Anna Kendrick: Pitch Perfect, Twilight & Relationships (FBF)

Join Alex in the studio for an interview with Anna Kendrick. Anna discusses her iconic Pitch Perfect audition, how she low key forgot she was in Twilight, and how she survived an emotionally abusive and toxic relationship. She opens up about gaslighting, victim blaming, and learning to trust yourself again.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Southern New Hampshire University. Daddy gang, let's get real, okay? We like to make our own rules. Southern New Hampshire University gets it. They let you learn what you want with over 200 career-focused programs, where you want with 100% online courses, and how you want with no set class times. Basically, you get to call the shots from day one. Visit SNHU.edu/callherdaddy to learn more. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Ross. Fall is about finding pieces you love, making them your own and creating looks and spaces just right for the season. Whether you're updating a small apartment or a spacious home, drawn to timeless neutrals or bold seasonal touches,

• 0:45Alex Cooper?

  Ross makes it easy to imagine what's next and bring your fall vision to life. Ross makes fashion accessible to all with up to 20% to 60% off other retailers' prices on the brands you love. Find your nearest Ross at rossstores.com. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Bright by Scotch Bright. Daddy gang, a lot of us obviously take pride in where we live, right? We want the decor to look good and then we want the lighting and the cleaning and all of it. And you want it to look spotless and you want it to look really nice, right? So level up your clean routine with Bright's line of sponges. Use the Palm Scrubber with a comfy grip for serious scrubs, the easy-to-fill, leak-proof dish wand to keep hands out of the mess,

• 1:30Alex Cooper?

  or the Scrub and Wipe for a scrubbing side and a sud-sing side. All three look good, scrub great, and they come with handy drain and dry stands that are super compact and cute. Hook yourself up, boost it with Bright. Shop now. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Uber. Uber just introduced a new feature called Women Preferences, which lets women riders request a woman driver directly in the app. It's honestly an amazing feature that gives women more control over their rides. Sometimes we all just want a ride that feels a little more comfortable and chill. So if you haven't used it yet, Uber's new Women Preferences feature is available now in the Uber app. Learn more on the Uber app.

• 2:13Alex Cooper?

  What is up Daddy Gang? It is your founding father Alex Cooper with Call Her Daddy.

• 2:22Alex Cooper?

  Anna Kendrick, welcome to Call Her Daddy.

• 2:23Speaker 01

  Hi!

• 2:24Alex Cooper?

  I'm so happy we're doing this.

• 2:25Speaker 01

  Me too.

• 2:26Alex Cooper?

  We've never met.

• 2:27Speaker 01

  Wait, is it tacky? Should I get rid of my phone?

• 2:29Alex Cooper?

  Only, you can put on silent.

• 2:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, no, I think it's totally on. Whatever, but no, I'll just get it off of the phone.

• 2:34Alex Cooper?

  Okay, okay, okay.

• 2:34Speaker 01

  Sorry.

• 2:35Alex Cooper?

  Just in case you get like an important call.

• 2:36Speaker 01

  No.

• 2:37Alex Cooper?

  Who would be calling you?

• 2:38Speaker 01

  No one.

• 2:39Alex Cooper?

  No one. Are you a big texter?

• 2:42Speaker 01

  Oh yeah, I'm always like, if you need to get ahold of me, like, you're gonna have to text me.

• 2:47Alex Cooper?

  You're not.

• 2:47Speaker 01

  If you want an email back, you're gonna have to wait like two weeks. You might as well send me a postcard in the mail.

• 2:52Alex Cooper?

  I'm so bad on my email. Are you one of those people that has like a thousand plus emails? Or are you like deleting?

• 2:58Speaker 01

  Um, I think it was, you know that, okay, so you know that, this is not interesting, but you know that period between Christmas and New Year's where you're like, what do, what, where are we? And like time has no meaning. I was like, I'm gonna clean out my email inbox because I did have one of those. Cause it was like, well, what else are we doing?

• 3:14Alex Cooper?

  Right, right.

• 3:15Speaker 01

  And I, I am one of those people, and I hate that about me.

• 3:18Alex Cooper?

  It's okay.

• 3:18Speaker 01

  That I'm one of those people that has like two thousand.

• 3:20Alex Cooper?

  I have the same thing. And if anyone calls me, I immediately don't answer.

• 3:25Speaker 01

  Well, I'm like, did someone die? This is bad news. This is terrible news.

• 3:28Alex Cooper?

  I don't like confrontation.

• 3:29Speaker 01

  No, I don't, I don't like communication people. I don't know. No, that's not true, mostly. But, um, yeah, no, yeah, you have to text me.

• 3:37Alex Cooper?

  Okay, obviously like being an actress now, like obviously director, but like what is your like day off? Like what are you up to when you're not working?

• 3:44Speaker 01

  Um, I'm trying to get mint to grow in my garden. I'm trying to, I'm trying to really like be a homemaker. Not a homemaker, that's not what I mean. I mean, I'm trying to like do something physical and tangible that I can go like, wow, I, and I grew this mint and now I'm putting it in a cocktail, because that's as close as I'm ever gonna get to cooking. And I don't know, there's something about like devoting your entire life to this very weird thing of like pretending to be another person and you know, like crying on cue in front of a room full of people you

• 4:21Speaker 01

  met three days ago and whatever that you're like I don't make anything physical you know what I mean like so I I feel like I'm always trying to find like I should really take up knitting or something like I just wanna like make something that I can hold and go like I made this

• 4:37Alex Cooper?

  okay to give you a little bit more credit you are making something that I mean like

• 4:44Speaker 01

  I mean it's not like it's not real but there is just something like fleeting about it or I don't know

• 4:48Alex Cooper?

  are you having an accent crisis right now

• 4:50Speaker 01

  always constantly

• 4:52Alex Cooper?

  this whole episode is us just trying to figure out like what is the meaning of being an actor and life no but I get what you're saying you're like I want something tangible aka mint it's a little odd that mint is the one thing in your garden

• 5:04Speaker 01

  it goes in a lot of cocktails

• 5:05Alex Cooper?

  what can are you making good cocktails

• 5:07Speaker 01

  I'm trying yeah I went yeah when I moved I was like I wanna be able to like have people over and be able to and be able to offer them a refreshment but like I'm never gonna cook and that's never gonna happen

• 5:19Alex Cooper?

  okay pretend I come over what are you making me for a drink

• 5:22Speaker 01

  um well do you have like a specific

• 5:24Alex Cooper?

  I like tequila and vodka so I'm kinda like I can go either way I like a Moscow Mule I like a margarita

• 5:30Speaker 01

  Moscow meals are super super easy so we love that um but uh there's like a watermelon vodka cocktail that I like um I I also feel like people tend to come over and say that they drink anything but gin but gin makes great cocktails like drinking gin straight is for crazy people I don't know what that's about but um but it makes really great um like cocktails especially if you wanna serve something up and also if you like wanna commit to doing an egg white foam it gets it's really easy and people are like absolutely blown away that you've created

• 6:03Alex Cooper?

  I'm blown away already wait an egg white foam

• 6:07Speaker 01

  yeah there the key is doing a dry shake in your shaker with the egg white um before you add ice and then it will really and then you add all the other ingredients and then add ice and then it will actually like stay foamy and you know just put a little like sprig of lavender or something on top and like people are like oh my god how did you do this

• 6:26Alex Cooper?

  me I'm the dumb bitch that's like whoa

• 6:28Speaker 01

  well then that's what I would make So that you would find me impressive, yeah.

• 6:33Alex Cooper?

  That's, okay, that's good to know. What is one thing you can't leave the house without?

• 6:38Speaker 01

  Um, oh god, um, probably chapstick. Like, I'm one of those people that I have like a, I have like a drawer full of chapsticks. And, yeah.

• 6:47Alex Cooper?

  Same.

• 6:47Speaker 01

  Yeah. And I like all the different flavors and the different.

• 6:50Alex Cooper?

  Oh yeah, what's your go-to?

• 6:51Speaker 01

  Um, I really like the Burt's Bees. There's like a pomegranate one.

• 6:54Alex Cooper?

  Are you fucking with me?

• 6:55Speaker 01

  What?

• 6:55Alex Cooper?

  No, you, you're fucking with me.

• 6:58Speaker 01

  No, what? People are laughing. What's happening?

• 7:00Alex Cooper?

  You fucking talk to someone. Are you doing a bit?

• 7:03Speaker 01

  On my life, on my dad's soul. No, absolutely. Wait, what is happening?

• 7:07Alex Cooper?

  Anna!

• 7:08Speaker 01

  You are not about to do that to me right now.

• 7:11Alex Cooper?

  You don't understand.

• 7:12Speaker 01

  That's sick.

• 7:13Alex Cooper?

  No, you don't get it.

• 7:14Speaker 01

  I might have it in my fanny pack. I'm not joking.

• 7:17Alex Cooper?

  You brought a fanny pack?

• 7:19Speaker 01

  You know what? We're, I'm doing a lot right now. Don't make fun of my fanny pack.

• 7:24Alex Cooper?

  Hold on. First of all.

• 7:26Speaker 01

  That's it. Now I feel like you're fucking with me. That's crazy.

• 7:30Alex Cooper?

  Okay, I have a bowl.

• 7:31Speaker 01

  I feel like you just, I feel like you're like the mentalist. Like, you're Criss Angel and you're like, you mean this pomegranate chapstick?

• 7:37Alex Cooper?

  Whichever one you said. You're like, road lipstick. I'm like, boom.

• 7:40Speaker 01

  Cause I also like the sweet violet, but I was like, well, that's not really, I guess that's a tinted lip balm. I don't know, that's something else. So I was like, pomegranate.

• 7:47Alex Cooper?

  I like the pomegranate too, cause it gives you that a little bit of a tint.

• 7:50Speaker 01

  The tiniest tint, yeah.

• 7:52Alex Cooper?

  I?

• 7:52Speaker 01

  What's happening?

• 7:53Alex Cooper?

  Wait, Anna. I'm not kidding you. I thought you were doing a bit.

• 7:57Speaker 01

  No!

• 7:57Alex Cooper?

  Where you were like fucking with me.

• 7:59Speaker 01

  Wait, have you like talked, am I an idiot? Have you like?

• 8:01Alex Cooper?

  No, no. Everyone that like really, really knows me, like, you know the Arthur meme where he's like got the fifth?

• 8:06Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 8:06Alex Cooper?

