"Will Trent" star Ramón Rodriguez | The Latest With Maya

A conversation with Ramón Rodriguez.❤️ 


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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Hi Ramone, welcome to The Latest to Admire. You've seen Ramon Rodriguez in Transformer, Revenge of the Fallen Fallen, Pelham 123, The One and Only Ivan, G20, and so much more. Ramon currently stars as special agent Will Trent in Will Trent, which is one of my favorite shows. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm so excited to be talking with you.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

I'm thrilled to be speaking with you, Maya. Thank you for having me on your show. It's a great honor.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Thank you. I um first I just want to say um, yeah, Will Trent uh is just like one of my comfort shows. I've been re-watching it, and you've been a dream interviewer of mine for so long. So thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

Oh my gosh. Well, thank you for watching. And uh, I mean, I have to say it's mutual. I've been seeing your interviews and seeing everything you're doing, and it's absolutely incredible. So uh, you know, I feel equally sort of special being able to talk to you, knowing you're like a pro at this by now. So it's kind of incredible for me too.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Oh, thank you so much. That means so much to me. Um sorry.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Nice that it's true.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Thank you. Um, so who do you most admire and how has that impacted the way you live your life?

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Great question. Um, you know, I've had a lot of great people and models in my life. Um, maybe one of the earliest great people that I really admire uh is my mom. Um just what an incredible, resilient human she was to raise four kids by herself in the Lower East Side of New York City and watching what she had to endure and what she was willing to do to sort of provide for us left a long-lasting mark and made quite the impression on me. Um I just got to see her deal with the ups and downs of life and always finding a way to navigate it truly with love, you know, whatever things we might have not had growing up. She just made us feel abundantly full. Um, and so that's was probably one of the greatest um sort of people that I've I've looked up to and I've been lucky enough to have as a mom. You know, we don't get to choose our parents. And and she was one that left a great impression. Um, and then I've had a lot of great people and teachers along the way, and um, like I said, mentors that have just, you know, I had a friend of mine that used to work at Nike early on, and and before I got into acting, that like I loved basketball, and I watched him, you know, rise through the ranks of a company that I really sort of admired because of its impact on sports with Nike. And it left a great impression on me on how he sort of navigated being able to kind of be cool and and and know what was happening in New York City, yet navigate the corporate structure of a company like Nike. So that was really inspiring. Um, so yeah, I've been fortunate. I've had some great role models in life.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

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

SPEAKER_02 3:56

That I'm currently obsessed with. Um, you know, we've not been watching a ton of sort of shows. Uh let me think. We just watched, I mean, I do because again, I do love sports. By the way, I don't know when this will air, but I do want to acknowledge my New York Knicks. They won their first game of the NBA finals last night, and that's, you know, a big deal for me. And so I do watch a lot of sports. So last night I was obsessed, going crazy, screaming at my television as the Knicks beat the Spurs in game one. It was incredible. You know, there's almost no better drama for me than watching live sports because you don't know what's gonna happen. Um, and I feel like the Knicks have been such underdogs in that story. They haven't been in the NBA finals in 27 years. I used to work for the New York Knicks in the early 2000s as an intern. And so I've always had, and I've been a big fan of basketball, so I've got such love for the organization and the team and to see them back on this stage. So literally, that's been what I've, in terms of pop culture, that's what I've been watching, you know, every game, uh, especially as we got to the playoffs and the conference finals. And now, again, the last time we were here was 1999. And so it's kind of an it's a big deal for the city and for the sport, and obviously for all the fans that have endured a long time of not getting to this place. Uh, but in terms of sort of, you know, I watched the other night, actually, I was watching um a docuseries called Rafa on Rafael Nadal, the tennis player. Um, I do, I did love, you know, Stranger Things, uh, and I'm excited to kind of see that. Uh yeah, so that's kind of been, but mostly I've been in this in this sports space with uh with the NBA just because we're at this very exciting time with the team.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Oh, I love that. Yeah. Um, yeah, uh as soon as the um season finale of Will Trent aired, I went back and and I'm re-watching it from the start now.

