Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe - Christina Kirkman | The Reality of Being a Nickelodeon Child Star!

Episode Date: May 5, 2026

#942. You might remember her as the girl who won her way onto Nickelodeon… but that’s only the beginning. This week, Kaitlyn sits down with Christina Kirkman for a raw and unexpectedly emotional conversation about growing up in the spotlight, losing your identity, and finding your way back.Christina shares what it was really like winning a nationwide competition with over 10,000 kids and being thrown into one of the biggest shows of our childhood, All That. But what happens after the cameras stop?From bullying and becoming a “shell” of herself, to years of rejection and rebuilding her confidence, she opens up about the long road back — and why she realized she wasn’t chasing fame, she just genuinely loved performing.They also get into where she’s at now: stepping back into acting on her own terms, and the dream roles she’s finally ready for (female Deadpool, anyone?). One of those conversations that reminds you how much can change when you finally choose yourself!If you’re LOVING this podcast, please follow and leave a rating and review below! PLUS, FOLLOW OUR PODCAST INSTAGRAM HERE!Thank you to our Sponsors! Check out these AMAZING deals!Macy’s: Go in store or shop online at macys.com, browse their gift guide, get inspired and knock out your mothers day gift before it sneaks up on you!Wayfair: Get prepped for patio season for way less. Head to wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.Better Help: When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at BETTERHELP.com/vineDirect Tv: Go to directv.com/genrepacks and sign up today to get MyEntertaiment for just $34.99 month.Progressive: Visit Progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little extra cash back on your car insurance!Apartments.com: The place to find a place!EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: (09:30) Winning Nickelodeon’s nationwide child search… out of 10,000 kids.(14:40) Overnight fame & moving to LA at 10.(22:25) The bullying that made her lose herself.(46:55) Walking away — and choosing acting again(53:56) The dream role she’s finally ready for!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of Off the Vine is brought to you by Macy's. Go in store or shop online at Macy's.com. Browse their gift guide, get inspired, and knock out your Mother's Day gift before it sneaks up on you. Wayfair, get prepped for patio season for way less. Head to W-A-Y-F-A-I-R dot com right now to shop all things home. Better help. When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterH-E-L-P.com.

slash vine. DirectTV, go to directTV.com slash genre packs and sign up today to get my entertainment for just 3499 a month. Progressive, visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little extra cash back on your car insurance. And apartments.com. The place to find a place. You're listening to Off the Vine with Caitlin Bristow. Hey everybody, welcome to Off the Vine. I'm your host, Caitlin Bristow. Now you may remember her from Nickelodeon, where she quite literally won a nationwide competition that changed her life overnight and landed her on an iconic sketch comedy show called All That, if you know, you know. At such a young age, she was suddenly part of this cultural moment that so many of us grew up watching stepping into an industry and identity that most people don't experience

until much later in life, let alone 10 years old she was. So what's so interesting about Christina, though, is who she's become since then. I really loved just sitting here and listening to her talk. Sometimes I forgot to ask questions because I was like, oh, right, she's a guest of mine. She's just fascinating. But she's navigated the complicated transition from child actor to adult artist, carving out her own path in acting with her own terms through a lot of nose and a lot of rejection. She's finding her place in the world, who she is, and how she shows up and what success even means to her at this day and age. So she's continuing to pursue acting, embracing new creative goals, stepping into a version of herself that feels more grounded, more confident, and

fully self-defined. We talk about a lot. So just enjoy this conversation with my new friend. I hope she feels the same way, Christina Kirkman. Hello. Hi. Oh my gosh. I'm so excited to talk to you. You are so funny. Oh my God. Thank you. What? Yeah. You're like cute and funny and relatable and I love your facial expressions and I'm like kind of a dork about it. Wait. Say more. What else? Do you know who you remind me of is one of my best girlfriends, Ariel Vandenberg. Oh my God. That is very much a compliment. I will take that. Thank you so much. I figured you would know who that is, but I didn't know. You guys have just similar energy. Yeah. Thank you so much. I hope I can meet your energy today. I'm actually a little bit hungover. We were out last night for my birthday. Happy birthday. Thank you. It's not until Wednesday.

It was a little early birthday celebration, but we're moving a little slow today. So hopefully I can, might be seeing very different facial expressions from me today. More of like these ones, like, yeah, literally. Yeah, I am no stranger to a hangover. Well, that's actually not true. I don't usually get hungover. But when I do, it's awful. What was your beverage of choice?

What do you like to drink? I'm really not like a drinker. I think it's just the staying out super late. And like, I'm old. You know what I mean? Like, I can't be living under these conditions. I mean, actually, well, that's a lie. I did mix a few beverages.

I started off with the dirty martini. Then we shifted to some Red Bull cocktails. Then we went back to a dirty martini. And, you know, not my best choices, but, you know, we're here. That makes me feel sick. Thank you for your bravery for even being here today. You're welcome. I really had to, like, do a lot of swallows when I verbalized that.

So you're welcome. Oh, gosh. I mean, just if you say the word Red Bull, I immediately just go back to like my 21 year old self and I used to drink vodka, Red Bull all the time. I cannot touch Red Bull anymore. It gives me the worst hangovers of even worse than alcohol. Red Bull specifically gives me a hangover. My body is like, what is your body? Like 70% water or something minus 70% caffeine. Like it's, I am, I thrive on caffeine. That's actually probably part of my issue, but, you know, it's advice I'm not willing to let go of yet. That's just me with like dirty martinis. I love

a dirty martini and I love red wine. I will say shifting to dirty martinis, I feel like it's better for your case for being hung over because there's no sugar or anything in it. It's pretty simple. It's just salty. It's just real salty. I just get a little puffy in the morning. That's it. I like love a little toilet water, you know, God forbid. God forbid. Wait, how old did you turn? Well, I am turning. I'm still 32, but I am turning 33. Oh. I'm 40 and it's my favorite age so far. Okay, I love that you say that because I, being in my 30s now, I've found myself getting on a soapbox a lot.

Like I was, I had a 25 year old at my birthday last night and I don't know. I'm like that really insufferable woman in her 30s that like I just might like senses tingle when I feel a girl in her early 20s and I'm just like, here, let me shed my wisdom. And I was, she probably was like, shut up, you old hag, but I like grabbed her and I was like, I just want you to know. that like your 20s is like has the best publicist. If you feel lost, it's normal. Like your 30s really are the best.

And she was probably like, shut the fuck up and leave me alone, you old bitch. But I just like- Yeah, except no. 32 is not old. Well, you know, when you're 25, you think 30 is like the end of your life. And it's good to know that 40 is even better because I was so pleasantly surprised entering my 30s. I was very nervous about it as most women are in their 20s. I love it over here. And if 40 is going to be even better, I'm getting geared up and ready to go.

I think you're going to love it. I think you're, well, I don't like how afraid of the age you are when you say it, because I want you to lean in more and be like, I'm turning 32. I'm still so young. Okay. Let me try it again then. You said, oh, how old are you? And I said, bitch, I'm 32. I'm turning 33. Thank you. We'll use that edit. You're welcome. I mean, I do mean it, though, but I will say when I turned 29, I was so ready for 30. But it's because I've had other women tell me how great 30s were. So I was like, oh, I'm excited.

And now I have women telling me how great 40s are. So I'm like, okay, I'm all the way hyped up. I think that's why I feel, you know, I have a podcast as well. And I know that there are a lot of women in their 20s that listen to it. And I think that's also why I feel so inclined to like get on a soapbox to women in their 20s because I didn't have anybody. I'm also an only child, but like I didn't have anybody growing up that validated that it actually can get better. So I feel like having other women being like, hey, it gets better. I promise you.

