Melissa O'Neil | The Zen of a Rookie
This week on the Story and Craft Podcast, we had the pleasure of chatting with the talented actor, Melissa O'Neil, who plays Officer Lucy Chen on the ABC Television show The Rookie. We talked about everything from her Canadian Idol win at just 17 years old to her experiences on Broadway and her journey from Calgary to Toronto to New York and Los Angeles.
We explored Melissa's family heritage and how she's reclaiming her mother's roots while connecting with her father's hidden family. Along the way, we discussed everything from the power of intention to self-learning and meditation, and how these practices have helped her approach her work in an honest and authentic way.
Finally, we discussed the challenges of juggling a Broadway schedule and how to take care of your voice while performing, as well as Melissa's passion for wellness and teaching others the knowledge she’s acquired. Don't miss this engaging and entertaining conversation with Melissa O'Neil!
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
0:08:30 - Ensemble Work and Self-Pressure
0:23:39 - Talent Shows and Hobbies
0:30:53 - Perceptions of New York City
0:36:27 - Claiming your space in the industry
0:40:00 - An actor's reference for a comfortable work environment
0:45:42 - Rebel autonomy coming of age story
0:55:35 - Vibratory Stones and Sacred Objects
1:01:24 - Enthusiasm about working on an LA-based show
Listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Also, check out the show and sign up for the newsletter at www.storyandcraftpod.com.
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#podcast #interview #MelissaOneil #Actor #TheRookie #TheRookieABC #ABC #ABCNetwork #CanadianIdol #DarkMatter #DarkMatterSeries #SYFY #Intention #Meditation #Wellness #acting #actorslife #storyandcraft #voiceover #voiceactor #voiceovercoach #volife
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Speaker:
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.
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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
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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
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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
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Melissa O�Neil: got a call to audition for a stage
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Melissa O�Neil: production that ended up running for quite
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Melissa O�Neil: a while.
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Melissa O�Neil: We did the North American Premier of Turdy
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Melissa O�Neil: dancing and I think they were having a hard
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Melissa O�Neil: time finding like a pop singer, And so
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Melissa O�Neil: that's how I landed on to that show and I
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Melissa O�Neil: really loved working in an ensemble group.
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Melissa O�Neil: It was exciting to be doing something
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Melissa O�Neil: creative with my voice, not needing to be
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Melissa O�Neil: the centerpiece especially as like a young
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Melissa O�Neil: person who wasn't terribly comfortable in
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Melissa O�Neil: their body And to also have the opportunity
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Melissa O�Neil: to really work with people who had a
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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
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Melissa O�Neil: post-secondary, I was out of high school at
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00:10:34,777 --> 00:10:38,431
Melissa O�Neil: a very young age and then working, And it
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00:10:38,491 --> 00:10:42,698
Melissa O�Neil: was really educational and inspiring to be
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00:10:42,738 --> 00:10:44,000
Melissa O�Neil: around people who had gone to
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00:10:44,020 --> 00:10:46,424
Melissa O�Neil: post-secondary for acting, for dancing, for
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Melissa O�Neil: singing.
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Melissa O�Neil: They were so knowledgeable and I learned a
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00:10:50,275 --> 00:10:55,084
Melissa O�Neil: lot during the eight, ten years, Wow.
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00:10:55,550 --> 00:10:57,095
Marc Preston: Wow, it's kind of a big maturing phase.
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Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, it really was.
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Marc Preston: I can't imagine being that age, being on
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Marc Preston: your own touring.
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Marc Preston: Is it like American Idol where after the
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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.
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00:11:09,304 --> 00:11:10,226
Marc Preston: Is that kind of how it works?
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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.
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Melissa O�Neil: But I mean, do you remember the summer, the
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Melissa O�Neil: two months of your summer, when you were 17?
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Marc Preston: Yes.
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Melissa O�Neil: It's a really like brief.
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Melissa O�Neil: Oh well, that sounds like it must have been
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00:11:29,199 --> 00:11:29,740
Melissa O�Neil: a really good summer.
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Melissa O�Neil: That I'm very curious to hear about that.
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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.
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Marc Preston: No, it's funny because my focus was on work.
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Marc Preston: I was talking with my daughter, the one who
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Marc Preston: wants to go off to college somewhere else
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Marc Preston: And I said you know, one of the regrets I
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Marc Preston: had in school was that I didn't focus as
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Marc Preston: much on the fun and the social.
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Marc Preston: I was focused on where I wanted to go, and
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Marc Preston: that's you know so weekends.
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Marc Preston: I was working on the radio and I was just
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Marc Preston: so focused on work I forgot to stop and be
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Marc Preston: 17 or 18, you know.
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Marc Preston: I'm making up for it now I guess.
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Marc Preston: But yeah, that is, that's pretty young, to
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Marc Preston: be kind of out there on your own and
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Marc Preston: touring out And your family the only one
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Marc Preston: who sings or does something theatrical or
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Marc Preston: acts, or do you come from a family of
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Marc Preston: performers?
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Melissa O�Neil: I mean they perform in their own way, but I
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Melissa O�Neil: wouldn't say that they do it professionally
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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
00:12:26,461 --> 00:12:28,145
Melissa O�Neil: just like waiting for me to have some type
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00:12:28,245 --> 00:12:29,327
Melissa O�Neil: of backup plan.
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Melissa O�Neil: But you know it's over.
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Melissa O�Neil: Like I was, you know I got into it.
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Melissa O�Neil: I think I auditioned when I was still 16, i
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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.
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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.
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Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, when I auditioned.
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Melissa O�Neil: yeah, So it's been a long time.
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Marc Preston: Well, i was enamored.
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00:12:50,872 --> 00:12:53,047
Marc Preston: I caught a video your mother's from Hong
362
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Marc Preston: Kong, correct?
363
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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
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00:13:00,168 --> 00:13:02,478
Marc Preston: stuff He had manufactured in Hong Kong.
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Marc Preston: I was back when Made in China had kind of a
368
00:13:05,017 --> 00:13:06,040
Marc Preston: negative connotation.
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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
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Marc Preston: You know every every time you went to Hong.
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Marc Preston: Kong.
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Marc Preston: I always have wanted to travel there and
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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.
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00:13:18,550 --> 00:13:20,473
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.
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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
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Marc Preston: your mother over the years?
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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.
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00:13:55,643 --> 00:13:55,864
Marc Preston: Really.
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00:13:56,570 --> 00:13:59,475
Melissa O�Neil: And so, yeah, it's been a process of
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00:13:59,616 --> 00:14:02,240
Melissa O�Neil: reclamation to reconnect with my heritage,
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00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:06,739
Melissa O�Neil: and it's happened, incidentally, And you
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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
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00:14:12,580 --> 00:14:14,547
Melissa O�Neil: heritage month, we're like, well, let's
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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
00:15:00,632 --> 00:15:04,259
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?
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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
00:36:36,598 --> 00:36:40,007
Melissa O�Neil: takeaway for me that I would share in this
980
00:36:40,067 --> 00:36:43,425
Melissa O�Neil: space, for anyone who's listening, is that
981
00:36:43,947 --> 00:36:44,288
Melissa O�Neil: those.
982
00:36:44,850 --> 00:36:46,517
Melissa O�Neil: Any time you get to a certain level, it's
983
00:36:46,538 --> 00:36:48,055
Melissa O�Neil: like everybody in the room wants you to win.
984
00:36:48,597 --> 00:36:50,687
Melissa O�Neil: They don't have you in there to like waste
985
00:36:50,747 --> 00:36:52,415
Melissa O�Neil: your time, waste their time.
986
00:36:52,956 --> 00:36:54,820
Melissa O�Neil: They want you to win, and so the important
987
00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:56,824
Melissa O�Neil: thing is to claim that space.
988
00:36:56,985 --> 00:36:59,677
Melissa O�Neil: Do whatever you need to do to feel That you
989
00:36:59,817 --> 00:37:01,881
Melissa O�Neil: are at your best, including popping some
990
00:37:01,921 --> 00:37:04,566
Melissa O�Neil: squats, if that's what you need to do in a
991
00:37:04,646 --> 00:37:08,465
Melissa O�Neil: room filled with strangers and And and get
992
00:37:08,526 --> 00:37:10,075
Melissa O�Neil: there, like just get there.
993
00:37:10,796 --> 00:37:13,382
Melissa O�Neil: So no, and you know it certainly doesn't
994
00:37:13,462 --> 00:37:15,907
Melissa O�Neil: hurt that they're all exceptionally kind
995
00:37:16,007 --> 00:37:16,788
Melissa O�Neil: human beings.
996
00:37:16,909 --> 00:37:21,084
Melissa O�Neil: You know, i didn't ever feel strange and I
997
00:37:21,445 --> 00:37:23,169
Melissa O�Neil: I believe that that's equal parts the
998
00:37:23,230 --> 00:37:25,235
Melissa O�Neil: frequency that you come into a space with
999
00:37:25,255 --> 00:37:27,383
Melissa O�Neil: as Well as how you're being received.
Speaker:
00:37:28,356 --> 00:37:30,602
Melissa O�Neil: But to allow a bunch of strangers,
Speaker:
00:37:30,702 --> 00:37:32,427
Melissa O�Neil: regardless of their status, to kind of
Speaker:
00:37:34,016 --> 00:37:38,623
Melissa O�Neil: Impact your Central channel, i think, is
Speaker:
00:37:39,124 --> 00:37:40,006
Melissa O�Neil: giving up power.
Speaker:
00:37:40,107 --> 00:37:42,453
Melissa O�Neil: That you need it, do you know, especially
Speaker:
00:37:42,573 --> 00:37:44,379
Melissa O�Neil: in an industry That needs to be
Speaker:
00:37:44,439 --> 00:37:45,182
Melissa O�Neil: self-propelled.
Speaker:
00:37:45,543 --> 00:37:48,938
Marc Preston: I mean that's Maturity that has to have
Speaker:
00:37:48,958 --> 00:37:49,900
Marc Preston: come through just doing it.
Speaker:
00:37:49,980 --> 00:37:51,163
Marc Preston: What you're I mean, like you said, going
Speaker:
00:37:51,184 --> 00:37:52,447
Marc Preston: back to when you're on Broadway or anything,
Speaker:
00:37:54,076 --> 00:37:55,499
Marc Preston: even Canadian Idol and all that.
Speaker:
00:37:55,540 --> 00:37:57,625
Marc Preston: I mean that that was obviously by then
Speaker:
00:37:57,645 --> 00:38:00,180
Marc Preston: you're looking at, this is a job, but it's
Speaker:
00:38:00,220 --> 00:38:00,923
Marc Preston: a big deal.
Speaker:
00:38:01,023 --> 00:38:03,092
Marc Preston: A big network series, especially when going
Speaker:
00:38:03,132 --> 00:38:04,503
Marc Preston: into season five, that's that's.
Speaker:
00:38:04,629 --> 00:38:06,511
Marc Preston: You know, that's the, that's the dream,
Speaker:
00:38:06,638 --> 00:38:08,522
Marc Preston: right there, especially when you have like
Speaker:
00:38:08,648 --> 00:38:10,050
Marc Preston: well, how many episodes do you all shoot a
Speaker:
00:38:10,090 --> 00:38:10,831
Marc Preston: season roughly?
Speaker:
00:38:11,516 --> 00:38:14,445
Melissa O�Neil: Well, i think it was like 18 and then 20,
Speaker:
00:38:14,525 --> 00:38:16,752
Melissa O�Neil: and then COVID was like 14 and then and
Speaker:
00:38:16,772 --> 00:38:19,238
Melissa O�Neil: then back to 20, i think, i think, i think
Speaker:
00:38:19,479 --> 00:38:21,683
Melissa O�Neil: yeah, cuz that's because now I was speaking
Speaker:
00:38:21,704 --> 00:38:23,287
Melissa O�Neil: with someone yesterday who they're doing
Speaker:
00:38:23,327 --> 00:38:25,180
Melissa O�Neil: something for one of the streamers and.
Speaker:
00:38:25,976 --> 00:38:27,419
Marc Preston: That's 8 to 10 episodes.
Speaker:
00:38:27,479 --> 00:38:29,463
Marc Preston: So you know it's it's a little different of
Speaker:
00:38:29,603 --> 00:38:30,946
Marc Preston: a paradigm.
