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The following output was transcribed from our audio recording.
Although the transcription is largely accurate, it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.
It is posted to aid in understanding the interview but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
Mindy Cohn 00:02
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Mondays with Mandy Christian Brescia. How are ya?
Christian Brescia 00:08
I'm very well how are you, Mindy?
Mindy Cohn 00:09
I'm good. Christian and I are going to be having a conversation with actress producer, writer and activist Meredith Salinger. Meredith was born and raised in Malibu, California, and began her acting career at the tender age of 10 years old playing an orphan in the 1982 film version of Annie directed by john Houston. By 14 she was starring in the leading role of the journey of Natty Gan opposite junk hoosac. And from there she went on to star in films like little ones like dream, a little dream and a night in the life of Jimmy Reardon with River Phoenix. She then took a break and went to Harvard University, graduating from lavvy with a degree in psychology, and Upon her return to Hollywood, Meredith was cast opposite Steve Carell in HUD, guested on gobs of television shows including willen grace, anger management and Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, damages and obviously many, many more. She also starred in the film's Lake Placid and village of the dam and a multitude of Indies, while entering the world of voiceover, joining the Star Wars universes of the Clone Wars, and the Force Awakens and rebels. You can also hear her voice in loads of other animated movies and currently on the Marvel show on Hulu called modok. Sure, I feel really bad it's mo D. Okay. All right, find out anyway. or not, depending on where the conversation takes us. It's true. In 2009, Meredith went back to school this time Pepperdine, for a certificate in mediation for dispute resolution. She is on the Leadership Committee for vote mama a pack that supports democratic moms. She's an advisor to two tech companies, search kibble and verbal apparently we're supposed to be on there on some way with our podcasts. By the way, kiddo, we got to look into that, and is writing and producing two shows with her writing partner Matt Boren. She also produces and hosts a podcast with her husband called Did you get my text, which has just dropped and Meredith lives with her husband, that amazing guy who I know and love comedian Patton Oswald and their daughter, Alice in Los Angeles.
Christian Brescia 02:22
Amazing. I'm very excited to meet her. Should we bring her in?
Mindy Cohn 02:25
Yeah, let's do it.
Christian Brescia 02:26
Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the show. Meredith Salinger. Hello, Meredith.
Meredith Salenger 02:32
Hello.
Mindy Cohn 02:34
Welcome. Welcome. Welcome,
Meredith Salenger 02:36
Hi guys.
Christian Brescia 02:37
Nice to see you. Nice to have you on.
Meredith Salenger 02:39
So happy to be here.
Mindy Cohn 02:40
Oh, good. Um, we start each episode digging into our jar with just five out of 20 random questions that Christian and I have sort of, you know, thrown together, put together. Yes. So I'm Meredith, who is the most fascinating person you've met? Well, I've met Kamala Harris. And she's fascinating.
Christian Brescia 03:01
A good one.
Meredith Salenger 03:02
Gosh, who's the most fascinating. I mean, that's a really good question. I would say her. Fascinating. Yeah. first female VP, African American Indian makes I mean, come on. Yeah. And I'm a little I'm a tad obsessed with her husband. I love him. I love him. I love him. Yeah. Adorable.
Mindy Cohn 03:23
Um, who is your celebrity crush?
Meredith Salenger 03:26
Well, Barack Obama. I mean, I know he's not. He's not like an actor. But I'm still I love him more than anyone in the world. More than I would die. I have not met him. Everybody knows that he's the most important person and oh my god. I'm so jealous. He's everything. And more. I know. Oh, trust me. I know. You will prayer candle with his I've every book. I've a prayer candle. I've had fans Photoshop me into pictures. I am obsessed. I love him so much. You don't understand. I wasn't gonna get married unless it was someone as good as him. Which is hard to find. Almost there. I was just gonna say you just complimented. Like, oh my god very big way. I know. I mean, Barack Obama's like, oh, patents like almost almost. Yeah. knows, you know? Sure. He knows. Yeah. Um, oh my god. What's the funniest thing that has happened to you most recently? Ah, well, I wouldn't say it's the funniest. It was funny in retrospect. There was someone rang my doorbell. And I like went to see who it was. And there was no one at the door. And then I like checked the security cameras because that was weird. And then I see a man walking into my backyard. And my daughter comes up and she goes, Mom, there's a guy in our backyard and I was like, and I went and I grabbed I have a baseball bat. And I get it's like a little pink. Aluminum. It's like a little kid baseball. But I went in the backyard and I was like, I was saying my word.
