Jessica Szohr

from here on. Please do hi. I'm jessica's Or and I played Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl and I am now hosting my own podcast x O x O. Hello everybody, and welcome again to your favorite podcast. Well at least it's my favorite podcast, Off the Beat. I am your host, Brian baum Gartner. Today is an exciting day. Now why is an exciting day? It is International Women's Day, and I am told the traditional gift on International Women's Day is to record a special episode with a talented and

funny woman like my guest, Jessica Zor. This interview may surprise you a bit, I mean not her. She herself is precisely the type of person, an actor, that you would expect on this show. You know her from shows like Gossip Girl, Complications, Shameless, or The Orville. But the thing that might surprise you a little bit is that, well, jess and I are very good friends, like came to my wedding. Good friends, like gave her mom a foot rub. Good friends. Wait was you don't have a friend like that?

Well you'll see what I mean. She is also the host of her very own podcast, XO x O, which in fact is brought to you by the same incredible team behind this podcast. Oh well, you know it's good. Please welcome fellow podcaster and one of my favorite people on the planet. Jessica Zor Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and squeaker Bubble and squeaker cookie, every moment left over from the nut before. Am I coming at Hi? Just what I'm like surrounded by you? I have your

book here, your Christmas card with your beautiful girls. Oh, I mean, I am everywhere. It's so good to see you. I didn't want to call you before we were doing this because I wanted I said the same thing, like I'm gonna call it, and I'm like, you know what, we won't. And we've always for as long as we've known each other and been friends. I feel like when I talked to her see you, it's like we were just hanging out last week. I know. So what are we the most unlikely duo in all of Hollywood? I

feel like we are. Oh my god, I love it. No, I mean seriously, I want to talk about it a little bit. How we got to know each other. But you and I, I mean again, now this is pre pandemic. Yeah, we we were like going to any parties together. What were people thinking about this? I don't know, but I honestly, those were the most fun times I've had. Papa was always with us and Celeste, and even now when they come up, I'm like, if I'm not gonna be with

you three, it's not the same. No offense to anyone that's come with me the other years. But I always have the most fun with you because you guys, don't you have fun if you don't take anything too seriously. But that's also why I think we always connected and like became friends right away. Like we're serious about what we do and our families and things like that and our work, but we also like we like see what it all is too We're not like too serious about it,

you know what I mean? Yes, I mean you have to be slightly more serious on the red carpet than I do. Let's be on. But it's crazy. I was thinking about those early days and looking over your career and stuff, and I don't think that I was fully

aware we started hanging out very quickly after Gossip Girl started. Yes, like it had to have been like two thousand seven, two thousand right in there, right for sure, which I was trying to go down because we also, like obviously with Will being a mutual friend of ours, someone I grew up with who's also a dear friend of Brian's, our friend Will Monady, who's a legend and an amazing person.

But I couldn't like pinpoint exactly the time we met, because I truly feel Brian like we've been friends for a lifetime, and although going back to two thousand seven, it's a very long time, but even I remember, like I don't remember specifically, but I know the feeling. I was like, Wow, this guy is super dope, super cool, down to earth. We were both Packer fans, which is nice from Atlanta, which is everybody she called. She called me dope. She called me dope. She called me dope.

Here's one of my earliest memories. All right, I was on this television show called The Office, which is the opposite of the Gossip Girl experience. So we're in New York and I don't remember if this is the first time I met you or very early on, but we are at an establishment and there is a general consensus and this is you, this is some of your other castmates. This is our friend Will Malnati of the Malnati Pizza

Empire and now he's taking over the world of media. Yes, and we decided we're going to go to another establishment, which is literally one block away. Okay, it is around a corner, but it is like directly behind where we are. And everyone is like, yeah, We're gonna go get in a limo. And I'm like, what, why are we get to get it? Why are we getting in a limo? And because I wasn't into the whole paparazzi scene at this point, I didn't know what was going on, so

we we pile it a limo. Your mom is there, Okay, this is crucial to the story. Your mom is there and is sitting next to me, and her feet are hurting. This is early on and suddenly I'm giving your mom a foot missile in a limo for exactly one block ride around the corner. I'm like, okay, all right, I guess this is what we're doing here. I am like laughing. First of all, my mom loves a foot rub, obviously, but that I remember that, Oh my god. And you're

