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Speaker 1: This is an R Media podcast.
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Speaker 2: Being a woman's very hard and being a woman in Hollywood is even harder. So it's like, yeah, you just have to keep your head down and go, it's not about looks. I'm so glad I got to do Front End Lights. I'm so glad that Peter and, you know, they saw something in me because that was my allowance to prove myself to people. But again, I was not just going to be somebody.
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Speaker 1: In a bikini.
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Speaker 2: It was pretty much those were the parts I was playing. So it was really nice to like, Oh no, she can actually act and be taken seriously.
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Speaker 1: Marie Claire presents You're Gonna Want to Hear This. Welcome back to You're Gonna Want to Hear This, a Marie Claire podcast. I'm your host, Georgie McCourt. Nearly 20 years after Friday Night Lights first premiered, Adrienne Palicki is still hearing from women who tell her that Tyra Claire changed something for them. It's a remarkable legacy for a character who spent so much of the series being defined by other people's expectations before ultimately deciding to define herself. Adrienne has spent nearly two decades navigating Hollywood from Friday Night Lights to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Orville, taking on roles that have challenged the way women are portrayed on screen. Now, as Friday Night Lights celebrates its 20th anniversary, she is revisiting the show, producing a new documentary about its legacy, and starring in the new indie drama, Due West. In today's conversation, we talk all about growing up in Hollywood, being underestimated, the pressure on women to be likable and strong, aging in an industry obsessed with youth, rejection and reinvention, and what it means to finally define yourself completely on your own terms. This is Adrienne Palicki, and you're going to want to hear this. Adrienne, I want to start with, obviously, Friday Night Lights because it premiered 20 years ago, which is incredible and I still remember it. For someone who somehow missed the show, what is it that made it so special?
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Speaker 2: I think that Peter Berg and Linda Loyer, casting director, really did such a great job of handpicking all the characters and Um, I, I just think it was lightning in a bottle. It was special. It was, you know, we were all in Austin. We're all young, even Connie and Kyle, you know, they'd done things that weren't like super, you know, household names necessarily. And I feel like we were just all in it together. It was just really us against the world. And, and we just loved each other. I mean, the fact is we, we actually all pretty much still live in Austin. So I mean, you were, about 23, so early twenties. And that like, it feels very young to find that level of fame. What do you remember about how that show changed? I mean, it turned you into a celebrity. It, you know, you found fame at a very young age. What do you remember about that transition into this new life? It was so interesting because I, We were living in Austin, and honestly, we were like, this show's the best show ever. Every show, we were like, this is going to be amazing. And this is still when ratings mattered. So every time we would tune in and we would have the worst ratings, we were like, we're going to get canceled. So while we were doing it, it never really felt like a successful show. It felt successful to us, but it didn't seem like that to the world, at least at the time. And so it wasn't until afterward that where I realized that, oh, wow, okay, I'm getting roles where they're not putting me in a swimsuit. That's awesome. Because I think it was the first time people really started seeing me as, you know, as an actual actress, which made me very happy. It was a hard work. It was a really fun show. And we all pretty much were doing acting class every single day.
00:03:59
Speaker 1: What did fame feel like at a young age? Like, how would you describe that feeling?
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Speaker 2: Oh, like, it's weird. I just feel so separated from it. I don't know if I was ever famous. I just loved working. So it was, you know, there would be a random person following me once in a while. And, you know, people used to follow you in photos and stuff. But rarely, like, would that happen. I was really separated. And again, like, living in Austin, just being, I don't know, living a normal life. I never really felt famous. I don't feel famous now. Um, I feel successful, which is cool, but I don't know that I feel famous, which is probably a good thing that that never really occurred to me because I think they can go to people's heads, especially at a young age.
00:04:47
Speaker 1: And I know you've spoken before about like, you've got a lot of friends who aren't in the industry. So I guess that helps bring you down to earth and helps you to stay grounded.
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Speaker 2: Absolutely. I surround myself with such a mishmash of humans, which is great. They're always fascinated by why I do. They're like, what? You did what? You kissed who? What are your hours? You don't know when you're working next?
00:05:09
Speaker 1: Like, how do you do that?
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Speaker 2: I'm like, I don't know.
00:05:12
Speaker 1: But it does.
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Speaker 2: It keeps you grounded and it keeps the conversation going. And I think it actually helps, you know, with an art that you're not surrounding yourself with only actors or only people in the industry. And Austin has now such a great community of filmmakers. You know, I mean, I think... In the last three years, I've filmed six movies here, you know, and it's really becoming a very, very special place to be. So there is a community, but yeah, keeping yourself just in human form, I think is really important and just being a normal person.
00:05:46
Speaker 1: You are now back with Castmates celebrating the anniversary. How has revisiting that world and all being together, how has it changed the way that you remember that period of your life?
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Speaker 2: So I'm one of the people that I'm just so nostalgic over the show. I mean, I'm now producing the docuseries about the making of Front End Lights. And so that's been fun too, because around this and the reunion, getting to go and interview people, you know what I mean? Getting to sit down with Peter Berg and Jason Kadams. And, you know, when we had everybody together on that stage for the reunion, it was just like, God, you know, it's like, I'm going to get emotional. Um, It was just such a perfect, special time. And, you know, like, I think that's the thing that people always talk about in their careers that they want and sometimes never even get. And I got it. You know what I mean? I like, it is so nostalgic. It's the best outside of Due West, which we'll talk about, is the favorite thing I've ever done in my life. And one of the hardest. And it changed my life. And I made some of my best friends in the world and I fell in love with a place. I never felt at home anywhere. So it's like, it just, there's just so many beautiful things about it.
00:07:01
Speaker 1: What was the most challenging part of that period of your life when you were filming Friday Night Lights? What do you remember about what was really hard?
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Speaker 2: Well, we had to like, we were able to improv, you know, the writing was phenomenal, but we were able to play and there were no marks and it was not the acting that everybody was used to. It was just really like you had, I learned how to act on that show. And then afterward, it was really hard to relearn how to not do that. But the other hard thing is, you know, Connie Britton is one of my best friends. And so we would, we would walk down South Congress and, you know, the first season, my character was not super well liked. So people would be like, oh my God, I love Tammy, blah, blah, blah. Hate you. Like, literally, that would happen to me all the time. That was hard. Because I'm like, you don't know her yet. You haven't seen it. She's a good person.
00:07:53
Speaker 1: And also people seeing you as Tyra, like seeing you as the character. You're like, hey, actually, that's not me.
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Speaker 2: It's a character. Yeah.
00:08:04
Speaker 1: No, it's not.
00:08:05
Speaker 2: It's, yeah. I mean, she's a part of me. I love her. But, yeah. I think in retrospect, people really do love her because she's kind of the audience. She just says like it is. She's just honest. She's like the most honest character in the whole show.
00:08:19
Speaker 1: And Tyra, she was strong. She was sexual. She was complicated and she was ambitious. And that was a time when female characters weren't always allowed to be all of those things at once. Do you think that she was ahead of her time?
00:08:32
Speaker 2: I think that she is timeless. I think that that is, you know, I still get young girls coming up to me at Whole Foods or you know, on the street, they're like, I'm going to UT because of Tyra, or I'm going, I went to college because of Tyra. Like, that character is just, she's impacted so many people who didn't think, you know, they could go anywhere. You know, and I kind of based her on somebody I grew up with who had a very similar childhood and was the smartest, most beautiful woman in the room. Didn't know it. And, you know, she was at home taking care of her little sister by herself in seventh grade, you know, and I kind of really tapped into her when I was playing her because I feel like she is somebody that everybody knows pieces of. So I think that she's just timeless. I think that she will go on and be a character that just gives other women, young girls who don't feel like they have a chance, hope.
