Happy Sad Confused - Nina Dobrev

Episode Date: March 1, 2019

Nina Dobrev stops by "Happy Sad Confused" to talk her new CBS sitcom, "Fam", and have a little tequila! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the Volvo Fall Experience event, discover exceptional offers and thoughtful design that leaves plenty of room for autumn adventures. And see for yourself how Volvo's legendary safety brings peace of mind to every crisp morning commute. This September, lease a 2026 XE90 plug-in hybrid from $599 bi-weekly at 3.99% during the Volvo Fall Experience event. Conditions apply, visit your local Volvo retailer or go to explorevolvo.com.

Td Bank knows that running a small business is a journey, from startup to growing and managing your business. That's why they have a dedicated small business advice hub on their website to provide tips and insights on business banking to entrepreneurs, no matter the stage of business you're in. Visit td.com slash small business advice to find out more or to match with a TD small business banking account manager. Today on Happy Sad Confused, some drinking and laughing with Nina Dobrev.

Hey guys, I'm Josh Harwoods. Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad Confused, my podcast. The guest today, as I said, the talented, the delightful Nina Dobrev, currently starring on a new sitcom on CBS called Fam Thursday nights at 930. Check it out. Support Nina. She is one of my favorite humans and so happy she was on the podcast today. Some apologies to you guys.

I know we had a couple weeks where we were off, unanticipated, without going into the nitty-gritty details because who wants to hear sad stories. Lost somebody close to me in the family. Unexpected. These things sadly are a part of life. And, you know, it's real life gets in the way of, um, these silly shenanigans sometimes at happy set confused so definitely a wake-up call um definitely uh yeah an emotional sad time for me and my family and um you know plug in away work i i do find is a is a good respite from uh these things we deal with in our real lives um you know it doesn't

lessen the hurt and the pain of a loss but um it also feels great to get back in the mix and do what I love. So that's my way of saying I'm back. Happy I Confuses back and hopefully we'll be back on the regular for some time. I missed my chance to talk to you guys about the Oscars. Let's talk Oscars for a second. Another exciting and surprising night to say the least. I mean, I guess Green Book was predicted by some to win Best picture, but I know the film Twitterverse and think pieces have been ignited like crazy since that win. You know, it's a complicated subject. I mean, the upshot is, did I like Green Book? Yeah, I did like Green Book. I think Green Book's a very well-done, a crowd-pleasing movie with some

fine performances. Would I have given it Best Picture? No. Are there some problematic issues behind the scenes and even in the storytelling, yeah, I think you could say that. That being said, the Oscars rarely get it right, according to me. I mean, you know, it's just, it is what it is. It's a voting body that doesn't necessarily reflect my tastes all the time. But that being said, there were a lot of great films that were acknowledged. I'm thrilled that Black Panther got some love. I'm thrilled that the favor got some love.

I'm thrilled that Roma got some love. It was a good ceremony in that there was There was stuff to go around Everybody seemed to get a seat at the table So that was exciting Spike Lee's win Fantastic What a great moment Samuel L Jackson giving him that award

That was one of the highlights for me Olivia Coleman's speech certainly a highlight Did I miss a host Kind of sort of I like I do like Comedy in my award shows I don't mind the bloat of a three and a half our award show. It happens once a year. At least the Oscars do. So, yeah, I kind of like it. That being said, I did enjoy the night and don't begrudge, you know, the producer's choice in the end to go hostless after a series of questionable moves.

They actually ended up with a decent show. And also, by the way, I do want to mention what I agree with many people was the sequence of the night. The performance from a Star is Born with Gaga and Bradley Cooper, which not only was just an emotional great high point, thanks to the song and Gaga and Bradley Cooper, a non-professional singer, just going for it, but the presentation was just fantastic and unique and special and unexpected, a single take, reversing the camera, these intimate close-ups. It was well-conceived. And from what I gather, Gaga is crediting Bradley as being the one to come up with the way that was shot. So, you know, all the more reason he should have been nominated for Best Director right there. Anyway, that's the Oscars, Onward and Upwards, 2019 movies. We are well into it right now. Switching gears for a second. Let's talk, Nina Dobrev.

Nina Dobrev is the guest on today's Happy Second Feud. Surprising me her first visit to the podcast. Surprising, I say, because I've known Nina for years and years and years. She is always game, always fun, a great positive spirit in the world, super talented, super funny. We've done some sketches over the years. We've done a ton of interviews. And she's just somebody that always puts a smile on my face, and I just have a blast hanging out with her. This was a lot of fun to talk to her about fam, her new CBS sitcom, and also just to let loose.

This is a goofy random chat. I think it was her last interview of the day. She suggested we have a little tequila. We did. You can judge whether that was a good idea or not. Anyway, that's today's Happy Say I Confused. I'm so thrilled to be back making a podcast for you guys. Hope you guys enjoy this one with Nina.

Once again, fam, Thursday nights, 9.30. Check it out. And remember, to review, rate and subscribe to Happy Say I Confuse, spread the good word. And here is... Need a Doe, Bro. Nina Dopev is here. Hey, Nina.

