Hey, there are folks. What do Clueless nine O two one ohero.
And true crime have in common?
Yeah, we weren't quite clear either until we got our new best friend in the room with us. Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Yes you hear that cacklin background. That is not Amy Robock. This time we had Robes. This is I say new best friend. I know people use that loosely oftentimes, but we have now had an experience with someone that I think robes. This is you go through things with people sometimes you got
that person's gonna be with me for life exactly. So when you go through LA traffic with somebody to the point that you have to get out and walk, you might be bonded for.
Life exactly because you have that shared experience, you know it. Alisa Donovan is with us, and we're so excited because we are teaming up with Alisa on our our other podcast. I guess are we are we amassing a podcast network now, yes, that's the goal. But on Amy and TJ Present, we now have Alisa Donovan working with us and she is
our true crime partner. Uh, because we are launching together this new series where Alisa is going to be talking with, among many other subjects, but actors who portray some of the worst of the worst, the most evil folks, true crime, and what that's like as an actor to go through and become someone who is hated, who is evil really for lack of a better term, But Alisa, I'm sorry. When I think of you, I don't think of evil. I don't think of true crime.
I'm so glad. I'm so happy I heard.
That like someone I love to watch. I mean, we're all products of the nineties, and.
Well I thought her character one of she was kind of bitchy.
Not niceeople, but in such a fun way, like you love to hate your characters. Yes, right, Yeah, how would you.
Describe Ginger from nine o two one out? I mean, Ginger was probably some bad things.
I don't know if she's capable of necessarily killing anyone, but I think she'd she'd do what she had to do to survive, that's for sure.
Yeah, she made sure she took care of herself. A couple of hard seasons, maybe she'd get there.
But you know, have you ever thought, I think we were talking to you earlier, you haven't played a real life person right before in terms of a killer type of thing. You think you could do you think that, or like you would have to go to a I think I could.
I think yes, I think you know, it's what we were saying.
We all have all the parts in us, and I think it's a you know, a mistake to think that we don't. And people get pushed places. And you know, I've played plenty of people that are nothing like who I am, and so you just have to you dive into it, and you find you always have to find the to me, you have to find the humanity. You
have to find the the the lightness. And then if you're conversely, if you're playing a really happy, you know, beautiful person, you should look for a little bit of the dark side so that you can make them a full human being, because we are all we are full people, right And people would always say to me, oh, how come you always play these you know or kids, especially like when we were shooting Clueless and doing the series
or so bringing the Teenage Witch. I also played the kind of like spice and the soup like not green. All kids would always come up to me and they would almost be they'd come to set and visit and they would almost be disappointed.
That I would. I would say we're nice.
And they're like, oh, I'm so soly they're just surprised. And I think there's something to it that maybe I can play those people because I am. I feel like I'm a nice person, you are person, and I think it helps. It just helps somehow, like so that the underbelly you're like.
I can't hate her that much.
Maybe is it fun to play someone I won't say evil, but devious like fun? I would Yeah, it's more fun, definitely to play the spicy for sure or not so nice person versus the you know, the ingenueind to everyone, which.
Does not really even exist in the world, right.
I mean really, and it's always more fun to play the bad guy girl.
What and what do you think it is about human nature? We've experienced this. I think anyone to a certain degree his experience. We all want to put people in a role in real life, not just actors on a stage. We want you're bad, you're good. It's no one likes the gray area.
We all want somehow it makes I think it makes us feel in control, and then it makes us feel safe. Do you want to be in control so that you can feel safe or you know, a hierarchical situation where you can feel superior to people or something.
I think that's so true, so I didn't mention.
By the way, so this news series on Amy and TJ Presents is called Killer Thriller, and I love the name.
It's a way why do you think?
And we're all in the same group, and I think maybe a lot of people listening, if you are admitting it, we're all kind of into I don't want to say voyeurism, but we're all watching this. We're fascinated. We don't want to be associated with it. Why do you think we all get such a like maybe even a dopamine hit or some sort of a charge from watching these true crime stories, either in real time in court trials or portrayed in some sort of a series.
Because we are fascinated by human nature and by the how diverse we are as human beings, and how can someone do such a thing like we we need to try to understand it because it feels so and and to your point, I don't know why it feels so foreign, like, oh,
I can't imagine that that would be. But the reality is, these things happen often and humanity is not you know, I had a therapist wants to say to me, well, you know, humanity is not inherently kind, and I was like really, and then I went, well, she's not wrong.
She's not wrong, right right at all costs, And I mean, it kind of is.
But then that's also sort of you know, what's our this this human experience that we were talking about earlier, you know, what's what? What is our purpose as a human being? And it's I believe it's too. We have to there's some things we have to go through and that we were supposed to work through in this human life.
