Work in Progress: Alyson Stoner

Summary

Work in Progress: Allison Stoner

Podcast: Work in Progress with Sophia Bush
Host: Ryan Seacrest
Guest: Allison Stoner
Release Date: August 13, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of Work in Progress with Sophia Bush, host Ryan Seacrest welcomes Allison Stoner, an accomplished entertainer, author, and mental health advocate. Stoner shares her journey from a child star in over 200 films and TV shows to the founder and CEO of Movement Genius, a mental health company. Her insightful conversation delves into the complexities of balancing personal well-being with a high-profile career and the transformative process of writing her memoir, Semi Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything.

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Allison Stoner’s Background and Career

Allison Stoner's early entrance into the entertainment industry saw her appearing in a multitude of projects, including iconic roles in Camp Rock, Phineas and Ferb, Step Up, Cheaper by the Dozen, and memorable music videos with Missy Elliott and Eminem. Her extensive career provided her with unique insights into the pressures faced by child actors.

[05:37] Allison Stoner: "During my childhood, I was in over 200 films, TV shows, and tours. Everything from Camp Rock to Phineas and Ferb to Step Up."

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Mental and Emotional Well-being

Stoner opens up about her current mental and emotional state, describing a sense of duality between feeling stable at home and the external world's chaos. This juxtaposition reflects her ongoing journey toward self-acceptance and healing.

[05:37] Allison Stoner: "When people ask, 'How are you?', I'm in a genuinely good place at home, but the world feels like it's falling apart."

Ryan empathizes, sharing his own struggles with desensitization and the importance of retaining empathy amidst overwhelming information.

[07:56] Ryan Seacrest: "We have to vow to retain empathy."

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The Impact of Child Stardom

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the detrimental effects of child stardom. Stoner highlights the "toddler to train wreck pipeline," a phenomenon where child actors experience severe mental health issues later in life due to the industry's exploitative nature.

[40:17] Allison Stoner: "When you see young stars showing signs of mental illness, it's not just an individual problem but a systemic issue."

She emphasizes that the industry's facade of glamour often masks exploitation and abuse, leading to long-term psychological scars.

[39:17] Allison Stoner: "Child stardom is such a bizarre and unique cultural phenomenon. The facade hides exploitation and abuse."

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Writing and Publishing the Memoir

Stoner recounts her journey to authoring her memoir, detailing the challenges of piecing together fragmented memories and undergoing a rigorous legal and fact-checking process. Her book aims to shed light on the untold stories of child actors, advocating for industry reform.

[13:55] Allison Stoner: "This book is a roadmap to healing and a beacon for reform."

She discusses the emotional toll of exposing personal truths and the importance of delivering these truths with compassion and dignity.

[20:58] Allison Stoner: "There are things in the book that are very difficult to say, but they need to be said for a greater purpose."

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Advocacy and Solutions

Transitioning from her personal experiences, Stoner outlines her initiatives to support mental health in the entertainment industry and beyond. She founded Movement Genius to provide therapist-led content accessible to all.

[40:17] Allison Stoner: "Movement Genius is designed to be like Headspace and Calm but offers a broader variety of strategies and tools for well-being."

Stoner introduces the concept of "Mental Health Coordination" on sets, akin to intimacy coordination, to ensure the psychological safety of young performers. She also highlights the need for legislative reforms to protect children in both traditional and digital media spaces.

[46:36] Allison Stoner: "With mental health coordination, we can support cast and crew and ensure accurate depictions of mental illness."

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with a powerful exchange on the importance of honesty, transformation, and communal healing. Stoner and Seacrest reflect on their personal growth and the ongoing work required to foster a healthier, more empathetic society.

[84:14] Ryan Seacrest: "My journey is about negotiating anger, self-worth, and trusting myself to make meaningful changes."

[86:26] Allison Stoner: "You deserve to begin your healing journey, and we're all in this together."

Stoner expresses her readiness to step back from the limelight and focus on advocacy and community efforts, emphasizing that personal and societal transformation is a gradual, collective process.

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Notable Quotes

• Allison Stoner [05:37]: "During my childhood, I was in over 200 films, TV shows, and tours."

• Ryan Seacrest [07:56]: "We have to vow to retain empathy."

• Allison Stoner [40:17]: "Movement Genius is designed to be like Headspace and Calm but offers a broader variety of strategies and tools for well-being."

• Allison Stoner [13:55]: "This book is a roadmap to healing and a beacon for reform."

• Ryan Seacrest [84:14]: "My journey is about negotiating anger, self-worth, and trusting myself to make meaningful changes."

• Allison Stoner [86:26]: "You deserve to begin your healing journey, and we're all in this together."

---

Key Takeaways

1. The Hidden Struggles of Child Actors: Stoner sheds light on the often unseen psychological toll of child stardom, emphasizing the need for systemic change in the entertainment industry.

2. Importance of Mental Health Advocacy: Through Movement Genius and other initiatives, Stoner is actively working to provide accessible mental health resources and support systems for performers and the general public.

3. Transformation Through Honesty: Writing her memoir was a pivotal step for Stoner, allowing her to confront and share her past, fostering personal healing and encouraging industry-wide reforms.

4. Collaborative Solutions: Stoner advocates for coordinated efforts, including mental health protocols on sets and legislative actions, to create a safer and more supportive environment for young performers.

5. Community and Empathy: Both Stoner and Seacrest highlight the importance of empathy and communal support in navigating personal and societal challenges, underscoring that healing and transformation are collective endeavors.

---

This episode of Work in Progress with Sophia Bush offers a profound exploration of the intersection between personal well-being and professional demands, providing listeners with valuable insights into overcoming adversity and advocating for meaningful change.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

This is an I Heart podcast.

[Allison Stoner]

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[Unknown]

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So say hello to hello with the always cruelty free never tested on animals toothpaste that's made to spread smile. Visit helloproducts.com and let hello add some everyday yay into your life. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is Coming to Hulu and hulu on Disney August 20 In 2007, Amanda Knox was halfway around the world studying abroad in Italy. She had no idea her dream would turn into a nightmare inspired by the actual events of her wrongful conviction and 15 year fight for freedom. Watch the Hulu original series the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox on August 20th. Streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

IHeart presents the Big Three playoffs this Sunday. The remaining four teams battle to make the championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big three Monster Energy celebrity game, then Dwight Howard and his La Riot take on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas Power who will make it to the Big Three championship. The no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS. Mint is still $15 a month for premium wireless and if you haven't made.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Unknown]

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[Allison Stoner]

That's OregonHomecare jobs.com.

