One on One: Julie Berman

Bullsh**t!! 

She survived Emily’s wrath at the DAR meeting in A Year in the Life: Fall as Serena. 

Now, Julie gives us her take on filming such a turning point in Emily’s life. 

Plus, she shares what it was like watching Kelly Bishop work her amazing monologue that was shot in one day.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I Am all In.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Let's you.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
I Am all In with Scott Patterson and iHeartRadio Podcast.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hey Everybody, Scott Patterson, I Am all In Podcast one
eleven productions, iHeartRadio, Heart Media, iHeart Podcast joined by my
Intrepid crew, Tara sud Susanne French. One on one interview
with the One the Only, Julie Berman, who portrayed Serena
Ainsworth in one episode of A Year in the Life
she was in Fall. Let me tell you a little

(00:42):
bit about Julie. She's an actress known for casual Chicago
Med portrayed Lulu Spencer for over one thousand, wow, one
thousand episodes of General Hospital, for which she received three
countum three Daytime Emmy Awards. Jewel. Are they in your
house right now? Can we see one? We just want

(01:05):
to see one, emy, I just want to see one.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
Bathroom.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Where do you keep it?

Speaker 5 (01:11):
Where do you keep it?

Speaker 2 (01:12):
I keep them on a shelf. They've definitely had some
movement in the house. At times, I put them away
because I thought it was like too much having them
looking at them, and then that felt like, oh no,
I need to have them out. I'm proud. So they're
on a shelf some we're not not accessible at the moment, unfortunately.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
But unfortunately, but what a thrill. All right, so let's
get started. Thanks for joining us, really appreciate it. How
did you get the role of Serena?

Speaker 2 (01:41):
I did the old fashioned way of auditioning. It was
actually very quick. They they sent me the audition on
like a Thursday night for the next Friday. It would
be for Friday night, so I had to like read
it see if I could do it. I think I
was filming another show at the time too, so it

(02:02):
was a little bit of a question mark whether or
not I could make the audition, and auditioned on a
Friday night. Found out I got the part that night,
which I love. I mean, I'm sure you know, as
an actor, to just get the immediate response of a
yes or a no waiting is very satisfying.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
So yeah, I got that and then we filmed on
it the following Tuesday. That was it.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
You know, isn't it amazing? It's a common It's a
common story amongst Gilmour actors that they knew right away.
I knew the same day.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
Oh you knew like in your heart or they told
you no, no, no, no.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
I I by the time my manager called me and said,
I left your message on your machine. You got the offer.
I said, wait a minute, I just like left, I
just left the wow.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
So and that that's with other people too, so like
it's like when they know they know love that.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
I wish every audition was like that. Just no, you're
not wondering, yeah, you know, it's very.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
Usually usually I do know and it's a no and
they're like, yeah, well you know, or you can tell
they don't even need to say anything that just sort
of look at you and you're like.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well that I can close the book on that.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah, right, right, right, all right. So you sit there
in this scene just taking it all in with Emily
going off about you and just ripping your life apart,
and what was that?

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Like? Oh? So fun? I love it. I knew, you
know that this was a big moment because she got
to say bullshit a bunch of times, which was out
of a character. So I sort of, uh was able

(03:54):
to enjoy the importance of this scene for her character
and what it meant as a turning point for her
in many ways. And it's fun. I mean, the show
is so much about pacing and timing and comedy and
heart altogether. That there's a vitality that makes it really

(04:16):
really enjoyable. So yeah, to have someone just rip me
a new one, and she had quite a mouthful of
like it was. That speech took a long time, and
it was incredible that she was able to just continuously
do it for many, many, many takes. That scene we
had to film. Almost the whole day was just for

(04:36):
that one scene. So she really was incredible and it
was fun.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
I know Suzanne had a question about this particular scene.
She texted me earlier. Go ahead, Susanne.

Speaker 5 (04:51):
I'm trying to remember. I've sent so many texts this morning.
So I'm Suzanne. Good morning, I'm the super fan designated
on the So I well, I two questions, actually, one
was you just answered. I was going to ask how
many takes that whole scene took. My other question was,
you know this was a year in the life, so

(05:12):
this was twenty sixteen. Were you a fan of the
original show when it originally aired.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
I didn't watch the I did watch some of the show,
but I didn't I would not be able to quote
like every season of the show. It started right when
I was starting into college, So I didn't sit around
watching a whole bunch of TV when I was in college.
Maybe there were other college students that that thought I was.

