The Three Questions with Andy Richter - Ali Larter

Episode Date: May 10, 2022

Ali Larter joins Andy Richter to talk about growing up New Jersey tough, her time on Heroes, moving to a mountain town and more!

uh hi everyone uh this is andy richter and you have tuned into another episode of the three questions and i am excited to talk to somebody uh that we used to be nbc pals uh we worked on the same network for a moment um and i've i've always enjoyed your work and i'm talking to ally larder uh the actress um model are you still a model oh stop no i don't know i don't know i think maybe you're doing feet modeling or something that's apparently i hear that's very lucrative. I just got a good look at the feet, folks. God, there's people all over the Internet that would pay money for that. Big money. No. And also, you're an author, too, didn't you? You wrote a cookbook, right? Yeah. I mean, I think I'm old enough now to have gone down many different lanes in my career.

Tell me about it. But yeah, you know, I started out as a model. I was really young at 14 in New York. I was actually discovered in Philly, like 10 minutes from Cherry Hill, where I grew up. And I did more of like the catalog modeling. I was on like book covers or I would do like a Kellogg's Frosted Flakes commercial. And so I was doing that kind of stuff.

And that was kind of my segue into the business. Into the business. Well, now I want to start with that because that's always an interesting thing. And I mean, it's not a super common story, but it is something that happens. Young, attractive teenager noticed by someone and then is pulled into this business. And so I'm curious, like, as a 14 year old, I mean, what kind of childhood did you have? Were you in any way aiming towards this kind of work? No, you know, I really I grew up in kind of an idyllic, you know, southern Jersey town called Cherry Hill. Yeah. You know, our dog walked us to school. We rode our bikes to the Coverbridge Swim Club. You know, my parents are still married 53 years. Wow. It was just a really, you know, my dad coached all my softball teams. I played every

sport. My mom made dinner. It was, it was really beautiful. I mean, every family has its issues, but in the real rounded out, when I look back on my childhood, it was just such an incredible base. And it was so calm and so loving that it actually, I wanted to get out into the world, you know, such a solid foundation. And it was, my mom was really with me those first couple of years when I was 14, 15, going up to New York city. And, you know, it was really the opportunity coming from the small town to being in like the bright lights, you know, all the exciting people, diversity, the arts. It was just like, you know, I could feel the pulse of it. And once I tasted that, there was no looking back. Right.

So it's like that. It really changed the trajectory of my life and my family's life because they had never been in this business before. And, you know, we're just like a lovely family. And then they got caught in this whole craziness. Do you have siblings? I do. I have an older sister. She's a fifth grade teacher in Indiana. Okay. Yeah. I mean, we've also taken such different paths because I was, you know, I was on a plane to Tokyo, you know, two weeks before my 18th birthday at 17 years old by myself, like starting to travel the world. And she was, you know, off starting to teach and has lived in the same place for the last, you know, 30 years and garage sales and more of a traditional, you know,

where, where in Indiana, Brownsburg outside. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Cause I, I'm my dad, uh, is in Bloomington. He was, he taught at IU for a million years. Um, so yeah, because I'm my dad is in Bloomington. He was he taught at IU for a million years. Yeah. So, yeah, because now was that a weird thing when when? Well, I guess you said your sister's five years older. Yeah, she's three and a half years old. Three and a half years old. But was it a weird thing when all of a sudden mom is carting Allie off forever and and then your sister's left at home with dad?

Who wants to be with dad? You know, what's funny is that my dad was so influential in my life when I was younger, because my mom, my sister needed a lot more attention. And so my mom was with her. So I was kind of just like tagged along with my dad everywhere. And he coached every game. And I was really like a tomboy with him, you know, and we were really just incredibly close. And then when I kind of went through puberty and, you know, grew six inches and gained a pound, you know, I blossomed. And this these business opportunities arose for me and my dad ended up having time with my sister then. So it kind of flip flopped a little bit. So even though my mom wasn't with my sister as much it

gave her and my dad a chance to really kind of you know deepen their relationship yeah um were your parents suspicious at first like i mean because yeah you know it's like your 14 year old daughter being served up to an industry that it's no secret can be you know a sausage grinder you know no it's just so true and even to a sausage grinder, you know? No, it's just so true. And even to this day, my husband, you know, I've been in some really awful situations, but thank God I've never had anything happen to me.

And, but I've been around it just so much. And I think that, you know, my mom and dad were like Hawkeye on me when I was young. And then when I was out on my own, it was like, I was so tough. I was such a tough Jersey girl that no one was going to come into that barrier. Maybe at times I could have come across as being like, you know, too gruff or, you know, too, you know, strong or whatever that is. But to Jersey, to Jersey, but I think it's safe, you know, being this little daisy

walking around town. So, yeah. Yeah, but it is. They were luckily my parents had an eye on me and I always was very close with the agencies that I worked with. And but it is there's definitely, you know, a dark underbelly to those industries. Yeah, my I have a 16 year old daughter who has been, shall we say, a relentless advocate for herself since she was about two or three. She just wouldn't take no for an answer. And my ex-wife remembers that when she, at an early age, between four and five, she would ask for ice cream for breakfast every single day. Thinking like, at some point like there's like

it's gonna it's gonna be different yeah and that could be and I and I had a deal with her I mean she at such an early age where I'd say negotiations are closed like about it's time to go to bed or we're gonna eat this for dinner or. And, and at the time it was maddening. It made me nuts and I would get so tired and frustrated, but I always kept in mind, this is going to serve her well that she is not going to be a pushover. Yeah. She's not, she's going to fight for the things she wants in this world.

The only way you get anywhere, you know, you want that personality, that drive. I mean, I have, I have my older son, you know, drives me personally crazy. He's also relentless in his willpower and his strength. And it just like grinds me down. But then I'm like, you know what, he's going to go off and hopefully use it to do like great things in the world. Right. Right. Or be a lawyer for, you know, in social justice, do good things with that power that he has. But God, is it hard to parent. Yeah, yeah.

