Still the Place with Laura Layton, Courtney Thorn Smith.
And daphne's Aniga an iHeartRadio podcast.
Hello ladies, welcome to another Melrose minute. So one of the things that comes up in this episode that comes up in many future episodes is that Alison is dealing with Amanda, who is a very mean boss. It's mean at the workplace yet, but she's mean because she stole Allison's pretend boyfriend.
I'm also a little confused on the structure at work because she's not exactly her boss, right.
Yeah, Lucy's her boss, right, Lucy's her boss, and and like Amanda is the art director.
Helped me understand exactly what the structure is.
Amanda's the super attractive boyfriend's well, I know she's super attractive. That's what her official title is, but that's what she doesn't know.
I'm going to annoy the woman who's playing Alison for the rest of her life.
I think she's kind of parallel above, like say she's a number above on the on the call sheet, like you can get an actor language, she's probably above on the call sheet.
So she's like the director in her department, and she works in a parallel department, like not in the same exact department, but they have to work together. And it seems like Allison is on a rung below in a different department, but they have to work together. So she's not her direct boss, she's not her direct report exactly.
So what I just have to be clear. So, but she does become her boss.
She's also a bossy and and sort of it. It is definitely an added layer to being irritated by how pretty she is. I'm sure.
Yeah, So we're kind of talking about when you've dealt with bad bosses, and I have to say, you know, there was a time in this industry and you guys both know this that people were allowed to behave horribly And one of the good things that come out of the Me Too movement and this is that is that is less accepted. But don't you remember people used to be allowed to behave horribly at work? And I'm sure
that's across the line. Like before there was hr I'm sure everybody of a certain age had a time when somebody was literally throwing staplers across the office. Do you guys have did you work well?
You're talking about a boss, like a director or a producer or are you talking about a.
Fellow or just like a coworker. Well, when when me too started, there were stories of prefamous stories of producers and they'd throw things at assistance and we all just sort of shrugged like it was okay. Remember that, like oh oh yeah, he's crazy, he's crazy, And now suddenly it's not okay. People started to see they had rights. But you remember, I remember people who had power on sets being able to yell and scream and we all just sort of hid and allowed it to happen.
Well, because we thought that's how it works. The slady had to accept that the pyramid, the hierarchy is the way it goes. And yeah, I mean when I put myself back, it makes total sense. It's only now in hindsight where people who probably put up with a lot worse than us are like saying, no, this is bus not doing it anymore, not okay that you go, oh yeah, it shouldn't be.
And I think there were like a specifically, like some commercial directors that just had a reputation for being absolutely hardcore and would scream at crowds of people, but it was still considered like, well, but if you want to work, and if you want to get this great job and work with this great director, you just put up with that.
And it's really like a mark of.
You know, Cachet to work with this guy, but what you have to endure is his screaming and yelling and the way he talks to his people and like that, like you're saying that it was just considered, Like okay, that's just what you have to put up with. And I get to say that I've done this job or this commercial or whatever with this notoriously, you.
Know, not to forget me somewhere.
I mean the other mark of cashe Yeah, like you tried to complain, they'd say, there are a thousand people who'd want your job. And the other mark of Cachet was for the person throwing a tantrum. I worked with someone who was a real bully once and he actually said, I love that I get to do whatever I want and people have to accept my apology because I'm so powerful.
Oh, actually said the words out loud.
He said the quiet part out loud.
Wow.
Actually said it that that was indicative of his power, that he could do crazy things and people had to put up with it because he had all the power. So it was a huge awakening, like a rude awakening for these people when things like HR started and you got to say you don't get it or cell phone started, right, Yeah, so when it first started, you remember this, like people would actually film people doing it and it was so real, or record them throwing a tantrum and people are like, oh,
that's not okay like it used to be. Well, we have to put up with it because they're so creative. So the people who were being put up with felt powerful because they got to act out and be forgiven. They didn't have to grow up.
And people who say that quiet part out loud probably don't just say it once. They probably go around saying it like they've repeated that phrase and they're wearing that sort of as a confident Hey, I can do whatever I want.
Yeah, when I worked, probably doesn't talking about and I complained about it, and instead of telling the bully he had to stop bullying, they said, well, Courtney, we could find someone to like be with you. It's like I don't need a bodyguard, you like, have the bully stopped being a bully. But so that's dawned back then?
Was this the eighties or the nineties, because I'm trying to think of or the two thousands, Like, at what point that you thought.
That, Well, I think it was as I grew up, so you know, when I was younger, you just sort of get quiet, and there's this thing of like, so everybody's sort of talking about how awful they are, but there was no sense of we shouldn't have to put up with that. Yeah, Like I think it wasn't until the Meto movement that kind of people went oh, no, way to minute, no.
Right, Like you know what I'm saying is did you say that but you spoke up, right.
You're saying he did finally speak up. Yeah, so this was after.
Me too, or did you think no it was way back okay, so you were like you thought, this is not okay.
I mean that's but the response was, yeah, we can't do anything about him, So we're just going to try to protect you within the framework of this system, which is that he gets do whatever he wants and we'll try to take care of you in quiet ways without upsetting him.
I know. But what I'm saying it didn't dawn on a lot of us back then that it was wrong. Like I would have. We're sort of like what's that term? Uh, you know where you just kind of go this is the way it is, Like I would.
