Katherine McNamara ON: Centering on Joy Amongst Chaos and Finding Purpose Through Curiosity

Katherine McNamara is a self-proclaimed professional chameleon. As an actor known for her roles in Shadowhunters and Arrow, she gets curious about her character’s role in the story and does in depth research to be able to fill that role. On this episode of On Purpose, Actor Katherine McNamara and Jay Shetty talk about approaching learning with excitement and joy, finding laughter among chaos, and letting your curiosity guide you towards purpose. They also briefly talk about which Hogwarts house we each would be in. Reach out to Jay and Katherine on Instagram to let them know what house you think you’d be sorted into. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

• 0:00Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Mazda. Confidence isn't something Mazda finds, it's something they practice. That's the thinking behind every Mazda. With proactive safety features designed to help keep you more aware, more connected, and more engaged with the road ahead. It's why Mazda has been named Consumer Reports' safest new car brand and has won more 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Awards than any other car brand as of July 2026. Visit www.iihs.org to learn more. A lot can happen when an accident doesn't. Visit MazdaUSA.com to learn more. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services.

• 0:40Speaker 01

  Your heart can tell you a lot about your health. Apple Watch Series 12 measures your heart rate every five seconds with the most accurate heart rate sensing in wearable. So your vitals app, now with heart rate variability, can tell you when something is off. And your readiness score can let you know when to rest and when to push. Hear the story in every heartbeat with Apple Watch Series 12. The features described are for wellness purposes only and not for medical use. iPhone 11 or later required. Based on Apple conducted study of heart rate accuracy, August 2026. Visit apple.com slash apple watch series 12.

• 1:10Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by AG1. Are you feeling September reset too? Shorter days, longer to-do lists, earlier alarms, all those routines you promised yourself you'd pick back up. It can feel like your whole life is recalibrating. And when everything around you is changing, it helps to have a few things you can rely on. AG1 Next Gen is one of those easy habits to keep. It's the clinically-backed, comprehensive daily health drink that supports your gut health, energy production, and foundational nutrition all in one scoop. AG1's ingredients are sourced from quality partners for absorption, potency, and nutrient density to deliver the foundational nutrition your body needs. And alongside a proper diet,

• 1:54Jay Shetty?

  AG1 Next Gen meets 94% of nutrient requirements and it's clinically shown to enrich the gut microbiome. For a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at drinkag1.com/OnPurpose. That's drinkag1.com/OnPurpose.

• 2:20Jay Shetty?

  Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the number one health podcast in the world. Thanks to each and every single one of you who come back every single week to listen, to learn and grow. And you know that I make it my best effort to find guests and connect and have, create conversations that I think are going to serve and support you in amazing ways. And today's guest is going to do exactly that. She's not going to disappoint. And today I'm live from We Day. And if you don't know about We Day, it's part of the We charity and the We movement, where 20,000 kids today are being celebrated for the service they're doing in their local and global communities. It's phenomenal. Now, I've already been out on stage, but our guest today, Katherine McNamara, has not been out on stage yet. We've just sneaked her in here to have a moment,

• 3:04Jay Shetty?

  to ask her a lot of different questions about her life, her perspective, why she's here today. And for those of you who don't know Catherine, I want to tell you some amazing things about her. So listen to this and listen carefully. Catherine is best known for a role on the teen drama Shadow Hunters, which has received 14 Choice Awards and two People's Choice Awards. Catherine was the People's Choice Female TV Star of 2018. She now stars in DC Comics series Arrow and was recently cast in the Stephen King mini-series The Stand. She's deeply passionate about charity work and released a song, well, listen to this, 100% of the proceeds were donated to the United Nations charity Girl Up. She also helped raise $2 million

• 3:47Jay Shetty?

  for Children's Mercy Hospital with Selena Gomez. Catherine, thank you so much for doing this.

• 3:52Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 3:52Jay Shetty?

  It's so wonderful to meet someone who's doing so many incredible things, so incredibly talented, doing this on very little sleep.

• 4:02Speaker 02

  Well, it's what I do. I've never needed much sleep.

• 4:04Jay Shetty?

  How much have you slept again, did you say, in the last 24 hours?

• 4:06Speaker 02

  I don't exactly know, but most of it happened on an airplane. But honestly, people ask me all the time because I always keep a crazy schedule like this of how I do it with no sleep. And it's because I'm dedicating my time to things that I really care about. You know, I genuinely want to be doing these things. And so, you know, if it means I have to give up a couple hours of sleep, that's worth it.

