November 14, 2024 • 35 mins
Loft meeting! We finally got Brenda Song to sit down with Lamorne. Together, they unpacked her thirty-year entertainment career, how she transitioned from child actor to bonafide super star, and how she became Daisy on New Girl.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh, I know. I'm calling a lof meeting folks today.
(00:21):
I am joined by a very very special guest. Brenda
Song's career is longer than my debuts, Dario. I've dated
quite quite the number anyway, Like literally, she's been doing
TV for like thirty years something like.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
That, since I was like three four. Oh my, no,
I'm psychotic. There's something wrong with me.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I mean, she's ship out a sum she's London Tipton,
the Hotel heiress from the Sweet Life of Zach and Cody.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Are you reading my IMDb or are you reading.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Like a bios by all? We wrote by we wrote this,
We wrote this out the social network and a lot
of you folks if you're if you're listening to this podcast,
you know her as Daisy from New Girl. Please welcome
Brenda Song to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Oh thank you for having me. I'm so excited. I'm
so excited.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
What were you when I saw you in Toronto? What
were you promoting?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I was promoting a movie that's going to come out
in January called The Last Show Girl with Pamela Anderson, Jamielee, Curtis,
Dave Batistic. Here in a shipka Billy Lord. I am
I literally just I'm in the background holding lights like
I am so just to be a part of this project.
It was wonderful. It was so I hadn't seen you
in so long. It was so nice to see. It
(01:46):
was such a lovely surprise.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Oh my gosh. Yes, that was a fun That was
a fun little gathering that we had there. We're at
the Toronto fol Festival. That was my first time being there.
I never Yeah, I mean i've been I go to
too often, but that was my first time at the
at the festival.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And you were promoting the Saturday Night Life.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Movie, right, yeah, yeah, it's out now, So for all
those folks who haven't seen it, you are a fucking asshole.
But oh oh you haven't seen it. You have told
yourself you should have made it up. Yeah, you know
how the story.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Is, when do you have time? When do you have time? Real?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
That's true, that's true. I put me and my daughter,
we have our date nights here, so her and I
just watch pretty much the same movies over and over
and over again.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Saturday.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Yeah, I just let her watch what I do exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Imagine. Oh, your kids are only allowed to watch the
things you're in.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Listen you know what I mean. I run a tight ship.
They got to know with education, get to know your parents.
I only do educational work. So let's dive in you.
What is what is your New Girl origin story? Like?
How did like how did this like what?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
You?
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Had you seen the show before or you start watching
it or have you watched it? You know?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Uh? What is what is New Girl? What is the world?
Here's the thing. I'm sureing you guys get this a lot,
but the truth is this was the first and the
only show that I was a huge fan of, watched
the entire first season, was obsessed with. It was my
favorite show. And when I got the call, They're like, oh,
there's this part that I think would be great for you,
(03:28):
but it like literally starts shooting next week. And I
was like I don't care what it is. Yes, yes, yes, yes,
Before I even like knew what it was, I was
like yes, one thousand percent. And then I read it
and it was such a cooler with such a fun episode,
and I was like, this is the dream. I get
to bet in the loft, I get to meet everybody,
and this sort of story and this like such a
such a different character for me because obviously I forgot
(03:50):
that this show is like we shot this ten years ago,
a little over ten years ago, and I remember the time.
I was like kind of just coming out out of
finishing up like the sweet Life stuff, and it was
like very much. I feel like life imitates art, art
imitates life, like this is sort of was where I
was in my life, and so when that came to me,
(04:13):
I was like, oh my gosh, this is my favorite show.
I don't care what I'm doing. Yes, yes, yes, And
it was the best it was. I had, like I
was so nervous. I remember that first day on said,
I was so nervous because I'm like, I am such
a geek. I love all of you guys so much.
I was like such a creepo fanatic, like I could
not wait, and it was so much fun. I had
(04:34):
like such a blast.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
I know what it was. I know what made you
nervous because you realized in that moment once you saw
the scripts that you're going to be working with an
Emmy winner, and uh, that freaked you out.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I couldn't I couldn't handle it. Couldn't handle it, they
literal said future Emmy winner Lamur and Morris. You ready
for it, and I wasn't.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So when my character is me, you you Winston feels
okay to go and talk to Daisy because you're wearing
an engagement ring and you know, yes.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I've used that trick before. I've used that trick before.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So you've used this trick before, would you? So did
you find it useful on the dating scene before you
met your husband? You know? Or did you did you
use that on your husband's not?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
We're a hippa, We're a hipA. You know, we're a
hip couple. We're you know, we've got two kids. I
just here's the thing we've got to you.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Guys are living in Sin. Oh you're living in Sin.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I see, we are, we are, we are living in My.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Grandma used to say, oh, y'all shacking up, y'all living
in sin How dare you?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
But you know what it was? It actually happened by
accident the very first time it happened. We I'm you
know me, I don't really go out very much anyway.
I usually just go to dinner with my girlfriends.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
We like.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
That's that's my idea of going out. And when I
was younger, I remember I went out with my girlfriend
and her ring was too big and she was like,
can you wear you have you have? We have the
same sized fingers, and I was like, oh my god,
let me try it on, and just like can you
I don't want to lose it, so I was like,
oh my god, I'll wear your ring. And I remember
this group came over and all this stuff and I
was like, oh wow, I've gotten like no one's interested. Fine,
(06:15):
but it was like this weird and all of them like, oh,
how long have you been engaged? And I was like,
get wait a second, and then it kind of like
my girlfriends and I were talking about and I'm not
gonna lie. There are times where I have a fake
like engagement rief. We just want to go out and
like don't even want to, Like it's the best excuse
(06:36):
and it's terrible, but like it's like, sorry, I'm engaged,
don't even want because that's not what we're going out
there for. I know it's terrible, and it's.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Not that it's terrible. I'm just saying you're setting yourself
up with danger because there is an entire group out there.
I'm not saying I'm in one of these like group
chats or anything. Like that. But there's a tire uh
uh brigade of men that only want to date women
that are in relationships. What why Yeah, because I don't
have to You don't like, you're not gonna stick around,
(07:05):
You're gonna you go. You gotta be like I gotta
go to I gotta go home to my husband, and
I don't.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
It's one of the things that I remember when I
when I read The Nerd for the first time and
like our kind of like breakup. I remember reading it
and like laughing because Daisy was so unabashedly like, yeah,
I'm I'm seeing a guy, and I respect that because
the thing about what is the point of sheating? Come on,
(07:32):
if you want to, like, if you want to go
and mess around, don't be in a relationship if you
don't want you know, hold on.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
It wasn't Daisy. Wasn't Daisy wasn't that upfront about it
when she was trying to lie.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
She was trying to lie. I mean those did those
not look like my shoes a little more? And I
feel like I could they were.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
We used to always call you big feet, Brenda. I
was like, okay, when.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
We were rehearsing and we pulled out this shoe and
it was so comically like gigantic and also ridiculous. It
was it's it was very fun.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
But you know it's funny because of that, because I'll
tell you because of that, there have been maybe a
couple occasions in my life where if I just start
dating someone and like I'm talking like maybe this is
our first time, my first time going to her apartment,
her home or whatever, and I'll see a pair of
shoes that clearly are not hers, and it's none of
(08:29):
my business. I just got there for the first time,
and I have I have flashbacks of that episode of
That's of us filming that scene.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
That's funny, you know, the gift that keeps on giving Lamar.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
But like you said, you know she cheats, she gaslights,
she lies. Is there any defense? What's your real defense
for Daisy Spain?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
My real defense is we were not in a committed relationship.
