A Gleeful Scrub with Jenna Ushkowitz

Scrubbing In with Becca Tilly and Tanya rap an iHeartRadio podcast.

Hello, everybody, we are scrubbing in.

Scrub but dumb dub a dumb whoof stunning.

We have a guest today. She is not on Dancing with the Stars.

No, she's not.

Spoiler alerts spoiler.

But she is a star, yes, and she is one of I literally can't believe that we're doing this interview because I am a self proclaimed gleek.

Yes.

Same, and and she's a fellow podcast.

Door you know, she has an iHeart radio podcast and it's called and that's what you really missed that she also does with her best friend Kevin McHale.

Who was also in Glee. Yes, so we are very excited to welcome her. We've been trying to have her on the show forever. So the time is now. If not now, when when? So the time is now. Please welcome Donna. Yeah, Jenna, We I feel have been trying to make this happen for.

Some time forever.

I just need my house so oh.

So like when we pitch it, because Tanya is she is like in studio.

Only I know and I do on need my house, so.

It's special outing it took some time, but I genuinely feel like this podcast.

Is going to be ten times better because of it.

I agree. I totally agree. Thank you, like in person.

And I appreciate you taking the time and for venturing out of your house for us.

I love only have fellow podcasters on the show because there's this easy camaraderie that's like very conversational and it's not just.

Yeah, you're like, oh god, what is this going to be?

Like, I find pregnancy and childbirth so because I've never something I haven't experienced yet, so I find it like so intriguing and interesting because I'm like, you're bopping around town, yeah, and you're fine, Yeah, You're like I'm feeling good.

Yeah it is.

It's it's different for everybody, and it's every birth is different. It's not like you go in for one and the second one is going to be exactly the same.

It's definitely not.

So it's just like you just have to like figure out what feels right and you have to like give them the caveat that. Like I have stuff planned all this week and next week, and I'm like, just so you know, I'm very pregnant, So there's always a chance that I won't show up.

Well, you know when.

You like you already you have a little girl?

How does she two and a half?

Okay, so you have done this before.

Yeah, when when you were doing it for the first time, were you like anxious, like what were your feelings versus this time?

Yeah?

Or just like getting ready for the birth and everything.

It's actually funny because I think the less you know the better, Like, oh, with my daughter, I was so excited.

Everything was magical.

You're like, so you can't wait, Like it was just I felt really good. And then this pregnancy, I was like put on bed rest in the beginning.

I couldn't leave my house for like two months.

And then I got out of bed rest, which was like thank God, and I've been moving around. I'm just grateful I can like move around. I think that's why I'm like so active right now. But I'm like kind of terrified of childbirths because I just know what postpartums like, I know what is coming or what could.

Be, and there's too many options.

And you did you have postpartum with your first No.

It honestly wasn't.

I didn't have any kind of like postpartum pressure or baby blues or anything like that, thankfully, but I did. It's just like nobody tells you all the things that like happen afterwards when your milk comes in and your boobs get hard, and like you tell us like yeah, like so when your milk comes in like three to days three days after your you have the baby, like three to five days normally.

Like your boobs get like.

So large and hard that they're like bowling ball and it's just and then some people are like leakers, and some people are like like I don't know other things anyway, I'm a leaker. And so like there's just like milk like literally coming out of me involuntarily, like I bend over out of the shower and like there's just melk coming out of me, and it's just like you can't

It's it's a lot like does it hurt?

People have like epidurals, Like the epidural has worn off and either it's like hard to peek because you've had a catheter inside of you, or like you don't know if you're gonna be able to pee. It takes a while. So there's like a nurse like holding you up, being like come.

On, you can do it, holding what hold well, like your arm right to make sure you don't fall because like you've just come off of anesthesia or like you know, an epidural of like numbness.

It's crazy, it's crazy. Yeah, no one talks.

I actually like probably I've broken the seal of like trust for other women because like nobody should know this until afterwards.

I'm so glad I didn't know. Now I know.

Yeah, I know because you experienced it exactly.

WHOA like you hear about things, but I haven't thought or heard about that one.

Yeah, nobody tells you because they don't want to freak you out. They're like, okay, you just good luck. Yeah, have a great time.

I think it's better right not no, right, so just.

Erase, that's no more questions.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you for coming in.

Thanks guys.

Do you have like a hospital, like is your hospital backpacked or it's ready?

Oh it's ready? What's in there? It's I'm very minimal.

So it's like I brought a boppy so I could brest feed, pajamas with a button down so that you can breastfeed, like socks under everything else, like a phone charger that's like a ten footer because you just don't know where the plug's coming.

Yeah.

Sometimes I brought my iPad last time and that was nice. And some pajamas and like going home out for the baby and going home out for me and that's like and then just some shower stuff and that's it.

Oh wow.

Everything else they have there, like in America, Like they have diapers for you and for the baby. They have wipes, they have like the blankets, they have everything, so you don't need to bring anything.

People bring like candles and rose cords.

