haven't yet had the moment where I miss living in New York. The other day, I got off the subway at Union Square. This was Sunday. And a very, a little bit smaller than me.

I'm like, just to give perspective. I'm like five and a half or something. And a man who might have been like five, two, old, like, home. Homeless, definitely homeless, but like definitely on drugs, came up to me. And there are lots of people around because it was Sunday at Union Square. Right. Came up to me when literally two inches from my face went, eh!

And I just put my hand up and I was like, welcome back to me. This is, these are the reasons why it's actually nice to not live here because I don't actually have to deal with that. That man was Rudolph Giuliani. Wait, what, why, was that the extent of the conversation? That was it. And everyone was looking at me like, what is she going to do? Is she okay? And I was just literally put my hands in his face and did that and kept walking.

It was so strange. It was, and like, I've lived here for a while. And I don't remember someone like just making a crazy sound in my face while they're on drugs. That's the eight-year anniversary thing. No, but it is. It was nice to come back. It was nice walking through Central Park. Like, I took the newspaper from my hotel. It's weird staying in a hotel. I don't like that feeling staying in a hotel in New York. I'm like, I don't. We've revoked your status immediately. I don't. Like, I'm already not a New Yorker. And I like took my newspaper and sat in Central Park. And that was amazing. That was so nice to do. But I also like doing that, like, on my deck. I got it. I got it. So was it a big deal? Because you went to school here, right? Yeah.

Was it a big deal to come to NYU specifically or to come to New York at the time? What was the reason, rationale for? I didn't get into Brown. There's a reason. Yeah. I wanted to go to Brown, didn't get in. It was very lucky that that didn't happen because being in New York and being at the, I didn't want to, I didn't know if I wanted an acting conservatory because I felt like I was too smart to like go to an acting conservatory. Not saying I'm like really smart now, but I was smart when I was in high school.

Right. to Mexico A brilliant more than But NYU you do both You do like You do liberal arts And you do

Conservatory So you still do academics Being here Was when I started working Right The school that I was at The theater company That my school was attached to

They were the ones Who helped me start working So if I wasn't there If I weren't there I don't really know How all of this would have happened Sure So coming here was like New York.

I love New York. I wanted to live here. My sisters moved here a couple years before and I'd visit them every birthday. I took a fun, like adult trip on my own. And I did love New York so much. And it was the theater. I want to know what it was like to be just, I imagine New York City to just be like encompassed by theater. Like everyone went to the theater.

Like it was on like downtown, uptown, didn't matter. Midtown. Not the case But that's how I imagine New York Basically, 0.01% of tourists there are in theater Right, and like I totally did not understand that But I did see Woody Allen play jazz at the Carlisle last night

And I never did that as a resident And I did that because I like made a point to doing it That's on my list too. I've never done it. Was it amazing? Was it interesting? Really amazing. Does he talk at all to the audience?

No. The funny thing is is I've met him twice not in like a party situation like a one-on-one situation for because that's how he meets people for work you just like go into a room and like talk to him for literally 60 seconds and I did that twice so I've spent two minutes with him and I just still couldn't be like when he was fixing his clarinet before getting on stage I still couldn't get myself to be like oh hi right because I'm not good at that right and I also just assume he meets a lot of people and wouldn't remember he's a I actually did a podcast with him and as you could imagine how did you get that to happen it was random it was just like begging for years I know and as you could imagine look at me I'm the most stereotypical I'm a big Woody Allen I mean come on and oh so he sat here he actually didn't come in you went to the Carlisle? I went to his office oh at the Carlisle right no it's a upper east side okay but it was so surreal to sit in his screening room yeah for 35 minutes like can you imagine that's so

So crazy. I mean, I'm sure in your situation, yeah, tell me about... Was not 35 minutes. Well, I mean, I've heard many stories like the one you just said about these meetings. That's how everyone meets him. Yeah. That's just how it happens. So there's no, it's not even reading.

It's just like... I end up doing a reading for him. It was at the very beginning when I started working. I think it just, I think Martha just came out. Martha May and Marlene just came out. And he was casting that film, the Rome one. Yes, to Rome with love. Yeah, which I actually never saw.

