Happy Sad Confused - Elizabeth Olsen, Vol. III

Episode Date: May 25, 2023

Elizabeth Olsen's life and career have changed quite a bit since her last trip to HAPPY SAD CONFUSED. Here, she and Josh, discuss her journey through the MCU, her new limited series, LOVE & DEATH, and why you won't find her on a rollercoaster again any time soon.   UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS! The cast of OUTLANDER -- 6/8 at 92NY in NYC. Virtual tickets available. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your tickets here!⁠ ⁠⁠ Bryan Cranston -- 6/16 at 92NY in NYC. Virtual tickets available. ⁠⁠Get your tickets here! ⁠⁠   SUPPORT THE SHOW BY SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! HelloFresh -- Go to ⁠HelloFresh.com/hsc16⁠ use code hsc16 for 16 free meals plus free shipping! MasterClass -- Go to ⁠MasterClass.com/HSC⁠ for 15% off MasterClass. To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh's youtube channel here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! For all of your media headlines remember to subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Wakeup newsletter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I've had some people ask about it. What do you say? What's the stock kind of like? Do you really want to? I guess. Of course I do. I say, just give them one. Leave some space for yourself.

No, yeah, just give them one. That's what I say. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. Hey, guys, welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. I'm Josh Horowitz. Thanks, as always, for watching or listening. However, you're consuming this, my guest today,

she loves true crime, dark magic, and cooking. Yes, I do. Sure. Three for three? Yeah. It's Lizzie Olsen. That's how I described myself. Did I miss anything?

Anything on the resume we should add? No. I guess not. I was going to say, no. It's going to make a bad joke. That's what I would just. You would regret that we got to cut? And then I'm like, why?

Let's not do that. Let's not go down that rabbit hole already. Remember to like and subscribe so you don't miss this amazing conversation with returning champion, Elizabeth Olson. It's been, do you know how long it's been since the full-fledged podcast has been, in your orbit, you and I? No. 2015 was our last, like, in-depth, soul-searching conversation, Lizzie.

Oh, my gosh. I listened back. I have no idea what happened to me. You mean just metaphorically or literally? No, I mean, like, I don't know what, I don't even know what was happening in my life in 2015. Let me tell you, I will fill you in. Oh, cool. That's fun.

I listened back. You were promoting something, the last true life story you did, which was Age of Ultron, obviously. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. You were also marveling at the fact it was. you were in New York in my office at anonymity. Like, yeah, no one recognized me, recognizes me. I'm in Central Park. Oh, yeah, that's funny.

Has that changed? Yeah, that's changed. Changed real fast with Wondavision. What is, it happened kind of overnight. You felt it relatively. Yeah, I mean, it wasn't overnight. It definitely was a gradual thing. The more I was in Marvel stuff, the longer I was in them.

And I think Wanda Vision reached a different large, maybe not larger because I feel like the Marvel fans are pretty large, but I think because I was more front and center or something where I'm usually part of an ensemble. And so that, that shifted. Yes, anonymity shifted. I literally just ended a conversation right before talking to you where I was like, I missed that.

Yeah. Well, of course, of course. Do you find yourself, are the conversations, like do you find people want to engage with you on, not arguments, maybe that's too strong a word, but discussions about Wanda, for instance, they have takes? No, I think that it's more just Pete, it's like, I think it's, there's this, I remember

being in the back of a New York taxi cab what's his name, Sandy. Oh yeah, the film critic Sandy Canyon. Yes, and he was interviewing Michael Shannon and he asked him about like what the worst thing is that people say to him

and it's, oh, are you an actor? Are you that guy in that movie and I was like why is that such a big deal that because they like can't remember what you're in but I understand what he means it's kind of like oh wait am I supposed to now explain to you why you think you might know me right there's that that's awkward because then you're like oh yeah well you know I'm either like oh no we've never met before I say that a lot right or if I'm

grocery shopping and they ask or like if it comes up like are you so-and-so sometimes I just lie and other times you just smile and you just say oh thank you nice to meet you what's your name and then that's it I just I it's not none of it's offensive none of it's bad it's just not you're not blending into crowds which is how I prefer to see the world right yeah looking back so considering that conversation way back when do you feel like Like, I don't know, were you overly optimistic that things weren't going to change? Did you know things in your heart of hearts were going to change? Or did you feel like just the nature of the kind of projects you were going to gravitate towards outside of Marvel that, yeah, I mean, I'm going to be able to just do my thing and it's going to be.

Well, I still think it's going to change back because I just think people's attention spans are so short. Yeah. And I just, everyone's going to forget that I was in any of these things. And in a couple of years, I'll be having, or whatever, how much time is. It's been too long. It's been nine years. Hopefully it'll be sooner than that. But in like five years or two years, I'll be like, oh, yeah, no, no one cares at all anymore.