04:57
Ah,
Mindy Cohn 04:59
he looked like on homeless person. I didn't know what was happening. Anyway, it took them forever to get out. But the gardener had told him to come to my house and it was a regular guy. But I scared the living daylights out of him. I was like, and yeah, it's funny in retrospect, and Patton definitely put this in his show, because it was so crazy. He said, I had like, Manson girl energy coming at this guy. That's fantastic. I think it would have been hilarious to watch. Like, in retrospect, what you were doing? Yeah, it was crazy. I was a mad woman. And I actually went out the door and I said, to Matt, and I was like, You stay here and I shut the door behind me like I was gonna protect everybody in the house. You guys stay here. Shut the door. Like I was the ball. Yeah, I love that. It could control your the living daylights out of them. Yeah, I'm sure mama lion. I like it. Okay, so anything but this story? What scares you? Well, spiders, actually. Okay, well, I mean, a lot of things scare me like, people who don't believe in science and won't wear their masks scare me. People who, you know, don't listen to rules and want to, you know, be insurrectionists Jeremy, they scare me the most. I'm terrified. But yes, the funnier answer is spiders. And I actually did a movie where I had to scream. I did a movie with john carpenter. And I had to like, turn and see something scary and had to go and scream. But as me I turned it on. I like gasped and he's like, that's not a scream. I need you to scream. I'm like, I don't scream I like that's my screen. And he's like, what scares you? And I said, spiders, any. Take a five minute break. And we were filming up in the woods in like, out of nowhere. We were and he sent some pa out to go collect spiders. And I didn't know this. And then he's like, when I say action, I want you to turn and look at me. And I was like, Alright, and he's holding a jar of spiders, but I didn't know that yet. So I turn and I look and I go to scream and I see is holding a jar of spiders. And I was I burst out laughing. I was like, I was like it's not gonna make I'm not gonna scream if they're in a jar. And he goes Do you want me to throw them at you jumping open the door and I was like, no call scream.
07:09
I was so scared that
Mindy Cohn 07:10
I actually I was like, oh god, I better scream. Fantastic. We call that method acting. There's nothing wrong with that.
07:17
Fearful acting don't bro spiders.
Mindy Cohn 07:19
Yes. All right. mer. What is your favorite place to travel to? And why? Barcelona? Hmm? Have you been? Okay? No. Oh, yes. Oh, the architecture, the people the food that you can walk along the streets at night and you just pass by the coolest. There's beautiful buildings and hotels and houses and everything like that. But gauti who's an amazing architect? Yes. Not just the SOP that write the Grotto familia, not just that. There's other little houses, there's little places you just walk in. You just there's art everywhere. People are so free. And it's kind of I mean, I grew up in Malibu, though. I'm a flip flop wearing kind of flowy skirt jeans and T shirt kind of girl like yeah, I'm not stylish. I'm not new, though. No, it is. It is. I'm Old Navy is my favorite brand. My point is, Barcelona has that like very easy going energy. And it's beautiful. And it's free. And it's just awesome. I love it. I want to go back through so bad. And so I have to ask how's the food? Amazing. Amazing. And I net pie? Yeah. Are you kidding me? Everything. Everything. The croissants, there's like little you know, things pays for everything. The orange juice. I don't even have time to go. Okay. I Well, I'm Christians, but you've been right.
Christian Brescia 08:41
I have Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I was there. Obviously more. I spent a little bit more time in Madrid. But I love Spain in general is such a beautiful country. Like you said the food is. It's hard to find something you wouldn't enjoy.
