104: Enemy of the State w/ Liza Weil

It's a bunny. I think it's a bunny. I have no idea. I literally have no cluthes going on. But my son is so into it. And for the first time. Okay, he's only the cards. He gets our shit ass knockoffs that are like five cents because I'm not spending money on this show. And some of these cards are like five hundred dollars. It's like collecting baseball card, like limited edition, you know, Pokemons being around for thirty years or something.

So when he got his cast off, I got him his first like real it was like sixteen dollars card. Oh and as big fear is that he's going to like still be into this in like ten years and try to trade these knockoff piece of shit card They're like, kid, this is this is a fake. Like this is a fake. You're a fake, You're a phony, you're parents phones. Yo. The only time I loved Pikachu is when when Pikachu was a fucking happy meal box? Do you remember that?

Just a few months ago? And all I listen, I don't love anything more than I love a good happy meal. It makes the food taste better. Well, you could either have a hamburger or cheeseburger, and then it comes with small fries, apple slices, or yogurt, and that's pretty much.

I always get the hamburger with the fries. But y'all, for a stint, for a little for a period there, the Happy Meal boxes were an actual Pikachu and you could fold the ears up and it looked like That's the only time I was interested in Pikachu, the only time we were into it. It It is so annoying, but he loves it so much, and he was very brave and actually surprisingly have you ever had a broken bone? Uh in my foot? Yeah? I have? Oh did you have to have a cast? Uh? No? You know you

know what in my hand too. Yeah, I had to have a I had to have a cast. So I remember when I was a kid, I broke my leg. I remembered them taking the cast off and it hurt so so so badly, and it was so scary. And I feel like the thing like touched my skin and it was like a saw. Now, it's things have come so far from when way we were kidding. I have this like saw machine that takes off cast now and kids for in literally under one minute. It tickles their

skin as it's doing it. I don't know how that's possible. But and Albi was husterical laughing. Are you serious? Yes, he's so ticklish and he's stile laughing and had the best time of his life. Like he wasn't scared. I thought he was gonna be like Jesus Christ, this is like a loud saw. Meanwhile, back in the day, we're like, please don't cut my arm off? Were you taking the cast off skin? Like I'm terrified. Um, it's not like that at all. It's come very far. Um. And so

I've had a very active mourning. I tid Freeman, do you ever hike I have? Yeah, I like hiking Freeman is a is a trail up here in a North Hollywood, right, what do we end Like, is that considered North Hollywood? Yeah, it's in it's in Studio City, yeah, And it's a a trailhead and it's like a three mile hike. It's like a mile and a half up into my half

down and it's really beautiful. And it's very clear right now in Los Angeles because we've had rains, which means the smog has sort of moved out, and you can see that there's like snow capped mountains nearby, and it's really beautiful and I love it because it I zen out. But today when I got there, I was following the whole time, like seventy five teenage girls on this crash. It was awful. You gotta let them go ahead. You should have put off to the side and sat down

for a second. Get ahead. I couldn't get behind, I couldn't figure out where I fit. And the whole fucking hike I'm hearing like such annoying shit, and I just was like, fuck, is this my fee Like God, damn it, teenage girls are the fucking worst. Like it was so annoying. Wait, you didn't have music or anything. You didn't have music and music in my ear and it made no difference. It was like like it was just so and so disturbing. And if I went too far, because they were all

in clumps, like their little clicks. It was like seventy five girls all split up up around you, all around me. I was surrounded and I only had a certain amount of time. So really, if I had been smart, I would have just pulled over for like a long time. And really, you didn't have time. I still want caught up. I'm a fast fucking hiker. You are. We gotta go hiking one day together. I love hiking. I would love it. I do too. It's like it's like the only the

only form of working out that I actually enjoy. Yeah, Like I just enjoy it. I like look around, I like thin outdoors. You're listening to Madonna. I listen to podcasts. I'm listening to Madonna. I'm my iPod, which they don't even make them anymore. Right, I have to tell you are the only person on planet Earth that I know that still uses an iPod. I love my iPod? Is she here? Oh shit, we're already in it. We're already laughing because the greatest guest is here, the one and

only lies a while. Hi Liza, Hi, right, Yes you did it, you crush it. Welcome to the Scandal Rewatch Podcast. It's so nice to be here, you guys. I'm so fit to dig in this with you. Man, you're unpacking

the toolbox. We're talking about episode one oh four called Enemy of the State, which originally aired on April twenty sixth of twenty twelve, and it was written by Richard E. Robbins who I don't remember this writer, Katie, And it was directed by Michael Cattleman, and I don't remember that director.

Gar guest starring Liza Wild, Amanda Tanner, Brendan Hines is Gidey, and Wallace Bellamy Young his first Lady, Mellie Grant, Dan Bucatinsky as James Novak, Joshua Molina as David Rosen, Matt Lesher is Billy Chambers, Jose Zuniga as Hened, Benicio Flores, Valerie Cruz is Carolina Flordes, leland Orcer as Sanders Black, and Kate McGregor stewart as Mary. And just to take you guys, scandal pace through the synopsis like we do.