I'm blending into walls just the way I like it. So I think it will revert back in some way because it just will. Okay. So before we get into love and death, I do want to reminisce about another point, which is we've had some fun times shooting not only interviews over the years, but sketches. And one of them, I don't know if we've ever had the debrief on this, but one was with Aubrey. Yes, it was. Aubrey Plauset, one of my favorites. Yes, mine too.

human being and sketches, and it was for Ingrid Goes West, another favorite. That's a fun one. Obsessed. And as you may or may not recall, in that sketch, there is a line where you are kind of the joke is you are ruining the end of Avengers, and you say, everybody dies.

And then Thanos is like, give me the infinity gauntlet, and Scarlet Witch is like, I don't think so. Whoa, well, well, tell me you did not just ruin the ending of Infinity War. No, because everyone dies. Lizzie? I thought everyone knew that. Now, this was shot, chronologically speaking, a year before Infinity War came out.

Oh, so you probably shot it. Yes. I wrote that line for you. You didn't seem to bat an eye. I'm curious, can you recall any hesitation? Like, oh, this is going to get me into deep shit. I'm ruining the end of this movie, essentially, a year before it comes out. No, I think I thought, like, oh, people aren't going to think this is the ending

because I'm saying it in a sketch. Like this is going to, this is really like, I don't know what's it called and you get them off your trail. Right, right. That's what I felt like I was, I think that maybe that was the thought I had. That might be giving myself too much credit if I thought about it at all, which there's a potential I didn't.

It's really funny because, yeah, after it came out. Everybody died. After it came out, it starts to resurface in my social media feeds where people would be like, oh my God, she ruined the movie. We now realize she ruined the movie. a year ago. You know what? It's fascinating.

People talk about, like, I don't know, when I say people, I mean, other actors have always made jokes about, you know, there's like Shield or Kevin Feigy will come out and get mad at you or you'll be reprimanded. I have a feeling I've ruined multiple things many times and no one's ever talked to me about it. So I think it's fine. On the scale of the, on the Ruffalo scale, as we call it, you're still fine. Yeah, but I think Ruffalo does it as a bit. Yeah, now it's a bit.

Maybe I don't think it originally was a bit probably. Now he's playing into it. Okay. I mean, he's a pretty clever, funny guy, so it might have always been a bit. But I don't want to, like, take that away from him if it, you know, if it was authentic. Let's talk about your amazing new limited series. Yeah. Love and Death.

It's fantastic. Thanks. You, Jesse Plymonds, who I absolutely adore, really rape, Patrick Fugit. Yeah, Pat's so good. Amazing. He's so good in this show. So this is, what should, okay. this is always the debate.

What should folks know going in, you think? I think don't, don't... Don't Google Wikipedia the whole story. Well, yeah, don't do that. Don't do that. But also, like, go in not thinking that you're about to watch, like, a true crime drama or something. That's not really what we're doing.

It's not really... Our show's more of, like, a profile on the mentality of people in this town during this time. And the character I play is... in a way progressive because she really lives by what she projects into the world or onto the world. She really is about externals as we have become as a society where it's a lot of presentational we are able to control how we present ourselves to the world and that is an important factor in this woman's life. And this is Candy Montgomery. Yes. So this is the

setting is the late 70s Texas. Thank you. You're doing everything. Thank you. Trying to help her a long ago. It's on the Max, as they call it, as the kids call it now. HBO Max. Still HBO Max. Oh, it's still HBO Max. Well, I think on, I don't know when they're making that shift, but on my, on my, it's called a television at home.

The two. It says HBO Max. Right. So you're sticking with that. You signed on HBO Max. You didn't sign up for this Max crap. No, and no one's told me that we need to start talking about Max. So I feel like it's HBO Max until sometime in May, right, Marla?

Yeah, okay. Okay, so I think we're still safe calling at HBO Max. We got through that. Okay, what were we saying? Oh, small town. Yeah. And yes, Candy, what I think is interesting is, as you allude to, she is someone that wants more. She wants more out of life and doesn't necessarily have the tools or the right ideas of how to go about it.

Yes, she has a very romanticized vision of what that could be. and one of the romanticized visions is a big old affair, romantic affair. And so, but that, and that is something that she seeks out actively and methodically, very direct, very directly, which you got to, you know, you got to respect that directness. I certainly do. I was going to say, did you, and you're dating life, did you have that kind of directness? Like, I would like to date you now. It wouldn't it be amazing if we did that, though?

And we were like, and I want to stop. Like, I know we're trying to be kind to each other, but instead of us, like ignoring each other. Let's just agree to stop. The passive, aggressive, quiet. Yeah, the ghosting, as they say. As the kids say. As the kids say.

