And that's what you really missed with Jenna and Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to you and That's what you really missed podcast. We have a guest, a very special guest. I just Tricia ray Stall.
Wow.
We were like, we need Milly on the show, Millie Marley's mom. And what a joy she is, What a pleasure to chat with her. She has such a presence and I think she's just yeah, so gifted and like, what a great addition to the show. Yes, I agree, And obviously we did not get to be in a lot of scenes with her now and everything she did, but I'm so happy that she was in eight episodes and in.
Season four and that she agreed to come and talk to us. So this is Tricia.
Hi.
Hey, my goodness, what's up.
How's it going? Oh good? How are you guys doing good? Thank you so much for being here.
Yeah, I was so excited, guys, thank you for having me.
Of course, let me tell you, since you have popped up on the screen and our rewatch, you have just been like the biggest delight and highlight of all these episodes because you, I just become such a gigantic fan of yours. You were so good. You were just so good.
You guys, thank you so much. That means a lot.
So good.
It was a freaking fantastic experience.
It was amazing. I'm glad to hear that.
Glad I got to be just a tiny part of it.
No, you're a big part of it. We just didn't get to work together all that much. So we're just so interested to hear your experience and how you got on the show, and you know how you're doing now, but we're so grateful for your time.
Can you tell us, like how how Glee came your way?
Obviously you were an actor and you know you got your uh your degree in theater, but like, how did Glee volunteer life was properly trained?
I was still a I was. I took a little being a veer off of acting for a while, and I was a special ed teacher. I'm not kind of turned off by acting when I got out here, because it was like, uh, the desperation turned me.
Off fair and yes, smells reeks of desperation everywhere you go. And so I had come.
From like a small pond where I was like a you know, big theater actor in the area. Then I came out here and it's like you're an actor.
You know, everybody is yeah, exactly.
So anyhow, I was teaching special education and I was still acting, and I got the audition, and so it was like, uh, I had an audition I think four times three or four times.
Wow.
Yeah, and then they were still looking for Melissa at the time, they hadn't found her yet. I think that maybe my eyes and my hair coloring helped me get that little at the end. Take whatever, anything right, anything to put you over, and you never know what it's gonna be exactly. So, yeah, I auditioned. It was for Robert Ulrich, who I think did most of the casting that didn't involve like the the musicians and stuff. And
uh yeah. I was at work and I got a call and said, are you ready for some good news? And they told me and I still worked as a teacher all through Glee. It was a weird. Wow, it was a weird existence.
Really yeah, Oh my gosh, how did you because well, the schedule was very inconsistent and all over the place, things changed and moved.
Boss who was super cool. She was really understanding and cool about it. I'm a specially I was a special A teacher No longer. I was a special A teacher and I had a very rare certificate to work with like the most severe kids, so they wanted to hang on to me, so they didn't want to work so they kind of were flexible with me.
You know, amazing make you happy.
Yeah, so it was crazy. That was crazy and being at work as some people. Some people are cool about it, and some people didn't like the fact that I was doing a TV show and I was still working there. They didn't like it. So huh, I got both attitudes.
Yeah, I'm sure.
Did you know how many episodes that you were going to be working on or was it.
Episode by episode like a script would shock? I was never told.
I think I was told recurring, you'll get at least three episodes or something like that. Wow, but then they give me a lot more. So I was happy season four, season five, I was only in Little one or two or something.
Did you and Melissa ever have to do some sort of chemistry audition or is it you both were hired separately and then you show up to work and they we did not.
I was told when they finally found her that was right before again, I got hired. They told us they had found her, but we did not have to do any kind of chemistry reader or anything like that.
Wow, because is that common.
For them to do it?
I think these days now Yeah, I would say maybe.
But ugly we didn't do it that much. I think there wasn't time. There was no time. But something about watching you two together is your chemistry is incredible, right, Your scenes together are so special. There really feels like there's a deep bond in connection. Obviously you're both incredible actors and so that helps, but it also feels like there's that thing that you can't plan for, which is
just this real magic friendship and magic. Yeah, what was it like showing up and getting to work together?