When a dictator shows up at the OPA office pleading for help to find his missing wife and children, Olivia faces a moral dilemma on taking the case. Then, when the truth comes out about the dictators missing family, the entire team faces an even more difficult situation. Olivia and Cyrus navigate the Amanda Tanner case. And who better to have on the Scandal Rewatch podcast than the one and only Amanda fucking Tanner? Yeah? Yo, lines up? How did this part? Like? Did you guests are on all the

other great like all the other shandaland shows? I mean, obviously you and Paul were husband wife. You knew Shanna that way? How did you get Amanda Tanna? Okay? Well, I mean I think we're gonna get We're just gonna get right into it. I had done an episode of Private Practice, and I think I did an episode of Grades Anatomy. I went in for Scandal and read for

Quinn and Abby. What I didn't know that shit that either? Yeah, But the weird thing was is that I read for Quinn and then they um found you, which is like Chef's Kiss. They had me come in right into a test for Abby and I like had a complete psychotic break in the audition room. It really stands as one of the worst auditions experiences of my life. I was so freaked out. I was like, I don't know, I don't I don't know who this Abbey Willen person is.

I don't feel like connected to it. And they kept insisting that I come right into a test, and I was like, Linda, can I just come to your office and like read this through? Like I don't know what I'm doing. And I left my body in the audition room and like was watching myself and I started doing the anxiety thing when you're like narrating everything that's going through your head and you're out loud. Ye so um real Arlie, real, real bad you? Were you crying? Were

you hyperventilating? Was your heart racing? I remember like turning away from them and like facing a corner of the audition room and just sort of like touching the wall, like trying to like bring my bring myself back to some ground yourself. Yeah. So it was really humiliating and embarrassing.

They were so lovely, however, I think that they saw a little bit of like an interesting, unhinged perfect Oh my god, which is like you know, I mean, it's one of the sort of all time great like switcherus of it working out in like a really bizarre, beautiful way that they could see past what I considered like a huge sort of weakness and failure and it was just like, no, just channel that into this other thing here.

Here you go. A lot of actors, I know, like literally take beta blockers, like oh, they take like they actually take like beta blocker, which is far less than like um Araz of Pamm or an ad a Van or something, because because they're going to have a full bone anxiety. This is our lives as actors. Like that shit happens for me. How it manifests for me is

my hand shake and I'll be holding sides. So now I got a tip from another actor, Gary Perez, my my buddy, and he was like, just bring a heavy, heavy book and hold the sides on top of that book and it sort of gives weight to your hand. Because I sometimes I get so nervous that my hands are shaking and then all I'm thinking about they're looking at my shaking hands and my shaking Baby, I've had fucking tongue rock by the way, like that's happened to

me before on like like a live talk show. And then some days you feel amazing like a fucking king and a queen right in the room and you're like the most confident and chill. Yeah, but you just mis chasing it. And then yes, I think why we keep doing it is to like chase that that gray zone

right like and it's so rare, so trippy. Well without yeah, I also I'm a firm believer that yeah, without Amanda Tanner, like I needed to do Amanda Tanner, but I could have never done Bonnie when her Bottom without being Amanda First. I think it definitely like opened a door to like the dark weirdness that so I was like, this is my comeback story, guys, all right, like I am gonna I gotta crush this and I and it felt really good. But mostly I think because I was like, I didn't

get weird and have a meltdown. This is a triumph. I did it. When you booked Amanda Tanner, did you know that she was going to die? Did you know mine? Did you know what it could be? So? Um, I don't think I knew any of it. I think I gradually heard that it was going to turn into like a little bit of an arc and be like five or six episodes. But I didn't know anything. I mean, and you guys, because I'm so curious about your experience

going back and watching this as well. But I'm realizing now that it was such a primer for me in terms of uh, sort of the the shandaland staple of really like going for a fucking ride because you wouldn't know anything. You don't know anything as actors. You didn't know the Quinn background. You didn't know the background of any of these Oh yeah, so it just it really is like a car pulling up in front of your

house being like come on, get in. You're like, where are we going, and they're like it doesn't matter, just yeah, you trust it. Yeah you trust again. First some actors it's like wildly unsettling and they don't like it, and they're sort of used to like sitting down with the showrunner at the beginning of season and hearing what their whole characters arc is going to be in with the writer's room has planned for them and all of that in Shanda Universe, which tell me if it was was

it the same for how to get with for Murder too. Yes, yeah, oh yeah, so you were not told a fucking thing. We showed the table read. You're not you don't ask questions, you don't know where your character is going. I think it's because they don't know really where your character right, They're kind of waiting to see what you do and what develops and like build off of that true what I found complete freedom in it. Yeah, it becomes I

think can very liberating. There is like a you know, a wonky like adjustment period because I think you also just like you're you're up against so many other things. It's really hard to be good on TV, you know, like I'm fast paced, like you're just up against so much. But there is a there is a a liberation I think once you're like, I don't know what's going to happen to me tomorrow in life, I don't know what you know, Like, yeah, so it I think it can

