Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaline Audio in partnership with Iheartradiots das Katie Tho.
I just logged on and noticed that Giermo for this episode is wearing a very very very sexy red hoodie. Why would you be wearing a red hoodie today?
Because in this episode, Huck tries to go incognito into a hotel. Well, he doesn't even realize he has to go incognity. He just happens to be wearing a red hoodie. Who's been wearing flannels? Like how many episodes?
Stupid? I'm sorry, scandal, I love you all.
All of a sudden he's like, he's like, I'm gonna rock this bright red hoodie.
Because they couldn't have like further down the line, being like the most wanted man in America is wearing a poop brown flannel. Right, it's like the most wanted man in America is wearing a red hoodie that like sticks. Although I honestly, until this episode, has Huck ever worn the color red.
No, only when there's blood spatter on him does he have red on his body. But he has not worn the color red or any other color for that matter, I mean you know.
Yeah, you were always like all fucking dull and shit, boy, you looked cute in this you're dull. Well, we have a great episode because I love this episode, and we have very special guests who we're going to tease you about later. But wait, wait, wait, wait really quickly, I wanted to tell you that I got a text from Shonda Rhymes this morning.
You did. I love it? What did she say? Does she love us?
Yeah, she loves us. She's obsessed with us. She's going to put us in all of her shows from now until the end of time. But Shonda wrote, she sent me the Prince tweet? Did you know that Prince ever tweeted us?
I did not, don't. I feel like if I would have known that, we would have ran with that shit. How did we? I didn't know? Did you?
I did not know? And this she sent me a picture of Prince. He tweeted a picture We're going to post it when this episode comes out of himself dressed and it says a gladiator in a suit, and it's Prince in like a beautiful suit. My god, from his fucking own personal.
Oh coount, my god.
I'm showing this to g right now on the phone, Like, can you even handle this for one second?
Katie?
This was when he was alive.
We have to retweet this like when this episode as this is amazing.
This is how I never how did I know?
Right?
But to be honest, Katie, remember it was like a whirlwind of things happening around us when shows were airing. In the tweeting, it was a lot going on in our worlds, right, Like there was a lot of shit, So we probably just missed it. But it's Prince. How did we freaking miss Prince?
The fact that he even sat somewhere and watched anything of me doing anything is like absolutely fucking insane to me. Yeah, we have somebody coming on so special for you gladiators out there, and my mouth is already watering because she could win the award for bringing the best salads and the best fucking food that in seven years of scandal that we ever saw this person.
And I first bonded over cum quats because she has the most amazing cum quats that she grows in her backyard and she brought me some and she used to put them in her salad, and ugh, now I can't get.
Enough of her constant watering. She is incredible. She would come in to work sometimes with dirt under her nails, like and having to get a manicure in this and everything because she's like to put her hands in the earth because she's so fucking real.
She is uh the best.
Born and raised in a little town off of Alaska, like I think an island uff of Alaska, and her dad growing up was one of those deadliest catch fishermen.
Do you know that? Yes, yes, yes, And I'm.
Convinced it's why she's such an incredible actress because she literally, in my head, she just grew up playing imagination all the time because literally no one was the fuck around.
Yeah. I remember she told me a story once that she, uh, the weather there was so crazy and we could ask her this when she pops on, that she jumped up or something in the wind like blew her away because she was so skinny at the time. I mean, my gosh, when she comes.
On, she is incredible. She's also the inventor of the eye hug. Yes, we're going to talk to you about yeah, because she needs to explain to you all what that is in all its glory. She was the last person hired of the series regulars on Scandal. We were waiting and waiting and waiting.
That's a very good fun fact, Katie. Yeah, hell yeah, she was the last one.
Who the hell was going to be playing? Yeah, Abby Wheeling. Yes, And we are here today hanging out with one of our true true other gladiators from Olivia Popan Associates, the one and only Darby stanch Oh. Oh yeah, I'm honestly going to be emotional.
Oh my god, dubs, Miracle you guys, dum.
I'm telling you. We've had other people on Carrie, John and Tony, but no one makes me feel like kind of emotional, like.
I know, I know, I don't know, because if we were the crew.
Right, we were like more in the trenches or something like. I just feel like I feel like the three of us. And then of course the first three seasons Columbus were like.
It was special. Yeah.