• 4:23Jay Shetty?

  I love that. And how did you get involved with We Day? I'm fascinated to know the story of how did you find out? How did you hear about?

• 4:28Speaker 02

  So We Day is something that I've known about for a long time. Actually, a lot of my cast members from Shadowhunters have done We Day events all over the world. And it's something that I've been trying to find an opportunity in my schedule and an opportunity where, you know, I have met up with We Day's course of action. And this just happened to be perfect. I just finished up shooting Arrow here, and I'm about to start the stand here as well.

• 4:48Jay Shetty?

  Congratulations.

• 4:49Speaker 02

  Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. And so here we are.

• 4:51Jay Shetty?

  So this is your first We Day too?

• 4:52Speaker 02

  This is my first We Day.

• 4:53Jay Shetty?

  This is mine too.

• 4:53Speaker 02

  Oh, here we go. Amazing.

• 4:56Jay Shetty?

  First We Days. Yeah, and that's the same for me. So I've been wanting to get into We Day for so long. So many of my friends are involved in We Day. And so it's been it's been a very similar journey.

• 5:04Speaker 02

  Well, there we go. It's meant to be.

• 5:05Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, absolutely. So I want to dive into so many things about you. And the first thing I want to talk about is, what was your first, well, not your first, what's your favorite memory of growing up in Kansas City?

• 5:15Speaker 02

  Oh, um, I think some of my favorite memories growing up in Kansas City all happened at my grandparents' house. They have this house, it's in this beautiful wooded area. And it sort of became my nature playground with their backyard. They had all these woods and hills and rocks and things I could climb around and look at the wildlife and just kind of be alone in my imagination. And that, I think, started a lot of my sense of make believe, which is truly what I believe led me to being an actor. I never wanted to be an actor as a kid. I didn't even know that was a job, coming from a family of science and medical professionals. And I wanted to be an economist as a kid. So that was totally my track until I, you know, fell into this backwards.

• 6:00Speaker 02

  But that, and just the sense of community there. You know, there's something so special about it, which is why I always go back as much as I can. And that's why I'm so involved with The Big Slick as well, which is the the organization that was started by Jason Sudeikis and Paul Rudd and Will Forte, David Kechner, Rob Riggle, Eric Stonestreet, all of these really successful. Actors that are from Kansas City. And they go back every year. It started as a little poker game. And now, this year, we raised over $2 million for Children's Mercy Hospital there in two days. They calculated all of the numbers. And in the last 10 years, they've raised over $10 million for the hospital. And it's amazing. It's just so lovely to be a part of and really shows the spirit of Kansas City.

• 6:41Jay Shetty?

  That's unbelievable. I love that story. And tell me a bit about that, because I love what you shared there. And I talk a lot about, I joke a lot about how when I was growing up, I had three options, either to become a lawyer, a doctor, or a failure, because that's kind of like all I knew about. And so when you said that, that you didn't know that you could be an actor, like you didn't know existed, I felt the same way about anything in media. Like, I didn't think it was a real career. And like you said, your family was medical professionals. Your mom was a scientist.

• 7:06Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 7:07Jay Shetty?

  And it's like, tell me about that decision of wanting to be an economist and then falling backwards into this, because I think so many of our viewers are always thinking about finding their passion and finding something that they really believe in. Like you said, doing things that are meaningful.

• 7:20Speaker 02

  Absolutely.

• 7:20Jay Shetty?

  How did you switch from economist to this?

• 7:22Speaker 02

  Well, it sort of hit me like a brick wall. I was always a huge math nerd. And to this day, I love economics because it's the real-world application of the math that I love so much. And I was just so fascinated by the fact that these formulas and graphs and complex math that I learned so much about could actually be used to predict and explain things that happen in the real world. And once I discovered that, it was kind of a runaway train of, I became obsessed with different things, particularly developmental economics, because I loved the sort of anthropological aspect that gets thrown into that when you're trying to find ways to help these developing countries exist in the world in a way that they can grow to their full potential. And that fascinated me. But aside from that,

• 8:05Speaker 02

  I was a ballet dancer as a hobby and a Girl Scout and a softball player and all these other things. But I ran into a family friend who was directing a community theater production and needed a dancer. And I was the kid who would try anything. So I was like, sure, why not? Let's go do this theater thing and see what that's all about. And I will never forget walking onstage on opening night. It's You have these moments of clarity in life. And they come few and far between, but you know beyond a doubt when they happen. And I walked on stage and something hit me like a brick wall. And I just knew in that moment that I was put on this earth to tell stories. And I was put on this earth to to create characters and to be a part of this communal entertainment form, I guess. And I've never looked back.

