Melissa O'Neil | The Zen of a Rookie

Melissa O�Neil: Screlching just like screaming.

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Melissa O�Neil: My parents always thought I was just

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Melissa O�Neil: screaming in the basement, but I was

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Melissa O�Neil: singing.

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Melissa O�Neil: If I was feeling a lot that day, i would

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Melissa O�Neil: just go into the basement and sing.

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Announcer: Welcome to Story and Craft.

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Announcer: Now here's your host, Marc Preston.

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Marc Preston: Alright, here we go.

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Marc Preston: Another episode of Story and Craft.

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Marc Preston: How are you?

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Marc Preston: Had a good week.

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Marc Preston: Things been going okay.

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Marc Preston: Hope everything's going great with you.

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Marc Preston: If you're new to the show, thank you so

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Marc Preston: much for stopping by checking it out.

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Marc Preston: Going to have a great episode this week.

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Marc Preston: Really enjoyed this chat.

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Marc Preston: I mean, i've had the good fortune of

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Marc Preston: sitting down with some really interesting,

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Marc Preston: intriguing people.

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Marc Preston: But this week loved this chat.

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Marc Preston: Melissa O'Neill she plays Officer Lucy Chen

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Marc Preston: on the ABC television show The Rookie.

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Marc Preston: Great personality, lot of energy, very

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Marc Preston: insightful, just I really enjoyed this

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Marc Preston: sit-down.

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Marc Preston: It was beyond a pleasure to chat with.

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Marc Preston: We talked about being from Canada.

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Marc Preston: She even won Canadian Idol at 17 years old.

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Marc Preston: She's been on Broadway and just really

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Marc Preston: enjoyed the conversation and I think you

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Marc Preston: will as well, don't forget, if you would

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Marc Preston: pop on by Storyandcraftpod.com Once again,

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Marc Preston: storyandcraftpod.com, the website.

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Marc Preston: Everything you could possibly want to know

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Marc Preston: about the show is right there.

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Marc Preston: And if you would, as always, subscribe,

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Marc Preston: like the show on your favorite podcast app,

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Marc Preston: leave a review, drop a star, whatever you

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Marc Preston: do on your app, all right, so let's get

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Marc Preston: after it.

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Marc Preston: This week is Melissa O'Neill week, right

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Marc Preston: here on StoryandCraft.

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Marc Preston: How's your day been going so far?

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Melissa O�Neil: It's been a little crazy.

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Melissa O�Neil: I think everyone else is in their own type

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Melissa O�Neil: of experience with COVID, but on our show,

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Melissa O�Neil: which I think is one of the only shows that

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Melissa O�Neil: hasn't been shut down by COVID, we have

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Melissa O�Neil: pretty extreme protocols Even if somebody

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Melissa O�Neil: is asymptomatic.

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Melissa O�Neil: but if they've tested positive and even if

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Melissa O�Neil: they're beyond the CDC guidelines of like

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Melissa O�Neil: if you're 10 days, even if you're still

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Melissa O�Neil: testing positive, as long as you're not

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Melissa O�Neil: symptomatic, you're fine to reintegrate.

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Melissa O�Neil: that is not the case on our show, and so it

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Melissa O�Neil: creates a lot of.

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Melissa O�Neil: it means that we're reshooting a lot of

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Melissa O�Neil: things, so I will shoot things twice.

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Marc Preston: I'm gathering you're restraining a little

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Marc Preston: bit of frustration right now.

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Melissa O�Neil: I don't think I'm restraining it at all.

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Melissa O�Neil: This is an accurate representation of my

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Melissa O�Neil: general.

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Melissa O�Neil: Let's see, it gets a little mundane after a

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Melissa O�Neil: while.

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Melissa O�Neil: Like really this again.

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Marc Preston: Oh, i think that's very common, yeah,

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Marc Preston: everybody.

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Marc Preston: I'm speaking with.

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Marc Preston: I was talking with an actor named Shay

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Marc Preston: Wiggum the other day and he says hang on, i

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Marc Preston: got to go do something.

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Marc Preston: He had to run to his front door because

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Marc Preston: somebody came to his house to swab his nose.

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Marc Preston: And it's things you don't even think of.

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Marc Preston: We can blame it all on Nathan Fillion

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Marc Preston: because he's technically the boss, right?

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Marc Preston: So we'll just lay it all on those shoulders.

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Melissa O�Neil: No, no, that's silly.

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Melissa O�Neil: How are you?

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Marc Preston: Doing very well actually.

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Marc Preston: Your folks said you had a chat with your

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Marc Preston: producer so I gave me a chance to go and

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Marc Preston: I'd go and pop into my studio and record

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Marc Preston: some stuff.

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Marc Preston: So actually it was very efficient.

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Marc Preston: I got something out of the way I needed to

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Marc Preston: get done.

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Melissa O�Neil: Do you work from home?

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Marc Preston: I do, I do.

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Melissa O�Neil: Oh cool.

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Marc Preston: I took a break from acting because my

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Marc Preston: teenagers were kind of aging to the point

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Marc Preston: where it's like my second kids now going

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Marc Preston: off to college Whoa And COVID, and all that

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Marc Preston: is like, you know, i'm just going to chill

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Marc Preston: out at home.

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Melissa O�Neil: Wait, does this mean you don't have anyone

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Melissa O�Neil: at home anymore?

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Melissa O�Neil: Is that the last one?

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Marc Preston: I got a 16-year-old daughter who's starting

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Marc Preston: her junior year, so she's the last one.

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Marc Preston: This is like a slow emptying of the nest,

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Marc Preston: so I'm How does that feel?

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Marc Preston: That's a really good question.

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Marc Preston: Let's see here.

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Marc Preston: Let me lay down on the sofa here and go A

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Marc Preston: little bit of therapy.

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Marc Preston: Actually, I'm so proud of them because of

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Marc Preston: who they are and where they're going, but

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Marc Preston: it's like I have, like on my monitors right

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Marc Preston: here in my studio.

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Marc Preston: I've got a picture of my kids back when

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Marc Preston: they were, like you know, 9, 8, and 6, I

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Marc Preston: think, And I'm sitting there going.

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Marc Preston: That was two seconds ago, I think.

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Marc Preston: So it's kind of wild.

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Marc Preston: They're getting off to school.

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Marc Preston: Proud of them, I'm finding I'm trying to

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Marc Preston: evolve ways of busying myself because I

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Marc Preston: think once they're all off to school, then

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Marc Preston: I think that's going to be an interesting

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Marc Preston: experience.

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Marc Preston: But I'm actually My youngest wants to go to

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Marc Preston: school.

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Marc Preston: She was looking at UCLA, now it's Texas or

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Marc Preston: something.

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Marc Preston: So I'm going to be moving.

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Melissa O�Neil: Oh, out of state.

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Marc Preston: Oh yeah, she wants to get the heck out of

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Marc Preston: Dodge.

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Marc Preston: Now, i'm originally from Dallas, lived in

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Marc Preston: Southern California, but now in New Orleans,

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Marc Preston: so this is where my ex-wife lives here.

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Marc Preston: So it's kind of like if you marry somebody

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Marc Preston: from New Orleans, whether you're still

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Marc Preston: married to them or not, you always end up

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Marc Preston: staying in New Orleans for a period of time

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Marc Preston: which this was kind of Hollywood South for

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Marc Preston: half a second, so for well, not half a

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Marc Preston: second.

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Marc Preston: It was really busy before a lot of stuff

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Marc Preston: went to Atlanta.

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Melissa O�Neil: That's right.

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Marc Preston: But everybody from LA is moving to Texas,

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Marc Preston: it seems like.

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Marc Preston: So you know, maybe I should.

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Melissa O�Neil: Texas or Georgia.

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Marc Preston: Yeah, i'm a native Texas, so maybe I'm just

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Marc Preston: going to move all the crazy politics there

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Marc Preston: aside.

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Marc Preston: It's a good place to set up shop, but now

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Marc Preston: you're originally from Canada, correct?

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Marc Preston: Now, where in Canada are you from?

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Marc Preston: I?

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Melissa O�Neil: was born and raised in Calgary.

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Melissa O�Neil: I spent most of my time in Toronto, though,

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Melissa O�Neil: from the time I was 16.

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Marc Preston: So you think casting with Nathan Phillion

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Marc Preston: had anything to do with the fact that

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Marc Preston: you're from Canada?

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Marc Preston: You think that gave you a leg up, since

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Marc Preston: he's from there as well, or do you think

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Marc Preston: that was not even a factor?

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Melissa O�Neil: Well, probably not, but it doesn't hurt to

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Melissa O�Neil: have something to share with someone in the

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Melissa O�Neil: room.

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Marc Preston: Yeah, he's.

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Marc Preston: You know, every time I hear him, whenever

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Marc Preston: he's in an interview, he's such an affable

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Marc Preston: guy, You know.

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Marc Preston: He seems like he's.

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Melissa O�Neil: Have you met him?

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Marc Preston: I have not.

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Marc Preston: I've wanted to.

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Marc Preston: My two oldest, my 19 and eight well, next a

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Marc Preston: few weeks 18-year-old love the rookie.

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Marc Preston: You know that's their thing.

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Marc Preston: That's kind of one of those few things we

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Marc Preston: can still kind of sit down and watch

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Marc Preston: together.

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Marc Preston: They love watching the rookie and I believe

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Marc Preston: you're one of the favorite characters, So

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Marc Preston: I'm sure they're going to be very jealous

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Marc Preston: that they weren't here today.

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Marc Preston: But y'all are going into season, is it four?

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Marc Preston: Is that what's about to start?

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Melissa O�Neil: We're filming season five right now.

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Marc Preston: You're filming five right now.

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Marc Preston: Okay, now going back to real quick kind of

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Marc Preston: hitting rewind into the origin story,

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Marc Preston: because I was very pleasantly surprised.

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Marc Preston: The whole Canadian Idol thing Did that

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Marc Preston: launch, do you know, roughly the same time

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Marc Preston: as American Idol did, or did it kind of

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Marc Preston: come a few years later?