not you guys, he is not joking. We literally probably getting that many people into the limo took more time than if we just walked there. But is it because of paparazzi? Oh well, hunter? And I was like, why are we not why are we not walking? Yes, but the paparazzi was a thing for you guys. Um, all right, we're gonna get into that. So my mom is gonna die laughing right now. Hey, listen, all I do is speak truth. You're off the beat. I speak off the

beat truth, all right. So you're from Manominee Falls, which, by the way, if you know that song Manomonie Beep, that's all I can think of whenever I hear Monomonie Falls. What is that the Muppet show Beep? It's not about the city, it's just the same sounds. I'm an idiot. Um, so you're from there and a big fan of the Green Bay Packers. Yes, now you bet you're a Packers fan from birth. Yeah. Basically, if you're from Wisconsin, you you are just you're a Packers fan, You're a Bucks fan,

you're a Brewers fan. There's no you don't have another option. Really. I also think it's funny. It's like the Packers like packing cheese, Brewers like beer, Bucks like Hunting. I'm like, we got some real, real cool names for our sports team, but you know, people like to drink Hunting, eat cheese, eat cheese. Wisconsin period, Cheddar. So you're from Wisconsin, you're a Packers fan, and obviously we have bonded over that.

But how did that happen? One that was like points in my book right away, like from Jump but like from Atlanta, but also a Packer fan. That doesn't happen often. No, I mean, look, it really was about the relationship with UM twelve Mr Rogers. I. Early on, he and I started becoming better and better friends, and I was following them and I was going to Green Bay and you know, I was a fan of the Falcons, the at but

I was like, what am I doing? Am I going to sort of just stay fans of this team that I grew up with that I don't get to see anymore? Or am I going to root for my friend and then through him? I've met so many awesome guys and gals, not just on the team, but people from Green Bay. So, you know, a j Hawk is a great friend of mine now, and Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb and you know,

a bunch of the guys. And then going to the Games, I spent a bunch of time with the people of Green Bay and I just fell in love with it. I fell in love with the city. I fell in love with the people. I fell in love with the organization and how they do their business. And so I'm I'm all in yeah, And once you are like a fan, you don't have a choice. Now, Brian, it's done. So it's done. I'm shooting promotional videos for them, and I know I don't know um. In fact, now we're going

story time again. I'm gonna remind you Jess and I were together for this excluding rubbing her mom's feet, one of the weirdest nights ever and also one of the greatest sports memories of my life. So we were in Dallas when Green Bay won the Super Bowl and had a crazy snowstorm in the city shutdown. I was like, that's right. It was like Green Bay Packers like brought the weather with them. I'm like, when's the last time is it snowed in Dallas and they're shutting down this city?

Like what there's yes, So that's so that's part of my story. So we are we we we go to the game. That's amazing, But I believe the night before is one of the weirdest, most uncomfortable nights of my entire life. And you were there. So we are at a super Bowl party. This is this is what happens. You go to the Super Bow all and there are parties, and you know, our little pod you know, was essentially me and you and Will and basically there starts to

be this like grumbling. It's like, oh like whisper after party of JTS after party of j T s. And I'm like, I don't know if I turned to you, however, but I remember going like, Who's who's j T. Who's It was like, oh no, justin timber Lake, justin timber Lakes having an after party, and I'm like, Okay, this all seems weird, but I'm in Dallas for the Super Bowl. Let's go for it. So there's a bunch of people and as just says, it's snowing, it's icing, the roads

are closed. It's really a serious situation in terms of the weather, and it's a city that isn't used to it. It's not like if you're in Wisconsin or in the cities where they're like, okay, we got snowpads doing. They didn't know what to do because they don't get snow like that, right. And also because it's like you know, it gets warm during the day or whatever, it turns into ice. And I'm not going to do a web report for everybody. Basically, it was dangerous and there's not

a lot of people on the roads. And somehow we procure a big suv and we're all going to the after party at J T. S. And so we get out of the car and it's a little dark, like it's like, huh, it's kind of weird. Maybe we're earlier whatever, and we go inside and there's nobody there. I mean, there's like his managers there. He's gone to bed. There's literally nothing happening at this house, and we're now from where our hotel was, were like halfway across the world.

