The Commercial Break - TCB Infomercial w. Gina Gershon

Episode Date: August 6, 2024

Episode #577: We finally snagged ourselves the legend herself...Gina Gershon! Bryan, Krissy, and Gina discuss her life in movies, and what lies behind her eyes... Gina Gershon! We are blessed today Borderlands Covid to Pandora Gina’s first legit roles John Hughes Tricked into snaking Lying about your age to get into an acting program The demon within Playing Donatella David Mamet Learn how to direct yourself Showgirls Filming Bound Losing representation over Bound Gina is booked and busy Text us or leave us a voicemail: [phone]TCB FOLLOW US: INSTAGRAM:   https://www.instagram.com/thecommercialbreak/ https://www.instagram.com/bryanwgreen/ https://www.instagram.com/tcbkrissy/ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/thecommercialbreak TIKTOK https://www.tiktok.com/@tcbpodcast Visit our website:  https://tcbpodcast.com/ CREDITS: Executive Producer: Bryan Green Hosts: Bryan Green & Krissy Hoadley Producer:  Astrid B. Green Producer & Audio Editor: Christina Archer Christina’s Podcast: Apple Podcasts & Spotify To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Call 1-866-531-2600 or visit connectsontario.ca. Please play responsibly. Have you noticed how hot it's been getting? That's because hell is here already. The devil is trying to get us all burned up. But he ain't trying to burn me On this episode of the commercial break I've always thought about you Gina and I know that I may be taking a risk saying this but I've always

Felt like there's something behind your eyes. You seem like my brain. The next episode of the commercial break starts now. I'm Brian Green. This is my dear friend and the cohost of this show. Chris enjoy a whole lead best to you, Chris. Best to you out there in the podcast universe. Like that old Scaramucci, was that who it was? No, no, no, that's a Scaramucci. I wish he was a Scaramucci. That's a Dean.

Dean. Ah, he was good. And then we're going to the Carolinas, and then we're going to the Wyoming, and then we're going to the Wyoming, and then we're going to the South Carolina, and then we're going to the South Carolina, and then we're going to Florida,

and then we're going to the moon. Woo! Ah! Woo! And presidential candidacy ended that day. It ended because he screamed like that. Can you imagine folks that didn't live through the Dean, you know, what was his name? Something Dean. Now I can't remember. why can't I remember? Anyway, he was a candidate for president, a democratic candidate for president, and everyone got really excited about him.

Yeah, he did too. And then he gave one kind of speech for- He got excited about himself. Howard Dean. Howard Dean. Howard Dean, where he got a little crazy, and he screamed at the end of it. He was like, ah!

And he went away. People stopped donating to him, people stopped saying they were gonna vote for him, support went away, it fizzled because he screamed. Can you imagine? I mean, can you imagine? There was a time when screaming on the trail was enough to put you under.

Now, what? I don't know. Nothing. Nothing, I don't know. Anyway, more on that later. But we're very excited because it's TCB Infomercial Day and we have a legend coming in to talk to us, Chrissy. I love her so much.

I know I'm like giddy with excitement. I know she's been in so many of my favorite movies. I know we've had a lot of comedians that have also acted, but have we ever had an actor, just an actor on the show? I do not think so. I don't think so either. And so, let it be our first, let us be blessed today, Chrissy. Oh, let us be blessed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by Gina Gershon. Well, I'm not that quick. You got to give me a minute here. Okay, here we go. Gina Gershon is coming in to visit with us. In the house.

I mean, like when you look at her IMDB page, it is filled with movies that you have seen. And granted, some of those movies have like smaller parts, you know, she's in for five or 10 or 15 minutes of the movie, but some of them she's a leading actor. You know her. Like if you don't know her by name, you just look at a picture of her first of all. Look at the cover of this podcast episode. You will see her.

Yes, she's absolutely beautiful. And has just- Stunning. Yeah. An amazing, like she's just- And maintained too. Just looks amazing in person. Let me give you the, let me give you like a little rundown of the list. I'm sorry, I

interrupted you. Were you saying something? I was going to say, I'm so excited to see her in person because I just can't wait to chat. Yes. Okay. Here it is. She's most recently in Borderlands, which comes out August 8th, which is why she's here. August 9th, excuse me, comes out August 8th or August 9th. We'll get to that in a second, but it's out in the first 10 days in August. And this movie, Borderlands, based on the very popular video game series,

which I did not play, but the PR people with Geno were nice enough to send me to a local movie theater to watch. And I told you, I was, did I share? I don't think I shared it on air. I know, I was supposed to go and I'm so sorry. Yeah, that's good. I couldn't, I couldn't. But I know, I was supposed to go and I'm so sorry. Yeah, no, Chrissy, good. I couldn't.

Yeah, but yeah, so I had to go by myself. And then there was like an armed security officer sitting next to me basically. And he told me to put away my phone. So I did, because when someone has a gun, you just do what they ask you to do. Yes. Anyway, Borderlands, which I know a lot of people are excited about with Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett, Jack Black. The cast is crazy. It's crazy. It's unbelievable. Anyway, Borderlands, which I know a lot of people are excited about with Kevin Hart, Kate Blanchett, Jack Black.

The cast is crazy. It's crazy, it's unbelievable. So we'll talk to her about that, because of course that's why she's here, I would assume. Bound, which is the kind of noir film from 1996, 1997, where the McCoushkey brothers made it, a gentleman who went on to make The Matrix. It was one of their

little known series. Bigger budget films. I think it was an indie film at the time, but it went on to, it's become like another cult classic, but with really good reason because there's a lot of great acting in the movie and Gina is definitely the main star. Pretty in Pink, she was in. Face Off, Cocktail, House of Versace, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, television shows, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Glee, Melrose Place, Curb Your Enthusiasm. Melrose Place, I remember her on that, yeah. Oh yeah, she was like a villainous character,

wasn't she in that? I can't remember, but I feel like she was. Well, they're just all the hot people from the 90s were on that show. She was like a sneaky, I don't know, maybe we'll talk to her about it. Maybe if we have enough time, we'll talk to her about it. I could go on and on and on.