I feel like being in your twenties, you're figuring stuff out.
You you're offering to like Babiesit my cat, which is
really funny because when we filmed that, I was not
a cat person, never had a cat, and now I
have three, Like I'm full cat baby, and I feel like,
(09:15):
you know, she's just kind of like, why she's not
putting all her eggs in one basket? You know, I
feel it, you know what I mean? You were not
things weren't clear, so therefore you know, she's just having
a good time until things were clear, because she did say, well, no,
I guess we lied because she was seeing someone until
we're exclusive.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
But that.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I think I recall she was like, no, actually I did's.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
I mean, that's why I just stay single so I
don't have to deal with all this this tomfoolery. So
did I hear this correctly? You were on Disney but
(10:05):
also doing the Social Network? Was that a was that
a bit of a conflict there was that? What were
or was it fine to just get out and be
able to go and do this movie because I hear
Disney runs a pretty tight shit, oh one thousand percent.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It was. It was pretty crazy because I remember at
the time, I, you know, we're in a sitcom. You
rehearse three days, you you shoot for two days, and
we'd been like doing this for a while. Now. This
was like during I believe the last season of The
Sweet Life on Deck and I got this audition and
I was like, there, they never let me. They're not
(10:38):
going to let me out to go an audition, and
I like read I was like, oh my god, I
need this, Like this is you know, Fight Club is
one of my favorite movies and favorite books. David Fincher
is one of my favorite directors of all time. So
when I read this, I was like, oh my god,
and mind you I'm getting like two pages. Everything is
like blacked out, but like two lines. I have really
no idea what I'm doing, but like it's a Facebook movie,
and I just knew that I wanted to work with
(10:59):
these pe and it just happened that the casting director
Loa ray Mayfield her offices in Hollywood, like not even
ten minutes from where we filmed. We were shooting in
Hollywood at the time, and I went during my lunch
break and I went, I auditioned and then they were like,
got a call back, can you come and read with
David Fincher? And I was like, like, are you kidding me?
(11:19):
The dream and I was able to go. I think
it was like then either the next day or one
of the days it was again during my lunch break.
It just kind of I didn't tell anybody until I
booked it, and then they had to approve it, and
then they didn't approve it because of, of course, the
intended bathroom scene. And I was, yeah, I mean, I
(11:40):
was heartbroken. And I had to chat with the head
of casting and with the head of Disney Channel at
the time, and we were like because they were like,
we understand this is a great thing, but you just
can't do it. And I was like, I'm an actor.
This is the last sea. I am an actor. This
is the last season of a show that I have.
We've been doing for seven years. I was like, remember
(12:02):
when you first met me? Was I was I a
hotel heiress. I don't remember being an hotel heiress. I
was like, I'm an actor. And I was like, and
what have I ever done in my personal life to
ever draw any bad attention, bad publicity to your company?
Have I misrepresented you guys in any way, shape or form,
because if I have, please let me know.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
But it's did you have a bulletproof car? Or is
that that I make that up?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Oh, Dary, how do you remember that.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Lifetime?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
It was a different lifetime ago. I was maybe dating
a rapper soldier boy, but and the thing about it is,
and you know, and fortunate enough, they obviously you know,
understood and allowed me to do it. They it was
(12:49):
funny though, because they had to read the script before
they approved it, and they were like, we can't give
you the script, so they sent over like the scenes
that I was in for them to like sort of
see that it wasn't as nefarious as they thought. But
thank goodness, because I would have I would have been
so heartbroken because I.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Think they so they obviously they allowed it, yes, but
would you say after we saw how great the movie was,
were they like, oh, okay, awesome or was.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
It like, no, here's the thing. I will say this
a Disney Channel and everyone there has been nothing but
extremely supportive of every aspect. It was the only time
that I've ever actually had to even sort of had
to like speak up like I'm very very fortunate, like
they just I mean, I wouldn't be here without them.
I mean the opportunity, the experience, the work experience, the
(13:38):
life experience. It's been absolutely incredible. Like I really don't
have much to complain about. It's just the simple fact
that this one job is just so heartbreaking. Because I
can also understand but at the time, I was twenty
two or twenty three on the last season of a
show that you know, we we knew we were coming
to an end. And it was actually pretty crazy because
I feel like we wrapped it and I had like
(13:59):
less than a week off, and then I started rehearsals
on this movie, which was the polar opposite, and it
was such a shock to me my system as an actor,
as a human. But it was amazing because I think
it reinvigorated my passion for acting, Like just to jump
from such a different project to work with people who are,
you know, just so talented, so incredibly just so different
(14:22):
from what I was doing it which just really inspired
me and kind of like lit a fire under me
to remind myself why I love doing what I love.
Is like we get to do crazy things from day
to day, Like we can be working on a sitcom
and then working on a David Fincher movie a week apart.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
It's really crazy. Oh yeah, it doesn't. The happy endings
don't happen for folks all the time the way it
happened for you in this situation. I had a situation
years ago I was I started as an actor in Chicago.
I get a job as a TV host for Beet
(14:55):
in New York. You know, wasn't my favorite sitting at
the moment, I you know, I had to move to
New York, and New York was so busy that it
gave me a headache every single day. But luckily for me,
my show came on right after our flagship show, and
I started the show with jokes and Ellen DeGeneres would
watch the show, and then she would watch my show
(15:17):
and asked me if I could come and do her
show as the correspondent. And they were willing to work
with my bet schedule and fly me back and forth.
But BT was like, no, you cannot go and do it.
And I tell you, when I tell you, I was
so hurt by that. I was like, people, Rob blow
does this all the time, Rob low Rob Lowe is
(15:40):
on shows. He's hosting shows, seventeen shows, competing shows too.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Literally unrivaled, like two game shows, two different networks.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Yes, and so I you know, so to hear that
it worked out for you is great, you know, it
just kind of especially nowadays, it lets me, It lets
me know that we're in a good space with streaming
and all these things. That you know, you can't you
shouldn't really tie performers down necessarily. I understand if it's
in direct competition with something, but you know, you have
(16:13):
all this talent and all this ability. Imagine we never
saw you in that movie. You know, it would be
a different conversation.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
It's can I tell you? I mean I always say that,
like for me, I can only speak of myself and
my journey. But it's you know, I think it's just
it's about being honest with I don't know. I don't
think if I had called and had like an honest
conversation with this you know, head of casting and with
you know, the president of Disney and just was like
(16:40):
really honest about it, I don't think like this would
have happened. And it was like a huge lesson for
me to learning how to speak up for myself because
me and normally would have been like, oh my god,
that's such a bummer, like but for me, I'm like, oh,
the show is my priority. That's what I'm working on.
Like I get it. But there are just times when
it takes something this big or like career altering, life
(17:02):
altering for me to learn how to stand up for yourself.