The driver's gone, the driver's gone to bed, and I mean this was within five minutes. He's not answering calls. Whatever was We sat there for like two hours, just this thing with nothing happening. I mean, not a beer to be seen. We're just sitting now in JT's house while he slept in the other room, having just the most awkward, weird experience of my Hollywood life. It was a wild situations. Yes, so I always remember because that's obviously one of my favorite sports memories of all time,

but it's coupled with the most awkward night. Awkward for sure, awkward. I do feel like Justin ended up coming out at one point, because I remember my uncle came to meet us and met him and was like, wow, he's such a nice guy. But I'm like, I don't know what time that was. We were still waiting for our car. Yeah, and then your mom showed up. I gave her another foot rob. It was so bizarre. It's a trip. Okay, so you're in Wisconsin and you decide you want to

do modeling, So how does this happen? Talk to me about how you get your career stars. So I guess I was like four or five. I don't really remember this. Someone had stopped my mom and said, you should really consider getting her into modeling. My mom was a young mom and thought maybe there is something here and we could save the money and put it away for her for college. And in Nominee Falls, ironically now is the headquarters of Cole's department store, so they shot right there.

So I started modeling there. Then I was ten, I started working down in Chicago. That's where I met Will because we modeled together there. And then at like twelve and thirteen, started going to New York for more jobs. And then there wasn't agent that would go to Chicago and try to meet new kids to bring them out for pilot season. And we met with him and it went well, and he wanted me to come, but my parents were like, we can't afford to just like up and take you to l A. We have other kids.

We couldn't do it. That just wasn't an option. So I went through high school. And how old are you at the old I was probably twelve or thirteen. Okay, so this is like child act. Yeah, but I wasn't in I wasn't in theater. I wasn't in drama. I had done commercials and I liked, you know, the vibe in front of the camera and being funny or smiling and goofy and things like that. But um, years later, I UM, let me tell you this story first, because this is what also gave me a taste. I auditioned.

There was a big movie called Star Wars, and my dad was obsessed with all of that, and I auditioned for Princess Leah. And then I got a call back and they did fly us out to l A. And I get to this callback if they've narrowed it down to I don't like a handful of girls. And I went in to do the read and there's all these people at this big table, huge names that you know of, And then they had crans and papers and all these

things for the kids to do. And it was around the holiday, so I made cards for everyone in the room that said Jesus is the reason for the season. And as you know, probably more than half of the people in the room were Jewish. So they go in, you know, an hour later when it's my turn again and I hand the things out and the casting director comes out and it's like, where's Jessica's parents? And my mom's like sitting in there and her like she's like

right here. Thought I was like in trouble. They're like, oh, we just think it's so nice that, like, you guys aren't stage parents. He wrote Jesus is the reason for this season and handed it to a bunch of Jewish people. M I clearly didn't get the job. I like didn't remember that. My agent years later told me that, I'm like, Mom, why would you let me do that? She's like, I

was letting you do you. So there was a little bit of that where I go went to l A and you know, kind of auditioning and being in front of people that make really cool movies and really good art. And then so get to my senior year, I go to my home room, um, and the teacher says something like, you know, congratulations to the first day of the rest of your life. And I had planned on marrying Ryan Zoohockey, going to an art school in Chicago, being an interior designer.

My life was planned. And when she said that, it kind of kept going over and over in my head. I'm like, is this what I'm doing? I don't know. And then it clicked and like I kind of want to go see what that agent was talking about a couple of years ago. So I went to the guidance counselor, took all my credits, graduated at semester, and I went home that day told my parents I'm gonna graduate in January and go out for the pilot season. I just want to go see what this guy has to offer

and has to say. And they were like, if that's what's gonna make you happy, go ahead. That's how I got to l A. Now, how was Ryan Zumickey about this? Well, we had dated through high school and he's, you know, my high school sweetheart, and he's such a lovely, wonderful human. I mean it was. It was a weird thing because we're from a small town. Everyone kind of stayed there, which is awesome and beautiful. But for me, I was like, I wanted to like explore and travel and see things.