It reminds me a lot of the same that I feel with people I did an MFA program with, Like, Yes, we've seen each other in absolutely every single state of mind, and I feel like I know you guys better just by looking at you. That's the words that I know most people. Yes, familiarity.
I completely agree. Can we just stay for the record that you are so beautiful? It is a show like it is a shock to the system, Like she's here with her long red hair and her beautiful face, and we've been like g and I have watched the first two seasons and you are so remarkable. You have so much amazing material. And by the way, this just occurred to me. We're in these two seasons before you even became the fucking chief of staff.
Yes, yes, the secretary I know, which was like a whole inner series for me.
Yeah, you became red right, like the.
Nicknames, and then I had that big TV hair and started wearing the dresses and you know, and then when low status like trying to get in the bubble at the White House and being called Gabby, Yeah, like it was a whole different thing. Yeah.
First, tell us your origin story of how you joined the Scandal family. Do you remember your audition or where you were in your life.
I remember that you guys, I had been binging Damages with Nails and Rose Byrne, and I was at a point in my career where I was like, Okay, I really want to play a woman like this. You know, on a show like this, where you know, they get to do all the big things and they're and they're like the main event. And I was at a point
where I was like I might quit acting. And that was the first summer really thought that way where I was like, if I'm only going to be called to be on a you know, a guest star on some sort of episodic where I cry over you know, a dead husband, I'm going to go do something else. So I was in that state of mind when I auditioned First Gamble, and I was just not having it. I was so no nonsense in my life. What you see
is what you get. I walked in the room and Betsy Beer's, you know, Betsy Shadder in the room, Paul mcwigan, Wenda lay. Betsy says, that's a great suit. And as opposed to saying you know what the designer was or anything, I was like, oh, well, it's nothing special. It's just all a lot of good tailor you know, so abby wheeling so much true, Yeah, so true. I think Betsy laughed. And then we did the audition.
What was the scene?
I had like three four scenes that one page is of war where I where I learned this big clue and I so there's that like kind of awkward side of Abbey that we see. There was a monologue that was never in the show that Shonda wrote about Stephen how Steven smells like apples and man, wow.
Well god, we see it all over your face in a bunch of episodes.
Anyway, we did the scenes and I got done and sat down and there was pure silence, and Shonda was just staring at me. And you know, Sho is like this presence and sure her brain is going, but she doesn't. You know, it's like time has stopped. Everyone stopped. Everyone's looking at her again. Because of the frame of mind, I was at take it or leave it, you know, I didn't start to oh, thank you so much, yeah, yeah, anything again.
I just sat whatever, this is it.
I stared right back at her. You did that for like a minute.
Wow.
Yeah, pretty intense.
Wow.
That's mostly what I remember. And then I had to come back again, I think for some suits who needed to see with my hair down and can she cry and stuff like that. So he did another little round. But at that point I could tell.
This all happened very quickly though, right Darby, because I was.
The last one to be cast.
Yeah, yes, do you guys remember this?
Oh?
We we had been we had been rehearsing this show already, we had been rehearsing the pilot and we were all like, oh my god, who's going to play Abbey? Who's going to play Abbey?
And then okay, and I have two very specific memories of you guys really. But first was so I get cast and we go to the Prospect Studios Prospect Studios, right, and you guys are we're all waiting for like screen tests or something or rehearsal or something. And I walk to the where all this is happening, and Katie, you're one of the first ones I see. Do you remember this?
What I remember like yesterday and you're sitting there. I remember where you were sitting at this table and you look up at me, and you know your face, I mean, you have this sunshine face. You have the most beautiful, kind eager like I can't wait to meet my new classmate, you know, my new show.
I felt, I.
Know, and you were so I just remember your radiance and I was like, Okay, this is gonna be fun.
I remember that moment so well. I was sitting at a table that had a chair attached to it or something, and you can walk in, and you were wearing your suit that I think you auditioned in, like I don't know or no, was it the suit?
You know, I don't actually know what I was wearing in that moment, But for rehearses, I was like in a long black coat of my own that ended up being very much like what Abby wears.
It just made me feel like, well, I just.
I'm a sucker for a long black tailored coat. And then Jared, when we did cut you a couple of days later after warhears as, we did a studio read, a read for the studio read for the network, and it was like a big room of you know, all the important people. And I remember coming into this room and I was feeling very much like I often do, like like a watcher, like just kind of quieter, and
you were doing that. You were quiet, no one was talking to you were already sitting down, I think, at the table, and I went up and I joined you, and I just remember, I just remember like that being the first moment of connection of like okay energy.
