"The Good Place" actress Jameela Jamil | The Latest With Maya

A conversation with Jameela Jamil.❤️ 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Hi Jamila, welcome to The Latest to Admire. Jamila Jamil is an actress, activist, and podcaster. She has been in the Good Place, She-Hulk, Attorney at Law, a Mary Little X Miss, people we meet on vacation, and so much more. Um, thank you so much for being on my show. I'm so excited to be talking with you.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Likewise, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Um yeah, so um who do you most admire and how has that affected the way you live your life?

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Um I think the person I most admire is probably my brother. Because he's gone through a lot in this life, and he's seen the absolute worst of people, and has somehow come out on the other side, a very loving, very kind, very patient person, and his grace just seems to be beyond anything I could even imagine. So he's a big role model for me when it comes to resilience, but also a deep willingness to do anything for other people.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Oh wow, I love that. Yeah, that's incredible. Um, so what small things bring you joy on a daily basis?

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Dogs. Dogs, dogs, dogs. My dogs, I have two, two little cavapos, and then I uh look at other people's dogs on the internet. I uh go to dog parks even if I don't have my dogs with me and watch other people's dogs. I I genuinely think one of the only reasons I'm still alive in this world is just to be able to witness dogs. I want to have a dog sanctuary. When I retire from this industry, I just want to have a dog sanctuary in the middle of nowhere.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Oh, I love that. Yeah, dogs bring me so much joy too. Yeah, they're the best. Yeah, dogs and snacks. Yeah, yeah. I um I have a dog and she is my favorite. I just I love her so much. Yeah. Um, so what is the greatest lesson you have learned from a character you've played?

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Well, I think Tahani is always an interesting one from the good place because you know she lived her life in accordance only to what other people thought of her, and it left her really miserable. And she realized when she died that she hadn't really lived at all. And I think that was really helpful for me because I'd I'd never been an actress before. And that was my first experience of acting or really becoming famous, and it was helpful for me to see that with all the pressure that gets put on a woman in the public eye, I must not live up to other people's expectations because it only feels like hell eventually. So she was helpful for teaching me in real time how to maintain my own standard for how I should live and behave.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Yeah. Oh wow. Yeah, I love that. Um so is there um a song that you are currently obsessed with?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Yes, my boyfriend put out a song called I Had a Dream um like a week ago, and I love that song. So that's my favorite song at the moment. Although I worked on it, so that makes me a bit of a tool for saying that, because now it's my own thing as well. Um, outside of my boyfriend, I think Lola Young is my favorite artist in the world at the moment. I think she's just incredible.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Wow. Oh I love that. I am writing her name down.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Um Lola Young's amazing, she's by far the most exciting artist who's come around in the last like 10 years.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Oh wow, I love that. I think I've heard a few of her songs because her name sounds really familiar. So she just a Grammy, she has a song called Messi, which is really great. Oh wow. Okay, I'm gonna I'm definitely gonna listen to more of her music um after this interview. So thank you. Yeah, um yeah, uh, so um if you had a warning label, what would yours say?

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Oh, it would say um danger, do not touch. That's what it would say. Uh, because I'm very fiery and very reactive in a way that I think is really good and healthy for a woman, but men find it a bit scary, and I think that that's great.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I um I can be reactive to the things, so I've had to learn to like take a breath and take a step back before reacting to things. Yeah, yeah, I this dog bites. Yeah, I like that one. That's a good one. Um so what has been um biggest obstacle, um either personal or professional, that you've overcome?

SPEAKER_01 6:03

I think living up to the standards of obedience for women, I think learning how to break the feeling of responsibility I have to be obedient in society, that has been one of the biggest challenges for me.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

Wow. Yeah. Um yeah, so I am uh pop culture obsessed, and um I go in stages of shows that I cannot stop watching. Um, is there a show that you are currently obsessed with?