Or he's going to eat ice cream for breakfast every day. Exactly. Now, when you leave at 14 and you're out in the world and you're going to Tokyo and you're going to Australia and all these places, do you think that warps like your your view of what life will be like? You know, like, do you expect life to be way more exciting than it really is? Peaked too early, you know? Yeah. Or that or that. Yeah. You know, I think

about that, about definitely having different moments in life and knowing that and even with kids and sports and everything like you don't want to peak in high school. Like you got a long way ahead of you, my friend, slow down. And because we all know people that peaked in high school and they're, it's a bummer. It's a, yeah. When you run into them later in life and you're like, wow, you were such hot shit at 17. Totally. Why did I even give you the time of day?

Yeah. Not to be unkind but come on yeah yeah because you were really unkind to me then yeah yeah right um but no I you know I think that it didn't work me it gave me more of an insatiable thirst uh you know I love exploring and traveling around the world I you know doing like modeling commercials before I really started in the acting world was my chance to travel. You know, I would have never had these opportunities in my life and I never made that much money. I made enough to kind of travel to the country and, you know, pay like the rent in the apartment. And then I explored, you know, and I would go to museums and travel and meet different people. And so it was really a chance to, you know, travel the world and live in different people. And so it was really a chance to, you know, travel the world and, and live in different cultures. Yeah. Yeah. And so, and were you surprised at how undaunted you

were by that? Because I would have been like, I, you know, I know friends, like friends of mine, cause I mean, I grew up in a small town in Illinois and I was very provincial and very terrified. And I hear friends that are like, I travel, you know, the notion of taking a semester off to backpack through Europe. Yeah. I would probably have needed to be about 36 before I would have been brave enough to do that. So, I mean, did you surprise yourself or you just kind of. I've always been like an adventurous spirit. Before that point, what had you been thinking that you would probably, I mean, you know, you're 14, but still everybody's like everyone else, like a veterinarian. Like I think. Yeah. But, you know, it's funny, I was accepted to NYU and I think the other path for me would have been to be a news broadcaster. been to be a news broadcaster. Oh, really? Yeah. I was in love with Diane Sawyer. I love the idea of traveling, going into even like war zones, being on the front lines, being able to show the world things that were happening. So that was that was an interest of mine. And I don't know,

like, you know, life is long. I might get another shot at it. Maybe it's going to come around for me. Well, you you kind of did because you're you're just you're not in real war zones. You're in like make-believe war zones you know like you have traveled the world and fired a bunch of guns and you know and been under you know i mean there's long stretch long stretches in between the firefight where you get to go back to a trailer and take a nap but still you know have a latte yeah so I know there was something that there was some sort of hoax. Yeah. Yeah. That sort of got you more in front of the public eye than you had been. It was. Yeah. Was it Esquire magazine?

It was Esquire. And it was when I was still kind of modeling, doing commercials. I was I'd been in Los Angeles for a couple of months at that point. I was in acting classes. And, you know, one of my what age was this? months at that point. I was in acting classes and, you know, one of my... What age was this? 19. 19. Okay. So I was roommates with Amy Smart in Milan. That's how we met, the actress. And when I moved to Los Angeles, she was like my only friend. So she kind of helped me get into acting classes and really, you know, kind of land on my feet there and decided this is what I wanted to do was to segue into that world. And yeah, I was really, you know, that's kind of what what set me on that journey into the acting world. And I was put on the cover of this magazine and they put it out there like I was actually this ingenue, this it girl.

And for a second, everyone believed it because everyone believes it. Everyone believes it. But yes, like you hand it to them, you know, on a silver platter. And they're like, oh, sure. You just want to eat it all up. Yeah. Yeah. And but you weren't Allie Larder. You were like Allegra Coleman. Oh, my God. Great name. Yeah. And, you know, I think I, you know, I was hanging out with Deepak Chopra and I was going out with David Schwimmer. And, you know, I was like, you know, this actress that just, you know, it was too much. Yeah.

Really funny. And it actually, you know what it did? It just opened doors for me. I was able to get a manager. And then through that, you know, you get an agent and you start getting auditions. And, you know, it's a very different world in the business now than when I started in 25 years ago. So it's like then there was like a lot of things were auditioning.

Do you remember like a pilot season? You have like seven in a day. Like dancing around and like my Chevette, you know, like trying to like realign, sweating in the car, you know. Yeah, yeah. Like, oh my God, you know. And then it's just, I was really lucky. I landed some gigs and I never lost that. And I know I always remember during that time, you know, at those times going in to read for something and there being obviously like a part for the young, athletic, beautiful woman.

And it was always like a lobby. And there was something about it, about the way that women were put. These women were put together to get these jobs that felt like warrior makeup. It felt like like they were ready for battle, not for like, yeah, ooh, la la, sexy, sexy. It more felt like, holy shit that, you know, give them a sword. Because it just felt and the air of competition in that room. And, you know, and I've never, thank God, had to rely on my looks. So I had a totally different kind of. Oh, well, thank you. That's that's what I was getting at.

But but no, I you know, for me, it was it was a totally different sort of. You know, skill set that I was that, that I had to be worried about. Whereas like, it felt so, to me, like so intimidating to go into those places where the competitiveness is in your face. It's not like you got to wait for the person to start talking. There's, you know, and also casting is so stupid. It's so ridiculous. And also auditions are so ridiculous yeah you're not

getting the real performance of course not because you're nervous and you're freaking out and like you barely know the lines and you know the whole process um you know i i actually hate the auditioning process i'm always amazed that i got i've gotten any jobs from it because i'm not i'm not a showman meaning like stand-up comedy, someone who loves being live, presenting, theater. That's not me. I love the intimacy, you know, when I'm in front of the camera, having real emotions and exchanging real things with another actor. You know, like that is what I love. That's like the juice of it for me, where it's like song and dancing,

you know, it just makes me really, really nervous. Yeah, yeah. But those, you know, when I was growing up, my dad always instilled in me that I'm only competing with myself. And that's something that I have taken all the way along in this business. Because if not, you know, you're sitting in that room

and you think about all these other people, you just wormhole. And it was just always, you know, do the best that you can do. And then you can sit straight and be proud of your work. Did you have to kind of put on blinders, you know? Yeah, like rage against the machine and like, oh my God. You know, it's like.

