Give Me Moira • EP118
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Hey guys, welcome to episode 18 to Wish Impossible Things. There's a rule, we all have to kiss at midnight. Everybody kisses.

I'll kiss you at midnight. This comes out right at midnight. We're kissing right now via Zoom. Yeah. Look at us. This aired April 13th, 2004. Synopsis, it's like the boy toy auction. People talk about this every convention we go to. It is a fan favorite. Lucas, Nathan, and Sweet Sweet Jake are auctioned off to the highest bidders in the annual boy toy charity auction. And the night leads to surprising developments with old flames. Meanwhile, having missed out on the auction, Brooke ends up with Matt.

and gives him the night of his life. Honestly, I just have to say it's really sweet, sweet poetic justice that the person who sells for the most money at the boy toy auction is Marvin McFadden. God bless. Yeah. 200 bucks. Deserves it. Yeah, baby. Did you guys ever have anything like this in your real high school? I went to all-girls school. I had nothing like this.

Yeah, no, we didn't do anything like this. I mean, I think like, obviously if this was girls, we all would be throwing it for everyone. Yeah. No, like the whole auctioning off thing is gross. Yeah. We all felt weird about it. It was also really weird to me that moms were buying boys. I was like, I don't like this. And I loved, I actually really loved the misdirect thing.

of Barbara being like, yeah, I've got chores. Like that makes more sense to me if the moms are going to participate. But I thought the writers, like they just leaned into the sex jokes so far. So much. Sweet Barbara. She committed. She did it. And she did it with this innocence. But I was like, they could have really, they could have dialed this back a little bit. I mean, come on. They set those two giant round candles right in front of her boobs when she was cleaning the tub. Yeah. Yeah.

So gross. It was so immature. Come on. It is. It's very immature. Guys, 2004 was a rough, rough time for all of us. Oh, man.

You know what I loved about this? One of the things I loved about this episode was that we finally got to see Barry laughing and smiling a lot, which we saw in the last episode too. But finally he's like getting to play something other than the grouchy old wise owl. Like when Brian comes out as Jake Jagalski in the Raven's mascot outfit, that is Barry laughing. Like that is a genuine, he lost it. He's cackling. And it's so nice to see that on camera.

Yeah, I agree. I agree. I love it. The whole arc of like these kids trying to act like grownups, no one's got parental supervision. Brooke's out at clubs. But meanwhile, the adults are acting like kids in this episode, like going on these like little flirty dates and digging up the football field. You know, I like that juxtaposition of

of people trying to find their way, you know? Yeah. And that even adults still sometimes feel like that we still play. We're still, we still feel like high schoolers deep down. Yeah. Well, how old is Karen supposed to be in this? If she had Lucas when she was 18 and Lucas is 16 years old. Don't ask me to do math. Guys, math. Sophia. She's supposed to be 34. Yeah. 34. Oh my gosh. You're a kid. She's a kitten. Yeah.

She's a kitten. Still a kid. Well, speaking of kids, speaking of being just a little kitten, we actually have the incredible Moira Kelly. Bring her in. Here with us today. Get her in this Zoom room. Hello. Hello. Hello.

You look exactly the same. Oh, my God. So beautiful. Well, when we consider how many years have passed, I'll take it. Thank you very much. Oh, my God. Where are you right now? Right now, I'm in Flower Mound, Texas. I just got back from England. I was in London for five months working on a project. So, just got back eight days ago. So, a little...

But other than that, good to be home. Yeah. How long have you been in Texas? Because what I loved so much, Moira, is that when we started the show, you had your children, your husband, and you just like moved in like a community member into the greater Wilmington community and and really made it home.

Yeah, yeah. We had the house. We kept the house there for a while because we liked going back. But we've been here now almost eight years. My husband, we moved here for his job. So, yeah, it's all right. It's, you know, it's terrible. All right.

Right now, we're not going to go into it. I just keep telling everyone I grew up in New York. Yeah. She gets to travel to places like London to go shoot for five months. You know, I mean, that's kind of the great thing about our job is no matter where you are, we're going to be traveling at some point to go do something. So we get that wanderlust fed still. Exactly. So where are all of you now? Well, I'm in New York. Come back. Join us. Join us. Yeah. Hillary's got a farm in the Hudson Valley. I'm not surprised.

surprised hillary i am not surprised you are a multitasker and a farm seats you yeah well everybody else has farms too we all became beekeepers joy lives on a ranch oh my goodness oh my god got chickens and bees like we all ended up turning into busy ladies i think i like it busy hands keeps us out of trouble um indeed we marveled

as we started watching the show back that you were pregnant for the first, how many episodes? Six, seven. Yeah. Yeah. Until Karen goes to Italy. I mean, that, that was, that was your mat leave. That was my, yes, exactly. Exactly. And that's, I think the episode we watched was my first one back after my son was born. I think that was in March, right? Um,

They're heading where he marched. Yeah, probably March. Cause I think I had three months down. Yeah. Yeah. And now he's a senior in high school. So it's just, yeah. Oh my gosh. We're not that far off. I mean, Hillary and I aren't that far off. Our oldest kids are 11 and 10 and we're, you know, it's, it's coming up. We can, they're not that far away from graduating. I think it's so amazing when I think about when we were all starting the show, I,

I was kind of where you all are now. I had small children, you know, and now mine are off to college and about to go to college. You were also only 13 years older than Chad when you were playing a mom who had had it. I mean, what we were just saying before you came on was how wild it was. And what we loved about this episode is seeing adults play.

Really being the way that we are, even though we're, you know, quote unquote old ladies, we actually still feel like we're 16, 17 inside sometimes. And we really got to see that in this episode with Karen and Larry, especially. And I mean, how did that, but also I just want to tie it into you being so young, playing the mom of a teenager. Yeah.

I mean, you must, we all looked at, looked up to you. We were all, you know, little kids. Oh, we were in awe of you. And we were just so, you know, you were just so impressive. And, but how did it feel for you? I'm just, this is the question I've been dying to ask you for years. How did it feel to you to be on the show and that young and in that environment? I'm just dying to know.

Well, I think it's like any character that you play. You know, I still wake up feeling like I'm 25 and then you look in the mirror and you're like, oh my God. You still look more, come on. What the hell happened? You look so young. I think what's interesting is that, you know, for me now being older with older kids as I view my parents differently, I don't think as you get older, you feel older. No. You physically might in certain ways, but I think your mind and your passions and your dreams are,

they still hinge on youth and young and vibrant. And to answer your question, though,

Any character you play, I mean, you kind of immerse yourself in that character. And even though I was only 13 years older than Chad, you know, the role was of Karen, his mom, and she did have him young. And I think that that kind of helped to play into the bond that she had with him. You know, she was very youthful herself. Yeah. So I think it really reinforced their special bond. Yeah. Did it...

I guess being a part of... And girls, help me out because I'm not quite as well-spoken as you guys. But when you were...

on the set there, you know, still feeling, did you still feel like you're the same age as, as all of us? Like I do when I go on set and I'm working with kids that are younger than me, I still feel like, I'm like, we're at the same age, right? This is all the same, but we didn't have, we didn't like spend a lot of time hanging out because I don't know. We were just so in awe of you. And so I was intimidated by you, Moira. I'm just going to say it. Yeah. You were the boss. I was the ball. Well, we just, you were, we were so scared to talk to you. Oh, I don't want to.

