CONNIE BRITTON Went to Singing Eagle Lodge

Summary

Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers

Episode: CONNIE BRITTON Went to Singing Eagle Lodge
Release Date: May 20, 2025
Hosts: Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers
Guest: Connie Britton

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers, hosts Seth and Josh Meyers welcome acclaimed actress Connie Britton as their guest. The conversation delves into Connie’s nostalgic childhood memories, her family’s travel adventures, and her professional journey, all intertwined with humorous and heartfelt exchanges.

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Amsterdam Memories and Sibling Dynamics

[00:00 - 05:58]

The episode kicks off with Seth and Josh reminiscing about their shared apartment in Amsterdam. Seth describes his role as a considerate older brother:

Seth: "I took the bad room."
Josh: "Your creature comforts are... You don't need much."

They humorously discuss the minimalistic living conditions and Seth’s protective nature towards Josh, ensuring he wasn’t left in uncomfortable situations. The conversation highlights the fleeting nature of their shared time in Amsterdam, as their lives mostly unfolded outside the apartment.

---

Connie Britton’s Early Experiences

[06:00 - 17:53]

Connie Britton joins the conversation, sharing her upbringing primarily in Virginia with fraternal twin sister. She recounts her transformative experience at Singing Eagle Lodge, a two-week girls' camp on Squam Lake:

Connie: "I just loved it so much... It was magic and beautiful."

The camp experience was pivotal, especially witnessing the filming of On Golden Pond there, which ignited her passion for theater. Connie also touches on the challenges of attending camp at 14, a time when forming new friendships can be daunting.

---

Family Road Trips and Childhood Adventures

[22:02 - 36:28]

Connie delves into her family’s extensive road trips across the United States. From long drives in Virginia to annual visits to New York City and Disney World, these journeys fostered her love for theater and cultural experiences:

Connie: "We drove everywhere... My dad would read us Watership Down."

She shares humorous anecdotes, like losing a ski and holding onto a tree, underscoring her early struggles with skiing—a stark contrast to her current experiences accompanying her family on ski trips.

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Career Reflections and Personal Growth

[34:09 - 43:27]

Reflecting on her career, Connie discusses her initial reluctance and eventual embrace of theater, influenced by her high school’s robust drama program. She humorously reveals her long-standing love for the musical Cats, despite facing criticism:

Connie: "I thought Cats was the best thing that ever happened... now it's a private secret."

Connie also shares insights into her mother’s defensive driving habits and her father’s brilliant yet less coordinated driving style, adding a personal touch to her family dynamics.

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Challenges of Filming During COVID-19

[50:00 - 53:27]

Connie recounts the unique challenges of filming White Lotus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being in a picturesque location like Maui, strict isolation measures and safety protocols made the experience more akin to a stringent lockdown than a traditional vacation:

Connie: "We had to isolate in our rooms... we couldn’t go out of the hotel at all."

She emphasizes the camaraderie with the crew and the rare moments of beauty, such as watching sunsets at the hotel beach, amidst the ongoing pandemic stress.

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Rapid-Fire Questions and Final Thoughts

[63:20 - 66:35]

The episode concludes with a fun rapid-fire segment where Connie answers questions about her ideal vacation, favorite means of transportation, and dream vacation family. Her answers reflect her relaxed nature and deep appreciation for meaningful experiences:

• Ideal Vacation: Relaxing
• Favorite Transportation: A really short plane ride
• Dream Vacation Family: Ron Howard's family from Happy Days
• Hometown: Lynchburg, Virginia

Connie also shares memorable trips, including her first visit to the Grand Canyon, which left a lasting impression and parallels her son’s upcoming trip.

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Notable Quotes

• Seth Meyers [00:32]: "I took the bad room."
• Connie Britton [13:12]: "I never sewed anything in my life... But it says Connie on the back."
• Connie Britton [33:58]: "I have an entire... Sean my Sonny is about next week to take his school..."
• Connie Britton [51:48]: "There is something about working in Covid... you can just be a part of the community."

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Insights and Conclusions

This episode beautifully intertwines personal anecdotes with broader reflections on family, growth, and community. Connie Britton’s stories offer listeners a glimpse into the formative experiences that shaped her, emphasizing the enduring impact of family trips and supportive environments. The Meyers brothers provide a warm and relatable backdrop, making the conversation both insightful and entertaining.

Through humor and heartfelt stories, the episode underscores the importance of sibling bonds, the challenges of growing up, and the resilience required to navigate both family dynamics and unforeseen circumstances like a global pandemic. Listeners are left with a deeper appreciation for the shared experiences that mold us and the value of maintaining strong familial and community ties.

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Enjoy this heartfelt and humorous journey with Connie Britton and the Meyers brothers as they navigate the intricacies of family trips and personal growth. Whether you're a fan of Connie’s work or simply enjoy a good story, this episode is sure to resonate and entertain.

Transcript

[Sufi]

Hi, Baji.

[Baji]

Hi, Sufi.

[Sufi]

You know, we were talking about how we're taking this trip to Amsterdam, and I feel like we've not talked enough about the apartment we shared in Amsterdam.

[Baji]

The one over the Shawarma place.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Was that one over at Shawarma place? The one near Ferdinand Bulstrode?

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

And I lived there first. I had a roommate, and then the roommate moved out and you moved in.

[Baji]

Mm.

[Sufi]

And I feel like I was a cool older brother. I took the bad room.

[Baji]

Yeah. Your creature comforts are. You don't need much.

[Sufi]

It's kind of like I need what a creature needs.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

It's fine. When you say creature comforts, I need, like, a little bit of food and a little bit of water and, like, I don't need sunlight. Right. I don't like a rip, like a.

[Baji]

Ripped up blanket that you could, like, curl into. That's good for you.

[Sufi]

Yep. I mean, I think I did have a mattress on a floor.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

And it was in a light on a little table. There was no window. And. But I will. So I. But I. I mean, I. You know, I knew two things. One, I knew I'd be fine with that. And I would have felt terrible if you had been in there. I wouldn't have been. I, you know, you're my little brother, and I wouldn't have wanted you to sleep like you were, you know, an imprisoned Nelson Mandela, which is ultimately what that.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

What I feel like that room felt like. Do you have fond memories of that apartment?

[Baji]

I don't. I don't have a lot of memories.

[Sufi]

I don't think we were there very, very long together. I also don't have, I will say, trying to figure out where to stay on our trip. And I'm gonna be at an Airbnb I'm very excited about. And, you know, I wanna pick the right one, obviously, because it's the first time Ash is seeing Amsterdam. But then I realize none of the weekend is gonna be us in the apartment.

[Baji]

Right.

[Sufi]

And so much of our life in Amsterdam, because of what age we were, we were almost never in our apartments.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

So I think part of not having any memories of it was the very fact that we would wake up and then we would leave and we wouldn't come back until.

[Baji]

Yeah. It will be nice to be in a nice Airbnb sort of for the wake up and the go to bed, though, in the between times, like, you know, we might be charging pretty hard on these days and there might need to be the occasional midday nap. There are Some.

[Sufi]

That's true.

[Baji]

Some gaps in the schedule before dinners and whatnot, where you might be able to just, like, get on a couch and watch any of the three. Three versions of music TV that are on.

[Sufi]

Ash is doing that thing you get really excited about when you're bringing your kid to Europe, is he's asking questions like, do they have TVs? Yeah. Yeah. It's not about that.

[Baji]

And when we were there, they had mtv.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

Tmf, which was the music factory.

[Sufi]

Yeah. A lot of late 90s, a lot of things were factories in pop culture.

