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Katie, we have to have a Scandal reunion, like what the hell COVID really screwed it? But like whether it's George's house or Shanda was saying she is a Vermont plate, I honestly think we should go to Vermont and ill like make jam and like.
A great would that be? We have to I know, I know, I know, I hope Vermont. That's such a oh my god, that would be.
Yeah.
Shanda like has said like she's a house there. But I also think I could email my person and be like, can a freak in Hotel host Us in Cabo.
Like with the whole cast.
Scandal cast to come, We'll do a photo shoot whatever you want.
I'm not going to beat a bathing suit, but I will be in a cover up.
Yes, hell yeah.
I think what you'll all hear as we continue these episodes is like it really was such a special group.
Yeah, like we really like we're really like a family, like and it's stayed that way. Years have passed and we're still super close and we all love each other and yeah, and that's rare.
We are so.
Pumped for today's episode because the biggest fucking deal is here today.
Totally go the way.
Did you Ustill love the episodes he would direct us on.
Oh all the time. Yeah, And you know what we always talk about, like how great it is having a director that's also an actor because they know how to talk to us, they know are sort of you know when we when we're feeling extra vulnerable or like insecure. He's just so so loving, so so great working with him.
He's so great that almost sometimes he's too good because I've had so many have I told you this before. I've had a couple actor friends, No, actually more than a couple auditioned for various projects as he's directed in the last ten years since I've become his friend, and they always text me the same like I got it, Katie, so amazing, I got it, And I always want to be like, you did it.
That's just Tony, Like.
He's so so sweet.
Yeah, he's so sweet, and he always takes the most time and care in the room with the actors like that, you end up spending like forty five minutes in there and you think, like, holy shit, I got this part.
And I'm like, no, that's just Tony.
Oh man, all right, we're done with the logistics because our one, our only, Fitzgerald Grant the third is here.
Woo yay. We're so yeay man.
We're so happy to have you, Tony. Thank you for making the time. We love you.
The scandal Rewatch podcast has just sneakingly become me and Garmaou's way of like hanging out with all of our friends.
Yeah, I know, man, before we.
Talk about the trail, Tony, can you tell us how in the hell you got this part?
Man? It was just luck. It was luck. I swear it was the weirdest thing I had. I had met Seandan Betsy because I directed one of the first Gray's anatomies, and it was like one of the first television shows I had directed, and so I got to know them, like what it was before Grays had aired. I think it was the third, second or third episode of the show. Maybe the third but it shot second or something like that, but the second it shot third, but they had made
the pilot, which was unbelievably good. And then so I think like Betsy had liked my first film or something and said, would you want to do this, and I saw the pilot. I was like, oh shit, this is like super commercial but also really original and amazing.
Actors I've ever seen on tele period.
Yeah, so I met them and then met Shanda, who I thought was brilliant and unusual as you guys know, and just such an in guy. Was like, Oh, this one's gonna be successful, Like you just knew she knew
what she was doing, And then so I did. I think I did a couple of episodes of Grades Anatomy as a director, never acted, and then she asked me a year or two later to do a private practice for them, and then we like, didn't you know, I don't think we saw each other for years, and out of the blue I got a call saying Shanda is doing this show with Carrie Washington and once do you want to play the President? And I had and I had been dying to work with Carrie because I knew
her a little bit, like through politics stuff. And then but I every time I would see Kerry Washington in a movie, I'd be like, who's that amazing actress in that part? Like who the hell is that? She looks familiar? And at the end, I go, oh, my God, that's Kerry Washington. Every time I saw her she was totally different. So I'd been kind of of looking to work. So I heard Shonda carry. I literally didn't read the script.
I was like, I this sounds like something I really want to do, and then I read it and thought, oh man. But it was cool because Shanda I called her up or she said, let's talk, and she said, Look, I don't know how big or small this thing is going to be, or I mean the role. She said, you can be in it a little bit if you want. You give mean in a lot if you want. I
don't really know where it's going. You know. There was the intimation of romance at the end of the pilot in the script, but you know, when they kiss in the Oval office. But I thought, well that could get interesting. But I wasn't sure because it would inhibit me from directing films, you know, And I was like, I'm not sure I want to do it. I was so stupid, you know.
Is that what you wanted to really like do at that time? Tony? Did you want to keep directing? Were you digging that?
I wanted to keep directed? But can I be totally honest? I had just directed my film Conviction. Yeah, and it was one of those things you know in Hollywood, when you have those moments and anyone's like, this is the one that's going to be huge, it's like whatever. Anyway, it wasn't, and we like the movie didn't open and didn't do business. So I was like, oh, okay, maybe I should. Yeah, that movie was so hard to get made, and I thought, oh my god, I don't know if I like I want to keep directing.
But that was that too, a particular seven years or something to get it.
Off eight years to get that movie off there, and that kept coming to life and falling awarding him in life, and it was by the time we made it, it was it was you know, I loved it, but it was it was exhausting. So then I thought I should be smart to think about like doing a series, because television's transformed, and like I should just be not an idiot anyway.