I remember that. I remember that and moving forward from there. Every time you and I had a scene together. When we started shooting, it just felt special because our worlds didn't really collide that much, right, Like on screen.
I know special task, special group of individuals. I feel very connected to each and everyone, especially this Gladiator.
Yeah, oh my god.
I mean going back to these cases of the week and like you being up on the board and you being like, I do know that Wally.
Was She's pulling out that like hair from the from the drain in that one episode.
An investigator, right and taking.
Super into Steven. The episodes were like you find out Steven's sleeping with prostitutes, and you have all these amazing lines in the first season when you're like finding out what hardwood floors are, like the drapes and the curtains, and like you're the snarky, ironic character dry so needed, so funny, and your relationship with Olivia is just.
Like so good. We'll be right back, guys.
Are there any memories that you have that really stick out from the pilot?
Yeah, shooting in the original building downtown for some reason that period of time. I think it's because we had to do all night shoots. Yeah, because of we were shooting night for night I guess right, And it was also maybe just when we could get in there. I don't remember. We were there all night long in that giant, drafty building and there was a jewelry robbery that there was a robbery that happened across the street at the jewelry store for real.
I love that you remember that the jewel heighst and we all couldn't leave the building. They resolved it or.
Whatever, and so I just remember the sequence that all night long, like we were doing a sequence where it was the cloths feeding up but you see all the different evidence going up on the board and then and how long that took didn't fail me even though it yeah, you know, in Paul mccueigan's style, it sped up really really fast and takety seconds. But how many hours that took?
Do you remember the windows leaking because it was raining outside? It was it was raining.
It was drafty, it was yeah, I mean, wasn't there like a crazy elevator situation just to get up there? Yes? I was well, I was having my own high health drama. I was having I was getting blisters.
I remember that because you were stockings in.
The show my god, it was so awful. It was It's so funny being were like, you know, you can change shoes, even though we've shot half those things. You need to change shoes because I.
Was just.
They were so supportive, you know, and literally just finding our feet, understanding what the tone of the show was and everything. But you know, when your boss will say something like that, you feel quite supportive. Yeah, I'm sure struggling with something so technical.
Yeah, flashing forward, Darby, do you remember you and I were shooting a scene. I think it was the last season. We were in a scene We're at a party, and we were like, let's try like Huck is rubbing your feet. We rehearsed the scene where I'm rubbing your feet, and I think Tom was like, yeah, I don't I don't think I don't remember that.
Oh shut it down.
Yes, yes, yeah, I thought it was.
Why I would have liked it.
Was you and I liked it because we were tired. It was very like, you know, just like your little or older brother. I was gonna say a little brother.
Maybe he thought it would just like lead to too many questions.
Yes, exactly, exactly interesting interesting debut.
Did you know about Abby's backstory at all about the abusive husband, about any of that before you got the role was that.
No, I did not know. And this particular episode was an interesting moment in that in that whole story, I did not know that at all. And I think it first comes up in season one between Olivia and Abby. Think it's a very inflammatory scene. I don't remember all the words, but I remember Abby basically really sticking into Olivia and saying, you've got your names on that door you have to fix. You've got to say it, just like you've helped me out of this relationship. And I
didn't know much. And you know, when I think about it, it wasn't like I was briefed about it or you know, I just sort of learned as we went, and then I I researched, you know, domestic abuse. I started to build a backstory like we all do with these characters. And then, you know, it's so interesting because every time that Abby had anything domestic abuse come up about her past relationship or a trigger in some way, it always
was like a very PTSD kind of experience. I, as an actor, didn't know how these scenes would turn out. It was also surprising what was written in the scripts. It was new, and I would have a very visceral reaction to the material and I wouldn't get to.
Collectual about it or yeah we were I feel like that was the process.
It was very very strange how how that process was, and now it affected me. But I think in the episode that we're talking about, there's a scene where Abby's waiting for David in his apartment and there's no words and Abby slaps him.
Oh my god, but that's your brilliance? Are your few? Me and Carrie used to say this about you. Only Darby can go from like is she gonna laugh? And then she gets a twinge of emotion and then you can see her bury it and then you can see like anger come out, but like in your face. Without them writing anything, we could see all of that on you so beautifully, And.