Yeah. As Anna Darmus and Chris Evans say. We're promoting that too. Apple TV Plus, check it out. Team player. Didn't even know where you could see it, but that's where I guess you can see it. But I, yeah, so she, she propositions Jesse Plemins' character, Alan Gore with an affair. And it ends up being a very, uh,

different kind of affair than you could imagine it becomes more of a friendship which might actually be more dangerous than a physical affair some may argue because there's a lot of intimacy that they're getting from each other that they don't get from their partners in their lives um and that affair then leads to a murder dot dot dot so and this the look this is inspired by true events based on and obviously but there's there's humor in this as well yes and yet you're all you're all also dealing with murder, with some horrible situations. Yes, we're trying to embrace this, these absurd circumstances and situations that these interesting characters find themselves in with hopefully not completely letting people

off the hook of the fact that there was actually a death that affected multiple families that are around today. We mentioned the actors, Friday Night Lights fan, Jesse Plemons. I watched a couple episodes when I was in Texas. Just because I was curious where, like, baby Plymonds started. But, yeah, and I felt like I had to really commit to a lot of hours if I were to watch it. That's like an 80-hour commitment, I know. Yeah, so I just, you know, watched a couple, and I was, and it was also, I just loved the way it was shot.

It just felt so of its time, like, this, like, hand-held television, yeah, yeah, yeah, thing. I totally got what they were doing with it, and it was fun to watch it now as opposed to when. it was happening. The milieu is really fascinating because like we get to see you in these contexts that I've never seen you in before. Volleyball. I don't know if that's been a part of your life. Huge part of my life. I was on a, I was on a traveling team when I was younger. Yeah, age 11 to 14. Oh, see, this must have bought it all back. Yeah, it was really fun to get to play volleyball. I had so much fun. Were you very competitive as a kid? I was very competitive. Yeah. I was very, very competitive. I even had like a private coach at one point.

I was a starting varsity setter when I was a freshman. And we won league. I don't even know what that means anymore, but we won the league we were in. What's your outlet, your athletic outlet now? Are you a pickleball player? Oh my God, I've only done it twice. What a fun game. I'm really late to it.

I want to play. Oh, it's worth it. It's a great time. Yeah. I started playing with my little sister and her boyfriend, and it's so much fun. Really, I highly recommend it. not like it not like they need the endorsement from me but that was fun uh i i am i'm very how do i how do i let out my physical i mean i i work out a lot because i think it's fun uh that's a

whole other conversation that i can't get behind but okay yeah you think it's fun to work out just generally i think it's because i played sports and danced my whole life and i think when i went to college and became an inanimate object i was like started to get i started to get depressed to my mom is like, well, Lizzie, are you exercising? And she was right, I wasn't. And it makes you feel good. You know what? Those endorphins are real.

How close an impression is that to your mom, her voice? I think I, I mean, she's usually a higher pitch voice than that. Really? Yeah, she's a very, very fun voicemail person. Like, I love listening to her voicemails. What are her typical? Hi, Lizard, it's your mom. Like, that's what she sounds like, but I think higher.

Lizard. Yeah. That's from childhood? Every, every voicemail starts with, hi, lizard, it's your mom. Did everybody call you a lizard growing up or just mom? Family and best friend, yeah, called me lizard. And now Robbie sometimes calls me lizard, my husband. Yeah, so when I was in Godzilla, my birthday cake was a lizard.

Perfect. Yep. We were talking before we started. I now have, by dinner of research, I know you are not necessarily the biggest fan of roller coasters, thanks to the great Colbert interview you did. There is a sequence that, yeah, it's jumped out of me like, oh, this is, it's always a fun thing to talk about,

like, how do you act while you're in that kind of circumstance? I couldn't act while I was in it. It was just survival. It was only when we started going in reverse, where you can, like, it's a two-minute video. When we start going in reverse, I start trying to, like, put candy back on. And, but I'm, like, talking manically to Jesse the entire time.

So it's not even usable because we're not, We're filming a montage. We're not supposed to be talking. So, okay, I want to just dive in a little deeper. Did you, do you fear death? Do you just fear nausea? Is just, like, physical, intellectual torture? What is, what is the problem?

So when I was younger, I had a theory that my friends don't want to be on a roller coaster that I'm on because that's the moment. There's going to, I had just this idea. I don't like things that go fast. Okay. I don't like this idea of, I don't like adrenaline rushes. Okay. So I'm, you know, someone's driving too fast in a car. Like, I tell drivers, you know what you can slow down.

I don't, I don't like getting places quickly. Like, we're good. Waitness is kind of my thing. I rather get there and be late. Exactly. And so I do have a fear of accidents, I guess, with fast things. I do know where that comes from, but I will not be sharing. that in a public form but it does come from something when I was a little girl that didn't

happen to me but that happened to others and so it's just ingrained in me got it safety first and I didn't find roller coasters to be safe so when I would go to um whatever they're called amusement parks with my friends I would always just wait in line and just like then walk on and walk off and like wait goodbye and then I would sometimes be like oh you got to go on this one you got to go on this one I'll be like okay I am and then I would just walk on and walk off and they'd be like Oh, Lizzie! Oh, Lizard did it again. And it just was something that I just,

I did not feel safe doing. And there's just a part of me that thinks it's the way I'm going to die. I don't know. And so it was really embarrassing. And it wasn't, I'd say before we started filming, like I wasn't trying to play into the dramatics or the attention or whatever.