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Oh, I just saw The Beast in Me, which was really, really dark and intense, but really, really amazing. And I thought Claire Danes was incredible in it. Uh, people were making fun of her because of how much her face moves, but I think that's just because we're not used to seeing people who don't have women who don't have Botox. So we're not used to seeing so many facial expressions um or real lines on someone's face. But I loved that show. Um, and then I'm re-watching girls for like the fifth time because somehow, even though Lena Dunham was only like 24 when she wrote that show, it only makes more and more sense the older I get. Um, so she was very ahead of her time. So I've been re-watching girls, and I highly recommend that show to everyone.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Oh, I love that. Yeah, I loved uh The Beast in Me. Um and yeah, I've been meaning to um go and watch Girls because I've always wanted to see it. So um yeah, I'm writing that down. Uh I'm currently obsessed with um I'm binge watching the shows uh Franklin and Bash and Ugly Betty. Um so yeah, those are the shows I've been binge watching at the moment.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

They're great, that's a good choice. I love Marica Ferrera.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Yeah, me too. Yeah. Um, and my mom and I also uh we've been watching together a new show called How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. Oh wow, which is so good, it's um so fun. Yeah, yeah, I highly recommend that show. So yeah. Um yeah, so um, I mean, I I recommend um for anybody who hasn't seen Franklin and Bash or Ugly Betty, I recommend those shows too. Um yeah, so um what uh genre of movie would your life story be told as?

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Um my life would be told as a comedy, definitely, because it's very, very funny and silly and embarrassing. Um it would be a slapstick comedy from the 80s, I think. Uh that's how I would most describe my life. There's some sort of a maybe a dramedy, because there's a there's a little bit of serious in there, but generally comedy is my genre, and I think laughing at terrible things would will only um has only helped me survive them much faster.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Yeah. I love that. Yeah, my um family and I have a very dark sense of humor, so we laugh at things we know we probably shouldn't, but that's how we deal with things too.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

I think it's healthy.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Yeah, me too. Yeah. Um, so is there um someone who without bail always makes you laugh?

SPEAKER_01 10:04

Ooh, as in like a famous person or someone in my life?

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Uh anyone. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

I feel like Eddie Murphy has always made me laugh. Uh whether it's stand-up or movies or Shrek, I think he's just one of the funniest people of all time.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Oh, yeah, definitely. I love Eddie Murphy.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

Yeah, I grew up on his movies, so he's like one of my, I think he's probably my all-time favorite funny person. Him and Robin Williams were my two uh favourite human beings.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Oh yeah, I love that. Yeah. Um, so do you have a go-to show or movie that you turn on when you just need to tune out the world and escape?

SPEAKER_01 10:56

Oh yeah. Um The Truman Show is one of my favourite films of all time. I've got three. An Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another film that I love when I just need to watch something reliable. And then the third one is when I need something really just silly and nostalgic. It'll be The Devil Wears Prada.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

I love that movie.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Yeah, it's a great movie. I think I've seen it like a hundred times.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

Oh wow, I love that. Yeah, I have a long list that I just constantly rotate between.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm getting mine on DVD in case the grid goes down so I can still like use a generator to watch my favorite shows.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Oh yeah, I love that. I need to do that. Um yeah, uh uh the good place is definitely on my rotation. Um yeah, yeah. Um so um what is your favorite way to procrastinate?

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Oh, I mean, I like to stand and just stare into the fridge and hope that I'll find answers in there. Um, but my favorite way to procrastinate is just playing with my dogs, running around, pretending I'm a dog with them, like I sniff what they're sniffing, I pretend I pee on the tree with them, um, I look out the window, I bark with them at my neighbours, which I think is probably gonna get me into trouble someday. But I uh I just I just want to be with them and make them feel seen all the time. I love that. Yeah, they participate in my life so much that I feel like I need to participate in theirs so that it's a healthy balance.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

Yeah, I agree, I love that. Yeah, yeah, I love that. I yeah, I always see all these reels of people saying that they take interest in their dog's hobbies. So yeah, there was one time my mom and I like she was cutting an apple, and my dog, our dog was just standing there stare or sitting there staring at her. So I decided to just go up and stand next to her and stare at my mom until she was asked me what was going on. I was like, I'm taking an interest in her hobbies. So yeah, and she was like, I what I was wondering how long it would take for that reel to come back. Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah, I um I think my favorite way to procrastinate is just whenever I'm like binge watching the show, I just um will kind of ignore anything else I have to do because I just want to watch one more episode and then one more.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Yeah, social media is a real like time suck for me where I feel like I lose six hours in a row to just doom scrolling on my phone. So I'm trying to do less of that and more with dogs because if I'm gonna waste my time, I want to at least do something meaningful.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah. Um, so what uh three words best describe you?