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Marc Preston: Was it kind of in parallel with what was

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Marc Preston: going on down here?

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Melissa O�Neil: I don't know.

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Melissa O�Neil: I don't think so.

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Melissa O�Neil: I think that a few years of American Idol

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Melissa O�Neil: happened before Canadian Idol launched.

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Marc Preston: I know in one of the episodes they alluded

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Marc Preston: to the whole American Idol thing.

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Marc Preston: Was that something that they were just

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Marc Preston: trying to work something in where, okay, we

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Marc Preston: got to get her to sing somehow on an

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Marc Preston: episode?

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Melissa O�Neil: I think that they were trying to include

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Melissa O�Neil: that.

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Melissa O�Neil: I'm not sure if they were aware of it, but

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Melissa O�Neil: you know, we were airing around the same

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Melissa O�Neil: time.

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Melissa O�Neil: I think Idol was our lead-in, and so it was

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Melissa O�Neil: like a fun way to do a crossover and they

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Melissa O�Neil: decided to put that piece in.

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Marc Preston: That was very cool.

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Marc Preston: At that time I didn't know that you had one

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Marc Preston: Canadian Idol.

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Marc Preston: I mean, you're very young.

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Marc Preston: You were like 17, 17, 18 when you won.

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Marc Preston: What was that like?

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Marc Preston: going back, i mean, many moons ago, when I

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Marc Preston: was roughly 17, i started working on the

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Marc Preston: radio in Dallas and I thought that was kind

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Marc Preston: of a heady thing.

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Marc Preston: I thought it was all famous and stuff for

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Marc Preston: like two seconds.

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Marc Preston: But at that age what's it like to actually

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Marc Preston: have that much attention put on you and you

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Marc Preston: win, and now there is an expectation of

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Marc Preston: performing.

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Marc Preston: What was that like back then, being that

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Marc Preston: age?

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Melissa O�Neil: It was really uncomfortable.

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Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, i don't think that you know, if I

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Melissa O�Neil: could.

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Melissa O�Neil: I mean, maybe it's different now because a

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Melissa O�Neil: lot of young people with technology and

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Melissa O�Neil: Instagram and social media, there's a lot

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Melissa O�Neil: of kids that are kind of trained from the

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Melissa O�Neil: time they're very young to be in front of

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Melissa O�Neil: cameras and to center themselves.

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Melissa O�Neil: But at the time it was really uncomfortable

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Melissa O�Neil: And I think a big part of that experience

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Melissa O�Neil: is what kind of led me to being interested

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Melissa O�Neil: in ensemble work and working in groups.

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Melissa O�Neil: I'm not terribly thrilled about being a

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Melissa O�Neil: solo act or a centerpiece.

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Melissa O�Neil: It's a lot of pressure and I don't really

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Melissa O�Neil: have any aspirations for fame.

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Marc Preston: Yeah, that's funny, the thing you said

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Marc Preston: about teenagers my 16-year-old.

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Marc Preston: oddly, she hates when I take pictures of

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Marc Preston: her.

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Marc Preston: She can't stand her pictures.

260

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Marc Preston: When her friends take pictures and want to

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Marc Preston: post it on Instagram.

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Marc Preston: She wants to have nothing to do with that,

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Marc Preston: which is kind of makes me happy a little

264

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Marc Preston: bit, because the polar opposite is just.

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Marc Preston: You're right.

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Marc Preston: That's a really wonderful way of putting it.

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Marc Preston: A lot of the kids now are trained to

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Marc Preston: showcase themselves.

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Melissa O�Neil: This is a part of the zeitgeist.

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Melissa O�Neil: It's like the thing to do these days.

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Marc Preston: Yeah, everybody's creating content And some

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Marc Preston: of them are, like I, kind of like a little

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Marc Preston: anonymity sometimes.

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Marc Preston: But the question immediately thereafter,

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Marc Preston: after you won and you said you were working

276

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Marc Preston: on ensemble stuff, you were working on

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Marc Preston: stage.

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Marc Preston: what were you doing predominantly on stage?

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Marc Preston: And the second half of that question is how

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Marc Preston: did that end up leading to you being on

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Marc Preston: camera?

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Melissa O�Neil: I think I was on tour at the time when I

283

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Melissa O�Neil: got a call to audition for a stage

284

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Melissa O�Neil: production that ended up running for quite

285

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Melissa O�Neil: a while.

286

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Melissa O�Neil: We did the North American Premier of Turdy

287

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Melissa O�Neil: dancing and I think they were having a hard

288

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Melissa O�Neil: time finding like a pop singer, And so

289

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Melissa O�Neil: that's how I landed on to that show and I

290

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Melissa O�Neil: really loved working in an ensemble group.

291

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Melissa O�Neil: It was exciting to be doing something

292

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Melissa O�Neil: creative with my voice, not needing to be

293

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Melissa O�Neil: the centerpiece especially as like a young

294

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Melissa O�Neil: person who wasn't terribly comfortable in

295

00:10:20,344 --> 00:10:25,478

Melissa O�Neil: their body And to also have the opportunity

296

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Melissa O�Neil: to really work with people who had a

297

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Melissa O�Neil: pedigree.

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Melissa O�Neil: You know, because I left, I didn't go to

299

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Melissa O�Neil: post-secondary, I was out of high school at

300

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Melissa O�Neil: a very young age and then working, And it

301

00:10:38,491 --> 00:10:42,698

Melissa O�Neil: was really educational and inspiring to be

302

00:10:42,738 --> 00:10:44,000

Melissa O�Neil: around people who had gone to

303

00:10:44,020 --> 00:10:46,424

Melissa O�Neil: post-secondary for acting, for dancing, for

304

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Melissa O�Neil: singing.

305

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Melissa O�Neil: They were so knowledgeable and I learned a

306

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Melissa O�Neil: lot during the eight, ten years, Wow.

307

00:10:55,550 --> 00:10:57,095

Marc Preston: Wow, it's kind of a big maturing phase.

308

00:10:57,476 --> 00:10:58,319

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, it really was.

309

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Marc Preston: I can't imagine being that age, being on

310

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Marc Preston: your own touring.

311

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Marc Preston: Is it like American Idol where after the

312

00:11:03,456 --> 00:11:08,083

Marc Preston: show, i guess Top 10 or the finalist if you

313

00:11:08,103 --> 00:11:09,264

Marc Preston: will all go on tour together.

314

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Marc Preston: Is that kind of how it works?

315

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Melissa O�Neil: No, it was just the runner-up and I we

316

00:11:14,438 --> 00:11:17,504

Melissa O�Neil: toured, i think we did like 36 cities.

317

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Melissa O�Neil: But I mean, do you remember the summer, the

318

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Melissa O�Neil: two months of your summer, when you were 17?

319

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Marc Preston: Yes.

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Melissa O�Neil: It's a really like brief.

321

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Melissa O�Neil: Oh well, that sounds like it must have been

322

00:11:29,199 --> 00:11:29,740

Melissa O�Neil: a really good summer.

323

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Melissa O�Neil: That I'm very curious to hear about that.

324

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Marc Preston: Well, I can neither confirm nor deny.

325

00:11:33,550 --> 00:11:34,976

Marc Preston: You can hear about the radio station.

326

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Marc Preston: No, it's funny because my focus was on work.

327

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Marc Preston: I was talking with my daughter, the one who

328

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Marc Preston: wants to go off to college somewhere else

329

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Marc Preston: And I said you know, one of the regrets I

330

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Marc Preston: had in school was that I didn't focus as

331

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Marc Preston: much on the fun and the social.

332

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Marc Preston: I was focused on where I wanted to go, and

333

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Marc Preston: that's you know so weekends.

334

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Marc Preston: I was working on the radio and I was just

335

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Marc Preston: so focused on work I forgot to stop and be

336

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Marc Preston: 17 or 18, you know.

337

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Marc Preston: I'm making up for it now I guess.

338

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Marc Preston: But yeah, that is, that's pretty young, to

339

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Marc Preston: be kind of out there on your own and

340

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Marc Preston: touring out And your family the only one

341

00:12:09,832 --> 00:12:12,597

Marc Preston: who sings or does something theatrical or

342

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Marc Preston: acts, or do you come from a family of

343

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Marc Preston: performers?

344

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Melissa O�Neil: I mean they perform in their own way, but I

345

00:12:18,515 --> 00:12:20,400

Melissa O�Neil: wouldn't say that they do it professionally

346

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Melissa O�Neil: or for a living.

347

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Melissa O�Neil: I think for a long time my family, my mom

348

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Melissa O�Neil: in particular because she's Chinese she was

349

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Melissa O�Neil: just like waiting for me to have some type

350

00:12:28,245 --> 00:12:29,327

Melissa O�Neil: of backup plan.

351

00:12:29,868 --> 00:12:30,530

Melissa O�Neil: But you know it's over.

352

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Melissa O�Neil: Like I was, you know I got into it.

353

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Melissa O�Neil: I think I auditioned when I was still 16, i

354

00:12:35,501 --> 00:12:38,889

Melissa O�Neil: turned 17 on the show and I just turned 34.

355

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Melissa O�Neil: Like I've been doing this now.

356

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Marc Preston: So you turned 17 on the show, so you're 16

357

00:12:42,738 --> 00:12:44,141

Marc Preston: when you started, wow, okay.

358

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Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, when I auditioned.

359

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Melissa O�Neil: yeah, So it's been a long time.

360

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Marc Preston: Well, i was enamored.

361

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Marc Preston: I caught a video your mother's from Hong

362

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Marc Preston: Kong, correct?

363

00:12:54,237 --> 00:12:55,530

Marc Preston: Which I have a great love for Hong Kong.

364

00:12:55,731 --> 00:12:57,498

Marc Preston: My grandfather my like grandfather used to

365

00:12:57,879 --> 00:12:59,646

Marc Preston: work in women's fashions and clothes just

366

00:13:00,168 --> 00:13:02,478

Marc Preston: stuff He had manufactured in Hong Kong.

367

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Marc Preston: I was back when Made in China had kind of a

368

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Marc Preston: negative connotation.