Not in a bad way. Not because you were putting on any kind of air. No, no. We looked up to you then in the same way we were discussing before you came into the Zoom room. We were like, oh my God, she's coming. Oh my God. We still have this just like all a Twitter sheer excitement. A reference for you, your career, the things you'd worked on, the movies we'd watched over and over and over and over and over again. And we were like, she's going to be on this show?

She came here to do this? Did they get you for this show, Moira? Because I remember them being like, well, we've got these other folks. And, you know, Chad, I'd met before. And I was like, OK. And they're like, then we've got Moira Kelly. And I mean, I know all of us were like, toe pick.

Oh my God. And with honors. Yeah. It took us weeks and weeks and weeks and maybe months to finally be like, okay, okay. We keep trying not to say it around you, but can we ask you questions about the cutting edge, please? And you were just like, okay, these silly little kiddos. How did it, how did it come about? I mean, I feel like I was in a different place anyway. Again, I had one child and another on the way. And so I,

When I was working on One Tree Hill, I felt like I really treated that more as a nine to five job. All I could really muster was doing my job and then getting home and being with the kids. And so I always felt...

that I, I was kind of not on the outside, but I wasn't as immersed in all of you as I usually would have been. And getting the job, you know, in the industry, when you decide that,

You want to make other choices for yourself. You want to take some time down. You want to get married. You want to raise family. You want to have those other things. The industry sometimes puts on blinders then. And then it's it's a little difficult to to be able to say, OK, I'd like to go out and audition and I want to get a job. And so.

One Tree Hill actually was the first thing back after taking time down with my daughter. Really? Yeah. And it was an uphill battle, really. Wow. Not to get One Tree Hill, just to kind of get back into...

the roster of auditioning and getting you know agents and reps to you know put your name out there for things um what's interesting is after One Tree Hill I did it again I took 12 years down and good um good for you know what my husband and I talking about it we were like for us everyone can you know everyone's different and you handle things differently but

you know, we both realized, especially for me that if, if I go forward in my career, it takes you away a lot, you know, it expects you to either uproot your entire life and move them around or takes you away. And, you know, I personally couldn't do it. So I, I felt like fingers crossed, I'll get a chance to break back in, but I don't want to miss any opportunity with my children. Cause you can't go back and raise them again. No,

you know that's right yeah that's beautiful and I really feel like I've I've been blessed twice you know after 12 years I managed to get a project last year here in Texas and then went off to London to shoot for five months so well you have such a strong reputation as a wonderful actress you know you're the body of work behind you is speaks for itself

And I would never think that you could go away for any amount of time and not be able to come right back and have everyone go, oh, Moira Kelly, love her. No, reality is reality. The industry is not kind to women. Men can do it. Men can. And they do often. But women just don't really get those opportunities. As much as you're beloved, as much as your body of work is, I think for women, we're always kind of on that precipice of,

No matter what my body of work looks like, if I'm not willing to jump right now for them, you know, I might not get a chance again. And that's changing, I believe. I think so, too. Friends, we all.

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Listen, I wouldn't sell yourself short, but it is helpful to know that if you can do it starting from scratch, then maybe there's hope for me when I finally decide to build my own website. I can't wait.

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The more you love, the more you'll find. From the new to the pre-loved and waiting to be loved. The timeless classics to the one of ones and everything in between. Yeah, eBay. It's the place for new, pre-loved, vintage, and rare fashion. eBay. Things people love. Something that I've observed, and it's really interesting watching friends be at various stages of this is

It seems to me that when men have families, when men make choices, people go, oh, good for him. And strangely, when women say, I'm going to take a moment, I'm going to go have a kid and I'll, you know, then I'll throw my name back in the ring. There's almost this energy of, oh, but you're not really going to come back because now you've had kids. Mm-hmm.

You know, you can't possibly be a mom and have a career. And it's like, have you ever said that to the guys? No. It's such an odd thing. And I have to say thank you for even just sharing that part of the story with us because there are moments when we have discussions on our show and we realize I can almost feel the folks at home nodding along. And I know that you being frank about that will make –

It doesn't just make all of us feel seen in the choices we've had to make, but I know there's people listening at home right now going, that's exactly how I felt. And why was there a double standard with my partner? And I think...

I feel like I can see how it informs so much of life, you know, in the time from when we met and the three of us would follow you around like little ducklings and be like, where's she going? What's she doing? Do you think we can ask her if we can have dinner? She's sitting on the steps of her trailer. Should we go say hi now? But it's...

it's funny because I see so much of the way you all have navigated these things now. And it strangely makes me want to ask you questions as a performer and how you prepared for our show. Because one of the things we all keep coming back to is for the character. Obviously, the writing is the writing and you do what's on the page. But

So many women in Karen's position, having gone through what she went through with Dan, having this young baby, might have wanted to leave a town as small as Tree Hill, might have wanted to move back to where their parents were, have extra help. And Karen stayed.

And and faced it and firmly planted her feet in the ground. And we have been dying to ask you, how did you build the backstory? What choices did you make that made Karen remaining in in that community make sense for you as an actor? What's what's what's under the curtain, Moira?

There's nothing really under the curtain. It's your life experience. You know, I think really, again, I'm going back to the idea of I am a woman. I'm speaking from a woman's point of view. You come up against a lot of obstacles and you come up against a lot of challenges starting at a very young age. And you can either dig deep and choose to stand your ground or

and fight for what you love um work real hard for what you want not listen to the naysayers not give in to the fear and the doubt and keep finding a way forward and um

I feel in my own life, you know, I've had those moments where I've had to say, okay, is this where I get stopped? No, no. You know, you say what you want to say, you know, tell me what my choices are, but I know what I'm capable of. I know what I want and I'm going to find a way forward. And I think that translates over to Karen, you know, why should she leave?

the town she loves. Why should she make it easier for, you know, Paul's character, for Dan to not have to look at his son? Why should she give up, right? No, no. I think in a lot of ways, she kind of embodied the inner soul of, again, not just women, but anyone who comes up against that wall is handed burdens that people say, "Okay, you might as well just crawl away."

And they decide, you know what? No, I'm stronger than that. I'm I'm I have more than I want and I'm not giving up just because this has been put into my path. So I think that's really where it came from. You embodied that behind the scenes, though, to Moira. You were the first woman who I had ever met.

that like had a script that she was working on that she was like, what, like you, you were like, I'm going to direct, I have this script. It's a true story. I don't know if you remember. I mean, I'm sure you remember. And the fact that you shared that with us, you know, I, I remember falling down that rabbit hole, like researching the story that you wanted to direct and

And being so impressed that just on your own, you were at home writing the script and doing the research and trying to raise money. And that blew my mind. And it shaped the entire rest of my time on One Tree Hill.

Because then I was like, well, I want to do that behind the scenes. That's what I want to do at home. That seems like a fun hobby. And so when you directed the show and we got to greedily have you on set all day long, as opposed to these little scenes here and there, what was the process of you directing? Because I feel like it was always a no-brainer that Paul was going to direct because he's like, I'm a director. I'm a guy. Trust me.

Did you have to convince them to let you direct or was that an offer that was put on the table? Because it was one of the highlights of our time on the show. Having you on the show. No, I wasn't offered, but it was at one of the, it might've been like the Christmas party, one of the parties. I went to very few of them, but the one that I did go to, I remember Mark and Joe Davola coming up to me and saying,

They were telling me about how, you know, they're going to move forward with the kids storylines and, you know, the adults are going to be cut back a little bit. But was there anything that I wanted or I needed? And I just said to them, I said, I want direct. That's what I want. Yeah. You can give it one to a lot of people. I want one. So make that happen. You should have had more than one.