I don't know. it just feels like my responsibility. Well, I like that responsibility. And I will be that for you. Thank you. You can be that for the 20-year-olds. I love it. And we will change the world.

I love it. One podcast at a time. You've also lived a lot of life, though. And that's the episode. Yeah. Good night, everybody. You've lived a lot of life until 32, which I'm going to go back to the beginning.

Because I found you on social media. And I've always just thought, like, you show up on my text. I don't even know if I don't even know if I'm, I follow you, but you're my main event on TikTok all the time. Like, do you know, which is also probably really frustrating though, because. No, it happens all the time. I take, there's so many times. I feel so bad.

I'll, like, go up to somebody at an event and I'll be like, oh, my God, I'm so obsessed with you. I love your content. And then I'll go home later and be like, I'm not following them. I look like a fraud. But I think there are some people that, like, I just know that they're going to be on my for you page. And I didn't even know that I'm not following them, which is crazy.

Do you know that you're one of those people that just shows up on people's for you page? I'm always like with how the algorithm is. I'm like, is anybody seeing my shit? You know, so I don't know. You know, you never know. But I love to know that I am. You are for me.

And so when I did some deep diving, I was like, wait, you have such a cool story, which I want to talk about because you didn't just audition for Nickelodeon. You won your way onto it, which I did not know this. And it wasn't obviously in like a little small way. This was like a nationwide competition. Nickelodeon, like, at its prime, which is crazy. So this was all that, which for anyone listening, who doesn't know, was basically the SNL of our childhood. But the show launched huge careers and was kind of like a cultural moment.

So first, how? How did you even hear about the competition? What was the process like, walk me through that time of your life? Honestly, it was a commercial on Nickelodeon for, it was called, Are You All That, The Search for the Funniest Kid in America? And I didn't actually even watch all that, which is crazy. crazy to say. I only watched animation. So it was, it played on the commercial for SpongeBob, like in between watching SpongeBob. Yeah. And I never did theater as a kid. I didn't even know acting was a

career at that time. I just was like a very flamboyant, eccentric only child. And I saw the competition. And, and, you know, when you're a young kid, you have this like mindless confidence that's, you know, I think as we get older, we're always trying to get it back. And I was just like, dad, I want to audition, dad. And my dad just like spanned out of nowhere with like the VHS in the video camera. He was like, let's do it. It was just, it was so cool. And there was no pressure.

And I just, I don't know, I was just excited to do it. And we had to go online and you searched by your last name and they would give you a few sketches and you would do a few impersonations. And you send off your VHS and you don't really think anything of it. I mean, there was over 10,000 kids that sent in VHSs, which is wild. And then every Friday night in between the commercial break, they would kind of narrow it down from the 10,000 to top 100, top 50, top 10, top 5. And all of us flew to Nickelodeon, which I flew to Los Angeles to do a sketch with a member of all that. And then I won. And it was just like it all happened so quickly. I was also in the top five, I was amongst some child actors.

So kids that were already professionals and like understood how to be on a set. And obviously at the time I wasn't a shy kid, but I understanding the physics of being on set is a skill set. And to go from just normal suburbia life to being on the biggest production for kids at the time was super overwhelming. And I remember my first day on set. I was very shy and I had never been shy. And all of a sudden, you're doing a scene with Jamie Lynn Spears and Amanda Bynes is there and all of your idols and you have all these cameras and these lights. And I froze up.

And I had, this was rehearsal. And I froze up and I, I knew what that, like, I knew I bombed. Even at 10 years old, I was like, oh, that did not feel good. And I, and I left. And I went to my dressing room and my parents who have always just been very supportive of whatever it is I want to do. They were like, listen, if you decide tomorrow, you want to pick up and go back, we'll be on the first flight out. However, we know what you're capable of and we know you. And we know that if you just don't give it your all, you'll regret it. And they were like, just go out there and pretend you're in the living room, doing what you normally do. And we went out and I just nailed it. And I remember as a kid feeling like, oh, that felt really good. And I remember also feeling, like, I don't care if I win or not. I just, like, the fact that I just did that was so cool.

So to win and then to actually be on the show was just, like, such an added bonus. And I had the best time. And, yeah, that was kind of the birthing of it all. That's crazy. What skit were you doing at 10 years old? Like, what was funny back then? I can't remember. I did Steve Irwin, R-I-P, but I can't remember if that was one of my impressions or if that was a script.

but I do remember, so you're going to see a wiener dog walking behind me. Obsessed. I'm obsessed with your dog. Yeah. He's side-eyeing us right now. He's pissed. I just want him to like come up behind you and just like side-eye. Oh.

No, he sits. That's his little like that's his little. That's his spot. That's his spot. There's like a little indent on the couch now from him being there. Blessings. But the crazy story is the, my first script that they had sent was called meeting Jay Leno. I still think this is like a Mandela effect thing of sorts.

And I remember I looked at my mom and I said, who's Jay Leno? And she was probably just like, and I did the sketch. And kid you not, one of our first days in Los Angeles, we went to Bob's Burgers in Burbank. And Jay Leno, who is a collect cars, he's out in the parking lot with one of his like, sick one of a kind cars and my mom goes Christina that's Jay Leno and I was like oh my god so we ran up to him and we were like oh my god a crazy story I just did you know and I'm he's telling the whole story and my mom had just bought a brand new camera and she took a photo of me and j leno on this camera and that camera ended up being stolen and I never got that photo no so that's why I'm

like oh my god mom was that like mandelt like did that like actually never happen and we just had like a lucid dream about it but um yeah he was the first person I met which was Crazy. Does your mom remember it? She does. But also, it's just like the odds that all happened and then that photo was gone. It was just like, wait a second, that's crazy. That kind of stuff makes my brain hurt when I think about Mandela FX.

But that's aside from the universe that you were where you're supposed to be. It was. It was quite the 10-year-old side quest. Yeah. I love us. I love a side quest. And you know what? Being on all that.

and like living in L.A. for a minute to beat for a side quest was iconic for me. Wait, so then what did your life look like? What were the perks of winning? What did you get to do? Well, then I was a series regular on all that. At the time, I was a competitive gymnast. And I remember when they announced the winner, it was on a, it was early in the week and it wasn't supposed to air until Friday. And we signed an NDA that we couldn't say anything, obviously, until it aired. And my mom, like, had to call my school and, and my gymnastics coach and be like, hey, so she might be out here.

We don't know. Like, haven't found out yet. But overnight, you win. And then now you're living in Los Angeles. So my mom quit her job on the spot and moved to L.A. with me. My dad had a business at the time. So he stayed on the East Coast and visited every month or so. And then like that, I was a series regular.

And, you know, Mondays were table reads, Tuesday, Wednesdays were rehearsals, Thursdays were dress rehearsals and Fridays were live studio audience days. And then Saturday or Sunday, we would do press. It was just like... That's a grind for a 10-year-old. Truthfully, it never really felt like that for me. I genuinely felt like I was just like showing up to a playground every day to hang out with my friends, you know? Of course, you know, it's a job. And there are days that you're exhausted and there are days that you don't want to memorize your lines and there are days where like, you know, for an example, there would be a couple of characters and I'd get homework like, oh, hey, go home and watch this character. The voice is very similar to what we want you to do.

