301: It’s Handled w/ Tom Verica

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Katie, though.

We're back, Katie, Oh my gosh, is it Is it true?

It's true? For now, it's true. It feels real. I'm a real boy, you're a real girl, and this is a real scandal Rewatch podcast.

This is it people, It's happening. Hallelujah. The strike has ended. We are back, bitches.

We're back with season two of Unpacking the Toolbox.

That's right, and no better episode could we be talking about than Rolling Out episode one of season three, which the question that Harrison Wright asks is are we gladiators or are we bitches?

I always want to say we're bitches, but of course we're gladiators.

I love it well. I think both options are valid. Yes, And for our gladiators or bitches that are listening, you got to know that this is like the way new and improved season coming at you right now. We even got a fucking phone number that you can call. Oh hell yeah, leave us comments, messages, leave us questions that we will ask each.

Other live twenty four seven.

Yeah, you want to just call us at three o'clock in the morning to talk about scandal. Are your ideas, your thoughts? Guests, you'd like to have us? Leave us a message, Yeah, leave us a message.

Talk shit, tell us a story. Yes, I don't give up what you said.

We don't care. We don't care. It's call us at eight zero five two nine eight one four seven four or send us an email at utt at Shondaland dot com. We want to hear from you, guys. I mean, this show exists and is so fun and gets to keep happening because of all of you gladiators who have been listening since episode one and GEARM and I love making them, we love doing them. We've got amazing guest line up this season. We've got so much new scandal, hot gossip to talk about.

We got a great guest on Today Techweek.

We do.

But first of all, Katie, just real quick. I know in this episode doing our research, there's no eating in this episode, But what did you eat today? Can we please just talk about food for two seconds?

We have to. I had a delicious mint chip smoothie. I had I know delicious. I had a sweet potato, I had turkey. Guys, you know we're off strike. Sommy's about to get back on camera. So Mom's keeping it real right and tight up in here.

Lettuce and water and shit, Oh my god, I had leftovers. I had rice and beans and a bunch of steamed broccoli and salad with like a Caesar dressing. Oh it was so fucking good. But before that, before that, I had I juiced my celery and parsley and lime juice, and then for lunch, I had that.

Wow. So you are raring to go, you, but I'm also starving.

I'm also starving. Are you hungry?

I'm absolutely starving. I'm absolutely starving. I'm drinking water and chewing gum. I am so stoked to see you, my friend.

You too, Katie. I missed you.

We have just been striking and on the picket line and we're in love as always.

And pre usual.

But to just get to dive back in and watch all these episodes and just have fun, remember what the hell was even going on? Yes, it's the absolute best.

See our baby faces on the screen and be like, oh look, how ibies.

I can't believe I Like, I was adorable. I mean I was annoying.

I was annoying, but I was a durable. I was so skinny, we were so.

Thin, we were we were so little, we were so staty, we were so cuties.

Yeah, and at the time you're like, uh, I look like shit. Yeah, looking back, it's like.

Oh my god, we have to really look at that because I feel like I'm forty one and I'm gonna look at sixty five back hopefully if I'm lucky, and be like, what was my problem? Like my boobs were high way higher then than they here at sixty five, Like there is nothing to complain about.

We're never going to look better than right now than this moment right now, So.

Feast your eyes.

Oh.

Another hot new edition of the season two of Unpacking the Twolbox Use your eyes, Gladiators, is that we are taping. There's like video going on, and you're gonna be like posting and social mediaizing so you can see our adorable faces and laugh with us as we are rewatching these episodes.

And looking cute. So can we talk about today's guests?

Yeah, he's like shondaland Royalty Royalty. Yes, this guy is real handsome on the eyes, he's real smart, and he's a real multi hyphenated artist.

Oh he sure is right. He's an inspiration man.

And the other thing about him is that his initials are literally tv TV.

Oh my god. You know, when I knew this man, this director, this artist was a down dude. When he made me do a scene, a very intense, serious scene in h office with I think you were in the scene while I was using a shakewaight. It was like a three minute scene and I did the whole thing work in the shakewaight, and I thought, oh, I love this guy. I love him. Do you remember that?

Because I do? And he was he making you do.

That for the real Yes, yes, yes.

I think it ended up on like a behind the scenes DVD track of like some season or something.

But I just thought, how amazing that he's taking the time out while we're actually shooting the show we're in production, to be like Guermo. Now do the whole scene with the shakewaight.