So like if you're doing like an unmedicated birth and you are like doing hypno birthing or something where you're going to be like, let's turn the lights down, let's put the.

Candles on, and let's put like a.

Playlist like that's some people need, but like I don't think I'm gonna do that, so just keep the lights on.

Do you have like a first meal that have you been avoiding anything this pregnancy.

To be completely honest, I did avoid sushi the first one. I haven't eating sushi the second one. But I my first meal I think is going to be like a big like Italian sub because you can't eat cold cuts so and there's like all these listeria outbreaks right now happening and you're like stay away. So I think like a big Italian sum from like all about the bread.

Yeah, oh yeah, salami, turkey and like Judo like give me.

Everything to the day.

Literally, I can't wait. We postmade it. The postmate like shows up downstairs like I'm here with your meal.

So yeah, how is how are you feeling about having two kids?

Like, because I feel like there's there's the one which is like a total adjustment because it's just such a life change, and then it's like you've done this already, but no there's an added yeah child.

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah.

To be completely honest, I'm like terrified and excited at the same time, because people say like two is actually like the second one is easier, Like you're more calm, You've just been there already, you know.

What you're doing.

I'm more concerned about my firstborn because she's.

Still so young.

Right, and like very attached and we're very close, and so I like she's excited and she knows what's coming, but I don't think she fully knows like what's coming right, right.

So I think that transition.

I'm more concerned about her getting what she needs. And we have a lot of help, Like we're so lucky and my husband gets eight weeks off and so there's like three adults to like two children, Like we're not outnumbered yet, but I'm definitely.

I'm definitely nervous. Like I feel like people are like.

Oh yeah, like the one to do is a lot like the first one kind of reminds me of like a first pregnancy, Like you're on the couch, you're watching TV, you're taking naps, like you're chilling, and then like this pregnancy, you're like chasing a toddler.

Until four weeks before you give birth.

And so I feel like the second you know, the first child's born and you're like laying on the couch recovering, and everybody comes to visit and brings you snacks and brings you gifts, and the second one they're like, oh, you got this, and you're just like left to fend for yourself, and so I'm like, I don't know, Like I don't know what it's going to be like, but I know I'm just gonna have my hands full again.

Yeah yeah, I mean it's like you, it's almost the same. I feel like it's the same thing with the first kid too, Like you can't it's like, no, don't know, no matter what people tell you, and like how much information you get, Yeah, there's just no way to prepare for what I've gathered, especially with.

It is different. Every meat is different, Like you don't know what you're gonna need or like it's just like.

You just have to go with the flow, which sounds awful.

I'm not gonna go with the flow person, I don't know.

Yeah this yeah, we Yeah, that's where the flow.

She have to go with it. She is like, I know, it's pretty nice. Yeah that Yeah.

But you have a podcast with Kevin, who is your best friend, and we've established that he is actually more of Rebecca and you are more of a Tamia.

Yeah that type of way, that is correct. I feel like the dynamic. Do you feel like that dynamic?

And obviously in a friendship it works because it's like yin and yang, but I really feel like in.

The podcast world it is it also.

Adds an element of like fun and conversational aspect to it.

Totally.

There's like a learning curve, I think at first, because like I expect so much from myself all the time. I'm like a crazy person, and so with anybody, I have to be like manage your expectations. They're not you, Like you can't expect the same thing from them that you expect from yourself, Like it's just not gonna turn out well. I never really felt like that with Kevin because we worked together for so long and wou lay together that we were just like we knew how we

He's like a good reminder.

For me that he's like, you just need to chill, like it's gonna be okay.

You're like, realize you're right.

But it's also nice for people because I feel like they can like relate to different, you know, different sides of each of you.

Yeah, I think so. I mean our fans.

It's funny because I think they relate more to our characters sometimes than to us, or like they conflate the two, so it's a little different. Like, yeah, I feel like people when they listen to you, they hear like you guys, and they know exactly who you are off the bat, But for us, like they kind of had to distinguish the differences between Tina.

And Jenna and Artie and Kevin.

Right right?

But yeah, I mean, does you guys your podcast is basically it's a Glee rewatch podcasts. You're on season five right now, that's right. So what happens after season six is over?

No? I don't know. We have no idea. Let's go, let's bring it back season one. We're definitely finishing before our contracts up, so I don't know.

Well, I want to know what it was like before y'all started the podcast.

How do you watched rewatched Glee at all?

Oh? I haven't, if I'm being completely honest. There's season the rest of season five we have to do, and then season six, which my character like came in at the very very end.

Again, but I.

Wasn't really in that season and I didn't watch the show, so I don't really know what happens.

Sorry, watched it with the literally the first time. Yeah, so no, we had not rewatched it, which is kind of the reason why we were like, I guess we could do this because we haven't seen in so long.

Did it bring up a lot of feelings because that was such a Yeah, it brings up a lot of feelings every week.

It's fun because it's been so long since it we did it. You know, it's twenty fifteen.

I think we wrapped, and like there's so much there was so much space and.

Time between it.

