One of the things I've kind of gotten into a little bit lately is the origin of phrases, Oh have you guys ever?
You know, it's like, where did this come from?
So many of them come from Shakespeare and we don't even know it.
A ton of them come from Shakespeare, which is great. But I heard one the other day that kind of led me down the rabbit hole to then. And I can only remember two or three right now, but the one I heard was the so back in the eighteen hundred, the early eighteen hundreds, very a story started to go around with the aristocracy and the rich people in the world that people, when they died didn't actually die and
were being buried alive. So rich people, doing what rich people did, tried to buy their way out of that ever happening. And what they did for that was they started to build above ground tombs where their bodies would stay until people knew they were dead, and then they'd be buried. The problem was the bodies would start to decay and smell, which is where the phrase stinking rich comes from.
So I thought that was really cool.
The other one also about so carnivals back in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds. You would win things based on your age and how much money you spent, so the younger you are, the stuff was at the bottom and you could play for you a penny or whatever it was, and you could win the little things where the most expensive thing at the top was always the same and it was for adults, and what you would win was a cigar, so if you didn't win, you were close, but no cigar.
So they are all these kind of.
When you knew came from somewhere, right. It was like, because you're like, why would you say that? What does this even mean unless you're winning a cigar? But stinking rich. I always thought stinking was just like a modifier, like an intensive fire, you know, like a stinking cool that's.
Apparently where And again you wonder how many of these these are all Internet things, so you wonder how many of these things are true, But.
It's the origins are are so interesting.
I mean, everybody knows where Matt as a Hatter comes from now and all that kind.
Of making up my own.
Take some So what would pick a phrase, what would be the history of what's the pod meets world exact?
Give me a phrase my favorite phrase because I remember the first time I heard it, being like, I'm sorry, what six of one have to another?
That one?
The first time I heard that as a kid, I was like, that makes no sense and my mom my mom threw it out very casually.
Well, it doesn't matter. It's six of one.
I think that's how she shortened it too. It doesn't matter, that's six of one. It's like, wait, what it's what?
Well, six of.
One, half dozen of another. It's the same thing. It's some of one thing or half a dozen, it's the same thing. And I remember thinking I'm going to use that forever, and still to this day.
Anytime I use it, I think I love that.
I love that.
I love that so much. Oh, we have to be write there. We have to come up with a with a great one. Well, I mean, do you know where you know we're cutting the red tape? You know where that comes from?
Yeah, I think you've talked about that on this you did you mentioned that?
Yeah, that was the Civil War soldiers.
They had to actually go to Washington to get their benefits and they're all wrapped with red tape.
So there's the we'll have to come up with a good one. What's good what's a random phrase that you can just make up?
What if we have.
To come up with something that implies, like something pertaining to our recaps and the episodes and like a drop shock of a season.
Grovers did come up with that one. You're right, that is Grovers not not.
That's a good not. Also sounds like the town you live in and like goose bumps.
You know, it's like, God, Grovers, someday I'm going to write something that's not.
Well, it'll be a real if you know, you know, moment concludes that then something we can all watch.
What about underhanded?
But if we just make up something for underhand, because you know it's got to already be something, but we just make up something totally different?
Yeah, a different history?
Yeah, what's the history to under a distory?
A distory.
History that's a vague history that sounds a little creepy, like.
I gave her a fist.
Google.
It's gonna.
Thing and there's gonna be badness that's gonna happen. So all right, we'll come up with something. Grover's a good one.
Though Grover's not is a good one.
I still think there's something about there's something we could do if I keep because I keep thinking about my six and one half dozen, have another like the drop shock of a you know.
The Yeah, we've had to have said something.
The high jinks versus the something. But Grover's Not's probably the closest we have.
Wait, what about what about the shady melon? A shady melon? Because like, where did shady melon come from?
Yeah?
That could be something.
Do you know that person's a shady melon?
It's like, where did that come from? Well, it's back.
So in the seventeen hundreds, the aristocracy would heard that you could only buy melons that weren't fully raised in the sun. Right, they had more shaite, So they would they would buy these parasols and they would sit outside and.
They would have shammellon covering the melons. Shady melon.
I like it. That's perfect.
Welcome to Pond Meets World.
I'm Danielle Vishel, I'm right or Strong, and I'm Wilfordell.
We continue our little halftime break of season six with be kind Rewind episodes, and today we've asked one of our most beloved cast members to return to Podmeats World to revisit an episode that left us with a lot of questions, most of them she could answer.
