What is up, Daddy Gang?

It is your founding father, Alex Cooper with Call Her Daddy. Anna Kendrick, welcome to Call Her Daddy. Hi. I'm so happy we're doing this. Me too. We've never met. Wait, is it tacky?

Should I get rid of my phone?

You can put it on silent.

It's not tacky. I think it's really on whatever. But no, I'll just get it on.

Okay. Sorry. Just in case you get an important call. No. Who would be calling you?

No one. No one.

That's Are you a big texter?

Oh, yeah. I'm always like, if you need to get a hold of me, you're going to have to text me. If you want an email back, you're going to have to wait two weeks. You might as well send me a postcard in the mail.

I'm so bad on my email. Are you one of those people, though, that It's like a thousand plus emails, or are you deleting?

I think it was... Okay, this is not interesting, but you know that period between Christmas and New Year's where you're like, Where are we? And time has no meaning. I was like, I'm going to my email inbox because I did have one of those. Because it was like, Well, what else are we doing? I am one of those people, and I hate that about me, that I'm one of those people that has like two...

I have the same thing. And if anyone calls me, I immediately don't answer.

And I wait for the text. Well, I'm like, Did someone die? This is bad news. This is terrible news.

I don't like confrontation. No.

I don't like communication people. I don't know. No, that's not true, mostly. But- Text. Yeah, you have to text me.

Okay. Obviously, being an actress now, Obviously, director. But what is your day off? What are you up to when you're not working?

I'm trying to get mint to grow in my garden. I'm trying to really be a homemaker. Not a homemaker, that's I don't know what I mean. I mean, I'm trying to do something physical and tangible that I can go like, wow. And I grew this mint, and now I'm putting it in a cocktail because that's as close as I'm ever going to get to cooking. And I don't know, there's something about devoting your entire life to this very weird thing of pretending to be another person and crying on cue in front of a room full of people you met three days ago and whatever, that you're like, I don't make I don't think I can make anything physical. You know what I mean? I feel like I'm always trying to find... I should really take up knitting or something. I just want to make something that I can hold and go, I made this. Okay.

To give you a little bit more credit, you You are making something that...

I mean, it's not like it's not real, but there is just something fleeting about it, or I don't know.

Are you having an existential crisis right now? Always.

Constantly.

This whole episode is us just trying to figure out, what is the meaning of being an actor in life. No, but I get what you're saying. You're like, I want something tangible, AKA mint. It's a little odd that mint is the one thing in your garden.

It goes in a lot of cocktails.

Are you making good cocktails?

I'm trying, yeah. When I moved, I was like, I want to be able to have people over and be able to offer them a refreshment, but I'm never going to cook.

That's never going to happen. Okay, pretend I come over. What are you making me for a drink?

Well, do you have a specific- I like tequila and vodka, so I'm like, I can go either way.

I like a Moscow Mule. I like a Margarita.

Moscow Mule are super easy, so we love that. But there's a watermelon vodka cocktail that I like. I I also feel people tend to come over and say that they drink anything but gin, but gin makes great cocktails. Drinking gin straight is for crazy people. I don't know what that's about. That's right. But it makes really great cocktails, especially if you want to serve something up. And also, if you want to commit to doing an egg white foam, it's really easy. And people are absolutely blown away that you've created something that has a foam on it.

I'm blown away already. Wait, an egg white foam?

Yeah. The key is doing a dry shake in shaker with the egg white before you add ice, and then it will really... And then you add all the other ingredients and then add ice, and then it will actually stay foamy and put a little sprig of lavender or something on top. And people are like, Oh, my God, how did you do this?

Me, I'm the dumb bitch that's like, Whoa, Anna.

Well, then that's what I would make for you. So that you would find me impressive.

Okay, that's good to know. What is one thing you can't leave the house without?

Oh, God. Probably chapstick. I'm one of those people that I have a drawer full of chapsticks. Same. I like all the different flavors and the- Oh, yeah.

What's your go-to?

I really like the Burt's bees. There's a pomegranate one.

Are you fucking with me? What? No, you're fucking with me.

No, what? People are laughing. What's happening?

No, you fucking talk to someone.

Are you doing a bit- On my life, on my dad's soul. No, absolutely. Wait, what is happening?

Anna.

You are not about to do that to me right now.

You don't understand.

That's sick.

No, you don't get it.

I might have it in my Fanny pack. I'm not joking.

You brought a Fanny pack. You know what?

I'm doing a lot right now. Don't make fun of my Fanny pack. Hold on.

First of all- That's it.

Now I feel like you're fucking with me. No. That's crazy.

Okay, I have a bowl.

I feel like you're the mentalist. You're Chris Angel, and you're like, You mean this pomegranate?

Whichever one you said, you're like, Road Lipstick. I'm like, Boom.

Because I also like the sweet violet, but I was like, Well, that's not really... I guess that's a tinted lip ball. I don't know. That's something else. So I was like, Pomegranate.

I like the pomegranate, too, because it gives you that a little bit of a tint.

The tiniest. The tiniest hint. Yeah. What's happening? Wait.

I'm not kidding you. I thought you were doing a bit. No. Where you were fucking with me. Wait, have you talked?

Am I an idiot? No.

Everyone that really, really knows me... You know the Arthur meme where he got the fifth? Yeah. I always have this, and anywhere you look, any interview I'm doing, I have it somewhere on my body, and I have an entire bowl in my house, and every single sweat- You have a bowl? I have a bowl in my house of all the pomegranate next to my bathroom sink. And I just pick one up every day, and I open a new one, and I use it until I lose it. And then I go back. I love it. This is weird. So I'm not going to say we're on the same.

This is weird. I don't like it.

Creopy. It's really creepy, but I think the reason I love Chapsix so much is because I have this feeling. It's like the ick of myself is if I don't have my lips somewhat moisturized. I feel like that goes and is almost contingent with having bad breath. I feel like when you see someone with chapped lips, you're like, They must have bad breath.

I don't know. No, I think that... I haven't thought about it, but subconsciously, yeah, you are just like, I'm just going to lean away.

Okay, so you're a chapstick girl. Good to know. You probably have good breath. Haven't gotten close enough to you today, but we'll see later. What is the most high maintenance thing about you?

Probably my hair because I'm a secret curly. What? I'm a secret, like Kerry Russell and Felicity level curly.

You have gorgeous hair.

Well, it's not really what my hair looks like. I was on a natural curly hair journey. I let my therapist see me with my real hair. Oh, that's big. Big steps. And two of my best friends in my house have come over, and I'm like, I should let you know I have let my hair dry naturally, and I'm in a very vulnerable place. Because it was one of those things that I always felt messy, because I think when I really started to be like, Oh, I need to start learning how to blow out my hair and whatever, was when pin straight hair was it. It was when tiny butts and super straight hair was the height of female attractiveness. So I just felt like, yeah, I don't know, almost like the chap of things where I was just constantly doing that, just trying to make my hair be flat. When it would get frizzy, if I would go to a concert or whatever, I would just be freaking out about it, humiliated.

