Anna Kendrick Returns

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard – Episode: Anna Kendrick Returns

Introduction In this highly anticipated episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, host Dax Shepard and co-host Monica Padman welcome back their esteemed guest, Academy Award-nominated actress Anna Kendrick. Released on November 25, 2024, the episode delves deep into Anna's personal growth, her experiences in the entertainment industry, and her directorial debut, offering listeners a candid and heartfelt conversation.

Reflection on the Previous Interview [02:00 – 03:00] Dax begins by reminiscing about Anna's first appearance on the show, highlighting its profound impact. "Anna Kendrick is an Academy Award-nominated actor... She was so incredibly wonderful the first time," Dax remarks at [02:00]. Monica adds, "She gave us your whole soul and it was really beautiful," emphasizing the depth of their previous discussion.

Anna Kendrick's Personal Growth [11:01 – 15:04] Anna reflects on the overwhelming response from her initial interview, noting, "10 million people have listened," at [11:01]. She shares how receiving heartfelt messages from listeners, such as notes in restaurants, made her emotional yet reinforced the importance of her vulnerability on the show. "And that does make me emotional. And I will not cry. I will not be the girl that cries on podcasts," Anna confesses at [12:10], illustrating her ongoing journey to balance vulnerability with resilience.

Early Career and Broadway Experiences [28:05 – 41:13] Anna recounts her early foray into acting, starting on Broadway at the age of 12. At [28:05], she shares the challenges of auditioning for the revival of "Annie," including enduring auditions she found "embarrassing" and the logistical hurdles of her parents supporting her passion. "I remember thinking this is horseshit, this is embarrassing," Anna admits at [30:28], highlighting the often overlooked struggles of child actors.

Directorial Debut: Woman of the Hour [41:13 – 74:38] Transitioning to her role behind the camera, Anna discusses directing her first movie, Woman of the Hour. She explains the film's focus on a real-life serial killer case from the 1970s and emphasizes that the movie centers on the victims rather than the perpetrator. "And I think I might be able to tell the story of the victims in a way that's emotionally truthful," Anna states at [74:29]. The conversation covers the intricacies of balancing factual accuracy with emotional depth, and Anna reflects on the therapeutic aspects of both acting and directing.

Themes of Vulnerability and Self-Forgiveness [74:38 – 93:47] A significant portion of the discussion revolves around vulnerability, trauma, and the journey towards self-forgiveness. Anna shares her experiences with insecurity and the internal battles she faces, saying, "The root fear is always, if you really got to know me, you would reject me," at [21:50]. Both Anna and Dax explore how confronting personal flaws and past traumas can lead to growth and betterment. Monica adds her insights, relating Anna's experiences to broader human truths about coping mechanisms and resilience.

Notable Quote:

"I'm trying to discover human 'truths' without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert."
— Dax Shepard [00:00]

Personal Anecdotes and Light-Hearted Moments [93:47 – 147:56] The episode also features light-hearted banter and personal stories, including humorous discussions about fashion mishaps, the antics of co-host Monica, and playful interactions about hairstyles. One memorable moment occurs when Dax humorously describes attempting to create a cashmere sweater from his back hair, reflecting the show's signature blend of depth and levity.

Notable Quote:

"What you did was anyway is we say this is what people are doing, and it's inspiring how much we can relate to that internally, but it isn't their fault."
— Anna Kendrick [75:21]

Conclusion As the episode wraps up, Dax, Monica, and Anna express their mutual admiration and excitement for future conversations. They reiterate the importance of storytelling in understanding and healing from personal challenges. Anna acknowledges the support from fans and the transformative power of sharing one's vulnerabilities.

Notable Quote:

"I owe everyone so much. Of course, I'm biased, but I think the only thing that matters at the end of the day is story and performance."
— Anna Kendrick [128:38]

This episode of Armchair Expert offers a rich and engaging exploration of Anna Kendrick's journey, blending serious discussions on personal growth and trauma with moments of humor and camaraderie. It's a must-listen for fans seeking an intimate look into the life and mind of one of Hollywood's beloved actresses.

Transcript

[Dax Shepard]

Wondry plus subscribers can listen to Armchair Expert early and ad free right now. Join onedry+ in the wondry app or on Apple Podcasts, or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Expert. I'm Dan Shepard. I'm joined by Lily Padman.

[Monica Padman]

We have an old friend here today.

[Dax Shepard]

I just want to point out that you went all brown today and I went all gray.

[Monica Padman]

I'm into neutrals this fall.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, it's a fall. It's a much larger project.

[Monica Padman]

It is.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. I don't have an explanation. Well, I do. I've been wearing these pants for about four and a half days straight and I changed my top, my panties, my sockies, and my undershirt and my top shirt.

[Monica Padman]

Now, how long can you ethically go.

[Dax Shepard]

Without changing my slacks?

[Monica Padman]

I was going to say washing, but I think the answer. I think I might know the answer.

[Dax Shepard]

Until they're visibly dirty, you get a stain. Yeah. Because again, I have a layer between the inside and my groinal area.

[Monica Padman]

Sure.

[Dax Shepard]

So I don't have really any concerns that I'm.

[Monica Padman]

But you are sitting on a bunch of stuff all day long.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. And I'm never licking the backside of the pants when I'm done with all that.

[Monica Padman]

You get under your covers.

[Dax Shepard]

No.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, you don't.

[Dax Shepard]

That's more your move.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I do. I do.

[Dax Shepard]

Although I did yesterday.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I like getting under there.

[Dax Shepard]

I went ahead and laid down for a few hours yesterday. In the middle of the day.

[Monica Padman]

That's nice.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Well, it's fall. It's fall.

[Dax Shepard]

That's part of my new look. Okay. Our. Our. Our biggest guest of all time is returning.

[Monica Padman]

Yes. Huge.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. Anna Kendrick. She's so wonderful. The first episode was so special. It always comes up if ever we're doing an interview with good reason. She was so incredible the first time.

[Monica Padman]

And she's wonderful this time.

[Dax Shepard]

She.

[Monica Padman]

No, I'm so kidding.

[Dax Shepard]

No, she was absolutely wonderful this time. Oh, here's a little update because you'll. Well, shit, I guess I'll save it for the end.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Because there was real life growth on her end post interview, as you witnessed and I witnessed. Okay. Anna Kendrick is an Academy Award nominated actor. Pitch perfect. A simple favor. Twilight up in the air. The accountant in her new movie, which I genuinely loved, Woman of the hour. And I'll add this, she had a consultant on this movie. If you haven't seen this movie, it's incredible. It's about the serial killer that was actually on the Dating game in the 70s or 80s. It's so. It's so well made. She did such a great job. But she had a technical adviser on it who was a DA in Orange county for 17 years in the homicide and he will be our guest on Thursday.

[Monica Padman]

He worked on this case.

[Dax Shepard]

He worked on this case and he was a. An advisor for the film and then we had him. So in a. In a roundabout way, it's a woman of the hour week.

[Monica Padman]

That's right.

[Dax Shepard]

And he's phenomenal. So listen to him on Thursday. I'm looking at you, but I mean them. You don't have to. You've already heard it twice. You haven't heard it yet. So please listen to it.

[Monica Padman]

I'll listen again.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Yeah, give it a shot. I will too. Please enjoy Anna Kendrick. We are supported by Audible. Audible's best of 2024 picks are here. Audible's curated list in every category is the best way to hear 2020 24's best in audio entertainment. Like a stunning new full cast production of George Orwell's 1984. This is the one I am most excited to indulge myself with.

[Monica Padman]

I'm so excited to listen to James, which is a new title by Percival effort that is very, very hot right now.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, there's so many good ones on the list.

[Monica Padman]

We love Audible. This is how you go to bed.

[Dax Shepard]

I love Audible. I swear by Audible. I can't wait to listen to the Orwell 1984 off this list. I'm also doing Fleas autobiography right now, which I'm obsessed with. I can't get enough Audible in my life every night. Go to audible.comdax and discover all the year's bests waiting for you. That's audible.comdax we are supported by Bally Bali Breathe has arrived. A new collection from Bally, the leading national bra brand. It's a breathable and stylish collection of bras, underwear and shapewear with products that feel as good as they look. Monica, you got to try out some of the products from Bali Breathe collection. What did you think?

[Monica Padman]

Great. Very breathable, very comfortable. You know, these are really important things when you're dealing with undergarments.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, of course.

[Monica Padman]

Comfort is everything. Support is everything. I really liked it because it's very high quality materials and you can tell.

[Dax Shepard]

Is it attractive? Is it gorgeous?

[Monica Padman]

It is. It's a nice, nice aesthetic.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, and what I really like is they've got matching sets. You know, I love a set.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure. Of course. You gotta have a set.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, it's even when nobody knows you're wearing a set, it's underneath, you know. You know, and it really brings a little peptide.

[Dax Shepard]

You're ready if the opportunity arises, right? Visit b bras.com and use code DAX for 20% off your purchase. That's b a l I bras.com with code DAX for 20% off YOUR first order. He's an exper. Oh, my God. We're wearing the same shoes. We're wearing the same pants. We have tank tops on and we have sweaters.

[Anna Kendrick]

We are the same.

[Dax Shepard]

We're the exact same. We are one. Hello.

[Monica Padman]

How are you? Welcome back.

[Dax Shepard]

Thank you guys for having me.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God. Always.

[Dax Shepard]

Sorry.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my gosh. This is a nice sweater.

[Dax Shepard]

Look at this. Can we do a full display for you? So matching sneakers, matching pants. We both are in a tank top and we both. Oh, God, we both have a tumnel.

[Anna Kendrick]

Wow.

[Monica Padman]

I'm way off the mark.

[Dax Shepard]

No, you're in a sweater and denim.

[Anna Kendrick]

But you're like a fashion girl.

[Monica Padman]

Wow. I can't believe you guys.

[Anna Kendrick]

It does track that I would be dressed in the fashions of Dash as a full non fashion girly. If I was dressed like Monica, I would feel like I wasn't really being real.

[Monica Padman]

I'm not a fashion girly.

[Dax Shepard]

You're not a fashiony?

[Anna Kendrick]

Not really. I feel like you're.

[Dax Shepard]

She exudes fashion, but she's not adorned in.

[Anna Kendrick]

I exude fashion.

[Dax Shepard]

You exude elevated.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Anna Kendrick]

I love that.

[Dax Shepard]

Is that triggering?

[Anna Kendrick]

Exuding. Elevated.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Because that borders on pretentious.

[Anna Kendrick]

I remember my first photo shoots that I ever did. It was for Teen Vogue. I had mostly clothes from Old Navy. And so I would cut the Old Navy tags out of the clothes before the photo shoot because I had to change. Then they hand me some really, really expensive item and I have to hand them my clothes. And I wanted them to just think, oh, that's just some shirt from a mystery place.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Or like, not salvage, but vintage. Vintage.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, totally. No, I think that's exactly right. Trying to pretend that I was rocking like the vintage Levi's or something and it was all just like Target and Old Navy. So in a way, when you're saying I exude elevated, I'm like. Because in a way, my younger self is thrilled by that. But then I'm going, well, I don't know. That actually feels like kind of a betrayal of. I guess. I mean, recently, like a month ago. Oh. I was at a photo shoot and I was wearing something, I don't know. If it was Old Navy, but it was inexpensive, pedestrian. Pedestrian related. And I was like, oh, now, this wouldn't bother me at all if the fashion stylist saw that I was wearing something from Target or wherever.

[Dax Shepard]

We're smack into the full arc of being alive.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, we are.

[Dax Shepard]

Because I was unpunked. And I made a total of $16,000 on that show. I had Gap pants and I did have some salvage stuff. We're calling it Venture.

[Monica Padman]

I don't know. You keep calling it.

[Dax Shepard]

No, what I'm really looking for is.

[Anna Kendrick]

That feels like real junkyards where you.

[Dax Shepard]

Comb through the discarded.

[Monica Padman]

You mean Goodwill?

[Dax Shepard]

Goodwill. Okay, thank you. What else do we call that? Something shop. My full wardrobe was probably worth 350 bucks for everything. And then I'm getting invited to photo shoots and events and things like this. And everywhere I go I'm like, I look terrible. I have very cheap boots on. Everything's a miss. And I have shame about it. Or I did then. And yes, now on the other side of it, I have fake. This is hot news. I've never admitted my Roadmaster station wagon has fake BBS rims on it. Real BBS wheels for that car would cost $3,800. I got some from China that are actual counterfeit. And I got them for 400 bucks a dupe.

[Anna Kendrick]

I feel like this confession is so wasted on me. From your tone, I feel like you're saying something really juicy. That like one person is going to go, whoa. I can't believe he admitted that. Yeah, I know. And I am. Like you just said, numbers and letters is what happened. That's right.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, so now we're fully back. Although my guess is. I don't know what my guess is. That's a nice sweater.

[Monica Padman]

It is.

[Dax Shepard]

That's no salvage yard.

[Anna Kendrick]

No, I think you might be right. I think I tried to dress up a little today.

[Monica Padman]

Let's take a peek at this cashmere.

[Anna Kendrick]

Say it's from Ferrari Reformation.

[Monica Padman]

Very cute, Monica.

[Dax Shepard]

Do you know what that is? I'm sorry.

[Monica Padman]

Come on.

[Dax Shepard]

I didn't mean to offend you.

[Monica Padman]

What are you thinking? What's your sweater? Why is it so nice?

[Dax Shepard]

Velvet. I went online.

[Monica Padman]

I like Ram and Splush Fleece.

[Dax Shepard]

How about this? Since we're not fashionistas, neither of us do. You find a brand you trust and then that's it for me. I go to their website and whatever they have that comes out in my size, I'll just go. Okay. I know I can trust you.

[Anna Kendrick]

This might be the heartbreak of being a girl. Maybe you could speak more to this than I could. I don't shop all that much, but I'll find. Find a brand that I like. And then all the sizing will just change. The next season, everything will be completely different. And I'm not sure what happened.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure.

[Monica Padman]

Sure. I struggle with. I like this brand so much, but now there's another brand I also like that's even more nice. Look.

[Anna Kendrick]

Is it always kind of aspirational? Is it. Is it like, ooh, I'm climbing that ladder.

[Monica Padman]

Is it is. And I wonder when it will stop for me. So I had a coat. It was very nice. I lost it. And I knew in my heart that I should be very upset by this. This is a fancy coat. It was too much money and it's lost.

[Anna Kendrick]

But instead you were like, I get to get another coat.

[Monica Padman]

Yes. And I did. I know. I know it's problematic, but I had your things. I had the old. I hated it. And I'm not doing the right thing like you're doing.

[Anna Kendrick]

You're doing exactly what feels right to you.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, but mine's costly and yours is. Yours is not.

[Dax Shepard]

Ok. Talk about you. Your last appearance.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. Can I cry less this time? Am I allowed? My God. I certainly hope you don't want me to cry that much.

[Dax Shepard]

No, I don't need you to go through anything deep again.

[Monica Padman]

You gave us your whole soul and it was really beautiful.

[Dax Shepard]

I guess I'm interested. I can tell you from our perspective, first of all, and I told you when I called you the next day, it's really among, like, my mom and a few others. The most special of the whole seven years. That was incredible. The response was humongous for us. It for sure is our biggest episode. 10 million people have listened.

[Anna Kendrick]

I literally didn't know that.

[Dax Shepard]

It's enormous.

[Monica Padman]

It's the number one episode.

[Dax Shepard]

I was just at the New Yorker Fest panel this weekend and I'm being interviewed, and the touchstones are really my mom. Day seven, and then your episode. These will come up every single time.

[Anna Kendrick]

Kidding.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. I was wondering, from your perspective, is that annoying? Not at all.

[Monica Padman]

We're so proud of it.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, I'm so glad.

[Dax Shepard]

And it's encouraging because it wasn't about anything fancy or celebrity. It was about everything. We would hope that was good about the show. It was very confirming, if anything. But I was wondering, you were on the other side of that. And of course, you had some appropriate amount of fear of, like, oh, am I letting this all out? And I guess I wondered Two years after the fact. What was the response from your side?

[Anna Kendrick]

I remember, actually, I think it was during the episode you said something about how this was something really meaningful. And me talking about, like, being on Broadway when I was 12 or something like that, that's just not gonna impact someone else's experience. And this will. And every now and then someone, like if I'm at a restaurant or something, someone might just slip me a note and wave. And there is a certain energy where I go, oh, I know what this is about.

[Dax Shepard]

Uh huh.

[Anna Kendrick]

And that does make me emotional. And I will not cry. I will not be the girl that cries on podcasts. I will not do it. That will not be my fucking thing.

[Dax Shepard]

No, you should be the girl who always cries on podcasts, because I don't think anyone's checked.

[Monica Padman]

It's a wonderful thing. You're just in touch. That's what we all want to be.

[Anna Kendrick]

But funny enough, this is really, really. Recently, I am really bad with technology and I'm kind of afraid of a lot of the buttons on social media. I know the ones to press and I just don't press anything else.

[Dax Shepard]

Because you're afraid you'll start live streaming something?

[Anna Kendrick]

Basically. Basically, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

That happens, by the way.

[Anna Kendrick]

But I just figured out that there are all these requests for DMs because I have my DMs turned off. And I was like, oh, what's in there? And there's a way that you can filter them. I wasn't really sure what I was pressing. I was just touching.

[Dax Shepard]

But you were exploring.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

And it was all of these requests from 91 Weeks Ago. And I was like, what happened 91 weeks ago? And I did this show 91 weeks ago.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow, wow, wow, wow.

[Anna Kendrick]

So that was amazing.

[Dax Shepard]

Probably stark to see that.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. And it was also, I will not cry. It was difficult to be like, oh, there's so many people that really relate.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't get 10 million listens because no one understood what was happening. Quantum physics podcasts don't get 10 million, you know?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, yeah. Until you start crying about it.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, yeah, let's reform education. I'll just go in and be like, I don't know why people aren't talking about this more, but it's funny. I then listened to the episode when it was released, and I don't really know exactly the process of how you guys make the show after the guest leaves, but I was like, everybody should be able once in their life to like, tell their story and have Monica Edit the story. Because I swear to God, it was this form of narrative therapy where I was listening, and I know that I was here for so long and the episode is kind of long, but she just lifted out all this kind of ballast, and it really was like, oh, right. Because that part wasn't important.