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Oh, total fucking chaos. I love that. That's how I would describe myself. Everyone's worried all the time.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

I I like that. Yeah, I think I think I'd probably need that warning label too.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

I think all all good people do.

SPEAKER_00 15:04

Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

Um so I think anyone who's uh I think anyone who's okay in the world as it is right now is really weird.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

I think the only normal people are the ones who are in chaos.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

I agree. Yeah. Yeah. I'm suspicious of anyone who's fine right now.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

Yeah. Me too. I always wonder how somebody can be fine. Yeah. Um, more it's like, well, I'm glad you you are, and um I'm wondering how.

unknown 15:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:50

Um yeah, so um do you have any irrational fears?

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Oh, well, I mean, look, I'm allergic to bees, but I still have an irrational reaction to them. I overreact whenever I see one and I run around screaming and I'll and I'll flip the table, bless you. And flip the table, and I'll I'll use like children as a human shield to protect me from a bee. Like I become appalling. Like I'll throw anyone under the bus for my own safety as soon as I'm confronted with a bee. So I'd say that's my most irrational fear. Because if I get stung, I can just use my EpiPen. I don't know what my fucking problem is, but it's really embarrassing. And I've gone to therapy for it. And in fact, I went to CBT therapy, which is cognitive behavioural therapy, when I was like 22. I went for it to try and get rid of this problem because I couldn't even go outside in the summer. Like I would stay indoors in the summer, keep the doors with the windows shut. We don't have AC in London, so I would just sit there steaming like a dumpling all summer long. And uh on the final session of CBT, I did like 10 sessions or more. On the final session, they take you to do something called exposure therapy, where you have to be confronted with the thing that you have the irrational fear of. And so they took me to a park and there was like a lavender bush that had loads of bees on it, and they wanted me to go and stand near the lavender bush so that I could see that nothing bad was gonna happen, but then I got stung and I had to go to the hospital.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

So that didn't really work. So I've tried to get help, but it made it worse. So yeah, that's my irrational fear. What about you?

SPEAKER_00 17:39

Oh, I well, I understand that. I always joked my brain's just like one big irrational fear. Oh so I'm irrational. Sorry, what I said, is it even irrational? How do we know anymore? Yeah, that's true. Yeah, it's um germs are a big uh like fear for me. So I constantly like my hands are like always cracked um because I'm washing them a ton. So um that's probably the biggest one. So yeah. Um, yeah, and I am also trying to do exposure therapy for that. Um so I'm still in the process of that.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

Yeah, I hope yours goes better than mine did.

SPEAKER_00 18:37

Thank you. Yeah, yeah. Um, so I just uh have one uh final question for you. Um so today, what are you most grateful for?

SPEAKER_01 18:58

Um I'm most grateful for my friends. I don't see value in things like fame or success or money. I see value in the people that I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with, and that is hopefully my partner. Um, but definitely my friends, my best friends. I'm really, really lucky and I have very good people around me, and I've spent my life with them as my priority, the people around me as my priority, so that the end of my life won't just be me sitting alone in a room with a bunch of awards, it will be me surrounded, probably with no awards, uh, by my best friends. I want to have like a commune with them one day where we all live right next door to each other. Um, so the thing that I'm the most grateful for that I couldn't live without is my friends.

SPEAKER_00 19:51

I love that. Yeah, I definitely I yeah, feel the same way. I have I'm just I'm so grateful for like my family and for all the people I have in my life.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, because what is life without that, really? And I think the reason the world is such a terrible place now is because everyone's so lonely. And and I think that it's a time where you realize that God, people the the thing that we need the most in the world is community, and so many people don't have any of that, and so we must continuously not take that for granted and work really hard at those relationships, and I take that super, super seriously. Like it's more important of a job than my job, but friends could become first, always.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

Oh yeah, definitely, yeah. Um, well, uh that was my final question for you. Um, thank you so much for joining me. I have had the best time talking with you, and I just I so appreciate your taking the time. So thank you. Thank you. I loved all your questions. Oh, thank you so much. Um, yeah, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

And you, my love.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 21:19

Take care. Good luck with the exposure therapy. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

Um thank you. And uh that's a wrap on today's edition of The Ladest with Maya.