But he was cast. that. I was still in college, because I was like always still in college. It took me so long to graduate. And I was, I own one movie poster. And it's Annie Hall. It's, it's an original poster from the theaters. It's the only poster I have. It's hanging in my room proudly. It's traveled with me everywhere. Woody Allen, watching his films, for me, it made me understand the kind of woman I actually wanted to be because I hadn't seen the woman I felt connected. to in films. Sure. I was like, I'm not the sexy one. I'm not the nerd. I don't know where I fit. And then I watched Diane Keaton being this like neurotic, awesome, silly, but smart, but

sometimes dim, because she played so many different kinds of characters for him. And I was like, oh, that's the woman I like. I like being that kind of woman, that Woody Allen kind of woman. Like they are very conservative dressers, but they have opinions and they're really opinionated and goofy. They give as good as they get from him. Yeah. Yeah.

And so I really, like, that was really important to me. So when I had the opportunity to meet him, I got so excited because this person, like, made me feel like I could, like, I had something to look forward to. Sure. And I met him for, like, 60 seconds. There would be so many questions I would ask him, but I did not feel like it was the appropriate moment. So I forgot what even he asked. Like, I don't even, like, was. even like a real conversation and then I got a phone call from the casting director saying

oh he wants you to read some pages from the script I was like what and so I got and also the funny thing was I was doing a play reading with Jesse Eisenberg who's in that movie and so it was my lunch break during the play reading to go meet Woody and came back to the play reading and he was like how was it I was like we looked at each other for like a minute and we said some words and he was like that's what happened to me, too. So it's like not female. It's like male, female. Like, it's just whatever.

That's just part of his process. I don't care. Like, I loved every second of it. And then I got to go back and read a couple pages from the script and didn't get the job. And then I went and did summer school. And they had some like casting things, but I was already in the summer school. Yeah. Not like I failed a class and went to summer school.

Like, it was a course. I wanted to educate myself. even more during the summer while all of the, you guys were just lying around doing nothing. I get it. I didn't fail. Like, I actually took a course during the summertime. So, I mean, the first time we talked was, like, many people talked to, was it Sundance. Yeah.

And I think you had two films. It was Martha. And Silent House. And Silent House that year. Yeah. It was my first time ever doing press for anything. I was so confused about how anything function or were. I don't even need to ask a question.

That was kind of my question. Yeah. You remember about just going through that round of insanity? I remembered. The main thing I remembered was like, I didn't believe that anyone was actually caring about anything I was saying. It wasn't going to show up anywhere. I was like, what's this place Sundance? I've heard about it.

Like, I didn't understand film festivals. I didn't understand the business. Like, I know that might sound stupid to some people because, like, oh, be your sisters. It's like, no, actually, like, I don't know anything. I didn't know anything about film festivals. I didn't know how an independent film got. to a theater. When I saw independent films, I just thought that those were like the ones that didn't make the big theaters. Like, I didn't know that that was like a special niche thing.

Niche thing. I was just like, oh, those are clearly the ones that like don't have a big enough audience to go to the regal. So all of that was like completely just foreign to me. So I just went in being like, oh, well, no one's going to quote me on anything I'm saying. I knew I was going to have to answer questions about like you came out of nowhere and it's like no I've actually been living for about 22 years and everything's that you think you just found out about me doesn't mean I was just born yesterday right um so that was funny hey guys time for a special message from one of our very special sponsor stone reset by gemvara stone reset is a service that handcrafts new settings for your very unique and previous

stones from your existing jewelry collection. It's time to refresh your jewelry box guise, transform valuable pieces currently collecting dust into stylish and meaningful pieces that you can wear again. You can reset your special heirloom stones to create lifelong engagement rings. You can update existing engagement rings through reset for approaching special anniversaries, and best of all, it's super simple. All you have to do is request a free, insured, pre-paid shipping kit to send in a stone for measurement. So expert jewelers will inspect it. You'll be sent a list of possible designs back.

Then you choose your favorite design with your preferred metal and any accent stones. And they will handcraft the new setting from scratch. And if you don't love any of the options, they'll send the jewelry immediately back and paid and insured packaging, no questions asked. Get started at stone reset.com slash happy. And you'll get 15% off at stone reset.com slash happy. Well, not to mention, did it feel like immediately that people were, and they still do, obviously, ask about your sisters. Like that it was like, that's like when they don't know anything about you, except that.