And I think that's the biggest lesson for me, is
like even if at the end of the day they
had said no, I can, only I could walk away
happy knowing that I at least stood up for myself
and tried to, Like I always just ask for my
day in court, whether it's an audition or in fighting
for you know, making something work, because at the end
of the day, seeing actors you know, in different projects
(17:24):
only helps the projects that they're currently in, you know
what I mean, getting out there doing different things, and
also it makes me a better human, a better actor
for the projects that I'm working on. I never want
to be resentful of any production that I'm doing because obviously,
like I'm so incredibly grateful. How many people get to
wake up every day and go to work and be
like I get to do the thing I've dreamed of
(17:44):
doing my entire life. You know, it sounds so cheesy
to be like, oh, I get to wake up and
live my dream. You know, It's like it sounds so corny,
but it's the truth. I mean, on my like on
days where I'm tired or stressed or whatever, it's like, Brenda,
this is what you do for a living. You know,
you go to work and you literally step into someone
(18:04):
else's shoes. You get to like perform and like the
artistic for your job chill hours.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
So yeah, yeah, I mean, like thirty thirty years in
this business starting as a child. How are you so
well adjusted? Your outlook is so not jaded whatsoever. You're
very positive about it. You know, how do you how
do you look at life that way? How do you
look at the business that way?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
First of all, I think it all comes down to family,
Like I think, you know, being a child actor is
a very very specific a niche and a very you know,
it's not easy learning rejection at such a young age,
understanding learning this business at such a young age. I
was very fortunate because my family never treated us such.
This was an after school activity until I was old
(18:53):
enough to sort of take it on as my career.
And I think that's the most important thing was that
this was just a job. This was not my life
for so very long. It wasn't until The Sweet Life
where I got accepted to college. My mom got breast
cancer for the first time and I booked The Sweet
Life all within like a week, and my family sort
of sat me down I was like, Okay, look, you
(19:13):
got to the school you wanted to go to, but
you go to school to figure out what you want
to do. And if acting is what you want to do,
you have an incredible opportunity. But if you do, like
move forward with that opportunity, it has to become a career.
Like mom can't drive you to auditions anymore, you know,
she's going through treatment, my dad's working, my brothers are
in school. And I think that's when it sort of
(19:33):
kind of became, oh, like this is more than just like,
oh I get to like, you know, go to work
every once in a while, go back to school. Like
it wasn't that anymore, Okay. I it was my first
like long term show. I like it. Just I think
that was a turning point for me. And the truth is,
it's like I think it's just a constant reminder that
(19:54):
I get to with all the nose there's so many
no's in this industry. I just learned just to celebrate
all the yes is. And I've learned to just celebrate
all the beautiful things that we get to do, like
getting to meet wonderful people, make friends. We don't see
each other for a decade and I run into you
and I feel like, oh my god, the Lord, I
haven't seen you in so long. There's so much to
catch up on. And I feel like that's constant for us,
because we're constantly you know, we work in these little
(20:17):
bubbles all the time. You get very very close with
people very quickly, and then we never see them again.
And it's a very unique kind of lifestyle. And I
think for me, it's just life is too short to
just see the negative and everything. I one thousand percent,
don't get me wrong, Like I have my negative Nancy days.
I'm a thirty six year old Asian American actress in
(20:38):
Hollywood that's been doing it since I was three years old.
There's you know, I mean I have like heard it all,
felts at all, seen it all, like all of There
have been so many more nos and so many more
disappointments in you know, my career. But I always just
say it's a part of my journey. You know. If
I focus on those, all I can do is learn
from them, going Okay, that was not my journey. I
(20:59):
have to move on. I mean, there are I've cried
over projects. There have been projects where I thought this
was mine, this is it. I put my heart and
soul into it, and I was like nah, and you're
just like what. And then I realized it's just the
nature of this business. And as with like any job,
we're all disposable. You know, we all have our moment
to time. We're all just disposable, So why not enjoy
(21:20):
it while we get to do it? And I think
that's sort of just my mentality that every day that
I'm on set or even like auditioning putting myself on tape,
my reps always think I'm crazy because I love putting
myself on tape. But I always say, like, for me, well,
growing up, every audition was like I didn't have a
lot of them, so every single one was like a
job in itself. So I found so much joy and like,
(21:42):
you know, getting to like every audition going Okay, what
can I do? Because I didn't have a lot of them.
So I think for me, that's just sort of the
case is I think mind over matter is sort of
how I live my life because I could sit here
every day and be like I've slept for four hours
away because both my kids just sent one decide to
wake up in the middle of the night, one decide
to way about like five am. I haven't luck you
know what. My boys are happy, healthy, I get to
(22:05):
like hang out and chat with someone that I haven't
seen it a while, Like life is, you know, there's
not much to complain about. I'm very, very, very fortunate.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
So it's so funny that you say, you know, you
did really like the auditions weren't coming at a high volume.
But is it. But apparently you haven't stopped working since
you were eight. You haven't had a year, like a
full year a since you were.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Maybe even before that. I did did commercials for a
very long time. I got on my first series when
I was nine and then sort of kept I've been
very fortunate. Is this sort of kept on working The
longest time that I took off not working besides the pandemic,
uh was after I finished the second season of Dulphase.
(22:59):
I went back to work right after seven a half
weeks after I gave birth to my first son. We
wrapped the second season, and you know, it was a pandemic,
so it was like the longest season of our lives.
And six weeks after we wrapped, I found out I
was pregnant. Again, I had to pregnantly's in the same
calendar year lot ward it was it was insane and yeah,
(23:20):
and so my partner was like, you have to take
some time off, and so I took that entire year
off and it was the most like for me mentally
challenging year, not just because of being a new mom
and my so many changes my body emotionally, mentally everything,
but also I'm just so like working. I realized it's
(23:42):
a huge part of just you know, how I feel like,
I like, it's just such a huge part of who
I am. And And also it was a huge lesson
that year because I realized that it was also like how
I felt like I earned my love and I earned
I was like, because we're so used to, you know,
working all the time, and it was actually really nice
(24:03):
to just not and really focus on me and my
family and where I was. And I feel like coming
out of that year, I changed. I like realized how
much I had changed. I mean I had I mean,
I think for the first time in my life, I mean,
as you know, being a parent, I didn't know what
real responsibility was until the moment I had my kid.
I was like, oh, yeah, this is responsibility.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
This heads up, you have to.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Literally and for me, oh no, this, everything about this
little thing depends on me, like I have to literally
feed this child from my own body, Like this is crazy.
And and after that year, I kind of went through
this like like awakening, and I left my managers of
(24:50):
twenty six years.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
I love my.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Publicist of over a decade. I kind of just was like,
I'm a new person. I need a new perspective on
who I am, where I'm at. I feel like being
a child actor for so long, I could act feelings
and emulate feelings, but I didn't experience them. And I
feel like for me to really get to a place
(25:14):
in you know, in a scene or with a role,
I have to like have to pull from something real
out of myself to make it feel real, to get
to that place that I need to go, whether it's
in comedy or drama. And I really feel like the
last like a few years of my life, and especially
since being a mom and the pandemic, really just spending
time on me, I feel like I've become such a
(25:36):
more well rounded human being, therefore making me a better person,
better friend, better partner, better daughter, better mother. And that
was the one thing for me in this past year that, like,
you know, going back to work was huge for me.
And I don't know about you, but I realize, you know,
the guilt of leaving your kids to go to work
(25:57):
is the hardest thing. And I know we're so lucky
because we get to do in a pocket of time
and we don't have a nine to five every day.