I honestly could. She's been in so many movies, it's unbelievable. She's had such a rich, pissed career in the industry. And she's our very first act solo act, like, you know, actress that does not also do standup comedy on the show. So we're grateful to have her in. Can't wait to speak with her about

her experiences with Borderlands and all that other good stuff. And I'll share this previous to her being on, because I would never say this to her face. So I'm going to be a chicken shit and say it before she gets on air. But that Bound is like... I have not seen it. You got to see it. I've got to see it. Everyone's got to see it. You got to see Bound. It's one of those things you just got to put in your deck of films that you must see if you haven't. And if you have seen it, rewatch it. It's amazing. It's ultimately rewatchable too.

Like you can watch it over and over again. It's one of those thriller newars in the like reservoir dogs, pulp fiction, like those type of movies that were coming out back in the nineties. It's in the same vein of those movies that did really well back then. Now, I haven't seen one in a while, but they did really well back then. And it's being reissued, I understand. We'll talk to her about that on Criterion, I think is the name of the platform where it's being distributed again.

But when the first time I watched Bound, which is about two women who plan to rob the mob essentially But there are some scenes in there that are as a young man. I was like hot dog It's not the reason why the movie's good, but you know, it's it's additive I guess it added to the allure when you were at that age. Yes, she was. And now you just look back on it. It's a great movie.

I fell in love with her when she was a pretty in pink, but then it continued on through the 90s and 2000s. And yeah. I'm so excited to have her on. I'm so excited to have her on, too. So let's not waste any time. Let's get right to it. How are you feeling, by the way?

I'm feeling better. Not a hundred percent, man. That sickness was crazy. I'm convinced it's somehow COVID related. Although three tests said no, but it definitely was respiratory. You got the ick, hon. You got the ick.

That's what we call it. You got the summer ick. Yeah, I know the summer ick. No one wants the summer ick sick. No one wants the summer ick. No one wants the summer ick sick. No one wants the summer ick sick because it really puts a drain on your fun. Yeah, it's not a fun time to like hole up and you know, sit in bed.

No, but I guess since it was raining for 18 straight days, it wasn't the worst thing in the world either. Okay, let's do this because I know that she's coming on here in just a second. Let's take a break and then we get back, we'll be here with Gina Gershon. Okay? Sounds good.

All right. Talk to you soon. We'll be back. Hi. No, you're not dreaming. And yes, this is a new promo. See, I made you wait and now look how happy you are. I know.

I know you're smiling. Anyway, since we're here, why don't you just hop on over to Instagram and give us a follow at the commercial break. Seriously, please, it's getting hard for me to listen to Brian and Chrissy Begg. So just follow us on Instagram. Again, that's at the commercial break. You can also follow us on TikTok at TCB Podcast.

And of course, you know where to go for all things TCB. That is tcbpodcast.com, baby. And of course, you can always text us or call us and leave us a voicemail at 212-433-3TCB. Yep, that phone number is no longer new, but it is still around and that's a win. 212-433-3TCB. Love you, bye.

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Never skip therapy day with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com to learn more. That's BetterH-E-L-P.com. And living legend Gina Gershon is here with us now. Thank you, Gina, for spending some time with us this morning. Hi, Gina. Hello. Hi. We are so excited to have you here. You, I said, I think you're a living ledge. You've been in so

many movies that are favorites of mine. Cocktail, Face Off, Pretty in Pink, Bound, which is a mind, for me was like a mind bending, eye opening experience. You have been just like this, I don't know, you've been, you're part of my life. I feel like constantly in my face. And the threat of our lives. And the threat of our lives. But we know you're here because we're talking about Borderlands. Borderlands, of course, is coming out in, when, what date does it come out? Hugely popular video game. August.

18th, I think. Eight? I think it's popular video game. August... Eighteenth, I think? Eight? I think it's eighth. Yeah, August eighth, that's correct. So Borderlands comes out August eighth. It's based on a very popular video game series. The cast is unbelievable to be quite frank. Yeah, there's anybody and everybody.

Yeah, everybody's there. Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, uh... Jamie Lee Curtis. Jamie Lee Curtis. Yeah, Jane... Ariana Greenblatt. Did you have fun? Kevin Hartblatt, Kevin Hart. Oh, Kevin Hart, that's right. Did you have fun?

And Kevin Hart, he's really funny in most movies. In this movie, I found he took a different twist. He was funny, but it was a different side of Kevin Hart that I didn't expect to see. And I enjoyed it. It was a little bit more of a demure Kevin Hart in this movie. Did you enjoy filming it? Yeah. You know what? We shot it a couple of years ago and it was during lockdown. And so A, first of all, when I saw the character Moxie, I just thought, oh my God, she's amazing.

She's so fun. I mean, I've always wanted to work with Kate and of course, Jamie Lee. I mean, it's a crazy cast and I love Eli. So the idea of going to Budapest to be locked down with all these people, you know, was quite thrilling. And then when I read the script, I thought, you know, it was just so nice to go into a whole different world as we were dealing with, you know, a whole different world. So it was like, oh my God, this is kind of, you know, nice to go into a weird bonkers fantasy land for a second. Yeah. And the end product is definitely a fantasy land. And I think anybody who's- That's great. It's bonkers. We all just think it's like Bonkersville. It's really nuts.

But you know, it was really, you know, having been isolated for the most part during that time. It's a great group of people to be in lockdown with. I can imagine. Yeah. I would think that Kevin Hart, Kate Blanchett, I was thinking all those characters just testing, de-masking and having fun while everybody else is literally locked in their houses is a good break. I would take it just to get a break.