[Unknown]

In progress. Hello Whip Smarties oh my goodness, do we have a brilliant guest on the show today. This is a person whose story has inspired me for so long, both in my interactions with them and also in the way they impact the world and in the way they have been impacting the world for so many years now. Today we are joined by Allison Stoner. They are an entertainer, author, and the founder and CEO of Movement Genius, a mental health company that is providing therapist led content to improve well being for all people. And Allison knows how important that is. During their childhood, they were in over 200 films, TV shows and tours. Everything from Camp Rock to Phineas and Ferb to Step Up, Cheaper by the Dozen and very iconic music videos you probably know them from with Missy Elliott and Eminem. As the writer and host of the award winning Dear Hollywood podcast, Stoner has been advocating for industry and policy reform that centers the safety and protection of children in both tradition and digital media. Allison now holds multiple certifications across the mental health space and has led programming for the un, the World Health Organization, LGBTQIA centers, and leading universities. And now they are releasing their incredible memoir, Semi well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything into the World. It is such a profoundly powerful book and it really pulls back the curtain so that we can all have conversations that we need to have. And somehow Alison has managed to make this book bold, entertaining, warm, and galvanizing all at once. It's really a beacon for reform and a roadmap to healing. And I'm really excited to talk with Alison about this whole journey today. Let's dive in.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Do you have auburn hair now? Is that new?

[Unknown]

I did it like a year ago, but. Okay, you know, what is time? What do we know about anything anymore? The world is crazy.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Absolutely. In fact, as we dive into this, can you share a few words about where you're located mentally and emotionally?

[Unknown]

Oh, gosh, yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So I know kind of where we are in the context of conversation.

[Unknown]

If you feel comfortable, you sweet soul. You know, it's interesting. It's like when people ask, how are you? Lately, I'm like, well, in the four walls of my home, I'm so happy and embodied and elated to like, finally be in a genuinely good place in my life and self. And then the world has never been worse and it's never been less safe for people like us in the world. And, you know, we, like, I don't know, might be entering into World War iii, like, literally. So it, it's like, it's kind of like whiplash all the time is how I feel.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay.

[Unknown]

How do you feel?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Thank you for helping me understand where you are, because very similarly, I am grateful to be experiencing stability and groundedness in my intimate relationships in a way that is so healing. And yet, of course, you walk outside, you open your phone, you. You just look at your to do list, and it is. I'm. I can relate to the sense of whiplash. And I actually was just thinking about how I'm. I can feel myself slowly on the cusp of becoming a bit more desensitized. And that's usually a signal for me that I'm either trying to accomplish too much and wear too many hats and play too many roles in all of the different domains of life, or I'm recognizing a very natural and normal response to overwhelming amounts of information. But I've just been reflecting this morning specifically on how the more desensitized I or we become, the easier it is to start dehumanizing each other and ourselves and how that is in some ways precisely what is designed to happen right now. And therefore, like, we have to vow to not burn out. We have to vow to retain empathy.

[Unknown]

I'm really happy to see you.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, it's nice to see you. It's been a minute.

[Unknown]

I know. It's so crazy. It's like the pandemic sort of made me feel like a hundred years had gone by and also only a minute with everyone I haven't seen in a while. It's like such a weird, melty sense of time. But, um, it's been really nice just to, like, watch you doing your thing and get to be one of your, like, cheerleaders in the world. It's fun.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Likewise. And I do remember many years ago when I first came out, you were one of the few people in the public eye who just were so kind and responsive and affirming. I don't know if you were already sort of going through your own self examination or if that's something that came later upon meeting someone. But, you know, I thought it was beautiful, a full circle moment when I saw you come out and I was like, oh, my gosh, now I get to celebrate you and this dimension of who you are that maybe, you know, others haven't gotten a chance to know yet.

[Unknown]

Well, thank you. We'll be back in just a minute after a few words from our favorite sponsors. Inspired by actual events. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is coming to Hulu and Hulu on Disney on August 20th. What do you do when you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time? In 2007Amanda Knox was halfway around the world studying abroad in Italy, and she had no idea that her dream would turn into her worst nightmare. What started out as a young college student falling in love quickly descended into a murder accusation and the death of her roommate, worldwide public scrutiny and a 15 year fight to overcome a wrongful conviction. Starring Grace Van Patten and the infamous story you only thought you knew. Watch the Hulu original series the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox on August 20, streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

You know if you can find joy in the small moments, life will always be that much more fun. That's what Hello's oral and personal care products are all about. They take the mundane of every day and inject it with some everyday yay.

Take hello's Anti Plaque and Whitening Fluoride Free Toothpaste, for instance. It'll brighten your routine and delight your senses with a formula that's equal parts fresh, friendly and has plaque fighting power. Or see the difference that a whitening toothpaste powered by vitamin C can do for your? Smile with hello's Vitamin C Whitening Fluoride.

[Allison Stoner]

Toothpaste with thoughtful and fun products that can make brushing your teeth feel like a confetti filled bathroom dance party. Say hello to happy to making the most of every moment. Say hello to a vegan, cruelty free and never tested on animals toothpaste and say so long to dyes, parabens, artificial sweeteners and flavors and other things you can do without.

[Unknown]

Visit helloproducts.com and let hello add some everyday yay into your life.

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The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer. And to cap off the season, iHeart presents the Big Three basketball playoffs this Sunday at 3pm Eastern. The remaining four teams battle it out for the right to make the Big three championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big 3 Monster Energy Celebrity game where your favorite stars compete in Big 33 on 3 basket. The first of two semifinal games features Dwight Howard and the LA Riot taking on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J's first place Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and last will make you Dan Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas Power who finished the season winning five straight weeks to capture second place. Can Glen Rice, Greg Monroe and Paul Millsap stop Miami's physical assault? Or will Miami and Beasley put an end to Dallas winning wave? Who will make it to the Big Three championship? This no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS.

You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care.

[Ryan Seacrest]

These jobs offer flexible schedules, healthcare, retirement options and free training.

[Unknown]

They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply.

[Allison Stoner]

That's oregonhomecarejobs.com.