They're like, Olson. Let's talk about that for 10 or 12 minutes. And was that something you were kind of, by then, had you steeled yourself against that kind of a thing? Did you have mechanisms to kind of, like, deal with that? I think what happened was is like if I started working when I was in high school I think it would be like a sore subject

for me but because I started working at 21 years old even though you're like not a fully realized person I'm still not a fully realized person at 26 I didn't I didn't have that feeling

of it wasn't defining you like you already were a person yeah and I'd already, and I earned everything I got, even though, like, yes, I'm sure in some situations and lots of situations, whatever, it might have helped me, or done the opposite, I don't really know that pictures, those pictures are very creepy, by the way. But it wasn't something that really bothered me.

If someone asked me a question about my sisters, I'd be like, yeah, they're amazing. What do you want to talk about? Now I'm like, well, we don't have to talk about them, but I'll just say how much I respect them. Sure. Because they are incredible women. So people, it's not like, I don't have a good relationship with them or that, like,

we don't talk. So it's, like, not a weird subject. Like, some people have that with certain family members. Sure. And, like, the media. But, like, I don't have that. So it's kind of like, yeah, sure. They're amazing.

And it's interesting you say that about, like, sort of some ignorance or innocence about sort of the business side of film because, yes, they were and are hugely successful. But the kinds of stuff they did, I mean, they weren't doing the kinds of, obviously, the kind of movies that you do. No, but they actually know, like, heads of, like, every studio. Like, I forget that. Yeah. Like, she was saying, like, oh, it was funny. This guy sat next to who's, like, the head of whatever showed me a photo where I presented him a award when I was a child.

It's crazy. And, like, that's just nuts. Yeah. And that's crazy. They literally didn't stop working from six months old. and they still haven't stopped working their whole lives. They don't know what it feels like to not work during a weekday. It's really crazy.

And to some people, they're like, oh, yeah, it's really crazy. It's like, no, no, six months old, toddler, it doesn't matter. They always worked. And they don't, they just keep getting cooler and more interesting. Does it affect, did it affect, like, your, the way you looked at, celebrity? And in terms of how you approach a career and sort of seeing what they've gone through the ups and downs of sort of how they've been treated and how... Well, the thing is, is they never did anything different. It was the people, it was like the media is a thing that ebbs and flows.

They're private. They don't give a lot of information. They don't go to places where they know they'll be photographed. It's just things like that. So I watch, I know how they handle things. or what they do, and, like, I then incorporate it for myself. I don't, people don't really recognize me. I'm, like, really, it's really great.

I don't even know if they will after Avengers. I'm not sure because it's such a confusing, large film. I don't quite understand the numbers behind it. But it's an amazing thing to be a part of. It is so loved. I don't know if that's going to change. my day-to-day habits, I don't think it will. I'm like, I'm like, do whatever I want.

Like, I went to Central Park in other than a street me the other day. Right, right. It's fine. Did, because it's interesting to look at, um, this career the last few years and the cease are the sort of films that you were doing for a while and still do. I mean, the Hank Williams film is not the Avengers. No.

Although it's with an Avenger. Good point. We're an antagonist of the Avengers. But Godzilla and Avengers back to back, was that something that, how calculating are you in terms of, like, and I don't mean that in a negative, but. I'm, like, I'm trying to figure out what the longevity is here. Like, I don't want, I also, I'm, first off, I'm not, like, a model kind of girl. Like, it's not, like, this is only working for me because I'm young situation, but I want to figure out how to make it last. Sure.

because a lot of it does kind of have a time cap on it for a lot of people but I don't want to be one of those people I want to be able to work really old and I just want to learn every job yeah um those films what happened was is I was noticing girls that I am was kind of lumped in the same category as were up for cool small movies and then they're also up for these bigger movies and I was like well how does that happen yeah and And someone just said, well, that's because no one knows you want to do them. I was like, well, okay, that's it. So I just started taking meetings with different people who were companies I loved. Legendary was one. Marvel was one. And Legendary was kind of funny because they want to be an incubator for directors and allow the directors to make their choices.