  I always have this in, and anywhere you look, like any interview I'm doing, I have it somewhere in my body and I have an entire bowl in my house and every single sweatpan.

• 8:15Speaker 01

  You have a bowl?

• 8:15Alex Cooper?

  I have a bowl in my house of all the pomegranate next to my bathroom sink. And I just pick one up every day and I open a new one and I use it until I lose it. And then I go back. I love it.

• 8:24Speaker 01

  This is weird. This is weird. I don't like it. Creepy.

• 8:27Alex Cooper?

  It's really creepy, but I think the reason I love chapstick so much is because I have this feeling, it's like the ick of myself is if I don't have my lips somewhat moisturized, I feel like that is, goes and is like almost continuous. With having bad breath like I feel like when you see someone with chapped lips or like they must have bad breath.

• 8:45Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah.

• 8:47Alex Cooper?

  I don't know.

• 8:47Speaker 01

  No, I think that, yeah, I haven't thought about it, but like subconsciously, yeah. I'm just gonna lean away.

• 8:52Alex Cooper?

  Okay, so you're a chapstick girl.

• 8:54Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 8:54Alex Cooper?

  Good to know. So you probably have good breath. Um, haven't gotten close enough to you today, but we'll see later. Um, what is the most high maintenance thing about you?

• 9:02Speaker 01

  Um, probably my hair. Um, I, cause I have, I'm like a secret curly. I'm like a secret, like, like, like Carrie Russell and Felicity level curly.

• 9:14Alex Cooper?

  You have gorgeous hair.

• 9:16Speaker 01

  Well, you know. What my hair looks like. Um, uh, yeah, and I, I've been like, I haven't like, I, I've, I wore, I started, I was on like a natural, like, you know, curly hair, um, journey. Like I let my therapist see me with my like real hair.

• 9:33Alex Cooper?

  Oh, that's big.

• 9:33Speaker 01

  Steps. Um, and like, like two of my best friends in my house have like come over and I'm like, I should let you know that I have let my hair dry naturally and I'm in a very vulnerable place. Cause it, I just, it was one of those things that I always felt like, um, messy because I think like, when I really started to be like, oh, I need to like start learning how to like blow out my hair and whatever was when like pin straight hair was it. It was when like tiny butts and super straight hair was the, the height of female attractiveness. Um, so I just felt like, yeah, I don't know, almost like the chap lip things where I was just constantly like doing that, you know, just trying to, um, uh, like make my hair be like flat.

• 10:17Speaker 01

  Um, and when, uh, it would get like frizzy if I would go to a concert or whatever, I would just be like freaking out about it, like humiliated.

• 10:23Alex Cooper?

  But you're like, I have to leave, I have to leave the concert.

• 10:25Speaker 01

  And I was thinking about like, um, like all the fucking energy and time that I think we all spend without even thinking about it. About like, okay, well, okay, if I wash my hair at this time and then how long is it gonna take to do my blowout? And if I shave my legs on this day, I'll have stubble for that. Well, but like, and just, it's always just running in the background. It's exa- it's exhausting.

• 10:46Alex Cooper?

  It's so exhausting and it's so dumb because we notice so much more about ourselves. Like I. Bet if you had your curly hair here, I'd be like, oh, I love your curly hair. Wait, what did your therapist say to you? When, did you do like a big reveal of like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna show you now? Was it on Zoom or in person?

• 11:01Speaker 01

  It was on Zoom.

• 11:02Alex Cooper?

  Oh.

• 11:02Speaker 01

  Um, and I think it, I think it was like, I, I was still like, this is so boring, but I, I was still like self-conscious about it. So I pulled back like, you know, I did like a half up, half down thing. And so she was sort of like, oh, where are you going? Like that it was, you know, that it was like, it just looked different because I usually just like wear it in like a bun and a headband.

• 11:23Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 11:23Speaker 01

  Um, so I think she thought that I was like going somewhere. So I was like, well, that's, that's encouraging. She wasn't like, what happened? Um, but yeah, I'm still like,

• 11:34Alex Cooper?

  You're dealing with it.

• 11:34Speaker 01

  I'm still on a journey.

• 11:36Alex Cooper?

  Well, you know what? We're gonna support you on that journey. Your hair looks amazing today, but I bet it would also look amazing if it was curly. Okay. Anyways, um, you've been making movies for two decades. What do you think you would be doing if you hadn't pursued acting?

• 11:49Speaker 01

  Oh God, I, I, God help me. I don't know what, I, I really don't. I mean, uh, I feel like, obviously I didn't get into show business because I hate attention. So there's that piece. Um, like I'll, when people ask me that question, I feel like I'll usually just say like, oh, I'd have a bakery or something. But like, I don't know, I would be so screwed. Like, I actually remember when, um, when I was seventeen, eighteen, whenever I, whenever I like moved, uh, to LA. Um, I was really, really jealous of all my friends that were going to college. Number one, because I felt really insecure about not going to college. I have a whole, you know, complex about it.

• 12:32Speaker 01

  Um, but I was also, you know, on the phone, like hearing about this exciting new chapter that was sort of laid out for them and, you know, going to classes and joining a sorority and, um, you know, having this like immediate community. And I was in LA, I was like seventeen or eighteen. It's really hard to make friends in LA because of like the way the city is laid out, but especially when you don't have a fake ID. And even if I did, I looked about 12, so that wasn't gonna work anyway. And I was just like, Absolutely terrified and really wondering if I was like making a huge mistake.

• 13:14Speaker 01

  And then the weirdest thing was that when everybody entered their sophomore year, I was, I was still like, just, you know, trying to get in the door and all of that, but I then noticed that when I would get on the phone with friends of mine who were in college, they were suddenly, all of them, sophomore year, having a total crisis. Because freshman year was like, this is so exciting and there's this new chapter and like my whole life is ahead of me and I'm making these friends. And in sophomore year, it felt like, okay, I'm back with the same people and that's great. And I'm picking my classes for this year and that's great. Um, but what do I want to do with my life?

• 13:56Speaker 01

  Like, there's no longer just the excitement of like, oh my god, frat parties and, you know, the college experience. It's like, oh, I have to figure out what I want. And so even though the thing that I wanted felt like a total pipe dream and like, what am I doing? This is a disaster. It's so hard to carve out a space for yourself in this industry. But on the other side of it, holy shit, I did not think like, what a blessing to just know what I want. And I was like, watching all my friends go, oh my god, I don't know what to, what I want, what to do.

• 14:35Alex Cooper?

  It's so interesting, like, because I, I went to college and I remember from a young age, I like knew I wanted to be in Hollywood. Like, I knew I wanted to create, I knew I wanted to do something in this industry. But my mom kept just being like, no, you have to do school, you have to do school and then you can do it later. And I resented that so much for a while. But hearing like the difference, like, again, everyone wants what they don't have of like, being in college wishing by sophomore year, I was like, get me the fuck out of here. I know exactly what I want to do. But you being like, watching all of the kids in college and you being like, that was a big insecurity of mine, like, Why was it an insecurity though? Because you were like, I don't have an education technically of

• 15:14Speaker 01

  Totally, totally. So I, I think my family really values like traditional education, you know, for good reasons, bad reasons, whatever. And so I was like the first person to not go to college. And my dad was a teacher and everything. So it was like very black sheep behavior to not go to college.

• 15:34Alex Cooper?

  Were they okay with you not going to college?

• 15:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, I think they knew I was gonna do what I wanted to do. But I think there was always that sense of like, well, if things maybe don't work out that first year, it's not too late to just, you know, so I think that was always like something that they had in mind. But I don't think they were thrilled, which is understandable. But yeah, I then like just worried about like, oh my God, I didn't, I didn't go to col- you know, I don't know. It's like-

• 16:06Alex Cooper?

  I get it. I think it's like, in a great way, I do think like the concept of education now is becoming a little bit more lenient where people are like, you don't need to go to college to be XYZ. And it's interesting because you were right on the right path, but because of like societal standards of like, if you're smart, you go to college. It probably felt so disorienting when you're watching all these people do like the natural next step. Really, you just skipped a big step and then you got ahead on your career. But it doesn't mean you can't still feel insecure about it of like, in conversation, having to be like, oh, I didn't go to college. Like, I get that, especially if your family was like, go school, go school, and your dad being a teacher.

• 16:45Speaker 01

  Totally. And I think now that I'm like older, it's less of a thing. But like early twenties, you know, that's like part of the conversation is like, oh, where'd you go to college?

• 16:53Alex Cooper?

  Yes.

• 16:54Speaker 01

  I didn't? Like, how, oh my God, I have to say I didn't? And by that, at that point, like, you know, like 21, 22, I didn't really have much to show for it yet. You know, like then some things happened and, you know, it was less of an issue. But you're like, oh, I didn't go to college because I wanted to become an actor. And it's like, how's that going? Well, you know, I think I gotta, someone's, I'm hearing my phone ring, so yeah.

• 17:17Alex Cooper?

  Right. They're like, what are you in? You're like- Be back soon, gotta go. I get that. Um, talking about your family, though, you were raised in Maine, right? Born and raised in Maine. What were you like as a kid?

• 17:28Speaker 01

  I think I was really, um, like, hyper vigilant. Like, I was really in everybody's business a little bit. Um, but I think that, I was even thinking, like, a couple of weeks ago, about how I do... One of my many toxic traits is, uh, I do kind of walk around with, like, a little bit of a, "All right, who's trying to fuck me over?" You know? And I, I was like, I don't know, there's a chance that it's like, "Oh, oh, you're spelling bedtime? You think I don't, you think I don't know what's happening here?" You know, like, just, I don't know, just being real aggressive about, like, how I wanted things done and, like, very opinionated.

• 18:12Speaker 01

  But I don't, I can't really tell if that comes from childhood or from, like, working in an industry where I'm sure you've experienced, it's like, you agree to certain things and then it's like, "Oh, and can we also do this thing that would be really humiliating for you and not, like, uh, pay you any extra money or check with you in advance and ask you in front of a group of people? So, if you say no, you'll look like a bitch." You know, so I'm just always like, "All right, who in this room is trying to fuck me over?"

• 18:39Alex Cooper?

  That's so interesting, that you're like, "Did that happen when I was young?" Or is it just like something I can't not remember? Because you started in the industry at, what, like, 10, you started really getting into it?

