One on One: Tricia O'Kelley

newrous television commercials, McDonald's Budweiser series, Graduated You, University of Wisconsin, Madison. Um, she's done a ton of things in the business. Two and a Half, Men's c S, I Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, recurrent spots, Secret Life, American Teenager, UM and Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, all kinds of things. Let's bring her in Tris Show, Kelly and my old friend Mr. She's terrific here she comes. Hi. How are you doing?

It's up sunshine? You remember me? How are you? I'm good. I'm good. I'm up in. Uh, I'm in Canada doing a I'm doing a series up here. So I'm yeah, I'm up here. Well, and where are you? Are you in California in Loca Lake, I'm like away from where we met. Oh my goodness, you're right there by water Brook here, I'm right here. Yeah. Oh man. So what's the show Sullivan's Crossing. Yeah. They there's a woman named

Robin Carr who wrote a bunch of novels. She's been writing best selling New York Times author since this eden, and so Virgin River is based on her books, and that's a big hit. So now they're doing Sullivan's Crossing because those are very popular books in her in her library, and so now they're doing another show because they, you know, they love the success of Virgin Rivers's. Yeah. Yeah, I mean it's it's it's hard being away from the family,

but it's temporary and you knowstand yeah. You always good to work, right, you know, the economy going in the dumper, it's always good to have a job. How old are your kids, Well, I have I have a son who just turned eight, so it's very yeah, I know, and I want to be with him. And it's tough and it's really hard. And I watched videos. I talked to them three times a day. Thank God for that. You you have kids, I do. I have two girls. Wo and let's see, Avery is almost fourteen and Charlie is

almost welve. I'm divorced, so I only get them every other week, and but I them all day every day when they're with your dad, and you know, I missed them. It's horrible, even though they're breaking at the reed and you know, mm hmmm mm hmmm. Yeah. Well let's talk about um, your turn on this classic show and this particular episode. I gotta tell you this, Uh, this episode fourteen, season three just slaved me. And this is where we go out on our first date? Yes, I do remember that.

Is it the episode that you asked me out on the first date? It was that? No, this is where we go out on the first date, says when we go out on the first day. Yes, yes, I let you use your cell phone and a diner and lorelizes flipping out. That's all funny stuff. Um so what what? So? I have a bunch of questions here that the fans they want, they want to know stuff. They're very cuff. What do you remember about your first days on the set filming these scenes? Yeah? Well I had just come

off a see it. Well. Now, my show series was canceled one day, and then the next day was my audition for Gilmo Girls, and I had to have red hair for the series because the other leading female was

you know, blonde hair, saying length everything. So I did dye my hair red and I hated it and then didn't have time to like change it back audition for Gilmore Girls with my red hair, and then got a job and had had to keep the red hair for like a year or however, right right, right, So my first thought was that, you know, crap, I have the red hair. But um, I just remember it being so

I thrilled to get the job. I remember feeling like it's so up my alley because I was always getting the note that I was talking too fast on previous jobs that I've worked on. Remember, I remember specifically for this audition, it's like super fast, fast paced, you know, you know, speed through it. I was like, oh, thank god. Yeah.

So I remember feeling like I was very in my element. Um. And but then also just that the text, like the actual words on the page, it was like doing Shakespeare because they were so perfectly written that you know, you couldn't screw up you couldn't add lib but like A and um or you know, you know whatever. It was just so the words were so perfectly written when you got the page that there was no room for any sort of screw up or any sort of ad lib.

And so I remember feeling a lot of pressure, um and then feeling, you know, at the same time, thinking, well, these guys do monologues and monologues of that every single day. I've just got this little chunk. Surely I couldn't handle it. Um And I I just I remember being super nice and then I had so much fun with you time. It was it was nice to have, you know, something, another actor to to bounce stuff off of. I mean, it's just not that it's it got tedious with anybody

else in the cast. It's just you know, when you know, a new energy comes in, it's always great. It's always great. Um. And I also remember, I think it was even that episode the the first date, UM, I remember getting a note that I was playing her too likable. And and that's when I really knew that the audience was going

to hate me. And they're supposed to hate me, you know, because of you and Laura La and uh, you know still to this day, I think I'm like the most hated person in television history because of now I think April is you think April? I have not really heard anything bad about Nicole. Am I not paying attention? You're not paying attention. I mean that was the whole point, the whole point. I was this bitch. She was getting