Speaker:
00:38:31,006 --> 00:38:32,229
Marc Preston: I mean, it's a different commitment.
Speaker:
00:38:33,999 --> 00:38:36,064
Marc Preston: Is it pretty rigorous doing a show that
Speaker:
00:38:36,084 --> 00:38:37,596
Marc Preston: many episodes in a season We met?
Speaker:
00:38:37,636 --> 00:38:38,981
Marc Preston: you know you mentioned the COVID thing, but
Speaker:
00:38:39,021 --> 00:38:41,280
Marc Preston: outside of COVID, what's, what's the
Speaker:
00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:42,446
Marc Preston: workflow like for you?
Speaker:
00:38:42,466 --> 00:38:44,175
Marc Preston: Are you working every, every day?
Speaker:
00:38:44,879 --> 00:38:47,133
Melissa O�Neil: I mean, i think in the first couple of
Speaker:
00:38:47,193 --> 00:38:49,260
Melissa O�Neil: seasons It it felt a little bit more
Speaker:
00:38:49,340 --> 00:38:52,369
Melissa O�Neil: consistent because our our core group of
Speaker:
00:38:52,489 --> 00:38:55,898
Melissa O�Neil: characters was a smaller group and As the
Speaker:
00:38:55,959 --> 00:38:57,925
Melissa O�Neil: seasons have gone on and we've added more
Speaker:
00:38:58,006 --> 00:39:00,635
Melissa O�Neil: characters that are central to the story
Speaker:
00:39:00,996 --> 00:39:03,869
Melissa O�Neil: And we have more regulars, it really has
Speaker:
00:39:03,929 --> 00:39:05,937
Melissa O�Neil: turned into an ensemble show And so
Speaker:
00:39:06,418 --> 00:39:08,866
Melissa O�Neil: sometimes, like, let's say, the episode is
Speaker:
00:39:09,026 --> 00:39:10,611
Melissa O�Neil: heavily featuring your character, then,
Speaker:
00:39:10,651 --> 00:39:13,703
Melissa O�Neil: yeah, you might be in for Every day that
Speaker:
00:39:13,784 --> 00:39:14,045
Melissa O�Neil: week.
Speaker:
00:39:14,428 --> 00:39:15,495
Melissa O�Neil: Are you gonna be in top to bottom?
Speaker:
00:39:15,957 --> 00:39:18,026
Melissa O�Neil: It's not likely, but you might be in every
Speaker:
00:39:18,066 --> 00:39:19,873
Melissa O�Neil: day and then, if you're light on the
Speaker:
00:39:19,933 --> 00:39:22,704
Melissa O�Neil: episode, you might work anywhere from three
Speaker:
00:39:22,745 --> 00:39:24,993
Melissa O�Neil: days on that episode, five days on that
Speaker:
00:39:25,054 --> 00:39:25,395
Melissa O�Neil: episode.
Speaker:
00:39:25,956 --> 00:39:29,145
Melissa O�Neil: So it's been really neat to see the
Speaker:
00:39:29,345 --> 00:39:31,852
Melissa O�Neil: evolution of the show, not only in what
Speaker:
00:39:31,932 --> 00:39:33,998
Melissa O�Neil: ends up being the end product, but also
Speaker:
00:39:34,079 --> 00:39:37,579
Melissa O�Neil: with what Seems to me to be like this
Speaker:
00:39:37,659 --> 00:39:39,423
Melissa O�Neil: evolution of a work-life balance.
Speaker:
00:39:39,523 --> 00:39:42,917
Melissa O�Neil: That is such an incredible luxury.
Speaker:
00:39:42,998 --> 00:39:46,102
Melissa O�Neil: You know And I think that comes from
Speaker:
00:39:46,162 --> 00:39:48,943
Melissa O�Neil: top-down Nathan's been doing this for a
Speaker:
00:39:49,003 --> 00:39:51,454
Melissa O�Neil: long time and he wants to have a balanced
Speaker:
00:39:51,474 --> 00:39:53,442
Melissa O�Neil: experience And so, because that's being
Speaker:
00:39:53,573 --> 00:39:55,922
Melissa O�Neil: spoken about and discussed, it kind of
Speaker:
00:39:56,053 --> 00:39:58,564
Melissa O�Neil: trickles down to the rest of us as well,
Speaker:
00:39:58,644 --> 00:39:59,968
Melissa O�Neil: which is like such a gift.
Speaker:
00:40:00,268 --> 00:40:01,451
Marc Preston: Yeah, i heard him in another interview and
Speaker:
00:40:01,551 --> 00:40:02,233
Marc Preston: once again we got a.
Speaker:
00:40:02,333 --> 00:40:02,955
Marc Preston: I gotta do some.
Speaker:
00:40:03,055 --> 00:40:05,702
Marc Preston: I would love to talk with him, but it were
Speaker:
00:40:05,722 --> 00:40:06,524
Marc Preston: a lot of sets.
Speaker:
00:40:06,685 --> 00:40:09,299
Marc Preston: I think he I'm paraphrasing a little bit I
Speaker:
00:40:09,339 --> 00:40:11,548
Marc Preston: think I think any actor who's done this for
Speaker:
00:40:11,568 --> 00:40:12,652
Marc Preston: a while has been on some gnarly
Speaker:
00:40:12,893 --> 00:40:15,619
Marc Preston: uncomfortable, see, you know, situations.
Speaker:
00:40:16,222 --> 00:40:17,410
Marc Preston: But I think he wanted to kind of the
Speaker:
00:40:17,450 --> 00:40:18,155
Marc Preston: antithesis of that.
Speaker:
00:40:18,235 --> 00:40:19,398
Marc Preston: I think he wanted this to be kind of more,
Speaker:
00:40:19,759 --> 00:40:21,944
Marc Preston: you know, professional, chill people with
Speaker:
00:40:21,964 --> 00:40:23,408
Marc Preston: bad vibes, don't you know?
Speaker:
00:40:23,475 --> 00:40:24,946
Marc Preston: It's not part of the ecosystem that he
Speaker:
00:40:25,006 --> 00:40:25,329
Marc Preston: wants.
Speaker:
00:40:25,470 --> 00:40:28,281
Marc Preston: And you know, and I, it seems like being
Speaker:
00:40:28,341 --> 00:40:30,869
Marc Preston: able to go to work and it's cool, cool
Speaker:
00:40:30,929 --> 00:40:33,721
Marc Preston: situation in and a great show And then
Speaker:
00:40:33,741 --> 00:40:35,091
Marc Preston: being able to drive right back home.
Speaker:
00:40:35,433 --> 00:40:36,156
Marc Preston: You know You're not.
Speaker:
00:40:36,256 --> 00:40:37,800
Marc Preston: This is not like where you're staying at a
Speaker:
00:40:37,860 --> 00:40:40,065
Marc Preston: hotel and some, you know remote location
Speaker:
00:40:40,126 --> 00:40:40,446
Marc Preston: shooting.
Speaker:
00:40:40,526 --> 00:40:41,108
Marc Preston: You know a film.
Speaker:
00:40:42,438 --> 00:40:43,469
Marc Preston: What's that like to be able to just go
Speaker:
00:40:43,509 --> 00:40:44,536
Marc Preston: right back home Is it?
Speaker:
00:40:44,997 --> 00:40:46,660
Marc Preston: is it something you prefer?
Speaker:
00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:48,063
Marc Preston: or do you kind of want to get out?
Speaker:
00:40:48,123 --> 00:40:50,448
Marc Preston: and you know, do films and beyond location
Speaker:
00:40:50,488 --> 00:40:51,249
Marc Preston: and stuff like that?
Speaker:
00:40:51,777 --> 00:40:56,998
Melissa O�Neil: you know, i think my My attitude towards it
Speaker:
00:40:57,098 --> 00:40:59,643
Melissa O�Neil: is similar to the feeling I have in an
Speaker:
00:40:59,724 --> 00:41:02,670
Melissa O�Neil: audition space, which is like there is a.
Speaker:
00:41:04,717 --> 00:41:06,288
Melissa O�Neil: This is an interesting topic for me.
Speaker:
00:41:06,892 --> 00:41:09,204
Melissa O�Neil: On one hand, i have a very deep trust that
Speaker:
00:41:09,264 --> 00:41:12,520
Melissa O�Neil: what is for me is for me and that if This
Speaker:
00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:14,650
Melissa O�Neil: is the experience I'm having, then there's
Speaker:
00:41:14,710 --> 00:41:16,417
Melissa O�Neil: lots to glean from it, and I try not to
Speaker:
00:41:16,477 --> 00:41:19,266
Melissa O�Neil: spend too much time going oh, but it's not
Speaker:
00:41:19,346 --> 00:41:20,870
Melissa O�Neil: this and it's not that.
Speaker:
00:41:21,793 --> 00:41:24,921
Melissa O�Neil: And at the same time, i am coming around to
Speaker:
00:41:24,981 --> 00:41:27,627
Melissa O�Neil: understanding that there's a lot of value
Speaker:
00:41:27,948 --> 00:41:30,802
Melissa O�Neil: in aspiring for something.
Speaker:
00:41:31,585 --> 00:41:34,501
Melissa O�Neil: And When my thoughts drift into that space,
Speaker:
00:41:34,642 --> 00:41:37,649
Melissa O�Neil: i notice that my aspirations don't exist so
Speaker:
00:41:37,709 --> 00:41:39,914
Melissa O�Neil: much in my professional life as they do in
Speaker:
00:41:42,481 --> 00:41:45,367
Melissa O�Neil: my life off-camera, the experiential aspect
Speaker:
00:41:45,427 --> 00:41:45,648
Melissa O�Neil: of me.
Speaker:
00:41:46,615 --> 00:41:48,380
Melissa O�Neil: Professionally, i don't have aspirations so
Speaker:
00:41:48,420 --> 00:41:50,467
Melissa O�Neil: much of like oh, i'd love to do, like a
Speaker:
00:41:50,667 --> 00:41:53,055
Melissa O�Neil: film that's in Hawaii or something like
Speaker:
00:41:53,075 --> 00:41:53,155
Melissa O�Neil: that.
Speaker:
00:41:53,235 --> 00:41:54,618
Melissa O�Neil: Like that sounds great, but I'm not like
Speaker:
00:41:54,679 --> 00:41:55,480
Melissa O�Neil: pining for it.
Speaker:
00:41:56,042 --> 00:41:58,207
Melissa O�Neil: My professional pinings kind of lean
Speaker:
00:41:58,247 --> 00:42:01,220
Melissa O�Neil: towards Content creation, which I have a
Speaker:
00:42:01,261 --> 00:42:02,826
Melissa O�Neil: hard time pulling the trigger on.
Speaker:
00:42:03,917 --> 00:42:07,246
Melissa O�Neil: So, yeah, i'm sure that would be great,
Speaker:
00:42:07,286 --> 00:42:07,507
Melissa O�Neil: though.
Speaker:
00:42:07,608 --> 00:42:08,512
Melissa O�Neil: I love going home.
Speaker:
00:42:08,612 --> 00:42:09,255
Melissa O�Neil: I love going home.
Speaker:
00:42:09,656 --> 00:42:11,021
Melissa O�Neil: I'm a homebody, i'm a canceran.
Speaker:
00:42:11,042 --> 00:42:11,804
Melissa O�Neil: I like to be at home.
Speaker:
00:42:14,018 --> 00:42:14,680
Marc Preston: Well, i'm learning.
Speaker:
00:42:14,860 --> 00:42:15,502
Marc Preston: I'm an aquarium.
Speaker:
00:42:15,542 --> 00:42:17,106
Marc Preston: I don't know what that means, but I know
Speaker:
00:42:17,167 --> 00:42:19,418
Marc Preston: it's The.
Speaker:
00:42:19,619 --> 00:42:20,081
Marc Preston: Did you so?
Speaker:
00:42:20,181 --> 00:42:20,824
Marc Preston: did you say ooh?
Speaker:
00:42:22,878 --> 00:42:24,543
Marc Preston: Oh, i thought I said it was like oh, you're
Speaker:
00:42:24,583 --> 00:42:25,306
Marc Preston: one of those.