Season six is her Answer.
Part two was a rare return of focus to her character, and we wondered not only about the backstory of how it all went down, but how she felt about the script, more specifically a blow up on Tapanga, her son's future wife and her future daughter in law that felt both confusing and maybe disliked by the actress. But that was all just conjecture on our part. So we've invited her back on the show to get into it. Rewatch the episode on her own and let us know how she
feels almost thirty years later. So this week we are thrilled to be reunited with a woman who's probably never actually wanted to panng It to go to Yale. It's Amy Matthews herself.
Betsy Randall.
Yeah, Hi, how are you are you?
I just wanted you to see your picture in the background if I can get it.
Oh, there it is.
I've got that same one hung up on my wall.
Does Yeah, everything I tape an audition. I'm looking at that. You need to be big.
Please get me back on a show like that, young like that anyway, Hi, Betsy, thank you so much for coming back. We have proven that we would make any excuse.
To see you again.
So I'm so glad you watched a big episode for US season six, episode two, Her Answer, Part two, which was a continuation from the premiere show of the season. A little refresher here for our listeners. It originally aired on October second, nineteen ninety eight, and was directed by
David Kendall and written by Matt Nelson. So, before we get too deep, I wanted to tap into your mind a little bit back in nineteen ninety eight, what were your off camera feelings about Corey and Topanga getting married at such a young age.
Oh? I thought it was totally too early.
Yeah, yep, yeah, I.
Thought they Well my off camera thing, well, yes, I let you know on camera too. I thought the scene was right. I thought the whole episode was wonderful. So I think we were all really good. Yeah, but I really just didn't approve of you guys jumping into marriage when you hadn't even gone to college yet.
Uh huh.
Do you remember, because it's mentioned in the episodes that that's apparently what Amy and Alan did.
I was in denial about that, Okay, okay, I actually didn't know.
That Okay, Yeah, it's discussed.
You know that.
Did they tell us that?
I don't know.
That's what it was doing season the episode Long Walk to Pittsburgh, I think is when they talked about it, because that was another one where Amy was sort of against against Tipanga and Torri and then sort of won over by Alan pointing out that they had been married when they were eighteen.
Right or eighteen or nineteen where they started.
Dating at least. Yeah, I didn't.
See that one.
I just.
I'm gonna have to go back and see what was I thinking. Well, I'm not sure how to answer that.
Oh, that's okay.
Do you guys do you remember there being a lot of discussion amongst the adults off camp? Okay, yeah, tell me about some of those conversations.
Well, I don't remember who was talking about what. It's just it was an issue, and I think Russey sort of kept his mouth shut about the whole thing. I was much more vocal about just you know, if it was me, if my kids were doing this, I I'd have to speak up. But didn't mean that I didn't love my future sister, daughter in law or anything like that. You know, I adore you, and I adore you as an actress and the mom. So I did love you, even though I wish you'd stayed in at at Where was.
Yale gone to Yale?
So?
I don't remember too many people having other issues. I think it was just just you. They were questioning my judgment about it. I think I felt, at least maybe maybe Michael.
Was Yeah, because Michael was pretty dead, said that this was what was going to happen, like Corey and Tapanga were going to get married.
Yeah, I recall Michael.
I can't remember anyone other than Michael pro them getting married.
Is that true?
Well, I mean I just remember like people like you know, Betsy, all of us kind of like, wow, they just got out of high school there. I mean, the the idea at the time was more they're really young to be getting married. And I can't recall again Michael always he he he loves love, and that's that's not a bad thing. He's got a you know, a very very fantasy idea about young love and what it can lead to and true love and the universe putting you together.
And hey, that's a wonderful way to look at it.
I can't recall any real other arguments on his side. Most of the things I remember was us all of us kind of going like, wow, this name's really young for these characters.
The other writers were at were.
They That's what I'm saying, I don't remember was wondering.
I was wondering about Jeff in particular, Jeff Sherman or Wilson.
I mean, I don't remember them saying one way or the other. Actually, yeah, well.
I think they were just intrigued that there was a conflict, and it probably fueled the scene, you know, because I really upset.
Yeah, yeah, it.
Worked and I really cried and it worked, So it was just.
It.
I as an actor, I used my life experience, of course, as we all do, and this was one of them. This was one of them.
So interesting that you say that, because we talked about it in the episode and I said, I don't remember what it was, but I remember Betsy was really upset.