00:09:31
Speaker 1: And you've spoken about knowing what it feels like to be underestimated as a young actor. And I think women in general are often underestimated. Yes. Did you kind of prove yourself back then? Like, did you feel this pressure to prove yourself?
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Speaker 2: I think there was a pressure. You know, it's funny to go back to the fame thing. I think, you know, there was a moment in time where you felt like if you're not famous, you're not successful. You know, if you're not on the cover of magazines, you're not successful, which means you're not famous, which means you're not all these things. And I just feel like that was, that was kind of difficult to get away from that feeling. And I think once I let go of it was when things changed. got much simpler. That makes sense. I was like, Oh, it's being famous. Isn't success. Success is success. You know, being a working actor is success and the other portion really doesn't matter.
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Speaker 1: So success now, obviously 20 years later, being a working actor is success, which is what you just said. What is your definition of success? Because it does change. Like as we get older, obviously we, We really, we do become wiser. One of the great things about getting older. How do you feel about success now and pressure and pressure to prove yourself?
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Speaker 2: You know, I think as we get older, there's a pressure like women not to age or what that looks like or where you should be. I think that in right now where the industry is, it's very different than where it was and it's scary and not everybody's working. And so I feel like success is obviously being a working actor and getting opportunities and Um, but that's also why I got into producing, you know, and trying to facilitate my own work, which I think is really important and helping other people do that same thing. Um, especially people who are not necessarily seen by everybody. Cause I think that's also a hard thing. You know, you turn on Netflix, you turn on something and sometimes it's the same person in every movie and you're like, okay, but there are other actors in the world, you know? And people who are underestimated are not seen. And so I think that's really important and getting to be a part of that. And I don't know, just continuing. As long as I continue to do this and be able to do this, then I will be successful and keep a good head on my shoulders.
00:12:03
Speaker 1: And as with any other industry, I imagine when you do turn on Netflix and you see the same actor, it's like, it's very much about staying in your lane and doing what you do and not getting like, you know, drowning out the outside noise. And I think that that really applies to any industry.
00:12:20
Speaker 2: I agree. I agree. And it's also, I think, you know, when I was living in LA before Friday Night Lights, I felt it's impossible not to compare yourself to everybody. And we still do it because we're actors. And most of us are insecure on some level. So, you know, you watch things and you're like, why didn't I have that opportunity? Or, oh my God, I couldn't do that. Or, you know, whatever it is, you just have these like moments where you're like, okay, how about you take yourself out of this and how about you just enjoy the fricking movie? But I think it was really hard when I was living there to not become like, why didn't I get that audition? Why didn't I see that script? You know? Why did she get that? Or, you know, you just, you start to just do these things that are really, really not healthy because you're just surrounded by it. It's a very incestuous environment, I think, because it's one industry.
00:13:16
Speaker 1: And it is amazing that it doesn't matter what level of success or perceived success someone has achieved in terms of acting, there's still insecurity. Like I would say, generally, all actors feel insecurity. Oh, yeah.
00:13:33
Speaker 2: Of course. And we really, I don't, it's like the weirdest thing because we put ourselves on display to be pretty much trashed.
00:13:40
Speaker 1: You know what I mean?
00:13:41
Speaker 2: It's like, it's kind of masochistic. I'm not going to lie to you. You never know when you're going to work, if you're going to work, you know, it's kind of, you know, it's not, it's not, it's not as dreamy as people think.
00:13:56
Speaker 1: I think, I think there's definitely a perception that it's very dreamy because it looks so glamorous, um, But I know that that's not necessarily the reality.
00:14:06
Speaker 2: It's not. It's a lot of work. It's hard. You know, people don't realize we work 16-hour days or, you know, we'll start at 4.30 in the morning on a Monday and get home at 4.30 a.m. on a Saturday. It's like, you know, it's taxing. But being on set to me is my favorite thing in the world. And I just love the crew. It becomes my family. And it's always sad when something ends. And Friday Night Lights was a big part of that. I mean, I was so glad I got to go back for the final two episodes. I got to be there in the final shot. We all got to celebrate together. It was like, because that was, I mean, when I left after the third season, I drove back to LA for a bit and I drove by myself. And I just had like this real catharsis because it was like, it felt like I'm going to college and all my friends are still in high school. And that's exactly what was, you know, happening. So that, like that, that place was the special place in my heart. And I don't think anything's ever been that special.
00:15:13
Speaker 1: That's like, what an incredible life experience to have that. And obviously now with this roadshow revisiting, it must be so incredibly special to be surrounded by your castmates and And going back, because also 20 years later, you'd be reflecting on it in a different way. You'd be looking at this experience in a different way and what it has given to your life.
00:15:35
Speaker 2: I guess. You know, it's not theater. So we don't get to, when you're doing something for TV or movies or anything like that, you don't actually get to like feel an audience, the reception. So it's really fun to actually get to experience it with people who are fans and Or some people who had not even seen the show, we found that out, which is cool, you know, people coming to the roadshow who are probably now fans. But it's also been so long that I can watch the show where I don't feel like I'm watching myself. Does that make sense? Like, I can actually, like, detach myself from the situation and just enjoy the show as a whole as opposed to, like, going, oh, my God, why was I making that facial expression? Or, like, you know, whatever. Why was that choice, you know? It's just a whole other thing.
00:16:24
Speaker 1: Do you feel like watching it, you're a baby?
00:16:28
Speaker 2: I'm so young. I was so young. Yet, weirdly, everybody looks the same. So, I don't know. But yeah, we were all very, very young. But we grew up really fast on that show, and I think that that was really special. And we got to do it together. And so... You know, Caitlin and Emily, who started ATX TV Festival, joined forces with Plex. And, you know, Friday Night Lights was kind of the base for getting the ATX TV Festival going 15 years ago. And so it was really cool. And they're two of my best friends. So they asked me to come on and be the host of the road shows. Because it's like, again, I'm probably the show's biggest fan. So it's... It's been really, really awesome. And, yeah, some people I haven't seen since the 10-year reunion or, you know, getting up on that stage, it was just unbelievable.
00:17:25
Speaker 1: In just a moment, Adrienne shares the powerful message behind her new movie, Due West. How do you feel about, obviously we talked about the pressure on actors earlier and feelings of insecurity. Obviously looks, it's not just your work, it's not just how you perform. It's also very physical acting in terms of your appearance. How have you grappled with that over the last 20 years? How do you handle the pressure on appearance?
00:17:56
Speaker 2: Botox? I'm kidding. No, I genuinely do think. I think, again, I think being in Austin is very helpful for me to kind of detach myself from that. But, you know, I just look at it. as I get older, I'm just going to get to play new characters. I'm going to get to do something I haven't done before. So I don't look at it as a bad thing. I look at it as something that, you know, it's an evolution and everything I've done, I take with me for the next journey. And, you know, it does suck. Being a woman's very hard and being a woman in Hollywood is even harder. So it's like, Yeah, you just have to keep your head down and go, it's not about looks. I'm so glad I got to do Front End Lights. I'm so glad that Peter and, you know, they saw something in me because that was my allowance to prove myself to people. But again, I was not just going to be somebody in a bikini. I mean, I did South Beach and North Shore right before. You know what I mean? Like, it was pretty much those were the parts I was playing. So it was really nice to like, oh no, she can actually act and be taken seriously. And I think as long as that's the case, the looks thing, you know, we can, you know, it's makeup, hair, all the things can just change you completely. So I just try not to really focus on it.
00:19:23
Speaker 1: I want to talk about you, Wes, because this is a film where you stepped into a producer role on the project. What made you want to take on more ownership behind the camera at this point in your career? And tell me about this project.