And so I give it to all the moms and
dads out there who have to like leave their kids
every day. I don't know how you do it, because
I do it for chunks of time and it's so hard.
But I realized for me to be the best mom,
I have to be the best me, and acting is
(26:18):
a huge part of that. My job is a huge
part of.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Me being me.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
So finding that balance has been you know, it's been
the journey this past year.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
I can tell you what's tough. I got some great
advice from someone. I'm not going to say who it was,
but famous father. Now I know.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Now I want to know who it is.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I'll tell you. I'll tell you all. No, no, no, keep
But she said to me. I told her I ran
into her two days after I after my daughter was born,
and she was like, I was at a friend's birthday
party and I was like, hey, I had a baby.
I had a baby. I'm telling people I had a baby,
and she goes, she goes. Can I give you some advice?
I said, yeah, she goes. Your daughter doesn't care or
(27:00):
won't care about any of those work related goals that
you may have. You know, you might you might be
chasing the next big award or the next tour or
the next thing because you're very passionate about it. But
all your daughter is going to care about is time spent.
You know. That's all she's gonna care about is how
much time did you make for her? And so that
(27:22):
is that's what keeps me, That's what that's my that's
my filtration system, you know what I mean, when when
things come in, it's like, okay, where is it shooting? Okay, great,
So I'm less. I'm less concerned now about some of
the other particulars that I would have been had I
not had kids. Now it's more about stability. Can my
(27:46):
daughter come or is it local where I could still
you know, go to my have my daily daddy daughter routine.
And you know, and I've been lucky since she's been born,
you know, and I co parent too, so you know,
it's it's great to have a mom who's local, you
(28:06):
know what I mean, and I don't have to I'm
not gone for crazy amounts of time, you know what
I mean. Because my daughter notices it. Sometimes when I'm here.
I'll walk into my office to jump on a podcast
or something, and she's like, is Daddy going to work now?
I go, yep, And then she'll sit There's like a
glass door that I have here, and she'll just sit
there and like kind of look and she'll be looking
(28:27):
at and I'll just and the reason why I wanted
to be glass doors so she could know that I'm
still here. So I'm like, I'll just like I can
wave at her and when the nanny's here and I
could just you know, get my work done. But yeah,
so I think I think that's I think, you know,
I think that's what keeps you in line, you know,
having having family and children's children especially, you just look
(28:48):
at the world a little bit differently, oh.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
A lot different?
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. So one of the things that
Hannah talks about, you know, on on this show, and
about New Girl in particular, is how complex and engaging
Liz Meriweather's characters are. I could imagine you had a
very similar feeling when reading the Blue Eye Samurai script. Right, yeah,
(29:14):
let's can you talk about your character a little bit
on Blue Eye Samurai?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
And so the Blue Eye Samurai is one of my
most favorite projects that I've worked on because it all
happened during the pandemic. So up until then, I hadn't
done a lot of voice work. I do little bits
here and there if someone asked me to. But it
was during the pandemic that I was on a Disney
show called Amphibia, and then this audition came through, like
(29:41):
literally right in the middle of that, like middle of
the pandemic. I was like, sure, what do I have
to lose? Like, I was like, the beautiful thing about
animation is something that I feel like I would normally
not get cast in live action. You can do it
doesn't matter. You get to do whatever you want an animation.
So I went into a kind of just like messing around.
I sent them like a couple like different takes, and
(30:01):
I'm I'm I always tell people I'm a one trick pony.
What to hear is what you get I can't do
crazy voice. I can't.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
That's not me.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
And if I like, I've tried and it's not me.
So I kind of just messed around and then didn't
hear anything, and then I only and then they sent
me the script before I had like my like I
wouldn't call it a screen dest but like my meeting
with like the showrunners and writers, and I was like,
this is such a crazy, like like such a crazy
(30:29):
detailed story like this. I felt like I was reading
a script for a live action show, not for animation,
and I was like, this is incredible, and so working
on it has been amazing because I only get the
scripts weekly, like I don't get them like in advance,
and it's and sometimes most of the times I don't
get all the scenes, so I don't know what's happening
(30:51):
anything outside of what I'm doing, which is so hard.
But we just started season two and it's been so
much fun. Yeah, it's crazy. I mean with the animation,
you probably won't see the show for the like ten years.
Oh yeah, yeah, but it's one of my favorite projects
because it is so different and the animation is so beautiful.
(31:12):
The cast is absolutely incredible. I feel so fortunate to
be part of such a wonderful and talented cast. It's
pretty crazy, Like I yeah, it's it's one of my
favorite projects. I have so much fun on it.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Ah, very very nice. Before I let you go, I
do have to ask it's it's the it's a question
that has been on fans minds for probably like the
last six years Africa, how long we've been off the
air now six or seven years. But throughout the pandemic,
our show has become even bigger than it was when
we were airing, you know, in real time, and the
(31:47):
fans want to know that if there were a Newgroer reunion,
would you want to come back on the show?
Speaker 2 (31:54):
A thousand percent? Are you kidding me? A thousand percent?
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Now I'm going to pitch a storyline really quick. Okay,
I'm ready because my character is now married so he
doesn't cheat, you know what I mean, stop it? And
he's married, he's got kids. You come back, but also
have a pet cat named ferguson you come back? Or
(32:21):
there's these sightings of you and and you know, maybe
Schmid says, you know, I was on a jog and
you know why I saw it hanging outside of the
loft like, oh Daisy, like you saw Daisy, why and
we can't quite figure out what you're doing hovering And
it turns out you've come back for your stolen cat.
I stole your cat. I stole the cat.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Can I tell you that is something that would I
never understood. I was like, if someone took my cat,
do you think I would just have left for the
Latin like for the rest of the seasons. I never
even tried to get the cat back ever, not once, never,
never once. I think what it is. I think what
it is is. It's actually like per reason, just goes
(33:01):
missing and then you find out Daisy had a whole
like epic like break in situation to get her cat
back after you know, yes and no order a cat
back in the golden days.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Yes, do you have any pets? Do you have any cats?
I have three cats, I know, oh my god.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Two cats, and my mom My mom is with us
because we're my mom has a room in her house
because we don't have a nanny. We're very lucky. My
mom is here with us and she has her cat,
so we have so technically we have to and her cat.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Oh so you heard it heard? No, No, you probably
had cats before before. This is a character. Once a
cat person, always a cat person. You heard it here, folks,
Brenda song is a cat lady. Brenda, thank you, thank
you for your time. I really appreciate you coming out
(34:00):
chat with us. The fans will truly appreciate this.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
No, this was so lovely. I just honestly, this was
it was just a nice a chat to you more.
And it wasn't long enough when we saw each other,
so it was nice to kind of and reminisce.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yes, indeed, And next time we chat, I want to
hear more about this bulletproof car. Oh, actually, you.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Know what I will say. I really do have a
bulletproof car again again.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Oh come on, laur you stay protected. Oh my god,
stay protected.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Cars.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Listen, so do I. I have a couple of really
big cars myself. I don't have that car. I ordered it,
but then I canceled the order because it didn't have
full self driving. I was like, it does, now it does.
I don't want to have three cars. I'll just you don't.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Need three cars. Okay, now this is another conversation.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Yes, much love. I appreciate it. Peace y'all. We'll be
back next week with another fantastic episode of The mess
Around
Oh, I know. I'm calling a lof meeting folks today.