Well, thank you first of all. A second of all, this is what I think it may have been, and what may have helped us a lot, is that Melissa was just she came from New York. She didn't have a ton of experience. I didn't have a weird boat roughly the same experience. Why she had done like a national commercial and a couple more things. But so we were both like she was coming really into the experience
because I was. It was so neat to come and watch her star rising every time I came to said, it was like they were getting more and more famous, you know what I mean, totally, you guys were already established. The new cast was. I was watching them experience it, which was really cool. But I think, you know, I'm from the East Coast, and again we both just kind of, uh, we're just the new, you know, new people and coming
from the East. I don't know, just something about that, maybe both being kind of green and but it was definitely we felt definitely comfortable together.
And Glee was I mean, you know, we were almost like we had peaked by the point that you guys, you know, we were at its peak when you joined so as a special ed teacher. I mean you said, you know, some of the people didn't love that you were also working as an actor, but not only that that you were on the probably the hottest show on TV at the time. What was your experience. It's like out in the world, do people start to recognize you? Do people at school recognize you?
What was it while I was on the show? I did get recognized quite a bit. One of my favorites was I was actually teaching. I had my kids at Pershing Square ice skating, and a whole group of girls from like a Catholic school or something. We're there, and they lined up to get me hugs and autographs. So that was like er special to me. You know, a couple of times where people were I could feel people were taking pictures of me when I was out, like
I would do something, feel a flash, you know, or hurt. Yeah. So it was fun for me. It was the perfect amount of a little taste of fame and not have to really be inconvenienced by it. Sure, you know, I have it be fun but not stressful. Yeah, so I appreciate it was fun.
That's fair. That's fair.
It's died out. I mean since then, I hardly get recognized. Once in a while, I get recognized, you know, from something else too, but but usually still most often from Glee, but only once in a while. Yeah.
So you didn't get to sing on the show, sadly? Are you a singer?
I'm not a singer, but I could have sang.
So you could have sang. So did you have a song in mind that you would I would have wanted to sing.
You know, I never put that much thought into it, but I really did want to.
Sing you a song? Yeah, you and Melissa should have done one. I know that would have been so sweet.
I had just hoped. I was like, why don't they ask you? Why haven't they asked me? If I can sing? Like I can carry a tune? So I knew that they could work with me, you know what I mean.
Yeah, they helped us on our hardest days, so yeah they could. They can make it definitely, definitely, But I would.
Have loved for it to be something heart felt towards Marley, just because the fans would have loved that.
Yeah, totally. What I found and what I do find fascinating is like, like you said, you're both coming into this fairly green and together, and you had these scene where you're by yourselves a lot, which I also think is added pressure. I do feel like when you're in a group, you know, we were often in ensemble scenes where you can sort of depend on the other people.
You guys were really leading these scenes, and then you're also dealing with heavy subject matter almost every time you were talking, and everything was on the show where a lot of things are heightened and there's a lot of craziness and silliness and snark you two always brought it back to something like really grounded and meaningful, and I just wondered, like, how did it feel, maybe like tonally working on the show, because you were coming in and
doing these like sort of heavier scenes every time, and like how was that getting into that well?
As an actor? For me? I found this to be the most wonderful challenge. I mean, especially Shooter was shooting star. Shooting star that was a shooting star. Yes, I had to have the camera up in my face like this, in like towering in a corner of the kitchen, and I had never had to work with the camera like up in my face so tight like that. And when I left that day, and when I left lots of days, but that day in particular, I remembered so much why I love acting. I was so high on the way home,
like the best high I ever had. And I'm like, you can be on a big show. Who knows what stars I met or worked with that day, But what I know, what I remember is the high from acting and having that challenge of that camera be in my face. I was floating on air like that. I never realized when I got into television film because I really thought I'd missed the live audience and wouldn't like it as much as theater, but I did. It's just different challenges.
They still give me such a high. Yeah, so it was really Yeah, I loved I loved that we had those quiet moments, those real moments, and it really connected with the audience too, for sure.
Yeah, Jenny, you must have felt that too, because, like you both come from the theater world, where those intimate scenes must be feel so counterintuitive to theater training because you are you can be so quiet and still in the cameras, catching every everything.