be really fun and beautiful, but it's scary. Yeah, it's scary. I like the part of TV two of doing an episodic like like Scandal or Murderer, that you you know, you don't have time to stress out or get too nervous about something because the shooting pace is so freaking fast and just going, going, going, Yeah, you don't have time to be like I'm gonna stress and overthink this monologue. You don't have time for that shit. You just gotta go, go,

go and keep doing it. And I guess that's that's kind of a good thing, because you know, with my crazy brain, my anxious brain, Yeah, was Amanda Tanner your like big job after Gilmore I mean, I know you worked a ton, but like, was it your first life? Did you say Gilmore Girls? Wait a minute, Garmo love Gilmour. Garmo fucking loves gilmar Girls. When we had Shanna on the podcast for episode one, he was like, Seana, you watched Gilmore Girls. And Seana was like no, and Garmos

like almost died. I was I almost. I almost turned off my camera and like left the podcast. Now, No, because because Liza, because she cast you, she cast the lovely actress who played Lane on Gilmore Girls. Yes, and then of course Hollis Doyle who was Greg Henry also on Gilmore Girls. Like all these like wonderful people that were on Gilmore Girls, and oh man, I always assumed that she did watch it, but I that's news to

me that she did. She never saw it, which is so crazy because when I go back and I think about like the fast paced talking shows, it's like West Wing, Gilmore Girls, Scandal, Like there's not so many shows where like the Secret Sauce one of them in the recipe is speaking as fast as humanly fucking possible. Yes, one hundred percent. I mean I Gilmore Girls ended, I got married, and then I was having like a really hard time

going back into audition rooms. I feel like the whole time I was on Gilmore Girls, I wasn't really getting out for other things, so like the audition muscle was like I had no idea like and again just a lot of panic attacks and a lot of anxiety, just a lot of straight up anxiety because yeah, so I didn't work for for like three years, I think after Gilmore Girls, and then oh well I had my daughter, so yeah, Amanda Tanner was like the first job back after having a baby and sort of all of it,

and I was freaked out. I was really really nervous because you guys were you know, you got us with guys who were coming to play. We were not. You were. I want to I want we wanted to talk about this episode, but literally I will never forget that scene in the pilot with you and the dog and Carrie Washington and her having that monologue about you better get out of town and here's all the things she's going to do to you if you don't, and where'd you get that dog? And you just have to literally sob

for like ever take it? Yeah, I mean, do you remember that day and how the generous thing that Carrie did of I remember, but please tell okay because it's so it was you know, it was there was a big build up for that scene and like it was a long process, and I was like, I think I had kind of blown my wad. Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, And she did not as we say, we called for tear stick, which I did all the time. Liza never

did that. Well, I think my moment, But honestly, it was again like the motivation, like the motivation for crying was out of like I am going to like whiff this, like I this is I'm going to fail publicly. So it was all just like you know, you better fucking do this. Um. But then I remember having to break for lunch and then before they part Ridge and I was like, oh no, no, no, no, please please, let's

not break for lunch. And then just like sitting in the honeywagon like rocking back and forth, like trying to starving, starving because you know you're not going to eat. Yeah. But Harry did like the thing for my coverage where she just it just wasn't there, and she went off script and sort of like added some personal stuff that

would sort of get a response out of me. She knew that, you know, we were starting to try to like find child care for our daughter and it was so stressful, and it was like I was leaving her alone for the first time, and she put she kind of like sprinkled into the yeah, and and it just saved my ass, man, And I was so grateful for her to her for that. Uh well, let's stricken plays man, because that scene. I'm convinced like that scene is probably why we even like got to pick up for the

second season. Oh stop, Yeah, that's one of those iconic fucking scenes where we know who Olivia Pope really is. We know like what length she's willing to go for her for her love for the president. We see that she doesn't give a fuck that this girl is just like a regular girl who was in the fucking wrong place at the wrong time, although we kind of learned

that that's not who Amanda Tana. Yeah, and that scene they use that they use that scene and a lot of promos too, like that's the scene that when the show first started sort of being publicized, right, Yeah, it's iconic and you were phenomenal and however you got there, like I just remember it was forever. That scene was first of all outside, which is impossible. They can't like really control lots of things that needed to be controlled.