So so I did. Right. So at first I'm going to teach weather and now geography. So my nominee falls is not that far from Chicago. I mean, that's a drive just for those of you who don't know. So you you did the cold stuff, and you were in Chicago, and then you did some stuff in New York. But really, other than these couple of experiences, you hadn't had that

much experience in l A. Is that right? No? And even when I booked my first acting thing and they told me the mark and the directors like you gotta keep hitting the mark on the same line, I was. I was freaking out, Brian. I didn't know. I'm like, why why would I have to say the line every time on the same spot? And I remember it was a Damon Wayne show and one of the Wayne's brothers were helping me in the back. They're like, oh, because it's you know, they got a match stuff. So I

didn't even know what I was doing. And I was like it was scary and nerve reckoned. I'm like, I need to take like a technical class so I know what marks mean and all the moving. And I mean, because I didn't, how did you know? I mean, I have a little bit of a similar experience too, right, I mean I had done so much theater at that point, so you know, in theater, depending on how intricate the lighting and the set moving and all that stuff. You know,

they're definitely marks, but it's not the same. No, And it's literally like to the word it is. And I think that's another thing people don't realize that, you know, acting on film or television, when you're acting in front of a camera, it's there is a huge technical element. You have to kind of get your bearings. So you go right after high school to l A, so you start to book jobs. I did. Yeah, what were some of the shows you were doing? What I Like about You?

Which was Amanda Bayan's which was awesome because Kelly from nine O too, and No, Jennifer Garth was on it. I was tripping out. I was like, so excited when you get to do that. And then the Wayne's brothers, my wife and kids, Drake and Josh and Nickelodeon and I mean these were some of these were five and under, you know, a couple lines here, Um, what was really cool? And I say, maybe it was God looking out for

me or the universe. The first audition they put me on was a national IBM commercial which ran for two years. Thank god I got it. Just paid so well, I mean I made more money on that than almost all those shows I just said put together. So that was nice. I could take acting classes, I didn't have to go and wait tables. I could really focus on my craft. So that was a really big and I don't overlooked that at all. I was very blessed that that worked out for me. So you don't ever go back to

go to school. I don't. Right before I was gonna head back, I was actually talking. It was Marlon Wayne's. He said, what do you mean you're going back. You can't just come out here and give it a couple of months. You know, it takes years, and and I said, I know, but he said, no, you need to like stay and grind. And I let it like settle in. And I'm like, maybe he's right. So like a month before I had stuff picked out to go to school in Chicago, the whole thing, I called, and I'm like,

I think I'm gonna stay. And then I stayed. And then you know, like our industry, so like you can be on this thing where you're booking stuff, and then you don't book some things that you're getting offered, things that you might not love but could be cool, you're auditioning for things you love but you're not getting. I mean, there's so many different factors and emotions. And I was in a real funk. Maybe there have been like probably ten auditions I didn't get, So then I was feeling

that too, So I wanted to move home. And then my mom came out and her and Jamie Fox sat me down at Patch to tell me that they don't think I should move home, that when things get tough, the easiest thing is to do is to give up. And I listened to them even though I had like I'm like, Mom, why would you guys sit and do this to men? And Jamie is just like talking to me. I'm like, you've been in this and you've done and he's like yeah, but you don't think things got hard?

And a week later is my whole story with Gossip Girl. So thank god for my mom coming, thank God for them kind of telling me the truth. And it wasn't fun. I mean I was I was lonely. I was crying myself to sleep some of the nights I missed my family. Um. When people are like, oh, it's so glamorous, I'm like, you guys didn't know when I was like by myself, crying myself to sleep. But yes, there's beautiful things that come along with it, but there's definitely it's a it's

a roller coaster as an actor for sure. Yeah, I love hearing. I mean, first off, you're so cool that you name dropped one of the coolest, hippest places that no one knows in l A, Pa, just like you just threw it in there, just like that's my favorite. Oh god. Um. But know that those moments like that, even all this these many years later, that that stuck

with you, that you were really about to leave. And you know, you might think that your mom would say, come home, little girl, but she had the gumption too to convince you to pursue what she knew you wanted to. Yeah, and she always did tell me come home, you stay here if you if we need to find you a place that you want to move out, And that was always that, but she really was. She said, I think you find a happiness here and you're just going through

a bit of a thing, so I'll come out. And even just my mom's presence being there took a lot of that feeling away, of the loneliness, even you know, and then when she left again, I like broke down and free, and I'm like, oh my god, I'm like on the four or five crying of music. And then I like look around him, like these mountains are beautiful. I live in l A. Like, come on, just get it together. This is nice. It's not that bad. No,

it's not that bad. Yeah, all right, So you have this talk at cool one and then you meet the folks on Gossip Girl talk to me a little bit about how that happens. And that's not in l A. Right, Well, it shot an New York. But right around this time, I was in that funk of wanting to move home and a friend of mine and his roommate they were going to this barbecue and asked if I wanted to go, and I wasn't really in the mood. I was like,