[Dax Shepard]

She edited a movie. Yeah, I love that scene, but it doesn't get us anywhere.

[Anna Kendrick]

It's not at the heart of the matter. And I think I do get lost in sometimes. And what a gift that I got to come and do that. And I really felt like I was getting some kind of massive narrative therapy.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm glad you're thanking her for that, because Monica often goes unsung in that department. Monica will do things to protect your future self. I think people can tell their stories, and when they ensnare people too much, Monica knows, like, well, I think the message will be the same. We can save that person a little. Because the hangover of that moment. I think you're really great at that, Monica.

[Monica Padman]

I appreciate that.

[Dax Shepard]

So the people that come up to you, does it feel markedly different than someone saying, you're great in Pitch Perfect?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes, and it feels much more connecting. Which is not to say that I am, whatever. About someone saying, oh, you're great and Pitch Perfect. But it kind of immediately makes me want to talk to them.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Because they didn't see the best. I don't want to say. I mean, they did see the best side of you, but in a movie, you're seeing the best version of someone lit perfectly and orchestrated. And then I think if someone responds to the real you, I think it tells you. Okay. So I can kind of trust you.

[Anna Kendrick]

I've been doing press for Woman of the Hour for a while now, and there was one conversation where there was just something a little strange about the conversation. And then once we were done, they cut the mics and they were telling me their story. And I was like, oh, that's what I was sensing. This is the real conversation. And then of course, I'm like, well, this is a conversation I want to be having with you, not whatever the fuck that was.

[Dax Shepard]

Let's redo.

[Anna Kendrick]

You know, I don't want to go to my next. Cause it'll be kind of more of the same. But it's really fascinating the way it's just so much more connecting.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Now, I've come to tell this story because, as I said, it comes up often, that episode. There's a part I tell curious how you feel about it, which was the next day I said to Kristen, I'm like, I don't know how else to explain this feeling, but I feel like I slept with somebody.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

And I need to call them and make sure they got home okay. And, like, you left late. Did you get home okay? Good. How do you feel about last night? Everything's groovy.

[Anna Kendrick]

I know what you're saying, saying, and this is one of the things I love about the show and you and all these things, but that is the most provocative way of saying yes, but.

[Dax Shepard]

It'S the realest for me because it's a very.

[Anna Kendrick]

And I remember. And I remember you said that when we spoke.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Anna Kendrick]

I was not offended at all because I completely knew what you meant was that something very intimate had happened.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. And we were strangers.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

So it was kind of like we met at a bar and we had this insanely intimate experience.

[Monica Padman]

He also asked someone the other day if they were half Asian, and they weren't.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I stand by that question.

[Monica Padman]

No, I was like, why are you asking?

[Dax Shepard]

Because she was lactose intolerant. In 19, 90% of Asians are lactose intolerant.

[Anna Kendrick]

That is not the reason I was expecting. Wow.

[Monica Padman]

He takes big swings with his words, as you know.

[Dax Shepard]

How about this? I think it's really interesting when you feel a feeling and it's familiar, but it's a very weird feeling. So my example of this would be when I bought Kristen's wedding ring, when I was handing the man the credit card to buy it, I had this, like, wave of a very, very, very strong and familiar feeling, but I couldn't place it, and I, like, handed it to him, and I go, hold on a second. And I took it back. Obviously, I was receiving some info, and I thought about it for, like, 20 seconds, and I go, oh, my God. I know this feeling. It's when you go get a tattoo, and first they put an outline of it on your arm, which is temporary, and they transfer it. And then you look in the mirror and you go, okay, I like where it's placed. And then you go, okay, let's do it. And you know when you say, okay, that's a wrap. It's done permanent. And the only experience in my life prior to handing over the credit card that I knew I was making a permanent decision was tattoos. Oh, wow. It's a rare feeling to make a permanent decision. It doesn't happen often. I imagine if you cut your finger off, you'd be like, okay, that's going to be gone for good. So I like when I feel something that's so specific and reminiscent, and then I'm like, I need to chase it down. So then I was like, oh, yeah, it's a tattoo. Here's the credit card. Let's go. But that's what that was.

[Anna Kendrick]

I don't have any tattoos and I.

[Dax Shepard]

Haven'T bought a wedding ring.

[Anna Kendrick]

So maybe I don't know that feeling. I guess the closest thing would be buying a house. But that's not permanent. Permanent.

[Dax Shepard]

It's not.

[Monica Padman]

Do you have animals?

[Anna Kendrick]

No. Me either.

[Monica Padman]

We're the same. Oh, my God. We're the same person.

[Dax Shepard]

I bet if you implanted an embryo, you'd go, oh, yeah, here we go. This is for the rest of my life, this decision.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, for sure.

[Monica Padman]

Have you done. Have you. Have you implanted an embryo? No. Have you frozen your eggs?

[Anna Kendrick]

She has.

[Dax Shepard]

She had previously frozen an embr with her last partner or a couple. But we're not talking about.

[Anna Kendrick]

No, but I have my own.

[Monica Padman]

Got your own stash?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, I've got a little army.

[Dax Shepard]

I'd love to see pictures or whatever they supply.

[Anna Kendrick]

But also, Kristen texted me this morning.

[Dax Shepard]

She did?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, she texted me and was like, I know that Monica and Dex are so excited to have you back. And it was really so nice because I think I was a little nervous.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, that's what I was gonna ask. So I listened to it yesterday. I had listened to it when it came out, and then I listened to it yesterday on my hike. That's always Russian roulette. If you've done a project you like and then you watch 10 years later, you're like, ah, yeah, that thing's not nearly as funny as I remember. All those things are best to just never revisit, I think. But I listened to it and it was really, really lovely. And then I found myself having some nervousness about it. And then I thought, oh, I wonder if Anna has any nervousness.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, no, a ton.

[Dax Shepard]

I can almost see you going like, I'm not coming back. I still love the place, but no need to ever come back.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, that's interesting. No, if anything, I never asked myself PR people about coming for this press tour. Cause I just thought, well, I did it two years ago. That feels recent. They probably wouldn't want me back. But also, I was feeling weird because I kind of ghosted.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's fine.

[Anna Kendrick]

So after I recorded with you guys, Kristin reached out once and Dax reached out a couple times and I low key ghosted. And then I ended up voice noting Dax a couple Months later. And I literally had the most cliche experience where I had microdosed mushrooms. And by the way, I just went on Stephen Colbert and talked about, like, this thing with mushrooms and blah, blah. And I was talking about it like it was my first time microdosing mushrooms. It's just because the story's better. Can I tell the truth on this podcast?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

You know, you go on late night talk shows and you're like, well, what would make this story more interesting?

[Monica Padman]

Of course you punch it up.

[Anna Kendrick]

It was the second time. But saying, oh, it was the first time is more interesting. But, okay, so this was the first time that I had microdose mushrooms with some girlfriends. It was like, during the day. It was what everybody said it would be. It was, oh, I feel a little more present. I'm a little more grateful for the sun and the sky and the grass. And I had what I truly believe to be, in a Hemingway sense of the truest thought that I've maybe ever had, which was, I didn't text Dax Shepard back because I am insecure.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Anna Kendrick]

And I voice noted Dax, all of this, and I loved it. It was so funny. Because then, of course, you voice noted me back, and you were like, I'm so glad you said that. And I was worried that after the episode, you were like, yeah, regretful. And that maybe you were worried I felt exploited or something. Which really was fascinating because in all my years of being rue dyed in the wool avoidant type at my big age, it had never occurred to me that when I lowkey ghost on people, they think they did something wrong. I just assume that everybody goes, oh, God, Anna's such an asshole.

[Dax Shepard]

No.

[Anna Kendrick]

And I can sort of tolerate that because I'm like, I guess I am. I don't know what my damage is, but this is like a thing that I do. And I was like, oh, of course you think that. It's you. I feel so thick to have been like, why would you think that? That's what I would think if someone did it to me?

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Anna Kendrick]

So I think I. I was also a little bit nervous because I was like, oh, are they mad or something?

[Dax Shepard]

Right? No.

[Monica Padman]

When you say you were insecure, can you deep dive into that?

[Anna Kendrick]

No, for sure. I can't speak for anybody else, but certainly my avoidant style, the root fear is always, if you really got to know me, you would reject me. If you really got to know me, you wouldn't like me, or you'd discover the fundamental way in which I am wrong, broken, unlovable. Et cetera. So especially being such a fan of the show and coming on and doing this episode, and it was really emotional and revealing. And then I meet Kristen, and Kristen's so lovely. And Kristen, Tristan literally said something like, if you think we shouldn't be working on a friendship, I'm just gonna have to disagree. So sweet and lovely. And I really felt. Not consciously, but I think subconsciously felt, well, this is as good as it's gonna get. Like, right now, they think I'm great, so all I have to do is just not let them discover that I'm totally rejectable, unlovable, et cetera.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. Unworthy of all this.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

That's very.

[Anna Kendrick]

I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead. This is the ideal situation. Never to be seen again.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Very relatable. I wanna give a BTA because that was fantastic. Bts. But after we recorded, you also reached out to me, which was very kind. And you apologized for potentially minimizing my experience of having been gaslit.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

Because I think the thing about day seven is that we got to see the repair, but we weren't there for the harm. And I know that because of my history, I tend to just want to go like, okay, let's jump to the part where everything's fine.

[Monica Padman]

Of course.

[Anna Kendrick]

And that's not fair.

[Dax Shepard]

I had kind of forgot that part was coming on my hike. I definitely remembered your part. And then it got to that part, I was like, oh, I gotta. Yeah, yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

And it's all just my own discomfort with. Oh, God. Is everybody okay? Is this okay?

[Dax Shepard]

Sure, sure, sure.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. I mean, it was intense, but I really, really appreciated that so much. So thank you, you guys.

[Dax Shepard]

So what was fun, though, when I listened to the episode on the hike is I was like, oh, we didn't even do the normal interview. No, we didn't do the normal interview. Oh, yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

That's so funny, because now when I listen to episodes, I'm like, huh? We didn't, like, really talk about. But that's fine. There are so where people have asked me about, like, oh, so you grew up in Maine.

[Dax Shepard]

But there are lots of interesting things along the way that I am quite interested in. And in fact, today, when I was doing my research on you, I went back to my original research. I didn't get the one thing. You sat down. We learned your father had just passed.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. I was like, wow, I was crying within three minutes. That has to be a record for you guys. And at first I was trying to play it off like, I wasn't I was just getting real quiet.

[Dax Shepard]

It was like weeks before, and you're like, yeah, yeah, just a couple. Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

No, I mean, the funeral had been on the Friday, and we were recording on a Monday.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. Yes.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Last thing I want to say to you. And then I want to go to the original interview I was going to attempt to do with you two years ago. Hold on. Give me half a second. Because I just lost it. It was so important, too.

[Monica Padman]

I have a question if you're.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, please, please.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. So that was two years ago. You were in a very specific spot, as we had just. Just spoken about. Where are you, like, are you feeling good?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. I'm trying to be honest about the fact that it is obviously significantly better, but I still have really low moments. And by moments, sometimes I mean months.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

Which I think have actually been, in some ways, I don't want to say more difficult, but there's something about the acuteness of despair or distress in the aftermath of something really difficult that even if I wasn't really thinking about it at the time, it feels like, well, this will pass. It's so new. And so when I have really low moments, it's really demoralizing because you're like, it's been years. I'm disappointed in myself. How is this still happening? I thought it would get better, and it does, and it is. But those moments, I have trouble figuring out what to cling to because you're just like, it's just here again. Why go away? Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. There's a saying in a. And I might get it wrong, but it's like. Like if you think of addiction as, like, walking into a forest, and they'll say to you, like, well, you were walking into the forest for 12 years, and then you turned around, and now you're trying to walk out. The notion that you're going to be out of the force in 30 days or in a year or whatever is a little crazy. You put 12 years into this thing. So it's like you had six years walking into a forest, and now you're three years out. And I've also heard quite often from therapists that there is a bit of a pattern that people generally. It takes them about half as long as they were with somebody to get. Have you heard that?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, it did make me like, okay, well, then here we are doing the math. All right. We're getting close. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

We got to clock our progress at all times. Okay. Remember what I was going to say is the last thing I'm going to Say, about the housekeeping, but it's really just a thank you. So we started this Zero Expectations. But prior to starting it, I was very, very singularly focused on a lot of different metrics to determine whether I had made it right. Whether it was, you're in this kind of movie or you make this amount of money, or you do X, Y and Z, and then we'll check, we're here. And so that interview was at an interesting time because it was like a year into this Spotify deal, which was an enormous windfall of good luck. And in the wake of that, I got very confused. I don't even know how conscious I was. I was confused for a while, but there was a long while where I was like, well, this is weird. We've come to the place we were supposed to get to. In fact, we're even beyond the place we were hoping to get to. So what is it now?

[Anna Kendrick]

Like, I've climbed the mountain almost.

[Dax Shepard]

I've climbed the mountain, and I was a bit wayward. I didn't know how to deal with having been to where I tried to get to in a weird way. And I felt a little purposeless. Not that I was ever doing it for money or for a deal, but it's just like, here's the thing. You won the big prize. Now what? And I'll say, after I called you, when I hung up, I thought, I really know what this is again. If I could get to do that once a year or once every few years, that is it. So it was really, really re Energizing and reconfirming of what the point of it all is for me. So thank you. That was a huge gift for me to have that experience and go like, oh, right, right, right, right, right, right. I'm reminded of what this is.

[Anna Kendrick]

Well, that makes me really happy for lots of reasons, especially because, you know, I love the show and listening to it and whatever. I'm not crying. You're crying.

[Dax Shepard]

I am a little bit. Okay. You were on Broadway at 12. I never got to ask you about that. I do need to know a little bit because I'm interest. From Maine to Broadway.

[Anna Kendrick]

I think that I was just kind of an opinionated, stubborn little kid, and that was something that I wanted to do. I've tried over the years to come up with a really kind of snappy, punchy version of the story, but there was just a very convoluted way where someone on my dad's side of the family was getting married in Long Island. And so while we were Near New York City. Someone knew someone who was like a children's talent agent. So we drove into the city to talk to this agent. And it was mostly because at the time they were putting up a revival of the Broadway show Annie. So every little 11 year old in America wanted to be Annie in the revival. If you had an agent, you had a slightly better shot of not just getting like kind of lost in a cattle call. And they made me read this Smucker's Jelly ad. They made me sing something and then they made me read like a Smucker's Jelly ad to see if they would take me on as a client. Even at maybe 10 or 11 or something. I remember thinking this is horseshit, this is embarrassing. What For a little that agency ended up trying to send me on commercials and stuff. And I remember there was a local commercial in New York for Hess Oil where around Christmas they would put out these toy Hess trucks.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, they're very cool, those Hess trucks.

[Anna Kendrick]

Okay, okay, so this is a thing. Okay, so I didn't grow up with this. And they wanted me to come in, I was with a group of kids and sing to the tune of My boyfriend's back. The Hess truck's back and it's better than ever.

[Dax Shepard]

Let's go. The Hess truck's back and you're gonna be in trouble.

[Anna Kendrick]

Well, it's better than ever. If you were, listen, you would know that the lyrics had been changed.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm so sorry.

[Anna Kendrick]

So unfortunately we are going to have to let you go at this time, dad.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh wait, but.

[Anna Kendrick]

Okay, we're going to call you back in. Ok, but so you know, we're singing this song and one of the casting directors was like, let's just try that again. And Anna could just look a little happier. And I do remember thinking, Even as an 11 year old, like, why the fuck would I be happy about a Hess truck? I'm a child. What in the corny bullshit is this? So they stopped sending me out for commercials because I did not have the temperature. And also, more importantly, they really just sent me out for Broadway shows or national tours, like musicals really, because I was really small and I had a big voice and one of my parents would have to drive me to New York City six hours for 15 minutes maybe in a room. And pretty quickly they were like, this is not sustainable. We both work full time and this is a cute dream for you and all, but we're gonna have to figure something else out. If this is something you want to.

[Dax Shepard]

Pursue and this is before self taping like now. Maybe those barriers wouldn't even be there.

[Anna Kendrick]

Probably not. And it kind of important to pretend that you were from New York, that you were a local hire.

[Dax Shepard]

Local hire.

[Anna Kendrick]

So my parents sent me and my brother, who was a year and a half older than me, on Greyhound buses to New York City.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, wow. Because he was an actor.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, he was acting at the time, but it was more of. He would chaperone me. So I'm 12 and he's 13 or 14.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure.

[Anna Kendrick]

And always responsible of the two of us, to be clear. Then I auditioned for this show that I ended up getting, High society. And I do my song and read the sides and. And they asked me, oh, can you just come back in tomorrow? So, great news. I get a call back, but where do I stay? What do I do? So of course I'd been told, just say yes in the room. Right. So I was like, absolutely, I will see you tomorrow.

[Monica Padman]

Because I live.

[Anna Kendrick]

Because I live right here. Gonna go sleep in my bed just a block away. And my brother and I tried to find the cheapest looking hotel we could. My parents called the hotel and like, faxed a credit card. Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow.

[Anna Kendrick]

Did a whole like, yes, our children will be checking in before us, but we'll be along shortly because of course, we're not letting a 12 year old of maybe 14 year old. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Because even if you got on the Greyhound, by the second you got home, you have to turn around.

[Anna Kendrick]

And kids, I absolutely had to just do this. And I, like, washed my underwear in the sink in the hotel room.

[Monica Padman]

You were mature. You need to do that.