See, that's what I mean. It's like, there's a, it's not, you're not listening to, you know, strings. You're listening to rage against the machine before you go into, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So now, was there a point that you really felt like okay acting is going to be it like I know that this is yeah because I imagine you were nervous about it you know yeah of course yeah well I deferred for one year from NYU so I was supposed to go back

like I was supposed to go you know and this was like my year to kind of go to Hollywood and see it was going to happen and I got I think one of my first I did just shoot me with David Spade. And then I got Chicago Hope, where I had to play this girl who was like psychosomatic or like where blood came out of her hands. And I remember that audition and walking into a room of 12 people after I've been in a room with 64 girls and just going. four girls and just going, I just connected with this character and sitting on the floor and completely dropping into the world of this and sobbing and just really going for it. And I got that job, but it was one of those things that like, I love being able to connect with characters on an emotional level. And that was like, you know, it's like got me, you know, got the bug. And I was like, this is really what I want to do yeah yeah and when did you feel like

you know you were set but when did you feel like the industry was set for you like that it was like yeah but I mean come on you got I mean I think listen people are always shocked it's like I was on television for a thousand years but i still feel like one of these days it's all gonna start firing on all cylinders and i'm really gonna take the reins and you know cool and all of us yeah yeah we have to believe that as i guess yeah yes we have to yeah you know pull up the covers and i don't know how you're getting me out of bed. Well, but you know what I mean? I mean, we both have IMDB pages, you know, like we both have something, you know, so like I do still, you know, I still do know, like, well, I'll make a living in this business, whether it's a large living or a small living or a medium living. It's going to make a living. And when did you think that you could kind of, you know, tell NYU, sorry, I'm not coming back. Basically. You know what? I think that after varsity blues came out, that was like my first big movie. And then I also came up in an era when they were

making a lot of those movies. So there was a lot of opportunities for me. So, and I was going in and I was, you know, fighting for it and then winning some of these jobs. So it's like, and they ended up being commercial successes. So even though some of them weren't like critically lauded, they connected with audiences. And so that's something that I'm aware of more now than I was then that my audience kind of is growing up with me a little bit and still love seeing the movies and the shows that I'm in. And it all started when I did those movies in my 20s from Final Destination, Varsity Blues, Legally Blonde, Drive Me Crazy. You know, all these movies were really in that like high school genre. Yeah, they don't really do those anymore. Another one, Superheroes Killed, I think, you know. Well, exactly. And I think about my 20s

really was about making those movies and then i kind of moved into my 30s and that's when i was on heroes and that was you know i think some of the best work that i've done i loved the first season and playing nicky sanders so that was just like a really great character for me and i love the dichotomy of the two sides and the shadow side so and then you know you kind of now here I am in my forties and it's like, you're coming into the next chapter of it. And what does that look like? Cause for me now, it looks like more than I'm doing like independent films or I'm doing like a series that is for like three or four months because I don't want to be away from my children

longer than that. So I'm still balancing how much work, you know, well, how many opportunities I have and things I want to do, but then also knowing like, I don't want to just live in LA and do some show nine months a year and not be part of my children's lives. Yeah. Yeah. So it's really finding that balance right now. I want to, I want to get to all that, but I also, I want to go back to like, as you're starting to, you know, get these roles, do be in these movies. Are you, I mean, cause I just have a very, my, I have my own personal kind of discomfort with the level of bullshit and, and kind of like fucked up priorities and, you know, and, and did you start to sense that? Like I, you know,

just the being careful to not get carried away with, you know, in the kind of fantasy world and believing that things that these people tell you are very, very important aren't really that important. Did you start to feel that during those times? I did. And I think that, you know, you get really used to, you know, flying first class and running in for press here and then, you know, going to the upfronts and then you're off doing a movie. And, you know, but for me, you know, again, I think it always comes back to me being grounded with my family. And also like my dad's like, when you walk onto set, you know, everyone's name, you ask how their weekend was, you know? So I think that I've always been a very grounded person.

Doesn't mean I didn't like to fly first class and I still do. You fly first class once and, and, and you're spoiled for the rest. The rest, it is just, it spoils you for the rest of your life. And I'm like back in class these days with my kids. And I'm like, those, that is a distant past that I am missing. I know. I know that's when I'm, when I'm in economy on a plane and somebody's like, what are you doing back here?'s like i'm paying for it

that's exactly right yeah yeah yeah i mean yeah there if you see me in the front of the plane that means someone else right is paying heroes that happens and that and that was really that seemed to be a an even bigger step that was like really took you from sort of the audience that was watching those kind of you know young, young, romantic comedy ish, you know, drama movies into, you know, literally people's living living rooms when you could still be in people's living rooms in a meaningful way. Yeah, that's true. You know, it really you know, I don't think anyone knew what it was going to be, but the

pilot script was so great. And that Tim Kring wrote. And, you know, there's a lot of us, there's 11 of us in that cast. It was not sitting on one person. And I loved the idea that they were taking like real humans and then, you know, they had these powers. And so we were every day, you know, walking among us. And then with, with Nikki Sanders, I always kind of got into like, you know, with her extraordinary strength, like, you know, is that real? Is that not real? Well, you always heard the stories of mothers whose children have been stuck under a car and they're literally able to lift it up.

And it's kind of, you know, taking that and then going on the journey of it. And people just loved it. They loved that movie. I traveled all over the world with that movie. And people just really connected with that movie or show. All right. Yeah. Yeah. OK. And people just really connected with it. Wait, movie or show? Sorry, with that TV show. Yeah, yeah, okay. And people just loved it. You know, they got access to it in a different way than you would with a movie because it was a series

and there were so many hours of television to deliver. So it was really special. And I'm like, I loved being part of that show. Yeah, when that show aired, I was in love with it right away. And I'm not even like a super big genre guy and like you know the whole marvel universe like yeah it's it's fine but i'm not it's not like it doesn't capture my childhood or anything right but i love that show so much and i and it was also

having been in television at that point a little bit. To me, what was so telling about that show, it was like it was like a change in the way that they were doing television shows in that there were 11 cast members and 11 cast members that you hadn't really heard a lot about. You know what I mean? Like everybody was kind of known, but not, you know, there were no like big stars. And that to me seemed like such a reaction to the people on Friends are asking us for too much money. Oh, we were all paper nations. Yes.

