February 24, 2025 • 46 mins
Mimi Paley joins Will and Sabrina as she reminisces on her role in “Alley Cats Strike”.
Plus, find out her connection to “The Cheetah Girls”!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:14):
Welcome to this park opper episode of Magical rewind Sabena,
how do I always start these park oppers?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Another special episode?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
It's a special episode. This is one are I think
this entire feed is one group of special episodes and
this week, like every week, is not an exaggeration. We
are so excited for our guests because we liked this movie.
This was a strange installment of the dcom with kind
of the fifties being mixed with bowling being mixed with
(00:49):
swing being mixed with yeah, there's.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
A lot going on the Olympics by yes, yes, there
was lots, lots of lots.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Of there was a lot going on. But we enjoyed
the film, we really did. So of course we were
talking about Ali Katz Strike and joining us today is
one of the stars. Actually she was the youngest member
of the cast, I think, But we got to get
down into what it was like shooting that and all
that fun stuff. So please from Ali kats Strike, help
us Welcome Mimmy Paley. Hi, how are you.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I'm good? How are you guys doing.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
We're wonderful, Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
We are excited to take you back in the day
to reminisce about a movie that was so back.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
To the lanes, back to the lanes.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Back to when I was twelve and in sixth grade?
Or did we No? Yeah, I was twelve and sixth grade.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
You're in the sixth grade.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I was in sixth grade. I was flat chested, I
was gap tooth. I just it was a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
You were adorable? Are you kidding me? You were so
freaking cute? And did you guys? So was this film?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Do you remember what grade you were? And so does
that mean you were on set in school or were
you guys?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, this is a summer camp.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
But no, this was my last year of the elementary
school I went to. I remember this because when I
was applying for high schools, I got sat down by
the head master, or actually my parents were seated down
by the head master. I remember at Harvard Westlake, for example, saying,
you know, we know Mimmy was just away for two
months doing this Disney film and they had actually asked
(02:29):
us to basically commit to not acting. If I what
what and funny story, how you're sort of connected to
this is the admissions director at the high school I
went to had the Savage Boys.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
That's what I was just going to say, is this
is where Ben went, for God's sakes, And you know
that was Brentwood, bro, that's right, that's right, Okay, Brentwood.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Said to me, and this was the game changer why
I ended up going there. They were like, you know,
we had working actors, the Savage Boys. We love that
you do this, like we're supportive of it. As long
as you do well in school, that's all that you know,
as long as you can handle both, go right ahead.
So I ended up because I guess the Savage Boys
making that that pivot to that high school.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
So you went to Brentwood then, yeah, okay, yeah, So
Harvard Westlake is where Joey Lawrence and I took our
SATs together. Oh wow, that's why I was confusing the two.
That's how strange they connect the Yeah, but I mean
the idea of so for the our listeners out there
at the school in Los Angeles too, where you know,
(03:34):
there's a lot of child actors and famous people and
you know, the idea of school kind of saying well,
you've got to commit to school and not be an actor.
So strange in Los Angeles.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Yeah, But for me, like my parents. I remember them saying, like,
if you go up as a human being in school,
like this is a privilege. This is something that like
if you really want to be doing, you can do it.
But like you have your other responsibilities as you know,
being a good human being being. But I just I
did think that that was a really weird thing. Yeah,
(04:04):
it's been asked to not do that. But yeah, I
know you were sorry that one on a whole other tangent. No,
I do remember being in sixth grade.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well wait, how did before before sixth grade, how did
you start in the industry, Like what made you want
to be an actor in the first place, and how
did you find this?
Speaker 4 (04:21):
So, I mean I had my parents and I realized
that I could sing when I was five years old.
You know, I did show like dance. It was called
Dance Works. I sing a acting dancing, and I think
it was clear that there was a talent, there was
a love for it. And my mom, before she even
met my dad, she had been a working actress and
(04:44):
I'd started her own pilot and did a bunch of
you know, reoccurring stuff on sitcom, so like it was
in our DNA. But you know, and everyone would always
give opinions like, oh, your kids should be acting. They've
they've got it, Like you've got to get them in it.
And my parents were like, they want to do it,
you know, they have to have a voice that it's
on them.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
One day, my brother and I literally like had a meeting.
We were like, we're gonna sit mom and dad down.
We're gonna have a meeting. And we sat them down.
We're like, Mom, Dad. I was ten and my brother
was nine, we're fifteen months apart, and we're like, we
want to do this. And my dad, who is it
ear nose and throat doctor, was like, I don't know
(05:26):
anything about this, but I know people in the business.
He's like, I think I know someone I could call
to ask, like, you know, who's a good kids agent. Yeah,
and my mom obviously like had the bug, and she
put it aside because my dad was married before and
had three older kids, so like she she's got a
little bit of like that, you know, yeah, like a
tame down Mama Rose and her that was just like
(05:46):
all right, like we're doing that. So that's how it happened.
And I think like two weeks later, sat down with
an agent and.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Was it Judy Savage. I'm wondering which which one of
the kids.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
My mom's name is Judy. It wasn't. Honestly, this is
so bad. I can't remember who the first Asian was.
But then I was with Abrams Artists, with in Gen
Malar until my mid right, and yeah, that's how it
all kind of got started. And I think the first
thing I ever did I played Little Buffy on Buffy
the Vampire Slayer.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
And this was the fun you're so your first gig
ever is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
It might have been a commercial. And then like the
first TV role that I booked was like a Buffy
Vampire Slayer.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
At that time, this show was giant, Like that was
a giant, giant show getting that role because it was
what season three when you were I feel like it
was as.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
You can't even, I can't even.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
It was as the.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Show was already developed, like it already had the fan
following and all of that. To get to book that
would have been just so epic. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
I think there were things though, that I did as
a kid that I realized after the fact were cooler
than what I do.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That's always the way it realize.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, it's a moment like you look at and you're like, oh,
that was actually cool. It's like part of the memoir
that I can tell my kids and family that I
you know it.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Now, Oh yeah, I know. Yeah. Well yeah, I think
they're probably going to do some sort of reboot. I
would imagine at some point something will happen with it.
But was it a good set to work on?
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Yeah, but you know, like also keep in mind, I
was on it for what a week, Like, you know,
you get like a little teeny perspective of what it's like.
But I feel like the things that I got to
do prior to even Ali Cat Strike just were fun opportunities.
Like a couple of the shows just ended up being
the few shows back in the day that were on
location because I feel like that was when everything was
(07:40):
being filmed.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Yea.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
So it was just fun being a kid in school
that got to leave for two weeks to go to
Chicago or like go to Utah for a week. And
then you know, Ali Cat Strike was awesome because we
got to be in Toronto for six weeks and live
in a whole other world. But it was it was
fun getting to have these little experiences to be in
a different world.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, the audition process was it at the Disney Channel
building in Burbank.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
It sure was. By the way, hold on, I have
to tell you this. I the second I realized that
you're the host of this we have a funny a
little like it's not beef but you know, no, this
is come in full circle. I love it.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
It's I don't even know what it is. And I'm
team Mimmy. Just so you.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Know, there's no you are no.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
I just need Sabrina to know what she took from me.
Oh god, Okay, So after Ali Cat's strike, like you
know this because you did Cheatah Girls, like you're part
of the You're part of the Disney family, right, so
they in for anything they think you're right for. And
even though I was a singer, they had me come
in for the role that you played in Cheetah Girls.
I think this is before you had come in and
(08:50):
they knew that I wasn't a professional dancer, but like
I had rhythm and I was basically like under the
impression that I was going to be playing that role.
And then last like they were like, actually we found
someone else and it was I could have been a
(09:12):
cha girl. But you know what, at least I have
all Cat Strike to just always.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
To be fair Kyle Schmitz and both of them.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
So I mean that that's pretty cool. There's there's that
you go that mix right there.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
But also at the same time, I was told that
it was between me and Hillary Duff for Deally and
Ali cat Strike and her career you know, didn't turn
out so poorly.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
First of all, we always like to ask, were you
a Disney fan before you auditioned for Ali cat Strike?
You weren't, well, I.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Mean sorry, I hope I don't get in trouble for that. No,
I mean I there are certain things I'm trying to
think what we're no, like Disney Channel original movies. The
reason I know this is because when I finally did one,
I didn't realize, Like there was a period of time
where like I'd be in a volleyball game and like
(10:04):
my opponents, you know, on the other side of the net,
were like, like that's the quest, you know, like that
or my parents I went to sleep away camp and
they were sending me.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Video.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Well they you couldn't send videos on a phone then,
but they had taken videos or pictures of people trying
to do like the bowling move. It became this phenomenon
and I was like, I don't understand, Like, it's a
Disney Channel. I didn't know that they played these movies
like five times a day, every ding for months. So like,
(10:35):
I had no idea what I was in for doing
this Disney Original Channel movie for six weeks in Toronto,
what it would be when it came out. Yeah, yeah,
I had no idea what the following was.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Well, and I'm sure there were kids like girls getting
like poodle skirts like the other character like dress, yes,
and it's like, I mean that was also during the
time I think those Gap commercials were huge, so it
was like what you guys were doing was the cool vibe,
and there were kids doing it wasn't it wasn't adults,
so it was really easy to.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Catch on to.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
And I mean I imagined this one was just another one
that Disney does.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
It just does it right. It's awesome.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
Yeah, but you look back and it's like, oh, we
were just so cute and nerdy. You looked back at
these things and you're like, wow, I can't believe people
were They were just.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
They loved it. They couldn't guess of the Disney Channel originals.