Well, because tv TV's Tom Verica, he's having fun and he just is such a master at having everything under control. I've never seen him lose his mind. I've never seen him super stressed out. I've never seen him like, oh my god, we're never going to make the day. You know, a lot of directors. Especially on Scandal, we were shooting nine pages a day and it was practically impossible to get it all, and TV's Tom Verica just never made

He was that director, Katie when we'd get a difficult script where we were like, yeah, the lead in the script and we had to do some emotional work or get naked or whatever, and then we'd see who the director was and we'd all be like, oh, thank god, it's Tom, thank god Tom's directing right. Yes, yes, I feel like we always felt safe with him, totally and confident. He trusted your instincts.

He was just not only that, but the guy sky ratulated in shonaaland just real quick for y'all who don't know who that fuck we're talking about. He's a genius actor, like he literally played Viola Davis's husband and How to Get Away with Murder. He directed yeah, a billion episodes of Scandal. He was our producing director. Then he moved on to directing all the Queen Charlotte's producing directs Bridgerton. He directs a ton of Bridgertons. I mean, the guy ye.

Pole and he's he's in an episode of Seinfeld, like a classic episode of Seinfeld. Need I say more? People, need I say more? No? Is he here?

No, I'm not ready. We're not ready. We'reay, We're not worthy. We love this human being. This guy is coming to us from England.

Are you in England? It's eleven o'clock at night.

Oh my god, what are you shooting there? Tom? You're shooting Queen Charlotte right now?

No, no, no, it's we decided to move the family over here, so the kids are going to school here and we're kind of we're going to play in London for a couple of years.

Oh man, I mean we're back and forth.

But we're right here, right here, and I are available. I have a very good British accent. How is Yules?

No doubt, it's just lovely.

We're also turning the scandal Rewatch podcast into an audition auditions.

We're going to audition all the time and we have guests.

This is so thrilling. Thank you for being here.

Absolutely so honored to be here.

Tom. We've just been saying you are the tent pole of Shondaland, and I just we have so many little memories to talk about. But first the first little official order of business that we should get to, because this is the premiere You're welcome episode of season two. It's confusing, it's season two of Unpacking the Toolbox, but it's season three of Scandal, and we real quick are just going to get the logistics out of the way with the episode title and who directed it? By you and the

He?

Oh, yes, it's late at night, but I'll give it a shot because I do have it here.

Tom's already got it prepared. Once an actor, always an actor.

Yeah, do you have your little iPad on set? Tom always had his iPad with the whole script on there, just scrolling through.

I still have my every script is on there.

Yeah you were so Yes.

Yes, Tom Verica, you are a legend. We today are talking about episode three oh one, called It's Handled, which aired on October third, twenty thirteen. It was written by this duo is Insane, written by Shot Orry, was directed, directed by Tom People, who is a guest starring gear Madiaz.

Stony Westmoreland is hol Rimbo. Samantha Sloyan is Janine Locke, Vanya Asher as Ethan, Kate Burton as Sally Langston. Aaron Chambers is Mara.

Even hams Tanner Shaw, Jennifer Peyo is Vanessa Chandler. J Jackson is New News Anchor Number one, and of course Dan Bugutinski is James Novak. Come on, can you take us through this synopsis? TV's Tom Verica.

Well this this air you said October thirteenth. This is ten years now, isn't it?

Oh shit, yeah, it sure is. Oh my god, time flies.

Well let me just a little bit after but yeah, wow, Okay, here's the synopsis.

Okay with yes, but you can do it warm up if you need it.

I got Katie Lowe's in the back of my head, and how fast he goes.

And that's that's the bar. That's the bar that got this.

I believe in you.

With Olivia's name out there as the President's mistress, both the White House and Popit associates face their biggest scans of the date, and a surprise that Leeches.

Is formed in order to get things handled.

Meanwhile, Olivia's father will stop and nothing to carry out his orders and no one, including Olivia, can stand in his way.

What how did you never do like a small role on Scandal? You didn't, right, Tom?

Yeah? Why no? I did not?

How did we not?

I know why? It's because early on used to I started playing that no name actress, Viola Davis murder and you couldn't.

Probably, yeah, but that was after I mean that was Shanda's always you know, there would be something to come up and she'd say, I want you to play this part. Like on Gray's Anatomy, I played there's a part of there she want me to play on an episode I was supposed to direct, but then we pushed it later. I think we were Mellie's husband or ex husband. We were kind of floating out stone no way her ex husband came back and was that real jerk or something like that.

And like friend friend the head friend.

The other way?

Yes, yes, yes, and he fixed people or something you know that would.

Have been great.