He did shoot it, like wides and masters and Carrie's coverage eight billion times for hours before we turned it around on Liza. So by the time we turned around on Liza, she's like, I can't hear this. Like when I hear this doesn't have any effect on me anymore. I've heard it one fucking thousand times. Yeah, and so for Carrie, Yeah, she would. She used to do that

to me too. I don't know if she ever do that to you Garmo too, But sometimes she'd just save your ass and she would be like sprinkling just a little something that would make me feel a different sound, different, wake up, like, let me have an She didn't give me shit. She barely remembered her lines when they were

doing my coverage. I'm kidding. She's great. Now. In this episode, we have so many firsts it's insane, Like, yes, we have so many first First we have like Carrie Washington speaking Spanish, which she knows how to speak Spanish, right, Guermo, because the case of the week is this, yes, this dictator from yeah, Benicio Florides. I don't remember where he's from, but like he comes in and needs help because his

children are and wife are missing. And Olivia speaks. Why does Olivia I mean, excuse me, why does Kerry Washing know how to speak Spanish fluently? Know how to do everything fluently? Oh my god, she's really smart, right and she knows probably all the things. Yeah, we have Amanda wants to revisit the five minute like all you want,

like all you want for your end game. Olivia. Pope is saying to you like okay, great, like what do you want, and You're like, I want, oh the god, you fucking kill you want fucking five minutes with the president. Five minutes with the president. Yeah, Oh that scene is so good. This way you say I want them all to burn for this? Yes, yes it is, Yes it is. That would be so hard to do for so many

people and do well. You guys are really nice, man, I mean, because I think it could be kind of melodramatic, you know what I mean. Yeah, we'll be right back. Guys. Did you rewatch this episode Liza? And it's okay if

you didn't. We we I did. Was it nice being sort of separated, like having the time from you know, because I always talk about how we were so close to the material and the show when we were shooting it, so it was hard to be really be like, oh, this is a great show because I would remember stupid shit I didn't like that I did or whatever. But now having that time, I'm like, it's such a great show.

It's such a great show. I mean I started, I like burned through like six episodes, like I couldn't stop watching it, Like I had the intention of just watching until episode four, and then now I'm like fully in it again. It's and it's just it's such a it's such a delight. Yeah. How did you prepare for scenes like like the burn for this? Were you working with anybody at the time, or were you just like, I like, how what was your like prep? Yeah? I was not

working with anybody at the time. I mean I think I was just doing problem belief and like not great unhealthy prep of like just self hatred and um. But again, I think so much of of my fuel was just a real, like authentic fear of not doing well like this one. And it was such a exciting set to be on. I mean, you guys were just so it was just so lively and like there was such a potent, palpable feeling of like joy and commitment and enthusiasm that

was so special to be around. Um, it was just it felt very um just charged with all the things that you really want to be around as an actor. So I just remember how exciting it felt. I was lucky in this episode that Michael Cattleman, who directed this episode, tell us who that is? Okay, well he's he's been around forever, but he was a very beloved supervising director on Gilmore Girls for a couple of seasons and we loved him, like he was Oh, what a gift for you.

Um that show was hard, like it was you know, as you were saying, very dialogue heavy and we were shooting crazy, crazy hours on that show. Um, but Michael came in and just he was like the whisperer you know to everybody, just very soothing, calming and like just made it feel good there. So I'm so glad that he was your person during this episode because you just have a lot of heavy lifting in this episode, Like, well and you get fucking kids. We gotta get there,

we gotta get there. Yeah, I mean I remember Katie, like I loved Arla of Amanda and Quinn st so much because it just felt like when I got to be in a scene with you that I was just being bathed in like warmth and kindness because Carrie as Olivia really was pretty harsh with Amanda, and she would just look at me like a fucking piece of shit, like and like so much judgment. Yeah, well she thinks you're pregnant with her fucking love yeah boyfriend with her boyfriend.

What am I saying? It's so so complicated for her, Yeah, and it isn't really intense thing for her to take on. It is webby as fuck, you know. Yeah, But Quinn and Quinn and Amanda were just like I'm just like I just want you to be Okay, yeah, it doesn't have to be your story. Yeah, come be a client. I come be a client, And like I'm trying to do a good job. And I felt I feel like Quinn feels so bad for her, Like I just think she relates to her in a way too, right, Yeah,

there's empathy there, yeah, for sure. I mean, also, let's take it back to like this is the cook Man. This storyline Aman Tanner sleeping with the president. I mean that is literally ripped from Judy Smith, who Olivia Pope is based on representing Monica Lewinsky. Yes, yes, right, that's

a lot of pressure. I mean, your your case and your person is very loosely inspired by probably the most famous political presidential scandal in the history of time other than Nixon, and like yeah, yeah, I mean there was also a thing where, you know, the writers were sort of like, we don't really know if she did sleep with him, you know, yeah, Mike having to be like, Okay, well, I think I just have to play that I did, but I think it also, I mean to get kind

of raw about it. It was bringing up like a lot of interesting things for me because I was like, I did just have a baby. It was like really a little sense of about being kind of on TV and being looked at, and also been adding that element of like, is anybody gonna believe that he slept with me? Like, yes, I don't know. Man. You you're gorgeous. We're our worst enemies, ourselves we are. Yeah, you are gorgeous every day of your life, like in any any version of you. Brew brunette, blonde,

short hair, long hair, post baby. That's not why I'm bringing that up. I didn't mean it to be a high. We're going to be the ones to tell you, and then we've and also you're doing some mad sketchy shit. It's not in this episode, but in previous episodes you're like on the phone and you're like, I have to tell her. I can't like lie anymore. I had no idea who I was calling. By the way, who you're talking. You don't know you're talking to Billy Chambers. You don't