So then literally right after that was when I got this out of the blue call from h from uh Shanda, and then we talked and she was so chill about it. She was like, what if you want to do seven, you can seventy. So I said, of course, and and I was sort of thinking about my manager Jason was like, you're doing this one of those things I don't care what stop thinking about and you're say you say yes because this could be a huge hit. It was like, yeah, okay, okay.
Did you have any hang ups about like being a president, Like had you always wanted to play a president or were you like, wow, I'm gonna go. Like I mean the presidents. I think of Pullman, Martin Sheen, I think of like you know you're in that. You know now you could if the show was a hit, which it is or is it like it was like whatever.
Great part.
I didn't even think about that. I thought it'd be cool, Like I thought, what an interesting character. Yeah, and I saw this really potentially interesting relationship with Olivia. I thought, if that goes somewhere, that could be really interesting. But honestly, you never know what the hell he's going to be. And the thing for me was that first day of rehearsal when I met you guys, Oh it just clicked. I said, oh shit, do you remember that?
Like, wait, take us through it, because this is another question, like memories from the pilot, what do you mean like rehearsal when we were in that stage and it was like taped off.
It was one of those rare things I've experienced so infrequently in my life and in my career. We all just connected. Man. It was I felt like I was with my best friends from high school all of a sudden, like you and then Darby was just cast that day. I remember showing up and being like, Hi, I just got this part, you know, and hearing your story Katie about how you do auditioned and you know, an amazing
story about it. You got it. And you know Jeff, who I knew it a little bit but had been admired for so long, and Kate and Kate Burton was later right. G and I have this long history, but there was that day of all of us connect. I don't know, I just remember it being this rehearsal period. We had like a week of rehearsal at at watch McAll Prospect Studios, and I don't know, I just I that was one of those things where I thought, oh man,
it was this incredible chemistry we all had. It was so fun, don't you Yeah.
Oh my god.
It was like it was like theater camp, like it was just felt like really everybody connected and fell in love and really trust each other and was so into the script and the stories and the greater good of the show. Like it just felt like we were part of something bigger than ourselves.
Yeah, and it feels like they took such a chance, right, It felt like it's like a crapshoot, like putting this cast together. And of course Linda Lowie is brilliant and she made it happen. But even my audition, I auditioned once and then I looked her. I think a lot of us just auditioned once, if even auditioning at all. But just the fact that it worked, right, that it worked like that could have gone downhill really quickly. Nobody could have had chemistry, or we could have you know,
not liked each other, but it just it clicked. It worked. It was like like you said, it was like magic, so crazy.
So you never chemistry read with Carrie or anything, like how did you know?
Why?
Like did you know that the relationship was going to be fire? Like because I'm convinced the show. Look, the show was.
Amazing, but like the thing that hooked people and when I realized the show was a hit was when you became in your fifties, which I want to ask you about a full on fucking sex symbol.
So thank god you listen to your manager.
But like when I first walked into our you know, Scanna was a real slow burn. It wasn't like an overnight success. We really had a short first order, you know. And I remember walking into some press event in the middle of second season next to you, Tony and girls literally screaming at you like you were a beatle or something was crazy. And you never chemistry read, you never auditioned, so we never knew that the fitz Olivia thing would be what it was.
No, and Shanda, I don't think she knew that she wanted it to be necessarily the only thing I like, I said, I had really admired Carrie so much and wanted to work with her and the thing I felt with which I frankly thought with all of you guys, but I really felt it with her and our relationships primary we just connected as actors like Kerry and I never had to talk about anything. It was weird, man.
We never like jeff and I connected in a different way like Jeffy and I. Every day, especially in the first season, we would spend we kind of latched onto each other and would talk about lacked or stuff, you know, like our background. What do you think that you know, we give each other books about politics and that we just were doing nerdy actor talk.
Oh my god, you dorks. I'm obsessed with that.
We had that kind of a relationship with with hilarious. But Carrie and I like with scenes, we would never even discuss them. We just had the same perspective on everything. So we come up and we do it. Yep, pretty much. Wow, that's just we just had the same orientation towards stuff and the same kind of way of working or something. I don't know, So I remember feeling, oh, this is just easy, this is just works. This this creatively we vibe so that we I don't think we ever discussed.
Yeah, it was almost like, let's not look too close at this because it's working. Let's not even like try to examine our teeth the specialness out of it.
Let's just just because it was so trippy for us too, because we were in our OPA world, so we didn't you know, our characters didn't encounter you guys that much, and we would talk so much shit and good stuff too about the White House. The White House must be so boring, right, we're so much we have so much fun here at.
It was way more boring.
But then there were the moments when you would come and direct us, which was so much fun. And I mean it was like like wrangling cats, I bet right, like we were just when.
Becoming a kindergarten teacher.
We would get you would not yell, but like you were like and you weren't the only one like you fullly Verica.
They'd be like, come.
On, kids, shit, stop it.
You guys have to stop it.
Stop sitting, never stop talking. So I would just go action.
Yeah, I tell you, that's that's the way to do it. Yeah. And Katie's brilliant at that. She would be talking about that time in the story and then she go right into playing Quinn.
I don't think that's brilliant. I think that's just like I don't have a lot of stakes as an.