Yes. Yeah.

No. A lot. You don't say. A lot of it. Okay. Let her have her little moment. And what I loved was when Craig Prange came to me and he said, not only are you under budget in filming this, you have had days where you've had downtime for the crew because you got everything done. I'm like, and why are you so surprised? I've been on enough sets. I love it. Yeah.

Yeah. Also, women can't afford to do that when we're when we're doing our work, when we're directing. We can't afford to have days go long and go over budget because it's it's. Oh, see, there you go. That's why you got to stick with the boys club. Yeah, that's the response. So, no, we work overtime to be able to get everybody in under time. Exactly. Yeah.

And I love where the industry is going now. I find that more women in production, more women who are opening production companies and producing, more women directors. To me, this is what it was like in the early, really in the early 1900s. Before the banks got involved with making film, women were a huge part of the film industry. They were grips. They were cameramen. That's right.

They were directors. They were writers. It all changed once the studios went to the banks for money to invest in films. And then I guess what the banks figured were women weren't really smart enough to handle the money. So that's when everything changed and women kind of got blocked out. But, you know, there's been a lot of big shifts and changes over the last decade.

I'd say five, six years. And it does me proud to know that anyone who has been, uh,

kind of pushed out now has voice now has a stage in which to step out and and make something happen for themselves and it's happening in big ways in the industry and it really excites me how did you get involved in film moira like was your family involved in film i feel like did you have musicians in your family yeah we're all a bunch of musicians my dad's musician i've got three or four siblings that are musicians um we grew up playing music um

In high school, I was on stage doing production, but I always wanted to get into music. It was kind of a fluke that I ended up auditioning for an agent. And in a couple of weeks, he handed me a script and said, I want you to audition for this. And that was it. I started my career and started in film and then television and film. So I'll be honest, I never dreamed of being an actress ever.

really i knew i wanted to be on stage more you're so with a big band singing and dancing and doing all that but never never really dreamed about being in film and television so have you been playing music in texas oh yeah guitar writing some songs um i've also got two other scripts that we're shopping around so yay oh that's

that's going to make me cry. Yeah. So I think for me, that will be my end game is I want to be on the other side of the camera. Yeah. You know, I enjoy acting. I get a lot of fulfillment out of it, but I really do like sitting in the control seat. I like control. I like having a vision on something and, and,

and working collaboratively with a crew. For me, some of my favorite people on a set are the crew. Have always been. And I get so excited when so many talented people come together to make this thing happen. And when it's your vision and people are working really hard to make that happen, it's so exciting.

So I'm hoping that my future holds more directorial opportunities for me. Let us help. Yeah. What can we do to help? Because you're such a talented director. You're so keen and you have such strong instincts about...

You know, what I love, I talk to Paul a lot about directing and, you know, one of his favorite quotes is directing is quality control. That's really what it is, is quality control. And I agree because if you trust everyone in their departments to do what they're doing, you just are there to sort of steer the ship a little bit. But you can trust that everyone's doing what they're doing. But that's what's great about having...

A director like you with such a strong instinct and knowing how to just come in and just give a little tweak, a little note here and there. You can feel, especially because you're an actor and you're such a sensitive artist, that you can feel something.

where the emotion of this, where the music is in the scene emotionally and, and take us on that journey. And I always felt that was, sorry, my dogs are barking, but I always felt that was a really strong suit of yours. Now, Bethany, you directed as well, right? I did. Yeah. Yeah. Everyone's calling me joy. Don't worry. I know it's confusing, but just call me what you always did. It's okay. Okay.

It's like a secret code. She's Jewish. I know. Tell me about your experiences with that. Yeah, I loved directing. I mean, that was, I think because I directed theater a lot when I was, as I was growing up, you know, in the high school productions and some stuff outside of that. And also had been on sets for a long time, especially doing the soap opera. Did you ever do a soap, Moira? No.

No, no. I mean, you're on a set. It's every single day and it's all day. And there's just so many, you know, pages and pages of dialogue. And you have to get used to finding the rhythms really quickly. So I think that really helped me be able to, especially in TV, it's not with film. You have more time to rehearse and you have time to practice something. And you're shooting one scene all day long. With TV, you got to find the movement, the rhythm.

Another quote I remember hearing from a director on our set was find the music. He would say that to the A camera operators, like move with, feel the music inside of you of what's happening emotionally. The metaphorical music, of course. So I think being a musician really helped with that. Having an experience on the soap and doing our show for, I think, six years before I directed an episode really helped. So if you directed too, right? Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, growing up working for my dad and being in a photo studio, it was the visuals. It was all the camera stuff that made the most sense to me. And so Peter Kowalski, you know, who became our DP, we had such a rhythm. We had such a blast working together whenever I was directing. Yeah.

And then, yeah, the quality control, the herding cats of like figuring out the cast, like God directing parties at trick. I was like, how do people do this? It's insane. Where is everybody? You know, but it's, it's such an amazing experience because it does teach you truly how many moving parts there are. And, and I think, you know, something that we all have spoken so much about on this podcast is feeling the way that you just referenced Moira that, that,

We just, we really ride or die for our crew. And man, if I wasn't already so obsessed with the people who make a show happen, directing, I was like, everybody should be paid more. Everybody deserves flowers and cookies. What more can we bring to the set? Do we have prime rib at catering today? Better food. Like what's going on? You know, cause you're just- Everyone needs a honey wagon to go. Everybody. Like you realize that it's just-

It's such a labor of love. I do think we're all so, so lucky and it gives you a whole other understanding. It's so fun. The puzzle piece too. You're putting together a puzzle. You're looking for what's not, something's not making sense. Why doesn't it make sense? I know why it doesn't make sense. This little piece. Okay. Do this. Think that. And then we'll see it in your, in your character's eyes. And then it's like, boom, the whole scene comes together. It's just so fun piecing a puzzle together like that.

Yeah. And it's nice to get your feet wet on something that you're comfortable with, too. I mean, having been on the show for a number of seasons, you really get a feel for the locations, for the characters. So, you know, it makes it a little easier then for you to come in. And what I found exciting was find a new way

to show something that's been seen so many times, you know, just, you know, inject something a little different into an actor playing a character and see if they'll take it someplace else, you know, discover the layers that are there that haven't yet been exposed, which is so exciting.

It's back to school season for the kiddos, which means it's the perfect time to get your vacay on. Beaches are empty, resorts are quiet, and cheap Caribbean vacations has fall vacay deals up to, wait for it, 45% off. Plus, you can score more site-wide savings and take an extra $50 off your booking now through September 5th.

Take this as your sign to pencil in a vacay this fall and turn back to school season into back to beach season. Go to cheapcaribbean.com to find your next all-inclusive vacay offer and September 5th. All right, this is what you do when the love of your life, the apple of your eye, the bag you would beg for can wait no longer. You ready?

