One on One: Rona Benson

I am all in, bless you. I am all in with Scott Patterson an iHeartRadio podcast. Hey everybody, Scott Patterson one eleven productions. iHeart Radio, iHeart Podcasts, iHeartMedia. We're going to speak with Rona Benson. Let me read off here. She played Joni, a Yale Daily News student for eight episodes. She's an actor and producer from New York. She graduated UC Berkeley with a degree in cognitive science. She's known for playing Yale Daily News student Jony on Gilmore Girls

The role well, I did one of those casting director like showcases where actors, you know, you got to pay, and then you perform a scene and you hope that casting directors are there to see you. And one of the Gilmore Girls casting directors was there and based on that, she called me in and then I booked it.

So, oh that's great. You must have been thrilled because that's kind of of a long shot. I mean it's a long shot anyway, Yeah, but especially doing it that way, that's fantastic. You must have been thrilled.

Yeah. I was really thrilled and surprised, and that was very cool.

And it turned into a pretty good stint. I mean, you did eight episode, so that's man.

It did I know? And it wasn't It was originally just a co star for one episode and then it turned into four. So that was cool.

You were doing something right. That's a fun story. Did you watch the show before you landed the role? You were aware of the show.

I had never seen Gilmore Girls, so you know, I get the audition the night before and I'm like, well, I don't know anything about the show. What the heck? You know? And I had to scramble. And this was before and everything was streaming, so I had to somehow try to find a snippet of it to watch and find out about it. Yeah.

Probably not so easy to watch it, Yeah, that's for sure. So you played a student for the Yale Daily News. How was it being in the newsroom in Paris? Was going through a breakdown as the editor of the paper? What was that like?

It was really fun. I mean it was kind of chaotic. She was kind of crazy. She went nuts, you know, it really did. But you know, as an actor, I was just so excited to be there and it was very energetic, you know, lots of extras and lots of people around. It was really and everyone was really nice. You know, it was fun.

Those are fun scenes. I love those those newsroom scenes. They're all fraught with so much going on. So Paris made everybody in the newsroom where numbered caps?

He did?

I remember? And so was it? You think it was more funny or more cruel? Well we'll get to that. Do you have a So what's your favorite moment on the set? As you on that set?

There was one day where you know, we just had some downtime and so that the Yale Daily News crew we kind of snuck off and were wandering around, like we went to Luke Steiner, he went to all the other sets and took pictures. That was fun.

You were Taurus correct?

Yeah?

Yeah? Did you? First of all, did you watch the episode before he came on, and if you did, what was it like watching it back after all these years.

I watched my scenes last night because I thought I better refresh my memory, and it was it was so weird. Do you know It's because it's like, has it been like fifteen years? Been a long time. And I was like, oh my god, you know I was skinnier than I thought, you know, you know all that stuff. I was like, I didn't look as bad as you know thought I did. And yeah, I think as a young actor, I was always really hard on myself. So watching it back, I was like, you did a good job, you did a solid job.

It was okay, right, right? Right? Do you get recognized rarely?

I could maybe count on my hands, maybe even one hand, but a couple of times I have, but people don't really know. They're like really familiar, and I you know, and then then they might ask go or you an actress and then it comes out. But sometimes I know that's where they know me from, but I just pretend. I'm like, oh, I don't know, maybe it's right, I don't know, and I just pretend because I don't want to.

Know when they when they do recognize you, what's the reaction? And when you inform them that, yeah, I was on gil More Girls for an episodes, they do they what's the reaction with oh yeah?

Then they say oh yeah, yeah, of course now I remember, you know, they couldn't place it before, but then they once I say it, then they remember and then they get excited, you know, because they're like, oh my god, it's my favorite job, and they get all excited.

Right, So let's talk about how you got started in acting. You have a degree from UC Berkeley and cognitive science. How'd you go from science cognitive science to acting.

Well? I always wanted to act all like, since I was a little kid, but my family was very academic and not really you know, entertainment. They didn't know about that world at all, and so they kind of discouraged me. And then I went to school and did my school thing, and I thought, wait a second, now I'm done with college. I don't want to go to grad school. I don't want to go to med school. I don't want to go to law school. You know, screw it. I'm going

Really, yeah, really, And how did the family react.

To that rebelled against my family? They I don't think they liked it, but I I kind of didn't care. I kind of said, this is what I'm doing and just I didn't like ask their permission or anything, because that's what I'm doing. And then once I started to book things, you know, like big plays or something, then they'd want to come see it and tell everyone. And I'm like, wait a second, you weren't so into it

What did your what did your parents do?

