Candice King

Summary

Podcrushed Episode Summary: Candace King Release Date: June 25, 2025

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Introduction to Candace King Timestamp: [00:02] - [03:54]

In this episode of Podcrushed, hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kaplan, and Sophie Ansari welcome Candace King, an accomplished actress known for her roles on The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Dead Girl, as well as her upcoming show We Were Liars streaming on Amazon Prime. The hosts set a lighthearted tone, discussing summer jams and sharing a few laughs before diving into the main conversation.

Candace’s Early Life and Pop Star Aspirations Timestamp: [05:02] - [07:38]

Candace King reminisces about her formative years, beginning at age 12 during her middle school years. She shares her experience as part of a girl group named Girl Zone, performing Cover songs like the Spice Girls' hits and engaging in dance classes and competitive cheerleading. Reflecting on her childhood, Candace says:

"My whole life was music. So I was just becoming an international pop star one Girl Zone rehearsal at a time." ([05:10])

She discusses the hard work involved and her fondness for those carefree years despite the occasional embarrassment over old performances.

Family Dynamics: Supportive Parents and Sibling Relationships Timestamp: [08:03] - [13:05]

Candace delves into her family background, highlighting the supportive nature of her parents—her mother, an environmental engineer turned stay-at-home mom, and her father, a thoracic heart surgeon approaching retirement. They valued education and professional achievements, providing a stable foundation for Candace's artistic pursuits. She reflects on the evolving relationship with her parents as her acting career progressed:

"They were terrified when I mentioned... I booked a pilot, and it's like this vampire show, they were like, do you need to come home?" ([09:00])

Candace also touches on her role as the eldest sibling, often taking on a "mom-like" role within her friend group and family. She shares humorous anecdotes about coordinating activities and ensuring everyone’s well-being, paralleling her earlier experiences of traveling and performing.

Transition to Acting and The Vampire Diaries Timestamp: [13:05] - [23:30]

Transitioning from her early music career, Candace recounts how she shifted her focus to acting after a detour in the pop music industry. Despite initial fears and a record deal that ultimately did not take off, her stint as a backup singer for Miley Cyrus inspired her to pursue acting more seriously. This led to her landing the role of Carolyn Forbes on The Vampire Diaries.

Candace shares insights into the intense filming environment, including performing stunts and working with actual wolves on set:

"We had wolves at one point. That was scary... There were some [wolves], but..." ([22:33])

She emphasizes the camaraderie among the cast and crew, making her time on the show some of her most cherished professional memories.

Balancing Work and Family Life Timestamp: [27:20] - [41:04]

Candace discusses the challenges and rewards of balancing a demanding acting career with family life. She highlights the importance of maintaining close relationships with friends and colleagues outside the public eye, attributing her ability to stay grounded to the supportive network she built during her time in Atlanta, where The Vampire Diaries was primarily filmed.

Reflecting on her personal growth, Candace speaks about prioritizing family moments, such as picking up her children from school and involving herself in their lives despite the hectic schedule of filming.

Current Projects: We Were Liars Timestamp: [47:04] - [66:24]

Candace introduces her new project, We Were Liars, an adaptation of the bestselling book. She reveals that the series aims to stay faithful to the source material while expanding on characters and the backstory of the Sinclair family. Filmed in Nova Scotia, the show captures the affluent and secretive atmosphere of Beechwood Island, offering viewers a deeper understanding of the characters beyond the book.

"You will be transported to Beechwood Island. You will fall in love with Gat alongside Cadence." ([60:10])

Candace expresses excitement about the potential for multiple seasons, hinting at further adaptations of subsequent books in the series. She also shares her favorite aspects of playing Bess Sinclair, including the opulent setting and the dynamic interactions with co-stars:

"We were just bickering and like swirling our fake wines and like, you know, gallivanting in the sunset..." ([62:15])

Personal Insights and Lessons Timestamp: [66:20] - [71:14]

In a reflective segment, Candace offers wisdom she’d share with her younger self. Embracing a mantra of “it’s not that serious,” she encourages her 12-year-old self to let go of the constant worry about others’ opinions and to focus on being authentic and surrounding herself with supportive people.

"Just hang out with those are your people then like, that's okay." ([70:07])

Candace emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and finding joy in one’s own journey, lessons she believes are invaluable for anyone navigating the complexities of adolescence or adulthood.

Closing Remarks Timestamp: [71:14] - [73:45]

As the episode wraps up, Candace expresses heartfelt thanks to the hosts for their kindness and the inspiring nature of Podcrushed. Hosts and guest share light-hearted moments reminiscing about past experiences and humorous personal stories, leaving listeners with a wholesome and uplifting conclusion.

"It's so fun and like... you keep it so fun with everything you do and it's just like such a breath of fresh air." ([72:00])

Candace encourages listeners to watch We Were Liars on Amazon Prime and stay connected through her online platforms.

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Conclusion

This episode of Podcrushed offers an intimate glimpse into Candace King’s journey from a middle school pop star to a beloved actress, highlighting her dedication, resilience, and the unwavering support of her family. Through candid conversations and shared experiences, Candace imparts valuable lessons on balancing career aspirations with personal life, embracing authenticity, and navigating the complexities of fame. Whether you're a fan of her work or seeking inspiration from her story, this episode delivers heartfelt insights and relatable narratives that resonate with anyone experiencing the trials and triumphs of teenage and adult life.

Transcript

[Sophie Ansari]

Lemonade.

[Candace King]

My mom was an engineer and my dad was a doctor. So they luckily, like, trusted me and believed in me enough. I don't think they ever anticipated the pivot into acting. They were terrified when I mentioned that. And when I told them, like, I booked a pilot and it's like this vampire show, they were like, this is. Do you need to come home? Like, they. They were very concerned. And then, like, all these years later, I mean, I don't know, I feel like even last summer, I was like, I'm filming a show. And they're like, are you. Are you okay? Do you need help?

[Pen Badgley]

Welcome to podcrust. We're your hosts. I'm Pen.

[Nava Kaplan]

I'm Nava.

[Sophie Ansari]

And I'm Sophie.

[Pen Badgley]

And I think we could have been.

[Nava Kaplan]

Your middle school besties, coordinating our outfits to match our mood rings.

[Pen Badgley]

Welcome to podcrust. I'm joined by my co hosts, Nava Kaplan and Sophie Ansari. Welcome, welcome, welcome. How are you both today?

[Nava Kaplan]

Hot. We are in the dog days of summer.

[Sophie Ansari]

Hot H o T or hot h a W T?

[Nava Kaplan]

Unfortunately, hot. It is the dog days of summer. But I do want to know, do you guys have a summer jam? Like, a song that, you know, you like to listen to every summer?

[Pen Badgley]

I prefer strawberry, although. Us.

[Candace King]

Although.

[Pen Badgley]

If the toast is extra crispy. I think I like raspberry.

[Nava Kaplan]

This is. This is. Should be a fall song. But I really love the song September.

[Candace King]

The.

[Nava Kaplan]

And just that first, like. Do you remember? I just start, like, around. May I start playing September? Really?

[Candace King]

Yeah.

[Nava Kaplan]

Prepping. And it gets me through the summer. Yeah. And then I think in September, I stopped playing.

[Candace King]

Right.

[Pen Badgley]

You're like. You have to remember. Like, I remember. Gotta remember.

[Candace King]

I gotta remember.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's my summer jam.

[Sophie Ansari]

The first song that came to mind when you asked, that was Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts. I don't know if I listen to it so much, but it always is, like, on the tip of my tongue. I. I'll sing it.

