Maika Monroe

You may know Maika Monroe from such chilling films as LONGLEGS and IT FOLLOWS but she's stretching her muscles now with the romantic drama (by way of no less than Colleen Hoover) REMINDERS OF HIM. She joins Josh to talk about it all, from an athletic career to her unlikely rise as a scream queen. SUPPORT THE SHOW BY SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! Rula -- Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠https://www.rula.com/happy⁠ #rulapod #sponsored NordVPN -- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/hsc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Saily -- 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code HSC at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://saily.com/hsc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Time Offer–Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code happy15 at ⁠⁠⁠http://huel.com/happy15.⁠⁠⁠ New Customers Only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show! Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes, video versions of the podcast, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

• 0:01Speaker 00

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• 0:29Josh Horowitz?

  Who's the last actor you were mistaken for?

• 0:34Speaker 02

  People think that I'm Gwen Stefani. It's not an actor, but like, like a young Gwen Stefani. They're always like, "You, if there's a No Doubt, like biopic, you have to play her." And I'm like, "Mm-hmm." I loved No Doubt growing up. Oh, my God.

• 0:47Josh Horowitz?

  There you go.

• 0:48Speaker 02

  So, you know.

• 0:49Josh Horowitz?

  We know the singing ability is...

• 0:51Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'll figure it out.

• 0:52Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 0:52Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'll figure it out.

• 0:54Speaker 03

  Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, Sad, Confused begins.

• 1:03Josh Horowitz?

  Hey, guys, it's Josh. Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Today on the pod, first time guest, the wonderful Mica Monroe. We're not talking horror today. No, Mica Monroe contains multitudes. She is talking about her new film, Reminders of Him, and much, much more. Thanks, guys, as always, for checking out the pod, for subscribing on YouTube or Spotify, however you're enjoying it. I appreciate you, guys. I'm so thrilled that Mica is on the pod at long last. She's been killing it the last dozen years or so since coming to the fore with The Guest and It Follows in 2014. And really cool to talk to her about this new kind of change of pace. Before we get to Mica, though, a quick reminder, as always, if you like what I do, want to see more of what I do, patreon.com/happysadconfused.

• 1:48Josh Horowitz?

  Early access, discount codes, live events here in New York City and sometimes elsewhere. It helps us make more stuff over here if you support us over there. So, check it out. Patreon.com/happysadconfused. Okay, so a little bit more on Mica before we dive right in. You know and love her from, as I said, that kind of that double whammy early in her career where it really established. established her, it follows the guest. If you haven't seen those, by the way, what are you doing with your life? They're both fantastic. But since then, mixing it up in the, you know, the big budget stuff like Independence Day, the smaller stuff like Watcher, and then last year, I think it was just a year ago or so, Long Legs, that amazing film from Osgood Perkins, co-starring the legend that is Nick Cage. She's really been killing it. And now in this film,

• 2:33Josh Horowitz?

  this is, as I said, kind of a change of pace for her. This is a Colleen Hoover adaptation. If you don't know Colleen Hoover, again, wherever you've been, she is like, you know, one of the most acclaimed, you know, bestselling authors working today, and all of her books are being adapted into into films. And this one really works, like, you know, in the romantic drama realm, you know, elements of kind of like the old Nicholas Sparks films, etc. It will make you cry, probably. If it made me cry, it's probably going to make you cry. And it was really a nice occasion just to catch up with Micah about the entire arc of her career. This is a super fun chat with a very, very talented actor, and I'm thrilled that she's finally a guest on Happy Sad Confused. So, without any further ado, here it is. It's me and Micah Monroe.

• 3:18Josh Horowitz?

  Enjoy. Micah Monroe, you're finally on the podcast.

• 3:22Speaker 02

  I know, I'm so excited.

• 3:24Josh Horowitz?

  Where have you been?

• 3:24Speaker 02

  I know, where have I been?

• 3:26Josh Horowitz?

  We're making it happen. Look, we've had a lot of, we've had too many, like, Chris's and Kristens on the pod. Finally, a Micah. You're the first Micah.

• 3:33Speaker 02

  Oh, I see. I love that. I feel honored.

• 3:35Josh Horowitz?

  What's your, what's your relationship with your name? Growing up, did you like Micah?

• 3:39Speaker 02

  Well, I actually have a fun story with that. So,

• 3:42Josh Horowitz?

  That's perfect for a podcast. You've come loaded.

• 3:45Speaker 02

  Yes, I'm ready to go. My mom was deciding between naming me Micah or Dylan, if it was going to be a girl. She was like, if I have a girl, it's Micah or Dylan. A week before I was born, she had some, like, dream, and it was like, it's going to be Dylan. So, I came out a girl, and she named me Dylan, D-I-L-L-O-N. And around seven years old, which I think is like, first grade, I was just, I was like, what other names were you gonna name me? What were you, what were you thinking? And she said Mica. And I was like, oh my God, I love that name. And I also think like, at that age, there were boy Dylans and like other Dylans.

• 4:28Speaker 02

  And I think Mica felt like very unique. So I was like, I want to, I'm gonna be named Mica. Not gonna listen. If you call me Dylan, I won't, I won't pay attention. And I have literally been Mica since then.

• 4:40Josh Horowitz?

  Self determining. I went through a very brief phase where I'm like, I, cause I think I was, my middle name is Alex. And I asked about the derivation of that. They're like, oh, it's after like a uncle named Max. I'm like, I want to be Max. Max. That lasted a day. I wasn't like you. I didn't have the fortitude to be like, no, you have to call me this or I'm leaving this house at 10 years old.

• 4:58Speaker 02

  That's hilarious. Yeah.

• 5:00Josh Horowitz?

  So, um, congratulations. We talked a couple of times over the years, but never like the deep dive.

• 5:04Speaker 02

  No.

• 5:04Josh Horowitz?

  I'm very excited to have you. You ready?

• 5:06Speaker 02

  Yes, I'm ready.

• 5:07Josh Horowitz?

  Like your film, there will be tears.

• 5:09Speaker 02

  Oh, good, good. I can't wait.

• 5:10Josh Horowitz?

  Uh, no, congratulations on the movie. I was telling you before, um, it really works. Like it, it, it delivers what it sets out to do.

• 5:18Speaker 02

  Good.

• 5:18Josh Horowitz?

  This is, which is all you can ask. Um, has the press tour been a little bit different than like the long legs press tour slightly?

• 5:24Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah. I mean, I, I've never really done anything quite, quite like this. Um.

• 5:29Josh Horowitz?

  What's unique about it?

• 5:31Speaker 02

  Um, it's just, it's like full on, you know, this is a bigger studio film. So there's, you know, a budget to actually do something, which is very cool.

• 5:40Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 5:40Speaker 02

  Um, and with this, there's such a massive fan base. Colleen's got fans, you know, she's got some fans. Um, so that's been really special.

• 5:51Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah. You're opening up a whole new world. You had the horror fans on lockdown.

• 5:55Speaker 02

  Now this is a whole different world we're stepping into.

• 5:58Josh Horowitz?

  Did you know, I mean, you knew going in, obviously you knew the fan base. You'd seen there were other films that have been made and bestselling books. Um, what has surprised you along the way about the Colleen Hoover fan base?

• 6:08Speaker 02

  Oh, they're, they're like diehards. I, I didn't, I, I mean, I, I don't really know much of like the book world, author world. But she is a celebrity. I mean, you know, we were, I was sitting, we were, we were doing a flight from I think Chicago to Kansas. And Colleen and I were sitting next to each other and this woman's boarding the plane, holding a Colleen book. And Colleen just points, oh, I wrote that book. And the woman looks over and like just freaks out. And I was like, Like, oh my god, like, Colleen means so much to these people, because she, she tells these very powerful stories that, that connect with a lot of people. So it's, it's very cool.

• 6:47Josh Horowitz?

  Did you ever have that growing up? Like, I mean, because my early days of MTV was like covering Twilight.

• 6:53Speaker 02

  Oh, my god.

• 6:54Josh Horowitz?

  So I had that, like, Stephanie Meyer, I, I spent a lot of time with her, and like, I, so I recognize what you're talking about. It's a different kind of book, obviously, but same.