But I just had so much fun and I was so lucky that I had my mom there with me and I loved my cast. And I was the youngest cast member and everybody took me in as like their little sister and showed me the ropes. And I mean, like how cool at 10 years old? I'm going to, I remember going to the Kids Choice Awards and Chris Rock asked me for my autograph for like his niece. No. Yeah. Like crazy shit like that would happen. And so it just never felt like a job.

It just, I mean, I hate using the word surreal, but it really just felt it felt very surreal. So. Yeah. That makes a lot of. I feel like that's a perfect context to use that word in is that would seem very surreal, especially for that age. And even for being that age and recognizing that it's surreal, like acknowledging that while you're in the mom. is pretty crazy at the age of 10. But also it probably instilled such good work ethic in you, too, because you, like, understood, like, what showing up actually meant and doing your job at the

age of 10. I have always been wildly disciplined. I was a competitive gymnast growing up, and I simultaneously was still a gymnast when I was on the show. And I think the mix of being an only child, and they're, you know, my mom was a young mom. I didn't have any cousins my age. growing up. There was no kids table growing up. It was me and the adults. And I was always just fascinated by adults. Before all that, you know, I was like the entertainer of the family. And whether it was someone's birthday or a wedding or whatever it was, I was always like performing, like listen to this song I wrote or like this poem or I'm doing a dance. And I remember from a very, very early age, the ability to make a adults laugh was like very, I was very fascinated by that.

Because I remember as a kid being like, whoa, adults are so old and so wise and so cool. So to be able to make them laugh as a kid is really cool. And I, that was like my, I've just always been really fascinated with the concept of being able to make people laugh and specifically adults. And I got to do that on all that. So I transitioned from that and being on the show, right, everybody on set as an adult. So to be able to like land a joke and hear all these adults laugh was just always like very fulfilling for me. And I think between being an only child and working in a predominantly adult industry and being a gymnast, I just always had a really great work ethic from a very, very early age.

So it's helped me a lot. That makes a lot of sense. Yeah, I could imagine. I feel like I just, I've talked about this now on my podcast a couple times. I had somebody on that Sophia Skelton who is a ballerina growing up. And just like, same thing with being a gymnast. Like, I feel like that already. Like from a young age, we'll just like light some sort of fire under you that you're like, oh, I have to be here at this time or I'm in trouble. And like this is a job. And this, it's a lot of discipline instilled, which obviously helps throughout your whole life. But you know who else is an only child? Ariel Vanderberg. Every time someone meets me, I used to be offended because I'd meet people and they're like, are you an only child? I'd be like, is it that obvious? But now I'm, I've learned that only children very much go one of two ways, not to make like a generalization.

But I think it's very easy to be an only child. Like you either are super, super extroverted or you're super, super introverted. but I also think you have a really good understanding of both of those things because you are alone a lot and you get comfortable being alone a lot. So I don't know, but I feel like all of my friends that are only children are just like great entertainers, you know? Like we're entertaining entertainers with the family. It makes sense, though. It really makes sense if you think about it.

So you probably felt more in your element working and being around adults than you did just being in school. as a regular 10-year-old would surrounded by their kids. I always think about like anytime you see like a supermodel, like just a beautiful human and they do an interview and they were like, I was the nerd. I was just so ugly and nerdy and everyone. And you're like, shut up, you know?

But I will say I had a hard time with kids my age growing up. And I think that I was very theatrical. and I was so comfortable. The flip side of all of this is like anybody who knows me very, very well knows that I am like a lone wolf. I would rather be by myself any day than be around anybody, even the people that I love the most and I'm the most comfortable around. I love like going out to eat by myself, being alone. It's just because I'm so comfortable in doing that.

but I think that I was very, I think I was just a lot. I was very theatrical and obnoxious. And I was comfortable in doing that. But I think that's kind of where you run into issues as an only child because I think when you have a sibling, you have somebody that kind of keeps you in check of like, that's weird. That's annoying. When obviously your parent will say like, okay, Christina, settle down. you're being a little much. But when it comes from your parent, you're like, all right, shut up, you're a loser, you know? But I think when you grow up and you have like someone maybe close to your

age or even an older sibling or you have somebody that kind of shows you that boundary and like where I can go. And when you don't have that filter at all as an only child, you have the people that are the ones that tell you if you're doing too much are like your peers. So I think that I always just had a really hard time because I always felt like I was too much for every. And then what ended up kind of happening just on my, you know, personal growth journey is I always felt like I never fit in. I was always a very juxtaposing personality. Like I always felt, you know, a little too girly for like the more tomboys.

And I always felt too much of a tomboy for the girly girls. Like I liked to play in mud and I would collect slugs, but then I also liked makeup. And I just always found a hard time finding my people. And when I was on all that, I felt very validated because it was all the theater kids and the quirky kids and the, you know, loud kids. And then when I came back to Massachusetts, I was just bullied so badly because, you know, it was just a different time. You know, I'm on this, I grew up in this small town and now I'm on this big TV show and I come back and I think like life's going to be normal. and it, you know, wasn't at all. And I think my experience coming back because of how bad it was for so many years made me associate what I did with shame.

So I kind of let go of my personality completely. And I think that anybody who met me from the ages of like 13 all the way through high school, I was just like a total shell of a person. Wow. Yeah. And it really wasn't until I went to college. I went to Emerson, which was a liberal arts college, lots of theater kids, that I slowly started to find my way back to myself.

But it took a really long time of that. That's fascinating. That's a very tough age to not feel like you could be. I mean, I feel like a lot of kids go through, you know, certain bullying or like certain, but I feel like kids just be kids. And when you go from like Massachusetts, that's to LA, like you said, being on such a big show and then coming back, like, the bullying obviously stems from like jealousy, but you don't understand that as a kid. So then you start

being like, I can't be who I am. But that's how did, so do you think you came out of it because you got to then go back and surround yourself with people more like you? Because I've just tried to, I have a lot of only child behaviors. Like I too, it's interesting because I have an older sister, but she never gave me a boundary. She always was like, her, Emma, parents would always thought I was so funny and I would do the same thing like I would sing for like before we ate dinner I would sing I was always trying to make people laugh I always wanted to be the performer I always knew that that's what I wanted to do in life and I had such funny little opportunities that never took me anywhere but just like these little tastes of like what could be in the entertainment

industry but now that I think about it and then I'm like I really got bullied in high school by my own friends, which now I look back on it. I'm like, my friends all turned on me at a certain point in high school and I had nobody. And then I never felt comfortable alone until probably my late 20s. But I love going to dinner by myself. I love going to movies by myself. I love being alone. I'm the exact same way as that. And I just feel like so many similarities with an only child. The hardest thing for a lot of people, even only children, I mean, not all, only children like love to be alone, you know. But I think that is a skill that is so important is like the comfort of being by yourself. I mean, I talk about this on my podcast all the time where like I have

some friends that always need to be around people. They have a very hard time being by themselves for for I'm sure a slew of reasons. Some of them are only children, some of them not. I mean, there's so many reasons why I think naturally as people we love community. But when they don't have the option to be around people, they really have a hard time. And I always talk about the importance of learning to be by yourself. And I think it's hard to be by yourself because I think when you're by yourself, it's when you're the most you. And sometimes people don't want to be reminded of who that person is.

Or it's just naturally when we're alone, our brain starts like, oh, my God, I need like almost a distraction from it. And I think that if you can desensitize yourself to that, I think it is extremely beneficial in so many areas of your life to be okay with being alone, you know? I agree. I always as well try and encourage people on either my Instagram or podcast when I go take myself. Like Valentine's Day, I took myself out for dinner. And it was so, it was so amazing because I was like, I am going to wine and dine myself so hard. And then I like walk into the restaurant that I had reservations at. and they were like, oh, it's just for one?