(00:21):
I am joined by a very very special guest. Brenda
Song's career is longer than my debuts, Dario. I've dated
quite quite the number anyway, Like literally, she's been doing
TV for like thirty years something like.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
That, since I was like three four. Oh my, no,
I'm psychotic. There's something wrong with me.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I mean, she's ship out a sum she's London Tipton,
the Hotel heiress from the Sweet Life of Zach and Cody.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Are you reading my IMDb or are you reading.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Like a bios by all? We wrote by we wrote this,
We wrote this out the social network and a lot
of you folks if you're if you're listening to this podcast,
you know her as Daisy from New Girl. Please welcome
Brenda Song to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Oh thank you for having me. I'm so excited. I'm
so excited.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
What were you when I saw you in Toronto? What
were you promoting?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I was promoting a movie that's going to come out
in January called The Last Show Girl with Pamela Anderson, Jamielee, Curtis,
Dave Batistic. Here in a shipka Billy Lord. I am
I literally just I'm in the background holding lights like
I am so just to be a part of this project.
It was wonderful. It was so I hadn't seen you
in so long. It was so nice to see. It
(01:46):
was such a lovely surprise.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Oh my gosh. Yes, that was a fun That was
a fun little gathering that we had there. We're at
the Toronto fol Festival. That was my first time being there.
I never Yeah, I mean i've been I go to
too often, but that was my first time at the
at the festival.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And you were promoting the Saturday Night Life.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Movie, right, yeah, yeah, it's out now, So for all
those folks who haven't seen it, you are a fucking asshole.
But oh oh you haven't seen it. You have told
yourself you should have made it up. Yeah, you know
how the story.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Is, when do you have time? When do you have time? Real?
Speaker 1 (02:23):
That's true, that's true. I put me and my daughter,
we have our date nights here, so her and I
just watch pretty much the same movies over and over
and over again.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Saturday.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Yeah, I just let her watch what I do exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Imagine. Oh, your kids are only allowed to watch the
things you're in.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Listen you know what I mean. I run a tight ship.
They got to know with education, get to know your parents.
I only do educational work. So let's dive in you.
What is what is your New Girl origin story? Like?
How did like how did this like what?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
You?
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Had you seen the show before or you start watching
it or have you watched it? You know?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Uh? What is what is New Girl? What is the world?
Here's the thing. I'm sureing you guys get this a lot,
but the truth is this was the first and the
only show that I was a huge fan of, watched
the entire first season, was obsessed with. It was my
favorite show. And when I got the call, They're like, oh,
there's this part that I think would be great for you,
(03:28):
but it like literally starts shooting next week. And I
was like I don't care what it is. Yes, yes, yes, yes,
Before I even like knew what it was, I was
like yes, one thousand percent. And then I read it
and it was such a cooler with such a fun episode,
and I was like, this is the dream. I get
to bet in the loft, I get to meet everybody,
and this sort of story and this like such a
such a different character for me because obviously I forgot
(03:50):
that this show is like we shot this ten years ago,
a little over ten years ago, and I remember the time.
I was like kind of just coming out out of
finishing up like the sweet Life stuff, and it was
like very much. I feel like life imitates art, art
imitates life, like this is sort of was where I
was in my life, and so when that came to me,
(04:13):
I was like, oh my gosh, this is my favorite show.
I don't care what I'm doing. Yes, yes, yes, And
it was the best it was. I had, like I
was so nervous. I remember that first day on said,
I was so nervous because I'm like, I am such
a geek. I love all of you guys so much.
I was like such a creepo fanatic, like I could
not wait, and it was so much fun. I had
(04:34):
like such a blast.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
I know what it was. I know what made you
nervous because you realized in that moment once you saw
the scripts that you're going to be working with an
Emmy winner, and uh, that freaked you out.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I couldn't I couldn't handle it. Couldn't handle it, they
literal said future Emmy winner Lamur and Morris. You ready
for it, and I wasn't.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So when my character is me, you you Winston feels
okay to go and talk to Daisy because you're wearing
an engagement ring and you know, yes.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I've used that trick before. I've used that trick before.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So you've used this trick before, would you? So did
you find it useful on the dating scene before you
met your husband? You know? Or did you did you
use that on your husband's not?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
We're a hippa, We're a hipA. You know, we're a
hip couple. We're you know, we've got two kids. I
just here's the thing we've got to you.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Guys are living in Sin. Oh you're living in Sin.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I see, we are, we are, we are living in My.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Grandma used to say, oh, y'all shacking up, y'all living
in sin How dare you?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
But you know what it was? It actually happened by
accident the very first time it happened. We I'm you
know me, I don't really go out very much anyway.
I usually just go to dinner with my girlfriends.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
We like.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
That's that's my idea of going out. And when I
was younger, I remember I went out with my girlfriend
and her ring was too big and she was like,
can you wear you have you have? We have the
same sized fingers, and I was like, oh my god,
let me try it on, and just like can you
I don't want to lose it, so I was like,
oh my god, I'll wear your ring. And I remember
this group came over and all this stuff and I
was like, oh wow, I've gotten like no one's interested. Fine,
(06:15):
but it was like this weird and all of them like, oh,
how long have you been engaged? And I was like,
get wait a second, and then it kind of like
my girlfriends and I were talking about and I'm not
gonna lie. There are times where I have a fake
like engagement rief. We just want to go out and
like don't even want to, Like it's the best excuse
(06:36):
and it's terrible, but like it's like, sorry, I'm engaged,
don't even want because that's not what we're going out
there for. I know it's terrible, and it's.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Not that it's terrible. I'm just saying you're setting yourself
up with danger because there is an entire group out there.
I'm not saying I'm in one of these like group
chats or anything. Like that. But there's a tire uh
uh brigade of men that only want to date women
that are in relationships. What why Yeah, because I don't
have to You don't like, you're not gonna stick around,
(07:05):
You're gonna you go. You gotta be like I gotta
go to I gotta go home to my husband, and
I don't.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
It's one of the things that I remember when I
when I read The Nerd for the first time and
like our kind of like breakup. I remember reading it
and like laughing because Daisy was so unabashedly like, yeah,
I'm I'm seeing a guy, and I respect that because
the thing about what is the point of sheating? Come on,
(07:32):
if you want to, like, if you want to go
and mess around, don't be in a relationship if you
don't want you know, hold on.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
It wasn't Daisy. Wasn't Daisy wasn't that upfront about it
when she was trying to lie.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
She was trying to lie. I mean those did those
not look like my shoes a little more? And I
feel like I could they were.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
We used to always call you big feet, Brenda. I
was like, okay, when.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
We were rehearsing and we pulled out this shoe and
it was so comically like gigantic and also ridiculous. It
was it's it was very fun.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
But you know it's funny because of that, because I'll
tell you because of that, there have been maybe a
couple occasions in my life where if I just start
dating someone and like I'm talking like maybe this is
our first time, my first time going to her apartment,
her home or whatever, and I'll see a pair of
shoes that clearly are not hers, and it's none of
(08:29):
my business. I just got there for the first time,
and I have I have flashbacks of that episode of
That's of us filming that scene.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
That's funny, you know, the gift that keeps on giving Lamar.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
But like you said, you know she cheats, she gaslights,
she lies. Is there any defense? What's your real defense
for Daisy Spain?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
My real defense is we were not in a committed relationship.