[Pen Badgley]

The song that came to mind because I was talking about actual jam is. Is a song. A brilliant song, actually. Truly one of my favorite songs. And if I think about it, it's like. It's a very.

[Nava Kaplan]

Is it welcome to the Space Jam?

[Pen Badgley]

No, not at all. It's Starfish and Coffee by Prince. He said it's. It's starfish and coffee, maple syrup and jam.

[Sophie Ansari]

Perfect.

[Nava Kaplan]

Wow. I don't think I've ever heard that song.

[Pen Badgley]

If I remember correctly, it's on. Oh, God.

[Candace King]

What?

[Pen Badgley]

Record it on. It's on. It used to be my favorite sign of the times, I believe. Yes, it is 1987 and it's like, it's a great song. It's a really good song.

[Nava Kaplan]

Have to look that one up. You know who else is great?

[Sophie Ansari]

Our guest today has a lot of jams. Yes, international pop star Candace King.

[Pen Badgley]

Today we have actually an old friend of mine, Candace King, an actor you may know and love from her time playing Carolyn forbes on the CW's the Vampire Diaries, as well as the originals and then films like Juno and Dead Girl. So she's got a new show called We Were Liars which is streaming now on prime. Based on a book. It's, it's a huge success, I think, let's be honest. We know what to call was a great time having Candace back, back in the sphere for a bit on the pod. She's now an old friend of the pod already. You're gonna love this one. Stick around.

[Nava Kaplan]

Want to listen to your favorite Lemonada.

[Candace King]

Shows without the ads? Subscribe to Lemonada Premium.

[Sophie Ansari]

On Apple Podcasts.

[Nava Kaplan]

You'll get ad free episodes and exclusive bonus content from shows like Wiser Than.

[Candace King]

Me with Julia Louis Dreyfus, Fail Better with David Duchovny, the Sarah Silverman podcast, and so many more. It's a great way to support the.

[Nava Kaplan]

Work we do and treat yourself to.

[Candace King]

A smoother, uninterrupted listening experience.

[Nava Kaplan]

Just head to any Lemonada show, feed on Apple podcasts and hit subscribe. Make life suck less with fewer ads with Lemonada Premium.

[Pen Badgley]

Hi everyone, I'm David Duchovny. Join me on my podcast Fail Better where we use failure as a lens to reflect on the past and analyze the current moment. I speak with makers and performers like Rob Lowe, Rosie o' Donnell, and Kenya Barris, as well as thinkers like Kara Swisher and Nate Silver to understand how both personal setbacks and larger forces impact our world. Listen to Fail Better wherever you get your podcasts. So what we do here at we start at 12 years old because we believe it's a really special, special time of life. You know, it's the formative years in so many ways for so many reasons. So just give us a sense of who you were at 12, how you were seeing the world and what was day to day life like at 12.

[Candace King]

I was, I'm like, that's middle school, right? Yes. I had a girl group and we were named Girl Zone.

[Pen Badgley]

You mean like a girl singing group?

[Candace King]

Yep. We were in multiple years into the group and we would perform at the, like, convention center during, like Anywhere that my, my mother or my vocal coach could, could slide us in. And you know, just my whole life was music. So I, I mean I, I guess at 12 I was, I was like taking dance classes and I was out of my competitive cheerleading phase, which I'm sure my mother was very happy about. And I was just. Yeah. Becoming an international pop star one Girl Zone rehearsal at a time.

[Sophie Ansari]

Wow. Did you enjoy Girl Zone? Like, was, did it feel like the dream come true or was it like really hard work?

[Candace King]

It was, it was very hard work. We were used doing cover songs of the Spice Girls and with also like some throwbacks, you know, like singing like lollipop, you know, like different. It was, we were mixed genres. No, it was a very like, funny thing. Like I, I desperately want to get my hands on these videos of me as a kid. Yeah, you have to. I know.

[Pen Badgley]

Like, you would just, you know, cringe and die.

[Candace King]

I would, but also like, that's, I, I cringe and die more at like my like, like 19, like the years that I would have like known you is my cringe and die years. Like 12. I give her a lot of grace.

[Pen Badgley]

Oh, that's sweet. That's nice.

[Candace King]

Yeah. Can't relate. But I was really like happy. Like I, I, we would perform at like all these cheesy places and I was just constantly like singing and dancing and just, and you know, those. I'm like, what was that? This was post, you know, millennium. The music was so great. Like, these were some solid fun years. I didn't have braces yet. I think I had a herps appliance, which I don't know if anyone ever had one of those. It's like internal headgear, so it's like a hinge of metal inside your mouth to help realign your bite. So if I like yawned too big in class, my mouth would get like stuck open like, oh my God. So yeah, you know, she just was a 12 year old Floridian in her grow group Girl Zone, just trying not to sing or yawn too loudly and taking life one day at a time.

[Nava Kaplan]

You know, it makes sense because in Florida I feel like so much of the pot. Those like Mandy Moore, Backstreet Boys, NSync, all of this stuff was kind of coming out of Florida, right? Lou Perlman, that was kind of his like, terrain. But I, but looking into you and your family, if the Internet is to be trusted, it sounds like your dad is a thoracic heart surgeon. Your mom was like an environmental engineer. And I'm curious how they felt about like budding performer. Candace.

[Candace King]

Yes. My mom worked for many years as an environmental engineer and then. And then shifted to being a stay at home mom. Mom. When my brother was born and my dad is still. He says he's retiring this year. We have yet to see it, but he's a cardiovascular surgeon, so, you know, he like, actually saves lives. So whenever I'm like, you know, this is not that high stress, like, I can get through today. I'm like, his job is actually stressful for both of them. They grew up in the Midwest. Neither of them, you know, for what my mom went on to do in the 80s and not only, like, pay her way through college and also help support my dad as he was paying his way through medical school. Like, their, their version of becoming a singer or a pop star was the fact that my mom was an engineer and my dad was a doctor. So they were supportive from day one and are still that way. I'm very, very grateful. Sweet. Yeah. So they. It wasn't. I know. I. I always look back and I go, that, that's really cool. Of course, there are different things where I'm like, wow. They were really. It was a different time, you know, like, I moved to LA when I was 16. I was, like, alone very young. My mom came with me and then started traveling back and forth until I was 18. But, I mean, I was a kid in a very adult business. But they luckily, like, trusted me and believed in me enough. I don't think they ever anticipated the pivot into acting. They were terrified when I mentioned that. And when I told them, like, I booked a pilot and it's like this vampire show, they were like, mm, this is. Do you need to come home? Like, they, they were very concerned. And then now, like all these years later, I mean, I don't know, I feel like even last summer I was like, I'm. I'm filming a show. And they're like, are you, are you okay? Do you need help? And then I'm like, no, but it's with Julie. They're like, oh, okay. They know Julie. They're like, now, okay, Our baby girl's fine. She's fine.

[Sophie Ansari]

I heard you say, as an adult, you feel like the mom of, of your friend group sometimes. And I was curious if that has any. Like, did you see Seeds of that in your middle school self as well? Was that showing up?