[Anna Kendrick]

But luckily there's this kind of conventional wisdom that you're supposed to wear to your callback, whatever you wore to your audition. That's true. So that didn't look strange to anyone. Although eventually. Well, coming back to the beginning of our conversation, they were like, do you have anything nicer? Because I was supposed to. I was auditioning for like a little ritual rich girl, and I was dressed like this, but perhaps even more holes in the cardigan. And I was wearing combat boots. And I remember them asking me if you have anything just a little more like your Sunday best, whatever you'd wear to church. And at this point, my brother and I are down to like our last 30 or something, so we go to pay less. And my big solution for how to dress nicer, because that's what I thought was nice, was to swap out my combat boots for just the cheapest pair of, like white strappy church sandals that Payless offered rolled back in in the same ripped jeans and ratty cardigan with white shoes and tiny little church shoes that made no sense with the outfit. But they hired me anyway, so thank goodness for that.

[Dax Shepard]

Stay tuned for more Armchair Expert if you dare. We are supported by Audible. Audible's best of 2024 picks are here. Audible's curated list in every category is the best way to hear 2024's best in audio entertainment. Like a stunning new full cast production of George Orwell's 1984, this is the one I am most excited to indulge myself with.

[Monica Padman]

I'm so excited to listen to James, which is a new title by Percival Everett that is very, very hot right now.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, there's so many good ones on the list.

[Monica Padman]

We love Audible. This is how you go to bed.

[Dax Shepard]

I love Audible. I swear by Audible. I can't wait to listen to the Orwell 1984 off this list. I'm also doing Fleas by Autobiography right now, which I'm obsessed with. I can't get enough Audible in my life every night. Go to audible.comdax and discover all the year's bests waiting for you. That's audible.com Dax we are supported by Klaviyo Klaviyo helps brands build smarter digital relationships with their customers and here at Armchair Expert we know a little something about how challenging that can be. Here's how Klaviyo does it. Their unified data and marketing automation platform turns customer data into personalized connections to make every moment count across AI powered email, sms, analytics and more. Klaviyo powers smarter digital relationships for more than 151,000 successful brands including Headley & Bennett, Fishwife and Dagny dot over build smarter digital relationships with your customers. Visit K L A v I y o.com to make every moment count. We are supported by Sonos. Sonos is the world's leading sound experience company. They invented the smart sound system that makes it easy to play anything in any room, which we love. Sonos was the star of our Halloween party. I had it playing outside by the guest house. I had it playing in the garden. I had it playing in the kitchen. Kept the party rocking.

[Monica Padman]

No matter where you moved, it makes a big difference.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, the sound is so good. You really gotta take your favorite holiday movies and holiday songs to the next level and experience them with Sonos. And with holiday gift season upon us, Sonos products are a perfect solution for that hard to buy for person on your gift list.

[Monica Padman]

They've got amazing Ace headphones and since you know we Are podcasters if you know any armchairs in your life really smart. It's a great gift for them so that they can really get us in their ears properly.

[Dax Shepard]

Whether you gift a sleek soundbar, a sturdy portable speaker, or our favorite headphones, your lucky gift recipient is sure to be impressed. Sonos has great gifts for everyone on your list. Visit sonos.comdax to save 20% on select products. That's sonos.comdax we are supported by Macy's. Macy's is your one stop shop for all things gifting this holiday season. If you have trouble knowing what to give or ask for, Macy's Gift Guide is here to help. I love a gift guide, Monica. I need them so much. I'm so bad at this.

[Monica Padman]

Gift guides are important. I mean Macy's is classic trusted brand. Yes. I was on their online store the other day buying something for a family member. I won't say because I don't want to give it away.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. Smart.

[Monica Padman]

It was a gift and you know it is. It's just like classic and homey and everything's great.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. You can shop a curated list and editors picks for under 20, under $50 and even luxe gift ideas. The Macy's Gift Guide is also a great way to figure out what you want for the holidays. This is my problem. I can never think of what I want. But they've got Gifts for her, gifts for him, gifts for home. Spend a little time looking through their handpicked selection and you're sure to find something that catches your eye. Let Macy's be your guide to gifting this holiday season. Check out the Macy's gift guide@macy's.com for all the gifts you'd like to give and get curated for stress free shopping. Shop now@macy's.com and at a Macy's store near you. Were you too nervous about the impending audition or did you guys have fun in New York City in a hotel?

[Anna Kendrick]

We felt like it was a real adventure and we were told by our parents to not leave the hotel room except for the audition. And we went and we got brunch somewhere like a couple of rebels. Scandalous in Greenwich Village. Yeah. I don't even know what reputations different New York areas have these days, but at the time that was the cool place with head shops and stuff.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Anna Kendrick]

We thought we were so punk rock.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. Were they Doc Martens?

[Anna Kendrick]

I doubt they were Doc Martens. They probably would have been a payless version of Doc Martens. That's where most of the shoes Came from.

[Dax Shepard]

And then you went back in there, and then, despite this terrible outfit, you got it.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

How do you then live there in New York?

[Anna Kendrick]

So at the time, my dad was a substitute teacher, so that meant that he could just take some time. And so we found an apartment in Yonkers because that was the only place we could afford. And I actually remember there's a moment that, at the time, I remember really being upset about and looking back. Makes me really happy. Makes me feel, like, kind of warm and fuzzy, which is basically, we're living in Yonkers because my dad and I are surviving on a Broadway Actors Equity.

[Monica Padman]

Union minimum, which is, can we say, ish.

[Anna Kendrick]

I mean, especially at that time, I'm not totally sure.

[Dax Shepard]

1100 bucks. 1300 bucks somewhere insufficient to live in New York City.

[Anna Kendrick]

At one point, I could kind of tell that there was something rumbling in the background about this not really working. And we were in rehearsals and we were starting to do previews for the show.

[Dax Shepard]

Your performance wasn't working or the show wasn't working.

[Anna Kendrick]

The situation with money was not working.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, got you, got you, got you.

[Anna Kendrick]

And I remember walking down this long corridor towards set once with my dad and this producer, I think his name was David, goes, hey, Will, how's it going? And my dad went, not good, David.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, so this is where you get it from.

[Anna Kendrick]

I'm like, panicked, panicked, panicked. And my dad basically says, look, when my daughter is 18, she can decide to be a starving artist. That's fine. That's her decision. But she's a child right now, and I won't let that happen. That's unacceptable. And of course I'm there going, no, no, no, it's fine, it's fine. I don't have to eat. I'm 12 years old and I want to be on Broadway. I'm from Maine. Like, no, stop doing this. You're ruin. And basically, the producers worked out a little per diem, which just meant that at the end of every week, things lined up. We were not making money, but we weren't going into debt. A little living stipend, and so we could at least afford rent and food, which is all he was really asking for. But it was a really fascinating moment. And to your point, it is sort of like, oh, that's where I get that from. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I can be a real people. Please do a fauner sometimes. But then there are times where I'm like, oh, I really talk crazy to people.

[Dax Shepard]

Right?

[Anna Kendrick]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

And get them nice and assertive.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. Where you're almost like. Like, I can't believe that just came out of my face earmark.

[Dax Shepard]

This. This is all baked in deeply with Woman of the Hour.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I can sense there's a ton of history within this thing, but what is dad doing all day? Is he resenting you or is he having a fun experience?

[Anna Kendrick]

I think he's having a fun experience. He is one of those people who's sort of endlessly curious. So when the show was happening, I think he would, like, see other shows also. He was tutoring me during the day. But mostly it was like, we're in New York City. Let's go to the un, let's go to a museum. So we were taking advantage of free thing that New York City had to offer.

[Dax Shepard]

Is it one of the sweeter memories of you and your dad?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. That's also a time when my dad really got me into interesting movies because we would go to the blockbuster and I would want to get Spice World.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure.

[Anna Kendrick]

And he was like, we can totally get Spice World, but hey, let's also get something else. So we would watch Spice World and then we would watch the African Queen, and I would go like, oh, that was amazing. Like, it was constantly a movie that I was like, dad, no.

[Dax Shepard]

Is that Bogart?

[Anna Kendrick]

The African Queen, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. But those were the movies that I would end up wanting to watch over and over.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, that's fun. And did you love the experience of being in the show?

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, yeah. Also, I've just been so desperate since I was a kid to just be a grownup, getting to be the only kid in the cast. There was something really kind of awesome to me about that. And there were all these other kids on Broadway at the time. They were doing a revival of the Sound of Music. So I kind of got to know some of the Sound of Music kids. And Ragtime at least had a little girl and a little boy in it. And so I got to know them a little bit. But I was like, I think I got the best deal here because I'm surrounded by grownups.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Anna Kendrick]

And they were like, so cool and nurturing and sweet. And again, we're like, you should see this movie. You should read this book. It felt like, oh, they see potential in me enough that they're bothering to recommend interesting things to me.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Huh.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I thought. And that was, by the way, in the two year ago preparation, I very much was thinking of May Whitman the whole time as I was reading your story. You love Mae.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, I Love Mae.

[Dax Shepard]

She's number one girl in the world.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, yeah. Maybe I should check with Mae if it's okay that I say this, but the night that I met Mae, we were both teenagers. I'll say that she'd had mushrooms. No, I think it was her first time being drunk.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Anna Kendrick]

And she was puking and I was holding her hair back and like rubbing her. Anytime I run into her to this day, she's like, I'll never forget it. I'll never forget it. But I feel like I should just check if it's fine that I say.

[Dax Shepard]

That can answer for her for sure. The things she and I have talked about on here and continue to. She's so great. But I was so curious about her because we met on the rehearsal for Parenthood and she's playing 15 and I just hear her talking. I'm like, this 15 year old is insanely smart. Well, it turns out she was 22, but that's neither here nor there. And what I quickly discovered was, this is interesting. She's the best actor out of all of us here. And there are people here with 30, 40 year careers that are phenomenal, taking nothing away from them. And then I was like, how is this happening? Oh, she's been acting longer than most of us here. That's interesting. And then watching her have to navigate this tedious fucking thing where everyone in the crew is treating her like she was young, but she had more wisdom and more skill than everyone else. I just ended up being so. It would have driven me nuts if I were her. And I guess I'm wondering if you relate to that at all.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, it's funny, I don't know if this is really what you're asking, but it just occurred to me. I remember when up in the Air came out and it was the first time I was really doing press in a big way. And I remember thinking, I feel like I need to let people know that I'm 24. Because I just felt like, God, they're talking to me like I'm a child. It was so weird. I will say I would then move two reporters down or whatever, and I'd hear the previous reporter talking to Helen Mirren that exact same way and go like, oh, okay. There's just something really infantilizing about the way that certain journalists talk to you, I guess. But it made me insane. So it was kind of a relief to go like, okay, that's at least happening to everyone. But I think I might be kind of naturally doing whatever it is that may Aversion, maybe. And I guess I've been doing it since I was in elementary school of like, just trying to seem so mature, so smart.

[Monica Padman]

What's that about?

[Anna Kendrick]

Well, because when you're in third grade and everyone thinks you're in first grade.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, you were super tiny.

[Anna Kendrick]

There is nothing more humiliating. That is the. A divider between cool and a loser is you look like a baby. So from birth, I'm basically going like, oh, I have to try to prove with my speech or whatever that I'm older. It did get to the point where people would be like, I'm confused. Are you in first grade or are you in middle school and you just look like that. It was a compensatory thing to try to make up for the fact that I felt like everybody thought I was so much younger than I was, which most of your growing up, you're like, this is a nightmare. The high school in my town was right next to the elementary school. So the big dig when I got to high school was like, you're in the wrong building, babe. You know, like, oh, God.

[Dax Shepard]

So what are we talking about? Like, were you four foot something in ninth grade?

[Anna Kendrick]

Eighth grade was the first time that I fit into the smallest size at an adult store. Nobody had the clothes that I had. And maybe even then I was doing a lot of like, it's vintage, but. But it was because it was from the Limited 2, which was a store for children. The Limited was for women and juniors, and the Limited two was for babies.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, for little babies.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, for little babies.

[Dax Shepard]

Little tiny, useless, worthless babies.

[Monica Padman]

Those were hard to get clothes, though. They were the ones to have when you were in middle school.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes, but I think, like, as you got closer and closer to high school. So by eighth grade, wearing the Limited two was. You're a baby, Monty.

[Dax Shepard]

Do you have this stuff?

[Monica Padman]

I was just thinking that because, you.

[Dax Shepard]

Know, you're a baby.

[Monica Padman]

I'm a tiny baby as well.

[Dax Shepard]

Baby club.

[Monica Padman]

Don't have this. Which is really odd.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, maybe though.

[Monica Padman]

So I had bigger fish to fry.

[Anna Kendrick]

What were your. I mean. Yeah, I had race. Yeah, I'm like, what were your. Oh, right. Yeah, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

The being the small. I didn't have time to deal with.

[Dax Shepard]

You were too focused on.

[Monica Padman]

I'm trying to blend it in the other way.

[Dax Shepard]

But what's also possible is you could have been this size since you were 12. It's one thing if you ended up. No, you were.

[Monica Padman]

I was really.

[Dax Shepard]

You were a few deviations below.

[Monica Padman]

I was very, very small.

[Anna Kendrick]

But I remember listening to an episode when I was doing the edit for Woman of the Hour and you were talking about learning to ride your bike in your garage.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

I could have burst into tears. I felt so seen. Because I was like, that is such an Anna fucking move to be like, oh, what I'm not gonna do is let anybody see the learning curve. What I'm not gonna do is let anybody see me until I'm in a place of mastery.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Anna Kendrick]

And that feels like at least a cousin to the thing I'm talking about baby syndrome. It's like I'm going to get really, really good at something before I let anybody even know that I'm doing it at all.

[Monica Padman]

100% true.

[Anna Kendrick]

And it was so weird to be listening to that specific nugget when I was in the edit because I was like, I am loving the edit. And I realized I might love it in a. That's a real reflection of my own shit. The idea of going into a dark room with just one other person. So it sort of feels like I'm by myself for 12 hours a day and just chipping away at all the little flaws. And I'm not going to come out of the dark until it's perfect.

[Monica Padman]

Yep.

[Anna Kendrick]

I'm going to just get rid of anything that anyone could have an issue with, and I'll be perfect. And then and only then will I come out. It was just such a weird. I was like, I'm in the garage learning how to ride the bike.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Anna Kendrick]

Which is, by the way, of course not disappoint. Disclaimer. Of course not to say that the movie does not have flaws. It's all I see now when I watch the movie, as I'm sure you can relate to. But at any rate, I was like, I'm Monica, trying to ride my bike in this garage right now.

[Dax Shepard]

And one day I'll open the garage door up.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yep, yep, yep, yep.

[Dax Shepard]

But not until.

[Anna Kendrick]

But no, no, no. Not a moment sooner.

[Monica Padman]

And I have that. Even with our edits, it's a similar thing.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, really?

[Monica Padman]

Where it's just so meticulous.

[Anna Kendrick]

And do you kind of love it?

[Monica Padman]

I hate it, but I do.

[Anna Kendrick]

Well, I'm sorry. Before you said hate it, you had a really real gleam in your eye, ma'am.

[Dax Shepard]

Almost mustache twirly.

[Monica Padman]

I hate it, but I could never not do it. I cannot really hand it. And sometimes I'll go back and I'll listen to a section and I'm like, I think it went out without my edit. This is a mess. This sounds horrible. And of course that's not true.

[Anna Kendrick]

No. It's like one of the cleanest podcasts I listen to.

[Monica Padman]

But it's what you said. Doesn't matter what you've done. You still see the mistakes and the flaws.

[Dax Shepard]

Monica and I just had dinner with Adam Grant a couple of weeks ago.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

And we trust him very much so. And he was giving gentle, nudging advice to Monica to make her workload easier. And, like, she was all open ears. And then at some point, he suggested that someone could maybe edit and delegate. The line in the sand was so funny to watch. She's like, looked him dead in the eyes like, no. Yeah. That's never fucking happened.

[Monica Padman]

Also, you opened this conversation with the compliment to my edit.

[Anna Kendrick]

So there is now going.

[Monica Padman]

There's no going back. That's the way it goes.

[Dax Shepard]

So before you got on Broadway, I've heard you say now in a few interviews that you're kind of embarrassed about your actual knowledge of music. Does that mean you didn't train and you just sang that way and got yourself on Broadway, or had you received any instruction?

[Anna Kendrick]

I was in some choirs growing up, which got me late a ton. And I had an hour lesson every week with a local vocal coach in Maine who I loved very much. But I don't.

[Dax Shepard]

It wasn't super technical.

[Anna Kendrick]

Any music theory, can you. I can use it as a guide. There was a period where I worked on it and I could slowly sight sing, but it was very precarious. Walking a real tightrope and was not something I was like, yeah, this is getting fun. It was stressful and difficult. And also I think it's probably a skill that I would have worked harder on if music were a bigger part of my career. And it does just feel like I'm getting away with it every time I kind of show up and I get my voice in shape a little bit right before some project and I kind of managed to get away with it. And so it is just this skill deficit that. That I feel embarrassed about every two years or something where it comes up.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I've noticed it's very hard for you to receive praise about your singing.

[Monica Padman]

What?

[Dax Shepard]

The platinum song is very hard for you to accept. You seem to be embarrassed that you would have been on the charts.

[Anna Kendrick]

Okay, here's the closest I'll get to confidence in this area at all. I think for an actress, I sing very well, and even throwing the very on was difficult just now. But then I'm in a room with musicians or singers. The levels of artistry that exists. You kind of approach true greatness, and you're like, oh, that's so embarrassing for me.

[Dax Shepard]

It's a very deceptive form.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

It feels like maybe being like a star runner in high school, and then for some reason, you end up around Olympians. You're like, wow, I can't believe I thought I was good at this.

[Monica Padman]

It's not for some reason, though, that's the mistake. You're like, I don't know how it happened that I ended up around these Olympians. It's because you're so good that you're amongst those people. You have such a good voice. It's crazy.