But you're like, I have to leave. I have to leave the concert.

I can't even say. I was thinking about all the fucking energy and time that I think we all spend without even thinking about it, about like, okay, well, if I wash my hair at this time, and then how long is it going to take to do my blowout? If I shave my legs on this day, I'll have a stubble for that. Well, but... It's always just running in the background. It's exhausting.

It's so exhausting, and it's so dumb because we notice so much more about ourselves. I bet if you had your curly hair here, I'd be like, Oh, I love your curly hair. What did your therapist say to you? Did you do a big reveal? I'm going to show you now. Was it on Zoom or in-person? It was on Zoom.

Oh. I think it was... This is so boring, but I was still self-conscious about it, so I pulled pulled back. I did a half up, half down thing. She was like, Oh, where are you going? It just looked different because I usually just wear it in a bun and a headband. I think She thought that I was going somewhere. I was like, Well, that's encouraging. She wasn't like, What happened? But yeah, I'm still on a journey.

Well, you know what? We're going to support you on that journey. Your hair looks amazing today, but I bet it would also look amazing if it was curly. Okay. Anyways, you've been making movies for two decades. What do you think you would be doing if you hadn't pursued acting?

Oh, God. God help me. I don't know what... I really don't. I mean, I feel like, obviously, I didn't get into show business because I hate attention. So there's that piece. When people ask me that question, I feel like I'll usually just say, Oh, I'd have a bakery or something. But I I don't know. I would be so screwed. I actually remember when I was 17, 18, whenever I moved to LA, I was really, really jealous of all my friends that were going to college. Number one, because I felt really insecure about not going to college. I have a whole complex about it. But I was also on the phone hearing about this this exciting new chapter that was laid out for them and going to classes, and joining a sorority, and having this immediate community. And I was in LA, I was 17 or 18. It's really hard to make friends in LA because of the way the city is laid out, but especially when you don't have a fake ID. And even if I did, I looked about 12, so that wasn't going to work anyway. And I was just absolutely terrified and really wondering if I was making a huge mistake.

And then the weirdest thing was that when everybody entered their sophomore year, I was still just trying to get in the door and all that. But I then noticed that when I would get on the phone with friends of mine who were in college, they were suddenly, all of them, sophomore year, having a total crisis. Because freshman year was like, this is so exciting, and there's this chapter, and my whole life is ahead of me, and I'm making these friends. And then sophomore year, it felt like, okay, I'm back with the same people, and that's great. And I'm picking my classes for this year, and that's great. But what do I want to do with my life? There's no longer just the excitement of, oh, my God, frat parties and the college experience. It's like, oh, I have to figure out what I want. So true. And so even though the thing that I wanted felt like a total pipe dream. And what am I doing? This is a disaster. It's so hard to carve out a space for yourself in this industry. But on the other side of it, holy shit, I did not think, what a blessing to just know what I want.

And I was watching all my friends go, oh, my God, I don't know what I want, what to do.

It's so interesting because I went to college, and I remember from a young age, I knew I wanted to be in Hollywood. I knew I wanted to create. I knew I wanted to do something in this industry. But my mom kept just being like, no, you have to do school. You have to do school, and then you can do it later. And I resented that so much for a while. But hearing the difference, again, everyone wants what they don't have, of being in college wishing by sophomore year, I was like, Get me the fuck out of here. I know exactly what I want to do. But you being like, watching all the kids in college, and you being like, That was a big insecurity of mine. Why was it an insecurity, though, because you were like, I don't have an education, technically.

Totally. I think my family really values traditional education for good reasons, bad reasons, whatever. I was the first person to not go to college. And my dad was a teacher and everything. So it was very black sheep behavior to not go to college.

Were they okay with you not going to college? Yeah.

I think they knew I was going to do what wanted to do. But I think there was always that sense of, well, if things maybe don't work out that first year, it's not too late to just... So I think that was always something that they had in mind. But I don't think they were thrilled, which is understandable. But I then just worried about, oh, my God, I didn't go to college. I don't know.

I get it. I think it's in a great way. I do think the concept of education now is becoming a little bit more lenient, where people are like, you don't need to go to college to be XYZ. And it's interesting because you were on the right path. But because of societal standards of, if you're smart, you go to college, it probably felt so disorienting when you're watching all these people do the natural next step. Really, you just skipped a big step, and then you got ahead on your career. But it doesn't mean you can't still feel insecure about it, of in conversation, having to be like, oh, I didn't go to I get that, especially if your family was like, Go school, go school, and your dad being a teacher.

Totally. I think now that I'm older, it's less of a thing. But early 20s, that's part of the conversation is like, Oh, where did you go to college? I didn't. Oh, my God, I have to say I didn't? And by that point, 21, 22, I didn't really have much to show for it yet. Then some things happened, and it was less of an issue. But you're like, Oh, I didn't go to college because I wanted to become an actor. And it's like, How's that going? Well, I think I got a... I'm hearing my phone ring, so yeah.

Right. They're like, What are you in? You're like, Be back soon. Got to go. I get that. Talking about your family, though, you were raised in Maine, right? Born and raised in Mane. What were you like as a kid?

I think I was really hyper vigilant. I was really in everybody's business a little bit. But I think that... I was even thinking a couple of weeks ago about how I do... One of my many toxic traits is I do walk around with a little bit of a, All right, who's trying to fuck me over? I I was like, I don't know. There's a chance that it's like, Oh, you're spelling bedtime? You think I don't know what's happening here? I don't know. Just being real aggressive about how I wanted things done and very opinionated. But I can't really tell if that comes from childhood or from working in an industry where I'm sure you've experienced. It's like you agree to certain things, and then it's like, Oh, and can we also do this thing that would be really humiliating for you and not pay you any extra money or check with you in advance and ask you in front of a group of people. So if you say no, you'll look like a bitch. So I'm just always like, All right, who in this room is trying to fuck me over?

That's so interesting that you're like, did that happen when I was young? Or is it just something I can't not remember? Because you started in the industry at what? 10, you started really getting into it? Yeah.

I started auditioning for things when I was 10, and I booked my first gig when I was 12. But I wasn't auditioning all the time because I lived in Maine. And so either one of my parents had to drive me to New York City for a 15-minute audition. And they were like, well, sweetie, we love you, but Jesus. So eventually, my brother and I would take a Greyhound bus from Maine to New York. And that's one of the situations where we were in that I auditioned for this show that I ended up getting. And we were in New York, and they asked me, Are you cool to stay for a callback tomorrow? And I was always just told, We'll just say yes, you'll figure it out later. So I was I'm like, Absolutely. I will see you tomorrow. No problem. My brother and I then are just like, Okay, we need to find a hotel in New York City.