But actually there were a few. There definitely were a
few that I had watched one hundred percent, but sure, yeah,
I couldn't know the extent.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah, not like the kid that was like flying home
on a Friday waiting for that dcom to come out
the next one, like the newest one.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
Yeah, absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yeah, that's all right.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
We've heard that though from most of the people that
we interview, is that only a few of them kind
of understood the power of the d coom before being
in them, where most of them it was like the
next day they're like, you know, two weeks later, I
met a mall and all of a sudden, people are
screaming at me, and they have no idea that what
these things were. I mean, you you it was. It
(12:10):
was kind of like if you knew you knew, and
and for the dcom kid, as Sabrina said, you would
run home and or like you said, it was on
all the time, so you'd watch the new ones and
then two days later it would be on three times again,
and so you actually things over and over.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Yeah, I wasn't expecting it. I mean, like you were
on a TV show that people, you know, you were
in someone's home on a weekly basis, Like I expected
something from that, Like I expected something like that to
happen from a show that you're on every week for years.
I did not know like the capacity or like the
outreach that these Disney Disney Channel original movies had. Oh
(12:46):
yeah on their fan base, I got.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
It's it pretty amazing. Well, here's the other thing. So
we we interview a lot of people like from Brink
or Go Figure, these movies were okay, during the audition,
you have to roller skate, you have to skate on ice,
(13:10):
you have to uh, you know, do something that you're
gonna do in the movie. Did they make you bowl?
I'm so excited to wonder if they'd made okay. I
was so hoping that the audition was gonna.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Character doesn't bowl, I know, but.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
I assume that the all anyway, Cheetah Girls, they made
me go do a whole like yes, broad in a
tape to like do my whole thing. But for this
it was just like can you talk, sae? Because my
character wasn't actually supposed to be the bull l right.
(13:42):
The famous bowling move that my character had was I
hate to break it to the fans. It was CGI
or whatever form of CGI.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
No, it wasn't totally real. It was totally real. I
did it in the first take.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
It was in the first take.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Oh my gosh, I did not like.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I feel like I was the one role that I didn't.
They didn't even ask you have bowling experience.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Right right?
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Well, okay, it's so funny.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
I mean that would be did But did you bowl
a lot while you guys were on set? I mean
how often were you in that bowling? Ally? Were you
guys just like I mean, I would have loved it.
I love bowling. I think it's so fun. So were
you guys just bowling all the time? That would be
so fun for kids?
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Not all the time? I mean still, you know in
between takes, like they're setting things up and then they
need you to go fix your makeup or change your yet, yeah,
I mean it's possible more bowling was going on that
I wasn't aware of.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Well, we also, I think you can anybody any kids
who have ever been on a set with fun stuff
that's loud, You know that the production crew is like,
you're not bowling while we're setting stuff up, right, guys,
can we stop? Can everybody please stop doing what they're
doing so we can set this stuff up.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
That would be like my worst nightmare to be on
a movie where kids had like basketballs and they're just
like bouncying it, like, oh my gosh, not exactly that
way Ledger's doing that in the house.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
I feel like the bowling was tamed. It was tamed.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
I can see that. And you were the youngest cast member, right,
I was.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I was twelve, and then Kaylee she wasn't full. I
think she was like a year and a half older
than me, So she was I think had just turned
fourteen and I'm twelve and a half or whatever. Is
that even a thing?
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Of course?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
That age it is? And I feel like, well, in three.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Quarters, yeah, everyone else were more like in the fifteen range,
and I know this. There was a night I feel
like that, like the fifteen year old hung out and
I was excluded because I I was the baby. I
think like the older kids wanted to hang out, and
I remember just being so crushed. I was like, but
you guys are like, you're my family.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Here, Yeah, in this together? What the heck?
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I know?
Speaker 3 (15:54):
But at ther same time, that's that that could be
a freshman in high school in a sixth grader.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
That is a huge gap that age.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
I don't even like to think about what I was
doing at fifteen. Yeah, no, it'sence.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
There was definitely a difference between like fifteen year olds
that had gone through puberty and a twelve year old
that was just like on the.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Cusp and yeah, totally you know, yeah, yeah, but oh man,
that's that is rough.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
What was it like? Uh? What was it like? Filming?
Was the the whole experience that was it? Was it
an easy shoot? Was it a difficult shoot? No?
Speaker 4 (16:22):
It was so easy, so fun. I mean, God, bless
my mom put everything aside to come with me for
six weeks. I remember we were staying at the Sutton
Place in Toronto. Yeah, and the way the only way
I could describe it is it felt like there had
been a natural disaster in Los Angeles and that everyone
had relocated to this hotel like it was during that
(16:45):
period of time. I feel like we're clearly the tax
incentives were great to be in Toronto, And every time
I'd get out of the elevator, every time I'd be
in the hotel lobby, it was like one person after
the next, and like people that were already either household
names or like on the brink of being a household
name that now you're seeing or winning Academy Awards, or.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Do you remember any you remember any that you saw?
Speaker 4 (17:09):
Yeah, like Anthony Anderson was the really Marcia gay Harden,
Like I would swim in the pool with her and
her daughter Anthony Anderson, and I remember, oh, this is
actually a good one. So I had the biggest crush
at the time on Joshua Jackson and of course off
like mighty ducks, and I forget was he in a
(17:33):
film where he was visiting a girlfriend that was in
a film. And I just walked into the elevator by
myself one day to go up to our room, and
in walks Joshua Jackson and again here a gap tooth,
like nothing to offer here, just sitting there. And I
ended up seeing him at a family friend's wedding and
telling him was like I just have to tell you,
twelve year old like with nothing, Joshua, Joshua, like what
(17:57):
are you doing here? Like I love you? Know, but yeah,
there was you just never knew who was going to
be in the elevator.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
So that was that's where they put everybody I shot
a movie that you go fo Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
You know, it was so much fun. It was like
being on a prolonged field trip. You were with a
bunch of like really sweet everyone in the film was
so sweet their parents, you know, everyone had to be
there with families, so whenever parent was with them, we're great.
Like I just Robert and I remember, like to this day,
like Robert was at my thirtieth birthday, which means in
(18:32):
my thirties to give that away, and yeah, I just
it was amazing. It was awesome, and it was a
little like sad to come back after having that experience,
but it was. It was great.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Did you audition with them?
Speaker 4 (18:49):
No? No, okay, I mean maybe they were in the room,
like in the hallway.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah, well they some of them were Canadian actors.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
I know.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Kyle is, is this it? Kaylee?
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Kaylee? Kaylee's from California. Yeah. Kaylee and Robert were LA kids.
Joey Wilcox was an LA kid. Kyle is, Yeah, I
guess he is. Was he living in Canada at the time.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
I think he was. He was when we were shooting
The Cheetah Girls.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
He was still up there god, okay, I just remember
that there were several other people that were on set
that were all Canadian. Yeah, but you're right, Kyle one
hundred percent was Canadian the way he's now looking back
the way he said a couple of things.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I'm like, yeah, for sure, obviously. So when the movie
came out, did you get together their family? Did you
throw a viewing party? Did you not watch it at all? Like?
Do you remember gathering around the old set and watching
the movie.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
That I can't remember? I probably, I think I watched
it with my family. Yeah, I'm assuming I watched it
with my family. Yeah, that's weird that I don't remember that,
But clearly there wasn't a big view party or anything
like that, right, Yeah, I don't fully.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Well, do you want to hear one of the coolest
things about Ali Catch Strike that you may or may
not know you? Do you know that in twenty fourteen,
Ali Catch Strike broke a record?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
What it broke?
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Ready for this, it's the weirdest thing ever. It broke
a record for the most words in a film synopsis
on Wikipedia the film synopsis Somebody went and did a
film synopsis that is forty two sixty six words now
to give you some you know, a viewing of what
(20:43):
that means. The entire breakdown for Shindler's list was seven
hundred and fifty words, and it was forty two hundred
and Somebody literally did a five d ckas deep dive
to Ali Cat Strike and did a forty three hundred
(21:03):
word synopsis on Wikipedia.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
That that's wild.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
It was the longest film synopsis in history. The longest
film synopsis in history was Ali Cat Strike on Wikipedia.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
I'm a part of history, guys. I don't know what
you are. I don't know what else.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
This is what our producers find. By the way, these
are all the interesting facts that the producers find. Isn't
that crazy?
Speaker 4 (21:24):
That that's pretty awesome. That's definitely cooler than some of
the things I've been saying. You know, you get things
sent you from time to time of like you know,
BuzzFeed or things that Disney fanatics sort of have their
quirky little side videos on. But I have not I've
not heard that one. That one's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Speaking of Disney fanatics, have you, in your own life
tried or I hope filmed you actually attempting the shot?
Speaker 4 (21:53):
Oh? I mean, definitely have tried it. Every time I
go bowling, my friends are like, hey, me, I love that.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
That's so good.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
Oh gosh, but it's still like I feel like, still
to this day, if you are part of a certain
age thing, it is a thing. Yeah, I'll never forget.
I once was at a friend of mine would have
a Bachelor viewing party, you know, for ABC's uh huh
oh okay, and a friend of ours definitely was dating
a girl that was significantly younger than him that was
(22:25):
from I think Wisconsin, uh, like small town Wisconsin, and
just knew everything about Ali Cat instead of speaking at
him like, yep, it's the age bracket.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
It's the age bracket.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Oh man, Well, so you have two kids now, yes?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
And since Ali Cat is on Disney Plus, have you
had them watch it at all?
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Or?
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I don't know what ages your babies are.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
My son just turned one last week and my three
last week, so okay, so maybe not yet, not yet?
Speaker 1 (22:58):
But wait did you say you have one that turned
one last week and one that turned three last week apart?
Oh man?