know you're actually pregnant with Billy Chambers. Baby. No, I have none of that information. But it was such a great way in going back, I have to say, like I was like, oh, I wish I made a little bit more of a choice. There because it was a pretty general We all felt like that. I keep going back and I'm like, God, why was I playing that? And then I'm like, oh, because I didn't know. You didn't know, but I worked. It worked. Yeah, you just have to embrace like the general, like I'll just do

something general. Yeah. I remember distinctly one day on set, not in this episode, on an earlier episode, I want to say, maybe even the pilot. Yeah. I think it was the pilot. The scenes where you are in bed after you've slit your wrist. Oh. Yeah, and you brought Josephine to set. Oh, and she met Shonda and it was so stressed, Like I was like as a like

as a person who wanted to be a mom. I just remember like looking at you and being like, oh my god, Like she's married to an actor and she is bringing her child to set and she's working and you're doing it amazing job. Like I just remember being like, holy shit, Like I hadn't I hadn't seen that before because I only guest starred on procedurals where men were the leads. I really hadn't seen any people bring babies on set. It was the first time. I mean Shanda

like was very like she's obsessed with babies obviously. I mean people don't know this. Sean is obsessed with babies from Grays and Private and all that. And she just was so like welcoming and happy that you brought her to set. And I just remember being like, oh my god, like, yeah, she was lovely about that. Okay. A few other firsts and orders of business that I need to touch upon is this is the first time we see Olivia drink the biggest fucking glass of red wine in the history

of fucking television, which became a staple. Yea, it really does make you want to have wine immediately the way she drinks it. You're just like, ah, so she does this huge wine thing, which became such a staple, like such a joke. Like I remember seeing so much any sketches, I think even on SNL or some shit that just had like some Olivia Pope thing with a glass like the size of a room. We meet James played by Dan Bugatinski, and we learned that Cyrus is gay. Yeah,

fucking episode, Oh my god, that is huge. I mean, Jeff Perry will have when we have him on, like he didn't know Cyrus was gay. I remember talking Dan about it. Yeah, he had no clue, And I mean, we have to have Dan Bugatinski on who plays James Novakian's performance is absolutely legendary, and it starts in this episode. We also this Sanders Black played by leland Or ser gets hired by the White House, and we learn for the first time some of the like stray dogs in

OPA their backstory. For example, that Hawk's a killer. We learned that Abby was beaten, which we didn't know before. We've really We learned that Quinn Perkins didn't exist until two thousand eight, motherfucker. And we learned that Harrison Wright was like a car salesman kind of you know, slimy dude turned lawyer, right, yeah, and we got caught up in some money like yeah, he was some money laundering type bad shit, and that Stephen Stephen was an attorney

as well who had a breakdown. Yeah, yeah, doing a case and Olivia brought him sort of took him under her wing. Yeah, oh right, he had a breakdown. Yeah. And then I have my next note is Jeff gives the best monologue ever whoa Well he says, you know, you've got a man of Tanner's pregnant, and the President

is like, well, what happens now? And he takes him through the trajectory of like what is like his downfall and ultimately like you're you know, his demise and like how he's just his life is just completely ruined and he's gonna shoot himself with that gun that his dad gave him, blow the back of his skull out. Yeah, so good God, nobody can do what Jeff Perry does. It is like, I watch him with such wonder There should be an entire podcast just devoted to how he like,

how he brings stuff off the page. It is just astounding. And then yeah, he has this little giggle at the end as he's walking out the door. Do you remember that, Liza? Yes, And he's like, huh no, but write your speech like that matters, that's important, brilliant. Just that little moment is like, oh,

it's so amazing. He's so good. And then we're prepping a man a Tanner for Diane Sawyer and it seems like she may not want to Yeah, because that paternity suit's going to be a little bit of when we do that and we realize that she's not pregnant with the president's husband, I mean the president's baby. And this for the next first is that we've got the words. Abby throws papers at her when I wanted to leave Charles, and she has the most beautiful scene. Oh well I

wanted to leave Charles. Yeah, well, I wanted to leave Charles. Abbey and Olivia have been at odds for a while because Abby thinks Olivia keeps fucking up. She's her gut is not in the right place, she's taking on the wrong cases, she's she's misstepping right and left in Yeah. For the first time, Abby says the phrase over a cliff, yes, which like are you choking? Like who comes up with this shit? I also, Katie, I don't know if you if you notice, this is the first time that we

hear um. Abby mentions um Olivia taking a tire iron to her ex husband's kneecap. Yes, And it's the first time, Like I heard it for the first time when I watched it on this rewatch and I was like, oh shit, Like Olivia got violent on this dude because he, you know, he hit her friend. And I was like, oh, wow, that's that's cool. That's interesting information. Shadowing of kills what's his name with the chair? Oh wow, yes, yes, which

is like seasons later. Um. I cry so hard in this episode because of the fucking don't ever show me an episode of television anywhere anytime where a baby's being ripped away from its mother while the baby's fucking crying. Baby's performance is amazing. I can't watch this. This baby is unbelievable. I don't know whether the baby's really crying or they added it in post, but it is absolutely

face and oh yeah, it's it's really heart wrenching. I mean, it is absolutely heart wrenching that the dickhead dictator who's abusive and a piece of shit, like the wife wants to save her family and leave him because he's not the man she married. And he's like, yeah, fine, you can leave me, but I'm going to take all the children. And they have to like and over the sobbing baby and the older son, and it is just absolutely heartbreaking.