I feel like being in your twenties, you're figuring stuff out.
You you're offering to like Babiesit my cat, which is
really funny because when we filmed that, I was not
a cat person, never had a cat, and now I
have three, Like I'm full cat baby, and I feel like,
(09:15):
you know, she's just kind of like, why she's not
putting all her eggs in one basket? You know, I
feel it, you know what I mean? You were not
things weren't clear, so therefore you know, she's just having
a good time until things were clear, because she did say, well, no,
I guess we lied because she was seeing someone until
we're exclusive.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
But that.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I think I recall she was like, no, actually I did's.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
I mean, that's why I just stay single so I
don't have to deal with all this this tomfoolery. So
did I hear this correctly? You were on Disney but
(10:05):
also doing the Social Network? Was that a was that
a bit of a conflict there was that? What were
or was it fine to just get out and be
able to go and do this movie because I hear
Disney runs a pretty tight shit, oh one thousand percent.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It was. It was pretty crazy because I remember at
the time, I, you know, we're in a sitcom. You
rehearse three days, you you shoot for two days, and
we'd been like doing this for a while. Now. This
was like during I believe the last season of The
Sweet Life on Deck and I got this audition and
I was like, there, they never let me. They're not
(10:38):
going to let me out to go an audition, and
I like read I was like, oh my god, I
need this, Like this is you know, Fight Club is
one of my favorite movies and favorite books. David Fincher
is one of my favorite directors of all time. So
when I read this, I was like, oh my god,
and mind you I'm getting like two pages. Everything is
like blacked out, but like two lines. I have really
no idea what I'm doing, but like it's a Facebook movie,
and I just knew that I wanted to work with
(10:59):
these pe and it just happened that the casting director
Loa ray Mayfield her offices in Hollywood, like not even
ten minutes from where we filmed. We were shooting in
Hollywood at the time, and I went during my lunch
break and I went, I auditioned and then they were like,
got a call back, can you come and read with
David Fincher? And I was like, like, are you kidding me?
(11:19):
The dream and I was able to go. I think
it was like then either the next day or one
of the days it was again during my lunch break.
It just kind of I didn't tell anybody until I
booked it, and then they had to approve it, and
then they didn't approve it because of, of course, the
intended bathroom scene. And I was, yeah, I mean, I
(11:40):
was heartbroken. And I had to chat with the head
of casting and with the head of Disney Channel at
the time, and we were like because they were like,
we understand this is a great thing, but you just
can't do it. And I was like, I'm an actor.
This is the last sea. I am an actor. This
is the last season of a show that I have.
We've been doing for seven years. I was like, remember
(12:02):
when you first met me? Was I was I a
hotel heiress. I don't remember being an hotel heiress. I
was like, I'm an actor. And I was like, and
what have I ever done in my personal life to
ever draw any bad attention, bad publicity to your company?
Have I misrepresented you guys in any way, shape or form,
because if I have, please let me know.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
But it's did you have a bulletproof car? Or is
that that I make that up?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Oh, Dary, how do you remember that.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Lifetime?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
It was a different lifetime ago. I was maybe dating
a rapper soldier boy, but and the thing about it is,
and you know, and fortunate enough, they obviously you know,
understood and allowed me to do it. They it was
(12:49):
funny though, because they had to read the script before
they approved it, and they were like, we can't give
you the script, so they sent over like the scenes
that I was in for them to like sort of
see that it wasn't as nefarious as they thought. But
thank goodness, because I would have I would have been
so heartbroken because I.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Think they so they obviously they allowed it, yes, but
would you say after we saw how great the movie was,
were they like, oh, okay, awesome or was.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
It like, no, here's the thing. I will say this
a Disney Channel and everyone there has been nothing but
extremely supportive of every aspect. It was the only time
that I've ever actually had to even sort of had
to like speak up like I'm very very fortunate, like
they just I mean, I wouldn't be here without them.
I mean the opportunity, the experience, the work experience, the
(13:38):
life experience. It's been absolutely incredible. Like I really don't
have much to complain about. It's just the simple fact
that this one job is just so heartbreaking. Because I
can also understand but at the time, I was twenty
two or twenty three on the last season of a
show that you know, we we knew we were coming
to an end. And it was actually pretty crazy because
I feel like we wrapped it and I had like
(13:59):
less than a week off, and then I started rehearsals
on this movie, which was the polar opposite, and it
was such a shock to me my system as an actor,
as a human. But it was amazing because I think
it reinvigorated my passion for acting, Like just to jump
from such a different project to work with people who are,
you know, just so talented, so incredibly just so different
(14:22):
from what I was doing it which just really inspired
me and kind of like lit a fire under me
to remind myself why I love doing what I love.
Is like we get to do crazy things from day
to day, Like we can be working on a sitcom
and then working on a David Fincher movie a week apart.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
It's really crazy. Oh yeah, it doesn't. The happy endings
don't happen for folks all the time the way it
happened for you in this situation. I had a situation
years ago I was I started as an actor in Chicago.
I get a job as a TV host for Beet
(14:55):
in New York. You know, wasn't my favorite sitting at
the moment, I you know, I had to move to
New York, and New York was so busy that it
gave me a headache every single day. But luckily for me,
my show came on right after our flagship show, and
I started the show with jokes and Ellen DeGeneres would
watch the show, and then she would watch my show
(15:17):
and asked me if I could come and do her
show as the correspondent. And they were willing to work
with my bet schedule and fly me back and forth.
But BT was like, no, you cannot go and do it.
And I tell you, when I tell you, I was
so hurt by that. I was like, people, Rob blow
does this all the time, Rob low Rob Lowe is
(15:40):
on shows. He's hosting shows, seventeen shows, competing shows too.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Literally unrivaled, like two game shows, two different networks.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Yes, and so I you know, so to hear that
it worked out for you is great, you know, it
just kind of especially nowadays, it lets me, It lets
me know that we're in a good space with streaming
and all these things. That you know, you can't you
shouldn't really tie performers down necessarily. I understand if it's
in direct competition with something, but you know, you have
(16:13):
all this talent and all this ability. Imagine we never
saw you in that movie. You know, it would be
a different conversation.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
It's can I tell you? I mean I always say that,
like for me, I can only speak of myself and
my journey. But it's you know, I think it's just
it's about being honest with I don't know. I don't
think if I had called and had like an honest
conversation with this you know, head of casting and with
you know, the president of Disney and just was like
(16:40):
really honest about it, I don't think like this would
have happened. And it was like a huge lesson for
me to learning how to speak up for myself because
me and normally would have been like, oh my god,
that's such a bummer, like but for me, I'm like, oh,
the show is my priority. That's what I'm working on.
Like I get it. But there are just times when
it takes something this big or like career altering, life
(17:02):
altering for me to learn how to stand up for yourself.