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Really? Sorry, not a day apart? Their birthdays are.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Day Yeah days are Wow's so rough for birthday season yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
It's birthday season was tough. But I feel like between
everything that's been going on in LA and illness is too,
we just did a really small thing and I think
for a couple of years I'll be able to manage
to have both of them do something together totally. But yeah,
maybe my daughter keeps making this joke. She goes one,
I'm six, Like I'm gonna do this, she goes one,
(23:34):
I'm six, So maybe I'll tell her when you're six.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
That makes sense.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
You get to watch Aley Cat strike.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
I wonder why she picked that, So I six is
the is the magic number?
Speaker 4 (23:43):
My mom. Someone must have said to her, like, when
you're six. Yeah, someone must have said it. And now
she's like, when.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I'm six, When I'm six, When I'm.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Six, My daughter's changes all the time. It's six, it's nine,
it's old.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Your daughter, she's four, four, and it's it changes all
the time when it's sick, when it's nine, when it's fifteen. Yeah,
when she's my age twenty.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
Two, okay, great, Yeah, when she's twenty two.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
She's twenty two, which is obviously.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
My well, my daughter, my daughter says it all the
time too, but she's a little older. So that's that's
the thing. Your daughter thirty five?
Speaker 4 (24:15):
Oh she's thirty five?
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Wow? Yeah, yeah, she's also my stepdaughter, so I didn't know. Okay,
So question then two little kids. If they do the
meeting and they sit you down and say, mom, we
want to be actors, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 4 (24:38):
So this is a tough one because my husband's a writer.
So actually I don't know. You probably know this because
you know you always have to get intel before interviews.
But I kind of like accidentally left the business. God,
when was it two thousand and seventeen, seventeen seventeen? Okay,
I mean it was getting to the point like I
(24:59):
don't think I could eat and get new rep you know,
there were just some hiccups in the business, and it
was getting harder and harder.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Know what it is? This entire business has no idea
what it is anymore. Yeah, yeah, exactly, yea.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
So it was almost the point like am I even
still acting? Like can I even can? Am I allowed
to still say that I'm an actor? But anyways, there
I was dealing with that and then kind of got
drawn into a family business that since my brother and
I have exponentially grown and like it sort of started
as like I'm here part time while figuring out what's
(25:30):
going on in the acting world, and then why say,
accidentally it sort of like something happened that we had
to step in full time and then just before we
knew it, you know, like nine years later. Yeah, and
the but basically like the second I sort of stepped away,
I always said, I was like, the door is open, sure,
a little bit, it's a little bit open. It's there. Yeah,
(25:53):
like it's kind of closed to an extent. I met
my husband who's a writer, so now we have he's
like really in the thick of all the craziness of
the business right now. And I feel like a while
ago we had the top like what would we do
because I was like, it's gonna be in their blood, sure, creativity,
(26:13):
Like I sing an act, you're a writer, you're a storyteller.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
It's tough, yeah, But at the same time, like you say,
like I want to support what my kid wants. If
they were to say to me, like I really really
want to do this, I feel like I'd probably have
to say look like I would probably treat it the
same way my parents did. Right where like this is
a privilege, especially if it's not because it's a means
(26:41):
to be you know, they're not supporting. Sure, they're doing
it because this is something that they love, almost like
a hobby. It's like, okay, well this is a hobby,
and you know, if we don't meet X, Y, and Z,
then that hobby can be taken away like anything.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
And you knowing your way around the business, and then
also your mom helping as well, like you're you're gonna be,
you would be able to really help navigate and limit
how much you want them to take on.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Like if you're not interested.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
In them auditioning every day, that that they only go
on auditions that make sense, and it's only once or
twice a week or or once or you know, even go.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
On auditions anymore. It's all self tape.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
And it's not And then you just get the part
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Well, yeah, you have to start with, well, first of all,
your one child is one, so I hope they have
a solid social media following already. That yeah, this business
has no idea what it is anymore. So it's like
what is what is even getting into the business as
a kid mean anymore?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Yeah, like you guys, kids aren't kids actors whatever. They're
not going into casting rooms. They're not They're not sitting
amongst their like peers of who they're slash competition, you know,
like all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
They're not in a room with fourteen other people dressed
the way you are.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I learned my social Security number by having to write
it down on the.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Call she I told it to No.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
I said that to my husband the other day. I go,
I have had this memorized since I'm ten.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Yeah, first you had.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
To be like, Hi, my name is Owns. I'm going,
here's my social Security for.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
The commercial and yeah, well that's what you talk to
people all the time that are that are like, you know,
talking about well, I don't know if I'm going to
join a union. It's like, really, I've been in one
since I was ten years old. You know. It's like
you be it's just a different life, but it's a
whole different business.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
But I remember like auditions, like the look. It was
nerve wracking, but it was also really cool to go yes,
one person, have them give you sometimes tough love, good luck,
you know, whatever it was. And I don't think you
would get.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
That from a zoom No no, oh no, definitely.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
I also found it when you didn't book something and
you would see who was next to you, and I
feel like, you know that tough skin that you have.
It's like, oh she like I have brown eyes and
she has blue eyes with you know, red hair or
whatever like it kind of it helps you a little
bit to see too, like it's okay, like when you
didn't book stuff like.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
It didn't well now it's like it has to.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Only be about you because you that's all you're seeing,
So whatever's wrong with you? If you're like that'd be
more of a head case.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Right, But specifically Disney, don't you remember too, Like I'm
sure for Cheetah Girls like Disney did it differently. I
literally feel like they had all the competition in there,
like you knew exactly who you were up against. Yep,
you probably don't remember me because you got the part.
But it's like I remember the other person that was
in the room, sure, in the hallway, and then you
know when you see it in the film, I'm like, yeah,
(29:36):
the girl.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Yeah, yes, you would also be with the same fifteen people,
you know, you'd always be auditioning for the same stuff.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
My friends get blown away when they're like, who were
some of the people that you know were in these auditions.
I'm like you list them off, They're like, oh wow, okay,
so yeah, sort of the the circuit.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Oh yeah. Mila Kunaz was my age.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
She was a little maybe a little bit older, but
she was like brown hair, you know, we had kind
of similar looks, and like, I mean she come in
the casting room and I'm.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Like, God, damn it, she's here again, Like, God, she's
gonna take this one again. This is so good.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
You had those people that you knew were so you know,
Ashley Tisdale, she.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
Was at all the time, all the time.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
She was booking everything from Seventh Heaven to to anything
on the channel. It was just like she was just
she was a force, you know. And like when they
walk in, you're like, damn it, yeah this was going
to be the one.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Oh yeah, I remember I lost out on a part
to her, and uh yeah, who hasn't exactly true? We're
testing for something. And again, I feel like, either between
Disney or testing was the only time you actually knew
who your competition was because it would just be the
final two or three in the room.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Yeah, and I have to add, I'm so curious, what
if you don't mind talking about it? What's the family.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Business zero to do with the entertainment world. My dad,
who's an ear nose and throat doctor, involved in skilled
nursing okay, nursing facilities, and we have a healthcare business
that we provide specialty care to skilled nursing facilities.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Way different than acting.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Totally that's so cool though.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
I love totally, totally different. And I help run the
business with my brother, who's computer I'm using because my
laptop is not working so I can office. I came
to the office at home, something happened to my computer
and I was like, I don't want to be holding
I don't even have like a thing to hold my Oh.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
You're still in California then, yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
Los Angeles, Yeah, born and raised. I went to New
York for a few years just to test out, like
the Broadway scene and just getting a change of scenery.
But they always come back, well, they don't always come back,
but I came back.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, I came.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
That's a lot of walking.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
I came over there.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
I'm I'm an la kid.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
So nice.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
I've come back and honestly, let's let's be real, like
even though the business at the time, I was still
in the business when it came back, Like, you know,
you're either kind of here in New York unless you're
just working so so much that you can live wherever
you want and then come.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Back in that's the thing, or you're in the less
than one percent to where you get one percent.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
Where you just get a phone call that you got
the part.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
And which is there's that's that's a list of nine
people that that that happens to nowadays. So it's just
a completely different business. But the business back in the
day was a wonderful thing. And when you look back
at your time doing Ali Catch Strike and as a
Disney kid, how does it make you feel awesome?
Speaker 4 (32:50):
I mean I even though there were parts of the
business that broke you know that break your heart, broke
your heart, I look back at the things that I
got to do and it's like it's awesome, you know,
even if no one cared about it and see it.
I'm like, I got really cool experiences, I met really
interesting people. I got, like I said, I went to Toronto,
(33:10):
I did early Edition in Chicago for two weeks, or
like touch b an angel in Utah for a week
and I got looking back, I got to work with
some really huge directors that at the time, you know,
directed an episode and now you're like, oh, you're up
here yet cute you know yeah, And I feel like
(33:31):
that made me who I am today. Like I wouldn't
trade that for anything. And honestly, like getting to be
in Canada for two months was so cool, like what
twelve year olds usually get to just leave school and
you know, get to have an experience like.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
That, Like I did you work with Michael landon Mike?
Speaker 4 (33:51):
I did it?
Speaker 1 (33:52):
No, Okay, I was wondering which angel touched you?
Speaker 4 (33:55):
Yeah, it was Oh my god, I can't I can't
even remember who I did the scenes, but most of
my scenes were actually with Evan Rachel Woods.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Oh really, I mean yeah, it's like, yeah, you are,
It's they're everywhere. Yeah, it's or again.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Or like you look back at something and you're like
their career is you know really, I'm like, who are
these people? I'm kidding?
Speaker 1 (34:18):
I mean Kelly Kelly Kelly.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
Yeah. Ali Katz was her first I think, big thing,
and then literally like right after that, she did the
Brady Bunch movie and then I think she got eight simple.