In this episode it happens. In this episode you go from like anger to lust to hatred to emotional oh my god.
Almost crying, to the relationship that couldn't be. Oh my god, we're going to get there. I can't even taking like such a hard left turn. And I talk about how delicious the salads you made on set for or whatever food you were bringing in, and honestly, you would come in with fucking ship that I don't know if you'd grown in your own garden manicure because there's dirt underneath my nails.
We enjoyed watching your salads. We just.
The spinach, the like nuts. There'd be like it was delicious, and then you'd always put lemon and stuff in like a little lemon baggy to like squeeze it. I was like, she is the classiest bitch guy, remember, oh.
Yeah, oh yeah, that's a wonderful thing to be obs that is, you were a great cook.
And also can this bring us to I do think you also grew grapefruits and you had the most incredible Instagram video during COVID that saved all of our lives where you instructed us all how to cut said grapefruit while you had a breakdown of hysteria, which glass of Darby can only break like that.
Yeah, that's what happens when you were quarantine.
And and it wasn't only in one way. You had different ways you could do it. You were like, well you could do slices or you could do cute, which was brilliant.
You are the most delicious human being Oh my god, do you remember in DC for the penultimate episode when you and George and all of us we were like running around at like the John Wilkspooth Theater where Lincoln got shot, and we were running around to the bathrooms. We were like freezing cold, but we were just running around. Like you said, I think you nailed it like classmates, like as if they were like back in elementary school, like almost giddy.
Some of my favorite memories of all of us are like backstage before we go on to do Haimy fest or or Jimmy Cammel, you know, just these sort of backstage moments where we're in the wings and publicity is set to work. That's like, really, you know, you're not acting, you're selling your show. But it was always play with everybody.
There was always there was always We sent so many upfronts together in New York, and I just remember being like going through backs of kitchens, you know, being in elevators.
I forgot about that.
Waiting at the upfronts, for instance, and there'd be all these other shows and all these other casts. It would be quite dry and kind of a corporate day. And if we would just be like yucking it up.
We were rock stars. Man. That was so much fun, you know what I.
Mean, just the chemistry, the fun that we all have together. There's just this now actual band or so such a you.
Know, do you get recognized? I wanted to ask you because I feel like I can hide really easily. G sticks out like a sore thumb. And I've always been like, God, Darby, must stick out like a sore thumb. Even though you're very good at stuffing that red hair underneath the hat. You're just so tall, You're a giraffe. I mean you to me, you would stick out even if I didn't know you.
I definitely enjoyed when we were in the thick of the pandemic and we were wearing gasps everywhere. I really enjoy that.
Yes, but I still.
Got recognized with that because of my red hair. So you're right, if I put a hat on, I do feel like right now I'm getting recognized. For the last role, I did a lot more, only because I look more. My hair's a little bit more. It's not as red as when I was on Scandal. You know, I really bumped up the red there for a bit. But yeah, you know, here and there.
For the listeners. Darby plays Nina Locke on an amazing show called Lock and Key. It's on Netflix, yes, and I don't know why it took me so freaking long to start watching it.
But because there's so much content cabs now.
Truly, how was that experience shooting Lock and Key?
It was great?
Yeah, it was nice.
It happened just, you know, several months after Scandal. It was a three season a run. I liked it because it was something so totally different from Abbey Wheeling, that kind of a murder mystery so good, wrapped up in a show that's very magic or kind of light horror oriented. So it was all very very different from Scandal. The world of it, well.
Except for another Scandal cast member who is on Lock and Key, Brendon Brendan Hines, Mister Tatiana Maslani or to grow, mister Xana Bayou. Gideon Wallace also was on Lock and Key. Working with Darby. Was that so crazy?
It was crazy. It's so funny. I every once in a while I'll still text him a picture of us rolling him up in the carpet. Remember, yeah, he dies, there was a photo that we have, or the whole all of it are standing over him. Katie, you're so bloody, you're in air. Yes, and we literally roll home up in this carpet. So I'll just send him out without any words.
I love that.
Back to the good old.
Days, hilarious. Earlier on, when we were recording these episodes, I was the one that told Giermos, like, guess what Brendan Hines did in COVID He got married Tatiana Maslani, and Geirmouth thought, I said, Oxana by.
Lesle what So it sends us down a real long imagination train of what what Idi and on Oxana's children would be like or something.
