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My depth tonight is an actor and adventure enthusiast who has a new limited docu series called Orlando Bloom to the Edge.
Please welcome Orlando Blue.
Hi everyone, that's a nice that's a nice wole of response. Hi everyone, Oh.
You got interviewed before.
I don't act like you've never had a million people like.
You haven't been hacked in as long as most of you people have been alive. Okay, So I just saw you jumping out of a play out of a play out of out of a plane. You know you need your face for work, right, mister Orlando Bloom.
Why are you jumping down a plane with.
A batsuit on a flying squirrel?
The flying squirrel?
You're jumping out planes like flying squirrels with a parachute wiffering.
Well, because I didn't get any takes on me doing like a longevity show where or would get to, like, you know, meet people who live long and prosper I kind of had that idea. It was like it was COVID when like I felt really the palpable level of fear around me. I don't know about you, but I was like, if I get out of this. I want to do something that shows how people live in such a way that they could survive this. Right, But like I said, nobody bit on that. But they said, how
about we throw you out of a plane. How about we throw you to the bottom of the ocean and up a mountains.
So I was like, okay, that works.
So you came up with an idea during the roney as if you like to call it, where we were in a panasonic you know, and you were like, man, I would love to talk to people about just, you know, how do I become you.
Know, a person who lives to be one hundred years old?
And then yeah, networks were like, no, I don't nobody care about that, but can't we see you risk your life?
Is that what everyone was like, that's exactly what it was.
Yeah, okay, And so don't you have children? Cause it's because if it was me, if you if I miss Katery Perry and I got a baby at home, I'm like, sir, if you don't sit down, why for what?
Oh?
God love you?
Yeah, she's she's amazing, super We both support each other immenseally. But look, obviously, perhaps she didn't know exactly quite the lengths I'd be going to until I kind of came home freaking out, sweating and going like, uh that was real and a lot. But I think, you know, I hope that Like for me, it was like this was an opportunity to kind of get super capable, super focused, and actually these remarkable athletes that taught me all these
incredible things. You see, Luke Aitkins was the guy who taught me to wingsuit, and Camilla Jabbar was taught me to free dive with Will Troubridge, and then there was this amazing adaptive climber named mo Beck who was born with one hand and claimed exactly what I climbed, Like, these are people with an incredible skill set, and I kind of felt like, well, if I could learn instead of being this like impulsive kid that I kind of always said been in Like that was when I got
into trouble, you know, like flying around on my motorcycle thinking I could do anything and then not knowing the protocols or not knowing exactly. It was like an education in becoming super present, super capable and able to like push through what I think was you know, an edge for me. Now listen for other people their edges a little different, you know, but it was like it wouldn't necessarily play on TV in the same way.
Well, my edge is being a black woman in America. So there you go.
On, you have to step out the house, right.
I walk outside, and I'm like, man, this is extreme, this is real. I hope I make it back tonight, black al I might meet Jesus far across the street. So you went wing suited, yeah, rock climbing, free diving. Yeah, Now I thought diving didn't cost any money.
What what is what is free diving?
So I basically swam to I ended up at about one hundred and two feet thirty seven meters. I guess it's like one tenth of the Chrysler building or ten floors maybe you can think of it ten floors. I swam to ten floors on one breath and.
Down and back. So was it five down and five up or was it ten down and ten.
Up, ten down to ten up?
Yeah, so it's like two hundred feet ago, okay.
And so it's free diving called that because it's free of air?
Is that why?
Because you don't have like a there's.
No snorkel, there's there's no nu school.
But there's just it's just you, you and your breath and the and the great deep beyond.
Wow.
Pretty scary. I mean it's a weird feeling because you're you're literally like you know, I mean, I'm not clostrophobic, and I love the ocean. But there was a lot of technical stuff with like you know, equalizing, and I had a mask, and I mean, you know, it was it was challenging, but we got there and it was and I only had like a week to kind of do that. I mean, I learned to I learned to
hold my breath. I kept doing these techniques. So Camilla, who was training me, taught me these breath routines and ways to sort of exhale whole breath out to build up this co two, which is what you feel most uncomfortably when you're underwater. But and then holding your breath for an extended period of time. I mean, it's it is unnatural.
It's not saying that, like I definitely wouldn't recommend it just to kind of go do that, you know, but but it was like I think I got a lot from it.
So like, so you learned my breath, so you learned a lot from this experience of all, wait, I'm almost not making it out of these experiences. Yeah, what do you felt like you learned in those places where we're at those momentary Just like I'm like right on the because like.
