Happy Sad Confused - Lili Reinhart

Episode Date: August 17, 2022

Lili Reinhart is right in that pivotal transition period for a young actor and she knows it. RIVERDALE made her career but it's coming to an end soon. And now with films like HUSTLERS and CHEMICAL HEARTS under her belt she's producing her own work, including the new Netflix film, LOOK BOTH WAYS. In this chat Lili is also very open and honest about her own struggles with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. A refreshing chat with a talented woman with a lot to look forward to. Come see Josh tape a LIVE Happy Sad Confused on August 22 at 7pm in NYC with Neil Gaiman! Get your tickets here! And on October 25th, Josh will chat with Ralph Macchio at Symphony Space in NYC. Tickets are available here! For all of your media headlines remember to subscribe to The Wakeup newsletter here! Don't forget to check out the Happy Sad Confused patreon here! We've got exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Eligibility restrictions apply. See Golden Nuggett Casino.com for details. Please play responsibly. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, Sad, Confused begins now. Today on Happy, Sad Confused, Lily Reinhart on leaving Riverdale behind for a feature film career. Hey guys, I'm Josh Harrow. Let's welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused.

Yes, the main event today is the very talented young actress that is Lily Reinhart best known for Riverdale, her role in hustlers. but now starting to embark more fully on a feature film career as Riverdale approaches its final season. More on that in a second. But first, some business, and there's a lot going on in the happy, say, confused universe. Okay, guys, I got two events for you. Two live New York City events in person. If you're in the New York area and can swing it, please come on out and say hi. First up, this one's coming very quickly.

Monday, August 27. 7 p.m. at the 92nd Street Y. I will be joined by literary luminary. Try to say that three times fast. Neil Gaiman. Super excited about this. Neil Gaiman, you know him, you love him. Brilliant writer, author of too many books and comics to list here. But most significantly, right now, of course, the creator of the very influential, legendary Sandman comic book series, which now has been adapted into a phenomenally successful Netflix series. It just debuted, but it is already at the top of the charts. Everybody is obsessed with this show.

It is quite an undertaking in adapting Neil Gaiman's work always, but this is like his seminal work. So we're going to dive in deep with Neil Monday, August 22nd, in New York City, 90 Second Street Y. He is a fantastic speaker. I'm sure if you've heard him interviewed before, maybe even been to an event, maybe he heard him on this podcast.

He was on the podcast a bunch of years ago. You know he is a fantastic intellect, super fun, super smart, and I have no doubt this will be a great evening. So I hope to see some of you guys out there. As always, the link to purchase tickets is in my bio, or it's in my bio with my Instagram and Twitter, but it's also in the show notes here. The other event further down the road,

and it's rare when we get to actually advertise these with some advance notice, but happily I'm able to do it in this case. October 25th. Yes, October we're looking at. I will be talking to Ralph Machio. I'm very excited for this. I've never spoken to Ralph Machio. Ralph Machio, of course, best known for the Karate Kid. And in recent years, Cobra Kai. He has a new memoir out. It's about to come out. It's called Waxing On. And I'll be talking to him at Symphony Space. 7 p.m. October 25th, me and Ralph Montcio, talking about his entire career. My cousin Vinny Karate Kid.

Cobra Kai, all of it's in there. And I'm really excited to share that conversation with you guys in person, especially with somebody I've never talked to before, someone who was a big part of my childhood. I grew up with Karate Kid, and now this new generation is growing up with COBRA Kai. So lots of fun stories to come in that one. Again, the link to purchase tickets is in the show notes. It's in my bio on Instagram. I'll put all the information there.

But mark it on your calendars. Get your tickets now. October 25th, 7 p.m. Ralph Montchio. again next Monday, August 22nd, me and Neil Gaiman. A lot of stuff, guys. And that's only the stuff I can announce right now. There's more. There's more on its way. So really excited about these opportunities to both have great conversations and also see some of you folks in person. Get your tickets now. What else can I mention? Well, we've got a lot of cool

podcasts coming up. We're putting out a lot of the archives, continually putting out the archives on the brand new YouTube channel. That's YouTube.com slash Josh Horowitz. Tons of great stuff there. Please check it out. We have dozens and dozens of Happy Sick and Fused episodes of Game Night episodes. A lot for you guys to enjoy there. Please give us a subscribe, a like. We're trying to grow that YouTube channel as much as possible. And we're well on our way. Just a few weeks in, already a ton of followers. So thrilled about that. And of course, one more plug. Just if you want to keep up with all my shenanigans is the Patreon. Patreon.com slash happy, sad, confused. That's your place if you want all the premium stuff. If you want everything early, early access,