the way of getting together, you know. But I do specifically remember sitting at the table at the dinner and getting a note that whatever I don't remember the line or whatever I was delivering, that I was playing it too likable, so strange. Well, you know, they have their ways, right, get you, get you where they want you to pay. Yeah, I mean I was serving a purpose, you know, right right? So what do you remember about getting the role? The

actual did you the auditioning process? Vaguely remember being in the room. I remember thinking I was going to get it, like I remember, um, so it must have gone well, or maybe it was something that Amy said in the room. But I felt really good about it. Um. But but again it was the It was really bummed that I couldn't change my hair back to blond. I was really

really funned about my hair. And then uh uh yeah, and then just just the whole thing that, like, the being able to speed through my lines was just such a comfort and such a relief for me because I'm such a fast talker. And but I wasn't thrilled. Were you aware of the show? Before I was aware of

the show, I had only seen a few episodes. What's so funny is that, you know, now, I'm a single mom of two girls, and and they're of the age where a lot of their friends are starting to watch it, and so I'm getting a lot of you know, wait where you want the borls like from a lot of their friends school, and it is really the perfect thing to watch with your daughter. And a lot of my friends who have girls my age or my daughter's age are watching it with their kids, and it's kind of

great to be a part of that, you know. Um, so I was aware of it, but I was an avid watcher. Yeah. Did I hear correctly that you never watched the show while it was on? That is correct? Yeah, that is crazy? Why, well you never ever watched the shows that ever? Well? I I saw the pilot right okay, and I thought it was terrific, And then I never watched the show at all because it's Yeah, I mean, I'm there so often. When I'm not there, I'm doing

a million other things you know that aren't related to acting. Um, and then I go back and I do my my job, and then I leave the set. Uh. You know, I get I have my life, and that's the way I like it. I didn't, you know, I didn't want to really watch it because I don't know the old saying. You know, I made the sausage, I don't want to eat it, right, So because I don't, I think I don't like watching myself. And I thought it would disturb what I was doing with the character if I didn't

like because I never like it. And I was afraid, you know, because I was getting good feedback and you know, like, hey, we like what you're doing. But if I but I started watching it, then i'd probably try to change it a little bit. Yeah, I get that. I don't know. Yeah, but it surprises me that for for years, as the showing on, you never thought the first time that's the

whole basis of the podcast. Yeah, and then I was, and then I and then I and then I want you know, I went to the premiere obviously of the reboot with Netflix, and I was forced. I tried to leave the theater before they put it on. You know, it was Winter the Winter one, and my wife grabbed my arm and said, sit down. This is looking bad. So now I'm just gonna go next door and have

a drink and I'll right. I don't want I just did not want to say I don't like watching stuff I'm in Okay, And I did, and I was really quite charmed by it. You know, I really thought it was terrific. Um. Yeah, but those are the only two I saw. I haven't seen anything else. So yeah, I'm I'm I'm getting my mind blur by this show. Yeah, shows messing with its messing. Today's shows messed with me,

um so big time. Yeah. I mean it was like the birth of you know, Sherry's baby and being in a delivery room and you know, I'm missing my my family so much now that I don't want to get into it again. I just want to all this stuff. But it's just like it was a it was a very powerful episode for me. Um. Um. So what did you think of Nicole? What do you think of your character? Well, I I like, I said, I I loved her character

she was. I thought she was funny and smart, and um, I like that she kind of saw through you right from the very beginning. Um in a good way, you know. Um. But I but again like and then I quickly realized that I'm not supposed to I don't want to like her too much because the audience isn't supposed to like me. So I think, you know that I kind of became more uh not madn't want to say, Betty, what's the word? Um? I didn't love me so much as it went on, and I think I was. I took a ride with

my own character with the audience. You know, we're at the end. I was like, oh God, just get the out let Laurelia love get together. Um yeah, I didn't. I didn't love her. But you know, this is one of my questions. Why, you know, your big city lawyer, right, gig city lawyer? Yeah? Were you doing mucking around with some diner on our stars? Hollow? What? What was the great question? Why? Why? Probably you were you were totally different from every other man that I date. It probably

you know, I mean think about it. If I was a big city lawyer, probably was you know, dating a lot of suits? You know, um and you were the complete opposite of that, and you know, I think that probably really appealed to her. I am very interested in seeing, uh some dialogue scenes between you and I just just to see, just to see what the conversation was, because we're talking about somebody who's, you know, super educated versus somebody who isn't. How is that working? How is that