Can you take us back? Like what do you think was in the special Sauce of the Trail? Tom Vericka first came to us, not on this episode I mean not at all. But he came to us an episode six, which was the first hardcore lashback episode in season one of Scandal. Why was that so magical? That changed your fate to forever be the man of Shondaland.

That was It's at that point. It's so often. I mean, we can.

All, whether actors or directors, we can all sort of chalk it up to timing and chemistry of when something happens. There's so many projects that sort of line up what they think is the a team and the winning combination with the script and the cast. Oftentimes you look at it on paper, You're like, this is brilliant, but it doesn't work.

This was just something that came together.

I remember when I was asked to do this, because I was doing other shows at the time that they were saying, this is a bottle episode, this is the same money this episode. Oh wow, And I'm like, well, how this is the trail They're kind of going to all these different towns and they're like, yeah, but it's got to be all done on.

The lot at Sunset Galler. Sunset Gallery doesn't have a backlot.

Oh my god, this is fascinating, Tom.

It was pitched as a saving money episode. They thought it would be fairly contained and limited, and then once it got into it and.

As Shanda sort of said, no, this is this and this is and I'm like, well, this is.

That's going to cost the money.

This is not your fottle episode. And then it really became a tremendous puzzle about how do we you know, we shot up in the Hollywood Hills, that little area where the diners that goes up to the Hollywood Sign, you know, we shot that as.

Connecticut Beach with a diner, beach a diner.

I think it was Yeah, we're just outside of there, but we shot all around you know there, and we're literally it was all within a mile of Sunset Gower. Wow, and we traveled around the country. I think it was because it was the origins of Fits.

And Live that kind of really set it off.

And I think that's where they really got to play how their chemistry started with what's been set up in one through five.

So kind of.

Going back stylistically, it was a really fun episode to do because you got to play in those flashing back and flashing forward and really playing with the timeline. So I think that element with the writing, with the falling in love, seeing how two people fell in love, and just a combo of of everyone. I mean, I just hit it off with all with all of you. It was the first time you and I had met, Kaye think on that show.

Have you and Geirma worked together before?

Yeah, we did an episode of The Mentalist. We did.

No, it was Harry's It was Harry's Law with Kathy Bates.

Oh, it was Harry's Law. Yes, I directed Harry's Law with Kathy Bates. That's exactly what I remember that.

I remember working with Kathy Bates, sitting across from her and just being like, I can't believe that's Kathy Baits like Kathy.

Bates, I would have I would be the starstruck. First question of all the shows, and Johann Len, you direct Scandals, obviously your favorite writing.

It is No, it is I mean that show and the cast. I mean it was really it was acial.

I mean the different episodes I got to make make what I call different films on so many different episodes of Scandal, whether it was Run which is like this completely contained episode, or the lawn Chair, which is very politically true.

I mean, there were so many different types.

Wait, you directed both of those episodes.

Yeah, and they were in the same season.

Yeah, very different films, very different one hour, you know, forty five minute films.

Oh my god.

That's really the kind of testament to our writers and you all as actors. Was really with season to season it kind of turned and went in different directions and we really got to do very different types of shows.

So crazy.

How did you become a director from acting?

Very simple.

I had a very slow acting year and I had to find something else to do.

That's what kind of generated it.

In reality, I've been talking about it for a while leading up to there, and I think I didn't work an entire calendar year, and I've been talking about doing it for a while in my wife, who you know, Kira, basically just said just fucking do it, jump in and do it. And I got in this course, took a course and made a couple of short films.

And I just was hooked immediately.

Wow.

I took a night course in cinematography and then this, you know, worked with sixteen millimeter film and editing on Steambaks with actual film. So it really taught me to kind of love the craft and the technical aspect, But I think what had happened is it really as I began to direct in those first five years. I think it released what I think I always sense a kid, you know, the love of films and the imagery that

Unfolded I'm like, Oh, this is it. This is what I love doing, This is what I feel I was meant to do.

We'll be right back, guys, Tom, do you like going into this episode? I just have to ask you, like, do you even remember what it was like directing Joe

Yeah?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it could be half as good as that. You have to be twice as good to get half as much. Yeah, and all of these big famous lines. Do you have any memory of that in the airplane hanger.

I have a very clear memory, And I have to say I remember when we just always read the lines first before we start blocking or anything, just so we can kind of spit it out.

And Joe Morton was word perfect.

Of course he was.

From that first spitting.

You get goosebumps when he goes into those monologues, and and he was. He just delivered every single time. And we shot this this hangar in Burbank Airport. We all just kind of after rehearsal just kind of looked around with our Joel's drop saying, let's get the.