And I was like, yeah, they're like, oh, we had written down two. I was like, nope, just me. And they're like, put me in a corner. Oh, you know what you in the back? They like put me in this little corner bar stool. And they're like, oh, since it's just what, and I was like, I don't care. I love this so much. And I just had the best time.

But I also, like, it's not like I sit alone and don't, my brain doesn't stir. I don't have like intrusive thoughts. I do. I sit alone and I have to like accept those thoughts. But I also think that, you know, like so many people maybe didn't have the upbringing that I did. Maybe they have trauma. Maybe they don't like sitting with their thoughts because it reminds them of certain things. Like it's everybody is so different.

But I am the same way where I always want to encourage people to date yourself, be alone, and treat yourself so kindly when you're in that space. Like, you know, make little date nights for yourself and make things like light candles and make your favorite dinner or order your favorite dinner in or go out. and have your favorite glass of wine because you're, you know, you're not taking care of anyone else just you. So get the expensive glass of wine. It's your most important relationship. And I think that, I think that naturally we put so much of who we are, so much of who we are is dependent on the people around us. And then naturally we lose people around us. We go through friendship breakups. We go through romantic breakups. And then we naturally lose part of ourselves, as happened to me, many times. And I think that you have to figure out who you are so that,

when people come in and out of your life, you're not losing too much of yourself in that process. I agree, which is so hard. I feel like, yeah, friendship breakups and real breakups, always teach you the most about yourself if you're able to reflect and if you're able to look at your part in things too. And I think I had a really hard time with that in obviously my 20s, but like later 20s I started being like, oh, is it me? And then in my 30s, I started being like, you know what? Part of it is me. What do I need to learn about myself before entering the next chapter or next relationship? And that was another thing I liked to do when I took myself out for dates. I'd literally write down questions or I'd ask questions to myself that, like, I would Google

questions that you ask in a relationship. And I would literally sit there and ask myself the questions and be like, yeah. Yeah, that's hilarious. That's the work right there. You know, that's, if you can do that, I feel like you're golden. The issue, the frustrating thing is that so many other people can't do that. So when you're in a relationship, whether it be romantic or a friendship and that other person can't do that, it's so hard to find a middle ground, you know. I find it so challenging for two reasons. One, I never want to seem superior in my, like, self-love or the therapy that I've done. But on that same, in that same breath, like the amount of therapy I've done always exposes the people who haven't. And I find that very challenging.

Totally. Hey, are you someone who loves a deal or are you the person who's like, I don't even look at the price? I just vibe it out. I did a rock on sign it with my hands you can't see, but I did that because I want to be that second person. I do. But in reality, I do get way too much satisfaction out of feeling like I got a good deal. Like if I buy something full price and then see it on sale later ruins my day. But if I find something cute, thoughtful and on sale, I feel like I won.

I won at life. And I think it's why I've shifted to how I shop for things like Mother's Day because I used to think it had to be this big, expensive. over the top to feel meaningful. Now I'm like, nah. It's actually way more about finding something that feels right for the person. Honestly, if you got a good deal on it, even better. And let's be real, most of us are not shopping for just one person. Like for me, it's my mom, my stepmom, my sister, my friends who are moms. And suddenly I'm like, oh, how did this turn into a full shopping list? So I need to be strategic. I've learned that. And this is why Macy's is actually kind of perfect right now because they have their bouquet of deals, which, first of all, I love the name, cute.

But it's basically daily deals on really good giftable items. So instead of panic shopping or overspending, You're actually taking your time and finding things that feel elevated without the crazy price tag. They have brands like KitchenAid, Lancombe, Prada, hotel collections, so you're not sacrificing quality. That's for sure. You're just being smarter about when you buy. And then this is where I get excited. They also have a whole section of gifts under $50, which feels like the sweet spot because you can still get something really thoughtful. But then you're not just suddenly at checkout. Like, how did I just spend $300?

And I've actually started doing the thing where I set myself a budget and turn it into a little game, okay? Like if I have $150, how many people can I shop for? and still feel like I nailed it. And with Macy's, so doable, you can get something cute for your mom, something meaningful for your sister, maybe something for your friend, and still stay within the budget.

Oh, and then they have Macy's backstage. If you've never been, it's basically like a store within a store and it feels like a treasure hunt of good stuff. Like you go in thinking you're just grabbing one thing and then suddenly you're like, wait, this is $20, this is $15, and you end up finding those little extra pieces that make a gift feel more personal.

Like you just adding a little candle or something cute, something random, but it feels like them. Those are the things people remember. It's not always the big gift. It's the little extras when they go, wait, this is so me. And I'm not going to lie, I always end up finding something for myself in there too. Because I'm like, well, technically this is part of the shopping experience. But overall, I've just changed my mindset around gifting, okay?

Doesn't have to be stressful. It doesn't have to be expensive, just thoughtful. And if you can do it and get a good deal, elite. So if you're starting to think about Mother's Day and you're like, okay, I want to get ahead of this. I want to be smart about it. Don't want to overspend. Macy's is a really good place to start right now. So go to Macy's.

Check out their bouquet of deals. Brows gifts under $50 and don't skip backstage. trust me, because you can actually get everything you need and still feel good about what you spent, only at Macy's. My poor therapist is probably very worried about me because I have not been in many months. I started therapy 10 minutes ago. I was truthfully, if I'm being very transparent, I was very antithotherapy. Not anti-threaty.

Yeah, antitherep. I think that the way that I grew up, you know, around a lot of Italians and I'm on the East Coast and it was very much like, oh, you're sad, it'll be happy. You know, it was, I think growing up, it was like, oh, it's just like the really rich kids that go to therapy. Interesting. It felt like such a luxury and it felt a little. Performative? Yeah, it felt, yeah, totally. And I think also mental health as an umbrella has just vastly changed, like the conversation around it has changed vastly vastly. Over the last many years, I mean, I feel like a lot of millennials and the older generations probably

would echo the same feelings that I would have about therapy. Because growing up, it was like, oh, you go to therapy, you're either really fucked up or like your parents are really rich and they're just kind of sticking you there after school, whatever it was. And moving out to L.A. as an adult, growing up, I was around a lot of people that were just like me. And it really wasn't until I moved to L.A. that I was around people from different places with different stories and hearing different perspectives. And I think that's really when like the wheels started turning for me of, oh, my God, everybody has very different experiences and people make decisions based on what they went

through. And one of my dearest friends is very well-versed in the world of psychology. And I went through some traumatic things. And she kind of, she showed me how to give. of grace. I've always thought that I was stronger than burnout or stronger than the issues that I was going through. And I've never been one to face them. I kind of just put them on the back burner and pretend they don't exist a little bit. And I had a moment, I want to say, it was last year where I had so much on my plate and I'm very much the personality that I bury myself in work when I am

overwhelmed and I reached a place where I was paralyzed. I mean, I was like on the floor. I couldn't move. I was, I felt so, it was the first time I've always been able to push through and like work. And it was the first time I like felt paralyzed and I couldn't do anything. And that was a really scary thing for me. And I went to therapy and I hated it for the first. I still hate it honestly because it's so yeah. Someone made a good point to me. They were like therapy is like, getting a really good massage. Like it really hurts, but and you're really sore. But in the long run, it's, it makes you feel so much lighter and looser. And I used to go to therapy at, uh, I used to see my, my, my girl at 9 a.m. I would go in and I'd be like, I don't even know what I'm going to talk

about today. Like, I got nothing for you, doc. And like, you know, I'd go in being like, all right, what are your questions today? Let's get this over with. And I would leave every time I'm crying. And I'm like, how am I crying? And then I would have it at nine. And I don't know why therapy is only 50 minutes. I'm like, why am I spending $300 for 50 minutes? You can't even give me the full hour. So then from 9 to 950, I'd go to therapy.