because it was at that thing. I'm like, the last thing I want to do is like be around people in l A at a barbecue because all they do is talk about themselves and the industry. How funny and contradicting as I'm doing that. So I wasn't in the mood. And my friend, um Nathaniel was like, no, you know, it'll be fun. So him and his friend come and pick me up. I literally go in the car, no makeup, and we get there and I meet, you know, the

guy who owns the house. He was very lovely and his friend Stephanie, and we're like drinking Margarita's and sitting by the pool and people are talking about life and things. But there it was like kind of refreshing because it wasn't what I had in my mind of all the other things I'd been to. It was really kind of nice. We'll cut too. It happened to be Josh Swartz and Stephanie Savage Josh Schwartz's house. Stephanie and Josh were obviously

both there. They're the creators of Gossip Girl. They don't mention a word to me there about anything, but in their mind, apparently the way they tell the story is right when they shook my hand, they're like, this is Vanessa. So a couple of days later, I get a call from my manager. I go to Warner Brothers. I audition. I felt like it went well. You know auditions, Sometimes you feel like, well, it doesn't go your way. Sometimes you feel like they don't you get the job. It's

so weird. I thought it went well, but I always after an audition if I don't get it, I like to get notes so that I can work, so I can bring it into the next thing, just iron out or get better at I do want to learn and keep going. And that's the coolest thing about actors. We can keep learning and going and getting better. An an an acting coach told me that as athletes, they can't their bodies give out. With us, they don't. We can keep going.

You just keep getting better, and like, yeah, I kind of like that because we can just be like seventy and keep doing it. We're superior specimens to athletes. Basically, that's where my brain just took that that I'm going to carry with me from here on. Please do uh Yeah. So they call back and they said they love to read. They just kind of feel you kind of look a little similar to the Three Girls, which is Blake Lively, late Mester and Taylor Momson. Um, if you know what

they look like, I look nothing like them. So I'm like, what I'm like, send pictures of my hair curly. I'm like a little bit mixed here. So they send pictures of my hair curly and then they're like, yeah, so I go to New York and I do my three to four episodes and then on that fourth or fifth episode, they asked me to be a series regular and that changed my life. Yeah. So did you know Gossip Girl? I mean this was a hot show at the time, Like,

were you aware of it? Were you had it started airing at this point when you joined or no, nope, it had not aired. But when I got there, every billboard in Times Square, every bus had the cast up, and there was a lot of buzz around it because it was, you know, the creators of The o C. That was such a huge hit. So I had a feeling, I'm like, whoa, people are going to really dig this um. But yeah, when I landed and I'm like, well, there's

literally posters everywhere of this show. And then when it aired, Yeah, it hit pretty quickly. Can I ask you this about the Office? The fourth Wall thing to me is like so wild? Did you guys have to do like did they do like lessons with you on it? Yeah? No, I mean the camera is definitely a character in the show, and so us having to use that other character was was something new. I don't I don't remember us talking

about it too much. There were definitely some scripted moments, I mean Shocker Jim Michael where it was scripted specifically looks to the camera. Um, there was definitely that. Kevin was actually one. I was one that used it a little more than most, and it's different. It's difficult now. I mean some of my old co workers and I were talking about it through the podcast that now when I have a bad joke or something, I want to give a look to the camera, and it's really not

to at this point to pretend it's not there. Yeah, well, you all did such a great job with it, but I just didn't know if you had to because what I mean like getting I don't want to say trained by it, but like on the Orville was seth um McFarland,

there's some languages and some of the planets. So if someone comes and guest stars, they have to go and take lessons on how to move and do it, which I guess it's not the same thing, but in my mind, I'm like, I wonder if there's like a thing of timing or that I don't know, because it's so great that you guys do it and it's so flipping funny Bryan, Right,

And that's that's actually what I said. I think the hardest job in the world for an actor is actually the like one week guest star job, because it's not just the technical elements, but even if you're experienced every show, every movie, you do things a little bit differently. You know, as I joke with people, it's like you literally don't know where the bathroom is. So you're there, you are like, where's the bathroom? And how are we shooting this and where? Yeah,

so that's a huge part of the work. Actually, I think you bring up a really good point. Yeah, a guest start. Yeah, I don't think people realize that either. And then I also think, even no matter how professional, how many times you've worked on things, it's also nerve wracking because you're stepping into someone else's playground. There's just so many things to it, like the dynamic with everyone, how how much do the producers care if you're married to the words are not? Can you be loose with it?