That's my introduction. That's as formal as I get. Nailed it. Nailed it. I love your office. Does anyone ever come in here and talk to about your office? Yeah, it becomes like a, there's a lot here, so it's hard to ignore. Is everybody now, are they bored now hearing about how cool your office is?

This is the infamous New Yorkers board. These are people that ostensibly still live in New York. Oh, really? I heard, wait, I watched an interview with you last year where you seem to be talking about becoming a New Yorker. Well, I don't see my name on the board, so it must not be true. That's not how it works. I don't know.

I guess I'm not special enough to be on this board. No, but wait, you don't live here now. No, I don't. Don't lie to me. Timothy Shammal. Shammal. Shal. Shal.

Shalamalan. Shammalon. Tiffany. Timot. Tiffany. Tiffany had, no, Tiff, my goodness, words. Are you having a stroke?

Are you okay? I may be. Got a medicate here. I might be having a stroke. God, save me. So the bottom line is you're not a New Yorker. Timothy Shalame. Yes, he is a New Yorker.

I did not know that. Him and Ansel went to high school together. Ansel Algo. Of course they did. What high school was that? I'll go back if I come out, one iota is talented as they are. God damn it. You could jump street it.

You could play the 15-year-old. that you still look like. Don't tell everyone, because then I can't do it. Sorry, no, right. You're blowing my cover. No, no, no, no. Josh, God damn it.

Did anybody famous go to your high school? Mike Myers. Not at the same time, presumably. Oh, yeah, no, we're classmates. I just, I've had a lot of work done. I want to see your guy. How do you know it's a guy? Maybe it's a woman.

Sorry, sorry. She is a very, very talented plastic surgeon. If you'd seen my face back in the 40s, I looked very different in the 40s compared to what I look now. Did Mike have like a shrine to him in the high school? Was it like exciting?

It was actually junior high school. We went to the same junior high school. J.B. Teryl. Shout out to the Terels. The Terels will love. Happy Second Cues. They're big fans of the podcast. Were we called the Teryls?

I don't remember anybody saying that. So I don't know. I just made that up. But maybe they're going to start calling themselves the Teryl's now. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, Mike went to the same junior high.

We grew up in the same neighborhood. Fifi Dobson. That sounds like a person. Or a cool dog name or something. I think it was Peevee Dobson or Fifi Thompson. No, I think it was Dobson. Okay. This is embarrassing.

We went to the same high school, which is a performing arts high school. And then a bunch of famous people went to this really, really terrible high school. that I also attended called DeGrasi. I was under where you were going there. And I just went right in. I was like, what? Oh, no, I mean, you did it to me. Gotcha.

No, it's one of the, I'm taking my shoes off. Make yourself, cozy. Nobody can see my outfit. Why am I wearing these ridiculous heels? There are cameras everywhere here. Well, then now they're going to see my bunions as well. Okay, so, yeah, no, when I say terrible, I mean terrible in that, like, there was so many issues, like people got shot.

Right. So I've heard that there were some... Eating disorders and drug problems. Like, if it was a real school, nobody would ever go there. So it was terrible. But me and Drake and a bunch of other peeps went there. Did you complete your formal high school education? What was the sequence of events of...

I'm not... She's giving me such a look right now. Like, I've so insulted her. You are more intelligent than I am. I'm not saying you're not an intelligent person. I'm just asking, you were shooting to the stars as a young person, as the wee little ass, see my damage control,

I'm going into overtime. Help me, help me, everybody. I'm just saying, I don't know. Were you homeschooled? Were you schooled? Just take over. Nina. I'm leaving.

No. I'm offended that, A, you didn't do your research and find out that I did finish high school and two, that you assumed to have to ask the question that maybe I didn't finish high school based on my level of education

from the years that we've known each other. My God, Josh. You don't need a book learning. You don't need a diploma. You went to the school of Hard Knocks. I did go, and I did finish, for your information. And college and Ph.D., you got all that graduate degrees. I went to Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.

That was on my list. I was clicking at Ryerson. They wouldn't have me. Yeah, well, they had me, and then... And then you left. And then I left early. I'm remembering this now. Yeah.

See, I didn't finish college, but I did finish. high school. You could have. It was an option. Yeah, it's not that I couldn't. It's just that I didn't. Yeah. You weren't kicked out, although there would be a good story. Would it? I mean, give you street cred. Yeah, maybe. Depending for what. I mean. I got kicked out. I got kicked out of high school. I'm totally serious. My freshman year, I know. Little innocent, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet Josh. My freshman year, I grew up here in the city. I did not go to school at all. I was not doing anything nefarious. I did not smoke or drink or do anything. What were you doing? I literally would...

You were at home reading books and playing with your dog? I would go... Here's what I would do. Oh, come on. You want me to believe this? I swear to God. I would sneak into a movie theater. I would see like three movies in a day.

I would buy every newspaper. I would sit in like a fast food place and just read the newspaper by myself. It was the saddest year of my life. Don't get into my head. I don't know why. And so Stuyvesant, which was my high school I went to, mutually agreed with me and my family that maybe I should go somewhere else. I got street cred.

That's all I'm saying. Whoa, the scandal. He was doing hard movies. And hard, super, super, super hard. I went to Yankee games by myself. It was kind of like for his people's day off, but much less cool. And much more lonely. Truly.