[Anna Kendrick]

I can feel my brain desperately clawing for a joke. Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

I know why you feel the way you feel because you can end up in a circle where people run. You have a lot more training and expertise. That happens on sets, though, as well as an actor. But that's never bothered me. I'll be in a scene with someone who went to Juilliard, and that's fine. There's a lot of ways to skin this cat.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, that's interesting. I think I used to be really intimidated and embarrassed by my own kind of lack of formal acting training. And then just over time, I really did just go, oh, okay, you went to NYU or you went to Juilliard or something. That's awesome. Well, I will say, actually on into the woods, this was the strangest thing. I was the strongest musician on into the woods, and I say that as someone who has been expounding about my lack of musicianship for the last five minutes. People on that set would come up to me and be like, if they're telling me that they're going to change the key to my song, like, what does that mean?

[Monica Padman]

Sure.

[Anna Kendrick]

And I remember going, okay, I don't know enough about music to explain and high technical detail what that means. But I do know that it would be like if we had blocked an entire scene with all this furniture, and then we moved all that furniture five feet to the left, you wouldn't then go sit on the floor because you were confused. Naturally, your body will adjust, and so don't worry about it. But that kind of helped me on that set because I did feel incredibly intimidated by, like, the pedigree on that set. Oh, at least I'm bringing something to the table here. Even though then I would tell my musician friends I was the strongest musician on set, and they would go, oh, no. Which I was like, I know it's not, like, a thing where you can just be a little flattering. It's like a batting average. These things are just kind of concrete and black and white. So my musician friends were like, oh, God, you were the musician, right?

[Dax Shepard]

What are they going to do?

[Anna Kendrick]

But it's not like, oh, okay, I have, like, a purpose here. Yeah. But so anyway, I was working with someone else on a different project, and their preference was that everyone kind of know their lines and stuff for, like, the week. So that at any given moment, we could be like, hey, can we just rehearse scene 50? We're doing it on Friday. I'm not sure that they requested it as much as they commented that that's the professional thing or something. And it was just someone whose work I really admired. And so I was like, okay, that's what I'm going to do. And I did it for the entire time that they were there and on set. And then when they left set, I did wonder, was the kind of more disciplined thing to do? Was that adding value? Was I being lazy by being one of those people that something that this person said was like, you know, those actors that really get fully memorized in the makeup chair in the morning? And I was like, I'm one of those actors. I thought, oh, okay, I don't want to seem like one of those actors. And when they left and I had more of the movie to do, I reverted back. And I was like, yeah, no, this is just better for me. Yeah, it was really interesting. I really wondered, am I going to. That there was added value in some way for me, and it was kind of the opposite. I really want to be just on that perfect line of being memorized. So I know it, but it's not stale, because I think that's the thing that I am always more worried about. And this is a person who could really put my favorite quality in an actor of just discovery in something that they knew backwards and forwards. And for me, that's just a little bit harder. So my preference is to just be memorized right before it's time.

[Dax Shepard]

My sweet spot is a little bit of panic. I like to feel a little bit of chaos. I think I have it. I don't know if I have it. I got a really rise to the occasion. That's my sweet spot.

[Anna Kendrick]

Interesting. I would say that in the last five years or something, I was on a set where it's hard to explain. I'm using this word. It sounds bigger than it is. I don't mean it like capital S, but I didn't feel super Safe. It was just an emotional thing. I just didn't feel really at home and really safe and really comfortable. And I was doing a scene where I was finding it tough to cry and that.

[Monica Padman]

We know that never.

[Anna Kendrick]

But Monica.

[Dax Shepard]

What did you say? Monica Rascal.

[Monica Padman]

I'm just kidding.

[Anna Kendrick]

She's teasing me that I. Because I cried so much on our episode.

[Monica Padman]

So we know that's not hard for.

[Anna Kendrick]

You, but on set it isn't hard for me. And I think that it was certainly a muscle I developed, I would say, in the first five years of acting on film, it was not a guarantee. I was always a little nervous, like, oh, I have to cry on cue. But then I just got really confident. I knew it wasn't going to be a problem. Great. To the point that sometimes in conversations with friends, I would say something like, you know that thing when you're talking and you're sorry, sorry. And you know that thing? And they would be like, what the fuck? That was really fucking creepy. Uncanny Valley. I didn't like that. And I'd have to be like, oh, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Cause I'm so used to just talking about, you know, that thing. And then there's that moment and I just do it. And they're like, I really panicked for a second that something was wrong. So then there was a set I was on where I couldn't really cry. I mean, I kind of got there, but then by take four, I was really there. So for me, if I was in a low key panic, I think that would be difficult. It's actually the fact that I feel comfortable and I know that I've ridden my bike in the garage enough times that I know that I know how to ride my bike. But because there was just something a little funky on this particular set, I was like, this is the weirdest feeling. To just go, oh, that muscle just isn't showing up for me. I'm falling off my bike. Like, what is happening? So I don't relate to the panic thing.

[Dax Shepard]

I think it's 100% childhood.

[Monica Padman]

Sure.

[Dax Shepard]

I love chaos. That's very arousing to me. And so if I can get just a hint of that in a scene. And I think it's just all childhood. And then the other fun thing, you haven't done a TV show for like years.

[Anna Kendrick]

No.

[Dax Shepard]

What I found fascinating about that is so for parenthood, there was, I think, 14 cast members. And you're in the makeup trailer. And we have a new Director every other episode, and you're hearing people talk about how they hate or love this director. I was like, oh, yeah, there's no consistency. It's just your childhood. There's no right way to direct people. There's no right way to enjoy performing. It's a great metaphor for life in general, which is like, there's no right way. There's the one that works for you. And I'd just be shocked listening to an actor say, like, they love this director. I'm like, I hate this director. This director is so controlling. But if they had a parent that they really loved and could trust, trust and count on, they like that kind of direction and they feel safe with that.

[Anna Kendrick]

It's interesting because as we're talking about this, I'm going, anna, that's not entirely true, because I have been aware for years, but especially when I was directing, that when things are kind of behind and there's a real crunch and there's a panic, I'm like, oh, we're getting the shot. Oh, baby. If you think that we're not making our day and we're not getting every fucking shot we need, oh, you got another thing coming. And I get real crazy eyes. And even as an actor, I have been accused in the past of gunning for the first AD job, which is like the stage manager of the film set. I want to be the person driving the train and going, like, we need to put more coal on the fire. Let's go. And so there was a day where everything went wrong on set. And, you know, everything goes wrong every day, but really, everything went wrong. I turned to my cinematographer and I was like, I'm aware that I probably look pretty freaky right now, and I'm probably acting like a lunatic, and it probably looks like I just did an eight ball, but I've never done cocaine.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow, you just made the nail jail is going to make. I was going to tell you, you don't ever need to microdose cocaine, because that is the feeling I have known.

[Anna Kendrick]

From the time I was a teenager. Something about that drug. I was like, I don't need that in my life. The times in my life where I've been adrenalized and confident are the ones that really keep me up at night. So the last thing I need is a great description.

[Dax Shepard]

Adrenaline and confident. That's right.

[Anna Kendrick]

There is something really exciting about my backs against the wall. Watch me fucking make. I love it, but it wouldn't be conducive to me dropping into softness and crying. I Guess so. It's interesting because it does bring out a side of me that I really enjoy, but it's just fascinating.

[Monica Padman]

Do you like to prove yourself?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. It's probably wanting to overcome something. I mean, honestly, I haven't really talked about this in press just because it's nuanced and there's not a lot of room for that, but I pitched my to direct this movie with six weeks to go before I was in Canada doing hard prep.

[Dax Shepard]

You were attached to the movie for two years. You finally got financing. By the time you got financing, the previous director had fallen out, and then it was a scramble to get a director.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes, I pitched myself. And then we had six weeks of prep, which even that is a pretty short prep. And then we had 24 days to make the movie. And I think there was something about that that felt like number one. Sure, I like a challenge. And that's a nice thing to say about yourself. So that's not. Not in there somewhere. And two, I knew that if there was something that was sick months away, I would have panicked and backed out and been like, we should find someone who's more experienced. This is a mistake. And I didn't have time to panic. I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. But also, there was something about making a movie in terrible circumstances that gave me a little bit of emotional cushion. If it was a complete disaster.

[Dax Shepard]

Exactly.

[Anna Kendrick]

If I pull it off, I'm going to feel so amazing about it, but. Because if I walk into something where I've known I was going to do it for six months or a year, and it's like a really cushy schedule and we have all the right routes.

[Dax Shepard]

If you're Tarantino and you have 130 days, it better be fucked up.

[Monica Padman]

It's only you to blame.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes, but this kind of sprawling period piece, epic thriller, it has to feel really controlled. And you want to make it look big and expensive in spite of the resources you have, because we are very happy to have found a home at Netflix, but we did not make this movie with Netflix. This was very, very, very much an indie film. We were on our own. That's it. As frustrating as that was, there were many days that I cried in my. My car, but I think there was something about it that made me like, well, if it's a disaster, I'll be able to emotionally survive that because I'll be able to tell myself, well, it's because you had 24 days.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, you got enough built in.

[Anna Kendrick]

You're trying to do this huge thing. We were really trying to pull off something really ambitious. And I'm so glad that people think it's a big expensive movie. But then I'm like, I would like you to know.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

That it was not a big expensive movie. Wow.

[Monica Padman]

That's incredible.

[Anna Kendrick]

So it's like, complicated because I don't want it to look cheap. But also there's like, a lot of me playing games with myself. You're like, hedging your bets emotionally here.

[Dax Shepard]

I had the exact same experience. That's Hit and Run is a million dollar car chase movie. I don't know what you're expecting, but if it's watchable. This is a big touchdown.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes. Yes. And I've been aware for years on set that once a day someone from some department saves the movie.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

But wow. As a. I was like, oh, my God, at least once a day someone is saving my ass and everybody else's ass. And I was so happy to have two guys who were really emotionally invested. Some of the day is spent chatting about really emotional, personal stuff. And it's amazing the way that then it kind of shows up in the next decision you make. Okay, wait, may I use the.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, yes.

[Dax Shepard]

We have a door now.

[Anna Kendrick]

I didn't.

[Dax Shepard]

We didn't have a door then.

[Anna Kendrick]

But I have the bladder the size of a peanut.

[Dax Shepard]

You do have to move a chair. Is that a Missoni sweater?

[Monica Padman]

It is vintage.

[Dax Shepard]

Are you impressed?

[Monica Padman]

Salvage.

[Dax Shepard]

Are you impressed?

[Monica Padman]

I am impressed.

[Dax Shepard]

It's hard. You got to remind yourself what it's like to not know a lot about fashion.

[Monica Padman]

I know it is very.

[Dax Shepard]

You gotta snap into, like, it's like.

[Monica Padman]

If I saw a car thing.

[Dax Shepard]

That's right. But if you called out, you know, a 60s Ferrari by name.

[Monica Padman]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

I would high five you.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

So how old is that garment?

[Monica Padman]

That's a great question. You've asked that a couple times about.

[Dax Shepard]

I want to know. Yeah, because, like, in cars, it's really important what year it is. I know. Like, is that a 1978 Missoni? I want to give Joy Bryant credit. I only know about Missoni because they were selling it at Target. And she was so excited. And she kind of explained everything to me. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

When they did a collab, we were doing Parenthood.

[Dax Shepard]

When that happened, she was counting down the days. Like, yeah. Like, I thought the Pope was going to visit set or something. So then somehow I really picked up on what the signature proprietary design is.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Was it itchy or is it nice?

[Monica Padman]

It's a tiny bit.

[Dax Shepard]

Itchy earmark for a fact check. I am making cashmere now.

[Monica Padman]

Excuse me?

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, I have it. I'm going to make you feel it. I have a million tiny little hairs on my back. I've been noticing it in the new gym. I can see it. My reflection, and I hate them. So then I was complaining about them, and Lincoln said, you want me to shave your back? And I said, I would love that. And Lincoln shaved my entire back.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

I was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, and this little tiny pile of hair was done afterwards, and I picked it up to throw it in the trash, and I went, oh, my God. That's the softest hair I've ever felt in my life. I had the girls feel it, and we all agreed, that's cashmere. So I am now collecting it.

[Anna Kendrick]

What did I just.

[Dax Shepard]

And one day I hope to produce a cash sweater like Brad Pitt's got. God's true. This is a step above.

[Monica Padman]

What if his is his back hair and we didn't know then?

[Dax Shepard]

It's underpriced. I thought it was overpriced. It's underpriced. You missed a lot.

[Anna Kendrick]

I'll leave you alone for two.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm making cashmere now off my own back.

[Anna Kendrick]

I gathered that much.

[Dax Shepard]

I kind of wanna go inside.

[Anna Kendrick]

I was hoping it was a metaphor.

[Monica Padman]

Unfortunately not. How much do you have?

[Dax Shepard]

It's only about the size of that.

[Anna Kendrick]

Is it just a pile of hair?

[Monica Padman]

Currently it's a tiny little mush together.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. And I kept it in a certain spot so I can grow it and then get it spun into.

[Monica Padman]

You might have to start with the sock.

[Anna Kendrick]

My mom does crafting. She does this thing called felting where she makes little, like, woodland creatures out of felt. And that seems like it might be a good candidate for a little squirrel or something.

[Dax Shepard]

Connect us.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. She'll love it.

[Dax Shepard]

What she could do is, I think cashmere does not come from a goat's chin or something like that.

[Monica Padman]

It comes from a region. An animal. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Like in the hall or something. And then there's a goat chin hair. Is it goat chin hair, Rob? It's goats. Yeah. So your mother should make a goat that the cashmere comes from, but make it in my back hair.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Wow. Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Most people will have seen Woman of the Hour. It's number one on Netflix. Congratulations.

[Anna Kendrick]

Thank you. It's nice to be talking about the movie. Now that it's out. It's way better because I do feel like. Okay, I don't have to be so precious about like spoilers and stuff.

[Dax Shepard]

Also, Kristen and Brody did the show right before their show, but I'm like, that would have been so much more fun two weeks after when it was this cultural phenomenon. So the movie is a real story of a serial killer. What year was that?

[Anna Kendrick]

So the movie spans from 1971 to 1979.

[Dax Shepard]

And the movie, although it is about a serial killer, I think it's very much more about the experience of being a woman. I mean, and it's fucking just around every corner.

[Monica Padman]

It is.

[Dax Shepard]

Stay tuned for more armchair expert if dare Apple Card is the perfect card for your holiday shopping when you use Apple Card on your iPhone, you'll earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, including products at Apple like a new iPhone 16 or Apple Watch Ultra. Apply now in the Wallet app on your iPhone. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs bank usa Salt Lake City Branch Terms and more at Apple Car we are supported by Shutterfly Reconnecting with the people in your life is so important and sending a holiday card is a meaningful way to do that. But it can be hard to know where to start. Shutterfly makes it so easy to share a custom card that's perfectly you. They've got a style for everyone from classic seasonal designs to hand drawn holiday cheer. Customize your card by adjusting the color to complement colors from your photo. You can add more photos and text to the back of your card for free and even upload your own design. Design and take advantage of Shutterfly's high quality printing and simple mailing services. Shutterfly is so fun to use and you just blast them out. I receive them all the time. My mother in law is a big Shutterfly person and they're so fun.

[Monica Padman]

I love getting holiday personalized cards.

[Dax Shepard]

Me too. Find the perfect holiday card for [e-mail] and start customizing today. Enjoy. 40 off your Shutterfly order with promo code DAX40 and send something meaningful this year. Get free shipping on qualified orders C site for more details. We are supported by Peloton. Are you tired of the same old workout routine or struggling to find motivation at this busy time of year? It's time to check out Peloton.

[Monica Padman]

Peloton is so great. We all know this also. Not only is it a good workout, which I did at our friend Molly's house, it's a great workout. But it's also like pretty. It's sleek.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah it is.

[Monica Padman]

It's a good looking piece, very aesthetically pleasing and you know that matters to me.

[Dax Shepard]

I know. I agree. Well, Peloton has a variety of training programs. They got pilates, 5k, 10k, half and full marathon programs, strength training, boot camps. There's so many ways to challenge yourself.

[Monica Padman]

It's so helpful to have a set plan. It takes the guesswork out. It just makes it easier to get started on your fitness journey.

[Dax Shepard]

It's great. And there's so many options on Peloton so you can find a workout that gives you exactly what you're looking for.

[Monica Padman]

And a workout are you feeling today?

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I got to tell you, I was recently advocating, advised by a doctor to incorporate some more blasts, some high intensity blasts that you get the special. He said, look at sprinters.

[Anna Kendrick]

Right.

[Dax Shepard]

Why do they look like that? Because they're in this really high heart rate for some period of time and it's really beneficial. So I'm looking to go hard. Hard.

[Monica Padman]

Cool. Well, whatever you're looking for. Peloton has the workout for you. And they have world class fitness instructors to push you to the next level.

[Dax Shepard]

Find your push, find your power with peloton at 1. Peloton. Okay, so there's a couple of beats that come around more than once. And so you have this neighbor. He clearly has a crush on you. You're not dating. You guys go out. He then kind of makes his big move. It's Pete Holmes. He's great, by the way. It's funny, you counter programmed. You took all these really sweet people and made them be mean.

[Anna Kendrick]

I know. Tony Hale, Yes.

[Monica Padman]

Pete Holmes, mean in it.

[Anna Kendrick]

He's a pig. He had a great time. There were some times where I was like, tony, we're gonna just keep rolling on you. Or the camera might follow you this time. So if you want to just say whatever. And then we would cut and I would be like, tony, Tony.

[Dax Shepard]

How dare you?

[Anna Kendrick]

How dare you? How very dare you?

[Monica Padman]

Wow. Oh, he's such a good boy.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. But he's also like an amazing improviser. So he was not afraid to get specific.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

In. In casting Pete Holmes, I was really looking for the guy who, in a very short window of time on screen, you could go, okay, we're introducing a man, and it's her neighbor. And I'm hoping that you're a little surprised that it turns dark or sexual, that it could be that this guy is just in the movie to be kind of this comic golden retriever type. And then there's this turn where even Pete Holmes is someone who just can't really see himself as not entitled to my space and my body and my apartment.