• 8:49Jay Shetty?

  I love that. That's so beautiful. And I think you're so right. You articulate it so well that we all get an opportunity if we slow down. If we if we kind of pause a little and take in these experiences, we all get these moments of clarity. And I always say that when you eat something, you know whether you like it or not straight away.

• 9:04Speaker 02

  It's true.

• 9:05Jay Shetty?

  But but we never do that. We never reflect on that when we're doing something new. Or like when we do an activity, like you said, when I walked on stage, you just, you know, you felt it. I think we should just check in with ourselves more.

• 9:14Speaker 02

  It's true.

• 9:14Jay Shetty?

  When you do something new and be like, did I like that? Like, did I not like that?

• 9:17Speaker 02

  I heard somebody give a talk earlier this year about being vulnerable to joy. And there was something I thought was so beautiful in that because so often we're so focused on what the next thing is, or protecting ourselves, or whatever it is, that we we don't allow ourselves to be open to whatever it is that's coming our way. And so we miss out on so much. And I've I've tried to really make a concerted effort to do that. To be vulnerable to whatever it is, be it joy, be it a lesson to be learned, be it whatever.

• 9:43Jay Shetty?

  Yeah. Tell me something that you've learned recently, or something that you've been learning recently.

• 9:47Speaker 02

  Something that I've learned recently is the importance of of taking a moment, actually, just what you said, taking a moment, taking a breath and just in the I I live a life of a lot of chaos recently. And it's really important to stop and take in those moments and just sit for a minute sometimes and really just be present and absorb what it is that you're in the in the midst of.

• 10:10Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I love that. Tell me how, and I mean this genuinely. How does someone finish high school at 14 and get a degree at 17?

• 10:20Speaker 02

  Well, this kind of ties into why we're here today. I, again, I've always been a huge nerd, but I credit that to one of my very first teachers. She was my preschool teacher. And she saw something in me, this this propensity and love for learning, and took the time to foster that. So for me, from my family as well, to to this teacher. School, learning, education was always presented to me as discovery, as joy, as what can you figure out about the world?

• 10:51Jay Shetty?

  Curiosity.

• 10:51Speaker 02

  What can you learn? How can you expand what it is that you know? It was never a chore. It was never something negative. It was never, you know, presented as, as work in a sense. And so, yeah, so that's how I've always approached learning. And I was allowed to go at my own pace and did a lot of online and correspondence programs that allowed me to do that while still going to the school for art and music and recess and lunch and all the fun things. And it was the perfect storm for me because I got the best of both worlds and accidentally graduated high school at 14.

• 11:23Jay Shetty?

  That is amazing. I love hearing that because I think so many of us have had experiences of school, whether it was the other two extremes of like boredom, chores, who cares?

• 11:33Speaker 02

  Right.

• 11:34Jay Shetty?

  Or in my case, it was very much like performance, getting top, top grades and like doing well in exams, which also doesn't leave a good

• 11:41Speaker 02

  No.

• 11:42Jay Shetty?

  impression for kids because it becomes about pressure

• 11:44Speaker 02

  Right.

• 11:44Jay Shetty?

  and pain and, you know, you're now just trying to catch up with this metric just to show your parents or compare yourself to someone else. So how are you, what's your message today to the children on stage? Are you putting that in there? Are they gonna hear that?

• 11:56Speaker 02

  I'm trying to as much as I can. I, my, the topic that I'm discussing is about something a little bit different, but I always try and talk about education because I feel as though so many kids, especially today, take it, either take education for granted or don't see it as something that can be joyful.

• 12:12Jay Shetty?

  Yes.

• 12:12Speaker 02

  And it's not to say that, you know, there are gonna be assignments or classes or things that are gonna be really difficult and not gonna be any fun at all. But for me, I don't know, maybe it's because I'm a stubborn optimist, but it's all about finding the fun in them. It's, you know, you have to marry Poppins it a little bit and figure out how to make it fun and how to make it something that you can enjoy because you have to do it either way.

• 12:34Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, no, I love that. That's so true. I, I, this is, I've, I've just, my first book's coming out next year.

• 12:39Speaker 02

  Oh, congratulations.

• 12:39Jay Shetty?