08:51
Yeah, it's so good.
Mindy Cohn 08:54
And the markets There are so interesting. And they have like exotic animals which they shouldn't be, you know, the exotic that that's not okay. But it's interesting. Okay. But it's not okay. But I was like, Wow, look at that little monkey. But no, don't buy a monkey. Okay, so I am now tacking into our like, creative process. Like let's talk creatives to creatives. This is like what, you know, Mondays with Monday is all about, um, I am such a huge fan of yours for so many reasons. Yes, you're a talented actor. But why I'm really a fan is because you are so relatable to me personally, we both went back to school, we both got graduate degrees. We both are self claimed very proud actors. And yet we have tried to just keep the momentum of a career and a creative life going in very different ways. And so I just really respect your game. And what I mean by that is the way that you are able seemingly with your writing and producing partner now Matt, like creating your own content, coming your own ship when you can, saying yes to jobs that come Whether they are theatrical or voiceover, I'm just always in the yes mode, which pretty much pretty much an actor or creative in general, I just think you have to be if you're a lifer, and you seem like a lifer. Well, thank you for saying that. And yes, that is true. And I would say more recently, all these wonderful extra different kinds of parts of my life happened kind of like at the beginning like a few months prior to Coronavirus. Um, you know, I've always been an actress role is very important to me, academics are incredibly important to me. So you and I both went to the exact same high school we went to Westlake School for Girls, which is the greatest ever best experience of my life. A great mind tale. Oh, amazing. And we'll talk about that in a second. But I was always been an actress, like, I do a movie and when I wasn't doing a movie, I'd be in school and but I was always working somehow as an actress, and then I took off for years to go to college. And then as soon as I got back from college, I started up acting again. Yeah, and for fun, I would write and I write poetry on my own. And I a very great friend of mine, who's now my writing and producing partner, Matt Bourne. We met up with these great ideas. But then it like a friend of mine wrote a song called like a feather. Her name's Nick Acosta. And the idea of this song is, if you just put out your hand and let things float down to you, it's like a feather and it just lands and things come to you like that, if you like reach at them, like the feather is gonna fly away. It's an interesting idea. And that's never really happened. Well, but this year, the idea of writing a show, my partner and I wrote a sitcom, and an animated show. We sold them both at the very beginning of Coronavirus, and we're still raising production working on those now. And those just thought if I am for hire, I'm just going to solicit myself blade, girl and oh my god, thanks. Okay, fine. Yes. about that. But that happens. And then I got very politically active. I've been very politically active. Yes, you hired to Barack Obama becoming president prior to that, but very much so during this horrific time that we've had for the last four years. And I spent so much time trying very hard to get people elected and to bring awareness to certain issues. And I joined the Leadership Council of this amazing pack called vote Mama, which wants to get democratic women elected up and down the ballot from school board to, to whatever, right. And that's been really important to me. And all these things this year, just sort of like fell in my lap. And yes, I said yes. Because everything was so important to me everything. Like every single thing just mattered so much. And I think because I you know, I recently got married. Yes, it well. It's been three and a half years. And so this last year, we think being married pattern is so supportive and loving. It just gave me this also such a doula. So I God, can you How can you live with a doula and not kind of not? Right? Yeah, thank you for having him be this incredibly supportive, loving person. I felt very safe to explore these other things. It wasn't like, well, I'm just an actress. I'm just gonna wait. Definitely my next job. Yeah. Although there was a time when, like, in 2009, I remember, I hadn't worked for like six months. And I'm from a very academic family. And my parents were sort of like saying, you're not working you What are you going to do like, not that there's anything wrong with being a waitress, but you're a smart girl, and you should have another career. You can't just sit around. And so I went the Straus Institute of dispute resolution at Pepperdine law school to get my degree, my certificate in mediation. I did that in 2009. Yeah. And it was so inspiring and amazing. I love doing that. I'm like