But like I just started bursting, I just started crying before we had to shoot this stupid montage like a few frames of the whole show and it was monstrous in my mind and it was really embarrassing and now it's funny now it's a good talk show story yeah which is all that matters which is all that matters it's always so annoying when they're like anything funny happen on set that you can show us any behind the scenes footage and now I have one like well I thought I was gonna die and I've got taped to show it enjoy world um I assume more enjoy enjoyable singing in a car?

Are you somebody that enjoys singing? Love singing in a car. What's your anything that's on the radio? What's your go-to? Anything. I don't even have to know the song. I love singing in a car so much. I love being on a freeway with the windows down.

Like the amount, I don't even have to be, I can be in traffic. There are so many times I'm in traffic dancing my ass off. And I just wonder if I'll ever. ever see someone who I know and they'll be like, busy, did I just see you dancing? Because I dance my ass off in my car and sing. While you're driving? How do you dance while driving?

It's like all in your torso and you just, I mean, it was so fun to get to do those scenes with candy because like I, I love, I love singing and dancing in the car. Is Abba now more in the repertoire? Are you- I could not stop, oh, it did happen actually, sorry. just trying to scare you I one of the things that I the thing with candy that was so fun to play

is that she has so much energy and so when it was like 3.45 in the morning and I'm driving to set and I would be tired I would play some Abba and just or even not just Abba I'd play like Sharon Vonettin or whatever I was just like playing songs that like got me going

right and got me excited and I think it was I was probably listening to 17 or something like that or the one she has with Angel Olson and driving to work on one of these like narrow dirt roads in the 45 minute or hour drive or something in with no traffic it was just we drove to the furthest places and got to set and our Camry C told our DP instead of telling me which she totally could have that she saw me dancing in the car to work that I was behind her and I was like jamming out. And so he asked me if that was true. And I was like, oh my God, every morning is

that true? Especially playing candy. I have to have good energy. This is your entry point to Mamma Mia 3, the inevitable end of the trilogy. Yes. Yes. I play Lily James's mother this time. Have you, you've, look, I know you loved musical theater growing up. I did. I loved it. So you haven't really gotten to embrace that side of yourself too much. I mean, you've sung in film before a little bit. Yes, badly, on purpose. I mean, but also it was the best I could do. But you'd probably, I don't want to put words in your mouth, want to sing well and to the utmost ability.

That's on the list still? Oh, I don't take lessons, but I've been thinking about it. Yeah. Yeah. Have you gone up for musicals? No, never. Really? Never, except, I mean, not since high school.

That's kind of surprising. Should it be? Should I be surprised? No, I was told that I sang flat, starting when I was 12. and that kind of that kind of hurt and then when I went to a conservatory school in Russia we had to sing right and and that was there was like a big emotional block to get me to do that in front of people because of being 12 but it was really freeing to be able to do that in a class honestly who do you think is a big bigger musical theater nut you or Chris Evans

oh definitely not me definitely Chris Evans really yeah I I really just know like the classic movies and the ones I was in. I don't really know anything about anything else. Have you sung with him? Have you karaokeed? Have you done anything? No. Okay.

Are you a karaoke er? No. Me neither. Never done it. Not into that at all. I don't. I... Just in your box, in your car, you'll do it, but not...

Yeah, no, no, it's not for anyone. It's really for me. I think I feel eyes on me enough. I don't need to add... I don't need to put myself in that position. Hey, guys, I am so excited to talk about our sponsor this week. It's Hello Fresh. You know Hello Fresh.

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A little later in the year in 2013, I believe. Wow, weird. And I know you've talked about this. Because I think I filmed it when I was 25 and I'm 34 now. There you go. Math. So, I know. from our past conversations

it still boggles you like how long this has run and just the different iterations Right yes shocked I signed on for like a thing and a half I don't It was funny one of the things that again I listened to that early conversation

We had promoting H of Ultron You talked about being cast by Joss And him saying to you Just don't Google the character Yes Look at how you're going to be dressed Because you're not going to ever be dressed Yes and then I was

And then I got to be And I wanted to be By then you would come around to like, okay, if we're doing it in this way, this makes sense. I can have fun with it. And then I got to be in the tights and the leotard, and it was one of my favorite costumes. It really gave me so much joy. And also seeing Paul and his little get-up was so cute.

Did Wanda Vision lead to any actual sitcom offers? No, but I understand why people like filming sitcoms now because they're the most joyful things you can do. Because of you get kind of the theater buzz, like the reaction. Yeah, you get that. But it's also you just. you are a physical fool and you're trying to make each other laugh. It's just really fun. It's like the ham that you were as a child on stage for your parents or something in your backyard.