[Dax Shepard]

And there's a moment where it's like, he's been so friendly, so friendly, so friendly. And then when it's obvious to him that you're not gonna go out with him, he gets mean and angry.

[Anna Kendrick]

I know that moment was really interesting because he has not played a part like that ever. And so number one, I wasn't totally sure if it was gonna come across. But yeah, there's that one, one moment where he's like, do you want to leave? That just makes me like, oh, God, I hate it. It's so cold. He just goes like, dead eyed.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, it's scary. You're like, hold on a second. I was just talking to someone different.

[Anna Kendrick]

I know, I thought everything was fine. How did we get here? But as an actor on set, there's lots of little things that I do that I keep in my back pocket and I don't tell anyone about. And I really prefer, within reason, just not mention that I'm going to try, like a little thing because sometimes I think it's almost like, oh, God, I hate that I'm about to say this, but it's what I imagine maintaining an erection would feel like, where you're just like, if I spell out everything that's about to happen, something about it will be false or the moment will disappear and get away from me. And then I'll just be trying to get it back. And so there are things that I like, keep to myself. And I found that bleeding into directing as well. And one of the things was, I knew I wanted the killer in the opening scene to touch Sarah's hair, the actress's hair. And then I wanted Pete to touch my hair in this bar scene, but I didn't tell anybody about that. And we filmed the bar scene first. And so I was asking Pete to touch my hair. And Pete, God bless him, was like, why on earth would I just touch your hair? Like I just reach out, touch your body. Who would do that? And I was like, lots of people. So it was very sweet. It, like, spoke well of him that he was so bewildered by the idea. He was like, am I drunk? Why would I just.

[Dax Shepard]

Have I fallen and I'm steadying myself.

[Anna Kendrick]

On your hair, Literally. But I thought the moment works great. And then funny enough, later that day, we shot a scene where toward the end, the killer asks me for my phone number. And he asked, can I try something in the next take? And I was like, sure. And while I'm writing my number down, he reached Out. And he tucked my hair behind my ear.

[Dax Shepard]

And he didn't have any knowledge?

[Anna Kendrick]

No. And we kept walking. And I called cut. And I was like, did someone tell you that earlier today I asked Pete to do exactly that? And he was like, no. And I was like, well, just so you know, I was gonna ask you to do it in the opening scene. And so he does it in the opening scene. But that moment is actually one of the creepier moments in the movie when he touches my hair. And it was so perfect that, of course, Pete is, I think, still thinking of himself as playing a super sweet guy. So he was like, why would I just touch you? But the guy who's trying to be in the mind of someone who thinks of other people as just kind of play things is like, why wouldn't I just reach out and touch your hair? You belong to me yeah, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

How much of it? So. Oh, have you seen that switch? You must have.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Even your relationship we discussed before aside.

[Anna Kendrick]

That'S obviously the one that was most impactful. But, yeah, it's certainly not the only time that I've had that experience. And really, the whole movie is kind of an exploration of how did we get here and how. How bad is this gonna get? Even when I was pitching myself, I was like, I know that this is not the kind of movie that I'm known for, but this feels like familiar territory to me. These scenes that are around violence really feel like scenes about shame to me. And there's this question in the movie that I've experienced in my life, which is, whose shame is this? And how much of your shame am I gonna have to absorb to make sure that you don't really harm me? And the whole end sequence was very different before I signed on. There's this one detail from the real story that feels so important.

[Dax Shepard]

Was that part of the real story? She spoke to him that way. Holy fuck.

[Anna Kendrick]

The way that we have to contort to survive is about, I need to be your mirror right now. And right now I need to show you that you have done nothing wrong and everything is great.

[Dax Shepard]

It's like you have to latch on to whatever justification they've told themselves. Even the way she uses the world, it got wild. That's a very mitigating.

[Anna Kendrick]

This character, at the end of the film decides to take on all of his shame. And it's this really perverse agreement between the two of them. Hey, this is how we both walk out of here and feel okay and survive. And I think that there are a Lot of people who would have thought to say, I forgive you, and I'm not gonna tell anyone. But to think to say, please don't tell anyone and please forgive me is so genius. And it's saying, hey, all that power that you need to feel, you get to feel it just by, like, doing something benevolent, which is quote, unquote, forgiving me. I mean, it's just. It just blows my mind.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm not shocked. That's a real detail from the real because it's so specific. That's a hell of a scene. She's incredible.

[Anna Kendrick]

Okay, can we just talk about Autumn for a second?

[Dax Shepard]

Let's talk about Autumn.

[Anna Kendrick]

The cast in this movie is absolutely dazzling. And I remember, especially when I was asking the screenwriter to add this sequence to the end of the movie, I told the casting director, I don't know where this girl is, but we're gonna find her. And I'm telling you, when the lights come up on this movie, the first thing anybody is going to ask is, who the is she?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, it's exactly what's happening, and it makes me so happy. She just sent a tape from Chicago. It's her first movie. Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

I was watching her. She's so good that I was like, she's been great in nine other things. And I just am now connecting the dots. It was that feeling.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

The killer is awesome. Thankless role. Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

Well, no, really, because he is extraordinary in every scene. And yet I'm very grateful to him because he had to know that he's not really the focus of any scene. But that doesn't mean he can show up and phone it in because then the scene is ruined. He is doing amazing things. Oh, he's so scary in the film.

[Dax Shepard]

And you might think that this story would only be relatable to women, but I'm very much watching it. And I have seen the transition hundreds of times.

[Anna Kendrick]

Really?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. Yeah. It can be sexual in nature or it can just be, you've threatened my status and I'm going to control you now. Like, I've seen the eyes change in a million men in stepdads and in older boys. And I've seen like, oh, fuck, we're in a real zone now. It's about to get unpredictable. And who knows? This dude's embarrassed and threatened. And now we're off to the races, like, anything's possible.

[Anna Kendrick]

And would you say that historically your go to growing up was always fight?

[Dax Shepard]

No, I was terrified at times. I remember me and Aaron were just hanging out at his house at 12 years old. And this dude rolled up in like an old muscle car and he got out and he wanted to know if we had seen. I don't know what the he wanted. I didn't give the right answer. And I was noticing his mouth was like covered in white. I could smell his breath. It was like fishy. And out of nowhere, this like full grown adult grabs me and slams my head against his telephone pole. And now I'm like, we were just existing. And now I'm in this dude's story and it's a crazy person. I don't know them. He's assaulting me. Where's this going?

[Anna Kendrick]

And was the strategy then just flee?

[Dax Shepard]

In an ideal world, it's flattery. No, dude, I'd never fuck with you. You're a fucking badass. If it's a stepdad, I was just writing about this. There's this game we play where we downplay what just happened and we blame it on another thing. And we really hunker down on that other plausible explanation to get him out of the shame. Because if shame takes off, traffic was so crazy to me, now really in trouble. So I don't think anyone's excluded from that. And it's very, very visceral and familiar. I got to an age in a size where any dude that rolls up to put my head into a telephone pole, they're going to have their hands full. I got to escape it to some degree. And yeah, if you're 5ft tall and 11212 pounds, that option's not going to be on the table for you. If I couldn't have outgrown that, that would have been so paralyzing to me because I hated that. I experienced that a lot and it killed me in myself. Flagellation of not being able to stand up to those people or find my voice or say the truth. That hurt way more than any of the interactions did.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, it is really hard because I feel like in the last few years there's been more of a kind of exploration of the fawn response and how that's not a viable, healthy thing. And it is complicated, though, because sometimes my friends will talk to me about how that's something that they're working on and they'll be talking about a situation they were in where they reverted to doing stuff like that and they're beating themselves up about it. And I'm also then going, but you were just trying to keep yourself safe. It's a survival zoo with your really safe people. That's not something you want to just fall into out of instinct and habit. But in the situation you're describing, it feels like that was not a super safe situation, even if it wasn't in a dark parking lot with a man.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, the second someone shows you a side of themselves that you couldn't have predicted, now you have to acknowledge your abilities to predict what's going to happen. They're useless. You just found out that you didn't know this person, and now everything's on the table. The sky's the limit at that point because, you know, you no longer have any sense of what this person is.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

In the movie, my character, I remember thinking that it felt like, particularly in the first act, that the question in each scene for her is like, do you see me as human or do you see me as something else? And by the end, she has an answer. And it's not a great answer, but it's at least resolution. There's something about knowing that feels a little bit better.

[Dax Shepard]

I grew up watching the Dating Game, and for people who don't know your character, the woman in real life went on the Dating Game and the killer was one of the bachelors, which seems insane. That person would have gone on television. Obviously, it's telling of how unthreatened he felt by law enforcement or the world.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. The culture was very much not set up to protect the victims. So he was very confident.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. And for years people had been saying stuff and nothing ever came to fruition.

[Anna Kendrick]

As far as what we know. And this is really about, like, what has been recorded. And there's probably significantly more. But from what we know, he operated.

[Dax Shepard]

For over a decade and they know about seven. And there's some people that think as much as 130, which seems like a Murders. Hell of a delta. Yes. Rape and murder. My.

[Anna Kendrick]

It's also the ones that. That we know about are mostly girls who came from families that were looking for them. So one imagines that particularly in the 1970s, although unfortunately still today. Sex workers, men who were perceived to be gay men. Those would be people that it would have been a lot easier. This is speculation. And we don't know and we can't know.

[Dax Shepard]

Seven's enough to.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes, certainly.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Hits the threshold for me. Okay. So having this huge dissonance between having been alive during a lot of this and having seen nothing wrong with it. It's not like I was a little kid watching the Dating Game and the guests would come out and all they talk about is how pretty she is and all that none of that, obviously, was seeming weird to me at all. It was like, here's life. Here's what a game show is. This is what happens on a game show. And when you look back on it, it's so nuts.

[Anna Kendrick]

It's really nuts. But it's also funny how poor the comedy was. There was a point where we were debating using some of the real dialogue from the real epis. And I will also say the real episode pieces of it are available online, but the episode in its entirety appears to have been lost to time. So we're kind of imagining what happened in that lost footage. Did the contestant write her own questions and rebel against the show? Probably not, but it was the most interesting thing we could do with that part of the movie. Even the piece of the movie that's a little bit more like an episode of the Dating Game. We had to write stuff that was a little better because if we had just kept the dialogue as it was, it would have been like, is there supposed to be a gas leak in the audience? Like, why are they laughing at this? Like, one of the things in the real episode, she says, bachelor number one, like, what's your best time? And he goes, my best time is night. And the audience is just. Ah. They're just eating it up. Without all the context of it actually being the 70s, it would not make sense.

[Dax Shepard]

In this movie, sexual innuendo was a hit. Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

It didn't really matter how good it.

[Anna Kendrick]

Was because, oh, my gosh, I can't believe we're saying that all the time. Because he's saying night, and that means he's talking about sex and. Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

Or Whoopi. That whole show where they constantly talked about, where's the craziest place you've made whoopee? You ever seen that clip?

[Anna Kendrick]

I doubt it.

[Dax Shepard]

He asks the wife, what's the craziest place you and your husband have made whoopee? And she goes, in the butt.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, God.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, wait, no, no, no. I have.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

No, no, no. I was like, it sounds. Yep, yep, yep, yep.

[Dax Shepard]

So watching it now. Forgive me for this. I'd, like debated whether or not I want to ask this question or not. It's probably wrong, but you can correct me and I'll learn a lesson. It's so stark and bad. Like, it's so crazy that that's how talk show hosts were talking to young women. Is it possible the women that were experiencing it, they too, were in the water and it wasn't as painful as it feels like when I'm watching it because it's as fucking absurd.

[Anna Kendrick]

This is really interesting. So, number one, there is actually one line that is lifted from the real Cheryl Bradshaw episode of the Dating Game where the host says she used to work massaging feet but quit when her boss asked her to work her way up. Oh, I mean, this is all daytime in the movie. I kind of bristle at that. And if you watch the episode, she's got a smile plastered on her face the whole time. I obviously can't speak to how she felt about it. I don't know. But there was something that I read about one of the victims. We ended up putting something about it in the movie. This character, Charlie, played by Catherine Gallagher, she sort of mentioned something about being a flight attendant and how customers will kind of try grab her ass when she's putting things in the overhead bin. But that was based on something I had read where the person who was actually a flight attendant would talk about that as though it was very charming and adorable.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Anna Kendrick]

Again, unless you're in the 1970s. If I have her do that, it's going to seem like I'm signaling she's an idiot. So the only way for me to have her say it is to have her be a little annoyed by it.

[Dax Shepard]

That's the interesting thing about now period pieces, when you approach them in modern day, you are doing this weird tightrope rope walk.

[Anna Kendrick]

But it is interesting because you go, well, I'm sure that they thought they felt fine about it because it's really hard when you're like, okay, so the only thing I can do is be a consumable object. But the alternative is, I'm nothing, I'm worthless. So, hey, I'm gonna enjoy being consumed. So of course you end up telling yourself that being objectified is great. That's great news for me. And I even remember watching a kind of fact versus fiction thing about the show Chernobyl Noble. In it, they're talking about how, particularly in the first episode, there's a number of points where different Russians go, I'm not sure that we should do that. They're kind of pushing back against a direct order. And the person who was fact checking it was like, I think that this totally makes sense as a way to dramatize the culture at that time. But in reality they would have just done it.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, exactly.

[Anna Kendrick]

But you can't just have them do it because then you just go, oh, so everyone in the country at that time was an idiot. You have to kind of have them external, internalize their own worries in a way that they wouldn't have had they been receiving a direct order.

[Dax Shepard]

But what I could tell. And I could tell by the fact that you're telling this story and your performance in it. Oh, those details have changed. But there's a very alive aspect.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah. And there's something where obviously it's a period piece. And that meant that there were places where playing up the seventies of it all was really fun. But my nightmare would be that anybody saw the movie and walked away with the idea that, oh, man, the 70s were a tough time for women. Good thing that's all in the past now. So there were things where I was like, I kind of want it to feel timeless. And I don't want to super lean into how 70s we could get. In the first scene where we meet my character, I'm having, like, a horrible audition. And the guys that were playing the casting directors were so great and so funny. I asked them to do this thing verbatim that had happened to me when I was 19.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

You say the. What do they say?

[Anna Kendrick]

So they ask me if I'm willing to do nudity. And I say, oh, no, it's just not for me. And they point at my chest and go, oh, I'm sure they're fine.

[Dax Shepard]

They assume.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, oh, my God.

[Anna Kendrick]

And, you know, when I was 19 wasn't yesterday, but it certainly wasn't the 1970s.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

So there's stuff in the movie that is from my experience that unfortunately was very recent.

[Dax Shepard]

So let me ask you. I think it's interesting to make your first directorial effort be a genre thing, especially a thriller. It's very specific. I was very impressed with how well you. You did with the visuals of that genre. They're very specific. The way you're building tension, they're shot in a very, very specific way. And you really nailed that. And so my question is, was the genre in the story the compelling piece, or was it this examination of being a woman?

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, man, it's so funny you asked that.

[Dax Shepard]

You've gotten that question a thousand times.

[Anna Kendrick]

No, no, not at all. I sent this script to a filmmaker friend of mine when I was debating pitching myself to direct it, mostly as. Do you think that this is a nightmare? Here's the budget, here's the timeline, here's the script. Do you think I'm setting myself up to fail? And he talked to me about all that stuff, but he was like, I gotta say, I'm surprised that this is the thing I've been wondering and Hoping if you would direct. And this is not what I was expecting. And he said, you know, once you're deeper into the movie, I can see some themes that would appeal to you about being a woman in the world. But, like, especially that opening scene. Explain. Basically.

[Dax Shepard]

Right, yeah, help me out.

[Anna Kendrick]

The opening scene was a little different at the time, but it was more or less the same. And I had to think about it because this is a person who's known me for, like, 20 years. And I was like, well, that should give me pause, right? If he's really gently asking me, like, why this? And obviously, I agree that all the stuff about being a woman and the kind of peril, large and small, that you find yourself in is appealing. But even that opening scene, I get it, it's a pretty shocking act of violence. It's an upsetting scene. But it doesn't feel like unfamiliar territory to me because, not to be corny, but the idea of two people on an isolated hilltop, and especially something about being photographed even in a moment of real vulnerability, it feels like this is the bargain that we're always making when we engage in meaningful, full relationship. The risk of annihilation is what we put ourselves in in any moment of vulnerability. And obviously, this is a really extreme story and an extreme example, but that moment of going, how did I get here? A second ago, I was in the most beautiful place. I really wanted to open the movie and close the movie in nature. And it felt like nature is this kind of perfect reflection of the duality of intimacy. The terror and the risk versus the warmth and the beauty and how, like, restorative and healing and magical something like the ocean can be and how dangerous the ocean can be. That moment where you go, oh, something has turned and his eyes have gone dark, and I don't really know what's happening anymore. Or even when you're talking about, oh, this person has just exhibited a behavior that's not predictable, and now anything is possible. It's kind of similar to being on an isolated hilltop and going, wow, this is the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. And then realizing, I think I might be lost.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I can't die here.

[Anna Kendrick]

And I didn't have enough water for a lost version of the hike back. And you hear a coyote in the distance and you go, oh, I'm really not safe. And that feels like it's at the emotional crux of all that. So it's both. I guess there's something about a kind of extreme genre example of that feeling that feels really Real to me.

[Dax Shepard]

I liked to. This wasn't explored. And I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but when we talked last time on the show and I was saying what my own journey with coming to peace with being molested was is owning my own culpability, that was a huge part of it for me and forgiving myself for my culpability. So for me. And again, I'm projecting this onto your movie. But I was like, I like that. There's got to be also some moment of like, I want to be photographed. I'm flattered that this great photographer has interest in me. To me on the hilltop, I would be actively. As much as I'd be afraid of that person, I would be right into the self abuse.

[Anna Kendrick]

This is really tricky.

[Dax Shepard]

That's my story. I want to be very clear. No one had any couple, but I was like, oh, I can feel being there.