We did not get paid for that show. Yeah, let's get 11 people so nobody can get too big for their britches. And then never give you a raise because you know with each season it got me into like more of a sci-fi world yes like jumped the shark or whatever that is you know it did really quick reality and i'm just like what is going on here yeah you know and then we had the writer's strike so it's just like you know the first season to me is the best season and it all kind kind of, you know, goes downhill from there.

It was, it was a little bit. Yeah. It's the kind of thing that was so obviously executive, executive to death. Yeah. Yes. Yes. It was popular.

And then everybody at NBC then had to have an opinion about it rather than just let him do more of the same. And the killer thing to me was the how about next season everybody has superpowers? Which is like, how about next season everybody in Beverly Hills is a hillbilly?

No, it's like, what are you talking about? It was so crazy the way that they squandered that show. Yeah. And how it felt so exciting every week. And what was going to happen next? And then they ruined it, you know?

I don't know exactly who they are, but, you know. No, it's true. I think it got over executed it like which is what we see in television all the time. I mean, I think that is changing now when you see some of these streaming places where, you know, they're kind of letting some of these artists just go and make the show they want. Absolutely. Yeah.

But that's not the TV that I came up in, you know? And so, you know, you're getting stuff the night before and it's been such. And then there's stuff like cockroaches and someone's become a bug. And I'm like, what is going on? Was it tough? Was it tough among the cast? Was it kind of like demoralizing? I think that, well, look, I mean, I think the first season we were all just working a lot and so excited that people were responding to the show.

You know, but it's also, I don't know, is it easier if you have one person who's the lead and then that person kind of it all trickles down? Because we were all just right there together. Yeah. You know, with 11 cast members. And we were shooting long. I mean, we would be up at five in the morning and then you're shooting till six in the morning on Friday night.

So it was just a big show and it was a great year. I mean, well, look, was it a great year? I don't know if it was a great year, but I think the work that we put out was really incredible. Yeah. For Season of Heroes. Yeah, yeah. And it made the name for a number,

I mean, a number of people from that went on to, you know. Yeah. It made them, you know, and it's kind of, you know, that's the way it always works. It's like in so much of show business, you know, you're not going to make your money here, but on the next thing you'll make your money. Yeah. Or next season or the third season. But whoops. Now your ratings went down a bit. So, no, we're not going to pay you more. You know, I mean, it's really it's really interesting kind of when you do try to figure out the pay structure and how you can like do this for a lifetime. And you see that, like I, for me, I got stuck in pilot cycles for six years. I mean, like, you know, you do a pilot and then like they hold you for a year. You know what I'm saying? And then like, that's happened to me twice before. And you're just like, I, so I can do no other work

for a year and a half. It just it's really crazy yeah I um is that is that what happened then after after after heroes I did a couple movies and and then I had I did yeah I did a couple pilots the asset which was I loved but it didn't go but they held us for a year you know and it's like you kind of lose that time and then I came in and did pitch which I loved the show pitch which should have more seasons, but it was a little too early. It was like right kind of before me too. And like that glass ceiling was still there. And I kind of like burst open a bit.

Yeah. See like Kylie Bunbury, you know, she's like the first female pitcher in MLB baseball. And, you know, we had major league baseball. So we were shooting in the stadiums and we had this incredible cast and and it just it only went one season. And it's such a bummer because it's one of the shows that I think could have gone for six. Yeah. Yeah. And those are the kind of shows, too, that I think that. I think that executives use as an excuse as to why to go back to like a film centered on a young African-American woman in

sports. And they're like, nah, nobody wants to see that. And it's like, well, did you promote it? Did you, you know, did you give it a good time? Did you move around, you know, like on the schedule? Cause that's another thing. I mean, that happened, you know, a couple of shows that I did were on like, uh, you know, I think the last, the last one that I was number one on the call sheet for, I think there were nine episodes and I think we were on in four different time slots, you know, which is like, it's like, you know, you're, yeah, you're, you're selling a product and like, it's only a target this week, but next week it's only going to be at CVS, you know? And then they're like, it's not selling target this week, but next week it's only going to be at CVS, you know?

And then they're like, it's not selling, you know, like, yeah, well, you're fucking with it. You know, exactly. I mean, this business is impossible to truly understand or to make a plan for the future and or to even like navigate in that way, because I think so much of, you know, a project, a TV show or movie is about connecting with an audience and you never know when that's going to happen. You know, you never know when that like magic fairy dust is going to be sprinkled on top of your project because you can have the greatest things to the best actor, the best director, the best network or the best, you know, producers. And it doesn't turn out the way that it should or it does turn out. But the audience doesn't respond to it. So there's really

there's no exact way I think of cracking, you know, this puzzle of our business. Really, there's no exact way, I think, of cracking, you know, this puzzle of our business. Yeah. Now, you took some time off. I mean, I read in some of the research that, you know, was done for me. I mean, come on. I'm not going to the library over these things. It's a podcast. But you took some time off.

And, like, was that like a I want to have kids kind of thing? Or was it a combination of, I want to have kids and I'm sick of this? Yeah, I took time off with both kids. So when Teddy was born, he's 11 now. So 2010, right before Christmas, almost 2011. I had him and then I really, so I took off when I was pregnant

and I took almost a year off after that. And for me, it was just like, I gained 55 pounds in my pregnancy. I wanted to be home with my baby. You know, I didn't want to leave the house. It was just really important for me as a mother to, you know, have that special time of connection. So if I did go back to work or whatever that looked like, this was my special time with him. And it ended up extending because I wanted to create a cookbook. You know, I did the Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours where, you know, I just have cooked so much. And when I started traveling alone, food was my connection with people. So, you know, when I was in Japan, I was learning how to make things. When I was in Italy, I learned how to make ravioli, you know, so it was all these different

things. And so when I had some time with Teddy and I was just like kind of living and breathing with him, I really wanted to create something about food as connection and, you know, messiness and mistakes are what make things beautiful in life. And so it was my cookbook, you know, was shot in my home with recipes that I developed with my best friends. And then, you know, we put together, you know, a manuscript and then we, I had to go out and sell it, you know, 12 no's, one yes, you know, all the matters. Yeah. Yeah. And I got to create this cookbook. And that has been another kind of different part of my life and something that I love and I'm grateful for. Do you still pursue that avenue? I mean, I'm actually coming out with my own wine. So that's like, you know,