And I think that's the biggest lesson for me, is
like even if at the end of the day they
had said no, I can, only I could walk away
happy knowing that I at least stood up for myself
and tried to, Like I always just ask for my
day in court, whether it's an audition or in fighting
for you know, making something work, because at the end
of the day, seeing actors you know, in different projects
(17:24):
only helps the projects that they're currently in, you know
what I mean, getting out there doing different things, and
also it makes me a better human, a better actor
for the projects that I'm working on. I never want
to be resentful of any production that I'm doing because obviously,
like I'm so incredibly grateful. How many people get to
wake up every day and go to work and be
like I get to do the thing I've dreamed of
(17:44):
doing my entire life. You know, it sounds so cheesy
to be like, oh, I get to wake up and
live my dream. You know, It's like it sounds so corny,
but it's the truth. I mean, on my like on
days where I'm tired or stressed or whatever, it's like, Brenda,
this is what you do for a living. You know,
you go to work and you literally step into someone
(18:04):
else's shoes. You get to like perform and like the
artistic for your job chill hours.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
So yeah, yeah, I mean, like thirty thirty years in
this business starting as a child. How are you so
well adjusted? Your outlook is so not jaded whatsoever. You're
very positive about it. You know, how do you how
do you look at life that way? How do you
look at the business that way?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
First of all, I think it all comes down to family,
Like I think, you know, being a child actor is
a very very specific a niche and a very you know,
it's not easy learning rejection at such a young age,
understanding learning this business at such a young age. I
was very fortunate because my family never treated us such.
This was an after school activity until I was old
(18:53):
enough to sort of take it on as my career.
And I think that's the most important thing was that
this was just a job. This was not my life
for so very long. It wasn't until The Sweet Life
where I got accepted to college. My mom got breast
cancer for the first time and I booked The Sweet
Life all within like a week, and my family sort
of sat me down I was like, Okay, look, you
(19:13):
got to the school you wanted to go to, but
you go to school to figure out what you want
to do. And if acting is what you want to do,
you have an incredible opportunity. But if you do, like
move forward with that opportunity, it has to become a career.
Like mom can't drive you to auditions anymore, you know,
she's going through treatment, my dad's working, my brothers are
in school. And I think that's when it sort of
(19:33):
kind of became, oh, like this is more than just like,
oh I get to like, you know, go to work
every once in a while, go back to school. Like
it wasn't that anymore, Okay. I it was my first
like long term show. I like it. Just I think
that was a turning point for me. And the truth is,
it's like I think it's just a constant reminder that
(19:54):
I get to with all the nose there's so many
no's in this industry. I just learned just to celebrate
all the yes is. And I've learned to just celebrate
all the beautiful things that we get to do, like
getting to meet wonderful people, make friends. We don't see
each other for a decade and I run into you
and I feel like, oh my god, the Lord, I
haven't seen you in so long. There's so much to
catch up on. And I feel like that's constant for us,
because we're constantly you know, we work in these little
(20:17):
bubbles all the time. You get very very close with
people very quickly, and then we never see them again.
And it's a very unique kind of lifestyle. And I
think for me, it's just life is too short to
just see the negative and everything. I one thousand percent,
don't get me wrong, Like I have my negative Nancy days.
I'm a thirty six year old Asian American actress in
(20:38):
Hollywood that's been doing it since I was three years old.
There's you know, I mean I have like heard it all,
felts at all, seen it all, like all of There
have been so many more nos and so many more
disappointments in you know, my career. But I always just
say it's a part of my journey. You know. If
I focus on those, all I can do is learn
from them, going Okay, that was not my journey. I
(20:59):
have to move on. I mean, there are I've cried
over projects. There have been projects where I thought this
was mine, this is it. I put my heart and
soul into it, and I was like nah, and you're
just like what. And then I realized it's just the
nature of this business. And as with like any job,
we're all disposable. You know, we all have our moment
to time. We're all just disposable, So why not enjoy
(21:20):
it while we get to do it? And I think
that's sort of just my mentality that every day that
I'm on set or even like auditioning putting myself on tape,
my reps always think I'm crazy because I love putting
myself on tape. But I always say, like, for me, well,
growing up, every audition was like I didn't have a
lot of them, so every single one was like a
job in itself. So I found so much joy and like,
(21:42):
you know, getting to like every audition going Okay, what
can I do? Because I didn't have a lot of them.
So I think for me, that's just sort of the
case is I think mind over matter is sort of
how I live my life because I could sit here
every day and be like I've slept for four hours
away because both my kids just sent one decide to
wake up in the middle of the night, one decide
to way about like five am. I haven't luck you
know what. My boys are happy, healthy, I get to
(22:05):
like hang out and chat with someone that I haven't
seen it a while, Like life is, you know, there's
not much to complain about. I'm very, very, very fortunate.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
So it's so funny that you say, you know, you
did really like the auditions weren't coming at a high volume.
But is it. But apparently you haven't stopped working since
you were eight. You haven't had a year, like a
full year a since you were.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Maybe even before that. I did did commercials for a
very long time. I got on my first series when
I was nine and then sort of kept I've been
very fortunate. Is this sort of kept on working The
longest time that I took off not working besides the pandemic,
uh was after I finished the second season of Dulphase.
(22:59):
I went back to work right after seven a half
weeks after I gave birth to my first son. We
wrapped the second season, and you know, it was a pandemic,
so it was like the longest season of our lives.
And six weeks after we wrapped, I found out I
was pregnant. Again, I had to pregnantly's in the same
calendar year lot ward it was it was insane and yeah,
(23:20):
and so my partner was like, you have to take
some time off, and so I took that entire year
off and it was the most like for me mentally
challenging year, not just because of being a new mom
and my so many changes my body emotionally, mentally everything,
but also I'm just so like working. I realized it's
(23:42):
a huge part of just you know, how I feel like,
I like, it's just such a huge part of who
I am. And And also it was a huge lesson
that year because I realized that it was also like how
I felt like I earned my love and I earned
I was like, because we're so used to, you know,
working all the time, and it was actually really nice
(24:03):
to just not and really focus on me and my
family and where I was. And I feel like coming
out of that year, I changed. I like realized how
much I had changed. I mean I had I mean,
I think for the first time in my life, I mean,
as you know, being a parent, I didn't know what
real responsibility was until the moment I had my kid.
I was like, oh, yeah, this is responsibility.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
This heads up, you have to.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Literally and for me, oh no, this, everything about this
little thing depends on me, like I have to literally
feed this child from my own body, Like this is crazy.
And and after that year, I kind of went through
this like like awakening, and I left my managers of
(24:50):
twenty six years.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
I love my.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Publicist of over a decade. I kind of just was like,
I'm a new person. I need a new perspective on
who I am, where I'm at. I feel like being
a child actor for so long, I could act feelings
and emulate feelings, but I didn't experience them. And I
feel like for me to really get to a place
(25:14):
in you know, in a scene or with a role,
I have to like have to pull from something real
out of myself to make it feel real, to get
to that place that I need to go, whether it's
in comedy or drama. And I really feel like the
last like a few years of my life, and especially
since being a mom and the pandemic, really just spending
time on me, I feel like I've become such a
(25:36):
more well rounded human being, therefore making me a better person,
better friend, better partner, better daughter, better mother. And that
was the one thing for me in this past year that, like,
you know, going back to work was huge for me.
And I don't know about you, but I realize, you know,
the guilt of leaving your kids to go to work
(25:57):
is the hardest thing. And I know we're so lucky
because we get to do in a pocket of time
and we don't have a nine to five every day.
And so I give it to all the moms and
dads out there who have to like leave their kids
every day. I don't know how you do it, because
I do it for chunks of time and it's so hard.