369

00:13:06,501 --> 00:13:08,146

Marc Preston: but Hong Kong has always been like he would

370

00:13:08,166 --> 00:13:09,530

Marc Preston: go every year and have a suit made.

371

00:13:09,830 --> 00:13:11,313

Marc Preston: You know every every time you went to Hong.

372

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Marc Preston: Kong.

373

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Marc Preston: I always have wanted to travel there and

374

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Marc Preston: the food is really what I'm kind of down

375

00:13:17,804 --> 00:13:18,365

Marc Preston: with checking out.

376

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Marc Preston: I happen to run across a video of your

377

00:13:20,514 --> 00:13:23,900

Marc Preston: mother showing you how to make spring rolls

378

00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:25,723

Marc Preston: and talking about exploding spring roll.

379

00:13:26,951 --> 00:13:29,215

Marc Preston: I'm curious did you catch a lot of the?

380

00:13:29,436 --> 00:13:32,121

Marc Preston: did you absorb a lot of the cooking from

381

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Marc Preston: your mother over the years?

382

00:13:33,570 --> 00:13:35,938

Melissa O�Neil: You know my mom makes all sorts of food.

383

00:13:36,590 --> 00:13:38,295

Melissa O�Neil: One of the best dishes I remember her

384

00:13:38,335 --> 00:13:40,261

Melissa O�Neil: making is actually Jamaican jerk chicken.

385

00:13:40,550 --> 00:13:42,175

Melissa O�Neil: She's just a really exceptional cook.

386

00:13:44,590 --> 00:13:46,818

Melissa O�Neil: But no, i don't think I learned a lot.

387

00:13:47,570 --> 00:13:51,897

Melissa O�Neil: My mom kind of was separated from her

388

00:13:52,098 --> 00:13:53,921

Melissa O�Neil: heritage in a really big way because she

389

00:13:53,981 --> 00:13:55,423

Melissa O�Neil: left when she was a teenager.

390

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Marc Preston: Really.

391

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Melissa O�Neil: And so, yeah, it's been a process of

392

00:13:59,616 --> 00:14:02,240

Melissa O�Neil: reclamation to reconnect with my heritage,

393

00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:06,739

Melissa O�Neil: and it's happened, incidentally, And you

394

00:14:06,779 --> 00:14:09,550

Melissa O�Neil: know we also know how to play the part.

395

00:14:09,971 --> 00:14:12,520

Melissa O�Neil: So when we were asked to take part in

396

00:14:12,580 --> 00:14:14,547

Melissa O�Neil: heritage month, we're like, well, let's

397

00:14:14,627 --> 00:14:15,530

Melissa O�Neil: make some spring rolls.

398

00:14:16,151 --> 00:14:17,915

Melissa O�Neil: You know my mom loves spring rolls though,

399

00:14:17,995 --> 00:14:20,742

Melissa O�Neil: and her spring rolls are amazing and

400

00:14:20,762 --> 00:14:21,162

Melissa O�Neil: delicious.

401

00:14:22,513 --> 00:14:25,142

Melissa O�Neil: But, yeah, I mean it would have been kind

402

00:14:25,182 --> 00:14:26,687

Melissa O�Neil: of funny if we kind of like popped on and

403

00:14:26,707 --> 00:14:27,550

Melissa O�Neil: like made jerk chicken though.

404

00:14:28,694 --> 00:14:30,731

Marc Preston: No, that would have been awesome, that

405

00:14:30,751 --> 00:14:32,116

Marc Preston: would have been like I did not expect that.

406

00:14:33,472 --> 00:14:35,155

Marc Preston: And no, my kids and I just were down on a

407

00:14:35,215 --> 00:14:37,019

Marc Preston: cruise and we went to Montego Bay and we

408

00:14:37,039 --> 00:14:39,043

Marc Preston: went to this place called Scotchies in

409

00:14:39,083 --> 00:14:41,065

Marc Preston: Jamaica And they grilled.

410

00:14:41,085 --> 00:14:41,550

Marc Preston: I mean, it's old school.

411

00:14:42,252 --> 00:14:44,036

Marc Preston: They don't use like grill grates, they use

412

00:14:44,257 --> 00:14:46,081

Marc Preston: sticks, like wood, you know, and they grill.

413

00:14:46,690 --> 00:14:48,575

Marc Preston: I'm telling you, if you're ever in Jamaica,

414

00:14:48,976 --> 00:14:51,923

Marc Preston: this place, i think, like Anthony Bourdain

415

00:14:51,963 --> 00:14:53,247

Marc Preston: and like Andrew Zimmer and those guys,

416

00:14:53,267 --> 00:14:53,908

Marc Preston: everybody pops into this place.

417

00:14:55,217 --> 00:14:57,714

Marc Preston: So I had to be a tourist and do it And I

418

00:14:57,754 --> 00:14:59,339

Marc Preston: ate way, too, way too much.

419

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Marc Preston: Now, your father, but your father, if I, if

420

00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:05,923

Marc Preston: what I'm seeing is correct, is Irish

421

00:15:05,963 --> 00:15:06,324

Marc Preston: correct.

422

00:15:08,074 --> 00:15:09,377

Marc Preston: So now, did you get any of the bangers and

423

00:15:09,417 --> 00:15:11,322

Marc Preston: mash from his side, any kind of?

424

00:15:12,151 --> 00:15:13,174

Melissa O�Neil: I love potatoes.

425

00:15:13,254 --> 00:15:15,540

Melissa O�Neil: I mean, look at me, i love potatoes.

426

00:15:16,931 --> 00:15:18,095

Melissa O�Neil: No, i mean my dad.

427

00:15:18,717 --> 00:15:21,613

Melissa O�Neil: let's see, i think actually my dad thought

428

00:15:21,653 --> 00:15:23,716

Melissa O�Neil: we were Irish and it's kind of inherent in

429

00:15:23,796 --> 00:15:24,557

Melissa O�Neil: our surname.

430

00:15:24,617 --> 00:15:28,221

Melissa O�Neil: But I did quite a bit of digging a few

431

00:15:28,262 --> 00:15:30,665

Melissa O�Neil: years back, when I think it was like 29 or

432

00:15:30,705 --> 00:15:33,394

Melissa O�Neil: something like that, and I found we were.

433

00:15:33,675 --> 00:15:34,537

Melissa O�Neil: He was a strange.

434

00:15:34,577 --> 00:15:37,162

Melissa O�Neil: He didn't know his paternal side of the

435

00:15:37,202 --> 00:15:40,617

Melissa O�Neil: family And I found them because I'm an

436

00:15:41,018 --> 00:15:42,661

Melissa O�Neil: elder millennial so I'm really good at

437

00:15:42,742 --> 00:15:46,255

Melissa O�Neil: internetting And I found his entire

438

00:15:46,335 --> 00:15:49,721

Melissa O�Neil: paternal family, which is wild because I

439

00:15:49,781 --> 00:15:51,284

Melissa O�Neil: also feel kind of disconnected from it.

440

00:15:51,550 --> 00:15:52,875

Melissa O�Neil: Even I can tell him the way I'm speaking

441

00:15:52,915 --> 00:15:53,217

Melissa O�Neil: about it.

442

00:15:53,830 --> 00:15:57,517

Melissa O�Neil: But yeah, i don't.

443

00:15:57,957 --> 00:16:00,201

Melissa O�Neil: I don't, we're not actually Irish, we're

444

00:16:00,261 --> 00:16:02,545

Melissa O�Neil: Canadian through and through and through.

445

00:16:02,610 --> 00:16:04,393

Melissa O�Neil: I mean all the way back into the 1800s.

446

00:16:04,433 --> 00:16:07,459

Melissa O�Neil: I'm talking like poor living in a tar shack

447

00:16:07,539 --> 00:16:10,064

Melissa O�Neil: with 12 other people Really Canadian.

448

00:16:11,753 --> 00:16:12,776

Marc Preston: So did you ever do that?

449

00:16:12,796 --> 00:16:15,202

Marc Preston: 23 and me, or ancestry thing?

450

00:16:16,652 --> 00:16:19,880

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, I did both just because I'm nerdy

451

00:16:19,940 --> 00:16:20,361

Melissa O�Neil: like that.

452

00:16:20,461 --> 00:16:21,122

Melissa O�Neil: No, I love that.

453

00:16:21,630 --> 00:16:22,513

Marc Preston: Each one has an event.

454

00:16:22,834 --> 00:16:24,279

Marc Preston: I still haven't sent mine in yet.

455

00:16:26,013 --> 00:16:31,112

Marc Preston: Side note, my father passed from COVID I'm

456

00:16:31,152 --> 00:16:34,020

Marc Preston: losing track is year and a half, two years

457

00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,518

Marc Preston: ago And and then so I'm so sorry.

458

00:16:36,570 --> 00:16:37,355

Marc Preston: No, no, no, no, it was.

459

00:16:37,718 --> 00:16:39,349

Marc Preston: You know, a lot of people you know dealt

460

00:16:39,369 --> 00:16:41,695

Marc Preston: with that And it was it was.

461

00:16:41,996 --> 00:16:43,640

Marc Preston: It was a little surprising when I went to

462

00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:45,465

Marc Preston: Dallas to had lunch with a cousin and she

463

00:16:45,525 --> 00:16:47,550

Marc Preston: said we are dinner and we're all out eating

464

00:16:48,011 --> 00:16:50,495

Marc Preston: And she said, by the way, i got something

465

00:16:50,515 --> 00:16:51,016

Marc Preston: to tell you.

466

00:16:51,738 --> 00:16:55,044

Marc Preston: I did the 23 and me and just FYI, you have

467

00:16:55,084 --> 00:16:55,464

Marc Preston: a sister.

468

00:16:55,871 --> 00:16:58,056

Marc Preston: Like I grew up as an only child and we kind

469

00:16:58,096 --> 00:16:59,500

Marc Preston: of found out I got a sibling.

470

00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:00,542

Melissa O�Neil: Like a half sister.

471

00:17:01,111 --> 00:17:02,934

Marc Preston: Yeah, and that's so, it was like.

472

00:17:03,515 --> 00:17:04,597

Marc Preston: So, that was like you know.