SPEAKER_02 6:05

So amazing.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Um yeah, because I I was very sad when the season ended. So that's what I'm currently binge watching Will Trent from the start.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

An emotional season. This was a heavy one, you know, uh for Will. And so, but I I I love to hear that you're able to kind of go back and are willing to go back and watch it again and go through that that journey again. So we're we're I'm pretty proud of what we were able to do this season. It was a real emotional roller coaster.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Um, my mom and I watch it together, and yeah, there were episodes up. We were both crying.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Oh, trust me, I cried a lot too, making those episodes. It was very emotional. You know, uh, we we put Will, you know, through a lot. I mean, I remember when we were at first talking about the season, one of the kind of themes we talked about was um Will unraveling this character, sort of having to deal with his past and things that have happened. And so we had that character Ulster come up a lot and really sort of trigger and push Will. But then obviously with what happened towards the end of the season, I mean, it got there was a lot of emotional threads to pull on. We had the the Angie being pregnant story with Seth and how that impacted Will and watching Will and Angie navigate their new friendship and that side of their relationship. Uh and obviously with what happens to Amanda and how devastating that is for someone like Will. Um, so we had a lot of really juicy things to sort of play with and get into. And so uh, you know, I think for us, one of the things at least I really enjoy with the show is we get to do really emotional things that can really pull at your heart and maybe make you cry, but also, you know, we like to have fun and make people laugh. And we think, you know, that's a great balance that we're able to sort of execute on the show. It's just comedy and drama. And and Will is just such a fun cat. I love this guy so much. I love playing him, he's just a blast.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Oh, I love that. Yeah. Um, so if you had a warning label, what would yours say?

SPEAKER_02 8:22

Feed me. I my warning label is really, it's funny you bring this up because I'm a person that gets hangry. If I don't eat, I can't, and I don't get like abusive to anyone or anything. I get really quiet. And and it's funny, and when I reach my limit of when I'm hungry, I like I need food and I need it like immediately. And so that would be my warning label, to be honest. Uh I love that you, that's a great question. I've never been asked that, but it's something that I talk about a lot, where you know, people who don't know me or who've met me, and and and if we're out doing something, they'll know because I'll kind of say, I'll sort of throw up an orange, you know, a signal of saying, okay, I need to, we should probably eat kind of soon. Because then when I get to that point, there's just like I go crazy. I'm like, I gotta eat. That's all I can think about. My stomach starts hurting. I mean, I have like physical reactions to not eating. And so I love food. Um, and I love really good food. I love to cook. Um, but but yeah, that would be a great warning. And that that'd be kind of a great way to introduce myself. Like, hi, my name's Ramon, and I get hangry.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

I love that. Yeah. My uh what's your warning?

SPEAKER_02 9:38

What would be your warning?

SPEAKER_00 9:39

Oh, I I think I'd have multiple ones, but I the one I always come back to is one my mom actually came up with um for me that it would be prone to anxiety, don't overload. Um, which I think, yeah, I think that would be my main warning label.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

Right. Right. I can relate to that. I can relate to that.

SPEAKER_00 10:08

Yeah. Yeah. Um so what um genre of movie would your life story be told as?

SPEAKER_02 10:22

I would say it's probably one uh a genre that I also enjoy to watch as an audience. And so I think that I would like my story to be told in that same genre, which would probably be a a dramedy. Um but it would have to include music in some shape, way, or form. I'm uh, you know, I I love, I listen to all kinds of music all the time. It can set my mood. I create playlists for characters that I portray. You know, I love it, it sets a vibe and a tone immediately. Um, and so, you know, I actually did write a feature film loosely inspired by my childhood and father-son relationship, and it has a lot of dramedy aspects, and of course, it has a music aspect. I was raised in a very musical household. Uh, my father's a composer and a salsa musician and singer. And so we always had, and I mean, it's also such a part of our culture. Being from Puerto Rico, my family's from Puerto Rico. They migrated to the United States, and with that, they brought this incredible rich music and sound uh from the island. And so I love having music on and playing, and that would have to be a big fabric of my story.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Oh, I love that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:46

I am Do you have are you are you a fan of all kinds of music? What's your do you have a specific type that you enjoy?

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Yeah, I mean, I listen to a lot of I like you know things from every genre, but I I listen to a lot of like of pop, and then I have certain Broadway soundtracks I'm obsessed with, so I have those on too.

SPEAKER_02 12:11

So favorite one, favorite Broadway?