the next extension of that, because I still throw dinner parties all the time. And my books, which is Kitchen Revelry, I did it based on a calendar year. So it's two menus a month from like appetizer to dessert and just like fun revelrous parties, you know, Buffalo, you know, chicken sliders and like delicious ricotta meatballs and things like that, like delicious food. Cause I like things a little too sweet and a little too salty. I like it. Yeah. From that, then I got this opportunity to make my wine, which is called Forever Gold. It comes out in September. And I've been working on that for about for over a year at this point and doing things with award winning sommeliers. And I have a small lot Bordeaux blend and a Central Coast Chardonnay. I mean, how does

that I mean, how how does that happen? Do you, I think because of my cookbook and they know my love of food and wine, they came to me. And so I partnered with them and was able to, you know, I've done, you know, eight or nine tastings, you know, just trying to find what's exactly right for me. And then I'm, I'm able, I have a piece of it. I own it. So instead of in my life, I've always been a for hire, even for different things on social media or, you know, commercials I've done. This is something that's mine.

Yeah. And so it's a change of things. And it's something I'm really proud of. And I'm excited to get behind. When you start the tasting, are you tasting for what you like or for what you think will sell? Or are they the same thing? Great question. You know, I've learned a lot more about the business now that I'm coming in the other side of it.

And I'm not just going to be a huge consumer. Lay off the huge thing. You still got to work, you know? Totally. And so 95% of people buy their wine because of the label. Yeah. So that's just, you know, and then the price point. And so that is something that I thought was crazy. I know what I love and because I've traveled all over the world, you know, I love, you know, French wines. I love Spanish wines, but I know like the flavor profile. And for me, it's like, I like a Chardonnay, but very lightly oaked. I don't want something that is like this big buttery explosion. I want something that is perfectly balanced,

a touch of grapefruit to it, but just enough butter to kind of round it out. And I'm going to enjoy drinking, you know, that is delicious that you can have with a meal or you can enjoy with like cheese with your girlfriends, you know? And then my Bordeaux blend is one of my favorites because it's a mix of Petit Bordeaux, Cab Franc and Merlot. And so that one to me, it's like a small lot and it's just got like tobacco and dark cherry. And it's just, it's like delicious.

Yeah. Yeah. Really excited about them. That's, uh, that's, I would be so intimidated by all of that world. Cause I like, again, I, I mean, I kind of know wine and I know what I like, but I also, I would have a hard time saying it would take a long time before I could say tobacco and dark cherry with this great face. You know what I mean? I'd it sounds good though it does it sounds fantastic yeah i was on i i did a i was a guest on a cooking competition show where you know like in one of the in one of the rounds they the producer it was and it was during covid

it was one of the first things i did covid wise. So it was very weird and very locked down. And all the notes were coming from a walkie talkie from a control room and producer. I described like, yeah, it's good. I like this. It was a fish sandwich. I was like, it's good. It captures what it wants and everything. And then they, the AD said, they want you to describe it more. And I just made a jerk off motion. I was like like it's a fish sandwich what the fuck do you want from me you know it takes me back to my days in newport

like what the fuck i don't know uh but yeah so uh um well now you also too like you have you have done a lot of action stuff a lot lot of action genre stuff, the Final Destination movies, the Resident Evil movies. Yes. And is that fun or is it like stressful? I absolutely love it. Well, look, here's the deal. Fun is sometimes stressful to me. Like I like being wrung out when I'm working, you know, like that's part of it. And it's not as much as it's fun doing it, but I love putting myself in those situations. And, you know, when I started with the Resident Evil franchise, I've done three of them. And it's made over a billion dollars.

It's the only female led action series to ever do that. Oh, wow. That's great. And Paul Anderson. Yeah. It's the first time you really saw a woman in that role. It was always a man's role. So she was the first one to do it. And then I came in as this video game girl named Claire Redfield. And, you know, I dyed my hair red every time and people already knew her from

the video games. And it was just amazing because I love doing stunts. I'm a very athletic person. And one of my favorite stunts I've ever done is when I have this like face off with the ax man and there's rain coming down and I'm running and I slide under him with a skateboard and I run up and I flip and I'm hanging from wires. And then I, I get, you know, and it's empowering and it's fun to do. And it's, it's beautiful. It's like choreographing a dance when you're doing these things. So I think that, you know, especially in the roles that I've done in my career, you don't see me often as like, just the wife or the waitress or whatever.

I think that most of the roles I've done could have been written for a man. I always try to find like the strong, you know, the complexity and like the power within a woman in every character that I play. Like, that's what I focus on. Like, where is that? And when is it revealed?

And is it revealed through her being vulnerable? And is it revealed through her being vulnerable or is it revealed through her being just like a killer in this moment? But yeah, I've loved being part of them. I mean, I've done so many different kinds of things in my career from comedy to like all the action to sci-fi. And there definitely is like, you know, I like doing it all. I like that it's stuck in one box it just i i do when i look at these movies to me i always you know i my my frame of reference is always from a professional frame of reference and when i see like a resident evil movie yeah like probably the part of of imdb that i look up the most is location and i see like like, wow, she spent a long time in, I don't, I think Mexico. Yeah, yeah.

In South Africa. Yeah, in Vancouver. Yeah. And is that, now that you have kids, is that, does that make it more daunting? You know, especially now that your kids are in school to take those kind of jobs? Because that was like a family affair. daunting, you know, especially now that your kids are in school to take those kind of jobs? Because that was like a family affair. We went to Cape Town for three and a half months and Vivian was only six months old. So that was a big thing for me to go, oh, my gosh, this is coming together. But Mila had a five month old. So it was crazy. So we are like these kick ass women covered in

blood, strapped up, you know, geared up with the guns. And then you see us with like our little ones, like nursing on the corner. It was, you know. Did you get stage blood on the baby? A hundred percent. Yeah, yeah. And then I had, you know, my five-year-old who was just like, you know, we would get him like bruised up and, you know, dirty to make up. He'd be in a makeup trailer, you know, running around with zombies.

and, you know, dirty didn't make up. He'd be in a makeup trailer, you know, zombies. And, you know, it was definitely easier because, you know, Mila is the leader of the movie and definitely the head of this franchise. And she creates an environment that's family forward. And so even if we're shooting nights or whatever, we're all kind of in it together, but there's space for that.