00:19:36
Speaker 2: Well, so Evan Miller is one of my dearest friends. And he and his writing partner, Hardy, had written this. We'd already done a short that was about gun control. Had gone to Holly Shorts or whatever. And, you know, we loved working together. So we're like, they wrote this part for me. And Evan shows up at my house one day. He's like, Annie, he has balatitos and he has a script. He's like, I want you to read this. Don't answer me right away. Just read it and then tell me. I was like, okay. Because I knew about it. I just hadn't read it yet. So I read it. And I couldn't actually talk to him for three days. Because every time I went to talk about it, I would start to cry. And especially the last line. I mean, my name is Annie. My nickname is Annie. So they wrote that for me. And it was just like, I don't know. The whole movie to me is very special. And talk about community. And it's a very important topic to me. So when he gave it to me, I said, not only am I doing this, I'm going to help you find the financing. So it was like Evan and I against the world. It felt like for a long time, especially in Texas, uh, especially a movie that is talking about abortion. Um, you know, finding funding for something like that is very, very difficult. So thankfully we were able to call in a lot of favors from a lot of friends who also have very, very strong feelings about this. And, um, I think it's the only way we can make a difference is through art, you know, sometimes. Because it's also what Evan and Hardy do such a great job of, which I also love, but it's written by two men, is that it's not beating anybody over the head. It's a movie to get people to start talking. It lives in the gray, it dances in the gray, and I think that's really important so people can start talking and not yelling. And I think it's done that. when we've shown it to audiences and gone to film festivals and whatnot, I've had a lot of men who are not pro-choice come up to me and really go, I never thought of it like that. And I go, that's the point. Every person's different. And it's not about, it's never going to be easy for a person to make a decision. Nobody's like, yay, I did it. It's really awful. And when you start making a film like this, I didn't realize how many of my girlfriends or women in my life have had an abortion and whether they were married or not, or it was a health condition or whatnot. And it affects everybody. Like nobody's, everybody's still thinking about it to this day. It's a very, very difficult thing. So making a movie that was beautiful about community, about pretty much if Tyra didn't go to college, this could have been her, probably would have been her life. Um, and she didn't ask for it. So it was just one of those things where, you know, you really start to feel for this character. Um, and I don't know, it's, it's probably one of the most, outside of Friday Night Lights, it's the most special thing I've ever been a part of.
00:22:52
Speaker 1: It's incredible. And, and obviously it's such a contentious topic and there's so many different viewpoints on it. And you have an incredibly engaged following on social media. And I know when you posted about abortion and pro-choice, that sparks debate because it is contentious. How do you navigate that conversation on social media? Because the online world can just go crazy and there's trolls. But how do you grapple with the comments that you get on social media around pro-choice and abortion?
00:23:27
Speaker 2: Well, I try not to look at them. Because it's one of those things where it's a never-ending cycle. And I do have friends in the industry who go down that rabbit hole and they can't get out of it. And it drives them nuts. And it's like, people are going to have opinions about every single thing I ever do. But I think that the thing is, nobody's pro-abortion. People are pro-choice. And it's a thing that I feel very strongly about. And people are going to have their own feelings. But hopefully those people are also going to tune into this movie. and maybe start thinking about some things. It might not change their mind, but at least they could have a little bit of empathy and maybe understand that it's not simple. And it's not simple for anybody. So like, again, I think that art's the only way to do it. And I try to just block out the noise and keep going. And I'm going to keep doing things like this. I'm going to keep making movies that are important politically and, you know, are pro-women and pro-everything. Because we should have rights to our bodies. I don't want anybody telling me what to do with it.
00:24:32
Speaker 1: And I also think, like you said earlier, it's incredible how many women have had an abortion that you might not know about. I mean, I know I've had abortions, my friends have had abortions, and it's not necessarily something people open a conversation with, but it's something that so many women have had an experience with. Absolutely.
00:24:53
Speaker 2: Absolutely. So many women have had an experience with, and again, not, and I mean, it took me doing this movie to really get people to even open up about things like that, because it's something that a lot of people want to forget about because it's hard, but they can't, you know, making, and yourself probably understand that, you know, it's like not something that you walk away from and just don't think about ever again. It's a, it's a, it's a really important thing. And you think about there, there could be a person here. There could be a child. There could be something. But also there was a reason that you did that. And that reason is yours. And nobody can tell you what to do. Should be able to tell you what to do. So I think that it also opens up that topic. It made me a lot closer to a lot of women in my life.
00:25:43
Speaker 1: Was there a point in your career where you wanted to move more into the advocacy space in terms of using film to advocate for women's issues? Was there a moment... you know how we change in our thirties and forties, like each decade brings different, you know, I guess wisdom. And was there a point where you wanted to move more into the advocacy space?
00:26:06
Speaker 2: I was asked to campaign for Obama in 2008 and I was so nervous about doing it. And it was actually Connie Britton who was like, Annie, you have to do it. And this is a woman who stands up in Congress like all the time. She's, she's a badass. Um, So I was like, okay, I'm going to face his fear. I'm going to go campaign for him and like stand up in front of groups. And that's how I actually met Seth MacFarlane and ended up doing the Orville together. But it was terrifying. And what I realized is though, I believed in this person so much and I believed in this thing that I care about as humans. I just care about humans and I care about this country and I care about the middle class and I care about us continuing to be you know, a first world country. And a lot of that's depending on our freedoms. And I think that like, that is something that is very important to me. It was installed to me as a child, you know, both my parents are on the liberal side. And so, but I was also given all the facts and I was told to make up my own mind about it. And I feel like that was really, really strong. And so, yes, I think again, like now living in a world where independent film is really king, and we can just make our own things, that it is, that's the way we can do something. Because right now it doesn't feel like we can do anything. You know, our hands are tied. So if me making a movie or more movies or doing whatever to just kind of get the word out there and hopefully change at least one mind or get people at least talking to each other, it's worth it.
00:27:45
Speaker 1: More with Adrienne coming up. Now, if you've been enjoying, you're going to want to hear this. One of the best ways you can support the podcast is by following us, leaving a rating or review, or simply sharing an episode with a friend. Every listen, every recommendation, and every review helps us keep bringing you conversations that inform, challenge, and inspire. And what about turning 40 or 43 now? And as I said earlier, like each decade brings a shift. How would you describe your 40s, say, compared to your 30s or your 20s? Like, What does this decade look like for you?
00:28:20
Speaker 2: Well, I know a lot more. I think 40s have been my best years. And people have said that to me. You're going to love your 40s because you're taking everything from your past into it. And you know so much more and you know what you want. You're more decisive. It's freeing. I feel very free. And again, I like... I don't want to say growing old, but I like, I like going forward. You know what I mean? And I like evolving and I feel like that happens with time and it happens with all of the, the bad crap and the good crap that goes along with it. And I honestly probably, I wouldn't change anything.
00:28:59
Speaker 1: Was that unexpected? Cause I always thought like when I was 30, I thought, well, I better just like really go hard in this decade because my career will be over when I'm 40, I'm 44. And I agree, like I love my 40s. It's been so far a fantastic period of life. Was it unexpected? Did you expect to enjoy your 40s or were you scared, say, when you were 30, like, oh, my gosh, like in my 40s and 50s, like there's going to be no work? Did you have that thought ruminating?
00:29:30
Speaker 2: Terrified. Well, because, you know, like, of course, I had the whole 10-year plan and I was supposed to win an Oscar by 28. and you know, you get to be like 35 and you're like, okay, none of the things that I had planned happened. Then you start to go, okay, but this is actual success. Like the things I thought I wanted would have been great, I'm sure, but they don't, make or break you, you know? But yeah, I mean, like, you know, we look at our parents and I think people are evolving differently now too. You know, we're younger, longer. I didn't expect to be here at 40 and I didn't expect to love it so much. And I thankfully like, you know, I had somebody to look up to like Connie, who, although she'd been on Spin City and had, you know, her career, she started later. I think her first job was when she was 28. So like, you know, her going into her forties on the show and now is the most successful she's ever been. I mean, she's in everything and she should be because she's one of the most amazing actresses. I look at that and I go, if I can have that, that would be amazing. Or one of my other girlfriends, Carly Gugino, same thing. Like I, these are two of the most beautiful women and they're aging gracefully and they're in everything. And I'm like, I don't think they've ever been hotter, you know? So that's like I have these great role models to look up to and go, okay, it's going to be fine.
