One on One: Janet Hubert

want to get into a little bit of your bio here. Uh. You were the O G and Viv from Fresh Prince season the original series season one to three, and yet recurring in two television series Love Life on HBO, Max in the Last O G on TBS. What a fun show. Uh. She's also working on an animated series that has been created specifically geared towards young black men, called uh j G and the BC Kids. And isn't that fun? So here we go. You're here, You're on the hot seat.

Tell us from the beginning. How did you get into acting? Janet? Okay? So, my foray into acting was because there was nothing. I grew up in a small town called Moments, Illinois, population people including pigs and cows and horses, and so there was now much to do. UM. Girls didn't have many sports. I was the only girl on the boys track team, and so I got on the voice track team, and then I was a cheerleader. And then there was nothing left except the theater, and so I went to a theater.

We didn't even have a curtain. We had about four lights in the auditorium. There were only fifty kids in my graduating class. And so, uh, I just got a bug by. My first play was called The Wingless Victory UM, and so I had this wonderful acting teacher. His name

was Mr Thackeray. Mr Thackery was sort of my mentor back in high school school, and he saw that I had something and so he sort of put me under his wing and we went to state competitions and we started winning state competitions, and then we did eighty four where I played O'Brien um in and it ended up being that I won for best State, Best Actress in the state, but the play didn't. So then I went and did a summer theater and I think it was the same in the Muni Theater St. Louis Muni Theater

or something like that. Uh. With a woman named Carol Brandt, and she told me about Juilliard. She goes, you're really good, and I said really, And I said, what's Juilliard? And you talk about dumb about how you know? How would you know, I mean from a small time. I don't know. I don't know from a small town. I had no idea what Juilliard was. And so she said you should go and apply. So I applied to Juilliard and I had an audition and I did the completely wrong audition.

I they said, okay, you have to play four or more characters. A play with four or more characters. I thought I was supposed to play four or more characters, so that meant I had to be four different people. So I chose Mrs Trata m h. I had never

done classical theater ever in my life. Mrs Trata Aristophanes and I played all the women in the Acropolis trying to get out of the acropolis because they refused to have sex with her husbands because they're waging war, and so the women on the of the Greek town decide, no more saxon until you stopped having more. Well, I played all four characters of the women, and they thought

I was nuts and they love that UM. And so when I got in I got I said, wow, I got a scholarship because at that time, Julia, it was about the thousand dollars a year and they had no dormitories. So it was moved to New York City at the age of eighteen by myself with no family, no friends, no nobody. UM. My brother had a friend Jane, who was at Columbia University who just graduated. She was just getting settled. So I stayed at the Swiss House for Women. I had a harpist as a roommate. Let to get

her name. The name was Helen Latner and she played ragtime on the harp. These ladies gave us a bowl of old meal and a damn bawl the a for breakfast every morning, and I was like, I'm hungry. I was hungry, hungry, hungry all the time. So you're a Juilliard um. And for those of you who don't know, Juilliard is one of the more prestigious um acting schools or acting colleges in the world. Very very very very

difficult to get into UM. And some students right and and and you know, you'll a lot of big stars came out of Juilliard. I mean I think Robin Williams came out of there. Robin Williams was in the class above me. Yeah, he was a lot of very notable actors came out at Juilliard. Uh them right, well, Bill hurry, yep, yep, yeah, they all came out of that program. Very very intense, Uh, very good program, but so um, absolutely fascinating. I could talk.

I could do a whole episode just you in Juilliard. But let's let's do some Gilmore stuff. Um, do you remember what do you? I mean, what do you remember from that episode? I had to tell you I don't remember very much about it because it was so long ago, and I was I was. I only did one episode where I played Giselle. Giselle um, a French mother overly well she was busy. UM. I remember talking so fast. I've never talked that. That's in my name. And I

remember saying to the star of the show, what is her? Lauren? Lauren? Lauren? I said, how in the hell do you do this and talk as fast as you possibly can make your mouth move? You know, It's it's interesting what you can do when you're thrown into a situation where you have to survive. You know, yeah, you know what you know. I I always had a good work ethic, and I think obviously she came from that same discipline. So that's how you survive it. You just you rehearse the crap

out of it. You know. Well, that's also the theater. The theater is a work ethic. Collingwood does not understand that kind of work ethic. Um, the theater, the theater instills a work ethic. And you like nothing else, nothing and dance and Dan. So you were Michelle's mom, Um, what do you remember about you unique? Um? I remember that he was very lovely, very lovely young man, very handsome. Um. I said, oh, I have such a hands on ned and so I had to do this frantic simp you know.

So it was, it was, it was. It was something that we learned to do with the odd and so I was. I have a knack for accent. I remember the set being very well run, very professional. Um, But I don't remember much about it, to take the truth. I remember the discussions that we remember the wig, I remember the hair. I remember the look, um. I was trying to find it on Hulu, But I was going, where is it when you do one episode? And I saw where somebody wrote Janet Hubert was a queen of

one episodes. I was hoping that they would bring her back. You know, I know that she didn't know enough about her son as much as she thought she did, or she wasn't as attentive as a mother as she should be, which my son accuses me of all the time. So I'm like, okay, whatever, Yeah, you know, we we spoke with David Gruber Allen, who was the second Troupertoor and he he did four episodes and you only did one,

and they were so enjoyable and so memorable. I don't understand why they didn't bring him back more, bring you back more. But I guess that's just the way it is. That happens a lot where the writers just don't know where they want to go with the character. So you know, you just sort of you're sort of and Tyler Perry does it a lot. You'll do four or five episodes or seven with Tyler and he'll never bring you back.