coming together? So I'm interested to see these future episodes. But I don't Yeah, I don't think that if I remember correctly, Again, it's twenty years ago. But I don't think there was ever a time in their relationship where, uh, where their differences gotten the way, you know, where I felt smarter than you or you weren't cultured enough, or I don't think that that was the trajectory of our relationship. I think it's more you're sort of one ft out

the door. M hmmm. And I don't know if there are other people I've seen names, there are other people on the show, they're you know, listening in. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it was more your inability or unwillingness to kind of fully commit, probably because your heart was elsewhere and you just didn't want to admit that to yourself. I think you used me, Luke, That's what I've subconsciously. Perhaps you are sure, but then I remember when I well, I'm not going to ruin it for you if you're

watching it for the first time, but I don't. Don't, don't don't do that. I'm it's like, um, so you mentioned previously that you've got some grief from fans. Can you can you tell us a story of of an encounter that you had with a Gilmore fan that was either humorous or just so over the top hateful that you had to you know what what? What's the what's

the one you remember the most? Okay, So interestingly enough, it was never in person because shortly after the show, after my time on the show ended, I got my blonde hair back. So I don't think I was ever really recognized on the street as Nicole Um. But I made the big mistake of you know, finding my name, like reading comments and mentions and stuff like that. And I remember once it was like, um, you know, worst characters. I think it was like something like worst characters in

Gilmore Girl history, and I was never one. So I've seen I've seen it in print a lot. Um. You know, I hate her voice. Uh just people wanting me to go away. And that was that was. It was a really good lesson back in the day. Not too I think at the time. Like on IMDb, you can comments on somebody's IMDb page and I used to read mine, and that was when I realized, this is a bad idea. I'm not gonna be comments like that anymore. Um so, and so I stopped and then he stopped doing that too.

But um but now luckily I just hear I'm just hearing from like, you know, friends with my daughters who loved me, but they're really cool that I was on. So it gets better, It gets better, much better. Yeah, I see. Now you're a legend. Now I'm the cool moment. Yeah, that's right, that's right. I'll tell you these Gilmore fans man, they're a tough crown. Yeah, well you're tough. You don't get any bad comments. Everyone loves you. Well, I mean,

you know the character, it's pretty favorable. Yeah, I have to Yeah, that's pretty nice. Ye. Not that this is uh me interviewing you, but did you know that you were a part of a show that was going to be like an iconic show that oh no, I never thought it would get to this. I knew it was a quality show. I knew the writing was quality. I mean right right when you were, right when I got the pilot of the pilot script to you know, to audition from, I actually got to read. Did I get

to read the script for the pilot family? God, I don't know. I think, yeah, I think I think I did. I think I got this whole script um, which is kind of unusual. But uh, well, I don't know. Um, I knew I thought it would go five years. I remember having this conversation outside of Amy's house. She always Amy always had a big party for a Christmas party, big Christmas party. So we're out there in front of her house, taking a little little cigarette break before we

both before I quit and I made her quit smoking. Um, oh yeah, I don't think you were smoking when I was. No, I'd quit, I'd quit. I quit the first episode of Gilmore Girls. That's when I quit. I realized I was going to need the wind. Yeah, for all the fast got all the fast talk and got out of your way, and and and so anyway, I thought, I said to her, because she said, how long you think it's gonna go. I said, I think it's gonna go five years. Wow,

at least five years, and I was wrong by two years. Uh. You know what, it could have gone twenty years. This show could have just still been on it well, I mean they had to reboot. I mean, like clearly there's still interesting, yes, right, But I never thought that it would reach I never anticipated that it would become so woven into the the cultural fabric of the of the

of the nation. And you know, it's become like the v show for moms to watch with their daughters when they're daughter gets old enough, and you know, it's something that they can both watch, they're both like, and both both can relate to. And it's now, I mean, it's it's it's always a strange experience when you leave Los Angeles.

So you leave southern California to go other places to work or go over the places to travel or visit whatever, and the reactions you get from people outside of that bubble of l A where nobody cares because they just don't care, or they pretend they don't care, or they're just they're just too busy pursuing their own dreams to care. Um. But once you get out of that bubble. It's just like an onslaught where it's just daily and any It's

like I never thought it would become that ever. I mean, people are so affected by this show in such a positive way and they want to tell you about it. Right, Well, it's like it's comfort It's like, um yeah, it sounds like a bull of chicken suit. It is something really comforting. It's not just brilliantly written and brilliantly active, but just something super comforting about Stars Hollow and just the stories and everything. Alright, So getting back to fan questions, did

you have a favorite scene that you filmed? Yes, I really liked our scene when you asked me out, so not in the dinner, but when you chase me outside try and you pay me back for a cup of coffee or something like that. Right, I thought that was a really cute scene. And again it was the back stork that I loved. Uh yeah, that was great scene. Yeah. So what do you think when they asked you to come back for season four? We're happy? Oh my god, yeah yeah and surprised and I was like, okay, yeah