You go to eBay. Seriously, there you'll be reunited with that designer goddess of your dreams, that iconic Gucci handbag authenticated by experts no less. And with that in mind, you might let a fun Prada mini bag catch your attention. But at eBay, wandering eyes are always welcome. So if you happen to also find the perfect cheetah print dress to go with that bag, we'll just call it fate, baby. So go ahead and let's take you down a Y2K adventure. Flirt with the endless possibilities, baby tees that say, I'm

Chunky heels only you can pull off and the Y2K mini skirts that were way ahead of their time. And you better make a move on that timeless Tiffany and Coach Arm necklace while you're at it. And just because you look good in chunky heels doesn't mean you'll slack on your sneaker game. Let your love for sneakers take you down a not-so-sold-out road and hit the ground running with all the latest streetwear. Nike, Off-White, Fear of God, Stone Island, Kith, Supreme, and whatever Adidas collab pops up next.

The fines are limitless and the authenticity is verified for real. So don't worry when that Chrome heart ring steals your heart, let it ignite your inner goth and follow your destiny. Fall in love with a goth queen seller from Nevada. Who's got the whole selection. Get that lace up corset with the knee high platforms and stop at nothing to find the perfect leather jacket to complete the collection.

And if that has you cross paths with a vintage fringe jacket, have the courage to get the boots to match. Just go full cowboy and never look back. Next thing you know, you're topping off your wardrobe with authentic luxury handbags and the most pristine watches because now you're confident and eBay's your place.

The more you love, the more you'll find. From the new to the pre-loved and waiting to be loved. The timeless classics to the one of ones and everything in between. Yeah, eBay. It's the place for new, pre-loved, vintage, and rare fashion. eBay. Things people love. Friends, Symbiotica is a supplement brand that we love and trust. You've heard Hillary say, we're science fair kids. We love research. We love hacking our health. And for me in particular, I love...

noticed that when I'm really good about my supplements, I have so much more energy. I focus better. I get better sleep. So I'm committed. Everyone around me can tell when I've been taking my supplements. I'm a much more pleasant person to be around. And so these are formulated with high quality ingredients. Symbiotica is transparent about how and where they source ingredients to ensure that you get the best products possible.

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It's hard to find a supplement that has premium ingredients but still tastes great. That's why we like it. Symbiotica has transformed our lives, and I am so glad we've found a brand that actually cares about us, its customers. I know I can finally see a difference in how I function and feel, and I actually look forward to taking my supplements every day.

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This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. What are your non-negotiables, Rob? Exercise is pretty much a non-negotiable. And getting into therapy once or twice a month has sort of become a non-negotiable in the last couple of years for me. You know, the same way that when I wanted to start getting in shape for the first time, I hired a personal trainer to show me the ropes of the gym and teach me how to not hurt myself while also getting stronger physically.

I realized if I wanted to grow emotionally that why not hire a therapist, a professional, someone with experience who can sort of guide the journey rather than just reading a self-help book by myself. And I have found it to be an invaluable experience.

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Being in the swing of summer, I know you will understand where I'm going with this because the swing of summer makes me feel very nostalgic for treats. Like I think about when it's like hot, I think about making my own ice pops in the kitchen, you know, putting like OJ in little freezer things or what it would feel like to cut into a watermelon when you'd run inside and it was like 100 degrees out and you had cold fruit. I

I don't know. Does it make you feel snacky? The summer heat? Oh, yeah. I mean, when I think summer heat, hit me with one of those rocket pops or a creamsicle. You know, when the ice cream truck rolled by, it was, let's get out there and grab some cold treats. Stacked. Yeah, I think what I've realized, sadly, as an adult, is that mostly when I wanted a cold treat, I probably just needed to drink water. I think I'm learning because, you know, summer is heating up as it does every year.

And the thing that gives me my hydration fix and my treat is

is Liquid IV because they have all these nostalgic summer flavors that hit the market this summer, like their sugar-free Rainbow Sherbert. It has taken me back to childhood in the best way, and I actually feel like I'm doing something good for myself when I drink it. And listen to some of these flavors they have. Raspberry Melon, White Peach. I am a big, big fan of the Green Grape, in fact, and I just kind of love that it's easy. Tear, pour, live more.

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20% off your first order of Liquid IV when you go to liquidiv.com and use code DRAMA at checkout. That's 20% off your first order when you shop Better Hydration today using promo code DRAMA at liquidiv.com. If you could have done anything different with our show as the experienced female actress on set,

What would you have done different with One Tree Hill? Was there anything that stood out to you?

I will say it didn't stand out at the time because again, I having a small family and just looking at my work on that really as a nine to five, like usually when I work on a project, I would love hanging out with the crew on the weekend, hang out with actors, go out to dinner, do, you know, go to all the parties. I was in a different place in my life and, you know, hearing honestly what all of you young women had to go through and

I don't want to get choked up. If I could go back, I would have made my presence stronger there. And I felt like, you know, being somewhat of a veteran, you were also very young coming into this situation.

There's a part of me that feels like I let you all down. Oh my God. No, no, no, no, no. I know. I know. It's just my own. But if, if I had been more present, I would have been more aware maybe of what was going on. I surely would have said something. I surely would have done something. And so if I could do anything, go back and do anything different, I would make my presence so solid that,

on that show and I would have made myself so available to all of you. You were. This is the first time I've seen you since I left the show and I wanted to tell you this for years and years and years but in the last episode of the show everyone in my world was telling me you can't leave. You can't leave. I didn't direct because I didn't want to be on set all day because it was so bad.

And I was in my hospital gown sitting in the lobby of the hospital because Peyton was like strapped to a table. And you came and you sat next to me and you started off by just joking and you were like, you know, what's going on? And I was like, I don't know what to do. And you said, run. And like you so you you like started it off with like a joke. And I was like, yeah, yeah.

You were like, you said to me, you said, there's so many chapters in life. And this is just one. This is just one. And you were the only person that gave me permission to go. But I so valued your opinion of me and of our business and everything.

And the way you prioritized your family over work. And that's what I wanted. Like what you had is what I wanted. So you didn't have to say anything because you lived it and we could just like see it.

So I hope I get to see you in person and like actually hug you. I have wanted to thank you for that. Honestly, since I was 26 years old and I'm not 26 even close anymore. It's been a lot of years, but you did that. Like you just set such a positive example for us and you were safe. You didn't have to put any extra effort into it. Yeah. And, and Moira, I have to say as well,

It's such a double standard for women and so deeply unfair that that responsibility should have even energetically fallen on your shoulders. None of us are supposed to go to work and deal with it. And you were not supposed to have to give up time with your infants to come and use yourself as a shield for your coworkers. It's wrong. It's just wrong. Manage the chaos. Yeah.

You inspired us exactly in the way that Hillary is saying. When you would say exactly the right thing in the moment that everyone needed to hear it, and you did that a lot. When we got to see, you know, you and your husband and your kids, I mean, I swear to God, I think it's the reason we were all trying to settle down so early. We were like, we just want to grow up and be like Moira. If we all get married right away. Right.

We looked up to you and you set an example by being. And it's a profound, it's a very profound influence. And it was a gift for us from the really,

and classy way you show up to work to the way that you showed us it was possible to do this job and be an actor and be a producer and be a director and be a mom. You proved it. And so...