  In April. And so I'm sharing a study that's in my books. I'm giving it all away, but you've just reminded me of something. There's a study that was done at Yale. Uh, I get the scientist's second name wrong, so I don't wanna say her first name's Amy. And in my book, I talk about how she talks about how they did a study where they interviewed Nurses and cleaners and all these people that work as part of a hospital staff. And they spoke to cleaners and they asked them, describe your job. And half the cleaners described it as low skilled, dirty, a chore, hard, very difficult. And the other half described it completely differently. They used words like healers, transformers, like they felt that they were a part of humans emotion. And they felt that they were building up these relationships with patients. And so it's a term that Yale crafted called job crafting.

• 13:24Jay Shetty?

  And it's like how you view that is what it becomes. And so some of these people felt that their work was so highly skilled and so fulfilling and so meaningful.

• 13:33Speaker 02

  It's funny, life, so if there's anything I've learned in kind of becoming an adult is that life is all about perspective. Every morning when you wake up, you can choose to have a great day or to have a terrible day, no matter what happens. It's all about how you view it and how you look at the world and it really is a series of choices.

• 13:50Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Amtrak. You know that feeling when you're already tired and you haven't even gotten there yet? That's where Amtrak comes in. Leave the driving behind and settle into a comfortable seat with plenty of room to stretch out. Catch up on work with wifi, grab a snack at the cafe car, or just sit back and enjoy your favorite podcast. Choose a seller or Northeast Regional and get there without the stress of getting there. Visit amtrak.com to plan your next trip.

• 14:21Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Indeed. I know how important every hire is for a business. If you need to make the right hire, this is a job for sponsored jobs. Indeed sponsored jobs helps find quality candidates when you need the most. You can reach who you need based on whatever criteria you're looking for, like skills, certifications or location. In fact, people are finding quality hires on Indeed right now. In the minute I've been talking to you, companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast.

• 15:05Jay Shetty?

  That's indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. This episode is brought to you by Vinted. Value can be found anywhere, even in the clothes sitting untouched in our closets. That's where Vinted comes in. Vinted is a secondhand marketplace app where you can sell clothes you no longer want and get more value out of them. Whether you're running out of space, moving, or simply updating your wardrobe. Listing items is a quick and simple process, and once something sells, Vinted creates a prepaid shipping label for you. And the best part, there are no seller fees, so you keep what you earn. It's a simple way to clear out your closet, be less wasteful, and maybe make some extra money along the way. And if you've been thinking about a wardrobe refresh,

• 15:50Jay Shetty?

  this can make it feel a little more worthwhile. You're not just letting go of clothes, you're getting more value from what you already have. Give your clothes a second life with Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep every dollar you earn. When you get those moments in your day where things are going not the way you planned, what's the choice you're making? How are you bringing it back? I'd love to hear.

• 16:13Speaker 02

  I always try and find something good, something that I can focus on that can make me smile. Or to just laugh at the chaos, because how silly things can be and how absurdly chaotic things can get. It just gets to a point of you have to laugh or you're gonna cry. And I'd much rather laugh. And that's sort of how I was raised. My whole family does that. You know, my grandmother was the head nurse of an ER for several decades, and nothing phases her. She is one of the strongest willed people. Yeah, she's seen everything. And my entire family is of the mind that you can make anything silly. Any situation, you can turn it into laughter.

• 16:57Speaker 02

  And so that's kind of how I was raised. And I try and carry that on and spread that around as much as I possibly can.

• 17:03Jay Shetty?

  Are you a Harry Potter fan?

• 17:04Speaker 02

  I'm a huge Harry Potter fan.

• 17:05Jay Shetty?

  You've just reminded me of, what are those things called? My sister's gonna hate me for not remembering. What are those things called where they come out as your biggest fear, but you have to imagine it as something funny? You know what I'm talking about?

• 17:18Speaker 02

  I know what you're talking about, and I can't remember.

• 17:20Jay Shetty?

  What are they called? Bog... no, Bogarts, no.

• 17:25Speaker 02

  It's something like that.

• 17:26Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, something, Bogart, maybe.

• 17:27Speaker 02

  Oh, we're gonna get roasted by all the Harry Potter.

• 17:29Jay Shetty?

  I'm such a Harry Potter fan too, so this is terrible. Bogart, I feel like it's a Bogart.

• 17:33Speaker 02

  Sure, we'll go with that.

• 17:34Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, so.

• 17:34Speaker 02

  Awesome.

• 17:35Jay Shetty?

  But you know what I'm talking about, right?

• 17:36Speaker 02

  Yeah, I do, yeah, yeah.