• 7:01Speaker 02

  Oh, no, I'm right there with you, Twilight. Oh, my.

• 7:03Josh Horowitz?

  Were you a Twilight person?

• 7:04Speaker 02

  Oh, my god. I mean, Hunger Games and Twilight, I was like, just, yes.

• 7:09Josh Horowitz?

  I spent a lot of time with that. Okay, so, to get the basics, the basics of twenty, two thousand nine questions out of the way, Team Edward or Team Jacob?

• 7:18Speaker 02

  Oh, Team Edward. You know, I'm sorry. I love, I love, I love Taylor. Actually, he's very, he's a great friend.

• 7:25Josh Horowitz?

  Oh, there you go.

• 7:26Speaker 02

  And, and he's a lovely human. But, you know, when I was like, watching, reading the books and then watching the movie, I was, I was Team Edward.

• 7:32Josh Horowitz?

  So you read the books, you anticipated the movies, you went to opening night, the whole thing?

• 7:38Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah. Like, major fan.

• 7:40Josh Horowitz?

  And then Hunger Games?

• 7:41Speaker 02

  Yeah. Hunger Games is amazing, too. I think they both did pretty incredible adaptations.

• 7:47Josh Horowitz?

  Did you ever audition for, like, a young tribute? You might, maybe when you were starting out, were they doing the last one or two?

• 7:53Speaker 02

  It's possible. I actually don't remember. I probably did.

• 7:57Josh Horowitz?

  Have you gotten to the point in your career where you've forgotten things you've auditioned for, you think?

• 8:00Speaker 02

  Definitely.

• 8:01Josh Horowitz?

  Really?

• 8:02Speaker 02

  There's definitely a few that stand out that I really wanted, and I was, like, very close to, and, and those ones, like, stick with me. I'm like, oh.

• 8:10Josh Horowitz?

  Should we get that out of the way?

• 8:11Speaker 02

  Should we talk about it?

• 8:12Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, let's go, let's go deep.

• 8:13Speaker 02

  I remember I auditioned for, what was it, August Osage County, for, um, Abigail Breslin's role, and like, did a bunch of the Reeds and Method Rector, and I was like, oh, my god.

• 8:25Josh Horowitz?

  Not cast. Oh, my god.

• 8:26Speaker 02

  But Abigail's incredible, so like, what are you gonna do? You know? What are you gonna do, really?

• 8:30Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 8:31Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 8:32Josh Horowitz?

  Did you get in the room with, it was like, Merrill in the room?

• 8:33Speaker 02

  No, no, god, I think I probably, I don't know how I would have done with that, with good old Merrill.

• 8:38Josh Horowitz?

  Any others jump to mind? Were you going, I mean, you must have gone up for every kind of movie by now, and like, nowadays, it's mostly self-tape, I would imagine.

• 8:46Speaker 02

  I know. It's kind of crazy. I, I can't remember the last time that I went into a room and auditioned. It's been a minute.

• 8:55Speaker 02

  And I miss it.

• 8:56Josh Horowitz?

  Does you do miss it?

• 8:57Speaker 02

  Yeah, but it's funny when I had it when we were auditioning in the rooms, I was like, I want to just self tape. And now, of course, now all I can do is self tape. I'm like, please get me back in the room.

• 9:05Josh Horowitz?

  Does it get easier? I mean, like, you're obviously in a great place. You have like a great body of work, like no complaints. But like, still, for most actors, you don't get everything you want.

• 9:14Speaker 02

  Absolutely not.

• 9:15Josh Horowitz?

  So how are you with that now?

• 9:17Speaker 02

  I've, I've just gotten, you know, used to it.

• 9:22Josh Horowitz?

  I'm dead inside, Josh.

• 9:23Speaker 02

  I have, I have nothing left. I'm just, no, I, I, I've learned ways to protect myself. You know, because it's, it's, I mean, this job is, is brutal. It's brutal. And, and you get so many no's before you get one yes. And so you just have to figure out ways to just let go of it. Because, yeah.

• 9:47Josh Horowitz?

  So what's a self preservation technique? Is it about, because you want to go into that room wanting it, obviously. But is it just about like, as soon as you walk out of the room, like ripping up the sides and like?

• 9:56Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah. I always, I throw out the sides immediately. I'm just like, oh, well, never gonna have to look at those again. So I just, I, I go in, give my everything. And then as soon as I, I leave that room, I know I did my job, my work. And let go of it as much as I can, of course, easier set than done, but.

• 10:13Josh Horowitz?

  Were you like the auditioner that like would bring like a special costume, a prop?

• 10:17Speaker 02

  No, not really. I mean, some, it depends. I'm trying to think if there was any like crazy, but not, not really. No, I'm more just go in and do the thing.

• 10:26Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, there are some actors that I feel like in the trunk of their car, they have every possible.

• 10:29Speaker 02

  Oh, yes. Which impressive. I'm like, that's impressive and dedication that I love. Who was like, oh, I was just watching Elijah Wood talk about his audition for Lord of the Rings. And he was saying that he dressed up in full hobbit. Where and like edited his audition tape was like a movie and I was like, that's incredible. And he got it. So I mean,

• 10:52Josh Horowitz?

  At least I thought you were gonna say he walked into the room like that because like the walks back to the car has to be a very sad walk.

• 10:58Speaker 02

  That's gotta be tough. No, no. Especially in like a hobbit. He was like, I don't know.

• 11:02Josh Horowitz?

  Don't look at me. It's for a role. It's for my job.

• 11:06Speaker 02

  I swear. I swear. Okay.

• 11:08Josh Horowitz?

  So something like this, which stands out on your resume. Fair to say you haven't done something quite like this before.

• 11:15Speaker 02

  No, no.

• 11:15Josh Horowitz?

  So is this a long process? Is this something the kind of thing that you've gone up for before? Or give me a sense of.

• 11:22Speaker 02

  Not, not really. I was very lucky. I think sort of, you know, post the whole long legs thing. A lot sort of changed for me and this was an offer that was, you know, I sent this script. And it was kind of like, wow, this feels like a big deal. Like, are you sure you guys don't want to, you know? I don't know. But um, yeah, so I was sent the script. I read it and then pretty, pretty quickly met with Vanessa, the, the director. And yeah, we had a really lovely conversation, not just about the movie, but just life in general. And she's a pretty, she's a pretty cool person. So that's kind of how it, how it began.

• 12:04Josh Horowitz?

  Is that as important to you nowadays, like to vibe, like with the people you're gonna be working with as the material?

• 12:09Speaker 02

  Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, I, I've done a lot of movies at this point and I've had incredible experiences and really bad experiences. And it's really at the end of the day, the people that you're, you're working with. I want to continue to love my job. And it has a lot to do with the people that you surround yourself with. So I think it's very important.

• 12:39Speaker 04

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• 13:08Speaker 05

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• 13:52Speaker 05

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• 14:10Josh Horowitz?

  So, talk to me a little bit about the challenges of something like this. Because you've talked a lot about long legs and the intensity of horror and thrillers, which take a lot out of you. Every job takes it out of you in a different way. So what were the surprising or not so surprising aspects of this that challenged you in a unique way, you think?

• 14:26Speaker 02

  Well, it was, I mean, it's a very complicated emotional character, a lot of...

• 14:35Speaker 02

  Scenes that you you really gotta go there um and that's really challenging and also like you know tapping into to to personal things um and you know when when you're filming a movie you're not just doing it once you're doing it twelve times and you gotta stay kind of live in that space um and so so that you know it was it was a lot of really intense days on this.

• 15:03Josh Horowitz?

  You're so you're cast you're to offer is Tyreek attached when you're

• 15:07Speaker 02

  No, no, we did.

• 15:08Josh Horowitz?

  Chemistry reads so you're the one in the power position like let's see let's see if this guy works for me. So do you have like a say in that like he comes in the room and he leaves and you can be like yeah that that guy that he might have it?

• 15:18Speaker 02

  Yeah, it always felt um which I really appreciate very collaborative with with Universal, the producers, director, Colleen, you know, um which which you don't always get, but I it really felt like a part of the the group, but um it was Tyree came in and and we did the this chemistry read and it was just you know he he left the zoom and and we're just all like, okay, well, that's our that's our guy. I mean, it was it was very immediate that I think we all felt um very strongly about him.