Actor, which I can't do, Like literally, if I do that, I'm gonna be like a mess on the play. I can't I have the I can't have that a facility. I know.
How did all of the memorization scandal pace all of that come to you.
Was that easy for you? Being word perfect? Like did you have?
That? Wasn't too hard? I enjoyed it because it's very much like working in the theater, isn't it. I mean, yeah, here's the other amazing thing about Shonda I felt on that experience. She was so clear from day one what was important to her. There was like those are the ground rules? Great? Like she said, I remember that talk she gave us. She said, I will, I will take any input you have to give me. But what did
she say? It didn't end up sticking, but she said, I needed twenty four hours after the table read give me your notes. I do not want theming on set, and what I write is music to me, so I need you to say the words exactly as I write them. And then it was the whole thing about speaking fast, which she kept honest about it. But so I thought that was like a really interesting technical challenge, and it was like, you know, so I was down with it.
I really enjoyed that technical challenge. You know, we're so many other sets that you work on as a film or television actor, and that's great too. People are ad libbing all the time and paraphrasing and you know that that has its place with certain kinds of writing.
But we've talked about Tony how how we've gone on to other projects and they have to literally be like, you have to slow down. Can you slow down at a bit, because now I'm just like, but like every single time it makes the scene better, I think, even though in stuff beyond scanned, I'm like, y'all got to pick up the pace.
Like it's they're sitting there not remembering their lines. That's why they're waiting. They're sitting there making like a dramatic choice, but really because they don't know what there's saying next.
Yeah, I know that's how.
I feel better.
I love that you and Jeff are over there all studying politics and shit, oh pa, we're like we're seeing friends. We're like making dance routines.
Literally, some crew people are like get starting to get pissed off at us, Like I remember sometimes he'd be like, because we get into like the giggle like you know thing too where we couldn't stop laughing.
So and they're all like, we've been working for fifteen.
Hours, get your shit together. Yeah.
I remember directing the first time I directed Josh Moline because I'm such like acting nerds, and Josh's whole thing for those who don't know. First of all, Joshua is brilliant, Like he's just a brilliant human being. So he has this incredible facility for everything he does. He has total disdain for craft of acting, you know, pretend he hates
so I think he secretly loves it. But he Josh would be like he never would look at his lines until he was in the makeup triiller that morning and look at it once and he'd have it all down. And it's just the way his brain worked, and every actor works differently. But so in that I think that first episode I directed, whatever one it was, it was in the heat of the relationship between Josh and and yeah, between David and Abby, right so, and it was a
very fraught relationship. And I remember giving Josh a note once about something about his emotional like need for Abby. I said, Josh, I really think, you know, like to try it again. That's great, but try it again, and I really want to feel that, you know, some some psychological thing about you know, his feelings for Abby. And he's like, yeah, whatever, but it's completely disrespected me. He's like I'll just just mean, just do it faster.
Oh my god.
Oh he totally blew me off and I and I was like, okay, well, and of course he was great, but yeah, Josh is so funny.
We will be back with more after the break.
We have to talk about where you came from, which is like, obviously you have a very long, beautiful, amazing career in so many mediums, film, TV, tons of theater. Also, by the way, I love that it scandal our vice president and president.
We used to talk about this.
Did you guys talk about this that our vice president and president were like Hollywood royalty, like just between Tony Goldwynd of Metro Goldwyn Mayer and then Kate Burton of Richard Burton. I was like the royals all up in our show.
But I wanted to know.
Did it feel crazy to you to like be I remember looking at some magazine and you were like in a bathtub, and I was like, oh my god, like this person like this is crazy, Like had you already written off like oh, like I was a movie star. I did ghost like in my thirties, like or.
Was this a shock?
Scy I was a shock? And I was also glad I was kind of a bit older because I had a great sense of humor about it and I could just really enjoy it. Yeah, when I had my first success with Ghosts, when I was like twenty nine years old or whatever, it was amazing and fun. I was so grateful because I'd already been working for five or six years and you know, struggling and all that. I was very grateful, but I was super stressed out by
it because I didn't understand what that like. All of a sudden, when you have success in our job, you go from being completely ignored by everybody and then everyone's kissing your ass and shining light on you and telling you you're a genius. And it felt fraudulent to me when I was young, so I didn't quite know how to handle it, and it was kind of stressful. Whereas with Scandal, I was fifty and I couldn't believe it.
I was like, it also was a lesson. It was also a lesson, and you can't plan shit in your life. You could have goals and you can drive for things, but it's just to have a give yourself a bit of a direction to hopefully follow something you are passionate about or want to do. You can't plan shit, so I could not have planned for that. All the years I wasted thinking Okay, it's going to go this way. Yeah, So that whole time I was just like, just enjoy
this ride. Man. It was so the whole thing of like, you know, the sex symbol factor of fits was it was. It was, It was fun, it was amusing.
And I mean, didn't girls like ask you to sign their bodies? I feel like women were asking you to sign their bodies.
People did some intense ship tell us yeah, oh I go. Well. The two that come to mind was when I was directing the pilot for The Divide up in Toronto. We uh or maybe this series, I can't remember, but but we were. I was like a break from Scandal and I would get stopped on the street as we all were, by people wanting a selfie. And this girl, I told you the story, this girl takes a selfie and she's giving a selfie. She tries to make out with me and I avert my mouth and she licks my neck.
