Podcrushed - Anna Camp

Episode Date: May 14, 2025

Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect, True Blood) comes by to help us wrap up our YOU extravaganza. She talks severe childhood bullying and a sweet adult comeuppance, slinging drugs in jorts for the school play… as a six year old, and the moment while fully naked and exposed in Equus that almost made her break. We get into all things YOU as she unpacks her show-stealing performance as Reagan AND Maddie Lockwood. Massive thank you to DNS Productions Inc for shooting & editing this!Director / Supervising Producer: Daria ScoccimarroCo-Producer / Line Producer: Madia Hill ScottPost Producer / Lead Editor: Owen DonovanAssociate Producer / Assistant Editor: Jesse WilliamsDirector of Photography: Charlee HarrisonCamera Operator: Dylan EndikeCamera Operator: Stacy MizeGaffer: Graeme DempseyKey Grip: Chris AngaroneProduction Designer: Denise PascalSound Mixer: Sergio Reyes-SheehanSound Mixer Assistant: Chris BaroneSound Mixer Assistant: Dylan Andrew LappinProduction Assistant - Set PA: Madison CollinsProduction Assistant - Set PA: Jay HernandezAnd preorder our new book, Crushmore, here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Crushmore/Nava-Kavelin/9781668077993    Want more from Podcrushed? Follow our social channels here: Insta: https://bit.ly/PodcrushedInsta TikTok: https://bit.ly/PodcrushedTikTok  X: https://bit.ly/PodcrushedTwitter   You can follow Penn, Sophie and Nava here: Insta: https://www.instagram.com/pennbadgley/  https://www.instagram.com/scribbledbysophie/ https://www.instagram.com/nnnava/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iampennbadgley  https://www.tiktok.com/@scribbledbysophie  https://www.tiktok.com/@nkavelinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lemonada. I had to memorize something that my dad had to say when he was a freshman in college. I had to memorize it when I was a little kid. Wow. He passed that on to you. After we finish eating at the dinner table, they would go, Anna, say it. And I go, okay. Oh, God, if I can do it.

My sufficiency has been quite subfalsified, such that any world proved to be super sanctimonious, such that I, private cadet camp, request to remove my gross mass of protoplasm from your highly exalted present, sir. Welcome to Podcrushed. We're hosts. I'm Penn. I'm Nava and I'm Sophie.

And I think we would have been your middle school besties. Slingin drugs and jorts. Welcome to Podcrushed. I'm joined by my lovely co-hosts, Sophie, and sorry, Navacavlin. And we're doing a little... Mixing it up. Our guest is here for the intro. Weird, awkward.

I get really nervous. Awkawakward. Thank you. Who we have is the lovely Anna Kemp. So you presumably know her from this season of my show, now our show. You. You might also know her from the Pitch Perfect franchise. Also True Blood.

There's also the help. Most recently, you've got a film coming out June 20th. That is correct. Bride hard. I'm going to assume it's a tragedy. Yeah, starring me and Rubble Wilson. It's going to be so sad. Awesome.

Awesome. You're going to love this one. Jazz hands. Yes. Stand around. You're not going to want to miss it. Does anyone else ever get that nagging feeling that their dog might be bored? And do you also feel like super guilty about it?

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So I feel good knowing its design with Louis' health and happiness in mind. Serve nom nom nom as a complete and balanced meal or is a tasty and healthy addition to your dog's current diet. My dogs are like my children, literally, which is why I'm committed to giving them only the best. Hold on. Let me start again because I've only been talking about Louie. Louis is my bait. Louis, you might have heard him growl just now. Louis is my little baby and I'm committed to only giving him the best. I love that Nom Nom's recipes contain wholesome nutrient rich food, meat that looks like meat and veggies that look like veggies because, shocker, they are.

Louis has been going absolutely nuts for the lamb pilaf. I have to confess that he's never had anything like it and he cannot get enough. So he's a lamb pilaf guy. Keep mealtime exciting with NomNum, available at your local pet smart store or at Chewy. Learn more at trynom.com slash podcrushed, spelled try n-o-m.com slash podcrushed. Why do we do what we do? What makes life meaningful? My name is Elise Lunan, and I'm the author of On Our Best Behavior and the host of the podcast, Pulling the Thread. I'm pulling the thread, I explore life's big questions with thought leaders who help us better understand

ourselves, others, and the world around us. I hope these conversations bring you moments of resonance, hope, and growth. Listen to pulling the thread from Lemonada Media wherever you get your podcasts. Anna. Asshole. Anna. I stole that from Jiminy Glick. Anybody know Jiminy Glick?

I do. I love Jiminy Glick. Are you kidding? I'm obsessed with Jiminy Glick. Let's get into that. Perfect. He's amazing. I mean, I've watched him forever. Let's should we wait for it or should we get into it. Let's wait for it. Okay. Great. Okay. Now, um, yes.

Enacamp, let's start at. But you know what? How about we? That's, that's Jimmy Glick. Yes, I know. Keep going. Don't stop. Well, I'm saying it for them because they're like, what is he? It's a Martin Short character. Yes. It's like, I think his best character. It's so good. I'm so tempted to do the rest of this interview as Jiminy.

Yes. I have to say Navit told me right before you guys arrived. She said, you'll see Anna and Penn when they get together it's just like a different thing It's chaos It's fun

It's like the boys I think Yeah I was like Oh yeah Tell me when your parents marriage fell apart To pieces

and left you Oh my God He's in a whole suit It's a whole thing It's beautiful So good Okay Seriously though

Can you start Let's get serious Finally What? Do you know Are you familiar With the with the premise

of this show Wait We're on the show Right now? This is the show. Okay. That one was for me. I am familiar.

I have seen and watched and heard of podrushed. Yeah. So, yes. I'm kidding. I know you're a fan of the show. I know you are. So please, Anna Camp.

Anna Riggsdale camp. Is that right? Oh my God. I cannot believe you just said my middle name. Is it Ragsdale or Ragsdale? That's your middle name. Why are you saying that? I'm sorry.

No, too late. Sat there. Hi, yes. I am Anna Ragsdale. Is that someone else's last name? That would be. My grandmother, Sweet Shirley, Sweet Shirley, Ragsdale Camp. It's her maiden name.

Yes. Because I'm from the South, and we don't get middle names that are like, Sally or Sarah. We get Ragsdale. Lucky me, right? Love it. Okay. That's me. So tell me.

Don't stop. Can we please start at 12? Just paint us a picture of daily life. The way school was going for you, the way, the way, the way. life was at home just how how was 12 year old anna seeing the world experiencing it so remind me of what grade 12 would be like what grade seventh grade was horrific okay great i think i blocked out awesome good content absolutely horrible so i grew up in columbia south carolina um i had an older sister who was seven years older than me and she was like valedictorian of our high school wow i was not i was like the opposite of that

I felt very, I guess, I wanted to be an actor. I knew I wanted to be an actor like second grade. You did a dare commercial, right? That was my very first job, yes. Which is amazing. Which is incredible, where I got cast as the drug dealer. Yeah, yeah. I came home and I told my parents, I was like so proud I'd like gotten in this dare play.

And I was like, guess what role I'm playing? And she was like, I don't know what. And they talk just like this, my mom does. And I said, I'm the drug dealer. And she goes, wow. Oh, that's so great. Anna, no. Oh, my God.

Yes, that's exactly my mother, T, is Piper No. But then she says, well, what are you going to wear as your drug dealer? That was her main concern. And I said, well, I don't know, you know, I'm a kid. And she was like, I think we should do some cut off denim shorts. Because that's so hardcore. So, yeah, yeah, so that was my first job. But yeah, so I was always very, I knew I wanted to be an actor.