00:31:07
Speaker 1: And what about a Friday Night Lights reboot? Because I know you've been quoted as saying you're torn about it. How does it feel knowing that it might be brought back?
00:31:18
Speaker 2: I mean, Tyra's in it.
00:31:22
Speaker 1: It would be so good watching a new Tyra. I can't imagine Tyra.
00:31:27
Speaker 2: Oh my God, well, she'd be, you know, she'd be Tammy Taylor ultimately. She'd have to be the counselor. But I feel like I just, it's a perfect show. And I think that when things can be redone and that they're not done well, it can ruin the whole thing. You know, it's like nobody's going to try to reboot Sopranos. And there's a reason for that. because you can't really do it without, you know, Kyle and Connie were the meat of that show. They're unbelievable. And I just don't know how you have that show without them. So it'd have to be something very different, I think.
00:32:12
Speaker 1: It's also the time, like it was, it was 20 years ago. It just was like right in that moment that it felt so right and so It's sort of like Sex and the City when they brought it back with And Just Like That, which I watched and enjoyed. But it's just you can't capture the original days of Sex and the City. Like you can't go back to that time and women in that time. And so I think it's very hard to bring something back. And people bring them back because they're so loved and they want to try and create that again. But I don't know. I think the magic is that it was in that time. I don't necessarily think it works anymore. when you bring it back.
00:32:49
Speaker 2: Exactly. And I think that this, the thing is, this show is actually timeless. People are finding it for the first time now. And young people are finding it now and loving it. And I think that that's important. You know, outside of maybe like, you know, an aged cell phone, there's really, you can't tell the difference in it. So it doesn't, it doesn't necessarily need to be redone. I mean, I have all the faith in the world and Jason Kadams, and if he's going to write it, then it's going to be amazing. But like, I don't know. Again, if Tyra's in it. I might change my tune a little bit.
00:33:25
Speaker 1: You are producing Texas Forever, the legacy of Friday Night Lights. So is there anything that you've discovered about the show or your castmates, like each other, through making the documentary that you didn't appreciate at the time?
00:33:37
Speaker 2: I honestly... I think it's just been more nostalgic than anything. And there have been a couple of stories I didn't know about. So it's really fun to get to sit behind the camera and listen to everything. But I mean, there's been a lot of tears. Lots of tears. And all good tears. And just reminiscing. I think this is going to be a version of a reboot because it's going to give people... something even deeper into the show.
00:34:13
Speaker 1: And for those listening who don't know the essay speech, because there's a line of it where Tyra says, I want to define myself instead of having others define me. What was the essence of that essay speech?
00:34:26
Speaker 2: The essence of it is just, she has been misjudged her whole life. And, you know, except for these two people who absolutely believed in her, um, And she doesn't want to be defined by where she came from. She doesn't want to be defined by the clothes that she wears or what side of the track she came up on. She wants to be defined or who her boyfriend is or whatever. She wants to be defined by the things that she does. And I remember doing that essay because it was like, yeah, I want to go to the White House. I want to fly in first class. All these things that, I mean, like I was saying, you know? So it wasn't hard to like be emotional about that because it was just like, This dream, this girl's dream that she actually didn't, I don't even know in that moment thought she was still going to get in. But she was fighting for it. And I think that that's what that means. She just, she was like, I'm going to not let the world define me. I'm not going to let the world make me small.
00:35:33
Speaker 1: Which is so relevant to women of all ages. It doesn't matter if you're 23, 43. It's a message that I think women need to carry throughout their lives.
00:35:42
Speaker 2: Absolutely. I agree with you wholeheartedly.
00:35:44
Speaker 1: What does life look like in terms of what makes you happy away from acting? You obviously feel so incredibly fulfilled when you are on set and working, but what makes you happy away from acting?
00:35:57
Speaker 2: My dog, the love of my life.
00:36:00
Speaker 1: What's your dog?
00:36:01
Speaker 2: Ollie. He's a Chihuahua pug, Jack Russell mix. He was rescued from Compton. He's from Compton. I've had him for 15 years. He's 16. And going on 10. But he's literally, he's been through everything with me. He's been through like all of the really hard crap and all the great stuff. So he's my little prince. So I try to hang out with him as much as possible. Visit friends, lots of happy hours, lots of food. Austin's a foodie town.
00:36:33
Speaker 1: And also I'm sure in Texas, the sizes are like in Australia, we get like little tiny little margaritas. Like they look all dainty. I'm like, I like how America does big fishbowl.
00:36:44
Speaker 2: Oh yeah. Depending where you go, Matt's all Rancho. We just get a big, it's like a jug.
00:36:49
Speaker 1: Um, so eating pain.
00:36:54
Speaker 2: Pain, Ollie.
00:36:54
Speaker 1: And like, look, so Ollie's a rescue dog. How did you, because I, with rescue dogs, it's very hard to pick because you want to take them all home. Why did you pick him?
00:37:04
Speaker 2: I didn't, he picked me, but he's literally the, he's, you know, I might've saved him, but he saved me. I mean, he really did. I had really something to like, I don't know. I think it, I think he made me a better person. I think he made me a more selfless person. Um, yeah, he's, he's literally the best thing that's ever happened to me.
00:37:28
Speaker 1: But I mean, dogs do like they, I've got a big fat Labrador and like, there's been so many moments where they just like, they just love you and they just look at you and you can just talk to them. And I, I think, I don't know, we don't talk enough about the relationship with pets and how important it is for healing. It is.
00:37:48
Speaker 2: I mean, they are really, they are healing dogs. They're healing animals. Like I don't even, I don't, I don't plan on getting another dog. I mean, he's, he's my soulmate and, you know, he's the best thing.
00:38:05
Speaker 1: My last question is the name of this podcast is you're going to want to hear this. So For our listeners and people watching, what is one message that you want women to hear? It might be something that you've told yourself again and again. What's one message that has helped support you?
00:38:21
Speaker 2: To just believe in yourself. If you believe it, you can achieve it. You know, there's multiple things in my life that I thought were impossible, like becoming a successful actress. You know, it is, you just have to believe in yourself and you have to be strong and you have to stand up for what you believe in. whatever that is, and yourself. You know, you have to have your own back. I think it's really important. And not hurt people on the journey.
00:38:50
Speaker 1: Great advice. Thank you so much for your time and for our chat. I've so enjoyed it.
00:38:56
Speaker 2: Me too. Thanks, Georgie. I appreciate you taking the time.
00:39:00
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of You're Gonna Want to Hear This. I really hope that the conversation reminded you that defining yourself is something you get to keep doing no matter where you are in your life or career. A huge thank you to Adrienne for sharing her story with us from the lasting legacy of Tyra Collette to navigating Hollywood, taking risks and finding the confidence to choose your own path. Enjoy today's conversation. Don't forget to follow.
00:39:28
Speaker 2: You're going to want to hear this.
00:39:29
Speaker 1: Leave us a review and share it with someone who might need to hear this conversation too. You can watch Due West now and find out more about the legacy of Friday Night Lights and Adrienne's work on Texas Forever in our show notes. For more stories of style and substance from Marie Claire, make sure to follow You're Going to Want to Hear This on your favorite podcast app, And if you prefer to watch in high definition, you can subscribe to Marie Claire's YouTube channel and that way you will never miss an episode. I'm Georgie McCord. Thank you so much for listening and I will see you next time. Bye.
Speaker 1: This is an R Media podcast.