SPEAKER_00 12:15

Oh, there's so many, but I'm really obsessed with uh Spring Awakening. Yes, yes, yeah, that's one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

That's fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Thank you. Yeah, I um I remember I it was during COVID that I um discovered the um official Broadway soundtrack because um I knew of the musical from uh had this show called Rise that was on several years ago that I was obsessed with. And so I always listened to their versions. And then during COVID, I found the original soundtrack, and then it was like six months I had that on nonstop, and it started to drive my mom and my sister a little bit nuts, but yeah, it was like and I I hope you sing along. Yes, I do.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Yes, that's important.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

That's important, yes, yeah. Yeah, I can't sing, but I always sing along to songs.

SPEAKER_02 13:17

You know, it doesn't matter, it's it's part of the experience, you know. You gotta let it out, and when you feel that, you gotta sort of really be able to put it out. I I'm the same way, I'm not a singer by any means, but uh boy, when I'm home and I got my music playing, you can't tell me I don't sing.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

It's great to go back to the originals because it also like not only reintroduces it, but it can also make you appreciate, you know, the newer versions of it and what they're doing. But it's I love I love that by the way, in any kind of music, if you either hear a remake or you hear a sample of something and you go back to hear where that sample came from. I I always like I had a friend that was a DJ that would always play the originals of sort of current pop songs or or samples that were used in current music, and they would do only like a mix of all the originals. And it's just great. It's also like paying homage to the people that created that sound.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Yeah. Oh, I love that. Yeah. Do you have a favorite Broadway soundtrack?

SPEAKER_02 14:19

You know, I I don't, but I love, you know, it's funny. I like some Broadway musicals. I don't love all of them. Yeah. Um and but when I love them, I'm like, oh my gosh, like it's amazing. I remember when Hamilton came out, I was like, oh, this is just fantastic. I remember when I saw In the Heights for the first time. I was like, this is, you know, so I'm I'm a fan of Lim Manuel, obviously, and love what he's done. Um I've yet to see some of the great ones that are out now. I haven't been in New York in a little bit, so I'm really excited to get to see those. Um, but I I also love a lot of the classics, to be honest. Um, so those will be some of the ones I'll go back to sometimes and listen to every once in a while.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

Yeah. Oh, I love that. Yeah, I there are so many um shows on Broadway currently that I would want to see. Like if only I lived in New York.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

I know.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Yeah. I um there's uh one called Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York that I would love to see because that's um uh musical rom-com. And I've always wanted my life story to be a musical rom-com. So I'm like, I feel like I need to see this.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

Have you have you listened to the soundtrack or not yet?

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Uh I've listened to a few songs that are on YouTube, but the official soundtrack isn't out yet. So but the songs I've heard I love.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

You're already like, this speaks to me. This is yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

Yeah. Um so uh what is the um greatest lesson you have learned from a character you've played?

SPEAKER_02 16:14

Well, that's a great question. Um you know Will is such a resilient person and character. Uh it was one of the things that really resonated when I had read the books. So this character is based and inspired by these books that were written by Karen Slaughter. And I just remember reading and hearing about his story and what he had lived through. Um and I just found that to be incredibly inspiring, you know, uh, with all the challenges that life threw with him and him not understanding where he came from because he was an orphan, growing up in foster care, um uh, you know, dyslexic, um, all of these sort of hurdles that that maybe some people uh could be defeated by. I I really love that this was someone that took those challenges on and found other ways to navigate through life and succeed. Um and I just that that part of him, that aspect of him. I mean, and there's this thing where he really covers and protects himself as well. I mean, it was kind of the idea with the three-piece suit that he wears. It's almost like his armor. He puts it on every day, and it sort of is how he protects himself when he goes out into the world. Um, but I I I just I love that aspect of, and I think there's a part of that that I could, you know, that connected with me and that I could relate to of just, you know, it's also like when I talk about the Knicks and an underdog, I love an underdog story. I think a lot of people do. Um, we love to root for that underdog. And I think Will, in some ways, is maybe could be considered an underdog, could, you know, considering what he's had to live through, and and and he's got the physical scars and the emotional scars to show for it, and yet he continues moving forward. Um and it just is, I'm always fascinated by people's story because I feel like it impacts so much of who they are in present day and potentially maybe even in their future. And and it doesn't mean that it's cemented in any way that because you went through something, that this means, you know, you have to be a certain way. Um, but it is informing. And I think, you know, Will is is informed by what happened. I but I do love that he's not dictated. It's not dictated that he must, you know, he's found a way to navigate and he's open to learning and trying new things at times, even though it's difficult. Um, and even connecting and learning about himself, you know. I loved when he began to want to learn Spanish because he understood that that was a connection to his mom that he discovered was from Puerto Rico. Um, that was not in the books. That was something that, you know, the writers and I talked about. And would it be interesting if we began to explore his identity? Because I imagine someone that didn't know where their mom and dad came from, that would be a big question of like, well, who am I? And where, you know, who who are those people and what does that mean? Who am I? It's a huge question. And so when he did begin, we decided to explore his mom and where she came from, and that that then allowed us to watch this person go on a journey of trying to discover who they are. And I love that. So, you know, I would say uh his resilience um and his willingness to keep pushing uh and and moving forward in life.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Oh, I love that. Yeah. Um so is there someone who without fail always makes you laugh?