early announcements, if you want to ask a question to our guests, if you want to get in on the live exclusive stuff on the Patreon, that's where all of it lives. And it's been so fun to grow that one. It continues to grow. So check us out on patreon.com slash happy, say it confused. That's for that's for the true Josh Horowitz aficionado. You know who you are. Anyway, so, okay, that's all the business at hand. Let's get to the main event. Okay, let's talk Lily Reinhart for a second.

Lily Reinhart, I think she's all 25 years old, but a really talented young actor that I've always been impressed with. I've talked to her a bunch of times, but always in these group settings. Always with the gigantic cast of Riverdale, usually at Comic-Con, which is always a bizarre circumstance, chatted with her also in a group circumstance for Hustlers, that great film she was in with Jennifer Lopez. And this is like a serious, you know, like an actor that really has a lot on her mind. She is in it for the long haul. She wants to do everything and anything, especially in feature

films. Yes, she happened to make her name thanks to a CW show. And she she loves that. She appreciates that, but she also knows she is so much more than that and is excited to approve what she can do. And my money's on Lily. She's got a good head on her shoulder. She's got the talent to prove it. And it's all evident in her new film, which is on Netflix this Friday, called Look Both Ways. It's a fun concept. She plays a young woman named Natalie, who we find at a very pivotal moment in her young life where she may or may not be pregnant. She's waiting for the pregnancy test to come in. And we follow her on two different paths on what happens if she had the baby? What happens if she was not pregnant? And it goes in unexpected

ways. And I think you guys will enjoy it, especially if you're a Lily Reinhart fan. It comes out this Friday on Netflix. She executive produced it. She's doing more and more of that. So I'm really excited to see what's to come for Lily and happy that it gave us an occasion to get to know each other in a one-on-one setting, which I'd never had with her before. So I hope you guys enjoy this. Remember to review the podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to give us a like, give us a five-star rating, spread the good word, hit me up on social media. Let me know what you're liking and loving and hating. Don't have to tell me that what you're hating. That part you don't need to do. But I'm on, I'm Joshua Harrelitz on Twitter and Instagram and all the

places. So that's all the business. Let's get to the conversation. This is me and Lily Reinhard. I hope you're enjoying the sirens behind me, the New York atmosphere. Okay, I was going to say you're in New York, clearly. Wherever I am, the cops are chasing me always. It's not a New York thing, it's just the Josh thing. You thing, right. Yeah, yeah. Congratulations on the film.

I'm excited to chat with you today, particularly because I think every time I've talked to you, you're surrounded by like seven maniac people that are competing for my attention. All competing for attention, yeah. Exactly. You get a bunch of actors together. you know what happens.

Right, of course. But I do feel like, because, yeah, most of the times I've talked to you have been at Comic-Con, surrounded by the Riverdale cast, and that is such a unique circumstance, as you well know, in every way. And I feel like I've noticed, like, you are kind of, I don't know if it's the calm in the storm or something, but I look around that group, and I see, like, you kind of, like, a little more low-key, a little more, like, reserved, a little, like, you're withdrawn.

Is that accurate? Is that a technique? Is that a... It's not a technique. I think I genuinely am very laid back, and that's how my cast describes me as well. I think I usually kind of let them try to take the lead. I'm obviously like opinionated, and I have my input on things, but I also think I like to just let other people say what they want to say

and don't always want to be the one who answers the questions, especially when it's, you know, I'm just like, we're a whole group. We're a big group and it's a lot of energy. So I'm going to be the, I'm going to be the one who like, but that's just who I am. I'm not necessarily quiet. I think I'm just a little bit more, especially as I've gotten older, a little bit more, just reserved. Did anything prepare you when you started to do that kind of press? Because you'd been chasing the career, you'd been like, you know, and Riverdale was obviously a huge moment for you. And then when you started to do that, they don't train you for that. I mean, I guess there is something called media