[Baji]

And the Box, which was also music tv. The books also. I wonder if you know, if you're up late night. I don't know if they still have these in Holland or not, but there are always ads for, like, dirty phone numbers you could call.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

Some, like, sexy commercials.

[Sufi]

Oh, that's true.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

So maybe instead of a babysitter, I just give Ash, like, a prepaid.

[Baji]

Prepaid phone card.

[Sufi]

Prepaid phone card. And just, like, lock them into the apartment. I'll be fine. Yeah, do. How can you and Dutch say anything that they would say on a sexy phone ad?

[Baji]

Oh, yeah. Been so hate for you.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

Bell, new call now.

[Sufi]

Bell, new call now.

[Baji]

They would always sell it, say to Belle, new.

[Sufi]

My favorite ad you would hear a lot in Amsterdam. There are things I just think about. Again, I don't speak any Dutch, but I was like, new in the Beer Scope.

[Baji]

Oh, yeah.

[Sufi]

Which is, like, now in theaters.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

But the favorite. My favorite one that I think about all the time is Let Op Zack.

[Baji]

And Rollers, which is look out for pickpockets.

[Sufi]

Zack and Rollers is pickpockets. Let Op means look out. But what always made me laugh is Let Op O P. It always, like, in my head, I read it like that the sign was for the pickpockets, that it was basically saying, hey, let up.

[Baji]

Chill out.

[Sufi]

It wasn't look out for pickpockets. It was like, enough. There's not enough signs about, like, telling the pickpockers, like, hey, yeah, people. People need that stuff.

[Baji]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sufi]

There's also. When we were there, it can't be this anymore. You would buy, like, to ride the trams. There were these, like, paper strips.

[Baji]

Yeah. Stripping card.

[Sufi]

A stripping cart. And so every time you heard the stripping cart, what would you sing?

[Baji]

Oh, I forget.

[Sufi]

There was that Simpsons song called Kwik E Mart.

[Baji]

Oh, yeah.

[Sufi]

Who loves the Kwik E Mart?

[Baji]

Yes.

[Sufi]

So I feel like every time somebody would buy one, they'd be like, I got a Strip in card.

[Baji]

Strip bank card.

[Sufi]

This is my favorite part. Come take a ride with me.

[Connie Britton]

The.

[Baji]

You know, you might have an occasion to be on a tram and it's fun. I think it'll be fun for Ash if you get an in between the cars where the tram bends.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

You can sort of to ride that little. That little swivel. I think he'd like that.

[Sufi]

I haven't done a lot of tram riding in recent trips to Amsterdam, I feel like. But for Ash, I feel like I might have to.

[Baji]

Yeah. It is a good means of transportation if you're not on a bicycle and you want to get somewhere fast.

[Sufi]

Well, it's coming up soon.

[Baji]

Yeah. Very excited.

[Sufi]

Very excited. We have a very wonderful guest for us today.

[Baji]

Oh, man. I was very excited when I heard that she was going to be joining us.

[Sufi]

Connie Britton. She's been in so many great things and needless to say, she's a great conversation as well. So we do hope you enjoy it.

[Baji]

Family trips with the mysterious brothers. Family chips with the mouthless brothers.

[Sufi]

Here we go.

[Baji]

Hello, hello, hello, hello.

[Sufi]

How are you, Connie?

[Baji]

Bros. Bros. Yeah, total bros. Bros. You're.

[Sufi]

Hanging with the bros now? You're hanging with the bros. Uh huh.

[Connie Britton]

This is so exciting. Josh.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

I'm so happy to meet you.

[Baji]

So am I. I mean, my wife will be furious with me if I don't mention. And you might get tired of it, but your Friday Night Lights was the first show we, like, watched together. And when I told her that you were gonna join us on the pod, her jaw dropped and she was like, you have to tell her.

[Connie Britton]

That is real, real, real cute.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

I remember where I was when I watched the finale. Cause Alexi and I watched it together and we were in a hotel in Geneva. And when it was over, I said, I bet we're the only people who ever watched the finale of this show at a hotel in Geneva.

[Connie Britton]

You might. You might be. I mean, now I'm gonna do a.

[Sufi]

Poll just to start a poll. I will say I'm very surprised, Connie. You seem like the kind of person that Josh would have met at some point because you just sort of travel in friendly circles. So I'm sort of shocked.

[Connie Britton]

I mean, I tend to travel in unfriendly circles.

[Sufi]

This is new. This is a new development.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah. So I don't know. Wait, what do you mean we travel in friendly circles? Like, do we have mutual friends?

[Sufi]

I don't know. I just feel like, I guess you just. You're good people. And I feel like Josh Kind of tends to.

[Baji]

I got good people.

[Sufi]

I like good people.

[Connie Britton]

Josh, are you in la?

[Baji]

I am.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, Josh. Now we have to play the, like, six degrees of Josh separation.

[Baji]

I know if I was. If I was still sort of accepting and putting out friend requests on Facebook, I'm sure we could figure out we have these mutual friends, but I've left.

[Sufi]

That well in my past.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, we don't do that anymore.

[Sufi]

We don't.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

It was five.

[Baji]

I feel bad. Every now and again, I'll pull up my Facebook and I'll see, like. And I'm not, like, bragging, but it'll be like, you have, like, 450 friend requests, and I just haven't responded to any of them.

[Connie Britton]

Stop bragging, Josh.

[Sufi]

What you should do is accept three of them.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah. And then hope the word gets back that, like. No, he uses it still.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah. Like, he.

[Sufi]

He just maybe.

[Baji]

Yeah, But Dad. Dad sends friend. Friend requests to people, and he's not really sending them. It's just Facebook sort of like trying to do things. And dad's picture is like, him in a tuxedo. And a friend of mine will be like, I just got this friend request from Larry Myers. And then I'll ask Dad if he sent it, and he is not. So I don't.

[Sufi]

Oh, interesting.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

I thought dad retired and was like, I'm gonna really start connecting with my son's friends, which he does. Our parents still live in our hometown and are very close with our friends. So we're from southern New Hampshire. And let me just say, Connie, because again, I think it's very easy for people to assume you're from Texas or assume you're from Nashville, but you are. You were born in Boston.

[Connie Britton]

I was born in Boston, but you know what? I only lived there for the first year of my life.

[Baji]

Gotcha.

[Sufi]

So you're not. But in birthplace only, are you a New Englander?

[Connie Britton]

Only in birthplace only. However, not completely, because I went to college in New Hampshire.

[Sufi]

Oh, that's right. Go green.

[Connie Britton]

I have that in common. This is bullseye.

[Baji]

Oh, is that a real cat or is that a fake stuffy cat?

[Sufi]

No, it could be a sky cat.

[Connie Britton]

I mean, it's kind of weird that I'm showing you my cat, but it would be really weird if I was show showing you a stuffed cat.

[Sufi]

Well, so we would wrap this up so fast. So anyway, thank you.

[Baji]

All right.

[Sufi]

That was Connie. Britain, born in Boston, spent a year there, and that's about all we need. And then she showed us the stuffed animal. Did you Enjoy. I mean, I, you know, so that Dartmouth campus is a beautiful campus. Gorgeous. I have friends from high school who went there. They did not care for my services when I offered them.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, really? You did offer your services?

[Sufi]

I did offer my services and they did not think it was a match. But it's a beautiful place for part of the year and then I would imagine, just dire in the winters.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, dire. Well, it's funny because where did you guys grow up?

[Baji]

We grew up in Bedford, New Hampshire.

[Connie Britton]

Manchester. Yeah, Nearman, Bedford. I went to camp in New Hampshire growing up. I grew up in Virginia. I spent, not Boston, most of my time in Virginia, but I went to camp in New Hampshire because my mother had gone to camp in New Hampshire. It's a camp called Singing Eagle Lodge. I say it slowly because it's actually really hard to say fast. Try Singing Eagle Lodge.

