It's nine O gene one old Engine with Jenny Garth and Tory spelling.
So this is really exciting.
We have the one and only Tracy Gillian played by Jill Novic on Today Ben's Love Interest season seven bringing.
In the ladies.
Hi guys, Hi, Oh my gosh, this is so wild, it's crazy.
How are you aware?
Are you?
I'm in Albuquerque?
Oh that sounds nice.
Yeah, I moved here about eight years ago.
Do you like it?
I do? I do. I mean, you know, it's funny. I was just talking about that with someone. There's you know, I miss La in a lot of ways.
But.
Do you what do you miss about it?
Well, we were going over all the things that I don't miss about it, like the traffic honestly.
Mostly food, food options, you know.
Just and I miss my friends and things like that. But the weather here is great, and it's just it's just a different kind of lifestyle where it's just not so focused around the business. And I was able to buy a house, which I would not have been able to do if I stayed in La. So I was really wanting to do that, and you know, I feel good about that.
Thanks for making this work on your I know it's spring break this week.
Great, it is, it's spring break, and I'm I'm still going into work. I'm going to go into work after this because I have a show. We're doing Guys and Dolls and it is we have when we get back from spring break. We only have two weeks, so I'm getting nervous and you know, so yeah, we have a bunch of stuff to do over spring break, mostly painting sets and things like that.
I can't believe you are a teacher of theater in tell me that again.
No, Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuque.
I wanted to say, Santa fe in Albuquerque. This is wild. I love it. I love this for you. What is it like teaching I'm fascinated. What's it like teaching theater to is it high school kids?
High school? I mean it's great giving them the opportunity to have the experiences that I had when I was you know, when I decided to leave the business, I just kind of was like, what what do I really want to do and sort of giving that ex I had when I was in high school, you know, seemed to be the thing. So I went back to school and.
It's like full circle. It is, but too soon in your life to be too full circle.
So getting up there, getting up there.
We all yeah, wait, wait, let's go back to back in the day. Can we just go back to the nineties please, Cuz.
I not that I remember a lot, but I would like to.
Go back to the nineties. But know what I know now? Oh, you know, like it would be the perfect timing.
I don't think the nineties were ready for us to know what we know now.
I mean we not.
Yeah, I feel like the nineties are never going away, Like that's the small nostalgia era.
Yeah, they do.
They try to do the Y two K the early two thousands, and then everyone's like, now, let's go back to the nineties.
Let's go back to the nineties. Yeah yeah, But aren't like Pete and Brian doing a nineties podcast? Yeah, And I know they have that nineties calm thing because that a lot of you guys went to because my friend went on. Yeah, my friend Linda is the voice of Princess Jasmine, and so I told her, I said, oh, the nine or two and no cast is supposed to be there. I found out. I think I found out from Pete.
Yeah, yeah, we'll be there. Hartford Connecticut.
Oh there's another one this year. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh cool.
Can you tell us about when you joined the show, Like, what was the auditioning process for you? I love, we love asking our co stars to take us back to that moment because it's such a pivotal, exciting moment in most people's lives at that time.
Was yeah, okay, So I had auditioned for the show three previous times. One was the pilot. I read for Brenda, and then I also read for Val and you tested for Val right tested for a Val. It was me and Tiffany at the final things and it was like one of those things where I walked out of the room and I was in the hallway and I saw her and I said, Oh, she's going to get it.
Oh no, you spoke it into exist.
I did, because she was on say by the Bell and she I don't know if she still was dating Brian, but she had dated Britain, you know, and I.
Was still dating at the time.
Like see, so exactly like I'm not going to get it, She's gonna get it, and I, yes, I popped that in. And then I also auditioned for Remember the piano Player Girl the Ice skater. No, she dated David, but I yes, exactly exactly.
She was vision impaired, right.
I don't remember that. Maybe maybe I auditioned for that part too, so it had been three times already, and when they called me in for Tracy.
They made you read for Tracy.
After all that, I still come on, guys, of course I still did. I remember, I remember the dress I was wearing, and I remember sitting in the waiting room and for some reason, I felt really confident this time. And yeah, so that so that you know, I had it in. I had like, am I finally gonna Is it finally going to happen? And it wound.
Up not even third time to the charm, fourth time, the third time.
Wait, did you know right away that you'd be playing Brandon Walsh's love interest?