And those those guest stars, can I just say really quickly, Jose, Oh my god, yes, Jose's Uniga, who plays hid A Benicio Floridez. Oh, he's been in a like over one hundred and forty like films and TV shows like, he's in everything. Yeah, And speaking of first, me and him did my first movie ever, Fresh where I got my sag card, a movie with Sam Jackson and Bouchet. Right, Um, Jose was in that film with me? Is that we did? He was in, you know, my first first movie ever.

I love that anyway, he's he's a wonderful actor. And then and then um, Valerie Cruz who plays Catolina Florides, She's amazing and she was on Off the Map. Do you remember that, Katie? Oh yes, I knew. She looks familiar to me. Oh my god, that's where it was

that that was a Shonda land show right now. It was the Doctor's Without Borders like Gray's Anatomy sort of spinoff that lasted for one season and it was the only show that did not become a huge zow And I tested sort of for like all three female doctors that didn't get them. And it was the year before Scandal, and thank god, because I wasn't supposed to be fucking

doing that. And our makeup artists are amazing. Makeup artist Denise worked on Off the Map and I remember her and Valerie always just chatting and connecting and reminiscing about shooting that show. I think they shot it in Hawaii or something, right, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I have a question. Gideon watches the tape in this episode where the President's like whispering in your ear. Do you remember shooting that.

I do remember shooting it was he saying. I think he was just leaning in and he didn't say anything, but I think and that was I remember it was. There was a lot of discussion I think about like how they wanted it to look and it was, so I don't I don't recall him. I mean, I think he was probably just joking around when we did it, and just you know, at the end of the episode when you get a man a Tanner gets kidnapped, it's amazing,

it's eerie, it's fucking terrifying. Did you was it George Newburn doing it to you or was it like just a stand No, I think it was a stunt person. So you didn't know at the time when you were shooting it that it was Charlie. I didn't. Nope, didn't know any of that. Yeah, yeah, nope, I didn't. No. Shit, the yeah, the needle and the foot you know. I think I remember reading that episode and being like, oh,

I think this is my last episode. Because the needle, the needle in the toe, I was like, this is end you come back from that. Your your foot acting was on point, like no pun intended to Ballerina's yo. That ship was on point the way trying to pull away from that needle. It was so good. It's such a great scene. Funny watching it is that I realized that I couldn't. I wasn't keeping my eyes open, like my my instinct was to like just be squint and I so wished were you watching? And I'm like, open

your eyes, dummy, open your eyes. Don't even see who's doing it? Like see was seeing what's happening? Yeah, like and it wasn't. And I so that's I wish I did that differently as well. But I think I didn't even think of that. I just I just I see is that you're fucking terrified, and like, yeah, but that's so fucked up. When I'm watching it, I don't even think I realized. I don't know if tell me if I'm completely wrong. Do you think everybody was like, oh,

this is when she's dead? I just assumed that he puts something in you to make you fall asleep, not something that kills you. Yeah, I guess. I yeah, I probably just went to the worst case scenario for myself as an actor. Yeah. Yeah, Like, gee, did you think this like that Amanda Tanner is dead or were you like she's going to be put out and we're not done with her yet exactly? Yeah, I didn't think. I

didn't think they were going to kill her off neither. Yeah, at least at that point, I think Shanda brought me in and told me that she is to die, but that there was going to be like some flashback stuff and then wait, we need to talk about that while we have you though, I'll remember that day like nobody like we were in Long Beach, I think, and then she told me that they're going to pull my body out of the river, and I was like, can I please do that? Oh man, I have no idea what

disgusting thing happens. But you were pulled up on this vest this ragon and just dangling it was it freezing cold they put I mean they really geared me up. I mean I think I had like layers of wetsuits on under my clothes and everything and they painted you blue. They like painted you. Your makeup was like obviously someone who had been dropped in the Potomac. There was a lot of discussion about like keep your mouth closed, like make sure like this water is probably not great, that's disgusting.

So they dunked your ass in. They dunked you and pulled you out for the scene. Well, there was the thing that they did have a stunt person because I guess that you're not allowed to be like I couldn't be underwater and pulled up, so they so they yeah, so they did the stunt person for that, but then they did let me just like when it was like the close up on your face and really knowing who it was that to do that, and it was so fun,

Like I was like so excited to do that. That was just some next level like I cannot believe I get to be doing this. This is so cool. That's so fun, like River Death, Yeah, yes please, y un fucking believable and also so effective for us because you know, we have so many episodes after you die where we're talking. You know, it's so crazy that you're not there because

you're so a lot. You know, it's like those plays where like you never meet the dad, but the pictures on the wall and they dad so much or whatever, but like it felt like that, like you were so I mean, you were the engine and the fire of the whole first season. Yeah yeah, and if people didn't really care and feel for you, it would never have worked. And that's just like such a testament to everything you did. Wow. Thanks guys. We will be back with more after the break.