[Baji]

It's not just singing Illegal Lodge.

[Connie Britton]

See, it's kind of hard. Anyway, and so my mom went there when she was growing up, and so then I chose to go there and it was like a two week girls camp on Squam Lake. Do you guys know Squam Lake?

[Baji]

Sure. Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

And I just loved it so much. Like, I just. It was so. It was, for me, magic and beautiful. And I was there at the time that. Remember the movie on Golden Pond?

[Baji]

Of course.

[Connie Britton]

That movie came out and we were thrilled to discover that they had shot that movie on Squam Lake. And so I thought, you know, that was my first brush with fame because I went to camp at Squam Lake and they had shot a movie there. So anyway. But I think that's part of why I loved it up there so much. So then when I was looking at different colleges and I found Dartmouth, I'm like, whoa, you can like, go to college in a place like this. That's amazing. So, yeah, that was so. I mean, all to say, like, I kind of love where you grew up.

[Sufi]

So I have a few questions based on this. What year. How old were you the first time you went to sleepaway camp?

[Connie Britton]

Do you remember Singing Eagle Lodge?

[Sufi]

Singing. Oh, it is hard.

[Connie Britton]

See, I. It's shockingly difficult. Yeah, you gotta slow it down. How old was I? I was actually old. Like, okay. I. I mean, old for kids.

[Baji]

Like 32.

[Sufi]

Yes, it was a problem. And you kept walking around with a stuffed animal, being like, this is my real cat, by the way.

[Connie Britton]

Hold on, hold on. Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. Oh, God.

[Sufi]

Hold on.

[Connie Britton]

I'm gonna. I'm attached with this. Do you guys care but look, is it weird? Now I am. Oh, my God.

[Sufi]

She has a real stuffed animal.

[Connie Britton]

I am holding up a stuffed animal. Look, Sel.

[Sufi]

Okay.

[Baji]

Oh, Singing Eagle Lodge.

[Connie Britton]

This is what I had on my. And this was my whiskey.

[Sufi]

So the whole time we were busting you for like. Was that a stuffed cat? You had a stuffed teddy bear within reach.

[Connie Britton]

It says Connie on the back.

[Baji]

Oh, my goodness.

[Sufi]

Did you sew that yourself? Is that a camp.

[Connie Britton]

I've never sewn anything in my life. I'm not crafty anyway, so. But I. And it's funny. Cause my son is 14 now. Isn't that shocking, Seth?

[Sufi]

Shocking.

[Connie Britton]

And he's going to camp. Sleepaway camp. For the first time this summer, too. So I guess that's on the older side. Cause I think I was around 14 when I went to Singing Eagle Lodge.

[Sufi]

Now, I have always heard one of the fears about starting to go to camp that late is there's so many kids at camp who are like lifelong friends already by the time they're 14. Cause, like, some kids start going eight or nine in New York City. It's crazy how many kids.

[Connie Britton]

I know.

[Sufi]

My son's.

[Baji]

How many parents want their kids just be gone?

[Sufi]

Well, so many New York parents went to sleepaway camp. And. I know.

[Connie Britton]

And again, for the entire summer.

[Sufi]

Yes.

[Connie Britton]

Like, they go for like two months. It's crazy.

[Sufi]

And they're closer with their camp friends than they are with their high school friends, with their college friends. It's kind of nuts.

[Connie Britton]

I know.

[Sufi]

Is your son excited?

[Connie Britton]

He is excited. And he's literally going for four days. And it's scooter camp. So my son is going to a camp that is all concrete.

[Sufi]

So scooter meaning. So it's not skateboarding scooter.

[Baji]

No, it's like a razor scooter kind of a thing.

[Connie Britton]

Well, no, that's offensive. It's a trick. That's for, like.

[Baji]

I was trying to think.

[Connie Britton]

You're not serious about scootering if you're on a razor scooter.

[Baji]

Okay.

[Connie Britton]

It's like a trick scooter. They learn these tricks and they, like, flip it around and they do these jumps and stuff. And yeah, it's very dangerous.

[Sufi]

But they love it when my kids. This is like two years ago. There's like a little skate park near us.

[Baji]

Even skate park is hard for you to get through.

[Sufi]

Yeah, it might not be. You know what? It might be a me issue.

[Connie Britton]

No, not with Singing Eagle Lodge, it's not.

[Sufi]

But my son, who was probably six at the time, was on his Scooter going down a skateboard ramp and he got out of control and he had a bad fall and scraped up his face. He was fine, but he was already one of those kids who was a little like, you know, risk averse. And then you take. I just. While he was, before he hit the pavement, I realized, oh, he's never gonna get on a scooter ever again.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah. So he never did.

[Sufi]

I mean, he's only nine, but I don't like his odds. Do you? At what point did your son like start being like, I'm gonna do scooter tricks?

[Connie Britton]

Well, he has like a bestie who is really into it. I guess this is going on for, you know, it's like fads. Like these kids have fads. Like suddenly it's like all scooter all the time. It's also all soccer all the time. But I would say this has been going on now for maybe since he was 11.

[Sufi]

Does he find the scooter camp or do you as a mother try to like meet his hobby and go home?

[Connie Britton]

No, no, no, no, no. He found it. He found it. This is also a product of YouTube. Yeah, you've heard of it? They watch these. They watch YouTube. I don't still understand about YouTube, but apparently a lot of people watch it and, and, and so they watch these video scooter dude videos. And then some of, some of them like, are instructors at this camp. And so then they talk about, and they're like, go to this camp this summer and you can get a discount or I'll be there for this week or whatever. And so then suddenly. But the interesting thing about this camp is they also do kind of like trick skiing and stuff. And we were actually recently in Tahoe and they have one of these camps there and this was in the winter and so we went there and they got to like do all the things at the camp there. It was like kind of crazy. So I don't know. I'm never, I've never been interested in these sort of adrenaline type of things. But I'm not a 14 year old boy and I never have been.

[Sufi]

And you did not have a brother, correct?

[Connie Britton]

No, and I didn't have a brother.

[Sufi]

So. Yeah. It must be shocking to find out in real time what this is like.

[Connie Britton]

It's shocking.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

It's astonishing.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Because my, my wife has a younger brother and he is, he is still like very, I don't know, I mean, he's late 30s and is still feels like a crazy adrenaline junkie. And so I Don't think our boys are capable of surprising her.

[Connie Britton]

No. That's good. Yeah, I know. It's such a funny thing. And actually, truthfully, my son is not an adrenaline junkie, which is what's interesting, because he's actually very cautious and safe. And, I mean, to the point where his friend is like, whee. He's like a maniac, and he can do all this crazy stuff. And Yobi is much more kind of, I'm gonna take my time, you know, which kind of makes me feel better as his mom. I'm sure he wishes he was a little bit more crazy, but he still puts himself out there and tries.

[Baji]

Yeah. Also, maybe he and his buddy are gonna come back from camp and his buddy's gonna have a broken wrist and you'll be like, hey, great job, Yobi. In one piece.

[Connie Britton]

I know. Congratulations for not breaking anything. He's never broken anything that I know.

[Sufi]

Oh, nicely done.

[Connie Britton]

Right?

[Sufi]

Nicely done.

[Baji]

Thank you, Gunwood. Feel proud of him before you send him off.

[Sufi]

Right, right. I feel really confident based on this. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support for family trips comes from Airbnb. Hey, Bashi.

[Baji]

Hey, Sufi.

[Sufi]

How are you doing?