Yes, and I was very excited about that. You know. It's funny also when I listened to the Mark Dalton episode that you guys did, because I was trying to, you know, I wanted to hear the podcast before I came on, and so I listened to his episode because I worked with him quite a bit, and it was just there were so many things that I related to
that he said so many things. And one of the things that you know, people also always ask about the first day on the set, or like meeting you guys, And I have no memory of meeting anyone for the first time except for Jason. It was in the production office, and I was so nervous. Yeah, yeah, so nervous, and that's but that's all I remember about.
You were just probably so focused on like, that's my guy. I've got to really make an impression on him and do well or whatever.
Yeah. Probably, And yeah, I mean I had I had after because, of course, because I auditioned for the pilot, so I was curious from the very beginning. So I watched the show for six years before I was cast on it. And you know, that's just always such a weird thing. And like Mark said, you kind you know that you guys are already a family that have been working together for six years and here you are coming
in and so it's so nerve wracking, it's really. Yeah, but I do know that everyone made me feel really comfortable, even though I don't remember the first meeting. I know that that you know, that nervousness kind of well, I mean it never completely went away, but you know, when I like watch scenes, I remember how nervous I was to do a particular scene or something. But but I do know that I felt very comfortable with with you guys after a while, you know, and honestly, especially Tori.
Yes, we became really really good friends. And John and I used to hang out all the time. Yes, offset so that was a really fun time. I really enjoyed our friendship and we too, me too, and bummed we lost touch. I know, I think about you all the time, you though, I really do. Oh, that's some of ye really pivotal years for me. You went through some bad relationships with me, and.
Yes, yeah, yeah, but you know what, toy, I look, I look back on it completely like same same as you just said. Like we had so much fun. We were such good friends. It was one of the most fun times in my life. I mean, like everything from going to Hawaii. I have I have pictures of that Hawaii trip.
It's so fun. Wait, you guys went to Hawaii. You were having a baby.
Jenny wasn't there.
I wasn't having a baby.
Mamma, you were having your baby. I thought there was all in Hawaii that you just had the baby.
Oh, my gosh, I didn't even remember that, that's true.
Oh wow.
And then we flew home to lax and remember you came to pick us up and got shot in the parking lot.
Yeah, that I remember that.
I do not get.
You were Hawaii.
I went home, I think earlier than you.
Because you guys broke up.
Is that what happened? Wait?
You broke up in Hawaii?
No, we were already broken up. He ran into me with my new fiance, right.
But this all happened in season seven.
It was the beginning of season eight. It was the first episode of season eight, and so that was an amazing thing. Also, after the whole like saying goodbye to me and me being off the show and whatever, and then I got a call saying, hey, do you want to do the first episode of season eight with us in Hawaii? And I was like, yes, I do, and it was great. One thing I always remember, Tori, is you being afraid to fly and you being so happy that I was there to sit with you and hold you.
Yes. Oh did she clutch your wrist and like draw blood?
Almost?
Oh okay, yeah, that's I'm getting a good picture.
Now.
Yeah, you were there, you were with us for more than twenty episodes.
I did, like twenty three.
Yeah, did you know in the beginning that you.
Were going to do that night?
Maybe not, because I don't think I was in the first three of that season, and then I came on. I don't There was a number that they gave me, you're going to be in this many out of this many, and I can't remember exactly what it was. So I did. I did know that. I did know that my character was brought on to keep Kelly and Brandon apart for another season, like that was the you know, and and they did tell me that, But of course I had
that like wish that they would keep me. I remember always thinking, well, they kept Kathleen, they kept her character, why can't they you know, like remember like she was originally for Brandon and then they didn't. Yeah, she was with Steve, and so I I hoped for that, but yeah, it didn't happen.
They had big Brandon and Kelly plans, sound like from that beginning of that season.
They did they were going to get you guys together at the end, and you know that there was going to be that big conflict and everything. I'm sure they knew like that Terracy was going to find the ring and that, you know, that whole ring thing.
I didn't ever remember. We're so excited. We're watching it back now we don't remember hardly anything.
It's it's hard to remember. But but did you see the part where she finds the ring?
No, we're not there. Where are we now? We're just we just met our first episode.
Oh really, we're watching right now.
Where you go get drunk with the guys.
Right, you're really cute when you're drunk by So see, I was so nervous, like whenever I see you know, like when I did Pete's podcast, he sent me episodes and whenever I see them, I'm just like, oh my god, I remember how nervous.