So I did seven episodes. He hasn't even given me one episode, So I don't know what that I'd love to work with him. Do you remember what you enjoyed most about your time with Gilmore Girls? Was it just working with unique? Was it just the general atmosphere? What was it was? It was? It was the kindness of the cast. Nobody had a diva attitude. It was early in my career, very early in my career. Um so that working on a set that was that was fun,

that was professionally run. But also when you do film show versus a sitcom, there is a structure there. You do what, you hit it, you quit it, and you're out. I like, I love the format, but you don't get a chance to really know people. Because I did one episode, I didn't get a chance to really know anybody. Yeah. Yeah, so I have to admit to you that you know Rory and Um I remember some of the characters, but I just remember very little about it because it was

so fast and proved. Right. Well, Um, you're busy with other projects and so many What keeps you motivate? How can you do so many? Listen, I am out of my mind this this this afternoon, I am out of my mind. We're on a deadline to get j G and gets done. I've been doing the casting. I've been doing the writing. I've been doing the choreography for this, for this children's project, it's taking me twenty three years

to get it done. I am exhausted. I just got back from doing a show in Atlanta and then I'm on New Amsterdam tonight. Um the Last o G Love Life. It's been ever since Jesus be gave Judas. We're all you know. People have been coming with offers, with wonderful offers, and I really am enjoying my time. But this is my baby, j G NUBII Kids. It's massive. We're at a million, seven thousand dollars of a budget. Animation ain't

cheap and it's not easy, right. So I was in the studio on Zoom with Raven good One yesterday trying to finish up her pickups, trying to finish up all the pickups for the children with COVID, trying to cast it all with COVID during COVID last March, and we did not get a chance to have a radio play. They have the whole cast together. It is I'm losing hair, okay, and it's going great quick. Yeah, But it's my baby, it's my projects so I know, I know how that

feels like. I had one of those projects, of one of those kind of passion projects, and then it blew up in four days before we're just start shooting where where we're done next? Yeah, we didn't. I didn't even get to the starting line, you know. Yeah, yeah, Yeah, that's the risk you take. You know. That's it's it's hard getting these things, hard, getting financing, it's hard, getting actors committed. It's it's just difficult, right, the whole thing.

It's such heavy lifting. And then I have to tell you though, Um, sometimes when you lose one thing in your life, you realize that you've gained another skill that you didn't even know you had. And mine is writing. And I went back, came back here and started doing voiceovers and getting back my voiceover career because I was doing voiceover this before I even left for Hollywood and quite quite quite successful at it, you know, and then doing Broadway and theater. You gotta do it all to

survive and dancing on top of it. So I'm at the age where I don't want to do squad. I want to I want to wear no makeup. COVID has been wonderful mask is like a joy because nobody knows who you are. See. That brings us to our next question. When you walk down the street before pre covid, before the mask, who who do you? Who are you most recognized as? Which? Care? Vivian? Vivian? Then who else? Okay, forever and ever. When you do a sitcom and you do a role such as as mine, why, um, you

are very identified as that character? Um. And that's okay because that's television is free. You know what I mean? You come into people's homes for free. It's been the gift that's kept on giving for thirty years. We're still on the air. So I hold absolutely no ill will towards the role, the wonderful role. Wonderful role. That's fantastic. Well, this brings us to a segment called rapid Fire. Are you ready? H you don't know rapid fire. I'm just gonna start how you Let's see how you do s?

I can't remember yesterday? Wre we go? Here we go? How many cups of coffee did you have? Do you have a day? Oh? My god? I half a cop. Who's your favorite Gilmore Girl's character? Lauren? Yeah, I'll give you a chance. To answer that question again? Is it Laura? It was Lauren? You correct answer? What would you? What would you? You You gotta be careful with me. What would your order? It looks diner, looks dinner probably eggs on special for seventy five. You get tomatoes and Swiss cheese.

You can't an egg now, you can't do it. Would you rather go on a road trip with Taylor or Michelle? Mm hmmm mm hmmm. I don't know, I'd say to Taylor, really you wouldn't want to go with your own son? Michelle? Okay, first, finish the lyric. Finish this lyric ready, and where you lead, I will follow where you go. I will what you need. Okay, finish the lyrics. I will all easy you need to be with That's pretty good? All right? Jackson's Vegetables or

Suki's baked goods? No, come on, staff, make good? Thank you? Correct answer? Would you actually know Jackson's Vegetables is a correct answer. Would you would you? There's no right or wrong, It's just I'm just pulling your life. Would you rather listen to? Would you rather? Would you? Would you rather listen to Drella's Harp or The Trooper Doors cover songs, Children, Prepper Stars, Hollow High, Children Prep any anything but the word prep in it. No, that's Rory's. That's the private

school Rory's going to. Okay, favorite Gilmore Girl's memory. Oh, craft Services excellent. It has been a pleasure to speaking with you. It was a lot of fun. I did not know you went to Juilliard. We're gonna have to have you back and talk about that a little bit for God. But yeah, thank you so much for coming on. We've really enjoyed it. Sweet and I'm so glad I went into the car to talk to you. I'm in the car and the driveway. You're in the car. You're

in the car. All right, John, You take care of yourself and good luck with all of your many projects. Thank you. I hope you take care, take as and take names. Baby, you got it. Okay. But well, hey everybody, and don't forget Follow us on Instagram at I Am All In podcast and email us at Gilmore at I heart radio dot com. Oh you Gilmore fans. If you're looking for the best cup of coffee in the world, go to my website for my company scott ep dot com, s C O T T Y P dot com scott

ep dot com Grade one Specialty Coffee. Yeah.