If this was twenty twelve, right, this aired on table twenty six and two twelve. Do you remember when you first shot Murder twenty fourteen? So it was two years? Yeah, two years, that's yeah, that's why. My god, I remember being at the one of the evening before parties, those Emmy parties as a scandal, Cassie. We were already on season I don't know what season we were on, two or three, maybe right before Murder started, and then all of a sudden, How To get Away with Murder was

a hot show, huge. Yeah. Yeah, did you have scenes again with Carrie when she crossed over to How To get Away with Murder? Because we did it, that's right. No, they had to do a really weird thing with me because they couldn't have Amanda Tanner and Vonnie winner Bottom exist in the same universe. Oh shit, Oh my god, that's insane. Did someone tell you that? No, I mean I think that it occurred to them in the room when they were trying to break that crossover of like

she's gonna like I was kind of problematic. I had to think about that either, because you also look so different between the two roles. I mean, I mean you're also you're a kamelion of an actor, but like you look wildly different. I mean you have a short, blonde bob and you're in these suits and like really powerful and just such. I mean, honestly, I don't even know if I didn't know you that you were the same person, that you would connect that. Yeah, which is which is great.

I wish I got to be a part of those scenes. But yeah, they just didn't. They just didn't bring Bonnie into that story. Holy shit. I never even thought about that. Wow, that would have flipped fans out. Yeah, yeah, yo, Liza, were you ever on how to get it with murder? Did you ever have days where you were like, I don't know what the fuck is happening in the story, Like what and then just do do it because me

and Katie talked about that. There'd be days where I'd be like, Katie, I don't know, I don't know what the fuck is happening in the storyline. I really don't. I'm so lost. Yeah, but I'm just gonna act the shit out of it or try. Like I don't know what's happening. And we were on the show and I know how to get watching how to get it with murders. Sometimes I'd be like I'd have to rewatch and read because I was like, wait, what I say? Why? Yeah?

If we were braiding time in such a weird way too on that show, well, they were like going back and forth and jumping back in time and the night of the thing, and then other than that, I'm like, I don't know where we are. Yeah, I mean, yes, we were constantly doing that. And it was also like our you know, like the night X stuff, like we would shoot the murder night stuff um that that you know that comes together at the end of the season. But they hadn't even figured it out, like they didn't

know the trajectory. So we're shooting it and like piece me a little sections as well, and they've never they never wanted to break that story fully, so everybody was just completely in the dark, like they would be like, you know, like season five, or like we're gonna have you, um smothering somebody in the snow. We don't know who that person is or while you're doing this. So if you could just do that, do that with like a neutral expression on ourthing. Um, you know, like run out

of the house like you just killed somebody. Now run out of the house like you didn't kill somebody, but you still there's still an urgency that you're running like we don't. It's just like, oh my god. You know, we had the whole season of like Who's under the Sheet? Like we know we were told like one of you is gonna die, we don't know who it is. I mean, Scandal became a show sort of like that. I remember I was actually just gonna ask you this question, like

scal when when James died. Oh yeah, you know, we we were we were very very quickly shaken to realize like, oh yeah, people can die on this show, like like Columbus Shorts character died, like James died, and I remember being like, oh shit, none of us are safe. But how do you survive it. I mean it's too much, you know, when you're on such serious shows, it's like you gotta like let some of that air out. M

We also make farting sounds all the time. Oh my god, Liza, that's what we do, Like right before shooting, we would do that all the time, and then we'd go it's levity, man, you gotta have the levity. I know, I can't. I wish we could like all go back and we're going to make this scandal musical comedy. Yes, oh I know. I mean if you guys think that there will be

like a reboot thing like or like, I don't. I think has always been like, no, it doesn't in the cards, but I whenever I whenever we've like set it in passing like carry or anyone. I know that the whole cast would do anything because we really loved working together and we yeah, you know, I think that's the hardest part. I think so much about Scanal being over is more.