(05:40):
I wouldn't say. I was also studying. I was very social,
and I think that was my priority. So I was
a fan enough to know, like I knew the characters,
I knew the love interests, but I did not follow
the trajectory of the show. When I got the audition,
I was very excited because the fact that it was

(06:00):
a revival, I knew it was a huge deal, and
to have a tiny toe in the bigger story of
this huge show was like it was a big deal,
you know, to get the part, like, no matter how small,
it was awesome.

Speaker 5 (06:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
No, did anyone tell you like about Emily as the
character before jumping into this? I know you said you
knew it was so important, but like, did you kind
of get like the gist of the build up of why.

Speaker 4 (06:39):
This was such a big moment in this episode.

Speaker 2 (06:43):
No, I mean everything was very secretive at the time,
you know, with I mean to even get a script,
I think I got it the day before and it
was like it's watermarked with your name. Nobody, you know,
you can't pass this around. So I didn't have any
context for the scene. Okay, I knew, you know, the scene,
but what what was happening. Obviously, the language was a

(07:09):
little bit of a clue that like, okay, this is
this is a deviation, so something has changed. And then
obviously she gets kicked out Slash decides she's over the dar.
I knew, okay, this is a is an important piece
of her story, and where my character comes in is
such a direct opposition to her personality. And you know,

(07:34):
her son is setting on the dar and mine is
hopefully rising, and I'm going to come in and be
a part of this little you know, uptight fancy network.
And it just was a nice I knew that that
was the importance, was to be a foil for uh,
for her character and and and uh and then you know,

(07:55):
obviously seeing it when it was all put together, it
was it was fun. It was fun to be a
big piece.

Speaker 4 (08:01):
Yeah, it was one of our favorite scenes.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
It was it really It might be my favorite Emily
scene of so many great Emily scenes, but that one.

Speaker 4 (08:11):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
So I've talked about this a couple of times before
from an acting perspective, just how important it is, and
how difficult it is to be on the other side
with far less dialogue but still so much acting required
and not to trip up you know, Kelly Bishop when

(08:36):
she's doing her monologues and timing, timing, timing, tell us,
how did you prepare for that scene? Because that's a
monster scene to prepare for, And for me personally, I
always found it more challenging to have a line here
and there in between a rapid fire monologue, Lauren coming
in on fire and she's got a two page monologue

(08:57):
and you've gone, well but wait, but no it doesn't
and then yeah, and it's very easy to to kind
of screw up your partner if your timing is just
a little off. Tell us about how you're prepared for
that scene.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
You only got it the night before, so yeah, I well,
interesting enough. I I do frequently go back to classes
and I've I've worked with different teachers and uh, in
the class that I was in at the time, we
were doing a lot of scene work that was fast
paced stuff, including some Gilmore Girls scenes. So I had

(09:32):
a sense of like that muscle of just thinking faster.
That for me, the key is like to just be
present to worry about it thinking about it being fast,
but just have your brain work faster and that that
seems to for me help keep me alive and engage

(09:52):
in not slowing the boat down. I think in the
in the scene, I don't think I actually interjected. I
think it was the other women that had to interject
a couple of times. So luckily I didn't have that
responsibility because I've I've had that before, when you're waiting
for that one key word to pick up and so

(10:12):
that you can time your line. I don't think I
had to do a whole lot except just be present
and listen to her and take in what she was
giving me. And each time she did it it was
a little different, so you know, it was it was
kind of fun. I kind of just got to be
just alive listening to her RiPP me apart.

Speaker 1 (10:39):
I mean, this scene it became a pivotal part of
Emily's transformation in the revivals, as she's walking away from
her her former life. Did you understand that you obviously
understood the gravity of the scene when you were filming it.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
What's your best memory of being on set?

Speaker 2 (10:58):
The women? I mean, everyone was really, really nice and
and you know, some some sets have different energies. This
group of women, they were just friendly and welcoming, and
you know, we all rehearsed a bunch because it was
such a big scene. We had to just get the
timing down, get it in our bodies. Carolyn Hennessy, who

(11:21):
was another woman who played Tony. She and I have
worked together. She worked on General Hospital with me, and
she's a delight. So it was nice to have somebody
I knew, and I mean she can she she really
helped anchor the scene as well and just made it
so much fun. And so I think we all fed

(11:43):
off of each other. I think for me, the best
part of that was, uh was just the energy of
the scene. To be able to do one scene all
day and enjoy your day, I think says a lot.

Speaker 1 (11:58):
Did you have a favorite it? But did you see
all of the episodes of their revival all four?