But I realized for me to be the best mom,
I have to be the best me, and acting is
(26:18):
a huge part of that. My job is a huge
part of.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Me being me.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
So finding that balance has been you know, it's been
the journey this past year.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
I can tell you what's tough. I got some great
advice from someone. I'm not going to say who it was,
but famous father. Now I know.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Now I want to know who it is.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
I'll tell you. I'll tell you all. No, no, no, keep
But she said to me. I told her I ran
into her two days after I after my daughter was born,
and she was like, I was at a friend's birthday
party and I was like, hey, I had a baby.
I had a baby. I'm telling people I had a baby,
and she goes, she goes. Can I give you some advice?
I said, yeah, she goes. Your daughter doesn't care or
(27:00):
won't care about any of those work related goals that
you may have. You know, you might you might be
chasing the next big award or the next tour or
the next thing because you're very passionate about it. But
all your daughter is going to care about is time spent.
You know. That's all she's gonna care about is how
much time did you make for her? And so that
(27:22):
is that's what keeps me, That's what that's my that's
my filtration system, you know what I mean, when when
things come in, it's like, okay, where is it shooting? Okay, great,
So I'm less. I'm less concerned now about some of
the other particulars that I would have been had I
not had kids. Now it's more about stability. Can my
(27:46):
daughter come or is it local where I could still
you know, go to my have my daily daddy daughter routine.
And you know, and I've been lucky since she's been born,
you know, and I co parent too, so you know,
it's it's great to have a mom who's local, you
(28:06):
know what I mean, and I don't have to I'm
not gone for crazy amounts of time, you know what
I mean. Because my daughter notices it. Sometimes when I'm here.
I'll walk into my office to jump on a podcast
or something, and she's like, is Daddy going to work now?
I go, yep, And then she'll sit There's like a
glass door that I have here, and she'll just sit
there and like kind of look and she'll be looking
(28:27):
at and I'll just and the reason why I wanted
to be glass doors so she could know that I'm
still here. So I'm like, I'll just like I can
wave at her and when the nanny's here and I
could just you know, get my work done. But yeah,
so I think I think that's I think, you know,
I think that's what keeps you in line, you know,
having having family and children's children especially, you just look
(28:48):
at the world a little bit differently, oh.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
A lot different?
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. So one of the things that
Hannah talks about, you know, on on this show, and
about New Girl in particular, is how complex and engaging
Liz Meriweather's characters are. I could imagine you had a
very similar feeling when reading the Blue Eye Samurai script. Right, yeah,
(29:14):
let's can you talk about your character a little bit
on Blue Eye Samurai?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
And so the Blue Eye Samurai is one of my
most favorite projects that I've worked on because it all
happened during the pandemic. So up until then, I hadn't
done a lot of voice work. I do little bits
here and there if someone asked me to. But it
was during the pandemic that I was on a Disney
show called Amphibia, and then this audition came through, like
(29:41):
literally right in the middle of that, like middle of
the pandemic. I was like, sure, what do I have
to lose? Like, I was like, the beautiful thing about
animation is something that I feel like I would normally
not get cast in live action. You can do it
doesn't matter. You get to do whatever you want an animation.
So I went into a kind of just like messing around.
I sent them like a couple like different takes, and
(30:01):
I'm I'm I always tell people I'm a one trick pony.
What to hear is what you get I can't do
crazy voice. I can't.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
That's not me.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
And if I like, I've tried and it's not me.
So I kind of just messed around and then didn't
hear anything, and then I only and then they sent
me the script before I had like my like I
wouldn't call it a screen dest but like my meeting
with like the showrunners and writers, and I was like,
this is such a crazy, like like such a crazy
(30:29):
detailed story like this. I felt like I was reading
a script for a live action show, not for animation,
and I was like, this is incredible, and so working
on it has been amazing because I only get the
scripts weekly, like I don't get them like in advance,
and it's and sometimes most of the times I don't
get all the scenes, so I don't know what's happening
(30:51):
anything outside of what I'm doing, which is so hard.
But we just started season two and it's been so
much fun. Yeah, it's crazy. I mean with the animation,
you probably won't see the show for the like ten years.
Oh yeah, yeah, but it's one of my favorite projects
because it is so different and the animation is so beautiful.
(31:12):
The cast is absolutely incredible. I feel so fortunate to
be part of such a wonderful and talented cast. It's
pretty crazy, Like I yeah, it's it's one of my
favorite projects. I have so much fun on it.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Ah, very very nice. Before I let you go, I
do have to ask it's it's the it's a question
that has been on fans minds for probably like the
last six years Africa, how long we've been off the
air now six or seven years. But throughout the pandemic,
our show has become even bigger than it was when
we were airing, you know, in real time, and the
(31:47):
fans want to know that if there were a Newgroer reunion,
would you want to come back on the show?
Speaker 2 (31:54):
A thousand percent? Are you kidding me? A thousand percent?
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Now I'm going to pitch a storyline really quick. Okay,
I'm ready because my character is now married so he
doesn't cheat, you know what I mean, stop it? And
he's married, he's got kids. You come back, but also
have a pet cat named ferguson you come back? Or
(32:21):
there's these sightings of you and and you know, maybe
Schmid says, you know, I was on a jog and
you know why I saw it hanging outside of the
loft like, oh Daisy, like you saw Daisy, why and
we can't quite figure out what you're doing hovering And
it turns out you've come back for your stolen cat.
I stole your cat. I stole the cat.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Can I tell you that is something that would I
never understood. I was like, if someone took my cat,
do you think I would just have left for the
Latin like for the rest of the seasons. I never
even tried to get the cat back ever, not once, never,
never once. I think what it is. I think what
it is is. It's actually like per reason, just goes
(33:01):
missing and then you find out Daisy had a whole
like epic like break in situation to get her cat
back after you know, yes and no order a cat
back in the golden days.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Yes, do you have any pets? Do you have any cats?
I have three cats, I know, oh my god.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Two cats, and my mom My mom is with us
because we're my mom has a room in her house
because we don't have a nanny. We're very lucky. My
mom is here with us and she has her cat,
so we have so technically we have to and her cat.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Oh so you heard it heard? No, No, you probably
had cats before before. This is a character. Once a
cat person, always a cat person. You heard it here, folks,
Brenda song is a cat lady. Brenda, thank you, thank
you for your time. I really appreciate you coming out
(34:00):
chat with us. The fans will truly appreciate this.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
No, this was so lovely. I just honestly, this was
it was just a nice a chat to you more.
And it wasn't long enough when we saw each other,
so it was nice to kind of and reminisce.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yes, indeed, And next time we chat, I want to
hear more about this bulletproof car. Oh, actually, you.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Know what I will say. I really do have a
bulletproof car again again.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Oh come on, laur you stay protected. Oh my god,
stay protected.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Cars.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Listen, so do I. I have a couple of really
big cars myself. I don't have that car. I ordered it,
but then I canceled the order because it didn't have
full self driving. I was like, it does, now it does.
I don't want to have three cars. I'll just you don't.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Need three cars. Okay, now this is another conversation.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Yes, much love. I appreciate it. Peace y'all. We'll be
back next week with another fantastic episode of The mess
Around
Hosts And Creators
Lamorne Morris
Hannah Simone
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