So I just got lucky that Garris was like, liked Martha, Marcy May and Marlene and wanted me in his film where I met Aaron. And then somehow, I don't, I think it was just from meeting with Kevin Feigy and Jeremy Latcham a couple of times at Marvel. That's maybe how my name was like in the mix. So what happens in an initial meeting with someone like Marvel where it sounds like it wasn't even about a specific part? No, it's not. So is it literally just like, this is who I am. This is what I'm into?

What are you into? Like is it a date? Like, what are you doing? I don't know how you do it when you're not a fan. You know, like some people I'm imagining there's something very business about it. and you go in and you can just talk businessy. Right. But, like, I went in being, like, a total nerd.

My brother's a total comic book nerd, like, for real. Literally bought comics every week of his life since he was six. And so I grew up with, like, that shoved in my face all the time, but I, like, wanted to be him, so it was great. So being a fan of the films, which started with Iron Man for me. It wasn't, like, the pre-Marble stuff. It was really, like, Iron Man. And I was like, what is this thing?

And then I just loved all of them. And that's what we talked about. And I didn't know what characters there. I knew they were going to do Gardens of the Galaxy because my brother knew that before they made an announcement. He was like, okay, so you could be this character or this character or this character. So like I went in like knowing something. You're just dropping like, you know, I'm a big Gamora fan.

Yeah, basically. And then he was like, yeah, but that character is like a squirrel. So maybe you wouldn't be that character. No, of course not, of course not, but tomorrow. And so he would tell me those things. And then when I met with Joss the first time, they did say, I think there was rumors that they were going to bring in Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. It wasn't announced. I don't even know.

It was really early in their, like, in their, I don't know, pre-production. Sure. And so I met him. I was actually on my way to auditioning for Ben Affleck. where I was like trying to convince him to cast me for this character that I was too old for and um

Which film? Does it happen? I don't know if he's directed it yet. Oh, live by night? Was it that one? Yeah. I think it's still around. It was for this, um, like teenage preacher. Okay.

Like, born again. So I was wearing like this white dress to the floor. Like I was prepped for my audition not to be Josh. Josh was like, have you had some kind of spiritual awakening or something? And like my hair was like, really like I was just like so, I, like, looked like I could... You're ethereal. You're a little...

Yeah, like, I'd be this, like, born-again preacher in the 20s or whatever it was. And read, and watched, like, so many preacher videos on YouTube. It was amazing. Didn't get the part, obviously. Well, at least the movie. It's not your fault. But was on my way to do that. Met with him for tea.

And, like, after talking about Shakespeare for a while, he brought up the two characters, kind of, like, felt like, an afterthought. Like maybe we should talk about what we came here to talk about. And he introduced Scarlet Witch to me. And the main thing I remember him saying, beyond just like explaining her character in the world of Marvel and like where it goes and what they're focusing on, how it's going to be,

they're changing the origin because they can't have her be Magneto's child. I said it. I said the word. A mutant. No. I said it. I almost said it at Comic Con and it was like 8,000 people gas. And I was like, oh, my God, I almost wanted to cry.

Your brother stands up. He's like, no. Because I wanted to say mutated, and everyone's like, and I was so freaked. I was like, what did I say? What was I saying? So he was the afterthought of basically, yeah. So he was telling me about Scarlet Witch.

And the main thing I remembered was when you go home and you look her up, when you see the images, know that you will not look like that. And I didn't know what he meant. And then I saw images. And I was like, So I'm not going to wear, like, a bra that, like, pushes boobs up to your chin, and I'm not going to be in a leotard and cape with a headband. Cool.

Less interested now, but, okay, whatever. It's your choice job. Did your brother come to set? Did he see you in costume and everything? No, my brother is a big fan. So I actually am shocked that I didn't ruin anything for him. Because every time I would talk about it, he'd be like, I don't want to know. I don't want to know.

I don't want to know. Because I was like, oh, there are crazy surprises in the film. Right. Like you, and I never ruined it for him. He went to the premiere in L.A. And he was, and he called me afterwards because I didn't, I don't like, go after parties. So he just called me, like, from the after party. And he was like, I can't believe you didn't spoil it for me.

Because people who are listening, there are, like, crazy surprises in the film. And my brother was so happy I didn't ruin it for him. Nice. Yeah. The, uh, did you some of these Sam Jackson? In, like, 10 picture deals? No. No?