I mean she just like she could not be stopped.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, hilarious.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
Yeah, but she's also so talented, beautiful, fun, yes yeah yea.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
So now when you look back at your career and
the possibility of a career moving forward, because we all
do that where it's like I might leave the business,
I'm going to take some time, but then you never know,
it sucks you back in at some point when you
look back. What's what's your fondest job memory? Which which
job did you do where you're like that that's the
one that's the one I'm going to remember the most.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
It's a good one. I mean, honestly, it might. It
might be Alley Catch just because I was there for
two in Canada for.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Two months, and it sounds like you ran into some
really cool people in there, like that.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
Was like, I mean, there were definitely other experiences that
were awesome, but I mean I think for me, that's
probably the most nostalgic.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
It also like is still such a like it feels weird.
It's calling iconic, but meaning like there are there are
parts of it that like people of a certain generation
still look back and like wig out over it in
a way.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
That's what's so fun about d coms, Like we talk
about this a lot, is you know everyone has their
like top five d coms that they are die hard
fans and no one can tell them that it is
not the best one. Like when we started doing this
podcast and we re out to Instagram like who would
you guys want? I mean, this was definitely something that
(36:04):
kept coming back around. You guys gotta do Ali Cat
like you know all everyone has that. And that's what's
so fun about the d com is it really depend on.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Which movie really.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Like hit home for you, whether it was the storyline
or what they were doing. You love skating, you love this,
whatever it is, somebody do you just have those?
Speaker 2 (36:22):
And I know this one is a huge one for
so many people out there.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
I've still been pushing. I'm like, we got to do
like a like a mockumentary of where are they now?
With you should? I literally totally like make believe? But
I was like, I think that would be up buzzfeeds alley.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
But that's the that's the business nowadays. The business nowadays
is go grab a camera, do your own stuff. It
goes viral.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Stuff and then then here you are, since your husband's
like a writer, do you ever look at some of
his stuff and being like, oh, that's perfect for me.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I want that one, dude, ever get to do that.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
No, Honestly, it's terrible to say. I've read one of
the things that he had sold to CBS after the fact,
but usually, like, I'm hearing his pitches from the far,
and I don't think that there's ever been something, at
least in a pitch where I'm like, like, the actor
bringing me is like I could, I could, I could
(37:21):
be that. It's possible there has been something, but I
don't know. And then like the show that he was
working on, anything that I saw that aired afterwards, I'm like, no,
I don't think just coincidentally there was.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
I don't want to I don't want to do your project, honey,
this was not for me.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
I just waiting for that that big one, babe, just
waiting for the big one.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
Just waiting for that big one.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Well, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 4 (37:48):
Thank you for having me. This was fun.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
And yet you know, if we need a good n T,
I guess, uh, give me a ring as a voice
of actor. They all go to the same guy. We
all we all go to the same same one guy.
Speaker 4 (38:01):
So you have to tell me afterwards who who that
person is? Okay, the one thing I have to leave
with just in terms of like the dcom world. And
so I don't know if you guys know this, but
do you know that Mookie Bets besides being one of
like the greatest Major League Baseball players, I think one
of the highest paid sought after players, he is a
(38:23):
professional bowler, like literally bowls like is actually a professional bowler.
I didn't know this. My husband and brother told me this,
like bulls three hundred, like whall on, kind of like
Michael Jordan's style, like in the off season. Is a
professional bowler from what I've been told.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Okay, yeah, apparently you hear he's he.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
Is a bro.
Speaker 4 (38:42):
Apparently he used to live around the corner for me,
and we ran into him while he was on I
think he was on a honeymoon and I was on
a little like baby moon with my husband before we
had my daughter, and we ran into him. Had like
this super my husband had a super awkward in our
(39:03):
socially awkward interaction with him. But I ah just so
embarrassed on just all of our behalf for him and
Mookie Bets find out afterwards that he's a huge bowling
fan and professional bowler and just like low key ever since,
I'm like, I just want to know was he awkward
because he was maybe.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Starstruck because of you catstruck.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
That's like now like the inside family joke. But I'm like, babe, seriously.
Speaker 5 (39:31):
I was like, do you think like any way.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Bets, like was inspired to tried your movement. I'm trying
to think he might be early thirties.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Perfect age. Could he have been like yep.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
Eleven saw Ali Cat's strike, was like, oh my god,
those legends and was like a bowl because of Ali
Cat's strike and Robert Sharan and Kyle Schmidt like I'm
dying to know.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
So if you guys, well he's thirty two, so the
perfect age.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Perfect.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
If you guys talked to Mookie Bets.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
We'll let you know.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
I need you to. I will wilde Al Cat Strike
loves Alli Cat Strike and knew that I was.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
I think we have to put it up on the
Instagram as well to make sure.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
Just tag and be like Mookie Bets, yeah, we're good.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Let us know. Come on time, to spill the.
Speaker 4 (40:25):
Tea strike inspired your your.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
It's possible he could have gone from the sandlot to
find baseball right right to Ali cat strike and.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Be like both He's Benny the jet of bowling. See yeah, wow,
you guys. Can you imagine if I hadn't asked that,
like the most important part of this whole interview, you
would have had nothing entertaining.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
So good, we're gonna go.
Speaker 4 (40:55):
We're gonna blow people's minds.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
We are, we are, We're gonna find out and he's
going to do this whole, this whole interview about how
it was actually based on your character. That changes.
Speaker 4 (41:04):
If you're listening, You're welcome. Thank you, You're welcome for all.
Yeah that's awesome. It was so nice meeting both of you.
See you again.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Yeah, that's so awesome.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
I bet the world I was a Disney kid, so
I bet you anything. If you were in that twenty
first floor lobby, wait whatever your turn, I clocked you
for sure.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
It was like, oh.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Man, but bring the heat that we got some legends
in here.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
Those Disney halls.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
And I'm glad you stomach cramp anytime I'm even in
that elevator.
Speaker 4 (41:47):
Thank you to boy meets World for allowed the actors
and allowing me to do my thing.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
There you go. Yeah, thank the Savage Boys for allowing
you to go to high school and and work at
the same time.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
I've seen both of them in person afterwards, and I'm like,
I just have to thank you. They're like for what
I'm like, you actually are the reason I had a
great high school education.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
So that's good. I'm glad to hear that. Nice yea, well,
thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (42:14):
I know, thank you, thank you, thank you. It was
nice to meet both of you on this form of
meeting and.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
This new form of meeting people. And then yeah, just
make sure that at six your daughter gets to watch
Ali Catcher six at six when and she's six, You
got it.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
That's it. Can't wait to film the reaction. Thank you me,
bye man.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
She's cool, so fun. I love that she has to
the idea of a high school in Los Angeles, like
this is a well known, very good high school girl
that is like you, you have to just stay at school.
You can't come here and be an actor. It's like
we're in Los Angeles. There's actors everywhere, reware.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
But okay, so here but to be like playing Devil's
Advocate a little bit, I would think it would be hard.
So for me in Orange County, there were not very
many other people at my school that were doing this
in my school a small amount. Right, So when they
when the parents or when the teachers had to give
put the work packets together to send me off to
do you know, school schooling on set for a couple
(43:21):
of weeks or whatever, Yeah, a big pain in the
in the butt for them, right because they weren't having
to do that for kids that were going on vacation.
Speaker 2 (43:27):
You know, they weren't really happy to do that.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
Yeah. So, I mean I could imagine if it was
a school that a lot of kid actors went to
that at some point they went okay, like, yeah, this
is getting to be a lot more extra work now
to make up tests all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
My school actually did something for me that made me
fall in love with education, which I had not done
before this, which is they didn't know what to do
with me because I'm in Connecticut and there. So what
they came up with was they went, will credit you
if you take college courses. Okay, so I got to
pick the classes that I wanted. So I was taking sociology, archaeology,
(44:04):
the stuff I wanted to take, Yeah, which all of
a sudden, I went from sitting in high school like
this is boring. I don't want to learn anything too.
I couldn't learn enough because I got to pick what
I was learning. And it was really my high school
that gave me that love of education, and without even
realizing they were doing it, because they were like, go,
pick a bunch of classes. Here's a couple prerequisites you
had to do. I had to finish Latin and all.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
That kind of stuff classes.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Yeah, but other than that, they were like, pick what
you want and we'll give you credit for that and
you'll graduate. So I got to pick these awesome college courses.
So yeah, worked that well. So there you go, high schools,
that's what you should do.
Speaker 4 (44:38):
Yes for college.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
I was able to do my internships and stuff on set,
So I interned for Deborah Martin Chase, who's our producer.
I got to be the days that I wasn't really working,
I'd sit behind her and kind of just listen to
the things that she was having to do. So I
got to do an internship with her, which was really
cool because that was something I was really interested in doing.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
We have to have to produce scene.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
We have got to get she is fabute less.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
We gotta have her on.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
So amazing and man, she's done great work.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Well yeah, she's not the only one that's fabulous. All
of you are Fabuulus two for joining us for another
park Opper episode and Mimi was great. Thank you so much.
Go back and watch all the Cat Strike again because
you can never go wrong with the small, the very
slow spinny ball that goes all the way down the
thing and mathematically gets the seven times quit. Gotta love that.
Thank you all for joining us, and join us next
(45:30):
time over on our other feed where our next movie
is Dad Napped, which is another Paul Howen directed film.