It's like you get to be that person. Yes. You get to embrace that person. And with more bells and whistles and all that kind of fun stuff. Any more thoughts? Speaking of that kind of environment of going back to theater more? Oh, gosh, I want to so badly. It's been a while.

Yeah, it's been a really long time. and the experience I had last time was not a good one. And so I really need it for myself. And doing Wanda Vision and doing love and death made me feel really good in my physical body as an actor. And I feel like the best thing to do for that is theater. And I need it. I'm literally, I planned a vacation for myself at the end of this press run

to just go see a lot of theater by myself. I've been on a run the last couple weeks in New York. I've been seeing a lot. It's so nurturing. And so, yes, I want that so much. So, okay, so we were talking Wanda Vision. You basically went from WandaVision almost without arrest into... Dr. Strange.

It was like I had two days to pack. Not like I had two days to pack and traveled on the third. So, look, WandaVision experience amazing. And then Dr. Strange, like, we know those films often are fluid. And it seems like this one was a bit fluid. So fluid. So was that. a little bit of, I don't know, how did you manage it?

Did it feel? The way I managed it is I shot what they told me to do, and I did it. And then I went off and filmed love and death while they filmed the rest of the movie. Yes. Without me. And so then I like re did my, I did my voiceover work to make everything that I'd already done on camera, makes sense. That's how he did Dr. Strange.

How much do you? That's how the cookie crumbed. That's how they pie is made or whatever All the cooking metaphors How much did what I saw of Dr. Strange resembled the initial script you saw of Dr. Strange? It resembled more than I thought it was going to. Oh, okay.

Yeah. I mean, there were definitely moments where There's a point in making the movie where I just stopped reading drafts. I was like, this is just going to change again. Can you just keep me, just keep me posted with the information. I need, and you guys fill in the blanks that you need, but I'll just keep my lane. Am I good or evil today?

What do you do? That one was a wild ride. Were you, are you protective of that character? Because obviously, you know, she's the villain of that piece. Yeah, I am. I am protective of her. And in a way, I'm trying to make sure that our fans don't have to watch the same thing multiple times. Like, I try and keep it interesting for them and try and, at least if something seems similar thematically, at least try and, like, find a different angle into it or a different way to explore it so that it doesn't just become repetitive for them.

Right. Yeah. One more question about the specifics of that filming. I think you've alluded to this before. But the sequence where you basically decimate all these like alternate earth characters, you know, like Patrick Stewart. Oh, yes. That sequence. Yes.

Did you know who you were murdering? It changed a lot. Yeah. Yeah. And so when I was on that lie detector test for Vandy Fair. About John Cresensky, I think it was the question, right? So I didn't understand that the character he played in the movie was the smartest man on the earth or something. Right, right, Reed Richards. And they said, is this the smartest man on earth? And I just didn't understand why they would say that. This is what we call plausible deniability. This is good to know a little less. Yes.

And I was yeah So I wasn't even like I'm really good at like hiding a lie Like I had no idea why they were asking me that question And I also didn't shoot with him But I knew he was going to be in it But he wasn't there when I was there Yeah because I did a

The Daniel Craig of all people did the podcast A few months back Yeah And I asked him about playing Balder the Brave Which apparently was in the often That's what I thought was going to happen Yeah Where's Daniel Craig? I signed up for Daniel Craig today

I saw the art They made a copy costume. They had a design. Fluid. Marvel. That's just how the way they roll. Yeah. That's okay. What did he say? He kind of just stared at me and said, I don't know what you're talking about. Okay. Okay. Well, shoot. I should have done that. No, I mean, that's okay. I mean. God, I'm so bad. It's just thing. I'm like an open book. It's horrible. It's okay. Classic ruffle. Classic Lizzie. So they are shooting or maybe I've already wrapped. I don't even know. The Agatha show, Catherine Hahn. I'm not sure if they're finished. did Aubrey come to you like do actors come to you when they're thinking about joining the

MCU and saying like what am I getting myself into some do um I've had I've had some people ask about it what do you say what's the stock kind of like do you really one I get of course I do I say just give them one leave some space for yourself no yeah just give them one that's what I say yeah meaning like one project yeah yeah because it's a commitment yeah and I think that way that you have more control over if you know if you let's say you're like oh my god this was the most fun I've ever had and I love this character so much I want to do it again you now have more creative control for the next one if it makes sense yes don't tell no don't tell

gluey that business affairs at Marvel. Well, like, yeah, I'm not asking you for info on this because this is just a rumor floating around right now. But for instance, speaking of the world's smartest man, the rumors that Adam Driver is going to play that character. What? I know, which would be insane. But why did John do it? Well, John, I think... Oh, because different multiverses? There you go. Okay. There you go. So anyone can still play it. I understand now. So whether that happens or not, what I'm fascinated by is like from Adam Driver's perspective, who can work with anyone. Yeah.