Yeah, it was nice to be in Budapest and, you know, Jamie Lee, I mean, you know, it's a great, it was a great gang. So I felt very lucky to be a part of that. And yeah, you walk on that set and you're like, I mean, the world was weird enough. And then you walk onto the land of Pandora and you're like, what is, what is going on? It was really, it was all very trippy, you know? Yeah. And Budapest, I think is, I don't know, because I've never been there, but I have friends who've been there who says it's kind of trippy anyway. Like Budapest is a little, you know, it's a different world than any place you've seen here in the States, that's for sure.

Yeah, it's very beautiful. A couple things were still closed up, but you could still walk around the city. There's so much culture there and so much history. It was a special moment. I mean, I wish I'd been there longer. I just kind of popped in and popped out. Yeah. It was just a few weeks. But it was nice.

It was fun. Well, go see it August 8th. If you're a fan of the video game series or you're a fan of action, you're going to love this movie. And of course, Gina's in it. Gina, speaking of history, is Pretty in Pink like your first breakthrough role? I'm not really sure. It's the first time I remember seeing you.

I think it was my first real film. I had done a couple little things before that. Like I was like dancing legs in Beetlemania, because my friends' parents were producing and I was dancing a lot then. They're like, we need a dancer. But you never saw my face. So I was like dancing legs. I danced through it, but you just saw I was like a fly girl from the waist down. And then I'd done this other really strange movie, I think, gosh, I get that Pretty in Pink was like the first kind of legit, you know, like, oh, it's a mainstream, it's actually a studio, it's coming out, you know, and I just had a small

little part in it, but it was really fun. Oh, I think it was a memorable part for me because I definitely remember you in that movie when I was, you know, oh, let me remember what Gina had done. And I was like, oh, she wasn't pretty in pink. That's right. And, and I still have like, I look at it, I'd like to have my baby fat. I was so young, you know, my face was brown. I don't think I was plucking my eyebrows.

That's a John Hughes movie, right? Yes. You worked with Hughes. Was he like the luminary everybody kind of says he is? I know he's kind of got underground, so there's no chance to talk to him about it, but was he the luminary that everybody thought he was? Yeah. I think he was kind of the guy.

Well, I mean, I didn't really spend that much time with him, but it was like, oh, I'm in a John Hughes movie. That's so cool. I mean, he was kind of the, I'm in a John Hughes movie. That's so cool. Yeah, he was, you know Kind of the guy at that moment, right? I certainly was he had a string of hits that I think is unmatched in like that team teen comedy error you were also in cocktail with Tom Cruise and What a

Gee, that's an iconic. Yeah, I watched back that's the movie, four days ago. I watched back the movie. You play a real snake in that movie by the way. I just got to say that right now. Did you enjoy that? You know, by the way, she did not start off being that way. That's true. That's true.

But I didn't even know when it was all cut together. He's like, no, you're really having this relationship with Tom. I never knew I slept with the Brian Brown character until I watched the film. I'm like, wait a second, you guys didn't tell me this. Oh my God. Yes. So I was a little bit tricked in that. Did they edit it for Twist or did they just not tell you because they wanted some kind

of reaction or some innocence or they didn't want you to forecast the role. I don't know why, but I remember wishing they had told me because I would have played things a little differently. I don't know, call me crazy. It's kind of good to know what happens with your character so you know how to pace your character out. Exactly. But yeah.

You might want to give me an indication of where this is going. That was one of my first bigger films too. You learn a lot. When the makeup is too much, you're like, this is too much. You're like, oh no, it looks good on film. You're like, okay. You learn not to trust anyone there. You're like, wow, no it doesn't.

It looks pretty a lot. It's just good to ask a lot of questions before. You know, when you're starting off, you're just like trying to be, do your job and not get in anyone's way. But you know, now you're like, listen, I need to know what's going on. All you care about is doing your job in the best way possible. Sure. Let me take a step back. Did you always want to act? Was that something that you felt from early on that was a place you wanted to go? Yeah.

I think so. I remember seeing a show, like a play, a live play. My mom took me to see Beauty and the Beast. I was like three or four. I was little. And I just remember looking at the people on stage thinking, oh, those are magic people. Like those are magic people. Like those are magic people. And then, you know, I remember going to junior high or, yeah, it was like maybe

seventh grade or something. And then I saw a play and it had my friends in it. I'm like, wait a second, those are not magic people. Like I know those guys. And I was like, huh, you mean I can do this? And then I just kind of zeroed in going, wait, I could do that. So yeah, it was something I was always very intrigued. And your family was supportive? Like this was something they encouraged or was it? I wouldn't say they encouraged it, but they didn't discourage it either. They knew I was pretty passionate about it. I was more of a dancer and a singer when I was younger. I have a family of musicians. So being an actress was a little bit different. Jared Suellentrop But there's creativity in the room, there's

creativity in the mix, and so people under, it's not totally foreign to them. Jennifer Lange Yeah, but it was definitely, I didn't have one of those mothers saying, okay, we have to do this and this. I was like, mom, you have to take me to dance class. I just kept saying, you have to take me here. And then I remember sneaking off and kind of lying about my age so I can get into a program in San Francisco. And then I got in and I said, listen, I've got to go, I got accepted to this school, but they think I'm 17 and I'm living in San Francisco, I really want to do it.

So, you know, yeah. So then I kind of had to lie my way through that. Cause I was only 16 and they were like, well, you can't go, you're too young, it's a summer. And they, I had to live with someone older. She was 28, she worked at ACT. So it was a friend of the family's. But as soon as I walked in, she's like, I just got a gig in Hawaii. I'm not going to be around like, great, don't say anything.