Betsy was unhappy.
And I was, in my mind thirty years later, I was like, was she unhappy with the writing? Was she unhappy with her? Was there something that they wanted that was something was at odds? And it's so interesting that what I'm remember was you were actually very much at odds with the storyline in such a real way. They wrote that for you as the character. It wasn't just Amy Matthews being opposed to it. We're watching Betsy Randall be opposed to it.
I am Amy Matthews exactly.
They're the same one and the same yeah for me.
But I have to tell you that there was something really profound. I was going to tell you I really did disapprove of Michael and his pushing that. I disapproved that there were pushing that to be the right thing to do. And I thought, surely they're just doing that to make it interesting so that when you guys come around the next episode, which is wonderful, and I come around going love of you no matter what, and you know,
of course I have to settle down. But you have to remember too that I was the first person besides Bill Daniels, who was a parent, had experienced being a parent my kids. I mean, I was. I was pregnant at twenty two. Yeah, so I was that, and I had an experience of wishing I'd waited longer for my life in certain ways. I mean, I don't regret my kids, but but what what the heck was I think my mom's.
Said the exact same thing.
You know.
At the time, you know, it was just like, hey, you know, just going to get pregnant, you know. So it's pretty stupid as what. But I always knew that I wanted to be a mother, and I think that that kind of saved me because I knew John was the guy no matter what, through you know, hell or high water. We've been married for fifty three years. Sheeez, So I knew that. But I also just we were
in a strange time when I my life. But I just did believe that that the guys or Michael anyway, just didn't know what the hell he was talking about.
Yeah, yeah, now did you? You said you obviously had had a problem with the way that this storyline was going. Do you remember ever going and talking to any of the writers about it or voicing that kind of point of view that hey, I don't think this is we should be bracketing this as this is the right decision for young kids to be making.
Well, I think I talked too rusty about it. We certainly talked about everything together. So that was one main person I didn't feel that. I felt I was in the minority, and I didn't have a whole lot to say about. And I don't know. I could have taken Michael aside and said, what are you doing here? But I knew that this made this interesting. I knew it was entertaining. I thought it was fun, and it certainly gave me emotional life to make it a beautiful scene.
So I can't complain about that, you know, and the fact that maybe my objection as Betsy and Amy encouraged them to continue and write the next episode, that made it more. We get it too, you know that both you and you know and Ben kind of come around and say we are going to wait. Yeah, And I thought, well, thank god. But I had to give you the choice to do that, and I thought that was right. I
think that was right. I was angry at Rusty's character, angry at Michael for jumping on the other side so fast and sort of almost patronizing me, saying you're you know, you don't I know, he kept finishing my sentence. It used to drive me crazy. I'd say, you know, she's saiding she's making the food, or she's doing this, or she's doing that, and you'd go, and you did that, and you did that and I just wanted to say, shut up not being so patronizing. Yeah, I'm giving you
the honest. It was something that was like, do you think that's right?
To me?
I kind of looked at Rusty, like, do you know what you're doing there?
Yeah, we talked about that, did you What did you think about that kind of that jealousy angle that they tried to put in there between Tapanga and Amy.
You know, I had to look at myself and still to this day when I watched it again, because I was very moved by it, and of course I'll cry it anything. Yes, I thought we did such a good job. Yes, but I I didn't really think that. Yeah, I, like I said, I had these kids already, and I certainly have run into conflicts with my kids, especially my son, you know, through through everything and any anything that would pissed him, piss him off or whatever, you know. I mean,
it was just we would press each other's buttons. So I knew how that was for me to be insecure, yeah, and not knowing how to stand up and you know, speak my mind when he got married. So he got married. They weren't young, and we were thrilled that they were getting married. But I was the mother of the groom and that wedding was in Sweden, and I was just sort of felt like small potatoes, you know. It was this kind of weird thing. So I kind of know what that feels like to be jealous. But I wasn't
jealous of Josephine. It was really more just questioning how Aaron and I were going to be in this new thing, and I had opinions. I mean, just like Amy was not, that was me. That was definitely me saying you don't know what you're talking about. I think you're out of line. Why didn't you go to Yale? I mean I can see saying that, yeah, because I knew something wasn't right.
But it wasn't my place to speak up when the wedding was happening for in real life, but it was my place to speak up in Wooman's world.