473

00:17:04,617 --> 00:17:06,139

Marc Preston: I guess I'm no longer an only child

474

00:17:06,199 --> 00:17:07,862

Marc Preston: technically, which is you know this was in

475

00:17:08,002 --> 00:17:09,570

Marc Preston: good years ago when I was growing up, I

476

00:17:09,590 --> 00:17:11,297

Marc Preston: always wanted to have a sibling and I know

477

00:17:11,337 --> 00:17:12,923

Marc Preston: people that have siblings like no, I don't

478

00:17:12,964 --> 00:17:13,526

Marc Preston: want a sibling.

479

00:17:13,907 --> 00:17:14,530

Melissa O�Neil: Did you guys connect?

480

00:17:14,932 --> 00:17:15,314

Marc Preston: We did.

481

00:17:15,374 --> 00:17:15,595

Marc Preston: It was.

482

00:17:15,776 --> 00:17:16,037

Marc Preston: It was.

483

00:17:16,138 --> 00:17:17,766

Marc Preston: It happened to be on that same trip.

484

00:17:17,826 --> 00:17:18,550

Marc Preston: It was really neat.

485

00:17:19,032 --> 00:17:20,739

Marc Preston: So you had to and my father had already

486

00:17:20,799 --> 00:17:22,285

Marc Preston: passed as she was asking some questions.

487

00:17:22,345 --> 00:17:23,550

Marc Preston: It was, it's a nice connection.

488

00:17:23,750 --> 00:17:25,975

Marc Preston: She's got a family and she's a couple of

489

00:17:26,015 --> 00:17:27,699

Marc Preston: years younger than me but she didn't

490

00:17:27,739 --> 00:17:29,671

Marc Preston: understand how the connection happened And

491

00:17:29,691 --> 00:17:29,954

Marc Preston: I put that.

492

00:17:30,055 --> 00:17:31,550

Marc Preston: I put that one together like that for us,

493

00:17:31,590 --> 00:17:32,996

Marc Preston: so I kind of helped solve a little mystery

494

00:17:33,056 --> 00:17:36,035

Marc Preston: for her And my, my kids.

495

00:17:36,075 --> 00:17:38,379

Marc Preston: So my kids were very like that's wild,

496

00:17:38,399 --> 00:17:40,042

Marc Preston: because that wouldn't expect that was going

497

00:17:40,062 --> 00:17:40,943

Marc Preston: to be part of my family.

498

00:17:42,814 --> 00:17:44,420

Melissa O�Neil: So he had a secret family.

499

00:17:44,691 --> 00:17:47,147

Marc Preston: Well, no, he had a secret interlude that

500

00:17:47,167 --> 00:17:52,058

Marc Preston: rendered Oh my God, and the lady and I got

501

00:17:52,098 --> 00:17:52,841

Marc Preston: blessed, her she's.

502

00:17:52,881 --> 00:17:54,547

Marc Preston: She's like listen, my father, you know he

503

00:17:54,567 --> 00:17:56,993

Marc Preston: still believes that's his child, and I mean

504

00:17:57,093 --> 00:17:58,315

Marc Preston: he, she didn't have the heart to break it

505

00:17:58,355 --> 00:17:58,636

Marc Preston: to him.

506

00:17:58,676 --> 00:18:00,800

Marc Preston: So it's a, it's a little thing, but it's.

507

00:18:01,100 --> 00:18:03,224

Marc Preston: You know that 23 and me, i'm going man, the

508

00:18:03,284 --> 00:18:04,707

Marc Preston: other stuff people must have found out

509

00:18:04,747 --> 00:18:06,550

Marc Preston: about by going through this thing.

510

00:18:07,171 --> 00:18:09,396

Marc Preston: Speaking of siblings, did you, did you,

511

00:18:09,436 --> 00:18:11,300

Marc Preston: grow up with any, or are you an only kid

512

00:18:11,681 --> 00:18:12,202

Marc Preston: that you know of?

513

00:18:12,570 --> 00:18:13,032

Marc Preston: I'm just kidding.

514

00:18:13,052 --> 00:18:13,634

Melissa O�Neil: I'm totally joking.

515

00:18:15,471 --> 00:18:19,697

Melissa O�Neil: No, i have an incredible younger brother.

516

00:18:19,777 --> 00:18:23,723

Melissa O�Neil: He's eight years my junior and he is he's

517

00:18:23,763 --> 00:18:26,152

Melissa O�Neil: just an exceptional young man And it's been

518

00:18:26,212 --> 00:18:28,900

Melissa O�Neil: really cool because they left home when I

519

00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,514

Melissa O�Neil: was young, so he was eight when I left home

520

00:18:32,255 --> 00:18:36,062

Melissa O�Neil: and getting to know him as an adult has

521

00:18:36,102 --> 00:18:37,204

Melissa O�Neil: been so cool.

522

00:18:37,550 --> 00:18:42,220

Melissa O�Neil: Like I would choose him as a friend even if

523

00:18:42,300 --> 00:18:46,075

Melissa O�Neil: we weren't siblings And he was out in

524

00:18:46,135 --> 00:18:49,441

Melissa O�Neil: November to visit and it really solidified

525

00:18:49,541 --> 00:18:51,344

Melissa O�Neil: our friendship, our friendship and our bond,

526

00:18:51,550 --> 00:18:52,742

Melissa O�Neil: and we visited like three different

527

00:18:52,803 --> 00:18:53,530

Melissa O�Neil: national parks.

528

00:18:54,031 --> 00:18:55,655

Melissa O�Neil: He stayed with me for about three weeks and

529

00:18:55,675 --> 00:18:57,861

Melissa O�Neil: we just had such a blast together.

530

00:18:58,831 --> 00:19:00,721

Melissa O�Neil: And on my recent hiatus we went down to

531

00:19:00,761 --> 00:19:01,545

Melissa O�Neil: Peru together.

532

00:19:01,826 --> 00:19:02,530

Melissa O�Neil: His name's Colin.

533

00:19:03,934 --> 00:19:05,238

Marc Preston: I've always wanted to go down to Peru.

534

00:19:05,258 --> 00:19:06,140

Melissa O�Neil: Oh, you should go.

535

00:19:06,590 --> 00:19:08,214

Marc Preston: South America is so interesting.

536

00:19:08,274 --> 00:19:09,297

Marc Preston: I've always went travel there.

537

00:19:09,357 --> 00:19:11,141

Marc Preston: But what does he do?

538

00:19:11,570 --> 00:19:13,155

Marc Preston: Is he still in Canada, or did he move down

539

00:19:13,175 --> 00:19:13,637

Marc Preston: here as well?

540

00:19:14,750 --> 00:19:17,314

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, he's in Calgary, he works in an

541

00:19:17,474 --> 00:19:20,959

Melissa O�Neil: ophthalmology clinic and he basically runs

542

00:19:21,019 --> 00:19:24,724

Melissa O�Neil: these tests in the back that determine what

543

00:19:24,785 --> 00:19:27,609

Melissa O�Neil: type of difficulty someone is struggling

544

00:19:27,649 --> 00:19:28,550

Melissa O�Neil: with With their eyesight.

545

00:19:29,413 --> 00:19:32,483

Melissa O�Neil: And it was so fun listening to him talk

546

00:19:32,503 --> 00:19:33,928

Melissa O�Neil: about his job because I said, what do you

547

00:19:33,968 --> 00:19:36,186

Melissa O�Neil: find most interesting, like, what lights

548

00:19:36,227 --> 00:19:36,550

Melissa O�Neil: you up about it?

549

00:19:37,291 --> 00:19:40,015

Melissa O�Neil: And he was talking about how he learned he

550

00:19:40,055 --> 00:19:42,960

Melissa O�Neil: was learning how to be like sensitive and

551

00:19:43,561 --> 00:19:46,585

Melissa O�Neil: graceful and patient, because these elderly

552

00:19:46,646 --> 00:19:48,028

Melissa O�Neil: people would come in and get tested for

553

00:19:48,128 --> 00:19:50,376

Melissa O�Neil: glaucoma And it's like a beef test, so you

554

00:19:50,416 --> 00:19:51,845

Melissa O�Neil: see something and you got to press the

555

00:19:51,886 --> 00:19:53,459

Melissa O�Neil: button when you see it And there's a

556

00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:54,530

Melissa O�Neil: particular cadence for the beefs.

557

00:19:55,712 --> 00:19:58,016

Melissa O�Neil: But sometimes people will come in and

558

00:19:58,036 --> 00:20:00,120

Melissa O�Neil: they're in total denial about the loss of

559

00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,645

Melissa O�Neil: their vision and they'll just like press

560

00:20:02,665 --> 00:20:04,608

Melissa O�Neil: the button really rapidly because they're

561

00:20:04,628 --> 00:20:05,530

Melissa O�Neil: like I'll catch it at some point.

562

00:20:06,591 --> 00:20:09,094

Melissa O�Neil: And then my brother has had to and he says

563

00:20:09,134 --> 00:20:10,976

Melissa O�Neil: it happens rather frequently and he'll.

564

00:20:11,637 --> 00:20:14,440

Melissa O�Neil: He's talking about how he really finds joy

565

00:20:14,700 --> 00:20:18,504

Melissa O�Neil: in finding creative, loving and kind ways

566

00:20:18,624 --> 00:20:22,248

Melissa O�Neil: to explain to someone what to do without

567

00:20:22,329 --> 00:20:23,310

Melissa O�Neil: saying, hey, you're lying and you know, do

568

00:20:23,330 --> 00:20:26,020

Melissa O�Neil: the test, you know.

569

00:20:26,281 --> 00:20:27,807

Marc Preston: So I just think it's empathetic.

570

00:20:31,133 --> 00:20:32,054

Melissa O�Neil: He is he is.

571

00:20:39,505 --> 00:20:41,287

Marc Preston: Has any of your other family made it down

572

00:20:41,468 --> 00:20:44,272

Marc Preston: to the US, or are they all still in Calgary?

573

00:20:46,300 --> 00:20:47,385

Melissa O�Neil: Everyone is still in Alberta.