Anna, what are you, 11?

I'm 12. He's 13 or 14. So we found a hotel, and my parents called the hotel and faxed a credit card and told them, Yes, we'll be along shortly. And they're in Maine. I wash my underwear in the sink and then just put on this. Luckily, there is a thing where if you get a callback, it's conventional wisdom that you should wear the same thing. So that didn't seem like I was the gross kid with one pair of clothes. Same underwear. So then the next day, the same thing happened. And again, it was like, no problem. I will see you again in the morning. And had to do it again. And then they, oh, that's right. They did ask me because I was wearing combat boots, and they were like, Can you... Because the part was for a little rich girl. So they were like, Could you wear something... We just love to see you in more of a Sunday best outfit. And specifically, someone mentioned my shoes. So I was wearing this ratty cardigan and ripped jeans and these combat boots. But I was like, The solution will be to go to the nearest Payless and find white church strappy sandals.

And so with the last $20 that we had, I bought this pair of sandals, dress sandals, and wore those with my ratty cardigan and jeans. And then wandered in, and I think they were just like, Oh, for fuck's sake. Yeah, fine. Whatever. Great. And then we were on a Greyhound bus home, and we had this phone for emergencies, and that rang, and it was like, Hey, you're going to be on Broadway.

I'm trying to picture your 12-year-old me walking around in New York City with my brother who's two years older than me. I'm like, How the hell were you not even scared?

I think that we just thought it was such an adventure. I think we also wanted to be cool New York City kids so fucking bad that we were just like, This is so normal. I can't remember if we were low-key freaking out or not, but I know that... I mean, even when I went there, At 17, I did this show at New York City Opera, and I remember riding the subway to work and seeing like, oh, my God, you know those gorgeous girls who are going to American ballet? Yes. And looking at them and being like, We're really doing it. Oh, my God. I'm in New York, and I'm going to work, and I'm going to work on the subway. And it's not a big deal at all, which if you're thinking about it like that, it's a huge fucking deal to you. I had no chill, but that was the vibe. But that's sweet.

Okay, all of this is happening. I know that you were nominated for a Tony Award when you were just 12. So it came from that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. What did kids in school think? It's weird.

Again, I don't know if you've experienced something like this, but there were several moments where it felt like if I mentioned anything to the kids at school, they, don't get me wrong, understandably, thought I was talking about something else In the same way that if someone in my school, in middle school or high school, had been like, Oh, yeah, I'm going to Olympic trials. I would be like, So is there some local, Oh, it's the Olympics. You know what I mean? I would just be like, No, you're not. Because that just doesn't make sense because we're from Maine. What are you talking about? I remember having a really little indie film in the Sundance Film Festival when I was 16, 17 and going to Sundance. And I remember one of my close friends, one of my best friends, called me and was like, that's so weird. There's something on the news about, I think it I could be getting this mixed up, but I think it was the year that Brittany Spears and Fred Ders went to Sundance together. There's something... Maybe I'm hallucinating. It was some other story. I don't know. But she called me and she was like, Yeah, they're at the Sundance Dance Film Festival.

And isn't that so weird? Because you were just saying that you're doing something called Sundance, but it's happening at the same time. And I was like, I'm at Sundance. I'm at the Sundance. I'm at the Sundance Film. That's why I was so fucking excited about it. Right.

You're like, I'm here with Brittany Spears.

Yes. And she was a close friend. So I think there's an understandable thing that happens where you're just like, not you, not from here.

They didn't get it. And you didn't talk about it over the top, where people would even have a concept of it?

No, no. I mean, even I think there was a luckily very brief window where it was a teasing situation. So I knew better than to be running my mouth about it too much.

Because people would make fun of you. Yeah. Isn't that so weird? Meanwhile, everyone wants to be a movie star. I don't know.

I think just drawing any attention to yourself in middle... Particularly, this was in middle school, right after I did the Broadway show. It's like, you just want to disappear. I think people talk about high school as being cutthroat. Middle school was so much scarier to me.

It was so horrible. I completely agree. High school is actually like, I started to get my shit together. Middle school, I was terrified.

I remember feeling like, just like trying to be like a moving pile of laundry, just wearing the biggest clothes and just trying so fucking hard not to draw any attention to yourself.

So you obviously start to become so successful. Was your family like, oh, this is I found some success.

And then I think this is pretty typical for entertainment stuff, that the money really follows several years later, there's that period where you're like, okay, I'm low key, a little famous, but I am so fucking broke. It would make you tear up how broke I am. So you're trying to fake it till you make it. But I had brought my family to the Oscars, and there was a really interesting moment a few years later when I bought my first place, and I had them at my place, and it was like, you could feel the energy, particularly for my mom and dad, of like, oh, okay, okay, okay. And it wasn't a mansion, but it was just like, oh, you're going to be okay. Because they were obviously very proud. But there's things with awards and reviews where that's great, but it's still really abstract. And to just see something solid where it was like, okay, our crazy daughter who didn't go to college has managed to buy a home. It was like I could feel not so much like pride, but that they were actually like, Oh, you made it. Okay. It all worked out.

We don't have to worry about now her going back to college and trying to figure out something else.

Completely. She's not going to move in with us and drain us dry.

Love. You've been in so many great movies. I want to talk to you about a few of them today. We got to start with Pitch Perfect, obviously. We got to start with Pitch Perfect, obviously. What was that audition process like?

Well, I think the most interesting piece, or the piece that has certainly followed me around, is when I auditioned, they I need you to just prove that you could sing. And I was like, well, I know how to do this thing. There's a cup, and there's this song, and I could do that. So it was just because I was like, Well, where else am I going to do it? Because I was lame enough and dorky enough to have bothered learning this thing. And so I did it for my audition, and they were like, we should put that in the movie. And originally in the script, like Becca, my character's audition song was I'm a Little Tea Cup, which I keep meaning to ask the writer, Kay Canon, was that meant to be funny? How would that have worked? How was I supposed to play that? I don't know what I was supposed to do. Would you have gone chill? Was I supposed to do a Christina Aguilar, a version of I'm a little teacup? Or was it supposed to be like, Oh, I resent that I have to do this, but I sound fine, so to let me in the group?

How do you think you would have done it?

I guess like that.

I mean, I would have been relying on somebody to tell me what the vibe was supposed to be. But luckily, I didn't have to figure that out. So they were like, well, let's do that for Becca's audition. I was like, great. Making use of a useless skill. And then people, when they the movie would ask about it and stuff. And so then the studio was like, we should release this as a single. And I was like, what are you fucking doing? This is a single? That's so embarrassing. I'm so embarrassed for us. So they had me go into the studio for 20 minutes, a hit that was made in 20 minutes, and just sing the rest of the song. And I was in there with a stool and a cup doing the cup in this weird studio. And then they were like, what if we did music video? And again, I was like, what's going on? You guys, I'm so embarrassed for you. I just was like, there's no way anybody would care about this. Whatever. And so we make this music video. And then, which is, by the way, why am I saying this phrase?