There's an interesting moment watching this the second time in a row, when you when you and Rusty to have your scene, which is an amazing scene, and you make this incredible turn mid line where you say you know they're not ready, They're not ready, I'm not ready. I felt like that was the end of the scene. It's a beautiful moment. It's so well played. Rusty's reaction is perfect.
That should, I think should have been the end of the scene, because then you go on to explicate why you're not ready, and I feel like all of those additional lines I could have done without. Yeah, it's like the point is made, you're not ready, and we see that. It's it's an emotional thing. It's not a logic thing. It's not intellectualized. It's just Amy's not ready. She does have reasons and it's really not her place. So she's you know, and that's fine, that's enough of a story.
But then it goes on to be sort of spelled out in this way that just didn't feel like the way people actually think about these things.
I already agree, I felt the same way. I thought the same thought. Why couldn't you just left it there there? Because for me to say, oh, I'm not I mean, I'm not ready, that was the real thing. Yeah, And to say I'm jealous of her felt like so stupid.
Yeah, yeah, we did not. I did not enjoy it.
Truncated the scene by doing that, they lost the gold. They got away with it because they could do it, you.
Know, so maybe not jealousy, but as the only one we'd be able to speak to about this, who is a mom who's had a son that was married. Is there any part of you that feels like you're being replaced or is that something that is so it's just there. It's so alien to the conversation where it's like, no, that's that, it has nothing to do with it.
No, but he's older. He was older, he was in his thirties, and so he'd established and we'd established a relationship that was pretty strong. Whether we pissed each other off or not is in the U. But we know each other very well and we appreciate who the other one is. And I was thrilled that he was marrying Josephine. I was afraid he was going to self destruct in some other ways. So I was very happy that he
found this beautiful, intelligent woman. And if she and she lived here, she lived in Santa Monica, so it wasn't like she was in Sweden. That was the surprise. That just that killed me, and that that killed me and now I hate them. They come home, were pitching, and they come home for Christmas and sort of helps with all that.
Have you been to Sweden.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
We had to do a lot of walking because they didn't have a car, so we're walking in the snow a lot. And now that I have back issues, just go, hmm, yeah, you're all going the winter anymore. Think I'll go on the summer. They said to come in the summer, and we're going to try to do it, but I can't do it this summer.
So I'm going to go back to the end of season five because there's a pretty huge evolution, which is that Amy gets pregnant. Do you remember the conversations behind that. Were you part of the decision? Did you like that? I just want to hear all of your thoughts around that.
You're gonna have to go back and watch it. But I remember going, really, okay, okay, you know that.
Also, you don't think you knew before table read.
I think I knew there was talk of it. I think there was some sort of a hint. I don't remember being shocked. I remember I thought it would be fun, yeah right, yeah, And I thought, here I am this older woman having another baby, and Amy was not as old as I was, going, Wow, this would really be wouldn't you know it? Was Colledge and I have a baby.
But anyway, yeah, I mean we just had fun with it, and Resty got into a car wreck and his bicycle accident by we were shooting and he was like looking like a wreck And anyway.
Did that happen during season five?
I think so, Well, it was when we were doing the baby thing. The funniest we.
Haven't gotten there yet, in case we're yeah, we haven't gotten I think it's seasons obviously, the season six, Well.
Okay, it's after the baby was born.
Yeah, okay, this is have you seen the baby be born?
No?
No, not yet.
No, you're still Amy is still thirty eight months pregnant or whatever. It is like she's like she's been pregnant for yeah, a while now. And then they kind of cut away from it, and then just occasionally a line would come in where it's like, well, the new baby, and you kind of go.
Oh, that's right, oh right, Amy's pregnant.
And now we're to the point where I think it's going to become part very much more of the story.
I think they started to join you in watching it because because I we did have a fun time with it, and the biggest funniest thing was that when the baby was born. I don't know if you remember. I don't want to ruin it for you, but it looked like a little old business man. You know. I'm like, what, that's newborn? Big?
You know it was a big newborn.
Yeah, it was a big newborn.
Anyway, Funny was it annoying to wear the fake baby bump?
I don't even remember wearing it really? You know what I remember wearing my little white neglige.
Oh yeah, hotel, that's right.
Ran into somebody and I thought I look really good, and you, wow, look at that legs.
Do you remember the wardrobe fittings for that?
Like?
How involved were you in picking what you were going to wear? I mean that's obviously such a personal thing, like it's you, your body, you have to be on camera and it.
How involved were you in picking the negligee?