And then I would set all my calls starting at 10. And I got to a point where I was like, I got to do therapy at the end of the day. Because this is like, I'm probably going to cry. I'm f*** up for the rest of the day. I guess the coolest thing about therapy is you don't realize how things are affecting you until you verbalize them to somebody that has no relation to your life. Because sometimes I would talk about things that I didn't think bothered me. And I couldn't get the words out and I would cry.

And I'm like, oh, wow, I have a lot of unresolved trauma there. I should probably deal with it. But it's hard. Therapy is not easy. It's a very strenuous workout. Yeah. I like the analogy of the like a deep tissue massage for it because that is actually very, that's very relatable.

And I feel that. And like you were saying, you're going to cry. the end, your day is going to be up. Like, it's draining to even get the momentum to go to therapy, to know you're going to have to unpack some things. But you somehow feel lighter after while feeling fucked up. It's very confusing. When I started going, I started having a lot of anger towards other people because you like learn what they're doing wrong and you also learn that like they're probably not going to fix it. And you want to, you almost like get this soapbox God complex. mentality where you want to go around and be like, this is what's wrong with you and this is what's

wrong with you and nobody wants to get with it. And it made me like really angry in the beginning. And I, that's been the hard thing to work through is accepting people in my life for how they are knowing that they're probably not going to work on the really big issues that they have. I don't know if you see me nodding very hardly. Yes. Yeah. You're like, ah, because that is so I feel that all the time because I'm trying to get my sister and my mom into therapy. And I know that they would just, I think a lot of people feel that therapy is going to be like this mirror, which it is, but like all pointing fingers at like, well, you shouldn't have done this. But therapy can be so much of a release, too, of certain

things that you need to let go of that are going to make you feel lighter, that you will feel shame about that suddenly you will feel validation about instead. And so I always, I have a really hard time because I have such high expectations of people that I care about. And so kind of what I said with I don't want to feel superior. It's exactly that. I sometimes go, God, I've seen the benefit that it's had for me. I see the work that I've done. I see the kind of person I am about how I've changed from just do it. Like the coping, the lack of coping skills from 10 years ago to the way I handle a situation now. I'm just, and then people think, well, 10 years is too long. Like, I don't want to wet. And it's just like, God, just do the little baby steps and have those micro shifts in

your life of therapy, which in return gives you such, like, just so, such a different perspective on life and who you are and growth. And I just want that for people so badly that, yes, I get frustrated and don't know how to approach it without seeming, like I have a godly complex. I saw somebody one time said, like, oh, what's a red flag? Like somebody that doesn't go to therapy. And I think like from a reality standpoint, like therapy is really expensive. And I think that it's not very accessible. It's also really hard for people, especially in today's world where we are so used to instant gratification. We can find our soulmate in one click.

We can order groceries in one click. We never have to leave our house. I think it is very, very hard for people to, rightfully so, want to invest in something that they may not even see the benefits of for years to come. You know, like that just doesn't seem like a gamble that I'm willing to take. So I understand that. And I think that's like the really hard thing about therapy is you got to spend a lot of money. You might not even like the first therapist you go to.

You might have to try on five different therapists. And that's five different times that you have to unload the same trauma. And then you might not even see the benefits of feeling better or feeling lighter until months or years to come. And I think just that's the hard part. And I'm hoping that because the conversation of mental health is becoming so much more embedded into our everyday life, that it'll somehow change to be a little bit more accessible. But right now I still think we're at that point where it's not taboo. It's just not accessible. And it's not very sexy to want to go on that journey.

That's a very good point. And like to sit in feeling uncomfortable is very difficult for people, even after, I don't know how long I've been doing therapy, maybe 12 years now, maybe 13. And I still find it so hard to sit in something uncomfortable. Like that's, and that's got to be defeat, thank you, but it's got to be defeating for people just starting therapy to go, in 13 years, I'm still going to be uncomfortable with this. But the benefits and the, all the, like, pros versus the cons of it is life changing. Life-changing. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, your outdoor space should feel like you and mine is about to in New York. Yes, I have an outdoor space. Oh, I'm so excited. The person who lived there before has lived there for 18 years. So they have kind of a random mix of pieces that just don't go together and a setup that I have been looking at and needing to upgrade. And that patio, I mean, obviously I'd use, but it just doesn't feel finished. So I keep telling myself, I'm going to get around to it. And I'm, I finally went on Wayfair, and that's when everything started to click.

So I found pieces that actually matched the vibe that I'm going to go for. In New York, I know this is like maybe not New York, but I'm going clean, cozy, elevated, still super livable. I want to host people there because the apartment's really small. I swapped in the new seating, added a rug that pulled everything together, and then I got lighting. Oh my gosh, the lighting's going to completely change how that space feels at nighttime. I'm getting so excited. And it was so easy to find exactly what I needed because you can filter by, style, budget reviews, so you're not just scrolling endlessly. Plus, they have over 20 million verified

five-star reviews, which made me feel really confident in what I was ordering. Truly just a little one-stop shop for everything, furniture, decor, lighting, all of it. And now I'm actually going to use that outdoor space. Morning coffee. Oh my gosh. Having people over just hanging out. I just feel like it's going to feel like an extension of the apartment instead of something that I ignore. And if you know me, I'm just always on a full patio backyard journey. Like my own backyard in Nashville is the oasis that I've been dreaming of thanks to Wayfair. So get prepped for patio season for way less. Head to wayfair.com right now to shop all things home.

That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R dot com. Wayfair, every style, every home. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Now, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I feel like it's a good reminder that whatever you're going through, you do not have to go through it alone. And I'll be honest lately, my brain just does this fun little thing at night where the second my head hits the pillow. It's like, hmm, go time?

Overthinking time? Work life. Am I doing enough? Am I doing the right things? All of it. And just for a long time, I just thought, okay, I'll figure it out. I'll just think my way through it. But reality is, you don't always have the answers.

And you're not supposed to. I was just talking with a girlfriend on the phone today. And we both agreed, like, it's so nice to vent to your friends or talk to your friends, but nothing works the way that therapy does. Having someone to actually talk to with no shame, someone who's. not in your day-to-day life who's unbiased and just there to listen and help you sort through things that can make just a huge difference so that's why i really appreciate better help it's entirely online and they match you with a licensed therapist based on what you need and if it's not the right fit you can switch at any time which i always think is so important but they've helped over six million people you

guys and there are more than 30 000 therapists on the platform so you're not just you know stuck trying to figure things out on your own. And especially during a month like this, it's just a really good reminder to check in with yourself. Like, how are you actually doing? You don't have to be on this journey alone. Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com slash vine. That's betterhelp.com slash fine. Okay, I remember seeing something this just came to me now on your social media that you usually, you know, are doing like lip syncing and funny things, but you actually opened up on a post that I saw. And I remember feeling, like you were a stranger to me, but I remember feeling proud of you because you had opened up about something.

I can't remember what it was. And the reaction that you got from it and you were being very vulnerable. And I just went to the comments and everyone was just so supportive. And you built a whole new community of people that felt connected to you through your vulnerability. Do you remember what this is? It was early last year. And it was downstairs. And I remember that. and I was scared shitless to post it. I think the thing that COVID taught us is the importance of entertainment. And I think entertainment was kind of always seen as like an added luxury. Like we don't need it to survive.