What were they My mother was a mathematician and my father was an engineer. And then when he was forty he went to medical school. So I was like in elementary school when he went to medical school, which was weird back then. I mean maybe now people go back to school later, but I mean I didn't think. I didn't know that it was weird when I was a kid. It just that's just how it was, you know.

Right, right, right, So who'd you study with when you got to LA who are your teachers?

I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts a bunch of teachers there. There was one teacher his name was He doesn't have his own studio or anything, so his name was Howard chang Raw. You know. He was a really good teacher. And then I more recently, I studied with someone named Richard Side s E y D. Fantastic, we plugged people. I highly recommend if anyone wants to take classes. He's great.

Okay, great, So let's get back to the set of Gilmore. What was it like working with with with Matt Zugreg Do you remember, Yeah, you know, we were He's a big favorite of ours open here, so.

Yeah, you know, I didn't inter It was those were big group scenes and I didn't really have like just private, one on one scene time with him, So you know, I remember he was nice and we were all just hanging around and joking around, but uh, I don't really know. It was it was more of a group thing than just him one on one.

Did you did you have any dialogue with with Matt or Alexis or or or Eliza?

Uh? Yeah, more with Liza and Alexis gotcha.

Yeah, tell us about your experience working with Alexis.

She was really sweet. I think she's a shy person, so but she was very nice to work with, very professional, you know, would chit chat with us, but actually sometimes she would, you know, I think she was shy, so she stayed to the to the side, you know, but she was really nice. I remember one time I there was a cast photo, like I got invited to be part of the yearly cast photo. And this was after

Right, yeah, right, Yeah, they had busy schedules. They were there all the time, yes, all of us, you know, were I mean but not like those two. They were there every day all day. Yeah, it was daunting.

And Liza was really she was sweet. She was really nice and fun. We would chit chat on the sidelines, you like she was. I liked working with her good too.

Yeah. Any other stories you want to share from your memories of the set? What did you do you remember going through wardrobe? Do you remember the wardrobe experience Brenda Maven and her team?

I think we had We had to bring some of our own clothes too.

Oh really, Yeah, it's just an interesting.

Because I don't know. Yeah, So it's funny because when I watched the scenes yesterday, some of them, I'm like, oh, yeah, that was those were my jeans or that was fine?

Right?

Yeah? Yeah.

And when you told do you remember the day you told your friend? Was your family aware of Gilmore Girls? And when you told them, what did they How did they react? I did they feel like, hey, maybe she's made it, and like we were wrong and she made the right choice and she's on Gilmore Girl. She has eight episodes. It's a lot of episodes for Gilmore Girls. I mean that's that's a pretty good, pretty good number.

Yeah, it was kind of cool. Thank you. I. I don't know, they probably were not aware of the show because I don't think you know, they were older. I don't think they're into that kind of.

Stuff TV watchers.

Yeah, or if so not not Gilmore girl, you know, not that you know, I don't know what they were watching, but probably not that. I'm sure once I was on it, you know, they watched the episodes I was on, you know, and they were excited and all that stuff. But yeah, I don't know that they ever were excited like finally like oh, you know, they they were proud, you know, they said, oh, we're proud of you and all that stuff.

Yeah, well, you gotta do what you gotta do. You got to you gotta go where your heart leads you. Yeah. Yeah, I got a lot of resistance too. My father was not happy.

No, you were because I looked you up a little bit too. You were a professional baseball player, right I was. Yeah, and uh and I was before the acting obviously.

Right right, yeah, And then and then I went to Europe for a time and try to figure it out the rest of my life. Instead just had a brilliant time. Thought this should be the rest of my life, but I knew I couldn't sustain it.

Yeah.

Yeah. I came back and dove into the acting scene in New York. Yeah. Uh yeah. My dad was not happy. He just said, go back to college. I mean, you know, get your degrees and let's go here. And I just you know, I just said, nah, I love this and I really want to explore this, and I think it's something that I can do.

Good for you.

Yeah. No, I really held I mean, and he was he was a tough character. You know. He was like, you're going to do this thing and you're not going to do that, and I'm like, nah, I'm going to do this. I had to really fight for it, and he just was not happy, just man. And then and then when I started having success, he you know, he really didn't come around. And then Gilmore Girls happened, then he was like what could he say?