Cavas, set them off.

Shot it should have shot the rehearsal. Do you remember him getting down low, Like in the middle of the monologue, he gets real low.

He goes first lady, Yes, yes.

That's it. Oh, it's so powerful.

We were all doing it.

He's all making fun of her like that's as high as you could aim, Like, what is wrong?

Yeah, you're way down here. You could have been. Yeah, you know what I remember about.

That day, and it just hit me what that episode.

I had already got Aba de Verney to direct later in the season season three, she was shadowing me oh wow on that episode, and.

That was her first day in the airport hangar watching Joe Moore Wow.

First day as she was.

Getting ready to direct Scandal.

She was just kind of seeing the lay of the land of what it was, and she got to see that.

She's got a future, that a name.

She's amazing. I also loved in that monologue that when he says that you have to be twice as good to get half as much, and he's like, did you direct them to do this or they just did it? Or maybe it was in the stage direction. I don't know, but like Carrie's acting all like a little girl, like they're going back into their old relationship. Like he's like, what did I always say? What did I always say? And she's all of a sudden like yeah, she.

Pulled her sleeves down over her hair and she looked like a little girl. It was so great.

Now a lot of that was them, I mean, that was really their instincts. I oftentime with all you guys, it's a little bit of suggestion here, suggestion there to sort of you know, bring it to its fullest if I see something.

But I think Carrie's a lot of her work was.

I mean, as you guys know, acting is reacting, and she was just brilliant throughout that whole piece as he's kind of running that run that game on her.

Whoa, I haven't heard the acting is reacting in a hot second, and that is a good reminder.

That's because we haven't been doing either acting or reacting years.

That's right, I forgot.

But I also love in this episode that Olivia doesn't bow down to him and stay feeling and looking like a little girl for long. Because she gets on that plane. Rowan is trying to get her to another country because her name has been released as the person that's sleeping with Fits. But it doesn't last long and then she asked the stewardess for her phone. She makes a phone

And she blew right by him.

Yeah, yes, so good.

And I remember, I remember technically we were trying to get because if that had.

To be a moment, I wanted that door to pop open her.

And of course the plane guy's like, no, this door has to open like this. I'm like, no, it's got a popping but she's got to come off that play. But we sold it with a tracking move to help her sort of just the.

Way you shot it. It works.

I also I'm okay. First of all, we always talk about eating scenes are our favorite because Gearmou and I love food. This is a very weird episode because no one eats in this episode, shock right, and no one dies. We have a scandal body count, So guys, hold on to your seats, gladiators. Listening to the season, everyone is still alive.

Yeah no, instead that as unusual both not drinking and none dying.

I mean no, there is, there's drinking. There's whiskey with who has Sally Langston and Fits are drinking in the office. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

I love that scene too, where you know, he says, I don't know, you know, do you want a scotch? I would ask a guy for a scotch but I don't know, I feel like I should.

She's like, I'll have a little scotch.

Yeah.

Right.

This is also the first time that we see Sally Langston super vulnerable and kind of listening to Fits and wanting to help him and not be this you know, this fierce like bulldog, angry person, which I kind I really like like Fits one or over, you know what I mean with this sweet tears, such.

A nice yeah, such a nice flavor and depth of that character, because then she really goes off the rails after this. But you're right, the moments in that office when it was just the two of them, the empathy that she has for him, even though he goes against everything that she believes in religiously and everything. But there was such nice subtlety that Kate just brought us a beautiful, beautiful layer to that character.

Oh she's so good. And those two have been acting together since the beginning of time.

Yeah, since eighteen thirty. See, if they listening to.

This, we need to have her on. Don't worry, guys, We're going to be bringing you Kate.

Burton say that about Tony, not her.

Talk about Hollywood Royalty, those two.

Right, Ye Royalty he's a Goldwyn, she's a burden. He grew up like acting together at Williamstown Summer Theater Festival in like upstate New York or whatever. Okay, the other thing we have to talk about is we like this new thing we're doing called the Kerry Washington Acting School Moments of the Week, and so in the app Like, I think the winning performances of this episode, in particular are definitely pop Up Hope's first monologue, I am obsessed

White coat in the bunker with their little flaps. Yes, that was really insane.

Had the bunker ever existed before?

I think that was since that was the first episode of the season. I think we introduced it in me because I remember all the designs behind that about what it was going to be like, and I think it was the first time because again another doory issue. They couldn't get that card thing to open. The guy couldn't open the door for they've come like this is a top secret bump. She blows up, you know, the nuclear code to come in here, and they can't get that. So I think that that's why I think it was

It was like a play.