• 18:49Speaker 01

  Yeah, I, I, uh, I started kind of auditioning for things when I was 10 and I, I booked my first gig when I was 12. Um, so, but I mean, I wasn't auditioning all the time, because I lived in Maine and so either one of my parents had to drive me to New York City for like a 15-minute audition and they were like, "Well, sweetie, we love you, but J- Jesus." Um, so eventually, um, my brother and I would take a Greyhound bus from Maine to New York and that's one of the situations where, uh, we were in that I auditioned for this show that I ended up getting

• 19:30Speaker 01

  and we were in New York and they asked me, um, "Are you cool to, like, stay for a callback tomorrow?" And I was always just told, like, "Well, just say, just say yes, you'll figure it out later." So I was like, "Absolutely, I will see you tomorrow, no problem." And my brother and I, like, Then are just like, okay, we need to find a hotel in New York City.

• 19:50Alex Cooper?

  Anna, what are you, 11?

• 19:51Speaker 01

  I'm 12, he's 13 or 14. And so, uh, we found a hotel and my parents called the hotel and faxed a credit card and told them like, yes, yes, we'll be along shortly. And they're in Maine. Um, and so I like wash my underwear in the sink and then just like put on this, I mean luckily there is like a thing where if you get a callback, you're, it's kind of conventional wisdom that you should wear the same thing.

• 20:20Alex Cooper?

  Oh, love.

• 20:20Speaker 01

  So that didn't seem like I was the gross kid with one pair of clothes.

• 20:24Alex Cooper?

  Same underwear.

• 20:24Speaker 01

  Um, but, uh, so then the next day, the same thing happened. And again, it was like, no problem. I will see you again in the morning and had to do it again. Um, and then, uh, they, oh, that's right. They, uh, they did ask me, cause I was wearing combat boots and they were like, can you, cause the part was for like a little rich girl.

• 20:47Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 20:48Speaker 01

  So they were like, could you like, wear something like, you know, we just love to see you in, in more of a kind of Sunday best outfit. And, um, and, and specifically someone mentioned my shoes. So I was wearing this like ratty cardigan and like ripped jeans and these like combat boots. But I was like, ah, the solution will be to go to the nearest Payless and find like white church strappy sandals. And so like with like the last $20 that we had, I like bought this pair of sandals, like dress sandals and wore those with my ratty cardigan and jeans. And, uh, and then like wandered in and I think they were just like, oh, for fuck's sake. Yeah, fine. Whatever. Great.

• 21:31Speaker 01

  Um, and then we were on a Greyhound bus home and we had this phone for emergencies and that rang and it was like, hey, you're going to be on Broadway.

• 21:38Alex Cooper?

  I'm like trying to picture 12 year old me walking around in New York City with my brother who's two years older than me. I'm like, how the hell were you not even scared?

• 21:49Speaker 01

  I think that we just thought it was like such an adventure and I think we also like wanted to be like cool New York City kids so fucking bad.

• 21:59Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 21:59Speaker 01

  That we were just like, yeah, this is so normal. Um, I can't remember if we were like low key freaking out or not, but we, I know that, I mean, even when I went there, um, at Seventeen, I did this show at New York City Opera and I remember like riding the subway to work and seeing like, oh my god, you know you see those gorgeous girls who are like going to American Ballet?

• 22:22Alex Cooper?

  Yes.

• 22:22Speaker 01

  Um, and being like, and like looking at them and being like, we're really doing it. Oh my god. I'm in New York and I'm going to work and I'm going to work on the subway. And it's like not a big deal at all, which if you're thinking about it like that, it's a huge fucking deal to you. I was, I had no chill. Um, but that was.

• 22:38Alex Cooper?

  But that's sweet.

• 22:39Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 22:40Alex Cooper?

  Okay, all of this is happening. I know that you were nominated for a Tony Award when you were just 12, so it came from that?

• 22:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 22:46Alex Cooper?

  Okay, what did kids in school think?

• 22:49Speaker 01

  It's weird. Again, like, I don't know if you've experienced something like this, but there were several moments where it felt like if I mentioned anything to the kids at school, they, don't get me wrong, understandably, sort of thought I was like talking about something else. Like, uh, like, it, like, in the same way that if someone in my school in like middle school or high school had been like, oh yeah, I'm going to Olympic trials. I would be like, so there's some kind of like local, like, oh, it's the Olympics. You know what I mean?

• 23:27Alex Cooper?

  I get it.

• 23:27Speaker 01

  I would just be like, no, you're not.

• 23:29Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 23:29Speaker 01

  Like, because that just doesn't make sense because we're from Maine. Like, what are you talking about? Um, I remember having, um, like a really little indie film in the Sundance Film Festival when I was 16, 17? And going to Sundance and I remember one of my close friends, one of my like best friends called me and was like, that's so weird. There's something on, um, on the news about, I think it was, I could be getting this mixed up, but I think it was like the year that Britney Spears and like Fred Durst went to Sundance together? Or there's something, I'm, maybe I'm, maybe I'm hallucinating. It was some other story. I don't know. Um, but she called me and she was like,

• 24:08Speaker 01

  yeah, they're at like the Sundance Film Festival and isn't that so weird? Because you were just saying that you're doing something called Sundance, but it's like happening at the same time. And I was like, I'm at Sundance. I'm at the Sundance. I'm at the Sundance film. That's why I was so fucking excited about it.

• 24:23Alex Cooper?

  Right. You're like, I'm here with Britney Spears.

• 24:24Speaker 01

  Yes. And, and like, she was like a close friend. So I think like, there's an, an understandable thing that happens where you're just like,

• 24:31Alex Cooper?

  Yes.

• 24:31Speaker 01

  Not you. Not from here.

• 24:34Alex Cooper?

  They didn't get it. So you, and you didn't talk about it over the toply where like, people would even have a concept of it?

• 24:39Speaker 01

  No, no. I mean, even, I think there was a, a luckily very brief window where, uh, it was kind of like a teasing situation. So I, it was like, I knew better than to be like, running my mouth about it too much.

• 24:54Alex Cooper?

  Cause people would make fun of you.

• 24:55Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 24:55Alex Cooper?

  Isn't that so weird? Meanwhile, it's like, everyone wants to be a movie star.

• 24:58Speaker 01

  I don't know. I think just drawing any attention to yourself in middle, like particularly, this was like in middle school, like right after I did the, the Broadway show. It's like, you just wanna disappear. Like, I think people talk about high school as being cutthroat. Middle school?

• 25:13Alex Cooper?

  Oh.

• 25:14Speaker 01

  Was so much scarier to me.

• 25:16Alex Cooper?

  It was so horrible. I completely agree. High school's actually like, I started to get my shit together. Middle school, I was terrified.

• 25:22Speaker 01

  Yeah. I, I remember feeling like, just like trying to be like a moving pile of laundry. You know, just wearing like the biggest clothes and just trying so fucking hard not to draw any attention to yourself.

• 25:32Alex Cooper?

  Yes. So you obviously start to become so successful. Like, was your family like, oh, this is normal?

• 25:41Speaker 01

  You know, I found some success and then I think this is pretty typical for, for, um, entertainment stuff. That like, the money really follows like several years later. There's that period where you're like, okay, I'm like, low key a little famous, but I am so fucking broke. It would make you tear up how broke I am. Um, so you're kind of trying to fake it till you make it. Um, but like, I had brought my family to the Oscars and, you know,

• 26:18Speaker 01

  There was a really interesting moment a few years later when I like bought my first place and I had them at my place and it was like you could feel the energy particularly for my mom and dad of like, "Oh, okay, okay, okay." And it wasn't a mansion, but it was just like, "Oh, you're gonna be okay." Because they were obviously like very proud and but there's things with like awards and reviews where that's great, but it's still really abstract.

• 26:47Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 26:48Speaker 01

  And to just see something solid where it was like, "Okay, our crazy, you know, daughter who didn't go to college like has managed to buy a home." You know, it was like I could feel not so much like pride, but that they were actually like, "Oh, you made it."

• 27:05Alex Cooper?

  Like relieved, like, "Okay."

• 27:07Speaker 01

  Okay, yeah.

• 27:07Alex Cooper?

  It all worked out. Like, we don't have to worry about now her like going back to college and trying to figure out something else.

• 27:13Speaker 01

  Completely. She's not gonna move in with us and like drain us dry.

• 27:15Alex Cooper?

  Love, love. Um, you've been in so many great movies. I want to talk to you about a few of them today. We gotta start with Pitch Perfect, obviously.

• 27:40Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by My Mochi. Everyone is talking about Dubai chocolate. Chocolate with pistachio flavored cream. Well, now Mochi Ice Cream has its own version of Dubai chocolate. Spoiler alert, guys, it's delicious. My Mochi Dubai Chocolate Ice Cream is premium pistachio flavored ice cream with kudaiyef and chocolatey flavored bits wrapped in sweet chewy chocolate flavored dough. It's only 80 calories per piece, nut-free, and easy to share because it comes in a box with six individual snacks. I am obsessed with My Mochi.

• 28:22Alex Cooper?

  And when you give me that plus a good chocolate, I'm gonna have that in my freezer. Every single night, I'm gonna pop one in. I am obsessed. I love it so much. Taste the joy with every bite of Maimochi Ice Cream. Look for the green and brown box of Maimochi Dubai Chocolate Ice Cream in the freezer aisle of your local grocery store. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Southern New Hampshire University. Daddy gang, let's get real, okay? We like to make our own rules. Southern New Hampshire University gets it. They let you learn what you want with over 200 career-focused programs, where you want with 100% online courses, and how you want with no set class times.

• 29:03Alex Cooper?

  Basically, you get to call the shots from day one. Visit SNHU.edu/callherdaddy to learn more. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Shopify. Daddy gang, you know I'm a little skeptical of the internet at times, aren't we all? But one thing I absolutely love is how much easier it has made starting a business. No matter what stage you're at, Shopify is the best place to start and grow a business. With Shopify, you get to own your storefront while still being discovered everywhere from Google to YouTube to the shop app. They also let you sell across TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, even directly inside AI chats.

• 29:45Alex Cooper?

  So your customers can shop wherever they already are, and your products can appear directly alongside content. So as someone is scrolling, they just become part of their feed. Shopify truly makes it so much easier for customers to discover and buy products wherever they're browsing. And this has been such a game changer for Unwell. I love being able to sell merch directly on all the Call Her Daddy channels. So everything is in one place for the daddy gang. So, ready to add entrepreneur to your list of accomplishments? Head to Shopify.com/daddy. That's Shopify.com/daddy.

• 30:23Alex Cooper?

  We gotta start with Pitch Perfect, obviously. What was that audition process like?