Oh I loved it? Yeah I didn't. I didn't pick it myself. They just brought it and said what do you think? And I go, I think I look great. Yeah that's sure.
Okay.
So then the big scene where you asked Tapega why she couldn't have just gone to Yale during your toast? What do you remember about shooting that particular scene.
I looked at you and I went, wow, that's pretty harsh, that's pretty strong.
But I was doing that. I believed it in the character. But I looked at you and went, I hope I haven't heard her.
Yeah.
When we were watching back the first time, Ryder noticed something and then kind of posed a question we wanted to ask you about, which is was your performance in that scene in any way affected by watching me kind of do a caricature of it later in the episode. So I'm you know, I'm during the run throughs and everything, I'm kind of almost making fun of yourself. And did that affect your performance in your scene at all? What I was doing later.
No, because I wasn't jumping the jumping ahead. I was just in the moment as an actor. I wasn't thinking about what you were going to say. When you did, I went, oh, man, okay, all right, this is what my family thinks about me. Okay, you know I really it kind of just drove it home for me.
More that I was right, right, right.
And I thought he even knows I'm right. But you knew I was right about Rusty, knew I was right, and nobody in Bill Daniels I was so pissed off. Everybody was in denial about the reality of the situation that I really feel passionately about that.
Right.
Everyone was like, well, if that's what.
They want to do, Oh my god, You're like, come hell or high water. At the very least, I have to let all of you know I think this is a terrible decision.
Yeah, and something's wrong with you with all of you. Will Will you saved me. You saved me because you're you were in your silly character's way. Your nature was to make a joke, and I don't even know if you were meaning to make a joke. It was like you were just trying to work it out yourself in a way. That's what I justify. It did offend me.
Oh that's good, Okay, I'm glad.
I did not offend you. Never did. I adore you from them. Now.
What I was trying to remember, other than Amy, is Angela the only other person in the entire cast that that is on the other side of the argument. It's really just Angela and Amy that say they're too young, they shouldn't do this, right. I mean, everybody else essentially says they should get married.
Right, I mean one of the biggest points is aren't they already married?
Yeah? I forgot about that.
Yeah, she's the only other one who voices they're too young? What is everybody thinking? And everybody else is like, no, they should get married. Yeah, yes you have Angela oh Man.
I always liked her.
How would you and Rusty prep for dramatic scenes? Did you guys do anything differently when you had big episodes like this? Nope, But there wasn't ever any specific prep you guys did you just had your normal rehearsal.
No. Because when we were when we go through the script and rehearse it together, we would discover what worked and what didn't, and so we brought up pretty much everything that we had. You know, our training is really working off the other person. That is really the gold, and I think that's why we both kept the part. You know, we were a good match because we both had that Meisner background of what's coming at you, this is what you got to work off. You can affect you,
but don't pretend it doesn't affect you. Yeah. So that didn't hurt when I was getting mad, because I was mad no matter, and I was mad at each one of you, just like everyone, every single one of you is so screwed up. What you're talking about.
Well, we eventually get to the playground where you accept Topanga as your son's future wife with the family heirloom ring, and then you find out we are going to wait to have a wedding. We didn't really remember that. This is where the two episode arc ended. We were talking about it. We were like, why don't they just get engaged and then and then wait.
To have a wedding? Not just seems normal.
We talked about that all through the first episode, and then when it happens in this episode, we were like, oh.
Very smart made you wait?
Yeah, exactly what were your thoughts on that scene? And when you read it in the script, like knowing that that's where it was coming, what did you feel about it then?
Well? I wasn't surprised. Yeah, I knew I had to do that, but I at that point I was seeing what was happening because you guys agree not to get married yet. Yeah, yeah, so that kind of helped me anyway, go okay, But also I did feel badly about yelling at you. I really did.
I remember that. I remember that being hard for us.
I felt bad for you and it was hard for us, you and me.
Yeah.
So when that happened, it was like, oh good, I have a yeah, a door.
Yeah, I do remember that. I remember it being emotional for both of us.
It was.
Yeah, seems.
The seventies we all cry.
Along it happens.
I'm in my forties and I saw like a baby regularly.
So me too.
I actually just cried last week at a d com So yes, I did.
Yes, I did baby.
Yes.
So there you go. Yeah, I'm not totally dead inside, just on life.
Mostly thank you.
I felt something. It was interesting. I don't want to do it again, but it was interesting.