I felt probably pretty isolated. I had like one friend back in middle school and high school. She's still my best friend this day. She moved to L.A. before me. Now she's a director. And we've like worked together since then. And she used to direct me in these plays because I was so cool. I would eat lunch in the drama room.

Oh, I am that. How cool was I? Yeah. Did you eat lunch in the drama room because like you didn't have anyone to sit with in the cafeteria or was it you had a group of friends in the, in the drama room i think definitely a little bit of both i mean i had like my core group of friends that were actors and we would all hang out and be like total dorks um at lunch and then also i was just terrified of being around the popular kids it just wasn't something i didn't know how to talk to them

i was terrified of boys i didn't know what to say i would avert my eyes from everyone i would just like have my face in my locker you know so the the drama room was where i got to like breathe you know and just be around people that i felt like weren't judging me Yeah. So yeah. Did you have like an experience in elementary school that you think contributed to being shy? Or were you just like a very naturally shy person? Oh my gosh.

I think that I was, I think I was just shy around people my age. I like to be around my parents or my parents' friends. But I didn't really want to be around people my age because I just felt like I didn't know what to say to any of them. Like I wasn't into like football games. I wasn't into cheerleading. That wasn't my thing. I wasn't like drinking at a young age. It wasn't partying.

It's crazy that you weren't drinking at 12 and that was like an isolating. In South Carolina, we start very, very, very young. But yeah, but I guess I was like probably staring out my window, like writing poetry by myself at 12. You guess? I'm pretty sure. Were you ever writing poetry? Yes, of course. Yeah.

I have like a book of poetry that I still have like from my middle school days. Oh, that's sweet. Yeah. And you didn't bring it. I did. I'm sorry. Oh, God, I should have. I should have. You have to send this picture. I mean, I have, like, I mean, and I would, like, cut out, like, magazines and, like, glue, glitter things, like, all over them. And I still have it. I have it in my bedside table next to my bed.

You still, whoa, whoa, whoa. They do. Yeah. Thank you for carbon. Yeah, anytime. Wait, you still have it next to your bed. I have it in the drawer. So I have it in the drawer. Well, your bed at home where your parents live. In my actual bed, no, I carry it with me. I've moved. I've moved. many times throughout my life since I've been 12.

And I keep this book of my childhood poetry next to my bed because I pull it on and I read it sometimes. That's amazing. You definitely in a league of your own here at Podcrush. Like you're really keeping it. You're really like, you really, some call it holding on. Hold on a little bit, just a little tap. Yeah, exactly.

Did you ever consciously think that you would keep it that long, like when you were decorating it and putting so much into it, what did you, what was that doing for you then? I'm curious. I think it was like one of the first times I really took a lot of care and thought into this project. It started out as a project for school. And then I ended up keeping it year after year after year and just doing it on my own. And so it just became my grounding place where I would go and, you know, I don't journal as much as I should, but it was my form of journaling back then. And then it became so sacred to me and I didn't want anyone to touch it or I kept it very clean. It has like the gold pages on the sides, you know, and I have like a bookmark

in it. And then I started cutting out photos of like my best friends and gluing them, my first boyfriends and gluing them in the pages and keeping receipts and keeping like first time thing. So it's literally, but it stopped. I did stop doing it. So, but yeah, I just, I don't think I started out trying to make it like a thing, but it became something really beautiful to me. So, and do you think you stopped, like, what, after a year or two? Like, so I'm wondering about the age range.

I stopped in, I stopped after, I know when I stopped. I stopped after I met my first husband. Oh, okay. I kept it for that long. Wow. And then I stopped after I met my first husband and then like life just kind of took over. And I remember he's the last. You were like, I don't believe in.

poetry anymore. Right. Exactly. Now that I met this guy. Yeah. But he is the last photo, like towards the back of the, the journal. And he's like, and then it stopped. And I wonder what that says.

Yeah. Yeah. I started a new journal. Exactly. I do. I do. And can I ask how old that was? It was 20s, something like that?

I met my first husband when I was 21. Wow. So we're talking like nearly a decade of, of a project here. here. Of little poems and little receipts and that's amazing and you keep it I mean honestly I'm just I'm just flabbergasted. Really? Are you that shocked? Is it something about me that you're shocked about? Well no no no no because because what it's yeah I didn't even if you could write to be honest. I think what it is is I think what it is is that the clearly this period of life then and so this interview better be great by the way is is important to you

very and I love that that's really yeah it really is it was it was It was a, I was, yeah, it was. Let's talk about it. I'm curious, Anna, you mentioned earlier that you already knew you wanted to be an actor at this age. And I'm curious, I don't know much about Columbia, South Carolina. First of all, tell us a little bit about Columbia. How big is it? What's, what's the vibe?

And then did it feel, did that dream feel big for your town or did it feel appropriate? What were people's reactions? So Columbia, South Carolina, it's the. capital of South Carolina right like it's the capital no no I'm not saying that in a way that you should have known that by any means I was just trying to describe like you know the size of the city or the town it's not a huge city but it is the capital um and it's it's a pretty um conservative city um my parents are very liberal I grew up like obviously in the art so I was surrounded by creative people who are very liberal but that was the minority so uh middle school high school is

football. There were sororities and fraternities in my high school that I never got asked to be a part of. I didn't even get asked to be in like the lame sorority. There was like the cool sorority. And then there was the lame sorority that all the other kids that didn't get asked to be in. I didn't get asked for either. You had to be asked. You had to be asked. Yes, to be like considered cool enough or whatever. But I'm so glad that I didn't because it was just like dazed and confused. Do you know this movie? Where Parker Posey is like the head. head, like popular girl. And they're dumping like things all over the girls and they're making the girls get down on their knees and ask like boys to date them. That's what was happening in my high

school. Isn't that the same one with Matthew McConaughey? Yes. It is. You know what's amazing? After all this time, I've not seen it. Oh, it's so good. It's really good. I don't know if this is funny, but I have a note in the research. She posts a lot about Parker Posey. I love her. I love, she is one of my acting idols. I think she's so authentic and just herself. And she can take something that you read on the page and then you see her do it and it's nothing like what you thought it was going to be and i'd like die to try to do that yeah so yeah i love her so much a dream to like act with her one day yeah maybe were you ever bullied in high school or in middle school i was i was bullied i have many memories of being bullied but the one that really

stands out the most was i think i was in sixth grade and this girl i was called her woman She seemed like tall and I was like a little kid. She didn't like me for some reason. I don't know why. I don't know what I ever did to not be. I was like a nice kid, I think. And she came over to my desk at like pre-algebra. I'll never forget it.

Mr. Leith was the teacher. She proceeded to pull my hair out of my head and then floss her cheek. No. I mean, that's gross for her. I'm telling you. Floss. her teeth with it. It's definitely pre-COVID.

That's very... That's very disturbing. It's about her. Really disturbing, right? And I just remember terrified. I was like, what have I done? It's a shot. It should have been terrified.

It was such a, and it was in front of the class to, like, I can, like, bully you and abuse you and then somehow degrade you even more by using your hair to floss my teeth. Yeah, like, I'm just trying to think of, like, what the room did in that time between, like, finding the end of the hair, a hair maybe dropping it once and just being like, okay, now, which tooth am I getting? You know, there's like, there's like a long, there's a lot of thought. And there's a lot, there's a lot going into that.

That I think I'm like, I have questions of like, what could Joe Goldberg do that people would turn on him? I feel like that could be a really creaked a hair and splossing his teeth of it. Yeah. That might be it. Very, very, very creepy. And I did see her though years later. You did.

So I graduated high school, went to college, came back for a summer and I was getting gas. at like the gas station and lo and behold there she was checking at like she worked at the gas station and i remember i was like her name was should i call out her name i don't think so i'm gonna do that um we'll just call her sally um i was like sorry to every sally sorry to every sally out there that i ever knew um i just remember saying sally do you remember me and she was like hmm and she goes no and i said well you once pulled my hair out and lost um your teeth with it. And she went, no.