But hey, by the way, you're sitting at a really cool office with an ET sitting above your head. This is true. In the MTV building. The definition of success. We all got to where we were meant to get to. Yeah, there's a bottle of champagne on your desk. There is. There's a secure here.

All these things are unopened. You don't drink. You have all the booze, but literally not one of them is open. The seals are still on the... I always offer my guests, but like... You know what? Give it to me. What do you want?

What do you want? What do you want tequila? Do you have tequila? Give me a tequila. You're actually going to partake? Yeah. This is my last interview for today. Why wouldn't I?

It is sealed. Oh, no. And you know what? It's my birthday year. So, um... Happy 30th to Nina Dobra. Yeah. Thanks for the invite to Nina Cella.

I was busy in New York anyway. Do you hear that? Do you hear that? Hold on. Ooh. That is the sound of sweet, sweet alcoholism. Happy second fuse. Sponsored by Don Julio and Alcoholics Anonymous.

Hey, hey, hey, no brands will be mentioned here. No, never, never. You should be one of those people by now that creates your own tequila. Like Clooney or who else has tequila now? How do you know that I haven't already created my own tequila? How do you know that I'm not a seed investor in Casamigos? Are you really? No.

You could retire if you were, I mean, he sold that big for a billion. You think I'd be in this building right now talking to you? No, I'm kidding. Cheers to Nina and her 30th year on this plush. Thank you. Oh, there's something like up. No, there's not. Is there really?

A little fuss. It's okay. I'm in New York. There's a lot more. There's things. There's fuzz everywhere, New York. The air, the floor. I'm barefoot in your office right now.

I clearly do not care about germs. Fuzz is the least of your worries in New York. Ooh, that feels really good at 7.45 a.m. That's not good. Just kidding. It's 2.30 p.m. It's still pretty early. It's still a little, whatever. It's my last of the day, too.

It's all good. Okay, now that we're warmed up, has the press tour going. Fam is the show. Let's get that out of the way. Congratulations. Thank you. Do a new exciting thing. Nina. This is a whole new adventure. A whole new world. We can't license that. I can't license that.

That has nothing to do with the Disney song. Nothing to do with it. No, no. Just off top of her head. Yeah, that was like my version of a happy birthday. I was singing happy birthday. Really? Actually, not, not I think of it. In recent years, I think you are allowed to sing happy birthday. But for years you weren't, supposedly. Somebody owned the rights somehow to happy birthday. That is crazy. But fam is the show on CBS Thursday nights. Congratulations. I've checked out to very fun and it's it's a new it truly is a new experience for you yeah i mean it's i've been doing silly goofy weird things for years i went to funny or die and pitch things to them we've shot

things and you and i have done some sketches that have been really really really fun but um aside from my core like super loyal fan base and my really close friends that have no choice but to love me because I force myself into their lives on a daily basis and my family who also are forced by blood to have to watch and care about the things that I do. Not many people knew that I loved comedy. And so it's been exciting to actually get to showcase this and especially on this format, live audience.

Which I know, I have done my research. I've heard you talk about this and I understand it completely. Was a little intimidating at first? Yeah, because I'm a person. Perfectionist. Yeah. So I don't want to perform in front of a live audience and make a mistake or not be prepared. And it's almost like doing theater, except in theater you get four to six weeks of rehearsal.

And for us, we get four days of rehearsal. And pages of rewrites at the last minute. Every single day, we get a new script. At nighttime, we get a new script at one in the morning, and then we start rehearsals. at 8 a.m. So do you bother, like, looking until there's, like, the last iteration? I mean, does it fuck with your head? You're, like, still on draft three and they're on draft 10?

Well, that was my, that was my problem. That was why I was so stressed out and nervous at the beginning. Because I didn't, I didn't know that there'd be a new script every night. So I'd go home after rehearsals in the first day, and I'd memorize the fuck out of it. Yeah. Just, like, really nail it in. And then I'd show up to work the next day, and it'd hand me a brand new script. I'd be like, wait, what?

and then I would memorize that one and I go home and work on it and then the next morning same thing brand new script and after four days of that

it would stress me out and then I'd remember the old lines and some of the new lines and I couldn't retain it and then they sat me down one day and they were like Nina please we beg you

after you wrap today go home and get wasted just like get your friends go out have a life do not look at these pages because they will not be the same tomorrow and that was the best advice that they could have ever given me and now i like you just you have to be able to be on your toes and and be malleable and in the single cam world and when there's no audience you have to be prepared you have to be on top of everything like there's no room for error And you're considered unprofessional if you haven't, if you're not completely off book.

And in the sitcom world, they want you to not really be off book until the shooting day. Right. So what is like the nightmare scenario for you as an actor? Like is it something as simple as just not knowing your lines? Like is the nightmare for Nina at night like being on a stage and not knowing what to say? Like is that the worst possible scenario or is it just? You mean it for multi-camp? For anything?

Just because, like, I'm shooting actually something this weekend where I literally have three lines in a thing. And I'm, like, petrified about it. Why? What do you mean? I don't know. Like, it's in my head. Like in a movie or something?