Speaker:
00:42:25,426 --> 00:42:29,500
Marc Preston: No, So, as far as when you say content
Speaker:
00:42:29,540 --> 00:42:31,444
Marc Preston: creation, are you meaning just acting, or
Speaker:
00:42:31,464 --> 00:42:33,408
Marc Preston: are you meaning like do you do other things
Speaker:
00:42:33,528 --> 00:42:34,109
Marc Preston: creatively?
Speaker:
00:42:34,777 --> 00:42:38,000
Marc Preston: What do you do when you're not
Speaker:
00:42:39,096 --> 00:42:40,661
Marc Preston: professionally creating?
Speaker:
00:42:40,701 --> 00:42:42,727
Marc Preston: what do you like to do creation-wise?
Speaker:
00:42:44,637 --> 00:42:46,263
Marc Preston: Me besides making spring rolls, of course.
Speaker:
00:42:49,317 --> 00:42:52,305
Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, well, most of the time I'm reading,
Speaker:
00:42:52,967 --> 00:42:55,093
Melissa O�Neil: and I'm reading about all of the stuff that
Speaker:
00:42:55,133 --> 00:42:55,855
Melissa O�Neil: we've already discussed.
Speaker:
00:42:56,496 --> 00:42:59,102
Melissa O�Neil: I have a hard time with fiction and yet I
Speaker:
00:42:59,242 --> 00:43:02,189
Melissa O�Neil: have a lot of inspiration from my family.
Speaker:
00:43:02,737 --> 00:43:04,867
Melissa O�Neil: You know, not everybody's family life is
Speaker:
00:43:04,928 --> 00:43:09,517
Melissa O�Neil: going to be a good material for Stories,
Speaker:
00:43:09,998 --> 00:43:12,203
Melissa O�Neil: but I there's something in my mother's
Speaker:
00:43:12,243 --> 00:43:14,528
Melissa O�Neil: story in particular that I think would make
Speaker:
00:43:14,889 --> 00:43:17,582
Melissa O�Neil: a phenomenal short film, and it's been
Speaker:
00:43:17,642 --> 00:43:19,999
Melissa O�Neil: something that I've been Percolating with
Speaker:
00:43:20,079 --> 00:43:22,167
Melissa O�Neil: and I have like outlines and I start
Speaker:
00:43:22,228 --> 00:43:23,814
Melissa O�Neil: writing and then I get a little.
Speaker:
00:43:23,834 --> 00:43:26,860
Melissa O�Neil: I Have imposter syndrome when it comes to
Speaker:
00:43:26,900 --> 00:43:29,986
Melissa O�Neil: that space and I understand, or rather I
Speaker:
00:43:30,367 --> 00:43:34,060
Melissa O�Neil: see and am rather intimidated by What
Speaker:
00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:38,057
Melissa O�Neil: appears to me to be like a mountain of a
Speaker:
00:43:38,117 --> 00:43:41,702
Melissa O�Neil: task to not only complete the writing of
Speaker:
00:43:41,762 --> 00:43:44,145
Melissa O�Neil: something but then to step into the shoes
Speaker:
00:43:44,185 --> 00:43:46,928
Melissa O�Neil: of a producer and really like sell your
Speaker:
00:43:47,008 --> 00:43:49,051
Melissa O�Neil: idea to people to make it happen.
Speaker:
00:43:49,495 --> 00:43:52,581
Melissa O�Neil: I think it's, uh, it looks like an
Speaker:
00:43:52,641 --> 00:43:53,763
Melissa O�Neil: incredible gauntlet.
Speaker:
00:43:53,883 --> 00:43:56,728
Melissa O�Neil: The people that do take it to completion,
Speaker:
00:43:57,515 --> 00:43:59,918
Melissa O�Neil: um, and so it's something that I quietly am
Speaker:
00:43:59,938 --> 00:44:02,222
Melissa O�Neil: like gosh, i would, i would love that, i
Speaker:
00:44:02,262 --> 00:44:05,185
Melissa O�Neil: would really like to set out the steps, the
Speaker:
00:44:05,286 --> 00:44:07,669
Melissa O�Neil: small attainable goals to complete
Speaker:
00:44:07,709 --> 00:44:08,550
Melissa O�Neil: something like that.
Speaker:
00:44:09,295 --> 00:44:13,083
Melissa O�Neil: Um, and I hope that as I mature, that I
Speaker:
00:44:13,123 --> 00:44:16,449
Melissa O�Neil: will kind of shed these fears so that I can
Speaker:
00:44:16,489 --> 00:44:19,035
Melissa O�Neil: just get into executing and not thinking
Speaker:
00:44:19,054 --> 00:44:19,255
Melissa O�Neil: about it.
Speaker:
00:44:19,656 --> 00:44:21,081
Marc Preston: It could just be a hobby right now.
Speaker:
00:44:22,064 --> 00:44:23,721
Marc Preston: Yeah, You could get a final draft, put it
Speaker:
00:44:23,801 --> 00:44:26,693
Marc Preston: on your computer or in just just play with
Speaker:
00:44:26,753 --> 00:44:29,099
Marc Preston: it and create, and I think that, um, god, i
Speaker:
00:44:29,119 --> 00:44:32,646
Marc Preston: was reading a, um the books up here uh,
Speaker:
00:44:32,806 --> 00:44:33,688
Marc Preston: save the cat.
Speaker:
00:44:33,828 --> 00:44:36,173
Marc Preston: about screenplay writing uh, not too long.
Speaker:
00:44:36,193 --> 00:44:37,697
Marc Preston: Cause I do that just kind of for fun And I
Speaker:
00:44:37,737 --> 00:44:38,440
Marc Preston: think it's just well.
Speaker:
00:44:38,460 --> 00:44:40,407
Marc Preston: I don't know if I'll ever sell a screenplay,
Speaker:
00:44:40,448 --> 00:44:42,014
Marc Preston: but there's something cathartic about
Speaker:
00:44:42,034 --> 00:44:43,992
Marc Preston: sitting down, you got a story and how does
Speaker:
00:44:44,033 --> 00:44:44,275
Marc Preston: it play out?
Speaker:
00:44:44,819 --> 00:44:46,792
Marc Preston: You know, and I think just about everybody
Speaker:
00:44:46,812 --> 00:44:47,275
Marc Preston: has imposter syndrome.
Speaker:
00:44:48,157 --> 00:44:50,240
Marc Preston: I don't, i think every, i think a vast
Speaker:
00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:52,505
Marc Preston: majority of the people you live around in
Speaker:
00:44:52,625 --> 00:44:54,268
Marc Preston: LA probably have imposter syndrome.
Speaker:
00:44:54,288 --> 00:44:55,590
Marc Preston: But you know even people that are
Speaker:
00:44:55,650 --> 00:44:56,231
Marc Preston: successful.
Speaker:
00:44:56,251 --> 00:44:58,135
Marc Preston: I think that's kind of a component, part of
Speaker:
00:44:58,155 --> 00:44:58,275
Marc Preston: things.
Speaker:
00:44:59,076 --> 00:45:00,418
Marc Preston: I think if you don't have a little bit of
Speaker:
00:45:00,598 --> 00:45:03,462
Marc Preston: like nerves that you know some some things
Speaker:
00:45:03,502 --> 00:45:06,747
Marc Preston: a little off, you know but, um, you know
Speaker:
00:45:06,807 --> 00:45:07,188
Marc Preston: you're.
Speaker:
00:45:07,208 --> 00:45:09,050
Marc Preston: You said your mother's story, she being
Speaker:
00:45:09,090 --> 00:45:11,334
Marc Preston: from Hong Kong, but she left and she didn't
Speaker:
00:45:11,354 --> 00:45:12,255
Marc Preston: really have a chance to kind of.
Speaker:
00:45:14,277 --> 00:45:16,160
Marc Preston: If I am I right in saying she never had a
Speaker:
00:45:16,180 --> 00:45:18,042
Marc Preston: chance to really make that connection to
Speaker:
00:45:18,743 --> 00:45:21,306
Marc Preston: that being her lineage or place or, you
Speaker:
00:45:21,346 --> 00:45:23,528
Marc Preston: know, having traditions and stuff like that,
Speaker:
00:45:23,588 --> 00:45:24,930
Marc Preston: she really didn't absorb a lot of that.
Speaker:
00:45:24,970 --> 00:45:25,631
Marc Preston: Is that what you're saying?
Speaker:
00:45:26,011 --> 00:45:28,100
Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, i mean without getting all the way
Speaker:
00:45:28,140 --> 00:45:28,401
Melissa O�Neil: into it.
Speaker:
00:45:28,441 --> 00:45:32,861
Melissa O�Neil: My mom ran away from home, um and so, and,
Speaker:
00:45:33,082 --> 00:45:34,766
Melissa O�Neil: and where she landed was not with her
Speaker:
00:45:34,806 --> 00:45:37,386
Melissa O�Neil: family And then she ended up, you know,
Speaker:
00:45:37,426 --> 00:45:39,215
Melissa O�Neil: getting pregnant by some white guy and had
Speaker:
00:45:39,235 --> 00:45:39,275
Melissa O�Neil: me.
Speaker:
00:45:40,618 --> 00:45:42,121
Melissa O�Neil: So it's like it's.
Speaker:
00:45:42,281 --> 00:45:44,024
Melissa O�Neil: It's just, it feels like there's a lot of
Speaker:
00:45:44,305 --> 00:45:47,792
Melissa O�Neil: um, topical things, especially with regards
Speaker:
00:45:47,812 --> 00:45:49,275
Melissa O�Neil: to what's happening in the world these days,
Speaker:
00:45:50,257 --> 00:45:53,526
Melissa O�Neil: and, um, yeah, the autonomy of a young
Speaker:
00:45:53,566 --> 00:45:56,272
Melissa O�Neil: woman who is trying to do something brave,
Speaker:
00:45:56,673 --> 00:45:57,275
Melissa O�Neil: albeit rebellious.
Speaker:
00:45:58,664 --> 00:46:00,054
Melissa O�Neil: I just I think it's a really cool coming of
Speaker:
00:46:00,074 --> 00:46:03,480
Melissa O�Neil: age story And it also happens to involve
Speaker:
00:46:04,060 --> 00:46:06,624
Melissa O�Neil: all of the things that I think are, um,
Speaker:
00:46:06,804 --> 00:46:09,809
Melissa O�Neil: that make a good story and, like youth, sex,
Speaker:
00:46:10,189 --> 00:46:12,200
Melissa O�Neil: drugs, love, it's got all of it.
Speaker:
00:46:13,639 --> 00:46:14,972
Marc Preston: I think that'd be wonderful to tell that
Speaker:
00:46:14,992 --> 00:46:17,662
Marc Preston: story, though You, you should, you should
Speaker:
00:46:17,702 --> 00:46:19,859
Marc Preston: put it together, yeah, and that's so cool
Speaker:
00:46:19,899 --> 00:46:21,711
Marc Preston: that it could be something from your family
Speaker:
00:46:21,731 --> 00:46:22,275
Marc Preston: that you get to bring.
Speaker:
00:46:22,918 --> 00:46:23,861
Marc Preston: It's not just something out of your
Speaker:
00:46:23,881 --> 00:46:25,199
Marc Preston: imagination Well, it is out of your
Speaker:
00:46:25,219 --> 00:46:27,648
Marc Preston: imagination, but it's something born of you
Speaker:
00:46:27,669 --> 00:46:28,673
Marc Preston: know your mother's deal, you know, and you
Speaker:
00:46:28,713 --> 00:46:30,718
Marc Preston: get to tell the story, and I think it's
Speaker:
00:46:30,758 --> 00:46:31,560
Marc Preston: pretty fantastic.
Speaker:
00:46:32,161 --> 00:46:37,892
Marc Preston: But that was great.
Speaker:
00:46:39,536 --> 00:46:42,143
Marc Preston: I I one of the things I want to do and I
Speaker:
00:46:42,183 --> 00:46:44,029
Marc Preston: always enjoy doing, is I always have my
Speaker:
00:46:44,109 --> 00:46:44,851
Marc Preston: seven questions.
Speaker:
00:46:44,891 --> 00:46:46,275
Marc Preston: I like to ask It was a kind of wrap up,
Speaker:
00:46:47,103 --> 00:46:48,053
Marc Preston: it's just a little fun additional get to
Speaker:
00:46:48,093 --> 00:46:50,402
Marc Preston: know you, uh, and the first question I
Speaker:
00:46:50,422 --> 00:46:52,630
Marc Preston: always ask is I'm always about the food uh,
Speaker:
00:46:52,690 --> 00:46:54,255
Marc Preston: is what is your favorite comfort food?