• 17:36Jay Shetty?

  And like you see a dementor and you have to imagine it as, as the balloon and the moon that pops, or whatever it is.

• 17:41Speaker 02

  Exactly, that's exactly what I'm talking about.

• 17:43Jay Shetty?

  And a spider with, Ron's a spider and it's got skates on.

• 17:45Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 17:45Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, yeah, so, yeah, okay, I love that piece of advice. I've never heard that before and I think that's awesome.

• 17:50Speaker 02

  Okay, if we're talking about Harry Potter, I have to stop you. What's your house?

• 17:53Jay Shetty?

  Uh, oh, oh, god. So, when I've, I've been to the sorting hat.

• 17:57Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 17:58Jay Shetty?

  In, in, in the Harry Potter studios and it said Gryffindor.

• 18:01Speaker 02

  Okay, I can see that.

• 18:02Jay Shetty?

  But, but I have a bit of Slytherin in me.

• 18:05Speaker 02

  Well, I, I don't think anyone has purely one house. I have a theory on this.

• 18:08Jay Shetty?

  So I have a bit of Slytherin in me.

• 18:09Speaker 02

  Okay, cool.

• 18:09Jay Shetty?

  I like the rebellious.

• 18:10Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 18:11Jay Shetty?

  Kind of pushing, not, not evil.

• 18:12Speaker 02

  No, no, no.

• 18:13Jay Shetty?

  Just, just rebellious and pushing buttons and like trying new stuff.

• 18:15Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 18:16Jay Shetty?

  How about you?

• 18:17Speaker 02

  I, I would say I'm Ravenclaw with Gryffindor tendencies and a sprinkle of Hufflepuff.

• 18:21Jay Shetty?

  Oh, okay.

• 18:22Speaker 02

  That's, that's what I've come to determine.

• 18:24Jay Shetty?

  So no Slytherin in you then?

• 18:25Speaker 02

  I mean, maybe a little, but not enough, not enough to, to claim it.

• 18:28Jay Shetty?

  I love it, I'm glad we, I'm glad we dived over into Harry Potter. We've never done that on any podcast.

• 18:33Speaker 02

  Well, there we go.

• 18:34Jay Shetty?

  But no, that, that advice of, you know, laugh and, and see how silly things are. And I think sometimes it takes us time to see that, but actually we can do that in the moment.

• 18:42Speaker 02

  Absolutely.

• 18:42Jay Shetty?

  And we can laugh at it, like, I, please be a Bogart, please, please, please.

• 18:47Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by Whole Foods Market. If you're talking about quality food, you can't forget Whole Foods Market, who've been holding themselves to the highest standards since they opened in 1980. That means you'll see thousands of organic products across their stores, from the produce department to the aisles. It also means you'll never see certain ingredients. They've banned artificial sweeteners and colors, high fructose corn syrup and more, so you can shop with peace of mind. Shop Whole Foods Market in store or online. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. We talk a lot about intentional decision making, and that extends to the practical stuff too, like making sure your coverage actually works for your life.

• 19:31Jay Shetty?

  State Farm is there to meet you where you are, and they know how sweet it is to feel good about your decisions. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state. This episode is brought to you by Wayfair. Home should be a place that feels like a sanctuary, a space that truly reflects who you are. But it can be challenging to balance style, budget and endless options. I was looking to create a dedicated calm space for my morning meditation and reading, but I was struggling to find pieces that felt grounding but could also stand up to daily use.

• 20:16Jay Shetty?

  I went on Wayfair and found a beautiful, solid wood accent chair and a bookshelf. Now that corner is my favorite place to anchor my day. The quality is incredible, it's built to last, and it completely shifted the energy of the room. Plus, you can shop with Wayfair Verified, where product specialists carefully vet items for quality and functionality, so you can shop with more confidence. And if putting it all together sounds like a headache, Wayfair can handle delivery, installation and assembly. Join Wayfair Rewards today to get 5% back on every purchase and start saving on your next home upgrade. Head to wayfair.com to shop all things home. That's W A Y F A I R dot com. Wayfair, every style, every home.

• 21:01Speaker 02

  It's something that I see in the best of actors and something I've really worked hard to try and emulate in my career. You see it in actors like Meryl Streep and Sam Rockwell, and you know, actors of that nature where they completely transform. Every single character they play is entirely different in look, in physicality, in the way that they interact with the other characters and the world around them, the way they speak, the way they walk. And that's something that I think is essential to our job. Because you know, we have the opportunity to walk a million different lives and play a million different people and figure out how they work. And I think the farther I can push myself to completely transform and immerse myself in every character I play, the more diverse...