There is. There is. I guess we did go to media. Like I, Cammy, I don't even remember who else, went to media training. And it was definitely very helpful. And it was like a good test run for what we were about to experience. But it really doesn't prepare you for when those interviews are actually on the internet. And the articles are actually out and people are picking apart your words or zooming in on your facial expressions, which is an amazing. Oh, a thousand percent. All my videos with you guys, they would. always analyze body language, like, oh, what's, why are they sitting this way? Why are they over? It's so stupid. It's all just. I'm just chilling. Like, I also have a very, it's for an actor, I do not have a poker face. It's small. And I'm a very, I have a very expressive face. And to be honest, doing all these interviews and being on Riverdale even has showed me just kind of how expressive my face really is. And, and I do a lot of hand gestures as well, which annoy me. I'm like, keep it keep it down um but yeah i think it's also it's it's brought a weird sort of awareness to

my to self like i'm very self-aware when i do these kinds of things and to make sure that i'm not i guess coming off as like too quiet because i'm you know people can take that as being you know withdrawn or passive right it's it's just an interesting it's a weird it's a weird experience to be kind of overexposed to yourself. Well, and it's also like such a different skill set from, because when you were just talking about sort of like having to be aware of yourself and aware, very conscious of yourself, I guess there's a degree of that to acting. You want to be aware of what your body's doing, what your face is doing and something. But at the same time, and you're the actor, correct me if I'm wrong, you want

to like let go of that at a certain point and be totally out of your own head and not in your head. And that's a good point. And I'm something I've talked about recently. It's an incredibly hard, weird balance. And I understand why actors don't watch themselves because they don't want to fall into that trope of... What's my face doing? Oh, that's what my face looks like. And genuinely, when I am doing, I think I'm maybe more cognizant of it when I'm doing interviews versus when I'm very aware of what I'm doing with my face when I'm acting. And I think I sometimes have to remind myself to... And it's kind of, you know, it's different with each project. It's hard when you're on a very commercialized show like Riverdale where everything is like a slow zoom pushing

on your facial expression and you're like having to hold a look for very long like weirdly long and it's just like every the gang stares at each other and we're all just like what's going on I don't know maybe in film and things that are a little bit more grounded it doesn't have to be that way so it's a little bit easier to just kind of let that self-awareness go but it's a challenge. Like I really have to remind myself to just be present and and live in the beauty of whatever's happening in that moment and not think about the result because I think a lot of times actors can get roped into just thinking about the result. How is this going to look? What gifs, gifts are going to be made out of my face? What means are going to come from this? What little clips are

going to be used? And I think, that's the enemy of creativity, isn't it? That's exactly what you want to Yeah, and it's not that there's anything wrong with, you know, being a meme or something like that. But, yeah, I guess, you know, for my future projects, things that I know that in the future I'm going to be doing that are a lot more serious, a lot more drama-based, I think. It's sort of going to be interesting to have to let the, it's almost like being a theater actor. And then when you go to film, like, it's a completely different style of acting. And so I think there's obviously a very stylized way of acting on the CW and on Riverdale. It's very heightened. Yep.

And so going to do a film, it's almost like you have to be like, okay, we're stepping into a completely different universe. We have to come up with this completely new character. Her mannerisms are different. The facial expressions are different. Everything's different. And you have to build that from the ground up. And it's hard when I spend nine months out of the year playing Betty to then just scrap

that and play someone new. And there's always going to be, you're always going to see me, but you're always going to see me. It's me playing the roles. And you're always going to be able to maybe pick little glimpses of, oh, that's, that's Lily. But I would hope that from roll to roll, like when you're watching look both ways, it's not a, oh, that's a betty moment. No, of course. No, it's me, you know. It's still my face.

Yeah. It's still what I do with my eyes. Yeah. But yeah, safe to say on the set of this one, you weren't like, wait, do you want to hold on my face for four more seconds while I react. For sure, for sure. Less less reaction shots. Less like slow pushes in on your face for like weirdly silent. You know, it's just quiet in the room and you're imagining the voiceover or the music playing over your visual. The movie, as you mentioned, is look both ways on Netflix. I very much enjoyed this one. It is not a cautionary tale about jaywalking. That's not that's just