A quick question, and I don't know if you'll remember this, but there was another question that we had that were like, oh.
We have to ask Betsy when she's on.
So there's the episode I don't know if you remember where Tapanga is essentially propositioned and almost assaulted in her dorm room by the teacher by Fred Savage's character.
Do you remember this episode?
Gosh, I forgotten about it. Tell me go ahead.
Well, so that one of the things we're talking about. So it ends in a big courtroom case and one of the problems that we had in the episode was that Topanga. It was it wasn't about Topanga. It instantly became about how Cory dealt with the fact that Tapanga
was dealing with this. And there's and again, I know I'm throwing a specific moment at you, but there was a moment in the courtroom at the end where you don't have any lines, but you walk over and you essentially say, without any words, you put your hands on Danielle and it's like, I'm so sorry you went through this. Yes, and I distinctly remember you asking for that moment because there was no moment between the two of you.
Oh yeah, I think, and I'm just sure.
Yeah, I'm just wondering if you remember anything about that.
I don't really, but I can see myself doing that, and it's sort of in my memory. I'd have to go watch the episode again, but I could see myself doing that, of course.
Okay, Yeah, we were just curious if.
I thought it wasn't expressed.
Yeah, it wasn't expressed.
And then there's like a part word to Penga even in the courtroom scene, goes to speak up and say something and Dean Bolander, you know, Bobby goes quiet and like, I don't even get to speak. Meanwhile, Sean gets asked to speak two times. Sean had nothing to do with the storyline. But Sean's opinion is welcomed and encouraged, and hear me, who was the one who was assaulted or at least, you know, come on to by this teacher doesn't ever get to tell my side of the story.
And so it was really nice that there was at least some acknowledgment from you. Ton of the.
Male writers were acknowledging that your voice wasn't being heard.
Yes, right, yes, exactly.
So we do remember that, will remember it specifically that I'm giving this.
Yeah, I remember you kind of saying, no, I have to go over and say something or address this in some way, and they gave you that little beat. But I, yeah, I distinctly remember that. I was just wondering if I know I was throwing a random episode out at you, but it was one we wanted to talk to you about.
Which episode it is.
It's called Everybody Loves Stewart.
It's season six, episode seven.
Yeah, it's about four episodes from now from the one you just watched.
Yeah, season six, episode six or seven. So find it and we'll talk to you about it again. This episode was also a big fake out goodbye to mister Feenie. I know you've talked a little bit about what your relationship with Bill was like, both on screen and off, but was tell us a little bit about what Bill was like as a scene partner.
And was he joky with you guys? Did was there talk in between scenes?
What was he like as a as a as a co actor.
He was a rare bird and he still is. He wasn't a big jokester or chatty kind of guy, but eventually, but conversations would come up. He was very protective of his space to remember his lines and so on, so he was very conscientious about that. He did joke around with us in some ways, you know, and we but not a whole lot.
You know.
It was really a little bit more. There was a respect. I did appreciate his experience as a person and an actor, and I admired him a lot, and I wanted him to like me. Yeah, I think he liked me. It was just and that made it even more When a scene came up, boy, I thought he was selling you out and I just you know, I was mad at him for that.
Yeah, I didn't think that he.
Would really be like that in real life. I didn't, but maybe he was, you know, sort of. So there was that. But but I I just loved working with him. I learned a lot. And also when we first started, he and I would go to lunch sometimes together, you know, at first, because you're getting to know each other, so you kind of go and on the set, you know, and you go to the Paramount or wherever we started, I guess it was Disney Disney, Yeah, and we would just come kind of talk and get to know each
other about what we're interested in. I was a singer and we shared shared a lot, we had a lot in common, and so that was nice. So I adore the guy. But he's always been a little bit hard to know, Yeah, when you might step over something or he won't get it. Now we just didn't hear anything. So that's.
We were all searching for his approval. By the way, I don't think there's a single one of us on the set that didn't want Bill.
To like us.
Well, I would bet you did. And the thing was is that you guys worked so well off of him. You did in particular. You boys in particular had to come to terms with working with him, and then Danielle, of course you came into this picture and the three of you just had He was a lot, a big part of your lives. Yes, so his approval really mattered, it did.
Yeah, I just had a realization while Betsy was talking about his memorization. Bill never held a script during rehearsal, did he. No, No, we never saw him holding a script. He would show up for every rehearsal and he memorized would change even Friday. That's what I mean, realizing that he would memorize that day script completely. We would all be walking around with scripts in our hands until the moment we taped. Usually I mean some of us would
get it, especially because it was always being rewritten. But I'm just realizing we never rehearsed with Bill where he held a script in his hand.