• 21:44Speaker 02

  Of a rolodex of characters I'll be able to play, but also the better I'll be able to serve the story.

• 21:49Jay Shetty?

  Yes.

• 21:49Speaker 02

  Because I'm not a part of a story to put myself forward. I'm a part of the story to kind of be within that canvas and within that cast of characters and to, you know, serve the greater arc of whatever the story is telling and play my piece and, you know, play my part well and serve the greater machine of the story. And, you know, it's also really fun to see how far you can go and in a different direction and be somebody completely different.

• 22:15Jay Shetty?

  Absolutely. And what's your process? Like, do you do method acting? Would you see yourself considering that? Or what's your process to really get into a role? Like, is it research? Is it spending time? Is it... What's your habits? I want to know how you break it down when you get in a role.

• 22:28Speaker 02

  It's a little bit of everything, honestly. And it differs based on the project and what it requires. So I always do as much research as I can, given that I'm a huge nerd.

• 22:37Jay Shetty?

  Yes.

• 22:37Speaker 02

  And it helps me to know as much as I can because then it will kind of help inherently, even if I'm not actively thinking about it. If I have the knowledge, it'll be in the back of my head when I need it. And then, you know, if there's source material, I'll definitely go read it. Like for Shadowhunters, I read the Mortal Instruments series just because so much of it is told from Clary's perspective. And even though our series was very different, at least I had that knowledge and I had that in the back of my head that I could pull little bits from. Or with Arrow, because I was playing Oliver and Felicity's daughter, given that their characters were so iconic and so well-developed, I went through and watched the entire series so that I could pull little qualities and nuances and quirks and things to pepper through so that she really was an amalgamation

• 23:22Speaker 02

  of these two characters that audiences know so well. So I'll do a bit of that and then, you know, I love Pinterest. So I'll go on Pinterest and I'll look up different clothing or different hair and makeup looks or whatever it is to see kind of what I can piece together and see something that I might not have thought of or something that I might, you know, this, that. Or if there's an accent required or if, you know, I do as much as I can and then try and watch a few similar tonal projects or similar characters to see what other people have done in similar situations, just to try and get as much... As many ideas as I can get, as much influence as I can to see what I like, what I don't, what I wanna pull, what I wanna incorporate, what's in the back of my head, just so I have as much information as I can to play with on the day.

• 24:07Jay Shetty?

  Mm-hmm. That makes complete sense. I love what an intellectual pursuit acting is for you. It's great. It can be. When I'm listening to you.

• 24:14Speaker 02

  And that's about fifty percent of it. I always say I do fifty percent of my work before I get there, and then fifty percent of it happens on the day, because so much of it, so much of it depends on the director and the other actors in the scene and the set when you get there and the environment. Because half of acting is interacting with the other people and with the environment around you. So if I come in and I've done all my work and I'm solidly set in what I'm gonna do, I don't have any flexibility and there's no room for play.

• 24:39Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 24:39Speaker 02

  So you have to get there and be able to kind of bounce around and adapt and go, okay, let's play ball. Let's pass this tennis ball back and forth and see what happens.

• 24:46Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I think that's a great rule. Fifty percent before, fifty percent afterwards. Because sometimes we try to prepare a hundred percent and then almost you paralyze yourself when you're in the zone.

• 24:53Speaker 02

  You do.

• 24:53Jay Shetty?

  You just, you can't be playful and mess around.

• 24:56Speaker 02

  And my favorite moments are those little magic things that happen that surprise you.

• 25:00Jay Shetty?

  Totally.

• 25:00Speaker 02

  You know, that you finish a take and you go, I did not expect it to go that way at all. I did not expect to feel that whatsoever, but holy moly, that was great.

• 25:09Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I love that. That's so cool. And it's funny, now we need to find you to be casted as an economist, because then you won't have to prepare.

• 25:15Speaker 02

  Perfect.

• 25:16Jay Shetty?

  You can just, you can just go in and just play.

• 25:18Speaker 02

  I mean, that is what my degree is in, so there you go.

• 25:20Jay Shetty?

  Exactly. That's what I mean. That's what I mean. And, and, you know, if you were playing an economist, do you know any cool economist stories? Like, any historical pieces? There must be something cool out there.

• 25:30Speaker 02

  I mean, last time playing Alan Greenspan, which I really don't think I would be cast as. Uh, I'm gonna have to do some research on that.