There's just a lot of stuff. And when you watch an episode, the guest star brings such another layer to it because it's the new arc of the storyline or whatever that episode is. About so it's so important, but there's like so much that goes in like what you just said to it. Yeah, No, that never actually really

occurred to me. But we've had guest stars Amy Ryan talking about coming on the set for the first time and like it was really difficult, and I wonder if you actually bring up an interesting point that, yeah, it shot a little differently. There is a different vocabulary. You brought up marks, right, We didn't have marks. And in fact, there were times, you know where you would say like, so, where do you need me, and the camera guys would be like, oh, we'll find you. Like literally, don't do that.

And you know, as we've talked about, sometimes the shots that they had to search for us a little bit were ultimately better. Wait, I want to finish off about about Gossip Girlfriend. When did you realize that it was going to be huge? Um? There was all of a sudden a time where we got to work and we all had to have security guards, which was really eye opening and wild. There was a time a fan handed me a little puffy key chain and the my security I grabbed it from my hand and I'm like, what

are you doing? It's a hello kitty thing? I love Hello Kitty. That's cute that she knew that, And I was I would have honestly like used it or had it in my trailer. And he ripped off the head and there was like a microphone in it. I said, how did you know that? And he said, that's like someone trying to get some dirt and information. You never

take something like that from a fan. And you know, me, my like Midwestern, I'm like, oh my god, giving her a hug and like thinking she's great, and I remember that. I'm like, people care that much that they're gonna like give me a fake Teddy Bear Hello Kitty situation to hear some stuff that is crazy. It's how creepy, Oh my gosh. But yeah, it was stuff like that like that, or you know, if we go somewhere and having to go in the back door. As an actor, you don't

really ever think what if something hits like that. You're just happy you got a job. I'm living in New York and making money. The character was cool, My cast was cool. You don't think about all that kind of stuff coming having to sneak in or you know, use a different name and all that stuff, and all of that was like, Okay, I'm like, this show's hitting in a way that I didn't expect, right, or like taking

a limo to go one block, right. I mean that for me was I mean, my show had been on for a few years, it had not caught on in the same way or it just I mean, obviously it's just a very very different kind of show with different kinds of people. But yeah, I remember experiences with you around that that yeah, I mean, that's just that's crazy. But I feel like you can't walk anywhere in any room at any part of the world now, Brian, where

people aren't coming up to you left and right. Well, yeah, that is true because I remember my cousin when we remember we went to watch the Packer game down in San Diego. My cousin Sam and Cody came and she's like, why did you not say you know you were with Brian. I so because I don't. He's just a friend of mine and he's the loveliest person. They had so much fun and thought you were awesome, and but I just remember she's like, oh my gosh, people are coming up

to him left and right. That's got to be like a lot. Yeah, I would say probably more so than anyone got some girl. Now, well, it's I think it's more specific fans. I think that people aren't generally looking for that photo to post, you know, that sort of Yeah, I'm gonna call it that sort of insidious side. Thankfully, there's not been as much. I mean, clearly some I mean, look, it is what it is. But for me, most of

the time it's fan interaction. I mean, you know, by the way, I still I will post things about where I have been, but very rarely where I am right now, right, yeah, that we have a friend was overseas and they were all out to dinner. It was a big group of you know, ten people. I think somehow someone figured out where they were staying. They got back and the house

was broken into. Their passports were taking all the things, and I remember thinking, I'm like, that's probably because people can kind of people can figure stuff out, you know what I'm saying. But that's scary, No, that is. And you know, actually, I'll tell you this is just a very funny story. I was shooting in Columbus, Georgia, and I had an overnight shoot and right as it's getting dark and you can see it on my and so

you can go back now and look at it. We were shooting at a very rough hotel in Columbus, Georgia called the Thunderbird In and on the on the sign out front it advertised having a pool. Yet at that moment people were having dinner when we had just arrived. They were literally eating dinner on the grass that had filled in the pool. But yet the sign was still up advertising that you could stay at the Thunderbird End and have a pool. I thought this was the funniest

thing ever, so I posted this video that made me laugh. Basically, that was all my point was. And I showed the pool, show the sign, show the thing, and at like three thirty in the morning, people start showing up, like and I'm like, what what I mean Columbus Georgia, Like how the security guys like yeah, there's some guys here who you know. And I'm like, oh my goodness. Anyway, but that's not getting broken. I mean, all that is just crazy crazy. But wait, how about when you were at