Did you reach the was the edge?
Death? Was the edge?
I think it's close to it.
I think, I say in this show, I never feel more alive when I'm as close to death. And I think that I had that feeling of you know, if you if you're in in a really intense moment, a really intense situation, and I have these incredible teachers. If I follow the protocol, if I just follow what I've learned, if I trust, if I let go all of those ideas of like being rhythm being like trust the universe,
Trust this is on my path. Trust that like I've learned everything, Trust that Luke who taught me, for example, with the free diving, that I was capable to wingsuit after twenty five jumps, which is when I got my A license.
So we're not sure.
We're not sure anyone really has done it on the twenty sixth jump wingsuiting because it's a particularly terrifying kind of experience when you don't have a huge amount of experience. But yo, but I kind of had. I felt like being present, really present, and maybe that's something that I'll take back. Hopefully that's something that I am taking back to my family, like being more present or grateful, more like appreciative of life.
I guess that's amazing.
Because the idea of being more present is the thing that's always I mean, it's we're here, I'm a present, You're welcome. But but I guess the ide because like how it is your gift, Look at God, Thank you so much. And if you have any nice friends, I want to meet me. You know, we can talk about that letter, mister Bloom. But I do wonder like was
there anything that got you? I guess like being in those moments, it feels like it's probably a very spiritual experience when you're that close to just yeah.
So I yeah, definitely, when you're that close to death. And I've had this Buddhist practice in my life since I sixteen, so I chann't now me wh and get killed, which has been a really wonderful philosophy in my life and something like kind of an anchor for me. Really, So I actually you see me chant a little bit of that, and it's something that I would say, help me to deal with the voices in my head telling me that I was insane or that I might die.
You know, that's survival, sir. Has your body gone breathe?
Yeah?
Yeah, exactly, bro.
Which, by the way, when you're doing that, you are breathing, but I think you know in a way. Yeah, it's it was very focusing and grounding and because you're in like these hyper tense situations. I liked that it helped. I'll use it again.
I use it now.
You're an actor who's been a part of huge franchises. Yeah, the read The Powers of the European But like this is a docu series, so there's no because like I'm also a trained actor. When I started doing stand up, it scared me because I'd never been on stage and it wasn't me being a character bringing someone else to life,
and they were someone else's words. So how did it feel to be on camera but you weren't playing someone else and you were very being very true to yourself and presenting yourself.
Kind of honorable and terrified. Yeah, it was a lot, to be honest, I never thought of doing anything like this, you know, I wasn't thinking I want to do an unscripted show and I want to do some kind of action adventure thing. It wasn't in my in my thinking. It just was something that became part of my journey, which I'm grateful for. But it was like, definitely, I was I had a certain amount of like, am I going to say something really silly all the time or just part of the time, and I am I gonna
sound like I know anything about anything, you know? So that was that was That was also I think a massive I'm grateful for that question. It was a massive part of the equation because whilst doing these insane things was insane and challenging, like overcoming some of the things in my mind that prevented me from even thinking anything I had to say was going to work for an
unscripted show. Because as you point out, so I've worked on some great characters and great writers, and when you have a dialogue you know from a character that's been written now, it's there's there's there's choices that you make, but when you're just riffing, it's like, as you know, like you can't really you know it is.
That gonna work?
So it was that was another element to it that I kind of had to sort of learn to embrace.
That's amazing. I'm so excited for you for this project.
Thanks.
I hope you look it.
I will love it. I love to watch you.
I love you, guys.
My guest Tonight is a country singer songwriter whose debut album is called My Stupid Life.
Please Welcome Brittany's ben Zone. Oh my god.
First of all, hot titties, Hello, Hello you had George asked them if I could be out a little bit too. They were like, okay, we got to keep it like TV hosts.
But I was like, I want mine out deliberate too. Just make you feel powerful. They do make you feel powerful. It's like hello, good.
Morning, but what I wanted you to know. So then when they asked me, when I was like, got my hosting week and they're like, who do you want to come out, I was like, Britty Spencer on the top of my list, and I'm so glad.
You came because I didn't know you could come. So I'm so glad you can have them.
For you because I follow you on Instagram and I was like, I'm making somebody. I'm so excited you're here. So your debut album, My Stupid Life, came out earlier this year.
What do you want people?
What do you want to tell people about your album, like you as an artist or what inspired you like? Tell them everything so they can buy you put on the top of the Billboard charts. We could you grabmy some stuff?