a mediator anyway, like, even in my family, like, it was just natural to me, and I interrupt you for a second. Well, no, please. I mean, this Hello. Yeah. And I don't want to hear me and Christians heard me, you know, for 25 years. So he's not enough. But I do want to say there is something about this in the waiting, I try and explain this to my, I have very tiny friends that are very high powered in all kinds of lands. And sometimes it's very hard for them to understand, especially someone like me, who's an oz, I'm behind the curtain making things happen for other people. Why I can't seem to do that for myself as an actor. And I said, it's so interesting. This is where psychological and emotional health comes into play kiddos. Because as an actor, yes, I am in the waiting. In other words, it's the only career I know of it is subjective, and you have to wait to get the opportunities to do it. For the most part, you can create your own content. Yes, but I'm saying you can create your own content doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to star in your own content. Exactly. But it's very hard to explain to people who know me as me and when I do that, can't seem to be turned around on myself. And I said, You know, I have representation. That's what Therefore, I mean, that's right. And I love that you're frustrated for me. But I wanted to know your coping mechanism. It sounds to me like you go back to school or you do a deep dive into a passion of yours to keep yourself saying, am I correct? You are correct. Well, I only went back to school that one time right to get my certificate. And then I actually did mediate a bunch of cases throughout Los Angeles. I did about 200 cases. Wow. Fantastic. Superior Court downtown and the Beverly Hills courthouse, the Van Nuys courthouse, the Santa Monica courthouse, but then I got a series and it went for 80 episodes. So I stopped mediating. Yeah. Anyway, that's another story. But yes, well, sometimes during the downtime, I'd get super into something. Lino, when I'm interested in something I do the deep dive I you know, there was a time when Kabbalah was definitely something I was like this interesting. And then after, like, three years, I was like, What? What's happening here? Yeah, I will do if I'm passionate about something. I want to know everything about it every single thing. But yes, as an actress, are you kidding me? There are so many times when you just get to. I mean, you just are alone, and you don't have a job. And then, you know, you have a very professional family who do professional jobs. And they're sort of like, Why are you sitting on your butt? You have to be doing something? And I'm like, yeah, conditions are here and there. And if you get it, you get it. And if you don't, you don't until you get it. You don't. Right. Yeah. And it's very hard. And like, I think there was a time I had a college reunion. And I was sort of in that place of I hadn't done a show in a really long time. And I was single. And I was like, Well, I'm not going to go to my high school reunion. They're they I'm not I mean, college reunion, they're gonna all be married and have kids and have jobs. And, you know, their head of Goldman Sachs and their head of Pediatrics at Mass General, and I'm just an actress. And the one thing I loved about going to Harvard was that I was able to at least say to other people, well, I'm not a dumb actress. At least I'm not just a dumb actor sitting around. And it's sort of like it let me off the hook a little bit from being just, you know, yeah, down. You know, sometimes people look down upon, which is a weird, some people really are actors. And other people are like, Oh, he's just stigma.
Christian Brescia 17:16
There's a stigma to networking. Well, also,
Mindy Cohn 17:18
what's fascinating, and it seems to be the only profession that if you get some modicum of fame, which you've had very early on, as you be very brazen. So you're still working? Do you have mad? Like, right? Do you go to a lawyer and ask them like, so do you have? Is the mortgage on your house paid? I mean, it's so amazing to me that that happens. If you ever decide to change your career. I remember, my dad's a dentist, but I think at one point, I could be completely wrong. He looked at architecture, and I'm just thinking to myself, you know, there are people who were lawyers who then decide, you know what, I'm going to be a therapist, and they changed their thing. But no one's like, Oh, you couldn't make it as a lawyer. Like, nobody does that, but only an actor. Yeah. So some of you go into the same field, like producing an entertainment in some way, but you are an actor and then suddenly become a therapist. It's like, Oh, I couldn't make it as an actor. Hmm. And that's the energy behind it. And well, now that I'm, I'm 51. Now, so I'm only now 55. Exactly. You sort of like, I'm, by the way, don't go over it.