And like, was he going to sign for nine movies? Adam Driver? Like, that seems... How many kids does he have? Yeah, I think he has a couple. Okay. That's all. Oh, you think college tuition?

He's doing fine, I'm sure. He's fine. I think he's okay. Do you... Okay, so beyond Marvel, because you've had a run, and it sounds like it'll probably continue in some form. I know you're not going to tell me anything, but... Nor do I know anything.

I know. genuinely. um does is there need like at this point in the career to like sign on to another ongoing thing oh gosh no no if anything it's the opposite it's the opposite yeah it's like it's almost like the i see uh my past and i see a road over here and a road over here and i've been traveling down this road and now i'm trying to like make a left hand turn a bit just kind of steer back steer back a little bit yeah um but i mean looking back do i feel like you've managed it pretty damn well and kind of i I think I've tried to find my grounding along the way, but I do think that when I started having job opportunities where it wasn't me just like auditioning for literally everything and anything, because I also enjoy doing that, I didn't really understand how to say no to projects

or how to decipher whether or not I should do something or not or hold off for something else. Like I didn't really have a philosophy or a plan. And I still don't really have a plan, but I have more of a philosophy, I guess. And that's nice to know. And that's nice to have and that's good information when I'm looking through projects with that kind of lens and knowledge now. And less about career calculation, but knowing the kind of story, the kind of film, the kind of filmmakers that will make you happy and engaged and inspired. Yes. Yes. exactly right yeah it's not about i i probably the majority of the outcomes would be like how many people saw that movie but for me it would it it it's um i i need to explore certain things for myself i

think um and there's just i i really um i want to just get back to like filmmaker driven stuff it's so funny when people are like do you want to direct and all i could think about is there are so many better people out there who should be directing i don't think that's for that's what I should be focusing on. Not to mention that's like two or three years of your life. And it's like I'd rather at this point in my career like work with the best for like four different amazing directors. Yeah.

Yeah. And there are some filmmakers that I really, right, I'm, I have projects that hopefully end up coming together with because I think they're so talented. They, they haven't had the opportunity to narrative fiction or not, I mean, narrative features. And so there's, there's that too. And it's like, these people, I think are like amazing. And they are about, I want to be a part of that opportunity for them. Not like saying I'm the opportunity, but say I want to be a part of, I want to have the opportunity of getting to work with them while they get to have so much more.

Well, it's also striking to see sort of like where your career coincided with the evolution of how movies and TV are made. Oh, it's been so bizarre. Because when we started talking and when you, you know, were the Sundance Queen in the beginning. No streaming services. Did not exist. but like yeah exactly and and those movies um they don't exist or they exist but they're few and far between now the ones you were making or they're streamers yeah or they become they become something you stream not really see in a theater um i mean theaters have closed i mean the theaters have

closed i mean it's really sad uh i do think that because of all that though i have to hope that because pendulums always have to swing back that we are getting back to that i also think that um It's harder to make a movie for like a middle budget and it's actually a little bit easier to figure it out for something smaller. Right. And I do think there's going to be some really creative, and there has been some really creative filmmaking. Like sanctuary, I fucking loved. Oh, I want to see the Marga Quali. Yeah, and that's like, I don't know, I don't know if he built the set, found this set or just like I don't know if it was a location or if the whole thing was a stage, but it's like a, did you see it?

I haven't seen it. It's contained. and I am like I just think it's contained and it's beautiful and I'm assuming he like elevated the budget beyond with just being visually very creative and so I'm really inspired when I see things like that and so I hope it just kind of swings back in that way happy say I confused is all about picking the brains of the best and brightest in the world about their respective crafts and that's why masterclass is such a fantastic fit for happy said confused masterclass is something I know from experience is a fantastic resource over 180 classes at your disposal from a range of

world class instructors. I know from experience. I have learned how to train my dog from the great Brandon McMillan. I have learned acting tips from Samuel L. Jackson that have been formed the conducting of this podcast. There is so much opportunity for you with Masterclass. It is accessible on your phone, on the web, on smart TVs, anything you need, a variety of topics all taught by world-class instructors at the top of their fields. Each class is broken out into individual video lessons, usually around just 10 minutes long. You can learn at your own pace. There are supplemental materials. It is fantastic, guys. I highly recommend you check out Masterclass. You can get unlimited access to every class. And as a happy, say, I confused listener, you get 15% off an

annual membership. So go to masterclass.com slash hSC and now. That's masterclass.com slash HSC for 15% off Masterclass today. Do you still audition? I don't really. The last time I auditioned was because I was trying to convince someone who didn't want to hire me to hire me. And I've never done a self-tape at home before. It was like a COVID thing. It's like now what actors do all the time.

which sounds awful because I love auditioning in person so much. Sure. I didn't even like going to tape at like my agent's office or something. And now that I have to do it, you have to do it. You're like, what are you talking about? So that was a painful experience. And then the director was also like, no, I'm serious. I didn't want to hire you.