Why is this phrase coming out of my mouth? It started climbing the charts. Why is this a part of my story and my life? I was just like, what is fucking happening? This is so out of the realm of anything that's supposed to be happening. And I always thought, because I was in the middle of making this indie film, and I'd be getting texts from people going like, it just got into the top 10 of like, billboards top 100. And I was in the basement of some church shooting this tiny little indie film. Meanwhile, I think it was, I think it was, speaking of the times, Miley Cyrus and Macklemore was also in the top 10. And so I always just think like, they must have been like, what the fuck is this shit? Who is this, girl? What is this? How dare you? I'm out here busting my ass on Good Morning, America, putting on a live performance, and this freak show, whatever this fucking is, is in the top 10? How dare I? What on Earth? I would hate me. I would hate me.

Did you ever learn to be like, damn, that shit's good?

They did send me a platinum record, and that was pretty cool.

That was pretty cool. That was pretty cool. That's literally perfect. That was pretty cool. You're like, I guess it was good.

I guess when I got my platinum record, though.

That's insane. You're like, this is so fucking embarrassing. You guys. And meanwhile, it's like the entire world learned this shit. I remember trying to learn it, Anna. Okay. No, you did not. Oh, I tried. Of course, everyone... Oh, I tried. Shut your face. I couldn't really do it. You shut your face. You fucking invented It's so crazy that you brought that to the movie, and they were like, yes. Okay, I just realized also while you were talking, which is fun, is I have had on you, Brittany Snow, Adam Devine, and I have had on Rebel. Oh, my God. I have almost had the entire cast.

You're collecting all the Pokémon.

Yeah. I'm having a good time. How would you describe your guys' friendship on that cast?

Honestly, I use this word in the truest sense of we are a family, truly in the sense of we didn't choose each other. We didn't ask to be in each other's lives in this way, and we're so bonded. And it does feel there's something really, not to be lame, there's something really magic about it because so often you'll do a big job and there'll be one or two people maybe that you keep in touch with, and they're the people that are the most similar to you. And we're all really, really different. And after three movies, you're like, I think this is a not getting rid of each other situation.

I think the entire world is happy. It's a not getting rid of each other situation.

And also, I think that I'm very avoidant. So actually cracking that shell and being in my life, it takes some persistence. That's a big deal. Brittany is always joking that she's like, Well, your phone is all white, or whatever the blue text. You get it. Because she's always texting me and just being like, I know you're not going to reply. I think that I'm certainly the curmudgeon of the group, but it is almost like everybody has a role. Brittany brings the party, and I bring the grumpiness, I guess. I don't know. But it's really interesting because even Even the girls that are not one of the closest girls, when they're going through something, I get the call, and it makes me feel so good because I do feel like that's my role in the group is if you're in jail, my shoes are on. We're getting you out tonight. I don't know how, but we're going to figure it out. I love it. Whereas if you need help with party invitations, I'm going to freeze up and be like, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what to do. I don't know. I have to leave the room right now.

Call Brittany. Yeah, call Brittany. Please call Brittany.

It's so fun to know that you and Brittany Snow are so close because it, I don't know, it set something right in the world. I like that you guys are friends. I think it also is nice because obviously, as consumers, we know that sometimes on movie sets, people don't get along. And there's something broadly satisfying about how amazing those movies are and knowing you guys are so close. It's just a fun thing for fans. I know.

It makes me really happy. I saw some of the girls the movie, the original The Craft, having dinner once. And I was like, you guys are friends in real life?

It makes you happy.

Oh my God. It made me so fucking happy. So I would be like, oh, I wouldn't think anyone would care. We care. But seeing the craft girls, I was like, This is so beautiful. It means so much to me.

So now you get it. So now when people are crying when they see you guys out together, you get it. Totally. Are we getting a fourth one?

Oh, I have no idea. I'm always like, Rebel is the steam train of the Come on, Rebel. She's always like, I think we should do it. And I'm like, Well, then great. I agree. I'm just here for... I'll just be back up, I guess.

We need it.

I would love that because we're all so busy, and I'm so happy that everybody's so busy and successful and doing so much, that actually getting the 10 of us in a room is impossible. I would love it. So it's usually maybe six of us at a time trying to have a little reunion. So it does feel like the thing that would actually get us all in a room again is the movies. So that's my best reason.

I will watch, so let us know. Twilight.

Can you believe? Can you believe? I mean, what Okay, so someone was just asking me about... A while ago, I had done a silly funny tweet where I just said, holy shit, I just remembered I was in twilight. And people were like, but you didn't forget. You I didn't forget that you were in twilight. And the answer is truly, yes and no, because obviously, I didn't forget the experience of making the movies. But those movies, especially at the time, took on such a life of their own. And they were such a, for better or for worse, a touchstone, such a reference that everybody would talk about trying to find the next twilight or whatever. And I would find myself in business conversations talking about, Oh, yeah, I've heard that there's a book series that just got optioned. They maybe want to try and make it the next twilight. And then I would be like, oh, my God. I'm in the movie. Oh, my God. Because I was also just on the outside. I had a front row seat, but was just on the outside of the madness of it. And I was really lucky to not be dealing with the eye of the storm, really.

I think that a lot of the folks that were in the movie, even in the later movies where they are playing... As long as you were a supernatural character, if you had one line, you couldn't leave your hotel room. People were crazy. People were criticizing like, Oh, but she has green eyes in the book, or whatever. And I just didn't have to deal with any of that. So it almost feels like I didn't really have to run the gauntlet that some of the I mean, most of the other people did. I just had to show up and say dumb, funny shit. Just be like, What are you guys talking about? Because they're fucking acting weird. Okay. Everybody's really serious. Bye. That was the gig. It was awesome.

Jessica. Oh, my fucking God, Jessica. Being like, What's so great about Bella? I don't get it. What's going on with Bella?

Which is also crazy because when I auditioned for that, I was like, yeah, I think in the book, she's the blonde, athletic, volleyball captain, popular girl. So I was like, well, great. I'm not getting this job. And the goal then becomes like, well, I hope I just make an impression on the casting director and the director so maybe they'll remember me for something else. And so I was like, well, I'm just going to try to be weird and funny because I don't know. And then they were like, oh, great. Yeah, let's do that. So there I am with my headband, because in that humid weather, they didn't know what to do with my hair. Full circle. They were like, it just keeps getting bigger. So it was always in a headband or pulled back really tight. And in my ratty little costume, five inches shorter than Kristen going like... I don't even get what the point is. Meanwhile, She's so stunning in real... You're like, Oh, my God. I'm staring into the eyes of a Siberian husky. She's gorgeous on screen, but in person. Have you met her in person? No. There's a quality. Let me tell you.