She was so shocked. Oh my gosh. And mortified, did not believe me. And I said, I swear to God, you did that. And then she gave me my gas and my diet mountain dew for free. Did that feel like a comeuppance a little bit? I feel great about it. Yeah.

It was definitely an admission. Yeah. Yeah. I have closure now. I feel like people have dreams of that happening. Or like maybe they'll come across like a middle school bully and imagine what they would say, but not have the confidence to, like, the presence of mind to actually just say. just say it. Yeah, I had to say it. I just couldn't believe that she was there working at the gas station.

She was like, when am I going to ever see her? I forget when you said this was. Was it possibly like post-pitch perfect and stuff like that? Were you already having, you know, the sort of ascendancy where that was just part of what you were, I don't know, you feeling like you could rub in, so to speak, or, you know, I'm searching for the word here. Like, you know, I'm picking up your friend down. You know? Yeah, yeah. Like, I had a little. a little more weight to throw around the gas station in South Carolina, yeah. Nor would have been, it wouldn't have been

morely beneficial for anyone involved, but I'm just wondering, was it, was it before or after pitch perfect? You are correct, sir. It wasn't pitch perfect, but it was after true blood. Okay. So I definitely felt like I had a little bit of like, you know, pep in my step to go in and like get my comeuppance, I guess.

Yeah. Anna, is it true that since he mentioned pitch perfect, Aubrey is obviously one of your most iconic characters? is it true that some of the lines that Aubrey is famous for saying are related to her dad? Is it true that your real dad inspired some of those lines?

Yes, it is. Tell us about your dad and tell us about one of those lines. So my dad went to the Citadel. I don't know if you guys know what that is. It is a very intense military college in the South. And it actually recently, maybe just 10 years, it's become co-ed.

So it was mainly all, it was just all men. And so my father in Pitch Perfect is like a military guy, like a general. And so I say all of these funny things like my dad always says, if you can't do it, pack your bags or something like that. I also had to remember, oh, this is a great thing. I don't know why I didn't just say this. I had to memorize something that my dad had to say when he was a freshman in college. I had to memorize it when I was a little kid. Wow.

He passed that on to you. finish eating at the dinner table, they would go, Anna, say it. And I go, okay. Oh, God, if I can do it. My sufficiency has been quite sub-falsified, such that any world proved to be super sanctimonious, such that I, private cadet camp, request to remove my gross mass of protoplasm from your highly exalted present, sir. Oh, my God. Wow. I mean, there's a second word in there that I'd never heard before.

Can you say just the first few words? My sufficiency. My sufficiency has been quite. suffolcify. Suffolified. That's the word. Yeah, that's not a word. Yeah, that's not a word.

Yeah, I was like, no. Yeah. I was like, I don't know it. It's not a word. I had to say that for like when when my parents' friends came over, they'd be like Anna, go. It was like a pretty true.

So you were performing rise in the get-go. Yes. Not knowing that that's what, yes. Don't talk proof. I was like making these people happy. Making these people happy. Yeah.

Don't talk. Just dance for us. And now you say it was a liberal household. You say it was a liberal household. You say it was a liberal have show. It was a liberal. My favorite. And you said your sister is seven years older than you.

So what was your guys' relationship like growing up? Did you have much time together in your childhood? Or did it feel kind of like two only children? Because that's quite a large age. We were not close. We were definitely not close. But she was the person to inspire me to become an actor. Oh, wow.

So she was an actor. Still is. She teaches drama now in South Carolina. She's like directs all the school plays and everything. It's like very sweet. But we would watch old movies together. So she would call me in. We watched all the Vivian Lee, Clark Gable, you know, Jimmy Stewart.

And we would just sit there. And I was just like entranced by these beautiful film. So I owe a lot to her for that. But unfortunately, we never really, we never really were that close. We're getting closer now, I think. As our parents get older, we're finding comfort in each other in a way that we haven't before. But yeah, growing up, we weren't really that close. Stick around. We'll be right back.

All right. So let's just, let's just real talk, as they say for a second. That's a little bit of an aged thing to say now. That dates me, doesn't it? But no, real talk. How important is your health to you? You know, on like a one to ten. And I don't mean the, in the sense of vanity, I mean in the sense of like you want your day to go well, right? You want to be less stressed. You don't want it as sick. when you have responsibilities um i know myself i'm a householder i have uh i have two children and two more on the way um a spouse a pet you know a job that sometimes has its demands so i really want to feel like when i'm not getting the sleep and i'm not getting nutrition when my eating's down i want to know that i'm that i'm being held down some other way physically you know my family holds me down emotionally spiritually but i need something to hold me down physically right and so honestly i turn to

symbiotica these these these these vitamins and these beautiful little packets that they taste delicious and I'm telling you even before I started doing ads for these guys it was a product that I I really really liked and enjoyed and could see the differences with the three that I use I use I use the the what is it called liposomal vitamin C and it tastes delicious like really really good comes out in the packet you put it right in your mouth some people don't do that I do it I I think it tastes great. I use the liposomal glutathione as well in the morning. Really good for gut health, and although I don't need it, you know, anti-aging.

And then I also use the magnesium L3 and 8, which is really good for, I think, mood and stress. I sometimes use it in the morning, sometimes use it at night. All three of these things taste incredible. Honestly, you don't even need to mix it with water. And, yeah, I just couldn't recommend them highly enough. If you want to try them out, go to symbiotica.com slash pot. Podcrushed for 20% off plus free shipping. That's symbiotica.com slash podcrushed for 20% off plus free shipping.

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And again, you know, our viewers and listeners know, Nav and Sophie just, they want to move on. They just, they just feel, hey, it was Navva. They just feel boxed in. Okay. I don't want that. But I just, but I, I, I, I, I, we have to go back. Um, we want to hear about your first crush or first love, you know, because sometimes first crushes are like four or five years old and they, they, they don't make for great

stories, frankly, that one. Um, you know, just, just something that feels formative because it really, it could be very young. It's like, you know, first crush, first love, something like that. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I can see his face right now. Um, his name.

name was Adam, very cute skater boy, had long kind of hair, had some glasses. He was also an actor, but he had this skateboard, you know, and he was wearing his pants super low. It was like super cool. Um, and I was just like in love with him, just obsessed with him. Um, and he was my first kiss. He was my first kiss and the first kiss was to Offsprings. Um, God, that song. No self-esteem, self-esteem, yes. So it was not a romantic kiss. By any means, we were at this girl's... Wait, you're the one that goes,

yeah, yeah. Yes, yes. Yeah, that's not romantic at all. But every time that song comes on, now I get like, I like to feel it. But the anxiety from it, because he just, we were in the middle of like a birthday party we were hanging out everybody's like dancing he's like dancing it at me you know what i mean

when they're like dancing at you and you like relax bro um like even at that age i was like easy you know um but he just grabbed me and he like smashed his face into my face to that song wow and i think at that point i kind of lost my press a little bit like it was it was too much yeah it was like too aggressive i didn't find it like i wasn't like excited to do that again you know so i think we kind of broke out probably like literally 30 minutes later or something like that. I think you're the first person to pierce the skater boy mystique on Conchrest because we've heard a couple of skater boy stories but they always remain very cool I might say they always leave there I feel like they always leave the story still being like no as soon as he said skater boy

pen or like okay I know I felt that I roll he's now a gynecologist oh interesting yeah he's now a gynecologist and we did see each other later in life so we should we did see each other or I mean, you could say that. It wasn't like I didn't make a call, but we had an appointment. Yeah, I was good. I'm glad I went. You went. There's a joke about a skate deck in here or something.

Yeah, find it. We'll do that in post. What about your first heartbreak? I don't remember one. I don't remember an actual heartbreak at that age. don't. And I don't mind talking about anything, really. I'll talk about, like, an adult thing. But I don't, I don't recall feeling heartbroken at an age. I really recall it at an older age. You're like, I said falsified. Exactly. If you don't mind, you can share a little bit about your adult one. You don't have to get into specifics. Sure. Any, like, highlight of it. Yeah. I think, um, I think it was like my first, I mean, I met my first. I mean, I met my first.

husband, as I was saying, and then when the journal entry stopped, right? At 21. And it was like a out in the town and Union Square with a couple of the friends. I was not planning. I'd just been dumped by a guy over the phone. And I was like, and that didn't break your heart. It didn't. There was something about him. I was like, good. Good. Get out of here. That's so interesting. Just that tidbit about you. Because when you first said, I don't remember heartbreak. I'm like, does that mean there were no relationships. There were no feelings there. No, but there were.

So he was like, what is wrong with that? No, I mean, it's amazing that you can like just, that shows me that you could just like kind of move on quickly. You can see the truth in it. Like, oh, yeah, this wasn't supposed to work anyway. I think that I always sensed that there were many chapters in a person's life. I think because and then seeing my parents' relationship and seeing other people's relationships, I always felt like I don't know if there is an end person.

I don't know, but I know that I want, like, experiences. And so when the guy dumped me over the phone, I remember I had edamame, boil. I was living in Queens. I was on 39th Street or something. And I remember, like, he was talking to me, and I put edamame on the stove, and I forgot about it.

And after the phone call, he broke up with me and it was just, like, boiling over. Like boiling over now. Like never. Like my excitement for him to get out of my life. Sure, that's the way you're coming in now. exactly looking back um but then i went out and i was like i'm going to go out for the first time i took like a week to whatever and then i went out and that's when i met my first husband wow

and so we met very young it was like a one-night stand that lasted seven years um and we grew a lot from 21 to i mean i he was a little older but i changed so much and we both moved from new york to l.a together he's an actor wonderful actor we're still pretty close um but it was really difficult to not be working anymore. It was really, really, really hard to see someone who met me such a young age. I just moved to New York. We were like doing our laundry, walking down the street, getting drunk, like hanging out, partying. And I wanted to keep that for the rest of my life, because that's what I had imagined. And then to have it just not be working at all and having us be totally different people, that was really, really, really hard. And that was definitely

a heartbreak of mine. But he's great and we still talk, so it's not like I'm like, don't ever see him. It was hard. Yeah. Yeah, that is hard at 21. I'm just thinking about myself at 21

versus myself at 25 versus myself at 31 now. It's like so different. A million different people. Yeah. She's really growing up quick, isn't she? Yeah. You look great.

No, you look great. Yeah. How about an embarrassing story? Oh, God. I had to do another boy. So I was, my other crush, Brian Harmon, love him. Name names. Yeah, really was obsessed with this guy. Wouldn't talk to me. Wouldn't date me because he said he didn't like the way I walked. Oh my gosh. Did that affect you? Or you were like that? I think about it to this day. Wow. That's all about the way you walk. The way I walk. I think about it sometimes. Like if people

are behind me, I get like, don't look at me. And they're following me Like sometimes when we can be going from the dressing room Like from the set I'd be like I don't want to be behind me And I don't think it's exactly because of Brian Harmon But I don't think it helps Yeah

I don't like that's how actors will only be like Photograph from one side Yeah that's like me I'm like don't show I have a walking double I know In the men it's in my contract Because I really can't walk

Anyway he wouldn't I do think about it Sometimes And I was so in love with them Though I had this photo my friend took a photo of him for me and he's like sitting on the school steps and he's got like blonde spiky hair

and he's sitting all cool and I remember being like oh my God like I would have a poster of that and she her dad worked at a photography studio and she was like I'm going to blow it up for you I'm going to blow up the poster and I'm going to bring it to school and I was like that's so cool oh my god that's so great cut to you next day

my mom is driving me in her Volvo and she's pulling up to the school and I see a crowd No, no, no, no. I'm proud of my friends. I'm not my friends. And I see McKinsey Bub, the one that blew up the poster. Oh, she's holding the poster.

She's holding the poster. And Brian Harmon is on the poster, and he's looking at the poster with all of his friends. And I go, my heart drops out of my soul. I turn white. My mom is like, have a good day. And I go and I walk And they all turn around And they all start laughing at me

It was so awful And I was like you are not my friend McKinsey ball That was a secret girl code Like slide it to me at the end of the day Kind of thing It seems like it wasn't going to be possible Come over with it Come over with it my God mortified

Literally the most mortified That's very embarrassing I think that's also a one of one experience It's like sometimes people tell us embarrassing stories and it's like, okay, yeah, like that could have happened in 10 different episodes. But this one is like, a friend of yours blowing up your crush.

And then showing him. Yeah, that's crazy. And then showing him and all of his cool friends laughing. Yeah. And pointing. And I had to like go to school that day. And like, I was the girl. Of course I kept the poster.

Like give it to me. I have it next to my bed. Fold it up inside. In my little journal and I look at it sometimes. That is amazing. Great. Anyway, what's the next question? Anna, you brought us into adulthood a little bit,

and we wanted to talk to you a little bit about Equis. You were in this show on Broadway, and I mean, there's many notable things about the show. One of the things that you've talked about publicly is dealing with the nerves of having to be nude in front of a live audience. and but then you talked about how eventually it actually felt liberating and I was really interested in that like I was telling Nava that because I have a daughter I've given birth and I was telling her that there's a point in birth where you totally just like you're like I do not care I don't care who's who's in here who's seeing what and I never I mean they're seeing it yeah yeah yeah they're seeing it all all and I was wondering yeah did you get to a point like that where it just kind of felt like everyone has a body these are just you know These are just horse bodies.

Yeah, it was horse bodies and that's just Harry Potter's body. That's my body. I did, finally. It was not a quick thing, though, because I wasn't somebody who, you know, went to the gym and walked around naked and, you know, I'm not mad. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, I didn't like get on the elliptical. Like, why don't be naked, you know?

Like some people do at my gym. And I'm not mad. What gym is that? Um, no, no, I, you know what I mean. I was, I was shy kid growing up. So I auditioned for it and I had to be British and then I had to be nude. They did not make me take my clothes off. I was obviously for the audition. But I remember going, I don't want this job. I don't want to get this job. I don't want this job. And I was on the train coming back from the audition, actually, the callback. And I was going above ground back to Queens and my phone rings. And it's my. agent. And I was like, oh, God. Oh, God. And so I pick it up and they're like, so excited. Anna, you just booked Equest. And it was big, too, because it was Daniel Radcliffe in one of his first plays after. I mean, he had been doing, you know, the work that he's now been engaged in for so long, which was like very successfully. He's both so known as Harry Potter and also so not known

as Harry Potter. He's really done, I think, a graceful job transitioning, deconstructing. that idea. You know what I mean? And Equus was a part of that. It was definitely a big moment. I mean, I remember I lived in the city. And what we remembered when we were on sit, do you remember this? I saw it. Yeah. I remember that. That's right. I forgot about that again. But yeah, you saw it. So I remember everyone was all the buzz that the people from gossip girls were coming. Yeah. So yeah, I remember that. And we were in the run in the middle of the run by that time. So I was like, you know, whatever. Because I do this thing like twice a day. You know, and by that time, like, I mean, there would be cameras in the audience.

They tell you to, like, put your phone away or not have your phone, but there would be people with binoculars in the third row. Yeah, you were telling me that. And that's just like, that's just, to me, just stone cold. Wild, but, um, I. The ball's on both of you, you know? The balls on both of you. The balls on both of you.

Thank you. I think that, that takes, um, it is a, I'm sure at first it was a bit terrifying because you just, you have to, you know, theoretically it could be all about the performance theoretically i'm an actor but come on you also know you're a person yeah you also know what people yeah you also know what people are also going to go see yeah and i a lot of them didn't know that the female character was also new they were only there for yeah yeah um and we had seats on stage also so it was in the round um and i had to i mean we stand at the back at the stage you both get real naked we take off our clothes one piece by one

piece, we come all the way to the front of the stage, totally nude, where we share a kiss and then we slowly walk all the way back and then I have to lay down on this like thing similar to this table. A dais, you could call it maybe. A dais? A dais? A dais. Amadeus? I'm a dais. I'm a dais. I don't know, but it's a great word. And spread my legs. Oh, that's right. And then he got on top of me and there were audience get out of my way there were audience members up there and i remember and i'd have to freeze while he delivered a monologue and they would be talking about our bodies no you could hear that you hear i could hear every word they were saying wow yeah is like some kind of torture it was a mental it was wild to have to do that and then we'd have to get up and we

scream at each other and we're standing there screaming on stage to one another and then i run off but um it It was a real test to my fear. Like, what can I actually do when I'm afraid? And how can I say none of these people's opinions matter to me? And there was a really odd grounding thing that I found backstage. Like, before I had to go out, like, we'd be backstage. It was just looking at my face. No.

No, it was a weirdest thing. there would be shelves of like all the stuff that's like backstage when you're getting ready to go out and there was this one particular thing that I kept looking at that made me feel like everything was going to be okay I want to know what it is I'm gonna I was gonna make a joke but I'm not it was actually a Tide box huh interesting a box of Tide it was the old school blue with the words and the rainbow was it a prop or was it It was for doing laundry. It was real. And I just remember going, somebody sat in a room.

Like a group of people sat in a room and they named that thing tied. And then they drew that weird box of tied. And I kind of was looking at it. And I went, nothing freaking matters. And I just, like, would go out and I would look at it every time. I'd be like. You know what that's called? What?

Dissociation. Thank you. Wait. Wait, what? I want to circle back to that moment on the train. Your agents call you. They're really excited. You didn't want the part.

What happens? Like what makes you flip or decide to take it? Well, whenever anything scares me, I say, okay, go do it. You have to do it. There's a reason why I got the part. There's a reason. There was something that I needed to grow from. There was a challenge that needed to be accepted.

I took it as a sign of this is from the universe in some way. So you're okay. You're okay. don't worry about your body don't worry about you know being perfect this is for you this is a chapter in your life that you would really regret walking away from if you didn't do it so did it change your relationship with your body in any way it did it did definitely i became a bit more free a bit more like oh whatever you know here i am i mean some people were like oh are you getting a personal trainer or are you going to like not eat and at first i was very concerned but then i started like

going to have sushi on my break, you know what I mean? And intermission. Yeah, a real high-calorie splurge. I used to go to eat slabs and raw fish is what I used to do. I would go out so much sushi. I had three carbohydrates post-smead. I was losing. I would have three almonds and I was like, whatever.

It's totally fine. Let's go. Let's take it off. Okay, wait. I have one more, Equest question. What was the funniest thing you remember someone saying if you were? Oh, nice. Oh, my God.

I mean. I don't know if I want to say that out loud. We can get it if you want. Just try it. It was something about, like, some, like, it was something about my boobs. It was something about like, like, she must be cold. You know what I mean? And being there, listening to us let me tell her date that.

I mean, being like, I am. Okay. It's a fucking theater, man. And I am here. And you know what? He must be, too. We're all cold. You know what I mean?

Just leave us alone. We're naked for you right now. Go home. My God, it was just, my college roommate during curtain call, I remember, like, bowing, obviously fully clothed at that point, but then turning around to, like, bow for the onstage audience. And I look, I bow and I'm like, Evan. Oh, no. Front row, buddy.

Great. Awesome. Yep. Wow. You were Mindy Kaling's best friend on the Mindy Project, and I'm just wondering how that came about. Hmm. That came about because I auditioned and tested multiple times to play that part.

So like it did for any roles. It was like I did for any roles. Unfortunately, we did not. We did not know each other. But yeah, she like called me up and it was like the test day. And I remember her being like, I really want you to get this, Anna. Like, I really want it to be you. And I just felt like it was so nice of her to do because she didn't have to do that.

And it was her show and she was creating it. And yeah, yeah. And then I ended up doing the first season. Anything memorable from sort of that experience? I told a director that I did not. This director told me not to check my watch during a scene. And I didn't know why he was so caught up with this watch checking because I had nothing to do in the scene.

Like I think I had like no lines. I was having a scene with like my seven-year-old daughter. And I remember just checking my watch because I gave me something to do. And he was like, so, can you just like not? check your watch. And I remember looking at him and going, you can point the camera wherever you want. I'm going to check my watch. Wow. How old were you at the time? I was 27. I was 27 or something. I feel like there's so much confidence there. I'm like, wow, I wish I could. I literally was so upset that he was so, the only note I got was like, can you just not check your watch. And I was

Like, if you're thinking about the watch checking, like, you're not thinking about what's actually going on in the scene. And I want to check my watch. So, honey, I'm going to check it. And you can edit it out. You can do a lot in post, but I'm checking the watch. And I know, where do you get you? Confidence went when you came to the fifth season of you because there was no confidence to be seen. Oh, God.

Yeah. Heart butter, batter. You were like a wet lamb. On a dais. Yeah, I'm kind of, I'm kind of, it's sort of okay. No, you're in the pocket. In Pitch Perfect, you played Aubrey, iconic character, and you had to throw up so many times.

What was that like? What was in your mouth? Do you remember? Yeah, okay. So we had a actual fire hose that they rigged behind me, like a small, like a fire hose pressure type thing with like a little tube that they wired through. my skirt up my back and under my neck and then the other one for the side shots was here besides

my mouth and there was tomato juice rice pineapple chunks in this thing connected through and they tested it on like a stunt double obviously but by the time they got there with me like I didn't know what the pressure was going to be like and they they were like okay and action three two one boom the thing the thing knocked me back like knocked me off and it was out of control that's crazy that's amazing I'm literally just vomiting everywhere like I can't control it and I'm like somebody called cut and I remember standing there straight at that point the thing's not stopping and I'm just vomiting while I'm talking to people being like can we can we turn the thing off Can we get to me get the thing off?

Oh my God. It was really just really wild. I can't think that's not out there as a blooper. That's just sort of a gold. They have some, but I don't know if they've got that specific one. It's a DVD extra. Yeah, they're going to pay for it these days. But yeah, and then they also asked the audience in front, like the first few roads,

if they were okay being thrown up on. And they were like, yeah, they were all game for it. You know what I mean? But I think they thought it was going to be like normal human going like, yeah you know as you do and like a little a little and so once I did the shot and I'm like vomiting everywhere and they're like and again and then Jason Moore I'd be like little one and I'd be like but that you know what you'd be like big one um so I finish vomiting I'm on the ground I'm like sweating I vomit everywhere all over me I look up at the audience that they asked if they would

be comfortable being puked on they look like they're going to kill me. They are so upset. They did not bring, like, they were wearing their own clothes. They were just completely puke everywhere. Yeah. And I just remember being like, sorry. Just like running off the stage. Oh my God. That's more like that. Yeah. That's a producer thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah. You, obviously, that cast is really iconic, like so many comedic talents in that movie, so many singing talents. But Rebel Wilson kind of stands out. And you've, talked about her as like a scene stealer. And I'm just curious if there are any BTS stories about Rebel or anyone.