• 15:51Josh Horowitz?

  Is this kind of movie? I mean, you know, you you you know, back in the day, you think of like the Nicholas Sparks books, etc., and those movies that were so great.

• 15:58Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 15:59Josh Horowitz?

  Did you grow up with those movies too?

• 16:00Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah.

• 16:01Josh Horowitz?

  What were the ones for you?

• 16:02Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh. I mean, obviously, The Notebook was just major, but like, you know, the I remember seeing The Last Song, is it the Miley Cyrus? One with Hemsworth, yeah.

• 16:16Josh Horowitz?

  One of those six Hemsworth guys.

• 16:17Speaker 02

  Yes, um Dear John, like, I I mean, growing up, those movies were like, you know, they were everything to me.

• 16:25Josh Horowitz?

  This is what romance is, guys.

• 16:27Speaker 02

  This is romance.

• 16:28Josh Horowitz?

  What is the most romantic film of all time, according to Michael Monroe?

• 16:31Speaker 02

  Oh, my goodness. I mean, I know it's the The Notebook is just or like Titanic, maybe.

• 16:40Speaker 02

  In that, it's just so like passionate and and extreme and and and um yeah, I just, I mean, those left such an impact on me.

• 16:52Josh Horowitz?

  Are you a crier generally?

• 16:54Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah.

• 16:56Josh Horowitz?

  I've cried at Titanic.

• 16:57Speaker 02

  Yeah, I know. Yeah, no, I usually, I I can't say that I cried in Titanic. I haven't watched it in a minute. Yeah, I'm like, I don't know about that. I don't know about that.

• 17:06Josh Horowitz?

  Jack had it coming as far as I'm concerned.

• 17:08Speaker 02

  Come on now. Uh, I know I am a crier. Yeah, there's some movies that really get me.

• 17:15Josh Horowitz?

  Do you have any, can you have an emotional response to your own work at all? Or is it you've you've seen how the sausage is made too much to to?

• 17:22Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 17:23Josh Horowitz?

  Anything?

• 17:24Speaker 02

  I mean, I just, I don't love watching myself. I think most actors don't. So I, you know, I there's a distance between.

• 17:32Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 17:32Speaker 02

  That.

• 17:33Josh Horowitz?

  Do you find yourself on when you're on set like this, it's like, what would Rachel McAdams do? What would Amanda Seyfried do in this situation?

• 17:40Speaker 02

  In this moment? Yeah.

• 17:42Josh Horowitz?

  Kind of?

• 17:43Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah. I mean, they're like, I think so iconic in this, you know, genre of movie.

• 17:50Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 17:50Speaker 02

  How can you not be like, hmm, wonder?

• 17:53Josh Horowitz?

  How is um, how's Calgary as a shooting location?

• 17:57Speaker 02

  I love Calgary.

• 17:58Josh Horowitz?

  It's gorgeous in this film. It works.

• 18:00Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh, it's beautiful.

• 18:02Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 18:02Speaker 02

  I mean, it's like a character in itself. I I I loved it. I really loved being there.

• 18:08Josh Horowitz?

  Have you ever taken a job based on the location it's shooting in?

• 18:11Speaker 02

  I've passed on a job based on location.

• 18:14Josh Horowitz?

  I don't need to go to Budapest again.

• 18:16Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'm good. I'm good.

• 18:17Josh Horowitz?

  Is it that kind of a thing?

• 18:17Speaker 02

  Yes, yes, exactly. Exactly.

• 18:20Josh Horowitz?

  What's the worst location you've ever shot in?

• 18:22Speaker 02

  Um, I mean, it's really just for me as I get older, being far from home. Like, I just always miss home. Romania was tough.

• 18:33Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah. Um. Which one was that for?

• 18:35Speaker 02

  Uh, Watcher.

• 18:36Josh Horowitz?

  Oh, right.

• 18:36Speaker 02

  Um, but what made it tough?

• 18:38Josh Horowitz?

  Probably helped for the character too.

• 18:39Speaker 02

  I know, it was great. It was great.

• 18:41Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 18:41Speaker 02

  But, um, you know, it was the first movie, um, you know, it was like post COVID when like we were just starting to figure things out. There were so many rules. Um, in Romania was like, they were so strict on so many things. So that also aided to like, you know, just feeling so alone, but it was great.

• 18:59Josh Horowitz?

  So you're looking for a nice LA based?

• 19:02Speaker 02

  I am.

• 19:04Josh Horowitz?

  LA or White Lotus, those are the two extremes.

• 19:06Speaker 02

  Yes, exactly.

• 19:07Josh Horowitz?

  Like, White Lotus does seem like, there are many reasons why that's the dream job for actors now, but among them is like, a resort for six months.

• 19:14Speaker 02

  No, I mean, I'm like, that sounds, sign me up. Sounds incredible. Are you kidding me?

• 19:19Josh Horowitz?

  Have you sent in the self tape for that?

• 19:20Speaker 02

  Yeah, of cour- have I?

• 19:23Speaker 02

  Come on. Like, please, guys.

• 19:26Josh Horowitz?

  Come on, Mike White.

• 19:27Speaker 02

  Yeah, come on. I know I'm watching it on Survivor right now.

• 19:29Josh Horowitz?

  I know. Are you Survivor fans?

• 19:31Speaker 02

  I love Survivor. But I haven't watched the latest episodes, so.

• 19:35Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, don't worry about it.

• 19:36Speaker 02

  Yeah, you're like, I have no clue what's happening.

• 19:37Josh Horowitz?

  I don't, I don't. I watched it in the early years and it's like one that I would go back to.

• 19:42Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 19:42Josh Horowitz?

  By the way, speaking of reality, I'm all over the place, but I was watching, one of the few reality shows I do watch sometimes with my wife is Southern Charm. And your show was, your film was promoted as part of it.

• 19:52Speaker 02

  Stop.

• 19:53Josh Horowitz?

  Like, they were doing like, they had the cast talking about your film. One of those like, integrated marketing kind of things.

• 19:58Speaker 02

  That's incredible. Wow, I've made it.

• 20:01Josh Horowitz?

  They didn't do that for long legs.

• 20:02Speaker 02

  No, they didn't. No, they did not.

• 20:04Josh Horowitz?

  Or something, no?

• 20:04Speaker 02

  Absolutely not. You're totally right.

• 20:07Josh Horowitz?

  So you're a Survivor fan. Any other, what are your TV predilections? What's your, on your list?

• 20:11Speaker 02

  I mean, I've found with, I mean, this job and especially because a lot of the roles that I do are like, very intense and pretty dark.

• 20:20Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 20:20Speaker 02

  That, that reality TV and mindless, that like, it's really helpful for me to sort of just like, get, get out to like, you know, Love Island, I love Love Island. Survivor, Traitors, you know, it's just, yeah.

• 20:35Josh Horowitz?

  Do you contemplate how you would fare in any of these?

• 20:37Speaker 02

  Yes, of course. I think about it constantly.

• 20:39Josh Horowitz?

  And which would you, which would you do well in? Do you have what it takes for Traitors, for Survivor?

• 20:44Speaker 02

  I think so.

• 20:45Josh Horowitz?

  All of the above. You're like?

• 20:47Speaker 02

  I think I could do well. I think Survivor would be hard because like, you have to eat bugs.

• 20:51Josh Horowitz?

  Sure, there's that.

• 20:53Speaker 02

  And I don't think I'd do well with that. But besides that, I think I'd be very good. I feel like I'm very confident about it. That's the one thing I'm super confident about. Not much else, but that, that I'm certain of.

• 21:05Josh Horowitz?

  This could, this could happen. Stranger things have been manifested on this podcast before.

• 21:08Speaker 02

  True that.

• 21:09Josh Horowitz?

  Survivor 51.

• 21:10Speaker 02

  Yeah, here we go.

• 21:11Josh Horowitz?

  Well, that segues well into your, into your background. So, cause you have, so growing up, athletic background.

• 21:16Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 21:17Josh Horowitz?

  Right?

• 21:17Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 21:17Josh Horowitz?

  So were you leading like kind of two different lives as a kid? Were you into the arts and into athletics? Or did you kind of diverge at one point or what?