[Unknown]

As a person who's lucky enough to know you in the world, to know that you've been circling these themes about work and childhood and self discovery and being able to be your full self, turned into this full excavation, this full book.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I began outlining a manuscript, I didn't know what book it would become, and analyzing research specifically across media, culture and psychology and child development and neurobiology. And that was just to ensure that as I was writing and reflecting, my perspective was informed by a variety of fields. It was never about needing an audience to validate what happened as much as, hey, I think you all deserve to know more of the story that you're never told in all of these other documentaries and memoirs. And so I had a literary agent who reached out. They had just added someone to the team. And the new person resurfaced the book proposal that I had written years ago and said, I think there's something here. And it corresponded to my peer Jeanette releasing her book. I'm glad my mom died. And Jeanette is also we grew up, we had the same managers, we, you know, Disney, Nickelodeon, the whole spiel. And so when she resurfaced it. I kind of went, okay, I'll take the next step to write the sample chapter, but no commitments. And eventually, you know, we, we found an editor, a publisher, and the team and I said, all right, I guess I'm really doing this. I had to start going through the legal review of the manuscript and validate fact check. Did this really happen? Can someone else corroborate this experience? And suddenly I had an all new story of the story I thought I was clear about. And yet when some of these new details emerged, when I tell you, it was like putting puzzle pieces. Very painful, but puzzle pieces together and finally seeing the whole, the whole image of my life cohesively.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Ryan Seacrest]

This book not only became, you know, this long standing desire to, to share these intimate details and paint, you know, the landscape of the industry in a very fresh and timely way, but also it's now this tool that has forever changed the course of my life because I found out this information that I never knew that helped everything make more sense. So it's, it's very living in active. It feels more like a living document. And so I'm a little nervous, you know, that it's permanently in ink in one form, but that is what it is. And thankfully, that's why I called it semi well adjusted and not well adjusted. So we can make room.

[Unknown]

Oh, no. I love it and I think it's beautiful. And I, I know that it's not. It's so obviously not easy, you know, to go through these things to, to excavate your history. But I do wonder, I think when you are a truth teller and there is a truth you haven't been able to tell it, it will be like an itch you can't scratch. Do you feel like something has finally been able to move through you and out of you now that it's all on paper, even though it must be scary? Yes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And I am so nervous that I chose to do this in public memoir form because first of all, trying to be honest with yourself is a chess game because you can think you're being honest and yet we're still wearing masks. That could be biases or fears or defense mechanisms. And so you have to kind of poke and prod to get underneath your initial story of how things worked. And my. I had, I brought on a writing supervisor to help with this because she would see the initial way that I connected dots A and B and go. I don't know. I think there's something missing in between here. What else is there in this story? And so also, the way you hold your memories that you're revisiting shifts what takeaways you'll derive. For example, if I'm, you know, cradling this memory of a family event through, you know, and my arms are fearful, I'm holding it in fear, then the takeaways are going to be informed by a fearful lens of the world or, you know, fearful quality. And if I go back and revisit the exact same memory through, you know, holding it in love, holding it in possibility, it's gonna become a different story. And so humans being meaning, making machines, I think that was a part of the challenge, was realizing now I have to actually make a lot of decisions about what story I'm gonna tell, what themes I'm going to relay, and I actually have to choose a perspective. I can't be in my compliant kid actor mode of just pleasing the director's vision and, you know, trying to make everyone see all sides because I'm the peacekeeper of the family, etc. So honesty. I committed to honesty. And something I realized is that obviously the word truth is like, I would love for this to mean something objective and absolute, but of course it's going to be shaped, you know, by my subjective experience. But for the sake of, of the sentence, truth is not always polite, love is not always polite, but they can still be delivered with dignity and compassion. So while I'm sharing things that are very difficult to say, I at least tried to have that compassionate compass. But I will say there are things in there that I don't. You know, I go through waves of, am I going to regret? Am I going to regret saying all of this? But at the same time, creatively and from like a, you know, an impact standpoint, these things, these, they needed to come out, they need to be said. And it's for a greater purpose of reimagining the industry and society so that we take care of kids better, we understand our own healing journeys better. But wow, like, why did I sign up for this? I wish it on no. 1, and yet I wish the liberation on the other side for everyone.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think requires an immense amount of courage to tell the truth, let alone to tell the truth in public. And then to also hold space for the fact that many people can be experiencing the same thing in a different way at the same time. It's. It's complex. And I think sometimes when you are a person who leans into complexity and nuance for the world, eventually you have to give yourself space to be those things too. And it feels like that's what you're doing with this, with this book. I mean, it's so interesting to me, even the fact that in all the years we've known each other, so much of what we've talked about are our young experiences, you know, from, you know, post collegiate age career to your childhood career. And normally when people come on the podcast, I love to ask them about their childhoods, you know, if they got to sit down with their 8 year old self, would they see the person they are today in that child? And I, I guess I wonder for you because so much of your life was your young career, you know, your, your young life was encapsulated, documented. Yes, yes. In ways that most people's are not. So I guess I wonder, do you, do you even have pre work memory or is your whole childhood in the swirl of, you know, sets and music and dance class and acting and all of it?

[Ryan Seacrest]

My body, of course, has memory of many experiences before performing at 3 and working professionally at 6. And I know this when I return to Toledo, Ohio, where I'm from originally and my entire nervous system relaxes and I usually fall asleep, you know, now when I visit my dad in, in his spare room, I'll sleep for 12 to 14 hours after months and months of insomnia. And I'm so grateful that my body associates visiting, you know, my dad and family in Ohio with safety so much that I can come undone, collapse even. And you know, psychologically, yes, there are a lot of different ways that working in the industry shaped my development. I mean, fundamentally, it altered every facet of my being from, from education to socialization to being commodified as a product. And all of this is discussed as you see how these stories unfold in the book. And yet, to your point, I'm actually really excited to have this book bring everyone up to speed on the fact that 25 plus years later, I am an adult who has been in, you know, years of therapy now and holds several certifications in the mental health field.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Who is now moving forward in, you know, hopefully dynamic and expansive and expressive ways where I'm not glued to my past. If and when necessary, it serves a purpose to, you know, open doors, to be in rooms where I can better serve people who are in the same position I was in. But I'm also finally experiencing some freedom from the, the early stories that drove my sense of identity. And I do think if I were to, you know, extrapolate this to what's happening societally, I've been Reflecting a bit on just how difficult and challenging it is for someone to unpack perhaps beliefs that, you know, we were kind of collectively indoctrinated into or we inherited from family or just beliefs we. Yeah. Received from media, wherever. To really unpack those and shift it requires, you know, I think about a house and if the house has the structure and it looks that certain way and you're going to deconstruct that house and it's just going to be this, you know, down to its foundation, maybe you even have to crack the foundation. Well, suddenly you don't have any structure to hold you up anymore. Who are you if not these things? And that kind of uncertainty can be so, so stressful and, you know, can lead to, to crisis and for, for some of us. So I've been thinking about the ways that all of us who are trying to heal right now and trying to move forward also have to have a lot of patience and compassion and strategy for coping with the required uncertainty of, of deconstructing what once defined you and leaving room to sit in new classrooms.

[Unknown]

Yep.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And hopefully not get stuck in any new classroom just to say, cool, I jumped ship. Now I'm, now I'm gonna make this my story. But to actually learn how to, to live in that gray area, to live in that flexible state of thought and being where we can really examine things with more openness. I don't know if any of that makes sense, but, you know, that's, I've been reflecting on that because, yes, of course, people know me as the little girl in the Missy Elliott video. And I'm like, yeah, that was 20 plus years ago. And now I don't know if y' all are still talking about what you were doing at 9 years old, but I'm ready to move on as well.