18:23
Yeah, I'm so over it. I
18:24
don't care anymore. I'm
18:25
like, Yeah, yes.
Mindy Cohn 18:26
This is what I'm doing. This is what I do. You're right. You're okay with that. That's the problem for you. But when you're younger, it's sort of Yeah, it's hard to not feel bad about yourself. Yeah, my 30s were really hard in that regard, where I was working, but obviously not doing the things of note or doing things as successful as other things. Right. And you did just sort I developed a little bit of a chip and it took, I'm gonna say, a full decade for me to unload that, unpack that, go get my masters like, right, grow up a little bit mature a little bit and realize other people's opinions, you know, are none of my business, but it is challenging. I wanted to ask you about it, because I know you've walked that walk. Yeah. And then there's other things about being an actress. I just remember, there was a time when I hadn't worked in a while. And my manager was like, I feel like you need to go back to acting class and I was like, just appalled because I like pride myself on the fact that I feel like I'm a really good actress. I didn't like move from Texas because someone said you're pretty you should go to LA and be an actor. It's like I actually like I've been acting since I was little and it's my craft and I feel very attached to it in a professional good way. And when he said that I kind of like went to the depths of despair, but it was also right at a time when that drug fen Phen came out. You remember that a diet drug? Do I remember it? I miss it. Anyway, I had a really good relationship with that for about eight months. Let me just tell you, Oh, me too, and I got so skinny and I looked amazing and When I tell you I booked every single job theories after, like, pilot Yeah. And then my manager was like I told you go to acting class. I was like, Listen, mother
20:12
go to acting class, I took diet, I basically became anorexic. And this business.
Mindy Cohn 20:19
You Yeah, that's the work. The business was like, Yeah, definitely. I was just so thin. Yeah. And booked everything. Yeah. Which is? Yeah. And then when I got older, I was sort of like, I'm being the fat brand. I'm being the big children, please. Well, you know, it did happen. There are time. Yeah. I mean, listen, I greatly have never had that issue. And I could be delusional in saying this, but I don't believe it to be so and my mentors have always said this, that the best is yet to come in regard to me. I've always I look forward to aging into Listen, as soon as Betty White no rush. But as soon as she leaves, like, I will step out.
20:58
There's no problems.
Mindy Cohn 20:59
Obviously, I've seen you recently and you're so stylish. Like you're one of those women who's just like, your style and your hair is stylish. Listen to what I'm telling you. My 50s my mother I take after my mother. My dad is the hardest thing to walk the earth. Okay. My mom and self admittedly, she will say this. I mean, they're gonna listen to this. So I want to be careful with my words. But my dad, you know, just hot since he was 19 and met my mother. My mother self admittedly was very homely bookish. She's a lawyer. I mean, you know, it's like, she's brilliant. But when my mom hit her mid 40s, let me tell you something. Something happens. That I think is happening to me. She went from cute and adorable to like, Oh, go ahead. Yeah, you know, and I do feel I'm finally committed to my own. Oh, I think I've been watching your videos. I've been looking at you. And I'm like, with the hair. And it's like a stylish you look, you're like a fashion needs that you kind of like remind me of Anna Wintour a little bit like maybe. Okay, like, you know what I mean? Like the like, just stylish? Me? No, no. Oh, the opposite. No, no, no, please, Mindy. Let me tell you something. I had a wedding I had to go to and this is when I was single. And I went with one of my best friends. And I went to her house. I was gonna pick her up, we're gonna drive together and I knocked on the door. And she opened the door and she went, Oh, no, no, no. Oh, you could
22:21
change you. And I
Mindy Cohn 22:23