We're just still deeply obsessed with you is really the point. If you're ever hanging out on your trailer stairs, we're going to come by and lurk. Oh my God. That's true. We all have to get together and do something. Yes, please. I just want to hug you all. And yeah, I mean, I appreciate that. I'm glad that that came through. I think it's really important for all of us to be

the strongest, best examples we can to the people in our world, you know, everyone around us. Um, and we do that through our actions and through our words and, um,

You know, sometimes we don't realize how we affect other people. I'm very grateful to hear that it was all coming through and it was all positive and wonderful for all of you. Yes, it was. I still think about that when I'm on sets and when I'm, you know, thinking about prioritizing my time with my daughter, um,

Um, there was a permission that you gave me and all of us, um, to be able to have boundaries, still show up and do your job, but, um, have a boundary for yourself, taking care of yourself. That is you led by example. And it's so valuable. I truly, truly still have images of you sitting in your chair, working on your material, totally available and open. It's not like you would ever disappear and go hide away. You were always present. No.

But you had an air about you that was so warm and inviting, but you still had boundaries about your work and your own self-care. And those images come to mind on days when I'm on sets. And I think like...

I'm giving more than I need to right now. I'm I've done my job. It's OK for me to save some for me and for my daughter. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And you have to claim it because they're not going to give it to you. No, no. You really do have to claim it and then be OK with that. You have every right. Yeah. I know. Have your kids ever watched the show?

No, believe it or not. That's good. That's a good thing. I think the only thing they've watched that I've ever done was The Lion King. You know, to my kids, I am still, you know, my son is actually going into film. He wants to be a cinematographer. Really? Yeah. So we talk a lot. We go to movies a lot. And then we do, we kind of do a mom-son movie night. And then we discuss. That's so cool. Where does he want to go to school? Yeah.

He's looking at NYU. Oh, really? Yeah. Fingers crossed. Yeah. But yeah, to me, I've, you know, I've always just maintained the mom status, you know, they're proud of my work, you know, even though they haven't seen it, they're proud of what I do. They're very supportive.

But I'm okay with them not being interested in seeing it. Yeah. They had a lot of friends. You're not going to make them sit down? And they would come over to the house and they'd come into the kitchen and I had so many moments of these kids just stopping in their tracks and going, what the hell? You're murdering me.

So I had a lot of new friends like really tongue-tied and then coming over a lot they're like oh we just wanted to stop by and say hi. It's cool. And talking about different episodes and different characters. You know what's so interesting about the show is that it really is somewhat timeless you know especially when I think about that episode um

uh, to wish the impossible dream. Is that what it is? Or yeah, to wish impossible things. That's it. Um, you know, we all have, when we're young, we have these dreams and aspirations and places we want to go. Um, I think I said it a little earlier and even though we grow up, we make mistakes, things do change. Um,

the the effervescence of those passions and ideas and those dreams are still there and they're very universal um even as you get older you know like um Karen can go and and dig up that time capsule and everything in there is so outdated but the joy of what that was and the reality of

coming from that place to where she was, that's the point, you know? And I think that that's a timeless and, and quite universal. It really comes down to relationships. You know, the dreams we have, the things we aspire to can only really succeed when we are genuinely and sincerely in relationship with others. And I,

That's shown in that episode across the board. I mean, Hillary with you and, um, I can't, I think of his name now. James, James, James. You know, you had a history, but there you were together being able to be honest and sincere with each other. Um, joy with you and Lucas. It was a past, you know, that you had, that was a bond that is unbreakable.

And then for you, um, Sophie, Sophia with a mouth wide door, you're both from two entirely different worlds. And yet the sincerity and honesty of what happens in that night, that's what, that's what you carry on into the future. That would, that's what fuels those dreams and, and those aspirations, you know? Um,

We even got to see it with Whitey in this episode. I mean, to see Whitey have fun because he loves that school. It's like that community, the relationship there for him to see the joy was fun and to know that it's multi-generational.

Yeah. And to know that, you know, things change, your dreams change, your goals change, things change. But those those bonds that you make, those moments that you share that are genuine and of the heart and honest, that's, you know, the tapestry of life. That's what you build your future on. And that's what helps you find that way forward and gives you strength.

It's what Haley's tattoo was. She's like, if I can just remember this feeling forever, that's your time capsule. Do you have a time capsule tattoo? Me? Yeah.

I have two. I've got a little crescent moon on my right ankle that I got when I met my husband because he had one. I just remember your husband biking all over Wilmington. Yes, my little cycler. And then before I went off to London, my daughter and I each got butterflies on our left ankle. You just got one with your daughter? That's so cool. Yeah, cute.

Wow. Wait, Moira, we would be remiss not to talk about London a little bit because you are coming out with a massive series. Citadel is you and oh my God, Stanley Tucci. We love him. Priyanka Chopra, Richard Madden. I mean, what a, what a team. Can you tell us a little bit about this and tell the folks at home when it's coming so, so we can all be ready? Yeah.

The only thing I can tell you is it is called Citadel. It's on Amazon. The first season should be released in November 2022. So long. Yeah. When I tell you, it's the biggest groundbreaking television experience they've never seen.

They've never done anything quite like this, but that's all I can tell you. We all had to play. That's exciting. I thought Game of Thrones did that. I thought Westworld did that. What are we going to see that's bigger than that? I'm so excited. It's pretty impressive. It blew my mind once I was finally allowed to hear the overall scale because we were left in the dark for quite a while with it just because they didn't want information getting out. Yeah.

The week I was rapping, the producer sat me down and told me the entire scale of it. You didn't know until you were rapping? Mm-mm. Mm-mm. Whoa. No, we were all really kept in the dark. You only really knew what you were expected to know. Only Moira Kelly can take 12 years off and come back to the business to do the biggest show in the history of television. That's right. Moira Kelly. That feels right. That feels right.

I love it. Moira, will you come back for the episode that you directed? Will you come back on our podcast? Yes, I would love that. I really would love that. And I love that you girls see this represents what I was talking about. The three of you have made a bond over the years. And to see the three of you together, working together on this podcast, still sharing your lives is just amazing.

It gives me great joy. Me, what you have built in working on One Tree Hill together goes beyond One Tree Hill and will carry you

very far stay close to each other stay strong for each other um because it's a beautiful thing it's an absolute beautiful thing thank you moira we love you so much and we're so grateful to spend time with you the best love you so much now stay safe out there okay okay tell your son to get up here to new york so you and i can just brunch while he's in school when you come up for parents weekend

It's so good to see you, Moira. Thank you so much. Thank you for everything. Thank you. Oh my God. Everyone's just crying. I'm going to need a minute.

It's back to school season for the kiddos, which means it's the perfect time to get your vacay on. Beaches are empty, resorts are quiet, and cheap Caribbean vacations has fall vacay deals up to, wait for it, 45% off. Plus, you can score more site-wide savings and take an extra $50 off your booking now through September 5th.

Take this as your sign to pencil in a vacay this fall and turn back to school season into back to beach season. Go to cheapcaribbean.com to find your next all-inclusive vacay offer and September 5th. All right, this is what you do when the love of your life, the apple of your eye, the bag you would beg for can wait no longer. You ready? You

You go to eBay. Seriously, there you'll be reunited with that designer goddess of your dreams, that iconic Gucci handbag authenticated by experts no less. And with that in mind, you might let a fun Prada mini bag catch your attention. But at eBay, wandering eyes are always welcome. So if you happen to also find the perfect cheetah print dress to go with that bag, we'll just call it fate, baby. So go ahead and let's take you down a Y2K adventure. Flirt with the endless possibilities, baby tees that say...

back chunky heels only you can pull off and the Y2K mini skirts that were way ahead of their time. And you better make a move on that timeless Tiffany and Coach charm necklace while you're at it. And just because you look good in chunky heels doesn't mean you'll slack on your sneaker game. Let your love for sneakers take you down a not so sold out road and hit the ground running with all the latest streetwear. Nike, Off-White, Fear of God, Stone Island, Kith, Supreme, and whatever Adidas collab pops up next.