[Candace King]

I think, I mean, I. The only way that might show up is I feel like people usually. I would travel with my parents a lot as a kid. So I was very young in a lot of like very grown up places in the sense that it'd be like nice dinners and nice meals and, and I'd usually kind of be left to myself to like, you know, I shake hands. But I found it all to be quite boring. So I'd usually, if we were at like a restaurant that had a piano player, I would go and like ask the piano player to like, hey, play the song so I can sing. Or it's like, hey bartender, give me another Shirley Temple. So you know, everyone gave the. Like, you're very mature for your age. But I guess the mom in the friend group is also just a little bit now I'm thinking probably from being, you know, Florida isn't the south. But like I am still like the person who plans the itinerary. Like I said earlier this morning, I was already on the phone with the hotel that I'm going to for the wedding this weekend just to confirm like what is close by. I've already emailed my friend's wedding planner just to check on the itinerary of the shuttle service. Like I'm type A in that way that yes, I can kind of mom people a little bit. I'm very concerned about everyone wearing sunscreen, you know, stuff like that.

[Sophie Ansari]

I am the youngest daughter in my family and I've been seeing now a lot about eldest daughters of youngest daughters what that's like to be, to have to be the eldest daughter of someone who, who was not at all type A, who was taking care of their whole life. And I'm so scared for my, for my daughter. I feel so bad for her what her life is gonna be like.

[Candace King]

Oh, she's got it. I know it is. The birth order thing is very funn. I see it so clearly in my daughters and then their older sisters who I've known since they were 7 and 9. You know, the oldest would always be there on time, like always like check before she leaps. Whereas like the younger one would just like leap off the monkey bars and expect someone to be there to catch her. And more often than not someone would show up to get. Someone was there, one of us was there. And I even see that with my 9 year old and my 4 year old now where I'm just like, oh yeah, she is just leaping off the stairs and we all. It is very funny. But yes, I am a act like a very typical eldest child that, you know, kind of takes care of a lot of things.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah, that makes me curious about your, your little brother and your relationship with him. And this is maybe like a. I don't know if it's a weird question, but. And I've never asked anyone before, but I'm curious, was he ever embarrassed when you went into performing? Like, I can just picture a little brother being like, oh my God, this is so weird that my son sisters doing this. And I'm wondering if there was any of that.

[Candace King]

Yeah, I think probably there might be some of that. You know, we are two very, very different people and we've had two very different kind of, you know, walks through life. And, and so I think it is, I think it's. I think it is difficult when you have someone in the family that is more visible publicly. And I think it could be. I mean, I see it even with my own kids now. Sometimes it's like, oh, this is cool and fun and we get to do this really fun activity. But, you know, and then other times it just feels like a lot, I guess. So I would imagine it felt like that for him, but I don't know. Yeah, family dynamics, man.

[Pen Badgley]

You know, my, my four year old says when people. Because, you know, I'm going through a phase where, you know, in New York City and I'm quite recognizable, does happen quite a lot. And you know, I'm with him all the time outside. And so that is a really interesting management thing for life that we'll learn about. But one of the, in the last six months, he's just started to, you know, become more vocal in general, obviously, and he's just like noticing things. And I remember, I can't remember exactly when it was like, it might have been as many as six months ago. And developmentally, at this age, that's like a lifetime. But he, but somebody had come up taking a picture and I had been in the habit of saying, well, those are friends. I would try to ask them their name and, and, and, and, and he would ask who they are and I'd be like, well, that was Chris and Amanda.

[Candace King]

Yeah, yeah.

[Pen Badgley]

And, and, and then, and then I stopped doing that after a while because it was like, I think it just, it seemed maybe disingenuous or something. But then he just, you know, people often say like, oh, I love you. You know, which you think about it is like to a child they're, yeah, love you. And then I remember we're walking in the stroller and he just goes, why do people love you so much? And, and I don't remember what I said, but I just thought, man, this is going to be really interesting as we, as we progress.

[Candace King]

Yeah, it is an interesting dance. I know. I've definitely gotten, you know, she'll ask like, well, why doesn't anyone want it? Because she. So my 9 year old got to be in an episode of, like, the Vampire Diaries trilogy. So the third and final spin off was called Legacies, and my character was still alive, and I got to go back and be part of the final, final episode. And part of the spinoff is if you don't watch the show, my character was pregnant in the Vampire Diaries and gave birth to twins. And so this final show, the Legacies, is about these twins and other kids from the other shows that all go to this magical. And so I got to go and, like, be a part of the final episode of it. And I asked, like, you know, our writer, writers and producers who are. I'm also dear friends with at this point, if my 9 year old could come be in it. Because, you know, Julie Pleck always likes to joke that, you know, Candace had a baby and I got a spin off. This was like the gift we gave each other. And so she got to go be in it. So she's in, like, the. One of the final shots of the show, you know, because she was the whole reason that they even wrote twin babies, because I threw them for a looping, like, surprise. I'm pregnant.

[Sophie Ansari]

Oh, my God. That is crazy.

[Candace King]

Yes.

[Sophie Ansari]

So.

[Candace King]

But she gets upset when we're out and she's like, do they not recognize me from Legacies? She's like, mom, I got paid. Like, they. I was in the show.

[Pen Badgley]

I'm the reason for it.

[Candace King]

I'm the whole reason for it.

[Sophie Ansari]

That is so funny.

[Candace King]

Yeah. It's like, I think they're too intimidated, babe. That's why.

[Nava Kaplan]

Candace, you're here in part to promote a show called We Were Liars. And it made me curious, what is the craziest lie, if you recall, that you ever told in middle school or high school that you got caught telling?

[Candace King]

Oh, God. I'm like, I'm trying to think any in high school or middle school. I know. I definitely, like, I feel like lying to my dad. I think there was a night that I was, like, coming home from a party and, like, I have a friend. I had a friend who was like, a very big track runner. So she was always designated driver, which. Which turned out great for irresponsible little old me. And. And so she was driving home and I was already supposed to be home. And, like, my dad was literally driving in front of us, and I think I had her like park so we could like sneak into the house as if he didn't see. And I pretended to be sleeping. But a lot of like. Yeah, I'm just at, you know, Kim's house down the street and. Oh, I think. Oh, I know one. My parents were selling their house and I remember after prom one year, my friends and I, we didn't even have a part. We weren't even cool enough to get invited like a party. But the three of us like went back to my parents house and like stayed there and we were after.

[Sophie Ansari]

It was empty.

[Candace King]

Yeah. Empty house. And now I look back being like, I wonder if they sold it. And like people were like. The fact no one just like walked to like move their stuff in. I don't know. I was pretty good back in my Florida days. It was really. Things got a little spicy. But when I got to la. But then. But it was still very fun. I was pretty good as a teenager.

[Sophie Ansari]

That's cute. That is literally a storyline from the summer I turned pretty. They go after the house is sold.

[Candace King]

Really?

[Sophie Ansari]

Yeah. And they stay in the house. Yeah. They took that from me.

[Candace King]

Well, that's because they did. They knew this long journey of. Yeah. All these years later, my secret's out.

[Pen Badgley]

Birthing giant ceres everywhere you go.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Candace King]

Yeah. You know, just one. One baby and lie at a time. Y.

[Pen Badgley]

I am curious. This is. This. This is either. It's possibly a very bad dumb question and I. You may have been asked it a lot, but having spent so much time on. On. On a. On a series where you're playing a vampire, you're, you know, I know just as well as anybody, after a while you're not thinking about it necessarily so deeply. But it's. But. But surely over the years, what do you feel like the archetype of the vampire is a meditation on. Or what was it for you? Like, what. What did it. What did it mean to be playing? You know, because I mean like a vampire archetype is something that clearly means so much to people in certain ways. And I'm just curious, like, did you. A, did you have any of that? Did you care about vampires before that? And then B, what did you start to think about vampires once you had to like dig into that?

