00:00You're giving the keynote speech here today at our Raising Our Voices event.
00:04How did you prepare and what do you hope people will take away from your speech?
00:08Well, I prepared by writing a speech. I feel like that was a good start.
00:13I just had a few things that had been like percolating in my head for a couple years
00:17that I've sort of been, you know, because I've been thinking about this stuff a lot,
00:20about inclusion and diversity.
00:22And I was like, oh, this is an opportunity to sort of try and put that all together
00:26and structure in a way that's hopefully articulate.
00:29And so that's kind of what I prepared.
00:33And what do I hope people take away? I mean, I don't know.
00:36I hope that, you know, that the progress continues to be made.
00:41Since I've started working in this industry, I've seen things get a lot better,
00:45but still a lot of room for improvement.
00:47So I just hope we keep heading in the direction we're heading in.
00:50This event is all about equity, inclusion, and diversity and accessibility in Hollywood.
00:55How would you say that embracing these principles
00:58makes the content coming out of the industry just better?
01:01Yeah, that's a big part of what I'm talking about today.
01:04You know, I think a lot of movies and TV have traditionally been made by people
01:09who've had the same backgrounds and experiences.
01:11And so it all starts to feel a little bit samey.
01:14You get people from different backgrounds, different experiences.
01:17Suddenly that freshens up even, you know, older stories.
01:20So I think it just makes stuff feel more unique and specific.
01:25And I think it makes the movies and TV better.
01:30You're currently in the new season of Only Murders in the Building.
01:33What was it like working with Selena, Steve, and Martin on that show?
01:37I mean, really a dream come true, you know.
01:40I've been watching, I'm going to call them Marty and Steve.
01:44I've been watching them since I was a little kid
01:47to get to work with them and see how they work
01:49and get to have a relationship with them has been really, really wonderful.
01:53Just watching their work ethic and how funny they are
01:57and how kind they are, you know, that you can succeed by being a good person.
02:01And same with Selena, you know.
02:03I mean, she's been famous her entire life
02:05and she could not be more grounded, more open, more generous.
02:08And all three of them really, really understood that, you know,
02:12I'm walking into the fourth season of a show.
02:15It can be intimidating working with comedy legends.
02:18They all went out of their way to make me feel welcome.
02:21And, I mean, you know, genuinely, like, the best job I've ever had.
02:27You're also going to be in the new season of Poker Face.
02:30What can you share about your role in that show
02:32and what it was like being on that set?
02:34Oh, I don't know what I can say about it, but I love that show so much.
02:38I absolutely love Natasha and Ryan.
02:41So I was really excited, you know.
02:43Those were two of the shows this year that I wanted to be on.
02:46And I'm very excited that they asked me to do it.
02:51It's unlike any character I've ever played.
02:54It's a really big swing. It's really exciting, really fun.
02:58People are going to be very surprised when they see what I play.
03:03I've truly never done anything like this.
03:05But, again, you know, I've been friends with Natasha for many years.
03:09She's so talented. That show has such a specific voice. It's so fun.
03:12I trust Ryan so much, too.
03:14So, you know, I'm very excited to see that episode because I don't—
03:18I really—I just want to see how it turns out.
03:21It's really, really exciting.
03:23And finally, since we're at the Raising Our Voices event,
03:26what's your advice to emerging artists and creators
03:29who want to embrace equity and inclusion in their work?
03:32I think, I mean, the best you could do is try and make your stuff look like the world, you know.
03:37We're not asking for anything extra.
03:39We're asking for representation that is on par with how the world looks.
03:43So, you know, I think sometimes people overthink it
03:47and sort of go the wrong way
03:50and make decisions based on stuff that doesn't matter.
03:53I think, ultimately, just make your stuff look realistic
03:57and the diversity and inclusion will follow.
Comments