This guy, Paul Howen is just the Disney It should be.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
Called he did Dad Napped as well.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Yeah, it should be called the Disney Channel original movie
with Paul Holan d com because he's doing everything. So
join us for Dad Nap next time. Thank you everybody,
and we'll see you.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
La
Welcome to this park opper episode of Magical rewind Sabena,
how do I always start these park oppers?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Another special episode?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
It's a special episode. This is one are I think
this entire feed is one group of special episodes and
this week, like every week, is not an exaggeration. We
are so excited for our guests because we liked this movie.
This was a strange installment of the dcom with kind
of the fifties being mixed with bowling being mixed with
(00:49):
swing being mixed with yeah, there's.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
A lot going on the Olympics by yes, yes, there
was lots, lots of lots.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Of there was a lot going on. But we enjoyed
the film, we really did. So of course we were
talking about Ali Katz Strike and joining us today is
one of the stars. Actually she was the youngest member
of the cast, I think, But we got to get
down into what it was like shooting that and all
that fun stuff. So please from Ali kats Strike, help
us Welcome Mimmy Paley. Hi, how are you.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I'm good? How are you guys doing.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
We're wonderful, Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
We are excited to take you back in the day
to reminisce about a movie that was so back.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
To the lanes, back to the lanes.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Back to when I was twelve and in sixth grade?
Or did we No? Yeah, I was twelve and sixth grade.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
You're in the sixth grade.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I was in sixth grade. I was flat chested, I
was gap tooth. I just it was a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
You were adorable? Are you kidding me? You were so
freaking cute? And did you guys? So was this film?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Do you remember what grade you were? And so does
that mean you were on set in school or were
you guys?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, this is a summer camp.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
But no, this was my last year of the elementary
school I went to. I remember this because when I
was applying for high schools, I got sat down by
the head master, or actually my parents were seated down
by the head master. I remember at Harvard Westlake, for example, saying,
you know, we know Mimmy was just away for two
months doing this Disney film and they had actually asked
(02:29):
us to basically commit to not acting. If I what
what and funny story, how you're sort of connected to
this is the admissions director at the high school I
went to had the Savage Boys.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
That's what I was just going to say, is this
is where Ben went, for God's sakes, And you know
that was Brentwood, bro, that's right, that's right, Okay, Brentwood.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Said to me, and this was the game changer why
I ended up going there. They were like, you know,
we had working actors, the Savage Boys. We love that
you do this, like we're supportive of it. As long
as you do well in school, that's all that you know,
as long as you can handle both, go right ahead.
So I ended up because I guess the Savage Boys
making that that pivot to that high school.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
So you went to Brentwood then, yeah, okay, yeah, So
Harvard Westlake is where Joey Lawrence and I took our
SATs together. Oh wow, that's why I was confusing the two.
That's how strange they connect the Yeah, but I mean
the idea of so for the our listeners out there
at the school in Los Angeles too, where you know,
(03:34):
there's a lot of child actors and famous people and
you know, the idea of school kind of saying well,
you've got to commit to school and not be an actor.
So strange in Los Angeles.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Yeah, But for me, like my parents. I remember them saying, like,
if you go up as a human being in school,
like this is a privilege. This is something that like
if you really want to be doing, you can do it.
But like you have your other responsibilities as you know,
being a good human being being. But I just I
did think that that was a really weird thing. Yeah,
(04:04):
it's been asked to not do that. But yeah, I
know you were sorry that one on a whole other tangent. No,
I do remember being in sixth grade.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well wait, how did before before sixth grade, how did
you start in the industry, Like what made you want
to be an actor in the first place, and how
did you find this?
Speaker 4 (04:21):
So, I mean I had my parents and I realized
that I could sing when I was five years old.
You know, I did show like dance. It was called
Dance Works. I sing a acting dancing, and I think
it was clear that there was a talent, there was
a love for it. And my mom, before she even
met my dad, she had been a working actress and
(04:44):
I'd started her own pilot and did a bunch of
you know, reoccurring stuff on sitcom, so like it was
in our DNA. But you know, and everyone would always
give opinions like, oh, your kids should be acting. They've
they've got it, Like you've got to get them in it.
And my parents were like, they want to do it,
you know, they have to have a voice that it's
on them.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
One day, my brother and I literally like had a meeting.
We were like, we're gonna sit mom and dad down.
We're gonna have a meeting. And we sat them down.
We're like, Mom, Dad. I was ten and my brother
was nine, we're fifteen months apart, and we're like, we
want to do this. And my dad, who is it
ear nose and throat doctor, was like, I don't know
(05:26):
anything about this, but I know people in the business.
He's like, I think I know someone I could call
to ask, like, you know, who's a good kids agent. Yeah,
and my mom obviously like had the bug, and she
put it aside because my dad was married before and
had three older kids, so like she she's got a
little bit of like that, you know, yeah, like a
tame down Mama Rose and her that was just like
(05:46):
all right, like we're doing that. So that's how it happened.
And I think like two weeks later, sat down with
an agent and.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Was it Judy Savage. I'm wondering which which one of
the kids.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
My mom's name is Judy. It wasn't. Honestly, this is
so bad. I can't remember who the first Asian was.
But then I was with Abrams Artists, with in Gen
Malar until my mid right, and yeah, that's how it
all kind of got started. And I think the first
thing I ever did I played Little Buffy on Buffy
the Vampire Slayer.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
And this was the fun you're so your first gig
ever is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
It might have been a commercial. And then like the
first TV role that I booked was like a Buffy
Vampire Slayer.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
At that time, this show was giant, Like that was
a giant, giant show getting that role because it was
what season three when you were I feel like it
was as.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
You can't even, I can't even.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
It was as the.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Show was already developed, like it already had the fan
following and all of that. To get to book that
would have been just so epic. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
I think there were things though, that I did as
a kid that I realized after the fact were cooler
than what I do.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That's always the way it realize.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, it's a moment like you look at and you're like, oh,
that was actually cool. It's like part of the memoir
that I can tell my kids and family that I
you know it.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Now, Oh yeah, I know. Yeah. Well yeah, I think
they're probably going to do some sort of reboot. I
would imagine at some point something will happen with it.
But was it a good set to work on?
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Yeah, but you know, like also keep in mind, I
was on it for what a week, Like, you know,
you get like a little teeny perspective of what it's like.
But I feel like the things that I got to
do prior to even Ali Cat Strike just were fun opportunities.
Like a couple of the shows just ended up being
the few shows back in the day that were on
location because I feel like that was when everything was
(07:40):
being filmed.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Yea.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
So it was just fun being a kid in school
that got to leave for two weeks to go to
Chicago or like go to Utah for a week. And
then you know, Ali Cat Strike was awesome because we
got to be in Toronto for six weeks and live
in a whole other world. But it was it was
fun getting to have these little experiences to be in
a different world.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, the audition process was it at the Disney Channel
building in Burbank.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
It sure was. By the way, hold on, I have
to tell you this. I the second I realized that
you're the host of this we have a funny a
little like it's not beef but you know, no, this
is come in full circle. I love it.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
It's I don't even know what it is. And I'm
team Mimmy. Just so you.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Know, there's no you are no.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
I just need Sabrina to know what she took from me.
Oh god, Okay, So after Ali Cat's strike, like you
know this because you did Cheatah Girls, like you're part
of the You're part of the Disney family, right, so
they in for anything they think you're right for. And
even though I was a singer, they had me come
in for the role that you played in Cheetah Girls.
I think this is before you had come in and
(08:50):
they knew that I wasn't a professional dancer, but like
I had rhythm and I was basically like under the
impression that I was going to be playing that role.
And then last like they were like, actually we found
someone else and it was I could have been a
(09:12):
cha girl. But you know what, at least I have
all Cat Strike to just always.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
To be fair Kyle Schmitz and both of them.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
So I mean that that's pretty cool. There's there's that
you go that mix right there.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
But also at the same time, I was told that
it was between me and Hillary Duff for Deally and
Ali cat Strike and her career you know, didn't turn
out so poorly.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
First of all, we always like to ask, were you
a Disney fan before you auditioned for Ali cat Strike?
You weren't, well, I.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Mean sorry, I hope I don't get in trouble for that. No,
I mean I there are certain things I'm trying to
think what we're no, like Disney Channel original movies. The
reason I know this is because when I finally did one,
I didn't realize, Like there was a period of time
where like I'd be in a volleyball game and like
(10:04):
my opponents, you know, on the other side of the net,
were like, like that's the quest, you know, like that
or my parents I went to sleep away camp and
they were sending me.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Video.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Well they you couldn't send videos on a phone then,
but they had taken videos or pictures of people trying
to do like the bowling move. It became this phenomenon
and I was like, I don't understand, Like, it's a
Disney Channel. I didn't know that they played these movies
like five times a day, every ding for months. So like,
(10:35):
I had no idea what I was in for doing
this Disney Original Channel movie for six weeks in Toronto,
what it would be when it came out. Yeah, yeah,
I had no idea what the following was.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Well, and I'm sure there were kids like girls getting
like poodle skirts like the other character like dress, yes,
and it's like, I mean that was also during the
time I think those Gap commercials were huge, so it
was like what you guys were doing was the cool vibe,
and there were kids doing it wasn't it wasn't adults,
so it was really easy to.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Catch on to.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
And I mean I imagined this one was just another one
that Disney does.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
It just does it right. It's awesome.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
Yeah, but you look back and it's like, oh, we
were just so cute and nerdy. You looked back at
these things and you're like, wow, I can't believe people
were They were just.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
They loved it. They couldn't guess of the Disney Channel originals.