[Unknown]

Yeah. We'll be back in just a minute, but here's a word from our sponsors. Inspired by actual events, the twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is coming to Hulu and Hulu on Disney on August 20th. What do you do when you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time? In 2007, Amanda Knox was halfway around the world studying abroad in Italy. And she had no idea that her dream would turn into her worst nightmare. What started out as a young college student falling in love quickly descended into a murder accusation and the death of her roommate. Worldwide public scrutiny and a 15 year fight to overcome a wrongful conviction. Starring Grace Van Patten in the infamous story you only thought you knew. Watch the Hulu original series the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox on August 20th. Streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

You know if you can find joy in the small moments, life will always be that much more fun. That's what Hello's oral and personal care products are all about. They take the mundane of every day and inject it with some everyday yay.

Take hello's anti Plaque and Whitening Fluoride Free toothpaste for instance. It'll brighten your routine and delight your senses with a formula that's equal parts fresh, friendly and has plaque fighting power. Or see the difference that a whitening toothpaste powered by vitamin C can do for your? Smile with Hello's Vitamin C Whitening Fluoride.

[Allison Stoner]

Toothpaste with thoughtful and fun products that can make brushing your teeth feel like a confetti filled bathroom dance party. Say hello to Happy to making the most of every moment. Say hello to a vegan, cruelty free and never tested on animals toothpaste and say so long to dyes, parabens, artificial sweeteners and flavors and other things you can do without.

[Unknown]

Visit helloproducts.com and let hello add some everyday yay into your life.

Tired of spills and stains on your sofa? WashablesOfAs.com has your back featuring the Annabe Collection, the only designer sofa that's machine washable inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly prices. That's right, sofas start at just $699. Enjoy a no risk experience with pet friendly stain resistant and changeable slipcovers made with performance fabric Experience cloud like comfort with high resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Check out washablesofas.com and get up to 60% off your annabe sofa backed by a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping or restocking fees. Every penny back Upgrade [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer. And to cap off the season, iHeart presents the Big Three basketball playoffs this Sunday at 3pm Eastern. The remaining four teams battle it out for the right to make the Big three championship in the most physical, fierce and combined competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big 3 Monster Energy Celebrity Game where your favorite stars compete in Big 33 on 3 basketball. Then the first of two semifinal games features Dwight Howard and the LA Riot taking on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J's first place Chicago Triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance will make youe Dan Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas power who finished the season winning five straight weeks to capture second place. Can Glenn Rice, Greg Monroe and Paul Millsap stop Miami's physical assault? Or will Miami and Beasley put an end to Dallas winning ways? Who will make it to the Big Three championship? This no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS.

You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com.

Well, and that's something that's so interesting, you know, because I would imagine, especially when you chose to start being honest about the, the underbelly of environments where children are being put to work and where children are being put to work sometimes for 80 hours a week. I think it must have rattled a lot of people because they were like, but look how cool your life is. You're on Nickelodeon, you're, you're on Disney, you're dancing in these music videos like you're getting everything you've ever wanted. And, and to your point about when your identity shifts, how do you feel like you even began to make sense of, I'm supposed to be so happy and I'm not. How, how do I talk about this with people? How do I share this with people? How, how do you think you began to even share that with yourself?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Well, I wasn't even asking any of those questions or feeling the resistance or dissonance because I was indoctrinated into that sense of identity. So, yeah, so I didn't actually have an alternative for really until 18 when my, my health collapsed and it forced me to slow down long enough to say, wait a second, if I'm doing something that's going to lead to, you know, early death. I was experiencing what's considered a fatal illness, being treated for a number of eating disorders. Then, like, I need to, I need to reevaluate, even if no one else around me is telling me to do so. Even if people are actually kind of encouraging me and reinforcing me to follow these patterns that are. And behaviors that are actually harmful for my health. But I do want to take a step back. You mentioned something about the perception of child stars, and I do think it's really important to clarify a few things. First, child stardom is such a bizarre and unique cultural phenomenon, and it does say a lot about our society and our values and all these myths that shape us that we can analyze. But for now, typically when we think about child stars, they're represented quite poorly in the media, usually as, you know, rich, entitled young performers who are behaving recklessly, who are experiencing mental breakdowns seemingly, quote, unquote, out of nowhere, when in reality, there is this entire ecosystem in the industry that often is exploiting the child and hiding that harm and then portraying this lifestyle of, you know, fame and. And so what you're seeing as the general public is this facade. Meanwhile, the child is potentially facing quite detrimental, maybe even abusive treatment and experiences. So then when you see these young stars start to show signs of mental illness or, quote, unquote, misbehavior, we as a society, as we do with, you know, most things, tend to view it as an individual, isolated problem. What's wrong with them? But as we're seeing, if these exact same stories are happening repeatedly for more than a century, then it's time we need to look beyond the surface. So that's where, you know, I call this examination the. The toddler to train wreck pipeline of young performers. Why are they, you know, in these documentaries and memoirs talking about the same pattern of drug addiction and psychiatric hospitalization and decimated fortunes and sexual trauma and incarceration and even in some cases for my peers and maybe some folks, you know, suicide. And why do these elements define the lives and deaths of child performers? And so I didn't have to unpack any of this until my body shut down, because effectively, the stories that drove it being okay for a young kid to be this, quote, unquote, exceptional talent who can work 80 hours a week because they're so mature for their age, and look, they're smiling, so they must be okay. But all of this was upheld until my body literally screamed at me and said, no, this is not how it is. And I. I was terrified of any alternative possibility at that point, because who was I outside of the industry? That's literally all I knew. I didn't even have life skills. Like, I was underdeveloped in so many, you know, quote, unquote, typical ways for children and teens. And I didn't even go to regular school. You know, I really was. I felt stuck and scared.

[Unknown]

It's a very surreal world, I think, to let people in on. And, you know, when you, when you talk about the toddler to train wreck pipeline, I, I loved the essay you wrote about it when you talked about it as like an industrial complex because it is, it, it puts people in and it turns them through something. And it's part of the reason they, so many come out on the other side, as you said, affected by all of the same quote, unquote afflictions. I think about it, even for us as adults in this industry, you know, I will give people really honest answers about certain things that can happen at work. And sometimes I met with this feedback, like, can't you just be a little cheerier? And I'm like, no, I want to be honest. This is, you know, it's, it's not what you think it is from the outside. And in the, in the op ed that you penned about it, you, you talked about understanding now from the perspective of an adult what a crazy thing it is to be going through even the audition process as a kid. And you, and you, you compared these two stories you were meant to tell in the same day. One of them was that, you know, this child was kidnapped and assaulted and the scene required screaming. And not just from you, but you had to listen to it with all these other kids going into this audition. And then you were supposed to get in the car and like, go audition to be a princess for a toy commercial. And it was so happy and gorgeous and, and you were six years old. And it's like, nobody talks to us about how to deal with that stuff as adults in the industry. I know for a fact nobody was talking to you about it, about how to deal with it at 6.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Right?