Speaker:
00:46:54,836 --> 00:46:57,583
Marc Preston: That thing that it's like and I'm sure
Speaker:
00:46:57,623 --> 00:46:59,335
Marc Preston: you've, you're deeply acquainted with it, i
Speaker:
00:46:59,355 --> 00:47:01,159
Marc Preston: mean COVID, being at home, that thing.
Speaker:
00:47:01,219 --> 00:47:03,845
Marc Preston: It kind of kind of chills you out, brings
Speaker:
00:47:03,865 --> 00:47:05,048
Marc Preston: you back home, makes you feel good.
Speaker:
00:47:05,997 --> 00:47:07,380
Marc Preston: For what is that?
Speaker:
00:47:07,420 --> 00:47:07,720
Marc Preston: I'm sorry.
Speaker:
00:47:08,382 --> 00:47:10,426
Melissa O�Neil: For baby.
Speaker:
00:47:10,567 --> 00:47:12,691
Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, yeah Oh yeah, absolutely.
Speaker:
00:47:13,132 --> 00:47:14,235
Marc Preston: But what do you like in your father?
Speaker:
00:47:15,157 --> 00:47:16,261
Marc Preston: Are you a meatball person?
Speaker:
00:47:16,281 --> 00:47:17,223
Marc Preston: You like the brisket.
Speaker:
00:47:17,865 --> 00:47:20,563
Melissa O�Neil: No, You know, when I was a little kid, I
Speaker:
00:47:20,603 --> 00:47:21,967
Melissa O�Neil: definitely used to eat those like weird
Speaker:
00:47:21,987 --> 00:47:22,890
Melissa O�Neil: beef meatballs, but they're not actually.
Speaker:
00:47:22,910 --> 00:47:24,175
Melissa O�Neil: you know meatballs but they're not actually
Speaker:
00:47:24,195 --> 00:47:24,275
Melissa O�Neil: beef.
Speaker:
00:47:24,636 --> 00:47:26,221
Melissa O�Neil: They're just like this, like mashup of
Speaker:
00:47:26,282 --> 00:47:27,265
Melissa O�Neil: parts, probably.
Speaker:
00:47:28,078 --> 00:47:28,982
Marc Preston: Borderline knows what it is.
Speaker:
00:47:29,042 --> 00:47:29,243
Marc Preston: Yeah.
Speaker:
00:47:29,424 --> 00:47:32,275
Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, but I love a good bone broth.
Speaker:
00:47:32,856 --> 00:47:35,340
Melissa O�Neil: You know I really love a delicious.
Speaker:
00:47:35,460 --> 00:47:39,507
Melissa O�Neil: Actually, my favorite thing at a restaurant
Speaker:
00:47:39,687 --> 00:47:40,949
Melissa O�Neil: are the vermicelli bowls.
Speaker:
00:47:41,355 --> 00:47:43,541
Melissa O�Neil: Like I like a cold noodle salad with like
Speaker:
00:47:43,561 --> 00:47:45,225
Melissa O�Neil: some spring rolls and then maybe like a
Speaker:
00:47:45,265 --> 00:47:45,967
Melissa O�Neil: little bit of chicken.
Speaker:
00:47:46,295 --> 00:47:47,642
Melissa O�Neil: I'm trying not to eat that much meat these
Speaker:
00:47:47,682 --> 00:47:50,878
Melissa O�Neil: days, but that like takes me home, like I'm
Speaker:
00:47:51,019 --> 00:47:53,752
Melissa O�Neil: instantly in Calgary, in the Northeast,
Speaker:
00:47:53,813 --> 00:47:54,275
Melissa O�Neil: going somewhere.
Speaker:
00:47:54,859 --> 00:47:56,792
Melissa O�Neil: Somebody brings my dad a fork and he's like
Speaker:
00:47:56,812 --> 00:47:58,358
Melissa O�Neil: I can use chopsticks, like I can.
Speaker:
00:47:58,458 --> 00:47:59,682
Melissa O�Neil: It's like I'm instantly back there.
Speaker:
00:47:59,742 --> 00:48:02,920
Marc Preston: So yeah, Now on a scale of one to 10, where
Speaker:
00:48:02,940 --> 00:48:03,220
Marc Preston: are you at?
Speaker:
00:48:03,261 --> 00:48:05,266
Melissa O�Neil: on the spiciness, though, I depend on my
Speaker:
00:48:05,327 --> 00:48:05,587
Melissa O�Neil: mood.
Speaker:
00:48:06,109 --> 00:48:07,934
Melissa O�Neil: I can go there, i can go there.
Speaker:
00:48:07,954 --> 00:48:08,074
Marc Preston: Okay.
Speaker:
00:48:08,536 --> 00:48:10,564
Melissa O�Neil: I've ruined other people's fud before
Speaker:
00:48:10,604 --> 00:48:11,789
Melissa O�Neil: because I'm like, oh, you got to try this.
Speaker:
00:48:11,849 --> 00:48:12,632
Melissa O�Neil: And then and they're like try it, and
Speaker:
00:48:12,652 --> 00:48:15,162
Melissa O�Neil: they're like I can't eat this And I learned
Speaker:
00:48:15,203 --> 00:48:17,452
Melissa O�Neil: to not season other people's food anymore.
Speaker:
00:48:17,472 --> 00:48:20,255
Marc Preston: Yeah, I can do that with my kids.
Speaker:
00:48:20,375 --> 00:48:22,042
Marc Preston: You know, their big thing is Samba Ola.
Speaker:
00:48:22,879 --> 00:48:23,886
Announcer: You know, it's kind of like just it's.
Speaker:
00:48:23,986 --> 00:48:25,275
Marc Preston: It shows up in lots of stuff.
Speaker:
00:48:25,836 --> 00:48:27,279
Marc Preston: So we can handle the spice, but I like.
Speaker:
00:48:27,620 --> 00:48:29,244
Marc Preston: I like to broth to be nice and spicy.
Speaker:
00:48:29,504 --> 00:48:30,948
Melissa O�Neil: You know, that's my thing Yum.
Speaker:
00:48:31,275 --> 00:48:32,498
Marc Preston: But you can tell, i haven't had lunch yet
Speaker:
00:48:32,539 --> 00:48:34,063
Marc Preston: today, so I'm talking about free.
Speaker:
00:48:34,163 --> 00:48:36,129
Melissa O�Neil: I know I'm sorry, that's my fault.
Speaker:
00:48:36,390 --> 00:48:38,155
Marc Preston: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that's my
Speaker:
00:48:38,175 --> 00:48:39,861
Marc Preston: fault, I just I'm working like a fiend.
Speaker:
00:48:39,962 --> 00:48:43,341
Marc Preston: You know Now, if you're to sit down like
Speaker:
00:48:43,361 --> 00:48:44,483
Marc Preston: yeah, three people, you're going to be
Speaker:
00:48:44,503 --> 00:48:46,487
Marc Preston: sitting down at a coffee shop and it could
Speaker:
00:48:46,507 --> 00:48:47,977
Marc Preston: be anybody, but you want to have four
Speaker:
00:48:48,037 --> 00:48:49,923
Marc Preston: people, you and three people together, few
Speaker:
00:48:50,023 --> 00:48:51,026
Marc Preston: hours talking story.
Speaker:
00:48:51,516 --> 00:48:54,086
Marc Preston: Who would those three people be living or
Speaker:
00:48:54,126 --> 00:48:54,347
Marc Preston: not?
Speaker:
00:48:55,693 --> 00:48:56,235
Melissa O�Neil: Ron Murphy.
Speaker:
00:48:56,857 --> 00:48:58,263
Melissa O�Neil: He's a director in Canada.
Speaker:
00:48:58,516 --> 00:49:00,989
Melissa O�Neil: He's an exceptional human being as well as
Speaker:
00:49:01,029 --> 00:49:02,275
Melissa O�Neil: a fantastic storyteller.
Speaker:
00:49:03,285 --> 00:49:04,174
Melissa O�Neil: He yeah, he's incredible.
Speaker:
00:49:04,917 --> 00:49:07,784
Melissa O�Neil: So that will only land with some people,
Speaker:
00:49:07,904 --> 00:49:09,969
Melissa O�Neil: but it should land with everybody, because
Speaker:
00:49:09,989 --> 00:49:12,235
Melissa O�Neil: Ron Murphy is an incredibly human being.
Speaker:
00:49:13,262 --> 00:49:15,255
Melissa O�Neil: And then another guy I'm just going to go.
Speaker:
00:49:15,636 --> 00:49:17,243
Melissa O�Neil: It's another person nobody's going to know.
Speaker:
00:49:18,159 --> 00:49:19,183
Melissa O�Neil: His name is Vlad.
Speaker:
00:49:19,776 --> 00:49:23,806
Melissa O�Neil: He lives in Peru and owns this retreat
Speaker:
00:49:23,846 --> 00:49:24,147
Melissa O�Neil: center.
Speaker:
00:49:24,857 --> 00:49:26,682
Melissa O�Neil: And this dude is Czech but has lived in
Speaker:
00:49:26,722 --> 00:49:30,400
Melissa O�Neil: Peru for the last 20 years, and he is a
Speaker:
00:49:30,641 --> 00:49:32,686
Melissa O�Neil: deeply steeped person in psychedelic
Speaker:
00:49:32,706 --> 00:49:35,960
Melissa O�Neil: medicines And he is just a fascinating
Speaker:
00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:39,025
Melissa O�Neil: human being with lots of I don't want to
Speaker:
00:49:39,066 --> 00:49:41,430
Melissa O�Neil: say war stories, but he is a journeyer and
Speaker:
00:49:41,650 --> 00:49:44,275
Melissa O�Neil: he's got some really amazing tales to tell.
Speaker:
00:49:45,138 --> 00:49:46,904
Marc Preston: I've always wanted to meet somebody like
Speaker:
00:49:46,964 --> 00:49:47,185
Marc Preston: that.
Speaker:
00:49:48,159 --> 00:49:49,343
Marc Preston: I was a big like.
Speaker:
00:49:50,287 --> 00:49:51,532
Marc Preston: Anthony Bourdain was kind of my spirit
Speaker:
00:49:51,552 --> 00:49:51,693
Marc Preston: animal.
Speaker:
00:49:51,713 --> 00:49:52,942
Marc Preston: I always loved watching it And I was like
Speaker:
00:49:52,962 --> 00:49:53,325
Marc Preston: that's the job.
Speaker:
00:49:53,386 --> 00:49:56,127
Marc Preston: I want to go meet, go out into the world
Speaker:
00:49:56,168 --> 00:49:57,275
Marc Preston: and meet these random people.
Speaker:
00:49:58,638 --> 00:50:00,501
Marc Preston: Now the next question I got is when you
Speaker:
00:50:00,521 --> 00:50:02,706
Marc Preston: were young, who was your very first
Speaker:
00:50:02,746 --> 00:50:03,547
Marc Preston: celebrity crush?
Speaker:
00:50:05,851 --> 00:50:11,503
Melissa O�Neil: Celebrity crush Gosh.
Speaker:
00:50:11,543 --> 00:50:12,785
Melissa O�Neil: I don't know if I ever had one.
Speaker:
00:50:12,845 --> 00:50:15,870
Melissa O�Neil: If I had one, it was like a cartoon.
Speaker:
00:50:15,890 --> 00:50:18,402
Melissa O�Neil: maybe I'm trying to think of like, the
Speaker:
00:50:18,482 --> 00:50:21,673
Melissa O�Neil: first like, if I ever had that feeling
Speaker:
00:50:21,793 --> 00:50:22,235
Melissa O�Neil: about like.
Speaker:
00:50:22,896 --> 00:50:25,741
Marc Preston: Or maybe the first person or actor or
Speaker:
00:50:25,861 --> 00:50:26,943
Marc Preston: whatever that you just like.
Speaker:
00:50:27,203 --> 00:50:29,026
Marc Preston: You want to start following them, that they,
Speaker:
00:50:29,046 --> 00:50:30,869
Marc Preston: that something resonated with you when you
Speaker:
00:50:30,889 --> 00:50:31,170
Marc Preston: were young.