No. No. A few. Okay. I'm doing CAP 2. I've heard you say this now. Yeah. Well, because, you know, it's because I guess we found out that Kevin Feige insinuated it that I was going to go work with them in a couple weeks and like, well, working on Captain America in a couple weeks.

So then I was like, okay, well, I guess we're saying it unofficially. No one's gotten mad at me yet. I think that's a good sign. For talking about it. There's a Disney person in the room that hasn't glared at me or you yet. So it's okay. Okay, great. Because no one's brought it up that I'm not supposed to be talking about it.

But yeah, I'm going to go do Cap 3. Have you seen the script yet? Do you? Yeah. It's really cool because Scarlet Witch is a character. We don't even like tap into what she is in the comic. We like just start to tap into what she is in the comics. Usually in the comics, those are flashback things, like where she came from.

and we it's kind of that in the film and now she's part of the gang and a lot of interesting things get to come out of that and I get a and she she now can have like a whole world open to her and it's really exciting I've never like returned to a character before so this is it's cool for me to see that happening what I want to backtrack a little bit I want to back to a lot bit but but a lit bit for for a second. A whitbit. Godzilla.

Yes. And what's your take post-in-worn? Because I love a lot of Godzilla. I also have some quibbles like some people did. Yeah. And I'm wondering like your take on it because... I'd never seen a Godzilla movie, by the way. Yeah.

I was like a fan of Godzilla. You're not like a Marvel freak about Godzilla. No. Yeah. I'd never seen a Godzilla film. The only bits I saw were the ones that you like made fun of as a kid with the ad, with the with the voiceover stuff. Like, I can't do it on this.

Trust me. It looks embarrassing. I mean, do you feel like in the end, Garris? Yeah, yeah. I was like, that's such a cool movie. I didn't know that that's what. I love that Godzilla was a hero. Yeah.

I loved that you really, like, felt bad for him. Totally. It's not the kind of film where my character had anywhere to go. Right. So when they do a sequel, I know I'm not going to be in it because, like, I don't know what you're going to do with me. I had a great experience working with Gareth and I had a great

experience working with a child. That's like a huge learning experience to work with a kid to balance like how to keep them entertained but also like focus on your job sort of thing. You can't be like all about yourself. You have to kind of like half of your you need to be like keeping them occupied. Yeah. Because the first scene

we did together was when we like reunited in this dome and I was hanging out with him for a couple weeks beforehand in Canada so he'd know me well and it was my first scene with Aaron it was my first scene with the whole thing and it's like sad and happy and it's a lot of feelings

and I was just so focused on giving Carson a piggyback ride that I was forgetting that like I had to have come from like rubble and so at one point I was like oh right that's why they have like team of people here to do that like to give him piggyback rides instead of you so you can focus on your job. Until they probably have like 10 people expressly give piggyback rides.

Yeah, a lot of people give piggyback rides. I carried him like the whole movie. Have you talked to characters about Star Wars? We did talk about it. Are you a Star Wars fan too? He doesn't refer to it as Star Wars. He calls it, Rogue One, whatever he is. No, he calls it this little sci-fi film I'm working on.

And he won't refer to it as Star Wars in email. male either. Interesting. He's very, he's like really keeping mom about it. Didn't tell me anything about the story, which I'm okay with because I'm such a Star Wars fan that I don't, I just don't understand what this movie is going to be about, the JJ Abrams one. I don't know what it's going to be about. I'm so excited for it. I read the male sides because a friend of mine was auditioning, and I was like, let me see it, let me see it.

And so I was reading them. And I was like, I don't understand. are you, Obi-1's son? What is this? It's probably the most vague thing that just created. Yeah, and it was things they made up. It's not even going to be in the movie.

They're not even real characters. They're just like playing with things to make them seem like they're in Star Wars. And I was reading into it so much. We're like, I don't understand what's going on. But he, so he hasn't told me anything plot-wise. I'm just so excited for the whole thing. Did you see the trailer, the new trailer?

Yeah, I cried. I actually didn't cry. I was very close to crying, and I didn't cry. My friend, Clay, and I, we were obsessed with Star Wars. It was like Star Wars and returned to Oz. Those were our obsessions, like, from a very young age. Clearly, we were normal kids because returned to Oz. I just watched the screening of it.

