Happy Sad Confused - Taissa Farmiga (2022), plus Toronto Film Festival report

Episode Date: September 14, 2023

Taissa Farmiga is back on the big screen with THE NUN 2 so we're looking back at her whole career in this 2022 chat! Plus Josh recaps his Toronto Film Festival experience. UPCOMING EVENTS! 10/9 -- Come see Josh and Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells at the 92nd Street Y in NYC! Virtual tickets available too. Get your tickets here! Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh's youtube channel here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!⁠ NordVPN -- 🌏 Get Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ ⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/HappySad⁠⁠ It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ BetterHelp -- This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/HSC today to get 10% off your first month Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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You fall into it so easily. Like, this is a passion of yours. And I was like, I don't know, I'm a stoner. I like to watch Rick and Morty. And I walked out of the audition. And I was like, shit. I don't know if I just said the wrong thing. I should have talked about downtown abbey.

Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. I'm Josh Horowitz. And today on Happy, sad, confused, Taisa Farminga, from being a final girl to the Gilded Age, to being a ginormous Harry Potter fan, plus my experience at the Toronto Film Festival. Hey guys, I'm Josh Horowitz

And welcome to another edition of Happy Say I Confused So here I am in Toronto If you're watching this on YouTube You see I am in this weird random hotel room Circumstances have dictated that my Toronto stay Was extended a little bit Weather in New York made me stay a little longer than expected I sound a little crappy, I apologize

I've had a cold It's not COVID, apparently. Apparently, colds are still a thing. So, struggling a little bit, but it's all good, guys. I've been doing the film festival thing, seeing a ton of great movies, so I can't really complain. I want to apologize, though, just, yeah, for the visuals, et cetera, the glitches in the video.

This is not my usual setup, so working with the best that I can. But I wanted to present to you guys today a flashback interview. This is actually from early 2022, my career, conversation with Taisa Fermiga, who I positively adore. She's, of course, currently starring in the Nun 2, which is dominating the box office. I thought it was a good excuse to bring this one back, especially because most people did not get a chance to see this when it was first launched. I wasn't doing video back down on YouTube, so here you are, guys. Here is the gift that will keep on giving for perpetuity my career conversation with Taisa Fermiga. We talk

about a great many things, getting her start, her sister of Vera Farminga, her love of Harry Potter, fanfic, being a final girl and unlikely final girl at that, the gilded age, the nun, so much more. You're going to dig it. But before we get to the main event today, I do want to kind of catch you up on my film festival shenanigans. When last we spoke, you and I, I was in Telluride, wrapping up that great film festival, which was fantastic. I went kind of straight from that to Toronto. So again, for those who don't know the way of the land this time of year, this is when really the big guns come out with the awards contenders. And that happens in quick succession with the Venice Film Festival, Telluride, which are actually going on at the same

time. They both now, since wrapped, and right straight into Toronto, the Toronto Film Festival, which is similarly a big launching pad for many awards contenders. Soon in about about a month from now a little less, we'll have the New York Film Festival, which will have yet another group of films, most of which we've seen by now, or the folks that do this kind of thing have seen by now, but some new ones as well. So my Toronto, mixed bag of films, but I did get a chance to see a bunch of stuff that I really liked. I didn't see as many as I wanted because I was laid up in bed with my poor, sad, cold, but I did get a chance to see a few films that I really dug and wanted to pass on those recommendations to you guys.

So the top three I want to mention are our beloved Anna Kendrick's directing debut. Yeah, Woman of the Hour. This is just sold to Netflix coming off of the great screenings here in Toronto. This is a fascinating film that stars Anna that is based on a true story. It is a harrowing, intense film. Slight bits of comedy in it, but this is not a comedy, guys. the true story of a man who went on the dating game show, that competition, silly show, who happened to be a killer, literally a serial killer.

And a horrendous one at that, not that there's any such a thing as a good serial killer, but this one is dark and horrible. And this film is so intense, so well-crafted, so impressive, a debut by Anna Kendrick, so happy for her. Yeah, this has shades of Zodiac in it, guys. That's, like, the biggest influence I would say on this film, and that is, that's high praise. So I want to mention that one. Sold to Netflix, I don't know if they're going to release it this year or not, but keep it, keep it on your brain because that's what worth checking out.

Also, I just, my last film at Toronto was Hitman from Richard Linklater, of course, and co-written by our Glenn Powell. So happy for Glenn. I would say this is like a star-making performance, but he's kind of already had a few of those. But this could potentially even take him to another level because this is, again, very, this one's very loosely based on true life events. But suffice it to say, Glenn plays a teacher slash undercover cop who poses as a hitman. It's my short hand for this coming out of the screening is if out of sight and Fletch had a baby, it would be this film. It is fun, light, breezy, sexy, romantic. It stars Glenn front and center with an actress that I'm going to butcher the name of,

so I'm not even going to say it because I don't want to offend her. She's been in some stuff lately that, again, I'm blanking on, this is film Festival Brain. Look it up, but Hitman stars Glenn and the leading lady is fantastic. They have great chemistry, and it's authentically like a really romantic, sexy film, which is rare nowadays, and it's funny, and it's one of Linklader's best in years. So that one also didn't have distribution coming into this will be snapped up in an instant

because it definitely works. My favorite film I think of the festival was Dream Scenario from A-24. This one is definitely coming out this year in November. This is Nick Cage, doing Nick Cage, not in the way playing Nick Cage, but doing like a big swing, fun part. but not in a big way, actually.

He's playing this professor again, a sad sack professor who, get this, ends up being kind of in the dreams of many people around the world. So it definitely has that Charlie Kaufman-esque thing. It will definitely play as a great companion piece one day to adaptation. It's very funny. It's very insightful about the world we live in today, about celebrity and social media. And it features a kick-ass, the KH performance in the middle. which is always a treat.