I mean, yes, we loved the material and the ride, but the greatest is like, oh, I'm never going to be at five o'clock in the morning on a Monday morning and a makeup trailer with Hermo Diaz and Carrie Washington and Darby Stansfield, like just shooting the shit. It's like that only exists in the time that we had. Yeah, I know, that's the stuff, man, It's it's magic, it's the stuff. Yeah, all right, y'all, let's get into our favorite tweet time. Y'all. We read some of the tweets

of the time. Were you on Twitter during this time? I wasn't yet. I was, we were. I was mandated to get Twitter and Instagram when Murder started and so I but I wasn't fully doing it. I remember watching you guys do that. Well, I guess you guys didn't start the live tweeting phenomena until season two, right, that was like the big ship pilot. Okay, it was the pilot, ye I believe. So, yeah, we started tweeting from the

from the beginning, but it took off later. Yeah, yeah, it took off second season, but the first season we started it. But some of the tweets from April twenty seven, from twenty twelve, this is like going back into our our time capsule. Liza is at end the fact it said, whoever this Amanda Turner is has balls of steel? Lying like that hashtag scandal. Nice job, Amanda Turner. They would they would mess up our names all the time. I get called hawk, Oh my, would be like I love Puck. Yeah,

I got Puck or Hawk, love that Hawk. I'm like, yo, you're all um this stay at home. I stay at home daughter at fuddle Cutter says me while watching Scandal. Bitch, you know they can kill you, right. Take the fucking money serious, which is not wrong. Where's the lie? Where's the lie in that statement? Yeah? Nowhere it was ten million dollars. Amanda Turner said no to ten millions. Five, wasn't it? Yeah? It was ten million. I thought they

were offering her right. Oh gosh, she wasn't really love that Billy Chambers yea like she loved that Billy Chambers. At Lex Boogie one on April twenty twelve, says I just finished doing that. I don't know what that's it, replies to llol retweet, Oh here it is, guys. I'm just like remembering how to read Twitter at I need to watch Cyrus read the President for blood one more

time on Scandal hashtag DVR. Who's this at row Lake says the blondie and newbie on Scandal are kind of alle I know, I was trying to figure out who they were talking about. Who is that? That's YouTube? That's YouTube blonde. She was kind of dirty blonde. Oh was she? Oh my god, Oh my god, they're talking about us? Fuck you a No, it's fine. Please. That is nothing compared to the shit I got for the next seven years. It's a very strange thing. The twitters, the blessing and

a curse. Man, I don't know. The key is not responding to to that bullshit, not feedy into that like I did in the beginning a little bit, and then I was just like, I can't do that. I just would mute people. For me, it would be like a hundred compliments, but the one thing that someone said that was unc behind would be the thing I would think about.

And my husband would be like, Katie, there's literally like ninety nine people telling you that you're pretty or you did a good job or something, and the one person who said I was had a fat ass, or you know, that I was stupid, or somebody fucking killed Quinn Perkins or something would be the thing that would like, yeah, yeah,

It's like yeah. It was such a lesson. But also I'm so grateful for it because my god, I have a thick skin now, Like I don't even fucking care, and like I'm just like, think what you want, Like when you get put through that, you're just likely way I'm going to survive this is to just yeah, you just you just build up immunity to it. You're just like, yeah, I can't care. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Liza Vile, you are. So we tell us what you're up to now and then we'll let you go. We can catch you on

The Cleaning Lady. You can catch me up The Cleaning Lady. Yes, you can watch it on Hulu and I believe that the first season is on HBO Max. But yeah, I've had a really lovely time recurring on that show. Really really nice. I've heard it's amazing. It's a really fun show. And again, like I get to do some really fucking cool shit on that show. Man, Like what are you playing? What are you playing? Now? God, you're such a chameleon.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Catherine Russo who is um FBI and I play sort of this the boss supervisor to Oliver Hudson, who is yes, a little bit of a loose cannon rogue rogue agent. This is very cool. I'm very into this. Yeah, it's a cool show. But I get to um, I got to like fucking jump out of a helicopter with like swat gear on, and I get to do cool actionly stuff a little bit um yo. And Liza's fucking strong as how. I used to take pilates private doubles with her. We had the

same pilates teacher, Juliet Casca. Who's so I can do one move? She asked me, like, I'm not a single fucking It took me months, Katie, like, like I think maybe even a full two babies. I have lost everything I ever knew or was when I I mean, I started working with her like six months after I had Josephine, and I had zero body awareness or like I couldn't feel any kind of muscle an ab good luck, I know, but I used to do doubles with Liza when I

was in grade shape. And Liza's a piece. You are so fit, and anyone who's anyone should go and watch the cleaning lady and watch Liza jump out of helicopters and kick some fucking Yeah. Thank you all so much, for listening to the Scandal rewatch podcast Unpacking the tool Though, and thank you Lisa, Thank you so so much for Liza for hanging out with us. Ah, thank you, guys, as it's lovely talking to you. I could talk to you all day long because it's so fun. Oh my god,

we drinks and let's do that. I want to hang out, Liza. I miss you terribly. Thank you for coming on. Next week. We are on episode one oh five called Crash and Burn. That's a really good episode. The next one too. Oh yeah, there's a huge plane crash. Yes, yeah, you guys got to come back and check it out. I'm back check it out with Katie Lowez Unpacking the Toolbox. Y. Thank you guys for joining us on Unpacking the Toolbox. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share with your friends, rate,

or leave us a review. Scandal is executive produced by Sandy Bailey, Alex Alcha, Lauren Homan, Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins. Our producer and editor is Vince de Johnny, with music by Chad Fisher. Scandal is a production of ABC Signature, and you can follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in

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