Speaker 2 (12:03):
I didn't see all I didn't see all four. I mean,
of course, my favorite is Gonna Fall because privotal scene
it really was. But I do not you know, I
do like with Rory, you know, just jumping to her story,
I really liked that at the end she was her

(12:25):
own woman, and I think that was like, who's she
going to end up with? Is she going to pick
a person? Like to have her be like I choose myself?
I think was is is just so cool me growing
up and watching you know, women or girls coming of
age that I loved. It was like they always had
to find their their love and so I was very

(12:48):
satisfied with that ending.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
All right, So let's switch up a little bit. You
you did an eight episode arc on Chicago med and
then film Cash the same time, and this episode of
Gilmore Girls all happened simultaneously. What was it like going
from roll to roll to roll at that time in
your life?

Speaker 2 (13:11):
I mean, that's like, that's the best. That's an actor's dream.
I had the at the timing of my life, I
was able to do that. I had the freedom to
pick up and get on a plane and go wherever
I needed to go. And you know, there's times when
the work isn't quite as abundant, so that time in

(13:36):
my life was awesome. Like that just was a high
and playing different characters, exploring different sides of yourself to
be able to utilize and jump into is just it's
that's why I got into the business was to just
play and not get stuck doing one thing. So for

(13:57):
me that was like, that's like the you know, the playoffs.
That's great. I'll take that all day long.

Speaker 1 (14:04):
What are you working on now?

Speaker 2 (14:07):
I'm working on raising two children, right, the role of
your life real humans? Oh yeah, that's been my life.
But I'm excited to I feel like I'm finally getting
to a place. My oldest is in kindergarten, so I'm
starting to see the light again where I might be
able to start jumping back into stuff and getting my

(14:31):
toes wet again.

Speaker 1 (14:33):
Those these years are so great. They're so great, and
they go by so fast.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
You have kids.

Speaker 1 (14:38):
I have a ten year old. Yeah, and he's just
you know, all of a sudden, you know, he's it
seems like he was born yesterday and now he's ten.
It's like, what happened? You know?

Speaker 2 (14:49):
I think that's I'm not quite at that. I mean,
it hasn't started going fast yet. For me, it is
a lot. I think I have two boys, and so
I am just I feel very sleep deprived all the time.
So all my d just blend into one crazy long.

Speaker 1 (15:07):
Right man, all that energy.

Speaker 4 (15:09):
Guys, they're just bouncing around.

Speaker 1 (15:20):
All right, So now we're going to do well. I
hope you get back in the business. You did a
great job on this. The business needs you, let me
tell you. So you bring those three ms into the
business and show us how it's done, would you. Okay,
so we're gonna be rapid fire now, Susann, I'm gonna
let you start off, all right.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
How do you like your coffee with a little milk
and in normal drip coffee? Like I'm not a fancy
I have like a very basic coffee machine and with
a little milk.

Speaker 1 (15:55):
That's it, Tara, all right?

Speaker 4 (15:58):
Are you team Logan, Team Jets, Team Dean?

Speaker 2 (16:03):
Can I just be team Rory? I? This is hard.

Speaker 1 (16:11):
I have to choose, right, Yeah, I'm sorry, but you must,
you must.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
Must, I must, all right. I don't know Team Dean,
I guess.

Speaker 4 (16:27):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (16:28):
It's hard. They all were like important parts of her
evolution and I can see where they all fit.

Speaker 1 (16:34):
So, yeah, who's your favorite Gilmour girls couple? Luke and
Laura or Emily and.

Speaker 2 (16:40):
Richard, Luke and Laurel.

Speaker 1 (16:42):
I shah, come on, why is this question even here?

Speaker 4 (16:49):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (16:49):
All right?

Speaker 5 (16:51):
Would you rather work with Michelle or Kirk.

Speaker 2 (16:56):
Well, at first you have to tell me who's Michelle
and who's Kirk.

Speaker 5 (17:03):
So Michelle was the concierge at the first the Independence
in and then the dragon Fly in.

Speaker 1 (17:09):
So he word Lorele I okay, snooty, the snooty French frenchman.

Speaker 5 (17:15):
Yes, yes, okay, and then Kirk was kind of the
man about town that had a different job in every episode.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, I'm gonna go with the snooty. I would rather that.
I I think that that is something I would enjoy
going toe to toe with. And I think I could
out snoot if I really.

Speaker 1 (17:35):
Had right right, right, it's Tara.