He had one off to the side with all of his notes, and he could go looking in between scenes, pick it up, go over what he you know, go over it, look at his notes, but it was never in his hand.
Wow.
On stage life experience since as he was a child.
Yeah, and that's a muscle he used all the time, yea.
And it's just he really mastered that. And my gosh, the guy did Broadway and solo and had to do everything. I mean, he really had that. I just I was impressed. I'm impressed now, well he did memorize now that we're all older and memorizing is a little bit more challenging.
Yes, So I mean, can you remember him ever calling for a line? Oh?
I'm sure he did, but I don't.
He must have, but I don't. I mean, I don't remember it happening. I remember all occasionally, but I remember it.
Happening even if he didn't call for What happened is he'd get quiet, and he'd look down and he'd search for it, and then Kathy would and Kathy would then toss it out and he'd then he'd go back.
But that was sure.
Yeah.
Man, Well, finally, I know our listeners were thrilled to see you on a recent episode of Matt Locke tell us all about that.
Wasn't that? I kick just so funny? And in fact, they do a two part episode at the end just lets a week ago or something, two episodes and I'm in the episode's given me some.
Exactly, Yes, but it was.
It was such a small little part, but it was really fun and it was such a trip to work with Kathy Bates. I mean when you walk meet her and you you like, she comes in and she's in this old lady kind of look and I and she goes, hello, don't you look pretty? And I said, well, you look very pretty too. I mean it was just like, hello, this is how.
You kill me.
Now.
You know, everybody thinks that when they first meet them, because you know she's her, she's the murderer. And in the movie, you know.
Yeah, she's misery. She she's always got that craziness.
She killed every I mean, she just was killer in that and one best actress for it. She's just but she's so sharp and I learned a lot watching her and just seeing how she stays focused. I mean, she's the producer of the show. She's in on the writing, she approves the writing. I mean, the really good cast. The director is the daughter of David Lynch. It's just a really top notch group and it was an honor to work on it. It really was. It was fun
and I wasn't intimidated. There was just one time where there was a line I kept wanting to not say so I had to you know, call line for that one thing. But as it turns out, they cut that line anyway, so.
There's a reason why you didn't remember it.
I was right, but she was. She was very gracious and at the end after I you know, turned into a dementia maniac and can't you know think and it can't communicate anymore, and I thought, well that was They said, gee, you're so convincing, and I said, well, you know, it's not hard for me to play dementia. I know what that is. I kind of feel it. But what was interesting is that I had to stand at the you know,
do it. We did it over and over and over, and going up and down this hallway and that scene with her partner who sings to me, who'se a gorgeous voice, and we had that in common, so that was sort of fun. And so I was at the end of the hall just waiting to come in again, and she was standing at the other end and she looks at me and goes like that, oh cool, And I thought, okay, that's good. I could finish up. So really it was lovely. They were very gracious to me and very complimentary and
it was just a wonderful thing. And I wish I didn't have dementia so I could go back as another you know, guest star. But yeah, unless I snap out of it, I don't think that's going to happen.
It could happen. You never know.
You never know.
How often are you are you still auditioning, submitting self tapes? Are you how often are you going out for parts?
Well lately not at all. It's terrible right now. And I know everybody I'm talking to, even bigger celebrities than us, you know, is they're just everything is like and even comment about how difficult it is to afford to shoot here and everybody Canada. So I realized that, I mean, it used to be that i'd have, you know, I do an audition every couple of weeks and stuff, some for Chicago, my agent in Chicago because I can go there and say I live there because of my family.
But just nothing's really popped, you know. And I'm sort of in between. I'm I am awfully cute, so cute, very cute, and I don't know if I am on the camera here, but but overall, I just have a cuteness that sometimes works against me when it comes to being older. And I think that art was great because I looked vulnerable and childlike, right. It worked for the care and it worked for that. So I mean, I I did a movie where I scare the shit out of everybody, so I'm I know how to do that.
If my if I have a dark wig worked better. Yeah, but my cuteness didn't get the way because I was playing. I was so in control of everything and so well written for this play called whatever it's called. It was called but Painter, and so I just I just not getting as much as I'd like. There was one where I was asked to come in to play opposite Ted Danson, which about killed me. And I went in after Sally's druthers. Okay, So I went, okay, not really sure that I'm more
ripe than she is, you know. And it was the first time I had gone in person and been assidges and it was there were only four of us. Wow, really honored to just be with yes and yeah, And so there was something and it was the gal who the casting director was their casting director from We's World. Oh Sally, Sally, Miss Sally.