no, it's not about jaywalking, although I could see how some people would think maybe this is a film about traffic or something. Right. That's another story yet to be told one of these days. Yet to be told. But this is a very fun concept that frankly hasn't, I feel, been exploited enough in film. I mean, the reference, of course, for folks is sliding doors. But it's weird that, like, that's the reference. It's like a 20-year-old movie. It's like, how many body-switch movies have we had? And I love that genre. But why are we not, like, someone, I mean, good for you guys that you jumped on this before it's been abused too much. Yeah, for sure. Because there is the multiverse and you have the obviously the freaky Fridays situations, but then this is, I think,

very, very different. And all people have to reference for this film is sliding doors, which I hadn't seen when I first read the script and everyone was like, sliding door, sliding doors. I was like, okay, watch the movie. And this, I feel, could not be more different. It's the same basic idea of you see one woman's life diverge into two different realities. But I think making this a rom-com situation is where we are standing out. And hopefully maybe a more, I don't know, I think I like to look at it as a more of a grounded rom-com, not something that feels too into,

although it is two different lives that you're seeing, but just like two very real scenarios that could happen. And not, you know, I can be as cynical as they come, but not like that cynical kind of take where it's like, you go down that one path and we're going to get like the horrible version every horrible thing when like reality as you say grounded reality is like each path is gray each path has love and heartache and greatness and sadness and that's what you guys are and that's harder to like shoot for it's easier to go black and white sure and we really wanted to make sure that you know no one walked away with this movie going ew yikes that was the wrong path yeah wanted to make sure it was uh it was even and And both Natalie's are happy and fulfilled and receiving love and experiencing heartache and trouble with navigating your career. We wanted all of those aspects to be in both lives.

And I think it was, I think we did it. Mission accomplished. You have inadvertently jumped into the, in some ways, the hottest subgenre right now, which is the multiverse. Multiverse, yeah, for sure. I mean, who would have thunk it between Spider-Man, everything everywhere all at once? Right. This is the third one. So where are you out on the multiverse?

Do you believe there are infinite numbers of lilies living different lives right now? I, you know, because I like to believe that we all have past lives. And then I'm trying to wrap my mind around the concept of the fact that time isn't linear and that how multiple lives can exist at the same time. And I think, I don't know. like that's a very for our little human brains to wrap your mind around it's it's hard it's tricky but i think it's cool and why not believe like why not just try to believe that and i think there a hundred percent is a world in which i'm doing something else and i'm and i'm you know maybe i'm married

with kids already i don't know or maybe i'm an old woman or an old man i don't know it's sort of infinite possibilities and and i think but it's also comfortable to know that like, okay, if I'm struggling in this life or I'm going through something right now in this world, it's okay because maybe there's a world in which I'm not. And that sort of in itself brings balance in your life. I don't know. I don't know. Do you consider yourself?

So like this is, you know, this is a film about like these works in the road that we all come to. Like, are you a decisive person, generally speaking? Do you labor over decisions or do you just kind of like go with the? your heart go with your gut? It's hard. I do, I definitely, I can be, I get very overwhelmed. And when I get overwhelmed or when I set my mind to something, I kind of have to immediately do it. For example, it always happens with when I'm booking a trip, booking flights. If I decide I'm going to go on a trip, I pick the dates. I need to book the flight. I need to book the rental car. I need to book

the hotel, like within the same 30 minutes. It's like a boom, boom, boom, because this is going to be sold out and I need to get this straight and I can't have an assistant because I need to do everything myself truly I'm like I can't like I can't have to do it myself it's very annoying and inconvenient but don't even remember what your question was because no no about making decisions that's exactly it what about like I feel like in my household my wife and I it's like that it's that cliche like an hour long to figure out what we're eating for dinner well that's very hard yeah usually when it's taking I can go okay this is taking me way too long I'm just going to go with whatever is like easiest to that I know I'll enjoy because making decisions is hard but I've tried to

I've actually tried to be more flexible with that in my life and sort of let other people choose give the responsibility away because as a Virgo woman I very much like to be in control of things as I've gotten older realized that I need to open myself up to more opportunities and not be so I don't know limited in my views of food of travel of whatever And so I like to just kind of say, why don't you choose? And I'm going to go with the flow of that. So I've been trying to implement that more in my life. What about when it comes to career?