Did I never tell you?
She locked my neck full on? Like look like like you like you locked like you look Katie's neck? Yeah, I mean cheap right, yes, yes, someone.
We both lick and then she licked me in another episode. Yeah. Yeah, it was like that.
I was like whoa. And then she got herself and she walked away, so I was like okay. And then the other intense thing is not so long ago. A few years ago, after Scandal ended, I was doing Network on Broadway and a woman had been waiting outside the theater to get my autograph and Brian Cranston comes. I guess I hadn't gone out. Maybe it was like I
don't know. I was hanging out in the theater and Brian said, did you see the woman with the tattoo when you And I was like, he said, Tony, there's a woman who wants to meet you who has a tattoo of you on her arm. Oh my god, like what? And I ended up. I ended up got by me maybe going out later, and she wasn't there. And then the next day was a Sunday, I think the matinee and I came out of here and she was still there and a guy comes up. He says, hey, could
my sister meet you. You know, she's a big fan of yours. I said, of course. And because people that don't go to Broders. You guys both know, like people who want under wait the wait, come out the theater, the actress come out.
Yeah.
And this sweet young woman who must have been twenty five years old comes up to me and she's like, you know, I really admire your work and I'm such a huge scandal fan and I but whatever you're she was like, and I want to be a filmmaker and you're whatever. The not for profit work you do just means so much to me. And so I got that tattoo of my face on her arm?
What is it fit? Is it like a fits picture?
Is it just you and a T shirt?
It's just you know, it's kind of like me. It was like my so like a headshot, but it was I guess, but it was me. It was it was that's so so I said, oh, and I she asked me to sign her arm and you did, did you? I said? Of course? But I'm in I was like, whoa, that was pretty intense commitment. I mean, God bless her, but WHOA.
There's that double standard? Did Shondaland? Which is like, I want to ask you about that? The double standard a Shondaland for you all listening, you know early on it's very known that I think Seanna came up to me and was like, oh, I wrote you a sexteen. If you want me to rewrite it for you to be an a turtleneck, I will. And I said amazing. And then she was like, but also here it's a double standard and the guys have to take off their shirts a lot.
So did you know that going in?
No, but it was I was okay with it, you know, I mean again I was sent to humor about it. And Shonda again, she was pretty straight up about it, like she didn't play games. She said, this is important to me and I obviously if I had said I refused to do something she or I'm uncomfortable, she would have respected that. And it was it's not like full
on nudity, it's taking our shirts off. So it was, you know, like Scott and I had are like every table, he'd be like, okay, dude, you're up this week go to the SHP like straight off, which guy was gonna take his shirt off? It was pretty funny.
I remember thinking, thank god, I just play Huck, who you know rarely takes a shirt off. But you guys had like that pressure of being like, oh my god. And then the next episode, I have a sex syne and I got to take my shirt up. I remember you always eating salads with like tender green seld.
I was, I was, Honestly, Scott was more intense about that. Scott. I I Scott were, you know, worried more about it. I just I don't know. Look, I'm my attitude towards of.
You're genetically blessed. Let's put that out there.
Thank you Tony Goldwin's ancestors from above for giving Tony Goldwyn a six pack that cannot be taken down by a meal less of wine.
Right, so I would have my meal. But but also it was it stressed me out too much distress about it, So I I just stayed in like a baseline level of fitness, which made me feel better and able to work long hours anyway. So I was like, all right, this is what this job is. So it was so I didn't ever get too spartan about it, because I think Scott would like literally starve himself. Oh yeah, that would suck me up.
His genetic ancestors blessed him in some ways too, just not with the Tony Goldwyn stomach, which like that is just like how you're built.
I sort of feel like Scott.
Scott Poley is a pretty good looking fellow.
Oh he's the best. He's absolutely gorgeous. I love you both to pieces.
We talked a little bit about like the beginning of your career when you started. Do you remember what the first I think I know what it is and I'm really excited about it. But do you remember what your first movie was? Your first movie?
Oh? Yeah, I know why you're excited about it. Yeah. Yeah, Briday of the Thirteenth, Part six, Yes, Jason lived, my first movie part Jason Lives. Yes, And I got killed in the first like five minutes. I think, Yeah, I think I was the second I was the second person in the movie murdered by Jason. Fuck.
Yeah. You played Darren Robinson and I.
Can't up Darren, Like that's some bad acting if you want to.
Tony Guiermo recorded it and texted it to me yesterday, the clip which I will now word to you and we will post when this episode comes.
Because me standing there with a gun going come back, Yeah, and then Jason stabs me in the heart with a pole.
He impales you with like a fucking huge ass pole that he just also like stabbed the wheel so that your car could no longer be drivable.
And broke the headlights. Exactly.
You were adorable, but what a dream you were in a Friday at thirteen movie. Like that's a huge for horror fans. Man.
I was. I was so excited to have a job that. Yeah, like I think and maybe got to pay one thousand dollars for a week, and I thought it was an unfortune, you know, I was just so happy to have it.