SPEAKER_02 19:56

Yes, there is. Yeah, I had a friend, it was such a thoughtful like gesture, who he's no longer with us, but he he he he unfortunately passed away. But every time he would call me, I'd pick up the phone and he'd always start with a joke. That was his thing. Always, without fail. And we talked often. And the fact that he always like his goal was obviously to share some joy and to make me smile or laugh, I thought was such a great gift from him to me. Like, so I so it became to the point that if I saw the phone ring and I saw his name, I smiled because I knew, you know, like what a lovely gesture. Um and so he's definitely one that always stays on my mind because I thought, what a, what a, you know, and now that he's no longer with us, it's like what an impression he made that even when I talk about him, I smile because all I can think about is like he had and I would ask, how do you know all these jokes? He had thousands of jokes, like every time a new joke. Um, so he's definitely one. And I have a very good friend of mine who lives in New York, who we often just get to talk, and and they'll tell me a story of something that's happening in their life, and the way they tell the story cracks me up, which I love.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Oh, I love that. And I'm so sorry to hear about your friend who um who passed.

SPEAKER_02 21:28

Yeah, thank you. But you know, again, what a what a beam of light of a human, you know, to to do that. Uh I've never had anyone else, and I've never heard anyone else that does that. Like that the goal of him, well not that the sole goal. He obviously wanted to connect and talk about whatever, but to start and initiate a conversation always with a joke. I was like, that's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

Yeah, yeah, I love that. Yeah. Um so um. Um, what small things bring you joy on a daily basis?

SPEAKER_02 22:10

You know, uh being outside, uh going on a walk could be a very simple thing that brings me a lot of joy being in nature. Um even starting the day and making a cup of coffee, there's something about that that I'm like, oh, I'm gonna have this delicious homemade cup of coffee. Um obviously, like I said, cooking, making food, and and uh whether it's for myself or others is fantastic. That brings me a lot of joy. Um and I do love basketball, like I mentioned. So I do try on a pretty regular basis to go and shoot around at a park. I don't have to play in a game at all anymore, but I always have a ball with me. There's kind of always a ball nearby, wherever I am. Like there's a ball nearby me right now, right behind me, that I know exactly where it is. There's a ball in my car. Wherever I go, if I see a hoop, sometimes, you know, when we film Will Trent in Atlanta, I remember after the pilot, I asked, could we have a hoop on the stages? You know, and they accommodated that, thankfully. And obviously it brings me joy, but I see other people playing on it, so I know other people enjoying it. So little simple things like that, that uh, yeah, I would say those are some things that make me happy and bring me joy.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 23:31

How about you?

SPEAKER_00 23:32

Oh, there's um uh there's a lot. There's I mean, talking with I mean like spending time with my family and like talking with um my sister and um if I I talk with like a friend of mine, um interviews bring me so much joy, these conversations, and my dog brings me a ton of joy too. So what kind of dog? She's a plot hound boxer mix.

SPEAKER_02 24:11

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Um, yeah, she's the sweetest.

SPEAKER_02 24:15

What's her name?

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Roni.

SPEAKER_02 24:17

Roni. That's a cool name.

SPEAKER_00 24:20

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Well was she named it from uh anything in particular? What inspired the name?

SPEAKER_00 24:26

Yeah, um my my family and I uh okay. Remind me to tell you after then to it's uh it's a really funny and really um yeah, a really funny story, but uh I'll share it with you afterwards.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

Understood. Sounds good.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Yeah. Um so um what is something you have accomplished as an adult that your younger self would be proud of?

