9021One on One: T.C. Warner

look like you haven't aged even a minute. Oh, thank you. Okay, I'll take that. I'll take it. And this is Amy. If you have not met her, our producer and co host and expert on Hi, Amy, how are you? I'm good? I have a lot of behind the scenes questions to ask you. She's our literal expert and fans okay, well, as Amy knows me, like obviously I love nine O two and O because I was a part of it and now rewatching it back, I'm now a fan girl.

But my heart lies with soap operas, so I just gotta say, we have to talk all my children after we talked nine because I'm okay, okay, but any who, Okay, So you played Toby, So what happened? How did you get that part? So it was a regular audition, my ago, and it was the standard process of callbacks and and so on and so forth. And it's kind of seemed to us that you guys were kind of coming in and they were shifting it to other characters that they

wanted to keep on at least in our world. Where did they tell you how many episodes like it ended up being two episodes? Did you think it was going to go on? Obviously we're graduating, but you guys could have gone on to California University too, just like everybody else.

So very true, Uh, they had they had whispered words and nothing in concrete that they were, um, you know, planning on on continuing the story and continuing with the with your guys characters and integrating that with the younger generation. That was the That's why I was the junior um, the junior publisher, whatever newspaper editor, junior editor at large. I don't know exactly right, were you going to be the next Andrea Zuckerman? Was that sort of the character arc. Oh,

I don't. I don't know that that was I don't think that Andrea could be replaced. Um, but no, I think it was just a continuation of the story and the writers were preparing to expand and and explore their options. Okay, so we have now heard this from how many people amy that they were trying to bring in other people, many younger, many that they were like, okay, we want to continue this storyline because you know, last year they were like, they have one more year, and now this season, okay,

they're graduating, moving on to college. And they had again, you know, whispered that there would maybe be the younger generation they would keep have two shows. Um, and it didn't happen. It should have it. I honestly think that they could have kept it going and and still kept all of you guys and check with you know, generations are are still intact and and the older and younger still blend together, and they crossed paths, and it could have gone on for many, many years. The writers were

so phenomenal and longer than all my children. I mean, I don't know, I don't know, don't ever compare it to that, because all my children, love love, love. But okay, um, I mean technically, like, okay, this was you started in and I to remember which was the problem episode Donna gets drunk, we call it drunked on an episode. And I mean, now that I'm thinking about it, Amy correct

me if I'm wrong. Maybe Donna shouldn't have graduated. Maybe she should have gotten held back, and she for once could have led the troops, and she could have led the spin off, and then Toby and Donna could have continued it exactly. Well, in all seriousness, it is interesting how they did introduce us to these characters that were more than just background, They were more than just one offs.

They were definitely trying to establish these characters. And obviously we'll get into Shawn Levy in a second, but I do what I wonder is was their intention to have a totally different show that stayed in high school while the main gang went to college or were they going to sort of? Maybe they just didn't know do duel where we were still seeing high school life while our our old friends went off to college. Does anyone know that? No?

I think that format was would be really really awesome, where they had the younger and still had the nine O two and no going you no one episode for the next you know, one at seven o'clock, one at eight o'clock to melrose Place and a spinoff, but a younger generation spinoff. Yes, although that hybrid show um sounded really cool. So I have to bring up so Sean Levy, who played sort of your I don't know classmate, but you know, they sort of introduced us to both characters

at the same time. Who has gone on to do We've talked about it, all these incredible things, Free guy, that Adam project night at the museum. I think he's involved with stranger things. So at the do you have any memories of what he was like at the time as he just sort of like a teen actor or did he know I'm going to be this massive director producer. No, he's He was very humble, and you know, we were we were both kind of shell shocked to be on the nine o two and oh and sort of didn't

know our place. You didn't know everybody, including Tori, was so warm and inviting, would run lines with us and and do all that stuff. Um. But he was extremely funny and very comical. Really, Yes, had a great sense of humor, and I don't know now now that I'm thinking of it, do you remember it was the wardrobe? Uh? I call it an issue, But it was very funny because they had wardrobe had put me in top that was it looked like it made it look like we had two frames of of my breasts, you know, two