[Candace King]

I mean, at that point I was like, vampires mean job security. Like they were everywhere. Vampires. Yes. Every question, season one was, but why vampires? And I. I mean. And I think the answer is still true to this day. I think they're sexy and they don't like, you know, they're they're ageless. They're meant to be mysterious. Like, it's obvious in the physical act of, like. You know, it's obviously like, more of, like, a dominating person and a submissive person. There's like, the physical act of, like, teeth and skin. So I. You know, it's a very sexy genre. And I had never been much of a person that watched vampire shows. I watched, like, the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, like, the movie, but I never watched the show. And. But after all these years, I still. I mean, I love that people love. Luckily, I got to play, like, a new vampire, so it was very fun. I. You know, I am grateful, looking back, because even then, when I would get, you know, working on a show for eight years and, you know, we were 22, 23 episodes a season, so it was every week. It was your whole life, and you play the same character and you're in the same sets, and it's great because it does start to feel like the cadence of it becomes the job, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can be, you know, a little boring for some. I'm sure. I never felt bored. You know, we got to do stunts, and some people got to do flashbacks, and we, um. We just. It was always just a lot of really fun, like, like, what's gonna happen at work today? I mean, we had wolves at one point. That was scary. The wolves was a whole other thing.

[Sophie Ansari]

You had actual wolves?

[Candace King]

They didn't last very long. Yes, there were some. But, yes. Going to work one day, and you just hear, like, ow. Pulling up to the trailers, being like, oh, God. And it's like. I just remember they had, like, a. Like, a fence behind the whole camera crew, like an electric fence. And then I was supposed to be in a jail. And of course, it's a prop, so everything's made of, like, plastic and Styrofoam. And then they, like, bring in the wolves, and they're like. And I'm supposed to be behind it with, like, the wolf snapping and growling at me, and they're like. With, like, meat, and it's, like, hungry. And they're like, just be. Okay, so we're gonna get this real fast. Just, you know, you're real scared. I was like, we are past the acting now. This is just. This is. We are. This is a documentary, so just roll the.

[Pen Badgley]

That's one of those. The inconsistencies of our industry, where actors can be coddled beyond all reason. You know, they, like, won't let you do something. It's like, guys, I'm stepping off of it here. Okay. I'm stepping off of a chair. I don't wired to, you know, whatever. But then something like that will happen and you realize like, I'm in a form of mortal danger and. And, and it's just. And then. And now act.

[Candace King]

Okay. All right.

[Pen Badgley]

Yeah.

[Candace King]

Oh, yeah. Oh. We had explosions and burning of everything things all the time. Car crashes. And so it was never. It definitely wasn't boring. So while I might not have like gone into filming the Vampire Diaries, being a vampire genre fan, I truly look back on those years as some of my favorite I've. And I know that I'm like, that's the top. I mean, we were like a whole family. It was really fun and special.

[Nava Kaplan]

Stick around. We'll be right back.

[Pen Badgley]

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[E]

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[Nava Kaplan]

We're definitely going to come back to the Vampire Diaries. But we do have a few more questions we want to ask you about middle school. And also we want to ask you about your sort of foray into pop stardom. But we have a couple classic questions that we ask everyone. I want to know about your first, like, big crush or infatuation or puppy love and your first heartbreak.

[Candace King]

Yes. Well, real life. I mean, before real life, it was Jonathan Taylor Thomas, of course. J.T. sawa.

[Nava Kaplan]

Oh, my God. Devon Sawa. I still think about Casper sometimes. I was actually thinking about it three days ago. That ending.

[Candace King]

I mean, I think it was everyone's sexual awakening at that point. Like, who knew that a ghost could be. I mean, screw vampires. We need to talk about cartoon ghosts.

[Nava Kaplan]

Exactly.

[Pen Badgley]

Put Christina Ricci in that.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Pen Badgley]

So, I mean, that was.

[Candace King]

She got to kiss him twice. Him in that. And she got to kiss him and now and then. And we all slowed down now and then inappropriately when they were running in their towels. Did we not, ladies? Am I right?

[Nava Kaplan]

For sure. Yeah.

[Candace King]

That's it. That's. If you know, you know. And if you don't know, don't ask. Because it sounds really creepy coming out of my mouth at this age.

[Pen Badgley]

Well, no, technically I was younger. They were older men then for you then.

[Candace King]

Yes. Then it was like they were older now. Please, yeah. Be mindful of how this conversation is presented. But yeah, that was like my first, like, celebrity crush. And then my first real crush was a kid named Nick Trolka. And it was first grade and I like drew a heart around his picture and I showed him in the yearbook and it did not go well. Cause he was in first grade and that's very scary. Like a Six or seven year old boy being like, I don't know. But I was always boy crazy as a kid. Yeah. And first heartbreak, I'm like, what was my. Probably like I had a boyfriend. Like my first little boyfriend when I was like in sixth grade. Charlie Bales. I always loved the double name. Like, what was your double name? Boyfriend, girlfriend, person from like. I love a good double name in middle school.

[Pen Badgley]

You mean like the name has to be two first names?

[Candace King]

Yeah. Or you never just say like one name. You say like the whole name.

[Pen Badgley]

I think I only have one of those and it was just the first. The first and only. So Kayla Peterson.

[Candace King]

That's a great double name.

[Sophie Ansari]

Yeah, that's a good one. That's like from a movie.

[Nava Kaplan]

My first crush was a boy named Giancarlo Sortega. Yeah.

[Sophie Ansari]

Also amazing. The one that comes to mind is Nathan Huney, which is not a good thing. It's kind of like. Kind of like, eh. But he was like the kid. You know, we've talked about this before. Like there's these boys that are just very regular, but somehow they've attracted all of the girls. That was Nathan Huney.

[Candace King]

He had the vibe.

[Sophie Ansari]

Yeah.

[Candace King]

As the kids say these days. Yep.

[Sophie Ansari]

Yeah. Our other question that we ask everybody is if you have any embarrassing stories from that time from adolescence.

[Candace King]

Oh God, I feel like my whole adolescence was embarrassing, even though it was. I don't know. I know. I feel like I should. I know. My daughter last night was asking me for like embarrassing stories.

[Sophie Ansari]

She was.

[Pen Badgley]

So you're saying we have the same interests as your nightmare?

[Candace King]

Yes. Yeah. She also eats edamame that's already been eaten by other people without realizing it.

[Nava Kaplan]

So a lot people of same, same synchronicities.

[Candace King]

Oh man, I feel like I need to do like, there's gotta be something. You know those people that just like remember everything from their childhood. Like, I. I really feel like I need to go back and I, I know one embarrassing thing that I used to do as I roll my eyes, but I used to watch like tv. I still joke is my best friend. Like, I love TV and I loved it as a kid too. And I used to like steal things that I'd see from TV show. Say it in real life. Like, I see. So like I stole like my first kiss. I saw like on seventh heaven. Like Simon like counted down like three, two, like whatever Simon said for his first kiss in seventh heaven, I 100% in sixth grade, like said word for word, like during my first kiss, I think I even stole like something from like, the Family man, like the Nick Cage movie. That's very, like, just random weird things where I'd be like, oh, I'm gonna slip in this line. They'll never know and they'll become so interesting and cool. So that feels embarrassing.

[Nava Kaplan]

It's also very.

[Candace King]

I don't think it worked.

[Nava Kaplan]

No, that's.