It was a play, and that's how we approached it. The the four of us talked about that it is like a play.

We want this to be staged like a play. They kind of were in their separate corners. Yeah, so we really kind of treated it as a play and literally each of them what they go through performance wise, and you know, I remember we did a master and someone was watching their like what that's like, what the.

Fuck is this? This is like you can play this, this is like this is like a play. It's such a long scene.

They're like, you know, people are usually I'm gonna go out and get a banana.

For right, what's your favorite craft service snack? Speaking of bananas, that's not mine, No.

Not mine. I think it was the Twizzlers liquors.

I remember you always asking for a turkey sandwich. You do like a turkey sandwich, right.

A turkey A good lunch in the middle of thing.

Turkey sandwich.

Yeah, that's a good memory.

That is so funny. Are you a caffeinating director. Are you like someone who's like constantly drinking coffee?

No?

No, I do like one one in the morning, but no throughout the day I don't because they come down the highs and lows, the ups and downs. I am a if I can take a twelve eight to twelve minute nap at some point during the day that recharges me, usually during lunch.

I think it was Einstein who had it.

He says the amount of time your body needs to rechargees you hold a spoon in your hand, sit in a chair, just doze off. When that spoon drops and wakes you up, then you will have all you needed for that power down.

I'm like, that's you.

That is so dope. I've never heard that.

I have to try cut Katie sitting And my third acting moment of this Carrie Washington school of acting from this SEP is definitely gear MoU Diaz. What you don't think you deserve it in this episode?

I don't ever. I feel like I was barely in this episode. I don't even remember what did I do.

First of all, when you hold her do you push her up against the car in this episode, Am I wrong?

Oh no, that's the.

Okay, No, Germo, you fail, you lose the Carrie Washington School of Acting.

This week, one of my favorite acting moments was from Carrie again where she walks into O p A and she This is after Harrison and Opa have thrown Jine Locke under the bus and Olivia burst in and she's like, what did you do? You know, we probably cracked up every time when we shot.

That's how many times, guys, do we have to have to get you guys to keep a straight face.

Talk about that. How annoying, but how fun. At the same time, whenever we win.

It was fun, but it was you know.

Of course when we're behind and everyone everyone's like, we gotta go, it was annoying.

I'm like, guys, can't stop laughing.

When you were our producing director on Scandal, and it's your job and correct me if I'm wrong to kind of prep directors who are coming in, would you tell them, oh Pa, does not behave you have got it?

You will? Yeah?

I knew as she said you you are going to get phoned in, oh Pa.

If everyone's there at the table, we won't stop talking getting the focus. It's gonna be tough. Just call action, Just keep calling action and somebody will hear it.

And the Katie Katie, Katie did not stop talking until you hear that end, and that's what Katie will focus.

Yeah, you know what I would do. I would take my gum. I would fold it into whatever notepad Quinn was holding or some shit, and then I'd be like, you can, I'm ready to act now.

That notebook was full of gold. It was disgusting, you remember that. We'd open it up and be like, look at this cemetery.

It was the mintiest notepad anyone's ever smelled.

The multi colored.

Yes, what would you warn them about? Or maybe you can't tell us? What would you warn them about? In the White House?

Not warn them? I think it's just prepping them so they knew what to expect. Most of it was technical, and then of course I'd run down the actors. But this is one of those guests where everyone was there.

It rarely was kind of beware.

Of actors or worn actors, other than when you had the big group scenes because you're just gonna.

Were the big group scenes in the White House. They were well behaved.

No, they were, but they weren't.

It wasn't as fun, you can say it.

They weren't as fun as us.

It wasn't as big as your group, and not as a close knit family. I think the nature of the kind of their relationship right right. They were professional in the rooms, it just wasn't the family that was opa.

You know.

Yes, did you have any other acting wins from the Kerrie Washington School of Acting this week? In this episode? Did did I miss anybody?

I was going to bring up really quick the actress Samantha Sloyan who plays Jenny Lott. Were you part of that casting Tom? I'm sure at the end you have to be like, these are my favorites, and.

Yes, I actually we had cast her. She was earlier in the shoes in the seasons before. That's right, the very small part, and when we talked about having someone who's already in there to feel that continuity. I remember Sean the calling and saying, Okay, I want that girl.

Can she handle this? Could she do Wow? I don't know, I said, but let's go.

Did you have to re audition her or have a conversation with her.

Or I had a conversation. Yeah.