Now you can look back on it differently, and then also through the lens of twenty twenty four, which is like so different than two thousand and nine twenty fifteen. So it's it's been It's been a lot of feelings, a lot of fun. There's also like a lot of time where Kevin and I will just tell like everybody we don't remember being there.

And then on this day, which is like alarming, you know, like I'm not watching myself do something that I have no recollection of doing it all.

Do you think that?

Because like I feel like in the time that Glee was airing, it was like in the height of was there was there social media?

Then we just started Twitter.

Twitter just came to the yeah Instagram like had started mid season three major Yeah, yeah.

Okay, So it was like in that era of just like you see it on your TV and that's how you get and people are like like feening for more, and it was.

Like, yes a lot.

Do you feel like it was like overstimulating or do you have like trauma from that?

I mean, we definitely have trauma from that, But it's not like it's funny like people ask about the fans. There was such a separation, right, and so it was like Beatlemania where the only time you get to see somebody is in person, which was like really exciting and

And so it was very.

It was very odd, like we just wanted to like party and have a good time and do our jobs, and like we couldn't really always do that.

So I think that was like it was just jarring sometimes.

But I think nowadays it's so different because now fans, like I can't imagine Glean being on right now with the fan base and the age that we had, because they feel like they know you even more so because you've opened up and let them into a part of your life. And so there's a part of it that's like some people, not all fans, I'm not talking about all the fans, but.

Like felt like now must feel like they have the right to knowing you all, to knowing all of it, which is not true, right right, right, So I don't know if that was the question.

I don't know where we am about there, but it was definitely weird, and like obviously the trauma came from like other parts of the show as well, like from.

Our losing Corey, losing Mark, losing.

Naya, Like that whole thing was a lot of trauma and a lot of trauma because you're grieving on screen, you're grieving in public, you're just grieving in general, and that was like the most traumatic part. But like our fans were pretty amazing.

But was the environment on the set?

Was it like.

What's the word I'm looking for?

I likenky door like like.

Like it was just like.

Was it like very toxic.

No I that's kind of like why we did the podcast. Also is because Kevin and like, obviously, with a show that's that large and the media wants so much to for click bait to share, they'll only find the feuds, the trauma, the the you know, the tragedy of it all.

But like, it really was.

Like so much fun and the crew was so happy being there because like, you're not doing a drama, you're singing songs all like, I'm sorry, it's great.

We all got along. It was easier to get along than to not like to fight. Was so much energy.

And really generally obviously we all have our days. You come to work, you're like want to be there, you don't, But generally speaking, like it was a really great set and every guest that comes on is so positive and is so happy to talk about their experience on the show because we were such a family and it was such a bubble, like nobody could understand what we were going through except for the people who.

Were there, you know, in some way.

Yeah, I also felt like it was one of the first cast especially of its time, that was diverse, that had like.

Totally it was like the world of Gossip Girls, and what was some of the other shows that were like the lamizing these like rich famous, like elite kids. And then there's us that's like the Kid, the goth girl, the Kid and the Welchair, like the you know, the the outcast, musical theater girl, like all of it was the underdog. Which is why I.

Think people attached to it so deeply, was because they felt represented and not like you were just watching something that was like aspirational that you couldn't you know, or even entertain, unattainable, right right, Yeah, but I.

Agree, I think it it It hit every group, and especially in a high school environment. I actually think like even after high school, there's still people still almost resonate with who they were, what they like, what they were in high school. I feel like that follows you forever. So I feel like you had the jock, you had the cheerleader, you had the choir girl, you had the you know, it was like everyone had a could see themselves in anybody, Yes, exactly.

And on top of that, it wasn't just an all white cast. You had you had Asian, you had black, you had every like a.

Yeah, like we the gay you know, the gay kid, with the bully that turned out to be gay, the you know, like a positive gay boy with a dad who single dad, who they had a great relationship.

Like that was Ryan.

That was all right Murphy obviously, and like his goal was to represent the unrepresented. Yeah, you know, I mean.

Such a and I will never forget I was.

I was a gleek.

Oh that was gleek.

I loved I literally, there was nothing like it. I felt like it. It was just in the time when it.

Was the characters more or the music more. I loved everything.

Yeah, I think I loved all of it.

But you know what's interesting is because I feel like I associated And maybe it was because what was in the press I associated as like a toxic.

Totally show.

There's all the stuff coming out about Leah Michelle and how much of a bully she was and like all of these things.

So I thought that it was.

Like, so she know how to read, she doesn't know how to read.

I have seen this, I have witnessed this.

That was actually astonishing that that went that far.

They went in on her for a while after report, so I was.

Like, like, what what's going on there?

And then she did the TikTok where she was like she played into it.

And she's like, do you guys read?

Do you guys dig into that stuff like when like if there's something out there, yeah, or do you kind of stay away from it?

On the podcast we.

Talk about it if it needs to be talked about. Her needs to be addressed, like Leah being able to read, Like like you guys, she can read, but we don't.

I probably ate that articles.