things like do you remember this? No refresh my memory. Jason and Luke looked at it, and I remember Gaya Terrist looked at it and went um, and we were getting ready to rule camera and then um, wardrobe, Uh, what do you think of her shirt on camera? What do you mean? It littally literally looked like I don't remember where that was, but it almost looked like a shirt that had and I don't know if they were pockets or what they were, but they were definitely like

big buttons on I don't remember this. Oh my goodness. Wait, I love that the It was the cast that called it out and no one direct, writer, producer. The cool thing about it was that cast really protected each other and and they looked over and they went, um, wardrobe, we might rethink TC's sure, and they changed it out right there on set, and it was I was like, thank God, because you know I'm I'm new, I don't have any say. I'm like, okay, I'll wear that shirt.

But you realize you were like, uh, yeah there's something here. You just go with the flow. And they looked at it and and what, um, yeah she might need some help here in wordrobe went oh your god. They changed it right away. But yeah, the cast was really really cool on that um and there was a lot of camaraderie. There wasn't any pretentious don't talk to me, I'm so and so or anything like that. There was no no drama. Everybody was just nice. So do you guys think it's

weird that that was the case? Right? So you come into this show and you're having this real life experience, Why do you guys think tour you as the person involved, TC as the person that came into it. The media loves to make it seem totally different. How does it go from that experience? And then we hear these you know, I'm not telling tales, but Jessica Alba had a very different experience and that she's talked about. So it's like, how do we know what the reality was you're telling us?

The press makes it often seem totally different. Feuds and hierarchy, and yeah, I don't. I don't think that that was That was not my perception. I call it the red carpet syndrome, where that's not real in anybody who lasts in this industry. It's you have to have some level of being humble and realizing that you're a human. You're portraying humans, so you've or have a human aspect to you.

And if you don't, you've got some far fetched idea that you're going to walk in and you've got this vibe about you that that energy spills over and people run quickly from it. And when I came onto the set, there was you know, there's a hallway and everybody had their dressing rooms and stuff like that. Everybody's doors were open. It was a basketball thing down at the end. Everybody was playing and talking with each other and and it

was very, very welcoming. It wasn't There was no level of pretentious, which which I really liked, and I've worked on films and so forth where there was the don't talk to that person kind of uh, you know level going around, But that wasn't the case on nine or two and O. And it was far from the case on All My Children, and it was really really nice.

It was there was a lot of camaraderie and and it's very hard to make friends in in Hollywood, if you will, or in the film industry, because everybody tends to take off and they started a project, or they get you know, caught in something, and they start to do their own thing and and not keep in touch with anybody. So it's very cool to have a family type setting where you're seeing that person face to face.

Even though you all have your own private life, to all of your own private projects going on and and so forth, you still come together and look each other in the eye and say how are you and the answer is not doing just fine and walking on it's oh, this is going on, and you actually communicate with people. So it was really nice. It was it was, I guess misleading to what really Hollywood is like. But I came from Save by the Bell right before N one, oh,

and I was recurring. But that get the first day on set where they were it was the same thing. They were a family, they were established, they worked day and day out, they were each other's lives and walking onto that set was super scary and some people were amazing and some people weren't. And it stayed with me. All right, I'll text you it was who was wonderful?

Can you say that Elizabeth Berkeley was the kindest human And she literally I just saw her recently and I and we've been friends off and on for the whole time since for thirty years. And I said, you know what, I still carry it with me. You taught me how to be in this industry because of the experience that you gave to me. I went on to pay it

forward on nine two. I Owey's was nice to guest stars because I know it is so scary and it can make or break you know, your performance or how your whole So it's so important And to this day, I'm still like that. Um So, I think that's such an interesting thing you just said there, Tory, and I wond't know if TC feels the same. You just said it can make or break your performance. So that's so

interesting that that talk about that. I would love to hear about that from both of you, that it is so important that behind the scenes to doing your best work well really really quickly. So a story about Luke Perry I had I was the first day on the set, and something happened with my car and I went, oh, um, Mike, he asked, and I said, my my car broke down. I got to ride from my friend and he said, oh,

don't worry about I'll pick you up. And every day going into the set, he swung by in his Mini Bronco and picked me up and took me to the set. So it was very cool. It was it was just, you know, he told me his story with Aaron Spelling, and and he was the one who everybody on this set is very cool and are you know, they're very approachable and and all that, and I believed him and until I saw it and I was like, Hi, Tori, so hi, how are you welcome? And the whole wardrobe mishappened.