[Baji]

I'm good. I got an invite to a wedding later this year in Ireland, and I just pulled up unique Airbnbs in Ireland because we want to travel around a little bit. And I'm so excited to stay at some of the coolest places I feel like I've ever seen. And this is going to be the first time that I've kind of, like, built a trip around cool, unique Airbnbs. And I'm very excited about it.

[Sufi]

And I think one of the nice things about that is now you have these wonderful Irish hosts who are going to make memories for you and MacKenzie as you visit their homeland.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Or as Rory McIlroy would say, hi. Hire. Hire.

[Baji]

Yeah. And I think also one of the nice things about staying in an Airbnb is you will have this host who will give you the keys, and they're going to have a lot of great local insights as to, you know, what you should do in town or, you know, what, hikes are good nearby, and it really gives you that sort of direct connection to where you're staying.

[Sufi]

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[Baji]

No, I don't.

[Sufi]

Holy. Right now, Ancient Nutrition is offering 25% off your first order when you go to ancientnutrition.com trips that's ancientnutrition.com trips for 25% off your first order ancientnutrition.com trips Here we go. Wait, so we. You grew up. You said Virginia, right? And you have a twin sister. Okay. Were you guys very close?

[Connie Britton]

We. Well, you know, we're. We're very different as twins go. We're like opposites.

[Baji]

You're fraternal twins?

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, we're fraternal twins. And we are so different. Like, we look really different. People don't even think we look like sisters, you know, and we're very different personalities. So, you know, we've always had, like, a certain closeness, but not in that twin kind of a way. Like in sort of the quintessential what you think of as twins, like, reading each other's minds and all that kind of thing. Like, it's definitely much more like we would do anything for each other, you know, but it's not like we don't talk on the phone every day or anything like that. And we live on the opposite sides of the country, too.

[Baji]

So would you be in classes together, or would they try to split you up as you came sort of through school?

[Connie Britton]

Well, interesting, because my parents were always like, okay, we're going to. Like, they didn't. They tried not to dress us when we were really young, they would dress us the same, but then they were like, we're not going to dress you the same. We want you to be individuals and be yourselves. And so. But we went to. We were Going to the same school for most of our childhood and through junior high, we went to this like small girls school in our town. And we lived in a pretty small town in Virginia. We went to this small girls school. And in like 9th grade, I went and saw a production of west side Story at the public school, the local public school. And I was like, oh. And I was riveted by this production of west side Story. And I went home to my parents and I was like, can I go there? Can I go to the public school? And also, I think I wanted to be at school with boys. And so I switched and I went to the public school. So my sister and I graduated from different high schools. She stayed at the small girls school and I went to the big public school, which we were so fortunate because we actually had a really awesome public school in our town that had an incredible theater program. And I really attribute a lot of my love of the theater and wanting to be an actress to having gone to that school, which is kind of crazy.

[Sufi]

I mean, I think every parent's dream is when your kid comes to you with a choice they wanna make and you believe it comes from a. You know, they found a passion that.

[Connie Britton]

You're so right. That is the dream. It's like if they can guide their own course, it's like, yeah.

[Baji]

And isn't part of the dream also is that it's free?

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Yes.

[Sufi]

It's a dream where it goes in the direction of I found a thing I want to do and it's going to cost you less.

[Connie Britton]

Right.

[Sufi]

And almost nobody gets that. I know, but did were your parents when you said that? Because obviously they must have chosen the girls school for a reason. When you told them you wanted to do that, were they immediately embrace it?

[Connie Britton]

I honestly don't remember, but I'm assuming they were fine with it. I'm sure.

[Sufi]

Does that mean 10th grade is when.

[Connie Britton]

You switched or 10th grade? I know.

[Sufi]

See, so you had no problem. I mean, you'd already been a camper at like 14.

[Connie Britton]

I mean, I had already been. I'd like seen the world.

[Sufi]

You're like, I don't care what your clicks are, I'm rolling in.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, like, I got this. I was a pine at Singing Eagle Lodge. So I got you.

[Sufi]

And did when you sort of showed up, did you immediately. Did you basically just like walk right into the drama department and is like, you're the reason I'm here?

[Connie Britton]

I took it. No, I didn't. I just. But I took an acting class. I was able to like, sign up for an acting class. So I took an acting class. We had this theater teacher named Mr. Ackley. And the acting class was so fun. And then I. The first thing I did, they did a production of Romeo and Juliet, and I got the part of the panic servant. And I also decided to work in the costume department. And so I was working in the costume department. And when you work in the costume department on Romeo and Juliet, you do a lot of work on cod pieces. And so I was excited because I was at school with boys for the first time, and then I was working on a lot of cod pieces. Do you know what a cod piece is?

[Sufi]

Of course. Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

So that was a real good entry into life and made me really love the theater. And then I did my amazing turn as the panic servant in Romeo and Juliet. But it was really fun because our whole. The theater department and the plays at my school, like, everybody wanted to do it. So, like, the cool athletes wanted to be in the plays and wanted to be in the chorus. And there was no sort of stigma or like, nerdiness about being in the theater department. It was, like, a really cool thing to be able to do. So that was fun.

[Baji]

Were there any guys in the show who were like, hey, this codpiece is too small. Can someone in the costume department.

[Connie Britton]

Let me remember. No, No, I wouldn't guess.

[Baji]

But you never know. I don't think you were in there, Josh.

[Connie Britton]

I don't think. I don't recall this.

[Sufi]

Certainly no one was like, this thing's way too big.

[Connie Britton]

No, he would have said that.

[Sufi]

I remember the famous sex ed story from our high school that people still talk about is we had our sex ed teacher, and they split the girls and the guys. And we had a female science teacher who gave us, like, basically was showing us how to put on a condom, and she took out a wooden dowel that I swear to God was like a foot long. And she said. And she was not doing a joke. I think she was just, like, going through the motion.

[Connie Britton]

I think she was doing a joke.

[Sufi]

But she said, this is the size of an average erect male penis. And from the back of the room, somebody just went, uh. Oh, my God. Uh, so you're. Did you guys. Were you a family that took trips? Did you travel?

[Connie Britton]

We. My. We drove everywhere. Like, we. We never flew. I think I didn't fly until I was probably around, like, 14 or something, but my mother always drove. And we. We were in Virginia. And although before we moved, we actually lived in Maryland until I was, like, seven. And then we moved to Virginia, and my mother would always. When we moved to Virginia, my mother thought that we had moved to the sticks. Like, she was like, life is over. Because we had lived outside of Washington, D.C. so she would, like, always drive back and forth between Lynchburg, Virginia, and, like, Maryland to get her hair cut. So my mom was a big driver.

[Baji]

How long did that drive?

[Connie Britton]

Four hours. Meanwhile, my mother ended up loving Lynchburg, and basically my parents lived there for the most part until they passed away. So they. They loved it. But. And I loved growing up there. It was. It was so wonderful. But we had relatives in New York City, and we had relatives. New York City and Connecticut. We're on my mom's side. And then Florida, like, southern. The southern part was my dad's family. We would drive, depending on the holiday, either all the way down to Florida, which was like, we. I think we'd have to spend the night at, like, a Motel 6 or something, because that was such a long drive, or we would try to do the whole thing when we would go fly. Drive up to New York or Connecticut. Like, we would try to. I remember, like, the New Jersey Turnpike. And my sister and I would sit in my back. In the back seat. I remember my dad would sit. We'd had, like, the itty bitty book light, and my dad would sit in the front seat and read. Like, I remember him reading us Watership down, which I found extremely depressing. Yes, it's great, but it's gnarly, right? And it was dark outside, and we'd been driving for hours. And he's, like, reading the entirety of Watership down to us as we're, like, crossing over the George Washington Bridge or whatever and getting into the.