Really? Oh, my God. God. It's breathtaking. She's obviously very beautiful. Sometimes you meet certain people and you're like, What? How dare you? Why are you doing this to me? Oh, my God. The audacity of me to be like, I don't see it. I don't get it.

Were you ever like, I'm being annoying, or you're like, It's fine. It's my role?

Yeah, I guess it was like, I'm being annoying, which means like- You're doing your job. I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

You're doing your job. I'm obsessed with you being like, Are they trying to put my hair down? I'm like, I don't know what to I know. It all comes from a circle. Okay, next movie, Alice, darling. This is obviously a bigger shift and basically is about a woman in an emotionally abusive relationship. When you're taking on a more intense role? Do you hesitate in those moments, or do you enjoy those type of moments that are a little bit darker?

It was... Oh, gosh, that's weird. I'm about to use a phrase that I've been using in reference to directing. But it makes sense because it's a similar thing where it was like pushing myself off of a cliff and not giving myself the time to go, Is this a good choice? Because it was really scary and personal. God, I'm just remembering. I remember I didn't tell... I haven't thought about this in a while. I didn't tell anybody in my life, not my Well, this was also COVID-y, so I wasn't talking to that many people. So again, I'm bringing up my therapist. But I didn't tell my therapist. I didn't tell my closest friends that I was making this movie about emotional abuse because I had just gotten out of a relationship that was extremely similar to the movie. And I didn't want anybody to tell me to not do it. I didn't want to get talked out of it. And I knew that there were good reasons for my friends, and certainly my therapist, to be like, Is this the best idea for you right now? So I just kept telling them it's about three friends in a cabin, and it's about their relationships, which in a way it is.

But yeah, even after the movie was wrapped, whatever, they didn't even know that it was about emotional abuse until the trailer came out. Because I just didn't want somebody to tell me, well, I don't know, maybe this is the childhood thing of, I don't want you to tell me it's bedtime. I need to do this. I'm going to do this.

Can I ask, how long did that abusive relationship that you endured last?

It didn't follow the traditional pattern, which is yet another reason why I was finding it really difficult to identify it and name it as abusive. Because I was reading all the articles and going like, this doesn't look... Some of it looks like how they're describing it, but not completely. The relationship was seven years. Okay. But it was like an overnight switch, and that went on for about a year. So it didn't follow that more traditional... It's like a frog in boiling water thing where it started slow. It came out of absolutely nowhere, but was built on this foundation of I had so much love and trust for that person. So I thought it had to be me. If one of us is crazy, it must be me. So it was very, very difficult to actually go, no, I think this is him. I think this is his stuff, because I turned my life completely upside down, trying to fix whatever was wrong with me. And it didn't help that for a long period of time, our couples therapist, I think, just bought his stuff, hook, line, and sinker. I've had several sessions with him in the last several years where he's apologized to me because I think he realized what was going on right toward the end.

But that obviously made everything a lot more complicated.

We always have to remember, therapists are human beings, too. And a lot of times, they don't know the inner dynamics. And if you are with a very manipulative person, though, that is good in crowds, they can mask it pretty easily, and you can be painted to be the person that's insane, or you're unreasonable, or you're unwilling to make the relationship work. And when you have a licensed person staring at you next to the person that is abusive- Because we project so much authority onto them Even though we know intellectually, well, they're just people.

It's like, I just want... And it was also, I just want someone to tell me what's happening. I wasn't even thinking, we're going to go into couples therapy, and he's going to ream you out, and it's going to... I It was just like, will someone just explain to me what's going on? So, yeah, it was full on, but it was also interesting that I always felt like I was trying to stay so calm in couples therapy because I was like, fuck, in these sessions, he's so able to stay calm in a way that he does not do when we're outside of therapy. And then there was a day, again, toward the end where I really lost shit. And I did think like, Oh, my God, what have I done? What have I done? It's going to be so bad now. What did I do? What do you mean?

What do you mean it was going to be so bad?

When I'm trying so hard to appease this person, they're so fucking awful. So how bad is it going to get now that I've yelled it? And I sent after that session, first of all, weirdly, he was fine, which was very weird, very interesting, because I think he felt maybe a little bit calm because he was like, see, you're fucking crazy. So it was weirdly fine. But I sent the therapist an email being like, I'm so embarrassed. I'm so sorry. I need to control myself or whatever because I had yelled in this session. And he called me, which he hadn't done before, and was like, No, no. I'm so proud of you. And that's when I knew, Oh, something has shifted. Something's changed. And then, yeah, things ended pretty quickly after that.

I appreciate you sharing this just because I have so many women that listen that are like, What are the signs? And I appreciate you how you opened the conversation about this topic about it literally changed overnight. And I was reading all the articles being like, Is this me? Well, no, that's not me. You try to justify things. Do you mind sharing anything that maybe my listeners could be like, Oh, this is happening to me, too, that maybe doesn't present as like, This is abusive and toxic, but the undertone is so there?

God, it's so hard. It's so hard. And Well, I don't know. Maybe I'll think of something, but this conversation is even really complicated for me. It's like even talking about it, I can feel my body temperature growing up because I think that sometimes the conversation around red flags, those are important conversations that we should be talking about it, thinking about it, looking for them, sharing with each other. I think that Even the most well meaning conversation sometimes about red flags can be a little victim blamey, which is hard because I'm like, well, also I want to know and share red flags. Because because it does put the onus on you to be able to identify something that, by the way, someone is working so hard to make sure you can't identify. I really started thinking about it like if someone was raised from birth as a wilderness survivalist, and they just dropped you or... I mean, I don't know. Maybe you have this in your background. But if they dropped you or me in the middle of the woods, I would step into a booby trap within three feet because I don't know what to look for.

And it's like, because I didn't spend my life learning how to build or identify traps. How is it that we're meant to be inside the mind of someone who is working very hard to make sure that you feel very unsteady and are questioning yourself? So it's really complicated, and it's It's hard for me because there are even times when I talk about my situation where as I'm saying it, I will go, Am I making that up? Am I making everything up? I remember having a conversation with my therapist a year after that relationship where I was constantly asking her to just diagnose me with an egosyntonic disorder so that I could just fix it and make sure that, Oh, this just won't happen or something. And there was a point where she was talking about my ex, and she started to say something where she was like, Well, when you're dealing with a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I went, no, no, what if I'm the wolf? What if it was me? Because I think that was the thing that I didn't expect was how totally convinced he was of his own victimhood. I I know him well enough in spite of feeling like, well, I didn't know him at all.