[Unknown]

But with the training that you've chosen to go through, the, the way that you have let yourself pursue your curiosity and outside of being a performer, you know, being a good girl who shows up and does her work, but actually following your own personal curiosity to where it leads you, and it has led you into this mental health space. When you look back at something like that, when you think about the story you penned prior to the book, you know, how. How do you kind of make sense of, of it for you? And then as an advocate, how do you see there being another option for others who do want to tell stories, but who aren't really given any kind of roadmap about how to take care of their mental health while being required to embody stuff like this.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Well, this is my favorite part because now we're talking about solutions, we're talking about possibilities, we're talking about things that can work for entertainers, but also people working across any industry who, you know, our minds and bodies can only tolerate a certain amount of stress and stimulation before we leave what some refer to as our window of tolerance. You know, within our window we can experience ease, a sense of safety, access to critical thinking, creative problem solving. We feel like our quote unquote authenticity, self. And then of course, as stressors occur, we might dip high or you know, above or below our window of tolerance. And the hope is of course that after these temporary stressful experiences, we'll close that loop, we'll return to our range where things are all right. But for a lot of us, these are. That doesn't sound like a realistic expectation when you're overloaded with micro and macro stressors every single day. And so when I think about that for young people, and I know getting into the industry, as you mentioned, there was no manual, no onboarding preventative strategies, no preparation for what you're getting into, no tools and techniques to get into character and out of character when the 6 year old's brain still neurobiologically cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality. Like yeah, this is a recipe for all of us to be on the struggle bus. The good news is, or the opportunity that we have is this kind of mind body education and learning. Which tools you need in which moments of the day to help cope and move through stress. These are available and they don't have to be behind a super expensive paywall. That's why, you know, when I founded my mental health company, Movement Genius, we specifically thought what is the most accessible, affordable, casual way for people to get access to stress relief techniques, Mental emotional health tools. You know, think about it kind of like headspace and calm, but for a much broader variety of strategies and tools to improve your well being. So it's not just meditation, it's also like bilateral tapping and progressive muscle relaxation. And they're guided, led by therapists so you don't have to be the expert until you start to realize, oh, I am building an awareness of how my, my system operates and, and what to do to, to manage the day. So looking back, I was always this kid who was deeply researching and trying to understand that was maybe in some ways my coping strategy. I needed to know exactly why this was happening and because it cause things, you know, did not make sense until I, until I knew Everything about it from every angle. And so now flash forward we designed, actually this is, it's my most exciting. It's the most exciting aspect of the conversation to me because my intention is to contribute to solutions at every level of the issue. So individually we designed artist well being essentials, which is to my knowledge the first of its kind toolkit where young performers and their families can not only receive some psychoeducation like foundational learning on the mind body connection, but they also get access to these artist specific performance related activities and tools that as I mentioned, help them get into an out of character or manage stage fright, manage rejection, you know, body image resources. And so that's like a first line of prevention that doesn't exist and should have existed many years ago.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And then the next step is, okay, well now we have to start help helping the adults working with minors understand what it means to have a minor on set. And we're not just talking like, hey, watch your language. Things like, did you know that some of these young children don't realize that when you as the audio engineer are placing a mic pack directly on their body, they've never learned anything about bodily autonomy or consent. And if we don't help them understand that it's okay to say, hey, I'd rather my guardian be here when you do it, which they should be anyway. Or like, hey, I can actually place this here myself. Like, please don't touch me. That that's okay and healthy and normal and that you can collaborate together in new ways instead of just saying this little kid is sort of a prop or an ornament and we can do whatever we need to do with them, around them, to them to get what we need done. Including directors like you know, coercing a child into a really dark state of mind just to make sure they get, you know, the most epic emotional reaction on camera. So we can brief adults and provide some simple best practices, training, preparation, then not just thinking about the kids, but the industry ecosystem. I'm excited that I'm becoming a mental health coordinator for productions and sets. So similar to intimacy coordination, which is kind of like a new becoming more standardized, thankfully, you know, if someone has a scene that involves intimacy that can be, you know, sexual, it could be some kind of nudity. It could also be, you know, depictions of violence or like, it's not always, you know, flowery and beautiful.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ryan Seacrest]

With mental health coordination, we can analyze the script and consult on like how you're depicting mental illness to make sure that all of our loved ones who live with schizophrenia or with other mental illness aren't seeing harmful stereotypes that are inaccurate, portrayed broadly to society. But we can also be on set to help support cast and crew. We can also help support editors who are watching 16 hours of footage back to back in dark rooms and having to pick, you know, if it's a horror film between this gruesome shot and this gruesome shot that takes a toll and then zooming out even further, federal policy. I'm super excited. I'm now, you know, I feel like I'm following your footsteps in a way and seeing this, you know, this aspect of civic engagement and legislative reform and advocacy and how that's a necessary part. So we're, we're, you know, working on passing some bills to better protect children across media spaces, traditional and digital. And then the largest aspect of this is our social conversations about this. I think we are ready to graduate beyond these just like sensationalized memoirs of oh my gosh, what happened to them. And to actually start reckoning with the systems the way we're doing with everything else. Like, we want to know, we want to talk about this. And in the book, why, you know, I called it semi well adjusted partially is because what does it even mean to be well adjusted if the society is dysfunctional? Like, do you want, do we want. Is this. What, what are we trying to acclimate to?

[Unknown]

We.

[Ryan Seacrest]

No, we need some transformation in every space.

[Unknown]

So.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So there are solutions and it is happening and there is hope. I promise.

[Unknown]

And now a word from our sponsors who make this show possible. Inspired by actual events, the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is coming to Hulu and Hulu on Disney on August 20th. What do you do when you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time? In 2007, Amanda Knox was halfway around the world studying abroad in Italy, and she had no idea that her dream would turn into her worst nightmare. What started out as a young college student falling in love quickly descended into a murder accusation and the death of her roommate. Worldwide public scrutiny and a 15 year fight to overcome a wrongful conviction. Starring Grace Van Patten in the infamous story you only thought you knew. Watch the Hulu original series the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox on August 20th. Streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

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[Unknown]

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The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big three is the surprise hit of the summer. And to cap off the season, iHeart presents the Big Three basketball playoffs this Sunday at 3pm Eastern. The remaining four teams battle it out for the right to make the Big three championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big 3 Monster Energy Celebrity game where your favorite stars compete in Big 33 on 3 basketball. Then the first of two semifinal games features Dwight Howard and the LA Riot taking on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J's first place Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance will make you, Dan Stevenson, take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas power, who finished the season winning five straight weeks to capture second place. Can Glenn Rice, Greg Monroe and Paul Millsap stop Miami's physical assault? Or will Miami and Beez put an end to Dallas's winning ways? Who will make it to the Big Three championship? This no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS. You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com.