• 21:24Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, it was, it was actually sort of both at the same time. I, um, my dad started kiteboarding when I was about 11. And then, do you know what kiteboarding is?

• 21:34Josh Horowitz?

  Wow, that, you know, I don't.

• 21:36Speaker 02

  Okay, you're like, I have no clue.

• 21:38Josh Horowitz?

  Let me size you up. You don't know what kiteboarding is.

• 21:40Speaker 02

  I was like, hmm.

• 21:41Josh Horowitz?

  I was gonna ask, yeah, educate me based on, you know, like surfing, point break world. What's, what's kiteboarding the next level? What do we got?

• 21:48Speaker 02

  It's like surfing. You do it in the ocean.

• 21:51Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 21:51Speaker 02

  But like, have you seen wakeboarding before?

• 21:53Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 21:54Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 21:55Josh Horowitz?

  Don't test me. Is there gonna be a test at the end on my podcast?

• 21:58Speaker 02

  There will be. So, hmm. Um, but it's like, I'll just say surfing in the ocean and it's like you have a kite that.

• 22:07Josh Horowitz?

  I can't take this. Just stop the podcast.

• 22:11Speaker 02

  We're gonna have to Google a photo maybe for you to see.

• 22:13Josh Horowitz?

  So.

• 22:13Speaker 02

  This.

• 22:16Speaker 02

  You're like, what do I do with it?

• 22:18Josh Horowitz?

  Educate me of the world. Like you can make a living as like a professional kiteboarder.

• 22:22Speaker 02

  Not a good living, I don't think. But like, yeah, you get sponsorships. Red Bull is very involved in the, the kiteboarding world because it's an extreme sport.

• 22:30Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 22:32Speaker 02

  So yeah, I started, my dad finally started teaching me, um, when I was 13. And I just fell in love with it. We would take trips on my summer vacations. Um, and I, I just started getting pretty good at it.

• 22:47Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 22:47Speaker 02

  And like not many girls were doing it at the time. Uh, it was, it was a male dominated sport. I mean, I was like one of the only girls out there doing it, which I loved. And then at the same time, I sort of fell into acting and got an agent manager and started auditioning. I mean, it was like at thirteen, it was almost like parallel.

• 23:08Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 23:09Speaker 02

  Um, and then I was auditioning a bunch and and just was like, no, no, no, super close, you're gonna get this. No, no, no. And it was just becoming, um, I just wanted it so bad.

• 23:21Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 23:22Speaker 02

  And it felt very out of my control, where kiteboarding, you know, it's a sport, you train and I was in control of that. So, um.

• 23:32Josh Horowitz?

  Were you, so you were competitive?

• 23:34Speaker 02

  I I started, yes, yes, I started competing, yeah.

• 23:37Josh Horowitz?

  And is that competi- competitive spirit still in you post athletic career?

• 23:43Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 23:43Josh Horowitz?

  And how does that manifest, do you think?

• 23:44Speaker 02

  Um, yeah, I mean, I I I just, I'm a very, yeah, competitive in in a lot of things. Like in Catan, I played Catan, oh my goodness.

• 23:58Josh Horowitz?

  Wow.

• 23:58Speaker 02

  And then, you know, in in auditioning in this job, like, I like to think that it helps me. You know, I think it's good to have this like drive and stuff, but also can, you know, I think it's a double edged sword.

• 24:12Josh Horowitz?

  What's the most like you've ever like fist pumped like after like getting a part, like a phone call and email?

• 24:18Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh.

• 24:18Josh Horowitz?

  That like you did a little victory lap.

• 24:21Speaker 02

  Oh, I mean, man, there's so, there's so many, but, um, I remember, uh, for Honey Boy, the the, which ended up like being such a small part in it, but I remember that it was, you know, initially like, you know, she's not right for this, she's not right for this, she's not, and then like I sent in a tape and and, um.

• 24:45Josh Horowitz?

  Made it sweeter that they kept saying.

• 24:46Speaker 02

  Yes, exactly, yes.

• 24:47Josh Horowitz?

  Oh, really?

• 24:48Speaker 02

  Yeah, well, then see this. And and I was at that, I was like, oh, my God, like, I knew it was a very competitive role. Um, and and that was like, it just like us, yeah, was very proud of myself in that one.

• 25:02Josh Horowitz?

  So early, so backtracking, so early on, the early auditions, like, what kind of stuff are you going up for in the early days?

• 25:07Speaker 02

  Oh, my, I mean, back at thirteen, fourteen, it was almost all Disney Channel, CW, Nickelodeon, and now looking back, I'm like.

• 25:17Josh Horowitz?

  You know, could you imagine if it had?

• 25:18Speaker 02

  Thank goodness, but but I I just I would have never fit in that space, I don't think. Like, you know, the first job that I ever got was this student film, this short film about this, you know, young girl that was like being abused and like contemplating committing suicide. Like, it was like, that was what I booked. Like, that's insane at thirteen. Like, that's what I was like.

• 25:40Josh Horowitz?

  The inner intensity within you.

• 25:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, like, where that came from, not sure. Had amazing childhood, so I'm like, I don't know, but um, that's just what I gravitated. I don't think I ever fit in that other world, really.

• 25:53Josh Horowitz?

  So kiteboarding, as I understand it, ends tied a bit to an injury at uh early on, too?

• 25:57Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. At eighteen, I mean, I yeah, pretty much moved away. I was like done with acting. Um, and then I actually booked a movie. So I moved back from the Dominican Republic to go film this movie. Then I went back to compete, had an injury, and then I was like, I you can't do a sport if you're not giving your, you know, everything too. So I was like, okay.

• 26:19Josh Horowitz?

  And is this the Ramin Burani movie? He's a great filmmaker.

• 26:22Speaker 02

  Yeah, I just worked with him again.

• 26:24Josh Horowitz?

  You just reteamed. I know he's tight with my my spirit animal, Michael Shannon.

• 26:27Speaker 02

  Oh, of course, he's in the movie too. What a, what a man. Oh, my gosh, I'm obsessed.

• 26:35Josh Horowitz?

  As you should be.

• 26:35Speaker 02

  Yes, I don't think he, yeah, he's just very, he's always like, mm hmm. And I'm like, love you. He's like, okay.

• 26:42Josh Horowitz?

  I love him so much.

• 26:43Speaker 02

  No, he's he's magical.

• 26:44Josh Horowitz?

  So, I mean, again, it's so so much of it is out of your control and and it's luck. But like the fact that your first meaningful acting experience is with like a really solid filmmaker like Ramin. What do you remember? I mean, that's, you know, you got some movie stars in there. You got Zac Efron, you got Dennis Quaid.

• 26:58Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah, I mean, in in high school, I had, you know, high school musical posters. Come on, I mean, it was insane.

• 27:04Josh Horowitz?

  Did you play it cool?

• 27:05Speaker 02

  Of course I did. Are you kidding me? I was I was honestly impressed with myself. I'd like, you know, we'd meet, we'd like, you know, do some rehearsals and I'd go up to my hotel room and call my mom and be like, oh, my God, are you kidding me? I can't even believe it. Then I'd come back out and be like, yeah, so.

• 27:20Josh Horowitz?

  Interesting. No, I haven't seen your work.

• 27:21Speaker 02

  Yeah, no, I don't.

• 27:22Josh Horowitz?

  What have you been in?

• 27:22Speaker 02

  Oh, interesting. It's cool.

• 27:26Josh Horowitz?

  How does that set the template, though, in terms of like an experience? Because presumably a good experience working with Ramin.

• 27:31Speaker 02

  It was one of the best experiences. Uh, I mean, I I think um, because I was coming from.

• 27:42Speaker 02

  The kiteboarding world. I was living in this, this tiny, beautiful little town called Cabarete in Dominican Republic. A very, you know, it's a poor, it's a poor country and, you know.

• 27:57Speaker 02

  My life there was very specific.