• 25:36Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I'm sure there are. I'm sure there's some crazy stories of female economists that are like.

• 25:41Speaker 02

  I'll find it.

• 25:41Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, we'll find it. We'll find it. Okay, I know that you love Disney.

• 25:46Speaker 02

  I do.

• 25:46Jay Shetty?

  You do love Disney. If you could be a voice actor, if you could be the voice of any character of any Disney movie, who would it be?

• 25:53Speaker 02

  Uh, uh, oof. Hmm. Um, there's so many things I'd love to do. I mean, they, they keep creating all these wonderful new stories. And, you know, when I was a kid, I was always looking for these characters, these badass female characters. So Mulan and Pocahontas were my girls.

• 26:06Jay Shetty?

  Yes.

• 26:07Speaker 02

  Like, they were the ultimate for me. I wanted to be Mulan as a kid. Um, I had her poster on my wall. It was great. Um, but I, you know, I'd love to be a part of pretty much any universe. I think Pixar and Disney are doing so many wonderful things right now. And I love the, the Disney Pixar movies because they're so fun. And you, you go back and you watch the movies that you loved as a kid, and you can still enjoy them as an adult. It's fascinating that there's so many layers to them that you don't even realize. So I'd love to be a part of that world. I mean, you know, it's, it's something that I've, I've worked for Disney for a long time, and they're such a wonderful company.

• 26:38Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, absolutely. And have you seen that series? You reminded me of something else. We keep going totally off tangent. You, you keep feeding into all my, uh, all my passions. Have you seen Wreck-It Ralph, the second one?

• 26:48Speaker 02

  I haven't. That's the one I haven't seen.

• 26:49Jay Shetty?

  I'm not gonna give it away, but you can go on YouTube and watch this scene. Uh, you don't watch the scene first.

• 26:54Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 26:54Jay Shetty?

  But there's a scene where all the Disney princesses are there, and they're telling their stories, but in a very fun, like, in a very educational but funny way.

• 27:03Speaker 02

  Oh, my God, that's amazing.

• 27:04Jay Shetty?

  About, yeah, about women empowerment and badass women. So it's just, I'm not gonna give it away.

• 27:07Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 27:08Jay Shetty?

  But I want you to watch it, even watch it.

• 27:09Speaker 02

  I will. It's in the second movie?

• 27:10Jay Shetty?

  It's genius. Yeah, it's so well done. And it's, uh, Disney almost making fun of themselves.

• 27:15Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 27:15Jay Shetty?

  For how they portray princes, but it's brilliant.

• 27:17Speaker 02

  That's the best thing.

• 27:17Jay Shetty?

  It's really good.

• 27:18Speaker 02

  I find self-aware comedy to be the most fun because it, it allows for suspension of belief, but also, you know, you can laugh at yourself a little bit.

• 27:26Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, absolutely. Now, you've got to go on stage soon, so.

• 27:29Speaker 02

  I do.

• 27:29Jay Shetty?

  I've got to ask you, I've got to rush to the rapid-fire section. So I ask a final five, which are fast-five questions.

• 27:35Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 27:36Jay Shetty?

  Uh, one-word or one-sentence answers.

• 27:37Speaker 02

  All right.

• 27:38Jay Shetty?

  Uh, so here we go. Here's your final five. Um, let's go with, oh, there's so many things I want to ask you.

• 27:43Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 27:44Jay Shetty?

  Let's go with...

• 27:47Jay Shetty?

  What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?

• 27:49Speaker 02

  Ooh, biggest risk I've ever taken? I moved to New York City after booking a job within a week. And didn't know what I was doing, didn't know how long I was gonna be there. But I just said, alright, here we go. And I was 14.

• 28:02Jay Shetty?

  Well, okay, you left that out, a very important detail.

• 28:05Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 28:05Jay Shetty?

  I love that. Okay, what's the toughest decision you've ever made?

• 28:08Speaker 02

  Toughest decision I ever made was, um... There was a time in my... Actually, this is kind of an existential decision. Um, there was a time in my life where I could have chosen to stay in a very dark place and, and allow that to consume me. Or choose to frame it positively and make the difficult choice of, at least at the time, of looking on the bright side and finding that silver lining. And I was lucky enough to be surrounded by people that helped me do that and helped me steer down a very healthy path as opposed to a very unhealthy path. And here I am today.

• 28:45Jay Shetty?

  Well, if you don't mind, next time, next time we're in L... But we're both in L.A., we both lived there. I'd love to unpack that a bit more with you, actually.