We absolutely need entertainment to survive. It is community. We like, without it, what is the purpose of anything? And I think that COVID, people were so desperate for entertainment that they were downloading TikTok and doing dances. Like we just wanted something to feel like. like we were a part of something as a collective. And I've always been, I mean, even as a kid, I would say that feeling that I would get when I would make people laugh, listen, I'm not curing

cancer. I'm not doing anything that like the next person can't do. But I think there is so much power in making people laugh or making people cry or making them feel some sort of emotion amongst like the craziness of life. And I think I've always, although my content is so transparent and I'm very much who I am. I've always been a little nervous to show that because I really wanted to hold myself as this like escapism for everybody. I get that. And I think that's where the reservation came from of like, oh man, but if I show them that I feel like this, then the entertainment might not be as satisfying for them anymore. And I have found that it actually in fact makes the entertainment more enjoyable because it shows people like, hey, there's a lot of humor and darkness.

And that's actually how the Life's a Joke podcast started too, was a lot of the funniest people are known to have the darkest demons and comedy in a lot of respects is a coping mechanism. And we laugh so we don't cry and whether or not that's healthy, it's not my place to say. But I think that being able to show that you can have both simultaneously is really powerful. And I think it was like, I don't know, once I did that and I saw the response, I felt more confident in sharing that. And I think that's what I'm able to do with the podcast is because on social media, it's so one dimensional. I can only show so much. I'm like,

if I show every aspect of my personality all the time, people are going to be getting whiplash with like, what is this girl doing? So the podcast has been a great way for me to connect on a deep level and share that vulnerability and still keep my social fun and lighthearted, still sprinkling that in, but now I feel like I have this place that people can go that know is 100% vulnerable. And yeah, it's exposure therapy, man. Crying on the internet is I sadly know all, I cry on the internet. I literally just posted me crying on the internet this morning, but that's because Team Canada lost in the Olympics. Oh, I'm so sorry. Yeah, no, that's valid. That was a valid one. But I have, I have been known to maybe.

overshare on social media good and bad. But it was always important to me because that's where I found the most connection. And that's where people saw I was a human being and not a punching bag to somebody online that they could, you know, poke at. But I just find it so relatable and refreshing when people, especially like the fact that you know I'm here to entertain, but let me also be human, but for the most part. And I always say that about podcasts. It's such a good platform to just like, that's where you find your true community because those people want to hear you for 45 minutes to an hour of just like you.

And it's, I really love that for you that you have a podcast to do that with because even just like listening to you speak just with me, I'm like, yeah, you need a podcast because you are, you've got the gift of the gab, my friend. Yeah, I sure, being an only child, man, you spend a lot of days talking to yourself, you know? That'll do it.

Was my sister even around? I always talk to myself. You know, I... In another lifetime, I was an only child. But I want to talk about also where you're at now in your career, because you obviously being, you know, part of that world as a kid, did it, do you think it opened doors for you? Or did you find that transition out of it came with its own challenges for where you're at now?

It cracked the door open and then it immediately slammed. Kind of what happened is when I left and I came back to Massachusetts or went back to Massachusetts, it's I was swearing I was never going to act again. That was like, oh, really? Did something bad happen that ended that made you come back? I think it was on. It was just the way that I was, it was received. I had so much shame, unfortunately, for so long that I was like, and I didn't have the

tools at that time. There's no worlds and there's no playbook to how to prep. This is also pre-social media. There's no playbook to prep. to prep you and your parents for, hey, you're going to end up on this really big TV show. And when I came back, like, I couldn't go to the mall. I couldn't go to my gymnastics competitions. Like, I would be swarmed by kids.

That's a lot as a 10-year-old, especially when you don't expect it. Like, it literally kind of happened overnight. It was just too much for me for a really long time. And I felt I also, I think, had a lot of resent. because for so long I was the all that girl. So my reputation always preceded me. Like I would go somewhere and I didn't even get the chance to give people a first impression. I would go to a party or I'd go to a gymnastics tournament and they'd be like, it's the all that girl.

There's the all that girl. And I hated that I was growing and I had all these parts of my identity that like no one was ever going to care to know because I was just the girl and all that. You got pigeonholed into that one girl. I just resented it. I didn't want to touch it ever again. And I went to school for broadcast journalism. I thought that was what I was, you know, adjacent to Hollywood. I would be on camera. I could still, you know, I don't know. I was just trying to find something that felt similar enough without being that. You know, my senior year, freshman year of college, I studied at that we had an LA program and I interned at Comedy Central and I was cutting people's reels. And I remember watching some of these reels and being like, I'm so much funny. fool. I got to come back out here. And the ego, the ego that had been, I had pushed down for so long, started coming back and I started being like, I think I could really do this. The issue is, is I was a little, a little egotistical when I came back out to L.A. because I, I graduated college and I moved right back out to L.A. and I was very cocky. I thought that I was going to walk off the

plane at L.A.X. And go on a TV show. I was like, I was already a serious regular. I know everybody in this town. I'm going to be good. And I wasn't at all. I couldn't. I would get into a room in the beginning or I would get a meeting because it was intriguing. Oh my God.

It's the all that girl that disappeared for 15 years and now she's back. Let's see what it is. You know? And however, I couldn't act at that time. Like the only experience I had acting was when I was 10 years old. And while that taught me so much, and I've always been a natural entertainer, and I knew how to be on set, I didn't have the tools yet to act as an adult. So I was very, very, I learned very, very quickly that it was going to be a very long journey. And I think I am so not to be obnoxiously poetic, but I am so grateful every day that I was rejected for 10 years straight.

because I think that if I came back out to L.A. and I got on a show, I would have never been appreciative for it. And I don't think I would have ever taken the time to really, like, perfect my craft. And I think that maybe I would have been a little egotistical. And I always say that, like, being an actor, but realistically being an artist, you have to be delusional because you're constantly told no every single day and you have to believe it's yes. So I remember, I remember I got offered a full-time. At this point, I was broke. I was working three service jobs. I was auditioning full-time. And I got offered a full-salary-paying job, and I turned it down. And I remember being like, you just turned down a steady paycheck for a job that you don't have. And I loved that because it showed me like, oh, you're not acting anymore because you think

it's the easy route. You're acting because you really just want to do it. And I fell in love with it again. And it was never, I didn't want to be famous. I didn't want to be, I really didn't even want to be rich. I just wanted to entertain. And I think for so long I was rejected and I ended up doing, you know, a show and then I did two films.

And then I totally fell out of love with it. And I, you know, had kind of wiped my slate clean from acting. And I was just jaded at that point because I was like, man, I'm still broke and I'm not working and I'm missing opportunities because I can't afford to get a plane ticket to get out of here. And I dropped it. And then, you know, was very anti-social media as a lot of, you know, that's, that's like the gateway to being on social media is like to hate it. And I, I was like, I'm never going to touch that because it was still taboo to try to be an actor and be on social media. And then one day I kind of had like a come to Jesus moment. And I remember I,

I woke up and I was like, damn, what is it that I'm so, like, obsessed with the idea of acting? Like, what is it? It's not even fun. Like, you're auditioning. You're being told no. You're on set. Like, what's not even fun? Why do I want to do it so bad?