• 30:28Speaker 01

  Well, you know, I think that the most interesting piece, or the piece that has certainly followed me around, is when I auditioned, they needed you to just like prove that you could sing. And I was like, well, I know how to do this thing. There's a cup and there's this song and I could do that. So it was just because I was like, well, where else am I gonna do it? Because I was like lame enough and dorky enough to have bothered like learning this thing. And so I did it for my audition and they were like, we should put that in the movie. And originally in the script, like Becca, my character's audition song was "I'm a Little Teacup",

• 31:08Speaker 01

  which I keep meaning to ask the writer Kay Cannon, like, was that meant to be like funny? How would that have worked? How was I supposed to play that? I don't know what I was supposed to do.

• 31:21Alex Cooper?

  Would you have gone like chill?

• 31:22Speaker 01

  Was I supposed to do like a Christina Aguilera version of "I'm a Little Teacup"? Or was it supposed to be like, like, oh, I like resent that I have to do this and, you know, but I sound fine, so they let me in the group?

• 31:34Alex Cooper?

  How do you think you would have done it?

• 31:34Speaker 01

  I guess like that. I mean, I would have been relying on somebody to tell me like what the vibe was supposed to be.

• 31:39Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 31:39Speaker 01

  But luckily I didn't have to figure that out. So they were like, well, let's do that for Becca's audition. And I was like, great, making use of a useless skill. And then, then people, when they saw the movie, like, would ask about it and stuff. And so then the studio was like, we should release this as a single. And I was like, what are you fucking stupid? We're releasing this as a single? That's so embarrassing. I'm so embarrassed for us. So they had me like go into the studio for like 20 minutes, a hit that was made in 20 minutes, and just like sing the rest of the song. And I was like in there with a stool and a cup doing the cup in this weird studio. And then they were like, what if we did a music video?

• 32:24Speaker 01

  And again, I was like... Are we, what's going on? This is so, you guys, I'm so embarrassed for you. Like, I just was like, there's no way anybody would care about this. Like, I, whatever. Um, and so we like make this music video and then it like, which is, by the way, why am I saying this phrase? Why is this phrase coming out of my mouth? It started climbing the charts. Like, why is this a part of my story and my life? Like, I was just like, what's hap- what is fucking happening? This is so out of the realm of anything that's supposed to be happening. And I always thought, like, because I was in the middle of making this, like, indie film and I'd be getting like texts from people going like,

• 33:08Speaker 01

  it just like got into the top 10 of like Billboard's Top 100. And I was like in the basement of some church, like, shooting this tiny little indie film. Meanwhile, I think it was like, I think it was, speaking of the times, Miley Cyrus and Macklemore was like in, also in the top 10? And so I, I always just think like, they must have been like, what the fuck is this shit?

• 33:33Alex Cooper?

  Literally.

• 33:34Speaker 01

  Like, who is this girl? What is this? How dare you? I'm out here like busting my ass on Good Morning America, putting on a live performance, and this like freak show, whatever this fucking is, is in the top 10? How dare I? What on earth?

• 33:50Alex Cooper?

  Anna.

• 33:50Speaker 01

  I would hate me. I would hate me.

• 33:53Alex Cooper?

  Did you ever learn to be like, damn, that shit's good?

• 33:56Speaker 01

  They did send me a platinum record and that was pretty cool.

• 33:59Alex Cooper?

  Bye bitch, that's literally perfect. You're like, I guess it was kind of good.

• 34:02Speaker 01

  I guess when I got my platinum record though.

• 34:03Alex Cooper?

  That's insane. That you're like, this is so fucking embarrassing, you guys. And meanwhile, it's like the entire world learned this shit. I remember trying to learn it, Anna, okay?

• 34:15Speaker 01

  No, you did not.

• 34:16Alex Cooper?

  Oh, I tried, of course I, everyone. Oh, I tried.

• 34:19Speaker 01

  Shut your face.

• 34:20Alex Cooper?

  I couldn't really do it. You shut your face. You fucking invented it. It's so crazy that you brought that to the movie and they were like, yes. Um. Okay, I just realized also while you were talking, which is fun, is I have had on you, Brittany Snow, Adam Devine, and I have had on Rebel.

• 34:36Speaker 01

  Oh my god.

• 34:37Alex Cooper?

  I have almost had like the entire cast on.

• 34:40Speaker 01

  Yeah, you're like collecting all the Pokemon.

• 34:42Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, yeah, I'm kind of having a good time. Um, how would you describe your guys' friendship on that cast?

• 34:47Speaker 01

  Um, honestly, I, I, I use this word in the truest sense of, uh, like, we are a family, like, truly in the sense of, like, we didn't choose each other. Like, we didn't ask to be in each other's lives in this way, and we're so bonded. And it does feel, there's something really, not to be lame, there's something really magic about it, because so often, like, you'll do a big job, and there'll be like, one or two people maybe that you keep in touch with, and they're the people that are like the most similar to you. And we're all really, really different. And after like three movies, you're like, I think this is like a not getting rid of each other kind of situation.

• 35:30Alex Cooper?

  I think the entire world is happy. It's a not getting rid of each other situation.

• 35:34Speaker 01

  And also, I think that I'm, I'm very avoidant, so like, actually like cracking that shell and like being in my life, like, it, it takes some persistence.

• 35:44Alex Cooper?

  That's a big deal.

• 35:45Speaker 01

  So, uh, like Brittany's always joking that her, she's like, "Well, your phone is all, all white," or whatever, the, you know, the blue text.

• 35:52Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, blah, blah, blah.

• 35:53Speaker 01

  Yeah, you get it, you get it. Um, cause she's like always texting me and just being like, "I know you're not gonna reply," but, um, you know, I, I think that I'm kind of like, certainly the curmudgeon of the group, but it is like, almost like everybody has a, a role.

• 36:08Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 36:09Speaker 01

  And, you know, like, you know, Brittany kind of like brings the party, and I, um, bring the grumpiness, I guess, I don't know. Um, but I am like, it's really interesting, cause even the girls that are not like one of the closest girls, like, when they're going through something, I, I get the call, and it's, and it, it, it makes me feel so good, um, because I do feel like that's kind of my role in the group. Group is like, if, if you're in jail, like my shoes are on, we're, I'm gonna, we're getting you out tonight. I don't know how, but we're gonna figure it out.

• 36:45Alex Cooper?

  I love it.

• 36:45Speaker 01

  Whereas like, if you need help with like, party invitations, like, I'm gonna freeze up and be like, I don't, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what to do. I don't know. I'm sorry. I have to leave the room right now.

• 36:54Alex Cooper?

  Call Brittany.

• 36:54Speaker 01

  Yeah, call Brittany. Please call Brittany.

• 36:56Alex Cooper?

  It's so fun to know that you and Brittany Snow are so close because it, I don't know, it like sets something right in the world. Like, I like that you guys are friends. I think it also is nice because obviously as like consumers, we know that sometimes on movie sets, like, people don't get along. And there's something oddly satisfying about how amazing those movies are. And knowing you guys are so close, like, it's just a fun thing for fans.

• 37:20Speaker 01

  It makes me really happy. I saw some of the girls from the movie, the original, The Craft, having dinner once. And I was like, you guys are friends in real life.

• 37:28Alex Cooper?

  Like, it makes you happy.

• 37:29Speaker 01

  Oh my god. It made me so fucking happy. So I do, I would be like, well, oh, I wouldn't think anyone would like care.

• 37:35Alex Cooper?

  We care.

• 37:36Speaker 01

  But I, but seeing the, the craft girls, I was like, this is so beautiful.

• 37:40Alex Cooper?

  But now you get it.

• 37:40Speaker 01

  It means so much to me.

• 37:41Alex Cooper?

  So now when people are crying, when they see you guys out together, you get it.

• 37:44Speaker 01

  Totally.

• 37:45Alex Cooper?

  Are we getting a fourth one?

• 37:47Speaker 01

  Oh, I have no idea. I'm always like, I'm always like, Rebel is kind of like the steam train of the group.

• 37:53Alex Cooper?

  Come on Rebel.

• 37:54Speaker 01

  Like, she's always like, I think we should do it. And I'm like, well, then, great. We, we should, I agree. I'm just here for, I'll just be backup, I guess.

• 38:02Alex Cooper?

  I, we need it.

• 38:03Speaker 01

  I would love that because like, we're all so, um, busy and I'm so happy that everybody's so like busy and successful and like doing so much, that actually getting like, whatever, you know, the 10 of us in a room is like, impossible. So it's usually like, maybe six of us at a time, you know, trying to like, uh, have a little reunion. So it does feel like the thing that would actually get us all in a room again is like, the, the movies. So that's, that's my best reason.

• 38:30Alex Cooper?

  I will watch. So let us know. Um, Twilight.

• 38:34Speaker 01

  Can you believe? Can you believe, I mean, what? Okay, so someone was just asking me about, like, a while ago, I had, you know, done a silly funny tweet, where I just said, like, "Holy shit, I just remembered I was in Twilight." And people were like, "But you didn't, like, forget, you didn't forget that you were in Twilight." And the answer is truly, truly yes and no, because obviously, obviously, I didn't forget the experience of making the movies, I didn't, you know. But those movies, like, especially at the time, took on such a life of their own, and like, they were such a kind of like, for, for better or for worse, like a kind of touchstone, like, like such a reference that, you know,

• 39:17Speaker 01

  everybody would talk about, like, trying to find the next Twilight, or whatever, and I would find myself in, like, business conversations, talking about, "Oh yeah, I've heard that, that there's a book series that just got optioned, you know, that maybe want to try and make it the next Twilight." And then I would be like, "Oh my god, I'm in, oh my god, I'm in those, oh my god." Because I was also so on the, uh, just on the outside, had a front row seat, but was just on the outside of the madness of it, and I was really, like, lucky to not be dealing with the, the eye of the storm, really, you know? I think that, like, a lot of the folks that were in the movie, even in the later movies where they are playing, like,

• 40:01Speaker 01

  as long as you were a supernatural character, if you had one line, you, like, couldn't leave your hotel room. People were crazy, and, and, you know, people were criticizing, like, "Oh, but she has green eyes in the book," or, or whatever. And I just didn't have to deal with any of that, so, so on the, it almost feels like I didn't really have to run the gauntlet, that some of the other, I mean, most of the other people did. I just had to, like, show up and say dumb funny shit. And just be like, "What are you guys talking about? Because they're fucking acting weird. Okay. Everybody's really serious, bye." Like, that was the, that was the gig, it was awesome.