Exactly. So, I was just like, oh yeah, Michelle's at school right now. And you know, but so, yeah, I made them live at my age. Did you spend that summer alone? Huh? Did you, so you spent that summer alone essentially, like going to this class? Well, I did, but I made a really good friend who actually wasn't in the school. And so I ended up moving in with her and like her parents were away and she had a really

great house. So I was having fun. We were like going out and having a good time. And then I was, you know, I was in a summer program. So it was pretty full on. It was great, but it made me realize, oh, I want to really study and take this much more seriously. So when I went, you know, I did a play in high school and I had all these agents saying, let's put you on a show. And I was like, I want to go to college and

I want to really study. Yeah. You know, because I also thought I would look at Jessica Lange and things like Francis. I'm like, that's what I want to do, but I need to learn how to do it. You know, I didn't, I was- You felt like you weren't ready yet. I just felt like there was levels of, you know, layers that I needed to know how to do. And also, I, you know, I really, I wanted to go to college.

I kind of had this idea of these, you know, actors and actresses who just went on a show and that's all they knew. And I was really encouraged by my family and also by some of my professors, you know, to say, listen, learn everything. Like I didn't want to be this like dummy who didn't know my history and my psychology. And I thought all of it would feed into what I was doing. And the parts I knew that I really wanted to play weren't until I was a little bit older anyway. So I'm like, I just have to prepare for that.

What an amazingly self-aware thing to, amazing self-awareness at such a young age. Let me get well-rounded. Let me fill this, you know, brain and psyche and soul with other things besides just kind of this myopic focus of acting, because it may lend to future roles and they lend to how I tackle those roles in the future that's at 16 I think weed was the only thing I was thinking about. Oh I was doing that a lot. See that was in the valley right because I was in 14-15 I went through my weed

years and it was the valley and then you Because I was in 14, 15, I went through my weed years and it was the valley. And then, you know, it was pretty full on, but I realized the people that I would gravitate, my uncle had a very interesting group of friends. He was a composer and a musician and arranger. And they lived over on the other side of the hill. And I just remember always really like hanging out with them because they were like interesting people in the business, but more musicians and composers, but like philosophers and smart people and writers and a lot of directors.

Not as much directors, writers. And I just always thought, oh, I like, I want to be smart like these people. I want to be able to engage in these conversations, you know? Yeah. these conversations, you know? So once I got out of my weed smoking valley days, I was really, you know, pretty focused. You wanted to suck up whatever they had. There was something there that was, I don't know, tickling your intellect and you wanted to be a part of that in some way. I've always thought about you, Gina, and I know that I may be taking a risk saying this,

but I've always felt like there's something behind your eyes. You seem like... My brain. The demon within. One of those actresses that's captivating because there's always something there that's not describable. Like you can't put your finger on it, but it's very unique.

And the way that it comes across on screen to me, it always felt like there's some, like, you know, you meet some people and you're like, oh, okay, that nice guy, nice lady, nice whatever. And then you meet some people and you're like, wow, like I want to know more about that person. Something's intriguing about them. They have a depth that I can't get to because I'm just interacting with them in a certain way, two dimensions essentially. But I've always felt that about you and I think that's why I like watching you in your performances. Because-

That's interesting. Thank you. You're welcome. Because I'll have to tell you that the only lifetime movie that I've watched all the way through was Versace. That's right. That was the Versace one. Which I thought was just campy and fantastic. I loved it. I don't know why I was like, oh my God, this is so much fun. Did you have fun playing Donatella?

She plays Donatella in the movie, by the way. Did you have fun playing? I would say fun would be the word. You know, well, just because, listen, I have so much respect for her, but it was the movie focused on a period of her life that wasn't so fun. So, you know, I kind of could feel what, you know, in my mind, what she was going through and, you know, wasn't a fun moment. Yeah. Although she was interesting to play

Did you mean did you ever have a chance to meet Donatella? No, no, okay So yeah, it's not the like the it's only the brightest happiest movie in the world But I don't know I and I really in in enjoyed it quite frankly. Thank you Yeah, no, I think I you know, I tried my darndest on it Thank you. Yeah, no, I think I, you know, I tried my darndest on it and, you know, I just think she's a very interesting woman and I have so much respect for her and I just think what she went through and what she had to become and what she went through and she's just a survivor. She's very interesting and so talented and interesting to me. What kind of roles are you attracted to mostly? what what really when you read a script what?

What gets you going like? character, you know You know, it's always different. Yeah, it's like it's like, you know, you meet someone you don't know why you like them But you gravitate towards them sure. I mean I Listen, I do I feel like when it comes to dramatic pieces or straight, you know, I have a tendency to go towards complex characters or, you know, maybe that's the thing behind the eyes. Like what they're showing isn't actually what's going on. I think people are complicated.

I'm always attracted to what makes a person who they are, you know? Like, oh, they're just fucked up, blah, blah, blah. Sorry, am I not supposed to say that? No, you can say whatever am I not supposed to say that? You know, I mean, if they have a darkness or shadows or some sort of issues, like, I'm always, just as a human, you know, being, I'm always curious, how did they get there? You know, it's, it's, you know, I, the psychologist part of it, you know, I'm just curious about people and why they are the way they are and how they got there and how can they evolve past their stuff, you know, which, you know, you only get a sliver in a movie, but it's also, it's just

interesting to think about the whole thing. But, you know, when it comes to comedy, it's a different thing. It's not so much like the psychology. I mean, there's stuff that's in to comedy, it's a different thing. It's not so much the psychology. There's stuff that's in there, but it's just more like, I don't know, it's just more of an instinctual moment of just having fun. Yeah, I've said this a lot. I think comedy is musical in some ways. There's beats and you got to hit them or naturally you would hit them. If you're a funny person, you just kind of hit these beats. I think of comedy sometimes in terms of musicality and the intonation

of your voice and how you deliver things and stuff like that. And drama, you're right, you only get a small sliver of what somebody is like. But I think, and I've shared this with Chrissy before, it's like, that's the meat and potatoes of a really interesting person is like struggle, right? What they've been through, the struggle and their ability to climb back through that. We've all been through it. It's all about perspective. Chrissy McAllister Everyone has it. Listen, even the comedic parts, why is someone trying to be so funny? Believe me, there's a reason, whether they realize it or not, you know, every we're all we all have that, you know, to what degree we're aware

of it. You know, it's all different. Yeah, this this reminds me, you worked with David Mamet, didn't you? He when I was in at NYU, he took like 20 of us to Vermont. He's like, he kind of said, hey, let's do a workshop. And then, yeah, so I worked with him all summer and then the Atlantic Theater Company was kind of, you know, born out of that. Did you enjoy working with David? You know, he was a really good teacher.