Let's talk about the trail that is this episode's rewatch, which is I feel like changed the course of Scandal actually because it was the first episode that really spent a lot of time and then flashback and we became a show that used that as a vehicle alot. It aired on May tenth in two thousand and well, and it was written by Jenna Bands right. It was directed by Tom Verica. And let me take you quick through
the guest stars of the episode. We have Brendan Hines is giddy and Wallace Bellamy Young's first lady, Melli Grant.
Holy crap, Bellamy Young was still a.
Fucking It wasn't even like a regular Yeah, your.
Pipe and smoking Matt Lesher as Billy Chambers, Kate Burton is Vice President Sally Langston, and Josh Molina as assistant US and Josh Molina wasn't Josh out Good was assistant US Attorney David Rosen.
And then we have Dan Bukatinsky as James Novak. Brenda Song is Alyssa the legal Secretary, John Burke is Paul Moseley, and Samantha Sloyan as Sassy Stafford. The Sassy Stafford who ends up in a future episode. She ends up having the whole storyline thing, yeah that's right, yeah, yeah.
Gee me or you hit this synopsis.
You hit it last time, you hit it so good last time. I feel like I feel like I should hit it this time. But baby, you could do it also after me, if you okay? So the synopsis is after Fitz shows up at Olivia's apartment asking her to listen to the sex tape. The episode flashes back to show Fits his campaigntro to the White House and the blossoming relationship between Olivia and Fitz. Meanwhile, Gideon Wallace investigates Amanda Tanna's past, and David looks into Amanda's death and.
What at what a great episode that was. That was definitely one of my favorite all times. And Verica's first episode.
Yeah, it's it's for one of the first times that that carries wig changed from.
And this was our first like whole episode where the big storyline is a whole flashback. It's the whole how you know Fitz became president, how Fitz and Olivia started their love relationship, their physical relationship, And it's Tom Verica's introduction to Shondaland, and he those listening, became our producing director and now he's the producing director for Bridge and the upcoming Queen Charlotte, and he's Shondaland Staple and family.
So he obviously did a great job.
On the e so good. And of course he ends up directing like a million episodes of Scandal throughout the season. Yeah, as did Tony.
Yeah, and the big highlights of this episode that I want to talk to you about is this is like, this is the episode where you say just one minute, like you're on the campaign and you're like just you just pull her out of a room and you're like standing and all You're just like, we just need one minute together. And then this is also the episode that has my favorite, one of my favorite Scandal scenes of all time when you and Olivia are on the bus and you Fit says, what kind of coward was I?
Yeah, that I didn't wait for you?
Yeah, that's my favorite Scandal scene that I did.
Tell us, why how did you prepare? Tell us about that scene?
Which is so so beautifully written? You know, Yeah, that is great now that that episode was so Tom Verica, that's such a brilliant job directing that.
It's the first time she calls you fits too like you it is it?
Yeah? Yeah, wow, and you like just and the one minute thing and that theme that developed a musical theme that became Olivia and fits this theme. It was beautiful.
And it's also the episode where you guys have your first real like.
In the hotel room in the hotel, that crazy hotel sex scene with the micro thing under the bed, the bug under the bed. Yeah, there's a bug.
Under the bed.
And now we've were starting to put all together that the the sex sounds that everyone's.
Being sort of l it's so funny that I'm remembering that. Yeah, it was the first sex scene that Carry and I had.
I mean, you had to really take it was a ten PM show. It's like she's in a bra, she's in a white bra. She's like it's like you pick her up and she's around your body. I mean, it is fucking on.
It was pretty hot, like and it was pretty Yeah. Yeah, for not being fully nude, we might as well. Yeah, and Carrie and I were so It's so funny because we were so like, it was the first time that we had done the sex scene together, and so we were so like careful with each other, and you know, six months we're like, yeah, whatever, ship, he gives a ship.
We've done this a thousand times.
Yeah.
There's also that memorable line where you say take off your clothes, which just hit so hard. It was so sexy because there's like a there's like a moment before you say that line where you're just staring at her and then you say take off your clothes.
Oh, it's so good, it's so good. Were you nervous that day? Were you like, I mean, I know, you've done tens of thousands of sexies in your life.
So in those things, I was sort of nervous because it was Carris in my I was nervous, not for Carrie, but for our relationship, like I want. As actors, you know, you're like trying to be you know what it's like respect. Yeah, you're just trying to be developed trust with another person. Yeah, because it's so intimate doing sex scenes with people.
For those of you listening, Tony Goldwin has a real knack. And i'd heard this because I don't know if y'all remember this, but in the season episode one hundred, which this podcast hopefully will get there, Quinn has a sex scene with Fits. It's just a quick makeout and then a nice Quinn drops to her knees for a quick ass blowjob. But listen, I had heard in the grapevine, and all you actors listening this is tell me if
this is just a rumor and not true. The rumor was that Tony Goldwin is such a great sex scene partner because if there's something that you're insecure about with your body, he'll like block it with his arm or cover it up.
Is this made up? You're looking at me like this is made up?
What?
I don't know? You don't even know where you heard it. It might have been I should, I shouldainly would.