So those are my top three. There's a bunch of other stuff that I enjoyed varying degrees. I love seeing our Jody Comer. Again, in another festival film, this one's called The End We Start from. Real showcase for her. I mean, kind of as any Jody Comer film is.

And this one, it's pretty intense. It takes place kind of after a climate disaster, and she's a young mother and kind of children of men-esque vibes to it. But she's fantastic. It's produced by Benedict Cumberbatch. has a small role as well. Yeah, that one I think is also seeking distribution,

but it will be snapped up if for no other reason because Jody is excellent in it as she always is. So those are the standout ones I guess I wanted to mention. Other things worked at varying degrees. I saw Taika Waititi's new film, Mexico wins, which is fun and works. Yeah, lots of cool stuff. So anyway, that's my tease, my summary in brief, of my Toronto Film Festival experience.

I hope you guys get something out of that. And again, I apologize that I look and sound like crap. This is a festival life. This is the real thing. You see a lot of movies and you feel like crap by the end because you're kind of running around just sitting in closed spaces with a lot of people and traveling a lot.

Woe is me, I know. Okay, let's get to the main event. But before we do that, I do want to mention if you're in the New York area, October 9th, I'm doing my next live edition of Happy Say I Confused. with Andrew Rannels and Josh Gad, the Book of Mormon duo, is reuniting for another big Broadway musical. It's called Gutenberg the Musical.

I'm so psyched. I'm going to be seeing it very soon. These guys are hysterical. I know them both. Andrew's on the podcast. Josh, surprisingly, never has. But he's always hysterical, so I can't wait to see them. Get your tickets now.

Info's in the show notes. You know what to do. If you can't be there in person, you can watch us virtually live. And hope to see a good crowd. it at 90 Second Street. Why? It's been a minute because of all these strikes. It's hard to put these together, but because these gentlemen are promoting theater work, they are allowed to chat. So I'm very relieved about that. Okay, main event for you guys that are here for Tysa

for Amiga, wait no longer. Here it is. This was recorded in early 2022. Lots of talk, gilded age, none, final girls, all the stuff you like, plus her love of Harry Potter. What more can you ask for? remember to review rate and subscribe to happy say confused spread the good word and enjoy this chat with me and taisa farmiga well the tie heads are going to be very excited we got taisa farmiga is that what they call your fans what do they call the taisa fermiga fans oh i have no idea i don't i don't think there's a proper name i mean i've been doing this for a decade i don't think there's a proper name unless i'm that out of touch with social media and the internet which i aloof. You're so out of it. I have to, listen, I hide. Technology scares me. I swear to God.

I, no, I am excited to catch up. We've never had a chance to do kind of our deep dive conversation. Always a fan of yours. Congratulations on the Gilded Age, the ginormous undertaking from Julian Fellows. It's funny because it's like outside of like a Marvel movie or like a Star Wars movie, like nothing gets this kind of budget. So it's kind of cool to see like the resources to bear that the Downton Abbey name can bring, right? So congrats. Oh, yeah. Thank you, gosh. I appreciate it. I'm happy to be here. I'm excited to chat. All right. So a lot to dig into. First, I mentioned the Taisa Farmiga obsessives. We don't know what their names are, but let's talk about what you were what you were into growing up. Who would you have been the president of a fan club of or the posters

in the room? Let's let's dive deep and start. All right. Let's let's get into it. For me, I'm like, I'm like, shit, what was I? No, I, I read a lot of Harry Potter fanfic when I was a teenager. That was my outlet. That was my way to like. Did you actually read the Harry Potter books? You just skip right to the fanfic? Okay, good.

No, no, no. I read the books, watched films, and back and forth, you know, between the books and the movies coming out. I remember reading the last book and I was just like, damn, that's it. Like, it's done. I'm so sad. So I started like Googling, like, what do you do when you finish a book?

And then I discovered this world of fans. fan fiction. What was, so were you the right age for that, like when the books were coming out every year? Like, were you, like, at the bookstore? Was that, was it? Yeah, I mean, I think, yeah. I don't remember, like, specific age, but I remember, like, my brother was super into them and he's six years older than me. Um, but I mean, like, as soon as he, I mean, he would have to read it first, of course, because, you know, seniority bullshit. He would get it first, then I would get my hands on it. Um, but yeah, I mean, I think I was like, I don't know, I don't know the years it came out, but I was like right there. Were you, were you, have you been,

You've been sorted. I take it. What house are you in? Ravenglaw. Were you, I can't tell if you're proud or you're resigned. I am. I am proud. It's hard, too, because I've been living with a Slytherin. My partner is a Slytherin. Oh, that's going to be dangerous. It can be dangerous. So I feel like, you know, I'm, I'm definitely a Ravencub, but, you know, it's been, it's been a fun few years. Have you done the Wizarding World? No, I haven't. Crowds kind of freak me out. I like a, i.e. fanfic, you get to experience everything through, you know, like in the screen. Now, as I recall, and we're going to dance around,

we're going to jump around because my brain works this way. Maybe the first time I met you was actually with Emma Watson. I think so. We definitely, yeah, for sure. My recollection, I don't expect you to remember this, but I have a weird photo that commemorates when I think maybe I met you. We did like a- Didn't we take a selfie?