Speaker 4 (17:39):
What would you order at Luke's Diner?

Speaker 2 (17:41):
I mean coffee, I would, but I know that that's
like I'm just like cough, like a good, good cup
of diner coffee is like, that's all all I need.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
You know, I have a coffee company and I'm co
branding with Warner Brothers. We have a Luke's Diner Blend.

Speaker 5 (18:01):
Now it's wonderful, no way kidding, Oh my gosh, that's
awesome kidding.

Speaker 1 (18:08):
You can own it. There's like a oh cool, there's
an eight hundred number to Warner Brothers. And I'll send
it to ye. Yes, there's a there's a dragonfly in blend.
There's a there's a stars Hollow blind. We just launched
a fall Blend. No way, we're going to launch a
winter Blend. We're doing a live podcast at Warner Brothers.

Speaker 2 (18:26):
What's the flavor palette of the fall Blend? God? I
think jeez, Sorry I put you on the spot.

Speaker 4 (18:35):
There no.

Speaker 1 (18:38):
Pumpkin spice. Yeah, very popular with Gilmore fans.

Speaker 2 (18:44):
I love this. I'm going to get one.

Speaker 1 (18:47):
Get one. Okay, is it my turn? Who would you
rather hang out with? Paris or Lane?

Speaker 2 (18:58):
I'm going to choose Paris.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
Why the truth?

Speaker 2 (19:07):
Because I don't know who pairs are laye are? So
tell me, give me, tell me which one is Paris,
which one is Lane? And then and then I if
I remember that, I'll tell you with more context.

Speaker 1 (19:23):
Paris is Rory's not best friend. I said Lane's the
best friend, but Paris becomes her good friend at Yale
and Paris is a highly competitive, a highly intelligent, and
a bit touched. She's a little disturbed. She's she's very aggressive,

(19:48):
she's you know, the parents are divorced, divorcing, and she's
she's going through it, you know what I mean. So
her social skills are not what they should probably bleep
be Okay, she's just kind of bulldozing over everybody all
the time.

Speaker 2 (20:04):
Well that that sounds like somebody I don't. I don't
think I would want to. I think I think that's
my answer right there, right, Oh gosh, you guys, all right.

Speaker 5 (20:18):
Harvard or Yale or drop out and live in the poolhouse.

Speaker 2 (20:24):
Oh man, I'm gonna go with I'm gonna go with Harvard.
I you know, I have I have mixed feelings about like,
if you wanna you want to pursue your own thing,
you don't want to finish college. But I went to
college and I finished, and the lessons that I gained

(20:50):
from it outside of just academically were like life changing
for me. So and then Harvard is somewhere close to
my heart. I spent some time in Boston and I
have some friends that went there, And yeah, I choose

(21:12):
hard Tara, all.

Speaker 3 (21:15):
Right, would you rather attend a DAR event with Emily
or a town meeting with Taylor?

Speaker 4 (21:22):
I feel like we know the answer to this.

Speaker 2 (21:25):
I had a DAR event one thousand percent. I would
do that. I mean, I think Serena probably would never
want to go back. I think she would have PTSD
after that experience. But no, that is fun. I would
I would one hundred percent do that with those women

(21:47):
all time.

Speaker 1 (21:47):
Gil More girl's character that you would want as a roommate.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
Oh my gosh, Laura, l is that fair? I mean,
I don't I don't think she would necessarily want me
as a roommate. But she is just like so fun
and smart and wonderful and uh loving and complicated and
just everything I would want in a in a person

(22:13):
who's figuring their lives out, Like I just feel like
a kin't that.

Speaker 1 (22:19):
Something in your life? You are all in on. I
think we know what.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
That is all and on. I mean the obvious is
my children.

Speaker 1 (22:30):
There you go, Yeah, that's it.

Speaker 2 (22:34):
Yeah, you know, I mean there's there's there are other things,
but at the moment, yes, yes, they're the kids are
like they're sucking the life out of me in the best.

Speaker 1 (22:48):
Possible Julie, it's been a pleasure. Thanks for taking the time.
I know you have to get back to your kids,
and uh, you know, all the best to you, and
thank you. Thank you for providing us with such an
enjoyable scene. I mean, really terrific work continued, good luck,

(23:09):
thank you, and hopefully we'll see you down the road
at some point.

Speaker 2 (23:13):
Okay, nice to meet you guys. Thank you so much,
thank you, take care, Thank you all right, everybody, and

(23:48):
don't forget Follow us on Instagram at I Am all
In Podcast and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.