They had a screening of it in L.A. Like, at a movie theater, and all the fans came. They had, like, drinks named after TikTok and Queen Mumbie. And my girlfriend was with me who saw it one. growing up because we always watched it but she didn't really remember it and the whole time she was like wait is she about to get electric shock therapy and i was like absolutely she's like i don't remember this part and i was like basis of the whole film is that she's getting electric shock therapy like i wouldn't be into it otherwise it's a children's movie right like of course she's

getting electric shock therapy but we were we like we're collectors of everything star wars also so were you into all sorts of freaky weird like fantasy like were you like a legend labyrinth kind of No, it was returned to Oz. It was Star Wars. And we were kind of obsessed with Wizard of Oz just that whole world. My best friend Clay, all of his tattoos are Wizard of Oz themed and they're all from the original illustrations. It's like he, the friend's moms who like don't like tattoos, like love Clay's tattoos because

they remember him as like being three and obsessed with Wizard of Oz. And so we made a lot of our own movies that were like spin-offs of Wizard of Oz. Like we made this movie called The Bleach. which was, like, a girl, like, hit her head going into the washer when her friend was trying to, like, shove her in the washer. And her dream is that the bleach is trying to make all the colored clothes white. And we made a whole film about it and, like, all of the characters she meets along the way. And we did this in, like, when we were, like, 11. And that was...

You went to the world building of all these studios way before everybody else. You did spin off some prequels and... The scary thing is, is we actually made of, like, something that was kind of, like, a night of... at the museum as our history play before a night at the museum came out and after that we were convinced that's because we were in LA's so we were like whose parent and we had like screenwriters

and producers and we're like someone's parents are stealing our idea like as if that was the most original idea ever that mannequins come to life wasn't there that book where the kids like stay over in the Museum of Natural History too there was that there's that and we and I just remember we always like

we like quoted waiting for Guffman And we were like 10. Wow. Like it's really, really, but the thing is, is our humor hasn't changed. That's okay. That movie's still smart.

But we, we were like progressive and then we just stayed. I feel that way too. I feel like I was, I often say, I feel like I was like the smartest, like 12 year old ever.

And I just didn't advance. And now I'm like, middling behind. You're like, it's still working for me, but. It's a little upsetting. So, okay,

let's backtrack even. further before I release you back into the wild. So Martha Marcy, May Marlene, which you said very quickly, very well. You must have practiced that a lot. I'd say it all. I feel like I've, like I had someone the other day, again, on Sunday. I had a lot of funny encounters on Sunday. It was a girl.

And she was like, she walked past me, and then she turned on. I was like, hey, and I was like, and I turn around because there's no one else walking. And she was like, I loved you in that movie. Like, Marlene? She was like, sorry, I've had a few got. There was no worst title for a movie when you're inebriated than Martha Marston. And I was like, yeah, it's a long title. It doesn't matter if you had a few cocktails.

It's a long one. So was that was, was that literally the first feature? Second, I went straight from doing a really great, amazing film called Pete's Love and Misunderstanding. That had a good ensemble cast. It was a great first film. Yeah. Keener was my mom. Fonda was my grandmother.

I'll do that for my first movie. Even though I knew the script was kind of cheesy. Right, right. Happy to say it. It was a great experience. I overlapped with Martha like a week. They didn't want to hire me because it all gets complicated with, I don't know what it is, but some businessy part of it gets complicated when you overlap films at the same time.

Got it. They're both upstate. So I actually drove myself for a week back and forth to different parts of it upstate. They're really like three hours apart, but I just happened to be in the right state, which was nice. And because that happened, it made it possible. to do it. Right.

And so it kind of felt like my first film because they were kind of combined. Do you look back at Martha? I mean, you know, you're working with like Sarah Paulson and John Hawks and you're the lead, obviously. Which I also never really processed. It was just kind of like, oh yeah, I played the lead in like my college play too. So it was more, again, more of just sort of what you didn't even know at the time. Yeah.