the wedding you didn't know the bride? Yes, yeah, that's in the introduction to the book where I stopped in to see this is the first time Angela and I were in Scranton. That's very cool. You guys did that. By the way, I love I love going um and they I'm told that the bride is a big fan of the show, and so I I go ahead and say hi, and she tells me it's the best moment of her life. She's in her wedding dress at her wedding and I was like, no, no, no, no no, you

just got married forty five minutes ago. She was like, nope, this is it. And I was the lass don't. And then I was just in Scranton a little while ago, and the woman came up to me. She's got a daughter, she's ten. She came up, she was she had the book. She wanted me to sign the book, and she was there. I mean, it was so crazy to see her. It's so awesome. I love stuff like that though. That's awesome. Um, all right, so tell me tell me about tell me

about the podcast. So Brad is playing hockey in Calgary for the Calgary Flames and I had just wrapped the ore violle and I'm like, okay, I'm gonna take a beat. I'm a new mom because I was literally went back to work with a three month old working fifteen hour days, so it was it was a wild situation. So that that show wraps season three and I'm like, I'm gonna take a beat. I'm gonna come with you, Brad. For the first time in our relationship, I can actually come

with you somewhere. And a couple months before we were leaving, I get a call from my manager and they said, this amazing production company has this idea for a podcast, and they pitch it and kind of say, like a rewatch situation. I kind of sat with it. I was like, I'm not sure if a rewatch is for me, but maybe like a walk down memory lane and talk about why the show was a hit and how the fashion was a character and how it was filming in New York and bring on some of the cast and the producers.

And so I pitched kind of my creative thoughts on it and what I thought could be cool and fun to do, and they liked it. And I got to come to Calgary and be in my home and still be with my daughter who's just you know, downstairs taking a nap right now, and get to go to Brad's game. So I kind it's like the best of both worlds.

That's why I wanted to do it, is one so that I could be with my family but also create something that's super fun and take the fans behind the scenes a little bit of stuff they didn't really know. And it's really fun to go back and reminisce with everybody because we haven't watched the show in so many years and we haven't talked about all the things that were nuts and crazy and fun and and it's really great.

I will say, there's a lot more work that goes into a podcast that than people know, don't you think. I think people are like you just throw the headphones on and you talk to your friend, like this is fun because I really feel like you and I have just been on the phone for but there is a lot more. Now is it fun work? Am I having the time? For sure? I just on the other day it's like, oh, that must be nice. You just go

in and said, I said, no, it's not. Just by the way, there's a lot more, but all worth it, obviously, but yeah, I just you know, it's like one of those things until reality shows started, like showing like restaurants and stuff, you never really think about all that stuff. If you're not in it. So when someone's like rude and sends back a dish, I'm like, oh my god, the chef's been here since like five am. But you didn't.

You don't think that, do you know what I'm saying? Like, until I did this, I would have never known what you all had to do to like be where you're at now. No, absolutely well, Jess, thank you so much. You know how much I love you. I like just seeing you here, hearing your voice all the way up there in Canada. And in fact, I will will I'll close by by how we began. I thought that again. I'm doing weather in geography today. I drove through Northern

Michigan University. I spoke at Northern Michigan University, which is straight head north, as you may know, on the other Great Lake from Green Bay. And we drove through Manominee, Michigan. Right is that that's not where I'm from, the right Okay. And we tried to call you to get a recommendation, but I was like, this is she's from Nominee Falls. Nomie Falls is down by Milwaukee. But everyone confuses both and I get it. I mean, the name is like wild Um it was lovely to see your face. I

miss you so much. I want to come give you in the family a big hug. But this was so so fun. I may have to, like also just call you and ask like certain questions. Make sure I'm doing all this podcast stuff right, because you're like a gangster the o g of it now. So you're doing awesome all right. Here we are Beauty and the Beast. Um. Sorry, no offense, no offense beast. Thanks jess That's right, folks, you heard it here first. I am beauty, but you

already knew that. Jessica. So good to see you, my friend. I hope we meet up again very soon. Let me know when you're back in the US. Thank you all for listening once again to this humble podcast we call Off the Beat. Follow us on Instagram at off the Beat, and like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast and come back next Tuesday to hear from a guest who may or may not have been on what is often regarded as the greatest television show ever made other

than The Office. Have an excellent week. Off the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Lang Lee. Our producers are Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandski