Smosh Mouth - #30 - Our Most Embarrassing Acting Jobs

Episode Date: January 22, 2024

Go to http://rocketmoney.com/SMOSHMOUTH to cancel your unwanted subscriptions. Go to http://meundies.com/SMOSHMOUTH for 20% off, plus free shipping. 0:00-2:24 Intro 2:25-15:24 Our appearances 15:25-26:24 How Arasha started acting 26:25-30:51 How Amanda started acting 30:52-38:38 How Shayne started acting 38:39-40:58 Sponsors! 40:59-55:45 The hardest part of acting 55:46-1:07:40 The republican commercial 1:07:41-1:17:55 Jaw drop moments Arasha is here to address her controversial commercial job... SUBSCRIBE: https://smo.sh/Sub2SmoshCast WEAR OUR JOKES: https://smosh.com WHO YOU HEAR Shayne Topp // https://www.instagram.com/shaynetopp/ Amanda Lehan-Canto // https://www.instagram.com/filmingamanda/ Arasha Lalani // https://www.instagram.com/arashalalani_/ OTHER SMOSHES: Smosh: https://smo.sh/Sub2Smosh Smosh Pit: https://smo.sh/Sub2SmoshPit Smosh Games: https://smo.sh/Sub2SmoshGames El Smosh (Spanish Dub): https://smo.sh/Sub2ElSmosh FOLLOW US: TikTok: https://smo.sh/TikTok Snapchat: http://smo.sh/OnSnapchat Instagram: https://instagram.com/smosh Facebook: https://facebook.com/smosh Twitter: https://twitter.com/smosh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If it's a flat or a squeal, a wobble or peel, your tread's worn down or you need a new wheel, wherever you go, you can get it from Tread Experts. Conquer rugged terrain with on-road comfort. Until June 15th, receive up to $60 on a prepaid MasterCard when you purchase Kumo RoadVenture AT52 tires. Find a Kumo Tread Experts dealer near you at treadexperts.ca slash locations. From tires to auto repair, we're always there at tread experts.ca slash locations. Toyo is open country. Family of tires. We'll get you through tough weather in a variety of terrains until Until May 31st, save up to $100 in rebates on select Toyo tires. Find a Toyo TreadExperts dealer near you at treadexperts.ca slash locations.

From tires to auto repair, we're always there. TreadExperts.ca Hi, welcome to Smosh Mouth. I'm Shane. And I'm Amanda. And we have a special guest here today, Arasha Lalani. Yeah. Hey. Hey, Arasha. We're going to be talking about something pretty cool. Well, I don't know.

I don't know. Is it cool? It was revealed about a month ago at Anthony's funeral that Arasha did a conservative dating app commercial. And so we thought we'd bring you on to talk about it and kind of talk about acting careers in general because I don't feel like that's an uncommon thing to end up on a project that you're like, I can't believe I did that one. Yeah, I feel like people don't realize that. Sometimes you end up on a project and you're like,

oh my God, what happened? Yeah, I mean, you can definitely assume that anybody who isn't in the industry Sometimes you end up on a project and you're like, oh my god, what happened? Yeah. I mean, you can definitely assume that anybody who isn't in the industry is probably thinking, like, you see the job at full and you're like, oh, I'd like to apply for this. Which normally in any other industry, you have all your responsibilities. Everything is completely clear. And that's just not acting. Yeah.

So we'll get into that later. But Arasha, it's great to have you here. It's been a minute. Thank you. It has been. I mean, we just saw each other. Yeah, yeah. We were at the same New Year's party. New Year's Eve party.

Oh, baby. Yeah, we were invited. You weren't. It's not a big deal. Oh, you could have come with me, Amanda. No, it's okay. Yeah. I guess I did have a plus one, but I just didn't.

That's crazy. I was roaming the streets all by myself. Oh, man. Watching the fireworks, catching the fireworks. Right, right. That's really fun. But it has been a while since I've seen you, so it is good to see you too. It has.

Yeah. Hi. Hi. Hey. Happy New Year. Happy New Year. Your hair is getting so long. It's actually like-

It's really long. It's like back to where it was. For those of you listening, Rosh's hair is really long. Yeah. Well, she had cut her hair and now it's just growing back. I know. There's a photo of me at VidCon

that I just saw and it's like here. Yeah. And that's like six, seven months ago. I don't remember. Was your head really that short? Yeah. I cut it completely.

When people are like, oh yeah, my hair's gotten really long. I'm like, oh, has it? I don't pay attention. Right. God, you're such a dude. I'm such a person. when people are like, oh yeah, my hair's gotten really long, I'm like, oh, has it? I don't pay attention. Right. God, you're such a dude. I'm such a person. Nice skirt.

These are jeans, you know? My dad would always be like, great skirt. I'd be like, dad, I'm wearing overalls. I don't know what you're saying. Oh my god. What is with dudes? It's dad. They're like, what's eyeliner?

And I'm like, or your dad would be like, you have something on your face. You're like, I know. It's a pimple. OK? Or it's blush. I put it there for a reason you stuff all over your face Amanda dad but I feel like I okay what I'm saying is I feel like I see you guys so often that you don't notice that stuff as time goes on it's true and also I don't pay attention because I don't give a shit okay one thing I learned about Shane while doing this podcast is he's the meanest person on the show. What is with this?

Damn! I'm just kidding. He's the kindest person. Well, truthfully, the way that it really affects me, I'll say, with haircuts and stuff, is I don't like to cut my hair a lot because then you have to get new headshots. Oh! Bringing it back round to back.

Trust me, I had bangs like an inch long up to here, and my hair was above my shoulders. Yep. And now it's just growing out. But it looks fantastic. Oh, thank you. I actually love it right now. It's growing out.

Yeah, I think it looks great. But every time you make a significant change to your look, you've got to take new head shots. Yeah, because cast directors won't recognize you. Right. Who are you? Who is that? And if you're in a, like, they won't recognize you. You've got to be new headshots. Because cast directors won't recognize you. Right. Who are you? Who is that? And if you're in a, like, they won't recognize you.

You got to be in a leather jacket for them to know that you're a badass. Yeah, exactly. Okay? You have to be in a leather jacket. That's a good callback. Otherwise, they won't know that you're going to get on CSI or Criminal Minds. Leather jacket, guys. And commercials, got to have a fun pop collar with glasses that you've never wear in real

life that these are all amanda's referencing all of her own headshots literally but also everybody's like those seem like pretty important guidelines that every actor hears with their headshots like of course the leather jackets look serious the pop of color for commercials to look lively and fun and natural. And then the mom with the button down and an over sweater. I'm like, I don't know a single mom who wears that. They're all married. Nobody in commercials dresses like regular people.

They're always dressed just slightly not human. Yeah, not human. It's just not, it's like like aliens trying but i feel like marketing execs and stuff they they don't create actual yes no it's like a dystopian kind of yeah especially for women like i feel like the young mom was the straight leg jeans that cut right above the ankle and flats always button down and like a cardigan over with your hair half up, but like still really nice and like very little earrings. I feel like that's, yeah.

No, it's very, it gets very specific like that and it, like the added complicated layer is when someone's like, oh but change it up. Like you know, you don't wanna do just the basic stuff but then you're like, okay but then I don't want to not get the standard and, and just do something that's too bold and risky. So then it just ends up all getting like really messy.

Yeah. It's too much. I, I, I can't follow those rules anymore when I go to auditions. I'm just like, they're like, uh,

orange jumpsuit. Cause you're a worker. And I'm like, I don't have that. Cause I'm in prison. What? I don't have that in my closet. Oh yeah. Oh, then you're a worker and I'm like, I don't have that because I'm in prison. What? I don't have that in my closet. Oh, yeah.

Oh, then you're fucked. I don't have any of those things in my closet. Let's be real. No, and the truth is that you have to end up making so many more investments and you end up just not getting paid

for any of that. You pay a significant amount for headshots. You pay a significant amount for the outfits, for the makeup, for the hair, like all that added stuff and then you might not even book a job. You pay a significant amount for the outfits, for the makeup, for the hair, all of that added stuff, and then you might not even book a job.

Do you guys ever think much, sort of change the subject, do you ever think much about what you're wearing here at Smosh? Because I try to not repeat outfits too often, and I end up just doing it, because I run out of clothes. And I'm just like, oh, well, so I'm just

going to wear white t-shirts in every video because it's just easier. Makes sense. I just wish I could do that. Yeah, why not? I don't know. I can't wear just a white t-shirt. People are going to be like, okay.

What if everyone at Smosh just wore white t-shirt and blue jeans and that's our thing? Cool. If that was our thing. Hey, if that was our thing, I'm down. I'm down. It could be our thing. That could be our thing. our thing okay wait what if we just don't tell everybody well we just did just now okay no we can tell everybody in this room is in on it but the rest of the cast totally pranked well i guess we could start and and if the rest of the cast doesn't go along with it they don't listen to this podcast. And we're going to know then. Yes.

Okay, so new uniform, just white t-shirt, blue jeans. I'm kind of rocking that right now, but like plain white. Yeah. I'm not rocking that at all. It's what I rock every day. I will say I am...

Oh yeah, you're rocking that too. I have the huge advantage here. Yeah. Because this is my standard outfit. So it is a little unfair for everyone else. I feel like people are like, is Amanda okay? Oh, yeah.

Yeah. We're all going to look like farmers. Wardrobe is hard. I would say wardrobe on Smosh is hard. Also, it's very hard to not repeat outfits. And you do run out of clothes. You run out of clothes. It's really hard. And also,

it might be freezing out there Or hot in here, or cold in here Or hot out there No, this set, which is it? I think it's this set gets freezing cold And the Smosh Pit set For Try Not To Laugh gets super hot So throughout the entire year

You can't dress for the seasons You have to dress for this specific stage And that specific stage See, I'm always cold everywhere um so but i don't think that my warmer clothes are my most fashionable clothes like i'm all for layers but sometimes if i need to wear a tank top like i will tough it out i'll be like i want to wear this today like i'm just gonna put this on in between videos like i'll go put a blanket on but i will tough it out out. Wow. That's crazy. Yeah, yeah, beauty is pain. Those are like models when they take photos

and it's like snowing out and they're just like, oh gosh, I don't know if I could really do that. I could never do that. But to answer your question, more than wardrobe, what I actually just think about is my hair at Smosh. Like I just kind of like, I like space it out in my head, like I'm like okay, if I wash my hair on Monday, I'm supposed to be at Smosh on Tuesday,

so I'm gonna be frizzy, so I'll do that whole process. We had that New Year's episode of Reddit stories, where we're like, right before we start filming, we're like we have these fun hats! And your face, you were just like, oh, cool! Yeah, after I washed my hair! And I think it was also, you had like a party that night that you were throwing, and so you were like.

Did you wear the hat? Oh no! You put it on for like two seconds. We put it on for the beginning. And you started, you're like, yeah, great! Anthony just like knocked his off, and then we were like, oh no! Okay, so I guess we'll just carry on without the hat.

No. Yeah. What if I get a mohawk? I think that would look great. But then with a white... Selena! We heard... Selena just goes...

So you want to wear a white tee, denim jeans, and a mohawk. I actually think I'm on board. I don't understand why that combo works. Here's the thing. You know what I really like? I like it shaved, and then a fade up, and then a little bit more hair right here. So not like a full mohawk, but just. Yeah.

Yeah. You might look a little too military though. No, I'm good. I do tend to look a little too like, yeah. Straight cut? Yeah. Yeah. Like, like, like, oh, that guy's from Texas.

You know? What's wrong with Texas? Not, not like, but you know what I, you know what I mean? It's so opposite of my personality. Like, I'm like, I don't want to give off different from who I am. You want to grow up. There's nothing wrong with Texas. I'm saying, I don't want to give off.

I don't want to give off. Like, that's a military type dude. And I'm like, hey, I'm actually not. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it could be fun. I think it could give you some edge. Your look is your, like, vibe, right? Like, that's what you're

giving off, I think. So it's definitely important to make sure that it lines up with who you are, but totally cool to be like,

I'm gonna be somebody else. I've been doing the same haircut for a while, and I feel like it's what works best, which is just like,

I'm like, take off everything on the sides and the back, leave a little bit on top. I wanna see you do something different.

Amen. Like, what? Either, hear me out. Shave it. Not at a zero. Yes.

Like a three. Like a two. Like a two. So I just have a little bit of frizz. Yeah. Oh, is that what those numbers mean? Maybe I'll get the Dewey from Malcolm in the Middle. I think it would look really good.

I've thought about doing that once I'm a little older when I'm like, okay, my hair is starting to go. I'm going to just take it all off. You think? Yeah, I think someday I will. I'll do it with you. You talked about that. That was one of your possible thoughts. Dying your hair or shaving it off.

My husband would be down if I shaved my head. Dude, I think it would be so sick. Would you do it for money? How much? Okay. Just thinking. Let's get into the acting careers in a second. First up, how much money would it take for you to shave your hair off?

This is also getting into the acting career because hair is a huge part of acting. So if I was, I've always thought if someone offered me a role to shave my head and like completely dye it, I would do it in a heartbeat. Oh, sure. Like in a heartbeat. Now, if it wasn't a part of a role and I would have to shave it, a lot of things would happen. A, I would never be cast as the young mom ever again. Your hair would grow back. Yeah.

You could probably wear wigs and stuff. I could. Like truly. or like an i truly let's take the acting career stuff aside personal life just would you shave your head for for how much money oh okay i would definitely shave my head i think my sisters would be very upset with me um they like my long hair they'd be why? Probably my little sister would be like, yeah, fuck yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I guess I would shave it for $3,000.

Okay. Okay, that's pretty low. That's a pretty low number. That's pretty low. Yeah, I mean, if you gave me $1,000, I'd really have to think about it. I'd be like, that feels low. $3,000? So it really is something you're considering. i just think it would be so fun i think i i think women

look really well really good when they shave their hair me too and honestly my whole time being an actor out here agents and managers never wanted me to touch my hair they were always like i was always so i had the long hair i never had bangs i had it the same way forever and then finally i was like fuck this like i want to change up my hair so then i cut my bangs then i cut my hair really short and my agent was like you did that huh do you think it it's it's better and i was like i don't care oh heck yeah but you know what it made me book different yeah roles like more like unique roles i remember i for a smosh sketch this was years ago i had to wear a bald cap and i i think it was really well really really good looking like i looked fully

bald and i take a photo of it i post on instagram and i get a text message from uh like the ad from goldbergs and he's like is this real and i go no it's not it's a bald instagram and i get a text message from uh like the ad from goldbergs and he's like is this real and i go no it's not it's a bald cap and he's like okay thank god and i was just like wow you really have to i i have never done anything crazy with my hair uh in fact i dyed it dark because i was told to dye it dark because they were like yeah blonde guys aren't getting any roles right now. Like, it's not. This was back in like 2009. Oh, poor blonde guys.

2009, 2010. It's different now, I think. But at that time, yeah. So, but anyways. Hair is a big part of acting. Yes, and I would accept $25,000. $25,000? I get that.

That's my, I think, I think, and you know what? If they take some taxes. Yeah,000. 25,000. I get that. That's my, I think, I think 20. And you know what? If they take some taxes. Yeah. Yeah. I think I could like it, but if I would do 25,000 and if they took out taxes and it ended up being like probably like 18,000, I'd still be okay with that. I understand the trepidation.

I'm like 300. 10 bucks. You guys, you guys want to, and you are are or actually like you could consider it I have no desire to sure I don't think I want to but I do know that it would grow back

and I also would do a lot for money it grew out it grew out so fast that it would only be a couple months same my hair grows really fast

but I just like changing I like experimenting and changing but I do think if I shave my head, I think that I would be like, whoa. I think it would be very overwhelming. Yeah.

I genuinely think, I think people in general, but when women do it, I think it looks really good. Like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta. I mean, hot. It's like you wouldn't expect her to look, I don't think you would have expected her to look that good. But I think it's really, I think it's so unique.

Whenever I see it, I'm always just like, that's really cool. It's such a power move, too. It is. It's powerful. Just to be like, I don't care. But you've got to own it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you're not.

You have to own it. You have to. Anyways. Yeah. We're already back into it. Let's talk about acting. We're all actors here, I believe. I think so.

Yeah. How long have we all been acting amanda how long have you been so i started acting in a musical when i was five years old okay um i was a part of an orpheum i I don't know if you... Like a theater? Yeah, yeah, yeah. A theater, local theater. I took acting classes there, and I was a part of it, and I was in and out of musicals ever since I was little. Actively acting? Like career.

Career acting when I turned 25. Wow. So it's been going on 12 years now. Right, because we've talked about... In LA. You had a bunch of other different jobs. You were trying other careers out, and then you were like, I'm doing this. My mom was like, acting sounds fun.