Yes, thank you. It is such a weird photo because it's like, it's me and the cast of wing ring which included you and emma of course and um we did like a special mtv event on a stage at the universal city walk yeah i remember there being i couldn't remember i remember it being like a big thing it wasn't just like walking into a room or like doing the press junket and you're just like circled through it was like a thing oh this was a thing and the thing included for i don't even know why whose idea it was me like probably like a 30 year old dude way too old to be doing a silly selfie um but doing a selfie and it was like i don't know if

like Emma was like flashing like gang signs. It was like a weird, it was a weird photo. The photo exists. Probably. The photo does exist. Someone's going to find it and pull it up. I remember seeing it. I feel like I get tagged in it every so often on Instagram. You know what I mean? Like it recycles. It comes up. Oh, no. That's probably me tagging you. And I'll do it again. Don't you worry? So, okay. So growing up, uh, let's get into some biographical detail. Big family. I did not realize how many. Do I have this rights? The youngest of seven? Yes, I'm number seven. I have six older siblings. Wow. Okay. So were you left to your own devices? Did they feed you enough? Like did they remember you were around? What was the dynamic? A little bit of it all. Yeah, I feel like I was left to my devices a lot. My own device is a lot because both my parents worked and my mom worked part-time. My dad worked full-time. And, you know, again, my brother was always around. He's six years older. My sister's three years older than me, the closest, my closest two siblings. So there's always like, there's always like,

someone who was technically allowed to watch me around. So, you know, we just kind of, we were just kind of left. But yeah, it's the same parents for all the kids. The first four kids were born, 11 years, no kids, and then the last three. So it's kind of like two, two groupings. Got it. It's funny because I looked up, I'm the youngest of only three, but I looked up then, I was curious, like, I never remember this, but like what like the characteristics are people say are endemic of youngest. And I don't fit, I don't want you fit like half of these. I'm curious how you, how you fit into these. So it said here, according to my Googling, a highly social. It's not me. Is that you? Um, no. I mean, if you throw me into, if you throw me into

social situation, I can like turn on and, and do it, but like I don't speak them out. You know what I mean? Yeah, same. I relate to that. Confident? Would you consider yourself a confident person? I'm pretty confident. Okay. But like that developed in my, that developed in my 20s. And I was like, I was a shy and secure anti-social teenager. Right. I.e. fanfic. Yep. Yep. Okay. We're speaking the same language. Creative, yes, of course, right? That's us. Yeah, I'm creative. I mean, I have to say that I would, like, I would first define myself as logical above creative. Oh, interesting. I have a very mathematical brain. I've always loved numbers in finance and chess and I was, I was definitely a 13 year old in chess club. Does that apply? I like, yeah, go ahead.

Well, creative, yes, because obviously, like, acting is a very creative outlet. But for me, sometimes it's like, I don't know, I love approaching the emotions of it and inserting out human emotion. And it kind of, it feels like an equation to me. Right, right, right. Yeah. Well, and then this goes hand in hand with that. It says good at problem solving. So that sounds about right. Oh, yes. Oh, my God. Give me a problem. I will solve it. So were you, according to the never reliable World Wide Web homeschooled after the fourth grade? I was from, yeah, fourth grade through high school. Okay, so again, we talked a little bit about sort of like finding your place, being social or not social as a teenager. How did that, I don't know, how did that help hinder you acclimating relating to kids your age? Because that's obviously a unique, unique experience. For sure. You know, I think I was lucky because in the area of New Jersey where we lived, there was actually a pretty big homeschool community. So I feel like we definitely, we had classes and activities outside the home. So we got to interact and socialize with people. You know, I think coming from a family of somebody older siblings, I had people to speak for me.

So a lot of times, you know, sometimes the youngest, they'll say is loud because they have to be heard. But I don't know, I was kind of more, I was more of the observant one watching and, you know, speaking only when I had something really good to say. Got it, got it. So yeah, you know, socialization. I think it wasn't really tight. I started acting and playing, getting to play other characters and pull out parts of my own personality to instill in these characters that I figured out kind of who I was. and really how to communicate. So it's interesting.

Usually I go to the comfort movie. I ask people to select a little bit later on in the conversation. But this kind of dutails with what we're talking about a bit. I'm curious if it's a reason maybe you relate to this story. You chose a comfort movie that I would guess a lot of people share with you. What did you select, Taisa? I selected Mean Girls. So the protagonist of Mean Girls is indeed a homeschooled young woman

who maybe hasn't been socialized in the way that others have. Did you find yourself relating to that character when you first saw the film? For sure. You know, I don't even remember the first time I watched it. I know, like, subsequent times, like, definitely, you know, I was, I was a moody teenager. I was antisocial. I was homeschool. You know, I think I appreciated the, I don't know, sort of like analytical, like, view of what

public high school could be through the eyes of an outsider. So for sure, I'm sure that played into. it, but at the time, it wasn't like, oh, she's homeschooled like me. That only came in podcasts later. Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, you know, years later, after the fanfic. So, yeah, by my math, you would have been about 10 years old when it came out. Do you think you saw it when it first came out?

Like, do you remember when you first started to really get into it and why? I don't have, I like, I was trying to remember to see if like, I can't remember when I first saw it. I don't know if I saw it in theaters. I just have no recollection of it whatsoever. first time I watched it. I just remember, like, every time I'd scroll on TV, it's like, oh, Mean Girls is on again. You know what I mean? It's just sort of like, yeah, has always been there. Yep. So who, do you have a favorite character in there? Like, what jumps out of you? Favorite character, favorite scene, obviously a very quotable movie. What are the touchstones for you?