574

00:20:47,900 --> 00:20:49,145

Melissa O�Neil: It would be nice to see my dad.

575

00:20:49,185 --> 00:20:49,767

Melissa O�Neil: I haven't seen him.

576

00:20:50,220 --> 00:20:52,266

Melissa O�Neil: I haven't seen my mom or my dad since

577

00:20:52,367 --> 00:20:53,671

Melissa O�Neil: before the lockdown.

578

00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:54,503

Marc Preston: Oh my God, really.

579

00:20:56,523 --> 00:20:58,369

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, you know it's been.

580

00:20:58,820 --> 00:21:00,805

Marc Preston: Well, thank goodness for Skype and stuff

581

00:21:00,845 --> 00:21:02,971

Marc Preston: like that, or Zoom or whatever have you?

582

00:21:03,620 --> 00:21:05,888

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, yeah, it's been really nice.

583

00:21:06,380 --> 00:21:08,246

Melissa O�Neil: I mean, I certainly could have during the

584

00:21:08,287 --> 00:21:11,798

Melissa O�Neil: hiatus, but I really took our COVID

585

00:21:11,918 --> 00:21:14,247

Melissa O�Neil: compliance protocol quite seriously during

586

00:21:14,287 --> 00:21:17,198

Melissa O�Neil: work and I just couldn't bear the thought

587

00:21:17,239 --> 00:21:18,664

Melissa O�Neil: of being the person that like shut the

588

00:21:18,704 --> 00:21:22,544

Melissa O�Neil: whole thing down And so I, you know, even

589

00:21:22,564 --> 00:21:24,869

Melissa O�Neil: during Christmas, like I just stayed in my

590

00:21:24,929 --> 00:21:28,545

Melissa O�Neil: little LA house and didn't go anywhere.

591

00:21:30,144 --> 00:21:32,291

Marc Preston: And I feel for you, because I mean for you

592

00:21:32,351 --> 00:21:33,354

Marc Preston: Christmas time.

593

00:21:33,896 --> 00:21:35,621

Marc Preston: Growing up has to be vastly different, you

594

00:21:35,641 --> 00:21:35,782

Marc Preston: know.

595

00:21:35,802 --> 00:21:38,729

Marc Preston: Just, you have snow, you know, and here you

596

00:21:38,909 --> 00:21:39,611

Marc Preston: are Yeah.

597

00:21:40,421 --> 00:21:42,366

Marc Preston: But did y'all have those like COVID

598

00:21:42,507 --> 00:21:44,894

Marc Preston: marshals or those people on set that you

599

00:21:44,914 --> 00:21:46,097

Marc Preston: know were like cracking whips?

600

00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:48,644

Announcer: Yeah, i was speaking with somebody

601

00:21:48,664 --> 00:21:49,848

Announcer: yesterday who said they had people had

602

00:21:49,948 --> 00:21:51,011

Announcer: vests on that either.

603

00:21:51,260 --> 00:21:52,524

Marc Preston: You know kind of policing things.

604

00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,045

Marc Preston: But as far as, what do your folks do up

605

00:21:56,086 --> 00:21:57,550

Marc Preston: there, your mom and dad?

606

00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:01,580

Melissa O�Neil: My mom works for the corporate company They

607

00:22:01,681 --> 00:22:05,690

Melissa O�Neil: sell like really big blinds to different

608

00:22:05,730 --> 00:22:08,346

Melissa O�Neil: like buildings, and my dad is an insurance

609

00:22:08,406 --> 00:22:10,094

Melissa O�Neil: adjuster and he also has a really

610

00:22:10,134 --> 00:22:12,483

Melissa O�Neil: interesting lens on his profession because

611

00:22:12,524 --> 00:22:15,955

Melissa O�Neil: he's usually the first person that people

612

00:22:16,015 --> 00:22:18,442

Melissa O�Neil: who are in crisis and dealing with like

613

00:22:18,603 --> 00:22:20,306

Melissa O�Neil: loss of their stuff, especially when like

614

00:22:20,386 --> 00:22:22,471

Melissa O�Neil: floods and stuff happen or, yeah,

615

00:22:22,491 --> 00:22:23,333

Melissa O�Neil: environmental issues.

616

00:22:23,761 --> 00:22:24,322

Marc Preston: Oh, I was.

617

00:22:24,563 --> 00:22:27,189

Marc Preston: I was there almost a year ago Exactly.

618

00:22:27,229 --> 00:22:27,429

Marc Preston: This is.

619

00:22:27,750 --> 00:22:28,813

Marc Preston: this is a new studio here.

620

00:22:29,121 --> 00:22:31,540

Marc Preston: I'm in New Orleans, in Hurricane Ida, My

621

00:22:31,580 --> 00:22:33,788

Marc Preston: whole ceiling and my place came down

622

00:22:33,848 --> 00:22:36,136

Marc Preston: everywhere and it was just like nuts.

623

00:22:36,758 --> 00:22:39,609

Marc Preston: Oh, my God, and it sat there for like two,

624

00:22:39,689 --> 00:22:41,757

Marc Preston: three weeks and people are realized with no

625

00:22:41,877 --> 00:22:42,359

Marc Preston: AC.

626

00:22:42,499 --> 00:22:45,145

Marc Preston: when you have that, you walk in and mold is

627

00:22:45,205 --> 00:22:47,950

Marc Preston: like it's like kind of walk in and going

628

00:22:47,970 --> 00:22:50,683

Marc Preston: yep, making the call to state farm, you

629

00:22:50,703 --> 00:22:52,127

Marc Preston: know, it's like oh, my God.

630

00:22:53,762 --> 00:22:54,644

Marc Preston: But I was.

631

00:22:54,785 --> 00:22:57,191

Marc Preston: I lived in the Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville

632

00:22:57,232 --> 00:23:00,340

Marc Preston: Resort in Biloxi, mississippi, for almost a

633

00:23:00,381 --> 00:23:02,503

Marc Preston: month which was kind of cool, my golden

634

00:23:02,523 --> 00:23:03,226

Marc Preston: retriever loved it.

635

00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:04,603

Melissa O�Neil: That is a long time.

636

00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:07,803

Marc Preston: But the kids liked it also.

637

00:23:07,883 --> 00:23:10,169

Marc Preston: But kind of going back a little bit more in

638

00:23:10,209 --> 00:23:12,101

Marc Preston: high school, what were you up to Was this

639

00:23:12,121 --> 00:23:13,545

Marc Preston: was acting or singing or any kind of

640

00:23:13,585 --> 00:23:17,644

Marc Preston: performance on the radar, Or were you more

641

00:23:17,664 --> 00:23:19,649

Marc Preston: of a sporty kind of a kid, or what was

642

00:23:19,690 --> 00:23:20,151

Marc Preston: going on then?

643

00:23:20,701 --> 00:23:23,549

Melissa O�Neil: I was your average overachiever Renaissance

644

00:23:23,630 --> 00:23:24,111

Melissa O�Neil: person.

645

00:23:24,220 --> 00:23:26,708

Melissa O�Neil: I was like on the rugby basketball.

646

00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,327

Marc Preston: Overachiever Renaissance person.

647

00:23:29,781 --> 00:23:32,530

Marc Preston: I've got to use that as my own definition.

648

00:23:32,740 --> 00:23:34,806

Melissa O�Neil: Not just overachiever, your average

649

00:23:34,966 --> 00:23:35,769

Melissa O�Neil: overachiever.

650

00:23:35,869 --> 00:23:38,085

Melissa O�Neil: Okay, because there's lots of us.

651

00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,827

Melissa O�Neil: So, yeah, i was like doing basketball and

652

00:23:42,548 --> 00:23:44,612

Melissa O�Neil: rugby and trap You did.

653

00:23:45,741 --> 00:23:47,284

Marc Preston: They have girls rugby in Canada.

654

00:23:47,665 --> 00:23:48,808

Melissa O�Neil: Really, yeah, i am.

655

00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:51,644

Marc Preston: I'm very fascinated by that.

656

00:23:52,180 --> 00:23:55,505

Marc Preston: So no pads or anything, y'all are just

657

00:23:55,565 --> 00:23:56,388

Marc Preston: running into each other.

658

00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:57,523

Melissa O�Neil: They're like me, pads.

659

00:23:59,348 --> 00:24:00,171

Marc Preston: I need to go to Canada.

660

00:24:00,380 --> 00:24:01,506

Marc Preston: Y'all got stuff going on up there.

661

00:24:01,580 --> 00:24:03,085

Marc Preston: I'm like I don't think they do that here,

662

00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:05,743

Marc Preston: but I'm sorry to catch off there, but I

663

00:24:05,783 --> 00:24:08,167

Marc Preston: just heard rugby, but that's great, so

664

00:24:08,187 --> 00:24:08,608

Marc Preston: basketball.

665

00:24:08,628 --> 00:24:10,491

Marc Preston: They do other things down here, yeah, yeah.

666

00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,209

Melissa O�Neil: And yeah, i was definitely into singing.

667

00:24:15,460 --> 00:24:17,621

Melissa O�Neil: I did vocal jazz and stuff, but I was

668

00:24:17,701 --> 00:24:20,540

Melissa O�Neil: always like scratching in the basement Like

669

00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:22,047

Melissa O�Neil: I would get upset and I would go downstairs

670

00:24:22,087 --> 00:24:24,920

Melissa O�Neil: and I would sing along to Jackie Velasquez.

671

00:24:26,586 --> 00:24:27,128

Marc Preston: What was that word?

672

00:24:27,148 --> 00:24:28,462

Marc Preston: again, you were always what in the basement.

673

00:24:28,763 --> 00:24:31,409

Melissa O�Neil: Scratching, scratching, just like screaming,

674

00:24:31,429 --> 00:24:32,271

Melissa O�Neil: oh okay.

675

00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:34,470

Melissa O�Neil: My parents always thought I was just like

676

00:24:34,490 --> 00:24:35,096

Melissa O�Neil: screaming in the basement.

677

00:24:35,116 --> 00:24:35,560

Melissa O�Neil: But I was like singing.