00:00:09
Speaker 2: Being a woman's very hard and being a woman in Hollywood is even harder. So it's like, yeah, you just have to keep your head down and go, it's not about looks. I'm so glad I got to do Front End Lights. I'm so glad that Peter and, you know, they saw something in me because that was my allowance to prove myself to people. But again, I was not just going to be somebody.
00:00:28
Speaker 1: In a bikini.
00:00:30
Speaker 2: It was pretty much those were the parts I was playing. So it was really nice to like, Oh no, she can actually act and be taken seriously.
00:00:38
Speaker 1: Marie Claire presents You're Gonna Want to Hear This. Welcome back to You're Gonna Want to Hear This, a Marie Claire podcast. I'm your host, Georgie McCourt. Nearly 20 years after Friday Night Lights first premiered, Adrienne Palicki is still hearing from women who tell her that Tyra Claire changed something for them. It's a remarkable legacy for a character who spent so much of the series being defined by other people's expectations before ultimately deciding to define herself. Adrienne has spent nearly two decades navigating Hollywood from Friday Night Lights to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Orville, taking on roles that have challenged the way women are portrayed on screen. Now, as Friday Night Lights celebrates its 20th anniversary, she is revisiting the show, producing a new documentary about its legacy, and starring in the new indie drama, Due West. In today's conversation, we talk all about growing up in Hollywood, being underestimated, the pressure on women to be likable and strong, aging in an industry obsessed with youth, rejection and reinvention, and what it means to finally define yourself completely on your own terms. This is Adrienne Palicki, and you're going to want to hear this. Adrienne, I want to start with, obviously, Friday Night Lights because it premiered 20 years ago, which is incredible and I still remember it. For someone who somehow missed the show, what is it that made it so special?
00:02:10
Speaker 2: I think that Peter Berg and Linda Loyer, casting director, really did such a great job of handpicking all the characters and Um, I, I just think it was lightning in a bottle. It was special. It was, you know, we were all in Austin. We're all young, even Connie and Kyle, you know, they'd done things that weren't like super, you know, household names necessarily. And I feel like we were just all in it together. It was just really us against the world. And, and we just loved each other. I mean, the fact is we, we actually all pretty much still live in Austin. So I mean, you were, about 23, so early twenties. And that like, it feels very young to find that level of fame. What do you remember about how that show changed? I mean, it turned you into a celebrity. It, you know, you found fame at a very young age. What do you remember about that transition into this new life? It was so interesting because I, We were living in Austin, and honestly, we were like, this show's the best show ever. Every show, we were like, this is going to be amazing. And this is still when ratings mattered. So every time we would tune in and we would have the worst ratings, we were like, we're going to get canceled. So while we were doing it, it never really felt like a successful show. It felt successful to us, but it didn't seem like that to the world, at least at the time. And so it wasn't until afterward that where I realized that, oh, wow, okay, I'm getting roles where they're not putting me in a swimsuit. That's awesome. Because I think it was the first time people really started seeing me as, you know, as an actual actress, which made me very happy. It was a hard work. It was a really fun show. And we all pretty much were doing acting class every single day.
00:03:59
Speaker 1: What did fame feel like at a young age? Like, how would you describe that feeling?
00:04:05
Speaker 2: Oh, like, it's weird. I just feel so separated from it. I don't know if I was ever famous. I just loved working. So it was, you know, there would be a random person following me once in a while. And, you know, people used to follow you in photos and stuff. But rarely, like, would that happen. I was really separated. And again, like, living in Austin, just being, I don't know, living a normal life. I never really felt famous. I don't feel famous now. Um, I feel successful, which is cool, but I don't know that I feel famous, which is probably a good thing that that never really occurred to me because I think they can go to people's heads, especially at a young age.
00:04:47
Speaker 1: And I know you've spoken before about like, you've got a lot of friends who aren't in the industry. So I guess that helps bring you down to earth and helps you to stay grounded.
00:04:56
Speaker 2: Absolutely. I surround myself with such a mishmash of humans, which is great. They're always fascinated by why I do. They're like, what? You did what? You kissed who? What are your hours? You don't know when you're working next?
00:05:09
Speaker 1: Like, how do you do that?
00:05:10
Speaker 2: I'm like, I don't know.
00:05:12
Speaker 1: But it does.
00:05:13
Speaker 2: It keeps you grounded and it keeps the conversation going. And I think it actually helps, you know, with an art that you're not surrounding yourself with only actors or only people in the industry. And Austin has now such a great community of filmmakers. You know, I mean, I think... In the last three years, I've filmed six movies here, you know, and it's really becoming a very, very special place to be. So there is a community, but yeah, keeping yourself just in human form, I think is really important and just being a normal person.
00:05:46
Speaker 1: You are now back with Castmates celebrating the anniversary. How has revisiting that world and all being together, how has it changed the way that you remember that period of your life?
00:05:59
Speaker 2: So I'm one of the people that I'm just so nostalgic over the show. I mean, I'm now producing the docuseries about the making of Front End Lights. And so that's been fun too, because around this and the reunion, getting to go and interview people, you know what I mean? Getting to sit down with Peter Berg and Jason Kadams. And, you know, when we had everybody together on that stage for the reunion, it was just like, God, you know, it's like, I'm going to get emotional. Um, It was just such a perfect, special time. And, you know, like, I think that's the thing that people always talk about in their careers that they want and sometimes never even get. And I got it. You know what I mean? I like, it is so nostalgic. It's the best outside of Due West, which we'll talk about, is the favorite thing I've ever done in my life. And one of the hardest. And it changed my life. And I made some of my best friends in the world and I fell in love with a place. I never felt at home anywhere. So it's like, it just, there's just so many beautiful things about it.
00:07:01
Speaker 1: What was the most challenging part of that period of your life when you were filming Friday Night Lights? What do you remember about what was really hard?
00:07:10
Speaker 2: Well, we had to like, we were able to improv, you know, the writing was phenomenal, but we were able to play and there were no marks and it was not the acting that everybody was used to. It was just really like you had, I learned how to act on that show. And then afterward, it was really hard to relearn how to not do that. But the other hard thing is, you know, Connie Britton is one of my best friends. And so we would, we would walk down South Congress and, you know, the first season, my character was not super well liked. So people would be like, oh my God, I love Tammy, blah, blah, blah. Hate you. Like, literally, that would happen to me all the time. That was hard. Because I'm like, you don't know her yet. You haven't seen it. She's a good person.
00:07:53
Speaker 1: And also people seeing you as Tyra, like seeing you as the character. You're like, hey, actually, that's not me.
00:08:02
Speaker 2: It's a character. Yeah.
00:08:04
Speaker 1: No, it's not.
00:08:05
Speaker 2: It's, yeah. I mean, she's a part of me. I love her. But, yeah. I think in retrospect, people really do love her because she's kind of the audience. She just says like it is. She's just honest. She's like the most honest character in the whole show.
00:08:19
Speaker 1: And Tyra, she was strong. She was sexual. She was complicated and she was ambitious. And that was a time when female characters weren't always allowed to be all of those things at once. Do you think that she was ahead of her time?
00:08:32
Speaker 2: I think that she is timeless. I think that that is, you know, I still get young girls coming up to me at Whole Foods or you know, on the street, they're like, I'm going to UT because of Tyra, or I'm going, I went to college because of Tyra. Like, that character is just, she's impacted so many people who didn't think, you know, they could go anywhere. You know, and I kind of based her on somebody I grew up with who had a very similar childhood and was the smartest, most beautiful woman in the room. Didn't know it. And, you know, she was at home taking care of her little sister by herself in seventh grade, you know, and I kind of really tapped into her when I was playing her because I feel like she is somebody that everybody knows pieces of. So I think that she's just timeless. I think that she will go on and be a character that just gives other women, young girls who don't feel like they have a chance, hope.