And I didn't know, like, I didn't know that there was a. audience like all I cared about was make it such a nice feeling to make a movie and not actually think about anything but that yeah and I think you only get that experience once if you get it and it was I never thought about like awards obviously because that's like so weird and I never thought about um who's gonna buy it I didn't understand I didn't understand anything and every like the oldest person on the crew was 30 so So it was such, it just felt so like it was, everyone was so professional, but everyone was young. And like we were making this movie because like even the Gaffer cared about the script.

Like everyone, the electrician, everyone cared about the script. They were all buddies together in college. And so it just felt like really innocent. And it was this like magical creative experience. And that's why we all became so close. and we're all still friends. Yeah. What I'm curious about the one you just wrapped.

We talked about it briefly. Are you, what's, what's your perspective on this one recently? It's really good. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's going to be really good. I'm really proud also of like what I got to do in it, which that in its own is like not some, I think a lot of people, whatever job you have, I don't think you always get to be like,

oh, I did a good job on. whatever that was. Sure. But that was a really special film, except it was almost like the opposite of Martha where, like, everyone had been working in the industry for so many years, like, so many decades, not even years. They're parents, like, some of them were like third generation, I'm going to say Gaffer again, gaffers, and people, like, their whole family, like, this person's dad was, like,

the best focus polar. And now he's, like, a six-year-old man doing something else on a crew. like it was it had this old Hollywood field of it which was so amazing Dante Spanati shot it who's like old school and so it all had this like totally like what I imagine films used to feel like when you made them um before I ever started working which was five years ago um and and it was really special so it it felt really taken care of It's really exciting. Sony bought it already.

Oh, nice. So they're going to, Sony Classics is going to distribute it, I think, internationally and domestically. It feels like a fall kind of a movie. It's going to be a fall kind of a movie, I think. And it's a special script. It's like an old kind of Mike Nichols feel. It doesn't jump from like beat change to beat change.

It lives in moments. It's hard to get someone. even though he died at 29 from a heart failure because he was such he because he was an alcoholic and he had so much back pain so he had to take all this medication so he had just had heart failure at 29 which is so insane to think about um but even though we try and just go from when he first got married to his wife Audrey who I play until the end of his life basically which isn't really it's not it's less than a decade and but a lot of things happen his It's a story of a relationship.

It's a story of being an artist. It's a story of being a celebrity about how, like, once you get everything you ever wanted to get, like, what's the prize? Nothing's there for you unless you have all these other things to back you up. And it kind of seems like he didn't. And it's really, I think we have a great ensemble. Like Cherry Jones plays Hank Williams' mother, Lily. We have Bradley Whitford, who plays his manager.

We have a really great ensemble of people that you wouldn't really piece together. But Mark Abraham, the director, was so sensitive to casting and was so brilliant at casting this film. And it was really, I think it's going to be special. I'm excited about that one. No, it sounds awesome. Is there anything that you are as passionate about as acting? What are you, what's like your obsession beyond? Well, this is going to be a good answer.

I can tell. Internationally, we had a press conference. And I didn't understand the question. He asked all the actors, he asked all the actors to answer it. I thought he said, what do you get excited about? Or what did you get excited about before, like, being an Avenger? Which I thought what he meant was like, what do you get excited about besides acting? Like my question, just now.

Yeah. Yes. I happened to be the first person to answer I didn't ask him to clarify the question and I said cooking and eating Okay, good answer The question was, what's your favorite thing about prepping the Avengers?

And so I said cooking and eating We got halfway down the conference line of like 10 actors And after Chris Evans I was like, I just want to say I didn't understand the question Because like I'm not Like, that's not actually my answer. I was very confused.

And everyone's saying, like, these amazing things about prepping the film. And I was, like, cooking and eating. I was like, I like getting fat before I become a superhero. There was a subtext to Scarlet Witch now that I think about it. She loved cooking. So I really love cooking. Okay. And I love going, like, I love having, like, I love going and, like, having experiences through food.

Yeah. Like, when I'm the person who. I can, like, I'll be in Shreveport, Louisiana, filming the St. William's film, and I will have done my research to see if there are any gems that I'm supposed to go to there. That's the priority whenever you visit a city. Yeah, but some people, it's not. It's really not for some people. And that is something I get a lot of joy out of.