678

00:24:35,981 --> 00:24:38,408

Melissa O�Neil: If I was feeling a lot that day, i would

679

00:24:38,428 --> 00:24:41,260

Melissa O�Neil: just go into the basement, i would sing And

680

00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:42,746

Melissa O�Neil: I kind of like snuck into a couple of

681

00:24:42,786 --> 00:24:46,126

Melissa O�Neil: talent shows And then that's kind of how

682

00:24:46,547 --> 00:24:48,941

Melissa O�Neil: auditioning for Idol came around, but that

683

00:24:48,981 --> 00:24:52,631

Melissa O�Neil: kind of unfolded into what's happening now.

684

00:24:52,900 --> 00:24:54,085

Marc Preston: What were you listening to in high school?

685

00:24:55,002 --> 00:24:55,785

Marc Preston: What was your jam?

686

00:24:56,500 --> 00:24:58,888

Melissa O�Neil: There were three albums I had on repeat all

687

00:24:58,908 --> 00:24:59,290

Melissa O�Neil: the time.

688

00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:02,830

Melissa O�Neil: I was listening to Robin Bumpy Ride amazing

689

00:25:02,970 --> 00:25:03,251

Melissa O�Neil: album.

690

00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:05,628

Melissa O�Neil: I was listening to Aliyah AJ Nothin' Butta

691

00:25:05,688 --> 00:25:08,146

Melissa O�Neil: Number, so that really informed a lot of my

692

00:25:08,186 --> 00:25:09,089

Melissa O�Neil: music taste now.

693

00:25:10,020 --> 00:25:11,587

Melissa O�Neil: And then I was listening to Jackie

694

00:25:11,627 --> 00:25:13,695

Melissa O�Neil: Velasquez, who was this really amazing

695

00:25:13,977 --> 00:25:18,206

Melissa O�Neil: Latin Christian singer And I just loved her

696

00:25:18,266 --> 00:25:18,628

Melissa O�Neil: voice.

697

00:25:19,620 --> 00:25:21,667

Melissa O�Neil: And then my mom had a cassette tape of Les

698

00:25:21,707 --> 00:25:23,825

Melissa O�Neil: Mis And so it was really oh yeah.

699

00:25:24,100 --> 00:25:25,885

Melissa O�Neil: And then we watched Jesus Christ Superstar

700

00:25:25,946 --> 00:25:26,949

Melissa O�Neil: almost every Easter.

701

00:25:27,089 --> 00:25:27,209

Marc Preston: Really.

702

00:25:29,043 --> 00:25:31,029

Melissa O�Neil: And so when I eventually did those two

703

00:25:31,069 --> 00:25:34,259

Melissa O�Neil: Broadway shows, that's kind of like the

704

00:25:34,299 --> 00:25:37,205

Melissa O�Neil: transition into screen, because I had

705

00:25:37,225 --> 00:25:39,650

Melissa O�Neil: already done Les Mis in Canada and then

706

00:25:39,731 --> 00:25:43,326

Melissa O�Neil: also on Broadway, and then I was doing JCS.

707

00:25:43,827 --> 00:25:45,772

Melissa O�Neil: And oh no, flip it the other way around.

708

00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,120

Melissa O�Neil: I did JCS And then I was doing Les Mis And

709

00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,511

Melissa O�Neil: I was so like poor and hungry.

710

00:25:52,620 --> 00:25:54,605

Melissa O�Neil: I was living in East Harlem and you're

711

00:25:54,645 --> 00:25:56,510

Melissa O�Neil: working on Broadway and you think you're

712

00:25:56,530 --> 00:25:59,084

Melissa O�Neil: doing good and you're just so skinny

713

00:25:59,285 --> 00:26:02,002

Melissa O�Neil: because you're hungry And you're always

714

00:26:02,062 --> 00:26:05,366

Melissa O�Neil: going to the laundromat And I was so over

715

00:26:05,466 --> 00:26:08,967

Melissa O�Neil: it Like I really just it was the first time

716

00:26:09,327 --> 00:26:11,552

Melissa O�Neil: people talk about the power of intention

717

00:26:12,273 --> 00:26:14,367

Melissa O�Neil: and being clear about what you want in life,

718

00:26:14,820 --> 00:26:16,224

Melissa O�Neil: and a lot of the time I feel very.

719

00:26:17,226 --> 00:26:18,991

Melissa O�Neil: I feel like the winds are kind of pushing

720

00:26:19,031 --> 00:26:21,104

Melissa O�Neil: at my back, moving me around to where I'm

721

00:26:21,125 --> 00:26:23,762

Melissa O�Neil: supposed to go, and it was the first time

722

00:26:23,782 --> 00:26:25,566

Melissa O�Neil: when I was in New York that I was just like

723

00:26:26,629 --> 00:26:28,172

Melissa O�Neil: I'm done not having money.

724

00:26:28,620 --> 00:26:30,681

Marc Preston: I don't like going to the laundromat, it's

725

00:26:30,701 --> 00:26:32,186

Marc Preston: not nice to have that clarity, though, when

726

00:26:32,206 --> 00:26:36,680

Marc Preston: you are going, okay, this chapter needs to

727

00:26:36,721 --> 00:26:38,085

Marc Preston: close and there's something else.

728

00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:40,905

Marc Preston: Because, sometimes that's, i think that's

729

00:26:40,945 --> 00:26:41,868

Marc Preston: the hardest thing to do.

730

00:26:42,340 --> 00:26:44,066

Marc Preston: It's like so many choices, what do you make?

731

00:26:45,161 --> 00:26:47,767

Marc Preston: And then what Sanford Meisner says act

732

00:26:47,848 --> 00:26:49,632

Marc Preston: before you think your instincts are more

733

00:26:49,792 --> 00:26:50,722

Marc Preston: honest than your thoughts.

734

00:26:51,700 --> 00:26:53,745

Marc Preston: In life you got to listen to your instincts,

735

00:26:53,825 --> 00:26:54,547

Marc Preston: i think as well.

736

00:26:56,900 --> 00:26:59,270

Marc Preston: I think I saw it into meditation and you're

737

00:26:59,290 --> 00:27:01,500

Marc Preston: kind of like you know, i don't know how to

738

00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,844

Marc Preston: kind of roll that up into a lifestyle, but

739

00:27:04,686 --> 00:27:08,012

Marc Preston: you're a little more the word is escaping

740

00:27:08,052 --> 00:27:10,727

Marc Preston: me now But is that a big part of your life?

741

00:27:11,140 --> 00:27:14,347

Marc Preston: Is that the meditation or the kind of that

742

00:27:14,387 --> 00:27:16,952

Marc Preston: kind of self-learning thing?

743

00:27:17,252 --> 00:27:21,149

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, i think it's like the most important

744

00:27:21,310 --> 00:27:21,510

Melissa O�Neil: thing.

745

00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,408

Melissa O�Neil: It's like why we're here to do some

746

00:27:24,468 --> 00:27:26,413

Melissa O�Neil: remembering, but it requires a lot of

747

00:27:27,255 --> 00:27:30,004

Melissa O�Neil: uncovering to get to the heart of what's

748

00:27:30,045 --> 00:27:30,487

Melissa O�Neil: going on.

749

00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:35,629

Melissa O�Neil: But as it relates to acting, i mean the

750

00:27:35,689 --> 00:27:37,793

Melissa O�Neil: more that you're able to fully live your

751

00:27:37,873 --> 00:27:40,164

Melissa O�Neil: life and by that I mean be present for

752

00:27:40,204 --> 00:27:43,151

Melissa O�Neil: what's happening around you and also within

753

00:27:43,231 --> 00:27:46,447

Melissa O�Neil: you, the more I believe one is able to

754

00:27:46,507 --> 00:27:49,977

Melissa O�Neil: bring to a character, the more fully

755

00:27:50,118 --> 00:27:51,944

Melissa O�Neil: capable you are of embodying your life,

756

00:27:52,064 --> 00:27:54,954

Melissa O�Neil: including when you are avoiding yourself or

757

00:27:55,034 --> 00:27:58,403

Melissa O�Neil: experiencing emotions that maybe aren't as

758

00:27:58,803 --> 00:28:04,273

Melissa O�Neil: pleasant or kosher and neatly wrapped up.

759

00:28:05,260 --> 00:28:07,404

Melissa O�Neil: The more capable you are of being present

760

00:28:07,464 --> 00:28:11,873

Melissa O�Neil: for the totality of your experience, the

761

00:28:11,933 --> 00:28:16,108

Melissa O�Neil: more honestly you can represent a person

762

00:28:16,288 --> 00:28:18,981

Melissa O�Neil: whose shoes you're stepping into, and so

763

00:28:19,923 --> 00:28:21,647

Melissa O�Neil: it's not so much a function of my

764

00:28:21,747 --> 00:28:23,751

Melissa O�Neil: profession that led me to that space.

765

00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,229

Melissa O�Neil: However, it is because of the abundance

766

00:28:27,330 --> 00:28:29,959

Melissa O�Neil: that I receive through my profession that

767

00:28:29,979 --> 00:28:35,248

Melissa O�Neil: I'm able to devote as much time to these

768

00:28:35,348 --> 00:28:38,392

Melissa O�Neil: practices that I feel help me be a better

769

00:28:38,573 --> 00:28:42,805

Melissa O�Neil: human being, and personally, i feel more

770

00:28:42,925 --> 00:28:45,731

Melissa O�Neil: equipped to approach my work in a way that

771

00:28:45,811 --> 00:28:49,246

Melissa O�Neil: makes me feel like I'm being honest.

772

00:28:51,223 --> 00:28:52,827

Marc Preston: Yeah, nobody wants to feel like a faker

773

00:28:52,907 --> 00:28:53,569

Marc Preston: when they are.

774

00:28:53,829 --> 00:28:55,461

Marc Preston: You know, you're playing characters like,

775

00:28:56,603 --> 00:28:58,647

Marc Preston: and in a way, when you're doing that, i

776

00:28:59,710 --> 00:29:01,433

Marc Preston: teach voiceover and one of the things I

777

00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:01,861

Marc Preston: tell people.