The fines are limitless and the authenticity is verified for real. So don't worry when that Chrome heart ring steals your heart, let it ignite your inner goth and follow your destiny. Fall in love with a goth queen seller from Nevada. Who's got the whole selection. Get that lace up corset with the knee high platforms and stop at nothing to find the perfect leather jacket to complete the collection.

And if that has you cross paths with a vintage fringe jacket, have the courage to get the boots to match. Just go full cowboy and never look back. Next thing you know, you're topping off your wardrobe with authentic luxury handbags and the most pristine watches because now you're confident and eBay's your place.

The more you love, the more you'll find. From the new to the pre-loved and waiting to be loved. The timeless classics to the one of ones and everything in between. Yeah, eBay. It's the place for new, pre-loved, vintage, and rare fashion. eBay. Things people love. Friends, Symbiotica is a supplement brand that we love and trust. You've heard Hillary say, we're science fair kids. We love research. We love hacking our health. And for me in particular, I love,

noticed that when I'm really good about my supplements, I have so much more energy. I focus better. I get better sleep. So I'm committed. Everyone around me can tell when I've been taking my supplements. I'm a much more pleasant person to be around. And so these are formulated with high quality ingredients. Symbiotica is transparent about how and where they source ingredients to ensure that you get the best products possible.

And their formulas do not have any seed oils, preservatives, toxins, artificial additives, or quote, natural flavors. I mean, most supplements have that weird chalky taste or it's like sulfuric and it lingers for a while. I hate that. And so it's really...

It's hard to find a supplement that has premium ingredients but still tastes great. That's why we like it. Symbiotica has transformed our lives, and I am so glad we've found a brand that actually cares about us, its customers. I know I can finally see a difference in how I function and feel, and I actually look forward to taking my supplements every day.

every day. Feel more energized, alert, and balanced with high quality supplements that work. Head over to symbiotica.com. That's C-Y-M-B-I-O-T-I-K-A.com and use code DRAMA for 20% off and free shipping on your subscription order.

For decades, the Mafia had New York City in a stranglehold, with law enforcement seemingly powerless to intervene. It uses terror to extort people. But the murder of Carmichael Ante marked the beginning of the end, sparking a chain of events that would ultimately dismantle the most powerful crime organization in American history. It sent the message to them that we can prosecute these people.

Discover how a group of young prosecutors took on the mafia and with the help of law enforcement brought down its most powerful figures. These bosses on the commission had no idea what was coming their way from the federal government. From Wolf Entertainment and iHeart Podcasts, this is Law & Order Criminal Justice System. Listen to Law & Order Criminal Justice System on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I've been thinking about you. I want you back in my life. It's too late for that. I have a proposal for you. Come up here and document my project. All you need to do is record everything like you always do. One session, 24 hours. BPM 110, 120. She's terrified. Should we wake her up? Absolutely not.

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I love her so much. She was such a constant, steady presence. I mean, I meant every word that I said. She really gave us permission to be everything that we needed to be and also take care of ourselves. Yeah. Which I didn't know how valuable that was. I didn't know I was learning that lesson until now, like until I've been older with a child on sets and I'm suddenly remembering that.

Wait, it's okay for me to just sit here and read a book or work on my script and not have to make sure everybody likes me and walk around making sure everybody's like I'm talking to everyone and doing all. It's okay. Like I can just be here and be available. But take my, because I remember Moira just sitting there and doing that. It was such beautiful permission. It's so. The pressure of like, yeah.

to say thank you to someone for so long. Like she's just so easy. She's so cool. And that makes you want to say it even louder. You know, it's just like, oh my God, you don't know that you saved my life. I don't know what would have happened to me if I'd stayed. That moment was amazing, Hillary. I met my husband.

My son exists because Moira Kelly told me to run, you know? And so I did. And, um, I just think about how different my life would be if she wasn't that one person to give me permission to just go. Because she had it. We,

We all were little. And to us, it was like, you can't go. Like, what do you mean? We didn't know anything else. This is our place. It was like, this is ours. And for her, it feels like her being able to see through

Really what was just a container, a chapter. Yeah. And give you the kind of advice that she modeled in what Joy's talking about. Just taking permission to do what you need. That that's okay. It...

It was a lesson that no one else in that container, in that world that we shared was teaching us. Everyone else was saying, what more can you give? What more can you do? How can you give more of yourself to this? And it's revolutionary for a person to say, what do you need? Mm-hmm.

Yeah. It's so special. She's just such a class act. And, you know, we, that was the kind of the strange magic of our show is that we had a lot of tacky in our show. I mean, we've got strip clubs in this show. We've got going to the club. We've got boy toy auction with like kisses at midnight, which doesn't make any sense, you know? And then it's, it's countered by this,

total classy woman and and you know like really earnest moments in some of these relationships so that duality maybe that's the magic maybe that's what makes the fans like buy in because it's not too schmaltzy and it's not yeah too perverted it's just the right amount of schmaltz perv

Is that a term? I like schmaltzperv. Fresh out of flesh. Fresh out of flesh. Oh, my God. Gross. You know what I loved? In the moments watching, especially this budding relationship with Karen and Larry and the whole thing, I didn't see it then. But watching this episode with you guys today, I was like, oh, man, this is...

The parents are just people trying to figure out what they're doing, who they're like. Parents are people too. They don't have the answers. Nobody ever has the, like nobody ever gets it all figured out. And when we were young, we thought, well, eventually we'll be grownups and we'll have it all figured out. Yeah. And, and they just so beautifully and so vulnerably were like, we don't know either. We're, we're just testing the waters. Yeah.

Well, and Karen gets put in the biggest pickle ever in this episode. We all jaw dropped at the end. She's got one dude kissing her in the kitchen and then another dude on the front porch for the ring. With a ring.

Literally one guy leaves out the back door and the front door bell rings. Good for her. And she gets proposed to. Well, they're turning it up to 11. There were some big moments. Brooke's big announcement at the end of this episode, which was. I thought for me, when she says that to him, when she says, I might be pregnant.

It has to be real and she has to be terrified. And so that was the choice I made for her. Yeah. But I know it was a bit of a fight and I appreciated when we were having it. Hillary was in my corner being like, yeah, that is fucked up. And I was like, thank you. I didn't like it. We were upset. It just felt...

Because it did. We felt a responsibility to set a good example. I think that was a huge part of it. You know, we knew how many young girls were watching this show and how many girls related to Brooke. And, you know, we're learning to look up to the different aspects of all of our personalities and journeys. Yes. And so we felt that responsibility. Well, and Brooke had become so beloved at that point that for anyone who was like, I want to be, you know, I'm team Brooke.

You never want anyone emulating behavior like that. You know what I mean? Yeah, I wasn't going to model the bad behavior. I wanted to have a conversation about the hardship that happens to a lot of young women. Especially because you had such a sweet episode. You had such a sweet episode of like, I'm a little girl who's got big boobs.

got big feelings and no one picks me. It was so sweet. I think also we know the medium that we were in with that show and the network and the sort of space and how much we could trust the writers to, or not trust them to handle, uh, you know, if we're talking about, um, if we're talking about different material on a, maybe a different, I don't know, the network at the time or, you know, just a different space, different medium. Um,

having a character who is using the, the, the words I'm pregnant as a manipulation. I have no judgment on that as an actor, because, you know, you could trust that there are places where you could trust the writers to actually take the audience on a journey with that character to understanding why that was not the right thing to do. You know, what does she learn about her life when she says something like that, how that affects people?