00:09:31
Speaker 1: And you've spoken about knowing what it feels like to be underestimated as a young actor. And I think women in general are often underestimated. Yes. Did you kind of prove yourself back then? Like, did you feel this pressure to prove yourself?
00:09:50
Speaker 2: I think there was a pressure. You know, it's funny to go back to the fame thing. I think, you know, there was a moment in time where you felt like if you're not famous, you're not successful. You know, if you're not on the cover of magazines, you're not successful, which means you're not famous, which means you're not all these things. And I just feel like that was, that was kind of difficult to get away from that feeling. And I think once I let go of it was when things changed. got much simpler. That makes sense. I was like, Oh, it's being famous. Isn't success. Success is success. You know, being a working actor is success and the other portion really doesn't matter.
00:10:36
Speaker 1: So success now, obviously 20 years later, being a working actor is success, which is what you just said. What is your definition of success? Because it does change. Like as we get older, obviously we, We really, we do become wiser. One of the great things about getting older. How do you feel about success now and pressure and pressure to prove yourself?
00:10:59
Speaker 2: You know, I think as we get older, there's a pressure like women not to age or what that looks like or where you should be. I think that in right now where the industry is, it's very different than where it was and it's scary and not everybody's working. And so I feel like success is obviously being a working actor and getting opportunities and Um, but that's also why I got into producing, you know, and trying to facilitate my own work, which I think is really important and helping other people do that same thing. Um, especially people who are not necessarily seen by everybody. Cause I think that's also a hard thing. You know, you turn on Netflix, you turn on something and sometimes it's the same person in every movie and you're like, okay, but there are other actors in the world, you know? And people who are underestimated are not seen. And so I think that's really important and getting to be a part of that. And I don't know, just continuing. As long as I continue to do this and be able to do this, then I will be successful and keep a good head on my shoulders.
00:12:03
Speaker 1: And as with any other industry, I imagine when you do turn on Netflix and you see the same actor, it's like, it's very much about staying in your lane and doing what you do and not getting like, you know, drowning out the outside noise. And I think that that really applies to any industry.
00:12:20
Speaker 2: I agree. I agree. And it's also, I think, you know, when I was living in LA before Friday Night Lights, I felt it's impossible not to compare yourself to everybody. And we still do it because we're actors. And most of us are insecure on some level. So, you know, you watch things and you're like, why didn't I have that opportunity? Or, oh my God, I couldn't do that. Or, you know, whatever it is, you just have these like moments where you're like, okay, how about you take yourself out of this and how about you just enjoy the fricking movie? But I think it was really hard when I was living there to not become like, why didn't I get that audition? Why didn't I see that script? You know? Why did she get that? Or, you know, you just, you start to just do these things that are really, really not healthy because you're just surrounded by it. It's a very incestuous environment, I think, because it's one industry.
00:13:16
Speaker 1: And it is amazing that it doesn't matter what level of success or perceived success someone has achieved in terms of acting, there's still insecurity. Like I would say, generally, all actors feel insecurity. Oh, yeah.
00:13:33
Speaker 2: Of course. And we really, I don't, it's like the weirdest thing because we put ourselves on display to be pretty much trashed.
00:13:40
Speaker 1: You know what I mean?
00:13:41
Speaker 2: It's like, it's kind of masochistic. I'm not going to lie to you. You never know when you're going to work, if you're going to work, you know, it's kind of, you know, it's not, it's not, it's not as dreamy as people think.
00:13:56
Speaker 1: I think, I think there's definitely a perception that it's very dreamy because it looks so glamorous, um, But I know that that's not necessarily the reality.
00:14:06
Speaker 2: It's not. It's a lot of work. It's hard. You know, people don't realize we work 16-hour days or, you know, we'll start at 4.30 in the morning on a Monday and get home at 4.30 a.m. on a Saturday. It's like, you know, it's taxing. But being on set to me is my favorite thing in the world. And I just love the crew. It becomes my family. And it's always sad when something ends. And Friday Night Lights was a big part of that. I mean, I was so glad I got to go back for the final two episodes. I got to be there in the final shot. We all got to celebrate together. It was like, because that was, I mean, when I left after the third season, I drove back to LA for a bit and I drove by myself. And I just had like this real catharsis because it was like, it felt like I'm going to college and all my friends are still in high school. And that's exactly what was, you know, happening. So that, like that, that place was the special place in my heart. And I don't think anything's ever been that special.
00:15:13
Speaker 1: That's like, what an incredible life experience to have that. And obviously now with this roadshow revisiting, it must be so incredibly special to be surrounded by your castmates and And going back, because also 20 years later, you'd be reflecting on it in a different way. You'd be looking at this experience in a different way and what it has given to your life.
00:15:35
Speaker 2: I guess. You know, it's not theater. So we don't get to, when you're doing something for TV or movies or anything like that, you don't actually get to like feel an audience, the reception. So it's really fun to actually get to experience it with people who are fans and Or some people who had not even seen the show, we found that out, which is cool, you know, people coming to the roadshow who are probably now fans. But it's also been so long that I can watch the show where I don't feel like I'm watching myself. Does that make sense? Like, I can actually, like, detach myself from the situation and just enjoy the show as a whole as opposed to, like, going, oh, my God, why was I making that facial expression? Or, like, you know, whatever. Why was that choice, you know? It's just a whole other thing.
00:16:24
Speaker 1: Do you feel like watching it, you're a baby?
00:16:28
Speaker 2: I'm so young. I was so young. Yet, weirdly, everybody looks the same. So, I don't know. But yeah, we were all very, very young. But we grew up really fast on that show, and I think that that was really special. And we got to do it together. And so... You know, Caitlin and Emily, who started ATX TV Festival, joined forces with Plex. And, you know, Friday Night Lights was kind of the base for getting the ATX TV Festival going 15 years ago. And so it was really cool. And they're two of my best friends. So they asked me to come on and be the host of the road shows. Because it's like, again, I'm probably the show's biggest fan. So it's... It's been really, really awesome. And, yeah, some people I haven't seen since the 10-year reunion or, you know, getting up on that stage, it was just unbelievable.
00:17:25
Speaker 1: In just a moment, Adrienne shares the powerful message behind her new movie, Due West. How do you feel about, obviously we talked about the pressure on actors earlier and feelings of insecurity. Obviously looks, it's not just your work, it's not just how you perform. It's also very physical acting in terms of your appearance. How have you grappled with that over the last 20 years? How do you handle the pressure on appearance?
00:17:56
Speaker 2: Botox? I'm kidding. No, I genuinely do think. I think, again, I think being in Austin is very helpful for me to kind of detach myself from that. But, you know, I just look at it. as I get older, I'm just going to get to play new characters. I'm going to get to do something I haven't done before. So I don't look at it as a bad thing. I look at it as something that, you know, it's an evolution and everything I've done, I take with me for the next journey. And, you know, it does suck. Being a woman's very hard and being a woman in Hollywood is even harder. So it's like, Yeah, you just have to keep your head down and go, it's not about looks. I'm so glad I got to do Front End Lights. I'm so glad that Peter and, you know, they saw something in me because that was my allowance to prove myself to people. But again, I was not just going to be somebody in a bikini. I mean, I did South Beach and North Shore right before. You know what I mean? Like, it was pretty much those were the parts I was playing. So it was really nice to like, oh no, she can actually act and be taken seriously. And I think as long as that's the case, the looks thing, you know, we can, you know, it's makeup, hair, all the things can just change you completely. So I just try not to really focus on it.
00:19:23
Speaker 1: I want to talk about you, Wes, because this is a film where you stepped into a producer role on the project. What made you want to take on more ownership behind the camera at this point in your career? And tell me about this project.