But actually there were a few. There definitely were a
few that I had watched one hundred percent, but sure, yeah,
I couldn't know the extent.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah, not like the kid that was like flying home
on a Friday waiting for that dcom to come out
the next one, like the newest one.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
Yeah, absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yeah, that's all right.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
We've heard that though from most of the people that
we interview, is that only a few of them kind
of understood the power of the d coom before being
in them, where most of them it was like the
next day they're like, you know, two weeks later, I
met a mall and all of a sudden, people are
screaming at me, and they have no idea that what
these things were. I mean, you you it was. It
(12:10):
was kind of like if you knew you knew, and
and for the dcom kid, as Sabrina said, you would
run home and or like you said, it was on
all the time, so you'd watch the new ones and
then two days later it would be on three times again,
and so you actually things over and over.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Yeah, I wasn't expecting it. I mean, like you were
on a TV show that people, you know, you were
in someone's home on a weekly basis, Like I expected
something from that, Like I expected something like that to
happen from a show that you're on every week for years.
I did not know like the capacity or like the
outreach that these Disney Disney Channel original movies had. Oh
(12:46):
yeah on their fan base, I got.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
It's it pretty amazing. Well, here's the other thing. So
we we interview a lot of people like from Brink
or Go Figure, these movies were okay, during the audition,
you have to roller skate, you have to skate on ice,
(13:10):
you have to uh, you know, do something that you're
gonna do in the movie. Did they make you bowl?
I'm so excited to wonder if they'd made okay. I
was so hoping that the audition was gonna.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Character doesn't bowl, I know, but.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
I assume that the all anyway, Cheetah Girls, they made
me go do a whole like yes, broad in a
tape to like do my whole thing. But for this
it was just like can you talk, sae? Because my
character wasn't actually supposed to be the bull l right.
(13:42):
The famous bowling move that my character had was I
hate to break it to the fans. It was CGI
or whatever form of CGI.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
No, it wasn't totally real. It was totally real. I
did it in the first take.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
It was in the first take.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Oh my gosh, I did not like.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I feel like I was the one role that I didn't.
They didn't even ask you have bowling experience.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Right right?
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Well, okay, it's so funny.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
I mean that would be did But did you bowl
a lot while you guys were on set? I mean
how often were you in that bowling? Ally? Were you
guys just like I mean, I would have loved it.
I love bowling. I think it's so fun. So were
you guys just bowling all the time? That would be
so fun for kids?
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Not all the time? I mean still, you know in
between takes, like they're setting things up and then they
need you to go fix your makeup or change your yet, yeah,
I mean it's possible more bowling was going on that
I wasn't aware of.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Well, we also, I think you can anybody any kids
who have ever been on a set with fun stuff
that's loud, You know that the production crew is like,
you're not bowling while we're setting stuff up, right, guys,
can we stop? Can everybody please stop doing what they're
doing so we can set this stuff up.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
That would be like my worst nightmare to be on
a movie where kids had like basketballs and they're just
like bouncying it, like, oh my gosh, not exactly that
way Ledger's doing that in the house.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
I feel like the bowling was tamed. It was tamed.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
I can see that. And you were the youngest cast member, right,
I was.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I was twelve, and then Kaylee she wasn't full. I
think she was like a year and a half older
than me, So she was I think had just turned
fourteen and I'm twelve and a half or whatever. Is
that even a thing?
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Of course?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
That age it is? And I feel like, well, in three.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Quarters, yeah, everyone else were more like in the fifteen range,
and I know this. There was a night I feel
like that, like the fifteen year old hung out and
I was excluded because I I was the baby. I
think like the older kids wanted to hang out, and
I remember just being so crushed. I was like, but
you guys are like, you're my family.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Here, Yeah, in this together? What the heck?
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I know?
Speaker 3 (15:54):
But at ther same time, that's that that could be
a freshman in high school in a sixth grader.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
That is a huge gap that age.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
I don't even like to think about what I was
doing at fifteen. Yeah, no, it'sence.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
There was definitely a difference between like fifteen year olds
that had gone through puberty and a twelve year old
that was just like on the.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Cusp and yeah, totally you know, yeah, yeah, but oh man,
that's that is rough.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
What was it like? Uh? What was it like? Filming?
Was the the whole experience that was it? Was it
an easy shoot? Was it a difficult shoot? No?
Speaker 4 (16:22):
It was so easy, so fun. I mean, God, bless
my mom put everything aside to come with me for
six weeks. I remember we were staying at the Sutton
Place in Toronto. Yeah, and the way the only way
I could describe it is it felt like there had
been a natural disaster in Los Angeles and that everyone
had relocated to this hotel like it was during that
(16:45):
period of time. I feel like we're clearly the tax
incentives were great to be in Toronto, And every time
I'd get out of the elevator, every time I'd be
in the hotel lobby, it was like one person after
the next, and like people that were already either household
names or like on the brink of being a household
name that now you're seeing or winning Academy Awards, or.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Do you remember any you remember any that you saw?
Speaker 4 (17:09):
Yeah, like Anthony Anderson was the really Marcia gay Harden,
Like I would swim in the pool with her and
her daughter Anthony Anderson, and I remember, oh, this is
actually a good one. So I had the biggest crush
at the time on Joshua Jackson and of course off
like mighty ducks, and I forget was he in a
(17:33):
film where he was visiting a girlfriend that was in
a film. And I just walked into the elevator by
myself one day to go up to our room, and
in walks Joshua Jackson and again here a gap tooth,
like nothing to offer here, just sitting there. And I
ended up seeing him at a family friend's wedding and
telling him was like I just have to tell you,
twelve year old like with nothing, Joshua, Joshua, like what
(17:57):
are you doing here? Like I love you? Know, but yeah,
there was you just never knew who was going to
be in the elevator.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
So that was that's where they put everybody I shot
a movie that you go fo Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
You know, it was so much fun. It was like
being on a prolonged field trip. You were with a
bunch of like really sweet everyone in the film was
so sweet their parents, you know, everyone had to be
there with families, so whenever parent was with them, we're great.
Like I just Robert and I remember, like to this day,
like Robert was at my thirtieth birthday, which means in
(18:32):
my thirties to give that away, and yeah, I just
it was amazing. It was awesome, and it was a
little like sad to come back after having that experience,
but it was. It was great.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Did you audition with them?
Speaker 4 (18:49):
No? No, okay, I mean maybe they were in the room,
like in the hallway.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah, well they some of them were Canadian actors.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
I know.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Kyle is, is this it? Kaylee?
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Kaylee? Kaylee's from California. Yeah. Kaylee and Robert were LA kids.
Joey Wilcox was an LA kid. Kyle is, Yeah, I
guess he is. Was he living in Canada at the time.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
I think he was. He was when we were shooting
The Cheetah Girls.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
He was still up there god, okay, I just remember
that there were several other people that were on set
that were all Canadian. Yeah, but you're right, Kyle one
hundred percent was Canadian the way he's now looking back
the way he said a couple of things.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I'm like, yeah, for sure, obviously. So when the movie
came out, did you get together their family? Did you
throw a viewing party? Did you not watch it at all? Like?
Do you remember gathering around the old set and watching
the movie.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
That I can't remember? I probably, I think I watched
it with my family. Yeah, I'm assuming I watched it
with my family. Yeah, that's weird that I don't remember that,
But clearly there wasn't a big view party or anything
like that, right, Yeah, I don't fully.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Well, do you want to hear one of the coolest
things about Ali Catch Strike that you may or may
not know you? Do you know that in twenty fourteen,
Ali Catch Strike broke a record?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
What it broke?
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Ready for this, it's the weirdest thing ever. It broke
a record for the most words in a film synopsis
on Wikipedia the film synopsis Somebody went and did a
film synopsis that is forty two sixty six words now
to give you some you know, a viewing of what
(20:43):
that means. The entire breakdown for Shindler's list was seven
hundred and fifty words, and it was forty two hundred
and Somebody literally did a five d ckas deep dive
to Ali Cat Strike and did a forty three hundred
(21:03):
word synopsis on Wikipedia.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
That that's wild.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
It was the longest film synopsis in history. The longest
film synopsis in history was Ali Cat Strike on Wikipedia.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
I'm a part of history, guys. I don't know what
you are. I don't know what else.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
This is what our producers find. By the way, these
are all the interesting facts that the producers find. Isn't
that crazy?
Speaker 4 (21:24):
That that's pretty awesome. That's definitely cooler than some of
the things I've been saying. You know, you get things
sent you from time to time of like you know,
BuzzFeed or things that Disney fanatics sort of have their
quirky little side videos on. But I have not I've
not heard that one. That one's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Speaking of Disney fanatics, have you, in your own life
tried or I hope filmed you actually attempting the shot?
Speaker 4 (21:53):
Oh? I mean, definitely have tried it. Every time I
go bowling, my friends are like, hey, me, I love that.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
That's so good.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
Oh gosh, but it's still like I feel like, still
to this day, if you are part of a certain
age thing, it is a thing. Yeah, I'll never forget.
I once was at a friend of mine would have
a Bachelor viewing party, you know, for ABC's uh huh
oh okay, and a friend of ours definitely was dating
a girl that was significantly younger than him that was
(22:25):
from I think Wisconsin, uh, like small town Wisconsin, and
just knew everything about Ali Cat instead of speaking at
him like, yep, it's the age bracket.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
It's the age bracket.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Oh man, Well, so you have two kids now, yes?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
And since Ali Cat is on Disney Plus, have you
had them watch it at all?
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Or?
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I don't know what ages your babies are.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
My son just turned one last week and my three
last week, so okay, so maybe not yet, not yet?
Speaker 1 (22:58):
But wait did you say you have one that turned
one last week and one that turned three last week apart?
Oh man?