Darby, will you do something with us? When we get to the synopsis? Would you do us the biggest solid If I read the first paragraph, g is going to read the second, and you'll read the little third paragraph, and we're going to try.
Yours.
Oh no, we only got a year, and it's remarkable how far we have fallen, you guys. To day we were talking about we have Darby Stanchfiel here, the one and Only Abbey Wheel and we're talking about episode two oh nine, which was titled blown Away. It aired on December thirteenth of twenty twelve, and it.
Was written by Mark Wilding and directed by Jessica Yu.
It was guest starring Susan Porfar as Becky Flynn, Kate Burton is Vice President, Sally Langston, Greg Henry is Holly.
Bally Doya, Dan Bucatinski is James Novak, George Newburn our Georgie as Charlie, Deborah Mooney as Vernon Thornton, Shannon Cochrane as Attorney General, Susan Sawyer, and Kate McGregor Stewart as Mary.
Here's the synopsis, Sorry, Ready, here we go. Olivia and the OPI team are shocked Whenhuck reveals that he's the person the FBI are looking for in connection with Fitzest shooting. As the team gets to work uncovering the truth about Becky, Huck spirals and denial until Becky asks Huck to run away with her, admitting the truth of her involvement and and her background.
As Huck struggles with the decision to run away with Becky, Olivia and doors fittest potential funeral planning, and Cyrus looks into exactly what James knows about defiance. As Huck finally decides to stay Becky anticipates his betrayal and kills the family.
Howkwak Holostyle is up to even more tricks as he gives Sally Langston and nothing inform mentioned about Berna Thor to put her off the bench. But Verna has plans of her own when she offers to resign or give it the name of the person who wanted for shooting the president.
Oh yeah, like.
Riding a fuck you guys my heart right now?
Yay, that's anxiety and.
You have that in spades, yes, oh yeah. First and foremost, the biggest scene from this episode that shows the emotion is like you said, it's the fingers in his mouth.
Where did that come from? Darby? Was that your idea? Was that in the script?
Okay, I'm so glad you asked this farm because that I have been asked this question so many times from fans, from fans and from you know, like every time we do press interviews. That was one of the questions I asked, which prizes me because we were so bound to the script. And I remember after a table reached on and I said, Okay, I'm gonna write the scene you know how she does. I'm gonna write the scene for you guys, and we get the scene and there's no words. What we did
is exactly what she wrote. What we werehearsed it just like you would, you know, some sort of stunt, whether it's violence or sex or whatever those sort of sequences in TV land. You know, it was very technical and it was very much like a dance, like you put your foot here, you put your fingers here, go on, and so it was really really clinical and it was all shown it. She was all that she wrote under.
Why did she ever say.
Why I didn't ask her about the scene. I didn't discuss it with her. I almost felt like it was so powerful on its own. I just wanted to do it,
execute it kind of without thinking. It goes back to what I was saying about, you know, finding more about Abbie's backstory, and this is the first I mean, what's so astonishing for me about the scene is it's the first time you see Abby's maybe her past domestic abuse, violence stuff sort of creep up in her life in a present day way that she's initiating and it's like, yeah, it's tied up with.
Her lover, her trauma.
There's so many questions about that and he accepts it.
And he's so submissive to you. Yeah.
Yeah, it's an astonishing scene. There's so many questions.
But Darby, what about the smacking? You really smacked him? I thought me and Katie have a scene where she smacks the shit out of me like three times. I lost my hearing for about twenty minutes. But I was in Katie's defense. I was like, smack me for real, do not play smack me? And then I was like, what what did you say? But it looked like you really smack Josh. Did you guys have a conversation about that, about smacking him, how that was going to be, how that you were going to do that.
I don't really recall. I don't except that it was just like this sheet that John had written all of these actions, and it was just try and remember one thing in the saint, you know, in the right order, and do it with no words.
First we come in first, I do this. Then I shot up him twice. Then we pull apart. Then I put fingers down, and then I lift my skirt. Then I pushed it out.
It was three fingers. I think it was so specific, you.
Know, But you guys did it so well. You could have done all that, and it could have been a shitty scene. But the reason that people remember it is because you guys played it so well, so.