Everybody was really a family there. There wasn't any spats or anything like, gosh, that's such an amazing story. Do you remember any of the story he told you about my dad? I just love to hear, like, any any anecdotes about my dad. Obviously I miss him and I miss Luke dearly, so it's nice to hear. So he said his his start was Aaron Spelling. Had you know there was he was feeling like he wasn't really being

accepted or considered in a lot of things. And Aaron Spelling really extended himself and believed in Luke and put himself out there for Luke Perry, and and I, you know, I was in awe. It was like, how how does that happen? How does that miracle of connection actually begin? And Luke said, Aaron Spelling was one of those people who but when he believed in people, he put everything out there for him. He overextended himself greatly, and and

he really made Luke Perry. So I it's just it's another one of those things that extends down and says, I'm walking into something that I would really appreciate being except did too. I won't make that expectation, but I certainly would hope one day that I could be part of this whole. And I just remember his stories about he had come across quite a bit of rejection like many of us, and your dad just said, don't stop. I'm behind you. You can do this and it'll happen.

Just keep keep pushing forward. It's nice to hear someone else tell the story. I believe I've told the story from behind the scenes with my dad hearing it happen. Um. And I don't know if Luke and I ever talked about that story. So it was nice that he told you and I got to hear it from his perspective. That meant a lot to me. But yeah, I remember my dad saying this, this is the guy, this is who I want. Fox was not sold. Um, we all we both know this. It's typical when you go in

you test, you know, through people. And he said, I'm only testing him, I'm bringing him and they said that's not done. We need to other people to come in and um, and he said, no, it's just him. Um, he's testing board and this is who it's going to be. We're casting him. And if you don't believe in him, then I will put forth my own money and pay and and pay his fee. Like you mentioned that as well. He said that your dad believed. But you know what, so used to being an influencer now, damn it. I

nuturally supported. Yes, he said he would personally pay for him. Yes, and and he Luke was very I think you know. Our conversations were more around how did you start, how did you get here? What's your story? And and all that, UM and I shared my stories and stuff like that. So there was UM and I think that was right at the time when he was he wasn't married yet, he was just in the relationship with his wife, and he was telling me and and all that good stuff.

So it was conversation. It was very open and willing to share personal things that do you know him before? No? No, my gosh, the story is incredible. So this is just how he was, like, you're you're on this set. You now belong right? Oh right? Yeah? Who? So that's the first person on set that you met? Wasn't Luke? Was that the first person? Or do you remember who you it was Luke? It was like, and then it was Jason, and then Gabrielle and Um and then obviously wardrobe and

and so forth. But and then playing basketball, which I am horrible at, has nothing to do with my height deficiency, has everything to do with that basketball basket was not high up. It was just on the door. And I still couldn't make the basket, but they let me play. You and Jason would have been such a cute couple, wouldn't we That would have been good. Just don't tell my husband now and I'm in on the show, but real life too, I know, I know, I mean, I like, okay,

so I have to ask. So in our timeline right now, we have just finished watching the prom episode, and I don't think it's a spoiler that we know what's coming is Donna Martin graduates, which I think you could argue is one of the most iconic episodes of Now Too one oh in the tenure run. What is it like to be a part of that episode? It was pretty amazing.

There was I remember Iron and everybody, and they're all out on the steps, and and I remember some of the lines when we were talking about editing the paper and stuff were there was the word this is an appropriate epitaph and I, for some reason epitaph. The word epitaph would not it just epitaph surface And I don't know what word I was saying, epitaph or something weird um, And and there was this this uh scramble of do we are we pushing for the right thing? Are we saying?