My gosh, Well, first, thank you so much for having me. This is course, this is my first time on like nighttime television just like talking and stuff. So yeah, yeah, I haven't like done like a debut and nighttime television, and so this is like my first one, and this is cool. That's my Stupid Life, you know. I think with this album, I want people to know that I love music. I love country music. It taught me how to tell a story. It taught me how to connect
with my own story. And this album is it's a sunic spectrum.
You know.
I love country music, and I also love pop, and I love rock, and I love R and B, and I love just I wish good was a genre sometimes, you know, I like to thread a lot of things together, but it's all kind of held together by how I interpret country music and the storytelling tradition that it is so as we are both black women. I don't know if anyone noticed.
It's h it can kind of feel scary or unsafe a lot of times to open up and the people in So, how did you overcome that when you were writing.
The songs for this album? Uh, the same way. I'm still trying to learn how to overcome it. I guess I just I just try to be honest, you know, And I try to any anything that I do, I try to make it feel like an invitation, you know, for other people. You know. I feel like I make music for people who felt unseen, you know, or feel unseen or feel like they just feel like they're the only ones sometimes. And and so that's kind of where
my storytelling comes from and how I write songs. And being a black woman in country music, I mean, honestly, like I'm so happy to be black, I'm so happy to be a woman. I'm so happy to be in country music. And like it makes my experience.
Cool.
All of these things make my They make my experience as a country artist way more fun. I think, like I have a great time like being part of this moment in country music where people are just exploring and like bringing like we're bringing more than our complexion. We're bringing our culture, and so we're like, that's why we're fusing a lot of things together. I just think it's fun and it's more explorative and I think there's a
lot of creativity and innovation in that. And I don't know, it's just stepping into this knowing country music historically has kind of left us out for like, you know, one hundred plus years, there's not really any expectation on what we should look or sound like. I guess sometimes it feels like because you know, it's like it's something about being like the underdog. It feels like it's you get to kind of have a little more fun. That's what
it feels like for me sometimes. Of course I feel the struggle of it sometimes, but mostly I'm just kind of focused on, like how I don't have to live up to a status quo because no one ever really gave me one because they didn't think I would be here, right because they get to do fun things.
It's like I feel like that sometimes, like as a performer in a comic and people ask me, like, you know, what it's like to be a woman in stand up and a woman in entertainment and kind of like it's like when people don't have expectations of you, they get to be surprised by everything you do. But just like, well all of this is great, Like, well you didn't think I could do half of this, so when I'm doing all of it, it's like, damn.
Sure good, Yeah you were like cause you Like.
I think the other thing that's surprises to people is like, I grew up in Georgia, right, I grew up in the South, so we always heard country music. Yeah, and it didn't seem and it one something that's crazy to us. We always saw black people in country music, but not everybody saw black people in country music. And can you describe your music as universal country? What does that mean?
It means I just want to have a little something for everybody, you know, I just want I think that's why my album is the way it is. There's not one single song that sounds like another, and I kind of like it that way. That's kind of how I listen to music, you know. I feel like there's so many country artists before me that have kind of accomplished that, whether you talk about it like a Dolly or a Shanaya, like I think that's really cool. Having something that everybody
can kind of connect with in your discography. I think that's really cool, and that's that's what I want to do. I want to have fun. You know, I love country music. I'm also black. I'm also I'm from Baltimore. You know, my grandparents are from the South, but my family moved to Baltimore. And that's a really eclectic mix anyway. You know, it's a home of Hairspray, Billie Holliday and Tony Braxton. That's a ne collective mix, you know, and the Wire.
So like that's just a lot of things, a lot going on.
Yeah, And I'm not a reflection of that. And so I know I'm not the only one. And when I meet people who are kind of like me and they just like music, oftentimes they're like, yo, I listen to this genre in that genre and they have a playlist and it's about ten for genres on it. And I'm like, that's how I hear music, too, And all those artists probably all like each other and listen to each other anyway. So I think, I don't know, I think we cage people into a little too much sometimes, But I don't
want to be. No, you don't want to.
Be because listen, if you do like a lot of different types of stuff, then when the Grammy showed up, you could be like, well, you can't just put me in one category. Yeah, and then I'm at the Cemas, and then I'm at the Latin Grammys, and then I'm want.
A K pop band, and.
Then it's just like and then we do a p So I'm all over the world getting awards. Now, I know we cannot talk to you without mentioning the fact that you were on Beyonce's cover of Blackbird. That was fun because I didn't I didn't want to get to know you.
But I know everybody was in here.