Real, so good, so good, He's so good, and it's so you can see her feeling like embarrassed and then powerful, and then hating him and then wanting to be with him, and then being sad for where they were, what their relationship could have been, and just like there's so much and then she literally lifts her skirt up. You have sex with them, and then there's this whole moment where you stand up and you repull your skirt down over
these amazing tights, thank you Lyn paw Right. They're thigh highs kind of thing, and then you flip your red hair in like a sexy way, which was incredible, and then you just pull your skirt down, fix your sort of jacket, and then you like walk out of the apartment and just fucking leave his ass.
But that look she looks back at him and has this face where she's like about to cry, but no, fuck you, I'm not gonna cry.
So emotional. Like other huge moments of this episode, this is the episode where Becky, played by Susie poorfar. She finds out that Huck might be framing her to be caught for shooting the president, and to get back at Huck, she shoots his family. Yes, and I remember being at the table read because she shoots the two little girls, the mom, the dad, and the.
Dog, and people were more upset about the dog. People were like, remember that bitch. Yeah right. This was the first episode that I I mean, and I did this several times after this that I called my managers and I told them what I was going to be doing in the episode because I was so excited and what was happening in the episode, Like I've never done that with another job, Like on this job, I feel like I did that a lot.
Yeah, it's really really cool. It's really sweet.
And the fact that Seanda went there with that scene of you know, we see that whole family dead.
Yeah, yes, but I didn't need to pull back on it.
Yeah.
And we're talking season two, so everything was so shocking. Yes, it's almost like season one establishes the show. It feels quite procedural, and season two it just goes off.
The rail, totally off the rails. At the end of this episode, they take Hawk under the Patriot Act and so we start the whole journey of him being like waterboarded and orchard in the Pentagon and all that kind
of shit. But there's also just such great stuff in this episode, as per usual, with just God, you worked so much with Columbus, Like what was that You guys really were the core of OPA, because Quinn's really the newbie and Huck is a fucking weirdo beyond and not that Abby and Harrison aren't, but Abby and Harrison are sort of like the stronghold, like, and I see that so much in this episode because this episode, Olivia's kind of moved back into the White House and she's.
Yeah, she's back and forth. It did feel like in season two more and more Abby and Harrison were being partnered, but they were being assigned more together, and so you know, it kind of worked, I think great in that Harrison was so sort of charismatic and loose and charming and Abby is like such a smart ap and a cut you know, like they just seem like opposite. So I remember having they're being nice, nice scenes. They're written for those characters where you can really feel the opposites.
Yeah, speaking about this, like your Josh Molina stuff was so amazing in seasons one and two. I mean, Josh, Abby and David Rosen were really the first couple that they wrote on Scandal, other than the ones that had already been established, Like we'd already had Fits and Olivia,
we already had Cyrus and James. Yes, yes, but when he breaks you up because Olivia is telling Harrison like your one job is to make sure that David and don't ask me why, but David and Abby can't be together because the two of you are going behind your back and putting the pieces together about Cytron and the election rigging. He breaks you guys up, and you have this amazing scene during the case of the Week is
like the really really rich millionaire crazy guy. But there's a whole episode where you do are on a stakeout and you slow dance to some people at a jazz You're gonna find a nice guy because he sets David Rosen up to make it seem like he had abused his past women and.
You want so bad with Alby's background for her to be happy, and then you know yes, and then you know Harrison, it's such a good guy in terms of them working together and well, that seems to be a common theme in this show, doesn't it. You know, the the things that we our characters do for power or for you know, to fix something, either in a good way or or because of being blackmailed or because of hunger power. It's I remember that, Yeah, I remember.
That by any means necessary. Right, we got we got shit done. Can we talk about you and josh Joshua Molina on set? How he would push which he was such a ask to.
You mag your sides down, which, by the way, he did to me too. He's a fucking turd.
Not to me, because I would have been like, look, motherfucker.
He told josh we said the only people you were scared of was gear. He never fucked with Germo, really did.
He never rank you.
He pranked me that one time, and then after that he didn't do it again. And I could tell you what happened. I don't know. I think he could just tell that I was not I was not going to play. I was like, don't play with me. But I remember I remember him at one point we were in oh Pa and we were on wheelie chairs and he would grab you while you were sitting down and roll you like twenty feet away from everybody. And he would do this over.
Over six scenes with this asshole.
You were such a good sport.
We had him on and I said to him, you were the most polarizing person of the Scandal crew.
And what did you say?
He was psyched about it. He was like, he was like, give me all the edge. He loves it.
