00:00it is a partnership agreement so that you can push me and i can push you it's a good thing right yeah
00:06no it's great hands these bowls are um they're different sizes richie they're not they're this
00:13thing can't see the difference in this look at it the vibe's weird doors
00:21re-fire it's not perfect it doesn't go out that's real life yeah those are the people who are
00:26working they're doing those jobs um people of color especially like latino people especially
00:33black people immigrants asian people like it's just like that's that's what's happening in
00:39that industry even if the faces you might see that get celebrated are predominantly white and male um
00:47and yeah i think it's like just really great that then by extension we get to be telling some even
00:54just a fraction of those stories with with our show
01:05my name is oakland jones entertainment editor with essence how are you guys doing today
01:09good it's a pleasure to be speaking with you look amazing thank you
01:14my first question um is for you lionel um have you felt about the reception regarding season two
01:25in anticipation for the upcoming season oh you always feel great when i feel like this show does
01:31a really good job of not repeating itself for each season so it still feels like it's a swing every season
01:37and so season one didn't feel like season two and everyone responded to it in an overwhelmingly positive
01:44positive way so i think it makes me look forward to this season because it still feels like another
01:49swing and we'll see how people respond so um io you had an uh award-winning performance last season
01:57everybody knows about it it was amazing portrayed thank you so much was there any pressure to exceed
02:02that critically acclaimed performance this season how did you approach this particular season coming up
02:08um i mean you know it felt like in a way there's always going to be pressure and external um
02:16you know feelings or whatever especially you know when you sort of realize people are watching but i think
02:23one of the many magics of our group is that when we go and we make it that's what we do
02:32we are there together and we really do our best to block out any external noise it's about what
02:39we're making in the present with each other um and you know there was pressure season two we made the
02:45first season in a vacuum you know like nobody we didn't know what people were gonna think we didn't
02:50think anybody was really gonna watch this show about what kitchen you know like that's what it felt
02:55like then and then people started watching while we were making it so we had to you know hunker down with
03:00each other then and i think we just did it again this year and that's like also the best part that's
03:06how really like for me i feel like i celebrated like yeah there's obviously so much to be grateful for
03:12um but for me the real celebration was that i got to go back to work with my friends and my peers and
03:18just got to yeah be together i love that um liza you've had a long and um great career in the
03:25entertainment industry i wanted to ask you uh the character of tina what makes her so special to you
03:31in and and uh what is your experience been being able to play her she's special to me because so many
03:41people relate to her from all walks of life um they've and and sometimes they just want to hug me
03:49like on the street random um that's just like you know they i don't know it's like they're we appreciate
03:59you taking the risk as tina and and diving in um and stepping up and i feel like everybody kind of needs
04:10hope right everybody needs to be able or at some point in their lives has has um
04:16um had a dream that either they let go or or they're um considering if there's time to revisit
04:27and i think it happened that happening for me in my life as an actor and that happening for tina
04:33is something that speaks volumes to viewers now um one thing i really love about this show is it's a
04:41diversity you know um i wanted to and either of you can ask this question if you want to do all
04:47three it's it's um it's up to you but why do you think it's important to highlight people of color
04:51in the food and hospitality industry i think because that's real life yeah those are the people who are
04:56working they're doing those jobs um people of color especially like latino people especially black
05:04people immigrants asian people like it's just like that's that's what's happening in
05:08that industry even if the faces you might see that get celebrated are not those are you know are
05:16predominantly white and male um and yeah i think it's like just really great that then by extension
05:25we get to be telling some even just a fraction of those stories with with our show yeah i think that
05:32people are people who are seem are are in general invisible in the world um and these people are
05:39the backbone of the hospitality industry and of this country overall so um highlighting who they
05:48are is is new and hopefully we see more of it cool i was answering everything too oh no i was just
06:00going to say i think what they're saying goes in line with what i was just going to say is this
06:04it's just what honest is it's like you want to make an honest story you have to tell in an honest way
06:08and that's just what it is and that i think that's why people think this and believe and feel this is
06:13a good show because it feels honest and it's just showing everything and how it really is so i think the
06:19bear has an amazing cast but i think the unsung cast member is the city of chicago um and i just think
06:27it's a beautiful city i've been there numerous times um how important has the city of chicago been
06:33to the success of this show do you think like deeply instrumental um we couldn't do it without
06:42i feel like we've all fallen in love with chicago in different ways but um a real like tangible way i
06:48think is just in the representation of the restaurant we have so much help from so many
06:57friends in the industry in chicago who either come and help us prepare food help teach us how to make
07:04dishes will help fill in for cooks and other scenes and restaurants like they're just always there
07:11watching helping listening even just talking to us about their experiences about you know how insane
07:19that industry can be um and so yeah i think that all just like feeds into the lifeblood of the show in a
07:26really beautiful way yeah i think the cool thing too is i was saying this to a fan that long ago that
07:31people don't romanticize cities as much in like movies and shows as they like like in the 80s and 90s
07:38that you see something makes you want to move to california or seattle yeah and so i think that's
07:44it's just like on that level of it it's like it's romanticizing this place and showing like it's from
07:49a filmmaker's eye who just has love for it and so yeah it makes you want to be there well thank you
07:54that's all i have for you i'm really looking forward to this new season and i wish all three of you
08:00much love and success thank you so much thank you hopefully have a good one
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