I was the most famous I've ever been in that moment. It was like Kevin and I like all over the news because then we went to London after Paparazzi's crazy there and we held hands every time we left the hotewn just to like mess with them because this is so fun.

So like we know how it's.

Done, right, see it all ran in front of it, and we try to address it in the most positive way, like it's not our story to tell. It's not our story to tell. That's kind of how we feel about the show.

But do you have a story to tell?

Like, no, I'm asking because I but like, what's the story.

With all this stuff that's happening with Grey's Anatomy, Like I'm like, I swear all these big shows, with all these unsolved ensemble casts, everyone's coming out being like I have a story to tell, but I'm not ready to tell.

It right, like some of the writers from Grace. Okay, okay, No, I don't really have a story to tell. I really don't. I wish I did.

I'm not. I'm not that like fun No, but you know what, there's some people who have some stories to tell.

I think right, as I'm sure there are in every series, you know what I mean.

And I'm just waiting for that with popcorn, right, yeah.

Right, I'm waiting for it too from our show. I'm like, come on, let's go and bring it to the podcast. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Period here, First, did you have any like musical guests or even I for some reason, my immediate memory goes to Gwyneth Paltrow being on the show and this this Celo Green.

Song, Yes forget you, Yeah, I forget you.

That's but do you have any guests that were like musical guests or actors that you had a really great experience with or more like a disappointing experience with.

I honestly like, I don't think I had any real disappointing once.

Well, okay, so I was a big.

Britney fan, as we all obviously, and Brittany came on the show and it was like now in this time where we know what we know, she was being handled, so you know, sadly, sadly, and now like looking in hindsight, you're like, oh it all makes sense. It was such a circus. Everybody had to wear like name tags.

On the crew. Why are you wearing a name tag, like it was wild.

And it was really sad, but like I wish, I wish she was in a better place, right and I understand now she wasn't, And so that one like I got to work very closely with her and was like she wasn't really just there fully like I think she probably would have wanted to be.

But no, every guest star.

Was literally amazing, like they were we find out they were all fans. We find out like how happy they were to be there, like christ and Chenna with was one of our first ones. Yeah, like god bless, Like Gwyneth was amazing. She's still like we keep in touch. She's so cool. Yeah, because she married Rat the creator, who's like still a friend of ours.

She's so cool.

She seems cool.

John Stamos like became a good friend. It was really surreal. When they come on and you hear they're coming on, you're like, oh, I like I wonder if they'll kind of like keep themselves or hanging out. And Samos is like knocking on our trailer doors like hey guys, what's going on?

And you're like, hey, uncle Jesse, you want to hang out with that? He's like yeah, like let's go out.

We're like great, we go to dinner, like it's so weird. He's so lovely, but everybody was like very normal. I wish we had worked with Sarah Jessica Closer, she worked on like the New York Side when they went over there. Kate Hudson too, like we got to work with her very briefly, but like so cool, like so cool?

Did I was.

Trying to think of when when y'all did that, like when Corey passed away and y'all because that was a lot, like y'all filmed that around that, Yeah, because y'all have a contract that you have to fulfill.

So what was the timeframe?

Yeah, so we just did this on the podcast.

Actually, so it was season It was between season four and season five that he passed away in July. We were supposed to start filming season five in the end of July. Obviously that got postponed. We started August fifth, though, Like he passed away in July thirteenth, I think it was or July tenth, and we started August sixth, so it wasn't that long. And so we did the first two episodes that were already written. Have nothing to do with him or his character it's not spoken of, and

What season was that, season five? Yeah, yeah, right, Again my memory it's like very skewed.

And when Finn passes away on the show, we just recapped, We just like passed that episode. We didn't recap that episode, like Kevin and I didn't want to watch it at all because it was literally us grieving Corey and they were filming as graving Finn.

It was awful.

It was absolutely awful, And they gave us the option to do it or not, like they said, not everybody has to do this, like you don't have to be a part of it, but everybody was doing it, and Leo was doing it, and.

You're like, well, if she can, if she can, I can do it.

And so we did it and it was literally awful. I mean it was just the worst and so nobody and then we took a two week break. The writers had to just figure out what the rest of the show is going to look like because the season six and the end of the show is supposed to be Finn and Rachel and like Ryan knew what was going to happen and knew all like the things that were going to pan out in that time, and so the whole show had to be basically reworked.

And so you know, in two weeks they kind of just veered off and we moved on and it's a weird season. Yeah, so far. Well yeah, I.

Mean when he says like he he wouldn't have done that, like he wouldn't have had him like his character pass away, I feel like, I guess when you're thinking about it, it feels like the right thing to do because you're like paying your respects and like to you know what.

I mean, you do?

Yeah, is it just thought he was doing the right thing? Yeah, I think everybody did. Yeah, but how else would you do it?

I guess I.

Don't know, right, Yeah, that's the problem.

Right, Yeah, it's.

Almost like if it does, if it's something like I don't even know. I don't even know.

He was just the heartbeat of the show. He was the show, the leader of our show, and so you just go like, I don't know how we do this without him, and we we modeled through, but I don't know that we should have, right, Yeah. He was like that was it, that should have been it?