I was that episode. You know, my first episode. I was just so I was like, am I going to do drunk? Okay? Am I going to be you know? It was just really nervous, nervous.
So we couldn't figure out how Racy's so drunk. But then she sobers up so quickly to be on there.
Yeah.
Yeah, the best newscaster ever ever.
Oh my god, like a miracle. How did that happen so fast? Even that was like really difficult for me to kind of get a handle on because I was not used to like looking right into the camera and talking, you know, so that was kind of a thing I had to get used to as well.
Yeah, that's not easy. That's not as easy as people think.
It is definitely not. It's definitely not.
Did you start getting recognized from the show right away?
Like, oh, oh, yes I did. It was just amazing to me how popular the show was and how everyone started recognizing me. And of course, you know, I was with Tory a lot when I was on the show, so obviously she would get recognized first, and then they would see that it was me and then recognize me too. But I remember I went to Tory bow know, we were not together at this. I went with some friends of mine to a hockey All Star game and like the hockey players and their fathers and like, they were
all recognizing me. We walked, me and my friends walked into a restaurant like to eat lunch or something, and people were recognizing me. I mean, it was crazy. It was Yeah, it was insane.
I love that. Wait can we talk about the even on Love Boat after? Because this gets really exciting for me.
That was you guys asked Mark, like about did he just get offered the part or did he do whatever? That was the only part in my career up to that point that I had gotten offered.
Ry.
Your dad just offered me the part and loved you. He put me with Greg Okay, I can't remember if that's his real name or his name.
On Gosh, I don't know.
Remember I think he played the fireman, Greg Vaughn, Greg Vaughn, I remember that. I remember that name.
I'm impressed right now.
Yeah, so yeah, yeah, yeah, your dad hired me and Greg to be a couple on the love Boat, and I got to work with with Marion Ross, miss Missus Happy Days, Dick Van Patten. I mean, it was an amazing experience and I got to work with was it Anson? I think it was Anson Williams who had directed us
in and a Lot. So it was just like, I'll tell you that performance was one of my most favorite performances because I had the confidence of like, well, I was offered the role and I had worked with the director a bunch of times before, and you know, so it was just like I was really happy with that show.
Yeah, everybody loves a straight offer. Oh my god, yeah, remember those that was amazing? Was that your dog?
Yeah? Oh, and that was That's another thing Tori I had. This is Prince Hi, Prince I had, Well, you met Sumo when I got him. I have a picture of you holding my.
Pug Iron.
And I had him for fifteen years and then I got another pug, a black one that I had for ten years, and then I rescued Prince. So but I I remember, I remember going over to your house and seeing all your dogs and how they were.
So do you have a dog to yes, Oh my gosh. Pugs are irreplaceable.
And you have a pug and then you get another one, you always think they're going to be the same, but they're each so different.
What I can I ask you a question about the teaching, Yeah, of your what do you what's the one thing? And you you said you wish you know I'm hearing you say kind of like I wish I had that confidence in the beginning that I found after after doing it. What do you do talk to the kids about what the confidence that they need.
Get the role that he wanted in musical and I had to have and he was very upset and I had to have that conversation with him, like, you're not going to get most of the parts that you want, Like you have to understand how tough the business is and the rejection that you're going to feel all the time.
And you know you're going to get lucky maybe and get apart every once in a while, but it's just you're not going to get all the parts that you want, and you have to accept that and know that, and you know, be okay.
With that if it bounce back from it.
Yeah, if you want to do this as a as a profession, you have to you have to be able to you know, you have to have thick skin.
Or you become the under study and take out the lead. It's one two options here.
Yeah, Hey they're folks. It's TJ.
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Welcome to Casual Chaos, where I'm telling my story unfiltered, unedited and unapologetic for a moment you didn't see on camera, to secrets nobody's dared to spill. I'm bringing you behind the scenes like never before. I'm talking love life because let's be real here, it's been a journey wellness and the truth behind the headlines, and of course I've got the receipts. Plus I'll be sitting down with some of the biggest names in pop culture for casually chaotic conversations
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Can we ask you, because you mentioned there when you decided to leave the business and move yes, was there one defining moment that made it clear to you to leave for not exactly.