was like, wearing like, I'm telling you, right? I don't. I'm not. Unless it's a beach where I really can't pull it together. I've gotten better because I have another best friend who's like, you need to wear this. I'm buying this for you go get this. Okay. And my friends are very much helpful with me. Okay, well, me as most of my very close friends are a lot of them are in the fashion industry. And so I grew up. That's right. But still, I am not. You know. I always call out michael kors. Because his plus size clothes are disgusting, because they're just a big block of fabric. How dare you put up put a Darden Um, anyway, sorry, to my little rant for plus sizing, expensive designer clothes that always pisses me off, like their sizes from two to 12 are gorgeous and darted and pleated and then the plus size is just a swath of fabric like I get so resentful again. So pass okay. Anyway, we tangential Trudy on to passion. But I think this whole sense of appearance. I have Justin, I think it's just what happens. As you get older, you're like, I'm good. I'm very comfortable in my skin more comfortable in my skin. I think Christian can attest me to walk me down to those 30s and 40s. Yeah, I mean, you know, well, I started playing dirty little orphan, which is my favorite kind of role to be. It's just I like to if I'm in a role, my favorite role is being dirty and gritty and crying. And like, I like to get in there and be like, not ugly. But just like, I'll get ugly. I like it. When I have to play the pretty girl when I have to play like the high class wife, whatever. It's, I always feel very uncomfortable. I always it's so much harder from I'm like, Oh, God, I have to look pretty. And then I'm so concerned. Like, do I look like it's just a thing? And I just, oh, yeah, I don't really care anymore. And do you still get excited? I mean, I still get so excited at the possibility of working and creating and collaborating on a film or a TV show. Yes. Oh, does not die, right never dies. Yeah, but you're learning. I was just gonna say when you're actually acting when you're actually on set when you're actually working. It's my favorite place to be. There's literally no place that I feel more comfortable than being on set and working in acting and really like doing a good job and having good material that makes me so happy. So yeah, it's exciting. I have to say this podcast, you know, I will forever be indebted to Christian for so many reasons, but also that he said, Hey, Mama, we're doing this is that you know, for me, it's the biggest thing I missed during the pandemic and besides At home was connecting to other creatives. This is kind of the origins of Monday's with Monday because I realized that in a vacuum, I'm good for a while, by myself, I'm a really good cheerleader for myself, etc. But that sense of communing with each other. feeding off of your energy and your passion is what? You know. I'm telling you, I've just, I'm on a high. Yeah, I mean, this is invigorating. This is actually like, what an exciting day.
25:30
It is. Oh, I
Mindy Cohn 25:31
know you are about to, and by the time that this goes out, you know, it will. What made you in patent decide to do your podcast? Oh, yeah. So well, at the very beginning of Coronavirus. I was like, Pat, we're not doing anything. Like we can't go on set all of these shows. He's a comedian. So he had stand up shows he have a mass cancellation. Oh my gosh, she's hold tour. He's like a rock. You know, like, they're rock stars and comedians, they all go on tour. So he had like, a different city every weekend. And they all got canceled. So there goes, you know, your entire year of salary. Yeah. And then all he's on a sitcom and that, yep, everything got canceled everything. And we were sort of like, you know, what are we gonna do? And I was like, we should do a podcast. And at the beginning, he's like, Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. He says, No, no, no, no. And then as soon as Coronavirus is ending, he's like, we should do. murder you. So we decided to do a podcast because basically during Coronavirus, I'm in my office, he's in his office, or he's in the front porch. And I'm in the back, right. And we text each other all day long. It's malarious. To me never actually speak to each other during the day. He's writing I'm doing stuff. We never speak to each other until like, it's night time. But during the day, we'll text each other. We'll do like a thumbs up or a heart or like, Oh, that's cool response. We never get to have a conversation about anything. So we decided like, wouldn't it be great if we can actually sit down for an hour and just talk to each other in like, face to face about the things that we've been texting each other all day long, but so we started a podcast called Did you get my text? I love it. And so yeah, yeah, it's very funny. I'm so glad about that. Well, and I think just, you know, obviously doing the deep dive into you in your career. I mean, in voiceover Yes. But I think people when they think of you don't realize how funny you are. And also on paper is one thing, but I have found that someone who has degrees and has a certain intellect is usually quite funny and amusing. Well, what the humor to me is usually someone who's clever and witty, and to be clever and witty, you need to be intelligent. And my favorite Well, most comedian, they're incredibly intelligent. Yeah, the social skills of an egg, but I mean, they're brilliant. Mandy, can I just thank you for pointing that out? I have so many friends. Yeah, husband, going