Yeah, you're shut him up to the lead of a show for years. You know, that's quite successful at that point.

Yeah. But you know, now that I'm a father, I understand where he was coming from. They just you just want the best for your kid. You want him to, you know, have the best chance at success and going in at your mid twenties into something where you should already be established in a profession at twenty five. You know, if you're going to have a career, you're going to be already established and have a pretty good resume. I mean, I understand now his concerns. I don't blame him for it.

I guess when you're young, you think the best thing for you is your heart and your passion and all. And when someone's older and they're thinking about their kids, they're thinking, oh, well, the best thing for my kid is security and stability.

And yeah, all right, we're gonna play a little game called rapid fire. Doesn't mean it's going to be quick. You can take your time with the answers. Okay, no pressure, Okay. How do you like your coffee?

I don't. I don't like coffee. I wish I did, because it's such a social drink. Everyone goes and gets coffee. I just never like the taste of it.

I don't like it.

I wish I did.

Wow. Yeah, and you should try my own coffee brand. It's called Scottie Pea's Big Mug coffee. You should try it.

It's amazing.

You're gonna love coffee after that.

I guarantee the whole category. Though. If I were gonna love a coffee, it wouldn't be your coffee.

But it's supposed to be supposed to be good for you too.

Coffee.

Yeah.

Yeah?

Are your Team Logan, Team Jess or Team Dean?

I have to confess I am like you are when you started this podcast. I have not seen Gilmore Girls except the little snippets I was in, so I don't know.

Wow, I know, mind scrambling, I know. Well, I'll just answer for your team Logan.

Okay, because he helped us get the paper.

Outs, right, because all the better people are.

Yeah, yeah, okay, done done.

Who is your Well, you haven't seen the show, You can't answer any of these questions. Who's your Who's your favorite Gilmore Girls couple? Luke and laurele I or Emily and Richard.

Well, I know like a little bit who they are, so I'm definitely gonna go Luke and laurele.

I for sure. Would you rather work with Michelle or Kirk?

Michelle was in the inn right that?

Yeah, yeah, and Curtsey.

I don't know them well enough to give you a good answer.

I think either one is fraught with peril. Oh God, So it's a tough one.

So can I be above? You can stay unemployed and not work?

Yes, there you go. What would you order at Luke's Diner?

Probably French fries and a diet poke. Maybe also a cheeseburger if I'm nice?

Who would you rather hang out with? Paris or Lane? Kim?

Lane?

Would rather hang out with Lane?

Yeah, because Paris was mean and scary.

Right, you want to hang out with the same person. Yeah, yeah, right, he's in a band.

Yeah, that's so cool.

That's very cool.

Yes, And she was on Felicity. I love that show. Although that is you with her character, I know, but that actress. I think she was on a couple of episodes of Felicity.

And this question has taken on a whole new meaning. Give and what's going been going on in the IVY League Harvard or Yale? Or drop out and live in a poolhouse?

I would not drop out and live in the pool house. Okay, it is kind of what Harvard is kind of there's a hot mess there right now, for right now, I'll say, Yale, there you go.

Would you rather attend a DAR event with Emily or a town hall meeting with Taylor?

Town hall meeting? Oh?

Really?

Well? DR is Daughters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, right, so it's kind of an elitist, kind of stuffy group.

Right.

Yeah, I'll go to the town hall meeting for sure.

But in the town hall meeting it's going to be actually very stuffy at one hundred and twenty degrees and you're going to be there all day and half the night.

I don't know if I could handle the DAR meeting for a T shirt and shorts and go to that.

You would rather suffer inside that hot tent? Okay? Hey, I would very noble? Yeah, Gilmore's Gilmore Girl's character that you would want as a roommate.

Gilmore Girl's character that I want as a roommate.

I'll say, Rory, something in your life you are all.

In on I am all okay, this might sound a little wou. I am all in on the truth, Like I just want I want to know what the truth is and like doing all our filters and conditioning and all that stuff for moving all us and seeing reality and truth for whatever.

Living in the wrong times for truth. Nobody wants to speak the truth I.

Know, but I do all the more because of that.

So yeah, me too, Rona. It was a pleasure. Thank you for coming on, appreciate your time all the best and we really enjoyed it. And thanks so much, Thank you so much.

Good luck with the podcast.

Thanks hey everybody, and don't forget Follow us on Instagram at I Am all In Podcast and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.