• 40:38Alex Cooper?

  Jessica, oh my fucking god, Jessica, being like, "What's so great about Bella? Like, I don't get it, like, what's going on with Bella?"

• 40:44Speaker 01

  Which is also crazy, because when I auditioned for that, I was like, "Yeah." I think in the book, she's like the blonde, athletic volleyball captain, popular girl. So I was like, well, great. I'm not getting this job. And the goal then becomes like, well, I hope I just like making an impression on the casting director and the director. So maybe they'll remember me for something else.

• 41:04Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 41:05Speaker 01

  And so I was like, well, I'm just gonna like, try to be like weird and funny, cuz I don't know. And then they were like, oh, great. Yeah, let's do that. So there I am with like my, with my headband because like in that humid weather, they didn't know what to do with my hair. Full circle. They were like, it just keeps getting bigger. So, so it was always like in a headband or pulled back like really tight. Um, and you know, in my like ratty little costume, like, you know, five inches shorter than Kristen going like, I don't even get what the point is. Meanwhile, she's so stunning in real, like you're like, oh, my God, I'm staring into the eyes of like Siberian Husky. She's so gor- like, I mean, she's gorgeous on screen, but like in person, have you met her in person?

• 41:49Alex Cooper?

  No.

• 41:49Speaker 01

  There is a quality, let me tell you.

• 41:51Alex Cooper?

  Really?

• 41:52Speaker 01

  Oh, my God, it's breathtaking. And she's obviously very beautiful and sometimes you meet certain people and you're like, what? How dare you?

• 41:59Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 41:59Speaker 01

  Why are you, why are you doing this to me?

• 42:01Alex Cooper?

  Oh, my God.

• 42:02Speaker 01

  So, you know, the, the audacity of me to be like, I don't see, I don't see it. I don't get it.

• 42:08Alex Cooper?

  Right, you're like, right, right, right. Were you ever like, I'm being annoying, like, or you're like, it's fine, it's my role?

• 42:14Speaker 01

  Yeah, I guess it was like, I'm being annoying, which means like,

• 42:17Alex Cooper?

  You're doing your job.

• 42:17Speaker 01

  I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

• 42:18Alex Cooper?

  You're doing your job. You're do- I'm obsessed with you being like, they trying to put my hair down and I'm like, I don't know what to do.

• 42:23Speaker 01

  I know.

• 42:24Alex Cooper?

  It all comes through a circle, circle. Um, okay, next movie. Alice Darling. This is like, obviously a bigger shift and is a, basically is about a woman in emotionally abusive relationship. When you're taking on a more intense role, like, do you hesitate in those moments? Or do you enjoy those type of moments that are a little bit darker?

• 42:46Speaker 01

  It was a, oh, gosh, that's weird. I'm about to use a phrase that I've been using, uh, in reference to directing, so, but it, it kind of makes sense cuz it's a similar thing where it was like pushing myself off of a cliff and not giving myself the time to go, is this a good choice? Cuz it was like, it was really scary and personal and.

• 43:12Speaker 01

  God, I'm just remembering like, I remember I didn't tell, I haven't thought about this in a while. I didn't tell anybody in my life, not my like, well, this was also kind of covid-y, so I wasn't talking to that many people. So again, I'm bringing up my therapist, but I didn't tell my therapist, I didn't tell like my closest friends that I was making this movie about emotional abuse because I had just gotten out of a relationship that was extremely similar to the movie. And I didn't want anybody to tell me to not do it. Like, I didn't want to get talked out of it, and I knew that there were good reasons for my friends and certainly my therapist to be like, is this the best idea for you like right now?

• 43:56Speaker 01

  So I just kept telling them, it's about like three friends in a cabin and like it's about like their relationships, which in a way it is.

• 44:04Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 44:05Speaker 01

  But um, yeah, I, I like didn't, even when after the movie was wrapped, whatever, like they didn't even know that it was about emotional abuse until like the trailer came out. Cause I just didn't, I just didn't want somebody to tell me. Well, I don't know, maybe this is the childhood thing of like, I don't want you to tell me it's bedtime, like I, I need to do this, I'm gonna do this.

• 44:25Alex Cooper?

  Can I ask like, how long did that abusive relationship that you endured last?

• 44:30Speaker 01

  Um, it was, it didn't follow the traditional pattern, which is kind of yet another reason why I was finding it really difficult to identify it and name it as abusive.

• 44:42Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 44:43Speaker 01

  Um, cause I was like reading all the articles and going like, this doesn't look, like some of it looks like how they're describing it, but not completely. And um, so the relationship was seven years. Um, but it was like an overnight switch and um, that went on for about a year.

• 45:02Speaker 01

  Um, so it didn't follow that more traditional like it's like a frog in boiling water thing where it started slow. It it it came out of absolutely nowhere, but was built on this foundation of I I had so much love and trust for that person. So I thought it had to be me like I if one of us is crazy, it must be me. Um, so it was very, very um, difficult um, to actually go know this. I think this is, I think this is him. I think I think this is his stuff because I turned my life completely upside down trying to um,

• 45:41Speaker 01

  fix whatever was wrong with me and you know, it didn't help that for a long period of time. Our like couples therapist, I think, just bought his stuff, kind of hook, line and sinker. And I've had several sessions with him uh, in, you know, the last several years where he's apologized to me. Because I think he realized what was going on like toward right toward the end. But um, yeah, that obviously made everything a lot more complicated.

• 46:09Alex Cooper?

  We always have to remember like therapists are human beings too. And a lot of times they don't know the inner dynamics. And if you are with a very manipulative person, though, that is good in crowds, like they can mask it pretty easily. And you can be kind of painted to be the person that's like insane, or you're unreasonable, or you're like unwilling to make the relationship work. And when you have a licensed person staring at you next to the person that is abusive.

• 46:36Speaker 01

  Because we project so much authority onto them, even though we kind of know intellectually, well, they're just people. It's like, I just want, and it was also, I just want someone to tell me what's happening. Like I I wasn't, I wasn't even thinking like, we're gonna go in a couples therapy and he's gonna, you know, ream you out and it's gonna. I I was just like, will someone just explain to me what's going on? So uh, yeah, it it was uh, it was full on, but it was also interesting that like. I always felt like I was trying to stay so calm in couples therapy because I was like, fuck, in these sessions, he's so able to kind of stay calm in a way that he does not do when we're outside of therapy.

• 47:17Speaker 01

  Um, and then there was a day again toward the end where I really kind of like lost my shit. And I did think like, oh my God, like, what have I done? Like, what have I done? Like, I can't, it's gonna be so bad now. Like, what, what did I do?

• 47:31Alex Cooper?

  What do you mean? What do you mean it's gonna be so bad?

• 47:33Speaker 01

  Like, if things, when I'm trying so hard to like appease this person,

• 47:37Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 47:37Speaker 01

  they're so fucking awful. So how bad is it gonna get now that I've like yelled it, you know? Um, and I sent, after that session, I, first of all, weirdly, he was fine. Which was very weird, very interesting, because I think he felt like, maybe a little bit like calm because he was like, see, you're fucking crazy. So it was weirdly fine. But I sent the therapist an email being like, I'm so embarrassed. I'm so sorry. Like, I, I, I, you know, I need to control myself or whatever, because I had yelled in, in this session. And

• 48:16Speaker 01

  he called me, which he hadn't done before, and was like, no, no, I'm so proud of you. And that's when I knew like, oh, something has shifted, like some things changed.

• 48:26Alex Cooper?

  Right.

• 48:27Speaker 01

  And then, yeah, things ended pretty quickly after that.

• 48:29Alex Cooper?

  I mean, I appreciate you sharing this just because I have so many women that listen that are like, what are the signs? And like, I, I, I appreciate you how you opened, um, the conversation about this topic about like, it literally changed overnight. And I was reading all the articles being like, is this me? Well, no, that's not me. You try to justify things like, do you mind sharing anything that maybe like my listeners could be like, oh, this, this is happening to me too, that like, maybe doesn't present as like, this is abusive and toxic, but the undertone is so there.

• 49:04Speaker 01

  God, it's so hard. It's so hard. And I,

• 49:09Speaker 01

  Well, I don't know, maybe I'll, maybe I'll think of something, but it's, this conversation is even like really complicated for me. It's like even talking about it, I can feel like my, my body temperature going up because I think that sometimes the conversation around like red flags, like those are important conversations that we should be, we should be talking about it. Like thinking about it, looking for them, sharing with each other. And I think that even the most well-meaning conversation sometimes about like red flags is, can be a little victim blaming and, and which is hard because I'm like, well, also I want to know, you know, and share red flags.

• 49:52Speaker 01

  Um, because it does sort of put the onus on you to be able to identify something that by the way, someone is working so hard to make sure you can't identify. Like I, I really started thinking about it like, um, like if someone was raised from birth as like a wilderness survivalist and they just dropped you or, I mean, I don't know, maybe, maybe you have this in your background. But, uh, if they dropped you or me in the middle of the woods, I would step into a booby trap within three feet. Yes. Cause I don't know what to look for and it's like, because I didn't spend my life learning how to build or identify traps.

• 50:34Speaker 01

  Like, how is it that we're meant to like be inside the mind of someone who is working very hard to make sure that you feel very unsteady and are questioning yourself. So it, ah, it's really, it's really complicated and it's, it's, it's hard for me because I, I, I, there are even times when I talk about my situation where as I'm saying it, I will go, am I making that up? Am I making everything up? Like, I remember having a conversation with my therapist like a year after that relationship where

• 51:12Speaker 01

  I was constantly asking her to just diagnose me with like an egocentonic disorder. So that I could just fix it and and make sure that like, oh, this just won't happen again or something. And there was a point where she was, she was talking about my ex and she started to say something where she was like, well, you know, when you're dealing with a wolf in sheep's clothing and I went, no, no. What if I'm the wolf? Like, what if it was me? Because I think that was the thing that I didn't expect was how totally convinced he was of his own victimhood.

• 51:52Speaker 01

  Like, I know him well enough, in spite of feeling like, well, I didn't know him at all. But I know him well enough to know, like, he's not an actor, he's not a performer. He, you know, not a great liar in a lot of ways. So I was like, looking at someone who was actually kind of like suffering? And and I thought like, well, if he's being manipulative, I'll know it. Because, you know, I'll smell the bullshit, like, I'll smell that this is kind of a performance that he's putting on. But I don't think he was putting on a performance. I think he genuinely believed that I was like torturing him. He told me one day I was terrorizing him because I was just crying.