I think I don't know if she knew it was an audition. I think we said just read through this and then talk her through kind of what was going to happen. And I remember really liking her, having faith in her because I thought she was super smart, and I think.

She was wonderful.

Great.

Yeah, and she was fantastic. I thought she was so good.

She was like the lead in the next episode, like one of them. She's got a ton of stuff to do.

Yeah.

I don't think she quite what she signed on. I think she was like a staffer, a White House staffer, and then suddenly, oh no, she's the center of the story.

I did a short film with Samantha Sloya in like a couple of years after Scandal, and I remember talking with her about you know, scandal in that moment and how she found out and all of a sudden she was like, oh my god, like I have to do all this stuff. But she was, She's prepared. She's a wonderful actress.

So yeah, it really is.

Every one lucked out there could have gone really badly.

Sometimes you gotta get luck. Yeah.

We will be back with more after the break. Giermo Diaz always talks about how scandals related to a horror film at every single episode.

Thank you, Katie, Yes, you're welcome.

How is this episode? Or did Tom Verica work on a horror film that you've seen?

Katie? What can I just say that? Tom Verica is in one of my favorite horror trilogies, one of my favorite horror movies. It is the prequel to Silence of the Lambs What It was directed by Brett Radner and written by Ted Tally And it's a movie called Red Dragon. Oh and Tom is in this small part freaking movie. Yes, it's a small part of the very significant, very memorable. He plays a dad of this family and the family gets murdered by this serial killer and all of Tom's

Yep.

I think the first time I saw it was after we had done Scandal, and I watched it and I was like, oh my god, that's Tom Berrick. I couldn't believe it.

I think he said I heard your voice because because I remember, I get this part is.

A small thing. I'm like, I just want to it's a big old.

Howkin you know, big budget horor big movie.

When they get it, it's like, Okay, you're gonna be You're the dad. So you're going around like yeah, but I'm filming everybody else.

I'm not on camera here, so you hear my voice.

So in the movie you're the dad shooting the family, but you're not on it that much.

You still see me.

Then you see me dead in bed, you know, because I had to go in and get fitted for the mirrors that were jammed in my eyes when I was killed, so that he could see himself. Yes, what, But I remember in the scene we're laying in the bed and

I do remember my mother saying just I never want to see that again. I can't get that, you know.

But Tom, I feel like there's a moment too in the filming where you have a like an intimate moment with your wife where you hug and kids there where I think one of your kids maybe takes the camera.

That's exactly right at the end of it, they turned it on us and you kind of see this happy couple.

Oh. I know, Tom, that you feel for the family that played your wife, Marguerite Moreau. I think we both laid dead in bed for many hours.

Well, listen, you are part of horror film history.

Tom. Did you have any actor moments from this episode or fashion moments? Are horror moments from this app.

Well, it's always fashion.

I mean it was you know, Carrie and I would always have this battle because she'd she'd be putting her purse always up like in front of things, in front of the camera. I'm like, okay, I know what you're doing, but I can't see the freaking with that bag.

You got to move that burken bag? Please can you put it?

She goes, well, I can't put it on the floor.

I says, I know, you can't put it on the floor, but you got to put it someplace instead of directly in front.

Of the legs.

I would never put a Prada bag.

On the right on the floor, That's true.

And you're like, we can't have it be like the most opulent thing in the scene exactly.

And I would always just mess with her.

It was like, can we move the cheap bag over the and then Lynn Palo. I'd get a call from Lynn Pallow and she'd be like, Tom.

You gotta stop.

Where's the bag?

But no, it was It was really extraordinary. I mean Lynn Pallow's work alone is extraordinary.

We just had her on Oh did you yeah?

Love Love, Love Love, and you.

Get to work with her again and I'm bridgeton and Queen Charlotte, Yes, we're going to have you on again. But I while we have you, I want to know if you have any favorite Scandal memories off camera and what you think is your favorite Scandal episode you ever directed.

Oh my gosh, that's the top.

I have to say some of my favorites. Every day was really fantastic behind the scenes. But I do remember the very last the very last day of filming. It was like two in the morning. Everybody was there, even people who weren't filming came in. It was one of the only times I ever found it very difficult to call cut, and it was on Josh Molina appropriately, of course, but I just didn't want to call it because it just meant that it was done and Shonda was there.

Like, I can't stop it, shirt this thing.

That was my favorite moment because it felt full circle that the family, the journey that you all had come from the pilot to now was was really it's just a special time.

And then d C, you know, when we all went to DC.

That was great.

I think that was just such a special time because we had been through VFX and pretending we've been to DC all this time, then here we are last season, we all get to go there and just you know, the Dinners and the time that we all spent together was just just.