Favorite character is always Janice. I don't know. I just love her. I mean, it's probably why I also was attracted to Violet from American Horror Story, like my first character, because she kind of just like says what she, you know, what she thinks and how she feels. There's no bullshit. I love that. favorite scene uh i don't know just like it's just i feel like every scene has some sort of highlight i think my favorite quote i remember when it comes to the movie but it's like when when amanda syphreid's character is like i think i have ESPN my my my my my boobs can feel when when it's going to rain i always died i was like ESPN perfection the genius of Tina fey right there oh my god it's so good it's so damn funny so yeah so yeah

Yeah, for those, I mean, everybody knows, but directed by Mark Waters, who's interesting because he, you know, 10, 15 years prior had done Heather's, of course, which similarly really captured a generation, a zeitgeist kind of moment and written by the great Tina Faye. So have you, I'm always curious, like, of these movies that we love, excuse me, have you interacted? Have you ever met Tina Faye? Have you met Lindsay Lohan or any of Rachel McAdams? Yeah, no, yes, Richard Mac Adams, yes. No, never met Tina Faye. I have met, oh my God, who plays, who play, Leslie, no, Amy Poehler. I met Amy Poehler once, but I was, like, wasted and, you know, it was at some party, and I'm pretty sure I'd just, like, grinned at her the whole time. That's the way to meet our heroes, always when we're a little drunk. A little more confident. Um, no, so yeah, Rachel McAdams. I, um, I did, uh, I did this, this, I did a live reading of this play called Charming for the Blacklist. Um, and Rachel McAdams was one of the other little few actors that, that did

this. And, um, yeah, I mean, I was pretty freaking giddy when I, you know, when I got to, got to meet her, I mean, I didn't show it. I always like, I like that pool outside. I don't know, you know what I mean? Um, so, yeah, I don't know. I was freaking giddy and I go up to her and I we stay high and she's just, I don't know, she's just so intelligent and gorgeous and so personable and I crushed so hard and I just like was in a daze. She's very Canadian, very nice, very sweet. Very nice. Yeah, it was awesome.

So that was definitely, that was definitely a highlight. I've seen the, have you seen the musical? I've seen the musical here in New York. It's pretty great. And I'm not, not, not, wouldn't necessarily be my cup of tea, you would think on paper, but I really dug it. I would highly recommend. The musical for, for Mean Girls.

Oh, no, I haven't seen it. Definitely recommend it. Yeah. Have you seen Wait, jumping back to Harry Potter Have you seen Chris Child? No, I haven't. What?

We got tickets. I can't remember what happened. But then we had to get, we had to sell them because I don't know, work. Something, you know, something came up and I haven't seen it. Again, like, that's the thing.

It's like, I don't know. Like, a fan girl right in front of me, but then I don't, I don't go to the outside thing as much. Does that make sense? Yeah, yeah. Except when you're, to fandrel in private.

Yeah, it's a special time, taste of time. Oh, God, yeah. Gosh. Okay, so as people may or may not know, of course, people of course know Vera is your sister. She, you know, she predates you, of course, career-wise, but also the fact that, like, you weren't, and it wasn't your ambition to be an actor growing up. But then if I do the math, she was being very, she was very successful when you were probably, I don't know, 10, 12, she probably had already been nominated for an Oscar, she wasn't

departed, jump in the air, et cetera. So I'm curious, like, what your view was, like, were you ever on sets? Were you visiting her? Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, not too many times. It wasn't, like, a common occurrence, but definitely got to visit her on set. I remember, like, the first set I remember visiting was in Vancouver. I think it was a TV show she did called UC Undercover. It was some, like, cop show. Nice. And I just remember that crafty had these, like, little bite-sized brownies. And that was all I did for about seven days straight was sneak into crafty and eat brownies. And I was the day you decided you wanted to be an actor.

You're like, wait, free brownies? Three brownies? No, like, I was into it, but like, I don't know. I, you know, food. No, I get it. Lights, cameras, food. Like, what? The pillars of life right there.

Yeah. No, my sister, my sister, Larissa, she was like sitting by the mom. She's three years older than me. So I think she was like 13, 14 at the time. And, you know, she had headphones. I was at the monitor and she was super excited. And she was like, hmm, I think I like the second take, whereas I was way in the back. But, yeah, I don't know.

It was always Vera's job. It was, yeah, it's just kind of like what she did to make money. And it was super cool. But I don't know. I wanted to be an accountant. Right. I'm going to do something glamorous like accounting. But you weren't like excited by, like, you know, I would think most kids like,

oh my God, my sister is in a movie. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. My sister was like hanging out with George Clooney. That didn't register in a way. It was kind of just work. George Clooney for sure. Because I was, you know, before I started acting, I was, so I was like 14, like 13, 14, 15. I started traveling with, oh no, I guess this must have been like 15 because I started traveling with Vera as the babysitter when she was filming because she gave birth to her son Finn. And immediately, I think not even like a month later, she had a film, excuse me, up in the air. Wow.

So I was, you know, jet-setting with her and I was the babysitter. I love that, which one thing homeschooling I was super happy about gave me the flexibility to, like, hop on a plane and go. Right. But, yeah, no, for sure. Like, I remember how excited the women at my mom's work and the doctor's office got when they were like, oh, that charge, Clooney. I was like, yeah, you get the top of my head. They were like, did you wash your hair? I was like, yeah, I washed my hair.

Don't be weird. But let me tell you about the brownies that were on the set. We had shorts cleaning. Right. Yeah. So, no, I mean, there was always, I don't know, I guess I kind of grew up with, like, that being the normal for Vera that it didn't really, yeah, like, obviously, any people around the world, I mean, like people around our world, whether it's the woman in my mom's office or wherever, or kids at school, they, oh, wow, your sister's an actress, but it kind of just. Ontario, the weight is over. The gold standard of online casinos has arrived. Golden Nugget online casino is live, bringing Vegas style excitement and a world-class. gaming experience right to your fingertips. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting, signing up is fast and simple.

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Each and every week, I hit the big blockbusters. I cover the streamers, and I even toss in some movie news for fun. Check out the show on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, on YouTube. And hopefully, we can do movies together. Hot. It just was what it was because Vera was always Vera when she was home. You know, she was my older sister. I were just like, take me a niggie, you know?