[Sufi]

So your mom was the driver?

[Connie Britton]

My mom was the driver.

[Sufi]

Always.

[Connie Britton]

Always.

[Sufi]

I think this is very rare.

[Connie Britton]

It's very rare. My mother. And she was always like, you have to be a defensive driver. To this day, I still don't quite know what that means, but my mother was like, you have to be. And she. I think she always had a little bit of contempt for my dad's driving. Like, he. It's like, my dad. My dad was, like, this brilliant physicist and, you know, had this brilliant mind, but I don't think she thought he had the real hand eye coordination that she had. So she did all the driving.

[Sufi]

Yeah, my. I mean, I think one of the things Alexi will say about me all the time is I'm the dumbest smart person she's ever met.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, I think maybe not.

[Baji]

Yeah, it's Sweet.

[Connie Britton]

It is nice sweet. And in a really contemptuous kind of way.

[Sufi]

It's so sweet. So I. By the way, I have my. I saw the movie Watership down before I read the book, and mom brought me to that. And definitely, we definitely thought we were seeing an animated movie about rabbits.

[Connie Britton]

Right.

[Sufi]

And it is. To this day, we were. But that is the most haunting movie as well.

[Connie Britton]

I don't know if I ever saw the movie, but I have to imagine it was haunting.

[Sufi]

It's like the animation style is very, like, adult as well. Yeah.

[Baji]

And just like, there'll be, like, fields that just like, all of a sudden, like, a red hue starts to cover them and the whole screen goes red and it's.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, God.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Okay. Note to self. I'm not going to show it to Yobi, like, today. So I realized, like, 14 is such a weird number because it's like, oh, that's like, kind of old. Like, he's. I still think of him as a kid and he's full on teenager.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

I'm still like, I want to protect him from mean, mean Watership down, but I can't really for very long.

[Baji]

It might be time.

[Connie Britton]

He can handle it, I guess. I don't know.

[Sufi]

You don't want a kid at Scooter camp being like, nah, man, I'm not old enough for that bunny movie.

[Connie Britton]

You know, the thing that I'm not worried about, Seth, is that they're going to be at Scooter camp talking about Watership Town.

[Sufi]

Yeah, that's true. That's true. That would be. If that happens. Something weird is going on.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, but. Or it would be amazing.

[Sufi]

Did you have a preference? Be honest. None of them are still with us. Of which direction you wanted to take a vacation. Did you rather. Would you rather go north or would you rather go south?

[Connie Britton]

Well, that is a tough answer, because at that age, when we went south, we got to go to Disney World.

[Sufi]

Okay.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

We never spent the night. Like, my grandparents lived near enough that we could drive there, so we would drive for the day. So I was always, like, dreaming of, like, oh, they have hotels here. Like, you could spend the night, but. But we never, ever did that. But we got to go for the day, and so, of course, that was, like, amazing. But when we went north, we got to go to New York City, and I loved New York City, and we'd go for Christmas a lot of the time. So that was where I really fell in love with New York, because. And also another thing that I think contributed to my love of the theater because, you know, we'd go to New York City and it's like. Like lights and magic everywhere. And then you. And then we'd go see plays or we'd go to the Nutcracker, and it was just like, dreamy. So I don't know. I can't say it's very different.

[Sufi]

Did your parents also love going to shows? Were they sort of culturally forward that way?

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, yeah. Everybody loved, like, going to see stuff on Broadway. It was. That was always the thing.

[Sufi]

Our parents are really good that way, too. And it's such a cool experience to have had.

[Connie Britton]

I know, right? Listen, I am not ashamed to admit that I thought Cats was the best thing that ever happened, that. The best thing that I ever saw.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Not only that, when I got to college at Dartmouth in your home state of New Hampshire, I did an entire essay on T.S. eliot's poems about that. Cats is ba. Cats the Musical is based on. And I've gotten a lot of shit for that. And I don't think it went. I don't think I got a very good grade on it. But I was really so analytical. I mean, listen, they're T.S. eliot poems. But then I was trying to sort of equate it to like, the brilliance of the musical Cats.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

I think that's where I got in a little trouble.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

Because maybe people were questioning that sort of the brilliance of Cats.

[Connie Britton]

I don't get that. I don't know. Why did they say, do you feel.

[Sufi]

Like you, as you got, you know, into this business and had a lot of friends who were like accomplished theater people as well, that they also kind of threw shade at you for your love of Cats?

[Connie Britton]

Oh, a thousand percent. In fact, there's been actually decades where I haven't actually admitted my love of Cats and just kind of kept that to myself. Like, it's like a little private, private secret for myself.

[Sufi]

We used to listen to, like, the Cats soundtrack.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, yeah. Jello for Cats. Come out tonight. Jello Cats. Come one, come all. I mean, I know the whole thing. I could sing it to you forwards and backwards.

[Baji]

When we moved, we moved from Michigan to New Hampshire. And when we moved, we flew to Boston and we saw Cats that night. And I think it was our parents just sort of trying to scramble our, you know, five and seven year old brains of, like, and now the world's different, and now you're in New Hampshire. But we loved it.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, my God. That's a great place to. Great way to scramble your brains.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Although I think if you. If you move to a new place and the first thing your parents show you is cats, you do. There is an expectation that the cats in this state do talk and sing.

[Baji]

Well, that's why we left Massachusetts and went to New Hampshire.

[Sufi]

Yeah. You're like, I don't.

[Connie Britton]

You fled Massachusetts with the talking cats.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

I will say I loved cats. And then I think we were a little bit older when I saw Starlight Express. And I think Starlight Express was the first time I was in. I don't remember how old I was. The first time I was in a theater watching something where I thought, this sucks. You know what I mean? Where just I felt like my inner. It was the first time my inner critic came out and was like, this is bad.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, I loved it.

[Baji]

I will say I was two years younger, obviously. And we were seated. There were, like, places where. Cause Starlight Express, for those of you who don't know, is about like a train, a kid's dream of a train, but everyone is on roller skates.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

And we were in these seats where they would actually skate around you. There were sort of two loops, and in the center of those loops, there were these pockets of seats. And I think I also appreciated more the. The athletic difficulty of it and the sort of extreme sport of it before.

[Sufi]

Extreme sports?

[Baji]

Yeah, like, very much scootering. You should always been afraid of those things.

[Sufi]

He might combine his love of scooters and his mother's love of musical theater.

[Connie Britton]

I know. That's a great idea.

[Sufi]

I will say, when I saw Starlight Express, I also was impressed with the extreme sports element for 30 seconds.

[Baji]

That's always. You're always impressed with things for 30 seconds.

[Sufi]

Well, then, I mean, there's only so many. Yeah. Giraffes. Look, the first giraffe. Like, there's nothing like seeing your first giraffe.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, what do you mean, your first giraffe?

[Baji]

Like, Benny's over it.

[Sufi]

Connie's over.

[Connie Britton]

It's two giraffes now.

[Sufi]

Yeah. I couldn't be more over giraffes.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, come on. What is this cynicism? What are we talking about here?

[Sufi]

I don't care for how cynical I am, but I can't. Look, I can't pretend right now in this podcast, like, oh, you are the.

[Baji]

Smartest dumb person I have ever met.

[Connie Britton]

It's really dumb not to always think that giraffes are cool. What if you go to actors?

[Sufi]

Yeah, that's smart to think if you've seen one. He's been.

[Baji]

He's Been. He's been. And he was over it, Connie. He just wanted to look at his phone.

[Connie Britton]

Oh.

[Sufi]

So because I had taken all these cool videos of the first giraffe I saw. Slow moving. You know what a slow mo video of a giraffe looks like? Any video of a giraffe.