Yeah, I'm doing a little thing. Ooh, look at you. I'll tell you off mic. But it is, like, I just don't want to let people down. Like, it's not my set. It's somebody else's world. Like, you know, I shoot my own thing. So, like, I feel like a comfort level

when I'm shooting my own thing. But, like, I guess it's all about just, like, letting folks down around me and like I don't know I'm obviously not someone like you that like this is what you're steeped in yeah I mean if it's three lines then it should be pretty easy I know I should I'm talking about full scripts then we have to have memorized the day before I know this is why I can't even fathom what you like is it a serious movie is it a comedy it's a comedy is it with people that you know typically improv a lot it is with someone that I think will be improvving. Okay. So I would

memorize those three lines and then figure out what you think the character is like and then be able to improv based on what your wants and needs are. Was comedy something that you did early on or was it something you came to?

Was let's be cops? Again, I forget my research. Was that the first real thing? I did and I wasn't really, I wasn't funny in that movie. My goal was to be funny in that movie but my purpose for the filmmaker and the storyline was not to be funny. In fact, we added a bunch of, like, we wanted, Damon and I got together with the director, we talked about, like, trying to give her a little bit more meat and, like, add to the storyline.

And, unfortunately, that got lost in the editing room and it went back to the original. They wanted me to just be pretty and stand there in a short skirt. So, but, you know, I don't regret anything. and that opportunity allowed for me to be on set with these two comedians who were so talented and almost zero of the lines that they said and that ended up in the movie were the ones that were from the script. Like they improv so much on that film.

And I learned a lot from them and that was kind of like a mini... That was the two years of college that I didn't finish in real life. I got them on set with Damon and Jake Johnson. I love Jake. I've gotten to know Jake over the year season. He's a jam of a human being. I've had the pleasure working with a lot of really talented comedians.

And that's what's really given me my legs. So growing up was comedy a big thing for you? Like, who were you like a Jim Carrey person? What was like the, what were the films people that made you laugh as a kid? Jim Carrey 100,000% for two reasons. One, he's Canadian. And I grew up in Canada. So you couldn't, you're just, you're not allowed to not like Canadian.

Who's the biggest Bulgarian comic? Canadian. Your only job really is to be nice, and so you can't not like your fellow countrymates, you know? She's wearing a Dan Aykroyd T-shirt guys right now. It's crazy. And underneath the t-shirt, of course, my lingerie is the Canadian flag. It's what I, it's my uniform.

But, yeah, the biggest Bulgarian comedian, I'd have to say, is no one. Or me. And I'm not even that funny, so it's not true. I feel bad. I need to represent the country better. I don't know. Maybe there are Bulgarian comedians. I'm just not aware of them.

Certainly, Canada comes to mind first for comedy ahead of Bulgaria. No offense. I'm just not as well-versed. No, I'm sure in Bulgarian, like in the country. But I haven't caught up in my Bulgarian stand-up these lately. So I'm not well-versed. Netflix, Hulu account to the Bulgarian comic specials. You think there's a section?

I'm pretty sure there would be. You'd have to go really deep. It's such a large country that they must have a whole section. When you go back to Bulgaria, do they, like, hail you as a conquering hero that comes home, or their statues? Is there a parade? There's, yeah, there's buildings that they've named after me. And, in fact, it's not called Bulgaria anymore. It's called Nenaria.

I'm just trying to think is, nope. See, I told you Bulgarians aren't funny. That's the Bulgarian side of you. Go back to the Canadian side of you. That side is super funny. So, okay, what was the Jim Carrey film? The mask. Mass, yeah.

People love the mask. So good. That's come up a lot here. Oh, my God, I love that. Also, Cameron Diaz and that were so good. Who else? I mean, I don't know if Rachel Mike Adams intended to be funny when she was in Mean Girls. Like, I feel like she was playing it serious.

I was worried you were going to say the notebook and I was going to tell you, no. Not a company. You are a dark soul. No, but Mean Girls was hilarious. And she played it so serious, but that's what made it so funny. And I don't know. I thought she was brilliant in that. She's another Canadian gem.

Who else? There's tons. So at this point, when you're on set, shooting fam, Thursday's at 9.30 on CBS, did I get that right? 9.30? Yeah. Okay. After mom. After mom.

Do you now feel you're in your element? You're like, yeah, I've earned a right to be here, a comic actress in a multi-cam sitcom, episode 11. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm definitely a lot more comfortable by honestly after episode three or four I found my legs but before three or four

I was like it's watching the episodes I could see the hesitation or that I'm still trying to figure things out but by the end I definitely got my groove like Stella got a groove back Dope got her groove back That's my favorite film of all time You just mentioned that's such a coincidence

I recently watched that again Can't be. Don't make me walk out of his office a second time, Josh. It's like, throw your shoes after you and take them. I'd have to come back in because I'd need them. Awkward. The awkward crawlback. Yeah.