I hope the nuggies have stopped by now. Oh, you know, actually, you don't. They happen. Like, when I don't, when I don't expect it, it happened. Oh, God. Always got to be on the defensive. So your entry was through Vera again. She was directing a film, and she looked no further than you.

And so, like, what was your attitude about that? Like, when you, when you agree to be in the film, Was it like, hey, it'll be a fun summer or whatever it is you shot and that's it? Or was it like, all right, maybe this is a thing. Maybe this will be a real thing. I was super excited. It was during the summer. It was the start of summer.

I was super excited to get away from my parents for two months. I mean, I was 15. You know what I mean? Like who wants to be stuck at home with parents telling you what to do? And I, you know, hormone imbalances and feelings and all that going on. I was excited to hang out with Vera and her. husband, my brother-in-law, who I just adore. And again, Vera just had her son, Finn. Funny enough, he played my 15-month-old daughter in the film Higher Ground that Vera directed.

So when I wasn't, when I wasn't filming, I was babysitting him. And it was nice to just be on set. I think that was the first time I ever realized or the first time I ever, yeah, I realized that, like, I enjoyed the set atmosphere. Like, I just loved the camaraderie and how quickly it feels like a family and you're all in this together. There's not very many jobs where you work 14 hours a day and then and you rely on each other emotionally too right that was cool was did that set the precedent you got you got a car out of the gig as I understand it's you know I got I got I got 2004 Toyota Tacoma pickup silver it was my favorite car did it did it last a while I assume it's a long time yeah yeah it's been retired now sold for parts um but I let my she was

she was a few um no but I um yeah last a while it lasts a while but then I was I was in LA and I didn't I didn't bring it to Los Angeles. It did take me to, actually, it did take me to New Orleans, from Jersey to New Orleans for season three of American Horse. There you go. Took me there, got me back and forth to work, drove me home, back all the way to New Jersey after it was done. So it was a good truck. So, and now you demand a different automobile on every project I take it. Oh, yeah, for sure.

I have like a 20-car garage. So you and Jay Leno, just car collectors, famous car collectors. Yeah, except they. have the only rule is that they have to be certified for you. Right. Nice. Um, so you mentioned American Horror Story, which I mean, again, for those that know you a little bit about you, it's this kind of irony where you, you get this. And from what I gather, it's a pretty early audition, if not like the first, maybe the second. And it's a TV audition. So it sets you on this bizarre path that like wasn't necessarily, it's not your thing. It's not your genre. And yet

it has become what you are most identified with. Um, give me a, sense of sort of journey of you as a scream queen as a horror. Yeah. Have you, have you wrestled with it? Have you kind of been like, okay, at a certain point, I need to put a cap on this or like I'll own it as far as it will take me? You know, I think recently I've had both those feelings where it's like, okay, it's cool. Like I love that I love for this and this is what I, and this is what has got me so far in my career. And then I'm like, I want to do something different. Come in Gilded Age, which, you know, scratch that itch and it's great. And then also when my partner, my husband, he's, he's a writer-producer and, you know, we really love to work

together. We met for friends. We've never gotten to collaborate. And so there's been projects that we're working or trying to develop and stuff. And I find myself that I'm drawn to like horror, horror adjacent. Like I called away like two turns away from horror. And it's just I don't know. I love it. I don't know whether it was meant for me or I just, you know, my, it came at a perfect moment in my like development and growth as an adult and as an actor. But it's funny because it's the absolute opposite of what I like to watch. Right.

But you send me a script, you send me a comedy script and I'm like, I don't know. I don't know. I can't do that. I don't, I don't, there's the character. What's there? I don't know. Interesting. But you, but you, but then you give me like the darkest, most scup script.

Yeah. I don't want to do it. Talk to me. Okay, so, and where does Gildadage fit into that? Is that something, is that the kind of stuff you would be watching or is that like horror in a different way, not necessarily the thing you would watch? not necessarily the thing I would watch I mean but don't get me wrong once I

once I booked the job I went and started watching Downton Abbey or it was before I had the I knew they were interested in me and they liked my audition that was going to meet with Michael Angler and have the like a director's audition session and once I got that I started watching Downton Abbey because I'm like okay shit got to you know got to brush up I don't want to

I don't want to say the wrong thing or not have an answer you sound just like a Downton Abbey character saying oh shit I got to brush up oh fuck here we go right I It sounds just like Maggie Smith. It's crazy. I ended up watching, I think, like, three seasons of Downtonabby before I even realized that I was on season three. And I'm like, what the hell?

Why is this so addicting? Yeah. Which is probably why I enjoyed some of the scripts and the audition. But I mean, like, it's such a funny fit because Gladys is, yeah, my son of my character from Gilege, like, she definitely reminds me of, of safe. She's 17, but she reminds me parts of 15-year-old me. But I remember meeting Michael Anglo, the director in the audition. you know, I don't know, we were just talking about

and he was like, oh, he's like, do you have you, do you really love watching like period pieces? You fall into it so easily like this, you must, this is a passion of yours. And I was like, I don't know, I'm a stoner. I like to watch Rick and Morty. And I walked out of the audition and I was like, I called my husband or I guess he was my fiance.

I don't know, I called my, I called my partner, my dude. And I was like, shit. I don't know if I just said the wrong thing. I should have talked about down to now. me. Amazing. It clearly was the right thing. So what is, I mean, it's funny, because I've talked to so many actors about prep for different kinds of roles and you, you know, the clichés, you talk to an actor, they're going to do like the World War II movie and they like train with like, you know, the Marines for three months and they're in boot camp and whatever. Like this is a different kind

of precision, though, that like, I mean, you have to like, there is a very precise manner of the way you walk and speak and for excuses. It sounds, maybe it sounds silly or doesn't sound silly to people, but you have to like buy that authenticity. Was there kind of an odd, unique prep work to fully inhabit this world? Oh, yeah. For sure. I mean, they, I mean, production from the beginning was amazing. They got me working, or they got everybody, but speaking from my experience,

they got me working with Howard Samuelson, who is the dialect coach. And, yeah, just start one, piecing together the speaking habits and how to work on that getting into it. You know, it was interesting because it started off way more proper and specific and closer to the time period, but when we finally got towards filming, they had tweaked in, they're like, look, we don't want to alienate modern audiences because it sounds so different. Right. So I was happy that they found like a happy medium of sounding.