anywhere with him is it's like having a toddler. I mean, yes, the social skills. Not high on the roster there. But they're brilliant, for the most part only adorable. Here's my arm candy. Oh my gosh, you're gonna get a piece of jewelry for that, because that's probably the biggest compliment you could ever give him. Right. Oh my gosh. Jewelry from him is another story. Oh, yeah. All right. That'll be a private. T will dish about that. Um, how has your relationship with Alice grown during this year? Especially my Alice? Well, I my dad's a year where you've really bright you're just around more? Not that you aren't before. But well, for listeners who don't know, I married my husband. His wife had passed away. Yeah. And they have a little girl named Alice, who when I met her she's eight years old. And literally like, I don't know if you've been to the American Girl doll store ever. But you can like buy a doll to your specifications. Like you can make her look like you. You could make her personality like she sporty is she? I swear to God. Now let's it as if I ordered her online. She is exactly the right amount of mischievousness, the right amount of cuddly, the right thoughtful the right caring, like she's everything. She not Oh my god, she's my life. I love her so much. And she looks like me. I love her. And her little freckles. Oh my god, I could die. Anyway, so she's my whole heart. I mean, I really think that she's the one who sealed the deal for me to marry patent. Like when I met her I was like, Yeah, yeah, I'll start crying. Yeah, this is crying, but has this year kind of, did it change your relationship with her that she did you homeschooler for instance? Well, yes. She was home. The nice thing about her age because during Coronavirus, she just turned 12. So she was 11 when it started. And the great thing about Alice is she's incredibly bright. So of course, she's able to get online by herself. She doesn't need help, okay? Don't need help with school, but she does. Every now and then she'll come and she'll go like this or come and or I'll read an essay. She wrote her work on it together, but she doesn't actually need help. She's brilliant. And her school really says you don't actually have to help them. If they have a question. We will help them figure it out. And I was like, well, that's interesting. I'm literally have gotten through eighth and ninth grade English without my mother helping me with my papers. So yeah, mostly just saying I in a cone basically wrote most of my papers right through ninth grade till I finally had the courage enough to like, have my own voice and Dr. Dixon said you can write you know, Monday you can do it was my sister with Dr. Dixon? Did you ever talk to Jackson? I didn't have him. But all my friends not his class, and I was just like, jealous. Well, he really is the reason. Mr. Scofield the debate, teacher, I mean, horse and cane. For volleyball. What are you kidding? Also everybody had a crush on him? Yeah, Mr. Brady, everybody had a press on Mr. Brady. Remember, I didn't have he wasn't there when I was there? Oh, he came up. We've gone down into the vortex. Let's go for girls. Faculty. None of you listeners have, you know, decided to where did they just go? Um, yes. But Dr. Dixon really is the one who turned me into a voracious reader, who told me that I could write and I enjoy writing now because of him. So yeah. But before then, you know, because my sister is a genius. And she's a wordsmith. And so as my mother and my mother would sit there, and I mean, anything to get away from the law. My mother was real estate lawyer. So she was like, oh, creative writing. Let's go, you know? Oh, that's amazing. Yeah. So you did not have to do that with Alice. She's sort of a self starter. She's a self starter. But it was great having her home all the time, because it was raining her breaks. Oh, yes. Because then on her break, when she had like, you know, between class shoot at 20 minutes here, or she'll get lunch, and then we get to be together. And she's a snuggler, which is amazing. Like, she's older now. And I always thought like, kids stop snuggling at eight but she likes to snuggle. Snuggle, and we'll talk and we'll lay there and look at each other and, like nose to nose and I just looked at her cute little nose and I just, I just love her to death. What did you guys been john? What's your latest Polish? Oh, God, or do Brown? Oh, yes. The Queen's gambit, the crown? Um, everything everything. What are we? I can't remember now. There was a magic one with that. I can't remember the name. Okay. But everything. Yeah. And we watched up as a family and do you? Yeah, yeah. Binge watches a lot of film. He his whole thing is he he's a film bow. we bonded up when we did a movie together. That's kind of where our first like five conversations were about movies.