But I had heard that, like, oh god, it's so relieving when you're with someone who's like respectful but also like like oh you're like maybe Bell me, I'm I am. This is clearly a memory that I have made up for you. You're welcome, Tony Goldwyn.
Yes, it's true. You know you gotta be. You got to be so protective over your partner. I mean, acting with people, you got to developed trust. Trust is like the most important thing anyway. But when two people have their clothes off or or you know, it's just so weird. So that kind of I remember that with you know, I think when when Bellamine I had a sex scene.
I may be wrong enough to ask her, but I think it was her first time ever wow, being basically naked on camera and doing it and we have this scene sex scene in the shower together, and she was it was so challenging, you know, it was so she felt so vulnerable, I think, you know, so I remember feeling like I really got to take care of her because because I have done it a lot, and I've directed a lot of sex scenes and it's such a weird thing that we do, but all, you know what,
they're important because in real life sex is such an important Yeah, life and relation gives and people are so weird and provedish about it in terms of our culture and everything that if done right, it's such a it can be such an it's such an interesting dramatic situation, you know what I'm saying. So I always find it really challenging.
Yes, And it's also the part that I enjoy the most about shows like It's Why, like that, The Will They Won't They?
They?
Which you and Carrie mastered over years of like I think you know, they kept keeping you apart, getting you together, keeping you apart, sending her down the road with other people, sending you down the road with other people, and then bringing you back together. I mean, the sex lives of Fits and Olivia were a huge heartbeat of our show.
Oh yeah, we'll be right back, guys.
Do you remember anything about like the trail?
Yeah? I remember a lot about it.
Okay, we've got Homeless Talk makes his first? Is this your homeless Talks first?
Ye? Homeless?
Can you tell us about it? That's oh right?
We also read right.
The hardest thing about playing Homeless Huck was that I knew I couldn't eat all freaking day because of that damn beard, Because you can't, you know, all the hair gets in your mouth. So that was just the biggest struggle to being like, you know, they'd come around with trays of these delicious looking sandwiches and I'd be like, I can't fucking eat that chicken. I'm homeless, hut. That was the hardest part.
Quinn has her grilled cheese sex scene with Gideon in this episode, and I remember being very nervous as well and getting like seven thousand spray te Yes.
I remember like two, it was your first. That was your first sex scene, wasn't it you know the show? Wasn't it your first one in the show?
Yes, first, I had done the show, But I remember you being I was.
Really stressed because I probably hadn't done a sex scene where like people this many people would watch it like I done tons before and like indies and plays where no one gave a rats ass.
But like I felt stressed.
I got a thousand spray tands a thousand because someone told me if you can't.
And he would cover up like butt z. It's some like all this stuff.
Who was more nervous than me was Gideon Wallace, who is now married. Do you know who Gideon Wallace is now married to Tony Goldwyn. Are you ready to fucking fall off your chair? He's married to Tatiana Maslani. No way, they got married during COVID. I'm said, I'm saying this for your fans because I saw Tony Goldwyn in Network on Broadway and his character is paired up with Tatiana, So you've worked with closely and had sex scenes with her as well.
Network. She and I were she and Brian Cranston and she, Yeah, she played the Fai Dunway part Network. Brendan is the sweetest guy. Yeah, is the best. She's awesome. She's such a great person and brilliant actress.
But he was really nervous that day, I remember, and then I felt so embarrassed because we had the sex scene and Tom Verica was like, Okay, it really seems like Katie Quinn is like mauling Brendan very easily. And Tom said something like if this was like a point system, we kind of wanted to be like one one, you know, two too. You don't want it to be like Katie's doing it all and Brennan's just sort.
Of and I'm like, I'm so sorry. I just like I'm I'm an aggressor, like like that's just how I do it.
I just well, I'm just a controlling person, like I'm just like, Okay, we're gonna do this, Like let's go. Like I have a lot of energy. Obviously you all know that for better or for worse, and I had sort of overtaken him.
He was very nervous.
I remember that.
But we got it done and then literally the next episode he dies with a scissor in the next.
So yes, yeah, this is when this in this episode too, It's one of the first times that I remember thinking, oh shit, like this show is going there. Like the fact that Billy Chambers stabs him in the next and you know, you see a huge spurt of blood come out. It was like, oh wow, this is an intense like show. It's it's really going for it and going there, which I loved. It's dark.
This is also the episode where Mellie says we see the beginnings of her being the political animal that she is, because she comes in and does a speech saying that she'd like she basically fakes a miscarriage.
She says like, oh it's because I lost a baby.
Oh yeah, and we start to be like, whoa, this woman is like a beast, like she will do anything for the office.
Yeah, oh my god, yes, these were my notes. What kind of coward was I to marry her and not wait for you?
Fave line ever she calls him fits they hold hands, ladies and gentlemen.
It is on take off your clothes, he says.
Tony Goldwin's body is insane, carries in a little bra ask grabbing, straddling whoa ten PM show people, Billy.
May these are my notes when I god, I love it.
But what's so sweet and how this episode sort of wraps up is that then they cut to you both in present day and you do the one minute again, but we see how broken and far like you're just holding her on the couch, right, ge was that right?