778

00:29:01,881 --> 00:29:03,546

Marc Preston: It's like a flow, it's a vibe, you know,

779

00:29:03,566 --> 00:29:05,381

Marc Preston: and it just comes out of you and you're not

780

00:29:05,401 --> 00:29:07,458

Marc Preston: trying to do anything And I think that it's

781

00:29:07,547 --> 00:29:08,375

Marc Preston: funny you say that.

782

00:29:08,464 --> 00:29:10,860

Marc Preston: I think that the gig kind of makes you do a

783

00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,806

Marc Preston: little bit of evaluation in other ways that

784

00:29:14,227 --> 00:29:16,271

Marc Preston: benefit you in your own life, outside of

785

00:29:16,291 --> 00:29:19,345

Marc Preston: work, I think, especially in this industry.

786

00:29:19,545 --> 00:29:21,410

Marc Preston: You know now you said you were in New York

787

00:29:21,651 --> 00:29:23,263

Marc Preston: on Broadway, which I think everybody thinks

788

00:29:23,283 --> 00:29:23,925

Marc Preston: that's a pinnacle.

789

00:29:23,945 --> 00:29:26,443

Marc Preston: You're on Broadway, but what was a

790

00:29:26,523 --> 00:29:28,370

Marc Preston: lifestyle like living there?

791

00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:29,705

Marc Preston: You know you mentioned the laundry.

792

00:29:31,081 --> 00:29:33,570

Marc Preston: What's a lifestyle like as far as doing the?

793

00:29:34,494 --> 00:29:36,200

Marc Preston: you know doing the shows, and how many days

794

00:29:36,340 --> 00:29:40,131

Marc Preston: a week and how much personal time do you

795

00:29:40,171 --> 00:29:40,251

Marc Preston: have?

796

00:29:40,420 --> 00:29:41,785

Marc Preston: What's it like if you're on an active

797

00:29:41,885 --> 00:29:42,708

Marc Preston: Broadway production?

798

00:29:43,602 --> 00:29:45,368

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, you're doing age shows a week.

799

00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:47,544

Melissa O�Neil: You don't have a personal life.

800

00:29:49,409 --> 00:29:50,332

Melissa O�Neil: It's kind of impossible.

801

00:29:50,500 --> 00:29:52,044

Melissa O�Neil: I mean you can have a personal life and

802

00:29:52,085 --> 00:29:52,566

Melissa O�Neil: it's very.

803

00:29:52,907 --> 00:29:54,861

Melissa O�Neil: It's quite the juggling act And I really

804

00:29:54,921 --> 00:29:57,546

Melissa O�Neil: bow to people who are working on Broadway

805

00:29:57,587 --> 00:29:59,370

Melissa O�Neil: and have like a family and everything,

806

00:30:00,940 --> 00:30:03,065

Melissa O�Neil: because it's a really arduous schedule and

807

00:30:03,146 --> 00:30:05,231

Melissa O�Neil: you have to, especially if you're singing,

808

00:30:05,740 --> 00:30:09,851

Melissa O�Neil: you have to live saintly because your vocal

809

00:30:09,912 --> 00:30:13,301

Melissa O�Neil: cords are I mean, you know they're such a

810

00:30:13,501 --> 00:30:16,046

Melissa O�Neil: tender part of the body and you cannot

811

00:30:16,326 --> 00:30:19,392

Melissa O�Neil: abuse them if you want them to perform at,

812

00:30:20,174 --> 00:30:25,643

Melissa O�Neil: you know, near Olympian feats And like JCS

813

00:30:25,683 --> 00:30:28,009

Melissa O�Neil: and Les Mis not for everybody but for a

814

00:30:28,069 --> 00:30:30,382

Melissa O�Neil: great deal of the company, like it's their

815

00:30:30,502 --> 00:30:31,486

Melissa O�Neil: rock operas.

816

00:30:32,140 --> 00:30:34,547

Melissa O�Neil: You're doing a lot with your voice and

817

00:30:34,627 --> 00:30:35,831

Melissa O�Neil: you're feeling a lot.

818

00:30:36,140 --> 00:30:38,788

Melissa O�Neil: So most of the time the schedule is really

819

00:30:38,828 --> 00:30:41,917

Melissa O�Neil: like go to work, sleep, sleep while you're

820

00:30:41,937 --> 00:30:44,483

Melissa O�Neil: there on double show days, go home, try to

821

00:30:44,523 --> 00:30:46,748

Melissa O�Neil: get in a workout, try to remember to eat.

822

00:30:49,516 --> 00:30:52,704

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, you're commuting a lot but I love it.

823

00:30:52,924 --> 00:30:54,348

Melissa O�Neil: I love the bustle in New York.

824

00:30:54,455 --> 00:30:57,256

Melissa O�Neil: I feel a lot of resonance with The

825

00:30:57,457 --> 00:30:59,522

Melissa O�Neil: concentration of people who are on their

826

00:30:59,562 --> 00:31:01,727

Melissa O�Neil: way and I feel like maybe not as much

827

00:31:01,787 --> 00:31:03,179

Melissa O�Neil: anymore, but I feel like there used to be

828

00:31:03,219 --> 00:31:05,740

Melissa O�Neil: this like New York We get a bad rap about

829

00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,837

Melissa O�Neil: people being crusty, but it's not actually

830

00:31:07,918 --> 00:31:08,359

Melissa O�Neil: like that.

831

00:31:08,439 --> 00:31:11,245

Melissa O�Neil: If you take the time to say hello and like

832

00:31:11,285 --> 00:31:13,657

Melissa O�Neil: make eye contact with somebody, everyone

833

00:31:13,697 --> 00:31:14,701

Melissa O�Neil: I've never had an issue.

834

00:31:14,781 --> 00:31:16,628

Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, I don't know why people think that.

835

00:31:16,668 --> 00:31:17,390

Marc Preston: I think people are just.

836

00:31:17,832 --> 00:31:19,478

Marc Preston: I think people are a little bit more honest

837

00:31:19,538 --> 00:31:22,537

Marc Preston: and right now I'm from the south and You

838

00:31:22,577 --> 00:31:24,242

Marc Preston: know, whenever it says oh, somebody says oh,

839

00:31:24,302 --> 00:31:26,077

Marc Preston: dear, bless your heart, they're not

840

00:31:26,317 --> 00:31:28,202

Marc Preston: technically saying something nice you know,

841

00:31:28,302 --> 00:31:28,422

Marc Preston: it's.

842

00:31:28,623 --> 00:31:29,806

Marc Preston: They're kind of like saying you're a

843

00:31:29,886 --> 00:31:32,078

Marc Preston: dumbass aren't you No that's kind of the

844

00:31:32,700 --> 00:31:34,324

Marc Preston: thing which in New York, people are.

845

00:31:34,344 --> 00:31:35,847

Marc Preston: Just they'll say what's on their mind.

846

00:31:35,975 --> 00:31:37,382

Marc Preston: I appreciate we actually I was supposed to

847

00:31:37,422 --> 00:31:38,044

Marc Preston: move up there.

848

00:31:38,727 --> 00:31:40,475

Marc Preston: I remember September 12th 2001.

849

00:31:40,555 --> 00:31:42,058

Marc Preston: We're supposed to move into a place called

850

00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,325

Marc Preston: Liberty Plaza in battery park and my

851

00:31:45,345 --> 00:31:46,908

Marc Preston: ex-wife and I were we're gonna move in

852

00:31:46,928 --> 00:31:48,949

Marc Preston: there and clearly Everything happened.

853

00:31:49,083 --> 00:31:51,226

Marc Preston: That happened September 11th and went up

854

00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:52,302

Marc Preston: there a month later.

855

00:31:52,302 --> 00:31:54,765

Marc Preston: I was like I was so amped about moving to

856

00:31:54,865 --> 00:31:57,128

Marc Preston: New York as gonna work doing part-time at a

857

00:31:57,168 --> 00:31:58,931

Marc Preston: radio station, do voiceover and hopefully

858

00:31:59,091 --> 00:31:59,251

Marc Preston: act.

859

00:31:59,331 --> 00:32:01,644

Marc Preston: And And then I was like, yeah, this for a

860

00:32:01,704 --> 00:32:02,288

Marc Preston: new married couple.

861

00:32:02,328 --> 00:32:03,695

Marc Preston: This is not ever, you know.

862

00:32:04,802 --> 00:32:06,432

Marc Preston: You know it's a little more rough of an

863

00:32:06,513 --> 00:32:08,780

Marc Preston: atmosphere, but I can tell that when

864

00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:10,303

Marc Preston: everything calmed down, it would just be a

865

00:32:10,364 --> 00:32:11,747

Marc Preston: pretty magical place to live.

866

00:32:11,887 --> 00:32:14,119

Marc Preston: If, especially if, you're in your early 20s,

867

00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:16,286

Marc Preston: i think that's an amazing time to live in

868

00:32:16,326 --> 00:32:16,646

Marc Preston: New York.

869

00:32:18,157 --> 00:32:21,380

Marc Preston: But Making the transition to California was

870

00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,665

Marc Preston: that there's that based on you going I want

871

00:32:23,705 --> 00:32:26,419

Marc Preston: to do on camera Or you were you just kind

872

00:32:26,439 --> 00:32:27,682

Marc Preston: of like I want to do something different?

873

00:32:27,702 --> 00:32:29,387

Marc Preston: How did how did you make that that?

874

00:32:29,996 --> 00:32:30,739

Marc Preston: Was it for a gig?

875

00:32:30,819 --> 00:32:32,104

Marc Preston: How'd you make the move to LA?

876

00:32:32,717 --> 00:32:34,302

Melissa O�Neil: Well, coming to LA wasn't my first

877

00:32:34,383 --> 00:32:35,085

Melissa O�Neil: on-camera job.

878

00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:40,659

Melissa O�Neil: I was in New York when that happened and My

879

00:32:40,860 --> 00:32:43,434

Melissa O�Neil: dear agent, who's like two months younger

880

00:32:43,454 --> 00:32:44,960

Melissa O�Neil: than me He had just taken over the film and

881

00:32:44,980 --> 00:32:47,238

Melissa O�Neil: television department And I'd been with the

882

00:32:47,338 --> 00:32:49,503

Melissa O�Neil: agency for several years and he was kind of

883

00:32:49,543 --> 00:32:51,327

Melissa O�Neil: like why hasn't, why isn't Melissa

884

00:32:51,388 --> 00:32:52,470

Melissa O�Neil: auditioning for television?