Okay, this doesn't sound like now, but it doesn't sound like way over them. I got you. But yeah, for prep work for sure, HBO I put together or production, I put together this sort of this like dossier, this research Bible of all the information you needed to know about the 1880s, everything from just everyday sort of manners and social etiquette to, you know, how to hold your fork, how to, you know, how to curtsy at a man, how, I don't know, how the railroads were working at the time, how much money people were making and, you know, the divide between poverty and the wealthy and how much manure covered the streets in New York every day.

it was going to smell like shit when you go outside. So think about that. I'd rather not. How much manure, by the way? Do you have a... Oh, my God. I think it was like... Oh, I wish I had the fact written down.

It was like, it was like, it was a few hundred tons. Okay. A few hundred tons a month? You could say anything. And I would be like, that's a lot of manure. That's a lot. It was the streets were covered. The streets were, it basically was streets made of horse crap.

I do feel like that's a thought that crosses my mind. sometimes in watching films or TV of this period is like this all looks great but it probably smells horrible. It smells terrible. Oh yeah. I mean. The plumbing, the lack of plumbing, all of it's just oh yeah. And even when we're filming the exterior scenes, you have the horses going like, man, they're they're real creatures. They got to do their thing. Yeah. It kind of helped us get into character. You, uh, this is one of those series that like every actor like like on the like the, like the sixth person in the seed is like the best like New York theater actor. Like it's just like it's crazy. It's ridiculous. I forget. I think they were saying it was like 17 Tony Award winning actors, and then I heard the number jumped up like 20 plus. I don't know. It's phenomenal. We were so lucky that, I mean, lucky. The one positive, I think, of filming during COVID was that Broadway had been shut down. So there was a lot of availability with those actors and we're so fortunate as people that have had them.

one actor that I positively love and I know you adore the great Carrie Coon who's delightful she is so delightful she was on the podcast like a year ago when she was shooting this and I forgot to hit record and we had to do the podcast the second time she did it without a she did it I'm sure she did it just as well with just as much energy and enthusiasm she's she's awesome she's she's a unique she's a character she's like kind of like awesome she's she's she's really really cool she makes me so happy i think she makes the entire room happy like i don't know how else to explain it she's so unapologetically herself and she's not just like this like smiley happy woman she's fucking cool yeah and she's like got an edge to her but she's also caring and kind at the same time and it's such a perfect mix and and um yeah i i i loved working with her and she would always pick on me and tease me and that's how i knew she loved me and it was it was so it was so perfect for the Bertha Gladys dynamics, you know, between Carrie and I. Well, you're in good company.

I mean, I know this from talking to her and hearing stories, like, from her, her feature debut was in Gone Girl, and she, like, gave no less than David Fincher's shit. And I think that's why he responded to her because he's like, he is also of that kind of character and, like, respects the back and course. Yeah, absolutely. She's so cool. And on top of that, being a rad person, she's also just a phenomenal actress. Totally, totally.

So one question from the audience. I always ask the listeners for questions from Jen, Caden wanted to know what's one surprise thing you learned while working on set. I guess this is outside of the manure. I mean, the manure one was pretty overwhelming. It's hard to top that, I guess, yeah. I wish I knew the amount. I should have memorized it. You know, Blake Ritson who plays Oscar Van Ryan, he would have been able to tell you. Damn Oscar. The most interesting thing I learned, I would say, oh, so part of, okay, so we were talking a little bit before about the research and prep. We did the dialect, and also they gave us, like, this dossier of all the information, which we all read through,

but they also hired professors and historians or historians professors Erica Dunbar and Helen Vait who gave a series of lectures on the 1880s. So like, you know, we sort of had, I don't know, there was like, there was like etiquette and health and nutrition with Helen Vait. And then there was gender and race studies with Erica Dunbar of that time period. And so some of the things we, some of like, what am I trying to say? Like one, it was a phenomenal image of having the entire Gilded Age cast from like Christine Baransky to me to Harry Richardson to everybody seated

at these tiny little school desks taking notes at our lectures and learning all about like the etiquette and that covers so much I think the thing that I found the most interesting was learning about eating habits and stuff. Everything had to be

super slow. Like you can't make noise. Your fork can't clink on the plate. You can't no noise. You can't express pleasure or happiness or joy or anything about eating. Like, if food tastes good, you can't express it. You can't be grateful for, like, the beautiful meal. You can't say thank you to the servant.

Yeah, what freaked me out the most was like, they're like, oh, eating is our most animalistic behavior. And they wanted to disassociate from that as far as possible. So everything had to be, like, literally, I think there's a scene where Carrie takes like one pee on her fourth. And that's not just like an actor messing up. That's literally what you're supposed to do. Wow. Amazing.

Yeah, no yummy noises. No, no, no, that's not. Wow. No, none of that. So backtracking a bit. Okay, so we talked a little bit about the stuff leading into this. And obviously, American Horror Story, we should mention, I'm just curious, like, what it does for a career when among the, the projects you've been in in that kind of genre, the nun was huge. Like, I didn't even realize how huge it was.

Like, I mean, budget to box office. It's like probably one of the most. profitable films in recent years. Yeah, for sure. Does that, well, I guess a couple questions on that. Just you're the lead in that. You are the nun. So does that change?