Sadly, you know.

Yeah, Well, I think in hindsight you can always look back and go like, oh maybe I could have.

Or whatever should have done this.

Yeah, But in the moment, that's such a I mean, it's like tragedy.

It's how do you exactly you know, nobody going through that, yeah, like nobody's in their right mind.

Yeah.

And then you're doing it publicly with you know, millions of people waiting to see what.

You're going to do with it. It's a lot of pressure, so much pressure. Yeah.

So, and I think Leah had a big part of it also, was like I really want to get people back together and do it. And she came back and like just jumped back into the show, which was crazy, Like, so I think that was also a big part of it. If she had said, like I'm out, maybe things would have been different.

I don't know.

Yeah, but I also think that's some some people cope in that way right of being able to just like dive in to work, you know whatever work it is, just like dive in and kind of like have that be like your coping mechanism?

Yeah, I guess so. Yeah.

Yeah.

Of the episodes that you remember being a part of.

Or during rewatching, have you had any where you're like or like a memory that came back where you were like.

Dang, I wish I had gotten that song?

Oh yeah, I mean we just talked about this on the show too. Kevin generally like if there was a song on the script and his name wasn't in it, or like you didn't see already singing on it, he would like call them and be like can I sing on this?

Really?

Yeah? Like if he really felt.

Passionate love, because he was like a big Michael fan, Michael Jackson fan, so like if there was a Michael song, he'd be like, hey, you guys, come on.

For me.

It wasn't like I remember there were tribute episodes we did, like we did Billy Joel. We just did that one, and I'm from Long Island and so is Billy, so like we I grew up with Billy, like that was our pride and joy of like you.

Know, Billy came from Long Island.

And I didn't sing a song in that episode or a solo, and I was like so bitter about it that I remember being I said to our producer Sam, I said, I think this episode was really bad, and then we rewatched and I was like, I'm so wrong.

I just hated the feeling.

I felt during the episode of not getting to sing a Billy's Yeah.

Did you ever reach out and say, like I want to be a part.

Of that now?

I didn't. I just Tina was like my character was.

We make jokes now because she was just like shut on the whole time of the series. She has like these shine moments and then she kind of like goes to the background again, and so people always say like she was just under underused and underappreciated, which is like.

I totally appreciate.

And it became like a joke in the show as well, that like Tina poor Tina, she didn't get a so low and so it felt like very raw for me during that time, that like, what's wrong with me? Why am I not talented enough? Is my character not loved enough?

Like?

What what can I do?

And so I would speak up here and there, but I just didn't feel like I had the legs to say what I was really feeling.

But it goes to show you it's the difference between men and women. Men have no problem saying for what's saying what they.

Want to because if you speak up, you're a bitch. But a man speaks up and he's like if.

You want to seeing something, They're like, oh, she's difficult.

Yeah, yeah, it's totally true. Yeah, and it was a different time back then too.

But even still, I feel like it probably still be the same way.

Yeah, i'd be like, excuse me, maybe not too much trouble.

I would really love.

To it's okay, worries just forget I said it?

Yeah, yeah, exactly, go back here now gross gross, I see yourself being on like another show like Lee.

Again, what I don't think so it would.

Look There's people who I think have done multiple musical theater shows like Alex Newall who did Glee and played Unique and then he went on to do Zoey's Playlist and like, you know, all these cool musical things. For me, it's like I think I'm putting it to rest. I mean, ask me in a few years, and it's like, I'll say yes to a job for sure, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

What would be your first choice?

Oh, like a comedy, like a half hour comedy, like Friends.

Like Multi Caam, like Elementary.

I've seen it.

I don't watch it religiously, but yes, like like Modern Family, which was like our big rival. Were so different it didn't even matter, but we were on at the same time. We were up for all the same Awards's fun. Yeah, every circle was like every party thing was just us and them, and I just would have loved to be on their show.

We used to complain.

We were like, we get like costco crafty because there's so many of us and there's.

So many crew members.

We'd get like cheeseballs and like eggs for lunch, and they were I heard they were getting like sushi and we're.

Like, what the family over there getting sushi for lunch And we're like, can I just get like a salad bar or something, maybe some like healthy choices.

And then the news comes out of what they're making per episode, you're like.

Like they still are fine, and they got syndicated and they're good, and over here we're just like, please some more cheese, please, Just kidding, I'm kidding.

So what about Broadway though? Was there any would that be?

Yeah?

More than t like do you favor one or the other? I love Broadway? Yeah, I love the stage. I would love to go back and do it. It's hard, it's like a totally different beast, like living in New York doing eight shows a week, like depending on the season. But I would definitely go back and do that over another musical TV show, that's for sure.

I just feel like Glee completed that scratch that. Yeah, And for musicals, like it's always so different and you're telling the same story every night, and like that is like such a challenge for me. And I just love a live body and so I would definitely pick that.

I'm so fascinated buy that headspace of loving a live audience.