But I know him well enough to know he's not an actor. He's not a performer. He's not a great liar in a lot of ways. So I was looking at someone who was actually suffering. And I thought, well, if he's being manipulative, I'll know it because I'll smell the bullshit. I'll smell that this is a performance that he's putting on. But I don't think he was putting on a performance. I think he genuinely believed that I was torturing him. He told me one day I was terrorizing him because I was just crying because I couldn't pretend that things were fine anymore. And I just started crying. And he screamed in my face, you're terrorizing me. But it was truly from the place of a person who believed that they were being terrorized. So I don't know if that would resonate with people, but It does. It's like, even when I would watch these fucking videos, I would read the articles and watch the videos. Dr. Romani, who I love, she's doing an impression of a fight where some abusive piece of shit goes, Alex, you're crazy. But that's not how it actually sounds. Sometimes it was so emotional.

It was like, Anna, I'm begging you. You're ruining everything you're making. It was so real for him that it was like, Am I doing something terrible? And I think that, especially with conversations about, Well, you're always out with your friends and trying to isolate you, those things. I think they're really convinced that you're doing something terrible to them. So the pain place is real, and that can be very, very misleading and convincing.

I just want to say the way that everything you just said. Yeah.

Did any of that make sense?

100 %. It made so much sense. If anything, it's probably one of the best descriptions of it, because I really, really appreciate you saying. I still am uncovering some of the fucking red flags, because I'm still even in my head being like, did that even happen? Is it still some of it on me? I think that is a great message to just give to everyone listening is it is not normal. You should not be like, oh, that's bad behavior. And I recognize that you're being manipulative and gaslighting blah, blah, blah. When you're with someone that you love for so long and it does turn into an abusive situation, it is so hard to see. And that's why ignorant people, that whether they don't have someone that they know or it never happened to them, are like, Why didn't you just leave? It's so much harder than that because even you, to this day sitting here being like, I still in my head, I'm like, Was that real?

And even sharing that, I'm like, Fuck, should I even say that? There's something that feels, I think incorrectly, but feels shameful about, how am I not more solid in my healing, recovery, whatever? How am I still?

But it's not that, Anna. It's like you are present in your reality today. But when you reflect back on that relationship and that inner dynamic with that person, you are still perplexed by how the person sitting here today was in a situation and how that went. That, I think, is normal. I think that's what people struggle with. And that's why I'm appreciative of you talking with me about this, because it is so weird when you're like, I am happy and healthy now, so how can I still be affected by that? I think it would be weird to not be affected by someone that manipulated you in a way because it distorts your reality. Completely. And so you sitting here I guess I could ask, how have you learned, and I'm sure you're still doing it, to trust yourself again?

Yeah, it's hard. Even having this conversation in the I know we haven't gotten there, but in the movie that I made, something small, there are all these different women in the film, and they all have very different personalities. And that felt important to me as yet another small reason why it feels like, hey, there's no... I wish there was, but there is no way to guarantee protection from someone who is determined to harm you. And that sounds grim, and I guess it is. But surely the least we can do when someone has harmed us, when we come out of a devastating situation, is take off that top layer of of shame where we go, well, I should have known. I should have seen. I should have been different. I should have been the tough girl. I should have been the sweet girl. I should have done. And it's like, none of that will save you. None of that will save you. And again, I almost hate saying that because it's so bleak. But I think I did and still sometimes do so much self-shaming around, how did I find myself in that situation? I'm a real asshole.

So how did I not do the thing that I would have told you that I would do, which was immediately be like, throw a scarf over my shoulder and be like, have a nice life, dick. There's something so vulnerable and humiliating about the fact that I just stayed, and I kept thinking, I'll just try to be, I don't know, warmer or better or something. I mean, even when our schedule was getting worked out to come and record this, it was the next day I went on social media and I saw a video of you talking about an experience you had where you were like, why did I not just leave? And I was like, girl, you were in a fawn response. And that's the whole... Like, Woman of the Hour, it's all fawn response. It's all just like, what do I have to do to survive? You were doing what you had to do to survive.

Thank you for bringing it up, because I do now want to talk about the movie. That's what we've been building to, is these themes of every woman listening. Yes, I feel like we're both pretty strong, independent women, that we've got our careers and people could look at us and it's like, wow, you guys have got it all figured out. And we're both sitting here being like, no, no, no. To this day, I've been in weird work situations that I'm like, wait, Alex Cooper, the Caller Daddy person that just signed her big deal and all this. No, they're There have been still moments in this industry where I am having uncomfortable interactions with people. And I'm like, wait, why didn't I just do something?

Yeah, why weren't you just assertive?

It's not that easy. And I now want to talk about the movie because you're right, there are so many themes in it that are so brilliantly portraying what we as women go through every day. And then it also... Women will be like, Yup, I've been there. I've been there. And still to this day, I don't know if men completely understand what we have to go through and why we fawn instead of scream, kick, and punch in the face. Let's talk about the movie. Woman of the Hour. First of all, you were set to be the lead, and then you also directed it. How did this come to be?

Yeah. So I actually got the script for Alice, Darling and Woman of the Hour the same month, at least. I want to say the same week, but it might have been the same month. And certain movies just come together quickly, and certain movies take forever. I was attached as an actor for two years. You're just like, Well, I love this script. I love this story. Let me know. That happens a lot in the industry and The other thing that happens is that sometimes something will just be kicking around for a long time. Then out of nowhere, it will be like, Hey, we raised the money and we have a start date, so let's try to keep this train on the tracks because otherwise it'll probably disappear again. And so we were suddenly starting the search for a director. And I basically had 48 hours where it was this voice going, Anna, you should pitch yourself. And me going, Shut up. Absolutely not. Everyone needs to be quiet. We're not doing that. And it was that same feeling of like, oh, my God, I'm going to push myself off a cliff. And so I pitched myself to direct the movie.

Because I felt like I had become slowly obsessed with the script. And there was a little bit of me where I would give ideas, feedback, whatever. But there were producers, cooks in the kitchen, whatever. And I was always a little bit like, well, if it were my movie, I would probably do it like that. But it's not my movie, so whatever. And the idea of taking it and just tweaking it that little bit was really exciting to me. So I pitch myself and I got the job. And then six weeks later, I was in Canada doing hard prep for the movie, and then we were making the movie. And it really was like, I'm going to push myself off a cliff, and I guess I will find out on the way down if I packed this parachute correctly. Because if it had been six months later, I would have panicked and backed out. I would have been like, You guys are right. We should find someone way more experienced. It It'll be great. But I had also, in the last five years before that, started to have the experience of looking around a film set and going, Oh, God, I'm the most experienced I'm the most experienced person here.