I know I said I wasn't a germapho, but your office is a lot different than the streets of New York. I would need footwear. Did, so where were you at when this one came around? Were you looking for, A, were you looking for a comedy? B, were you looking for a TV show? C, were you looking for a multi- cam like i mean what were you at uh yes no no i don't remember my questions well you're for comedy yes that sounds like a you problem josh welcome to my podcast it should be called me

problems um yes i was looking to do comedy yeah no i was not looking to go back to tv uh no i was not looking to do a sitcom. I did not, to be completely honest with you, I was a huge fan of friends, but I had never actually watched it with a critical eye as to how they made friends. I had no idea that friends were shot in front of a live audience. I had no idea that Big Big Theory was shot in front of a live audience. I just was like, oh, that's the show, it's funny and love it, but don't have no idea. You were lost in the world. Yeah. Yes. No, I enjoyed it as a fan. I never really thought about it. And then when this came up, I started to watch Friends and realized, and then they told me about the live audience aspect. And before I decided to do it, I wanted to go check it out because I didn't want to be the lead of a show and be the leader on set that knows nothing about what's going on. How does this work guys?

Yeah, and so I went to visit the mom set and watched Alice and Jenny and Anna Farris and then Big Bang and a few other shows and really fell in love and was terrified by it and that's kind of why I wanted to do it because I wanted to go into comedy more but I also like doing things that challenge me. How is the lifestyle of this kind of a show?

I mean, I would think... Terrible, such long hours. I mean, um... Working in the coal mines. No, but I would think after something like, I mean, the, not the worst, look, we're talking about great opportunities, but like something like Vampire Diaries, where you shot what, like 20 episodes a year? What was this?

22, I think one season we did 23. And that's 22 hour-long episodes a year. Yeah, we should probably give context to people who don't really know the schedule. So, um, a show like Vampire, which is an hour long, show on television takes about, ours took about 9 to 10, sometimes 11 days to shoot. So a season would be, would be shot over, for 22 episodes, over 10 or so months a year. And in our show in particular, we were vampires, therefore we shot a lot at night. So we'd shoot for like 14 to 16 hours a day, and by day, I mean night until 6 in the morning. So yes, compared to that,

schedule for six years, this has been a breeze. I mean, and by the way, just like you said, not complaining at all whatsoever. Like the, I'm so grateful for the opportunities that I've had and I, and I love the show and I always will. But just in terms of workload, rehearsing four days a week during the day, during the daytime. Oh, that's a novel idea. And sleeping, like going home. at night, sleeping in my own bed, and then shooting in front of a live audience for two to three

hours once a week. It's a lovely schedule. And there's an arc to the week, too. Like, you're building up to, like, an event as opposed to this, like, kind of sustained, I mean, they're lower stakes in some ways when you're doing a single cam where you know you have time on your side to a degree. But I would think, again, once you get those kind of jitters out of the way, those first couple episodes you can kind of like I mean they never fully go away the and that's and I like that I mean there's a rush that you get and like a um an adrenaline that that surges through your body but right before the show and I never let it I don't want anyone to ever come to my to my dressing room before I start on the tape night because I get nervous and I don't want to be distracted

because there's a lot of words and scenes and timing and things that are going through my brain so um so right when you go on stage you like it there's an energy and you're nervous but that's that's what kind of feeds you and then it eventually like you get used to it and it gets easier but how do you had you ever done any theater growing up or in my performing in high school performing arts high school we did um we did we did we did theater and dance and so yeah so okay so going back since we have the luxury of some time like when you started to perform and and and and and and work professionally. Like, what do you remember about, like, your first days on a film or TV set?

Like, did it feel, like, comfortable, or did it feel like a new world? Give me a sense of, like, a whole new world. No, no, Nina, we talked to it. Jesus. Suddenly the show. Trying to ruin me. I read a headline that this has been canceled because you owe the IRS. Seriously.

Two million dollars. God damn it. If you sing a Beatles song next, you are out of it. here. All right. So how about Bohemian Rhapsody? Oscar winner, Rami Malick. Oh, my God. Oh, we have to get into that, too. You were vanity fairing it up. I want to talk about that too. One thing in a time, Josh. I'm just scattered. The tequila talking now. Wait, what was the last question? I know. Are you done? You're

drank? No, I'm not. I'm sipping like a little... Yeah, me too, by the way. I feel like I can't drink too quickly because you're going to... Well, I have the tolerance of, like, a child. If a child drank. Like, I can, like, have the It's not you I'm worried about it. It's me I'm worried about. You're going to ask me questions, and then I'm going to end up spilling everything. Who is your least favorite co-star on Vampire Diaries? What were we talking about?

What episode were you on when you came on the show? What? I need to remember that to answer that question. Oh, I got it. I am really slow today. Oh, Jesus. Wait, we're going on a theater growing up your first days. I want to do theater, by the first day.

by the way, I just want to put that out there. If anyone's listening, that has any kind of pull or say in New York, directors, screen, playwrights. Move to New York. We're going to make this dream happen. Well, get me a play, and then I'll have a reason to move to New York. What's the dream play?

Is there a role? Is there kind of a thing? Do you want to sing, dance? A whole new word. Now it's $3 million that you owe the IRS. By the way, is it the IRS? Are they the ones that... Sure.

Who collects the money? You clearly didn't graduate from college, so I don't know. The interview's not going to make sense because you're going to have to cut all those clips out, and then we're just going to be laughing for no reason. And I'm talking about the IRS coming to get you. Everyone's going to be like, what? If you could figure out what they were talking about.