• 28:01Speaker 02

  And I was just quite literally plucked from this place, flown to this movie set with these, you know, massive stars and, you know, the producers had like these private jets that they would fly us on. And, and it was like, there couldn't have been a bigger culture shock. And if it wasn't for Ramin,

• 28:22Speaker 02

  there was a lot that was scary to me that didn't feel good. And he made it one of the most special. I was like, I mean, that was my introduction to, to what acting meant, what a, what a movie set felt like. And a lot of the outside noise is crazy. And I think, I think I would have maybe been like, hmm. I don't know, but because of him, I think I'm right here.

• 28:47Josh Horowitz?

  Amazing. So that must be a nice full circle moment just to come off of this.

• 28:50Speaker 02

  Oh my God. It was just, I mean, he's, uh, he's one of a kind. He's one of those people that you're just like, wow. Yeah.

• 28:58Josh Horowitz?

  Just curious, like, cause you've shot the new one, right?

• 29:00Speaker 02

  Yes. Yeah, we just, I mean, I finished that like a, a week and a half, two weeks ago.

• 29:06Josh Horowitz?

  So what kind of, what can you say about that? I'm just curious.

• 29:08Speaker 02

  Um, oh, I mean, it, it's, uh, I think it's gonna be pretty incredible. I mean, we shot, uh, for six weeks in, in Las Vegas, there the entire time.

• 29:20Josh Horowitz?

  That's like five and a half weeks too long in Las Vegas.

• 29:23Speaker 02

  Oh, yes. No, precisely. Um, yeah, no, I was losing my mind a bit.

• 29:27Josh Horowitz?

  What does time mean here?

• 29:29Speaker 02

  No, it's absolutely insane.

• 29:30Josh Horowitz?

  There's too much smoke in my system.

• 29:31Speaker 02

  Oh, yes. No, no, it was, um, probably one of the most insane experiences, but maybe one of the most fulfilling. It was, um, I mean, the cast was insane. I mean, I was like, Paul Dano's, like, I have been obsessed with him. I think he's one of the most incredible actors. And I'm just like working on, I mean, it was just like, oh my God. But I think it's gonna be very special.

• 29:53Josh Horowitz?

  Awesome. Awesome. We'll talk about that one down the road.

• 29:55Speaker 02

  Yes, yes, we will.

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• 31:22Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, so then, jumping ahead a little bit, you have this insane one-two punch that comes a couple of years later, obviously. So, it follows the guest. So, when it follows happens, and that's, I mean, that's still arguably one of the most defining parts of your career.

• 31:37Speaker 02

  Absolutely.

• 31:39Josh Horowitz?

  As it should be, it's an amazing film.

• 31:40Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 31:41Josh Horowitz?

  So, that's like, for context, that's a $1 million movie. That's David's second film, I believe, at the time. So, correct me if I'm wrong, you don't know what that is when you're shooting it. Like, you don't know what, it could come and go, and it's gonna be nothing.

• 31:55Speaker 02

  No, I had to, like, you know, pay my rent and feed myself, so me taking that job was, I mean, I remember reading that script, being like, what is this about? What is, what is happening? And I had no idea. The only thing I remember...

• 32:18Speaker 02

  I don't normally look at the monitor. I don't watch playback.

• 32:20Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 32:21Speaker 02

  But there was a specific camera movement, the scene where I'm tied to the wheelchair that David wanted me to watch to understand, like, so I watched playback of that and I was like,

• 32:36Speaker 02

  this looks pretty cool. Like, this looks really, I mean, there was, yeah, and so I was like, hmm, maybe, but, but no, you, you have no idea.

• 32:46Josh Horowitz?

  Do you remember the first time you saw it with an audience? Is that when it kicks in? You're like, oh shit, I made a really good movie.

• 32:52Speaker 02

  Um, yeah, yes. Well, it, it went to Cannes.

• 32:56Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 32:57Speaker 02

  Um, which was pretty insane because horror doesn't.

• 32:59Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, the one million dollar horror movie doesn't necessarily get a spot in.

• 33:02Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, no, it doesn't, it doesn't normally go. Um, so hearing that it, that it got in felt very special. Um, and that was the first time at, at, um, the theater there with the audience. Um, but I was just, I was just, I was like sweating. I'm like, oh my god.

• 33:20Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, you probably were walking in the theater like just so nervous and then walking out of it like, what just happened?

• 33:25Speaker 02

  A hundred percent. Yeah, yeah, it was pretty crazy.

• 33:28Josh Horowitz?

  And then, you know, 12 years later, we're still talking about it.

• 33:30Speaker 02

  Yes, we are.

• 33:32Josh Horowitz?

  Is it like, if not a daily occurrence, like very much part of your life that people still want to talk to you about it?

• 33:37Speaker 02

  Absolutely. Yeah, it is.

• 33:39Josh Horowitz?

  What's the most typical, is it just sort of like, amazing, when's the sequel? Like, is that?

• 33:43Speaker 02

  Yes, a lot of that, a lot of that, but, but a lot of people, you know, that really like love film or went to film school. They're like, we studied that movie like this and that. And, and, um, I mean, it's just, uh, it's pretty cool to be a, a, a part of something that, um, I feel like was very defining for the horror genre.

• 34:01Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 34:01Speaker 02

  Like that era of film with Babadook, The Witch, It Follows, those three were all sort of, um, you know, in the, in the festival circuit and it just felt like this Renaissance, you're part of this thing.

• 34:12Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 34:13Speaker 02

  It was pretty cool.

• 34:13Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, there are probably a few tattoos out there or something.

• 34:15Speaker 02

  I'm sure.

• 34:16Josh Horowitz?

  Right?

• 34:19Josh Horowitz?

  So you shoot that before The Guest? It's back to back, that and The Guest?

• 34:21Speaker 02

  Uh, my, my audition, which I just found, my audition tape for It Follows, I had my platinum blonde hair because I was on, I was filming The Guest.

• 34:32Josh Horowitz?

  The Guest first, okay.

• 34:33Speaker 02

  And, and my mom, uh, self tape, was doing my self tape, um, in the hotel room in, in Moriarty, this tiny little town.

• 34:43Speaker 02

  And that was my, yeah, I just came across it.

• 34:46Josh Horowitz?

  How was the audition? Obviously, pretty good.

• 34:50Speaker 02

  I don't know. It's the scene.

• 34:52Josh Horowitz?

  When you watched it, you were like, did you remember it? Or was it like an out of body experience watching it back?

• 34:56Speaker 02

  No, I, I, I mean, watching it, yeah, I remember. Cause my hair is like this crazy, my hair in the guest is like this crazy, like wavy blonde hair. So I had that hair.

• 35:08Speaker 02

  But it was just, I don't know, it was, it was very surreal. Yeah, seeing like this, you know, young naive version of myself. She didn't know. She didn't know. She did not, she certainly did not. But it, yeah, it, it made me feel all types of things watching that. It was pretty, pretty cool.

• 35:27Josh Horowitz?

  Well, this is prep for the sequel. When you, when you came in here, I was like every fan and immediately was like, oh, are you doing the sequel?

• 35:33Speaker 02

  What's happening?

• 35:34Josh Horowitz?

  What's happening? What's happening? What's happening? And you are in fact, finally.

• 35:38Speaker 02

  We're doing it.

• 35:39Josh Horowitz?

  Next, that's the next gig.

• 35:40Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's the next job.

• 35:42Josh Horowitz?

  You said before, I've heard you talk about it. The, the script's pretty great.

• 35:45Speaker 02

  It's very, it's very dark and oh my God.

• 35:49Josh Horowitz?

  On the fucked up scale, what, what do we got? One to 10?

• 35:52Speaker 02

  It's pretty, I mean, what would you put the first one at?

• 35:54Josh Horowitz?

  That's an eight or a nine.

• 35:55Speaker 02

  You think?

• 35:56Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 35:57Speaker 02

  I mean, it's so hard for me because I don't, it's like not scare, of course it's not scary to me. So it seems like, you know, um, then this would probably be like a, a 15, 16.

• 36:08Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 36:08Speaker 02

  You know, like we're, we're pushing the boundaries on this one for sure. But I think it's gonna, e- even reading the script, um, you get the same, um, sense of like the nostalgia, the, the like slow camera movements, everything. I think it, I don't know, I think, I think it might be good. But we'll have to see.

• 36:27Josh Horowitz?

  What's the prep for, for you? Like what's the?