And you know, there's there's.
Work to do and that's not and that that to me is sort of very hopeful because that sort of makes me feel like, oh, it's it's a it's almost an even playing field, right because you look at it like what you have to go through is what you have to you have to go.
Through, is that you do what I do.
Sometimes it'll cross, sometimes it won't, but then I can't really I can't judge you for what your choices are or I can't, but you know, of course we do.
We do.
We talk about this a lot. That that's so much. And doctor Gardier, right, it talked about people are projecting, like people watch these things that go okay, at least I'm not that bad at my life, not that facked up.
And like, I feel pretty good about my life.
How that do you think feeds into this fascination because so much of it I think partly partly, how much apart.
I will say this is a little dark, but it's not too dark because my mom is alive. But my mom was having surgery for cancer. She said cancer twice.
I was.
I stayed overnight in the night of the surgery in North Carolina. I During that time, I was reading The Goldfinch.
Do you remember this? Yes, this is a dark book. This is not a happy book. No, right, it's not.
And I was like, at least I am not living Goldfinch.
We all do that. Though.
In the hallway, I've got like my little portable wine leaving her room, like I'm just gonna drink wine in a stairwell for a minute, come back into the room and like deal. But I was like, you know what, I have a lovely family. I have a mom who loves me.
She is ill.
People get ill like this happens, you know what I mean. It was sort of like an equalizer. So yeah, I do think that's part of it is.
It's so funny.
Because you mentioned cancer when I was going through my own cancer. I remember the lightest moment, one of the happiest rays of just relief I had. I came back from the hospital and my brother, who loves horror movies like I do, surprise me.
And what did we do.
We sat down and we watched it was streaming for the first time, the Conjuring, and it was such a relief for me. I was like, this is so at least I'm not being at least I don't.
I'm not.
I'm not. I don't have a demon inside right, Like.
I don't know.
It was funny almost it is almost a different escape like people would say, oh, romantic comedy is it's escapism, which it is to a degree, But then sometimes that could be really depressing, yeah, because.
You're like, God, I didn't it didn't work out that way for I don't feel like nothing right now.
But if I'm watching you now, who is yeah being terrorized by some evil entity?
I feel like at least I'm.
At a better place, right Yes, and I can actually feel sorry for you and not think.
About how sad my situation is. In a way, it's like deflecting.
No.
Now I'm saying back in the day, back in the day, no. But it is funny.
Horror movies have been a source of comfort in a lot of ways. I know that sounds silly maybe to a lot of folks, but that is just the truth knows it.
And true crime.
Yeah, it is one of those interesting things. And I do think as an actor that would be one of the really fascinating fun roles to play because hopefully it's a departure.
Hopefully you're not drawing on life experiences.
Actors have different processes, right, so some people you can't. They go deep method and they don't want to there that person all the time. I you know, that would seem to be dicey if you're playing someone like uh Ed Gain. You know that you got John John Gay, you know. So I'm curious about all of that too.
Do you have somebody you want to play?
Do you?
That's such a good question. Figure Yes, Rita Hayworth. Who Rita hayw She was.
Half Spanish, so she would really be right for me to play Rita Hayworth.
Just just an old school.
Yes, Hollywood dancer, an actress. She is an incredible story but she is half Spanish, so it probably wouldn't really be right, It wouldn't work.
Who else I think about historical character, like.
Like like Loz Bordon didn't murder anybody?
You know, we want to know what evil person you would like to play?
Evil person woman if even if it was a snap episod o you saw what have you seen? That was that ship nuts that did something crazy that you would like, Wow, I would love.
To go I love a go at that. I mean, Aileen Werenos was pretty crazy. Who's last?
I mean it's sort of already been done because Charlie's wanted to ask her for it.
Oh, yes, Lizzie Borden, Lizzie Bordon. That was a good one.
Yes, I mean what historic like women female is.
Here's the thing. Aren't too many? Are There aren't many? You know what I was thinking? Like Salem witch trials, but those weren't.
Those were just poor women who were being demail those women, whatever reason they were. But there aren't that many female serials there just aren't.
Yeah, there aren't. It's predominantly men. I can't.
I was just trying to think of another like there's black widow as he kind of women.
There was the woman in Flora that was a serial killer and she right, we know these.
Nurses, nurses.
Has been.
Nothing against nurses.
But if you do watch Snapped or any of these other real life drop like crime story, the women who are murderers do tend to be like they're highly intelligent. Yes, but they have access and they have medical knowledge which allows them to almost get away with it.
However, or they have gambling problems for.