• 52:37Speaker 01

  Because I couldn't pretend that things were fine anymore and I just started crying and he screamed in my face, you're terrorizing me. But it was truly from the place of a person who believed that they were being terrorized. So I, I don't, I don't know if that's would resonate with people, but It does. It's like, even when I would watch these fucking videos, I would read the articles and watch the videos. And when like, um, Dr. Romany, who I love, like, you know, she's, she's doing like an impression of a fight where, you know, some abusive piece of shit goes, Alex, you're crazy. But that's not how it actually sounds. It's like, it was like, Sometimes it was so emotional. It was like, Anna, I'm begging you, like, you're ruining everything.

• 53:21Speaker 01

  You're making, like, it was so real for him that it was like, am I really, am I doing something terrible? And I think that, you know, especially with conversations about like, well, you're always out with your friends and trying to isolate you, those kind of things. Like, I think they're really convinced that you're doing something terrible to them. So like, the pain place is real and that can be very, very misleading and convincing.

• 53:45Alex Cooper?

  I just wanna say, the way that you, everything you just said.

• 53:50Speaker 01

  Yeah, did that, any of that make sense?

• 53:51Alex Cooper?

  100%. It, it made so much sense. If anything, it's probably one of the best descriptions of it. Because I really, really appreciate you saying, like, I still am uncovering some of the fucking red flags. Because I'm still even in my head being like, did that even happen? Am I, is it still some of it on me? Like, I think that is a great message to just give to everyone listening is like, it is not normal. You should not be like, oh, that's bad behavior. And I recognize that. You're being manipulative and gaslighting and blah, blah, blah. Like, when you're with someone that you love for so long and it does turn into an abusive situation, it is so hard to see.

• 54:31Alex Cooper?

  And that's why ignorant people that, whether they don't have someone that they know or it never happened to them are like, why didn't you just leave? It's so.

• 54:39Speaker 01

  It's so hard.

• 54:40Alex Cooper?

  It's so much harder than that. Cause even you to this day, sitting here being like, I still in my head, I'm like, was that real? Like, it's.

• 54:48Speaker 01

  And even sharing that, I'm like, fuck, should I even say that? Like, there's something like that feels, I think incorrectly, but feels like shameful about. How am I not more solid in my, like, healing, recovery, whatever? How am I still?

• 55:02Alex Cooper?

  But it's not that, Anna. It's like, you are present in your reality today, but when you reflect back on that relationship and that inner dynamic with that person, you are still perplexed by how the person sitting here today was in a situation. And how that went like that I think is normal like I think that's what people struggle with and that's why I'm appreciative of you talking with me about this because like it is so weird when you're like I am happy and healthy now so how can I still be affected by that I think it would be weird to not be affected by someone that manipulated you in a way because it distorts your reality

• 55:36Speaker 01

  Completely

• 55:36Alex Cooper?

  And so like you sitting here like I guess I could ask like how have you learned and I'm sure you're still doing it like to trust yourself again

• 55:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's hard. I mean, yeah, I mean, even even having this conversation, you know, like in the the I know we haven't like gotten there, but in the the movie that I made

• 55:59Speaker 01

  like something small like you know, there are all these different women in the film and they all have like very different personalities and that felt important to me because as like yet another kind of small reason why it feels like hey, there's no I wish there was, but there is no way to guarantee protection from someone who is determined to harm you and that sounds grim and and I guess it is, but surely like the least we can do when someone has harmed us when we come out of like a devastating situation is take off that top layer of shame where we go

• 56:40Speaker 01

  well, I should have known I should have seen I should have been different I should have been the tough girl I should have been the sweet girl I should have done and it's like none of that will save you none of that will save you and again like I I almost hate saying that because it's so bleak but I think I have I did and still sometimes do so much self shaming around like how did I how did I find myself in that situation like I'm a real asshole so like how did I how did I not do the thing that I would have told you that I would do which was immediately be like throw a scarf over my shoulder and be like have a nice life dick and and like I it's there's something like

• 57:21Speaker 01

  so vulnerable and kind of humiliating about the fact that like I just stayed and I kept thinking I'll I'll just try to be I don't know warmer or better or something I mean even when

• 57:35Speaker 01

  this was the like our schedule was getting worked out to to come and record this It was like the next day I went on social media and I saw a video of you talking about an experience you had where you were like, why did I not just leave? And I was like, girl, I, you were in a fond response. And like, that's the whole, like, woman of the hour, that's, it's like, all fond response. It's all just like, what do I have to do to survive? Like, you were doing what you had to do to survive.

• 58:22Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Airbnb. As you guys know, I have basically been working double time throughout this pregnancy to bank episodes for the month that I will be on maternity leave. And a few weeks ago, it all just kind of hit me. I was like, wait, wait, wait, where did summer go? And I was talking about this with Matt and he ended up surprising me with a little staycation. He booked this beautiful home on Airbnb in Malibu so that we could pretend like it was summer while it's still warm here in LA. The weather was perfect. The house was right on the beach, which was so relaxing and amazing. It also had just such a gorgeous kitchen. We stayed in, we cooked dinner together.

• 59:03Alex Cooper?

  And, you know, daddy gaining my cooking skills, they have, they have gotten better. They've gotten a little bit better through pregnancy. But it was really just so nice to unplug and spend that time together before the baby comes and we move into this completely new chapter of our life. So whether you're planning a cozy weekend away, or you're just looking for an excuse to unplug for a few days, October is the perfect time to get out of town. Booking a home on Airbnb makes the trip feel even more special because everyone has room to actually spend time together. Whether you're coming back after a long day out, or you're also just cooking dinner, Airbnb makes settling in even easier because you can order groceries for your trip and have all of the snacks and essentials delivered after you arrive.

• 59:48Alex Cooper?

  My favorite fall trips always Have one thing in common, an amazing place to say, that's why I always look at Airbnb first. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Southern New Hampshire University. Daddy gang, let's get real, okay? We like to make our own rules. Southern New Hampshire University gets it. They let you learn what you want with over 200 career-focused programs, where you want with 100% online courses, and how you want with no set class times. Basically, you get to call the shots from day one. Visit s n h u dot edu slash call her daddy to learn more. This is a paid ad by BetterHelp. So anytime that I am finding myself having a habit that I just cannot kick,

• 1:00:32Alex Cooper?

  I'm like, okay, I need to talk about this in therapy. Listen, guys, everyone has habits, mindsets, or patterns that don't serve them, but recognizing what they are and learning how to let them go can be so important. It's literally the first step towards creating meaningful change. And therapy with BetterHelp, one of the leading online therapy platforms, can be a space to explore where those patterns come from and develop healthier habits and mindsets for a more fulfilling life. With over 30,000 therapists worldwide, BetterHelp has served millions of people globally. BetterHelp makes it easier to fit therapy into your routine with flexible ways to connect that work for different schedules and lifestyles. Plus, BetterHelp therapists have at least three years and 1,000 hours on-hand experience

• 1:01:16Alex Cooper?

  and hold all required education, training, and certifications. You can meet with a range of professionals from marriage and family therapists to social workers and counselors. So daddy gang, if you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com/daddy. That's better h e l p dot com slash daddy. Thank you for bringing it up because I do now want to talk about the movie. That's kind of what we've been building to is like these themes of every woman listening. Yes, I feel like we're both like pretty strong, independent women that we've got like our careers and people could look at us and it's like, wow, like you guys have got it all figured out.

• 1:02:01Alex Cooper?

  And we're both sitting here being like, no, no, no, like to this day, I've been in weird work situations that I'm like, wait, like Alex Cooper, the Call Her Daddy person that just like signed her big deal and all this, like, no, there have been still moments in this industry where I am having uncomfortable interactions with people and I'm like, Wait, why didn't I just like?

• 1:02:21Speaker 01

  Yeah, why weren't you just assertive?

• 1:02:23Alex Cooper?

  Right, it's like, it's not that easy. And it's, and I, I now want to talk about the movie because you're right, there are so many themes in it that are so brilliantly portraying what we as women go through every day. And then it also, women will be like, yup, I've been there, I've been there. And still to this day, like, I don't know if men completely understand what we have to go through and why we fawn instead of scream, kick and punch in the face. Um, let's talk about the movie. Um, woman of the hour, I, first of all, you were set to, you know, be the lead.

• 1:02:55Speaker 01

  Right.

• 1:02:55Alex Cooper?

  And then you also directed it. How did this come to be?

• 1:02:58Speaker 01

  Yeah, so I actually got the script for Alice Darling and Woman of the Hour, like, the same, like, month at least, like, I want to say the same week, but, but it might have been the same month. And, you know, certain movies just come together quickly and certain movies take forever. So I was attached, um, as an actor for like, two years. And, you know, you're just sort of like, well, I love this script. I love this story, you know, let me know. And, um, and that happens a lot in, uh, in the industry. And the other thing that happens is that sometimes, you know, something will just be kicking around for a long time. And then out of nowhere, it will be like, hey, we raised the money and we have a start date. So let's try to keep this train on the tracks because otherwise it'll probably like,

• 1:03:40Speaker 01

  disappear again. And so we were like suddenly starting the search for a director. And, uh, I basically had like 48 hours where it was like this voice going, Anna, you should pitch yourself. And me going, shut up. Absolutely not. Everyone needs to be quiet. We're not doing that. Um, and it was that same feeling of like, I'm, oh my God, I'm going to push myself off a cliff. And, um, so I pitched myself to direct the movie. Um, because I felt like I had become slowly kind of obsessed with the script. And there was a little bit of me, um, like where I would give like ideas,

• 1:04:23Speaker 01

  feedback, whatever. But, you know, it was, there were, you know, producers, cooks in the kitchen, whatever. And- I was always a little bit like, well, you know, if it were my movie, I would probably do it like that. But it's not my movie, so whatever. And the idea of taking it and just tweaking it that little bit was really exciting to me. So I pitched myself and I got the job. And then six weeks later, I was in Canada doing like hard prep for the movie. And then we, and then we were like making the movie. And it really was like, I'm going to push myself off a cliff. And I guess I will find out on the way down if I packed this parachute correctly. Because like, if, if it had been six months later, I would have panicked and backed out.