Like really shooting at the Lincoln Memorial and you're just like this is un believable, Like this is just so it was all magical.

Favorite episode.

I think the trail kind of that kind of set it all in the emotion. There was so much unknown and discovery and that's always fun when that pays off to that. And then I think Run.

Because it was just such a psychological It was a very different kind of episode.

I mean, even though it didn't involve everyone in there, but it was such a deep dive into her kind.

Of Run is the one where where Olivia Pope is kidnapped and she has that crazy sequence where she's running to get out and the camera was like attached to her stomach right like at her face, oh pro or something.

Doggie cam is the system it was. It was born of that, that's the name of it. But it was a rig that was rigged her hip and it's the first time we used.

That and we put a camera on there.

It's so good And I had to come up with all the tricks because Johnda wrote, you know, she's running down this long hallway and she can't get to the door. She can't get to this door. Now on stage, it's about thirty or forty feet.

And I've got to make this look like it's a secret.

I just had her go up and back and up and back a couple different times, a couple different night to make it feel how to extend that hallway to make it look much longer than the you know what we could pay to Bill so good, so good.

When you were shooting the trail and they were doing their first sex scenes, which is like, that's really where we saw in episode six. Yeah, that's where they're on the campaign and they get into that hotel room and they go at it and he says, take off your clothes and then it gets like remixed into this like song. Right, did you remember directing it and being like, bly shit, this chemistry is or is it like when you direct sex scenes, which you did direct me and Gideon and it was not good.

That episode.

I thought it was good.

But I remember and bless him, Brendan Hines. I love him, he's a friend, He's so great, And I think the memory has distorted itself in my mind. So maybe this isn't true, but I remember you coming in. This is the Grilled Cheese season one sex scene between Quinn and Gideon, and I remember you coming in and being like, it's looking like Katie is gonna like eat you alive. Katie's all over you and like gonna win, and like this needs to be more like even like and I was

You threw yourself into like fuck.

Yeah, And I remember you were trying to be like, it looks like Katie's like you didn't say mauling you, but that's what it felt.

I think he said mauling you. I want to believe that he said you're mauling him Katie.

Well, of course, and this is before intimacy coordinator rates, but it was always very delicate, and I was always very respectful coming from acting about.

What actors comfort levels are. So to me, it's what intimacy coordinators do.

Now not all directors do, but I kind of just had that ground rules. What do you comfortable with? What do we want to portray here, what's happening in the story. What do you guys feel I did have that conversation with Kerry and Tony before doing that piece.

That moment didn't feel like we wanted to.

Be right up in there to see all the close up and I remember having a discussion with Oliver Backelberg ort DP about laying back and showing giving them their space and doing that and playing longer lens and just capturing moments of that. It wasn't really about the how much you could see, but it was what is it

As they're walking down the hallway.

And we tried, I think Matt Ramsey was the editor, tried that mechanism and it really just worked, and that's kind of became the template for that piece.

Did you know though, like shondaland Grey's Anatomy known for just chemistry and love scenes and like amazing relationships between people, Scandal the same Bridgerton, My Good Lord and Queen Charlotte the same like, how do you know that you've I mean, now you've been to Shondaland for a lot of some pretty steamy chemistry that the show depends on. I mean, honestly, it's like, I'm a viewer now and a fan, so it's what brings me back. I'm like, holy shit, are

There is a rit for all of us.

It's until you kind of really see because you can talk about it. Came into it with the feeling of like, oh, yeah, this is these two together. It's gonna be hot.

But that doesn't always translate. You don't know.

And it's again, if you dive into breakdown what's happening emotionally. I think if you could really honor what's happening between these two characters and we all do our homework and discussion about what this is, then the technical really supports what needs to happen emotionally. And you know, like in Queen Charlotte, you know, the two of them had never done a sex thing. It was one of the one of the most challenging because they were so uncomfortable, they were so frozen.

They're so young and green and amazing.

But they did amazing and then by the time we got in the later episodes, they were.

Like, okay, you know, we could do this. Then the.

First one took took all day, and I remember the ads like we got another senior to him like, we ain't doing those today.

We got to focus on this and they got it.

We got to earn their comfort, and they were because they're kids, you know, their kids.

This is the first time it.

Said, so we're going to take our time, we're going to do you know, We're want to go slow and give them their space to do it.

So it really is different.

You really have to sort of weigh all those things and really kind of establish that partnership between those two people to feel comfortable to attempt and portray.

You know, what is needed in the scene. But it doesn't always work.