00:19:36
Speaker 2: Well, so Evan Miller is one of my dearest friends. And he and his writing partner, Hardy, had written this. We'd already done a short that was about gun control. Had gone to Holly Shorts or whatever. And, you know, we loved working together. So we're like, they wrote this part for me. And Evan shows up at my house one day. He's like, Annie, he has balatitos and he has a script. He's like, I want you to read this. Don't answer me right away. Just read it and then tell me. I was like, okay. Because I knew about it. I just hadn't read it yet. So I read it. And I couldn't actually talk to him for three days. Because every time I went to talk about it, I would start to cry. And especially the last line. I mean, my name is Annie. My nickname is Annie. So they wrote that for me. And it was just like, I don't know. The whole movie to me is very special. And talk about community. And it's a very important topic to me. So when he gave it to me, I said, not only am I doing this, I'm going to help you find the financing. So it was like Evan and I against the world. It felt like for a long time, especially in Texas, uh, especially a movie that is talking about abortion. Um, you know, finding funding for something like that is very, very difficult. So thankfully we were able to call in a lot of favors from a lot of friends who also have very, very strong feelings about this. And, um, I think it's the only way we can make a difference is through art, you know, sometimes. Because it's also what Evan and Hardy do such a great job of, which I also love, but it's written by two men, is that it's not beating anybody over the head. It's a movie to get people to start talking. It lives in the gray, it dances in the gray, and I think that's really important so people can start talking and not yelling. And I think it's done that. when we've shown it to audiences and gone to film festivals and whatnot, I've had a lot of men who are not pro-choice come up to me and really go, I never thought of it like that. And I go, that's the point. Every person's different. And it's not about, it's never going to be easy for a person to make a decision. Nobody's like, yay, I did it. It's really awful. And when you start making a film like this, I didn't realize how many of my girlfriends or women in my life have had an abortion and whether they were married or not, or it was a health condition or whatnot. And it affects everybody. Like nobody's, everybody's still thinking about it to this day. It's a very, very difficult thing. So making a movie that was beautiful about community, about pretty much if Tyra didn't go to college, this could have been her, probably would have been her life. Um, and she didn't ask for it. So it was just one of those things where, you know, you really start to feel for this character. Um, and I don't know, it's, it's probably one of the most, outside of Friday Night Lights, it's the most special thing I've ever been a part of.
00:22:52
Speaker 1: It's incredible. And, and obviously it's such a contentious topic and there's so many different viewpoints on it. And you have an incredibly engaged following on social media. And I know when you posted about abortion and pro-choice, that sparks debate because it is contentious. How do you navigate that conversation on social media? Because the online world can just go crazy and there's trolls. But how do you grapple with the comments that you get on social media around pro-choice and abortion?
00:23:27
Speaker 2: Well, I try not to look at them. Because it's one of those things where it's a never-ending cycle. And I do have friends in the industry who go down that rabbit hole and they can't get out of it. And it drives them nuts. And it's like, people are going to have opinions about every single thing I ever do. But I think that the thing is, nobody's pro-abortion. People are pro-choice. And it's a thing that I feel very strongly about. And people are going to have their own feelings. But hopefully those people are also going to tune into this movie. and maybe start thinking about some things. It might not change their mind, but at least they could have a little bit of empathy and maybe understand that it's not simple. And it's not simple for anybody. So like, again, I think that art's the only way to do it. And I try to just block out the noise and keep going. And I'm going to keep doing things like this. I'm going to keep making movies that are important politically and, you know, are pro-women and pro-everything. Because we should have rights to our bodies. I don't want anybody telling me what to do with it.
00:24:32
Speaker 1: And I also think, like you said earlier, it's incredible how many women have had an abortion that you might not know about. I mean, I know I've had abortions, my friends have had abortions, and it's not necessarily something people open a conversation with, but it's something that so many women have had an experience with. Absolutely.
00:24:53
Speaker 2: Absolutely. So many women have had an experience with, and again, not, and I mean, it took me doing this movie to really get people to even open up about things like that, because it's something that a lot of people want to forget about because it's hard, but they can't, you know, making, and yourself probably understand that, you know, it's like not something that you walk away from and just don't think about ever again. It's a, it's a, it's a really important thing. And you think about there, there could be a person here. There could be a child. There could be something. But also there was a reason that you did that. And that reason is yours. And nobody can tell you what to do. Should be able to tell you what to do. So I think that it also opens up that topic. It made me a lot closer to a lot of women in my life.
00:25:43
Speaker 1: Was there a point in your career where you wanted to move more into the advocacy space in terms of using film to advocate for women's issues? Was there a moment... you know how we change in our thirties and forties, like each decade brings different, you know, I guess wisdom. And was there a point where you wanted to move more into the advocacy space?
00:26:06
Speaker 2: I was asked to campaign for Obama in 2008 and I was so nervous about doing it. And it was actually Connie Britton who was like, Annie, you have to do it. And this is a woman who stands up in Congress like all the time. She's, she's a badass. Um, So I was like, okay, I'm going to face his fear. I'm going to go campaign for him and like stand up in front of groups. And that's how I actually met Seth MacFarlane and ended up doing the Orville together. But it was terrifying. And what I realized is though, I believed in this person so much and I believed in this thing that I care about as humans. I just care about humans and I care about this country and I care about the middle class and I care about us continuing to be you know, a first world country. And a lot of that's depending on our freedoms. And I think that like, that is something that is very important to me. It was installed to me as a child, you know, both my parents are on the liberal side. And so, but I was also given all the facts and I was told to make up my own mind about it. And I feel like that was really, really strong. And so, yes, I think again, like now living in a world where independent film is really king, and we can just make our own things, that it is, that's the way we can do something. Because right now it doesn't feel like we can do anything. You know, our hands are tied. So if me making a movie or more movies or doing whatever to just kind of get the word out there and hopefully change at least one mind or get people at least talking to each other, it's worth it.
00:27:45
Speaker 1: More with Adrienne coming up. Now, if you've been enjoying, you're going to want to hear this. One of the best ways you can support the podcast is by following us, leaving a rating or review, or simply sharing an episode with a friend. Every listen, every recommendation, and every review helps us keep bringing you conversations that inform, challenge, and inspire. And what about turning 40 or 43 now? And as I said earlier, like each decade brings a shift. How would you describe your 40s, say, compared to your 30s or your 20s? Like, What does this decade look like for you?
00:28:20
Speaker 2: Well, I know a lot more. I think 40s have been my best years. And people have said that to me. You're going to love your 40s because you're taking everything from your past into it. And you know so much more and you know what you want. You're more decisive. It's freeing. I feel very free. And again, I like... I don't want to say growing old, but I like, I like going forward. You know what I mean? And I like evolving and I feel like that happens with time and it happens with all of the, the bad crap and the good crap that goes along with it. And I honestly probably, I wouldn't change anything.
00:28:59
Speaker 1: Was that unexpected? Cause I always thought like when I was 30, I thought, well, I better just like really go hard in this decade because my career will be over when I'm 40, I'm 44. And I agree, like I love my 40s. It's been so far a fantastic period of life. Was it unexpected? Did you expect to enjoy your 40s or were you scared, say, when you were 30, like, oh, my gosh, like in my 40s and 50s, like there's going to be no work? Did you have that thought ruminating?
00:29:30
Speaker 2: Terrified. Well, because, you know, like, of course, I had the whole 10-year plan and I was supposed to win an Oscar by 28. and you know, you get to be like 35 and you're like, okay, none of the things that I had planned happened. Then you start to go, okay, but this is actual success. Like the things I thought I wanted would have been great, I'm sure, but they don't, make or break you, you know? But yeah, I mean, like, you know, we look at our parents and I think people are evolving differently now too. You know, we're younger, longer. I didn't expect to be here at 40 and I didn't expect to love it so much. And I thankfully like, you know, I had somebody to look up to like Connie, who, although she'd been on Spin City and had, you know, her career, she started later. I think her first job was when she was 28. So like, you know, her going into her forties on the show and now is the most successful she's ever been. I mean, she's in everything and she should be because she's one of the most amazing actresses. I look at that and I go, if I can have that, that would be amazing. Or one of my other girlfriends, Carly Gugino, same thing. Like I, these are two of the most beautiful women and they're aging gracefully and they're in everything. And I'm like, I don't think they've ever been hotter, you know? So that's like I have these great role models to look up to and go, okay, it's going to be fine.