• 1:05:07Speaker 01

  I would have been like, you guys are right. We should find someone way more experienced. It'll, it'll be great. But I had also in the last like five years before that, started to have the experience of looking around a film set and going, huh, oh, oh God, I'm the most experienced person here. Oh, oh no, I'm the most experienced person here and I'm an idiot. This is a nightmare. Like it wasn't like, ooh, hot shit. It was like, oh no, but you are like, oh wow, I've been, I've been doing this a long time. Um, so yeah, it felt like, okay, it's kind of a now or never thing.

• 1:05:50Speaker 01

  Um, and I was absolutely terrified. Um, but I, I was trying to kind of just like make it. Right. Um, I was like, I'm the super confident leader. I should be in charge of things. Um, and again, like, I don't know about you, but like, I absolutely overthink things and I can get paralyzed in perfectionism, all, all that stuff. And then when like my back was against the wall or like things were really running behind. And you don't really have a choice, but to be running on like adrenaline and instinct.

• 1:06:27Speaker 01

  There were even things in the edit where, you know, you're, you're looking at like the stuff in between takes where I would see myself like run into the frame and like give the actor a note and like adjust a piece of set deck. And I was like, well, that lady seems like she knows what she's doing.

• 1:06:43Alex Cooper?

  You're like, damn.

• 1:06:44Speaker 01

  Okay. Like when I'm in a blind panic and you don't really have a choice, I was like, she seems like she's an authority figure. How about that?

• 1:06:53Alex Cooper?

  I mean, it's an incredible movie and you should be so proud of yourself. I know you are, but like to know that I didn't realize it was that where you're like, should I pitch myself? Should I pitch myself? Thank God you pitched yourself because it's awesome. Like it really is amazing. Coming from someone that gets so fucking scared from movies like this.

• 1:07:12Speaker 01

  I know, I know. And I did tell you, I was like, well, if you made it through the first five minutes, it's all, it's like, it gets easier from there.

• 1:07:18Alex Cooper?

  It gets easier. But before, like for people who haven't watched it yet, the movie is based on an insane true story. Can you give just like a little bit of a, a bite for them to understand what's going on?

• 1:07:28Speaker 01

  So it's based on the true story of a serial killer in the 1970s who went on the show The Dating Game. And it moves around through time. So it's kind of following this like more than a decade long period where he was really operating without consequence. Cause nobody was really looking for him, which is another interesting, and by interesting, I mean enraging aspect of the story. But I play the bachelorette who's on The Dating Game. And that, some of that footage exists online, but the full episode, like all the footage appears to have been kind of like lost to time.

• 1:08:11Speaker 01

  So the, the screenwriter kind of used that vacuum as this opportunity to, it's, it's almost like a fantasy section of the movie, except the fantasy is what if a woman stood up for herself? Can you imagine? Um, but I, but it's like, it's interesting because speaking of like asserting yourself. It's a really fun section of the movie. It's a, it's a, you know, it's a, it's a really tense movie, but like that section is kind of fun. But as the viewer, it's complicated because you know that, okay, she's been shrinking herself and in a fond response and she's like standing up for herself, which is so fun to watch.

• 1:08:54Speaker 01

  But we know she's getting herself closer and closer to danger and it's complicated. Like there are times where you go, why don't I just assert myself? And it's like, sometimes it's not that simple.

• 1:09:05Alex Cooper?

  Women will understand those moments where you stroke the ego or you actually are like so fucking nice in situations that you're so uncomfortable in. Because in your head, you're like, the only way I'm getting out of this situation is to be so appeasing and so nice and work it. And then all of a sudden, I know I'll be able to get out at some point. But to a normal person that's never been in that situation or isn't a woman is like, wait, why don't they just like scream and run?

• 1:09:32Speaker 01

  That's right.

• 1:09:33Alex Cooper?

  And you're like, first of all, if I tried to scream and run, I'm dead bitch. So fuck you. Okay? Like clearly we're not that dumb. Um, I think that was like something very interesting in the movie. Obviously I talked to you earlier before we got out here about like that parking lot scene. Just like struck me because I think every woman, anytime you were in a dark area and you are walking anywhere, your senses go up where you're like, what the fuck is gonna happen to me? What the fuck is gonna happen to me? Am I gonna die? Am I gonna get murdered? Um, how do you think this movie, like what do you think it says about how women are preyed upon in society?

• 1:10:08Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, well, first of all, I just want to say like it's so interesting that you use the word like your senses go up. Cause even the way that, um, like that scene was kind of the first scene that I could like visualize. Um, and I imagined it in kind of mediums and closeups. And then when that thing happens where we've all been there where you're like, an interaction is perfectly pleasant. And then 10 seconds later, you're like, wait, 10 seconds ago, everything felt fine. And now like something feels very fucking dangerous. It almost is like your entire, like your hearing, your peripheral vision is just like, okay. Where do I see movement? Where do I hear movement? How unsafe am I? And so that's when like the camera goes, jumps wide because it's like,

• 1:10:50Speaker 01

  oh, that's when you would be aware of like, oh, this parking lot is empty. Like, there's not a maintenance man, there's not a passing couple. Like, all I can hear is the buzz of the streetlights. And it really is like in those moments, in your own mind, you're like, oh, I can almost hear like, the ringing in my own ears because like, there's nothing. Fuck, there's nothing.

• 1:11:12Alex Cooper?

  That is so interesting stylistically, like you having the decision-making around the camera angles and how different, not that like, we love men and we love male directors, but I'm just like, so curious to know like, how a man would have directed that scene, where you're directing it like, so in the presence of your own body and how you would feel in that moment.

• 1:11:41Speaker 01

  Man, and there were times when people were talking about, like when we were on set, people were talking about me as like, oh, see, oh, I'm so glad a woman's directing this. And there were times where I was like, is it making that much of a difference? I can't really tell. And then there were, like, you know, there were, there were a bunch of examples like this, but there was a, there's a moment where like, the girl in the New York City apartment, when she kind of realizes like, oh, something's wrong. I don't know what's wrong, but something's wrong. And she doesn't even drop her smile and you can just sort of see it in her eyes. And when we were shooting that, one of my producers was like, should we just do another take where it's just more clear what's happening? And I was like, it will be very clear to women what's happening. Like, I think it will be clear to most men, but I was also like,

• 1:12:24Speaker 01

  if there's like 20% of men who are like, I don't understand what's happening in this scene, fine.

• 1:12:28Alex Cooper?

  Right, that's okay.

• 1:12:29Speaker 01

  That would be fine. I would much rather like, actually be like, no, this is how you would handle this. Like, you wouldn't let on at all.

• 1:12:37Alex Cooper?

  No.

• 1:12:38Speaker 01

  Um, so yeah, it, it, it was like, oh, I wasn't really sure how, um, like, being a woman director would really show up in the movie, but then, yeah, there were a bunch of things like that where I was like, oh, no, that's not even what the scene's about. Like, what?

• 1:12:52Alex Cooper?

  No, I love it so much. And I, I think, again, the themes are so important for people in society to just like, grasp on to and understand. And I think this is like a very accurate depiction, obviously heightened, like, we're not all not like dealing with like, a murderer, um, serial killer.

• 1:13:09Speaker 01

  There are so many stories that I hear where, I mean, even your story where you're like, why did I, why didn't I just, whatever. It's like you did what you had to do. Are you kidding?

• 1:13:18Alex Cooper?

  I know.

• 1:13:19Speaker 01

  Are you kidding?

• 1:13:19Alex Cooper?

  It's just so weird Daddy Gang, we're talking about the Paris episode, the Paris story. If you haven't listened, go listen. But like, yes, that story, I remember being so even anxious to tell the story online at first because I was like, oh God, like-

• 1:13:32Speaker 01

  Everyone's just gonna say like, well, girl, what were you thinking?

• 1:13:35Alex Cooper?

  Like, why'd you get on a plane? Like, why'd you go? And I'm like, because I thought that he was a normal, nice man. Like, I think that's what we all go into it. Like, unless you are burned so deeply from a young age, which is horrific, and you have your, those like guards up from a young age, you go through life for a while until you hit a point where you are fucked over in a way that like will stay with you for the rest of your life. And we wish that wouldn't happen to us, but when it happens, you can't unsee it. But before it happens, you're trusting people. You're like, I want to trust people.

• 1:14:07Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:14:07Alex Cooper?

  I want to have a good time with someone like-

• 1:14:10Speaker 01

  Isn't it interesting that we're so easily, uh, in- induced to go like, well, what were you thinking? What, like trusting someone? Thinking, thinking other people are good? But then, by the way, if you're like, oh, I'm kind of cagey about dating and stuff right now. It's like, well, you gotta open yourself up. You're like, alright, me, oh, oh, oh, oh, this is a setup. This is a trap. Oh, I see. I see. There's no winning. Got it.

• 1:14:33Alex Cooper?

  There's no fucking winning. We, speaking of dating, as we're wrapping up, I promise. Are you, are you dating? Are you single? What's going on?

• 1:14:57Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Ross. Fall is about finding pieces you love, making them your own and creating looks and spaces just right for the season. Whether you're updating a small apartment or a spacious home, drawn to timeless neutrals or bold seasonal touches, Ross makes it easy to imagine what's next and bring your fall vision to life. Ross makes fashion accessible to all with up to 20 to 60% off other retailers prices on the brands you love. Find your nearest Ross at Ross stores.com.

• 1:15:30Speaker 02

  Nowadays, you have certain expectations when you fly, like people napping on the airport floor or flying in your pajamas. You know what you don't expect? Free drinks. But now, T-Mobile members get a free premium drink when they fly Delta Airlines. So just sit back, relax, and switch to T-Mobile today. Visit T-Mobile.com/membership for details. It's better over here.

• 1:15:53Speaker 03

  Get a free premium Delta drink with eligible plan and link SkyMiles account 24 hours before qualifying. Flight required. Must be 21 or older. CT life for terms.

• 1:16:00Alex Cooper?

  Are you dating? Are you single? What's going on?

• 1:16:02Speaker 01

  No, no, I'm, I'm, I'm single, but it is funny. I was like, I was thinking the other day, I've, I've been single for a while. And, and I was like, oh God, I'm, this is very me. I'm very avoidant. And I have all these kind of, like, little traps in, in my head, or like escape hatches or whatever. And I think like, for a long time now, I've been like, ugh, nope, no prospects. Meanwhile, I'm like, Anna, every time your phone buzzes, it's someone being like, oh, I know this guy who writes on this great, he's on that show that's so great that everybody loves. And he like, really wants to meet you, so just let me know. And like, I just put it back down and go, no prospects for old Anna.