885

00:32:52,616 --> 00:32:55,308

Melissa O�Neil: And he randomly sent me an email to which I

886

00:32:55,368 --> 00:32:56,674

Melissa O�Neil: replied who is this?

887

00:32:56,694 --> 00:32:58,579

Melissa O�Neil: I, i don't know.

888

00:32:58,599 --> 00:33:00,242

Melissa O�Neil: When people do those like blind emails,

889

00:33:00,302 --> 00:33:01,845

Melissa O�Neil: it's like it's nice to you know, make

890

00:33:01,886 --> 00:33:02,407

Melissa O�Neil: introductions.

891

00:33:02,988 --> 00:33:05,840

Melissa O�Neil: In any case, those first two auditions he

892

00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:07,967

Melissa O�Neil: sent me, i screen tested for both of them

893

00:33:08,007 --> 00:33:10,534

Melissa O�Neil: and when I booked and that brought me back

894

00:33:10,574 --> 00:33:13,624

Melissa O�Neil: to Canada where I filmed three years on

895

00:33:13,664 --> 00:33:16,320

Melissa O�Neil: this Wicked show that I love so much called

896

00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,622

Melissa O�Neil: dark matter, or just in sci-fi, sci-fi land

897

00:33:20,663 --> 00:33:23,780

Melissa O�Neil: in space, kicking ass and And.

898

00:33:24,423 --> 00:33:26,270

Melissa O�Neil: And then when that closed out, there was

899

00:33:26,290 --> 00:33:28,357

Melissa O�Neil: like a summer where I was doing, you know,

900

00:33:28,377 --> 00:33:30,565

Melissa O�Neil: i was guest starring on different shows and

901

00:33:30,896 --> 00:33:33,578

Melissa O�Neil: During the run of dark matter, the man who,

902

00:33:33,879 --> 00:33:36,107

Melissa O�Neil: adam, who became my manager down here, he

903

00:33:36,147 --> 00:33:37,833

Melissa O�Neil: had been reaching out and he was like you

904

00:33:37,853 --> 00:33:39,137

Melissa O�Neil: should come to LA, i would love to

905

00:33:39,178 --> 00:33:39,800

Melissa O�Neil: represent you.

906

00:33:39,860 --> 00:33:42,540

Melissa O�Neil: And I was like I Was very clear with him, i

907

00:33:42,580 --> 00:33:45,291

Melissa O�Neil: had no interest in like moving to LA to try

908

00:33:45,331 --> 00:33:48,318

Melissa O�Neil: to make a go of it, like that's not in my

909

00:33:48,359 --> 00:33:48,719

Melissa O�Neil: blood.

910

00:33:48,940 --> 00:33:51,865

Melissa O�Neil: If if I book a job, i won't, i will move,

911

00:33:51,925 --> 00:33:54,049

Melissa O�Neil: but I'm not going to completely relocate to

912

00:33:54,089 --> 00:33:55,880

Melissa O�Neil: the states to like try to make it happen.

913

00:33:56,663 --> 00:34:00,581

Melissa O�Neil: And There was this pilot that came on his

914

00:34:00,621 --> 00:34:02,505

Melissa O�Neil: desk and it was for the rookie and he was

915

00:34:02,686 --> 00:34:03,367

Melissa O�Neil: raving about it.

916

00:34:03,415 --> 00:34:05,264

Melissa O�Neil: He thought it was incredible and it was the

917

00:34:05,344 --> 00:34:05,907

Melissa O�Neil: first time.

918

00:34:06,329 --> 00:34:08,582

Melissa O�Neil: I had just lost my grandmother and so I was

919

00:34:08,743 --> 00:34:11,758

Melissa O�Neil: in Calgary visiting my family and It was

920

00:34:11,798 --> 00:34:13,822

Melissa O�Neil: the first time that I actually involved my

921

00:34:13,882 --> 00:34:16,387

Melissa O�Neil: entire family in the process of doing a

922

00:34:16,468 --> 00:34:18,962

Melissa O�Neil: self-tape, like I think my brother read

923

00:34:18,982 --> 00:34:19,384

Melissa O�Neil: with me.

924

00:34:20,116 --> 00:34:22,541

Melissa O�Neil: My mom reviewed the takes, my dad looked at

925

00:34:22,562 --> 00:34:24,967

Melissa O�Neil: the tags and you know they didn't really

926

00:34:25,007 --> 00:34:26,537

Melissa O�Neil: know what they were commenting on, but

927

00:34:26,557 --> 00:34:28,663

Melissa O�Neil: they're like it looks great, i guess, and I

928

00:34:28,704 --> 00:34:29,386

Melissa O�Neil: sent it off.

929

00:34:29,887 --> 00:34:33,749

Melissa O�Neil: And Shortly thereafter, when I was in New

930

00:34:33,789 --> 00:34:36,399

Melissa O�Neil: York visiting with a friend, i got a call

931

00:34:36,460 --> 00:34:38,526

Melissa O�Neil: to head out to LA to do a chemistry test,

932

00:34:38,767 --> 00:34:42,939

Melissa O�Neil: and so I booked the rookie And then I lived

933

00:34:42,979 --> 00:34:45,687

Melissa O�Neil: in an Airbnb for like a little while when

934

00:34:45,727 --> 00:34:48,399

Melissa O�Neil: we Shot the pilot, and then that first

935

00:34:48,439 --> 00:34:51,505

Melissa O�Neil: season, and then I made the move down here

936

00:34:51,585 --> 00:34:53,489

Melissa O�Neil: properly in the second season.

937

00:34:54,177 --> 00:34:55,281

Marc Preston: Yeah, what was it like, though?

938

00:34:55,301 --> 00:34:57,228

Marc Preston: because you knew, came on, you know you had

939

00:34:57,308 --> 00:34:58,452

Marc Preston: a relation, your character had a

940

00:34:58,492 --> 00:34:59,976

Marc Preston: relationship with Nathan Fillian's

941

00:34:59,996 --> 00:35:01,700

Marc Preston: character, but he's also technically the

942

00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:02,482

Marc Preston: boss, or whatever.

943

00:35:02,522 --> 00:35:05,448

Marc Preston: You know, and this is your first big US

944

00:35:05,528 --> 00:35:05,749

Marc Preston: show.

945

00:35:06,476 --> 00:35:07,519

Marc Preston: What was that is it?

946

00:35:07,580 --> 00:35:09,164

Marc Preston: was that a little bit heady for you?

947

00:35:09,225 --> 00:35:09,566

Marc Preston: was that?

948

00:35:10,577 --> 00:35:13,217

Marc Preston: Were there a lot of nerves or What?

949

00:35:13,237 --> 00:35:18,678

Melissa O�Neil: was it like No, i mean, well, let's see.

950

00:35:18,778 --> 00:35:22,845

Melissa O�Neil: So in my audition, which I was well prepped

951

00:35:22,905 --> 00:35:26,823

Melissa O�Neil: for, i, i completely was blanking on the

952

00:35:26,883 --> 00:35:30,050

Melissa O�Neil: entire content of my, my side of the scene

953

00:35:30,872 --> 00:35:34,900

Melissa O�Neil: in this chemistry test and I was cold and I

954

00:35:34,940 --> 00:35:39,616

Melissa O�Neil: was tired and I just lost my grandma and In

955

00:35:39,636 --> 00:35:42,502

Melissa O�Neil: the middle of that, in the room filled with

956

00:35:42,582 --> 00:35:45,087

Melissa O�Neil: execs like ABC, all of the EPs, the

957

00:35:45,147 --> 00:35:48,622

Melissa O�Neil: showrunner, i I was like I got up to some

958

00:35:48,642 --> 00:35:51,741

Melissa O�Neil: squats and And I could tell everyone was

959

00:35:51,781 --> 00:35:55,114

Melissa O�Neil: like And I pop some squats, i pop some

960

00:35:55,134 --> 00:35:56,899

Melissa O�Neil: squats, i got some blood flowing and then I

961

00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,367

Melissa O�Neil: killed it in the next version of the scene

962

00:36:00,407 --> 00:36:00,788

Melissa O�Neil: that we did.

963

00:36:03,256 --> 00:36:05,343

Melissa O�Neil: This is what I'm talking about with regards

964

00:36:05,443 --> 00:36:07,309

Melissa O�Neil: to what we were discussing a little while

965

00:36:07,349 --> 00:36:07,570

Melissa O�Neil: ago.

966

00:36:07,690 --> 00:36:09,336

Melissa O�Neil: As far as I've been able to be with your

967

00:36:09,376 --> 00:36:12,620

Melissa O�Neil: experience, honor the truth of it and keep

968

00:36:12,661 --> 00:36:18,939

Melissa O�Neil: going, and I can't say that Like, listen, i

969

00:36:18,959 --> 00:36:20,281

Melissa O�Neil: think Nathan is a very handsome and

970

00:36:20,321 --> 00:36:20,942

Melissa O�Neil: charming man.

971

00:36:21,463 --> 00:36:21,643

Melissa O�Neil: Does.

972

00:36:21,924 --> 00:36:24,328

Melissa O�Neil: Does his capacity as an executive producer,

973

00:36:24,428 --> 00:36:25,910

Melissa O�Neil: as my boss, make me nervous now?

974

00:36:27,459 --> 00:36:29,145

Melissa O�Neil: And it wouldn't no matter who it was,

975

00:36:29,246 --> 00:36:30,451

Melissa O�Neil: because at the end of the day, these are

976

00:36:30,511 --> 00:36:31,133

Melissa O�Neil: human beings.

977

00:36:31,153 --> 00:36:32,961

Melissa O�Neil: The same way, i'm a human being with my

978

00:36:33,202 --> 00:36:36,538

Melissa O�Neil: human experience, and If there's like any

979