Because, you know, most actors early on, there is no choice. You take what you can get. But you're now starting to enter a portion of your career where, thankfully, you have some choice. You have choice. And that's pretty exciting, but it's also daunting, I would think. For sure. It definitely is. there are decisions that come across my inbox, not on a daily basis, but often where I have to think

in the career, in the acting industry, we use the term moving the needle. Like what is going to move the needle in your career? What is going to move the needle? Get you to the next plateau, open up your opportunities. The next stage, the next phase of your career. And so you kind of start to look at things like, okay, what is this going to serve? And it's actually what led me to taking my summer off. This is the longest hiatus I've had between seasons for Riverdale, and I chose not to film anything. I had the option to, and I turned them down. I had, fortunately, very grateful to have offers come my way and to have the decision to say, actually, if this is not something my heart is really in and I'm not super passionate about it, then I'm not going to put

movies and movies take a lot of time they're your whole life for that extended period of time you're working 16 hour days you sleep on the weekends that's all you do you eat sleep at least for you something you take yeah you dive in yeah i dive in for sure especially if i'm going to be producing it or something like that so i chose to take the summer off because i know that after riverdale i have a lot of things lined up which is very exciting but so i'm sort of taking this moment to enjoy the freedom to do what I want and to enjoy my house and spend time with my friends and see my family and also travel. And I think because what kind of an actor can I be if I just go from one project to the next without actually living a life of my own? And when I'm

in Vancouver for nine months filming a TV show, there is no work life balance. It's a very small work-life balance. I go home when I can and see the people that, you know, my friends when I can, but most of my life becomes that show when I'm there. So I very much was like, I'm taking the summer off. I don't want to do that project. My heart's not in it, so I'm not going to do it because it's going to be a waste of time to, you know, take a role that someone else is more passionate about than I am and that will give more than I can at this time. Yeah. Talk to me a little bit about because I know in reading up on you, I've done my research, that you've lived and breathed this life your entire life,

virtually from childhood. You wanted to be an actor, right? This was a passion. Who instilled in you, because I know there wasn't the industry and the family, there wasn't a history of this, but like I guess I'm curious because I want to get to, and I love your comfort movie pick. I want to talk about the movie that you chose. But like who helped develop, if there was a certain person,

helped develop your taste in film and TV. Was there a sibling, your mom, your dad, a friend or what i mean i grew up going to the theater a lot my mom is a big moviegoer so i would always i grew up going to the theater every weekend if you know or every other weekend when movies were 10 dollars and um that was awesome spending spending my allowance on on movies and uh you know the 16 dollar popcorn that you get but i i grew up with that my mom watched the award shows and I was so interested in the fashion and that exciting world and not necessarily the celebrity, but kind of just the glamorous from the outside lifestyle.

And it can be glamorous, but a very small percentage of time is it glamorous. But watching from a young age just a lot of film. And my older sister and I would watch a lot of movies together on the weekends and a lot of movies that I probably should have watched not when I was that young because some of them definitely scarred me for life. But what does tell me about the scars? Those are those, the best ones, the ones you see probably three or four years too early that really imprint on you. I mean, I saw Team America when I was like, you know, I didn't know what the hell was going on. And now it's how bad can it be? It's going to be. Right. Who knows? And I saw, you know,

the ring, the grudge, all these horror movies that just, I love horror movies now. but I was, I was, like, terrified of them as a kid, but I was so intrigued. I couldn't look away, and it ended up. Now I have perpetual nightmares, so that's awful. I'm willing to bet you're offered a ton of horror movies, by the way. And I'm going to bet that that's something that comes across your desk. Like, you get, I do get horror movies.

And you know what? I've read some great horror scripts where I've said, I will watch this movie. I just don't want to be in it because, you know, it's, but from a career stage, standpoint, it's easy to get pigeonholed. And obviously, I've played the same role as Betty for what will be seven seasons. And it's very important to be strategic about what I, you know, it's all, it's strategy. And it's like, I'm thankful to have a very smart agent and manager who are helping me build a career that I hope will be a long one and a successful one. And and you got to make smart decisions. And I don't want to be, you know, I kind of, you're in it for the long

haul. I am. And I don't want to be a scream queen. I don't want to be the queen of rom-coms or anything like that. It's, it's, I want to put my hand in all the baskets and try everything without pigeonholing myself because already as a, a young woman who's on the CW, that sort of already kind of puts you in a basket that is hard to break. It's genuinely hard to break out of. And you're just sort of looked at it differently as maybe not, you're not, maybe taken as seriously and that's hard for me as someone who my whole life is acting and I love it so much and I think it's the only thing that I'm truly good at and that I want to keep doing for the rest of my life it's like the driving force of my soul so it's sort of like I'm at this