He loves to be the troublemaker does he wants that
to be his reputation. The thing that I've was most humored by, I think, is that every once in a while we'd have some really neaty scene, you know, I mean just it would be immediate relationship scene where we're breaking up, or you know, something a three four page scene, lots of words, scandal pace, we're in the makeup trailor he hasn't looked at at once because he has a photographic, freaking photographic memory, so he just live in the makeup care We ran the lines once or twice, and he
knows it like that, where I, on the other hand, for the last forty eight hours or whatever long and has this really dissecting this thing I've been I mean not to say that I'm a slow learner. I think anybody could be qualified as a slow learner and be unscandaled for seven users. I think we all learned to memorize quite quickly, but my process was just so different from his. I think I got such a big kick
out of that that he he's so good. I mean, he's such a mass at the verbose role that he played, and you know, the thoughts are very clear. He executes it so well. It's so brilliant. But we just would approach it such different ways, and he'd learned it in like ten minutes and then, you know, be off to prank someone else.
So we will be back with more after the break. Oh you know what I want to talk to you about. Remember I've talked about it on this podcast before, like the goodbye process of like like I have to hug everyone and say goodbye and all this stuff. And Darby was a person who like never moved shit into her trailer. I remember at the end of season one or something, you were like, oh, I won't be here when we're all saying goodbye, like I'm out, thank you, Yeah something
I'm paraphrasing. Yeah, yeah, can you talk about that a little bit.
Yeah, it's I do remember what you're saying. And it was at the end of season one. Okay, we shot seven episodes and we didn't know if we were coming back, right we were shooting for as a mid season replacement.
So we're we're on the last scenes together in the room, and it felt like most actors were, you know, we're really into saying goodbye and getting emotional and hugging a lot and talking about what it meant to them that I think it's just a habit that I it's it's really just kind of a muscle that I've developed over time being in this business. Not too high, not too well, you know, it's it's a protection or a diplomatic you know. I had a great time, but I'm not I'm not
going to count any chickens before the hatch. I'm not going to assume that I'm back. I'm not going to celebrate before it's happened, you know, and even when something is awarded. My management team said this about me, like, you're really a funny one because you don't ever get to I don't burst into tears when I you know, when I got scandal or book something huge, O, my god, beautiful, But that's beautiful and I admire that. And that's the actors.
I mean, we're feeling and we're right. I mean, Katie, I love your hugging and not letting go. Belly is very much the same. You're that that kind of love where you just want to show someone and you're feeling it. It's so beautiful. Sometimes I was more like that.
But you know, we're we're a perfect Matt Darby Stanfield.
But I do like it. We're all so different too. I think that makes it more interesting. You know, you're all the same. It would be it would be. Yeah, back to my thing about Josh Wullia. So I think I enjoy working with them because.
It's just such a different derby. I promise these people. Can you tell us right quick? What's an eye hug?
Yeah?
She's doing it right now, folks, Yeah, right now?
Who invented that? We were at all of us? We were in the conference room. Maybe was it Carrien?
I thought it was you. Yeah, you were the eye hug inventor.
I was probably because I'm like kind of like lest contact.
You were like, don't touch me, stay open there. I'm gonna hugging with my eyes.
But that's so sweet. Would we would all stand around the O PA table and it would be fucking late at night, we will have been shooting for a million hours, and then we would just look across and do like a really nice slow blank to me and say, you know, she's sending me an eye hug beautiful. Okay, I'm giving it.
Let's give it.
Darby Stansfield was the inventor of she created it.
Yeah, I'll take it.
Before we do some tweets at the time really quickly. Gee, is there any scenes from episode two O nine that stick out to.
You some of the stuff that sticks out? His stuff with James and Cyrus. James is back on his ship with the side on card and defiance and all of that, and there's just such great moments with those two they have. They have a scene where they both have sandwiches in front of them, and the thing that bothered me the most and not one of them to bite that damn sandwich fuckers.
We always don't like when any actors don't eat.
Yeah.
Their whole storyline in this episode is that James is on the tail of Defiance and is sort of working with David Rosen and Cyrus to get him off. The scent is like, I got you your baby. We adopted a baby. He's like dangling the baby in front of James's face to make him stop. And Verna Thornton and Sally Langston have an amazing scene in this where Sally comes and figures out that Verna has terminal cancer. Yeah, like, I want your fucking seat on the bench.
You want to to step off?