• 36:31Speaker 02

  I don't know. I actually was just thinking about that recently. I'm like, should I, should I watch the old, like, it's so odd to be bringing back this.

• 36:39Josh Horowitz?

  Have you ever reprised a, a character before?

• 36:41Speaker 02

  Never. This is first time. Yeah, yeah. So it'll be interesting. So I actually don't really know yet, but I'll get back to you. I'll get back to you on that one.

• 36:50Josh Horowitz?

  So, okay, uh, many, many films have come in the last. Decade plus. I mean, you do the big budget thing. You do the Independence Day resurgence thing.

• 36:57Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 36:57Josh Horowitz?

  In fact, one of the few times I've run into you, you probably don't remember this, was at Jeff Goldblum's jazz show.

• 37:02Speaker 02

  Oh, my god. The good old days. Oh, my goodness.

• 37:06Josh Horowitz?

  Is there a better place to be than Jeff Goldblum's jazz show?

• 37:09Speaker 02

  No, that was incre- gosh.

• 37:12Josh Horowitz?

  I've gone like four times to it since. Whenever he plays, I go.

• 37:15Speaker 02

  It's the best. It's such a special, um, highly recommend. You want to go.

• 37:20Josh Horowitz?

  I always say it's like being inside Jeff Goldblum's like brain, basically.

• 37:23Speaker 02

  Precisely. And it's a gift.

• 37:25Josh Horowitz?

  Is that one of like, look, Independence Day is Independence Day. It is what it is. But is that one of the, like, if you had to like quantify what the good that came out of that one, what are the good things that came out of that experience?

• 37:35Speaker 02

  The, the, the cast of that, I mean, Jeff is like an absolute icon, obviously. Bill Pullman, Roland, the director, I love. Like, it's, it was a really amazing group of people and we had so much fun on that. Like, it was so much fun.

• 37:54Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 37:54Speaker 02

  And I, you know, I, I, like I said, I want to keep enjoying this job and like those things. Yeah, it was, um, yeah, and at that time, man, it was like surreal.

• 38:05Josh Horowitz?

  Must have been heady to, because you probably, like, everybody's grown up with the originals.

• 38:09Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah. I was like, this is nuts. Yeah.

• 38:12Josh Horowitz?

  So, you, I mean, looking at the films you've done in the last, like, eight, nine years, there's this crazy run, like, you've worked with every, like, hot, young actor. It's kind of crazy. Like, you, Micah is the secret, like, hot, young actor with her.

• 38:26Speaker 02

  It seems like it. Yeah.

• 38:27Josh Horowitz?

  Shalhoub, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Allen White, Bill Skarsgård.

• 38:31Speaker 02

  Yep.

• 38:32Josh Horowitz?

  Like, you're one Austin Butler from, like, completing the set, like, basically.

• 38:35Speaker 02

  Yeah. No, it's crazy.

• 38:37Josh Horowitz?

  I don't have a question.

• 38:38Speaker 02

  No, I know. It's just, that's it.

• 38:39Josh Horowitz?

  It's kind of insane.

• 38:40Speaker 02

  No, it is.

• 38:41Josh Horowitz?

  Have you noted that before? Like?

• 38:42Speaker 02

  I, I mean, I, I get, but not like, really. I mean, when you just were reading those names, I'm like, holy shit. That's pretty crazy.

• 38:52Josh Horowitz?

  So, this Timmy Shalhoub guy, he's doing, he's doing all right for himself.

• 38:54Speaker 02

  He's, it's, you know, I would say going okay for him.

• 38:57Josh Horowitz?

  What was your impression of him working? I mean, this is prior.

• 39:01Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah.

• 39:01Josh Horowitz?

  He hadn't done Call Me By Your Name, obviously.

• 39:03Speaker 02

  No, no. Or he was like, just filmed that or was just going to film that.

• 39:07Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 39:09Speaker 02

  I mean, I had the part first and I did chemistry reads with, you know, four different guys and he was one of the kids that came in. I mean, and physically, you know, he was this tiny, little, skinny um, kid and I was like, he walked in the room and I was like, I just like, you know, I don't know how we fit like romantically. I don't know if it like, you know, he's quite literally physically, um, and he just absolutely like blew it out of the water. Like it was, he left the room and we're all just like,

• 39:52Josh Horowitz?

  What just happened?

• 39:55Speaker 02

  Yeah, but I think he was always just destined for, for this. I think he was made for this, this job and this career for sure.

• 40:05Josh Horowitz?

  What I'm taking away from that is you're taking credit for his career.

• 40:07Speaker 02

  Precisely.

• 40:08Josh Horowitz?

  He walked in and no one wanted him.

• 40:10Speaker 02

  And no one wanted him, but it was all me.

• 40:15Josh Horowitz?

  So you've, you've certainly done a bunch of, you know, you mentioned watcher. Um, you've done a bunch of like thriller, horror things and like you've been called like this, you know, in this crop of scream queens, et cetera. What's your relationship to that now? Because like that's a double edged sword, obviously. It's amazing. Like you, you can probably get offers till now till the end of time.

• 40:36Speaker 02

  Till I pass, probably.

• 40:38Josh Horowitz?

  Which is great, but that's one of the exciting things. I think of this new film, obviously, this, this expands the repertoire a bit, but like, I don't know, have you kind of like wrestled with that a little bit in terms of like how much to lean into that and how much to try to resist it?

• 40:49Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, it's, it's complicated, uh, because I love the horror genre. I think there's so many incredible films, um, within the, that space and so many cool filmmakers and, um, and the movies that I'm like so proud of, um, not only the film as a whole, but my performance in like it's, it's so I, I love it. Like I, I, I'm, I'm honored by it, um.

• 41:21Josh Horowitz?

  What is like a filmmaker friendly genre, right? It's like, especially for like young, younger filmmakers. It's like a place where you can kind of like show off.

• 41:27Speaker 02

  Exactly. You can, you can, there's so much freedom within it, um, which I think is pretty cool. And like, honestly, some of the most interesting roles I find within, within the, um, Genre, but yeah, of course it's a it's a double edged sword.

• 41:42Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 41:42Speaker 02

  Of course, yeah.

• 41:43Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, let's talk a little long legs.

• 41:44Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 41:45Josh Horowitz?

  That's that was instantly iconic.

• 41:46Speaker 02

  I know, I was insane.

• 41:48Josh Horowitz?

  Totally insane. Is is so is Nick Cage on board like when you sign on or?

• 41:52Speaker 02

  Yes, oh, yes, yes.

• 41:53Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, so you know you're gonna get the full cage.

• 41:55Speaker 02

  Yep.

• 41:56Josh Horowitz?

  Cause he's incapable of not giving the full cage.

• 41:58Speaker 02

  No, no, no, no, no, yeah.

• 42:00Josh Horowitz?

  For those that don't know the famous story, you never saw him as Long Legs until you walk on set. That was Osgood's idea.

• 42:08Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 42:09Josh Horowitz?

  How's the relationship with Nick Cage now? Is it like one of those things where it's like you said goodbye like on set to Long Legs? And like that's the last you saw of Nick Cage essentially?

• 42:17Speaker 02

  No, no, we. I love that. And it was that until we did press for the movie.

• 42:22Josh Horowitz?

  Yes.

• 42:23Speaker 02

  And then, um, and then of course, but that was when we did press was the first time I saw him in person outside of the Long Legs. Get up, if you will, yes.

• 42:34Josh Horowitz?

  So, but that's one you take a lot of pride in. It's a great piece of work, just acting, the whole, the atmosphere of that film is just so palpable. The dread I feel just even talking about it right now.

• 42:44Speaker 02

  Yeah, but that was another one, actually, um, that I really had to fight for that, that role.

• 42:50Josh Horowitz?

  Really?

• 42:50Speaker 02

  Yeah, again, Oz, you know, had different ideas and he was like, I don't, I don't think she, she's right for this. And so I sent in a tape without them even asking and I was like, watch this and then you can tell me if you don't think I'm right for it. And I got it. And that one I was like, yes.

• 43:07Josh Horowitz?

  Cause that's also, I mean, I know in the press tour, you probably talked a lot about this. It's in the lineage of like The Silence of the Lambs.

• 43:12Speaker 02

  No, for sure.