It'S thrilling to know that it's happening and it's really exciting to witness you take your experiences and turn them into change for other people. But I really think part of what's powerful about the stories you are telling right now and the advocacy for kids is that in the way that our society really doesn't like women and wants to tell adult women in this industry that, that it's not that bad, they have some relative privilege. Nobody can say that to a kid. It's so much harder to tell a lie about a child in this world than it is to perpetuate lies about women. And so I, as an observer feel really hopeful when you talk about solutions and you talk about hope. I feel hopeful that once the charade is exposed as a charade that it, it might be possible to change it for everybody. Start with the kids and work your way out.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know, I mean, don't give away my playbook too. Obviously, yes, if we can help people understand the most vulnerable, vulnerable person on set, the child is experiencing these things and we can measurably report the outcomes of these experiences now over a century, then yes, this, this stands the chance of opening minds to protocols that, you know, affect everyone. I think about even all I'm learning in the digital space with parenting, the concept of posting, you know, images and, and clips of your loved ones and young ones online. And I think for the most part, adults are, are sharing out of love and out of pride and out of, you know, a deep desire to connect with other people in new ways online. And yet similarly to the industry where we weren't given a manual and we didn't know the risks in digital spaces, we're not educated collectively on what that digital footprint for your young one can mean for their future, for better and worse, and privacy issues, data Issues, identity theft, all of these different ways that it could affect their future educational pathways and employment. And it was just seemingly a very harmless, adorable video of them in their room playing with a toy. You know, and so I, I speak about this because this isn't at all a blame game. It's more like, y', all, you. You deserve. We deserve. We all need to up. Skill up in this area. Because I believe actually that the more we know, the more it'll become so obvious that you'll naturally start making some shifts because we simply didn't know better before.

[Unknown]

Well, when you think about it with any major societal shift, I mean, think about the invention of the seat belt. The idea that people ever drove around in cars at high speeds with no seat belts is insane to us. But when this was becoming, you know, a federally mandated rule, there were states where people were saying, you have no right to tell me what to do with my body and my car.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Right.

[Unknown]

And, you know, now we think that of. Of just how crazy it is that you would put yourself at risk for no reason. And so I think to your point, it's. It's really important to understand that this feels like our life, but it's also so relatively new. You know, when the first silent film came out, I think it was like 1910 or 1912 or something, there's a story about how there was a shot, the camera was, you know, on the train track and the train's barreling toward the camera, and people got up and ran out of the theater because they thought they were going to get hit by a train. People did not know that the image they were looking at was not in their physical space. No one experience with the moving pictures yet. Wow. And so when you think about the fact that, like, some of our grandparents were born around that time, and now we're dealing with, you know, a physical and a digital world, and as you said, identity theft and deep fakes and all these insane things that can be created by technology, it's so new, we don't really know what we're doing yet.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes. And in the spirit, I gotta put a lot of things in air quotes these days, the spirit of innovation, we often are not pausing long enough to take inventory of the impact of making these decisions. And obviously we see that in how extractive we are toward the planet and to people and, you know. Yes, but you mentioned something about deep fakes. I don't know if you've spoken a lot about this already, but something I just recently learned was that when it comes to intimate deep fakes. There isn't a blanket federal law preventing intimate deepfakes and AI deep fakes from being created.

[Unknown]

And now a word from our sponsors. Inspired by actual events, the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is coming to Hulu and Hulu on Disney on August 20th. What do you do when you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time? In 2007, Amanda Knox was halfway around the world studying abroad in Italy, and she had no idea that her dream would turn into her worst nightmare. What started out as a young college student falling in love quickly descended into a murder accusation and the death of her roommate, worldwide public scrutiny and a 15 year fight to overcome a wrongful conviction. Starring Grace Van Patten in the infamous story you only thought you knew. Watch the Hulu original series the Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox on August 20, streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.

You know if you can find joy in the small moments, life will always be that much more fun. That's what Hello's oral and personal care products are all about. They take the mundane of every day and inject it with some everyday Yay.

Take Hello's Anti Plaque and Whitening Fluoride Free Toothpaste for instance. It'll brighten your routine and delight your senses with a formula that's equal parts fresh, friendly and has plaque fighting power. Or see the difference that a whitening toothpaste powered by vitamin C can do for your smile with Hello's Vitamin C Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste with thoughtful and fun.

[Allison Stoner]

Products that can make brushing your teeth feel like a confetti filled bathroom dance party. Say hello to Happy to making the most of every moment. Say hello to a vegan, cruelty free and never tested on animals toothpaste. And say so long to dyes, parabens, artificial sweeteners and flavors and other things you can do without.

[Unknown]

Visit helloproducts.com and let hello add some everyday yay into your life.

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The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big three is the surprise hit of the summer and to cap off the season, iHeart presents the Big Three basketball playoffs this Sunday at 3pm Eastern. The remaining four teams battle it out for the right to make the Big three championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big three Monster Energy Celebrity Game where your favorite stars compete in big three three on three basketball. Then the first of two semifinal games features Dwight Howard and the LA riot taking on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J's first place Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and last will make you Dan Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas power, who finished the season winning five straight weeks to capture second place. Can Glenn Rice, Greg Monroe and Paul Millsap stop Miami's physical assault? Or will Miami, Miami and Beasley put an end to Dallas winning ways? Who will make it to the Big Three championship? This no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS.

You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com.

You know when you talk about them and you talk about the lack of federal law. So my best friend Nia and I actually served as two executive producers on a documentary called Another Body and it really does an incredible job. The filmmakers did a beautiful job walking you through the experience of this kind of abuse of a young woman. And one of the things that startled me so much as we've been, you know, campaigning around the US and and the filmmaking team also in the EU to stop some of this is the flippancy with which it's treated when 98.8% of all victims of deepfake abuse are women and girls.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes.

[Unknown]

And when you analyze societies that are sick around the world, one of the first signs of A backsliding democracy or the dissolution of a healthy society is the increased legislating against the rights of women, the increased abuse of women, the increases in violence against women. And this is violence against women. And yes, also against some men and boys, which is terrible. Undoubtedly one is not, I'm saying worse than the other. But women suffer first. It is, it is a sign of sickness. And one of the things that really took my breath away was learning in the year that they were making the film in 2023 that there were about just under 450, 000 of these images they could trace on the Internet. And by 2024 there were 4.2 billion.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes.