I mean again, you put two major A stars together in a big, you know, romance film, and we can all point to it, and they fail because on paper it sounds like there's no chemistry there at all.

When they put Katie and I together, hucking Quinn I feel like a lot of directors were like, you need to use less tongue, like don't be so crazy, like please stop spinning on each other.

Oh yeah, stop spitting on each other.

My favorite is the conference room table with you.

Yes, oh my god, we've talked about that.

You directed us, all three of us.

Remember I am mortified Germo with his pants around his ankles, just waddling over to take Quinn from behind over the conference table. Yes, that was you, Tom.

I could not stop. You know, every sex scene has its.

Own thing, but oh my god, knowing you too, and then you two throwing yourselves into it.

Oh god, our jobs are insane.

And that's what you said. We were like, what the hell are we doing? This is?

This is our job?

This is And it's like nine am on like a Wednesday, and like Guermo is like bending me over a cofferce table, pulling his pants down. Then he's waddling with his pants around his ankles and he can't like get over there. And then Tom Erica is like calling action. I can't believe this is our jobs.

We did it. Go watch the episode, guys, It's on Hulu. Go check it out.

We're closing this out with.

Tweets at a time, y'all, that's.

Our tweets at the time, America. This is our time capsule, which.

The tweets of the time.

I'm just going to take our gladiators through a few of these, which is we had our very own at Sandy Marie Bailey, which is s Marie Bailey, and that is Shanda's sister. She wrote, adjusting the Scandal White House art collection hashtag Scandal set deck and she has all these photos of all the paintings she was putting up in the White House. We love you, Sandy is fantastic.

Ivy Winter tweeted, what a great question to ask yourself the next time you're faced with our decision. Are we gladiators or are we bitches? Lol? Scandal that line was great.

Yes, I can't believe in this episode is Hell or high Water gladiators or bitches? Mellie calls her a whore like we had such ringers half as much, which was just huge for the episode and for the whole series.

All right, I do like this one from dgg Z. From now on, I'm answering my phone, who are you?

And how did you get this number?

Yes, that's a good at just Catherine thirteen wrote, I'm not trying to speak for all of us, but I didn't miss Jake, not one bit.

Noton Oh shit, sorry Scott.

Well look, we all learned. If you were ever against Olivia, they hated you.

Yeah, that's how Yeah.

And if you were trying to get between Fits and Olivia, look.

Out, yes on the other show.

I learned that because I was against Analie's and they hated me. Oh shit, that's right out in public, they're like, you scumbag, scared.

Oh my god.

They doing good nature. But yeah, don't go against them.

Part of you is like, at least they're watching the show. Yeah, you're watching.

I'm actually I'm not that guy though, Yeah, I'm not real.

Was working with Viola incredible, amazing.

Yeah, she was amazing partner. I'll never forget. One of my thirty years in acting.

One of the best days of acting I ever had was we had the film on a Sunday because I was directing on Scandal and she and I.

It was the fifth episode of the first season.

It was kind of the a little bit of the origins episode of Sam and Annelie's.

It was very Virginia Wolf. It was a knockdown, drag out fight that started.

In our bedroom, went down the stairs to the living room, into the kitchen, and it was just an entire sunday that we just did that sequence and we fought the entire day, and she and I bonded.

That was the day that she and I really kind of connected.

Magic man.

Wow, are you wearing a Scandal hoodie?

Yeah?

He is a scandal hoodie.

Yeah, you have a hoodie on that says Gladiator.

And it holds up. I mean, this is I quality.

That's a good hoodie. I still have that one, and it's a great hoodie.

It's one of the most comfortable hoodies.

Yeah.

Yeah, and the B six thirteen one is pretty good. That's like a sleeping bag one. You know. We got good swag.

There, Yeah, we did, we did. I got the pliers that I pulled Quinn's teeth out with from Shonda.

Oh my god.

Yes, I have the toolkit that I still use, the toolbox.

I brought it over here. Oh yeah, I used that for around the house here fixing stuff.

See what a perfect person as unpacking the tool behind.

Yes, yes, those tools are still holding up really well.

So well, who knew your Toolbox had so many things in it, Tom, and we got one pack.

There we go.

Thank you so much, so much, Tom, Thank you guys for joining us on Unpacking the Toolbox. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share with your friends, rate, or leave us a review.

Scandal is executive produced by Sandy Bailey, alex Alcha, Lauren Homan, Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins. Our producer and editor is Vince de Johnny, with music by Chad Fisher.

Scandal is a production of ABC Signature, and you can follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu.

Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.