[Baji]

Would you be able to weigh in on what shows you wanted to see in New York when you went? Or was it a family discussion? Or would someone sort of decide that itinerary for you?

[Connie Britton]

I can't really remember. I feel like it was decided for us.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

But I never. You know what I remember seeing? It's only because Maggie Smith recently. Dame Maggie Smith recently passed away. Lettuce and Lovage, which was a play that she was in on Broadway. And I remember seeing that and we were like, maggie Smith, like, it was so exciting and so amazing. But that. So I remember that. But, yeah. And we'd see the Nutcracker at the ballet, which was so beautiful and amazing. But I think they chose. And I just kind of. We went along with it and it was. They always chose great stuff. Like very sort of mainstream kind of. Yeah, yeah.

[Sufi]

I shared a birthday with Maggie Smith and I had a real. Oh. I felt like I was getting, like the passage of time really resonated when she passed away because I'm used to every year, like, you know, like, there'll be like a little like, you know, famous birthdays and it'll be like 12 people. And, you know, obviously it's just like, same 12 people. Like, it doesn't change that much. And I was really. I was like, oh, I'm gonna really miss Maggie SMITH Come. Come December 28th.

[Connie Britton]

I'm so sorry. But I'm really. I'm glad it worked.

[Sufi]

I am. You know what? I still have Denzel.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, you still got Denzel?

[Sufi]

I still got Denzel.

[Connie Britton]

Great. Okay, good. I have more. I have more Tyranny.

[Sufi]

Oh, that's a good one. Do you. I feel like I might be making this up, but I feel like I've seen you maybe after a Broadway show, maybe at like Bar Central, like.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sufi]

Do you still, like, when you come to New York, are you still someone who, like, tries to go and see plays?

[Connie Britton]

I for sure do, if I can do it. Lately I've been going to New York for work, and when I go to New York for work, I pack my schedule so tight with work, and then the minute that I'm wrapped, I have to fly home.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Because, you know, 14 year old. So I. I never. So I haven't been able to go to plays recently when I go in, and it's so sad. Like, I always feel like I'm missing out. But if I have an evening free, I will go to the theater for sure.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

I'm trying to remember the last thing. What was the last thing you saw that you loved?

[Sufi]

I saw Glengarry Glen Ross, which I loved.

[Baji]

Yeah. Seth and me to go see oh, Mary last time I was in New York.

[Sufi]

Oh, Mary. Betty Transcendent.

[Baji]

Betty Gilpin, which was great.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, that was that. Great. See, I missed it.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Glengarry. I love that. I love that play.

[Sufi]

I'm trying very hard. I feel as though it's something I'm trying to rectify that I have not taken quite as much advantage of the great theater in New York because, again, same thing, kids. But I'm like, you know what? I think you can go to a show once a week.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah. I mean, wow. Once a week. I mean, that's an aggressive schedule. Like, I. If you could do that, that'd be amazing. Yeah, but you also have a busy work schedule.

[Sufi]

Yeah, but it's not that. I mean, I'm always surprised, you know, when people are on my show. I'll say, like, what are you doing tonight? And it's amazing how many are like, oh, I'm going right to the air. Like, I get it. Like, you know, people come to New York and they.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, so I know. It's. It's a. It's a whole. It's a weird commute. It's a very long, weird commute. Even though I love New York so much, it's just long. And the time difference is no joke.

[Baji]

Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.

[Sufi]

Support comes from Beam Kids. Hey, Bashi.

[Baji]

Hey, Sufi.

[Sufi]

You're aware of the fact I've got three kids?

[Baji]

Yeah, I am very aware.

[Sufi]

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[Baji]

Hey, Souf.

[Sufi]

Yeah?

[Baji]

Do you think our Olympic gold medalists know about nutrition?

[Sufi]

I do. I think if you would say who knows the most about nutrition, it would be our Olympic gold medalists. I feel like they're not. I don't think it's like french fries before and french fries after for our Olympic gold medalist.

[Baji]

No. I think they're probably our most nutrition minded citizens and they don't have time.

[Sufi]

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[Baji]

Yes, Sufi?

[Sufi]

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[Baji]

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[Sufi]

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[Baji]

Mm.

[Sufi]

They came to New York and it was her first time and I said, how has it been? She was like, I'm overwhelmed. I think Baltimore might be a better fit.

[Baji]

Yeah.

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[Baji]

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[Baji]

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[Baji]

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[Baji]

Go to tellempushy baltimore.org to plan your vacation or get away today.

[Sufi]

Here we go. You mentioned going to Tahoe with your son. Were you a skiing family growing up?

[Connie Britton]

No.

[Sufi]

Okay, so you learned later in life.

[Connie Britton]

I grew up in Virginia. Virginia. Skiing is not great.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Although we do have. We do have a ski resort in Virginia that we went to growing up, which is, in fact, where we learned to ski. I say we because I had a twin sister, so it's like a lot of a we existence. But I. My. My recollection of skiing is when I would. I was a terrible skier right at the outset, and so I would. I remember this time where I was skiing. Somehow I lost a ski. Somehow I lost a ski and ended up holding onto a tree for dear life with one ski on my foot. And a ski patrol flew by me, didn't stop, and just yelled at me, you're a hazard.

[Sufi]

Oh, that's not.

[Connie Britton]

Why would. I was. That was mean. It was so mean.

[Baji]

Yeah, it was mean.

[Connie Britton]

Obviously, to this day, I'm scarred by it. And now I have an entire. My. Everybody in my family, my boyfriend, his kids, Yobi, like all of our friends, like, everybody loves to ski. And so the entire winter, I'm dragged on these ski trips, and it is like the bane of my existence because I always have to go. I do it. I take it for the team. And then every time, Yobi is always like, mom, just today, come skiing with us. And I'm like, okay. And then I have to go and I have to suit up and I have to put the skis on and all the gear and the cold, and I'm terrible. And each time, all I can think about is, you're a hazard, you're a hazard, you're a hazard. And it's just horrible. And I have to do it, like two or three times every winter.

[Sufi]

It's my only regret is that didn't happen. That happened in Virginia and not New England. Because you're a hazard with a New.

[Connie Britton]

England Accent is immediately, you're a hazard.

[Sufi]

You're a hazard. I feel like people yell that, like, the Mass Turnpike all the time.

[Connie Britton]

No, exactly. My favorite New Hampshireism is Nice day Dawn.

[Sufi]

It's real good.

[Connie Britton]

That one. That one I love. But, yeah. Then when I went to Dartmouth, of course, not only is it freezing cold, but, like, Dartmouth has a ski team. Like, I took ski for a gym, like, for PE Skiing. And that was also terrible. It's like dead winter, zero degrees. Also not amazing skiing, solid ice, and I have to do it for class. And I'm just like. That solidified it for me. Dartmouth skiing solidified it. I was just like, no. Just. No. Life is too short.

[Sufi]

This is a cheat because it's a showbiz question, but it's also. It's about a trip. All right. White lotus on a 1 to 10. How much did it feel like a vacation to be working on that show?

[Connie Britton]

Okay.

[Sufi]

Well, I feel like it's gonna be like a one or a two.

[Baji]

I don't.

[Connie Britton]

How honest do you want me to be the most? Let me set this. I mean, it's a tricky question. It's a trick question. Because we were in a beautiful vacation spot, right?

[Sufi]

And it was sort of. It was covidish times, right?