[Unknown]

So it, it is a, it is a sickness and it is at risk of being a runaway train. And it is another one of these things. When we think about industries that don't take human safety and wellness seriously, we have a lot of work to do in these tech spaces there. And I do think it's deeply connected to the kind of work you're talking about doing in the entertainment industry, whether it's influencing or television or films, social media. And I, I really think about how. I know it can feel overwhelming and I can imagine some of the folks at home being like holy. Like this is scary. I feel like I am gonna tune out. I'm going to desensitize a bit. And something that really brings it back to right here, front and center. Me and you, for me is, is a, a moment in your own history that you mentioned earlier because when you turned 18, when you actually had your own legal agency, you were also suffering from, as you said, a. An assortment of eating disorders. And I know you had checked yourself into hospital. You've spoken about beautifully, you talk about it in your story and that your team still wanted you to be auditioning when you were clearly so sick. But people, people were profiting off of you sick, so they didn't necessarily want to prioritize your wellness. It's a painful story for you. It's a painful story as a person who cares about you to hear. And I think about how it's so representative of the way so many people get treated. You know, you're working for the machine, so the machine's just going to keep working you. How did you, how did you know you needed help in that moment? How did you choose to help yourself? Because I wonder if any of those personal aha. Moments in time during that period might really resonate for somebody who's wondering how to help themselves.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I will admit that my decision to get help initially was only so that I could stay on the hamster wheel and win the race. It hadn't yet clicked that maybe I didn't need to be on that wheel at all, or that the wheel was sort of a false game to be playing, a false race to be running. However, I do think that deep, deep, deep, deep, deep within, there was some sense of dissonance between having a certain set of values when I was, you know, not in front of anyone, performing, when I was not on the job, clocking in and out, but I was just alone. That kind of, you know, spiritual center, core, however you would define it, where those values felt like they could not safely be integrated into the rest of my life because they would ruffle feathers, they would burn bridges, they would. Would disrupt the flow of production. And so I, I thought, well, I guess we just all have to play, dress up and wear a costume whenever we go outside. And then at home is where we just get to be this more whole sense of self. And something maybe subconsciously clicked where, you know, perhaps I saw someone else who seemed to be living out their, their fullness in public, but I recognized that I actually have to learn how to be in this kind of integrity in every room I walk into. And it is going to have a different impact on people than I'm accustomed to. Because, yeah, if you're socialized as a person who you feel like you need to be compliant, then it's gonna feel really uncomfortable and unusual to start using your voice even in small ways. I'm talking tiny ways, like, just saying. Actually, I do have a preference where we eat for lunch as a group. I mean, yeah, you know, not just like, hey, boss, you need to do this differently for the company, but like, hey, actually I am in back to back calls. Could we do this 15 minutes later? You know, that can feel terrifying for some of us who don't want to be a burden xyz. And so I think, you know, in, in rehab, in seeking help, I realized there's a deeper desire here to not only collect all of these disparate pieces within me and find some semblance of wholeness, just to feel like I can be intact. But also. So now my, my work, my opportunity, my joy is to learn how to be this whole integrated self in every room and see how that can actually shift an atmosphere. How, you know, if you're led by wholeness, how can wholeness start informing the way your team collaborates together? How can wholeness be expressed in policy reform? And so I Do think it's critical if you're on this path to really decipher what values are spearheading your transformation. If it's going to be fear, if it's going to be hatred of the other, if it's going to be just your own sense of justice, but not factoring in everyone else's, yikes. We're going to create from those ideas and you know, I don't know that those are the outcomes I personally want to see anymore, but if you're led by wholeness and, and you know, we'll say love as a broad term for now and collective liberation, etc, then, then that starts to, you know, imbue every conversation you have. Yeah, and, and it's a slow, for me it was, maybe for some it's just kind of like wake up and everything's different. For me, it's been a really slow and steady process. I think we're now in a position where we really would love to microwave our transformation. We would love to feel better instantly. We'd love to see the world change overnight. And I, I, I hope that people listening can realize this is all going to happen one step at a time. So please, if you're waiting for that big perfect overnight switch that might stop us from taking that small step in our healing journey today. And, and if it feels overwhelming, this is where we get to just keep breaking it down into smaller steps until the next step feels doable. And that next step might only be becoming willing to be willing to be willing to try something differently.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I love that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I think hopefully there's something in there that resonates.

[Unknown]

Absolutely. I mean, I know I can speak for myself. It certainly does for me. You know, I, I think about this moment I had when I had to change everything and, and I, I had been taking these small steps and I will never forget looking at someone at work and essentially saying, like, what the is it gonna take? And this person who I'd been going to and going to and going to and going to was like, I had no idea you were this upset. And I thought, whoa, I've been, I have been coming to you with things that are so hard for me, they feel nearly impossible. And you think I'm having like a slightly off day, like, hello. And I think there's some sort of reckoning. There was for me at least, with, oh, I've, I've been so conditioned for my whole career to be a good girl and to be a good performer and to put everyone else's needs first, that when I think I'm putting my. My needs first. No one even notices.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Whoa.

[Unknown]

And the chasm between what felt so hard for me, the could we go here for lunch? Example, if you will, didn't even register for anybody else. And I think I don't say that to be dismissive of myself or anyone else's journey. I actually say it to say you will be doing the work and healing in ways that other people might not even notice. And it will be so major for you. And, and to begin is what everyone deserves. And so I, I love listening to you talk about it because you are so far into this journey. You, you have amassed certifications in mental health. You have written this gorgeous book. You. You can speak about it from a perspective that I think can inspire other people to begin their journey. And I, I, for one, am grateful that you've done it. I am curious about something, and I realize I've never asked you this. I've thought a lot about how you're still doing so much voice work, which is amazing because you have the most amazing voice. But it struck me during this conversation. I'm like, wait, is that a space where you can still perform, but it doesn't, it doesn't have to be attached to your face or your body or your age or your weight or your dancing or whatever? Like, is that actually just where you feel the most free as an artist? Is that why that's a space you still really enjoy embodying in. In the traditional, like, entertainment world? Do you think that's a great question?

[Ryan Seacrest]

I'm gonna give you a very messy answer.