Oh, yeah, okay. I'm going to try and get us back on track. Okay. I believe in you. You shouldn't. First days on a film or TV set. What was the project? How did you feel?

Okay, well, first thing I First thing I did was a lifetime movie I can't remember the name of the actress But I was cast to play the younger version of her Okay I was super excited Got to set Could not for the life of me figure out

What a mark was So of course if I didn't know what it was I didn't hit it Like ever Like, I'm saying ever, ever. To the point where I got, I don't think I got fired. I think they just, I can't tell, no. I think they were polite enough to let me finish the scene,

but I definitely didn't make the movie. I was, I ended up on the cutting room floor. So how did I feel? I don't know, Josh. You tell me, how do you get a thing I felt? At what point did you work on, And I, again, my copious research, I came across what must be a great film. Never Cry a Werewolf.

Oh, dear God. You are. I always pick out the gems in the IMDB. What's, uh, should I check that one out? What would I, what would I get out of that? Where's she going? No, no, she's literally late. Gentle with that door, gentle, gentle, gentle.

She's trying to make a dramatic noise of me leaving. You're ruining my comedic timing, Josh. Here's my fear, though, that glass door. I wasn't going to slam it. I'm not, I didn't finish college. That doesn't mean I'm an idiot. It's not you. It's me.

It's not you. It's the door. God, break up line if I've ever heard one. Never quite where Wolf would Kevin Sorboe. Yeah. What do I need to know if I don't actually check it out? If I tell you things, well, you promise to not check it out? Sure.

I can make that bargain here. No, but that was for everyone. Not just you, Josh. Not anyone listening. Please, dear God, don't. Okay, so. Had you already done to Grassie? Like, where was this in the sequence of...

I can't remember the order. I've purposefully tried to block it out. I was lucky enough to be in not one, but three Lifetime movies and one sci-fi movie back in the heyday when none of those networks were any good. So my resume includes movies titled, Too Young to Marry. The next one was called My Daughter's Secret. And the third one, as you previously mentioned, is Never Cry Werewolf. I mean, it's a solid title. I can't attest it the quality of the film.

Well, that was sarcasm if I've ever heard it. and so yeah if we're going based on sarcasm they were great films but hey look you know what I gotta be I have to have a positive outlook about this and let me let me tell you unlike the first lifetime movie that I did uh what I took away from the next two was that I learned how to hit my mark hey so they prepared me for Degrassi you have the tools yeah and um Kevin Sorboe was lovely. That's all I wanted. That's all I needed.

He was, though. He was nice. He was a good guy. Very nice guy. Very tall. Very tall. Especially when you're like 15 or however old I was. I was very little compared to him.

So for someone that spent as much time as I have with you over the years of my shenanigans at MTV, etc., it feels like a good time to confess to my ignorance of some of you. work. Okay. I'm older than you, Nina. Let's just say that. Like, I'm, I'm a different demo. Okay.

How old are you? I'm 42. What? Yeah. No, you're not. I am. Ninety-76, third of 76, April 1st. Wow.

No, I know you're joking now because you're, it's at April 1st. That was the first time you heard that. I mean, nobody's ever told you that you were, you're a joke. You're a joke. You've been a joke your whole life. So my point is. I wasn't a Degrassi guy. I wasn't a vampire guy either.

Whoa. Shots fired. But it wasn't meant for me. Was it? No, you're totally the target demo. 40-something-year-old Jewish man who wears glasses. That was our target. And I'm devastated to hear that we didn't hit it.

Nebishy New Yorkers. Does this impact our future happiness? our jewelry that we shared together? No, in fact, I respect and love you more for your honesty. Good. So my point is, nothing, really.

No, no, but no, seriously, though. Justin, I really do appreciate your honesty, you know, for... I gave you my treasure of tequila and I get nothing back. Oh, Josh, Josh, so sorry. Thank you.

It's Josh. If you say three times, you'll remember. It's like beetleses. Josh, Josh, great. Speaking of which, you should reconsider like going by your birth name because would somebody as great a name as like this is actually my notes you probably know it better than I do you what is you what was you what was you what was your name on your birth certificate uh my I was named after my grandmother yeah and her name was

nicolina do breva I mean that's that's that's a superstar name if I ever heard one I'm being serious I love that name thank you um I also loved the name when I found out that that was my name at 18 after I had already sort of worked for many years. So, like, I didn't want to be P. Diddy, aka P. Daddy, aka Daddy or D.E. or whatever, we're going to, like. He's due for another name change, by the way. It's been a couple of years.

He's been due for a while now. So why did they keep this from you? What's the... I honestly don't think that there's a good... There's no, like... Family secret reason. It's not like I murdered someone or like somebody else murdered someone and we've been keeping it to the grave. It's like, no, I think they just forgot.

Got it. I think it was just a class. We'll mention it to one year. She's 18. I guess we should mention it. No, yeah, it was just like they, it was Nicolina and then and then they just started calling me Nina because my grandmother's nickname was also Nina. Got it. And so they just started saying, Nina, Nina, Nina.