You'd probably been in the lead a few times already. But, you know, a bigger budget, more eyeballs on it. You knew. Did that feel like a jump, a different kind of pressure? Did you embrace that moment? What do you recollect from? Yeah, it was, it's a, I love the nun. I mean, I love that whole experience.

think it was one of the performances that I looked that when I first watched it, I was so genuinely happy with the work that I did. And I saw my prep work and I saw all of it go into my performance. And I'm very hard at myself. I'm a perfectionist. Like, you know, it's not something that's easy for me to say. And it felt so good to see something come out the way, you know, close to what you would imagine. I'll also say at that time period for like two and a half years. So between from the started filming that tour when it premiered. I was dealing with, um, just like health issues for, for, um, that time. And, and, and so yes, like when this movie was coming out, I found out at a parasite in my blood. I was feeling so, I was just emotionally so drained and have anything

left to give. Physically, I was so weak and tired. Um, but it was around the time that the premier was there. And I was just so, so happy. So it was like, funny to think, I was so excited for this thing. I remember I was living, I was living in like Hollywood Hills near Franklin and Galanga and they had in Los Angeles and they had the there's like this wall where they put up all the movie posters and like one day we drove by and it was half my face on every single poster and of course you go and like you take your you take your selfies and um but it was jarring because like I forget I don't know I just you just yeah I was so in like into personal stuff but like you forget that the world's still going and even though I was

working and doing that. But yeah, I don't know. The Nunn was one of my most favorite experiences ever from filming to doing press, like doing, God, we, uh, Warner Brothers did this like whole press junket in, like in an in an old, what was it? It was something in like outside of Mexico city. It was like, 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 hey michael hey tom so big news to share it right

yes huge monumental earth shaking heartbeat sound effect big mink is back that's right after a brief snack nap We're coming back. We're picking snacks. We're eating snacks. We're raiding snacks. Like the snackologist we were born to be. Mates is back.

Mike and Tom, eat snacks. Wherever you get your podcast. Unless you get them from a snack machine, in which case, call us. I don't know, there's an insane asylum or an old... I wasn't there, but I remember seeing some of my compatriots out there. I think I saw you guys also at Comic-Con. That's got to be a trip. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That was so cool. and then we went to Comic Con first and that sort of like kickstarted the first like interviews and press for it and I was like, oh, I act, this is like, I get to talk about something I'm excited about. Like, not that I wasn't previously, but again, talking about like gaining confidence and being in my mid-20s, I was more assured. And so going into interviews, it wasn't like, oh, no, what if I messed up. It's just like, cool. This is what I get to talk about. So it's very exciting, very, very, very exciting. Okay, it's official.

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because staying informed shouldn't feel overwhelming. Does it, in the wake of that, did it increase the appetite for, you know, franchise stuff? And I know that's a broad brush. There's good franchise stuff. There's shitty franchise stuff. And, you know, we talk to Harry Potter. That's the good stuff.

And there's plenty of crap out there, too. too. But does it, like, as a young actor, does it feel like, do you feel that in your stomach just knowing like, oh, I should strategically and creatively probably try to align with one of these things? It's a smart move, or is that, is that dangerous to think about from your standpoint? I think I've been really fortunate that I've been working pretty consistently over the last, like, decade or 11 years of my career. So a lot of times when the decisions for a job comes, it's, it's sometimes it's been financial sometimes it's been creative and just jumping into a project I'm super excited about um the nun was something I really really wanted I had audition I remember

getting the audition getting the email for the audition when I was in the kitchen with Vera she was in town for like two days um she and the family were were in L.A and they rented a house and she was cooking dinner I was like huh that's fun I got an audition for this thing called the the nun it's it's part of the conjuring you ever I couldn't believe it and I was like well great I'm not going to get it But you know what I mean? I was like, I get they probably want to differentiate whatever. So I thought it was going against me. And I auditioned for it.

And I thought I did really well. And again, you can ask my husband how rarely I call him being like, I can crush that. And you got it. Yeah. I think, I mean, I don't know. I can love to me. I can say it now because they did. But yeah, I was super, super excited.

for it. I don't know. I just, yeah, the idea of being a part of something that is a franchise already has, like, an established base of viewers of fans, it's exciting because, you know, you're already going to get eyeballs on it. I mean, I think part of that's also why Gilded Age was so excited for me, because, again, it's not something I watch, but, like, a period drama is not something I'm fully normally drawn to, but that world is something I've never been associated with. And on top of that, it's from a creator who's already created something that has such a fan base and people are so excited about it and watching it myself, how he makes these really nuanced characters,

combining all that with HBO, I was like, how do I not go for this? Totally. You know? Yeah. What about, so on the inevitable comic book side of things, I read somewhere, I don't know if it's true or not, that maybe you did the Hawkeye thing,

you did the Kate Bishop audition. Was that something that you remember for? Well, that means you've done enough. That means you've done a comic book auditions that you can't remember. No, I have a weird memory. I, like, don't remember details. I remember emotions and feelings. So, like, yeah, like, I don't know.

Like, you're talking about blingering earlier. I remember Katie Chang, one of the other actresses on it. She'll, like, remember, like, specific things and days and all this. And I'm like, I don't know. I was just stressed that day. Or, you know, like, I just remember, I don't know. The emotion. So what is the emotion with, like, do you get worked up about auditions?

You talked about killing it on the, on the nun. But, like, are there, you've got, everyone's got the horror stories. Generally speaking, do you have more than your share of that? Or are you pretty chill in that environment? What I like, what I do when I'm under pressure or I'm going into a scenario that causes me anxiety, which is a lot of scenarios in life, I do have a lot of anxiety. I just present myself as calm. It's the strangest thing.