Nothing sound scarier.

Could you do that where you could like pick up and like move to New York.

It'd be a lot, but if it was worth it, and like if it was something that made sense for us, for sure. My husband, luckily is like a normal person with a normal job, and so he could he would love that, like to reload work from Yeah, and you know these days, like you can work from anywhere generally, but with kids, it's different.

I guess like that you'd have to be like how old are they? What school? How do you handle that?

Yeah? Until a certain point though, I feel like, yeah.

You can just move them around? Yeah, fine, Yeah, they'd be fine.

Speaking of y'all met on him?

I know, Oh my god, which is Altonia met her fiance?

Why?

Yeah? Hinge man honestly sponsor us?

Did you ask them?

Why am I not doing any endorsements for Hinge?

I told Sam? I was like, look where they don't need a literally walking success story.

Yeah, they're popping.

So were you on Hinge for a long time?

Two days?

She was so anti first first day?

Oh yeah, first Hine day.

Isn't that crazy?

So were you just like, I'm okay, first of all, what was your relationship?

We met like in person?

An you mean like what year did you meet in?

Twenty eighteen?

Okay?

Yeah, same year as the Americans. She just finished American. I just finished it.

We just started watching it a rewatch rewatch.

So I just finished the series last night. I was like, I know five years late to this, so got so good unexpected ending. But anyways, that's not the point. The point is I feel like Hinge was really popping off twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen.

It was like, yeah, it was like the new thing. Yeah, there was the League, there was Hinge. I was like Bumble coffee meats big, it was all the new ones.

Yeah, what was the one where you the girl asked the guy hated that one?

Okay, bumble bumble, Yeah, yeah.

I think so. So we met in twenty eighteen. I was hesitant to join Hinge because.

It wasn't that long after the show ended either, just like throwing yourself on the internet and.

You're like date me. And luckily he was like one of the first people that I spoke to. We hit it off. He thought he was being catfished, like briefly, He's like I know this girl, like hopefully she shows up. And so we met at Emily in West Hollywood and I showed up. So he was like, Okay, it's her and and never like the rest was history, that was it?

What was it about him? Because I imagined that.

I also imagine you probably had a guard up because you're in a position where you come from this massive show and it's like.

Probably did men throwing them at you?

Oh, thank you for that. No, I did not have men throwing my or maybe the wrong men. Yeah, men, yes, yeah.

There was definitely like options. But then at some point it just was like, I'm not here for the Hollywood hookup, Like I'm here for.

To meet my husband.

So when I joined Hinge, I moved back to LA I was like, I'm here to meet my husband. And we met up and he was just so honest and we our conversation was so good and we just chatted for hours and the date, like I told him, I was like I turned into a pumpkin at ten, So I'm going to go home after that, and then we ended up like staying out way way after that, and it was just one of those things You're like, I really like this person.

I trust this person. He's very open.

It was the first time that I was like, oh, he's not an actor in Hollywood.

That I'm meeting on Riyah, Like.

Yeah, there was something very refreshing about him that felt different than the guys I had dated in my past that were like not were actors, and I swore off them.

Really, yeah, what is it about it? Is it just because the schedules are too crazy?

No, I think it's this particular breed of mail like you and I think it's a particular thing. And I don't mean to generalize, like male actors, there's something very specific that they I find need and want from people attention.

Mm hmmm, yeah, let's just name them. Who is it? All of them?

Now?

I can see that, you know, And it just feels like there's and then you're also just competing. It's like a constant competition and also being like unemployed at the same time somebody gets a job.

It just feels too close.

Yeah.

I had some of that, like in the actors I dated in the past, where like somebody was working more, and especially like when I was on Glee. It's just like it's it's a level of success that like some people never reach in their whole lives that I'm so lucky to have, right, And I didn't want to feel bad about it, you know, And so I just I didn't want to feel that like that in the future either, Like and you like.

You had to make yourself smaller.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's like being a woman and you know you're like, I just want to be who I am and be able.

To reach my highest potential.

Yeah.

And he he just supported that from the very beginning, and I even told him like at that point, I was like, I think I want to take a break from acting for a while. I don't really know what I want to do. And he was like, great, do whatever you want to do. And I was like, that's a good sign.

Do you know what I mean? It's not like you're at the heid of your career. What do you do? Eat?

Right?

Right?

Get that in there.

He's like, whatever you want to do will make you happy, Like, that's what makes me happy.

What is that decision like though, to go from being like on a show like Glee and then being like I want to take a break from this whole world.

Yeah, it's really hard because walking away from the thing that made you who you or put you in that position with those kind of opportunities feels like counterintuitives in some ways. But there was a lot of time after Glee where we all thought like, oh, strike while the iron's hot. We're all gonna be like we're never gonna have to audition again, and our lives are and careers are made. And there was like a rude wake up

So I'm like so grateful for it, but.

I think with that work came like this detachment from like what actually makes me happy and what can I find in my own worth versus like this job, the next job that I'm chasing. And so when I realized that I could feel worthy without that I was like, Oh, maybe I don't need to do this all the time because it's so ruling and you're at the mercy of

Like it's crazy.