[Connie Britton]

No, no, no. It wasn't covidish times. It was Covid. It was the fall of 2020. There was no vaccine. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like September, October 2020. There was no vaccine. People were still dying. We didn't really understand how it all worked. We were at the Four Seasons in Maui, which was empty and closed because Covid. Even in the Four Seasons in Maui, we had to isolate in our rooms. Everybody had to wear double masks. We had to get tested every single day. You know, and then you're doing. You're shooting the show with, like, a crew that's like. You never knew what you're. I just ran into somebody. I was like, oh, yeah. I worked with. She was like, I worked with you on White Lotus, but you probably wouldn't recognize me. I'm like, I don't. Because we never were able to see each other. We had to be very isolated. My son came with me, but he was the only child there. So it was like, if you're on vacation but you can't leave and you have to wear a thing all the time, you couldn't go out of the hotel at all. If you did, it was like, I don't know what would happen, but you couldn't. So you couldn't go grocery Shopping or get anything like that. And none of the restaurants were open, so we would eat these, like, brown boxes full of whatever food they.

[Sufi]

I didn't, when I asked this, I didn't realize what a traumatic experience.

[Connie Britton]

I didn't say traumatic.

[Sufi]

Yes, yes.

[Connie Britton]

I did not say traumatic. But there is something about. It's ironic because there's something about working in Covid that even if you're in the most beautiful place in the world, also with the most wonderful people in the world, because, like, truly, like, that was the beauty of it. Like that cat. We bonded so much. You know, the one place we could go was to the beach in the front of the. Of the hotel. We could go there. So at the end of the day, if we wrapped in time, whoever wrapped in time would go out there, watch the sunset, like go into the water and like swim. And it was very. It was like. That was beautiful.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

And amazing. And that was like a vacation. But, you know, Covid was a scary time. And, you know, we had a lot of scares on the show. And, you know, somehow somebody got Covid and then anybody who had like been in contact with them had to isolate for even longer than the person who actually got Covid had to isolate. It was, you know, it was. It was a crazy time. Yeah. So just very. It's. It's sort of that interesting, very white lotus y thing because it's kind of like you're in this gorgeous place, but you're dealing with these, like, strange circumstances, you know, it's true.

[Sufi]

It does speak to what a nice job you all did as actors. Because I completely, of course, forgot that it lined up with.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Just on a rad vacation.

[Connie Britton]

I know. We were just on a rad vacation. That's what everybody. You know, and you know, that we had so much fun. Honestly, like, that was such an amazing crew.

[Sufi]

Pretty cool to be able to bring Joby to.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, totally, totally. I mean, he got to swim in that pool all by himself.

[Sufi]

So did you ever go abroad with your family before you were an adult?

[Connie Britton]

No, I never went abroad with my family, but I did go abroad. I actually took two school trips abroad. I took a trip to Rome and Pompeii because I was studying Latin in school. So I think that was the first trip that I took abroad that was really amazing. And then I took a trip to London and I was older and that was like one of those trips where it was like, oh, we went out to clubs and stuff and I danced with like 35 year old men who I shouldn't have been dancing with. And I remember I came back with this amazing new song that I had heard in the clubs of London. This song called Sweet Dreams are Made of this by the Arrhythmics which I heard in London before it had even come to the United States. And that's basically about all that I remember about the London trip. But it was a great awakening.

[Sufi]

It was so funny that era of hearing music first. I know because I think that happened. You know, Josh and I lived abroad and there were definitely like bands that were like big in Europe that were.

[Baji]

Not big in the city.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah.

[Baji]

Like I felt. I think I knew Coldplay before anyone here knew Coldplay.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Really?

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Wait, when did you guys live abroad?

[Sufi]

Right after college we both lived in Amsterdam.

[Baji]

Yeah, 98 to 01 for me.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

A little overlap. Probably eight months of overlap.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, that's cool.

[Sufi]

We were roommates in maybe the worst apartment either of us has ever lived in.

[Baji]

Yeah. There would very often be standing water in the kitchen. We don't know from what, but it would just sort of show up.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Well, that's a rite of passage, guys. Yeah, I was cool.

[Sufi]

I gave you the better bedroom. Yeah, I was a good older brother back then. Somewhere it all came apart, but I was, I had now.

[Connie Britton]

Now you don't even give him a bedroom. No bedroom, just the standing water.

[Baji]

Actually last time I was at his house, I did sleep on a couch.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Really?

[Baji]

Yeah. There's a situation so many dog. Yeah, he's got the dog in the guest room that I could have slept in that his brother in law was in. He was like, you can have that bed but the dog is going to get up probably 10, 12 times a night and like just pace around in circles and need to be put back. I was like, I'll sleep on the couch. Couch is good couch.

[Connie Britton]

So did the cow, did the dog sleep there by himself?

[Sufi]

Herself?

[Connie Britton]

She.

[Sufi]

No, my brother in law is in that room.

[Connie Britton]

Apologies.

[Sufi]

The. Our dog wakes up cuz she's. She's actively trying to find the grim reaper.

[Connie Britton]

How old is she?

[Sufi]

She's like 14 and a half. Yeah, she's basically like. I do feel like if she could talk she'd be like, just kill me.

[Baji]

But you used to go to Disney in Florida all the time, so that was fun, huh?

[Sufi]

Yeah. Try to use that as the memory.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, I know exactly. Disneyland. Disney World. Disney World. Which now you know. Now of course I live in California, so we can go to Disneyland.

[Sufi]

Have you?

[Connie Britton]

Yeah. No. So now it's like my son has been raised going to Disneyland, which I'm still to this day, I'm still kind of like, you are so lucky. You just get to go to Disneyland. Like it's 45 minutes away. Like, because to me it still was always this thing of like the journey, you know.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

The drive to Florida and like getting there and then driving from my grandparents house to, you know, Disney World. And you know, one day, you know, we've. Now we stay in the hotel sometimes.

[Sufi]

Oh, wow.

[Connie Britton]

And that's like. I'm like, this is so cool. And there's a water slide there. It's awesome. So anyway, yeah, like that. I still can't get over how cool it is that we can actually go to Disneyland. But I guess Disney World is like five times bigger or something. I haven't been back to Disney World since I was a kid. Have you?

[Baji]

Yeah, I'm not sure. It looks like Seth's. Were you looking it up?

[Sufi]

When was the last time I've been to Disney World?

[Baji]

No, I'm looking up a size comparison.

[Sufi]

No, I think Disney World's what, twice? Three times bigger.

[Connie Britton]

I think. At least.

[Baji]

I have no idea.

[Sufi]

I think it's way bigger.

[Connie Britton]

I think there's a lot of worlds in Disney World.

[Baji]

Okay.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah.

[Baji]

And just lands in Disneyland.

[Connie Britton]

Just a couple of lands in Disneyland.

[Baji]

But also California Adventure right next door. So.

[Connie Britton]

Well, but I feel like that's all part of the same thing. No, I don't. See, I still don't really understand all of that. I don't really get it. It's just to me it's all Disney World.

[Baji]

I would say that's fair.

[Sufi]

That's a fair.

[Connie Britton]

It's the Wonderful World of Disney. Yes.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

Although the CEO, that's another one.

[Sufi]

The Wonderful World of Disney. Disney.

[Connie Britton]

Remember the Wonderful World of Disney.

[Sufi]

You had a real singing eagle on Wonderful World of Disney or whatever it's called.

[Connie Britton]

I did. Oh, yeah. It's a hard one to say. Wonderful World.

[Sufi]

Well, now you're just me. I feel like you're mocking me now by saying how hard it is. It is so lovely to see you always.

[Connie Britton]

I know. It's so lovely to see you. Seth. Are you having fun doing a podcast as opposed to a talk show?

[Sufi]

I like that. It's. I get to spend time with Josh. It's very nice.

[Baji]

But he also has like three more, so.