• 28:50Speaker 02

  Yeah, sure, let's talk.

• 28:51Jay Shetty?

  That'd be amazing to talk about that, okay. Third question, the first thing you do in the morning?

• 28:57Speaker 02

  Usually I roll out of bed, eat an apple, and go to the gym.

• 28:59Jay Shetty?

  Oh, cool, okay.

• 29:00Speaker 02

  I love working out in the morning. It starts my day, right? And it's usually the only time I have.

• 29:04Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, absolutely. Okay, fourth question, the last thing you do every night?

• 29:08Speaker 02

  Last thing I do every night, uh, I usually... What do I do? I make sure I take all my makeup off. I'm really, really particular about taking care of my skin. Have to be in this job that we do.

• 29:21Speaker 02

  I usually call my mom before I go to bed.

• 29:22Jay Shetty?

  Oh, nice.

• 29:23Speaker 02

  Just check in, see how her day was. And then you make sure I don't have any emails to look at, and then off I go.

• 29:28Jay Shetty?

  Amazing. And your fifth and final question, what's one message you'd love to share with all of the kids who are serving through We Day and having such a huge impact?

• 29:37Speaker 02

  I would like to say thank you for being conscious of the world around you and for being a, a global citizen and serving kind of... This world that we share and this this human race that we have, because it's it's so important to think beyond yourself and beyond your own life and your own realm, to to take care of of everyone in the world that we live in. It's um, I always feel if everyone took just a couple of seconds every day to think of someone else and to do something kind for somebody else, the world would be a lot better place, and you guys are already doing that.

• 30:11Jay Shetty?

  Completely agree. Everyone, Catherine, thank you so much. Catherine, you're amazing, and I can't wait to dive in to so many more of these areas. I feel I've learned so much more about you today, too. And yeah, I hope we can do this again, genuinely.

• 30:21Speaker 02

  I would love to.

• 30:22Jay Shetty?

  There are so many things that I would love to unpack with you even more.

• 30:24Speaker 02

  Let's do it.

• 30:24Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, thank you so much.

• 30:25Speaker 02

  Wonderful. Thank you.

• 30:28Jay Shetty?

  Hey, everyone. Thank you so much for listening to this conversation with Katherine McNamara today. I really hope my conversation with Catherine gave you some ideas on how to find joy in learning and laughter amongst chaos. Make sure you tag me and Catherine on Instagram with any questions or thoughts, or maybe even your Hogwarts house. And I apologize to all the Harry Potter fans out there for forgetting the name for a boggart. It's the slither in me, I guess. What can I say? I thank you so much for being part of the On Purpose Community. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful weekend or week. Stay safe. And don't forget to look out for episodes every Monday and Friday.

• 31:12Jay Shetty?

  This podcast was produced by Dust Light Productions. Our executive producer from Dust Light is Misha Youssef. Our senior producer is Juliana Bradley. Our associate producer is Jacqueline Castillo. Valentino Rivera is our engineer. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. And special thanks to Rachel Garcia, the Dust Light Development and Operations Coordinator.

• 31:56Speaker 03

  Now, more than ever, we need someone on our side. But Rob Whitman? Whitman's votes drove up costs, cut Medicaid, and risked 350,000 Virginians' health care to pay for tax breaks for himself and his donors. He's not on our side. Shannon Taylor will fight corruption, cut taxes, and bring down costs. This November, vote for Shannon Taylor. She's for us. Paid for by HMP, the HouseMajorityPact.com. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

• 32:25Speaker 04

  Ally here with cash when you need it. You know, for the taxi that saved you, the guy who helped you move. Wait, are you supposed to tip at the car wash? Don't be in... Ally's 75,000 fee-free ATMs mean you always have cash when you need it. Ally Bank, member FDIC.

• 32:41Speaker 05

  Mr. President, my company tore me of the explosion on our rig on October 2nd. Causing massive water displacement and triggering a tsunami. They all heap the blame on me. Tom Cruise is...

• 32:51Speaker 06

  Digger got us into this mess, and Digger's gonna dig us up. From the director of Birdman and The Revenant.

• 32:57Speaker 05

  What would happen if I stopped going? You stall, you freeze to death, that's what...

• 33:01Speaker 06

  With great power comes great deniability.

• 33:05Speaker 05

  I'm not the first then.

• 33:06Speaker 06

  Digger. See the trailer online. Only in theaters October 2nd. Rated R. Under 17. Not a minute without parent.