Now.

I feel like in this industry, like in Hollywood, like the highs are so high and the lows can be so low, like and I feel like it's not really you know, we see lot of drugs and things like that in the entertainment industry, but it's like I think it's because nobody talks about like the highs and how high you can get.

And then when it goes away.

And like when you're alone and you're home, like how low that low feels, you know, when you're on this this like hamster hamster wheel and then you get off of it, like it's a it's very very, very jarring. And I feel like to have the self awareness too, like in that moment for you to to pull yourself out of that is like a testament to to who you are, because I feel like it's really really hard because you kind of just want.

To keep chasing the high. Yeah yeah, yeah.

I mean I had my fair share of like chasing the high and like wanting that and wanting to be relevant and staying in it. And then like when you actually do like get off of the hamster wheel and stab back, you're like, WHOA, that's not normal.

It's not normal at all. Yeah, and like how do you You can't sustain that, that's the truth. So if you're always chasing the high, that's that's where you get in trouble.

Yeah yeah, well.

Yeah crazy, And I I think to be able to go like okay, I'm putting my worth into like going to auditions and people being like you're not it over and over again. It is like such a it's just not grueling a normal way for our brains to be able to process who we are as a person because they're basically being just told no to reject it over yeah, rejection, and we're not created to like now it's we're also like it's so interesting becoming a parent, Like you you realize.

The amount of learning you do and teaching you have to do, right and so like we're learning all about like extrinsic like reward. Everything is like here, have a lollipop if you do something good. Here, let me praise you when you've put this painting on the wall, and you're like this is crazy, Like where do you find the worth inside? Where do you find the pride of yourself?

But how do you do that?

By like it starts, I mean obviously she's two and a half, so I've only started the journey of this, but like it's like not always praising them for things that they do, but like having them feel accomplished in their own right. So you say, like you should be so proud of yourself versus I'm so proud of you on you know, in alternating time, like you did that, you did that yourself, not like I'm so proud of that.

Yeah? Or at least lay the foundation for that. Yeah, how do you do it? At thirty six years old?

How do we?

You should be so proud of yourself. She's like getting bed at night, it's so proudic.

You know, you should be so proud of yourself.

Yeah, but yeah, you know what I mean.

But I know it's like, how do that?

Is such a It's like it's like reframing it, Yeah, reframing how you are seeing you're saying the word and feeling feeling that internally.

Oh yeah, it's impactful.

But it's true though, like so like it's just constantly in our business in this industry, constantly seeking everybody's approval.

Is the movie good? Did I do a good job? Do I look pretty?

Am I the box of this?

For you to hire me?

It's like where's the internal worthing from then, versus like figuring it out and being like, I know that I have something to offer, and if it's not, if I'm not the role and this isn't for me, I know that somebody else will value me somewhere else.

Yeah, it's hard.

It's so hard.

It's so hard. I hate this business.

Speaking of hating the business, After you have your baby, what do you.

What do you plan on doing?

It's a good question.

I don't know.

I feel like my whole identity is shifted in my daughter, and so after this baby, like who knows. I think I have to like figure out my footing with two children. Luckily, I've been able to like sustain financially on like little jobs here and there, and you know, social media, which has been like a really sadly great.

Thing for you know, all of us.

I don't think it's at all.

Yeah, it is the way of the world.

Yeah, I wish I could be on it a little bit less, but like it is part of the job.

Right, Yeah, do you know what I mean?

Yeah, it's also like if you think it's just a different extension of like if you've got a commercial.

On tabizing exactly.

You got it on your own page.

I know I'm better. We're just like so oversaturated now, oh yeah, and it's just like you're scrolling it and seeing it twenty four to seven. Yeah, but yes, it is the medium. It is the way to evolve. It's how we have to do it right. But I don't know. I mean, maybe i'd get back into acting.

I think I would have different a different perspective, and I think I would be pickier in terms of like what I take and.

What jobs I want to even.

Audition for this way, just because I can also see now like I've sustained without it for so long, Like I haven't worked as an actor in quite a bit of time, and it's kind of nice. So I don't know. I think I want to like dip my toes in directing and producing and just being able to like in jobs that fulfill me but also allowed me to like kind of make my own schedule or have more control over it.

Yeah, have y'all come up? Have y'all solidified a name for the baby we have? What's the process of coming?

Is it?

Was?

It?

Like?

Oh yeah, no, it's hard.

So with Emma, my first, our first kid, she was pretty easy.

You know, you find out pretty early on now, like what the the sex of the baby is, and so we were thrilled.

We had a handful of girl names. This one like felt to us like it meant universe.

It means universal and whole, and so we felt like she was like completing a part of our family. So that's why we wanted to choose that name.

I didn't know the Emma meant that, Yeah.

It has a lot of names.

I mean, you live on no Well, which is my middle name. So I was like, she gets you know, her father's last name. So yes, this one was much harder, and I don't know why, it just was harder.