And then, you know, they have to, you got to do laundry. you got to take your kids to hockey practice and then 18 years 18 years, fuck me fucked up the damn timing see him still learning or the tequila is getting to me yeah

let me try that joke one more time and then 18 years go by and then oh guess now we got a collar and fucking did it again I'm in the home stretch you really were thank you next joke let's keep going

um power I'm a little toastie I'm not gonna lie to you Yeah, it's a little warm in here. No, I didn't mean warm. I'm drunk. Okay. What?

I saw some of your fantastic photos from the Vanity Fair party or swanky little photos with all your celebrity friends. Why do you say it like that? No, I'm joking. I felt a little wet. I've never got the Vanity Fair invite. Shocking, I know.

But it did look like a great time. Some of my favorite people were there. Jeff Goldblum is my obsession. Oh, he's the best. Have you ever seen his jazz show? I mentioned this on every episode. His what? His jazz show.

Do you know he does a jazz show? No. Nina? What do you mean? What capacity? What do you mean? In Los Angeles, California, where you reside. He played, I've said this before in the podcast, so apologies to listeners.

Every Wednesday night, Rockwell in Los Feliz. He plays a jazz show on jazz piano, but more importantly, you don't have to be an aficionado of jazz. I like jazz. It's fine. But he is Jeff Goldman for two hours, and he plays games, and he... Is this open to the public? Yeah, you can buy tickets.

It's like very small, intimate setting. Every Wednesday. night if he's in town wow and thank me later it's amazing i did not know that yeah the way i know jeff is through emily livingston who is now jeff goldblum i mean uh emily goldblum but uh her and i fun little fact used to be on the same canadian gymnastics team right i remember her background this makes sense it's all clicking yeah that's crazy she was like the all-star on on she went to the Olympics. Yeah.

She made it all the way to the real Olympics. And I was a sub for the team. Hey, that's the... Story of my goddamn line. No. Please. Oh, shoot, what do we do with all the good ones die? I guess take her.

Are you doing anything from the six to ten years of your life? Not really. I just immigrated from Bulgaria. I don't know why I was from Atlanta all of a sudden. That's the Bulgarian accent, I believe. Right? Yeah, yeah. Please, every time I'm watching your fabulous Instagram stories,

it feel like you're, like, jumping off a cliff or you're living your best life somewhere. You're like, my point is you were not sitting in a cave like I am. No, it's because I was a sub on the Canadian gymnastics team for so many years. And now I was like, it's all about me. Now I can shine. I got to compete a couple times. Was Olympics ever a dream? Was it like a...

I mean, for like 35 minutes. Yeah. When I first walked in and signed in and filled out the paperwork. Is this all I have to do to get on the Olympics? Then I went on the floor, tried to do the split position, and was like, oh, guess this isn't the...

It's not the cards for me. I actually did really, like, considering how late I started and how little I knew and the fact that my family had no money and not like all the obstacles, I actually did really well and advanced pretty quickly, but I started too late.

Like if I wanted to ever go to the Olympics in a serious way, I would have needed, I mean, I would have had to come out of the womb doing this splits. And I was about nine years too late. Well, let's just say, you obviously are in a crazy shape. I'm sure you could kill me with like a glance. You just insisted that you jumped on my back and I jumped on you, much to my chagrin. It was really like I thought I was going to break you. Man who breaks Nita Dobrave in half, film at 11.

I'm stronger than I love. But my point, if I had one, and I didn't, was, as I said, I have low tolerance for alcohol. Did you finish? Oh my God, he's almost done, but he's not done. All right, I'll finish. Neither am I, so it's okay. I've never done an Instagram story, Nina.

Are you joking me? I mean, I'm on the gram. Oh, I forgot you at 42, right? yeah that makes sense okay oh my god no no no it's okay it's okay for I'm hip I'm with it for your age demo this actually makes sense you know what I heard I heard an interesting statistic about about your group of people

will you visit me at the home next week they don't make like when they make films the percentage of films that are made for the boomers. Okay, just for the record, I am not a fucking boomer. I will never confide to you anything personal about me again. That was the Canadian side of me. See, I made it funny. I made it funny.

I told you I skipped school for a year. I told you my age, which you're never supposed to do. I shared my alcohol. What was your point? I don't know. I just wanted to make a boomer joke. Okay, good. What was your question before I interrupted and made an unrelated joke?

What should I be doing on the stories like the kids, like you? What do I, you know, how do I... Why don't we do a story right now? Why don't I teach you something? Please, let something good come out of this. Okay. All right. So I'm opening up my Instagram story right now.

Well, first of all, do you know what a filter is? Don't drink. Okay, I'm so regretting this line of... Okay, so you swipe to the right like that. No story pops up. Hey guys, I am currently teaching Josh how to make stories because he's a boomer born in... 19706.

Yep. Which is... Oh, did you just give me the finger? What? That's how I scratch my nose. Oh, yeah. Okay, okay, okay. I don't know what that was.

Anyway, you do that. You press the button. And then you click this little button that says, add to your story. I know he was really complicated. Just to be clear, I want to backtrack, I wasn't literally asking you as like an IT consultant. I was asking more of like content. What kind of things should I do?