That's behind the scenes. Oh, what? The BTS. Oh, that's what that spells. We, there's a video that I actually have of us in Pitch Perfect 2 where we're like FaceTiming and we're all singing as a group to this one Barden Bella who's not there because I guess she's pregnant so she doesn't come on like the journey with us and Pitch Perfect too, which is so sad that she wasn't there.

And we're singing and for some reason, Rebel and I just decided to like stop singing to the camera, but just like sing to each other. So we're just like caressing each other's hair and we're just like, you know, hanging out all over each other. And none of the other girls knew that that's what we were doing. And then then I guess somebody like played it for everyone. And I remember Kendra being like, what? That was happening behind me the whole time. But yeah, so Rebel and I would always like play and improv and have fun.

and just do what you do what you can until they tell you to hold back that's what i always try to do because you don't know what could end up in the final version and it's like they can always tell you to stop yeah you know and then you just keep checking your watch was it fun to be kind of the straight character in that movie or was it a little bit of a bummer i didn't feel like i was the straight character i guess i felt like there was so much comedy to be mined within this person who is so concerned with everything being right. I mean, isn't that where the comedy is? Is that like when she's so uptight when things inevitably go wrong, right? Like that's the comedy is the like frustration of trying to keep everything, you know, on the table or whatever. So I, I loved Aubrey. I loved

playing her. I think that she has so much heart. Yeah. Yeah, she's definitely stuck up and can be a little bit of a biotch. But yeah, I love her. Yeah. There's no pitch perfect without Aubrey. Thank you. You said in an interview once that after Pitt's Perfect, you wanted to go to Montana and raise puppies and just like be done with it. And white puppies? No, I was going to ask. Okay, yeah, go ahead. That's all I've got.

No, I was curious what kept you going? To Montana? No, no. What took you away from Montana? What stopped? Oh, I see. I see. I got another job.

Okay. I think as an actor... Just that quick, right? You're like, never mind. Forget the puppies. I don't know if they'll be... Oh, they want me? Okay.

They want me? Okay, fine. Yeah, exactly. But I have all these puppies. Um, no, I, I always want to, that is a goal of mine in my life. Yes. I want to be in Montana. A puppy mill.

Oh, God. Yeah, I want to own a puppy mill in Montana. Yeah. Above board. Above board puppy mill. Um, no, I'd love to be. in Montana at some point, like on a ranch somewhere with lots of animals, that is a dream of mine. And I always say that because I don't know. I mean, I've been fortunate enough to work,

but I don't know, like right now, I don't know what the next job is. So, you know, it's just nice to have that because I'm not just an actor. I don't want to be reliant on just that for my soul or my happiness. I can't because it's so fleeting anyway that I would feel very satisfied living in Montana and not having a puppy mill, but like, you know, taking in shelter dogs. Ethically raising dogs for the record guys for money. That's what I want to do. No, that sounds lovely. Yes. Okay. Just a couple of questions about hysteria and then we will go to you. Okay. So your character in hysteria is really tightly wound, perhaps the most of all the, definitely the most. Of all the ones. And I'm just curious, where do you draw, you talked about this a little bit,

but where do you draw inspiration for the Aubrey's, Tracyses, and Regans that you play so masterfully. Well, first of all, thank you for saying that. That's very nice. I definitely draw them from the women that I grew up in the South. There's a type of, like, presenting a perfect kind of unflaught exterior. But there's this, like, brewing passion or desire to break free from all of that, I feel like. like especially you know my mother was very proper she still doesn't own a pair of blue jeans you know she wears panty hose and sometimes she wears rubber gloves to pick up our cats because she doesn't

want to wash her hands too much um there's like a certain thing but inside i know she's just like passionate get me those jeans give me those jeans now we know she loves jeans from the denim cutoffs right um so i think that i i just grew up around a lot of women like that and i just love playing somebody who is struggling not just with the other characters or with the world that they are in, but with themselves. So to have that,

I think it's something that I'm really drawn to. And I also like trying to make, I don't try to make these women likable, but I don't find them unlikable. And I'm also not afraid of being unlikable too. So I just, I find them fascinating to play. And I kind of get down through the puzzle

of like what makes them tick. you you yes okay we're really we're here to talk about you the two of you were in you i want to know what were your first impressions of each other do you remember the first time you met yeah because this this episode is about is about you okay i'm gonna be honest i don't remember a no okay okay that's always pensions by the way whenever we ask him that question he's like i remember so much but first impressions i think it's like you know so the if I'm just going back chronologically speaking the first two episodes which is what you do when you're trying to think of a first impression

that's really smart yeah good work thanks um like I don't remember the first Zoom that we were you know what I mean like I don't remember meeting but but I but I very much remember seeing you play these two characters on the same day you know as were shooting the same scene, this dinner table scene, which was like, you had more lines in that scene than I probably have in the entirety of the series. Actually, probably. Probably.

Yeah. And it was just really impressive and a joy to just finally take this thing off my shoulders and give it to somebody else. Just relax. Relax. And yeah, it was just, it was just, it was a beautiful. beautiful thing to see and I do particularly like your Reagan that that that well I'm also now remembering Maddie later in the season so I mean I we're gonna come with spoilers right we can

we're talking about it like post yeah yeah yeah okay okay spoilers so so but I think it's like you playing Reagan really is the first just Reagan just demolishing attempting to demolish the family in this one scene where all day it's just all about you and I was just I was really impressed thanks you know thank you're just like honestly I do think if I recall like I don't think you messed up ever yeah no I think you were that you know upholding that um repressed southern flawless you know I mean you really were like it was it was It was remarkable. Oh, I appreciate it.

Yeah, I wanted to come in prepared because I don't want to be like, I want to be the last of everybody's worries on a set. And I also know that it's like not about the lines for me. It's like never about. I don't, I don't want it to ever be about the lines. It's about checking your watch. Yeah.

It's about like giving, doing what I want, getting what I want from the other person. So I don't want to ever be like in any way not off book like completely solid. That way I can like, I can mess it up and make it different each take and like whatever. So thank you for saying that. What was your first impression of Penn? Oh, right, we're doing that. I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember meeting you on the Zoom, but then I remember meeting you, like, in the hair and makeup room,

and I remember you were just very bearded. You were so bearded and your hair was so long, and you asked me what my name was twice. You said, wait, what was your name? And then we were still there. And then you did it again I'm trying to make sure I get it on that first day But I wasn't holding back

I was like Anna Yeah yeah yeah I'm remembering that a bit now And then you shaved your face in your hair And I was like new man You should have said what's your name again? Yeah Wait what's your name? No

But you did ask me twice And I was like Anna Well you know there's a lot of people on a first day It's an entirely new cast and crew I'm giving you shit I'm giving you shit I know no I know

But yeah that was my first impression That he just can't remember anything. Not a single thing. No, but it was really, I'm really happy that we got so many fun scenes together because it was so great and so lovely, like, working with you and so, like, I never felt pressure. I never felt pressure, though. I always felt like it was light and fun. That's good. You know, that's really nice.

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But I can't remember what it was, but I do know there was a time that I was, I couldn't hold it together. I don't know. I can't remember what it was. But I know there was. Do you remember it? 100%. What was it? There's a couple times.

But one of them in the cage, the camera wasn't even like on you. It was, it wasn't on one of us, but one of us kept laughing, and I didn't even say anything yet. Oh, you know, I think, were you dead? Were you saying? Was one of you dead? Were you, maybe one of us was dead? Maybe. No, it was before that. We were just, we were just standing up as one of the beginning scenes, and you just kept laughing. And I, I didn't know you that well yet. And I remember just being like, what am I doing, ma'am? Like, what are I doing? This is so funny. And you just go, you're funny.