Yeah. You know, that's a journey that I'm interested in because I have no judgment on the behavior as much as I just would like to see the journey to redemption from that bad choice.

But in our medium, in our show, as we've seen, we were talking about last time, we blow through storylines so quickly. Yeah, we don't get the payoff. Right. There wasn't a lot of tender, loving care to watching someone make a bad decision and seeing how it affected them and everyone else around them and then bringing it back around to redemption. We didn't have proof that that was going to happen. So 100%, I get why you were fighting for that for Brooke right then. The proof is this episode. Yeah.

Emancipation? Where was that court? We never went to court. We never went to court. It's so crazy. And by the way, Joy, you know, I don't want to give away what happens in the next episode, but I still didn't win the fight. There still is. They still leaned into her having the information before and then weaponizing the information. So I only was 50% heard.

And it is interesting because it is the cliffhanger. So it's the only reason it goes past one episode because normally we don't really see. Like Nikki showing up at the door. I will never, I will never get over the casual. Yeah, I'm emancipated. I got an apartment. Like how long did this take? When do they go to court? Where was the fight? Who said, where did he get the money to pay first and last month's rent? Like,

What? There's just an apartment that looks like a set from Dexter? Of course, what are you going to do? Kill me in here? Like, what? It's so crazy. They just needed less parents in a show where there were only like 40 percent parents. They're like, how can we get rid of that remaining percentage? Oh, I know. Get it in the span of half an episode. We're going to put them in an apartment.

And all the adults behaving badly, too. I mean, Whitey with booze in his desk. Can you imagine? It's so illegal. Can you imagine? Is it illegal? Like, so illegal. By the way, if you're a teacher in a high school, in a high school, it is. Is it? But it's like such a common thing. Like, oh, the teacher with the bourbon in the desk. Where does that come from? Because they don't pay teachers enough. Yeah, that's right. You know what I mean?

That's it. I'm going to go out and be the voice of dissent here and say, you can have as many bottles of bourbon in your desk as you want until they pay you. And then. Hey, I'm down. Power through. Heartbreaking quote from Brooke in this girls just want someone who wants them back. I don't know if it's just girls or if everybody wants that, but that is definitely, that's definitely true. And that hit home for me. It did for me too. And something I loved about it, the, the,

The representation of really tender platonic friendships between men and women in this episode, being willing to be vulnerable about their feelings and their experiences, Haley and Lucas, Nathan and Peyton, Brooke and Mouth. I liked, it felt to me like the representation for Brooke and Mouth was really about, I get that it looks great from the outside, but on the inside, it's terrible.

And it reminded us to look a little bit past the outside of someone. And I just loved that these people who thought they were so different really shared an understanding of each other after that night. Yeah, I loved that too. The confession thing is...

it's a big deal for me. I didn't really get to work with James and scenes that weren't contentious. And this was the first time that we were like being friends and like fun with each other. And I'd been such a bitch for the first, what episode is this? 17. I'd been such a bitch for the first, you know, 15, 16 episodes about the sexuality of all of it. And so I finally in this episode get to say to him, um,

I haven't been with anybody else. Like you're the only person that I've been with. And that's a big confession because he just assumes that she's off, you know, hooking up with other dudes. And I think that maybe boys assume the girls move faster than they do. You know, when I was single in Wilmington, everybody thought I was sleeping with everybody. Nobody like there was nobody. But if you're loud and kind of, you know,

I don't know, out there. People make assumptions. I loved seeing that Nathan and Peyton were being so... They were setting such a good example and being so sort of mature about the fact that... Yeah. I mean, two people who have...

In high school, if you're sleeping together with somebody in high school, that bond is so strong. Those bonding chemicals are so strong. And the fact that we've just been brushing it off like, oh, now Nathan's with Haley and there's just like, oh, they just flipped the switch and it's friend zone now for Peyton and Nathan. Yeah.

is really silly and basically impossible for teenagers to do. So I loved seeing the two of them acknowledging that there were still feelings that they still, you know, not so with so many words, but they were still, I still felt the chemistry between them and that it would be easy to fall back into that.

into each other, but that they were both really good people with good consciences. And they're like, we're not, that's not where we are. We're not going to do that. You know, we're going to, we're going to really hold the line with this friendship. Yeah. Saying the hard things out loud. I liked that. It wasn't just a, they took it a step farther, which is something I think we're not accustomed to. Um,

not only did these people lean into the tenderness of their friendship, but they also got really vulnerable about the things that so many young people are self-conscious about. Like we did used to do this and it was nice. And I had feelings for you and I'm trying to figure out what this new context is. And even for him to admit, you know, I think I might've been flirting with you and

I'm sorry, I don't know how to talk to you. And she's like, yeah, you dummy. And they laugh about it. It gives these kids permission to find each other in a new way and to have a genuine friendship, not a pretend one. And I think that's really...

For all the things that we say, yikes, we modeled a bad thing here. I'm like, that's actually, we modeled a lot of really good things in this episode. That was good stuff. The frankness scene, Larry do the exact same thing with Karen. Yeah. That Peyton and Nathan were doing where it's like, I'm just going to say the thing that needs to be said. And when he brings up Keith and he's like, Keith is a good guy and you've got history and I hope I didn't make it bad for you. Like on a first date, that could be a weird thing to say. And instead it comes off as like,

I care about what's going on in your world. I hope that it's not an obstacle, but if it is, I respect you enough to acknowledge it. Yeah. You know, I loved that. Yeah. Just say the awkward thing out loud. You'll feel better. Say it, say it. It's hard. It's the worst thing to do, but just say it.

I want to talk about some behind-the-scenes stuff, like the boy toy. A, we had a conversation while we were watching the episode about why they never built a gym. Like all nine seasons, we never built a gym. But also, I want to talk about how uncomfortable James was at the boy toy auction. Sweetheart. And I want to talk about the water balloon fight. Okay, so go. You guys pick which one. Yeah, Hillary, you've got the inside scoop on the gym. So the gym situation, this was a constant struggle because –

because we were shooting in a real gym, it meant that we had to film Sunday through Thursday, which was not drove to Berg off for that. Most of the time. Right. Wasn't it? No, Lainey was up 17. That was, Oh, that's right. But it was a hump. We had a perfectly good high school in town. Um,

New Hanover High School, which is in the middle of all of our characters' houses. But we went up to Laney because that was Michael Jordan's high school. And I think the allure of shooting in that gym. Yeah, like, because none of us were Michael Jordan. And Nathan picked Michael Jordan's number to be his number. It was a whole thing. We sport. Yeah, sports.

We shot in that gym and it was bad for the crew because they're not seeing their families. You know, we're dealing with an IOTC strike potentially because crews work 18 hour days and they, you know, everybody's divorced and no one has relationships with their children and that's not.

Not right. So them having to work on Sundays was really gross. What we got out of it is that a lot of them brought their kids to set on Sundays, which was lovely. You know, they'd come in their little Boy Scout uniforms and, you know, Little League football uniforms. And it became an issue in like season two where it was like, we've got totally empty stages. Why don't we build a gym? Why don't we build a gym? Yeah.