Yeah, it's a nice challenge because I love playing to a big audience. I love the instant gratification you get of, you know, having a live audience. But there's a nice challenge. And there's also something about the intimacy of those smaller scenes that feels the act so theatrical. They feel theatrical in a lot of ways that these kind of group scenes don't feel. And we also got to perform on stage and dance and sing, and so you got we we got our fix of a little bit of both.
But yeah, it was definitely it was a transition that I had to make initially coming from theater to to Glee, Trisha, I'm curious so like your character really, I mean, the jokes that the kids made were relentless, and as we've watched back, as many things don't age while on our show, it never let up and it was just a part of what it was. But I'm curious from your perspective, what was that like for you to play that character.
Well, I mean, having like being a real fat person that I'm really fat in real life, I have experienced a lot that had to make me kind of numb and put up a wall, and so that's how you cope with it. When you're a heavy person, you have to you have to put up some kind of like tough exterior because you're gonna deal with it a lot. So I mean I've already was in my thirties and I dealt with it so much so it really didn't
bother me. You know. I don't love that most characters that has to be about my weight, Like sometimes you just wanted to be about you being a human, not about your weight.
But I also.
Appreciated Glee for representing so many I mean that's what I first fell in love with about the show before I was ever on it right, Well, just the fact that Ashley Think was on there and she was a chubbier girl, and I was like, oh my god, they like she had boyfriends and god, she was a normal person. Half the time, I was like Jesus treating you know, somebody with some weight like a normal person. It was really great to see more than many things that Lee did it.
That was a first, you know, yeah, no, definitely, definitely. And to your credit, your character was so charming and strong and such a great pillar for Melissa's character as well. That while those jokes were relentless and I'm like, okay, enough of them, like we're done with them now watching them, you made your character so much more than that.
Thank you, Thank you very much. You know what was great on set was the one guy that made fun of me a lot, one of the jocks. He was a blondehaired guy that was recurring. His name was Jesse the actor. I don't remember his last name, but I'll tell you what. First of all, we became super tight. I have an adopted son and he was adopted, and so like, we bonded on a really like emotional level. So there was no I mean, when he's called me
those names. He was the sweetest, most loving, mature, understanding guy.
So oh great, you not to hear it whenever you watch characters having to be mean like that.
I was like, how do you do that?
It hurts me to watch you say when she sits around the house, the house, you say that. I was like, oh, his characters dying.
Kevin was dying. I was like, I do not want to say.
You were always really awesome to be on set. I don't know if you remember. You can be one of my first days there. I don't know if we were a lunch or we were around some table doing something. Yeah, and you came right up to me and spoke to me. It meant a lot to me. It means a lot to the people who are new, like any smile or sense it's a sign of welcome, you know. Yeah, Jenn, I saw you at work a lot. I'm not a lot. I mean it was always big crowds and stuff, you.
Know, I know, like the cafeteria, like across the way.
And I even read and I was reading the transcript of you Guys's episode for the New Rachel and it said that you're not like You're not like super comfortable, like meeting new people all the time and like, you know what I mean, it's not like your thing.
No, And I wish I think, knowing what I know now on a set, if that was, if this, if I was a regular on a show, I would go out of my way at this point now to make sure I knew every crew and a member's name, because by the end we did. But you know, and then make sure that everybody feels comfortable knowing what it's like coming into somebody else's house now, you know, it was
it was a first for a lot of us. We were also very green when we started, and you know, this was a huge experience in life changing for all
of us. And you know, we were learning, and so we were looking to like the adults because there were a lot of kids on our show, like, yeah, you don't need to tell us, Like Michael Manley took us under his wing, romy Rosemann took us under her wing, and like said, you know, they just gave us little nuggets of wisdom because they've been doing this for forever and they know what it's up, you know, like what it's all about. So we really did look to them for guidance and leadership as well.
I didn't have any bad experiences. Everybody was so good. I was so green. I don't know what I was doing. I remember there was a somebody named Hope and she played like she was like she had a higher What was her role? What was her job?
Oh, Hope was an ad right, yep.
Okay, well I remember, I didn't. I thought Hope was one of the pas. I kept calling and oh my god, it's so embarrassed. Oh, I was so embarrassed.