And you went ahead and treated me like I treat my parents and I hate my life right now. I know how to not buy an iPhone. I'm the daughter you never wanted. I don't know. But you're a comedian. You're like a funny dude. Like, it's just, you kind of, like, I use stories and Instagram as a platform to create content that, um, is silly or funny or shows, um, can be self-deprecating or, because like, are you good at setting boundaries? Because I feel like you expose, it seems like you seem, and I'm sure you keep a lot to yourself, but like, you feel like an open book on the social medias.

Like, you're out there. You're with your friends. we're getting a peek into your life to a degree. Have you found it difficult to kind of figure out where that line is? Um, how much to share. Yes and no. I mean,

I, I, I, I like to be my most authentic self. So, I try to, I don't know. I mean,

I'm not, I guess it's intuitive. Like you, I mean, you know, I'm not sharing naked videos or like inappropriate. I don't know. I,

I'm still aware that other, the people watch these things, so I don't want to, I don't know how to answer that question. It's okay. We, we're ending this on a sad note. It's one of those things that, like, I, where do you draw the line? I, I'm, clearly I'm using it wrong. Well, you're not using it. Yeah, I'm not using it.

I mean, I do use it too. I do photos of my silly, happy, say, confused photos and that kind of a thing. Okay. Just to promote the podcast and my other shenanigans. Well, I just feel like, I don't know what I feel. It's hard to. But it is intuitive. I think it's also like, there's a difference between, look, despite my early non-digit you of not having an education, which you do, you are a very smart person that knows sort of like what is appropriate to share and like how to find, it's not like something you have to deliberate on, I guess.

No, I mean, I never forget that, yes, there's, people are following me along for the journey because they want an insight on what's going on. But at the same time, it's also some, a platform that professional opportunities are being considered. Yeah, it's a real thing, yeah. And I try to represent myself the way I would want, like, it's a direct reflection of who I am. So I'm not going to be inappropriate. and I don't know if I'm succeeding at it, but I try to be a classy individual. But at the same time, I'm goofy and I'm weird and I'm quirky.

And if I just posted pictures of me on the red carpet, then you wouldn't get a sense of the fact that I am okay with, like, I'm just, I'm a weirdo. And I am proud of being a weirdo and doing and saying strange things and being goofy and honestly, like, I don't, I don't know. No, here, here, this is, no, this is real. This is, we're getting real, man, after some tequila.

Oh, yeah. Look at this. No, I mean, I, I appreciate everything about what you said, and I will second it, and you've always been so, so kind to me and, like, doing, like, my silly shenanigans, and we did a fun pilot way back when for something, and, and I'm so, and I'm honestly thrilled that you are doing more comedy now, because I know you enough to know that that is important to you, and you are so good at it.

Thank you. And I want to exploit that for my own benefits soon. Let's do it. Okay, we're going to do that. I mean, my quote's $1 million. So, like, as long as you meet that quote, that's totally fine. Currently, I'm not doing so well thanks to some lawsuits

that have occurred recently, thanks to a whole new world. $4 million. A new fantastic point of you. It was funny at first, but now it's actually a serious. She's got pipe. ladies and gentlemen. Nina Dobrev for the win. We're not done drinking, though.

We still have a couple of sips. We have to end right now. I'm having too much fun. I don't want to go. Don't make me leave. Are you kicking me out? No, no. You're welcome here anytime.

Because I'll leave. I want to leave on my own. I've already tried to leave three times. It's your choice. Just put your heels on and get out of here. But yes, everybody should check out, fam. Thursday nights, 9.30 on CBS. You're welcome here anytime, buddy.

Thanks as always. Thank you. We did it. Thank you. I can't wait to see you. And let me know when you get out of jail for all that money that you owe the IRS. I wonder what kind of jail time that. I'm sure it'll be a while.

So after that amount of time, it would be really nice to catch up. See, you're saying you're not going to visit me in the slammer, as they say. I'm not saying I didn't say I wouldn't, but I'm also. You kind of said you wouldn't. No, no, no, I'm not, I'm not saying, I'm just, like, we'll see how the, like, schedules, you know. Yeah, my people will talk to your people. Yeah, yeah, just have your agent, reach out to my agent, and we'll see if it works out, time-wise. You know, I'm busy between now and, like, 2030, but after that, freeze a bird, kid, I'll be there every day.

Thanks for your support. Love you. 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 pressured to do this by Josh. Jimmy Nicholson, the film critic for the LA Times. And I'm Paul Shear, an actor, writer, and director.

You might know me from The League, Veep, or my non-eligible for Academy Award role in Twisters. We love movies, and we come at them from different perspectives. Yeah, like, Amy thinks that, you know, Joe Pesci was miscast in Goodfellas, and I don't. He's too old. Let's not forget that Paul thinks that Dude, too, is overrated. It is. Anyway, despite this, we come together to host Unspooled, a podcast where you talk about good movies, critical hits.

Fan favorites, musts season, and case you missed them. We're talking Parasite the Home Alone. From Greece to the Dark Night. We've done deep dives on popcorn flicks. We've talked about why Independence Day deserves a second look. And we've talked about horror movies, some that you've never even heard of like Ganges and Hess. So if you love movies like we do,

come along on our cinematic adventure. Listen to Unspooled wherever you get your podcast. And don't forget to hit the follow button. Thank you.