You know, Donna Martin is an example to all the rest of the junior class and the sophomores and the freshman and she got drunk it prom and is this appropriate, and do we let her get away with this? And you know what's the consequence? And then everybody out on the steps and it was hot that day. I remember, oh, you know, doing their their chant of Donna Martin graduates? And do we get behind her? Or is my character

that kind of steadfast on? No, we have to do right by society and be an example and not let her graduate, you know that kind of thing? Or do I go with everybody else? And was let's remember what happens, we don't spoil it. I don't know what happened. I mean, I know what happens, but I don't know what your character decided. And that word I can't imagine ever saying that word that I would freak out. I'd be like, uh so, do you remember what they were actually chanting outside?

That was not Donna Martin graduates? And I allowed to say this. Yes, you are definitely tory. You're testing me now, I'm not. I swear I think he told the Iron has told the story on the show. Correct, he has Okay, it wasn't graduates? Oh yes it was? Um is this an age appropriate audience? Yes, it was started with the letter m TC. It was masturbates masbates. What you say you remember who started? I don't. I don't, but it was either Jason or Iron. But is there a footage

somewhere we should you know what? Uh? Larry Mullen, who was the one of the producers, he has tons of behind the scenes daily so I wonder if he has that. Somebody must That would be so funny. It's been plenty of time. It was. It was very clear. So you recognized for a long period of time from that episode. Yes, And I think when you live in Los Angeles, everybody thinks that they're famous. So you can go to the grocery store and nobody will bug you because they think

that you should be recognizing them. So it's quite to live in in Los Angeles anywhere outside of of l A. I would, you know, my I grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and so I would come back and visit family and and so forth, and immediately it was are you are your Toby? Aren't you? Aren't you Toby one? Two? And oh? And I would kind of be caught off hard because I'm not used to that, and I'd only done several TV movies and and stuff like that I've done.

I've done a bit, but um not to be recognizable as somebody so such as a staple, so I would you know they would they would ask me, are you are you pushing for her to graduate? Are you not to Martin doing? What is she doing? And wanting to inside Scoop and stuff like that, and then they'd say, oh, good job, you know, you did a great job. That kind of thing. And then they'd asked for my autograph

and they'd asked me to sign it TC as Toby. No. Yeah, right, fans always want you to put your character name after your name. Really, yes, that's a big deal. Wait, so to this, to this day, I sign every Sometimes I forget and I'm like, oh, you're younger. You recognize me from like Scary Movie two or something. I always know people's ages by what they recognized me from. Um, but our generation. I always write Tori spelling and then write Donna, like yeah, Donna, and then put nine O two and

oh afterwards. It's very important to them, especially collectors. I think I just saw Henry Winkler signing some things and he does include the fonds I think sometimes so that makes sense. They love it. Yeah, oh, my god, And do you do you both think that's cool? Oh? I do. I think it's cool. It makes them happy, which makes me happy. So I like to you know, that's the feeling I get from it, is that if they're happy,

that makes me happy for sure. But then you went on to be very recognizable as Kelsey and all my children, and so then they were like Toby, who Right, Wait, both of you started so young? What is you know people always talk about like, oh, it's that's so hard, or you didn't have a life, or you didn't have a prom or high school whatever. What is the best part for both of you of starting work and in

this profession so young? Go first story, I don't know, because I don't know any difference, right, Like, I grew up doing it, so I don't. I don't know. I can't. I don't know how to even answer that because I don't know what life would have been like if I

hadn't started so young. It's yeah. So for me, um, it was I came to a point where I realized I was married to the industry because you had to pay so much attention to that and put that as a priority in anything and everything every just as and you made every plan, every trip, every everything, every school that you went to, every everything. So I went on and got an undergraduate degree in film with producing, directing, writing, editing, and sound. And then I went on get a masters

in business administration. My started interdisciplinary masters goodness in computers and art, and that turned out to be an argument between two departments, because computers and art do not blunt. They both have their own opinions of of what a master's square should be. And that was specializing in more the new medium of digital and so forth. And so then I changed that was like too long of a process and ended up being like an eleven dollar an

hour job. So I'm looked over to a business administration with an emphasis and marketing and so those two just every decision that you make is surrounding this industry and what you want out of it and um, and so every every effort that I put forth goes that way. And of course, right now, my focus is my family and my my kids have two adopted kids, and my husband and and so on. They're eight and ten. Yeah, they're they're wonderful, They're my life. Yeah, And so what