That's funny.
I didn't know who I would like you if I when I go on set now, I'm much more careful to understand the role and who the person is.
Yeah, you know a lot of people there. I never did, Yes, I think especially. I was always just in awe of like people like you who could show up on a really big show, which is already intimidating. It's a gigantic crew, a gigantic set, and then you're able to perform your ass off because actors were all in our heads. We're all insecure and questioning everything all the time, and so at the end of the day, when the call action,
it's just you and Melissa on screen. Everybody's quiet and there's hundreds of people on set like waiting for you to do your thing, Like, uh, right, that's why I'm here. You forget, I think it's easy to forget. And any experience I had pre Glee, people were so kind to me and went out of their way to be kind to me on the Office and on True Wood, and I was always sort of in awe and I tried
to do my best. It wasn't perfect about it, but just the I feel like when you show up on a set like that, the odds are stacked against you in a number of ways. And to make anybody feel at least seen or heard. And I think I always felt like if somebody doesn't know who to go to, like let them come to me, and then I'll get them to who they need to go to, because I understand how crazy this is.
Luckily, I think everybody was like that because I know I have some people like and they just were so nice and helped me out, even though it's nothing that they should have been dealing with.
No, everybody was. Everybody was very cool, and I think we all learned from that as well. Like our crew was the best, Like we just had such a wonderful family and team surrounding us, teaching us because even though we were four seasons in, it's still a lot of times felt like we didn't know what we were doing either.
Interesting listening to your podcast, I'm learning that and it's such a learning experience to remember. Remember, Trisha, everybody's like in their own head, everybody still, you know, even if there are years on this still worried about their lines, They're still worried about their performance. There, you know what I mean. It's like, yeah, you forget you think everybody's again they got their shit together, and they're not. I have no problem, you know, my.
Gosh, Oh you're fine. What are you up to now? Are you teaching? Are you acting? What's what's the last?
Oh?
I left after Glee, I ended up doing a series regular on a Tyler Perry Show, and I quit, amazing. I quit acting for that. I mean, I'm not not acting.
You double down on the act. Yeah, right, got it, got it.
It was amazing timing because I was really burned out, not on the kids, but on the sculpture of the education system. So it was perfect timing. And then okay, so since then, right now, currently I have a horror movie coming out in September Pineville. I have a show that I'm recurring on on a major streaming service that I can't talk about coming out in twenty twenty five in anything else, going on a little indie that I did. That one's too Oh I didn't even talk about that
one yet, you know. It takes a long time with totally.
Oh yeah, that's about it right now.
I think, off the top of my.
Head, that's a lot.
So I'm excited to still be doing stuff and because you're out here, but I'm still happy.
To You're just so talented. Like every time you come on screen, Like I said at the beginning, I just get so happy because you're like a breath of fresh air every time, and like getting to watch you work it feels like a gift, you know, like we're all tired of each other's faces, Like, oh, Tricia, yes, give us the.
Same for you guys, because I have to tell you, guys that I have told anybody that will listen that you guys are the hardest working, freaking people in Hollywood. You kids, but you were kids then. I was like, you guys, never at my healthiest, finniest, most energetic moment in my life. Could I do a single day on set that they do didn't leave in the air. They're like, oh, I do it again.
I know it sounds everything after the scene, it's so easy. Everything we've done ever since, it's been like a walk in the park. It's so funny.
Oh yeah, I bet, I bet you guys. And what a great training ground for you guys.
Oh yeah.
And then we'd be off to like go to break or something. They'd be like, okay, you guys got to go to you know, recording studio. I'd be like, oh.
Yes, I know. It was not a normal TV guys, awesome to watch.
I was like, thank you. Where did the energy come from?
I don't know, it was just about it. We were just on at you mentioned Shooting Star. Did you have a favorite scene or another favorite sceneor episode that you did while you were on the show.