And I realized that it was just because I wanted to entertain. And I was so hell bent on entertaining in one capacity. But I was like, hey, why don't I try content creation? I'm in charge of my own narrative. I can, you know, entertain as little or as much as I want. And I don't have to wait. twice a year for a casting director to give me the opportunity to do that. And that ended up being the key to getting into acting because I did it. I still wasn't acting. And I started kind of falling in love

with acting again. And I think that a big part of that was the pressure was removed. I think the hard thing about being a struggling artist is there's so much pressure on your work because you need it to pay your rent or your meal ticket. And now it's like, oh, well, I don't need acting to pay my bills. And I'm very fortunate that I do content creation so that now I can actually just enjoy the craft of acting. And I've fallen back in love with it. And I just recently signed on an incredible agency across the board for theatrical and all of that. And I've been auditioning. And I've just been loving it again and I really feel like this is the year that that's kind of where all my eggs are going to be going. And I'm just, I'm really excited to kind of make my re-entrance

because I've changed so much as an actor from the last time people saw me and I'm just kind of excited to have the opportunity to show people. It's such, it feels like also a long time coming, but I love that you can appreciate again, the nose and the, uh, rejections and all the things that build your character to then step into it to love it again. Because gosh, and I love when people like you can come on and speak to that because I think a lot of people, like you said in our world, we have the instant gratification of so many things that they just want to go viral and then they think that that's a whole thing too of success when there's so much patience and passion and like work and so many nose and low numbers to get to the viral

moments too. I feel like people just think it's supposed to be this one thing and it's, it kind of like takes away from other people's really hard work. And that was actually my next question was what excites you the most about where you're at right now, but you kind of just answered it. There's so much, I think that's just like always what I want to remind people to is like there really is so much power in the nose because I look back now and I say, I'm so happy I got those nose because I was not equipped to be in those roles or play those characters. And in the moment, it doesn't make. It doesn't make. It doesn't make. sense. You're like, why do I keep getting a no? And then you kind of evolve and whatever your craft is and you look back and you're like, thank God. I didn't do that because I wasn't ready to do that. I, you know, sometimes it's just like it's, I think when you get nose, you naturally are like, oh, I'm not good enough. I'm not. I'm not actually, maybe I'm delusional. Maybe I shouldn't do this, but it's like maybe it's just that you're not ready. Maybe that, you know, you don't understand why it is yet. But I always say that like one day's the nose makes sense. And I'm very grateful that I I got them. And also, it's, it's allowed me now to put a lot of faith in the nose. So now when I get a

know, whatever it is, I mean, even the other day, my, like, you know, digital manager gave me bad news. She, like, called me and there was a big opportunity that I had and the opportunity went away. And she called me and I could hear in her voice. She was, like, bracing for impact. And she said, you know, I got to tell you something. And she told me. And I said, it's all right. And she was like, wait, you're fine? I said, yeah. Like, what am I going to do? It's out of my hands. It's out of my hands. There's a reason why I'm not supposed to do it for whatever reason I don't understand, but I've gone through enough knows now to know that there's a reason why that's happening, and I just got to trust it. So I think that when you learn that, it just you can put more faith

in the nose. But that's why I'm excited for you to turn 40 specifically, because you're already so self-aware and strong and like you've gone through at 32, wait, not 33 yet or not 32 yet? Not 33 yet. I am 32. Oh my God, 33 is like the best. I know. I'm excited. The feeling that you have right now because of all the life that you've experienced is just going to keep getting better because that's the thing about age is you won't even imagine

wanting to go back to 32 because you'll be such an evolved version of yourself who just knows better and knows more and you're more aligned with everything that's going on in your life. And it just, that's like what continues to get better. And I didn't have, I didn't really have that growing up. Like my mom always feared aging and she was always trying to. different creams and different Avon ladies to be the youthful person. But that's a lot of the work that I've had to do. And now I just go, I can't believe I was so afraid of aging. Well, I still am

for very vain purposes. Of course, right. Aren't we all? Yeah. But I'm just like so hyped on like that version of myself of who I'm becoming because it just keeps getting better. And I feel like you're a lot further emotionally. I'm judging this based on the 55 minutes that we have talked. but I just, the way you carry yourself, the way you speak, I'm so excited for you in the next few years to just keep growing and be more aligned with where you're going to be and all the big things that are coming your way because I feel like you're stepping into that version of yourself that was always there, but like who you're meant to be now and it's just going to keep getting better. Okay, this one's from my TV lovers. My entertainment from DirecTV gets you 60 plus

channels and Disney Plus Hulu and HBO Max all in one pack. It's genius. But here's the thing too. With so much great TV in My Entertainment, you're going to want to talk about everything you've been watching. Just remember that your friends might not be as well watched as you. So don't be a spoiler and encourage them to get my entertainment just for $34.99 a month. Go to directTV.com slash genre packs and sign up today. New customers only service renews monthly and less canceled. Credit card required conditions apply to apps. HBO Max's basic with ads begins after Direct TV five-day trial. Learn more at DirectTV.com. Restrictions apply. You're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. So here's a helpful fact that you

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between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary. Okay, we all know this feeling when your to-do list is so long. You don't even know where to start. Ooh, I feel like that right now, actually. Work appointments, catching up with friends, remembering to drink enough water. Life is non-stop.

And if you throw apartment hunting into the mix, well, forget about it. Just forget about it. But that is where Apartments.com can come in handy. They take the stress out of finding your next home so you can actually enjoy the process instead of dreading it. So if you want to see if a place is a good, good fit. You can take a 3D virtual tour and get a real feel for the space without even having

to leave your couch. And once you find a place you love, you can schedule a tour online and even apply with one click. So you're not stuck filling out endless paperwork for every single place you're interested in. It's all in one spot making your search just way easier. So whether you're moving for a fresh start, a new job, just better vibes all around, apartments.com helps you get it done so you can get back to literally everything else. So join the millions of happy renters. Find your next home at Apartments.com, the place to find a place. What would be your dream role now?

Oh, you know, I always used to have a very, I mean, if we're being technical, like, I would love to play the female Deadpool. I love action comedy. Action comedy is my favorite genre. I want to be able to do my own stunts. I love comedy so much. But I will say, I think the really cool thing. thing about the years of nose is when I came back out to LA, because my comedy is second nature to me, it's like I have the most tools in my toolbox are comedy related. And I think that because

I hadn't done anything else when I moved back to LA, I was like, oh, I can only do comedy. And I think I was just afraid because I wasn't good at drama yet. And it's not fun to do something you're not good at. So I was always very like, comedy, comedy, comedy. And then I had so much time of not working to like try everything and I did the acting class thing. I did everything. I like did every genre, every class you could take.

And I remember going to an acting class and being the worst kid in class. And I was like, it was very humbling. And I ended up leaving having evolved so much as an actor just from watching other actors. And now I really just love a good script. love something edgy. I love everything that A24 does. I'm such a big fan of A24. I think the weirder, the wackier, the better. I think that's the gritty stuff that people talk about.

I think anything that's going to make people have conversations, especially if they're differing conversations, that's like what art's supposed to do. It's supposed to evoke some sort of emotion and conversations. But I've always, as far as like my safety, I've always just been like, I would have so much fun doing action comedy. But honestly, anything that allows me to play and a good script, I'm up for any challenge. Gosh, now I want you to be in White Lotus season four. You know what's crazy?

I have only watched season one. I know. I know. I still have a lot. And I have a lot. I'm going to Sicily in the summer. I need a catch up. I need to catch up with everything.

Let me get to that. Then I'll get back to you about season four. Yeah. Okay. Okay. I do feel like you would love it so much. I hate commenting on women's bodies, but I want you to take this in the right way. I work so hard every day to try and get stronger because I used to like have a, no, I still do have body dysmorphia and some disordered eating.