point in my life where I feel that I have a lot to prove and a lot to offer and a lot to show So it's exciting because I have the world's my oyster and I just want to make the right decisions and that's exciting because I'm in control. I choose what I get to do and I'm super fortunate to have that. And that is because of Riverdale that I've been able to land in this position where I now have my own production company and I have an amazing fan base who follow me, would follow. follow me to the ends of the earth, which is, I don't know if it's rare if other people have that kind of fan base. I'm sure they do, but I feel incredibly lucky and just very fortunate to have that. So I feel like I'm in good hands and I have a promising future. I think you're going places, Lily. You're good. And if your comfort movie is any indication, you have good taste.

And hopefully the fans will follow you on this, to this film if they haven't seen it. This is Spike Jones is, this shocked me, this is the last film, he hasn't directed a film since, this is almost 10 years ago, isn't that crazy? Yeah. So you chose I'll be in the next one. I'll be in it. Okay, she's in. Rinden directed by the great Spike Jones,

starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt, a bunch of great foot, Rudy Mara, it's her, which is a love story, a bitter sweet love story, a truly sad but beautiful movie. I think it's pretty, I don't know, it might be, it's a little telling, put you on psychiatric couch for a second. Why did you choose her? What is the say about you that you chose

her as your comfort movie? Honestly, and I had to think about it because I watch her when I myself am feeling heartbroken because I can deeply relate to the heartache that Joaquin Phoenix's character, Theodore, feels in that movie. And it's, I'm such a deep lover. and a passionate giving person in relationships and and I've also experienced

heartache and heartbreak and I think that movie I usually actually avoid watching romance films generally. I just don't they make, they give me anxiety because I think because they kind of the idealized version

it's like no one can't this. Right. It's sort of like, am I really supposed to be like feeling fireworks when I'm kissing? What are you doing wrong? Because I don't feel that. I feel happy. Don't get me wrong, but yeah. Yeah, no offense to everyone, but no, but I've definitely, but anyways. But I think that film is such a, it's such an accurate portrayal of what it feels like to lose someone and especially in the virtual age when you're, when a lot of connection happens online, whether

it's which I've experienced because I'm in Vancouver half the time and you know you face time with people to keep your relationships alive and and when a relationship ends it's it's it's just such an interesting movie because in a way she's not real but she is so it's almost like this idealized version of someone that he kind of got to create in his head a little bit right which is also just to quickly add context I should have said this at the outset this is about a man in the near future. And I love that it's like not a highly stylized future. The biggest stuff is like, oh, men wear high-wasted pants now and have mustache.

Yeah, yeah. Perfect. And he falls in love with his AI, essentially. That's voiced by Scarlett-Johansen. Sorry. No, that's okay. And he forms this connection with this woman who isn't necessarily real. And I think in this day and age, you know, you watch the show Catfish.

Like, people fall in love online and over the internet with things and people who aren't actually real. And I think there's a very real possibility that in the future this could be a thing. People can have relationships with AIs, things, figures, people that aren't actually there or real. And I think it just kind of goes to show we can get caught up in the idea of someone and what we want them to be. And I just think Theodore's character, his struggle in that film is, and also the judgment he faces from his ex-girlfriend, played by Rooney Mara's, it's just, it's relatable. It's sad. It's heartbreaking. And it's so real to me. And I find when I'm going through heartache or grief or whatever the case is, that movie sort of just grounds me. and even the way that it ends with him, like, looking out into the city with his friend and sort of feeling this innate sadness and loneliness while looking out at this vast city,

I can relate. I feel, you know, I live, I bought my house because of the view. It's a great, expansive view of the city because I like to see that I'm not alone. I like, I need a balcony when I stay in a hotel. I need a view because I need to see that I'm not alone. As someone who can feel innately very isolated, especially in this career. And also, let me just say, the soundtrack of that film, the original score, there's a song called Song by the Beach that I'll listen to on repeat forever. It's the most beautiful piano tune ever, and I could just cry to it forever.