Because I bring her the tape to look to listen to the sex tape that it's her, not a Manda ten or whatever.
And this was huge for TV, I thought too, because it was the first time that you say, let's do the you know, one minute, but on on screen, on camera, on television, we actually wait that full minute in silence of them to just holding each other, hym holding Olivia, and it was so so powerful.
Yeah, Shanda said, it's going to be a full minute. Yeah it was. It was great. It was great in that in that yeah, right exactly. And remember in season one, didn't in season when we shoot in a real apartment, yep, and people could barely move in the hallways and we're having this tiny part which eventually they built in a set on a stage which was much easier.
But yeah, yeah, did you take anything from said Tony? Did you did you take anything, like a piece of clothing.
Or like so much swag so much I guess ABC, so many clothes, I mean, yeah, thank you god. It was like we fudged the rules a little bit about all the wardrobe that we.
Word for our body. It's either in the basement to never be warned.
It literally had my name all of my suits said on the inside because Brooks Brothers made made all of my suit a lot of my suits, and they said especially tailor made for Fitzgerald President Fitzgerald Grant the third Wow, I still have a bunch of those suits are really good. But they have like isn't that a cool thing? So what were they going to give them to some other actor to wear? Uh? So clothes. What else do I have?
Do you take anything from the Oval office, like a piece from your desk or anything that was on it.
No, we all talked about that there was nothing. There was nothing. I really there was like a battleship. That'd be stupid. So I don't think I did.
I don't tell Tony what you got.
We got much swag.
So when the series ended, I I always admired the the window panels, the flawed, cracked window panels in O p A.
Yeah.
Yeah, So I I hit up Mary Howard, who's one of our producers, and asked her if I could have one of those windows, one of those panels, and they freaking sent it to my house. It's it weighs like a ton, but it's the most beautiful piece and it's hanging in my in my in my house at the entrance, and it's just like one one pane with the framing one.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's like poster size, like a movie poster size. But it's great, gorgeous.
Yeah, I love that. That's such a cool.
And then I also an opportunity man because I didn't do that either.
I also took us leather jacket I'm wearing it right now.
Oh that talks? Okay, this is that's pretty awesome.
Yeah, do you have any like scandal memories that jump out at you? Also, you're going to have to come back on like if we are doing this for one hundred and whatever episodes, we're going to be bothering you again.
Oh yeah, anytime, anytime. It's so fun.
But what was like? I want to know? I want to know a couple of things.
How do you feel about our WhatsApp scandal chain that we text each other constantly?
Happy birthday, Happy holidays? I miss you the best.
Are there any major memories that stick out in your mind about maybe the beginning, the first season, the second season?
So many things? God, yeah, I mean that Thursday rehearsal already told you about. That was like a magical thing where you just feel the chemistry between people going to the end. When we were in DC, our last episode ever, yea the best For no good reason, Seanda said, we're shooting this episode in Washington. We just had a party.
And remember when Carrie rented a bus friends all to go, uh look at all the monuments because her favorite thing to do one of you know, of course, Carrie intellectual for one of her favorite things to do in d C was to go around to all of the different you know, her favorite monuments, and she took rented for those didn't know the story, she rented a bus for us, like a tour bus thing, and we all piled in at night and drove all around d C and like
we're drinking party. Yeah. I bought George and I bought a bottle of whistle Pig whiskey, which we which we both really loved at the hotel bar, which cost me like four hundred. They're like, oh, it's gonna George, Oh my god, it's gonna cost them, Like, let's do it.
Oh my god.
That So it was so mad. No one recognized us. We were all together, but it was dark so we could be with tourist people didn't. It's so fun.
It was perfect.
It was raining out a little bit, so there were really weren't many tourists around, and it was probably really time the Scandal cast could have ever done something like that and not be getting crazily mobbed.
Mobbed isn't title of our of our WhatsApp chain? Aren't we called?
That's what I call you guys? Yeah? And then Shonda arranged a private tour of the African American Museum. That incredible, That was so so so incredible, So.
Lucky, lucky all those new the New York upfront trips and the White House corresponding trips and shooting in DC, and just like so many dinners, like we used to oh we haven't.
Talked about that actually yet.
We used to give a gift like every year, I think we would just take the writers, all the actors would take the writers.
Out to dinner.
Yeah, and classic Jeff Perry's style.
Every actor was sort of get up and like say a like a rousing speech, as if we were in like some Irish like Limerick pub.
Kind of thing.
Like we'd all get up like I want to say this, and I want to say that, cheers.
And yeah, it was quite a unique. I'd forgotten about that because, you know, for people that aren't in our business, writers are sort of notoriously underappreciated. Yeah, and particularly staff writers, because in television, you have your showrunner who becomes the big you know, hefe and is generally gets all the accolades and on a successful show, and Shanda certainly deserves those, but the writers, you know, work their asses off, sometimes feeling not seen, and so I forget how it evolved.
But they were just so grateful that we would have this party every year with them.
Yeah, you know, it was such magic, such magic. Oh wait, can you tell us really quickly because we didn't have.
You on for this episode you really know how to chop? Would like that?
Right? That's right when you chopped.
I actually I actually do know how to chomp.
Really, it's unbelievable.