Yeah, so much happens.
Yeah, Oh my god.
By the way, that's every Scandal episode in forty two minutes. The amount of plot. Yeah, had incredible writing that goes on.
Is no wonder we're going at stand apace.
Yeah, we have to so insane.
This is also the first time you see Huck have sex with with Becky.
Yes, I was just going to say that. Yeah, I wrote Becky and Huck fuck on picks because they're sexces on top of all these photos.
You want to know something, that's something I really love the way that was shot. Yeah, you're on top of all those pictures and they're laid out at like a rainbow, I mean, and have sex and roll all over these pictures. I thought that was really I thought that was a really neat scene.
Yeah, Jessica you, and Becky sort of saying I want to be with you, and Huck is saying, well, what's your name?
And she what's your real name? Yeah, and she won't.
Tell him, which means like she's being shady.
Yeah, that's a tell for Huck, He's like, oh, you don't really love me.
Yeah, And the episode ends. Verna goes to Sally and says, I'm not giving up my bench. I won't give up my seat on the bench, but I can give you the name of the man in the Red Hood who shot Fits. And then the swat team comes to Opa and takes drink under the Patriot Act. Yeah, oh my gosh, it's a little bit time right now. Darbzy's for tweets of the time. Tweetetetweeteto, tweetoto, tweetwet two tweets of the time. Things were insane at dc PsyD on December fourteen, twenty twelve.
Had to repost this and it's a picture. Chicks be like, I can't stand infidelity, but on Thursdays they'd be like, oh yeah, because Scandal really made infidelity hot. I've never seen more fans be more into cheating and loving that Fits is just a cheating piece of shit?
Yep, I remember Sue Tanner this this one gladiator. She's an old g gladiator. Yes, she tweeted at Scandal ABC. I hear there's a buve that will be going around in January. The Gladiator flew hashtag scandal, hashtag what the huck. Also, this is the episode where hashtag what the huck came into plate way.
Yes, and I think didn't that hashtags stay around for seasons?
Yes? It did.
What were your ship? Did you have any hashtags? Darby?
Abby?
Oh?
Sassy Abby? That's right?
Oh yeah, not like what the heck?
Not like that? And Quinn, what was yours? Was it yours?
Oh?
I'm Quinn, bitch. Yes, in response to a monelogue that I have to you where you're like Lindsey the whole first season, You're like lindsay this and lindsay that. And then I turned to you in the bar and I'm like, I am not Lindsey. My name is Quinn Perkins. Then I actually walk away and it's actually Harrison who looks to you and says she's Quinn bitch.
Oh.
We were all waiting for Quinn to do that. Abby was just such a Pilber.
I was too. Let me tell you something. I watched Quinn in the first season and I'm like, Jesus, let's get the Carol of Kara.
Nuts from Deetrough the truth. Counts Abby handled her business and got up and walked out. You go, girl, such a scandal. And I think she's referring to that scene that you guys were talking about.
Yeah, oh it's so good, so so good. Melody Baker at Evan GML, she tweets Harrison in charge, get your ass back here now. She's referring to when he calls Olivia and he's like, get back to the office because because Huck has the rifle that shot the president and he yells at her on the phone, get your ass back here now, which is the first time we see him like talk to her like that that episode. It was it was episode.
Factor Carter Away at the end after Families and good Yeah happen right, Oh just a little water boarding.
Oh yeah, that's week. We're about to go on like a whole Hawk journey.
I was gonna say, let's just talk about Hawk and water.
Oh my god, that's right.
Just the water your camel.
It's awful.
Remember when you stopped.
Showering and the rain.
Yes, and all you guys make those faces every time I come around or you guys, are you stink?
But remember later on there's like a whole water episode where you're under.
Like stuck in a car in a trunk.
Yes, So between that the showering, the water, I did two weeks of rehearsal in a pool with an instructor for that episode. Anyway, this podcast is about Darby stanch Field.
Darby, I just want to say we love you, thank you for Unpacking the Toolbox of episode two nine.
Darby, we love you. You're the best. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It's an honor to be on your podcast.
Yay. The next episode we have next week is called one.
For the Dog, well for the dog, bitch, and.
I think we're talking about the dog that Becky Beck just sh yes. Gladiators, We're so happy that you tuned in. I hope you loved hearing from Darby Lee STANSFIELDO.
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 Alcea, 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.
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