He probably gave me some of the best advice when I was in college, which was basically, he's like, listen, he was nice. He's like, you're really good. You've got a great sense of play. The only thing I could tell you, learn how to direct yourself. I was like, learn how to direct. I thought that was so cynical.

What the fuck does that mean? I'm like, what do you mean? I want to work with good directors. He said, listen, in your whole career, you will be lucky if you have five directors who actually direct you. Learn how to direct yourself. And I just thought, he doesn't know what he's talking about. And you know what? He was totally right. He was spot on, huh? He was spot on. I've been lucky with a few directors here and there that have really

directed, but most are, listen, a lot of times you go on a set, they're thinking about other things. So you've got to kind of know exactly what you want to do. And then if they, you can collaborate with them and they give you good ideas, great, but if not, you have to know what you're doing. So I approach a lot of stuff as a director and as a writer and kind of figure out what's the best thing and how to move through something.

Yeah, that is an amazing piece of advice. And I'm not an actor. But you think about that, you're changing your boss, essentially, you're changing your narrative, your perspective every time you walk into it on a set, whether that be a television show or a movie. And you're not always going to get the. And you're not always going to get the same, you're not always going to get, I guess, the same kind of attention from everybody. You're not always going to get the same kind of direction. Yeah, it's with everything. Listen, if you go into a studio and you're like, you're trying to do your podcast and you've got someone saying, the best way to do it is through a piece of fly paper or wax. And then it sounds really interesting and we'll tweak it.

And inside you're like, that is like the stupidest idea ever heard. So then you have to just learn how to go, oh, okay, but you want to make your show. You have a responsibility to make what you're doing the best you know how to do it. And sometimes you get really lame advice. So you have to just know what to listen to and what not to listen to and how to deal with it. You know? A lot of times we get really lame advice and it comes from to just know what to listen to and what not to listen to and how to deal with it, you know? A lot of times we get really lame advice and it comes from all corners and it comes from the audience. And I think, at least from our perspective, it's like, stay true to it. If

it's not funny here or if it's not interesting here between the two of us, then it doesn't really matter at the end of the day. So we have to kind of be control of our own destiny. You know, things are going to hit, they're going to miss, people are going to like it, they're not. But does it feel good? And if it feels good, then, and did we do it organically? Okay, if that's the, if that's what we did, then we shouldn't be disappointed in the results because we're, you know, some things are going to be great, some things are not. Yeah. I mean, I think the whole point of art, you know, or making something, whatever you want to call it, it's because you're trying to express something. And I, you know, when someone's like trying to change

your mind how that works, and believe me, it's happened a lot, you know, especially as being a young actor, so we're like, you know, you got to do this and this is, you know, you have to stay true to what you believe, because just between you and you, that's like, no, you got to do this and this. It's, you know, you have to stay true to what you believe because just between you and you, that's who's making it. You know, when you're doing, when I was doing music, it's like, I didn't know what I was doing, but I'm like, this sounds good to me and this is what I want to do. Then, luckily, you get people to implement it. And if it's wrong, I mean, there's no such thing as wrong, but it's got to sound feel right to you. And the few times I've tried to do something, because the agent people are like, you need

to do something commercial, you need to do this. I'm like, okay, fine, I'll do it because it's the right thing to do. It was terrible. And I hate it. I'm like, I don't want to do this. Yeah. But do you sense that sometimes? I think we can all look at this over lots of actors and actresses

careers, right? They do something with meat and then they do something that's commercially viable and they move back and forth, especially the more successful ones, the ones who have been around for a while. Do you sense that that's just part of the game? Is that like, okay, I'm just doing this because it's part of the game and it's, and it's a paycheck. Or do you really say like, okay, I'm going to take on this role and do the best I can and, and knock it out. It's, I would think as being a person who's been in the industry for so long, sometimes you just

have to take on commercially viable projects because... Listen, sometimes you just have to take, you have to take a job that pays you. Right. Exactly. projects because You have to take a job that pays you right? It's like the reality is like Hey, I need to deal with all this stuff and you know more often than not that the movies or the TV shows or the plays That I've really been in love with that. I really want to do they don't pay Yeah, you you have to do that every now and then you get lucky and, you know, art and commerce.

Jared Sussman The stars align. Danielle Pletka Yeah. Danielle Pletka Yeah. You actually are like, oh, I'm getting paid to do something I actually really, really, really love to do. You know, so, you know, you have to keep things in balance. Jared Sussman Sure. Danielle Pletka And every now and then you get lucky and they're in the same, you know, you get paid for the thing you really, really want to do with the people you really, really

want to work with. I mean, everyone's got different reasons for doing what they need to do. You know? Okay. I want to talk about some of your older movies or movies from the past that are now becoming popular again, but I want to talk about one movie specifically before we get into Bound and Rock and Roll, I want to talk about Showgirls, which I know everybody wants to talk to you about Showgirls, but I just can't let the opportunity go by. What did you think when you were filming

that movie? What did you think the end product would be versus what actually happened on screen? Did you imagine it would become kind of this... Well, it's kind of a cult classic now. It's a cult classic. It's like a cult classic now. Right? I mean, I could listen, I have to answer that question in three parts, I think now, because it's now I could answer in three parts and I'll keep it short. Um, I think going into it, I was really excited. I was just like, I was such a fan of Paul Verhoeven's Dutch films, right? Like Spatter, Soldier of Orange, you know, I, Spetter, Soldier of Orange. I was like, oh my God, this is going to be so dark and cool and gritty. And the fact that I was playing Crystal, which I didn't know if I was going to be playing Crystal or the other one or