00:31:07
Speaker 1: And what about a Friday Night Lights reboot? Because I know you've been quoted as saying you're torn about it. How does it feel knowing that it might be brought back?
00:31:18
Speaker 2: I mean, Tyra's in it.
00:31:22
Speaker 1: It would be so good watching a new Tyra. I can't imagine Tyra.
00:31:27
Speaker 2: Oh my God, well, she'd be, you know, she'd be Tammy Taylor ultimately. She'd have to be the counselor. But I feel like I just, it's a perfect show. And I think that when things can be redone and that they're not done well, it can ruin the whole thing. You know, it's like nobody's going to try to reboot Sopranos. And there's a reason for that. because you can't really do it without, you know, Kyle and Connie were the meat of that show. They're unbelievable. And I just don't know how you have that show without them. So it'd have to be something very different, I think.
00:32:12
Speaker 1: It's also the time, like it was, it was 20 years ago. It just was like right in that moment that it felt so right and so It's sort of like Sex and the City when they brought it back with And Just Like That, which I watched and enjoyed. But it's just you can't capture the original days of Sex and the City. Like you can't go back to that time and women in that time. And so I think it's very hard to bring something back. And people bring them back because they're so loved and they want to try and create that again. But I don't know. I think the magic is that it was in that time. I don't necessarily think it works anymore. when you bring it back.
00:32:49
Speaker 2: Exactly. And I think that this, the thing is, this show is actually timeless. People are finding it for the first time now. And young people are finding it now and loving it. And I think that that's important. You know, outside of maybe like, you know, an aged cell phone, there's really, you can't tell the difference in it. So it doesn't, it doesn't necessarily need to be redone. I mean, I have all the faith in the world and Jason Kadams, and if he's going to write it, then it's going to be amazing. But like, I don't know. Again, if Tyra's in it. I might change my tune a little bit.
00:33:25
Speaker 1: You are producing Texas Forever, the legacy of Friday Night Lights. So is there anything that you've discovered about the show or your castmates, like each other, through making the documentary that you didn't appreciate at the time?
00:33:37
Speaker 2: I honestly... I think it's just been more nostalgic than anything. And there have been a couple of stories I didn't know about. So it's really fun to get to sit behind the camera and listen to everything. But I mean, there's been a lot of tears. Lots of tears. And all good tears. And just reminiscing. I think this is going to be a version of a reboot because it's going to give people... something even deeper into the show.
00:34:13
Speaker 1: And for those listening who don't know the essay speech, because there's a line of it where Tyra says, I want to define myself instead of having others define me. What was the essence of that essay speech?
00:34:26
Speaker 2: The essence of it is just, she has been misjudged her whole life. And, you know, except for these two people who absolutely believed in her, um, And she doesn't want to be defined by where she came from. She doesn't want to be defined by the clothes that she wears or what side of the track she came up on. She wants to be defined or who her boyfriend is or whatever. She wants to be defined by the things that she does. And I remember doing that essay because it was like, yeah, I want to go to the White House. I want to fly in first class. All these things that, I mean, like I was saying, you know? So it wasn't hard to like be emotional about that because it was just like, This dream, this girl's dream that she actually didn't, I don't even know in that moment thought she was still going to get in. But she was fighting for it. And I think that that's what that means. She just, she was like, I'm going to not let the world define me. I'm not going to let the world make me small.
00:35:33
Speaker 1: Which is so relevant to women of all ages. It doesn't matter if you're 23, 43. It's a message that I think women need to carry throughout their lives.
00:35:42
Speaker 2: Absolutely. I agree with you wholeheartedly.
00:35:44
Speaker 1: What does life look like in terms of what makes you happy away from acting? You obviously feel so incredibly fulfilled when you are on set and working, but what makes you happy away from acting?
00:35:57
Speaker 2: My dog, the love of my life.
00:36:00
Speaker 1: What's your dog?
00:36:01
Speaker 2: Ollie. He's a Chihuahua pug, Jack Russell mix. He was rescued from Compton. He's from Compton. I've had him for 15 years. He's 16. And going on 10. But he's literally, he's been through everything with me. He's been through like all of the really hard crap and all the great stuff. So he's my little prince. So I try to hang out with him as much as possible. Visit friends, lots of happy hours, lots of food. Austin's a foodie town.
00:36:33
Speaker 1: And also I'm sure in Texas, the sizes are like in Australia, we get like little tiny little margaritas. Like they look all dainty. I'm like, I like how America does big fishbowl.
00:36:44
Speaker 2: Oh yeah. Depending where you go, Matt's all Rancho. We just get a big, it's like a jug.
00:36:49
Speaker 1: Um, so eating pain.
00:36:54
Speaker 2: Pain, Ollie.
00:36:54
Speaker 1: And like, look, so Ollie's a rescue dog. How did you, because I, with rescue dogs, it's very hard to pick because you want to take them all home. Why did you pick him?
00:37:04
Speaker 2: I didn't, he picked me, but he's literally the, he's, you know, I might've saved him, but he saved me. I mean, he really did. I had really something to like, I don't know. I think it, I think he made me a better person. I think he made me a more selfless person. Um, yeah, he's, he's literally the best thing that's ever happened to me.
00:37:28
Speaker 1: But I mean, dogs do like they, I've got a big fat Labrador and like, there's been so many moments where they just like, they just love you and they just look at you and you can just talk to them. And I, I think, I don't know, we don't talk enough about the relationship with pets and how important it is for healing. It is.
00:37:48
Speaker 2: I mean, they are really, they are healing dogs. They're healing animals. Like I don't even, I don't, I don't plan on getting another dog. I mean, he's, he's my soulmate and, you know, he's the best thing.
00:38:05
Speaker 1: My last question is the name of this podcast is you're going to want to hear this. So For our listeners and people watching, what is one message that you want women to hear? It might be something that you've told yourself again and again. What's one message that has helped support you?
00:38:21
Speaker 2: To just believe in yourself. If you believe it, you can achieve it. You know, there's multiple things in my life that I thought were impossible, like becoming a successful actress. You know, it is, you just have to believe in yourself and you have to be strong and you have to stand up for what you believe in. whatever that is, and yourself. You know, you have to have your own back. I think it's really important. And not hurt people on the journey.
00:38:50
Speaker 1: Great advice. Thank you so much for your time and for our chat. I've so enjoyed it.
00:38:56
Speaker 2: Me too. Thanks, Georgie. I appreciate you taking the time.
00:39:00
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of You're Gonna Want to Hear This. I really hope that the conversation reminded you that defining yourself is something you get to keep doing no matter where you are in your life or career. A huge thank you to Adrienne for sharing her story with us from the lasting legacy of Tyra Collette to navigating Hollywood, taking risks and finding the confidence to choose your own path. Enjoy today's conversation. Don't forget to follow.
00:39:28
Speaker 2: You're going to want to hear this.
00:39:29
Speaker 1: Leave us a review and share it with someone who might need to hear this conversation too. You can watch Due West now and find out more about the legacy of Friday Night Lights and Adrienne's work on Texas Forever in our show notes. For more stories of style and substance from Marie Claire, make sure to follow You're Going to Want to Hear This on your favorite podcast app, And if you prefer to watch in high definition, you can subscribe to Marie Claire's YouTube channel and that way you will never miss an episode. I'm Georgie McCord. Thank you so much for listening and I will see you next time. Bye.