Speaker:
00:50:31,962 --> 00:50:35,322
Announcer: I've never, Oh no, not literally following
Speaker:
00:50:35,342 --> 00:50:35,462
Announcer: them.
Speaker:
00:50:36,275 --> 00:50:37,282
Melissa O�Neil: Okay, okay, okay.
Speaker:
00:50:37,302 --> 00:50:38,349
Melissa O�Neil: I was at a concert.
Speaker:
00:50:38,369 --> 00:50:40,598
Melissa O�Neil: I'd never felt this before And at this
Speaker:
00:50:40,658 --> 00:50:41,962
Melissa O�Neil: point, you know, because we did comedy and
Speaker:
00:50:42,022 --> 00:50:44,287
Melissa O�Neil: I don't be like met some personalities, you
Speaker:
00:50:44,328 --> 00:50:46,112
Melissa O�Neil: know, and I remember each time people would
Speaker:
00:50:46,132 --> 00:50:47,135
Melissa O�Neil: like freak out and I didn't really have a
Speaker:
00:50:47,155 --> 00:50:47,255
Melissa O�Neil: thing.
Speaker:
00:50:47,737 --> 00:50:50,305
Melissa O�Neil: And then one time I was, i went to a
Speaker:
00:50:50,345 --> 00:50:52,211
Melissa O�Neil: concert and it was a Janet Jackson concert
Speaker:
00:50:52,573 --> 00:50:54,237
Melissa O�Neil: and I was like this is fine, this is cool.
Speaker:
00:50:54,297 --> 00:50:57,384
Melissa O�Neil: And then she walked out on stage and I had
Speaker:
00:50:57,444 --> 00:51:00,110
Melissa O�Neil: that thing that you see, some people have,
Speaker:
00:51:00,411 --> 00:51:01,473
Melissa O�Neil: where they're like they're having a hard
Speaker:
00:51:01,493 --> 00:51:02,980
Melissa O�Neil: time breathing and they're checking And
Speaker:
00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:04,107
Melissa O�Neil: their chest feels funny.
Speaker:
00:51:04,490 --> 00:51:06,117
Melissa O�Neil: I had that with Janet Jackson, like when I
Speaker:
00:51:06,197 --> 00:51:06,798
Melissa O�Neil: saw her come out.
Speaker:
00:51:06,858 --> 00:51:09,544
Melissa O�Neil: I was like oh, like yeah, I my body started
Speaker:
00:51:09,604 --> 00:51:11,187
Melissa O�Neil: doing something that I didn't understand,
Speaker:
00:51:11,227 --> 00:51:13,179
Melissa O�Neil: like physiologically, Like I just it was
Speaker:
00:51:13,219 --> 00:51:14,062
Melissa O�Neil: hard to breathe.
Speaker:
00:51:14,323 --> 00:51:15,930
Melissa O�Neil: I was so far away from her but it was like
Speaker:
00:51:16,110 --> 00:51:17,275
Melissa O�Neil: actually Janet in the flesh.
Speaker:
00:51:17,896 --> 00:51:21,181
Melissa O�Neil: It was so strange And part of what made it
Speaker:
00:51:21,281 --> 00:51:23,905
Melissa O�Neil: worse was that I was noticing it and I was.
Speaker:
00:51:24,126 --> 00:51:25,387
Melissa O�Neil: all I could think was like what is
Speaker:
00:51:25,448 --> 00:51:26,008
Melissa O�Neil: happening to?
Speaker:
00:51:26,048 --> 00:51:27,150
Melissa O�Neil: my body right now.
Speaker:
00:51:27,836 --> 00:51:30,040
Melissa O�Neil: But yeah, i don't know if I've ever had a
Speaker:
00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:32,645
Melissa O�Neil: crush, though A big part of me having that
Speaker:
00:51:32,745 --> 00:51:36,311
Melissa O�Neil: sensation is like I kind of like I get
Speaker:
00:51:36,331 --> 00:51:37,574
Melissa O�Neil: crushes and I fall in love with like
Speaker:
00:51:37,614 --> 00:51:40,962
Melissa O�Neil: personalities, you know, so like like the
Speaker:
00:51:41,102 --> 00:51:44,377
Melissa O�Neil: actual person, so yeah, Very cool, i like
Speaker:
00:51:44,397 --> 00:51:44,597
Melissa O�Neil: that.
Speaker:
00:51:44,617 --> 00:51:48,504
Marc Preston: Yeah, i remember seeing Janet Jackson's God
Speaker:
00:51:48,584 --> 00:51:49,385
Marc Preston: back in my radio days.
Speaker:
00:51:49,445 --> 00:51:53,517
Marc Preston: Anyway, she was amazing She did a great it
Speaker:
00:51:53,558 --> 00:51:53,698
Marc Preston: was.
Speaker:
00:51:54,259 --> 00:51:56,103
Marc Preston: I remember Black Cat was a song she was
Speaker:
00:51:56,143 --> 00:51:58,387
Marc Preston: playing, anyway, but she is a show person,
Speaker:
00:51:58,407 --> 00:51:58,908
Marc Preston: most certainly.
Speaker:
00:52:00,197 --> 00:52:01,561
Marc Preston: Now, let's say you're going to be living on
Speaker:
00:52:01,601 --> 00:52:02,363
Marc Preston: an exotic island.
Speaker:
00:52:02,403 --> 00:52:04,709
Marc Preston: Next question is wrapping up.
Speaker:
00:52:05,511 --> 00:52:07,275
Marc Preston: It's an island you want to be on for a year.
Speaker:
00:52:07,676 --> 00:52:08,880
Marc Preston: It's beautiful, it's awesome, but no
Speaker:
00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:10,885
Marc Preston: streaming, no internet, no nothing.
Speaker:
00:52:11,516 --> 00:52:13,081
Melissa O�Neil: I was like there's no water.
Speaker:
00:52:14,476 --> 00:52:17,804
Marc Preston: No, okay, it's time for you LA people to
Speaker:
00:52:17,864 --> 00:52:18,185
Marc Preston: rough it.
Speaker:
00:52:18,345 --> 00:52:20,880
Marc Preston: No, i'm just kidding, no, it's no, you have
Speaker:
00:52:21,020 --> 00:52:21,301
Marc Preston: everything.
Speaker:
00:52:21,481 --> 00:52:22,203
Marc Preston: It's a resort.
Speaker:
00:52:22,243 --> 00:52:23,527
Marc Preston: It could be just you know, something
Speaker:
00:52:23,547 --> 00:52:25,433
Marc Preston: amazing, but there is no way to listen to
Speaker:
00:52:25,493 --> 00:52:26,275
Marc Preston: music or watch movies or anything.
Speaker:
00:52:26,796 --> 00:52:29,101
Marc Preston: So you got to bring one CD with you, one
Speaker:
00:52:29,181 --> 00:52:30,804
Marc Preston: album, and one DVD, a movie.
Speaker:
00:52:31,145 --> 00:52:33,169
Marc Preston: What would that CD and movie be to kind of
Speaker:
00:52:33,790 --> 00:52:36,115
Marc Preston: you can kind of tap into for your entire
Speaker:
00:52:36,175 --> 00:52:36,255
Marc Preston: year?
Speaker:
00:52:37,437 --> 00:52:41,763
Melissa O�Neil: Oh boy, okay, let's see A CD.
Speaker:
00:52:43,846 --> 00:52:48,198
Marc Preston: I think a CD It'd be so awesome if you said
Speaker:
00:52:48,278 --> 00:52:49,181
Marc Preston: one of mine No.
Speaker:
00:52:51,639 --> 00:52:58,266
Melissa O�Neil: No, no, that'd be awesome.
Speaker:
00:52:58,275 --> 00:53:00,279
Melissa O�Neil: Oh man, like my brain, i want to say
Speaker:
00:53:00,379 --> 00:53:03,145
Melissa O�Neil: something like super cool and moody and
Speaker:
00:53:03,225 --> 00:53:06,592
Melissa O�Neil: current, but I think you need like all of
Speaker:
00:53:06,732 --> 00:53:10,318
Melissa O�Neil: the colors sometimes, and so I would
Speaker:
00:53:10,418 --> 00:53:16,666
Melissa O�Neil: probably choose like like the game, maybe
Speaker:
00:53:16,927 --> 00:53:18,409
Melissa O�Neil: like Queen the game.
Speaker:
00:53:18,749 --> 00:53:19,550
Melissa O�Neil: I love that album.
Speaker:
00:53:19,690 --> 00:53:20,131
Marc Preston: Oh yeah.
Speaker:
00:53:20,475 --> 00:53:23,180
Melissa O�Neil: It's got like it has everything in it.
Speaker:
00:53:23,240 --> 00:53:24,202
Melissa O�Neil: You know what I mean.
Speaker:
00:53:24,863 --> 00:53:27,869
Melissa O�Neil: Or, or, or the Miss Education of Lauryn
Speaker:
00:53:27,889 --> 00:53:28,129
Melissa O�Neil: Hill.
Speaker:
00:53:28,856 --> 00:53:31,323
Melissa O�Neil: Like my favorite song on the game besides
Speaker:
00:53:31,343 --> 00:53:33,729
Melissa O�Neil: them having all of the crazy hits is Sail
Speaker:
00:53:33,769 --> 00:53:34,851
Melissa O�Neil: Away, Sweet Sister.
Speaker:
00:53:35,152 --> 00:53:37,637
Melissa O�Neil: Oh my God, that song, Like it's got the
Speaker:
00:53:37,738 --> 00:53:39,381
Melissa O�Neil: ballads, It's got the stuff when you need
Speaker:
00:53:39,401 --> 00:53:41,545
Melissa O�Neil: to chop wood, and you're like, yeah, you
Speaker:
00:53:41,565 --> 00:53:43,568
Melissa O�Neil: know, like it has all of the things that
Speaker:
00:53:43,588 --> 00:53:46,153
Melissa O�Neil: you might want to experience and feel
Speaker:
00:53:46,173 --> 00:53:46,694
Melissa O�Neil: supported in.
Speaker:
00:53:46,714 --> 00:53:48,241
Marc Preston: But I would also say What part of LA are
Speaker:
00:53:48,262 --> 00:53:49,309
Marc Preston: you living in where you chopping wood?
Speaker:
00:53:49,369 --> 00:53:50,235
Marc Preston: I'm just kind of curious.
Speaker:
00:53:51,282 --> 00:53:52,470
Melissa O�Neil: I'm on an island now.
Speaker:
00:53:52,550 --> 00:53:54,781
Melissa O�Neil: This is your home, Oh that's right.
Speaker:
00:53:54,801 --> 00:53:55,283
Marc Preston: That's right.
Speaker:
00:53:55,363 --> 00:53:56,869
Marc Preston: I thought that you had some wood chopping.
Speaker:
00:53:57,452 --> 00:53:59,758
Marc Preston: Okay, you're chopping up a palm tree, Yeah
Speaker:
00:53:59,778 --> 00:54:04,167
Marc Preston: because I need fire and um and uh.
Speaker:
00:54:04,227 --> 00:54:05,029
Melissa O�Neil: So okay, so a DVD.
Speaker:
00:54:06,538 --> 00:54:08,723
Marc Preston: So if I'm practical, that's funny you say
Speaker:
00:54:08,743 --> 00:54:10,487
Marc Preston: that I forgot that that album was so
Speaker:
00:54:10,587 --> 00:54:12,538
Marc Preston: eclectic It was uh.
Speaker:
00:54:12,618 --> 00:54:13,601
Marc Preston: yeah, that was awesome.
Speaker:
00:54:13,641 --> 00:54:14,142
Marc Preston: I like that.
Speaker:
00:54:14,503 --> 00:54:15,145
Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, it's a good album.
Speaker:
00:54:15,385 --> 00:54:15,766
Marc Preston: But go on.
Speaker:
00:54:15,806 --> 00:54:16,167
Marc Preston: I'm sorry.
Speaker:
00:54:16,715 --> 00:54:19,358
Melissa O�Neil: It's okay, and if I'm going to do a DVD,
Speaker:
00:54:19,458 --> 00:54:22,682
Melissa O�Neil: i'd say like maybe, depending on the island
Speaker:
00:54:22,742 --> 00:54:24,584
Melissa O�Neil: I'm starting to run, i would get like one
Speaker:
00:54:24,644 --> 00:54:27,528
Melissa O�Neil: of the seasons of alone, so I could like
Speaker:
00:54:27,728 --> 00:54:30,351
Melissa O�Neil: learn from them.