a Nomi. I was kind of not quite old enough for Crystal and I was maybe a smidge too old for Novi. But I basically just started lying throughout the whole thing because I really loved Crystal, but I think I said I was, you know, 33 or whatever. I don't know, whatever, whatever age I said. And I, you know, tried to, I really wanted to get that part. Once I get it, I think it's going to be like, Oh my God, like we're going into a Wagner concert, right? Yes. So dark and who I'm Margot and she's Eve, I get to be Margot, like, Oh my God, I'm thinking all these Greek dramas and this and then I get

up on the set and it's literally like, you know, a pop concert. It's like a Britney Spears concert. It's something else. It's something totally, completely different. So it's a good lesson of going, wow, I can't do what I thought I was going to do because this is like Technicolor. I was going for gritty black and white. So I just kind of did 180 degrees with my character to like have fun within this world, right? Okay.

And as it's filming, I just kept thinking this isn't going to be what everyone's going to think it's going to be because there are so many things I disagreed with. I had to really fight my way through it a lot. And so when it came out, I was just like, oh my God, get me in something else. Like that shows I'm a real actress, else I'm fucked. Yeah. You know, I came across okay in it. I really did my best I could. There's issues. Okay, so I had a little bit of PTSD doing it, let's be honest. And then my friend who's a journalist recently, who's a great writer, she's like, you're coming to see Showgirls because you just have to understand why it's a good movie. I'm like, I don't need to go.

I don't think it's a good movie. I don't want to go. No, somebody didn't think it was a good movie. It wasn't my sort of thing. And I just thought everything wrong with it. And like I said, I had lived through so much that I just, you know, like, I just had to be done. I just had my own vision of like, you know, at the time, I'm like, why is this rape scene in here? This is insane. Like, why is this in this movie? And, you know, but now after years, 20 years, whatever it's been, you know, and I've been writing myself, and I've started directing. So I see things differently. And now, of course, I could see the whole thing from far away, and not be so like, Oh, my God, my accent's off here. This is a I

hated that day. But I just thought, Oh, my God God, of course the rape scene has to be in there. This is like about the ugliest Americans we could possibly be. So I saw it from far away, a different perspective. So in that case, I'm like, I could see why people are consciously or unconsciously obsessed with this film. I mean, it's really a portrait of ugly Americans and the ugly American dream.

You know, at their worst. Yeah, in my opinion in a very campy way, but with like very serious undertones and I saw it in the theaters and I was like, what in the fuck did I just see? Like, what did I just watch actually? But then after rewatch, after rewatch, after rewatch, you start to understand why people, I mean it's like so many other movies that you see, right? They become cult classics for whatever reason or another. You're like, oh, okay. And now I understand. It's got this weird, it's this weird melodrama, I guess, shot in this really weird way with scenes that may or may not be pertinent to it.

Well, I mean, I think Paul's, he's a very smart guy. And he he you know, even though it seems like one thing I think the undercurrents are much darker, you know And it's more like it's some of his films. You're like, oh, this is like about fascism. This is about like Consumerism this is like they're bigger issues that are going on And I think with showgirls it it has that and it's at the same time being like super dumb and campy you know yeah it's got all those things mixed together which i think makes it endearing in a lot of people's minds okay let's talk about a movie that's actually really fucking fantastic and that is bound yeah so oh man it's so good you play quirky in the movie i think um and you have to

i'm not gonna try and i'm not gonna go through the plot for those of you who haven't seen it You must watch bound it twisted my mind when I saw it. I watched it like late night on some premium movie channel I'm sure yeah, and I was just like what that was that movie is incredible Yeah, you Tell me about the filming of bound it's coming now people are again focusing on this movie as a real classic. What was your experience filming Bound? Well, in a nutshell, that movie, as I was saying, I was doing Showgirls and my agents at the time, they were like, we're going to put you in a big movie.

You're going to become a big movie star. And I'm like, I need something that shows I can act like seriously now. Like this isn't going to be what you think it's going to be. And when I read bound, I just, I was like, what is this? This is so great. You know, like the woman gets to be the hero, you know, gets the girl gets the cash gets everything. I'd never read a part like that. Yeah. And that showed it was, you know, the typical male, you know, the heroes were men. And I'm like, wow, the female gets to be the hero. I love this. The girl gets the girl, which may sound trite now, but at the time it was like that, that was a big deal, right? Well, at the at the time listen no one wanted to make this movie just because oh it's about quote-unquote lesbians, you know

What it's about. It's not really what it's about and but in Hollywood land It was my agents were like you can't do this movie. It's gonna ruin your career. You just played a lesbian I'm like, you know what she she was a whatever she was sleeping with everyone, with everyone. You can't just don't label her. She was just power hungry. And this is about trust. I didn't look at it like, oh, she's a lesbian. I mean, she definitely was, but that wasn't the core of what the film was about. She just happened to love women.

Great. To me, who cares? But at the time, they're like, you'll ruin your career. We can't represent you. If you do this part, really, yeah, so I had to leave. So I said, great, here's the thing, I'm out of here. My, you know, once again, this is my career. I they're like, first time directors, I'm like, these guys who were guys at the time, watch off skis, I said, they're motherfuckers. These, they're really good directors, I could feel it in my bones and i would ask them all these questions i was so impressed with everything i'm like i'm in

and in on this on this ride and so yeah i left my agents because of it that's incredible and by the way for those of you don't know what she's referring to the brothers went on to direct the small movie franchise cult franchise called The Matrix. So they ended up being incredible fucking directors, mind-bending, incredible directors who took the world by storm. And listen, Bound, we only had like, what, 27 days, 23 days to do it. Everyone was so good on that film. They just directed the shit out of it. And Bill Pope shot it.

Everything along, when people were like, oh, we only have a certain amount of days. It's like, if you have really good people and good focus and everyone knows what they're doing, you can do it. I just loved it. I still watch it to this day. And I'm like, oh my God, what's going to happen? It's just so well done. And yeah, I really respected the Wachowskis for sticking to their guns.