[Sophie Ansari]

That's amazing.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Candace King]

You know, just prepping for what my career was to become, you know? Yeah. Yeah.

[Pen Badgley]

It does actually sound like you were. You were in love with movies and tv. I mean, you know, TV for sure.

[Candace King]

Don't bring me to a movie trivia. I'm terrible. But TV I'll crush. So.

[Pen Badgley]

So when. So, like, to get from Florida, 12, 13, 14. You know, you're pursuing this pop music career and you very. No, and I mean, it was like. Sounds like it was serious. Yeah, right. And so, you know, you're pursuing it, like, did you want to go to la and. And when did you finally do that?

[Candace King]

Yeah, I was. I was. I did everything I could. Mike again. My parents were very supportive. So I made this demo and they sent my dad, very sweetly, you know, would send it to anyone he knew. So if he went on a medical meeting and found out that someone's brother's uncle's nephew worked at, like, a record label, he would send it. My demo to them. And my. Very sweet. And my demo got sent to Basically someone at DreamWorks that might have ended even up in the trash. And an accountant picked it up, an accountant slash manager. But he was. Actually Contacted my parents and got. That was like, the perfect person that connected me from point A to point B. And I got to work with a wonderful person named Sandy Roberton. And Sandy managed all the top writers and producers of the time and actually signed me to a development deal. And I was just then turning 16. So that was my first, like, all right. My parents said, we'll go to LA for a couple of months. And I had the opportunity to write with the Matrix, who were huge at the time. Like, anyone who was writing, like, all the hits on the radio, I was able to get in the room with them. And it was such a gift. And so I made a demo and another demo, and Sandy brought me around to a few labels and I got signed. So within six months of kind of this trial period of being in la, I got signed to Maverick Records. And my parents were like, all right, I guess we're doing it. I got a record deal and a publishing deal all before my 17th birthday.

[Nava Kaplan]

Wow.

[Sophie Ansari]

Did it feel like, okay, this Is what I want to do forever. Like, did it. How did it feel at the time? Was it exciting or stressful?

[Candace King]

It was so exciting. And I. And again, like, you know, kind of what we were speaking to before Penn, like, when you're there in la, especially at that time, everyone was like, it was. Anyone I knew was just like, working. You could go down to like, the Oakwoods, and it's like the Duffs are there in between. You know, you see Hillary or Haley Duff, you would go, you know, my first boyfriend was like, one of. Was acting on seventh Heaven at the time. Full circle, very funny. And then, you know, and I was like, friends with Britney. And so I'd go to her set when she's like, everyone was just like, living this dream version of their life. And so when that happened, I definitely was like, this is it. And then I would get a very big crash course in the music industry, of course. And this was when a lot of things were changing as far as, like, financially within the industry and streaming, you know, with ipods. And so, you know, my story is not unique in the sense that I got there, I got signed, and then. And then by the time my record was made, you know, there wasn't a lot of traction within the label that they keep the record. And, you know, by the time I'm 18, I get dropped. And it was devastating. But I also learned at that time, you know, well, what if maybe this isn't what I'm meant to do? What if there's something else I'm supposed to do? And I had auditioned a little bit with acting, but I didn't even know if that was my career trajectory. It really was after I ended up working as a backup singer for a year. So I went on tour as a backup singer, and it was for Miley Cyrus when she was doing the Best of Both Worlds Hannah Montana tour. And I went, oh, I. That's an international pop star. I get it now. Like, that. That makes sense. Like, I got to live out my pop star dreams and, like, be on a stage in stadiums and like, for sell sold out crowds. And it didn't need to be for me. And it was just the coolest thing ever. And by the time I got back, I was like, I think I'm gonna give this acting thing a try. You know, TV's my best friend. I love it. That'd be so cool to be on one of those, like, WB shows. And then crazy enough.

[Nava Kaplan]

Candace, I listened to your episode. You have a podcast called Superbloom. And I listened to your episode with Bonnie McKee. And I really appreciate it. I mean, I felt like you were both really open, really vulnerable, and there was. There was a moment in the conversation when you talked about how you've kind of struggled, particularly in la, with this feeling of, like, everybody's sizing you up for, like, your social value, your social currency, and how you've had to have these conversations with yourself of, like, the moment when. When, like, you do get something kind of having to, like, have a reckoning with your ego, but also, like, not. Not appraising yourself or apprising yourself for what someone else. Else, who someone else thinks you are. And I was just a little bit curious, like, how that journey is going for you.

[Candace King]

Very well. I think this industry can keep everyone pretty humble if you let it. And also, I think it's. You know, I love visiting la. You know, as I got older and had kids, I just didn't feel like that was, you know, where I needed to be. Even though I respect and love that is an industry town. A huge part of that, I think, also comes from the fact that the most success I ever found was in Atlanta, Georgia. And it wasn't a flashy existence. We weren't filming down there, and there wasn't this red carpet aura of life down there. We would all film until on, you know, we'd always have Fridays, which is like, a late Friday night into Saturday morning, and collectively as a cast and a crew, most Fridays we'd all be like, can we all be done so we can go, like, to our favorite wine bar? And we hung out every single weekend. And I'm still close with a lot of those crew members and cast members. And so the job was the job, and it was just like a cherry on top that people even watched it. And. But it also gave me, like, my. My, you know, first feeling of, like, in adulthood. Like, a job that let me feel, like, breathe financially for a bit, like. And have, like, consistent rent. And, like, those were the successes and the big wins. And. And I think now it's just like, I love, like, I love the job. I loved even last summer being back on a set. It had been a minute, and I loved being out it, like, like three in the morning on a dock that would not stop rocking. And I'm in heels and it's very, very cold, and we're just trying to get the shot. But it's. I just. There's something magical about a group of people who collectively come together to make a thing, and you all need each other. To make it. And so, like, once I figured all of that out and with age and, you know, the other stuff is just. Is just fun. It's fun to celebrate the things. But I also know, like, that's not the end all be all. Like, I, you know, like, having my being able to, like, pick up my kids from school and do fun things with them and also them get to see mommy, like, work, like, on a set. I think that those are all wins. But all the other stuff is just like, you know, the silly, fun stuff. Can you tell I'm too caffeinated today? I'm sorry. Like, are we in therapy? Is my therapist on this call? Jeez Louise.

[Sophie Ansari]

Feel free to stop us, you know, if you feel like we're.

[Candace King]

No, I'm just like, I'm. I talk a lot. Yes. If you can't, it's great.

[Pen Badgley]

We have guests sometimes who talk way more. Way more, you know, so you're, I think, really hitting the sweet spot.

[Candace King]

Don't worry. Thank you. Thank you. I've been working on it with my therapist, so it's great. It's going well.

[Sophie Ansari]

And we'll be right back.

[Candace King]

Back.

[Sophie Ansari]

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[Pen Badgley]

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[Nava Kaplan]

Well, why don't we talk about the Vampire Diaries? I mean, you know, we. We did get into it a little bit, but. Who was your favorite scene partner to film with?

[Candace King]

Oh, it changed all the time. Michael Trevino, who played Tyler, is like, my brother. And so we would always. It was always so fun until we had to make out. And then it got weird. Like, pen, you guys were all together for a long time. Did you all have to. I made out with everybody. Like, and as the years go on, it progressively gets weirder because you all know each other so well.

[Pen Badgley]

You know, I feel differently about it now where I wouldn't want to spend a series doing that, but in my 20s and just because it was the job, I have to say, it was like, that was the. Was. I suppose it's so weird that you just make it not weird and then it's not weird. You know, that was kind of my experience of it is like, all right. Well, we all do, right?