But yeah, I need to, clearly I need to watch it. No, but you're getting at some really interesting and profound stuff because it is like, it is a pretty profound movie because, look, we talk a lot about being connected, as you say, and we're more connected in many ways than ever, thanks to social media. But this is about just debilitating loneliness, like just like that in your inner core, what it feels like to be alone, even when you're connected. through people in the physical realm, but also just in a virtual world. And I know, like, you know, I know you've been very open about talking about, like, your own relationship with social media,

which, I mean, which is very, we all have a complicated relationship, but I can only imagine having 28 million Instagram followers elevates the intensity of it all. But, like, the fact that you have, like, 28 million people waiting to hear what you have to say, and yet you can still feel alone is a,

it's a bit of a mind fuck, but it's true. Yeah, and that's weirdly, I think, what makes people envious of actors and social media influencers is the idea that those people must never be alone. Like, they have entourages, they have people whose sole purpose is to follow them around. They're called followers, I mean, for shit's sake. Like, they follow you. They want, they're around, they're watching, they're listening.

But that is a virtual world. It's not a real world. Like to me, I don't stop and think, oh, 28 million. That doesn't, number doesn't actually, if I stopped to actually, like, think about it, it would be terrifying. I'm not, so I don't. But I, I, like, it is a virtual world. There's not 28 million people around me every day going, what's going on?

Like, show me what's going on. So I can live my life. And you only see 0.05% of my life online. And that's also an interesting, I mean, a lot of people show a lot more of their lives. But I personally think that I show, you know, I keep my, I show things and I show moments of my life and in interviews, of course, like my inner thoughts. But that's a blip in time. It's like minutes of my life. It's not my whole life.

And so I do feel loneliness. And I think something that I remember growing up, my mom telling me was she was saying, like, you know, I think an actor's life is really lonely. And that's why a lot of actors and singers, musicians, whomever performers have a lot of, I don't know, drug and alcohol issues and heavy anxiety. And you see them going to rehab and you're like, why? They have everything. It's like, no, it's actually incredibly lonely because there's such a small percentage

of people who can actually relate to you. And I always think it was so profound and really, resonated with me when I watched Lady Gaga's documentary about how all day long people are touching her, fixing her, putting makeup on her face, touching her hair, she's in dance rehearsals, whatever, and then she goes home and she's alone. And it's quiet. And you're just you. And the verified version on social media of yourself is exactly that. It's just a version of yourself. It's not actually who you are. And And it's hard out here.

It's hard out here. It's lonely. It's, um, it's isolating. And I'm lucky that I have close, beautiful, beautiful, amazing friends who make me feel less alone. Um, but I also just think I'm just inherently kind of because I'm a little bit more of a, I lean on the melancholy side of life just with the struggles that I go through with my mental health. And I'm fortunate enough to have a job that helps me express feelings. Like, I'm so...

You have that outlet. Yes. You have that outwards. I don't know what I would do if I didn't. That's why I'm like, this is the only thing I ever could have done, truly. I have so much emotion and so many feelings. And I just can't imagine not being able to express that and feel that relief. Like, it's, I love crying in scenes.

I think it's so cinematically beautiful, of course, but also it's, usually when you're seeing actors cry, unless they're using some magical eyedrops or a tearstick, which very much happens. Sure. You're seeing a glimpse into, like, what that person looks like when they're sad. And I always thought that was so interesting, like, watching, especially, you know, in her watching Theodore or Joaquin get choked up and cry. I'm like, damn, that's what Joaquin Phoenix looks like when you cry.

eyes like that doesn't get much more intimate than that yeah being the most vulnerable part of someone and that's what i love about being an actor and what i love about watching actors and i just have such an appreciation for artists because you are genuinely opening yourself up to yeah you're just opening your heart and and yeah people are like oh it's you're playing a role a fantastic job it's like there's a lot of elements of yourself that you have to put out there so anyways speaking of crying let's look ahead to the end of riverdale who's going to cry the most the last day who's just going to me and madeline for sure she and i are were criers not that camilla isn't i believe she is as well but oh man i really i really do dread the day the final day because it is

is such a large chapter of my life that's coming to an end. And it's a grieving process. I know that I will need a couple weeks to just cry and grieve that world. Like, oh, wow, I'm saying goodbye to this whole world and this girl that I've been playing, Betty, and these people that are always around that, you know, when you go to work every day, you can take advantage of the people around you and just the environment and then the waking up and having a job to do and going and doing that job and the normalcy of it and routine. And I think it's going to be a very big adjustment. And it's scary and it's sad, but it's also there's so much waiting for me on the other side that I'm so excited for that I have to sort of just kind of remind myself of that

and keep and hold on and hold on to that. What has this formative experience taught you about what you need and want out of work going forward? I mean, in any respect. In some ways, you're like the last of a breed. Like, nobody makes like 22 episode, hour-long episodes. I remember I had Jillian Anderson on the podcast years ago, and they did like 10-year, they did like 300 episodes of hour-long TV, and that's insane. And yours is pretty insane, too.