Credit card, they have credit card. Women.
Women don't kill from what we've seen. Why do women kill you? All crimes of passion or debt or debt? It seems that you're saying.
Why is it money and independence? It's money and independence. They want to be free and free of whom ever, and they will do what they need to do to have their independence.
It's usually planned, right, overcome, methodical and very scary. We have to be we have to be smarter, scared.
We don't want the physical dominance, so yes, we have to use our brains.
That is what ends up happening.
Can we do it?
Also? We smile honestly do you love to watch the ones where the women are the killers?
And that always makes me nervos because I'm always thinking, do you sleep with one eye open?
Are you worried about me? Do you get this in your head?
We were thinking if I piss Amy off enough, will she head in this direction?
Way?
What always happened? You're usually asleep before I am, and I am away.
Wake before reason why you're no dummy?
I am rarely.
Though, so you're lucky.
I do have a brother who's a doctor, so I could have access to some sort of information, but I needed to ask him for a friend about something. But yes, you can rest assured. I know nothing and I hate needles.
Will you at least will you come home with us anytime?
You will any time? I Am not kidding.
I like what a happy I say happy accident that's not the right word, but well the accident was being in the car. Yes, but uh like I'm I am thrilled too that I've connected so well with the two of you, because.
You know, you never know, you never know, But I do think we share the true crime. I do find that when I meet somebody, and DJ and I had this experience when I meet somebody who also shares my passion for either horror movies or true crime.
It's like, we're going to get along. We're going to get along. We have a similar.
Mindset and a similar way of looking at the world. That just ends up making conversation easy and fun. I'm curious if what you how you feel you're an actress, you have had an amazing career, how you feel about podcasting, like it's a.
Whole other is so we were I've obviously spoken with the two of you about this, and a couple of other people like Danielle Fischel, Will Friedel and like about how and because I notice what it is that makes things successful and it sounds simple, but I know it's not. It's that you really have to have one. You have to like to talk to people. You have to actually be interested in having a conversation like in exchange as opposed to a you ask a question and I answer it.
You know, it actually is a is a discussion, right and so, and then it has to be authentic. But then you also have to, like, you know, get stuff done. You got to like answer some questions, like you got to get somewhere. But like those other two pieces are the key pieces, I think, and I love it so much because I love I am genuinely curious about humanity and people, and I love connecting with people in an authentic way. So we don't always, you know, as an actor,
you don't always get to do that. It's it's a totally which sounds maybe that sounds odd, but it's true, you know, depending on what the circumstances are. Sometimes it's things are going very fast, you've got a time issue, there's a lot of things, you know, like you just it's it's a different experience. So this is like, it excites me, It interests me because you don't quite.
Know where you're going to go, you know, but you're leading the way. But you are the one who is asking the questions. You are producing basically your own show. So this is very exciting. We're so excited to.
Have you on board, super excited.
I'm so excited to see where it goes and to be you know, that thing of actually getting to know someone and being there is some spontaneity to it, like that you have to do the prep and know what you're talking about and who you're speaking to, but everybody is going to be different and that that excites me.
Well, folks, look forward every week we'll have new, fresh updates from Elisa Donovan on Amy and TJ Presents on that feed. We will absolutely be calling on you. This wasn't a part of the plan and the deal, but I hope we can call on you to come chat with us whatever.
I am all in, I would love it anytime. Maybe we should start another podcast in the car like the tax you want, you know, just like in the car, bring people in the car chat how you get out.
Parents of daughters, parents of daughters, because we had a.
Lot of conversations about parents daughter. It's the best, it's the best. It's a lot, it's.
At least it's an absolute pleasure. We're just getting started. But we can't say enough. Genuinely. We wouldn't. We don't have to. Look, we were used to bullshit and we can we can just take it here we have to, but this is not one of those cases. It is genuinely treat and a pleasure and an honor to be able to spend the time we've had and we've only had about two hours with you. Now we're looking forward to and thank you for being willing to come on board and work with us. So thank you, thank you,
thank you, and folk. I am thrilled, killer, thriller, thrill, it's.
Killer, thriller.
I can see how that Amy and presents kill her thriller with Alisa.
Thriller, killer doesn't make sense. Killer thriller, thriller, killer, I'm thriller. I'm in a Michael Jackson movie. That's not right.
Don't get out of people's heads. Thriller, killer, No, it's killer, thriller, thriller. No, it's killer. You will do this song, you'll do the song you do.
Yeah, he's a donovant.
Everybody.
We love you. Think you think you. Thank you, folks, We appreciate you as always spending some time with us. For my dear lovely Amy Robot, I'm t J. Holmes. We will talk to y'all soon