32:56
Yeah, he wanted to introduce me to all the classics that I hadn't seen. So millions of them because yeah, you know, I saw Breakfast Club.
Mindy Cohn 33:06
But he's like you didn't see Gone with the Wind. You didn't see a Casa Blanca. You didn't see. So he'd been educating me this during them. So you do the same thing with people that I work with. I will mention Lucy Hale. I just gave her a list of 20 I'm like, Listen, I adore you. Go watch these and we'll have a conversation. Yeah, he does that to me. Okay. With me while I'm watching. So he gets a thrill out of my reaction to seeing things for the first time, though. Yeah, yeah. Who inspires you right now, theatrically? Is there someone that you just go okay, I want to work with you or I want to Well, I mean, there's people that I always look at like Diane waste is always been one of my favorites. And Jean smart is always my favorite and Margo Margo Martindale is always my favorite. And, you know, oh, man, we have such similar tastes. I don't know. I'd like you even more. Obviously, Cate Blanchett is brilliant. And there's so many. There's so many. Yeah, and who I mean outside. So we know Kamala, but like, Who else? Are you just the bee's knees? Like I am Stacy Adams. Like it might be a little uncomfortable if I met Stacey Abrams, right. We might I think I might make her uncomfortable. Oh, I love her. So I Oh, you know, Raphael Warnock? I mean, come on. And there's so many, I mean, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, all of them, every single democrat who ran, we have such a good group of people who actually care. It's really wonderful. And I'm very lucky that I get to be part of so many political zooms. And I've been able to actually be on zooms with these people in the zoom where it happens. With all of these people, it's been like small groups of people among like, the Biden taskforce. Yeah, get the word out about some things and though, all of our Oh, I'm Katie, Katie Porter. Yeah, no, she is she's the. She's the Congress. Horse. I know no chef, because I understand. She won Stacey Abrams, the two of them are like without them. I just feel like every state needs to take the Stacey Abrams. I know. We just need to find ours. And like everybody, every other state needs to find their present. Yeah. Well, man, I want to thank you so much. We don't have it on the books. But we already said yes to a tee date. Yes, we just it's ridiculous. We have traveled in concentric circles for like the last 30 years. And just so you know, I've been a fan of yours forever and shut it. Well, it's true. And I'm so grateful to be on your show. And I think you're so cute. And now so stylish and gorgeous. It's just so crazy. You're just online. And these are really fun. Thank you. Well, Chris and I both are just so grateful that you said yes and gracious with your presence for this episode.
Christian Brescia 35:56
Yeah, and I'll see you. Yeah, absolutely. Ladies and gentlemen, one more time. A big thank you to Meredith Salinger. This episode of money segment is brought to you in part by our sponsors, Beekman. 1802. And the cocktail party love Mary Beekman. 1802 was a clean and cruelty free beauty company founded on a goat farm in upstate New York we craft a range of products from goat milk soaps and body care to clean and clinically proven skincare all safe for sensitive skin. Visit Beekman. 18 Oh two.com are Mondays with monday.com and discover why more than a million neighbors have joined our community. Tired of cooking love fans who are d'oeuvres but don't have any idea how to prepare. Look no further. The cocktail party love Mary is here for 15 years New York's cater to the stars and our pal Mary Giuliani has served her delicious Lee whimsical hors d'oeuvres to the best names in art, fashion and entertainment. Now she's put them all in an adorable little box to send from her heart to your home. as Mary says all you have to do is turn on your oven, pour yourself a drink and enjoy more time with your guests. She'll take care of the rest of Mary juliani.com or Mondays with monday.com for more information and to order yours today.