But I'm like, I want to be strong. I want abs. I want muscles. Do you get that from boxing? I always want to be very transparent about this. When I, what I have had a strong core since the age of 10, because. I was a very, very competitive gymnast. I wanted to go to the Olympics.

That was, like, I was, that was my world. And I've always held on to that muscle definition. That being said, actually, I did lose it for, I didn't really realize I lost it. I just recently did a video about how I, I got into martial arts. I look so much, I look at the videos of me when I was in my early 20s. And I'm like, I look so much healthier and I feel so much stronger now. than I did then, which is crazy. But I will say martial arts.

I don't go to the gym. I hate the gym. I've always been someone that's like, I want to find a workout that is a workout, but it doesn't feel like a workout. And I love, you know, my cortisol levels don't love boxing, but I love martial arts.

It has been the only workout that A, I feel like is comparable to gymnastics training. And B, it is one of the only few workouts that I can do and be present. and not think about anything else because I'm just thinking about not being hit. My personality needs that kind of workup because I live so much up in this little thing. So martial arts has definitely helped me keep that physique. How often do you do it?

You know, it's been a little tricky because I've been traveling a lot, but I do it about three times a week. I would love to be able to do it more. My goal is I really do want to try. train for like an amateur fight. I really would love to like... Really? Yes. I'm like, I really would love to do like three months with like a dietitian and a trainer and like

do a heavy three months of training and do an amateur fight. That's on my bucket list eventually. That would be awesome. Martial arts is so cool because you, you know, I love yoga. I do yoga a lot too. I love hot yoga. But I think that and there's always more to learn obviously with with anything you do. But boxing is really cool because you can do it for 15 years.

and then show up and get hit in the face and get humbled. So it's, it's, it's, it keeps you very, very humble. It keeps you very sharp. And it's a blast. I, I, it's, it's such a good release for me. Marshall arts is obviously different from boxing. No, well, that's like under, boxing's under. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Because I, um, got very into boxing when I first moved to Nashville. And I loved it for the exact same reason is it felt like I danced my whole life. So it felt like choreography to me to learn like the different combinations. And I felt the same way, it was like the biggest release for me and also something that I was very in the moment for.

And I loved it. The boxing studio that I went to is actually closer to my new house now and I go less. So that make that make sense. I don't know. Okay, but I just have to touch on this before I let you go because I have, I was so into pop culture in the early 2000s. This era, not so much. I have to rely on my friends and other people to like.

like keep me updated. But I feel like there's so much nostalgia happening like right now and everything's being rebooted and revisited. But how does that feel for you knowing that you were a part of that era? I love animation. I'm very much like a kid at heart. And I, SpongeBob is my most watched show. I have that on my house 24-7. And I love like rocket power and, you know, rugrats. And there's so many good shows that we had. And I, sometimes for the dogs, I'll like keep on like Nickelodeon or Disney. And I'm like, they don't make them like, you know, they don't make them like these. It's like sounds such like a boomer thing to say. But I'm always very happy when the younger generations get to get a little slice of what we had because I think that we were very lucky. And I'm always very, very grateful

while every generation has its issues growing up and whatever thing they have to deal with. I'm very grateful that growing up very early, we didn't have social media. And, and. And we had good shows and we would watch Saturday morning cartoons. And I feel for the younger generations growing up with social media and how stressful that must be, especially for young women. But any time that they get to have like a little slice of what we got, I feel great. Actually, one of my cousins is so funny. He's a junior in high school now.

And when we were growing up, I used to be like, you know, he would watch like Henry Danger or whatever on Nickelodeon. And I used to try to be like, you know, I was on Nickelodeon, right? And he was like, yeah, whatever. And then I remember I went to a party in L.A. at the old, like, was it the hype house? What was like the house that all like the boy TikTokers lived in? Is that what does it call the hype house?

I think it was a hype house, yeah. I remember like, yeah, you know, I worked with that guy and I know her. And he was just like, yeah. And then one time I went to a party. and they had rented the whatever. And my aunt texted me and was like, he's freaking out that you're at the old hype house. And I'm like, dude, I was on the show that you're watching.

Like, it's just so different what they find cool. I always was like, damn, will you just let me be the cool cousin? Like, your cousin was on a show. He's like, yeah, I don't care. Same thing with my nieces. I love, like, the Panama Montana thing that was posted the other day. Like, all of that stuff coming back makes me. And Hillary Duff, just going on a world.

tour. I think we need that right now. We need some just like easy, fun, content, entertainment, everything. So I'm happy to see that. I like hearing that you have positive memories because, you know, there's all the stuff out there that I've seen on documentaries on Netflix about Nickelodeon and certain things. But it wasn't obviously everybody. And I'm glad that you speak on it with like happy times. I was very fortunate enough that I had an adult that supervised me 24-7. And I think that at the end of the day, it is and it was an adult industry and it is not a place for kids to ever be unsupervised. And I think that as when I was younger, I was obviously very annoyed that my mom was following me around everywhere. I was like, you're killing the vibe. But now I'm like, wow, I am very

grateful that my mom was always within two feet of wherever I was. So I think that was a huge part of why I had a good experience. Yeah. We always roll our eyes at our parents and think that what they're doing is annoying and they always have their parent intuition and they know what they're doing and they're just trying to protect us no matter what. So I love that you had that. I also just, I love your journey. I love listening to you talk and I think so many people will like relate to a lot of things you said in this episode. So I love the reinvention too. I feel like women can reinvent themselves at any time they want and I think it's the best thing because I think that's just part of growing. but it takes a lot of courage and I just love what you're doing and I feel like good things are coming your way.

Well, they already have. Thank you. This was honestly what I needed for my hangover today. Like I really needed the ego stroke today. Thank you. I'm here to stroke your ego. You are all of the things that I inspired to be. Oh, thank you.

This was genuinely like the best thing to do today. And it was so nice talking to you. And I appreciate all the nice. things that you said. If you ever, if you ever want to say more, you know where to find me. I just send you like a five-minute voice note tonight about everything. My dream date. My dream date. Okay, we all know this feeling when your to-do list is so long. You don't even know where to start. Ooh, I feel like that right now, actually. Work appointments, catching up with friends, remembering to drink enough water. Life is nonstop. And if you throw apartment hunting into the mix,

well, forget about it. Just forget about it. But that is where Apartments.com can come in hand. They take the stress out of finding your next home so you can actually enjoy the process instead of dreading it. So if you want to see if a place is a good fit, you can take a 3D virtual tour and get a real feel for the space without even having to leave your couch. And once you find a place you love, you can schedule a tour online and even apply with one click. So you're not stuck filling out endless paperwork for every single place you're interested in. It's all in one spot making your search just way easier. So whether you're moving for a fresh start, a new job, just better vibes all around.

Apartments.com helps you get it done so you can get back to literally everything else. So join the millions of happy renters. Find your next home at Apartments.com, the place to find a place. Pluto TV has thousands of free movies and TV shows. We're coming at you with everything we got. This is the mindset.

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But Survivor, SpongeBob's flare pants, the fairly odd parents and ghosts, Pluto TV is always free. Hazzam! Pluto TV, stream now, pay never. It's Kail Lowry, join me for Barely Famous. You might think you know me, but trust me, you don't know this version of me. This is where I say what everyone is too scared to ask and ask the questions that nobody wants to answer. I'm talking exes, unexpected guests, viral chaos, messy relationships, really just all of it. nothing is off limits, nothing is off the record, and yeah, things can get a little unhinged.

It's real, it's raw, and it's probably going to make you gasp at least once. So follow, rate and review, barely famous, wherever you get your podcasts.