[Sophie Ansari]

I simply cannot. Like, I'm trying as you guys are talking. I've actually never really let myself think about this, but I'm trying to imagine what I would do if I just, like, pl. Plopped onto a sack yet and had to kiss somebody. I. I literally cannot imagine.

[Candace King]

Here's the thing. Stranger. Yes. With the stranger, though. All right. It's. It's weird. No.

[Sophie Ansari]

Yeah, with a friend, but with a.

[Candace King]

Friend that you know, that you, like, know and you, like, know their person or their partner. Like, it's a very, you know, in like, it's that was the. That was very. We still laugh about that. And then. But everyone, you know, luckily we all got to work together and have a lot of fun. Paul Wesley, who plays Stefan, is just like my. Everyone would always joke that we argue like an old married couple, and we're just very, like. He's like an old, grumpy man, and I'm just like, you know, a glittery, like, be happy, you know, just trying to.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Candace King]

Shake him into joy. And so we. We. But we had a lot of fun together. Yeah. We get to see each other all the time because we do all these, like, conventions and stuff, which is so fun. But one of the main reasons why I'm still holding out on my 9 year old watching the show is because I'm like, mommy kisses a lot of boys.

[Nava Kaplan]

Fair.

[Candace King]

And she's like, it's not like you don't have your clothes on. I was like, well, sometimes.

[Pen Badgley]

But it's times where I rip open his neck.

[Candace King]

Mm. Yeah. The violence.

[Pen Badgley]

Almost all of his blood.

[Candace King]

I know. Yeah, I know.

[Nava Kaplan]

And you met your. I mean, he wasn't at the time, but you met your fiance on set. True, right? Is that true?

[Candace King]

No, that's. That's what's so funny. I. Wow. So we never worked together. Steven was on. My fiance Stephen was on the Originals, which is the spin off of Vampire Diaries. So we know all the same people. We literally lived. Lived on the same street. We had so many shared experiences. And. And literally. It was a couple years ago. I was at a con. We. We'd all traveled for a convention, and someone was like, oh, yeah, Krugerone calls him Krueger. The Kruger is coming to dinner. And I was like, who? And they came and I was like, oh, my God, it's the guy from Yellowjackets. And. Cause I'd been watching that and everyone was like, no, you know him. Like, he worked and no idea. And. And we didn't even, like, hang out or anything like that. But it wasn't until, like, you know, the following year, we sat next to each other to dinner and actually got to know each other because we actually had never really talked. He likes to say that. I just don't remember meeting him a few times, but I think he sounds.

[Pen Badgley]

Like that might be the case. I mean, which is better for you? I don't know.

[Candace King]

Yeah. All part of my master plan. Fun.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Candace King]

The long, long, long, long game.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Sophie Ansari]

That's really sweet. That's so cool that you guys share that history without really sharing that history.

[Pen Badgley]

That's a bit like Adam Brody and Leighton Meester. They're from like the Stephanie Savage universe, you know, the OC but they never work together.

[Candace King]

So. Yeah, it's a bizarre. Well, I think now I feel like it's new but like in the. But in the days when you're in those experiences. Yeah. Is very, very funny. Yeah. I just, you know, we, we obviously were very deep in our own lives and you know, and or past relationships and had very much our blinders on. And so it. I, you know, I truly described like sitting. I'd even like met him at that one thing and been like, oh, that's that guy. And it was just this weird feeling of like sitting next to him at dinner like a year later. And it's like the lights turned on and I was like, huh, that's interesting.

[Sophie Ansari]

Sweet. Can you see yourselves working together in the future on any projects?

[Candace King]

I think it'd be so fun. I admire couples that are able to work together. You know, I've never done anything like that, but I think it would be really, really fun. We'll see. I mean there's a lot, a lot of life and creative to be had. But yeah, we'll see. Right now we're working on, on a hundred year old house that I got. Yes. I made the decision to buy a hundred year old house about like a little over two years ago and so I roped him into that where I'm like if you think I'm a lot to handle, wait until you move into with me. Hurt.

[Sophie Ansari]

Isn't, isn't renovating a home. It's like one of the top. You know, there's like moving cities or moving countries. There's like renovating a home. I feel like it's one of the top five things that can. Going to IKEA is probably another.

[Candace King]

Yes.

[Sophie Ansari]

Cause issues in a couple. That's amazing.

[Candace King]

Getting married, being married, having children, breathing next to each other in bed without you know, at the right, at the right volume. Yes. All of these things collectively are equally stressful. But yes, we've been. Been navigating it quite strong. Quite strong is what I would call it. Good.

[Sophie Ansari]

Amazing.

[Candace King]

Do.

[Pen Badgley]

Do you feel like, you know, I happen to. My wife is, is not an actress and, and I realized she was the first person I was with who wasn't because you know, in your world you meet people in your world that's you're with. Right. And I actually very much appreciate that she's not because it's like, it's sort of a lifeline and a tether to a World outside of that world. But then I also know that the same thing can be true is like there's such a unique, you know, what, what an actor does is a strange and particular and unique thing. And I wonder if you, I don't know, you know, if you have past partners who have, have been actors or what. But like, do you find that there's a unique bond there where it's like, you really know, Especially because you aren't just actors, but you came from the same, like, what would you call it now? Would you call it a franchise? What would you call it?

[Candace King]

Yeah, I always call it like a trilogy, but I don't think that's the right word.

[Pen Badgley]

Oh, that's probably, that's about it. Saga. No.

[Candace King]

Yes.

[Pen Badgley]

But you know, you come so much from the same experience. Is that something that you, you kind of cherish together and, or, or, or is it something that you, I don't know, that you don't even really talk about?

[Candace King]

No, we definitely talk. We talk about it a lot. I don't think either of us, you know, in the sense that none, neither of us really anticipated on entering into a long term relationship with someone else in this industry primarily because of its unpredictability. You know, we're both pretty logical people, which is. Feels very illogical to be in this business most days. There's a lot. We both grew up in Florida, our families are very similar. And he actually was on track to becoming a lawyer and took the LSATs. But this was something that he's like, I'm just gonna give it a shot. This is his passion. And so he applied all of his work ethic to making his passion his life and. Which is much more romantic than I think any of my descriptions of falling into this business and falling in love with it. But it wasn't, I think, intentional for either of us. And now we've kind of found ourselves in this conundrum of like, here we are two people in this industry, but we both look at it as like a job, a fun job, one that we love very much, but also a job and that, you know, family and friends and our quality like, of life together and you know, in the sense of like cooking together and board games and like, what, what does the long game look like? Is what we both value. So. I know I, I definitely didn't. Is your wife a doula in my thing? Is that correct?

[Pen Badgley]

That is correct. Anime is a, It's a doula.

[Candace King]

I feel like I was a doula in another life. I. Each time I've been pregnant. I just, I'm obsessed with pregnancy. Like, if you were to look when I was pregnant both times, if you would have looked on my like YouTube pages or any sort of, like, you would have thought I was into some weird stuff like women self birthing in kitchen and I'd just be like, wow, what a badass. But I love doulas so much. They're incredible. They're angels.

[Sophie Ansari]

She is a particularly like, doulas are amazing. And then Domino know is on another level too, just as a person. So then her as a dual life.