I can come back, but I'm blonde. Is that all right? So Yeah, and that's putting that into I think they gave you a line something where you had to acknowledge that I, you know, changed my hair or something like that. I was thrilled, and it wasn't I don't think I stayed for that long, but even just coming back for one episode was thrilling. Yeah, A fun show to do. Yeah,

it was great. It was you know, you kind of felt like you were I mean, it's unlike any show I've ever worked on before, because you literally had your whole town, you know, in the section of Warner Brothers where I don't know how many fans know this or have visited for Warner Brothers, but it's not a sound stage. It's literally like Star Hollow is there at Warner Brothers, the entire backlock. Yeah, and I've never worked on another show like that where you felt like you were actually

in the town while you're shooting. But we did it. We had two or three sound stages plus the entire back block. Yeah. Yeah, it was wild. It was amazing. It was wild to think that you're on something that is like gone, where they've invested so much into that show and then it's still there. Well yeah, I mean stars hollow is not still there, but no, but it's still I mean the the z bo is still there. Well, yeah, they're not going to get rid of that. Oh no, no,

even that's cool. No, that would there would be protests throughout the land. I agree. So what are you working on now? Anything new? Um? Yeah, I'm doing a lot of writing. Um, I'm still acting. Um I'm pitching a show with my friend, uh right now. And UM, I don't know if you knew this, and I think I was doing it back then, but I was also always into home organization. Did I tell you that at the time, like a professional organizer when whenever I was not acting,

I was organizing and vice versa and whatever. Jesus, what do I need you? Do you really? I'll help you seriously doing that years because I love it. And I'm I actually just got a book deal, so I have to write this, Yeah, this book in the next four or five months about um, you know, single mom organizing for the single mom. It's called I'm for Joy, all right. So I'm gonna get in touch with you, okay, you're you know, I'll get your contact information from me, and

you need to organize our house. I got I'd be happy to. I love. Nothing makes me happier than being up to my ear lobes and other people's stuff, like for real, but we might sell it. But well but that's the perfect time to do that. Yeah, exactly, exactly. All right? You ready for rapid fire? I gotta ask you these real? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, it's a big deal. Ready, yeah? All right? How many coups of coffees do you have? A day? Two? Are you seeing Logan,

Jess or Dean? Who's your favorite Gilmore girl's character? You? What would you order? Luke Steiner? Yeah? What would you rather? Who would you rather go on a road trip with? Taylor or Michelle? Taylor? Finished? Where you lead? I will follow um anywhere anywhere you tell me to something like that. That's good, that's good. Anywhere you left out that, But that's I'm gonna give you correct. Yeah, Jackson's vegetables are sup? These baked goods? Would you rather listen to Drella's Harper

Troubador's cover songs? Pass? There's no passsing? Okay, Wait, ask me a guess. Drello's Harper Troubador's cover songs? I don't know to send the question, So harp, who would you rather? There you go rather listening children? Prepper stars hollow high? Oh oh stars hollow Hi Wow? Okay, alright, Trisia, was that? It's it? How where I think you've got an a? I think it did very well. You know, we'll we'll be getting the feedback. You're gonna get a ton of

hate me. No, we're not. We're not. I'm gonna bet you twenty dollars. Thank you at least one. Why did you have her on? No, they're gonna say this is what it's gonna say that. You know what's gonna say. I'm not. I'm not afraid it's about anybody, about anything. But I'm telling you what they're gonna say. They're gonna say, we I hated this character so much, but now I love her because she's so damned down to earth. It's so cool. That's that's what they're gonna say. Okay, if

they say that, I will pay you twenty dollars. No, I don't want twenty dollars. Okay. It's so good to see you. I hope you get you see your family soon. Oh god, I you know they're coming out. I just I'm counting the day. So it's good. But I'll be in touch, will be organizing my house. It needs it. Thank you so much, Thank you so much. Sure all right,

take care by Bi Trisha. Hey everybody, and don't forget follow us on Instagram at I Am All In podcast and Emailie at Gilmore at I Heart radio dot com. Oh you gil More 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 CEO t t y P dot com, scotty p dot com Grade one especially coffee. Yeah h