[Sufi]

I do.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

What do you mean?

[Sufi]

Well, I've got podcasts.

[Baji]

Lots of podcasts.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, you've got so many podcasts.

[Sufi]

I maybe have too many podcasts.

[Connie Britton]

Really? How do you keep them all straight? This one is the one with your brother.

[Sufi]

This is the one with my brother. And then. Yeah. And then I do one with the Lonely island guys. So they look different enough from Josh that I managed to.

[Connie Britton]

That you don't get too confused.

[Sufi]

Not to get too confused, but it's just the best to see you. You have a new show on Hallmark.

[Connie Britton]

I do. I have a new show on Hallmark that is a show that I have been working on, creating ever since I was in Nashville. Doing Nashville, because I was a brand new single mother in Nashville, and I had an experience there where. Well, I mean, it was challenging because I. My. I had a brand new baby, and I was working really, really crazy long hours, and I was like, this is so. I'm like, you need a support system. I didn't have a support system when I first got there. And then a dear friend of mine was also a single mom, and she was working in the costumes department, and she had four kids. And one day, like, she called me and she's like, damn it. I forgot to give Jed lunch money. And I happened to be off that day. So I'm like, I'm gonna go up to the middle school and drop off $5 at the front office for Jed's lunch money. So I walk in and I'm like. And here's, like, Raina James, like, walking into the front office of, like, the local public middle school. I'm like, this is for Jed. Anyway. But after that, I was like, single moms need help. Like, I wish there was a volunteer organization or something where, like, you could volunteer a day and, like, go grocery shopping or, you know, take care of the kids for two hours so she could do some of the 50 other things that she needs to do anyway. And from that idea came this. I got together with the guys at Scout who created Queer Eye, and we created a show that is sort of Queer Eye esque, where we have a group of mom experts, and they go in and we meet with a single mom every week, and we try to help them out. And ultimately, it's about creating community and support and knowing that we all need to lean on each other. That's what it is.

[Sufi]

That's fantastic. It's a very sweet idea. And it starts available on a Hallmark plus on me 5th, May 5th I. It's a joke I only did in Nashville, but a couple times I did stand up in Nashville while your show was on. And a joke that always worked is how there were all these, like, helicopter. They maybe weren't drone shots yet, but, like, helicopter shots of Nashville for all the transitions. And my joke was like, I feel like the people who came up with the idea thought Nashville was bigger. Because, like, I go by, like, halfway through the second episode, I'm like, I think we can stop. I think we've seen all of Nashville, like, five times.

[Connie Britton]

You know what? That is actually an amazing, so accurate joke, because that is so true. And it was kind of like it was the Hollywoodization of that show. The other Hollywoodization of that show was, like, the throngs of paparazzi that they would have. And we were like, there's no paparazzi in Nashville. Like, there's none in Nashville, but just.

[Sufi]

You know, because I. Alexia and I, and it was probably before we had kids, so, like, 10 years ago, went to a country music awards, and that's where you really see the difference. Cause that is incredibly famous people.

[Connie Britton]

Right.

[Sufi]

And yet there it. There's no errors about it at all.

[Connie Britton]

No, no. It's amazing. And that's actually why, I think part of the reason why so many incredibly famous people go and live there, because it's actually a really lovely community, and just everybody kind of leaves each other alone, and you can just be a part of the community, which is so wonderful. I love Nashville. I loved my time there.

[Sufi]

It's a great, great city.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

All right, before you go, Josh has questions to ask you that we ask all of our guests.

[Connie Britton]

Okay, Josh.

[Baji]

All right, here we go. You can only pick one of these. Is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous, or educational?

[Connie Britton]

I feel like you know the answer to that, Josh.

[Baji]

Relaxing.

[Connie Britton]

Relaxing.

[Sufi]

Skiing.

[Connie Britton]

See? Okay, we know it's not adventurous.

[Baji]

What is your favorite means of transportation?

[Connie Britton]

That's a good question. I guess I would say a really short plane ride, except that I like to go long. I like to go far away. So. But maybe a plane.

[Sufi]

A really short plane ride. It's like, I just love boarding. I love deep planing. So, like, the least amount of time in the air. But just get me in an airport on both sides.

[Connie Britton]

Just get me. I just want that. I want that experience.

[Baji]

Yeah. Not even enough time to give me a drink.

[Sufi]

Yeah. No turbulence. So the stewardesses have to. Not flight attendant. The flight attendants have to be like, we can't even. We can't even get out of our seats.

[Connie Britton]

I know. I'm just gonna sit here and dream about the nuts that I could be eating.

[Baji]

Yeah. If you could take a vacation with any family, alive or dead, real or fictional, other than your own family, what family would you like to take a vacation with.

[Connie Britton]

Oh, wow. Maybe. Maybe like Ron Howard's family from Happy Days.

[Baji]

All right.

[Connie Britton]

Right. That'd be fun. Your.

[Baji]

What do you consider your hometown?

[Connie Britton]

Lynchburg, Virginia.

[Baji]

Would you recommend Lynchburg, Virginia, as a vacation destination?

[Connie Britton]

Well, if you wanted. If you wanted. Answer B. An adventurous vacation, you could go hike the Blue Ridge Mountains in Lynchburg, Virginia. So, yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Baji]

Great.

[Sufi]

I mean, you won't be doing that.

[Connie Britton]

Nope.

[Sufi]

Sweet establishment.

[Connie Britton]

Just to be clear, Seth.

[Baji]

Seth has our final questions.

[Sufi]

Have you been to the Grand Canyon?

[Connie Britton]

Yes.

[Sufi]

Was it worth it?

[Connie Britton]

Yes. Well, that was. That was the trip that we took across country when I was, I think, 14.

[Sufi]

Okay.

[Connie Britton]

We drove. My. My family drove across the country. That was one of my most memorable trips. Again, we drove to the Grand Canyon, and I thought it was so amazing. And we rode mules down. And guess what? My son is just about next week to take. His school takes these, like, major camping trips as part of their curriculum, and they're going to the Grand Canyon for the first time.

[Sufi]

Oh, wow. Is he excited?

[Connie Britton]

Full circle. Yeah, I think he's excited. Yeah. But it's, you know, these are like major camping trips. Like, they're. They're backpacking the whole time for a week.

[Sufi]

That's awesome.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, it's great.

[Sufi]

I mean, scooter camp's gonna be a breeze after that.

[Connie Britton]

Exactly. Nothing.

[Sufi]

Just. Just being on wheels.

[Connie Britton]

Yeah, just being on wheels and concrete. Lots of concrete.

[Sufi]

Yeah. It's great to see you. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Connie Britton]

It was so nice to see you and lovely to meet you, Josh.

[Baji]

Great to meet you. Thanks so much.

[Connie Britton]

Our mutual friends. At some point, it's gonna happen soon.

[Baji]

The dollar nice people. Yeah.

[Connie Britton]

Yes. The cool nice people. Exactly.

[Baji]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

All right, be well.

[Connie Britton]

Bye, guys.

[Baji]

Thanks so much.

[Sufi]

Thanks, Connie.

[Connie Britton]

Thank you. Bye.

[Baji]

Connie has a twin sis. Fraternal look pretty dear Once saw a show with Dame Maggie Smith but her world all changed with west side Story. See, the public school had good theater and having boys there was a treat for her. I'm sure they all wanted to meet her and hope they didn't have the smallest God piece Not confident on skis she'll go if her son says pretty please As a girl she found herself in the trees Ski patrol yell you're a hazard Winter singing eagle eyes where they shot on Goldman park to Disney NYC Roman puppet Latin vibes with older guys.

[Connie Britton]

Sa.