[Anna Kendrick]

I've had a similar experience. There's stuff that has happened to me where a big part of me getting to resolution was in fact owning. Okay, that piece was mine, and there was something I wanted and that did get me in that situation. And that frees me up to really place all the anger and shame that doesn't belong to me on the other person where it squarely fucking belongs. So I totally get that thing.

[Dax Shepard]

The whole scene becomes more moving and real to me because it's more complicated than I'm walking down the street, someone jumped out of somewhere and attacked me. There's more to it.

[Anna Kendrick]

Even every woman in the movie has like a very different personality, which is intentional. And the way that she meets this man is different, which is intentional. And how they interact is different. Different because I know what you're saying. And this is always like a really tricky dance.

[Dax Shepard]

It is. Because it sounds like victim shaming, but.

[Anna Kendrick]

That'S why I'm saying dancing, dancing close to that line.

[Dax Shepard]

You're there to pursue acting, and so you yourself have made some weird compromise to be on a show you don't want to be on because you know that's not really what you want to do. But also there's this promise of it could lead to the thing you do want to do. I just like that the reality of the layers are in there. Go ahead.

[Monica Padman]

That's the thing to overcome. If you're taking. Picking that on, that's for you to understand. That's not related. This want is not related to that abuse.

[Dax Shepard]

Agreed.

[Monica Padman]

So you can feel it. But that feeling should be corrected. Not okay.

[Dax Shepard]

So, yeah, to me, just that's what makes it juicy is I can relate to the part where I'm playing a hot dog as a harmonica in an AM PM Industrial commercial.

[Monica Padman]

Whoo.

[Dax Shepard]

Real life experience. Like, what are we doing here?

[Monica Padman]

But that doesn't mean then the director can sexually abuse you because you wanted this thing. They're separate. I understand feeling like they're combined, especially when you're prone to shame. But they are not.

[Dax Shepard]

They are not. And you would hope to tell any victim that. But I'm just relating to the internal battle I've had.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And up places. And I find that to be part of a lot of people's experience.

[Monica Padman]

I think it's harder for you to live in a world where you didn't have a part in it, where it was something that something bad happened to you and it wasn't because of anything you did or anything you wanted or.

[Dax Shepard]

You're right.

[Monica Padman]

It's more comfortable control.

[Dax Shepard]

It's more comforting to me probably because if I can identify some role I played, I have control over me. I don't have control over the rest of the world. So if I can isolate some move I would make differently. I cannot be in this situation. Which is not true.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

I couldn't be walking down the street and I could be. I recognize it. I just know the internal battle of when I've been a victim. It's not as clean. I wish it were clean. Like, oh, yeah, I'm a victim. For me. It wasn't clean like that.

[Anna Kendrick]

I am both of you in this moment. It's really hard. And the most interesting thing is I'm aware that I'm thinking of one situation where there is something that is comforting to me about going. Oh, that was my piece. It genuinely freed me up to go. And the rest of it is not. And before I did. Even if it's 2%, here's my 2%. And that means that the other 98 that I've been kind of wrestling with in the wrong way is all on you. And yet when I'm talking about other people, when I'm thinking of the women in the movie, I go. They didn't do. I get really protective.

[Dax Shepard]

And it runs the risk of sounding like victim shaming or that they ask. I cannot be clearer. That's not what I'm suggesting. Those women were 100% victims. That guy's a fucking monster on planet Earth. And that happened. But I also know what it's like to be with the monster. And I know it's very complicated for me. I wish it Were that clean. I wish it were just like, yeah, bad guy. The dude that pulls up in fucking pieces of shit. I'm like, oh, we gotta not walk. You know, like, I am somehow making adjustments now going forward because I am scared. This person scared me. And I'm trying to figure out how to not be scared ever again.

[Anna Kendrick]

I struggle with this because there's a lot of conventional wisdom that talks about owning your part. And I then get into things with my therapist where she's like, you're working really hard to make this your fault. And I don't know.

[Dax Shepard]

I think I have a very hard time forgiving myself. But that needs to kind of happen first. I need to get past that little thing before I can even see the objective reality. It's just like I have a emotion in the pit of my stomach and it needs to be addressed and dealt with. Why am I feeling like that was my fault? Well, what part did I participate in? And so, yeah, and then my spidey senses said, get out of here. And I betrayed myself. I didn't have the confidence. I didn't have the courage. I didn't have whatever else. And then I can go, right, that all happened. And it's okay. It's very normal to not have the courage. My little girl just came home and someone wrestled her to the ground, and she felt powerless. And when she came home, I just wanted to make it very clear to her, I know what it feels like to freeze. I know what it feels like to get scared and be overwhelmed. And that's not shameful. Yeah, we can blame this person later, but. But I want to deal with the thing I know I would be dealing with. Why couldn't I find my voice? Why couldn't I stand up? And I just want to say, your huge daddy has not found his voice a bunch of times and has felt powerless. And I know it. And it's okay. There's nothing to feel ashamed of. That's very normal.

[Anna Kendrick]

And is this voice the exact same way you talk to, like, young Dax?

[Dax Shepard]

No, just young Lincoln. Okay.

[Anna Kendrick]

Well, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. I think people have different levels of inherent shame. I think that's really what sort of it boils down to, Obviously experience and trauma and all those things add to it. But I think there might be some. Like Lincoln is prone to a lot of shame. Genetically, it is seemingly genetic because there's no reason for it.

[Dax Shepard]

There's non trauma.

[Monica Padman]

So there's different ways of handling people when they have more levels of that.

[Dax Shepard]

I think that's respect to directing. I'M only speaking for me.

[Monica Padman]

That's how you are able to get through.

[Dax Shepard]

That's right.

[Monica Padman]

And so.

[Dax Shepard]

And a lot of people will not be like me. Yeah. And some are like me.

[Anna Kendrick]

This, I think, is maybe the weirdest thing about my brain because I, for many years obviously heard people talk about, like, self talk, But I think there's something. This is actually like, the weirdest thing that I might say this whole episode. But I am never talking to myself. I'm like talking to an imaginary person in conversation, and they're talking back to me. And sometimes it's like my therapist, sometimes it's my mom, sometimes it's my best friend. And I'm just in this kind of constant fake conversation in my head. Occasionally I'll have a real acute moment of going like, oh, Anna, you fucking dumbass, or something. But I'm not talking to myself. I remember finding out from some episode of, like, this American Life or something that that's the most common experience. And being like, oh, no, I'm like a freak. I'm, like, having a conversation in my head at all times. Is that the weirdest thing?

[Dax Shepard]

I don't trust someone who's not.

[Monica Padman]

I think I'm like you.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

I don't say to myself, you're bad. I have the feelings, but they almost feel like they're coming at me from somewhere else.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

That's interesting. I wonder how many people talk to themselves versus ruminating in a different way.

[Anna Kendrick]

Because I've heard about people who then say that they don't have an internal monologue that I cannot understand that I don't understand. And I'll see people post about, like, what do you mean? It's just, like, silence up there. So that's not what's happening. There's just a kind of endless conversation in the background saying, what Monica and.

[Dax Shepard]

I are doing is we are in court cases. There's a trial.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So I have a lot of talking to other people, but it's in a trial. There's exhibit A and here comes exhibit B. Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

Funny enough. That reminds me, I know you guys are going to be talking to my buddy Matt Murphy.

[Monica Padman]

Yes. Today.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Anna Kendrick]

I know. It's so exciting. But yeah, there is definitely a part of me that's like, oh, I should have been a lawyer. Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

Especially when you see clips of lawyers being real sassy where I'm like, ooh, I want to be in that courtroom so bad. I don't really know how. Matt is so buttoned up. I guess in Life. So he was the prosecutor of the murderer's retrial in 2010.

[Dax Shepard]

And.

[Anna Kendrick]

And he really was part of the team that connected the dots.

[Dax Shepard]

You just answered the biggest mystery to me. Oh, I'm like, I'm going to interview this guy, Matt Murphy, who somehow was a prosecutor on this case, which was in the 70s, but how is he so young and he's still alive and coming to the attic. Okay, so there was a retry.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

That solves such a mystery in my head.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Anna Kendrick]

Okay, so there was a retrial in 2010 and that was really when a lot the DNA hits came around. And so it was like, okay. We always thought there was maybe an MO here, but we really only got him for one. This is all in his book. I'm very happy to plug his book. I listened to the audiobook and it was like seven of the best true crime podcasts I had ever listened to. It's so fabulous. He really helped me on this movie because we did not have the money to pay him. So he was an incredible, incredible resource. But he's one of the guys that really was a in this story. And he introduced me to the person who is now the honorable Craig Robison. But at the time he was dealing with the killer. He was Detective Craig Robison.

[Dax Shepard]

Wait, was he a judge?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah, now he's a judge.

[Dax Shepard]

And we say honorable for that.

[Anna Kendrick]

Honorable for that.

[Dax Shepard]

Thank you. You just taught me that. Okay.

[Anna Kendrick]

It's funny because these are two people who are really the heroes. And particularly Craig Robison, he was like 27 and he was the young detective who was finding, finally taking this horrible situation seriously. And then Matt comes in and he's the prosecutor who like puts together all the pieces and some of the ways that they put together the pieces, looking at photographs and looking at the time that the shadow on that date would have been to prove he couldn't have been at this other place by the time he said he was. I mean, fascinating stuff. And it's kind of like a ready made Hollywood story. And the movie doesn't get into any of that.

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Anna Kendrick]

Even though that is a ready made Hollywood story and it is all true. It. It would be really emotionally dishonest to be telling the story of these people who came in and did these incredible things and cared enough and put this guy behind bars and made sure that he stayed there. Because after over a decade of no one giving a shit, you go, well, we've got a 90 minute movie, so I don't think we're gonna get into Any of that. Because the feeling that I walk away from doing months of research about this case is really like, rage and grief. And that is a very uplifting story, but there was certainly a focus more on emotional truth than just sticking to detailed, factual accuracy.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. And you made a very specific decision to not tell the story of the killer, but to tell the story of the victims, which is awesome. It's crazy impressive. Great job. Fuck. First movie. That's outrageous. It's so good. Probably everyone's already seen it, but if you haven't, it's phenomenal. It's very, very, very well made. I would have swore it was $150 million budget.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, sure. Yeah, Absolutely.

[Monica Padman]

I have a hard question. Are you proud of it?

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, man, that is such a funny, specific question. Because, of course, all I see when I watch it now is like, oh, damn, that cut is funky. It was the best way to cut it, but it's a little funky and it makes me crazy. And with the resources that we had, I am unbelievably proud of the movie. And every single person that showed up, it was so passionate and amazing, and it just wouldn't be a movie if a single person in the cast or the crew wasn't unbelievable at their job. I owe everyone so much. Of course I'm biased, but I think the only thing that matters at the end of the day is story and performance. And, hey, let's try to make great production design, great costumes, great cinematography. If we do all of that and the performances suck, we did it for nothing. And I think I drove. Casting director is insane because every single part, I would be like, you guys, I know I've said this before, but whoever plays this part has to be amazing. There was not a single online part that I was like, yeah, whatever. I think I made everybody insane. But I think that's also the reason the movie works, if it works for anybody at all. It's like, because everybody showed up and they were so talented.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. All right, well, Anna, this was great again. And you're going to come back again. I know you're going to go, oh, we did it twice. So next time you're going to go, oh, you're doing. How do they do people? Three times.

[Anna Kendrick]

No, no. Here's what's going to happen.

[Dax Shepard]

We do people five times.

[Anna Kendrick]

Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to leave this and I'm going to go, oh. It wasn't, like, super vulnerable and emotional. And so, oh, I let everybody down. Do the opposite of Last time where I was like, oh my God, I just cried like a baby the entire time. How inappropriate. And now I'm going to be like, I didn't cry.

[Dax Shepard]

You can't win. That should be the title of someone's autobiography. You can't win.

[Anna Kendrick]

You can't win.

[Dax Shepard]

It can't be won. All right, well, I adore you and you know, feel free to ghost me as much as you want. I understand.

[Anna Kendrick]

I'll try not to.

[Dax Shepard]

All right.

[Monica Padman]

Thank you.

[Dax Shepard]

Adore you. He is an armchair expert, but he makes mistakes all the time. Thank God Monica's here. She's gonna let him have the facts. Hello.

[Monica Padman]

Hi.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm excited to be here today.

[Monica Padman]

We haven't recorded in a couple days.

[Dax Shepard]

Uh huh. Yeah. I missed you. I was out of town for a few days. We like a five day break. Yeah. Thursday or Tuesday? Is that five days?

[Monica Padman]

Thursday. Friday.

[Anna Kendrick]

Friday.

[Dax Shepard]

Friday.

[Monica Padman]

Friday, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow.

[Monica Padman]

It's like a full Thanksgiving.

[Dax Shepard]

Speaking of which, I really have the, the tingles about it being here.

[Monica Padman]

I'm excited too.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Are you excited about your secret turkey?

[Dax Shepard]

No, I mean receiving it or preparing one?

[Monica Padman]

Preparing one.

[Dax Shepard]

No, I'm not. You know, this is, this is a big shortcoming of mine. I'm bad at gifts. I'm, I'm just bad. Like I'll tell you, I, I, I, I think about it 30 minutes a day, which leads to depression. Yep. I spent 30 minutes thinking about this and I have nothing. And I'm going to do it tomorrow.

[Monica Padman]

How great it is.

[Dax Shepard]

It's fantastic. It's a great thing. I'm not creative in this space.

[Monica Padman]

Sure.

[Dax Shepard]

It's a shortcoming to remind people if.

[Monica Padman]

They don't know about secret turkey.

[Dax Shepard]

Erica, Molly's daughter, invented it, which is great. And she invented it like three years.

[Monica Padman]

Ago, I think so.

[Dax Shepard]

So she was like 12 or 13.

[Monica Padman]

The first year we were all together and she, she was like everyone pick a name out of a hat. And this is a very, what's the word to describe Lily?

[Dax Shepard]

Great sense of humor.

[Monica Padman]

She knows herself really well already. She's very self assured.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

Like during COVID and stuff she would put on all these plays. Every time we would go on a big pod trip, she would organize a play. Organize a play.

[Dax Shepard]

She makes movies with the kids and she directs all of them and there's babies involved and she edits them all. She really good at that.

[Monica Padman]

So can't wait to hire her in eight years. But yeah, no, she's wonderful.

[Dax Shepard]

Special girl.

[Monica Padman]

Very, very special. She came to us, whatever, and was like, pick A name out of the hat. And there were people. Name people's names. And then also we had to pick another thing that said, like write a story or origami or something. Yes. And you had to match the two and do this by the end of the night. And I was annoyed.

[Dax Shepard]

We all were. Yeah, we were all annoyed. Like, God, we have homework now.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

I was like, I just wanted to relax today. And now we have to figure this out. And we have to, because it's for a child.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. Can't break her young dreams.

[Monica Padman]

Yep.

[Dax Shepard]

And. And we did it. And it was spectacular.

[Monica Padman]

It was the best thing we ever, ever did. It was so heartwarming.

[Dax Shepard]

And then the next year, which is great, is I had never received a text from Lily, and it just said, your secret turkey is.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I didn't even know what that meant, but it was just in order.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Which was really fun.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. So for the past few years, we've received, with some weeks in advance, our secret turkey. Someone in our pod. And we have to make the gift correct. And.

[Dax Shepard]

Or if you're Charlie, you. You say you made it, but you really hired an artist.

[Monica Padman]

Exactly.

[Dax Shepard]

Which is very good.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. And then we go around and we present our secret turkeys, and it's a really special thing to do. And right now, you're in that phase where you're stressed out about it.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

But you're going to feel good once you accomplish it.

[Dax Shepard]

It'll be wonderful. It's. It's the best part of Thanksgiving.

[Monica Padman]

I haven't started mine, but I know what I'm doing.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, great. I'm excited to see who you have, and I'm excited.

[Monica Padman]

I have a really. Well, everyone's a good person.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. I basically have a lot of as much excitement as I have. I also have a ton of holiday anxiety because it's also limited a sweatshirt edition time.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So this the time of the year where I've got to let go draw. And every time I enter it with the same anxiety because I can't draw very well.

[Monica Padman]

So it's not true.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Yesterday, I sat down with an idea. It was actually your idea. So I had to draw three different things. I drew the first thing. I was like, oh, my God, this is great. I sent it to you.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Really good.

[Dax Shepard]

And then I tried to draw the next thing for hours, and I just couldn't. I'm like, why can't I draw that thing? And not.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it is weird. Kind of. Were you looking at an image?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Of Course.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

It was just very frustrating, and I couldn't. I couldn't do it. And then I was like, and I can't bring in someone to do one of the three pictures. No, it hasn't got to be from me. Now, I did order a device this morning, I'll have you know that I think might help with this.

[Monica Padman]

But also, I think you are overthinking it. And this is because you actually are good at drawing that your bar is much higher the thing, I guess, can we say.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Wanted to do a crow, a mouse, and cherries.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Which is so cute. And then you were able to accomplish the mouse.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. In fact, regardless of that, I do want to. Merry Christmas. I'm going to frame that for you for Christmas.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, that's so sweet.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah. The problem was the mouse is good enough that the crow looked like a crayon drawing. Like the. They have to be somewhat comparable.

[Monica Padman]

I know.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, in detail, it's not like one can be a character and one can be photorealistic. And then.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Because the mouse is photorealistic. It has, like, hairs.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Whiskers.

[Monica Padman]

So deep. It is so detailed, and it's really, really good. But maybe you could dumb d. Give me that for Christmas. But then maybe you could do a version that's more crayon, like the crow, so that it matches. But.

[Dax Shepard]

So I ordered a light board today. An artist light board.

[Anna Kendrick]

What's that?

[Monica Padman]

That.

[Dax Shepard]

So I trace the outside of a shape, and then I do all the stuff, and the crow is just a big blob of black, and it just. I couldn't even get the shape right. And then to get into the feathers, and there's something. There's so many patterns that go all these different ways or whatever. Now, a light board emits bright light behind the images you're doing. So, like, I could put an image and trace it. Yeah. I guess it's a cheat.

[Monica Padman]

No.