I think we also we didn't know.

We were like, we didn't we weren't positive were gonna have a second kid. We thought like, oh, let's start with the first one and see. So like it wasn't even in our minds, but we had a couple of names and we landed. We landed on the one we landed on. Also, it actually has like nothing to do with the meaning at all. It was just that we like like.

The name and could agree on it, like that's where we got.

But we love this name, so like now it feels right and after using it for a while, but it wasn't like, oh, this means a whole so it's going to be.

Like like why did you need this?

Like we liked it, it was good enough, sounds good with the last name. Yeah right, we couldn't agree on anything else. So here you are. No, it's it's good.

But yes, we do have a name, and we we didn't share the first one.

We're not sharing the second one.

Like a lot of people just like throw out names who are pregnant and just like talk about the names that they really Yeah, I find that's very common these days. And we found that like, once we landed on them, we didn't want other people's opinions because we didn't want to be swayed.

Yea.

And so you're like, you don't You don't realize until you're looking at baby names how many people like from your past you.

Don't like, Yeah, no, I get that.

You're like, well, I knew a person like that in school, do you know what I mean? Middle school? By bye, you really can't do that one. No, it reminds me of that person. Yeah, so we.

Yeah, that's that's kind of the name game. But there's an app also that you can use that's like a dating app where you swipe left for all names. Yes, and you'll swipe and swipe and swipe, and it's connected with your partner. So if you have a match it, I'll tell you you mad.

That is what is the name of this app?

I think it's called baby Names, but I like that.

Yeah, they got really creative with that name.

The names on that app that are crazy. Oh, like I can't I can't even remember now. It was like there's every name from like it's biblical, it's historical, it's there's like the most popular and it's just really like I think there was one that was like Stone, and I'm like, I actually kind of like that name, but it's crazy, like we would never a name and that we're just not those people.

Stone.

It's strong.

It is kind of strong, a pretty strong example.

Yeah, I keep that in my pocket.

Yeah.

It's when they're like starting, well, thank you for coming out of the house, getting out of the house and coming into the studio chat with us.

We're so excited for you.

I just like I have it's so crazy, Like I have these moments doing.

The podcast where I get to sit across from people.

That like I was just it's just so crazy. I think back to myself moving from Louisiana to San Diego and Glee being the show that my me and my sister and brother in law watched when I didn't have any friends, and it was like I was it was just so so it's it's really amazing getting to do this, and I've been a fan of you for so long, so thank you for coming.

I feel like forever. I also feel like I just like know you.

Yeah, yeah, I'm a bit of you guys.

Friends, Oh my god. You know, it's good when you have mutual friends.

It's always good when the mutual friends are there.

And I watched you on your show, I know, but then and then we knew each other through Cammy.

Yeah, that's right.

Kimmy knows everybody connect mood who's her sisters Mary.

Mary Miller very well. But I don't know.

Immy is great.

You love you, love you.

Yeah, she's good to good people. But we'll do this again. Love too. When you're like, when you're like I.

Need someone to take the kids and I need to go do something, I'm gonna come to the girls to you.

Oh great, I'll come to you guys. Okay, it's anyway. She's nice, Bradley, get out of the house.

We'll bring Italian subs. Oh eat next time.

Well, your favorite thing is to have drinks with our guests, and you're pregnantly so you cannot.

And then our last guest was nineteen, so she could not protestant.

It's her new favorite thing. We literally did it once. It's her new.

Favorite thing that we have not one time in the same way that, like, is this the tradition? Now right, you've done it once? What's your birthday? April aries tourists?

Okay, so we did this bit where Tania really feels like she's in the know of like zodiac zodiac sense, yes, and she will try and guess and she never like it's like she goes through like the list close.

Second all it makes so much sense of that, your tourist.

Oh my god, it always makes sense after Okay, what's your way?

Is your husband Leo?

No?

No?

Is your husband a cancer?

Yes?

Yes, see yes, I have a lot of cancers in my life.

Yeah, but like a lot of.

Them a toy and a cancer. So you are destined for greatness.

Thank you?

You heard it here for I had six years later.

On the podcast the other day, and I felt like the same that you had said.

It's like if like you told me.

Yeah, that's crazy twenty years ago, said I would be sitting like talking to Jcase like he called me by my first name.

You're crazy.

Are they going on tour?

I don't think so.

I don't think so.

Just the one off when it was so nice. It would have we would have loved that.

I feel like they had stuff in the works and then the yeah, into a different direction.

But I'm giving up hope.

I feel like you can never give up hope.

Yeah.

I feel like they just tabled the conversation for now, let the let.

The dust set all.

Yeah, and then we'll see visit.

In twenty We'll circle back, circle back. Yeah. Where can everybody follow you? Listen to the podcast all the things?

Yes, so we're on I heard as well, where and that's what you really missed podcas past and you can follow me on Instagram and TikTok and uh that's pretty much the two that I'm on is Jenna Schwitz, Easy peasy.

We love you so much, love you, thank you, thank you. That's so fun.