And, you know, because the studios were like, oh, we'll make this film. We'll give you more money if you make Corky a man. Because it's like the classic noir thriller sort of structure. But in this case, the hero, the guy is a woman. They're like, no, this is what we're doing. And so they stuck with it. And luckily, I got to play her. And so they stuck with it. And luckily, I got to play her. So it's a brilliant movie. It's a, it's, in my opinion, classic, it's rewatchable,

I think is the way you want to put it. So if you have a nice, because a lot of people haven't seen it, you know, a lot of the younger generation and they don't understand, you know, there was a moment, you know, only like 20 years ago, where like, you couldn't really play gay characters in films. It wasn't as accepted. Thank God, a lot has changed since then. But I guess they restored, they have a new print on Criterion Channel. So it's like people can really, you can re-watch it but also people could see it for the first time. And yeah, it's nice. When people see it, they're like, oh my God, this movie is fantastic. It's one of my favorites, hands down. And what's, real quick, while we're talking about this, what is the movie that when people

come up to you and they recognize you when they see you, what is the movie that you tend to get the most like, oh my gosh, I love this part that you played? Is there like one role that stands out a lot some or is it just like different? No. Danielle Pletka It goes, it gravitates between showgirls bound, pray for rock and roll. Jared Ranere Pray for rock and roll. Talk about that for a minute. Danielle Pletka And face off. It depends.

Jared Ranere Oh, face off. That's right. Danielle Pletka As they're walking towards me, it's like you kind of do the, you know, the demographics. It's like, and I kind of guess, oh, this will be a face-off person. Or this will be, you know, I don't know, it's always different, to be honest. And sometimes, you know, people know me from when I was playing, for Pray for Rock and Roll, I went on tour and I made this thing called Rocked, like a documentary on IFC that me going on tour trying to sell a film and then everything going bonkers. It wasn't a reality show. It was definitely a six-part documentary. So people, and the few people who had gotten to see Pray for Rock and Roll, because it was only out maybe a week and then it just disappeared. And if you were lucky, you got a DVD, but it was

nowhere to be found. But people were really into this movie. And I really loved it. It was, it's, you know, I helped produce it. I sang live throughout the whole thing. I performed live. And then it just disappeared and in the last year I'd been doing like a comic con sort of thing and people kept coming up, you know, saying, where can I see this film? Because it wasn't streaming. We didn't know where it went. And so Alex, Dire Mark, was his first film. He was helping me edit this movie I did for Lifetime. And I'm like, Oh my God, I've got 11 days to shoot this thing. I need help. And he's all help you edit it. And we started talking. I said, Alex, it's such a shame. We all work so hard. And then he's like, we got to find it. I'm like, you got to find it. And he did. He actually tracked down not only

a version of it, he goes, this is the best print we've ever had. I mean, we can probably make a whole story of what happened to those distributors because I don't know what, whatever. Yeah, what a weird story. I've only read about it though. I've only seen my clips and I've only read about it. Yeah. It's so good. And then Keno Lorber, they're so cool. They're like, not only do we want to stream this, we want to, we want to re-release it as a film. So I've been like doing Q&A's and going, you know, different, we just showed it a couple times in New York, we're showing it at the Lemley, I don't know which one, on August 7th in LA. Okay. We'll be doing a Q&A there. But it's getting really good response,

so they're starting to pop it out in different places. Is it streaming? Can you see it's streaming? I don't think it's streaming yet. It will be. I haven't really been following what's going on, but I think you could rent. I'm not really sure. I should find out these questions. I know they're putting it in theaters now. Yeah. I didn't see it when I was looking for it because I've only read about it. And so I didn't see it.

I'm pretty good Googler. I go down to Red Bulls. So if I didn't see it, it may not be out there yet. You'll be able to rent it soon, I think on Prime. And then they're going to be streaming it somewhere. I don't know where. Crave for Rock and Roll. I can't wait to see that movie and give Bound to rewatch too, which I haven't seen. That's't know where. Craig for Rock and Roll. I can't wait to see that movie. And Give Bound to rewatch too,

which I haven't seen. That's on Criterion now. If you're in LA, you could see Craig on the seventh. And then I think there's other places there, I just don't know where. They should have like a little website or something. I don't know. I'll ask them about it. They should, but it's getting in motion. So I'm sure that after a couple of months, people will figure it out. Okay. Gina Gershon is in the brand new Borderlands movie, which comes out August 8th. And so if you're a fan of the video game series, fan of action, Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett, it's such an amazing cast. Go give the movie a watch. I saw it.

Gina, we really appreciate you coming on today. We know you've got a... What are you working on now? You said you got a fitting. Can you share? Oh, sure. I guess. So yeah, I'm here working on Ryan Murphy's new show.

Oh, I see. Doctor Odyssey. So fun. Oh, nice. And then I'm going off to London and Greece to work on a British production called The Hermit, which I'm super excited about. It's a British production, like it's going to be running on British television or it's a movie?

It's a series. So I guess it'll be on BBC. I have no idea. I mean, these days, hopefully it's on everywhere. It's on everywhere. Yeah. If it's a British show, I'll no idea. Okay, you know, I mean these days this hopefully it's on I think everywhere Yeah, yeah, you know if it's I really could be more important if I just go and do it then I'm like, where is it playing? Like okay, well, we can find that out, but it'll I think it's gonna be really good I'm super duper excited the producers and the team who did the fleabag or behind it and oh Wow, that's really great writers. That's there. I'm excited. I'm super excited. And what else? I'm going off to do some little other film. I don't know. I'm busy, which is good. That's good news. Gina, we love you. And we're so grateful that you came on the show to have

a conversation with us. We love you. I don't know what else to say. You've been a part of my 2D life for so long that I feel like an old friend in some ways. And you've been very sweet to us. So thank you very much. We really appreciate it. Sure. Take it easy. We'll talk soon. Yeah. Stay cool. Stay hydrated. Yes, we will. We'll try. Stay sober. I didn't say that. I just said, stay high, greater. I would never recommend that. That's taking it a little too far. That's like crazy talk. Sorry, I'm not. Talk to you later. Take care.