Oh, no. I'm the most experienced person here, and I'm an idiot. This is a nightmare. It wasn't like, oh, hot shit. It was like, oh, no. But you are like, oh, wow, I've I've been doing this a long time. So, yeah, it felt like, okay, it's a now or never thing. And I was absolutely terrified, but I was trying to just make it. I'm a super confident leader. I should be in charge of things. And again, I don't know about you, but I absolutely overthink things, and I can get paralyzed in perfectionism, all that stuff. And then when my back was against the wall or things were really running behind and you don't really have a choice but to be running on adrenaline and instinct, There were even things in the edit where you're looking at the stuff in between takes where I would see myself run into the frame and give the actor a note and adjust a piece of set deck. And I was like, well, that lady seems like she knows what she's doing.

You're like, damn. Okay.

When I'm in a blind panic and you don't really have a choice, I was like, she seems like she's an authority figure. How about that?

I mean, it's an incredible movie, and you should be so proud of yourself. I know you are. But to know that I didn't realize it was that, where you're like, Should I pitch myself? Should I pitch myself? Thank God you pitched yourself, because it's awesome. It really is amazing. Coming from somewhere that gets so fucking scared from movies like this.

I know. I did tell you, I was like, well, if you made it through the first five minutes, it gets easier from there. It gets easier.

But before, for people who haven't watched it yet, the movie is based on an insane true story. Can you give just a little bit of a bite for them to understand what's going on?

For sure. Yeah. So it's based on the true story of a serial killer in the 1970s who went on the show The Dating Game. And it moves around through time. So it's following this more than a decade long period where he was really operating without consequence because nobody was really looking for him, which is another interesting, and by interesting, I mean, enraging aspect of the story. But I play the Bachelorette, who's on the dating game, and that some of that footage exists online, but the full episode, all the footage, appears to have been lost to time. So the screenwriter used that vacuum as this opportunity to... It's almost like a fantasy section of the movie, except the fantasy is, what if a woman stood up for herself? Can you imagine I can imagine. But it's interesting because speaking of asserting yourself, it's a really fun section of the movie. It's a really tense movie, but that section is It's fun. But as the viewer, it's complicated because you know that, okay, she's been shrinking herself and in a fawn response, and she's standing up for herself, which is so fun to watch. But we know she's getting herself closer and closer to danger.

And it's complicated. There are times where you go, why don't I just assert myself? And it's like, sometimes it's not that simple.

Women will understand those moments where you stroke the ego or you actually are so So fucking nice in situations that you're so uncomfortable in because in your head, you're like, the only way I'm getting out of this situation is to be so appeasing and so nice and work it. And then all of a sudden, I know I'll be able to get out at some point. But to a normal person that's never been in that situation or isn't a woman is like, why don't they just scream and run? That's right. And you're like, first of all, if I tried to scream and run, I'm dead, bitch. So fuck you. Okay? Clearly, we're not that dumb. I think that was something very interesting in the movie. Obviously, I talked to you earlier before we got out here about that parking lot scene just struck me because I think every woman, any time you are in a dark area and you are walking anywhere, your senses go up where you're like, What the What the fuck is going to happen to me? What the fuck is going to happen to me? Am I going to die? Am I going to get murdered?

How do you think this movie, what do you think it says about how women are prayed upon in society?

Yeah. Well, first of all, I just want to say it's so interesting that you use the word your senses go up because even the way that... That scene was the first scene that I could visualize. And I imagined it in mediums and close ups. And then when that thing happens where we've all been there, where an interaction is perfectly pleasant, and then 10 seconds later, you're like, wait, 10 seconds ago, everything felt fine. And now something feels very fucking dangerous. It almost is like your entire... You're hearing your peripheral vision is It's just like, okay, where do I see movement? Where do I hear movement? How unsafe am I? And so that's when the camera jumps wide because it's like, oh, that's when you would be aware of like, oh, this parking lot is empty. There's not a maintenance man. There's not a passing couple. All I can hear is the buzz of the streetlights. And it really is in those moments in your own mind, you're like, oh, I can almost hear the ringing in my own ears because there's nothing. Fuck, there's nothing.

That is so interesting stylistically, you having the decision making around the camera angles and how different... Not that we love men, and we love male directors, but I'm just so curious to know how a man would have directed that scene, where you're directing it so in the presence of your own body, and how you would feel in that moment.

Totally, man. And there were times when people were talking about... When we were on set, people were talking about me as like, I'm so glad a woman is directing this. And there were times where I was like, Is it making that much of a difference? I can't really tell. And then there were a bunch of examples like this, but there's a moment where the girl in the New York City apartment, when she realizes, Oh, something's wrong. I don't know what's wrong, but something's wrong. And she doesn't even drop her smile, and you can just see it in her eyes. And when we were shooting that, one of my producers was like, Should we just do another take where it's just more clear what's happening? And I was like, It will be very clear to women what's happening. I think it will be clear to most men. But I was also like, If there's 20% of men who are like, I don't understand what's happening in this scene, fine. That's okay. That would be fine. I would much rather actually be like, no, this is how you would handle this. You wouldn't let on at all.

No.

That's so interesting. So, yeah, it was like, oh, I wasn't really sure. Or how being a woman director would really show up in the movie. But then, yeah, there were a bunch of things like that where I was like, oh, no, that's not even what the scene is about. Like, what?

No, I love it so much. And I think, again, the themes are so important for people in society to just grasp onto and understand. And I think this is a very accurate depiction, obviously heightened. We're not all not dealing with a murderer, serial killer.

There are so many stories that I hear where... I mean, even your story, where you're like, why didn't I just... Whatever. It's like, you did what you had to do. Are you kidding? I know. Are you kidding?

It's just so weird, Daddy Gang. We're talking about the Paris episode, the Paris story. If you haven't listened, go listen. But yes, that story I remember being so even anxious to tell the story online at first because I was like, oh, God.

Everyone's just going to say, well, girl, what were you thinking?

Why did you get on a plane? Why did you go? And I'm like, because I thought that he was a normal nice man. I think that's what we all go into it. Unless you are burned so deeply from a young age, which is horrific, and you have those guards up from a young age, you go through life for a while until you hit a point where you are fucked over in a way that will stay with you for the rest of your life. And we wish that wouldn't happen to us. But when it happens, you can't unsee it. But before it happens, you're trusting people. You're like, I want to trust people. I want to have a good time with someone.

Isn't it interesting that we're so easy easily induced to go like, well, what were you thinking? Are you trusting someone? Thinking other people are good? But then, by the way, if you're like, oh, I'm cagey about dating and stuff right now. It's like, well, you got to open yourself up. You're like, all right. Oh, this is a set up. This is a trap. Oh, I see. There's no winning. There's no winning.

Got it. There's no fucking winning. Speaking of dating, as we're wrapping up, I promise. Are you dating? Are you single? What's going on? Are you dating? Are you single? What's going on?