Didn't Sean to email you like, is there any sports or something you can do?
Oh? Yeah, she was cruel to me. She said something like can you play What does she say? Can you play basketball? Or something? I know? She said what sports can you do? I said, Shanda, I can chop wood. I was kidding so that you wrote in a wood chopping scene. And then she would say, well, what what sports do you play? I said, look, pretty much anything
except basketball. I cannot play basketball. And then uh, this is another like somewhere in the middle of our of our whole thing, I said, I can't play, but I do not play basketball. So all the slow behold Lynn Powelo, are brilliant costume designer texts me, one thing do you we need to schedule a fitting for you to come in and try on your basketball club. Like what, Oh no, She's like, what didn't Sean to tell you you have
a basketball scene in the next episode? But you Scott fully playing basketball.
I was like, oh my god.
It was like an amazing played high school basketball. And so I was like, what is happening. So then I called Mary Howard and she said, oh, yes, of course, we never knew anything about what was happening in the next episode. It was we always found out at the last minute. So I made them get me a basketball coach, you know, for like ten days of cramming, and I had blisters on my Oh my god. We could I could play one on one with Scott, you know, we had a full basketball team. It was ridiculous.
Killed it.
Oh wait.
And also some fun facts, Steven Finch does not appear at all in this episode past the present.
I c yeah, he's not at all.
So that was Ian's well.
Oh yeah, but what's crazy?
Oh, because he came into Olivia's life later yes.
Yes, yes.
And then Gideon was up all night working on the phone right outside the bathroom, oh, right outside the bedroom, and Quinn leaves to get coffee as Gideon calls Billy, which means Billy needed to drive to Gideon's house, have the conversation and stab him all before Quinn got coffee nearby. Yeah, well no, we always stretch shit like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we always would stretch.
Just like that.
All right, y'all, let's get into our favorite do.
Do doo doo doo dooo doo tweet.
The I said some time, y'all, we.
Like to wrap up our episodes with. We read some tweets that were put out that night.
Oh my god, we must have just found out. This is crazy.
But at Kasha zero two one zero and May eleventh, twenty twelve wrote, I'm so happy, happy about Scale ABC being renewed for a second season.
Doing a happy dance right now?
Woo who yeah? We must we know right, no, yea season? Yeah. Rebecca Theater of A shown at film fatalos A retweeted a Dawn Novett one time for the hotel scene. I haven't seen a love scene so hot with a black lead on primetime TV. Overdue, well done, hashtag scandal. Yeah this was huge.
That was so funny. How the world has changed? Right? Yeah, I mean now you wouldn't think twice about it, and it was only no, totally, it was it ten years ago, ten years ago exactly.
I'm willing to bet.
I know we were the first black female lead of a network drama in thirty seven years when we aired. But I'm curious if there had ever been sex scenes between a black woman and a white man on network drama primetime, Like I.
Don't know, I know, and I wonder certain I would, and if it was like a regular relationship as opposed to sure the thing I called one episode or something. Yeah, isn't that insane?
And now I thank god, I feel like that's why Scandal is. I mean, it was so spe for so many reasons, but it really was the beginning. Bring yeah, ground bringing, and thank god you and Carrie we're so
hot together because it was missing. Okay, screaming at Scandal right now, throws my wonderful pistachios at the screen at the end of this damn episode from Rebecca Theodor vas shone and then oh this is interesting at Rimsey says, oh mg, Kerry Washington has a small hand compared to mister fits hashtag scandal.
Don't go there.
I don't know what that means.
This other tweet, Queen of Sandy says, reporter dude from Scandal was a fool. You can't invite someone into your home alone and tell them you have career ending dirt on them. That's so true.
That's a very very points in your neck's.
And then we have our first hashtag from at xyzz in other news. This episode of hashtag Scandal is my favorite so far. Hashtag one minute.
Yeah, oh man, this is so fun, so fun.
Guys, Tony, you are the best. We love you and this was such a blast.
And thank you for being our Fitzgerald Grant the third, forever and ever and ever.
Yeah, thank you guys, Katie, How freaking amazing was it having Tony like I couldn't believe it. We I think we went over like a lot because we couldn't stop talking to him.
So great.
The dude is the greatest. He's just the most loving.
Yeah, talent did like smart. Yeah, and Friday the thirteen Part six. He's in Friday the third his.
First job, his first movie.
And isn't it so inspiring that he was someone who had to really hustle for it, especially in the beginning. And yeah, and then even still when he thought he was and is this big fancy Hollywood director took eight years to put together the movie of Conviction, and then it ends up not doing what everyone promised him it would do, even though it's still an amazing movie, And then his entire career took a complete right turn back to being an actor.
Yeah with Scandal. Yeah, oh man, thank you, Thank you everyone for listening. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode as much as we enjoyed talking about it.
Next week, if Tony Goldwin blew your mind, which she did mine and he's the best, We've got a show in store for you people. Next episode one oh seven is titled Grant for the People, and we've got a very special guest, maybe one of the most special guests.
Yeah, and it's the last episode of the of the season of season one of Scandal.
So tell your friends come listen.
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 Alce, 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 eight Signature and you can follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu.
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.