Like asking about Beyonce.
I'm like, hey, I mean I would too, I'd be like cute, yeah, but like I just want to go get Britney what Brittany did, but then also grew beyon So it's like I have because by law, I have to ask you about Beyonce. It's I'm so sorry. It's a lot that's been passed recently.
I can you don't make the rules.
I don't make the rules.
I get black Twitter laws.
This has nothing to do with me, So like how does she find you? I mean, I know I found you, but I mean I listened to different types of music, but like, how does she find you?
Did she call you?
Did she was a prank call? You're like, oh, tell your cousin get off my phone, So like how did she find you?
I have no idea. I have no idea, Like I'm not just saying I literally don't know I have I have so many questions. I already had questions in my head because like Giance is like a like a big system in my head, and I'll be asking her questions sometimes, but like now I actually really have questions, Like I don't actually no, and I think that's so cool. Though I'm just happy to be on the record. It's a beautiful record, Like even if I wasn't on it, like
I would just be mad into it. This is a no skips like start to finish, Like if it have been twenty more songs, I would listen to the whole thing over and over again. And I don't know, I just it's a fun time, like to be able to be a part of that record and to I don't know, be here talking to y'all and being able to say a song that I love, Like the Beatles is my second favorite band of all time, you know, and so this is really cool. It's it's fun, and it's I
still wake up and I'm like, what is happening right now? Yeah, Like I'm like hearing bees, I'm like, oh, that's miss the beet hoveist like following me right now.
I like you, they're dropping locations everybody.
But when they love you, they love you, but they don't so much love. They show so much love, And I mean, I think that's just a reflection of her because she does the same.
Well.
I do want to ask you one one last question. What was the first country album that made you realize that you wanted to get into country music?
Oh? The first one?
Just like I could do this.
Yeah. I remember when I first got introduced to country music. I was like fourteen to fifteen years old, and I became a fan of it, like I like I dibbed in, like I listened to the Chicks and I was like, oh, snap, like what is happening? And I like went on this this whole journey of just listening to the country music. And I feel like I can't remember exactly which album it was I'm always annoyed at myself and not remembering that,
but it sent me on a rabbit hole. I would say the artist that made me feel like I could do it was Taylor Swift. It was something about her that made me feel like, like, maybe I don't have to just be a fan. Maybe I can like, maybe I can actually do this. She's poetic, She's from Pennsylvania. I'm from Maryland, and so it was something about like not having a twang and like and being able to like fuse poetry and storytelling, and also just being young
and like vulnerable. It was something about that that made me feel like, maybe I don't have to just kind of be on the sidelines. Maybe I want to sing. I've always wanted to sing, and maybe this is giving me a little direction. Well, I'm so happy to have you here.
Now, hold on, hold on.
Now, before we go, I want to get my good sis some of her flowers. Now you're on tour with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan this summer.
Yes I am.
I'm still excited.
Nast Well, she has opened for rebook McIntyre and I don't know if y'all know, but black people love Reba McIntyre. We do, we do because of the show, yo, listen one because of the show too. Because she's literally just a white Mary J. Blige.
I don't know if y'all know.
Listen fancy and most of Mary J's songs, it's the same thing.
It's the same thing.
She's just trying to help her kids. You're trying to be a good person to raise her own.
Not to miss it in the commercials.
Now to mention commercials, listen, we love Dolly has introduced you at her show. Yeah, and then Maren Morris on her record, she has you as a background vocalist, and you've collaborated with her on many occasions.
Yeah, I've seen with Baron quite a bit. I tour with her. She's amazing. Like we met on Twitter, Like I posted a cover of a song called Crowded Table that's in a bandage she's in called the High Women, and I don't I met them online and then a year later I was singing with them in front of fifty thousand people. That's kind of wild.
Look, that's wild.
I've just I've been really fortunate to to collab with a lot of incredible artists who are really kind and generous, and I just don't know I want to do to thank you. People don't just pick up folks for fun. Oh I know, I don't take it for granted. That's really cool, and I just I don't know. I want to keep singing, and you know, and one day if I'll be in a position and I get to extend that same like that same generosity and just invitation to
be a part of something I'm doing. So I'm excited They've They've shown me a lot of what I aspire to do and be when I get to that point in my career.
I'm so happy that you came, and I want to come to one shows. Please invite me.
You always invited.
Yeah, and I'm bringing a bunch of people with me for you, black people with me.
Yes, Yes, turn it out. Oh God.
My super Life is available now before tour days. Check out Bringing Friend the dot com.
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