[Dax Shepard]

Anyways, light boards are really popular, and I realize a lot of people are using light boards, because once I got on there, it was all these different options. And the stuff I was looking. Looking at, I was like, oh, yeah, I see that all the time. People are definitely using lightboards.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

Anyways, I ordered a pretty nice lightboard today.

[Monica Padman]

You're turning into a real artiste.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Maybe this will send me on some kind of a trajectory.

[Monica Padman]

You could probably use your light board to make whatever, your secret turkey gift.

[Dax Shepard]

True. That's a good point. Okay, Great idea. Earmarked. Okay. I have a few funny stories I want to tell you, okay? When I work out, there's a lot of mirrors in my gym and there's a lot of backlight. And I don't. When I look in the mirror in my bathroom, there's zero backlight. It's all front light. And so what I see. And that's going to be a ding, ding, ding. When I see what's so backlit, that's where I'm seeing, like, oh, my Jennifer. I have so much hair growing out of my trapezius, my deltoids, my back. And then I see, like, really long stray hairs coming out my neck, which are disgusting. And while I'm working out, all I can do is focus on those, of course. So it occurred to me, I'm going to keep scissors in my gym now.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

So that I can get the things I'm seeing. So yesterday I fully was just going to work out, okay. And I cut some hairs, then I cut some more hairs. Then I. Oh, my God. I gave myself an full haircut when I was.

[Monica Padman]

How can you read?

[Dax Shepard]

But do you notice my hair is cut from the last time you saw me? I got, like, a fresh cut right now. That's. That's because I gave myself a full haircut in the gym. And I put a towel down, and I would go over the mirror and I would just start cutting. And then I would walk outside and shake all the hair off and be like, that's it. Now get back to your workout. Working out a little bit more. Oh, I missed that spot. This spot. So I was in there working out for about an hour and 45 minutes, and I got a terrible workout, and I came out with a fresh haircut.

[Monica Padman]

You have an unusual marriage to your hair in that you. You sometimes have to, like, change it immediately. Like, remember when you. You had to buy those shavers? You had to buy a razor when you were on vacation with Delta to shave your face in the parking lot, right?

[Dax Shepard]

Because I just hit a maximum capacity. I was like, this thing is way too long. I got to get it off my face. I felt, like, claustrophobic for it. And then I also, when I'm depressed, I'll give myself a radical haircut. But that started in junior high, and it's kind of like a coping mechanism. Oh, it's kind of like going to reset. There's a new me, and I'm not. And also, I. I tend to trim my hair. Kristen points this out all the time. If she sees me, like, almost like, five nights in a row doing some Trimming in the mirror when I brush my teeth. She knows I have a lot of anxiety, so yes, I currently have a lot of anxiety and yes, so that you're, you're right about that pattern.

[Monica Padman]

Well, do you want to talk about why you're depressed?

[Dax Shepard]

I have a lot of work anxiety.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, there's a lot of work anxiety right now.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

BTS.

[Dax Shepard]

BTS where like I'm some days at 8 going like to the family. May I go to bed? May I just go to bed now?

[Monica Padman]

If, if this was happening with a family member.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

What advice would you give them?

[Dax Shepard]

Well, it happens all the time, you know.

[Monica Padman]

And what advice do you give? Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, so you know, Kristen has depression, so she'll. Hers won't necessarily be be incident driven. Right. It's not like she has a specific thing. She'll just have a wave of it and yeah, she'll sleep a lot and there's really, there's nothing I can do or nor do I think I should do. I just go like, oh, yeah, yeah, she's kind of in a slump. She's going to sleep a lot for a while and then she's going to come out of it. Now, earlier on, that used to scare me and I was like, is this going to be forever? And I've just gone through the cycle enough that now I just go like, all right, yeah, she's going to organize for a couple days really, really intensely and then she's going to sleep a lot for a few days and then it's going to be over.

[Monica Padman]

I guess I'm asking like, what, what would your recommendations be if there was a prolonged period of what you felt was not a great state?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, well, yeah, there's steps. One is like, I will gently and have, have like, hey, love, have you, have you checked in with your psychiatrist lately?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, exactly.

[Dax Shepard]

You know, I'm not saying you need to do anything, just like, have you checked in with your psychiatrist?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So that'll be like one thing I can do. I, it's evolved because I used to try to fix it because that's my nature.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I used to try to talk her out of it or tell her what's good in her life or, you know, gratitude list. One thing I'll still do. And she, she likes this. And it's not, it doesn't trigger feeling judged about being sad is, let's go for a walk or let's go for a hike, like, just encouraging. Let's go, you know, move around. But I'm still moving around. I'm still doing all my workouts.

[Monica Padman]

That's good.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, another great update. So I got the toe thing looked at.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Guess what I'm doing tomorrow? I'm going to the dentist.

[Monica Padman]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

First time in 10 years.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

That's great.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Guess what else I'm going to do? I'm going to have my teeth white.

[Monica Padman]

Your teeth cleaned. Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. What do you think about that?

[Monica Padman]

I think that's great.

[Dax Shepard]

I've been seeing a lot of pictures of myself from olden days and I realized my teeth used to be so much whiter.

[Monica Padman]

Oh.

[Dax Shepard]

I had. You know, I had four or five years of tobacco use.

[Monica Padman]

Sure. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Coming up on a year without. Are you worried about it being too bright?

[Monica Padman]

Oh, no. But that is a really funny episode of Friends.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. No, but like, it hurts.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yeah. It hurts really bad. I remember because I did it like 18 years ago and it was miserable.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

But I think I'm going to. And they won't like this, but I'm. Well, at least when I did it before you did multiple sessions. And I'm going to go. I can handle just a lot. A little bit of lightning. I don't got to go all the way and have the insane tooth pain. Like, I won't trade. I'm willing to just do halfway. I feel like I wasted some money, but not. Yeah, because when I did it the first time, it felt like ice picks in my teeth.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

No, if you. You haven't had it done, have you? No, no need.

[Monica Padman]

What a. I use that arm and hammer. You know, I. I don't. I keep telling you. And you can do it. It's. It's at your disposal. But you just. You just don't.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, but also you never chew tobacco and you're new to coffee. You're still only.

[Monica Padman]

I drink a lot of red wine.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, that's problematic. God. Imagine what they would look like if you didn't drink so much red wine.

[Monica Padman]

Do they not look good?

[Dax Shepard]

They're so white. They're very enviable. It doesn't help that I work with you because I'm staring at like as white as they can get all the time. Natural. Now you're right. You can go way too far.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, you can. And you can tell to me. You can tell. I guess this is the reverse veneers conversation.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

You gotta be careful to fine line.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, we'll find you see Thursday.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, great. I'm excited. Now, I just remember we were on camera. So I showed my teeth and I Remembered something else. People will definitely say, monica, do you have a hickey?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, let me see. And do you?

[Monica Padman]

I don't. Oh, do you see it, though?

[Dax Shepard]

I do not. Oh, really? Where you point to where it's at?

[Monica Padman]

Well, I don't remember.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, on that side. A little bruise.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's a bruise.

[Dax Shepard]

How is a hickey how that happened?

[Monica Padman]

I had a refresh of my Botox.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay. And they do your neck?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, they do. Because I have a very strong neck. And so they have to put some Botox in there.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Monica Padman]

To make it less.

[Dax Shepard]

Less strong.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

What if you woke up in the morning and you went to lift your head up and you could. And you came into work in your head was like this. And you go. And you go. You ever get toothpaste or. There we go, full talks.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, so in this episode, Anna goes into the bathroom. And while she's in the bathroom, you're telling me about your potential cashmere sweater that you're gonna make out of your back hair.

[Dax Shepard]

Thank you.

[Monica Padman]

That you, I guess, made you collected some more yesterday.

[Dax Shepard]

No, I didn't. I didn't. But I see that a new crop is coming in. Did I already say in case you missed that episode? Basically, I discovered I had all this back hair from the backlighting of the gym. I was saying it out loud to my family and Lincoln said, do you want me to shave your back? Which I think is a dirty job. I would have never asked her to shave my back. That sounds. Well, first of all, like, very vain on my. Like, I've got my kids grooming me now.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

But she offered. And. And I shaved her legs for her.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. That's cute.

[Dax Shepard]

And so.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, have you thought about combining.

[Dax Shepard]

That's a great idea. Well, maybe two different sweaters. So anyways, so I sat on the edge of the bathtub and she shaved my whole back. And then I collected it to throw it away. And I couldn't help but notice, by George, this is the softest hair I've ever felt in my life. I didn't. Would have never thought my hair was a software. So then Lincoln and I decided that I should start collecting it because it's cashmere.

[Monica Padman]

Sure.

[Dax Shepard]

And that at some point, maybe I'm 60 or 70, I'll have enough for a sweater.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. And so.

[Monica Padman]

So you brought it.

[Dax Shepard]

I brought it. And I keep it in this bag. Now, I don't know if that's how you spell cashmere. And as you can see from the amount in it, it's going to take a long time.

[Monica Padman]

It's really, really going to take.

[Dax Shepard]

But I really wanted you to feel it. Because you tell this to is like there's no way it's what you say it is. But you're very objective and you don't ever lie to benefit.

[Monica Padman]

I felt it. Right.

[Dax Shepard]

I did. I want you to take it out and touch it. And Rob, you're invited to, too. But be careful you don't get any stuck to your fingers. I don't want. You make them.

[Monica Padman]

You can't waste any.

[Dax Shepard]

No, I don't have enough to spare. Yes, yes, definitely. Dry your fingers off.

[Monica Padman]

I know. Okay. Yeah. There's really not a lot to work with here.

[Dax Shepard]

You can pull it all the way out.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

And you want to go like this between your fingers as if it's a cashmere sweater.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

It's okay. Everything's okay.

[Monica Padman]

I'm scared of dropping some.

[Dax Shepard]

Really? Enjoy.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Think it. Go ahead and touch it with your other fingers.

[Monica Padman]

I'm good. Wow. It. It. It is really soft.

[Dax Shepard]

Have you ever felt hair that soft? I haven't.

[Monica Padman]

Hold on. Let me.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, Use both hands.

[Monica Padman]

Well, no, I want to do like a comparative.

[Dax Shepard]

Now, you could make a snowmobile suit in like a day. But.

[Monica Padman]

But not. This hair's coarser.

[Dax Shepard]

Right? Very different.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's really soft. Hold on. What about arm hair?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, I imagine that be similar.

[Monica Padman]

I have a lot of arm hair. That's when they said I was a woolly mammoth. I mean, werewolf. One of them.

[Dax Shepard]

A woolly werewolf.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. It's really nice.

[Dax Shepard]

Rob, do you want to grab a little. Rob, do you want to keep your job?

[Monica Padman]

He doesn't want to. Don't make him. Okay, but it is starting to fall apart.

[Dax Shepard]

It's okay.

[Monica Padman]

Do you love it? It is soft, Rob.

[Dax Shepard]

Don't downplay it. It's very soft. It's compressed a lot because she's.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I. I did that on purpose. Where is it?

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, my God.

[Monica Padman]

Here.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. Guys, guys. That's so hard to come by. That's like rare earth metals. Yes.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God. Get this back in here. This is so rare.

[Dax Shepard]

And to remind people this is my competitive product to Brad Pitt's God's True Cashmere. My company is going to be my true cashmere.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, no.

[Monica Padman]

It should be called Back True Cashmere because it's almost your name and it's your back.

[Dax Shepard]

Backs with an axe.

[Monica Padman]

Yes, backs.

[Dax Shepard]

Cashmere. Wow, guys, that's a great.

[Monica Padman]

How do you feel about me? Like, just putting a tiny bit of My arm hair in here.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh that would be great. That would be great. That's similar to Peaby.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. Got a couple.

[Dax Shepard]

You did. Okay, great. Yeah. Just add it to the bag.

[Monica Padman]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

It's pretty special, right? Like it feel. I feel like that came off a baby.

[Monica Padman]

I can't believe.

[Dax Shepard]

Wait till I have a gallon size Ziploc bag.

[Monica Padman]

Oh my God. Oh my God.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't know if this is the best vessel vessel because there's little. I see little hairs all they're not in the. The little ball they were in.

[Monica Padman]

Every time you touch it it does lose a little bit of its quality.

[Dax Shepard]

Thanks for being willing to touch that. I hope it delivers. I'm going to give it a touch too.

[Monica Padman]

Oh God.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm going to see because I was just talking about in a way that now I'm wondering is it as soft as I remember? It got smaller which is a little concerning.

[Monica Padman]

Well, it didn't get smaller.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, it's wow. Stay tuned for more armchair. Excellent expert if you dare. We are supported by Expedia. Having an adventure on the books gives you somewhere to look forward to.

[Monica Padman]

The excitement, the anticipation.

[Dax Shepard]

Just living in the fantasy of it. And that's why Expedia Hotels.com and VRBO have launched Unpacked 2025, an annual report on the trends in travel for the upcoming year. It's a great way to figure out where you want to go on your next adventure. We checked out the Unpacked25 site and it's really, really cool. They have a section called Detour Destinations that highlights lesser known cities near major travel spots. So let's say you're thinking of traveling to Cancun. Why not venture off the beaten path for a couple days to check out Expedia's Detour destination. Cozumel. Now Cozumel, Mexico is fantastic. I've been. That's a great detour. Hey, maybe you could even make Cozumel your vacations main destination because there's nothing better than traveling. But having a trip to look forward to is a close second. Book your somewhere to look forward [e-mail] unpack25 yeah, we don't have much left after that little. That might be the last show and tell of my cab.

[Monica Padman]

Wait, no, it's now it's just more compacted which you're going to need to compact it.

[Dax Shepard]

I got to learn how to spin yarn too because that isn't that part of what I'll have to do.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, okay, so that's a fact because you Said that cashmere comes from a goat's chin.

[Dax Shepard]

Chin hairs.

[Monica Padman]

It does. It comes from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats.

[Anna Kendrick]

Ah.

[Dax Shepard]

And they're. They're like. They're up in Tibet. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

No, India. Kashmir. India. With a K. Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, right. Cashmere.

[Monica Padman]

When we were in India, I did get myself some cashmere scarves from.

[Dax Shepard]

From cashmere. I presume they grow them elsewhere, but it's like champagne. Yep.

[Monica Padman]

Where you're only really drinking champagne if it comes from champagne. France. Speaking of things to consume, I just saw Anora in the movie theater. It's a movie to see in the movie theater. Currently out. It's so good.

[Dax Shepard]

It is. What's it about? You can't tell.

[Monica Padman]

I don't really want to say too much.

[Dax Shepard]

Good. I prefer that.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Is there anyone in it I know?

[Monica Padman]

I don't think you probably know anyone in it.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

But you will. I think she's definitely going to get nominated and, like, might win. And she is so good in. I mean, everyone's so good in it. But the main actress, Mickey Madison, she is a revelation. It's really something to see. It's so weird because it's like a. It's sad. Like, there's, like, sad things that happen, but there's also, like. There's. There's such comedy throughout. So tonally. And sometimes I don't like that when tones are sort of all over the place, but they nailed it.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. I like multiple tones in things.

[Monica Padman]

Sometimes I think it can feel forced.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

But it didn't hear.

[Dax Shepard]

But like, Hit and Run was like a car chase movie, but it was a relationship movie. And it was.

[Monica Padman]

But tonally, it was one. It had one tone.

[Dax Shepard]

It was.

[Monica Padman]

Different genres were mixed.

[Dax Shepard]

I think you can do multiple tones if you're the writer director. It is. It's Sean Baker. He did the Florida Project and Red Rocket.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

That makes a lot of sense. I think if you're a writer director, like, I would be thinking about this when I was doing Hit and Run because there's, like. There's some broad comedy scenes with nudity and old people. Then there's some really violent scenes. But the. The unifying tone is. It's everything I like. So it's bizarrely consistent tonally, even though it's like everything I like in one movie.

[Monica Padman]

Right. It's such a good movie. I'm really highly recommend it. Been some good movies lately. Substance. Anora.

[Dax Shepard]

Substance.

[Monica Padman]

Substance again.

[Dax Shepard]

Nora.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Poor things. Last year.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. So Woman of the Hour. Ding, ding, ding.

[Dax Shepard]

Do you love It.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I mean, it's.

[Dax Shepard]

It's dark.

[Monica Padman]

Dark. Yeah. But yes, so well done.

[Dax Shepard]

It's very well made.

[Monica Padman]

She killed it.

[Dax Shepard]

The notion that she pitched herself hours before they had to have a director and then had six weeks of prep and then executed. That is hugely impressive.

[Monica Padman]

It really is. Really is. Very. Good job, Anna.

[Dax Shepard]

Good job, Anna.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, I have an update. Huge update.

[Dax Shepard]

Ring's back.

[Monica Padman]

My ring is back.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, but it's a little smaller now.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. So I got it soldered back and I. I think it's a mix of it being maybe a teeny bit smaller because of, like, you know, they probably have to overlap it a tiny bit to solder it would be my guess. Maybe not, but anyway, it might be a little bit smaller. And I think my knuckle is permanently bigger now. A bit bigger from the beat. So I had to really shove this thing on. It took a while. And while I was doing it, I was like, is this a. This is a. What am I doing? I'm doing. I'm setting myself up for another horrible situation.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

But I kept going.

[Dax Shepard]

And we say doing the same thing and expecting different results.

[Monica Padman]

I know they say that in.

[Dax Shepard]

They also say it everywhere, I think, too. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

There's a quote that Einstein says that's like insanity is the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again. Anyway, I worked really hard to get this on.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

It is never coming off.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, maybe I'll, you know, at any moment. You want me to take it off? We've gone down this road. I can get it off in seconds.

[Monica Padman]

I hope I die with it on.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. I hope that's in a hundred years, but, yeah, that sounds fine.

[Monica Padman]

At first, when I put it back, I had so much fear that I made a huge mistake and that I should not have put it back on and that I'm jinxing.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. Now it's like it's a triple jinx.