• 43:13Josh Horowitz?

  You can't not think of Clarice Starling when you're looking at that.

• 43:15Speaker 02

  A hundred percent, a hundred percent.

• 43:16Josh Horowitz?

  That was very much on your mind?

• 43:16Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's one of my favorite films. I mean, it was one of the, you know, I've been again, doing this a decent amount of time. And being on that set, um, and like wearing the FBI, I was like giddy. I was like, oh, my God, this is insane. Yeah, I'm like, I'm, I'm doing one of those. I'm at a crime scene right now. Like this is crazy.

• 43:37Josh Horowitz?

  And it must have been, again, you've talked a lot about like the actual filming of like that infamous scene between you and Nick. But then like watching, I mean, the finished product of it, that's like an all timer scene.

• 43:47Speaker 02

  That was, it was insane. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 43:50Josh Horowitz?

  Do you take pride in that scene in particular of like you're, you're toe to toe with one of like the all time greats doing, doing, he's doing a thing?

• 43:56Speaker 02

  He's doing a thing. That is, um, yes, definitely. Yeah, no, I'm, I'm, I'm really proud and like that was, um, one of those, you know, pinch me moments that I'm just like, oh my God, what is happening? Like, yeah, very special, special moment on set for sure.

• 44:14Josh Horowitz?

  He doesn't have like a version of like the Cruz cake thing where it's like the cage, like something he sends. You don't have, don't have Cruz cake?

• 44:20Speaker 02

  What's Cruz cake?

• 44:22Josh Horowitz?

  Cruz cake. This is like my personal, no, it's okay. This is my personal passion. So Tom Cruise famously sends out a cake to like friends, family, colleagues every holiday season.

• 44:31Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 44:32Josh Horowitz?

  This is a self-serving story now because I,

• 44:34Speaker 02

  I can't wait to hear.

• 44:35Josh Horowitz?

  I get the Cruz cake. I know. It was, it was a lifelong ambition.

• 44:38Speaker 02

  What?

• 44:38Josh Horowitz?

  I know. I got it this past holiday season. I officially retire. It's over.

• 44:43Speaker 02

  I mean, yeah, for sure. If you were getting the Cruz cake.

• 44:46Josh Horowitz?

  It was the best day of my life. I'm not even gonna exaggerate. Yeah. To the point where like I got the cake and I called the bakery to confirm it was actually from Tom Cruise because I've been talking about it so much. I'm like, someone is fucking with me. This is not real. Anyway, that's my story, but there's no cage equivalent is what I'm saying. You don't, you don't get a holiday card.

• 45:02Speaker 02

  No, nothing.

• 45:03Josh Horowitz?

  Rude.

• 45:04Speaker 02

  I get, I get no cage cake.

• 45:08Josh Horowitz?

  Hopefully there's not one and you're just not on the list.

• 45:10Speaker 02

  Yeah, I know. Oh, man, that would be a bummer. Well, that's that.

• 45:14Josh Horowitz?

  Okay. So we've expanded repertoire with this film. What are you, what are you looking for? What, what do we need to manifest? Like, is there, when you're talking to team Mica, what do you say? Find me this.

• 45:26Speaker 02

  I mean, rom com is for sure, for sure up there. Um, yeah, I think there's a lack of great, great rom coms. Um, in the past, you know, decade or so, and I feel like, um, we need to revamp that. Uh, so I'd love to do that. Um, I don't know. Keep working with interesting people. Keep, uh, yeah. I don't know. I, I've, I've gone through different phases in my career and, um, now it's really just about the people, I think. People that I, you know, respect and look up to and I try and, you know, Watch short films and the next generation of filmmakers and and find um yeah find people I want to work with.

• 46:06Josh Horowitz?

  It is an interesting time. It's like if like the conversations I was having five or six years ago with like folks like you was it was it was about like getting into the superhero franchise.

• 46:15Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 46:15Josh Horowitz?

  And that's still an aspect. It's still cool. Like if the right thing happens, right?

• 46:19Speaker 02

  For sure.

• 46:20Josh Horowitz?

  But it doesn't feel like that's the only way to go in town right now.

• 46:23Speaker 02

  I don't think so. Yeah. Yeah, I don't think so.

• 46:25Josh Horowitz?

  Follow the filmmaker, follow the talent. And that's that's what's gonna serve you.

• 46:29Speaker 02

  I hope so.

• 46:31Josh Horowitz?

  Are you a musical person? Have you auditioned for musicals?

• 46:34Speaker 02

  I unfortunately don't have a great voice.

• 46:36Josh Horowitz?

  There's auto-tune. They can correct it all.

• 46:37Speaker 02

  That's true. They can. I you know, I actually really was always like, I just want to be a pop star. So, you know, I'd love to. Why not?

• 46:45Josh Horowitz?

  Who's like, do you have a filmmaker list? Do you have like a top five?

• 46:49Speaker 02

  I mean, like Dream, Dream, Dream, Dream. As uh, you know, Yorgos. I've I've loved um Yorgos from the beginning. I think Dog Tooth is one of my favorite movies of all time. I think he's um. He makes you feel something very visceral, not usually the best feeling, but um yeah, he he is so incredibly unique. You always know when you're watching a Yorgos.

• 47:15Josh Horowitz?

  I thought Begonia was one of like

• 47:17Speaker 02

  Oh.

• 47:17Josh Horowitz?

  The best movies of last year. I was obsessed.

• 47:20Speaker 02

  Loved it so much. I think Emma was incredible. I Jesse Pl- oh my. Oh, I just, it's like insane. That movie. Love that.

• 47:33Josh Horowitz?

  I could see you fitting into that world. We're gonna make it happen.

• 47:36Speaker 02

  Yeah, let's make it happen.

• 47:36Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, so coming up, they followed this summer.

• 47:39Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 47:40Josh Horowitz?

  Finally happening. Vegas Love Story, the Romy and Brani. I mean, this seems perfect for you. You shot something called Victorian Psycho.

• 47:46Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 47:47Josh Horowitz?

  On brand. This is perfect.

• 47:48Speaker 02

  Very on brand. Very on brand. Yeah, I'm very excited for that one.

• 47:53Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, does the title basically tell the is that the logline essentially?

• 47:56Speaker 02

  But that easily was I I was it was a movie that I was um very scared to do. I almost turned it down because I thought um I didn't know if I could pull it off.

• 48:04Josh Horowitz?

  In what way? What's the?

• 48:06Speaker 02

  Um, it is a very challenging role. Very.

• 48:13Josh Horowitz?

  Physically, mentally.

• 48:15Speaker 02

  All of the above. Yeah.

• 48:16Josh Horowitz?

  Okay. Have you seen the finished product?

• 48:18Speaker 02

  No, no, I think soon though. I just saw like some clips um the other day and I was like, oh my god. Oh my god. Um, yeah, we'll see.

• 48:28Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 48:28Speaker 02

  I have no, I have, yeah, I will see.

• 48:30Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 48:31Speaker 02

  Mm hmm.

• 48:31Josh Horowitz?

  Um, we end Happy, Say Confused with a profoundly random questions.

• 48:35Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 48:35Josh Horowitz?

  You ready?

• 48:35Speaker 02

  I'm ready.

• 48:37Josh Horowitz?

  Okay. Dogs or cats?

• 48:39Speaker 02

  Dogs.

• 48:39Josh Horowitz?

  You're a dog person, right?

• 48:40Speaker 02

  Oh, yes, dog person.

• 48:41Josh Horowitz?

  Tell me about, do you have a dog?

• 48:43Speaker 02

  Yes, I have a dog named Thelma. Little like miniature Aussie gal and she's incredible. She's pretty much perfect.

• 48:50Josh Horowitz?

  Pretty much the best there is.

• 48:51Speaker 02

  Pretty much the best there is.

• 48:52Josh Horowitz?

  Next to my Lucy, I would say second place.

• 48:54Speaker 02

  Yes, sure, fine, but um, yeah, she's the best.

• 48:59Josh Horowitz?

  You know, I've started to do, maybe we'll get you on next season, a celebrity dog show, celebrities and their dogs. It's called Who's a Good Guest?