So there is that. But that was my last audition. How did that work out? Well, I just didn't get it. It's okay. I didn't get it. That's fine. The movie did very well.

Okay. SOR point. Did I see it? No. Did I love the script? Yes. Can you clear up a speaking of audition thing? Because again, another topic we talked about way back when was Star Wars.

You were a Star Wars fan growing up. Oh, yeah. I don't really know what's going on right now with Star Wars, but I still love four or five, six. I barely do. It's hard. Yeah. But back in the day, you were saying how you'd seen sides of actors that had been like friends that had auditioned.

And then there was like a report over the years that you had to pass. on auditioning for Force Awakens because of Age of Ultron? I never had an audition for that. Okay. That wasn't even... In the ether or not timing-wise, not the right thing. But fun rumor. Good rumor, right?

I bet the internet's filled with them. So for the reasons we just discussed it, that would be a vexing kind of question, right? Like the love of Star Wars versus signing on for something that can take up your life for another decade. Yeah, I don't know if I would do that right now. Right. Yeah, it's like even like an ongoing television series, that, that to me sounds like a hard thing to say yes to, even though I wish love and death had a second season because I just had so much fun playing this part, which is, you know, weird, but true.

Do you have a morning period after a project wraps? Like what's your like kind of go back to reality process generally? When we wrapped, I think we went straight into press for Dr. Strange. Yeah. I mean, I think it creeps up on me. I don't know how to, like, move on. It creeps up on me later. And it was funny. It was when we were in South by Southwest for the premiere or the like for screening or something, whatever you would call it, of love and death. David E. Kelly, after. afterwards we were having this like little dinner thing. I'm calling it a dinner thing because we were standing, not sitting. So it's like a dinner thing. So buffet line? Yeah, kind of.

It was like outside and we were standing around. And he asked me if I missed candy and he was like trying, he was like kind of cheeky when he asked me that. And he knew what I was going to. I mean, I deeply miss playing this part. And there's a big part of me that wishes it was a fictional show because I would love, it is actually a character I'd love to return to. I noticed something that slipped by me was you had a book out last year.

You had a children's book. You had a children's book. Happy Harmony, yes. Which, as I understand it was one of the goals is about helping kids deal with anxiety. Yes, it's giving them the emotional language tools for young, young ages. Has anxiety been something that you dealt with growing up that you still kind of wrestle with? Not when I was a kid. It just all of a sudden hit me when I was 21 or 22.

started having panic attacks and so I didn't I never had anxiety I never had panic attacks and nor did I know a word for it right so I instead you know got a cat scan and got my blood work done and got my heart looked at and was this after a specific like moment like you had no it was it just happened one dinner I just like literally just came over me and then it just didn't stop happening yeah And so I saw an internist, and it just ended up, like, the internist came in and was like, I think you're just having a case of good old fashioned panic attacks. And he was like, this really old man, you know. It's like, what are you talking about?

Panic attacks. I don't have that. Like, I don't have anxiety. I don't, I didn't have those kinds of things as a kid. It just all of a sudden hit me one day. It was very weird. And, and I feel like I do have a. I learned a lot of tools on how to deal with it without medication.

Although I think medication is a very helpful tool. I didn't want to be on medication because I was scared of medication. So, the cascading brawl. So maybe I do have anxiety. I have anxiety about medication for anxiety. I'm afraid of everything. I don't like roller coasters. I don't like going fast.

I'm going to die. So maybe I did have a lot of anxiety as a child and I just didn't know. Right. Buried. Not so deep. Should I be worried that there's, I think this is like the first time we've chatted where there's nothing on the upcoming resume. There's nothing on the upcoming resume. I am so unemployed. Good for you.

I mean, I don't want to. I don't really want to be. It's just that everything fell apart. I'm at the world or a career or like. No, there's like one thing I was supposed to do and it didn't work out because an actor availability and then there's another thing that was supposed to go through and then the dates didn't work and then the finance. and it's just a wild world with the strikes about to happen. So it's just a odd time, I think, for our industry to make things happen right now. Fair enough. Well, you can take a breather. You can expand the cooking repertoire.

I'm learning a lot this time off. It's constructive time. Yeah? Okay. Let's wrap with the happy, second fuse, profoundly random questionnaire. Some random questions for you. Dogs or cats, Lizzie? Dogs.