• 1:16:42Speaker 01

  Poor, poor Anna. Nobody wants me. Like, it's like such a game that I'm playing with myself where I'm like, oh, I'm not wanting to go there. So I just like, don't see what's happening. Like, people, like, people going like, I'd love to take you out for a meal. And me going like, oh, he wants to be buddies. But like, that's not even a euphemism. That's just like how people ask you on dates. And it's just amazing the way that I'm like, ah, no one for poor Anna. It's so pathetic.

• 1:17:09Alex Cooper?

  You're just not in the mood.

• 1:17:10Speaker 01

  Yeah, basically. Well, and also like, I made this movie about like, the most dangerous violent man. So there might be some bleed over there.

• 1:17:17Alex Cooper?

  No, I think it's, I love when people are like, no, I'm not dating. I think like, we can normalize that when people are like, you're not seeing anyone? I hate those friends that are like, come on. It's like, first of all, shut up. I'll do it when I want to. But clearly, like, yes, you went through something with someone and you made this movie. And now it's like, you're gonna get back out there when you want to get back out there. Is there anything that's like a non-negotiable for you in a relationship?

• 1:17:41Speaker 01

  Oh, well, in spite of my not great experience with couples therapy,

• 1:17:47Alex Cooper?

  Yeah.

• 1:17:48Speaker 01

  I was like, first of all, I'm never getting involved with a man, meaning like, we're not even kissing, we're not, like, I'm not even, we're not even gonna like, have a real conversation, unless you are in or have been in therapy. And if we're actually like, oh, okay, maybe this is a relationship, we're getting a couple therapist, from jump, from jump. And like, by the way, that guarantees nothing, like, even that, but yeah, I,

• 1:18:13Alex Cooper?

  I love that. A man that's in therapy.

• 1:18:17Speaker 01

  I know. It warms my, it warms my heart.

• 1:18:19Alex Cooper?

  It's a good sign.

• 1:18:20Speaker 01

  It is not a guarantee of anything.

• 1:18:22Alex Cooper?

  You're right. It's not a guarantee, but at least it's like, a little bit more, like, it's a little bit more in the right direction.

• 1:18:28Speaker 01

  Completely.

• 1:18:28Alex Cooper?

  Because a man that's like, I would never fucking go to therapy. I'm like, what's wrong with you? You're the one that has the most fucking trauma.

• 1:18:34Speaker 01

  Totally.

• 1:18:34Alex Cooper?

  Like, not a good sign.

• 1:18:35Speaker 01

  And, can I say, I mean, even the kind of going back to the red flag thing, that, like, I'm aware that, you know, I love that there is a bit of a community and women wanting to share, like, ooh, this turned out to be a red flag, and like, you know, we should know those things, and know that, like, it doesn't necessarily protect us to look out for those things. But, I was like, I was thinking about how, you know, a classic one is like, any guy that says like, oh, all my exes are crazy, that's a red flag. I was like, you know, all of these guys have access to the same internet and the same culture that we do. So I don't think that they're rocking up to first dates and going, ugh, all my exes are crazy fucking bitches.

• 1:19:17Speaker 01

  They're like, it was a messy situation, it was, you know, and, and I've been burned. And look, I, I probably contributed in some ways too, but,

• 1:19:27Alex Cooper?

  Oh, we have Anna.

• 1:19:28Speaker 01

  I'm like, I think, as we're learning it, they are too. Not to be like, oh, they're like, and I don't even think they're doing it on purpose.

• 1:19:34Alex Cooper?

  No, you're right.

• 1:19:35Speaker 01

  It's just happening subconsciously.

• 1:19:37Alex Cooper?

  No, like, the, those little fuckers are fully learning off of this episode, being like, don't say this, do this. No, you're right. You're right. They're taking notes, like, they're not idiots, you're right.

• 1:19:46Speaker 01

  I had a guy tell me about an ex where he was doing, like, it was almost like he was Getting me to collude with him by by being like, no, she was a great person, but then would tell me things about her that would make me go, that's not okay. That's awful. And he would sort of be like, oh, wow, really? Do you think it was? And then it was all bullshit. It was all full on fabricated crazy, but like it it is like, oh, they're, oh, oh, they're learning. They're like velociraptors. My God.

• 1:20:15Alex Cooper?

  Okay, so on a first date, what do you want to be doing on a first date? Are you going to a dinner? Are you doing a coffee? Are you doing a fucking Zoom meeting?

• 1:20:23Speaker 01

  Oh, my God.

• 1:20:24Alex Cooper?

  What are we doing? What's your ideal first date?

• 1:20:26Speaker 01

  Uh, I know I'm like, is there a way to just like, have it like at my house in my pajamas? I mean, like, you have to look nice and I will be like, recording it for the authorities. So don't try anything, but I, yeah, I am like, what? Leave the house dinner, Alex, that's disgusting. Why would you say that?

• 1:20:45Alex Cooper?

  You'll do a FaceTime date.

• 1:20:46Speaker 01

  But go to a movie? What? Oh, my God.

• 1:20:49Alex Cooper?

  Your movie? How iconic.

• 1:20:52Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 1:20:52Alex Cooper?

  Kind of iconic. Um, okay, last two questions. What is your best quality that you think you bring to a relationship?

• 1:20:58Speaker 01

  Oh, God. Um, oh, um, sometimes, uh, when I feel like I've seen like memes and stuff online about like the girlfriend that will be like, this isn't what he ordered. You know how like some men are are like, oh, that's well, this isn't, um, but that's okay. And I'll just eat it. Like, I'm very much like the bodyguard. Like, I think I'm compensating for how short I am. I'm always like, wait, wait, now hang on a second. Um, which is weird because I'm the person where if the wrong thing comes, I'll just eat it. But when it's somebody else, and it's the same thing with friends where I'm like, where are they? No, no, no, no, no, who said that to you? No, no, no, where are they? I just want to talk. No, no, no, I just want to talk. Like, I go, I really talk crazy to people.

• 1:21:41Speaker 01

  It's it's a lot, but I don't know. I like that about myself.

• 1:21:44Alex Cooper?

  I kind of love that.

• 1:21:45Speaker 01

  I don't know if you find that it's way easier for me when it's somebody else.

• 1:21:48Alex Cooper?

  Of course. And then to stick up for yourself, you're like, oh, no, no, no, no, never, never. But to someone else, I'm like, oh, I got you, bitch. I'm coming in full swinging. Like, let's go. No.

• 1:21:56Speaker 01

  I'm like, they're already dead. I don't, we don't even have to worry about it. I slit their throat last night. It's fine.

• 1:22:01Alex Cooper?

  That's a good friend to have. This is good to know about you. Brittany's lucky, but you're also lucky with Brittany. Um, last question, what do you think is like the biggest misconception about you?

• 1:22:11Speaker 01

  Oh God, I don't know. I don't know. I mean, sometimes, okay, sometimes, I don't know if this counts as like a misconception, but um, sometimes I truly don't realize how dry I'm being. I have like such nervous kid sister energy around um, like real like comics. Um, and uh, so I'll try to like be funny, like even, even if someone's just funny, like I'll be like, oh yeah, I have to like keep up. And I'll go so dry that I think sometimes I don't realize it comes off like I'm being dead serious. I saw a video of my, I saw a TikTok of myself once. Um, I was at this

• 1:22:55Speaker 01

  party and uh, this guy like, you know, just got me to do like a video with him. Um, and I was joking that he told me that he'd been like filming me from across the party. It was fine, it was fine, whatever. Um, but I was like, oh, we're doing a bit about how like, oh, you were secretly filming me, motherfucker. Like, so, okay, we're doing, like, I'm like, yeah, we're doing a bit. And then I see the TikTok, cause it like went viral. And I was like, oh my God, it seems like I'm, it seems like I'm, it seems like I'm ready to kill this man. Which like, look, mostly, am I ready to kill men at any given moment? A little, but I was like, I'm being so funny. And then I saw it back and I was like, oh my God. And all the comments were like,

• 1:23:38Speaker 01

  wait, is she being serious? And I was like, I don't know, am I being serious? My God. And it really, I'd never like seen just a video of me doing a bit that wasn't like coming across as a bit. So I was like, oh my God, how many times? How many times? Cause this is like the tone that I snap into when there's like a comedy director or something like, where I was like, oh wow, there have got to be so many situations where they're like, I don't know, I thought we were getting along fine. And then she like freak, she like went cold, like dead eyed on me or something. Meanwhile, I'm like, I'm being so funny. It's going great. Okay. Like I'm nailing it. Anna, you're nailing it.

• 1:24:15Alex Cooper?

  And that is the end of the episode. And that concludes today's session, ladies and gentlemen. Um, Anna, thank you so much for coming on Caller Daddy. This was so fun. You're amazing. Thank you.

• 1:24:26Speaker 01

  Thank you so much for everything.

• 1:24:27Alex Cooper?

  Thank you. Thank you.

• 1:24:43Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Ross. Fall is about finding pieces you love, making them your own and creating looks and spaces just right for the season. Whether you're updating a small apartment or a spacious home, drawn to timeless neutrals or bold seasonal touches, Ross makes it easy to imagine what's next and bring your fall vision to life. Ross makes fashion accessible to all with up to 20 to 60% off other retailers' prices on the brands you love. Find your nearest Ross at rossstores.com. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Pandora Jewelry. I love to accessorize my outfits with jewelry, obviously, and I feel like all the time,

• 1:25:25Alex Cooper?

  depending on my outfit, it's going to be kind of dependent on what jewelry I'm wanting to wear that day. Discover Pandora Talisman, a new collection designed to help you express every side of who you are, because the most powerful statement you can make is being yourself, obviously. Daddy gang, they have meaningful zodiac symbols and personalized jewelry pieces. Each design tells a story that's uniquely yours, a reflection of what you stand for, what you believe, and how you choose to show up every day. Pandora Talisman, a new language of self-expression, because every version of you deserves to be seen. Shop new styles in-store or online at pandora.net.

• 1:26:02Speaker 02

  Nowadays, you have certain expectations when you fly, like people napping on the airport floor or flying in your pajamas. You know what you don't expect? Free drinks. But now, T-Mobile members get a free premium drink when they fly Delta Airlines. So just sit back, relax, and switch to T-Mobile today. Visit tmobile.com/membership for details. It's better over here.

• 1:26:25Speaker 03

  Get a free premium Delta drink with eligible plan and link SkyMiles account 24 hours before qualifying. Flight required, must be 21 or older, see T Life for terms.