If it's, I'm going into a room with other people, not that I'm trying to hide it. I take my few deep breaths and I go in, and I just sort of, I just sort of think, how would I, how would I, I don't know, if I was dealing with someone who's super anxious, sometimes I get uncomfortable because that person is so anxious. I like, want to make them, you know, I don't know. I just sort of. So you're playing the role of confident calm Taisa. Exactly. To get into it, then to then be prepared to play the role of the audition that I've, yeah, it's a weird mind. This is, this is, this is big. But yeah, I also, I know I can be hard on myself, so I always try to, I don't like my highs to be too high, because I don't like my lows to be too low. So with auditions, I always try to go in and do it. And then like at the end of guns, like wash my hands, cool, that's it. If there, if my manager or my agent calls me about it, that means there's something to hear.

If they don't, whatever, we'll see what the next thing is. Because if I dwell on it too much, then, yeah. I mean, I think Star Wars was probably the only ones that I was like, oh, did they like it? Like, what's going on? Because, again, another thing I grew up with was Star Wars. I loved playing, like, Star Wars, the old Republic video games with my brother growing up. And, like, that was, that was my thing. Was that for the first one?

Was that when they brought in, like, everybody for those first goals? It was for, I think it was, it wasn't for the first one. I think it was for, um, the Rogue One maybe, or, uh, it wasn't Rogue One. It was the one after that. Oh, Solo. was it a no I can't remember it's the one it was the one Ray had already been in one movie you know what I mean wasn't there a second one with Ray? Yeah yeah there was a trilogy so Last Jedi so

maybe it was the one that maybe Kelly Marie Tran maybe eventually got that role I can't remember but I I know what that was an audition I didn't do well because I wanted it so badly that's why I try to keep my expectations you didn't remember to play cool comic like Taisa I couldn't do it it was also hard because those auditions they it was one of the only few times that I had to do a cold read where they didn't send you the material before you can get there an hour ahead of time and I'm like and usually I'm good at memorizing lines

like it's it goes quick and easy but I was just so like oh this would be so cool yeah you're worked up and also if I'm wrong often like the sides and that stuff for the audition materials aren't even related to really it's not even really real no I think there's like maybe one I don't know lightsaber reference or something

so it knows you're in that world somehow but it wasn't fully yeah it's a long career we're going to secret into the universe you in a star wars movie they're going to keep making harry potters we're going to get there too incredible um yeah you know it's i don't know it's exciting i um i'm open i'm open to i'm open to anything i like new experiences i like learning and growing and i think that's why i was excited about gillet age was a brand new um yeah it was a brand new thing to experience a new perspective to sort of understand and i'm i'm always game for anything, whether it's horror, horror adjacent, or apparently a period piece where I look like I'm

12 years old, Gladys Russell, baby. Embrace it. Embrace your youth while you got it. Well, we got it. Exactly. How's the dog or dogs? How many dogs at home? Two dogs. Two dogs. Actually, so the older dog, her name's Red. She's a sweetheart. like just emotionally i can she she can tell like if i if i come home and i'm upset over an audition she can just she she knows that she comes to me the little one who he so she just turned 15 on saturday the little one he's four and a half i express any kind of emotion excitement sadness rage he just runs he's just like oh you're feeling things again like like i start learning i start learning lines for an audition and he's like i see his ears turning he's like um and you like

And he, like, tiptoes and, like, sneaks away. So he's great. He's a little shit, and he goes on a run for me with me, and he's the best. But the older dog, Red, she turned 15 on Saturday, and she was so happy and energetic. And then that night, she had a really bad night and was vomiting all night and trembling and shaking and couldn't breathe and collapsed. And we had to take her to the vet. And so Sunday, I cried all day Sunday. I actually rewatched Mean Girls because I needed a comfort movie.

I was so sad and scared. And she had a long life. them, you know, we know to appreciate the good, but we thought maybe we had to put her down and luckily, you know, luckily 24 hours of care at the hospital and then we were able to take her home because, you know, that's expensive. It's like, doesn't matter how hard you work. Like, we've been in a pandemic. I was like, I love her, but like, you can only spend so much before it's too much. So I'm so happy we brought her home because I was, I was literally about to text my publicist and be like, I don't know. I don't know if we have to tell Joshua that

I can't do it. I wouldn't forgive you because I'm a daughter. all go under this last year. Okay, good. I have grown a heart or I didn't know I had one. And I relate to every single thing you're saying. How is it going? How are you with the dad? Just I need to know real quick.

Oh, I am obsessed. I am a crazy person. I like just, yeah. She is three. She's a pit mix. She's a rescue. And she, she has captured my cold heart, which is growing.

I'm so glad to hear it. Yes. I'm so glad. I thought something was different about you. Look, and she was ill recently. you're right. It just takes it. Oh, my God. I mean, like, my husband, my husband has had her for 14, 15, he's had her for about

14 years. I've been there for the last seven and a half, and like, it feels like you're losing a limb. And even though logically you can understand, it's still like, but not yet. Yeah. Well, I'm glad they're doing better. And I'm glad Gilded Age has given us an excuse to catch up, even in these crazy, ongoing insane times

and Zoom boxes. Yes. Congratulations on the show. I appreciate it, Josh. Thanks for the time as always. And yeah, get back to your fanfic. I know you've got a big night ahead of you. Writing or reading. I don't know what.

What's up? I tried to write once. It was not great. We're going to post that alongside the selfie from blingering. They've deleted a long time ago. You flushed the cash. You've deleted everything. You threw the hard drive in the trash.

Smart lady. Smashed it with a hammer. There you go. Taisa Formiga. You did it. You did happy second fuse. Congratulations. Amazing achievement unlocked.

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. Are you looking for a movie review show where the critic is at the top of his or her game, meticulously breaking down and explaining, exactly why a film does or does not work?

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