[Monica Padman]

Yes. It's a reverse back jinx. Because I really started to believe that the ring was the cause to a lot of bad stuff that's going on in the world. And personally, and you did try to tell me that it wasn't the case. You said, I'm not that powerful. Which was a nice thing to say, but I don't believe you because a lot. Also, one of my favorite restaurants closed. Like, things started to really unravel. Shit really started to unravel. So I had to get it back on. But then as soon as I did, I thought, oh, maybe you're not Supposed to go back. Maybe this is a lesson and not going back.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. Not trying to go back to high school or recreate.

[Monica Padman]

Recreate.

[Dax Shepard]

No. It's a cute ring. It looks great on your hand and you love it and it really symbolizes something beautiful. And you should continue to love it and embrace it. Your first big job. I know you got a reward for yourself.

[Monica Padman]

I did.

[Dax Shepard]

I love it. So maybe can you wear it on a different finger that's smaller?

[Monica Padman]

I can't wear it anywhere again.

[Dax Shepard]

Because you can't get it off. Yeah, fuck that. Yeah. That makes me panic.

[Monica Padman]

But I did make a joke that I think the bee that stung me was of a different political party that I'm affiliated with.

[Anna Kendrick]

Uh huh.

[Monica Padman]

Really got in there, you know? Yeah. Did some dirty work.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure. You know, one of the scariest I've ever been is I have. I have since this moment been stung enough that I know I've outgrown my bee allergy. You know, infamously in second grade, my whole face disappeared and I almost stopped breathing.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And so I had.

[Monica Padman]

You also almost stopped breathing because he put a sheet on your face.

[Dax Shepard]

He had put washcloth on my face, similar to what we did to Bubble Bob. And I carried an EpiPen and whatnot. And then I got stung. And then I went to the hospital and they just monitored me. Whatever. I now wouldn't have this fear. But when I was in an archeology class and we were digging up in the Santa Monica mountains at Stunt Ranch, a swarm of bees was migrating and you all of a sudden heard it. And then crazy enough, our archeology teacher, he had been on a dig in South America and. And a student got killed, a graduate student, by getting attacked by bees. So only imagine what his PTSD is about all this. He calls it out. He's like, everyone's still and you can hear like. And you start hearing it, hearing, hearing it. And we just all sat there and it was like biblical. It was a cloud. And when they went overhead, now mind you, they were still probably 60ft above us. It's not like they were coming down, but there was a moment where it was a visit. Visible black cloud. And the amount of noise they made was on par with when a helicopter, police helicopter flies over. It was so loud in so many quadrillion of them. And I'm thinking I'm allergic to them still. And I remember just like, should I run? Should I not run? Should I run? Should I sit here? Should I run? And I just, I stayed. And then they passed, obviously I didn't die.

[Monica Padman]

Good thing you stayed.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. You think I would have caught their attention and they would have gone after me. Yes.

[Monica Padman]

Your teacher said specifically, don't move. I'm glad you listened.

[Dax Shepard]

But that's interesting, too, because part of the reason the. The student had died was that everyone ran, and he ran kind of up a hill, and he got stuck. He couldn't climb any higher.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, sorry I brought that up.

[Monica Padman]

It's a horrible story.

[Dax Shepard]

It's not a good story.

[Monica Padman]

And I very. My girl. So anyway, so Ring is back. We'll see how the world takes that in. Tbd. One other thing I want to say really quick. So I almost did something bad.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, good.

[Monica Padman]

But I didn't.

[Dax Shepard]

I like bad stuff. Tell me.

[Monica Padman]

So I was at a restaurant the other day, and I went to the bathroom. Very rare for me, Right?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

I don't pee a lot. The bathroom smelled so good.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, good.

[Monica Padman]

Also very rare to go to a public restroom. And it smelled good.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And when I was peeing, I saw there was this can, this, like, big candle lit. I was like, that's the cause of this delicious smell. And I went. I was trying to see what the brand is and what it was, and I couldn't find it. So I went back to my seat, and I asked the server, what is the candle in the bathroom? I really like it. He said, yeah, we get this a lot. It's specifically made for us.

[Dax Shepard]

You're in a bizarre pattern.

[Monica Padman]

No, it's. I know how to sniff out limited edition.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, you do.

[Monica Padman]

And. And he said, oh, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Where were we? Where you wanted to get the candle holders off the table. Remember that?

[Monica Padman]

Oh, man.

[Dax Shepard]

And I tried to find those can Again, back to my bad gift giving. And I tried to find those candle holders, and I was unsuccessful.

[Monica Padman]

Shoot, I don't even remember.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. So many things you like at restaurants. It would be hard to.

[Monica Padman]

When I walked through the world, I am like.

[Dax Shepard]

You're like Terminator. But instead of scanning for risks or threats.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

You're scanning for items.

[Monica Padman]

Beautiful. That is how I operate. So he said, it's limited with different words. He said, it's limited edition. Then a manager came over, and I said, oh, is this about the candles? And she said, yeah, so we get a shipment every Monday, so we'll be getting more tomorrow. You have a big purse. I don't know if you want to. You want to go in there? He said that. She said, there's a. There's a. A lot in there. She said, there's Multiple in there.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. She was giving you.

[Monica Padman]

She was giving me permission, which is why this was tricky.

[Dax Shepard]

Can I just say one. One of my favorites early. Early SNL sketches was, I think, Eddie Murphy or one of the black cast members when in White face. And it was like a fake documentary, like a 60s documentary. So he experienced what it was like to be white. And he goes into a shoe store, he tries on some shoes, and he goes, oh, yeah, these are great. And the guy goes, take them. And he finds out that, like, white people aren't even.

[Monica Padman]

Just give it pain for anything.

[Dax Shepard]

Just take them. And everywhere he went, it was like that.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God, that's hilarious.

[Dax Shepard]

This is basically what happened to you, though. But the owners is like, just take it.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow.

[Monica Padman]

Not the owner, the manager. Which is why I'm not going to say the name of the place. I don't want her. I don't want to get her in trouble.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

So I went in there with my bag, really excited, and I opened the cabinet. There's a bunch of these candles.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, wow.

[Monica Padman]

And so I do I take one. I put it in my purse.

[Dax Shepard]

You have the weirdest life.

[Monica Padman]

I started. I started washing my hands, and I thought, I can't do it. Oh, do it. I took it out, put it back.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And.

[Dax Shepard]

And that's kind of good.

[Monica Padman]

Karmically, I don't know.

[Dax Shepard]

He's got to figure out how to buy them or talk about them enough.

[Monica Padman]

On here that they. And I. Now I can't say the place. So I really put myself in a pickle. Now. I went back to that place and.

[Dax Shepard]

Like, will you be in bed thinking about what you're in the mood for to eat? And then you go. And then in your calculations, like, I don't even know what I want to eat, but I want to smell the candle, so I want to go eat at that restaurant. Or I want to see the mug. So I want to eat at that restaurant. Like, are you. Are you deciding to go to places for smells in the trinkets they have?

[Monica Padman]

Okay, so twofold. Yes. In that I will pick locations based on ambiance.

[Dax Shepard]

Right, right.

[Monica Padman]

And vibe.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

But no, like, I wouldn't have gone back to Budanoki just to see the mugs, because that's, in fact, taunting.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Okay, I got you.

[Monica Padman]

I have to have it. Does that make sense?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, of course.

[Monica Padman]

I wonder what that's about. I don't feel safe unless I have it.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

Seeing from afar is lame.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

Having it is. Unlame, Write that down. That's a quote.

[Dax Shepard]

That's a new quote.

[Monica Padman]

Yep. Now, anyway, I was back there with some other friends and a friend offered to take my purse and go get it. This person has not very many morals.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. I know who you're talking about.

[Monica Padman]

No, you don't. Okay, I know who you think I'm talking about, and it's not him. It's not him. It's not Jess.

[Dax Shepard]

I would have thought Anna, too.

[Monica Padman]

It was Anna.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Well, you know who I hang out with, so that's part of it. But.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, but it's deeper than that. I know Kelly didn't do it. I know. I know. Rachel wasn't going to do that. I mean, c. It's not going to be Laura. It's not going to be.

[Monica Padman]

C might do it.

[Dax Shepard]

She might. Yeah, she. A little. She.

[Monica Padman]

She's a. Oh, I shouldn't say that. She's. She would never do something like that. Some of C's co workers. Listen, I just found out. Which is exciting.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yeah?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Hi, co workers.

[Monica Padman]

So anyway, I said no again.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, great.

[Monica Padman]

And then that. And I really hesitated because I thought, well, I'm not doing it.

[Dax Shepard]

It's the same thing. You're gonna get something you didn't pay for and you know, you'll know it.

[Monica Padman]

I know.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm saying good job.

[Monica Padman]

I know.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

But I do want.

[Dax Shepard]

You're gonna be able to figure out who makes this candle.

[Monica Padman]

No, I'm gonna be fine without it.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay. That's also a good.

[Monica Padman]

I'm gonna be fine. I don't need it. What's it gonna do for my life? Nothing. I mean, it is gonna make my house smell so nice. But.

[Dax Shepard]

But you already have a lot of candles.

[Monica Padman]

I have a lot of candles. I have a lot of grape candles. None smell like that, but that's okay. And I'll get through this.

[Dax Shepard]

You'll be stronger for it.

[Monica Padman]

So that. That was my almost stealing. Maybe because I stole when I was young. And that's like. That was really bad.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And apparently my mom cried. Well, that's what my dad told me happened.

[Dax Shepard]

What had you stolen? More than the cookies.

[Monica Padman]

I saw the cookies and then I stole the boy's sand art.

[Dax Shepard]

And your mom cried over that?

[Monica Padman]

Well, my dad told me that, but I think he was lying.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't think she did.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I think he was trying to guilt me.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. And it worked. I know you don't steal anymore. It was a good. What are you going to say?

[Monica Padman]

Like, wow, that's good parenting.

[Dax Shepard]

It Is. It's great parenting. Your mother has. Your mother was inconsolable for a week.

[Monica Padman]

Like, she seems fine at night. She's been crying in bed.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't steal next to me.

[Monica Padman]

Well, you tried to steal a. A parking meter.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I did steal a parking meter.

[Monica Padman]

So I don't think did try to.

[Dax Shepard]

Rob a 7 11.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. What are you talking about?

[Dax Shepard]

I. A compartment in my head. Right.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

When I was younger and an alcoholic.

[Monica Padman]

Oh.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm gonna say this one thing. We're going too long and our new goals and I go so long. I know, but I was just in Kauai that my 40 hour trip was Kauai. I have not been there in 20 years since my last week of drinking.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Was it p. What did it. How did it feel?

[Dax Shepard]

It felt great. Like, I saw the guard rail me and the dude smashed into on the way to buy ice. I saw the crazy hotel Dean and I were at that I went jogging after being awake for three days. Like, I saw all the stuff and I thought, wow, we're back here. Yeah, look how different.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

Everything is. You should be so proud of yourself. You made the right turn when you left here. It was a bizarre way to reflect on, like, what was my life like and my mental health 20 years ago when I was there and what is it like today?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And such an obvious decision was made. And I'm now there with a family and I'm healthy and. Yeah, it was. It was. It was rad.

[Monica Padman]

Wonderful.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, I liked it a lot.

[Monica Padman]

I love that.

[Dax Shepard]

I kind of thought I would never go back there. Yeah, I got invited to go there, so I don't even know I would ever picked it because it's. Yeah, it's my last week and as a gnarly week, but it was very fun to be there and just go like, oh, man, did we dodge a bullet. If we would have stayed the course, a, we wouldn't be alive right now, and B, we would just not have the life we have. So it was. Yeah, it was cool.

[Monica Padman]

That's lovely. Yeah. Great time to reflect. Well, did that do anything for my work anxiety? Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. My. My time there was a beautiful. I did. I left all of my worries in Los Angeles and did have a totally carefree, wonderful 40 hours. Is that what you're asking?

[Monica Padman]

Well, sort of, I guess. Like the reflection, like, you help me with my current. To really, really have a physical reminder of where you were and where you are. And understanding, like, the stuff that's happening is really, really, really Frustrating and not really not fun. But in the grand scheme, like, look where you are and what you're doing.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. I'm aspiring to be there, but I'd be lying if I said I could. I mean, one of the tools I'm employing is like, everything's fine. Everything's fine. Everything. Everything at this point could get destroyed, and I'd still be very fine.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So I am cycling through that reminder when I'm doing the other things to help, and then I just get caught in the loop, you know, I get caught in the rumination, you know, my sense of injustice going crazy. And so I. Yeah. And then I get stuck in it, and then I say, you're stuck in it, but it has no effect on being stuck in it.

[Monica Padman]

I know. Have you considered reaching back out to your therapist?

[Dax Shepard]

I didn't consider doing it, but I did have a moment of, like, why aren't you talking to your therapist? This would be a time good time. Yeah. Yeah, it did. It did kind of cross my mind, maybe.

[Monica Padman]

It's also easy to forget when you've been out of it for a little bit how helpful it is.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. But, yes, I. I agree with you, and that's probably a good idea.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I. I don't. I think it's might be a good idea. I had therapy, and it was helpful.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, good.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. So are 90% of Asians lactose intolerant? 70 to 100% of people in East Asian Asia are lactose intolerant.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

So, yeah. 90s right in there.

[Dax Shepard]

You know what? Make you proud of your girl, Lincoln? She had to name all 32 countries on a map of Asia for a test, and she got 32 out of 32.

[Anna Kendrick]

Wow.

[Monica Padman]

That's incredible.

[Dax Shepard]

She even hit me with the name of a country I didn't even know she knows now. She now.

[Monica Padman]

Awesome.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. I thought she was making one up. I get out my Google map.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. When did Missoni and Target do the collab? 2011. Okay. The seahorse situation where you said they're made of dust. Those are sea monkeys.

[Dax Shepard]

Those are sea monkeys. And a lot of commenters pointed that out.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, they're sea monkeys. And sea monkeys is a colloquial term for a shrimp. Brine shrimps. And it's really just.

[Dax Shepard]

And it's a power.

[Monica Padman]

Yep. And it's very disgusting.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, and then I'm gonna play one clip before we end here.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. I love a clip. Most memorable moments from the Newlywed Game. What's the old urban legend? You know, where's the strangest, most unusual place you ever made whooping that didn't make it on the air. But she actually said that. Well, she said worse. All of a sudden, there was an urban legend that went out there that said. I said, where's the strangest, most unusual place you've ever made whoopee? And the lady was supposed to have said, well, that would be in the butt, Bob. And that never happened. That never happened. About five years ago, I got a call from Game Show Network and they said, you. You better come down here and take a look at this. So I go down and take a look at it, and there is this little Caucasian lady from Pennsylvania, right? Her name is Olga. And I said, where's the strangest, most unusual place you've ever made whoopee? And she says, in the ass. I said, no, not Olga. No, no, no, no, no. It has to be a location. Oh. Oh, sorry. You know, so that asshole that didn't make it on the air, we cuckooed that one out also. What's his name?

[Monica Padman]

Bob Eubanks.

[Dax Shepard]

Bob Eubanks. Bob, if the person in your story's name is Olga, you don't have to say Caucasian. We could definitely context clue that.

[Monica Padman]

Actually, you know what's funny? I. I almost said. I like that he said that because.

[Dax Shepard]

People would say black, right?

[Anna Kendrick]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. That's fair. What's the other one? There's another really famous funny one, which is karate.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Karate class.

[Dax Shepard]

Karate class. What one's. What's the setup for that? Is it condiments?

[Anna Kendrick]

I think it is condiment.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, is it?

[Dax Shepard]

What's your favorite condiment? Karate class. What's your husband's favorite condiment? Karate class.

[Monica Padman]

I don't think.

[Dax Shepard]

I think. Here, I can email you it. What will your husband say is his favorite condiment?

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, I would say his pool table upstairs, definitely.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, that's interesting. His pool. Go upstairs, Annette.

[Monica Padman]

All right. I never heard that word before neither.

[Dax Shepard]

So I said karate school.

[Monica Padman]

Karate school.

[Dax Shepard]

What your husband say is his favorite condiment? Karate school.

[Monica Padman]

No one knew what condiment was?

[Dax Shepard]

No. I would have thought they would confuse it with condom, but they confuse it with, like, recreation.

[Monica Padman]

Right. Interesting.

[Dax Shepard]

Very.

[Monica Padman]

All right. So that's it. We love an Anna Kendrick. We were so delighted she came back to us.

[Dax Shepard]

We love her lover, love her, and.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, do you want to.

[Dax Shepard]

She came to Halloween. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So on the episode, she said she felt bad that she ghosted. And then we invited her to Halloween, and she was very, very brave. Came all by herself and joined our family. Outfit.

[Monica Padman]

She did.

[Dax Shepard]

She was Claire Corning Stone or whatever.

[Monica Padman]

Veronica.

[Dax Shepard]

Veronica Corning Stone.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

From Channel 4 News.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Anchor man. Good job, Anna.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. That's called growth.

[Dax Shepard]

Growth.

[Monica Padman]

We love. We love to see it. All right.

[Dax Shepard]

All right. Love you. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondry app, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of Armchair Expert early and ad free right now by joining Wondry plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short [e-mail] survey in.

[Anna Kendrick]

A quiet suburb, a community is shattered by the death of a beloved wife and mother.

[Dax Shepard]

But this tragic loss of life quickly.

[Anna Kendrick]

Turns into something even darker. Her husband had tried to hire a hitman on the dark web to kill her. And she wasn't the only target. Because buried in the depths of the Internet is the Kill List, a cache of chilling documents containing names, photos, addresses.

[Dax Shepard]

And specific instructions for people's murders. This podcast is the true story of.

[Anna Kendrick]

How I ended up in a race against time to warned those who lives were in danger. And it turns out convincing a total stranger someone wants them dead is not easy. Follow Kill List on the Wandri app.

[Dax Shepard]

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Anna Kendrick]

You can listen to Kill List and more. Exhibit C True crime shows like Morbid early and ad free right now by joining Wondery.

[Dax Shepard]

Check out exhibit C in the Wondery app for all your true crime listening.