That's correct. What's the wallpaper on your phone? It's a close-up shot of a black silk fabric. Maybe you should consider the medication. It's like a really pretty, like, you know, silk like hits light and it's like, so it's a pretty fabric. So it just looks like a pretty, it's not just black, you know, it's like textured black. Right. fabric yeah it's soothing

would you rather have dinner with Vin Diesel or Daniel Day Lewis Daniel Day it's the last actor you were mistaken for uh myself I don't remember I don't think I've I've been mistaken for many other people

besides um are you an Olson twin or girl or sister or something oh no people say are you an olson sister and i say am i a twin and and then i say no i'm not a twin you're engaging you're making this a dialogue yeah sorry sorry it's short answers no i meant for with the person with that person yeah yeah yeah when they say are you an olson sister it becomes like i don't know is this a trick question are you asking me do you know do you have an idea of what our first names are like i'm not sure what's what we're trying to talk about here but yeah

no i think that's that really if you were to host a podcast, what would the topic be? Have you considered it? I would like to, this was something I came up with while we were filming Love and Death and it was like 2 a.m. And we were filming on the back porch. And I started assuming there was like a really loud party happening in a house next door. Just not even a party. It was like five very drunk people outside being very loud. And our location, our locations department is very good at making sure these people are comfortable when we're shooting for them to be quiet. Yes. And they didn't want to do that.

And so I started guessing the type of drinks that they were having based on their personalities. And I really thought that could be a fun entry point to discussions is making assumptions about people, which is, you know, something we should definitely do more of. Always, yeah. And ascribing a sort of wine or cocktail. or drink to them and then that could maybe open up a conversation where you actually have like winemakers come in and talk about stuff green light and so i just started so i started talking about everyone's what if everyone were a drink what they would be that night oh okay well let's just open this up then briefly okay so what what is your alcoholic uh what's your adult beverage of choice

what defines you it depends really yeah yeah it really it really depends sometimes it could just be some wine but I'm very picky about my wine and then if I'm feeling fun and I have to be careful because you don't want to be too much fun because then you stop being fun yeah I like vodka martinis and I like mescal sours mescal sours yeah with that quite I made a horrible decision about decade ago having a shot of mescal which should not be ever done in a shot any time anyone has ever given me a shot since college, I sip it. You're mature, you're smart.

This is the right call. I've never understood. I just learned recently about icing. I don't know. Do you know it's smearing off ices? Oh, yeah, yeah. It's when you find one and apparently when you find one, you're supposed to get on your knee

and chug it. And they're like, it's about a thing for 10 years. And I was like, wait, first off, didn't know. They're like, have you never watched television? It's all over commercials. Never seen a commercial where this happens to someone. And also, who said? Like, and why would I have to ice me? And they're like, you have to drink it now. And I was like, in what world would I have to do anything? I have free will. I'm a grown woman. So you don't know about this either. No, but I'm 75 years old. Me too.

of happy said confused what actor makes you happy okay oh okay oh gosh she just iced an actor that makes me happy oh gosh they pop up on screen this is I'm in for a treat I'm gonna they pop up on screen I'm like oh I gotta watch this Diane Keaton yeah she came up recently someone else actually said that yeah yeah Yeah, yeah. Yeah, she makes me happy. Even when she cried, she makes me laugh. A movie that makes you sad?

What's a movie that makes me sad the way we were every time? Yeah? I really lose it every time in that movie. And finally, a food that makes you confused. Inards. Just generally innards of anything, like the intestinal tract. the uh yeah i think that's a weird choice yeah and apparently it's a delicacy right well but that is confusing to me yeah because i don't want to know what's going on inside the people

intestines and nor do i want to eat it people's intestines well that's that's a really confusing cannibalism very confusing according to listen but i mean but like really yeah like a I mean, what animals, intestines is it? Is it a cow? Probably, I would think, yeah. I don't want to know about it. No.

No. Okay. Anyway. Congratulations on the new limited series. It's not on Max. It's on the HBO Max. Everybody check it out, Love and Death. It's fantastic work from the great Lizzie Olson.

And it's a, yeah, too insane to be believed story that is actually true. And, yeah, don't read it at all. Don't read the whole thing. We gave him the tease, right? We gave him enough. Yes. All right. We're going to go hit him in amusement park and have some innards right now.

Yeah. Disgusting. That sounds awful. Good to see you. Good to see you, too. Thank you for having me after all these years. Oh, finally. Cool.

We did it. Wow, I can't believe you did this in 2015. Isn't that crazy? That's very crazy. Life has changed. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes, or wherever you You get your podcasts.

I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely wasn't pressure to do this by Josh. Goodbye. Summer movies, Hello, Fall. I'm Anthony Deveny. And I'm his twin brother, James.

We host Raiders of the Lost Podcast, the Ultimate Movie Podcast, and we are ecstatic to break down late summer and early fall releases. We have Leonardo DiCaprio leading a revolution in one battle after another, Timothy Chalemay playing power ping pong in Marty Supreme. Let's not forget Emma Stone and

Jorgos Lanthamos' Bougonia. Dwayne Johnson, he's coming for that Oscar in The Smashing Machine, Spike Lee and Denzel teaming up again, plus Daniel DeLuis's return from retirement. There will be plenty of blockbusters to chat about two. Tron Aries looks exceptional, plus Mortal Kombat 2, and Edgar writes, The Running Man starring Glenn Powell. Search for Raiders of the Lost podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.