[Pen Badgley]

She belongs to a class of doulas where like, you know, some duos are so experienced that they're, they're all, they're like closer to a midwife, you know, but then, but then they have the bedside manner of like a, of a therapist and a slash like an acupuncturist masseuse. You know, it's like they, So I, I, you know, I have learned more about birds birth and about, and about its implications, you know, like, than I ever thought I would. And so I feel you. I mean, it's, you know, it's like you kind of. It's almost like as deep as you want to take it. It goes there because when you're giving birth and I mean, yeah, it's just like, it's just epic. It's, it's, it's, it's. And I'm not even saying that in a, in a good or of course bad way. I mean, it's, it's just, it's just so extreme, you know, it's like what's happening when birth is happening. Just like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why does no one talk about this more?

[Candace King]

Yes, it's the coolest, most like feral like it is. Yes, I know. My first birth, I ended up having to be transferred to the hospital, but I really wanted to experience an unmedicated birth just for my own. I just got in my head. But my second was like fully unmedicated. It happened very quickly. I gave birth in a COVID testing room, if that gives you any.

[Nava Kaplan]

Wow.

[Sophie Ansari]

My goodness.

[Candace King]

Just came blind into the world. But I literally thought I was dying. I just remember like a nurse, like jumping. The doctor didn't even make it in the room and just like this like burst through my legs and was like, get it together. You can do it. Oh my God. Just like. And I, and I like, was able to do it. And I just remember like the second she came out, the first thing I did was like scream Like. Like, I just, like, yelled.

[Nava Kaplan]

That's amazing.

[Candace King]

Would you like to see your baby? I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, that part too.

[Nava Kaplan]

You're like, no, no, not just about me. I am woman.

[Candace King]

Like, start roaring everywhere. But it's the coolest thing ever. I know. I feel like I'm like, did you guys ever see the movie Night? Did anyone watch Night?

[Nava Kaplan]

I haven't seen that with Amy.

[Sophie Ansari]

I haven't seen it. I want to watch it so badly. I just have. I haven't gotten around to, but I've seen that there's, like, an amazing clip that went viral of her talking to some. This other mother in a supermarket.

[Candace King]

Yeah.

[Sophie Ansari]

About postpartum.

[Pen Badgley]

It's the first scene.

[Candace King]

Yeah.

[Sophie Ansari]

Oh, really?

[Pen Badgley]

She's really, really good.

[Candace King]

Yeah. But that just brought up, like, I remember watching that being like, yes. Like, I didn't know how to say anything else except this. Yes. It's like the feral nature of it all. Anyway, that's just a whole other tangent, but your wife sounds. And also, I love what she does, and that is very cool.

[Pen Badgley]

She is awesome. She is.

[Nava Kaplan]

I do want to ask you a few questions about your new project. So it isn't out yet. So did a little research on the book. I don't know how much you're allowed to say. Obviously, the book is out. People can Google it.

[Candace King]

Don't Google it. If you're gonna do anything, just read it.

[Sophie Ansari]

Don't spoilers.

[Nava Kaplan]

Okay, so you may not be able to answer this question. Kin Candice.

[Candace King]

I can't answer it. I will lie. That's what it says on the back of the book. If anyone asks you about what happens in this book, just lie.

[Nava Kaplan]

Okay.

[Pen Badgley]

Know what it says?

[Sophie Ansari]

Whoa.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Candace King]

So, I mean, not exactly, but I'm paraphrasing, but yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nava Kaplan]

Well, what I was going to ask you is, do you know whether or not it's meant to be a limited series or if there's going to be multiple seasons and if the series is trying to be faithful to the book or if it kind of goes its own way, like Gossip Girl and. And many Pretty Little Liars, they kind of went their own way.

[Candace King]

Yes, I can answer all of these questions. For anyone who has read the book and fell in love with it as much as I did, it is very much the book. You will be transported to Beechwood Island. You will fall in love with Gat alongside Cadence. You will feel dizzy and confused and want to know what the hell happened last summer. And the only thing that's probably changed in the story is that we just get to expand other characters. You really get a sense for the other liars. You get to get know the family a lot more to help understand, you know, why the. The rules and the laws of this island are the way they are. So, like, for instance, like Bess Sinclair, the character I play of the Sinclair sisters, Mirin's mom, you wouldn't, you know, get to know her that well in the book, but you're gonna see a lot more of her and the other aunts and get to know, you know, the matriarch and the patriarch of the family, the Sinclairs as a whole, a lot more. So that's the way that it's really different from the book, which I think adds a lot to the story. And we would all love to see, you know, another season of this because there are more books. So if you've read all of the books, you know, there's possibility to. To really dive deeper. So. But we're just going to start. I'm just excited for everyone to see. We were liars, first and foremost.

[Nava Kaplan]

Exciting. Okay, and what's your. What's your favorite thing? What was your favorite thing about playing Bess?

[Candace King]

Oh, my favorite thing about paying, playing bass is that these are just some bougie people. Like, these are not necessarily like the best best, you know, morally the best family. But, man, I want to, you know, hang out at. Well, maybe I wouldn't hang out their house overnight, like for a long weekend, but maybe just go for like the afternoon. We were filming in Nova Scotia. It was meant to be Martha's, like, you know, Beechwood island in the book is where this family goes to vacation every summer. And it's in the story, it's off the coast of Martha's Vineyard and they're, you know, this is a very wealthy family. If you think like old school, like Kennedys with the Murdochs, like that kind of esteemed, you know, they're. No, they're known around the. The wealthier parts of. Of America and they're established. And so for them, they kind of retreat to this island and kind of hole up and keep very secret. So for us, we got to film in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and just recreate this, like, magical wealthy. So we were sitting on these beautiful beaches with these beautiful houses and these views and these sunsets, drinking, like, fake rose, which was watered down hibiscus tea. And, you know, it was delightful and, you know, such a wonderful cast. I got to work with Caitlin Fitzgerald and Mamie Gummer played the other Sinclair sisters. So the three of us just like bickering and like swirling our fake wines and like, you know, gallivanting in the sunset down these like fancy, exclusive beaches. What's not to love?

[Nava Kaplan]

That sounds like a dream.

[Candace King]

Yeah, it was awesome. I mean, I think my fingers just stopped smelling like lobster pretty recently because I like, I stayed down the street, I stayed close to this area called Chester and they have this like old pub from like, I want to say like the 17 or 18, like very, very old hun, you know, and. But you could get lobster in a bucket because it's, you know, know there's lobster, you. There's literally a lobster shop in the airport in Halifax where you can take a lobster home, take a lobster to dough and I did not do that. I'm nodding my head yes for those who are listening and pretty sure and. But like, I didn't go that far, but I would order the lobster in the bucket quite often, you know, to my kids, both like enjoyment and like embarrassment. I. I love a food with an activity. I think it's still. I think it's fun.

[Nava Kaplan]

Well, just based on the trailer, I'm pretty sure you're gonna get to make multiple seasons. I think it's gonna.

[Candace King]

I think it's gonna go, thanks. From your mouth to God's ears. It'd be so much fun.

[Sophie Ansari]

Nava had put in our like prep doc, like spoiler ahead. Do not read if you're planning on watching. And I was like, I am absolutely planning on watching. Let me scroll past this real quick. Yeah, that looks like, I mean it is there.