So I would think that's one lesson. But just tell me whatever it pops into your head in terms of like the learnings going forward of like what you want out of jobs, what you don't want out of jobs out of jobs. Yeah, I mean, I think the concept of a 22 episode show is dying. It's outdated.

I don't think it'll be gone within a few years because it's just sort of unsustainable. And I know people want it because we love to binge things. But it's unsustainable for cast and crew, to be honest. It's not a livable. Yeah, it's diminishing returns. It's, yeah.

No, there is no balance in your life when you're doing something like that. You know, that being said, there are shows that only have 10 episodes that still shoot nine months out of the year. But I think it's not as, maybe not as, we got to get these scripts, you know, we got to make the day. It's maybe a little bit more flexible. But, you know, I think I'm, Riverdale really has like, I've done so much on this. that show so many things that what like things that why never in my life would I imagine that I would have been like

running through a forest in a prom dress with arrows being shot at me but yet there I am put it on the CV have superpowers be able to see oras with my eyes like damn I've really dipped my toe into every little genre I possibly could and I love it I think I'm very thankful that Riverdale has is not just one no it wasn't just like this high school show where they grind like it's it's it's everything

it has literally everything and as an actor it's been so fun to be able to get a script i don't know what the hell i'm going to be doing this episode but i'm excited to find out and uh so that's something i cherish and i know that i probably won't get that again so i very much have a love have a love for that but i think i haven't been able to do as many films obviously i want and And, you know, there are short hiatuses between our seasons. So I've tried to film as much as I can. But film is where my heart is and where it's always been. So I, not to say, I mean, I have a mini series also in development for after Riverdale.

But a mini series is something that I'm willing to do because it is still. You can wrap your whole brain around. You can see the beginning, the middle, in the end. It's an art. Yeah, it's not, it's not an ongoing series. where I don't know where the hell I'll be in a couple years because having this rigorous schedule for this many years has been hard and weird and it'll be weird to not have the routine of, oh, it's fall, we're going back to shoot Riverdale.

Like, I'll be able to spend Halloween at home, maybe. Halloween was the first thing that popped in my head because I'm always filming on Halloween, but, yeah. Like, okay, so I can snap my fingers and I can, I can, I can, I can connect you with any filmmaker, any actor, any kind of movie. Like, what's, what's on your brain? Like, is it the Spike Jones? Is it, and I don't think it's this, but is it the superhero movie?

Is it re-teaming with your old buddy, Timothy Shalmy from Ms. Stevens? Like, what, you know, what do you need want if you could control the Lily Reinhardt trajectory for the next two years? I mean, if I could, I would work with Jorgo Salantimos. I think that's how you say is for sure. I just think his movie. I just re-watched the favorite. And I just think his films are so stylized and brilliant.

And I love when a director has just such an interesting, new point of view. That's so fun. And I think that, you know, that would be a dream. I've kind of always said that. But other than that, I have a lot of sort of dramatic, deep role. in my future after Riverdale one definitely roles that you've have not seen me and I'm

an adult I'm an adult woman and I'm going to start playing those more adult roles and you know you can only be so much of an adult on a CW show because you're not even really allowed to kiss your tongue so you know that aspect of things are a little different

and just yeah just playing more diverse complicated messier character Yeah, that's what's what's on my horizon, and I couldn't be more excited. I look forward to the messiness. It's been good to connect with you today. Congratulations. Look Both Ways is the film. It's on Netflix and enjoy this one last wild ride with your buddies in Vancouver. I'll miss seeing you guys at Comic-Con, but I look forward to seeing

you in the Yorgos Lanthamos movies and whatever else comes your way. Thank you. I appreciate it. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever 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. American history is full of infamous tales that continue to captivate audiences, decades or even hundreds of years after they happened. On the infamous America podcast, you'll hear the true stories of the Salem Witch Trial.

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