So, and so I was grateful. And then we put my son in the little Afrikaans school there. And it was totally an adventure in our family. But, you know, I didn't sleep for three months. We were shooting nights. I had, you know, you're conjuring up all these awful things when it's a post-apocalyptic world. So the shoot to me was really, really difficult. But the experience of it was incredible.

Do you know what I'm saying? I know. No, I know exactly what you mean. And I mean, and I'm, you know, I always find it's, it's like a sign of a healthy mind when you go through something difficult and you look back on it and you say, oh, that was nice. You know, as I was, I've always been amazed by family vacations, going on a family vacation, in which it seems while you're in it, mostly what you're doing is yelling at each other and the kids are complaining and somebody's always crying. And then on the flight home, you're going, man, that was great. I think it's just something that you're like, it's a mechanism in the human brain that makes us able to go on. Because if we just really thought about how stressful it was and how much our cortisol levels were being raised when they're supposed to being lowered.

I don't think we'd do it again. You know, I think I think you're completely right. And it's like you go back and you think about the great opportunities when you even have a minute away from it. And I always think about like, you don't know the title of this chapter, you know, when you're living it, you don't know what, why this is happening in your life. And all you can do is hopefully continue to grow from your experiences and live a lifetime of peaks and valleys, you know, that's what it is. And like, when I was shooting it, I was like dying, you know, and like, I was like worried someone, we we were gonna we was just didn't feel safe and i had a new baby and i'm like the

whole thing was wild and then you kind of you come out of it and you go oh my gosh like that was an extraordinary adventure for my family yeah you know and one that we'll never ever forget so yeah are there are there things that you because I can I speak for myself, there's like things that I learned, you know, in show business and also just from my childhood, too, that really affect the way I parent in a way that is like, I'm not going to do that to them. And are there things like that that, you in, in your mothering style that, that you can think of, or, you know, that you'd be willing to share? I just always wish I was more patient. I'm not a patient person. I like it yesterday, you know, and I'm just, it's just not a gift I have and I can easily get frustrated. So that to me is like something I'm constantly working on, but I believe that your children

are presented to you to take a look at yourself and grow, right? Like, so the things that drive you crazy about them is your job to figure out why that makes you feel that way. And how could you grow as a person? You know, why is he bothered? Why is what he's doing triggering me like this? So you have to take that look. And I have one child that does that to me every day. And I'm like, oh my God, you're just here to like, maybe grow up. And then I have another one. Is that your son or your daughter? And I have my delicious little girl. He's just like, I love you, mom. And I'm just like, oh, she, she's sometimes like, okay, like take away everything in the world. You just have this one person that looks at you and just, you know, wakes me up with a little kiss in the morning,

you know, stinking cute. But I think that, you know, parenting to me, I think also being old enough now is that I know this is a limited time in my life, you know, where everything felt so urgent in my twenties. And that if I didn't do every single thing, it was going to be taken away, you know, that kind of mindset. And now I'm aware that like in five, eight years, I mean, my kids could be off, you know what I'm saying? And, you know, in school and they're driving and they're kind of moving to a different stage of their life. And I'm very aware of us being together right now and really being present at their games. I do family dinners at least three or four nights a week.

Like that to me is what I took from my childhood. And I really believe that that's a big key into our family. Yeah. And everyone connected. Yeah. How old is your daughter? She's seven. Seven. Yeah. It's, it does get hard when the, and you're probably sensing it with your son now is because, and it was,

it was a difficult thing when my, cause my kids are 21 and 16, 21 year old son, a 16 year old daughter. Are they with you? They live in the same city. Yeah. Yeah. They're all, they're all here. My daughter lives with my ex-wife. Okay. Minutes away. And my son goes to USC and lives in an apartment 20 minutes away,

but that doesn't keep it from me not seeing him for two or three weeks at a time. To which, to which he says, you know, dad, I'm, I am in college and I'm like,

yeah, but you live 20 minutes away. Would it be so hard to have coffee? You know, but, but it is a difficult part for me was always, and I would have to tell myself, I'd have to stop myself. Part of their, a necessary part of their development is pushing me away and a necessary depart. A part of their development is thinking I am just an idiot and an asshole. And,

you know, and, and it's tough because as a parent, you're kind of, you know, I always think of the phrase, you know, you're working towards your own obsolescence.

You know, you're, you're pouring all your energy into somebody. Right. That needs you. And what you're doing is working so that they don't need you anymore. And it gets it gets weird. You know, I definitely have a tween in that way. And, you know, and he my son is so brilliant. And like, I just can't wait to see what he ends up doing with his life. But, you know, we ended up moving to a mountain town about a year and a half ago. We moved from Los Angeles to a really small town of just like 4,000 people.

And it's really a part of it. A huge part of it is now I have three range kids where I'm like, go, I'll see you in four hours. Yeah, yeah. Go, come back. You know what I'm saying? Go in a mountain bike, go for a hike, you know, go find your friends. Like, just go get lost. That's amazing. Yeah. Big part of that is I wasn't, we weren't able to provide that

for him where we were living in LA. And so now I just think the choices that we made are a lot of it's for them to give them the sense of agency so that they can do that with me. Like, it's not going to, I don't have to hover. I don't have to helicopter parent, you know, I'm like, go learn your lessons on the mountain, go skin your knee, get a bandaid. You're fine. You know, being so type A neurotic, you know, like West Side Mom situation. I'm just like, that is done. And now we're kind of we're raising them in a way that I think much more aligns with how me and he's one parent. That's that's like not like get out of here yeah well no but i mean that's because that's the kind of childhood i had i mean i grew up in the country and it really was like you know we would we were if in the woods i would hear my grandmother she had a bell she rang or you know like time to go eat dinner because you could hear this bell and i'm that i mean yeah i couldn't

do that here I mean and and that's the thing you know so you know we made those choices and um you know we'll see how it unfolds my son's like nobody knows what supreme is here mom I go you know what you shouldn't even be owning supreme you just don't put on your patagonia you know yeah Is that, do they go to public school there? Or is there a private school? Yeah. Oh, that's great. That's really nice.