Speaker:
00:54:30,371 --> 00:54:31,151
Melissa O�Neil: Do you watch that show?
Speaker:
00:54:31,737 --> 00:54:32,118
Marc Preston: Alone.
Speaker:
00:54:32,239 --> 00:54:33,022
Marc Preston: No, no, no, what's?
Speaker:
00:54:33,878 --> 00:54:36,471
Marc Preston: Oh my God, Marc, I feel like I have a
Speaker:
00:54:36,511 --> 00:54:37,275
Marc Preston: homework assignment now.
Speaker:
00:54:37,598 --> 00:54:39,012
Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, i know you really do Watch season
Speaker:
00:54:39,033 --> 00:54:41,380
Melissa O�Neil: eight first, so alone it's kind of like
Speaker:
00:54:41,420 --> 00:54:43,384
Melissa O�Neil: naked and afraid, but way better because
Speaker:
00:54:43,424 --> 00:54:45,990
Melissa O�Neil: people aren't naked and also, everything
Speaker:
00:54:46,030 --> 00:54:47,493
Melissa O�Neil: they have to do, everything they film, they
Speaker:
00:54:47,513 --> 00:54:48,275
Melissa O�Neil: have to film it themselves.
Speaker:
00:54:48,476 --> 00:54:49,318
Melissa O�Neil: They're survivalists.
Speaker:
00:54:49,359 --> 00:54:50,803
Melissa O�Neil: They get dropped off in these different
Speaker:
00:54:50,823 --> 00:54:51,185
Melissa O�Neil: places.
Speaker:
00:54:51,515 --> 00:54:54,382
Melissa O�Neil: They got Patagonia one year, bc, alaska
Speaker:
00:54:54,462 --> 00:54:57,569
Melissa O�Neil: twice and like whoever makes it in the most
Speaker:
00:54:57,609 --> 00:54:59,032
Melissa O�Neil: recent seasons, whoever makes it like a
Speaker:
00:54:59,072 --> 00:55:00,115
Melissa O�Neil: hundred days, you have to build your own
Speaker:
00:55:00,135 --> 00:55:01,644
Melissa O�Neil: shelter, you have to catch your own food,
Speaker:
00:55:01,704 --> 00:55:02,087
Melissa O�Neil: everything.
Speaker:
00:55:02,329 --> 00:55:03,275
Melissa O�Neil: You have to do everything by yourself.
Speaker:
00:55:03,415 --> 00:55:05,578
Melissa O�Neil: So I would have a DVD of that so that I
Speaker:
00:55:05,618 --> 00:55:08,061
Melissa O�Neil: could make sure that I don't die and just
Speaker:
00:55:08,081 --> 00:55:08,982
Melissa O�Neil: like learn from them.
Speaker:
00:55:10,243 --> 00:55:16,134
Melissa O�Neil: Or Um Sunseed, which is a really lovely DVD
Speaker:
00:55:16,334 --> 00:55:18,960
Melissa O�Neil: compilation of a lot of spiritual teachers,
Speaker:
00:55:19,806 --> 00:55:21,633
Melissa O�Neil: so that I could continue learning and
Speaker:
00:55:21,713 --> 00:55:22,215
Melissa O�Neil: unfolding.
Speaker:
00:55:24,231 --> 00:55:27,394
Marc Preston: That I'm so fascinated It's like you're
Speaker:
00:55:27,535 --> 00:55:29,123
Marc Preston: such a pleasure to you know of all the
Speaker:
00:55:29,143 --> 00:55:30,871
Marc Preston: people I've spoken with Not I've spoken
Speaker:
00:55:30,891 --> 00:55:31,756
Marc Preston: with wonderful people.
Speaker:
00:55:31,896 --> 00:55:33,504
Announcer: Very fascinating, but Do I win?
Speaker:
00:55:33,806 --> 00:55:34,871
Melissa O�Neil: Do I win the competition You?
Speaker:
00:55:34,891 --> 00:55:35,012
Marc Preston: win.
Speaker:
00:55:35,032 --> 00:55:37,143
Marc Preston: Actually, i was thinking of something.
Speaker:
00:55:38,370 --> 00:55:40,424
Marc Preston: I got this little thing in South Padre
Speaker:
00:55:40,484 --> 00:55:40,605
Marc Preston: Island.
Speaker:
00:55:40,746 --> 00:55:41,047
Marc Preston: We have a.
Speaker:
00:55:41,128 --> 00:55:42,736
Marc Preston: We go down there every year at South Texas
Speaker:
00:55:42,796 --> 00:55:44,303
Marc Preston: coast and my kids and I and I found this
Speaker:
00:55:44,324 --> 00:55:44,585
Marc Preston: whole thing.
Speaker:
00:55:45,128 --> 00:55:47,017
Marc Preston: It's almost like uh and and the late.
Speaker:
00:55:47,077 --> 00:55:48,404
Marc Preston: I went into this place and I'll show you in
Speaker:
00:55:48,424 --> 00:55:49,979
Marc Preston: a second, and she's, and I was looking for
Speaker:
00:55:50,060 --> 00:55:50,363
Marc Preston: something.
Speaker:
00:55:51,409 --> 00:55:53,439
Marc Preston: I got chachkies and stuff all over my desk
Speaker:
00:55:53,479 --> 00:55:56,080
Marc Preston: and all over my speakers And I found this
Speaker:
00:55:56,140 --> 00:55:56,605
Marc Preston: neat little thing.
Speaker:
00:55:56,706 --> 00:55:58,558
Marc Preston: It's each little stone.
Speaker:
00:55:58,941 --> 00:55:59,545
Marc Preston: I'll go and show you.
Speaker:
00:56:00,090 --> 00:56:01,504
Marc Preston: I don't know if you can, if my camera will
Speaker:
00:56:01,524 --> 00:56:01,605
Marc Preston: zoom.
Speaker:
00:56:02,387 --> 00:56:03,671
Marc Preston: Each one of those is a different kind of
Speaker:
00:56:03,771 --> 00:56:07,602
Marc Preston: stone which has different vibratory, yeah,
Speaker:
00:56:08,667 --> 00:56:11,353
Marc Preston: and at the very top is some kind of energy
Speaker:
00:56:11,454 --> 00:56:12,015
Marc Preston: cause.
Speaker:
00:56:12,656 --> 00:56:13,538
Marc Preston: How much do I believe?
Speaker:
00:56:13,725 --> 00:56:14,047
Marc Preston: I don't.
Speaker:
00:56:14,167 --> 00:56:15,372
Marc Preston: I just thought it looked really cool.
Speaker:
00:56:15,907 --> 00:56:16,992
Marc Preston: I said everything you're saying is like
Speaker:
00:56:17,354 --> 00:56:19,042
Marc Preston: that's the kind of stuff I imagine finding
Speaker:
00:56:19,082 --> 00:56:21,231
Marc Preston: around your house, kind of like your.
Speaker:
00:56:21,786 --> 00:56:23,639
Melissa O�Neil: Yeah, i know you can kind of see some of my
Speaker:
00:56:23,699 --> 00:56:24,585
Melissa O�Neil: stations set up.
Speaker:
00:56:25,990 --> 00:56:27,725
Melissa O�Neil: I do have some, i have some chachkies, i
Speaker:
00:56:27,765 --> 00:56:30,111
Melissa O�Neil: have some sacred things, yeah.
Speaker:
00:56:30,131 --> 00:56:30,352
Marc Preston: That's.
Speaker:
00:56:30,412 --> 00:56:30,993
Marc Preston: that's very cool.
Speaker:
00:56:31,014 --> 00:56:32,537
Marc Preston: I like somebody to the introspect.
Speaker:
00:56:32,665 --> 00:56:34,712
Marc Preston: I like being reminded that you need to do
Speaker:
00:56:34,792 --> 00:56:36,779
Marc Preston: that, because sometimes you get so knee
Speaker:
00:56:36,819 --> 00:56:38,123
Marc Preston: deep in our lives You kind of forget it.
Speaker:
00:56:38,143 --> 00:56:38,605
Marc Preston: It got to take a moment.
Speaker:
00:56:39,108 --> 00:56:40,659
Melissa O�Neil: We all need reminders.
Speaker:
00:56:41,222 --> 00:56:44,791
Marc Preston: Absolutely Now, if not.
Speaker:
00:56:44,831 --> 00:56:45,732
Marc Preston: last couple of questions.
Speaker:
00:56:46,153 --> 00:56:48,818
Marc Preston: if you weren't doing this for a living, if
Speaker:
00:56:49,099 --> 00:56:51,102
Marc Preston: acting, singing, creative, was not
Speaker:
00:56:51,603 --> 00:56:52,605
Marc Preston: performing, was not part of your ecosystem,
Speaker:
00:56:53,615 --> 00:56:54,464
Marc Preston: what would that you were doing?
Speaker:
00:56:55,067 --> 00:56:56,571
Marc Preston: What would you be doing for a job?
Speaker:
00:56:56,612 --> 00:56:57,515
Marc Preston: What would your career be?
Speaker:
00:56:58,166 --> 00:57:02,016
Melissa O�Neil: You know, i feel really drawn to being a
Speaker:
00:57:02,116 --> 00:57:04,743
Melissa O�Neil: student and I know that I wouldn't be able
Speaker:
00:57:04,763 --> 00:57:05,605
Melissa O�Neil: to do that like endlessly.
Speaker:
00:57:06,026 --> 00:57:08,469
Melissa O�Neil: If that could be a career, i would, i would,
Speaker:
00:57:08,909 --> 00:57:11,573
Melissa O�Neil: i would make a career out of like endlessly
Speaker:
00:57:11,633 --> 00:57:17,020
Melissa O�Neil: being a student and maybe I would be, maybe
Speaker:
00:57:17,060 --> 00:57:17,821
Melissa O�Neil: like a recourse.
Speaker:
00:57:17,881 --> 00:57:19,764
Melissa O�Neil: But I have been told from a psychic that I
Speaker:
00:57:19,824 --> 00:57:20,605
Melissa O�Neil: and I did not ask for this.
Speaker:
00:57:20,926 --> 00:57:22,712
Melissa O�Neil: She looked at me very pointedly and she was
Speaker:
00:57:22,772 --> 00:57:26,043
Melissa O�Neil: like, do not go to a monastery, you're not
Speaker:
00:57:26,063 --> 00:57:26,565
Melissa O�Neil: supposed to do that.
Speaker:
00:57:27,511 --> 00:57:29,102
Melissa O�Neil: And I was like, how did you know?
Speaker:
00:57:29,122 --> 00:57:30,958
Melissa O�Neil: Like I felt like a rat, like I was just
Speaker:
00:57:30,979 --> 00:57:34,711
Melissa O�Neil: like caught in the light And, um, yeah, i
Speaker:
00:57:34,751 --> 00:57:37,397
Melissa O�Neil: would want to be a student like endlessly
Speaker:
00:57:37,497 --> 00:57:40,463
Melissa O�Neil: and then and to probably just like be in
Speaker:
00:57:40,623 --> 00:57:41,064
Melissa O�Neil: service.
Speaker:
00:57:41,084 --> 00:57:43,510
Melissa O�Neil: I mean, that's the ideal And I guess if I
Speaker:
00:57:43,550 --> 00:57:45,294
Melissa O�Neil: have to make money, i wouldn't mind going
Speaker:
00:57:45,314 --> 00:57:48,081
Melissa O�Neil: back to school so that I could explore
Speaker:
00:57:49,023 --> 00:57:49,605
Melissa O�Neil: Chinese medicine.
Speaker:
00:57:49,805 --> 00:57:51,449
Melissa O�Neil: I find it really fascinating and it's a
Speaker:
00:57:51,529 --> 00:57:54,215
Melissa O�Neil: really interesting like synthesis of, you
Speaker:
00:57:54,255 --> 00:57:57,202
Melissa O�Neil: know, spirit, physical things and also
Speaker:
00:57:57,623 --> 00:57:59,908
Melissa O�Neil: cosmological information, like it's this
Speaker:
00:58:00,068 --> 00:58:02,834
Melissa O�Neil: totally harmonized system to bring people
Speaker:
00:58:02,955 --> 00:58:05,828
Melissa O�Neil: into wellness on all levels And so food?