As a hobby, fun. You're going to work for the DA. You need a real job. Acting was never a real job in my mind. I'm also from the East Coast. Do you know what I mean? That doesn't exist there really. And so I did a bunch of other jobs

before I moved out here when I was 25. And so actively, I've been pursuing acting for 12 years. Wow. Damn. Yeah. That's really cool. Yeah. For me, I also started just acting a lot younger.

I think I was going to enter into sixth grade, and that's pretty much when I started. I remember there was an elective fair or something like that, going into middle school, and you just kind of would walk into all these different rooms and learn about these different clubs. And I remember for theater, we like walked in and they did like a little snippet of like their play that was going to come out later that season. And I just remember sitting there and like watching them like doe-eyed and just being like, I want to be up there.

Like, I want to do that so badly. And I knew right away I was like, I have to do theater um and that's when again I also just started acting but career-wise professionally I started right out of college um so I was 21 22 yeah yeah yeah about about three years ago you both like moved to LA to get into it i moved to la not like i knew my sister but no one was in the industry that i really knew and so you just were like you you did the like stereotypical like i stepped into hollywood not knowing straight up with the intention of getting into this my husband was like wait so you moved here not knowing any like not having any connections i I had zero connections.

That's crazy to me. Zero. That's crazy to me. Yeah. I just did workshops and I did a workshop and I joined a theater right away and I got a commercial agent and that's really just where I started.

Totally. I think that's how to do it. I mean, I would say I felt a little more protected, a little, I had a little bit more of a safety net underneath me. Um, cause as you guys know, I went to Emerson and it's very common for, uh, Emersonians to just move to either New York or LA. It pretty much just separates after graduation. Um, and, uh, at first I was thinking about staying in Boston cause I loved it so much. I just thought I would hang out there

because I obviously had my community out there. But I don't think I mentioned this to you guys before, but I was a stand-in for that movie that came out last Christmas season, Spirited, with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You were a stand-in for that?

Yeah, so The Ghost of Christmas Past is played by Sunita Mani, who is an Indian woman, and I was her stand-in, which is a crazy story, by the way. I just have to cut it and tell you guys how I got that, because that was when I was working at Lululemon in college, and the casting director from Boston Casting, she walked in. I didn't know her obviously right then,

but we were hanging out and I like helped her shop for leggings or whatever. And then when she was checking out to like give her the receipt, I got her email and she said like, it's blah, blah, blah at Boston Casting. And I was like- I remember Boston Casting.

Of course. Oh yeah. And I was 21. I was very like young and very like again not even in the industry but I just kind of had this instinct to be like you're a casting director and she was like yeah and I was like I'm an actor just you know maybe maybe you should know that um and she was like she's like no you're not you work at Lulu she's like uh-uh you just helped me shop for leggings um but she was like, oh, cool.

Well, write down my email. Maybe send me your headshot. And I was like, okay, this is the biz. This is how Hollywood goes. This is the most stereotypical, I saw a casting director at a shop. Found you at a restaurant. Yeah, and I emailed her. I sent her my headshot.

She was like, let me ask around and see what there is. A week later, she called me, and she was like, Ar ask around and see what there is a week later she called me and she was like arasha do you believe in fate literally and i was like oh my god i was like what do you have for me and she was like this is actually perfect and obviously it wasn't perfect because it wasn't an acting gig it was a stand-in gig which for those of you that don't know in the industry a stand-in of your head it's a of your head. But it's not an easy job. But tons of people make a living off of these stand-in actors. Oh, Goldberg's had a team of stand-ins who were there for the entire show.

Totally, yes. It's basically like... You could say it's another crew position. You're basically there for helping the crew with lighting and framing and just being the second team before the actual actors come on and do the whole scene yep one of the stand-ins on goldberg's ended up he became a grip on that set which i'm like that's that is so hard to break into those industries that damn

yeah like so a stand-in is kind of a way in for probably a lot of different types of jobs. Totally. But I'm sure, how was it? How was doing it? Oh my God. It was truly life-changing. It was so, so cool. Again, I know it wasn't the perfect gig

because it wasn't acting, but I was so excited. And I was hearing all these big names, like Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer. I just was like, oh my God, this is amazing. Like all of this is just like happening to me so quickly, you know? And I was on that set for about three or four months.

Whoa. Holy crap. Yeah, yeah. It was so. Every day? Every day. There were, you know, obviously days that I wasn't needed, but it was like whenever she was on, I was on, right?

That is so cool. So that was your first job yeah you got right into it it's kind of funny it's yeah I started right away on this huge like big picture Hollywood set um but that was really what launched me into wanting to be a professional actor is I stepped onto that set and I watched everything um work basically to the best degree right like when you step onto an amateur set, you're not really seeing the magic of what happens in acting. But when you're on a set like that,

like you're seeing everybody work so creatively, so efficiently. Like it really was just like admiring. That's a really cool first situation. I didn't know that. Oh, yeah, yeah. So pretty much right when i saw that that was when i was like oh i need to be doing this for the rest of my life so after you did spirited is that when you then moved to la yeah yeah so spirited blended in a little bit

into when i signed my lease which was the beginning of september in 2021 because it was shooting out here it was shooting in boston It was shooting in Boston. Oh. But you were like, as you were doing it in Boston, you're like, I'm going to move to LA. Right. I decided to move to LA

and I was really lucky. My two best friends at the time in college, they also were like, fuck it, let's go to LA. That's fantastic. That's amazing.

So I got to move out there with them. Again, like, I ended up moving out closer to the end of November because that was when the movie fully wrapped. And again, I had a lot of good connections,

like good people that I had met there. I had a lot of good insight and I had just picked up. You were now best friends with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Okay. Ryan Reynolds also- He's like, Anchorman 3, are you interested? Ryan introduced himself to me. First name basis.

But like five times. Like five million times. Every day he's like, hey, how's it going? I'm Ryan Reynolds. No, that's literally. The first day. The first day on set, I remember he came over to all of us, and he was like, first day. And everyone was like, oh my god, so exciting.

And then he came over to the stand-ins, and he was like, all right, guys, we're going to be working together. let me hear your names, whatever. And I was like, Arasha, and he said it back, he was like, Arasha, got it. Walked away, whatever, maybe two weeks later, he's like, I'm so sorry, I don't think we've met, what's your name?

And I was like, Arasha. And he was like, Arasha, I'm Ryan. I was like, I know you're Ryan. And he walks away, and then literally he did that again, like three weeks later, he was like, I don't think we've met, what's your name? And I was like three weeks later, he was like, I don't think we met. What's your name? He's like, all right, stand-ins, we're going to be working together.

Yeah. At least he's trying. No, of course, of course. He was very, very kind on set. Again, that is obviously a joke, and I understand that he meets so many different people. It was just kind of funny to me that I was like, you've said Arasha, and you don't remember that? You've said that a few times

but that's okay. I forgave him. It was truly just a wonderful experience. Three to four months is a long time for a movie. Yeah.

That's crazy. I mean it was I don't know if you guys saw Spirited. It is I haven't seen it yet. It's an amazing movie. I loved it.

I can't wait to pick you out. Oh you'll see me in the Quick shot she's like Arash that's Arash! That's Arasha. Well, stand-ins, Arasha.

Stand-ins very rarely even get like bumped, right? To like being a crew position or like being background. There was one day that they bumped me to being background. And you can see me in the background. It's like the office scene. And at first,

I had done a whole like thing with Ryan and I forgot the other it's like an off it's like the office scene and at first i had done a whole like thing with ryan and um i forgot the other actress's name but she was from young and octavia spencer um she's from what uh young and hungry have you ever seen that no with emily osment i'm forgetting it but i i spoke with her i spoke with her for like the whole day that i was on set because it was me her two other background people and Ryan and the five of us were doing this like scene um and it was so fun and so great but of course it ended up getting cut so you can just see me like very quickly in the background in this like blue dress um but all that to say that was pretty much the moment that I was like okay I'm moving to LA I'm doing the acting thing and

I know a lot of I learned so much from Spirited so this is everything I'm going to take with me and I'm just going to use that that's so valuable to be on a set yeah oh it's so valuable to be on set anytime because what was your first set experience well first how when you moved out to LA you were like okay how did you first start getting into it? Or you just said. Well, I literally went on a casting site, I think Casting Frontier or whatever, or backstage, and got into a theater immediately. And started doing improv and sketch shows, like, every single Friday. And then I auditioned for Groundlings and then I think even

before that I don't even know how it was like through being at the theater that someone was like oh you should do this workshop it's to get commercial agents and I was like oh and you just do a scene and I got my first commercial agent from that oh and so then I started getting in like the casting director rooms and they were like you have to do student films for your reel and I got my first commercial agent from that. Oh, okay. And so then I started getting in the casting director rooms, and they were like, you have to do student films for your reel. And I was like, sure. Whew, student films.

Wow. Pay your dues. That was my break-in, too. Yeah. It was student films, and I was like, hmm, huh? Yeah. I remember feeling like, what am I doing?

And I just, I remember everyone was so obsessed with like being sag, being sag. And then I all of a sudden just started like booking commercials. And I was like, oh, okay, maybe I'm good at this. And I literally didn't even know what Groundlings was. I'm telling you, I came in here knowing nothing. That's crazy. Wow. I heard about Groundlings so many times over the years.

I didn't know what it was at all. And then people were like, oh, it's where Will Ferrell and Chris McGuigan. I was like, okay, I'll audition. You know, sure, let's try it. And then I just fell in love with it. And literally through that is how I met my big comedy community. And then it's just like word of mouth, like what to do, what to do, what to do, what to do, what you need to do. And you got all the way up to Sunday Company, which for people who don't know, like Groundlings

is like, it's, it, there's a couple like peak comedy theaters, improv theaters in LA and New York. But Groundlings I think is like in LA is known as like the number one for a lot of people, UCB and Groundlings. But it takes so long and it's so hard. You start at beginners, then you go to intermediate, then you go to advanced, then you do these writer workshops for like years. And then like a select few make it into Sunday company. And it's so cutthroat. It's so brutal. I've had multiple people, you included, who have gotten there and it's a full

time job, but you don't get paid. You don't get paid, but it's a full-time job. Yep. But you don't get paid. I've heard it's a lot of work. You don't get paid but it's a full-time job and you have to be pumping out sketches and characters and things all the time. I wrote hundreds and hundreds of sketches. I probably wrote like five, five, six a week or something.

It's insane. And when you pitch, you don't sit and talk. You go up on stage and you grab people and you cold read and you pitch it to your fullest,

like full heart, full character, fully realized character. And yeah, and then you also have like breaks, like year breaks where they're like,

okay, it's a two year wait list for the next round. It's insane. So in between that, you have to use the teachers and have them coach you and perform perform perform perform all the time i mean every night i was trying to find a stage to

perform it was crazy yeah it was like seven and a half years of my life out here but it taught me so much it taught me i it pushed me to a point that I never even knew I had in me. And it also taught me how much I love comedy and how deeply I love acting. Like I love acting and it taught me what I don't want to. And I have so many lifelong friends from it. Like I'm just so grateful. I honestly moving out here not knowing anything i'm so grateful that i was just like yeah i'll try that yeah and people like so you did improv

in college i'm like nope i was always way too afraid you did the uh the phil hartman route because he was i want to say he was like 28 and he like was working as like an art designer of some sort and then he just happened to be like oh oh, I'll walk into, I'll do this theater. And like was just one of the funniest people of all time. Do you know about Phil Hartman in Groundlings? Yeah, that he apparently haunts it. He's apparently a ghost at Groundlings. Oh, I'm sure he is.

I haven't seen him, but many people have. And he wears a Hawaiian shirt. I don't know if people realize he's like- He wants to be seen. He's one of my biggest influences. I know. So much of my character and comedy and stuff comes from Phil Hart. Yeah.

How did, how did you get into all of it, Shane? Uh, I started, I did a, I, I was not as a like little kid into thinking I'd be into acting at all. Um, and, uh, you know, I came from a military family. Like my grandpa was a fire or my grandpa was a, um, uh, air force pilot. My dad was an air force pilot. Um, so, you know, I don't know what would have happened if I'd made it to 18 and I hadn't like gone down this path. I don't think I would have ever gotten in the military or anything like that, but I don't know. And you can have that Mohawk. Uh, yeah, yeah. But I lived

in Arizona and there wasn wasn't a big acting scene that I would have just fallen into. It's not like there were big comedy theaters or anything. But fifth grade, we did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We did a play. My fifth grade teacher wanted to hold this play. And we had roadblocks in the way, even of just doing that play,

because we were like, oh, yeah, we're going to do this play, and we're going to do it in the auditorium. And then the principal said, no, you can't do this play. Theater has no educational merit. Oh, he's the guy who would burn books. Insane start to it. Villain of a Disney movie. I know, so insane.

I still vividly remember my teacher coming back into our classroom. We're all in fifth grade. She's sobbing, crying, telling us this story. And then she's like, we're going to do it anyway. We'll just do it in our classroom.

Yes. And so we did it. Anyways, I was the only one or I was one of the only ones who auditioned for Willy Wonka. And I was just like, I memorized not only my lines,

but I memorized all the lines. And I was just like, obsessed with it. And I wasn't thinking about it at the time. When we were into this, I wasn't acting and stuff. I was just into this whole thing and just making people laugh. Because I had become a class clown in that year or the year prior. Before that, I was a super quiet kid.

Didn't talk at all. But then I had some friends who were kind of class clowns. I was like, that's kind of awesome. They say stuff in the middle of class and people laugh. It is so funny. Teachers are like, Shane. But I paid my dues in third grade. Nobody laughed at any of my shit.

And I had a lot of girls be like, you're stupid. And I'm like, I know. Hey, it's a tough world, stand up. But by the time fifth grade happened, I had that audition. I'm like, I'm prim's a tough world stand up but by the time fifth grade happened I had that audition I'm like I'm primed for this I've been performing um did you get Willy Wonka I got Willy Wonka but I was I think I think I might have been the only person who auditioned for it um that's the key guys that's how you book yeah wipe out the rest of the competition but uh but I had so much fun with it and And then people were like, oh, like, Shane.

People were telling my parents, like, Shane should do theater. Like, it seems like he loves it and he's really good or whatever. And so I went and did one community theater play. It was called The Best or Worst Christmas Pageant Ever. And it's a known one. I've heard of that one. Got a smaller part in it, but I had a blast doing that.

Was super into it. And then I got into an acting class out there, the Phoenix Film Institute, and I got really lucky with these acting coaches who they would film the classes. So they would have a camera, and they would have you like, they were teaching you literally how to do auditions

in front of a camera. So I got all this super valuable information. camera and they would have you like, they were teaching you literally how to do auditions in front of a camera. So I got all this super valuable information. They also did improv in that. And I didn't know, I had no intention of getting into improv, but they just happened to do it. And I had at that point, I was like, oh yeah, dramatic acting. And, um, but the improv and it was so much fun. I was having a blast, and people told my parents, they're like, oh, you should get him out to LA. You should get him an agent, whatever. And so I got an agent in Arizona,

and I'm 13 years old. So 13-year-old actor in Arizona, what's great is that there's just a ton of availability. Like, the competition's not much there. I now absolutely would never tell a kid to get into the acting industry or audition and stuff at 13 i'm like just live your life yeah yeah get into it later be a teenager it's a really tough age don't don't think about your career yet like you get those

years to not worry about your entire life right career um but uh so i got into it and i booked like the first two jobs i auditioned for one was a student film and that was an experience that took like a year to film because they'd like get we'd film like on like two days and then like they'd two months two months later they'd be like all right yeah we need to shoot this thing and what i'm getting paid zero dollars yeah five bucks to footage you'll never see and you never want to see right um and there was oh man i'm just it's just i'm just now recalling there was like a scene that had like a gun in it and i'm like wondering about the safety that was involved oh my god you're 13

right yeah you're 13 uh no i had a gun pointed at me uh like in it and and stuff and I'm like okay I who knows that's yeah but I got really lucky because one of the other jobs and actors know this one of the other jobs that I got it was this indie film that had a couple mad TV actors in it and I played a pretty small part but it was SAG and I got it and I got SAG eligible immediately at 13 which is it is like one of the hardest things in this industry

and so got that yeah it's so it's so hard it's so hard I was like it's never gonna happen for me and then when it did

I was like oh it's freaking brutal I was lucky with Spirited too that's how I got my eligibility damn throughout life cause once you get a couple

of those. I have, I have friends who've been trying for years. It's truly a luck thing. That's fully. I agree. It's not, it's not how good you are.

Honestly, it is luck. And also then when you get in. Okay. Um, yeah. But that's how I got into it. I eventually a couple of,

yeah. And then you pay so much money. But when you book under them, they also pay you. And you're like. But then you still pay. Whoa, and then you still pay. And then you pay more. But that's generally, and then like,

I started flying out here for auditions. And we did have some connections, like because of this, the agents I had in Arizona, whatever, like there was some light connections made, but I, I kind of came out here and you do have to just start doing workshops and started doing workshops, started getting out here.

Um, and it's slow. It took a, it took a couple of years then. Cause it wasn't until I was 16 then that I booked iCarly, which was like the first like big job out here. That's huge. Yeah.

And it's so funny that the, the memes and stuff now are like, Shane from iCarly. I'm like, at the time, it really was like the biggest deal to me.

Wow. Of course. As it should be. Like, I'm sure that was a huge, huge opportunity. Oh my God. I remember freaking out.

I remember, I remember freaking out but being almost more like, not upset, but like finding out that I booked it, I was more scared than I was excited. Oh, of course.

So I was just like, oh. You got to do a good job. I kind of feel you. You know when you're like going out and you're like, God, I need to book this thing. And then you get it and you're like, oh, you booked it. And I remember like a first big booking, you're like, oh, oh God.

Like I remember I booked Amazon Alexa and it was going to film all in Seattle. And it was like a 20 new media contract or something. And I remember being like, ha, oh, whoa. I know. Nice. It's that. Because the more.

You want to do well. The better you do, the more that failure gets scary. Oh, yeah. Because you're like, if I fail at this, then my whole career is over. Right. You know, you fail at a single audition. You're like, whatever. That's not going to impact you too much.

But you get a callback. You get another callback. And you're in front of the director and producers. Yeah. You go, well, if I fuck up here, they're going to remember me forever. Totally. This episode is brought to you by Rocket Money. So my husband and I live under the same roof and I found out that we have multiple

subscriptions that we are paying for when we could easily just join forces and share and pay one subscription. I found out by using Rocket Money, I was like, oh my God, we are wasting so much money. So I got to cancel them all and now we're one big happy family. Wow. Sounds like you're really in love now. Yeah, I think so. That's right. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that finds and cancels your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills. I'm wasting so much money.

Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has helped save its members an average of $720 a year, with over $500 million in canceled subscriptions. Wow, that's crazy. Stop wasting money on things you don't use. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to rocketmoney.com slash smoshmouth. That's rocketmoney.com slash smoshmouth. rocketmoney.com slash smoshmouth. This episode is brought to you by MeUndies. Valentine's Day is coming up and everyone deserves to feel comfortable and a little sexy,

no matter if you're single, in a relationship, or a situationship, whatever it is. Everyone deserves that, and MeUndies is here to help. Discover the exciting action of BetMGM Casino. Check out a wide variety of table games with a live dealer, or enjoy over 3,000 games to choose from like Cash Eruption, UFC Gold Blitz. Make instant deposits or same-day withdrawals. Download the BetMGM Ontario app today. Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. With their underwear and loungewear that are all very comfy and very sexy. And you can get one that matches your boo.

So you guys could be wearing the same underwear. Well, not the same underwear. You know, the same print maybe. I'm really excited because I am getting two new pairs and they have the coolest prints. They have like palm trees and hummingbirds and hearts. They're so cool. I'm so excited about it. Yeah, I have some MeUndies myself and I've got some classic pairs.

Some solids, some solid prints and then I do have some silly ones. I even have a Christmas one and I wear it year round. What? That's outrageous. And they've got Valentine's Day prints for you to check out. They've got tons of options and they've got the classic stuff too if you want some solids, whatever you want's Day prints for you to check out. They've got tons of options. And they've got the classic stuff, too. If you want some solids, whatever you want.

I can't wait to get mine. This Valentine's Day, give the gift that'll always have them thinking of you and get 20% off your first order by going to MeUndies.com slash SmoshMouth. That's MeUndies.com slash SmoshMouth for 20% off plus free shipping. MeUndies. Comfort from the outside in. Wow, I'm excited. Let's get back in.

Acting is the wildest journey I've ever gone on, but I will say for me, and we've all started at different times, there was never another path for me because yes, it all kind of happened, but ever since I was little, it was never gonna go away. Like for me, it was just of happened, but ever since I was little, it was never going to go away. For me, it was just this burning desire.

It was like every time I was in a job that wasn't acting, something always felt like it was missing, like big time, like very much missing. And I think that's what makes people move across the country with nothing, and that's really what it was for me and and i feel like where do you get that later i think if you really want to do acting it's in there like it's just it's there and i don't know sometimes it gets ignited later in life or someone goes you should try this but i just feel like you have to have that fire. Otherwise this job is,

it's not, you don't even have a job. That's, that's exactly, not even a job. That's exactly what I was going to say. It just stinks. I was going to ask like what, like getting into more of the bullshit of it.

Like what is the hardest part? Cause for me, the hardest part is the space. There's so much, just like nothing that happens. You know, I came out here with this mindset of like, you know what? I heard there's a lot of rejection in Hollywood. I'm ready for it. Reject me, casting directors. But it wasn't cast directors being like, you're never going to make

it in this town. It's a lot of, okay, that was great. Thanks. And I'm like, I drove two hours to this audition. I went in for a minute and you said, great job. And I'm leaving and I have to drive all the way back home. And I know I'm not going to hear anything. And that's going to happen so many times. And then it's also just when you go weeks without an audition and you're just like, what am I doing? Well, it even goes further back, right? Like to the actual audition, right?

The preparation for that audition, right? You said you drove two hours. Like a lot of the times, especially now that we're in the self-tape era we just get pages sent to you and and you'll just get like 10 pages and it'll be like and you can do that by monday right luckily that's changed yeah thank god like a limit on that yeah with the new agreement yeah now you have less than 10 right but but the point is like you still you still have like it's still the. Yeah, and you're doing your hair, your makeup, you're getting ready for it. Now it's a quality thing as well.

You have to have good lighting, a good background, good camera. And then you send in this beautiful package that you get paid $0 for. If you don't book the job, you just did all of that for no money. Don't be an actor to make money. Yeah. That's literally, you have to love it that you literally can't think of doing anything else.

And that's what I was gonna tell you earlier when you brought up the whole advice of like, don't do it. Like, if you don't want it. Like, my whole thing is if you want it bad enough, you are able to overlook all the bullshit. Like, you are able to be like, okay, this sucks, but the alternative is leaving acting

and I'm not doing that. I think that's true for all creative pursuits. I agree. From what I've heard. Yeah, I agree. And a lot of pursuits even not like that. You know, people who work in a lot of different industries too

are like, oh, don't get into, like people who are teachers, unfortunately they should get paid more. But people who are teachers are often like, you gotta love it like i i also i also think i think for me doing it for so long i think the biggest thing for me that keeps me going also is that i when i turn 60 or 70 i don't want to say oh i wish i did that i will say though I have put my heart and soul into acting since I got out here like from the ground running that I will say I never want to stop acting but I am at

a place right now where I feel very proud of myself and very satisfied that if something were to happen like another strike or whatever I would be okay because I've learned that you have to have hobbies. You have to have other things you love other than just acting because it'll drive you insane for me personally. And that's, what's really helped me with this space because the space when you go months without working was really difficult. And now I'm like, oh, I have to act like acting could be taken away at any moment. So I have to find other things that I love. That's kind of a newer thing that,

because the live or die acting thing, I had it for so long and let me tell you, it burnt out my soul. And so now I have to be like, I love this, I love this. What else do I love? be like I love this I love this what else do I love of course I want to act always I literally would be happy if I got paid

next to nothing and was doing a play like and I say this to Angela and she's like don't wish that and I'm like why but I don't know I just like I think what's great about being an artist and acting is that I see it as like you're a cat. Like every year you have a different life in the industry.

Like every year is a new way of looking at acting. I love that. Like this year is a totally different year for me. Last year was like a lot like my own show. Like every year, it doesn't have to be a new project. It's just how you experience acting i think that's great that's really interesting you know what i mean i think that's really cool you're like a cat with a million lives like it's just like every year look at it as

a different year i i love thinking about things like that because for me the hardest part is definitely the like um the mental gymnastics that i always play of like some weeks I'm feeling so encouraged and I'm like oh my gosh like I have so much time and I'm at a good pace and and opportunities are around me and I'm lucky and I'm feeling it and then the week after I'll be like what's the point why should I and why would I and I don't deserve it and all of this and it just goes back and forth yeah but I I've also I think come into that same realization definitely like um spreading out that love distributing it a little bit that way you don't just have it in one corner of your life um but also just like truly accepting.

For me, I think I, for so long, especially right when I had that, this dream of coming out to LA, I immediately was like, oh, well, once I get it, I will be happy. I, bro. Oh. I've told this before, but when the most toxic thing looking back was when I was a teenager out here with a bunch of other teenage actors. Everyone thought this way. They're like, well, yeah, my goal is to make it before I'm 18. Yeah.

And then you turn 18 and you haven't made it. And you're a failure at 18 years old. You can't fail your career at 18 years old. That's such a, it's so messed up. You shouldn't have even started. And I thought that way. And then every year after that, you're like, shoot, I'm 20. And you have this mindset of like, it's going to get harder every year.

Because now what do I have to offer? I'm not a kid anymore. I can't get those roles. Like now I'm competing against adults. You age so fast. Oh, it messes you up so much. I look back on when I joined Smosh. And I look back and maybe it's not visible, but I'm like, I can see how much older I was at 23 than I am now because of my mindset at that time.

I was so I was of the mindset of like, I'm done. Whoa. Yeah. And it's that was all that was what I was. It's what the industry does to you, but it's what I was doing to myself. Exactly. But acting favors, right? The younger kids are like, you have to be in your twenties, your prime, you have to be so young

and pretty. And so it, that feeling feels like it's fading. Like, oh my gosh, my time is running out. But I've truly just accepted this as of the last few months and have just been significantly happier of just, you don't have to qualify to live. Like you already get to be happy. And I love what you said too, is just like enjoying the now is how you're going to maintain longevity in your acting career. If you are able to be like,

you know what? If I don't accomplish anything else, I've already accomplished so much. Right, you've already. And also like, I'm so like, fuck, I'm so glad no one saw me when I was 23

and was like you're booked because I am such a better actor I'm more understanding I understand who I am I feel more grounded

I feel more able and strong enough to take on different characters and personalities and totally

I feel just more understanding well a really a bad thing that i did a lot is i would compare to other actors or actors previous to me and i'm like oh their career that career and it's like you're never gonna have anyone else's career never you're never gonna have anyone else's life your life is gonna be so unique that it's scary because you're not gonna know what's gonna happen next but it's gonna be your own story and that's why comparing is so stupid.

I did it so much. Of course. Same. It's like when you do auditions. I mean, And you have to learn to start trusting your own performance.

Right. We got to talk about auditions because auditions are literally the biggest part of acting. Yes. You have to learn how to audition

and sometimes you have really good auditions and sometimes you have really bad auditions which And sometimes you have really bad auditions, which lead to really weird jobs. Quickly, though, can I ask, before we delve away from your career, Shane, I want to ask how your parents were throughout all of that. Did they want you to get into acting? They didn't want me to get into acting until I was very vocal about wanting to get into acting. And we also had other acting,

like acting coaches and agents and stuff. And I, it's, it's tough to know. Like, I certainly was saying it a lot. I remember being like, I want to do this.

I, I, my hair is crazy. I was going to fix it. I want to be alfalfa in, uh, in little rascals but um i was but i also i also look back and i'm like i was 14 and i was mesmerized by a little bit of this fantasy

yeah yeah i'm very fortunate that once i got out here and i actually got into it i also liked it yeah but there's no way to know what it's actually like until you're out here and doing it. It is strange to have so many authority figures when you're a teenager, like telling, talking to you about your career. You know, I don't think it's healthy. And even though my parents were great about it, they were, they were, they were, had the best of intentions and compared,

because I saw so many awful parents, right? And like parents that I didn't even know were awful. You know, I was on the iCarly set and Jeanette McCurdy was there and I think I met her mom and stuff and I had no idea. But that was, reading that book, I was like, that's obviously such an extreme,

but I'm like, I saw, everyone I feel like, I saw everyone. I feel like that's a child actor has some little tidbit similar to that of just like being told. Um, I realized this a lot lately of like how much by authority figures I was told to think about my body and my appearance. And when you're a teenager and it could be light,

it could be like, yeah, you should dye your hair. Or, oh, you need to make sure you stay, like even I was told about my weight and stuff like that. Of like, if I got, if you get too muscular, they're like, you need to slim down.

Like, you're just, even when it's not a critique, even when it's coming from a positive place, or just truly, in their mind, a professional place, you're still being told to think about things. When your body's not even fully formed. But it's unfortunately,

the industry is so messed up in that way. And it's why there's a lot of push for things nowadays that I think is so good. Like, hey, let's show real people on screen. Because it's not just that we have attractive people we have people who are like we are it's fake now yeah we're using cgi we're using plastic surgery using all these things it's like can we show real people yes um yeah i i asked because i was curious like um because i often get asked as well like um just like how my parents

kind of felt about it because um it's also, you know, in my culture, it's not something that was necessarily like normal to my parents. I mean, obviously like Bollywood is a huge thing and they were aware of like movies and acting and stuff like that. But I don't think they really ever took it seriously. My parents took it very seriously. Once we we were out here we moved out here i mean they took it very seriously i think that thought it was really cool right and once i'm sure once you like get out here and kind of see all of that that definitely that's where my parents are now and i'm i always like am able

to answer that question and say that i'm grateful because they've truly been nothing but supportive. But I think the reason why it took so long for me to launch into it, because truly I would have also gone into being a child actor, was that my parents didn't really believe in that. They genuinely were like, is this really even anything? I don't really think it's gonna happen.

And then. Yeah, my parents were like, I'm sorry, what? Yeah, yeah. If I had gotten into this after I turned 18, if I had done it on my own, I wonder what their

point of view would be. Yeah, maybe they would have had more insight. I think they had so many people, other people telling them this is what they should do that I think they trusted that.

It wasn't just me saying this. And I also, by booking a couple things in Arizona, I think they were like it wasn't just me saying this and i also by booking a couple things in arizona i think they were like oh they were like oh okay but you always underestimate how hard it's gonna be yeah yeah same i booked some things in arizona certainly i'll book some stuff in la it's like no yeah no you're not i think the first time like i like actually like booked anything it was just like small small small, small thing in San Antonio. And it was on one of our grocery store newspapers. It was just on the cover. And my parents were like, oh my god, so acting is a thing. So this is a real thing. And I was like, all right, I guess I'll accept that

if that is the job that it takes. What I think it took a minute for a lot of people to accept was Smosh. I don't think they understood how big that was. My family has no idea. That you're on Smosh? I literally send them and my mom's like, so what are you doing? She's like, so Smash is, so how do I find it? But it's honestly one of the best jobs.

Yeah. But speaking of jobs, let's get to what we really want to talk about. how do I find it? I'm like but it's honestly one of the best jobs. Yeah. Yeah. But speaking of jobs let's get to what we really want to talk about. Let's get to what we really let's get to what we really Because another big part

of this industry is you end up on some really dumb jobs. Cringy. Multiple jobs. I have ended up on so many stupid sets. Yeah.

Arasha. Arasha. Your conservative dating app commercial. Yes. I will admit I had seen it before the roast. I had seen it. I'd come across it.

A fan had posted it on our Reddit, and I watched it, and I laughed. I was just like, that's funny. But I knew about it, so when it got brought up in Anthony's funeral, I was like, oh! I had zero idea. Because I was like oh I had because I was like that's such a deep cut that's such a like reveal yeah but I'm so curious to hear you talk yes yeah

I mean I and I spoke a little bit about it but to to kind of talk about the back ends of it you know I originally saw the job on backstage and it was a long time ago um like pretty much right when I moved out to LA so at the very beginning of it um I was like you know what you do to kind of get these auditions uh is submit yourself right like put your profile like out there and on backstage it makes it really easy just like actors access um to put yourself up for jobs and And I saw this one for this commercial. How did they label it? It was called The Right Stuff. It had the name on it.

Yeah, but how would you know that that's a right-wing anything? Exactly. You just think about it in a normal way. Also, observing it, isn't it The Right Stuff, but right is in blue, which is, is that? Oh, is that right? Yeah, blue is Democrat. Blue is Democrat. So I'm like, I, is that right? Yeah, blue is Democrat. Blue is Democrat.

So I'm like, I'm a little confused. Yeah, blue is Democrat. I'm like, that feels weird. That's interesting. In red. Well, I mean, it was black. It was all black. Oh, it was all black.

When I saw it, it was just, you know, on the page. And then I scrolled down. It said, like, you know, commercial. It had, like, some of the crew listed, the production company, and then, like, the roles or whatever. And I submitted myself for one. And then I remember, like, hearing back, and they were like, roles or whatever and I submitted myself for one and then I remember like hearing back

and they were like okay like we'd love you for you to audition so I sent in a tape of like the lines they provided and it was the lines that I read

in the commercial like it was not anything crazy it was just simple yeah I watched the commercial I wouldn't think it's for a right way yeah cause you're just like

oh this guy tried to he asked me to pay right it's like a very basic, like, bad date thing. So I read that for the audition, and then they reached out, and they were like, we'd love to, like, meet with you. Like, could you do, like, a Zoom? So I did a Zoom, and it was very professional. It was like a team of, like, five guys.

And that's when you knew it was a right-wing commercial. Five white dudes. And I was like, well, truly, that's a lot of the time the industry. So I was like, great. That is also true. This is just another thing. It was literally five guys. And they were like, hey, Raja, we love your stuff.

And they were making burgers. Yeah. They have American flags all over them. It was actually a fast food commercial. Yeah, we work for five guys because we're five guys. And again, they gave me the outline. They did not mention, of course, And again, they gave me the outline. They did not mention, of course, at all, it being at all political.

It was just like, this is a dating app. Like, this is the concept of it. It's kind of messed up. They just put that out there. And they were like, you know, whatever. And I have my team as well. So I had, like, connected my manager. And it was just, like, in terms of, like, negotiation. but we didn't get into any of the specifics other than like so your manager didn't know

no like we literally had no idea the commercial explicitly state it doesn't it's kind of vague it's it's pretty vague i think i watched it and i was like i would not immediately think that this is for well it I Googled it. So on set, actually, it was also very professional. Everything was run very industry standard. I was very happy with all of that. Still did not know on set and going through all of it. The other two girls I met, they were very nice,

like, you know, whatever. Months later, my best friend like texted me a tweet and it was just the tweet and I clicked on the tweet and it was a republican candidate posting this on their profile or maybe it was a democratic candidate like saying that it was a bad thing or something but they just posted it and I see it quickly I remember I was like driving home and I just see it and I watched it and I didn't see anything else, I just watched it. And I wrote back and I was like, oh cool, like that's what I did.

And he was like, Arasha, have you seen the comments? And so then I went into it and people were bashing it, right? Not specifically me, but just being like, this is awful, this is stupid, whatever. All of this negative comments. This hurts me. Oh yeah.

So then I went back and I was like, people aren't really liking it. And he was like, well, are you catching what exactly it is? And all of a sudden I am like, oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. And I was driving again. I remember specifically because I was like,

okay, I got a call like 10 people. The first one being my manager. And I was like, do I make a statement? Do I make a statement? She was like, no. It's okay if I have to pay on a date. I'll pay. She was like, do not do anything.

Make a statement to what? She was like, she was like, do not do anything. Make a statement to what? She was like, it's fine. Like, I don't think that many people are going to see this. Like if it blows up, like we'll come up with something, but we do not need to worry about it right now. Like you didn't know, like hopefully most people are going to realize that you didn't know, like it's going to be okay. Like, let's just like keep calm. And I think she was like, if at Smosh, like, they say anything, like, you can have them talk to me if they're, like, worried. And I was like, no, they're not worried about me. So I was like, it's fine. We're going to figure it out.

Okay, so this was recent. No, it was, like, a year and a half ago, maybe. Maybe a year ago. It was a while ago. And then I remember I called, like, the other girls on the set, too. And I was like, did you guys know? And they were like, no. And I was like, okay.

Right? So I proceeded to panic for the next hour as I was making calls and freaking out, and essentially everyone was just like, it's fine. It's going to be okay. Oh no, and then you get roasted on Anthony's funeral. And it gets brought back up. And it gets brought back up, and you're brought back up and you're like, oh.

Well, you're never safe. No, it was totally fair game. And again, I am actually grateful that it was brought up because I did need to make a statement. And that's what I'm doing now.

I get to make it up later. I did a commercial for some mobile app forever ago and I still don't know what it was. Yep. I'm just like,

you've probably never seen it. Sometimes you just don't know and i still don't know what it was yep i'm just like you've probably never seen it it's yeah you just don't know you really don't know for a lot of stuff and you show up and you do commercials or really you show up and they're often filming like multiple kind of commercials in one day oh yeah the same thing so you're just kind of going and you're just you often don't have lines or whatever but and and a lot of the auditions don't tell you the product at all. They don't even tell you what it is. I've had that happen to me a few times. But then it's like, if you book it, then it's a product that you know,

and you're like, oh, okay. Yeah. Like the recent one that I did, it was for Accresure. Accresure? Okay. I had no idea what it was. And then I booked it, and they're like,

oh yeah, it's with Lionel Richie and I was like what? and I met his stand in and his stand in was just like I don't even know who I'm standing in for and I was like you're standing in for Lionel Richie and he was like oh oh my god

Lionel Richie what an amazing person he was amazing very humble shook everyone's hand unlike Ryan Reynolds knew everyone's name Lionel Richie, what an amazing person. Oh, wow. He was amazing. Wow. Very humble. Shook everyone's hand. Unlike Ryan Reynolds, knew everyone's name. Lionel Richie, he's got the right stuff. Ryan knew my name. He just forgot it and then remembered when he asked me again. God.

We're going to be working together, Arasha. We met. But I think I'm going to download the right stuff so that I can. Okay. Honestly, Shane, you'd probably crush on the right stuff. Yeah, actually get on there. And go with the mohawk, too. That'll do you well.

Oh, God, yeah. You would crush on the right stuff. Me, I'd be like, you're a lesbian, correct? Oh, I would do great. My only thought, my thought, my genuine thought when I saw that commercial, I was just like, there are no women on that dating app. There's no fucking way. No way.

Also, the commercial, you guys aren't on the dating app, right? No. You're just having bad dates, and they're like, get on the right. So you're not technically even on the dating app. I'm not even on it. We're literally at this party talking about our bad date. I had a similar experience. This guy seemed normal on his profile.

But when we went out, he asked, Oh, do you mind paying? I left my gift card in my other fanny pack. I guarantee you that the whole premise of that was to get it to sway a bunch of dudes, a bunch of toxic dudes into getting on it and paying some sort of amount and just getting a bunch of dudes, a bunch of toxic dudes, into getting on it and paying some sort of amount and just getting a bunch of them on there. And then if it doesn't succeed, whatever, they get a bunch of money.

And then they all date each other. Then they all date each other. Hey. Again, I can only say positive things about the production. Sure. Well, none of the production, they're hired for that.

They probably didn't even know either. The client and the production, they aren't really linked except for during the process of choosing who it is. Exactly. Exactly. So you really never know when you go on these sets. It makes me laugh, too, because you said that you had showed up to a set and you had a gun pointed at you. And then we started rolling.

I think I told you this once too. My very first student film, it was a student music video. And I showed up to that set. Oh, it's as bad as it sounds. I didn't even actually continue it because when I got there, I've definitely told you this, Shane, because I get there and production starts handing out weed. And they're like, so we're going to have you guys smoke this. Dude.

They're like, bikinis? Holy. Weed? Yes. They literally handed drugs out and said, smoke this. They were like, you're going to smoke this in the background of the club. And we were like.

I also want to point out, look, morals aside, production-wise, any production person here would be like, that cost is so unnecessary. Okay, yeah. That is so much money that you are wasting. Well, that's the thing, too. When I say production, I mean a student. The student came over and was like, yo, here's some of my weed. Smoke it in the back for my sick music video. Honestly, the student film that I did that I wish would never exist was me playing Erin Brockovich.

Did you guys just remake Erin Brockovich? What? We just remade. Erin Brockovich reloaded. We just did a scene from Erin Brockovich. What? That's not a student film. We've got to find it.

I've got to find it because it's just, it's not a student film. It's just a scene from Erin Brockovich, and it's so awkward. It's just me going through the filing cabinet, and I'm wearing the smallest mini skirt. And I'm like, why did I? And I'm going through the filing cabinet, and I'm like, why did I? And I'm going through the filing cabinet and I'm like, they're just boobs or whatever line I had and I'm like, I look back and I'm like,

what did I do? I can't even use that for my reel. It's literally already a movie. Oh my god. But hey, the jobs we accept for, you probably didn't get paid for that. Of course not. But hey, the jobs we accept for, you probably didn't get paid for that. Of course not.

You don't get paid for those. I got like, I got like a voucher, which I never saw. No. To see Erin Brockovich. Okay. Anyways.

We have a little end segment we want to do. Mine ties in with all of this. Okay. A little end segment called Jaw Drop. Yep. Where we say something

about ourselves or just some sort of thing that'll make the other people's jaw drop of this. A little end segment called Jaw Drop, where we say something about ourselves, or just some sort of thing that'll make the other people's jaw drop something shocking, something fascinating. Amanda, do you wanna start? I'll start. I don't even know if this is.

Is it that you did a student film where you were Erin Brock of it? Because that already I feel like I jaw drop a lot. This is more of a jaw drop that's like something very embarrassing, and I thought about it this morning so when i was acting i also was bartending to forever to like pay the bills

there was a guy who came up to me and you know how when you see an actor your first thought is how do i know that person and you think you know them as a friend or whatever first, which is kind of weird. This guy came up to me and came up to me and went, hey, and I'm not kidding. I thought he was an old friend of mine from Groundlings. I hugged him so hard. I was like, hey, man, oh my God, how are you? And I found myself rubbing his arm for like hours. This is the standard Amanda hello.

My hand was like gripping his arm, going up and down his arm, being like, how are you? How is everything? Wow. It's been so long since I've seen you. I thought he was someone from my class. And I was like, whatever happened with that class? And he went, I'm sorry. I was just looking for the bathroom.

He's a famous actor. Can you say what actor? I forget his name, but he was on Orange is the New Black. He was one of the leads of Orange is the New Black. Jason Biggs? Is it Jason Biggs? No, no, no. I know Jason Biggs.

I wouldn't rub his arm. No, no. Wow, so you just. So I was just like his arm. No, no. Wow, so you just. So I was just like, oh my God, how are you? I think I hugged him twice because I was like, I know him. I know him. I know him. I know him.

And then he wasn't weirded out. He was like, oh yeah. That just happens to him all the time. He was like, yeah, yeah. That's so nice of you. I just was wondering where the bathroom is. And then I was like, oh oh it's right up there and he walked away and i went and it all hit me like a ton of bricks i was like and i was watching

orange is the new black during that time a while ago and i was like okay okay oh my god i don't know him he's just a famous actor and i just he'll never forget that i rubbed his arm and honestly he wasn't upset but he was he was so nice and polite. Everyone loves an arm rub. Yeah. From strangers. Yeah. That's great.

I've definitely done that before. Not to that degree. But I definitely saw someone once at a party, and I was like, hey, it's good to see you again. He was like, yeah, man. And then I walked away. I was like, wait, that was just Jason Ritter. I just watched him in a movie. That wasn't.

So you did see him again. No. Okay, that's just Jason Ritter. I just watched him in a movie. That wasn't. So you did see him again. No. Okay, that's my jaw drop. Our jaws were dropped. That was awesome. Our jaws were dropped. Chad. Okay, so I've talked to Amanda about this.

Amanda knows this, but I want to say it here because it's a crazy fact. Okay. So my first ever trip to L.A., I come out here for a workshop, like a cast director workshop. So I am 14 years old. And I come out here and I'm like, man, I'm going to do this. I'm going to go in there and they're going to be like, whoa, all eyes are going to be on me. I was just buying into the fantasy. And I'm just like, because there's that myth of the people who make it, they know they're going to make it.

They know. And I'm like, at this this point i know that's bullshit yeah but i i was like okay like i gotta walk in there and i'm i'm shane top like you know and there were uh they're just a there was like maybe like a dozen or so kids in this workshop but there were two other dudes in this workshop, similar age to me, similar look. And it was like already just like right in my face of just, oh, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought. And I'm not special. The two people, the two other dudes in this class, one was Sterling Knight, who I would later work with on So Random and stuff. I knew him a lot through my teenage years. He's a great guy.

The other person in this acting class was Austin Butler. Just went on to do Elvis. And already at 14, I was just like, hey, man, you're really good looking. Just like, okay. Oh, my God. Hey, man, how's it going? No, back then he was on, back then he was like

background, right, on like Ned's Declassified. A little bit, he started booking actually pretty quickly. Yeah, him. And I, that's, he was, he's unfortunately so nice. He was a super chill dude, really cool. We even exchanged numbers at the time, I doubt that's his number anymore. You're like, I can't wait to write.

Yeah, I should call him up and be like, Austin, what's going on, dude? How was Elvis. Yeah, I should call him up and be like, Austin, what's going on, dude? How was Elvis? No, he was a super, super chill dude, and what's been funny is I have not seen him since, but just every step of the way, I've just been observing his career.

He was on the episode of iCarly before my episode of iCarly. Oh my god. Stuff like that, and then just going back to the whole comparison thing. It's just like, okay, you've been nominated for an Oscar and stuff. But I'm like, whatever. My career is my career.

Yes. Like I said, I've gone through times, this was years ago, where I was just like, fuck. Yeah. He made it and I didn't. No. Not yet. But also you made it.

No, I'm super happy. I just think it's really funny. It's a really funny story. No, that is really funny. So anytime people talk about Austin Butler, I just immediately I go back to my friend. You're like, yeah. Oh, my best bud?

My bro? I have his number. My bro, Austin Butler? That's a jaw drop for sure. That's fun. Yeah. So it's super insane. OK. I've's a jaw drop, for sure. That's fun. Yeah, so it's super insane. Okay, I've got a jaw drop for you guys, I guess.

It's not going to be about acting, though. That's okay. I didn't nicely segue that because I just saw it in this. That's fine. But trigger warning, poop. Oh. I was going to go. So when I went to India for the first time, it was, well, actually I was born there.

So technically this is the second time. But when I went as like a conscious person, I was, I think, 15, maybe 14 or 15. And I had no idea what India was going to be like. So when I went there, it was complete culture shock. I just was like, oh my gosh, I felt like I felt like a little American princess, like being like, what? And like, what's that smell? And oh my God, I need this and I need that. And I just was very shocked. One of the things that I was also very shocked at was that in some parts of India, instead of a toilet, there's just a hole in the ground.

And I didn't accept that. Toilets are kind of holes in the ground, just with a nice little seat above the toilet. And that seat provides so much protection. Oh, it really is. Yeah, it's kind of great. Without it, you're very vulnerable. I did hear pooping in a hole, like full squat, is better for you.

Yes, yes. It definitely is. I don't know why I heard that, but. So, okay. So I didn't want to do that. So I held my poop in for seven days. Oh. And that wasn't the end of the trip.

I was there for three weeks. But at the end of seven days, we went to my mom's sister's place. And she had a normal toilet. So I was like, freedom. So I ran over there and I took a shit. Then you made national news in India. Guys, I feel like I was giving

birth. Like, it hurt. Were you also, I'm assuming, were you eating any spicy foods while you were there? I don't know if this was a jaw drop. You know, your jaws were dropped. I looked at both of your jaws dropped. My jaws dropped.

Look, that's the craziest thing I could think of in just a few minutes. I think it's fantastic. That's insane. Does your aunt know that you ruined her bathroom? Oh, she knew before. I was like, where's the bathroom? Your girl's full. Look, without going into detail, did they have to call people to come fix things?

No, I didn't need to fix things. If I waited seven days that I used the bathroom, I'd be like, you need to call multiple surfaces. You're the right stuff, honey. You're different. Trust me, whatever I did went down smoothly. But I was fighting for my life on that toilet. I was hand on the wall. I needed the railing life on that toilet. Oh, my God. I was, like, hand on the wall.

Like, I needed the railing to, like, keep me down. Cut to, like, Arash's family and the aunt, like, eating cookies. And they're like, so, how was your trip? Oh, it was lovely. What is that? And it's like. It's, like, slamming its wall. It's like, trip went well.

She's doing fine. Really? Yeah. It sounds like she's dying in there. The next time someone's talking to you, they're like, hey, I'm going to India. Do you have any advice? You're just like, take a shit. Hold your shit.

Take a shit. Just take a shit. And you're like, what? Right when you get there, just poop. Just poop, man. Just do it. Just do it. Don't worry about it.

Wow. So I survived that. Arasha, that was insane. I don't even know. That was a body drop. I think you won that. I think Austin Butler loses to Seven Days to the Moon.

Our celebrity stories don't matter in the face of that. Yeah, yeah. I already told my celebrity story, so Ryan and I sound important. Arasha, thanks for being here. Yeah, we learned a lot about acting and how we feel about it don't become an actor

don't become an actor unless it's like a burning desire and you can't do anything else I feel like I could talk about acting for hours just inside of our conversation I know that I could feel so many stories and auditions there were so many questions I had on here that we didn't get to we'll be back

thank you Arasha thank you There were so many questions I had on here that we didn't get to. Yeah, yeah. We'll be back. All right. All right. Thank you, Arasha. Yes, thank you, guys. Thank you. All right. And thank you. And thank you. Thank you.

And we'll see you next time, next Saturday. And hey, poop. Next Saturday. The next, what am I saying? Well, yeah, I don't know, next Monday. Are you okay? I'm not.