SPEAKER_02 25:10

Um wow, you know, I think there's a lot of things. There's a lot of things that I'm I think my younger self would be really proud of. Um, you know, when I first got my first place, you know, on my own, that was a really big deal to be able to like say, okay, I'm getting, you know, I'm buying my first home. Um, that was a massive deal. Uh, but even much younger than that, um, you know, I remember I had set a goal of I want to be able to get a college scholarship. I do not want my mother to have to pay for college for me. Um, and so I was able to use basketball to get an athletic scholarship, and I did that. That was huge. That was incredible. I mean, I think, you know, being able to kind of achieve things that I've set my mind to, um, whether it's been sports related, um, art related as acting, um, I think directing, which I've been able to do now, and I've directed episodes of Will Trent, that's something that was like I would never believe as a young boy. I think I didn't even have those dreams, which is really interesting. I wasn't like a child actor that wanted to do this. Actually, my dreams were more definitely more about sports. And then eventually that pivoted and got into the arts. Um, but even those goals, even if I wasn't a little boy, if I was a young man, to imagine that I would be, you know, directing and executive producing and starring in a show, that's that's just absolutely incredible. Um and, you know, trying to always find ways to pay it forward and open doors and create opportunities for others, because those things happen because they were opportunities created for me, in addition to all of my work and things that I've put into it. Um, luckily, those opportunities they were doors that were opened by people to allow me to step through.

SPEAKER_00 27:07

Oh, wow, that's amazing. Yeah. Um so whether people surprised to learn about you.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

Well, it depends who knows me. Uh, you know, and like how you know me, and and when did you meet me? You know, if you if you only know me as an actor, you might be surprised that I played college basketball and that basketball was such a big part of my life. If you knew me only through basketball, you might be surprised that I used to dance South so professionally, and that that was a big part of my life for years. Um, so it all kind of depends. You know, I've had some pretty fortunate moments where I've been able to pursue real passions that I love in life and been able to take them to the highest level that I could possibly take them to. And so it's always been fun. I remember when I first kind of started getting work as an actor. Um, and if there was a basketball nearby, like I would pull pranks on people and mess with them where I would like, I'd go, Oh, do you know how to spin a basketball? And they'd like, oh no, I don't. I, you know, I've always wanted to. And then I would like spin the ball on my finger and then place it on their finger and spin it. And I go, now you can. And, you know, so that that would surprise them because they didn't know I could do that or that I had any, you know, love for the sport. Um, so it's it's fun to be able to sort of express and show these different things insides of me. Um, it's always really funny if people don't know those things as well. It's kind of I get to surprise them. Like, oh, I didn't know you dance, or oh, I didn't know you played this instrument. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:44

Oh wow. Yeah. Um, so I just have a few more questions for you if that works.

unknown 28:51

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Um so what is the um biggest obstacle, either personally or professionally, that you've overcome?

SPEAKER_02 29:05

Oh wow. Um you know, there's a lot of obstacles uh in this in this professional industry that I'm in. Um you know, being able to work and have a job and hold a job in this industry is is just so challenging. Um and so, you know finding work anytime. And if you get a if you audition and you get a call back, um, I think, you know, finding ways to continue to persevere and and and uh continue to, you know, sort of invent yourself. So I remember for a while when I wasn't working, I began writing. And that was a really helpful tool for me to feel like I could remain creative because the obstacle was I wasn't working. I wasn't getting jobs. Either, either I wasn't having opportunities, or maybe I wasn't, if I did get them, I wasn't getting the job. Or if I did get an opportunity, I didn't feel like it was the right job for me. And so that would put me out of work for a while. And I remember I realized like, well, one thing I can do, well, uh what I found was important for me was to remain creative somehow. I have to still continue to like let this get this out of me somehow, which is why I think basketball and dance, they're all creative outlets. And so then I began writing and I realized the power that that gave me, that I can create and tell story. And that process actually also helped me become a better actor. Um, and then in 2017, I directed my I wrote and directed my first short film. Um and and I taught myself how to edit uh using YouTube and things like that. And I remember how that that was an obstacle that I then overcame. So, you know, there's there's plenty of challenges, you know. Um it's always for me, at least, how do I keep finding other ways, you know? But a challenge I'm experiencing right now that I've not overcome yet, but I will, is I have a feat the feature film I told you that I wrote is to try to get financing. And to get financing and money today for an independent film is so hard. It's so challenging. So it's always about pivoting and trying to find ways of, okay, how can I find the right partner? How can I set it up? What are aspects of this movie that I can really help um sell as a marketing idea that maybe gets people to feel confident that they should be financing and putting money into this film? So that's kind of always been, you know, in sports, I had the the obstacles of, oh, I'm not that tall, or, you know, and I would say, okay, great, I'll find other ways to get that spot on a team that I felt I really deserved. And I worked hard at it. And so similarly with acting and directing and producing, um, you know, with my company, I have a company now where we're developing TV shows, and there's so many obstacles of trying to find the right idea and concept or the right book or IP and matching it with the right writer, and then hopefully seeing if the studio or the buyers that we go to are interested in it. So, you know, I love all these things. I tend to be someone that enjoys obstacles in a in a healthy way of like problem solving. I like to look at things and go, well, how can I fix it or how do we get around it? I think a part of that's been just something I've always had to deal with. And so it's not, it's not new for me. Those sort of setbacks or, you know, you can call them rejections or failure, they oftentimes fuel me. They give me sort of energy to go, okay, great, I'll look at it another way. I'll try to pivot it and put it together another way.