Speaker:
00:58:05,849 --> 00:58:06,290
Marc Preston: there is a.
Speaker:
00:58:06,310 --> 00:58:08,866
Marc Preston: They view food as medicine as well, you
Speaker:
00:58:08,906 --> 00:58:11,475
Marc Preston: know and it's that's fascinating.
Speaker:
00:58:11,665 --> 00:58:14,111
Marc Preston: So you'd be in school, but I think also
Speaker:
00:58:14,171 --> 00:58:16,135
Marc Preston: teaching it sounds like would be something
Speaker:
00:58:16,837 --> 00:58:17,117
Marc Preston: you know.
Speaker:
00:58:17,177 --> 00:58:18,641
Marc Preston: Being a teacher and being able to pass
Speaker:
00:58:18,681 --> 00:58:19,923
Marc Preston: along the stuff you learn sounds like
Speaker:
00:58:19,944 --> 00:58:20,585
Marc Preston: something you'd be doing.
Speaker:
00:58:21,751 --> 00:58:23,962
Melissa O�Neil: If I was, i would be likely doing it
Speaker:
00:58:24,042 --> 00:58:24,565
Melissa O�Neil: reluctantly.
Speaker:
00:58:26,175 --> 00:58:28,850
Marc Preston: Really I think so Well you got to share
Speaker:
00:58:28,890 --> 00:58:29,292
Marc Preston: your wisdom.
Speaker:
00:58:29,866 --> 00:58:30,988
Marc Preston: It's important stuff, you know.
Speaker:
00:58:31,670 --> 00:58:33,494
Marc Preston: Give it to the rest of us so we can pass.
Speaker:
00:58:33,514 --> 00:58:34,977
Marc Preston: You know the pay it forward thing, you know.
Speaker:
00:58:36,629 --> 00:58:38,075
Marc Preston: Now, last question if you're to jump in
Speaker:
00:58:38,095 --> 00:58:39,721
Marc Preston: your DeLorean, you can go back to when
Speaker:
00:58:39,742 --> 00:58:40,565
Marc Preston: you're 16 years old.
Speaker:
00:58:41,987 --> 00:58:43,489
Marc Preston: And you know you can.
Speaker:
00:58:43,810 --> 00:58:46,033
Marc Preston: You can cruise back and you got a piece of
Speaker:
00:58:46,073 --> 00:58:48,096
Marc Preston: advice, for you got a few minutes with 16
Speaker:
00:58:48,136 --> 00:58:51,821
Marc Preston: year old you and you want to get 16 year
Speaker:
00:58:51,861 --> 00:58:53,363
Marc Preston: old you, let's say, on a better track or
Speaker:
00:58:53,403 --> 00:58:53,824
Marc Preston: maybe help.
Speaker:
00:58:53,844 --> 00:58:55,706
Marc Preston: Just in general terms, What would that
Speaker:
00:58:55,747 --> 00:58:57,789
Marc Preston: piece of advice be that would be a real
Speaker:
00:58:57,869 --> 00:59:01,054
Marc Preston: value for 16 year old Melissa.
Speaker:
00:59:06,806 --> 00:59:08,533
Melissa O�Neil: You are not your body.
Speaker:
00:59:09,150 --> 00:59:10,585
Melissa O�Neil: Stop stressing out.
Speaker:
00:59:11,167 --> 00:59:14,070
Melissa O�Neil: Just feed it well, make sure you move it,
Speaker:
00:59:16,292 --> 00:59:18,970
Melissa O�Neil: but don't obsess over it, it's going to be
Speaker:
00:59:19,031 --> 00:59:19,352
Melissa O�Neil: okay.
Speaker:
00:59:19,806 --> 00:59:22,605
Marc Preston: That's a very common thing that I hear.
Speaker:
00:59:23,310 --> 00:59:25,102
Marc Preston: But it's not if it's said in different ways,
Speaker:
00:59:25,122 --> 00:59:26,332
Marc Preston: but it's the same thing, It's going to be
Speaker:
00:59:26,393 --> 00:59:27,605
Marc Preston: okay or nothing.
Speaker:
00:59:27,987 --> 00:59:30,061
Marc Preston: I hear a lot is this lose is something you
Speaker:
00:59:30,102 --> 00:59:32,593
Marc Preston: said earlier, But the idea of don't wait,
Speaker:
00:59:33,007 --> 00:59:33,891
Marc Preston: Yeah, now do it.
Speaker:
00:59:34,334 --> 00:59:36,123
Marc Preston: You know, when you're talking about writing
Speaker:
00:59:36,203 --> 00:59:38,282
Marc Preston: and stuff like that And I was like, just do
Speaker:
00:59:38,322 --> 00:59:38,585
Marc Preston: that thing.
Speaker:
00:59:39,288 --> 00:59:40,876
Marc Preston: You know, I can't tell you how much of a
Speaker:
00:59:41,118 --> 00:59:42,444
Marc Preston: real pleasure it is to sit down with you
Speaker:
00:59:42,464 --> 00:59:45,535
Marc Preston: today And I and I didn't, I didn't ask a
Speaker:
00:59:45,595 --> 00:59:47,742
Marc Preston: single thing about what's going to be going
Speaker:
00:59:47,782 --> 00:59:48,605
Marc Preston: on with you and Tim this season.
Speaker:
00:59:49,268 --> 00:59:49,489
Marc Preston: I did.
Speaker:
00:59:51,189 --> 00:59:52,014
Marc Preston: I honestly was like.
Speaker:
00:59:52,035 --> 00:59:53,504
Melissa O�Neil: I was like this guy doesn't even watch the
Speaker:
00:59:53,524 --> 00:59:53,605
Melissa O�Neil: show.
Speaker:
00:59:53,827 --> 00:59:55,403
Melissa O�Neil: He's never even asked about Eric or Tim.
Speaker:
00:59:56,491 --> 01:00:03,233
Marc Preston: Oh God, no, You know, you know the, trust
Speaker:
01:00:03,273 --> 01:00:05,576
Marc Preston: me, the way the season ended last year.
Speaker:
01:00:05,596 --> 01:00:07,439
Marc Preston: My kids, it's our, my kids and I, it's our
Speaker:
01:00:07,479 --> 01:00:09,329
Marc Preston: show we always watch And, as you see our
Speaker:
01:00:09,389 --> 01:00:11,520
Marc Preston: DVR because my daughter is off, you know,
Speaker:
01:00:11,901 --> 01:00:13,668
Marc Preston: was off at college it's like letting all
Speaker:
01:00:13,709 --> 01:00:15,414
Marc Preston: the all the rookies just stack up.
Speaker:
01:00:15,595 --> 01:00:18,505
Marc Preston: You know, i do have to say just one last
Speaker:
01:00:18,525 --> 01:00:18,605
Marc Preston: note.
Speaker:
01:00:18,926 --> 01:00:21,672
Marc Preston: I love the way the relationship, be it the
Speaker:
01:00:21,732 --> 01:00:23,576
Marc Preston: writing and the relationship that you had
Speaker:
01:00:23,636 --> 01:00:27,810
Marc Preston: with Eric Winter, the way it's a fall from
Speaker:
01:00:27,850 --> 01:00:29,232
Marc Preston: him calling you boot and all that stuff.
Speaker:
01:00:29,272 --> 01:00:30,714
Marc Preston: You know the kind of the way they did to.
Speaker:
01:00:30,774 --> 01:00:33,599
Marc Preston: Now you're passing a little wisdom on to
Speaker:
01:00:33,659 --> 01:00:34,400
Marc Preston: him in some way.
Speaker:
01:00:35,147 --> 01:00:37,327
Marc Preston: It was just an evolution, like I say, i
Speaker:
01:00:37,367 --> 01:00:38,672
Marc Preston: want to get surprised, like everybody else,
Speaker:
01:00:38,732 --> 01:00:41,230
Marc Preston: and only spoilers, but you know seeing
Speaker:
01:00:41,250 --> 01:00:43,757
Marc Preston: where things are, you know going it's, you
Speaker:
01:00:43,797 --> 01:00:43,937
Marc Preston: know.
Speaker:
01:00:43,977 --> 01:00:46,144
Marc Preston: I think Rosalind Sanchez might be having
Speaker:
01:00:46,184 --> 01:00:46,605
Marc Preston: some issues with you.
Speaker:
01:00:49,431 --> 01:00:50,793
Melissa O�Neil: I just I just said.
Speaker:
01:00:50,874 --> 01:00:51,795
Melissa O�Neil: I just said I'm always like.
Speaker:
01:00:51,835 --> 01:00:53,659
Melissa O�Neil: I'm always like I'm when I were at work.
Speaker:
01:00:53,719 --> 01:00:55,783
Melissa O�Neil: I'm constantly trying to like help Eric
Speaker:
01:00:55,803 --> 01:00:58,069
Melissa O�Neil: spend his money on Rosalind, cause I like I
Speaker:
01:00:58,410 --> 01:00:59,833
Melissa O�Neil: you know I'm not immune to it I'm trying to
Speaker:
01:00:59,853 --> 01:01:02,159
Melissa O�Neil: stay off my phone more but, like you know
Speaker:
01:01:02,199 --> 01:01:03,542
Melissa O�Neil: how Instagram is these days are just
Speaker:
01:01:03,582 --> 01:01:05,489
Melissa O�Neil: constantly selling you stuff And for some
Speaker:
01:01:05,550 --> 01:01:08,042
Melissa O�Neil: reason you know like I'll see the stuff
Speaker:
01:01:08,062 --> 01:01:09,368
Melissa O�Neil: they're trying to sell me And I don't
Speaker:
01:01:09,388 --> 01:01:10,834
Melissa O�Neil: really know a lot of people with those body
Speaker:
01:01:10,874 --> 01:01:11,115
Melissa O�Neil: types.
Speaker:
01:01:11,175 --> 01:01:12,601
Melissa O�Neil: But Rosalind has like she looks like a
Speaker:
01:01:12,661 --> 01:01:14,768
Melissa O�Neil: model, like she is a model And I'm like
Speaker:
01:01:14,889 --> 01:01:16,293
Melissa O�Neil: Eric, you should get this for Rosalind.
Speaker:
01:01:16,313 --> 01:01:17,095
Melissa O�Neil: She would look good in it.
Speaker:
01:01:17,685 --> 01:01:19,756
Melissa O�Neil: I'm constantly trying to get him to buy
Speaker:
01:01:19,776 --> 01:01:22,147
Melissa O�Neil: like outfits and jewelry for her And I'm
Speaker:
01:01:22,167 --> 01:01:23,190
Melissa O�Neil: like she would look amazing.
Speaker:
01:01:23,712 --> 01:01:27,290
Marc Preston: So no, Well, i just think, i think that
Speaker:
01:01:27,330 --> 01:01:29,376
Marc Preston: show is going to be so much fun to shoot.
Speaker:
01:01:30,188 --> 01:01:31,555
Marc Preston: You know, it's just the fact that you're
Speaker:
01:01:31,575 --> 01:01:33,545
Marc Preston: living in a city where you're also shooting
Speaker:
01:01:33,565 --> 01:01:33,605
Marc Preston: it.
Speaker:
01:01:34,007 --> 01:01:36,761
Marc Preston: It's one of the few shows where LA is part,
Speaker:
01:01:36,821 --> 01:01:38,889
Marc Preston: one of the characters in the show, and it's
Speaker:
01:01:38,970 --> 01:01:41,157
Marc Preston: like, you know, it's just, i imagine, the
Speaker:
01:01:41,197 --> 01:01:41,819
Marc Preston: downtime.
Speaker:
01:01:42,842 --> 01:01:43,585
Marc Preston: you know, you have a pretty nice
Speaker:
01:01:44,367 --> 01:01:45,750
Marc Preston: constellation of characters and
Speaker:
01:01:45,890 --> 01:01:48,255
Marc Preston: personalities and we'll send you some New
Speaker:
01:01:48,336 --> 01:01:50,307
Marc Preston: Orleans food or something You know, if you
Speaker:
01:01:50,327 --> 01:01:50,709
Marc Preston: can tell.
Speaker:
01:01:50,729 --> 01:01:52,555
Marc Preston: you know, do a little, do a little, do a
Speaker:
01:01:52,575 --> 01:01:52,715
Marc Preston: little.