Okay? You're funny. And I was like, okay. I guess as long as, like, it's going to work eventually. I do remember when we were doing the scene where Harrison was, like, tied up. Oh, yeah. And I was behind you, like, mouthing every word. Oh, yes. You were like, I was really, there's, in the shot,

I saw the scene. And in the shot, I can see your eyes. Do a little, didn't. When I'm back, they're going, like, I can see you going like. It's so good. It was really, really, really, really fun. Yeah.

But anyway. I'm not sure if people remember what we're talking about. But basically, Harrison, paid by Pete. I'm trying to do. Plaza, plazette, right? You say then. You guys are most stopping right at the heart part. Right?

Right? Yeah. Pete. Pete knows if we love him, so he'll laugh at this. But we. Playing, hoping. It's okay. It's Jiminy.

He wouldn't know. he's tied up and he's and he's expressing his he no I'm trying to express his love right yes you're helping him express his love right because he's I'm basically trying to save both of your lives right now right because you're going to kill us you're going to kill us if we don't if he doesn't if he's going to tell on you about murdering Reagan yeah then you're going to kill him and then you might kill me so we're trying to convince me I'm like I want to save both of you just deal with murder just like just like you're just like you're

Like murder, murder. And so I'm telling him basically what to say and you're mouthing it behind me, right? And that wasn't scripted. And when you did it in the rehearsal, I was like, I was like, you have to do that. But that's too, don't do it when I have to say it. Like, please fire. Or no, I think what I realized is we had to do it at the same time, otherwise it's not funny. But I was like, but that's going to be very hard for me to keep his straight face

because there was just something about it like. Yeah. Oh, Maddie's so dumb, but so sweet. So sweet. And she, I remember the director of that episode kind of cut them. back she was like okay like you can get like two of them you can't do everyone but it was really fun so good i liked trying to crack you up i like trying to make you laugh well apparently wasn't hard i guess final season it's like senioritis oh yeah yeah what's uh what is the sleigh he was so impressed

that she was off because he didn't know any of his life i was like what's my what are my lines it is actually true that day i only had i had like one pair of in between your 90 paragraphs. And all day, and all day I had it. And then we go to my side and I was like, I couldn't do it. Because we've done it so many times and I was just like, I kept on it and I was like, I've actually, this has never happened to me.

It was amazing. We went to lunch. Marcus was like, do you want to go to lunch? And you're like, yes. And then when you came back though, Penn, when you came back, you were like, I am going to get that line. that line harder than I've ever got any line.

You definitely did. You did the thing where sometimes you kind of look down at the, like when you zero in, like down at the camera. You were doing the thing where you kind of... Oh, that's right, because I don't... It wasn't even at my face. This is why it was hard, because I was having to say it into the camera,

which is what, which it can be, for me, I think by the end of this series, I was really, really, really missing acting with people. so often I'm not acting with people you know it's actually you don't realize how much it's happening but it's like those shots where it's just me thinking there's nobody there

even if I'm meant to be looking at something I'm never looking at that thing ever right so it's like so I think by the end I was really feeling I do I'm actually remembering this whole kind of dimension to this season I was so tired of some aspects of Joe because I was like I can't emote everything to a camera anymore

I want a freaking scene partner yeah and I think I even ask them like we can't do the thing like I have to look at her I'm just like I'm past being able to do that all you can think about is the line when you're not looking at the person yes and what your mouth is doing that's right like what's happening it's just completely and it's and it and it happens to be a thing for the show where that they're discovered in like the first two episodes which we talked a bit about with Lee Lee Tolan Krieger who directed the pilot and the finale um oh yeah I met it um you're you're I was in it Yeah, for a second. Anna. Anna can't find.

But there's so often, like, it's the unique Joe thing where even though a lot of other people have to do it in the show, it's like, yeah, just looking at the camera. Guys, guys, I may never have to do that again. And can you, when you're acting to the camera, can you see yourself, like, in the lens? Sometimes you can. Sometimes. It's really disconcerting. It's awful. It's terrible to have to see your own reflection of that while you're trying to do something.

It's just, yeah. Had you ever had to do that as much as you did it? in this show before? I've had to do it a lot. Yeah, I've had to do it a lot. It's like the tape mark thing. I mean, there was this, God, I was just watching this for some reason

the other day with my friends. I was in a music video. Not a great one or anything. But the last shot of the video, they were like, you have to look at this man like you love him. Like you love him more than anything in the world. And he was like the lead singer of the band

and he had left set for that last shot. And I remember they put up a pink, tape mark and I had to look like I was gonna just to love it and marry it and all the things and I just remember going, oh did you get it? Because I don't know. Because I have

no idea like hey tape mark how do you feel you know? So yeah it's just it's become a thing where you really have to use your imagination where you will get so stuck in your head that it will just be crap so let's ask it for real. Anna you play twins on the show obviously Reagan and Maddie

they have very different vibes how did you prepare to play each of them um i think it started listen i'm kind of a woo wooey type gal um when i first got to new york to shoot i was living in brooklyn and i i specifically went to a crystal store and i got one that represented reagan and i got one that represented Maddie. Okay. And I would actually, like, carry them with me on set for which day. Really?

Yes. Yes. And I also had some songs that I would, like, play and think about for each character. A lot of it just came from feeling. Just what it feels like to be super confident, you know, the baddest bitch in the room. Also, the wardrobe was super helpful for each character. But there's, like, a certain. confidence, obviously, that Reagan had, and those were actually the easier days for me on set

because she was so confident. And then to switch into Maddie, where I thought was going to be the easier twin, to be honest, when I got the job, she turned out to be not so easy because it was, she was like a sad, she was a very sad, lost person. And where she had more going on, I feel like. A lot more going on. You had a lot more kind of like unpredictable, sort of turns and dimensions to her. Yes, yes.

That you wouldn't have predicted from the beginning of that. Not at all, because you'd think that she's just like this light, fun, you know, flirty gal. When ultimately, like, the writing was so good that each script I found another layer to her, which was really exciting to play. She's very smart. She does come from a place of pure love, I do think, especially because she's very in love with Harrison. and she's been really ragged on her whole life. So it was just kind of that feeling

that I would get before I would walk out onto set. And it would affect the way, it would affect the way I walked, the way I stood. I don't know if their voices were different, but when I finally saw the scene with the two of me together, I was a little bit like, whoa, like, okay, like I think I might have pulled that off. Like, especially, well, with the hair and makeup and wardrobe

and the lighting, the way they shot, it was wonderful but I was kind of like oh god like I see two different people I hope that the audience sees and feels that as well and then you have to play Maddie playing Reagan. How did you prepare for that? Also just a feeling of like the nerves and then what's covering it. So it's all about like you start like I build my internal emotional life. But you know what I mean? Like I want to hear about that um but it is it's about it's about the feeling and then the covering you know that kind of thing is what i tried to do um and then there's a micro comedy and i mean i remember that was that was tough stuff that we were doing in the latter half it's like it's a lot where where i was forgetting which one

is which where mattie yeah playing regan it was it was it was it was dicey and i mean you navigated it just beautifully and and and i mean again that what our show has which i think always saves it in these kinds of storylines is this dark camp oh hey hey that's too good but that is to me you know where you just were masterful all throughout like it's you know clinging to the the threads of comedy in there to like to like hold it all together you know and I mean that I think it was just so important. Thank you. Thank you for noticing it. Because I know we talked about this a little bit on set, like the extraordinary circumstances.

Absolutely. That we're having to ground and make real. Well, basically it goes into Shakespeare. Yeah. And it's like, and it all works out. This is the thing about our show. And actually, I think so many of them, including Shakespeare.

It's like, you know, you have to go to absurdity to come to this point at the end. It's all about the ending. Yeah. And so, okay, so there's going to be some places where we're like stretching the capacity for disbelief. That's what plays do.