I've always hosted since I was in high school. My mom's the nicest woman to let me do that and use her home. It started off with, like, eight people for dinner on the Christmas time. and then it turned into like 30 kids eventually throughout the night. And I'm just like thrown out like new dishes throughout the night. I love. It could be worse abuses of your teenage years. Yeah.

Well, we did end up like having like footprints on weird parts of the walls. And I'd be like, Mom, I don't know how that got there. I'm so, so sorry. Like one time we stayed in to carpet and I felt bad about that too. So what's the ideal cuisine? I mean, it's tough to pick for anybody that's. Well, ideal the way I like to cook is. very Alice Waters.

It's like small dishes, whatever I kind, whatever looks really fresh. Right. I'm obsessed with sardines right now. Interesting. Obsessed with sardine toast. I think a sardine.

I'm good with that. If a sardine's on a menu, I, tackle it. I have a whole part. Now that I live in L.A., I have a pantry. Do you know what that is?

I've heard things. It is a door that opens and you can walk in and you keep your food in there. And you hang clothes in there? No, just food. And if you want, like, paper towels as well, because you have extra space for storage. It's a magical place. And we have an entire shelf of just sardines.

Wow. You are a specialist. I love them. I go to markets and I go straight to, like, the fish section, the canned fish section. I'm like, I wonder if they have, like, a brand I haven't seen. I love canned sardines. I think that's a good note to end on. What do you think?

You're all of a fair with sardine. Yeah. It sounds like I'm about to go to SeaWorld and, like, feed the dolphins. Well, I'm sad that we're missing you in New York. You'll come visit often, I'm sure. Which is really nice. I have to come here often for work, so it's really nice. It's perfect. I'm sure theater will pop back into your... Hopefully. I'm actively looking, actually, because I didn't have the best first experience off Broadway. It was definitely an experience, but I would love to do something on the West End. And I'd love to do something.

You can't just throw that out there. No, it just, like, nothing happened. It just was, like, kind of a wonky situation. It wasn't, it's hard, it's hard to do a play, you know, every single night of the week, basically, besides Sunday night or Monday you have off. And know that it's not everything you wanted it to be. Yeah. But you have, but you end up having that kind of stamina. In The Seagull at the end of the play, Nina's saying, like, endurance is, like, endurance is, like,

like what you live like that's what it that's what it's all about is endurance the endurance to endure and you kind of get that mentality that kind of you just go in and you like remember what it is for you but I know people have like euphoric experiences on stage right I didn't get that got it and I don't know that's something I will chase is to like get to have that feeling that I had and I was a kid that like gave me so much joy totally yeah well you'll get there soon I'm sure Maybe that's a better note than sardines. I think so. Very inspirational.

Though I found the sardines, frankly, even more interesting. Congratulations on Avengers. I think it might do all right for you. It's apparently doing well already. It's already made a gazillion dollars overseas. Yeah. I've had people emailing me or texting me being like, congratulations on your movie.

I was like, yeah, it was all me. I had a lot to do with that. You did it. You know out and steal the show. Now, you're great addition to this already amazing cast, And it delivers everything you want And The Crazy Avengers And more

So it's good to see you Good luck on the next one And we'll talk soon Thank you Thanks Lizzie This was so fun We did it How fun

That's the show guys I'm Josh Horowitz This has been happy Say I Confused Hope you've enjoyed the show Hit me up on Twitter Joshua Horowitz Go over to Wolfpop.com

Check out all the amazing shows over there And most importantly check back in next week for another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused? Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! The Old West is an iconic period of American history and full of legendary figures whose names still resonate today. Like Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and Butch and Sundance, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Geronimo, Wyatt Earp, Batmasterson, and Bass Reeves, Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok, the Texas Rangers, and many more. Hear all their stories on The Legends of the Old West podcast. We'll take you to Tombstone, Deadwood, and Dye. Dodge City, to the plains, mountains, and deserts for battles between the U.S. Army and Native American

warriors, to dark corners for the disaster of the Donner Party, and shining summits for achievements like the Transcontinental Railroad. We'll go back to the earliest days of explorers and mountain men and head up through notorious Pinkerton agents and gunmen like Tom Horn. Every episode features narrative writing and cinematic music, and there are hundreds of episodes available to binge. I'm Chris Wimmer. Find Legends of the Old Wend. wherever you're listening now.