was it like? It It was honestly like a marriage, you have to be fully committed to what you're doing, and if you don't have that true passion in you, don't waste your time and don't waste other people's time. Wow. Can I go back and change my answer? After him blew me away? Like everything you just said, I was like, wow, very amazing, thank you? And what word couldn't you say atab? Are you kidding me? Yeah? So would you? Would you rate your nine o two one oh experience as a

good marriage at that time? Absolutely? And I wanted it to continue so badly, so badly. It was, you know, it was a flavor of the best of the best. It was. That's so nice to hear. Did you keep in touch with Sean Leevy? Oh no, I haven't really, um just here and there. You should have, We all should have. I know, right, I did think he was cute when he was on this. Did you think that

was funny? TC? When you because there was obviously a gap between the time you worked together and he became sort of this, you know, very prolific director and high profile person in entertainment, did you go, wait a minute, did you ever have that moment You're like, I think that dude was in the classroom with me at the school paper. Remember, um No, but I could see it in him. He's very he was extremely intelligent. He was

very intelligent. He was he wasn't he didn't fit the category of uh, the very I guess the stereotype of actor model type. Um. His brain was always going, I mean always who was saying, oh, you should do this, you should do that without you know, unrequested, and and his mind was always going on what he wanted to do and where he wanted ago. I loved hearing that. Did he say he wanted to direct and produce? Oh? Yeah he did? Wow, so he knew. Yeah, it's so interesting.

My takeaway from this conversation, which is has has so unexpected I wasn't axpessing it to be, is there is something that you know immediately for you all when someone in this show business has it. Because it sounds to me like like your dad, Tory knew from moment one with Luke, Yes, this guy's got it. And TC is saying the same thing about Luke Ann Sean like these people there's something star like about them. Yeah, they're always yearning to move forward. And and I'm I'm always want

anything around. The film industry to me is solution oriented and and for me even going to film school when I when I graduated, I want you know what I learned that there's a ton of problems to be solved, and you know, to walk away with the film degree and say that is the story of life in this industry is there's always going to be a problem that

has to be solved. And if people stay stuck in the problem and we want to wind and complain and well, because of this and this and this, nobody wants to hear those they want us hear more so, how you're working towards the solution. What are you doing to fix it? There's always going to be a problem. There's always going to be an obstacle, and if there wasn't an obstacle, nobody would be doing it because there's no obstacle. M

it's it's too late for me to go to film school. No. I was supposed to go to USC and I wanted a major in film. I wanted I wanted to be a writer and producer like that was my end. Gold still is um And I deferred the first year at USC two because show kept going and we didn't know. And then I went to California University on TV and

never went to college in real life. And now I don't have a film degree, and now I'm at the point where I's like, gosh, you know, would I'd be taking more seriously if I have that to back it up. You know, like when people are like, okay when you because I create projects a lot, but you know they why am I not considered, you know, a writer as well? Um, well, I don't know. I see you more as an executive,

one who has such full knowledge of everything. And a good executive is going to hire qualified people and then let them do their job. And if if you've got a project in mind, you're the kind of person and personality and drive that will actually execute it and make it happen. And even if you went to film school today, I'm not saying don't at so do if you want to all of the new mediums that are out there,

those are things that you'll be taught. Right when I was in film school, it was the time where it was still celluloid. It wasn't it was online and offline blending in. And that's why my interdisciplinary masters didn't really work because now you have everything in the digital medium, and you have the quality and ease and convenience of doing that that your your education would be shortened by

a lot. But you've already got the life experience. And there's no better training than on the job training, right, so you've already got a lifetime of that tory. But I do think like a producer, so it would make a good reality show though, I'm just say, wait before we go, what's your favorite memory of the nine O

two one O experience that you have. I think my favorite memory was just being greeted by everybody walked down the hallway in on set on the sound stage, and everybody just saying oh, Hi, Hi, I'm so and so and extending their arm where you know, you're sort of going, I don't know if I should kind of duck and not look at them or you know, and they were

all just like, Hi, who are you? So it was it was there inviting way of allowing me and making me feel comfortable in and a new ground that I was walking on, and and just the camaraderie of the talent and dedication that everybody had. You did have the luxury though of first appearing in the news room, right, so you got to work with the nicest of the nicest,