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Really? Sorry, not a day apart? Their birthdays are.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Day Yeah days are Wow's so rough for birthday season yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
It's birthday season was tough. But I feel like between
everything that's been going on in LA and illness is too,
we just did a really small thing and I think
for a couple of years I'll be able to manage
to have both of them do something together totally. But yeah,
maybe my daughter keeps making this joke. She goes one,
I'm six, Like I'm gonna do this, she goes one,
(23:34):
I'm six, So maybe I'll tell her when you're six.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
That makes sense.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
You get to watch Aley Cat strike.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
I wonder why she picked that, So I six is
the is the magic number?
Speaker 4 (23:43):
My mom. Someone must have said to her, like, when
you're six. Yeah, someone must have said it. And now
she's like, when.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I'm six, When I'm six, When I'm.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Six, My daughter's changes all the time. It's six, it's nine,
it's old.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Your daughter, she's four, four, and it's it changes all
the time when it's sick, when it's nine, when it's fifteen. Yeah,
when she's my age twenty.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
Two, okay, great, Yeah, when she's twenty two.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
She's twenty two, which is obviously.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
My well, my daughter, my daughter says it all the
time too, but she's a little older. So that's that's
the thing. Your daughter thirty five?
Speaker 4 (24:15):
Oh she's thirty five?
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Wow? Yeah, yeah, she's also my stepdaughter, so I didn't know. Okay,
So question then two little kids. If they do the
meeting and they sit you down and say, mom, we
want to be actors, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 4 (24:38):
So this is a tough one because my husband's a writer.
So actually I don't know. You probably know this because
you know you always have to get intel before interviews.
But I kind of like accidentally left the business. God,
when was it two thousand and seventeen, seventeen seventeen? Okay,
I mean it was getting to the point like I
(24:59):
don't think I could eat and get new rep you know,
there were just some hiccups in the business, and it
was getting harder and harder.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Know what it is? This entire business has no idea
what it is anymore. Yeah, yeah, exactly, yea.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
So it was almost the point like am I even
still acting? Like can I even can? Am I allowed
to still say that I'm an actor? But anyways, there
I was dealing with that and then kind of got
drawn into a family business that since my brother and
I have exponentially grown and like it sort of started
as like I'm here part time while figuring out what's
(25:30):
going on in the acting world, and then why say,
accidentally it sort of like something happened that we had
to step in full time and then just before we
knew it, you know, like nine years later. Yeah, and
the but basically like the second I sort of stepped away,
I always said, I was like, the door is open, sure,
a little bit, it's a little bit open. It's there. Yeah,
(25:53):
like it's kind of closed to an extent. I met
my husband who's a writer, so now we have he's
like really in the thick of all the craziness of
the business right now. And I feel like a while
ago we had the top like what would we do
because I was like, it's gonna be in their blood, sure, creativity,
(26:13):
Like I sing an act, you're a writer, you're a storyteller.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
It's tough, yeah, But at the same time, like you say,
like I want to support what my kid wants. If
they were to say to me, like I really really
want to do this, I feel like I'd probably have
to say look like I would probably treat it the
same way my parents did. Right where like this is
a privilege, especially if it's not because it's a means
(26:41):
to be you know, they're not supporting. Sure, they're doing
it because this is something that they love, almost like
a hobby. It's like, okay, well this is a hobby,
and you know, if we don't meet X, Y, and Z,
then that hobby can be taken away like anything.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
And you knowing your way around the business, and then
also your mom helping as well, like you're you're gonna be,
you would be able to really help navigate and limit
how much you want them to take on.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Like if you're not interested.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
In them auditioning every day, that that they only go
on auditions that make sense, and it's only once or
twice a week or or once or you know, even go.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
On auditions anymore. It's all self tape.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
And it's not And then you just get the part
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Well, yeah, you have to start with, well, first of all,
your one child is one, so I hope they have
a solid social media following already. That yeah, this business
has no idea what it is anymore. So it's like
what is what is even getting into the business as
a kid mean anymore?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Yeah, like you guys, kids aren't kids actors whatever. They're
not going into casting rooms. They're not They're not sitting
amongst their like peers of who they're slash competition, you know,
like all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
They're not in a room with fourteen other people dressed
the way you are.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I learned my social Security number by having to write
it down on the.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Call she I told it to No.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
I said that to my husband the other day. I go,
I have had this memorized since I'm ten.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Yeah, first you had.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
To be like, Hi, my name is Owns. I'm going,
here's my social Security for.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
The commercial and yeah, well that's what you talk to
people all the time that are that are like, you know,
talking about well, I don't know if I'm going to
join a union. It's like, really, I've been in one
since I was ten years old. You know. It's like
you be it's just a different life, but it's a
whole different business.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
But I remember like auditions, like the look. It was
nerve wracking, but it was also really cool to go yes,
one person, have them give you sometimes tough love, good luck,
you know, whatever it was. And I don't think you
would get.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
That from a zoom No no, oh no, definitely.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
I also found it when you didn't book something and
you would see who was next to you, and I
feel like, you know that tough skin that you have.
It's like, oh she like I have brown eyes and
she has blue eyes with you know, red hair or
whatever like it kind of it helps you a little
bit to see too, like it's okay, like when you
didn't book stuff like.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
It didn't well now it's like it has to.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Only be about you because you that's all you're seeing,
So whatever's wrong with you? If you're like that'd be
more of a head case.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Right, But specifically Disney, don't you remember too, Like I'm
sure for Cheetah Girls like Disney did it differently. I
literally feel like they had all the competition in there,
like you knew exactly who you were up against. Yep,
you probably don't remember me because you got the part.
But it's like I remember the other person that was
in the room, sure, in the hallway, and then you
know when you see it in the film, I'm like, yeah,
(29:36):
the girl.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Yeah, yes, you would also be with the same fifteen people,
you know, you'd always be auditioning for the same stuff.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
My friends get blown away when they're like, who were
some of the people that you know were in these auditions.
I'm like you list them off, They're like, oh wow, okay,
so yeah, sort of the the circuit.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Oh yeah. Mila Kunaz was my age.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
She was a little maybe a little bit older, but
she was like brown hair, you know, we had kind
of similar looks, and like, I mean she come in
the casting room and I'm.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Like, God, damn it, she's here again, Like, God, she's
gonna take this one again. This is so good.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
You had those people that you knew were so you know,
Ashley Tisdale, she.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
Was at all the time, all the time.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
She was booking everything from Seventh Heaven to to anything
on the channel. It was just like she was just
she was a force, you know. And like when they
walk in, you're like, damn it, yeah this was going
to be the one.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Oh yeah, I remember I lost out on a part
to her, and uh yeah, who hasn't exactly true? We're
testing for something. And again, I feel like, either between
Disney or testing was the only time you actually knew
who your competition was because it would just be the
final two or three in the room.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Yeah, and I have to add, I'm so curious, what
if you don't mind talking about it? What's the family.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Business zero to do with the entertainment world. My dad,
who's an ear nose and throat doctor, involved in skilled
nursing okay, nursing facilities, and we have a healthcare business
that we provide specialty care to skilled nursing facilities.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Way different than acting.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Totally that's so cool though.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
I love totally, totally different. And I help run the
business with my brother, who's computer I'm using because my
laptop is not working so I can office. I came
to the office at home, something happened to my computer
and I was like, I don't want to be holding
I don't even have like a thing to hold my Oh.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
You're still in California then, yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
Los Angeles, Yeah, born and raised. I went to New
York for a few years just to test out, like
the Broadway scene and just getting a change of scenery.
But they always come back, well, they don't always come back,
but I came back.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, I came.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
That's a lot of walking.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
I came over there.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
I'm I'm an la kid.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
So nice.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
I've come back and honestly, let's let's be real, like
even though the business at the time, I was still
in the business when it came back, Like, you know,
you're either kind of here in New York unless you're
just working so so much that you can live wherever
you want and then come.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Back in that's the thing, or you're in the less
than one percent to where you get one percent.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
Where you just get a phone call that you got
the part.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
And which is there's that's that's a list of nine
people that that that happens to nowadays. So it's just
a completely different business. But the business back in the
day was a wonderful thing. And when you look back
at your time doing Ali Catch Strike and as a
Disney kid, how does it make you feel awesome?
Speaker 4 (32:50):
I mean I even though there were parts of the
business that broke you know that break your heart, broke
your heart, I look back at the things that I
got to do and it's like it's awesome, you know,
even if no one cared about it and see it.
I'm like, I got really cool experiences, I met really
interesting people. I got, like I said, I went to Toronto,
(33:10):
I did early Edition in Chicago for two weeks, or
like touch b an angel in Utah for a week
and I got looking back, I got to work with
some really huge directors that at the time, you know,
directed an episode and now you're like, oh, you're up
here yet cute you know yeah, And I feel like
(33:31):
that made me who I am today. Like I wouldn't
trade that for anything. And honestly, like getting to be
in Canada for two months was so cool, like what
twelve year olds usually get to just leave school and
you know, get to have an experience like.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
That, Like I did you work with Michael landon Mike?
Speaker 4 (33:51):
I did it?
Speaker 1 (33:52):
No, Okay, I was wondering which angel touched you?
Speaker 4 (33:55):
Yeah, it was Oh my god, I can't I can't
even remember who I did the scenes, but most of
my scenes were actually with Evan Rachel Woods.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Oh really, I mean yeah, it's like, yeah, you are,
It's they're everywhere. Yeah, it's or again.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Or like you look back at something and you're like
their career is you know really, I'm like, who are
these people? I'm kidding?
Speaker 1 (34:18):
I mean Kelly Kelly Kelly.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
Yeah. Ali Katz was her first I think, big thing,
and then literally like right after that, she did the
Brady Bunch movie and then I think she got eight simple.