It's entertaining when that happens. So it is difficult when you're doing it, though, to know how to ground it. I mean, that's my experience with it all. Yeah. And it was nice, you know, for instance, for all the comedy that we have with, like, off-camera with Charlotte, I don't think her character allowed for as much. comedy. You know what I mean? Whereas yours did. And so I think that was something that I found interesting. I don't, in my, in my, in this show, I don't have a lot of like comedic partners.

And I think I'm realizing maybe in this moment that there was something in your characters and you that, that it was able to happen in a way that it hadn't before. Yeah. Okay. With Maddie specifically. With Maddie specifically. Yeah. I, I, I always try, I mean, when these extraordinary circumstances are happening. I'm having an affair with my twin sister's husband. I carried their child in my belly. If you don't have a little sense of humor while you're doing this, like it will be the worst most melodramatic thing ever. So it's like I just kept trying. But then also if you don't fully commit to it either to the stakes, it will fall flat. So it was just, and I love tonally doing stuff like this because it's just fun for me to try to do um anyway i do remember

and we can maybe cut this but i do remember on the when i visited the set i met a stand in before i met you and for some reason it was pen standin was doing your line and he said the like hey boo boo boo line oh yeah he was just like hey boo boo boo i don't know he said it even more he said it more monotone very dry and then when you came and said it it was just like a completely different like it was so comedic, and it was like, oh, wow, this is like such a different experience for Penn to have to react to, like, that reading of it versus, like, when you give it. Right, right. It was like, oh, yeah, it was like, you're a comedian.

Oh, boo-boo. Somehow, yeah. Woo-boo. Hey, boo-boo. What was it like, Anna, to come onto a show in its fifth and final season? Had you seen any of the episodes of you from prior seasons? What was that? Like, tell us about it.

I was very excited to join the show. I was very excited to join this. I was really excited. Stop. I watched the first season and the second season. That's it. You lost your interest after that one. But then I went back.

Once I got the job, I went back and watched. And watched at least the first couple of episodes. As my research. It's obviously a little intimidating when you come into like a very well-oiled machine. And I hit show, right, that people. like the fandom is amazing and the lead can't even bother alone his co-star's names are um i obviously wanted to be good you know i didn't want to be like oh that girl you know what i mean like she's the one that's like can't you know act as two people um so i needed to come in however many years

into the career gosh you can't do two people my god um i really wanted to be great so like i was definitely a little intimidated at first because i don't want to be the weakling And I also do want to have fun, though, too. Like, I don't, like, I have this thing where I used to get sucked into the energy of the set, especially if it wasn't mine. If I was a guest on a show or something, I would get sucked in. Like, if they had, like, a really dark negative energy, I would, like, take it on. And then I would go back to my trailer or whatever and feel like, oh, why am I not having

fun? I think because I was just so aware of how everybody else was moving and operating that I would forget about myself and then my work would suffer. So how did you avoid that in this season? I just got drunk on that. No. No, but I wanted to come in and make sure that I was like, you know, like you can play. We can make jokes. I don't take myself

seriously, too seriously, right? But it should be a fun environment where we get to collaborate and like breathe with one another and like fail in front of one another and all that stuff that everybody says. I definitely tried to do because I have more fun that way. Yeah. So

And this is fun. It should be. What did you find most challenging about filming besides Penn's personality? No, that's right. Oh, besides working with this one over here. Oh, nice. Dig. Burn, sick burn.

I mean, he's really, he's hard to work with. Literally so hard to work with. Definitely not you at all. The hardest thing about doing the show is just playing the two roles and trying to make them different. And also, just like as I've gotten older, as a woman, as an actress, just trying not to judge myself as much when I, like, see myself on camera or what it is. Do I mean to take that again? Because I don't think you want people to think that you're old. I'm so old. I'm so old. I'm 75. But you know what I mean when you see yourself and you're getting, because I get a lot of people know me from pitch perfect where I was, I shot that when I was 29.

Oh, my gosh. I'm 42 now. And then, my. My own brain, I have to... You're kidding. No. She's shooting shots. I'm 42, eh? But it's just interesting to see myself and try to just go, listen, the performance will be there. I take care of myself.

I still want to have fun, but I don't want to be overly concerned with like what my face is doing or what I look like in that certain dress or whatnot. So that was a big goal of mine. The season was to just sort of be free and... Yeah. the accepting of my flaws. It's like Equus all over again. It was.

It was. That tied box, though, was nowhere to be found. Before we go to the last question, I just want to tell a story about Anna, because I want listeners to know this. So I was on the set, and I was in the,

I guess, dressing rooms, and I was filming TikToks for the Podushed account. And we did a couple where they will maybe be out by now, maybe not, but where there's singing happening. and I really wanted Penn and his co-stars, including Anna, to sing a Taylor Swift song.

And I'm like a huge surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise. And as podcast listeners now, I'm like a huge Taylor Swift fan. And I feel like Anna could tell. And Anna was like, Navi, you should be in it with us. And I felt like, it was so welcoming. And that was my first day meeting, Anna. I don't know why I'm getting emotional, but it was like so sweet. And I was like, no, like, there's no reason for me to be in this.

I'm the person filming it. And we had to like go get a PA to film it because Anna, was like insistent. Yeah. And I just thought that that was like so generous. And yeah, and I'm like, I've been in love with Anna ever since

because it was just so caring and generous for her to do that. Yeah. Oh, thank you. Yeah. You also had like such a beautiful voice when we were practicing

that I thought it would be such a shame if you did not be in the song. And Penn kept trying to shove me off. And Anna was like, no, let her be in it. Definitely. I'm so happy that you were in. Yeah, you made it.

So, of course. I'm glad I did that. Yeah. Yeah, it was awesome. I hope people... That one TikTok was actually a surprisingly bonding. Yeah. Because we also had Justin in there.

In Charlotte. Yeah. It was so fun. That was a fun one. It took a lot of practice. It took a lot, actually. We also had to look different ways and we didn't know, like, exactly how to make it good. Yeah.

I couldn't hear anyone's phone with the music on. It was a good story on it. I was like, can you turn that up? And somebody was like, it's not my favorite. phone. I was like, somebody turn it up. We got to give back to work. Anna, our last question.

If, no, I'm sweating every time Jiminy gets on. I love it. Okay, last question. Now, if you could go. Back to your 12-year-old. Back to your 12-year-old self. Okay.

As soon that you wouldn't beat her. I love when he gets British. Yeah, he gets so intense. Spit comes flying out of his mouth. If you could go back to your 12-year-old self, what would you say or do? I would give my 12-year-old self a hug, a huge hug, and just say,

it's going to be okay. You're cool. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're actually really cool. because I felt like such a dork and and I had I had some I struggled a lot and I just want to be like you're cool and you're going to be okay oh that's all that's really sweet I feel like I can hear something it's like got maturity and wisdom but something else that's sweet with the way you said like I felt like such a dork I really feel that I really feel that that's

it's a total total dork thank you so much Anna Thank you for having me, you guys. I'm really happy that I finally got to join you. I've been waiting all this time. I know. I hope it was worth your weight. Definitely. Bye, Jiminy.

Bye, Jiminy. See you tomorrow, Jiminy. Podcrushed is hosted by Penn Badgley, Navacavalin, and Sophie Ansari. Our senior producer is David Ansari, and our editing is done by Clips Agency. Special thanks to the folks at La Manada. And as always, you can listen to Pod Crush ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. Okay, that's all. Bye.

Anna, you play twins. And, sorry. It's funny. Funny. Twins are funny. Anna's funny. How did you prepare to play each of them differently? Because they're, yeah.

I would wake up in the morning and I would wake up in the morning. That's so good. I love how funny that you can't ask the questions were. Dig in deep. How funny that this is to you.