I worked a lot following it, right, I did Love Boat, I did a other shows. I did like three independent films, and those were basically just offered to me because they knew me from right. But then I had a really slow, like two year period where I couldn't get arrested. I could barely get into a room like for an audition, and the depression set in and just you know, not knowing,
I just I was broke. I didn't I didn't want I was struggling with like I didn't want to go back to waitressing because I just felt like, how could you go from not into and oh to being a waitress? Like how could you know? And that was when after a couple of years and I was so depressed, I decided to maybe start pulling away and I went through a break. Do you remember my boyfriend John, John and I broke up after six seven years I can't remember. And so I moved to to Panga and I started
bartending at Arrest at Abbolita's. And guess who one of my first customers was, No toy is gonna freak out? Barry Watson No, because you know he lived up there, right, I'm sure you remember Chicken who became like best friends with and lived with three times. They lived up there, and so but you know, so I remember like having that conversation with him, like this is so I can't believe I'm you know, it was just but anyway, I started bartending and then and made the decision to go
back to school because I just needed something. I needed to know when my next paycheck was coming. I needed to have like a stable life. I was already in my mid thirties, and it was just like, I don't know, I couldn't hang on anymore. I sometimes regret that decision, you know, but most of the time, I don't.
Would you go back if something came to you, like if there was a role you really wanted, I don't.
Know that I would want to put myself back in. I tell you, it's like it's so nice to just like I let myself go gray. I gained a little weight, I you know, like you still have the best hair, though I can all thank you not having head of hair. Yes it's a huge head of hair. It still is, but you know, just not being so focused on that aspect anymore. The physical and the howard you know, is really nice.
It's freeing. I bet, yeah it is.
I mean I've done like when I was going back to school, I did a play because I actually was assistant directing and someone dropped out, so they asked me to take the part. You know, when I moved here and I did a play, I did Steal Magnolias at one of the theaters here because I just I wanted to meet people, and you know, so it had been like fifteen years since I had been on stage and
I and I did that. I you know, so I dabble a little bit, but I just I don't know, I don't think so maybe maybe it's not like anyone's knocking down my door asking me to pay anything.
Just keep it. If you're open to it, you never know what will happen.
Yeah, that's true.
That's Can you come back to visit often or no?
Not often? When I moved to Albuquerque, I thought I was so close to La, you know, so at the beginning, I came back a lot. But I haven't been in about I don't know, four years. I haven't been back to LA. And my friends are like slowly moving out of LA too. I mean it's just everyone. A lot of a lot of my friends have left, and so I just were our leaving and I thought about it, like I have one friend now that I would care about coming to visit and you know. So I don't know, yeah, not not often.
Well, it seems like you are living your life on your terms, and you seem very comfortable and very happy, and that is so nice to see.
Yeah, I am. I can I can say I haven't been depressed. And since, you know, when I was here, I started seeing a therapist and went on meds. And that was another thing you guys talked about with Mark, so I thought i'd bring it up. It was like really holding me down for a long time, and then my therapist really helped me, like start reframing my thoughts, you know, instead of being so negative and why me?
And you know, and so since then, I have been depression free and happy, and you know, I'm glad I made the decision to come here. The teaching is starting to you know, I'm starting to get burnt out on it, because I did. I taught in LA for sixty year Culver City High School, and I got burnt out on that.
Don't you get to retire soon.
Though, well, not until I'm sixty.
Sixty seven, ohjeven, I always forget the number. I thought, you guys, I thought you could retire when you're fifty nine and a half that doesn't exist anymore.
Because I'm fifty nine. I can't retire, but I.
Did, and you're not fifty nine.
I am fifty nine and I took I took my SAG pension early. Oh, that's why I saved up money to buy the house.
Amazing.
Yeah, because teachers.
Don't make that much.
No, God, I can't believe in fifty nine.
That is blowing my mind.
So you only have we don't look seven more years, eight more years, eight more years? Can can you do it?
We'll see, we'll see. I do dream about, you know, having some other kind of job, but who knows. I could get another kind of job and not like you know, I don't know.
We'll see, we'll see. That's all you can do is say, we'll see and see where the chips fall? Yeah, never know what's going to happen. Is that a term? See where the chips fall?
Yeah?
Isn't that?
Never rid of that one?
Am I making another thing up? I know the cookie crumbles and the chips fall or I eat them all.
Like in Vegas like yeah, not like the chips Okay.
I don't know, could be wrong. Don't listen to me. Well, I'm happy that your chips have fallen in a place that make you so happy.
Thank you.
Keep it up because you are awesome and you're just beautiful.
Thank you. You guys are beautiful too.
You got that dog there, What could be wrong? Yeah, y