Speaker:
01:01:52,756 --> 01:01:54,261
Marc Preston: bump over to you know, to your, to your
Speaker:
01:01:54,281 --> 01:01:55,605
Marc Preston: boss, and say, hey, i talked to this guy.
Speaker:
01:01:56,448 --> 01:01:59,349
Marc Preston: I really want to talk to you Because, you
Speaker:
01:01:59,369 --> 01:02:01,013
Marc Preston: know, because y'all both have that sci-fi
Speaker:
01:02:01,033 --> 01:02:02,756
Marc Preston: background, you know, which is kind of cool.
Speaker:
01:02:04,248 --> 01:02:07,143
Marc Preston: But, but no, again, I really appreciate you
Speaker:
01:02:07,183 --> 01:02:07,585
Marc Preston: taking time out.
Speaker:
01:02:08,387 --> 01:02:09,932
Marc Preston: I think my kids will finally think I'm cool
Speaker:
01:02:09,992 --> 01:02:10,914
Marc Preston: after speaking with you.
Speaker:
01:02:12,628 --> 01:02:14,413
Marc Preston: Maybe I'll get closer to cool, but
Speaker:
01:02:15,436 --> 01:02:16,880
Marc Preston: certainly looking forward to this season
Speaker:
01:02:16,940 --> 01:02:18,605
Marc Preston: and love the, the character arc.
Speaker:
01:02:19,367 --> 01:02:22,036
Marc Preston: And I think, though, i don't like
Speaker:
01:02:22,077 --> 01:02:23,662
Marc Preston: necessarily cliffhangers and make you wait
Speaker:
01:02:23,702 --> 01:02:24,605
Marc Preston: for months to figure out what happened.
Speaker:
01:02:25,008 --> 01:02:26,739
Marc Preston: I was like, okay, this, this has been.
Speaker:
01:02:26,759 --> 01:02:27,969
Marc Preston: I want to see where this goes, you know
Speaker:
01:02:27,989 --> 01:02:28,575
Marc Preston: there you go.
Speaker:
01:02:30,551 --> 01:02:31,155
Marc Preston: You're creative.
Speaker:
01:02:31,175 --> 01:02:32,303
Marc Preston: You need to get out there and write that
Speaker:
01:02:32,343 --> 01:02:32,605
Marc Preston: screenplay.
Speaker:
01:02:33,970 --> 01:02:34,452
Melissa O�Neil: I'll dare you.
Speaker:
01:02:35,890 --> 01:02:37,235
Marc Preston: If I ever bump into you in the streets of
Speaker:
01:02:37,436 --> 01:02:38,521
Marc Preston: LA when I'm out there in a couple months
Speaker:
01:02:38,541 --> 01:02:39,565
Marc Preston: and be like how's that screenplay coming?
Speaker:
01:02:40,387 --> 01:02:41,891
Marc Preston: You know I'll be that one annoying person,
Speaker:
01:02:41,912 --> 01:02:44,118
Marc Preston: that the car that karmically that just
Speaker:
01:02:44,158 --> 01:02:45,361
Marc Preston: keeps showing up and bugging you.
Speaker:
01:02:45,381 --> 01:02:46,605
Marc Preston: Next, you know that'll be a big, big hit.
Speaker:
01:02:47,468 --> 01:02:48,812
Melissa O�Neil: Well, hey, do let me know.
Speaker:
01:02:48,893 --> 01:02:50,919
Melissa O�Neil: if you're ever in LA, i'd love to serve you
Speaker:
01:02:50,939 --> 01:02:51,662
Melissa O�Neil: tea sometime.
Speaker:
01:02:51,702 --> 01:02:51,822
Melissa O�Neil: What's?
Speaker:
01:02:51,862 --> 01:02:52,605
Marc Preston: your favorite tea though.
Speaker:
01:02:53,554 --> 01:02:54,565
Melissa O�Neil: I like chocuers.
Speaker:
01:02:55,211 --> 01:02:56,605
Marc Preston: No, i don't have to go to research on that.
Speaker:
01:02:58,673 --> 01:02:59,697
Marc Preston: I was thinking like matcha.
Speaker:
01:02:59,838 --> 01:03:02,328
Marc Preston: you know I'm going basic, you know It's
Speaker:
01:03:02,388 --> 01:03:03,633
Marc Preston: definitely no, we're talking.
Speaker:
01:03:03,653 --> 01:03:05,420
Melissa O�Neil: We are talking about tea ceremony, though,
Speaker:
01:03:05,440 --> 01:03:07,447
Melissa O�Neil: so you're not all the way out, Oh.
Speaker:
01:03:07,648 --> 01:03:09,914
Marc Preston: I've always wanted to take part in
Speaker:
01:03:09,934 --> 01:03:10,376
Marc Preston: something like that.
Speaker:
01:03:10,868 --> 01:03:11,857
Marc Preston: I just think there's something very
Speaker:
01:03:11,979 --> 01:03:12,605
Marc Preston: civilized about me.
Speaker:
01:03:12,967 --> 01:03:15,037
Marc Preston: I'm just drinking my you know a gallon of
Speaker:
01:03:15,077 --> 01:03:15,580
Marc Preston: coffee here.
Speaker:
01:03:15,721 --> 01:03:16,525
Announcer: It's not good Yeah.
Speaker:
01:03:17,206 --> 01:03:19,332
Marc Preston: Again, i appreciate your time and look
Speaker:
01:03:19,372 --> 01:03:21,958
Marc Preston: forward to the upcoming season and
Speaker:
01:03:22,139 --> 01:03:23,723
Marc Preston: hopefully down the line we'll have a chance
Speaker:
01:03:23,743 --> 01:03:24,465
Marc Preston: to connect.
Speaker:
01:03:25,211 --> 01:03:26,181
Marc Preston: I'll, maybe one day we'll do the tea.
Speaker:
01:03:26,201 --> 01:03:26,544
Marc Preston: How about that?
Speaker:
01:03:27,427 --> 01:03:29,152
Melissa O�Neil: Yes, let me know if you're in LA.
Speaker:
01:03:29,172 --> 01:03:30,596
Melissa O�Neil: That's not an empty invitation.
Speaker:
01:03:30,987 --> 01:03:33,097
Marc Preston: Melissa, health, happiness, prosperity to
Speaker:
01:03:33,118 --> 01:03:34,243
Marc Preston: you, and I look forward to catching up with
Speaker:
01:03:34,263 --> 01:03:34,605
Marc Preston: you down the line.
Speaker:
01:03:35,368 --> 01:03:35,930
Melissa O�Neil: You as well.
Speaker:
01:03:35,970 --> 01:03:36,914
Melissa O�Neil: Thank you so much, Marc.
Speaker:
01:03:39,449 --> 01:03:41,178
Marc Preston: All right, there you go, melissa O'Neill,
Speaker:
01:03:41,298 --> 01:03:42,605
Marc Preston: so enjoy this chat.
Speaker:
01:03:43,347 --> 01:03:44,871
Marc Preston: Really had a great time getting to know
Speaker:
01:03:44,932 --> 01:03:45,393
Marc Preston: Melissa.
Speaker:
01:03:45,734 --> 01:03:47,840
Marc Preston: You know she has such a great story and I
Speaker:
01:03:48,020 --> 01:03:49,605
Marc Preston: love her energy, her vibe.
Speaker:
01:03:50,807 --> 01:03:53,071
Marc Preston: I really am glad I had the chance to share
Speaker:
01:03:53,111 --> 01:03:56,136
Marc Preston: this conversation with you and I appreciate
Speaker:
01:03:56,336 --> 01:03:58,360
Marc Preston: you coming back by every week.
Speaker:
01:03:58,665 --> 01:04:01,290
Marc Preston: Great conversations on the way and, of
Speaker:
01:04:01,370 --> 01:04:04,496
Marc Preston: course, as always, pop on by Story and
Speaker:
01:04:04,556 --> 01:04:06,279
Marc Preston: Craft Podcom.
Speaker:
01:04:07,006 --> 01:04:08,329
Marc Preston: You can find out anything you could
Speaker:
01:04:08,389 --> 01:04:10,014
Marc Preston: possibly want to know about the show.
Speaker:
01:04:10,134 --> 01:04:12,808
Marc Preston: Listen to past episodes and don't forget
Speaker:
01:04:12,848 --> 01:04:14,993
Marc Preston: you can also listen to the show on your
Speaker:
01:04:15,054 --> 01:04:16,257
Marc Preston: favorite podcast app.
Speaker:
01:04:16,605 --> 01:04:20,553
Marc Preston: So listen, subscribe, like that way you get
Speaker:
01:04:20,693 --> 01:04:22,737
Marc Preston: notifications every time a new episode
Speaker:
01:04:22,797 --> 01:04:23,318
Marc Preston: comes out.
Speaker:
01:04:23,845 --> 01:04:25,750
Marc Preston: And don't forget, if you can, if you would
Speaker:
01:04:26,191 --> 01:04:27,594
Marc Preston: drop a little review in there.
Speaker:
01:04:28,015 --> 01:04:30,206
Marc Preston: Appreciate it, if you would All right.
Speaker:
01:04:30,306 --> 01:04:33,011
Marc Preston: So please go, have a safe and awesome rest
Speaker:
01:04:33,051 --> 01:04:35,475
Marc Preston: of your week and I'll see you next time
Speaker:
01:04:35,775 --> 01:04:38,239
Marc Preston: right here on Story and Craft.
Speaker:
01:04:38,645 --> 01:04:40,731
Announcer: That's it for this episode of Story and
Speaker:
01:04:40,771 --> 01:04:41,112
Announcer: Craft.
Speaker:
01:04:41,333 --> 01:04:43,740
Announcer: Join Marc next week for more conversation
Speaker:
01:04:44,020 --> 01:04:45,585
Announcer: right here on Story and Craft.
Speaker:
01:04:46,146 --> 01:04:48,591
Announcer: Story and Craft is a presentation of Marc
Speaker:
01:04:48,611 --> 01:04:50,294
Announcer: Preston Productions LLC.
Speaker:
01:04:50,996 --> 01:04:53,280
Announcer: Executive Producer is Marc Preston.
Speaker:
01:04:53,781 --> 01:04:55,605
Announcer: Associate Producer is Zachary Holden.
Speaker:
01:04:56,547 --> 01:04:58,851
Announcer: Please rate and review Story and Craft on
Speaker:
01:04:58,991 --> 01:04:59,873
Announcer: Apple Podcasts.
Speaker:
01:05:00,113 --> 01:05:02,137
Announcer: Don't forget to subscribe to the show on
Speaker:
01:05:02,277 --> 01:05:05,603
Announcer: Apple Podcasts, stitcher, spotify or your
Speaker:
01:05:05,663 --> 01:05:06,605
Announcer: favorite podcast app.
Speaker:
01:05:07,186 --> 01:05:09,650
Announcer: You can subscribe to show updates and stay
Speaker:
01:05:09,671 --> 01:05:10,111
Announcer: in the know.
Speaker:
01:05:10,312 --> 01:05:13,457
Announcer: Just head to Storyandcraftpod.com and sign
Speaker:
01:05:13,518 --> 01:05:14,339
Announcer: up for the newsletter.
Speaker:
01:05:15,046 --> 01:05:15,848
Announcer: I'm Emma Dylan.
Speaker:
01:05:16,209 --> 01:05:18,394
Announcer: See you next time and remember, keep
Speaker:
01:05:18,435 --> 01:05:19,597
Announcer: telling your story.
Melissa O'Neil
Actor | Singer
Melissa grew up in Calgary, Alberta. Fresh from her turn in Broadway's Les Miserables, and Jesus Christ Superstar, Melissa has had a flourishing theatre career in both Canada, and abroad, leading her to star in Syfy's series Dark Matter, as well as her current role as Officer Lucy Chen on the ABC Television show, The Rookie. Career highlights include Les Miserables (Mirvish Productions), Dirty Dancing (Mirvish Productions), and the Stratford Festival of Canada. Melissa is also the youngest, and first female winner of Canadian Idol, resulting in a platinum selling single, a certified gold album, and a juno nomination for Best New Artist. Melissa was also the recipient for of the Dora Mavor Moore award for "best performance from a female in a leading role (musical)" for her performance as Eponine in Les Miserables.
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