• 49:05Speaker 02

  That, that's brilliant. Please bring me on to that. Oh, Thelma will love it too. She is a star.

• 49:11Josh Horowitz?

  Really?

• 49:12Speaker 02

  Oh, yes, yes. She, she loves it. She loves it all.

• 49:14Josh Horowitz?

  Instagram account?

• 49:15Speaker 02

  Oh, she does not, but she should. I'll, I'll, I'll tell her about that, yeah.

• 49:20Josh Horowitz?

  What do you collect?

• 49:22Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 49:24Speaker 02

  Nothing really. Actually, no, I, I haven't done it recently, but I went through this phase of um taking uh like glass water bottles from every country that I've traveled to, because normally there'd be like little so I have a bunch of them. I haven't done it in a while, but maybe I should pick that up again.

• 49:39Josh Horowitz?

  Nice.

• 49:39Speaker 02

  Mm hmm.

• 49:40Josh Horowitz?

  Do you have a favorite video game of all time?

• 49:42Speaker 02

  I don't play video games.

• 49:44Josh Horowitz?

  Too cool for that, I guess.

• 49:45Speaker 02

  Yeah, I don't, I wish I did, honestly, because I think I would love it, but never got into it.

• 49:49Josh Horowitz?

  Competitive streak, yeah.

• 49:50Speaker 02

  Yes, indeed.

• 49:50Josh Horowitz?

  The Dakota Johnson Memorial question, she asked me this. I ask everybody, would you rather have a mouthful of bees or one bee in your butt?

• 49:57Speaker 02

  I wouldn't be in my butt.

• 49:59Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, that's medically, that is the

• 50:01Speaker 02

  I think that just is the way to

• 50:03Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 50:03Speaker 02

  It's the way to go. Yeah, I think we just get that. Yeah.

• 50:06Josh Horowitz?

  Yep. Uh, what's the wallpaper on your phone?

• 50:09Speaker 02

  Picture of my boyfriend and I. It's very cute in Paris. But in Paris.

• 50:15Josh Horowitz?

  Who's the last actor you were mistaken for?

• 50:18Speaker 02

  I'm like, people think that I'm Gwen Stefani. That's not an actor, but like, like a young Gwen Stefani. They're always like, you, if there's a No Doubt, uh,

• 50:26Josh Horowitz?

  The biopic?

• 50:27Speaker 02

  Like biopic, you have to play her. And I'm like, mm hmm. I loved No Doubt growing up. Oh, my God.

• 50:32Josh Horowitz?

  There you go.

• 50:34Speaker 02

  So, you know.

• 50:35Josh Horowitz?

  We know the singing ability is.

• 50:36Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'll figure it out.

• 50:37Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 50:38Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'll figure it out.

• 50:40Josh Horowitz?

  What's the worst noted director has ever given you?

• 50:42Speaker 02

  Oh, God.

• 50:45Josh Horowitz?

  How much time do you have?

• 50:46Speaker 02

  Man, I don't know. Like, if there's just like, just, just do this one like louder or faster. So I don't know. But I usually, it doesn't really like, I, I, I don't know. Yeah.

• 50:58Josh Horowitz?

  You're pretty malleable. Not, doesn't bother you too much, or?

• 51:01Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 51:02Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, I don't know. You're saying, yeah, but your body's saying that.

• 51:04Speaker 02

  Like, am I? Am I really, though?

• 51:07Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 51:07Speaker 02

  I don't know. I try and keep an open mind. Cause sometimes a note that feels odd, maybe there's something to it.

• 51:17Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 51:17Speaker 02

  I don't know.

• 51:17Josh Horowitz?

  Okay. And in the spirit of happy, sad confused, who's an actor who always makes you happy?

• 51:22Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 51:22Josh Horowitz?

  You see them on screen, you're immediately in a better mood.

• 51:24Speaker 02

  Hmm. Um, Olivia Colman?

• 51:29Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 51:29Speaker 02

  Cause I just watched what, um,

• 51:32Josh Horowitz?

  Which one?

• 51:32Speaker 02

  I just rewatched Fleabag.

• 51:34Josh Horowitz?

  Yes.

• 51:34Speaker 02

  Oh, my God.

• 51:35Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 51:36Speaker 02

  I'm just, she's incredible.

• 51:37Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 51:37Speaker 02

  I just love her and I feel like I just want like a hug from her or something, you know?

• 51:41Josh Horowitz?

  And Olivia in a Yorgos movie, she is like, she's

• 51:44Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 51:44Josh Horowitz?

  Sassy broad in the best possible way.

• 51:46Speaker 02

  We'd love it. We'd love it.

• 51:47Josh Horowitz?

  Uh, movie that makes you sad?

• 51:50Speaker 02

  A movie that makes me sad? Oh, um, one that I will just saw about is, um, did you ever see, uh, it's like called Broken Circle Breakdown?

• 51:59Josh Horowitz?

  I know the movie. I have actually never seen it.

• 52:02Speaker 02

  Should watch it.

• 52:03Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 52:04Speaker 02

  Put it on your list and that will get you.

• 52:06Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 52:07Speaker 02

  Yeah, that'll get you. But it's a actually very incredible film.

• 52:11Josh Horowitz?

  Okay. And a food that makes you confused. You don't get it. Why do people eat that?

• 52:15Speaker 02

  Hmm. I mean, I know everyone's gonna disagree with this, but pickles. Just don't get them. Think they're gross, they're salty, the jar and there's the juice and people like drinking the juice.

• 52:25Josh Horowitz?

  No, that's insane. That's just madness.

• 52:27Speaker 02

  It's just madness. I totally agree, but there's people that like it and I just, it's not for me and I just don't get it. They're like slimy, gross. I just.

• 52:35Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 52:35Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 52:36Josh Horowitz?

  I don't like, I, I, I certainly don't like it when like the pickle infects something else like, cause that, that, that juice will destroy the whole.

• 52:42Speaker 02

  Whole thing. Absolutely.

• 52:43Josh Horowitz?

  Pickle on its own though, but clearly we, we agree to disagree. We're okay.

• 52:46Speaker 02

  Yeah, that's okay.

• 52:46Josh Horowitz?

  That's okay. Are we, are we cool, Micah?

• 52:49Speaker 02

  I, I mean, I think so.

• 52:51Josh Horowitz?

  We had ups and downs.

• 52:51Speaker 02

  We have. We've gone, we've gone through it.

• 52:53Josh Horowitz?

  Gone through the whole thing.

• 52:54Speaker 02

  Yeah, we have.

• 52:55Josh Horowitz?

  But the good news is, the film's great.

• 52:57Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 52:57Josh Horowitz?

  Congratulations.

• 52:58Speaker 02

  Thank you so much.

• 52:59Josh Horowitz?

  It's in theaters by time they listen to this. I think it's out. It's about to be out. Just check it out, guys.

• 53:04Speaker 02

  Just check it out. Yeah.

• 53:04Josh Horowitz?

  Support Micah.

• 53:05Speaker 02

  Yeah, come on.

• 53:06Josh Horowitz?

  Um, thanks for finally doing the pod.

• 53:08Speaker 02

  I know. Thank you for having me.

• 53:10Josh Horowitz?

  This was a blast. Appreciate you.

• 53:11Speaker 02

  Thank you so much.

• 53:14Speaker 02

  And so ends another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person.

• 53:24Speaker 07

  I'm Daisy Ridley and I definitely wasn't pressured to do this by Josh.

• 53:32Speaker 07

  Most writers have written really terrible stories. My name is Vince DiGianni and I am no exception. The only thing different about me is that I kept them all. Now I'm going to force my very talented actor friends to read them with me. I want to read that like a man in his fifties or perhaps forties if he was as large a smoker as the scent surrounding him suggested. Wow. Drag him Vincent! There are teen slashers where every character sounds edgy as hell. There's sci-fi giants that read just a little bit too much like giant penises. And there's a murderer who enjoys musical theater for some reason. And occasionally, something I wrote 15 years ago will be much, much worse.

• 54:13Speaker 07

  Only after a few minutes did I realize that if I thought about a certain thing or said at a time when something was said or thought by what am I reading? What does that mean? We're gonna laugh, we will probably cringe, and I may even cry just a little bit. Listen to Character Development, a comedy podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.