Send time on me.
I would just go, oh, he's a creep or he's a this, and I say he because most of them were he's, he's, he's, he's he director, producer, director, producer. There are so few women. But I would never, in fact, I probably would go to my therapist and say, fix me so I can deal with this. I would never go and think that the whole system needs a change.
Ever, because we were so conditioned to accept this behavior. It was like there were famous stories right about these producers and oh yeah, oh yeah, he's crazy. But at no point did people say until that movement did people say, oh no, no, that's not okay. And I thought was so interesting when Me Too came out, was that somebody would complain about somebody and then all of these people would come out, and each each woman had thought she was the only one.
Right. People don't just say it once, they don't just do it once.
Yeah, Yeah, I was very touching. There were times when I thought to even say it out loud and to go through it. There's a certain form of trauma. I mean, I don't think I was traumatized in the way that a lot of women were that came out, But I think there's a mental and emotional that you kind of like an inventory that I went through, going oh that wasn't okay, or maybe this wasn't you know, having worked all through the eighties and the nineties and the two thousands.
But I think you're right, it's changed.
Yeah, things have changed, and the accountability I think is is just there's much more of a consciousness about it in a conversation about it.
You know, the system had been was more rigid, it was more there were fewer in roads, you know. Now it's like you see all these people. There's work everywhere because of phones, and it's easy to create content and so many outlets that I think, like people was very small and rigid before to get into this industry and so and the system was so kind of like it felt it very locked and stiff, you know what I mean.
And now you're in a generation these kids are like these are gig employments, you know, they're into like, I don't want to work here anymore. I don't like my boss. This is who they are. You know, there's that that that is always.
So heartbreaking to me too, Like so much was heartbreaking about the Harvey Weinstein stuff. He really did have the power to ruin the careers of women who refused to sleep with him, Like, how can that be? That was the eighties, It's not like it was the twenties, Like that was the eighties. That was so recent.
But he came out of why seventies and the sixties and the fifties were in the forties, I mean, it just kind of kept going.
Poor died that behavior.
Of course, That's what I agree.
He had invented rooms.
It was normal for him.
It went on doing anything wrong.
I know, That's what I'm saying. It's like when you look back to where he grew up in it, he and his I mean I read.
A little bit about it. He looked it was objectively hideously wrong, but you think of how embedded in the system that was. Yes, of course that's insane. So there's no wonder we sort of thought, well, there's a price to be paid in the re is this attitude in our business, And I hope it's better for young actresses coming up now. But it's that there are a hundred people who would like to be here, like, just suck it up. I always knew this was my code when
I knew something was wrong. If they say to me, be a sport, be sport, like I have done stunts I shouldn't have done that, I would not do today. Do people actually say those words, do you be a sport? You've never heard that, daph Have you heard that then in a work country? Well I have, I hear whenever. Now I know. Now it's like if they say be a sport, it means put yourself in danger for us, And I'm like, you know, I'm not a sport. I'm here to take care of myself because I have taken
risks for stunts that now. Look, the vast majority of stunt coordinators and stunt guys are super careful and they say are you comfortable? Does this work for you? But I've done a couple of lower budget things where they just kind of wanted to get it done and they wanted to see my face and they were like, you can do it right. You're a sport.
And they said be a sport.
You're a sport, and I was like, yeah, I'm a sport. Like that very young part of me that wanted to hang out with the guys. I'm a sport like now the older part of me is much stronger in protecting the younger part of me. But I would do it. Like there was one time I was doing a stut and I was running and jumping into a moving car.
And I look back on that and I go, wait a minute, like, yeah, it could have I could have gone like not just hurt me and I couldn't finish the day's work, Like you can be so hurt doing something like that that it could have ruined my life could have gotten very little. But I could do it. Yeah, Like the little tomboy and me wanted to prove I could do it. And I'm just it's heartbreaking. All these come on because I've had I have been pressured to do things. For the most part, I stood up to it.
But I've been pressured to do plenty of things I didn't want to do on sets where I had a director, I might I may have shared this on another episode, but when they said everybody out there thinks you being a baby, Oh yeah, that's everybody thinks you're being a baby, And it's just like it's so rule that kind and then you say, by the way, were lying. I came out, except I came out and the crew was like, good for you. For like, the crew was one hundred percent
on my side. Crews are amazing. They were one hundred percent on my side. But they tried to manipulate me. It was just like I said to Allison, and Allison said Romanda. In the upcoming episode, she says, everybody thinks so except for Billy, Except for Bally, I hope that it's it's better. I hope that there's more support for young actors and actresses that they don't have to do things that they're uncomfortable with. Yeah, we need more minutes. We're out of minutes. We have so much to say.
That was just a Melrose minute.
That's all just a little light topic.
Welcome to the industry. Come on in, guys, all right, wellnutes. That's why the best advice is, if you can do anything else to make a living, go do it.
We can discuss that.
I'm insanely grateful for my career. I've had, for the most part, a great time, and I think it's changing. I think I think the industry is becoming more accountable and there are more protections now for young people, and I think young people are better educated about their rights and what they can expect. Yeah. I have so much faith in these upcoming generations. I really do. I think they're amazing.
Well, on that note, on that always lovely to chat with you ladies for this matter is a minute.
Thank you for listening. Listene soon for another episode. Y bye bye,