so that that was good. Um. But yeah, and that translated, It really did because your character Toby and Sean Levy's character Howard really automatically felt like they were part of the group. I felt like you weren't like, oh, jarred by new characters. It was like, oh, yeah, we believe they go to school together and they've worked together now even though they're you know, juniors and and we were seniors. But wait sophomore junior junior as junior junior. Um. Yeah,

so that is awesome. Wait uh, what do you have anything in the in the world in the works that was such a I do. I have a feature film that we shot during COVID, interestingly enough, called The Man Who Thought that He was Salvador Dolly And and that's with Philippe Mora, who did Mad Dog Morgan, he did Communion Brother, Can You Spare Dime? And it's really about

the Man who thought that he was Salvador Dolly. Um. I played Tessa rush A Rent and she interviews this man who thinks that he is Salvador Dali and it it and it's a very creative way of investigating whether Salvador Dali had a sadistic side to him or or not. I mean, artists are artists, and and it it's it's still in production now, it's tying up and going to go into post very soon. If anyone's in their car

google or not, you shouldn't do this and drive. But if anyone's googling Salvador Dolly, I am also, Oh I knew I knew he was on important? Is this based on a real man that actually thought he was Salvador Dolly or now? No? Completely fictional? Okay, yeah, yeah, So I'm working on that and that's great. I want to see that. Yeah, that's hastening. And then the other thing that I'm working on is a documentary that I'm uh doing on Charlie Pete. And Charlie Pete happens to be

my uncle. Um, and he's got he's just he comes from a family line of railroad executives, if you will, and he's had life adventures that many authors have approached him and um, lots of people have said, I really want to tell your story. I mean everything from running the trans Amazon nine thousand mile race on a on a Harley and becoming number two in Harley's Toughest Riders. Um to building airplanes, a car collection, crashing two planes, training bear at fostering a black bear, and I mean,

this always go on and on and on. So I approached him and said, Charlie, we're telling your story and I'm going to do it. And he looked at me and he went, Okay, let's do it. So we're just in production on that. I stand by my comparison of TC to Andrea Zuckerman. I stand by that very smart, very How easy or hard was it to get that project made? Once you decide you wanted to do it? He was like, I want you to tell my story. The prep work for it goes hours and hours and hours.

It's a lot of writing and a lot of just structuring on what it's gonna look like. The hard parts that I get stuck on is the formatting, because you've got to create a a seamless um lead motif if you will, of what that is going to look like. And that's where I am right now. I've got the stories all laid out. I'm going back to Wyoming to do more filming, and um, we've got a lot of footage, but it's putting it together and having that look seamless

and um and what that looks like overall. I mean, these stories go for We've we've got endless hours of his stories of his life. He's ninety years old now, yes, so it's it's getting time to we've got to do this and we've got to do this now. So it's timely. And one thing he said was it's called thank God.

And a lot of his adventures and situations that he was in he survived and was here today because of his belief in God and how he he has used that as his solution to many situations that he's been in. And I don't know how you can crash your own plane twice and walk out, but and the planes that he built, So that's you know, it's a story that has to be told and it's right now. And putting it all together and making it look very and feel

very seamless, that's the tough part about it. Wow, I thought I just loved you because you were pregnant with Bobby Warner's baby. That's all my children reference for anyone that hasn't singer and all my children. Um, but it goes so far beyond that. TC Warner, you are amazing and fascinating. I could literally listen to you speak all day. Thank you so much for reconnecting me with you. Everybody get ready because this was our preview too. Donna Martin graduates. Uh,

it's something in the air. I think the episode sounds something in the air. Can't wait to watch it. Thank you, TC so much, Thank you to thank I mean thank everybody else for listening in bye. I love that Luke story. That was amazing. He picked her up for he was in the height. That was the height of Luke Perry was everything. He picked her up for work every day, every day. The person he just met because they went on the show, but that was him. That was that

story right there, described him perfectly. That is unbelievable. I need to be that nice. I'm not sure I would do. Let's get a lot of traffic, maybe not as much back then, a little bit less. Love you, talk to you later.