And it was because the authority figures on our show, and I agree with them on this, realized that if we built it on a set and it became something that could be moved the way any of our bedrooms or any of the interior houses could be moved, you just pack up the flats on a truck and you could take it anywhere.

It was when Georgia was getting a really strong tax incentive, and it was when South Carolina was getting a really strong tax incentive. And so by not building a gym, it forced us to stay in Wilmington.

And it became an anchor that secured the location for the crew. So it was a, it was a thoughtful decision. And I agree with it. And sometimes you just got to play the game, you know, it's like LA is like, where's cheaper in the pun. Yeah. LA is like, where can we get the most money? And it took, you know, the producers who were actually on the ground in town to be like,

No, sorry, guys. We've got this gym. We can never leave. I love it. That's great. All right. Next up. Who's next up? The balloon fight. The water balloon fight. Tell us about it. Was it freezing? It was very cold that night. It looked very cold.

The water balloons wouldn't break. What? So this, and there was one in particular, it's the first shot, which was, I was had my back turned and Lucas grabs a water balloon and throws it at me and it hits your shoulder and it hit my shoulder. And we, I was hit in the back of the head with that water balloon 25 times. They didn't pad you? No. What? I mean, it's, I was like, it's a water balloon, whatever. Like who cares? The water balloon.

You know, you get hit like, okay, 10 times we got to do this water balloon thing. It wouldn't break. Sometimes Chad would miss. So it would hit my head instead of my shoulder or, you know, whatever, but they just couldn't figure it out. And, and,

It was the strangest thing because, you know, a few times it's like fine. But after a while, you really just – it's hard to separate acting from real life. Oh, yeah. And I really just started to feel like I was getting beaten up on. Like I was – I was back in sixth grade again, you know, with kids like – Did you feel like they were playing a trick on you with like these aren't real water balloons? I guess. I don't know. It just felt like can't – can we –

Why can we not figure this out? Why do I have to just keep getting hit over and over and over and over again? Oh, babe. And like, yeah, it's just really, it actually made me cry. I got really emotional. I had to walk away. I was like, because it wasn't about, it wasn't painful. It was...

I mean, it was water balloon. It wasn't painful. It was the fact that I was just... I just had to stand there and take it and just take the hit over and over and over again. In front of 40 people, you know? Yeah. Like, it's not fun to be the one that's like, is everyone laughing at me? Yeah. Yeah. And it wasn't... Nobody was... I mean, nobody was laughing at me. I think it was more just that I... I don't know. I...

I don't know. Whatever. I said it all. I just – it was very difficult and exhausting and that was a hard moment. And I always think of that damn water balloon fight all the time whenever – You do. Whenever – I think –

I'm like, oh, that water balloon, that damn water balloon where they just broke me down. It was like they just took me right back to sixth grade. It really, really bugged me. So anyway, I'm glad we finally got it. I don't know what they had to do with like maybe poke a hole in it in advance or something like that. But we finally got it. I walked away. I had to cry. I didn't let anybody know I was emotional. You know, of course not.

And then I came out. I have something in my eye, guys. I got to go. Sorry, it's cold out here. My nose is running. I know. So that was the one thing. I'm glad that that's over now and I don't have to watch it ever again. But James, I remember during this boy toy auction, so we got the script. We were like, oh, my gosh, they're doing a boy toy auction. Hilarious. We all felt a little weird about it as we talked about the moms and all that stuff. Has anyone ever been to like a – but I just – it's like why would high schoolers do this? I don't get it.

I don't know. But I just remember James, you know, they had to paint like they were painting boy toy on his chest and the makeup trailer. And he had this jersey and he was to their credit, to his credit, all of those boys, they committed 100 percent. But I just remember James being so like, this is so dumb.

I don't want to do this. Yeah. I don't want to take my shirt off, guys. Brett was all about taking his shirt off. Brett was like, Brett was down. Brett was down. I'm a smoke show. I'm amazing. Yeah, Brett had so much fun with it and was so funny. And those zebra undies. Oh, my God. Him in the man panties is really a moment. But he was also 10 years older than James. You know, like, had James ever been naked in front of a girl before? We don't know. He was like a child. He was only 18.

And they're like, come on, kid, take your clothes off. Poor guy. Well, he really went for it. It was great. He plays cocky so well, though. Like, you wouldn't know. Oh, yeah. He does. I know. Yeah, he came out on that stage with so much confidence. Yes.

Which is so wild to watch, given that we were all in the makeup trailer being like, no, dude, you're going to be great. It's okay. You look great. No, really. It's going to be so funny. We were just trying to encourage him. And then you see Nathan just being like, yeah, I got this. And it's so opposite. And it's just so sweet. Maybe he cried too. Right? Maybe he did. I can't believe we forgot to ask Moira about this. But how...

But how fun was it to see after Karen revealing to Brooke that she was once the captain of the Treehill Ravens, to see Moira doing Raven's cheers while Larry's digging up the time capsule? I loved that. It was so fun. It was fun. She didn't have any problems learning her routine like we did. She seemed to nail it. Yeah. Yeah.

I was like, I wonder how many days Moira got. Oh, gosh. Should we spin the wheel? Do we want to do? We should spin a wheel. Let's spin a wheel. Most likely to be an employee at Tree Hill High as an adult. Who wasn't? Well, I mean, Haley was. Antoine wanted this. Remember, he said skills is the coach of the basketball team. Yeah, right. And yeah, Haley's for sure the principal. Yeah.

Unless she's on tour. Did Luke become a coach or something? Did he? Yeah, he and Antoine were coaching together for a minute there. Because remember Lindsay came to the basketball game? Yeah, it was a whole thing, guys. Remember, we got trapped in the library. Oh.

That was a rough one. You're right. You know what? This actually leads us into Holly's question, which is pretty great. Because she asked, if you guys didn't watch the show at the time, how did you know what was going on with the characters? Did you read the whole script? Did you do table reads? Or did you just chat with the other actors about their storylines? Oh, my God. Imagine if we'd had the resources to have table reads. Table reads. That would have been amazing. What a luxury.

That would have been amazing. I read the whole script. I'm sure you guys, yeah. Yeah. Because we're professionals, Holly. We are. We are. Well, and it's also really important. You know, I will say on a show like ours, a big ensemble like this, even in the things we're talking about for this episode, these parallel paths of Haley and Lucas, Peyton and Nathan, Brooke and Mouth, if you don't read the whole script,

You miss that all of your characters in their separate scenes are doing versions of the same thing. You miss the themes if you don't read all of it. And I don't know. Also, somebody else might be talking about your character and giving information that you don't have. Yeah. Touche. Yeah. We like to have answers. We are ladies who like to have answers. So we read the whole script. I'm super nosy. Yeah.

Who are they kissing? I want to know. What are they doing over there? Awesome. Well, this was such a good episode. I like it. What's next week? What do we got? Next episode is episode 19. Guys, 19 episodes? How can you be sure? Dun, dun, dun. Dun, dun, dun. And that's where we get into from going from trying to advocate to-

Having to not judge your character. Joy's right. You can't do that. You got to lean in. Oh, man. We're going to get messy next week. I can't wait to get messy with you guys. I love you so much. I love you, too. All right. Thanks, everybody. See you later. Woo! Thanks for listening. Don't forget to leave us a review. You can also follow us on Instagram at DramaQueensOTH. Or email us at DramaQueens at iHeartRadio.com. See you next time. Woo!

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