SPEAKER_00 32:48

Yeah. Oh wow. Yeah. Um, so is there a song that whenever you hear it makes you emotional?

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Um there are. Uh, you know, I'm gonna see if I could pull up the name of it, but there's one song for sure. You know, I've got like playlists for that, which is really funny. Like, I'll create like an emotional playlist uh if I'm feeling I need to either have it for some reason or for inspiration. Um But this band, uh The National, has a really fantastic song um called About Today. And it's beautiful. Um, and I remember the first time I learned about it was in this movie called Warrior. Um and it was at the very end of the movie, and I just remember I was watching the movie and I was bawling. I was just crying. It's a beautiful story of brothers, and so yeah, there are definite songs. Uh, that would be one of them. Um, you know, the soundtrack for the movie Moonlight was one that always stayed with me. It was so beautiful. Uh, I thought that film was beautiful, but I also thought the music that was made for it was also really emotional and helped carry that uh emotional story. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:12

Oh wow. Yeah, there, yeah, there are so many songs for me to you have a lot, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

What cat what category usually is there a genre or is it the Broadway soundtracks, or is it, you know, where do you you is there a particular genre that maybe pulls at those strings?

SPEAKER_00 34:33

I don't know if there's a specific genre, but there are specific songs. So there's one song from Spring Awakening that um I cannot listen to because it just it makes me cry. It's called Left Behind. Um, so I can't listen to that song. Um and then there's Because of You by Kelly Clarkson. Um and then there's a song called Home of the Terrified by Ben Platt that also makes me cry. And yeah, there's so many.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

Yeah, yeah. It's it's amazing, right? How music can kind of, you know, what's very cool about when you work in in film or television and you kind of can see the impact of what a song or a sound can do for a scene or a moment, it's absolutely just such an incredible other layer that's added. Um, and to get that right, uh, it's really cool.

SPEAKER_00 35:42

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, there's also um one of my favorite movie soundtracks is um for uh it's the um movie Words on Bathroom Walls, uh, which is one of my favorites. And there's a song called Um If Walls Could Talk, that that one also is yeah. Yeah. So yeah, there's so many that is just so powerful.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

I know, I know, I know. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

Yeah, it is. Um, so my final question for you is um today, what are you most grateful for?

SPEAKER_02 36:29

Uh you know, I we often say you know, in the family and just in general, just uh being here, being alive, being present, uh being able to be here right now speaking with you, I'm incredibly grateful for to be able to be present enough uh to meet and hear someone like you asking these thoughtful questions uh is just right. Now I'm incredibly grateful for that.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

Thank you. I I'm so grateful to be talking with you. I mean, like I said, you've been a dream interview of mine for years. So I just I can't believe this is happening. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 37:14

Well, I know you've interviewed a lot of great people. So uh that means a lot, but you are a pro, like I said, when I first started this, and uh it's incredible uh and equally inspiring just to see how what you do, how you do it, how you've grown. I saw you on the Kelly Clarkson show. I was like, look at her go, you know, and so I just hope you keep going. Uh and I can't wait to see what you do next.

SPEAKER_00 37:40

Oh, thank you so much. That means the world to me. And I just I cannot thank you enough for joining me. And um, I've had the best time talking with you, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.

SPEAKER_02 37:57

Thank you, Maya. Lovely getting to know you. Appreciate you so much.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

Thank you. Um, and that's a wrap on today's edition of The Latest with Maya.