Oh cool?
It was really so it was. I was so nervous and I you know, and I was afraid to I hadn't auditioned in so long in person, and I can't read the script without my glasses, and I thought, geez, you know, can I wear my glasses for these and do?
So?
I thought, well, I'm not going to wear my glasses. I'm just going to memorize it. Wow. Yeah, that was a challenge. I can my lines and just you know, I finally got through it. But oh, I would have been better off to just wear my glasses and all repp and do it and do it the way I knew I could do it. But I wasn't right for the part anywhere. I mean, that was really the bottom line. And I saw Sally do it. My god, she was great,
you know. But anyway, I felt like, Okay, well there's hope if I'm requested like that.
Yeah, it's great.
Exactly.
You guys do much anymore.
None of us are doing.
It's nope for me.
Yeah, we don't even try though.
In all fairness, do you audition for voiceover? Do you have a voiceover thing?
Voiceover?
Yeah?
Yeah, I bet you do. I have a good voiceover agent and they love me but I just can't get cast.
It's tough to break into like.
A click yeah, and I do these things and I.
Go, this is great.
You know, they cast me and sometimes I'll get called back, but most of the time I'm not kidding it, and I just don't know what to say them right right, So it's it's hard.
But anyway, we adore seeing you both on Zoom and in person. I hope we get an opportunity to see you in zoom outside of Zoom again soon. And I know our audience was thrilled when they saw you on Matt Locke, So keep sending in those self tapes because we want to see more and more of you. We're not done watching Betsy Randall.
But funny either. Thank you, thank.
You for being with us. We love you so much.
I love you much.
Thank you, Betsy.
We see you next time.
Okay, bye, Betras.
It's I knew when I watched it, and I had that feeling that was like I remember it being a passionate thing.
She was angry, She's true, she was. She was angry, upset. Yeah, I mean to hear her.
Fascinating to me how much Betsy as an actor inhabits the character.
She thinks it's the same person.
It's not.
It's not any different.
There's no membrane, there's no situation. It's like and so it's it's even when she's talking about her memories half the time, I feel like she's Oh, she's talking about what she was doing in the scene, and then she's talking about what she was doing off camera. But it's the same person. It's the same. So she experiences like her her reality is that emotional truth that of the of the scene and also the experience as an actor doing it. And there's no she just lives it. It's so cool.
It's a different type of method.
It is.
Yeah, it's the difference between amy.
She wants to be in present tense like that's that's the Meisner technique, right, is that you react to what you're given and what what's seeing you're in. And she is so good at it that I think she fundamentally lives the experience in a way that like I don't really like. I mean, I would have experiences, but I wouldn't like I wouldn't absorb them as mine or my real life reaction the way that I think she clearly does, Like she's living this. It's really cool. It's really intense.
It's it's a lot. I mean, you're I mean you're feeling the feels like I love that she's still crying. I'm like at the drop of mad. It's like, yeah, because you are a live wire of emotional transparency, like you are feeling it and letting yourself. It's such a cool muscle.
Wow, I haven't seen it yet, but I hear Painter, I hear she's really really good in that movie. Oh yeah, yeah, I've heard apparently an incredible performance.
So it also explains why she remembers and why I remember it being so emotional between her and I because she was so concerned about the fact that she had hurt me.
She still feels bad, literally bad for.
Danielle, and it was like, you know, yeah, it's just so interesting.
She really it's there. It's so cool. It's it's so cool.
So anyway, thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram pod Meets World Show. You can send us your emails pod Meets World Show at gmail dot com. And we've got merch.
Why couldn't you have just bought some merch.
I feel like maybe I've done that one.
I might have done that one.
Give us a second one, Give us a second one, all right, merch?
Oh oh my god, Actually, just real quick, how much when you watched this episode again, when were we screwing around in the background of the kitchen?
Oh my god.
We are trying so hard to make each other laugh. And it must have been Ben that we are trying to screw with because he's so serious and we are just like you can see me and you making eye contact and like trying to screw up the seeds so bad every chance we get. We're like, it was such bratty actors. We made Ben break at some point because he's really committed, but I did.
Oh.
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