Yeah. So that's a dose of reality. Yeah. Where it's like, you kind of, I bump into the fifth grade teacher at the supermarket. You know, it's like everyone's together. And there's also part of that community, which is something that I grew up with, which again, like living in big cities for the last 30 years, even, you know, I never even, I could have never told you, I would have never believed I would have done this. You know, we would have moved here. But now I just, I love being able to

raise our children in a small town. It's just like, it really has all those, those pieces that I think that me and Hayes were really missing and we wanted to have for our kids. That's great. That's great. Yeah. Well, speaking of mountains, in your latest film, you do a lot of wandering around in a mountainy wilderness. It's called the last victim. And I got, I got a chance. I haven't finished it because I am old and I needed to go to sleep last night, but I really want to see the end of it, but it's really, it's really, it's kind of

it's just one of those murder stories and a bleak you know bleak kind of beautiful yeah noir kind of yeah yeah uh tell me about how that how that came about that i mean so navin is a director and this was his first movie and really his darling and something he really wanted to make. He thought about the script for over 20 years and he, you know, came to me with this movie and just totally won me over because of his true, just passion and energy for filmmaking and for storytelling. And he was putting together this incredible cast and just really believed in

me in this character of Susan. And, you know, when I said, all right, you know, I'll get on board with you. Let's go create something special and have fun while we're doing it. And also, I love, again, to be able to play these women that you can find where their power comes from. So this movie is about a woman who's being hunted by the band of outlaws, and she has to question her own morality in order to survive and so you know we shot this in colona canada you know which is playing for new mexico where it was kind of warm we started and by the end you know it was snowing and frozen on the ground so you know when i have my scenes with like the inimitable ron perlman i'm actually freezing like

one of the things that we were in the elements when we were shooting this and for this kind of movie where it is really raw and there are brutal moments, that's something that I actually prefer. I don't want to be on a soundstage. I love being shooting outside and shooting nights because it just kind of, it makes it more visceral and you kind of, you can get, you can get there faster and not have to do it as an actor. But I just, I loved that, you know, I really connected with the character of Susan because she's very type A. She's someone who likes to control everything. OCD makes lists.

And she's going, you know, on this adventure, this journey with her husband going to the next chapter of her life, leaving a big city. They haven't had kids. Things aren't really working out for them. They're trying to work on their marriage and, and really calm her down. She's just filled with anxiety. And they go off into the woods and these guys come and kill her husband and hunt her down. And so you take this woman that is so uncomfortable in the wilderness, has no survival skills, and you see her really be this pawn in the game and hovering and freezing in a cave and not knowing how she's going to survive through the night.

Yeah. And then she sees them take the ring off her husband. And this like, you know, feral veracity comes out in her and you see her kind of emerge. And, you know, instead of being, you know, the pawn in the one who's hunted, she starts to be the hunter, you know, and she starts going after them and finding a way to survive. And she really just emerges as almost like a more complete person by the end of this movie. And, you know, I think it's got a great ending. You know, I have some great scenes with Dakota where, you know, when you've experienced that much trauma and everything that went through, like the blaming has to come to an end and that they've got to come together,

you know, be able to grow from it. And so, you know, you have those themes in the movie, but it's, it's just really a survival thriller. It's a really fun, compelling movie. And I do like, I do like that your character, cause it's, you know, it's like if your character had been, you know, like an outback guide survivalist, it wouldn't be that like it'd be kind of like, all right. OK, yeah, she's probably going to, you know, one up the bad guys.

Whereas you just see this kind of this person thrown into this situation and they survive the way an animal would. the way an animal would. And they think like, you know, a smart animal, but still not, not look, just looking to survive and looking to get out and just being smart. Power within yourself and everything that you're capable of. Yeah. When you're pushed to the edge, what are you capable of, capable of to survive? And, you know, he put, you know, Naveen has this guy, Ralph Innocent, who you've seen in a thousand movies, but he has this voice.

The movie has all those kind of fun elements of people that you want to watch in these environments. And it also kind of takes on the idea of like isolist, you know, isolist communities, you know, these tiny little places where people are living the same life generations and generations. Yeah. Not growing and changing because they're not having different points of view brought in. Did moving to a mountain town affect, you know, like your view of this movie? Did you think like this, like it was kind of kismet that the two things came together? You know, it's I mean, honestly, I never thought I would ever be living in a mountain town outside of like L.A. or New York. And it has been so extraordinary to not be in the hamster wheel buzz of LA to not to be around normal people.

Like I'm saying that, you know, like fly fishermen and, you know, artists and just different kinds of people, rather than everything being about Hollywood or the kids and just like, you know, the G wagons lined up at school and, you know, the hour of traffic on the four or five. And, you know, I just, it's been like one of the greatest gifts for us, because when COVID happened, our kids were on Zoom. You know, all the California schools shut down and an amazing public school there that we loved and championed. But they didn't put our kids were not in school, you know, and it's like that was the hardest part for us. Like there was no way I could stay home. I'm not a good teacher. You know, I'm not patient. And so we went on this adventure thinking we were going for a couple of months and never left this kind of you know you know we're on planes a lot for work i mean that's just part of it

but we saw this kind of um i don't know this next chapter for us and when you're not embedded in the business it gives different stories to tell so even as like an artist here i like just got the rights to this extraordinary book i have different things that I'm doing. And I think it's coming to me because I have more space and time to think instead of just like Hollywood, like breathing down my neck every month. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Yeah. No, I, yeah, absolutely. I always just, I feel like this town, it's really, it's fun to do what we do for a living. It exciting to do it we're deeply deeply entitled but we also live in a place that is not real yeah and that and that especially when you're raising children in it i was always and it's unavoidable you know i mean i feel like my kids are about as real

as they could be given the situation but they still grew up you know yeah on a cloud on top of bubblegum mountain you know godfathers you know and their friends yeah and then like you know like their friends like much more famous successful parents friends you know who are like you know here you want a 700 cashmere sweater i you know my dad bought six of them and i you know, here, you want a $700 cashmere sweater? I, you know, my dad bought six of them and I, you know, and you know, and my son comes home and I'm like, where'd you get that? He's like, you know, my friend gave it to me. I'm like, oh Jesus. You know? So yeah, it's, it's, it's not a real place. And, and it's, I always, I don't know, you know, I worry about it, but what am I going to do? You know, it's like, I also worry. I'm sure that you have your kids super grounded, you know, and that's like, they have that through

their parents, you know, it's what we do for a living. Like my kids are still going to be on every set I'm on. They already live a make-believe life, you know? So it's like, even though now we're not like in this massive city in Hollywood, they're still going to be in all that. It's just not going to be an everyday thing. We're trying to ground them with values, you know, and like all you have at the end of the day is like hike up that mountain, you know, that's going to define what success looks like for you in life, you know, because you're going to get through it in valleys, you know, so don't believe it's just one thing, like find that inside yourself, you know, you have to define what success is going to look like for you. And so it's like trying to embed that in them.