[Candace King]

There's such a. Even just the story of how the book found its audience. It's like it was part of this whole book Talk trend in 2020. And actually Karina McKenzie and Julie Pleck, who I've been lucky enough to know for many, many years. Julie was the co creator, executive producer of Vampire Diaries. And then Karina also did Roswell, New Mexico, but worked on the original. So I've known these women for a long time and they've wanted to bring this book to the screen for a decade and just like kept missing out on the opportunity cause it'd been optioned or kind of tossed around. And so it just was this perfect kismet that it found its bigger audience with the Booktok community in 2020. And then Julie and Karina were able to get their hands on it and bring it to the screen. So it's been very fun to hear about it for so many years and to be a part of it. Kind of making its way into, like, you know, to my best friend, tv. So, yeah, that's great.

[Nava Kaplan]

It's all full circle. Congratulations, Candace.

[Candace King]

Thanks.

[Pen Badgley]

When you were saying book talk, I, you know, I just realized that you don't often, you know, you see it book the. Okay. Or like, cat talk. Cat POV talk, or like, whatever talk.

[Sophie Ansari]

Just so everybody knows, Penn is a hundred percent on cat talk. He's on cat talk. He's on. He's on Animal talk. He's on. He's on.

[Candace King]

Like, I need you to talk louder for my phone algorithm because I don't get tick tock. Like, I feel like such like a millennial mom that, like, I get Instagram, I don't get tick tock. It stresses me out. It overwhelms me. Like, I overthink trying to, like, look in the camera and, like, say the things like, you guys, crush it. Like, you guys hot crushed. You guys tick tock, crush it. Taking notes and lessons from you with my content team. Just trying to thank you the best.

[Pen Badgley]

I can, but it is. I wouldn't do it again. You know, I wouldn't. We, we, we have, we have stumbled and strategized our way into a great.

[Sophie Ansari]

Place, but a lot, it is stressful. I mean, the amount of times I see people comment like, oh, there was a millennial pause. It's like, just, let us live.

[Nava Kaplan]

Let's live, we're millennials for a moment.

[Pen Badgley]

What do you want, verbal diarrhea?

[Nava Kaplan]

But also, when people use millennial as an insult, I'm like, I'm literally a millennial. Why, why should I be offended by that?

[Sophie Ansari]

I have heard that now Gen Z is now aging out. You know, it's happening faster. And like, Gen Z is no longer like, the young. Cool. And they're gonna find out real quick.

[Candace King]

Quick. I'm like, you know, you wear your big socks now, but one day, one day you're going to be like me with your little ankle cutters because they're easier and they make your legs look longer. You're welcome.

[Pen Badgley]

God, so funny that, that really is a defining. I actually. So I've always, I've liked. See, I like the long socks and I do it.

[Sophie Ansari]

You're like, thank God this came.

[Pen Badgley]

I like to wear white shoes as well. Like white slip ons, which sounds weird, but I make it work. And it's funny that I like, this past summer, I was getting a lot of like, like fashion nods from, from like 20 year olds and, like, and I was like, sure that I want to be Nearly full. Getting a lot of appreciation for how I'm dressing from 20 year olds. I don't know. But.

[Candace King]

But I think there's dignity in the authenticity because I go to like an Aritzia and I buy. I'm like, I can do it. Like, I can do it. I can get the socks and I. And I'll wear them with tennis shoes and I put them in my suitcase to go like, take cute pictures on my trip. And then the second they get there, no, I fold them under. I don't even, like, I need, like, I fold them under. I can't do it.

[Pen Badgley]

The no show sock really brings me back to being like in LA in the early 2000s. Like no one had ever thought about it and suddenly we were all like, no, no, no, no, no, you cannot see the sock.

[Candace King]

No, you never see the sock.

[Pen Badgley]

My teen years were just a long sock folded over the top of my sweaty foot. You know what I mean, guys?

[Candace King]

I still do the sweaty fold over.

[Pen Badgley]

Why did we think it was so important?

[Candace King]

I know it was like froy up and sweaty fold over socks. You know, that was like what really.

[Nava Kaplan]

Established a whole generation.

[Candace King]

Jean skirts and Uggs, you know.

[Nava Kaplan]

Oh my gosh, the good old.

[Pen Badgley]

We've already naturally segued a little bit back to it. So we'll just offer you our last question. If you could go Back to the 12 year old Candace, what would you say or do?

[Candace King]

Oh.

[Sophie Ansari]

Damn.

[Candace King]

Oh, just it. It's not that serious. I, I've really been holding on to that a lot lately. I, I've been introduced to that as like a little mantra lately and like, it's not that serious. And if, and not everyone is supposed to like you. It's not that serious. You know, not everyone's supposed to get it. Not everyone's going to get your joke, but someone will. And like just hang out with those are your people then like, that's okay. Okay. And yeah, she desperately. It took a long time for 12 year old Candace and like young Candace to not constantly worry about if you know what other people thought or if everyone like the likability factor and so just letting her off the hook a little bit. I think we can all do that for each other and ourselves.

[Nava Kaplan]

I love that we've never gotten that into.

[Candace King]

I think that's good. Yeah.

[Nava Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Candace King]

Okay. Yay. Well, thanks, guys. Okay. Back at a typing perfectionist.

[Sophie Ansari]

Yeah, I did it.

[Pen Badgley]

You proved it to everybody.

[Candace King]

But truly thank you guys. And, and just congratulations on like all the podcast success. I know it's like such A. It's intense. It's hard to cut through the noise and you guys have just done such a wonderful job and it's so fun and like. And trul I like, as cheesy as it is, like, pen, it's so. It's nice to see, like, good people succeed, but I also just love seeing good people succeed who also, like, tell everyone, like, we can all have fun. Like, it's like, you know, you keep it so fun with everything you do and it's just like such a fucking breath of fresh air. So, you know, just in my nature.

[Pen Badgley]

To be light and have fun, you know?

[Candace King]

Yeah.

[Pen Badgley]

It'S just always been my vibe time.

[Nava Kaplan]

Just so lay back.

[Candace King]

Well, that's what I see from the outside.

[Nava Kaplan]

So you can watch We Were Liars on Amazon prime now and you can keep up with Candace King online at Candace King.

[Sophie Ansari]

Podcrust is hosted by Penn Badgley, Nava Kaplan, and Sophie Ansari. Our senior producer is David Ansari and our editing is done by clips agency. Special thanks to the folks at La Monada. And as always, you can listen to podcrust ad free on Amazon music with your membership. Okay, that's all. Bye.

[Candace King]

I remember even visiting Brittany when she was doing John Tucker Must die. When you guys were up there in. In Vancouver, I had my first bellini. It was very exciting.

[Pen Badgley]

Yeah, you know what? That was the first time I ever heard of a bellini. I remember that place being also for the. For our, our, our die hard listeners and for Sophia Nava. This is the same place where I ate Chad McElmurray's.

[Sophie Ansari]

Oh, my gosh.

[Pen Badgley]

The first time I ever had edamame. Didn't know that the shells had already been in other people's mouths. And so I reached into the bowl and I tried to eat it.

[Candace King]

Yes.

[Pen Badgley]

What's happening?

[Nava Kaplan]

So gross.

[Candace King]

Part of me for a second was like, does this restaurant have like a specialty edamame for Chad Michael Murray? Because at the time that would have made sense.

[Pen Badgley]

You know what? At the time, they very well could have.

[Sophie Ansari]

Parents. We know the child care crisis is not just another headline. It's a daily struggle playing out in millions of homes across this country. I'm Gloria Rivera, and this is.

[Candace King]

No one is coming to save us this season.

[Sophie Ansari]

We're demanding a child care system that actually works for kids, parents and educators. We mean free birth to 5. Full day nearby, easy to apply. No one is coming to save us. Season 5 from Lemonada Media out now.