I mean she just like she could not be stopped.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, hilarious.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
Yeah, but she's also so talented, beautiful, fun, yes yeah yea.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
So now when you look back at your career and
the possibility of a career moving forward, because we all
do that where it's like I might leave the business,
I'm going to take some time, but then you never know,
it sucks you back in at some point when you
look back. What's what's your fondest job memory? Which which
job did you do where you're like that that's the
one that's the one I'm going to remember the most.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
It's a good one. I mean, honestly, it might. It
might be Alley Catch just because I was there for
two in Canada for.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Two months, and it sounds like you ran into some
really cool people in there, like that.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
Was like, I mean, there were definitely other experiences that
were awesome, but I mean I think for me, that's
probably the most nostalgic.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
It also like is still such a like it feels weird.
It's calling iconic, but meaning like there are there are
parts of it that like people of a certain generation
still look back and like wig out over it in
a way.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
That's what's so fun about d coms, Like we talk
about this a lot, is you know everyone has their
like top five d coms that they are die hard
fans and no one can tell them that it is
not the best one. Like when we started doing this
podcast and we re out to Instagram like who would
you guys want? I mean, this was definitely something that
(36:04):
kept coming back around. You guys gotta do Ali Cat
like you know all everyone has that. And that's what's
so fun about the d com is it really depend on.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Which movie really.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Like hit home for you, whether it was the storyline
or what they were doing. You love skating, you love this,
whatever it is, somebody do you just have those?
Speaker 2 (36:22):
And I know this one is a huge one for
so many people out there.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
I've still been pushing. I'm like, we got to do
like a like a mockumentary of where are they now?
With you should? I literally totally like make believe? But
I was like, I think that would be up buzzfeeds alley.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
But that's the that's the business nowadays. The business nowadays
is go grab a camera, do your own stuff. It
goes viral.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Stuff and then then here you are, since your husband's
like a writer, do you ever look at some of
his stuff and being like, oh, that's perfect for me.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I want that one, dude, ever get to do that.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
No, Honestly, it's terrible to say. I've read one of
the things that he had sold to CBS after the fact,
but usually, like, I'm hearing his pitches from the far,
and I don't think that there's ever been something, at
least in a pitch where I'm like, like, the actor
bringing me is like I could, I could, I could
(37:21):
be that. It's possible there has been something, but I
don't know. And then like the show that he was
working on, anything that I saw that aired afterwards, I'm like, no,
I don't think just coincidentally there was.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
I don't want to I don't want to do your project, honey,
this was not for me.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
I just waiting for that that big one, babe, just
waiting for the big one.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
Just waiting for that big one.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Well, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 4 (37:48):
Thank you for having me. This was fun.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
And yet you know, if we need a good n T,
I guess, uh, give me a ring as a voice
of actor. They all go to the same guy. We
all we all go to the same same one guy.
Speaker 4 (38:01):
So you have to tell me afterwards who who that
person is? Okay, the one thing I have to leave
with just in terms of like the dcom world. And
so I don't know if you guys know this, but
do you know that Mookie Bets besides being one of
like the greatest Major League Baseball players, I think one
of the highest paid sought after players, he is a
(38:23):
professional bowler, like literally bowls like is actually a professional bowler.
I didn't know this. My husband and brother told me this,
like bulls three hundred, like whall on, kind of like
Michael Jordan's style, like in the off season. Is a
professional bowler from what I've been told.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Okay, yeah, apparently you hear he's he.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
Is a bro.
Speaker 4 (38:42):
Apparently he used to live around the corner for me,
and we ran into him while he was on I
think he was on a honeymoon and I was on
a little like baby moon with my husband before we
had my daughter, and we ran into him. Had like
this super my husband had a super awkward in our
(39:03):
socially awkward interaction with him. But I ah just so
embarrassed on just all of our behalf for him and
Mookie Bets find out afterwards that he's a huge bowling
fan and professional bowler and just like low key ever since,
I'm like, I just want to know was he awkward
because he was maybe.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Starstruck because of you catstruck.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
That's like now like the inside family joke. But I'm like, babe, seriously.
Speaker 5 (39:31):
I was like, do you think like any way.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Bets, like was inspired to tried your movement. I'm trying
to think he might be early thirties.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Perfect age. Could he have been like yep.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
Eleven saw Ali Cat's strike, was like, oh my god,
those legends and was like a bowl because of Ali
Cat's strike and Robert Sharan and Kyle Schmidt like I'm
dying to know.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
So if you guys, well he's thirty two, so the
perfect age.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Perfect.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
If you guys talked to Mookie Bets.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
We'll let you know.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
I need you to. I will wilde Al Cat Strike
loves Alli Cat Strike and knew that I was.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
I think we have to put it up on the
Instagram as well to make sure.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
Just tag and be like Mookie Bets, yeah, we're good.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Let us know. Come on time, to spill the.
Speaker 4 (40:25):
Tea strike inspired your your.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
It's possible he could have gone from the sandlot to
find baseball right right to Ali cat strike and.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Be like both He's Benny the jet of bowling. See yeah, wow,
you guys. Can you imagine if I hadn't asked that,
like the most important part of this whole interview, you
would have had nothing entertaining.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
So good, we're gonna go.
Speaker 4 (40:55):
We're gonna blow people's minds.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
We are, we are, We're gonna find out and he's
going to do this whole, this whole interview about how
it was actually based on your character. That changes.
Speaker 4 (41:04):
If you're listening, You're welcome. Thank you, You're welcome for all.
Yeah that's awesome. It was so nice meeting both of you.
See you again.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Yeah, that's so awesome.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
I bet the world I was a Disney kid, so
I bet you anything. If you were in that twenty
first floor lobby, wait whatever your turn, I clocked you
for sure.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
It was like, oh.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Man, but bring the heat that we got some legends
in here.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
Those Disney halls.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
And I'm glad you stomach cramp anytime I'm even in
that elevator.
Speaker 4 (41:47):
Thank you to boy meets World for allowed the actors
and allowing me to do my thing.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
There you go. Yeah, thank the Savage Boys for allowing
you to go to high school and and work at
the same time.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
I've seen both of them in person afterwards, and I'm like,
I just have to thank you. They're like for what
I'm like, you actually are the reason I had a
great high school education.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
So that's good. I'm glad to hear that. Nice yea, well,
thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (42:14):
I know, thank you, thank you, thank you. It was
nice to meet both of you on this form of
meeting and.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
This new form of meeting people. And then yeah, just
make sure that at six your daughter gets to watch
Ali Catcher six at six when and she's six, You
got it.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
That's it. Can't wait to film the reaction. Thank you me,
bye man.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
She's cool, so fun. I love that she has to
the idea of a high school in Los Angeles, like
this is a well known, very good high school girl
that is like you, you have to just stay at school.
You can't come here and be an actor. It's like
we're in Los Angeles. There's actors everywhere, reware.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
But okay, so here but to be like playing Devil's
Advocate a little bit, I would think it would be hard.
So for me in Orange County, there were not very
many other people at my school that were doing this
in my school a small amount. Right, So when they
when the parents or when the teachers had to give
put the work packets together to send me off to
do you know, school schooling on set for a couple
(43:21):
of weeks or whatever, Yeah, a big pain in the
in the butt for them, right because they weren't having
to do that for kids that were going on vacation.
Speaker 2 (43:27):
You know, they weren't really happy to do that.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
Yeah. So, I mean I could imagine if it was
a school that a lot of kid actors went to
that at some point they went okay, like, yeah, this
is getting to be a lot more extra work now
to make up tests all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
My school actually did something for me that made me
fall in love with education, which I had not done
before this, which is they didn't know what to do
with me because I'm in Connecticut and there. So what
they came up with was they went, will credit you
if you take college courses. Okay, so I got to
pick the classes that I wanted. So I was taking sociology, archaeology,
(44:04):
the stuff I wanted to take, Yeah, which all of
a sudden, I went from sitting in high school like
this is boring. I don't want to learn anything too.
I couldn't learn enough because I got to pick what
I was learning. And it was really my high school
that gave me that love of education, and without even
realizing they were doing it, because they were like, go,
pick a bunch of classes. Here's a couple prerequisites you
had to do. I had to finish Latin and all.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
That kind of stuff classes.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Yeah, but other than that, they were like, pick what
you want and we'll give you credit for that and
you'll graduate. So I got to pick these awesome college courses.
So yeah, worked that well. So there you go, high schools,
that's what you should do.
Speaker 4 (44:38):
Yes for college.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
I was able to do my internships and stuff on set,
So I interned for Deborah Martin Chase, who's our producer.
I got to be the days that I wasn't really working,
I'd sit behind her and kind of just listen to
the things that she was having to do. So I
got to do an internship with her, which was really
cool because that was something I was really interested in doing.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
We have to have to produce scene.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
We have got to get she is fabute less.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
We gotta have her on.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
So amazing and man, she's done great work.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Well yeah, she's not the only one that's fabulous. All
of you are Fabuulus two for joining us for another
park Opper episode and Mimi was great. Thank you so much.
Go back and watch all the Cat Strike again because
you can never go wrong with the small, the very
slow spinny ball that goes all the way down the
thing and mathematically gets the seven times quit. Gotta love that.
Thank you all for joining us, and join us next
(45:30):
time over on our other feed where our next movie
is Dad Napped, which is another Paul Howen directed film.
This guy, Paul Howen is just the Disney It should be.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
Called he did Dad Napped as well.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Yeah, it should be called the Disney Channel original movie
with Paul Holan d com because he's doing everything. So
join us for Dad Nap next time. Thank you everybody,
and we'll see you.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
La
Hosts And Creators
Will Friedle
Sabrina Bryan
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