have to define what success is going to look like for you. And so it's like trying to embed that in them. You, you mentioned, you know, you mentioned getting the rights to a book and stuff going forward. Like, is, is there, is there something, is there like a really big goal that you have ahead of you that you really want to get to, or is there something where there is? Yeah. I mean, I think that one of the things with moving here and having some time and space was really questioning that. And like, is there still a place in this business? Like, do I want to just be auditioning, trying to get a show? Like, what does it even look like for me? You know? And one of the things that I know that I want is that I just, I want to tell empowered female stories and not always just through the action of it, but from peeling back the layers of the onion and seeing what makes someone really what makes them tick and where they find their power.

And so, yeah, I got the rights to this book about the mother of a Navy SEAL. And I'm old enough now to play that, you know, talk about the emotional complexity that comes with the families of people whose children go into the military. And the cost of that is humans and the cost of it all, you know, And so I think it's finding those things, you know, getting the rights to that book. So that's my baby. And so hope, I mean, I pray I'm going to get it made. You know, we always just believe right. And we're just like, always believe. Yeah. What else are you going to do? You can't go like, well, odds are against it.

You just always have to kid yourself. And I mean, you're not even kidding yourself, but just be like, yeah, I know it's a narrow shot, but what am I going to do? I got to believe. Exactly. And what I do and I have is like I have energy, you know, and so it's like I think about this business and I'm constantly pushing the boulder up the mountain. That's this business.

But it's like when I have something I love, I have this kind of like the strength that doesn't go away. And so this project of like the strength that doesn't go away. And so this project is like my baby. And I don't usually get to do those kind of roles either because I'm in some things that are more like sci-fi or I play like, you know, a woman who's never had kids because she's a tough executive. It's like you do, even though I get to play different kinds of genres, it's within that banner. And so this is amazing. I had sold a show to Fox. So that was like, kind of brought me into this world and realizing that as a woman, you know, you have like so many

opportunities in your twenties and you have a bunch of opportunities in your thirties and you have like a few in your forties, you know, and that for me, it's going to be about finding the work that I want, going to the relationships that I've made over the years, because I know so many people just like you do and championing the stories that I want to tell and get them. That's great. That's great. And do you see staying in that mountain town? Like your kids going to high school there and everything? Yeah. We're going to raise them here. And then, you know, my thing is like I'm a maximum three to four months. So if I end up doing a show, cause most of our stuff isn't in L.A. anymore either. So that's where things have changed to where we I would never live outside of L.A.

when my kids were young because I only wanted to work where they were. Now I'm in Atlanta. I'm in Shreveport. I'm doing a movie in Nashville this summer. I'm like, I'm all over. I was just in L.A. last week, but I was there for 36 hours. You know, so, you know, you're in and out. But yeah, we're going to raise them here and then just be on planes a lot. We're going to do it. Yeah. And then take them to big cities a lot too, you know, like, you know, Chicago, New York, and then really going to Paris and going to Normandy. We want to take them to Normandy

and show them that. So I think it's, you know, there's a difference now that it's like, not just around us all the time, that now you need to go to the cities and you need to show them all that and go to Washington and do those kinds of adventures. That's great. Yeah. Well, what's, what's your main takeaway from your own life? Like, what do you think, what's the thing you've learned the most from your, you know, the particular path that you have been on? Just breathe. Yeah. Just breathe. You know, everything's going to be okay. You know, it's like, it's, if I could look back and I've told myself back for the last 30 years, cause everything, it was so high octane, you know, you still always have to get your next job.

Yeah. You know, and the amount of rejection is so much more than anybody ever realizes. So I think just breathe. I think that I just, I feel really grateful that I get to continue to work in this industry, even though it definitely has its highs and lows. I think that I just, I feel really grateful that I get to continue to work in this industry, even though it definitely has its highs and lows. I love storytelling. And, you know, and for me, it's also, I think that I'm repeating the pattern of my parents, which is family first and making sure that, you know, I'm going to raise, you know,

a generation of great kids that are going to go out and help the world. That's great. Yeah. I endorse all of that. I mean, if you were wondering. All right. Well, thank you so much for taking the time. When when can people and when and where can people see The Last Victim? So Friday the 13th, it's out in theaters, limited theaters, L.A., New York, Chicago. And then on pay-per-view, you could just rent it on Friday night.

So hopefully people will grab their friends get together make some popcorn yeah and check out the last victim it's it's a i really enjoyed it i mean i haven't like i say i i'm gonna finish it because i have to know what happens but uh it's really it's really a fun kind of it's like a gritty survival yeah it's like a rural noir kind of murder mystery. Exactly. And I encourage people to see it. Well, thank you, Allie. Allie Larder. Good luck. Enjoy

the mountains. Thank you. And thank all of you out there for listening. And we will be back next week with three, well, they're the same questions, but there'll be three more. I've got a big, big love for you. The Three Questions with Andy Richter week with three, well, they're the same questions, but there'll be three more. The Three Questions with Andy Richter is a Team Coco and Earwolf production. It is produced by Lane Gerbig, engineered by Marina Pice, and talent produced by Kalitza Hayek.

The associate producer is Jen Samples, supervising producer Aaron Blair, and executive producers Adam Sachs and Jeff Ross at Team Coco, and Colin Anderson and Cody Fisher at Earwolf. Make sure to rate and review The Three Questions with Andy Richter on Apple Podcasts.