[Unknown]

Okay, I like messy.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah. The messy answer is it's multi pronged. One, yes, I actually have had historically and presently really positive experiences in the booth as a voiceover actor. And two, where we start to get messy is I'm also pursuing these new professions in the mental health field, and I don't have a steady state stream of income yet. So practically, I'm still on several animated shows, and that is one revenue source while I figure out what my next steps are. And three, contracts are contracts. So I am legally obligated to fulfill some of these characters gratefully. Like I mentioned, I do enjoy the process and I think it, I think the voiceover community in my experience is very different from folks who work on camera in that I found that it's, you know, less egocentric, it's more collaborative energetically when you're in the booth and it's, you're, you're spitballing back and forth and yeah, I think it's. It also is on a beautiful note. It's been a space where I get to express silliness and a lot of the other parts of my life now, especially running a mental health company can feel quite serious.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Or even solemn. And so experiencing joy and sort of an antidote to all of these other things going on has been, I think, a source of, of, you know, healthy, positive, you know, occupational. Yeah, it's like. It's a positive vocation.

[Unknown]

I love that Artistically, though, I just.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Don'T know down the road where I stand on how much I want, want to be on the performer side. I.

[Unknown]

Sure.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I'm not sure.

[Unknown]

I'm not sure and I think that's okay. But I also love that you've found this thing that feels good for you and generative for you. And it also strikes me as lovely for you because as you said, you get to play, you. You get to reparent your inner child. And that kid didn't really get to play at work in the ways everyone watching the edited episode assumed she did. So I think for you, it's just really beautiful to know that in yourself, in your embodied self, in your adult self, in. In the human you are, you know, who is out and proud and studying and wise and all the things, the kid you look back on is having a different experience now with you. And I think that's. I don't know, as a person who roots for you, I really, I like that for you.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Thank you. Yeah. Thank you for noticing. And yeah, we just had Phineas and Ferb release a new season for, for Disney Channel and Disney and that group of people in particular.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Like, I've. I've known them for actually 20 years of my life.

[Unknown]

That's so cool.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So, and I joke with them like, you're actually the most stable, inconsistent relationship I've ever experienced. So it is a, it is a spot of beauty. It's. It's a very bright spot in my life at the moment.

[Unknown]

I love that. How, how do you feel now? I mean, precipice of the book coming out. I know there's nerves about that, but just in life. How are you doing?

[Ryan Seacrest]

I feel more and more okay with who I'm not and more and more an acceptance of the fact that my path is not going to look the way I once thought it would. And more and more eager to plug into local community, non industry related efforts to just look out for people, take care of each other, share meals, simplify my lifestyle. I mean, it was Already quite simple, but I just. I feel more and more at peace with, ironically, after the book is out, being as unrecognizable as possible and fading into obscurity as quickly as possible. If. If the life path allows for that, you know, if I need to come forward and say things, I'll say things, but I just feel more and more at ease with letting. Letting the past go and. And saying I'm gonna, you know, walk this walk of advocacy for a period of time, but I'm also not gonna glue myself to this soul mission because I've got more to learn, I've got more to experience. I'm entering my 30s, so I'm, you know, I think when this is out, I'll be newly 32 or close to it. And there's something just about aging that, you know, shifts. It just shifts your orientation. I've got nephews now who are the age I was when I started working professionally. That's a profound thing to witness and go, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That I should have that. That none of that should have ever happened because they. On a. Them being on a set. Wow.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hard to fathom, but, yeah, I just. I think things are generally. I just. I want to feel more and more closely connected to humanity and to community and to whatever it takes for us to repair and. And reimagine a better world for everyone. And I mean, it's. It sounds abstract, but I mean that in very, like, concrete, daily decision kind of ways.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah. Just feeling more embodied, more heart led. And finally, finally, it's kind of scary for me because it's new, but getting in touch with anger. Yikes. What a powerful. What a powerful and necessary process. Yeah, that is really helping. Sorry I'm meandering now, but something I'm noticing. You speak to things that happen in the industry, but happens everywhere. The wage gap, yo. I was given. Presented an offer with some terms recently, and I was like, this is actually absurd. I don't. I'm not even. We're. This is so unfair. And like, it's not a livable wage. Like, we know I can't do this, but I'm realizing 10 years ago I wouldn't have even noticed. I would have been like, oh, wow, thank you. Yeah, I'll take anything. And then, you know, I would go back to my budget and be like, okay, how many other jobs am I gonna need to get so that I can make ends meet? And now I'm like, wait a second. I can feel that something's not Right. So I'm more in touch with like, okay, we've been at this for, you know, over two decades. It's time for different terms.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And I think there's nothing wrong with that. I think there's nothing wrong with knowing.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Your worth when we're talking fairness.

[Unknown]

Well, and that's it. Basic fairness is actually should just be ground zero. Right. Would you say that it's that kind of acknowledgment or perhaps that. That the pursuit of a new relationship with certain emotions like anger that that feels like your work in progress as you go forward? Because you've done so much work that I'm looking at you in this moment going like, what do you kind of, what do you feel like is left?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Lol. Well then the first thing I need to do is let you in on the rest of it because if I'm only showing you where the completed version, then that's probably some work to do. Actually you'll see all of that in the book. If you're talking about wanting to see a work in progress, the mess is on full display because you don't hear from the wise contemplative self. You hear the psychological self figuring things out in real time.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And I would say yes, my current journey is, is negotiating anger and learning to steward. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Is around.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It is around worth it is around self trust. It is around anger as being an indicator that something needs attention. And I think it's. It's also where I'm really presently moving forward. Yeah. I'm trying to think like I'm actually don't know what comes after this book because it's sort of the culmination of this, you know, first century of life and first third of life maybe. And I'm kind of handing it over to everyone and then saying I actually don't have a plan from here on out.

[Unknown]

So that's exciting.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, it's exciting and nerve wracking and that's where I am. Absolutely a work in progress. I have no idea what happens after this.

[Unknown]

I love that for you.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I also don't know if the industry is going to smite me. So there's.

[Unknown]

I don't think so. I don't think so. I think, look, I think we are in a really watershed moment as people and I think bravery, particularly empathetic bravery is what we need. So I'm excited for you and I'm excited for everyone who gets to read the book. Congratulations.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes, thank you. And if you do read it, please read with care and take your time because it covers a lot. Yeah, and I would love to hear people's responses because this is this, all of this. It's a communal act. Like we're we've got to do this together. Can't do these things alone.

[Unknown]

Preach it my friend. Preach it. Thank you. Thank you for coming today.

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[Unknown]

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I Heart presents the Big three Playoffs this Sunday. The remaining four teams battle to make the championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the Big three Monster Energy Celebrity Game, then Dwight Howard and his Ellie Riot take on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas power who will make it to the big three championship. The no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS. Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It is hot out there this summer, right? But don't sweat it. We got tons of ways to save on your family's favorite personal care items to keep yourself feeling cool and smelling good. Now through September 9th, earn four times points when you shop for items from your favorite brands like Right Guard, Raw Sugar, Dove Soft Soap and Olay. Then use your points for discounts on groceries or gas on future purchases. Offer end September 9th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details. For years everyone thought Verizon had the.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

This is an iheart podcast.