Yeah, Well, that I always mentioned was my favorite when I cowered in the corner because the again, the camera had to be right in my face. Another one would be I mean I got to shoot a scene with Sue Sylvester with Jane Lynch in her office, and then we went to another part of that scene. We went to watch the Christmas, the Christmas rehearsal, so I think that whole thing, we'll just get to work with Jane Lynch closely and actually have a scene with her and
actually get the interact with her was freaking amazing. And then the magic of the Christmas set like, okay that they feel it through the TV when they watched, but when I was there, I was like, I just felt magical. It felt so beautiful and magical. I just thought it was so cool. And Regionals too. It was so cool to be a part of Regionals because everybody came back for that one. Yeah, right, and we're so huge, and to watch them like make this day happen.
Always like such a feat. But they always chose the right director to get us through because god, now that's there's so many moving parts, truly, so many moving parts.
Incredible to watch it all happen.
I'm so glad you enjoyed that, because I always felt bad for the people who because performing the yeah, and people who had to sit there. I was like, are they right, because it's a long day of just sitting and watching.
I wasn't in my trailer uniform. They actually got to look pretty that day.
Exactly what is the feeling that Glee leaves you with.
Oh, I mean just joy. Even though I was there you guys when tragedy happened and I saw the shift in yeah, the emotion on set and the energy, I still am left with an overall a feeling of joy.
It really was.
The energy was incredible, Yeah, I mean, everybody was happy to be there and on the show. You know, it was incredible. It wasn't exhilarating to work on the days with tons and tons and tons of extras and stuff. The very first day I went there and it was a cafeteria scene with tons of extras, and it was overwhelming, but such an amazing learning experience. I mean, just to get thrown right in there was like, oh my gosh.
Yeah for sure.
Yeah, so joy. I mean it still brings me a lot of joy because it brought so many people joy and the people that write to me, and I still do even if I don't get recognized a lot in person, I still get a lot of people writing to me and stuff, you know, yeah, and so many people writing to me about having overweight moms and just you know, relating to the material and stuff, and so I mean that just makes me happy that I was able to be part of it in touch people in that way, you.
Know, for sure, absolutely were That's so good to hear it. I'm so glad that was your experience. Yeah, I'm so glad you had a great time.
Oh I did. And you know, I actually had a director of mine from a horror movie that I did write to me and tell me my mom was heavy and I denied knowing her at a soccer game and I actually have had to go to therapy for it. Hurt me so bad in my life that I did that. I like to have that conversation with him, Like I bonded with that director on such a different level that we ever bonded on set because of that, you know.
Yeah, that's profound.
Oh so, I mean the show touched many people for many reasons. Every character touched somebody, and I think that was what It's just amazing, you know.
Yeah.
Yeah, Well, we're so glad you're continuing to grace us on the screens of our televisions and our and our movie theaters. And also thank you for all the amazing work you do as a teacher. I think there's such a need and you know you're it's it's absolutely incredible, and I think it makes such a well rounded person, which you are, so thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. We really we've loved watching you on the show.
As that means a lot, guys, and he means a lot. Thank you guys so much for bringing me on to to reminisce like this.
Thank you so much. Like I'm so happy you agreed to be on and I'm excited to watch you in more episodes as we keep going through this rewatch because like I said, you're just a gift. You're so so talented, Keep it up, keep it going. Excited to watch you and everything whatever you want.
I likewise, I'll be watching you guys do so to see whatever you guys do next.
Okay, so good to see you guys too.
I'll be listening.
Thank you, bye bye. She's such a light, she really is, and I I just time she comes on the screen, You're like, oh, that's Trisha, you know what I mean. I mean, obviously she's playing a character, but her energy is very she very similar to the character in many ways, and I wonder if it was also like a nice thing for Tricia and Melissa to have each other doing those definitely where you're just like, this is new, this
is crazy. And like she said, our first day was showing up one of those big cafeteria scenes where.
Well, and you're not coming into the show as it's starting, You're coming in at the height of season four, you know.
And I think that's a hard I mean, that's obviously a director's job, but coming in when you're not in big group scenes with characters who have been on for years, picking up the pacing and the tone and all those things is hard. But like they're professionals, they're very, very talented, and I mean, yeah, I am. I'm just so excited that we got to speak to her for a little bit. I know, what a treat. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode of Tricia ray Stall. That's what you
really missed. Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and that's what you really miss pod. Make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars. See you next time.