Thanks. Bye. Now let's get down to business. If you've got something to say, say it to our faces. And by that I mean, text us or call us at 212-433-3TCB. That's 212-433-3822. You can and should also find us on Instagram at The Commercial Break and on TikTok at TCB Podcast unless you want to fight me. In which case, don't. And if you're just desperate to see our shining faces in person, keep your ears peeled for ticketing information about TCB Live. As always, don't forget that you can find everything you could possibly need to find on our beautiful website, tcbpodcast.com. Bye.

A pleasure and a delight to talk to Gina G get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started.

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I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started.

I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. I'm gonna go ahead and get started. What a sweet human being she is. Sexy, smart, sweet, all of it. Sultry. Sultry? Sultry. All of it. I mean, and I love her, her just like love for life and for interesting things. Yeah, she seems like a Renaissance human, like a Renaissance woman. You know what I'm saying?

And one of the things that caught me about that interview, by surprise, was when she said that she had been offered roles or people were pushing her into like mainstream Hollywood at a young age and she made the decision, no, I want to go to college. I want to go to college. I want to get depth. I want to be a well-rounded human being. I mean, maybe that's not exactly what she said to herself. I'm putting words in her mouth, but just the fact that she even entertained the idea of not- Yeah, she was like, no, I need to gather more knowledge about life. Wow. I gathered a lot of life before I started this podcast, just to let you know. Does that count?

Probably not, because I didn't choose that. No one was encouraging me to do a podcast except for my wife. And I was really interested, and I got the feeling maybe she didn't want to expand on it, but David Mamet she worked with. Yes. Do you know David Mamet? No, I don't. The playwright? He's a Polar Surprise winner. I just want to share with you who she's doing this camp with.

He wrote Glenn Gary, Glenn Ross, Hoffa, American Buffalo, Hannibal, State and Main, Hill Street Blues, The Shield, The Unit. Wow. This guy is like an amazing, what they used to call playwright. Now I guess you just call him a writer. But in one of my friends who was like a serious actor back in the day, when I was like 10 years ago, 12 years ago, he really wanted to be an actor. He was going to all kinds of classes.

He obsessed over David Mamet. And I had like literally no, I had heard the name, but I had no clue. And then I started obsessing about David Mamet because I was reading his stuff and watching his stuff and reading his stuff. And I was like, wow, that guy's just quite, I mean, watch Glenn Gary, Glenn Ross. And just, it's all words. That's all it is. There's a couple of scenes in there, but it's all words. They're sitting in a death of a salesman. They're all sitting in an office. You know, it's just amazing. And she worked with him. She's in pretty and fucking pink, pretty and fucking pink. I mean, that's iconic. Iconic. And she's got more to come. And although we couldn't share that with you.

We know. We know. You won't. But we know. And maybe someday we'll talk about it, but we'll be polite. Exciting stuff. Exciting stuff that she's got coming up on the horizon that she couldn't share. But anyway, loved it. I loved it. I loved our very first interview with an actor. There you go.

I mean, not that we chose to have all comedians. It's just no one said yes until Gina did, which I think will, you'll always remember your first. And Gina will be. I'm so glad she was our first. Yes. I have another story about Gina Gershon and her movies, but I'm gonna let it go for now.

We'll tell it on another episode. Okay. But yeah, and I was interested to hear about Showgirls. Yeah, that's a, you know. I had to ask, I had to ask. I still haven't fully seen the movie from beginning to end. Oh God. Yeah.

I don't know what to say. You gotta watch it. Well, in the beginning it was like, it had so much controversy over it, and so it was so much hoopla-la. It's over the top. And then it became, you know, panned I think, you know, for being really bad.

Oh, it's got like a 21 on it. But then now it's a cult classic. Oh, people love it now. I'm just gonna put it on the list. Listen. Bound, Showgirls. Yeah, it just goes to show. Pray for Rock and Roll when that gets come out.

Yes, I really wanna see that. It just goes to show. Pray for Rock and Roll when that gets come out. Yes, I really want to see that. It just goes to show. No matter how bad something is, someone out there will like it. The commercial break is a testament to that, for sure. Thank you for listening. We certainly do appreciate it. TCBpodcast.com. That's where you go.

You find out more information about the show. We do have live shows coming up. We will be talking about where to get those tickets and the event dates soon. We'll also be posting those on our website and our Instagram. So make sure you go to our website, tcbpodcast.com. You can also get your free TCB sticker. No charge to you. We'll send it off. No problem. Hit the contact us button, drop down menu. I want my free sticker. Give us your address and away it goes. Add the commercial break on Instagram. You can also DM us there. We'd love to hear from you. And if you're old school, like I am, dial us up. 212-433-3TCB. That's 212-433-3TCB.

Questions, comments, concerns, content ideas, Ask TCB. You can give it to us all right there via text message. And so many of you do. Thank you so much. I walked in the studio this morning and I had a roll call with messages. It's hard to keep up sometimes. That's why I'm glad four of us are doing it, not just one of us. So dial us up. You can leave a voicemail or a text message to 1-2-4-3-3-3-TCB. Did I say at the commercial break on Instagram?

Please follow us. Yes. And I said, TCcbpodcast at TikTok. I'll remind you again, youtube.com slash the commercial break. If you want to see the Gina interview in its entirety, there it is. Chrissy, that's all I can do for right now. I think so.

But I'll tell you that I love you. Then I love you. I'll say best to you. Best to you. Oh, you're a little quick on that. Best to you out there on the podcast universe. Until next time, Chrissy and I do say, we will say and we must say, goodbye. So 30 in the morning!