No, I'm single, but it is funny. I was thinking the other day. I've been single for a while, and I was like, Oh, God, this is very me. I'm very avoidant, and I I have all these little traps in my head or escape hatches or whatever. And I think for a long time now, I've been like, oh, no prospects. Meanwhile, I'm like, Anna, every time your phone buzzes, it's someone being like, oh, I know this guy who writes on this great... He's on that show that's so great that everybody loves, and he really wants to meet you. So just let me know. And I just put it back down and go, no prospects for old Anna. Poor Anna. Nobody It's like such a game that I'm playing with myself where I'm like, oh, I'm not wanting to go there. You don't want it. So I just don't see what's happening. I love it. People going like, I'd love to take you out for a meal. And me going like, oh, he wants to be buddies. That's not even a euphemism. That's just how people ask you on dates. It's just amazing the way that I'm like, oh, no one for poor Hannah.

It's so pathetic.

You're just not in the mood.

Yeah, basically. Well, and also I made this movie about the most dangerous, violent man So there might be some bleed over there.

No, I think it's... I love when people are like, No, I'm not dating. I think we can normalize that when people are like, you're not seeing anyone. I hate those friends that are like, come on. It's like, first of all, shut up. I'll do it when I want to. But clearly, yes, you went through something with someone and you made this movie, and now it's like, you're going to get back out there when you want to get back out there. Is there anything that's a non-negotiable for you in a relationship?

Oh, well, in spite of my not great experience with couples therapy, I was like, first of all, I'm never getting involved with a man, meaning we're not even kissing. We're not even going to have a real conversation unless you are in or have been in therapy. And if we're actually like, Oh, okay, maybe this is a relationship, we're getting a couple of therapists from jump. By the way, that guarantees nothing, even that. But yeah, I love that.

A man that in therapy.

I know. It warms my heart. It's a good time. And it is not a guarantee of anything.

You're right. It's not a guarantee, but at least it's a little bit more... It's a little bit more in the right direction. Completely. Because a man that's like, I would never fucking go to therapy. I'm like, What's wrong with you? You're the one that has the most fucking trauma. Totally. Not a good time.

Can I say, even the going back to the red flag thing that I'm aware that I love that there is a bit of a community and women wanting to share like, Oh, this turned out to be a red flag. We should know those things and know that it doesn't necessarily protect us to look out for those things. But I was thinking about how a classic one is like, It was like, any guy that says, oh, all my exes are crazy, that's a red flag. I was like, all these guys have access to the same Internet and the same culture that we do. So I don't think that they're rocking up to first dates and going, oh, all my exes are crazy fucking bitches. They're like, It was a messy situation. And I've been burned. And look, I probably contributed in some ways, too. But as we're learning it, they are, too. Not to be like, Oh, and I don't even think they're doing it on purpose. No, you're right. It's just happening subconsciously.

No, those little fuckers are fully learning off of this episode being like, Don't say this, do this. No, you're right. You're right. They're taking notes. They're not idiots. You're right.

I had a guy tell me about an ex where he was doing... It was almost like he was getting me to collude with him by being like, no, she was a great person, but then would tell me things about her that would make me go, That's not okay. That's awful. And he would be like, Oh, wow, really? Do you think it was... And then it was all bullshit. It was all full on fabricated crazy. But it is like, Oh, they're learning. They're like Velociraptors. My God.

Okay, so on a first date, what do you want to be doing on a first date? Are you going to a dinner? Are you doing a coffee? Are you doing a fucking Zoom meeting? Oh, my God. What are we doing? What's your ideal first date? I know.

I'm like, Is there a way to just have it at my house in my pajamas? I mean, you have to look nice, and I will be recording it for the authorities, so don't try anything. But I am like, What? Leave the house? Dinner? Alex, that's disgusting. Why How did you say that? You'll do a FaceTime date. Go to a movie? No. Oh, my God.

Your movie? How iconic. Yes. Kind of iconic. Okay, last two questions. What is your best quality that you think you bring to a relationship?

Oh, God. Sometimes I feel like I've seen memes and stuff online about the girlfriend that will be like, This isn't what he ordered. You know how some men are like, Oh, well, this isn't... But that's Okay, and I'll just eat it. I'm very much the bodyguard. I think I'm compensating for how short I am. I'm always like, Wait, wait, now, hang on a second. Which is weird because I'm the person where if the wrong thing comes, I'll just eat it. But when it's somebody else. And it's the same thing with friends where I'm like, Where are they? No, who said that to you? No, where are they? I just want to talk. No, I just want to talk. I really talk crazy to people. It's a lot, but I don't know. I like that about myself. I I love that. I don't know if you find that it's way easier for me when it's somebody else.

Of course. And then to stick up for yourself, you're like, Oh, no. No, no, no, never, never. But to someone else, I'm like, Oh, I got you, bitch. I'm coming in full-swinging. Let's go.

No. I'm like, They're already dead. We don't even have to worry about it. I slept through throughout last night. It's fine.

That's a good friend to have. This is good to know about you. Brittany's lucky, but you're also lucky with Brittany. I am very lucky. Last question, what do you think is the biggest misconception about you?

Oh, God. I don't know. I don't know. I mean, sometimes... Okay, Okay. Sometimes, I don't know if this counts as a misconception, but sometimes I truly don't realize how dry I'm being. I have such nervous kid sister energy around real comics. So I'll try to be funny. Even if someone's just funny, I'll be like, oh, yeah, I have to keep up. And I'll go so dry that I I think sometimes I don't realize it comes off like I'm being dead serious. I saw a TikTok of myself once. I was at this party, and this guy just got me to do a video with him, and I was joking that he told me that he'd been filming me from across the party. It was fine, whatever. But I was like, Oh, we're doing a bit about how you were secretly filming me, motherfucker. So okay, we're doing... I'm like, Yeah, we're doing a bit. And then I see the TikTok because it went viral. And I was like, Oh, my God. It seems like I'm ready to kill this man. Which look, mostly, am I ready to kill men at any given moment, a little. But I was like, I'm being so funny.

And then I saw it back and I was like, oh, my God. And all the comments were like, wait, is she being serious? And I was like, I don't know. Am I being serious? My God. I'd never seen just a video of me doing a bit that wasn't coming across as a bit. So I was like, oh, my God, how many times? How many times? Because this is the tone that I snap into when there's a comedy director or something where I was like, oh, wow, there have got to be so many situations where they're like, I don't know. I thought we were getting along fine. And then she just snatched. And then she just snatched. She went dead-eye on me or something. Meanwhile, I'm like, I'm being so funny. It's going great. Okay. I'm nailing it. Anna, you're nailing it.

And that is the end of the episode. And that concludes today's session, ladies and gentlemen. Anna, thank you so much for coming on Call Her Daddy. This was so fun. You're amazing. This was the best.

Thank you. Thank you so much for everything.

Thank you. Thank you.