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[0:08] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to the Break a Bat Podcast, where baseball meets Broadway, an attempt to show that my two favorite mediums don't have to live in such separate worlds and maybe even break some stigmas.

[0:19] Al Malafronte: We're happy to have you with us. Now let's play ball.

[0:26] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to Break a Bat, where baseball meets Broadway and sports meets show business. I'm your host, Al Malafronte, coming at you from our second annual Break a Bat holiday block party. Uh tonight's party guest is a hitter whose on-screen career now spans more than a decade and a half with credits including Summerland, CSI Miami, The Originals, and in recent years, we've all come to know and love her work on our beloved Hallmark Channel. In many ways, I think she's sort of the Hallmark team's version of Alfonso Soriano, a former Yankee all-star who could do a little bit of everything. You could sort of parallel his ability to hit for average power and steal bases to our guest's penchant for bringing all-star caliber performances to Hallmark's murder mysteries, rom-coms, and of course the amazing Christmas films that she stars in every year to help headline the network's Countdown to Christmas.

Her latest film is titled Making Spirits Bright, which premieres on Saturday, November 27th at 6 p.m. Eastern time. And in addition to this, like many in our audience, she's also a tremendous sports fan and big-time athlete as well. I'm so grateful she could join us here at the party. So with that being said, I ask you all to please send your attention to home plate. Just beyond the marquee. Now batting, Taylor Cole.

[1:39] Taylor Cole: Well, thank you for having me. It is a pleasure. I can't believe we got you off the golf course and into the batter's box. I feel honored.

[1:48] Taylor Cole: It's actually cooled down here. So playing golf may be a little bit chilly. So you have all my attention.

[1:55] Al Malafronte: Now I know you're in Lake Tahoe and you have some awesome golf and skiing out there. When do you go from the course to the slopes? I know a few courses are open year-round, but is it like a one or the other type of thing for you?

[2:06] Taylor Cole: It is. I mean, we have the desert sort of in Carson Valley area, so it doesn't get snowed on too much. You can still play through the winter, but our mountain does open up in 10 days. So people will be hitting the slopes very shortly. I just actually got my husband new golf clubs from Sticks. And uh the last time we played, we played for a charity tournament at uh at Edgewood, which is a beautiful course right on the water. If you don't know, you should go. Um, and he broke one of his clubs. We were playing best ball, and he said that it was for team morale to boost everyone's spirit and get everybody pumped, but really he was just pissed off at his club. So I got him some brand new clubs, and hopefully we will get to maybe this weekend or next before it starts really getting chilly. Uh, get to try them out and see how they go. Hopefully, he doesn't break anymore.

[2:58] Al Malafronte: So he intentionally broke it. Have you ever done that?

[3:00] Taylor Cole: Oh no, no, I wouldn't. I'm I couldn't. I don't think I'm strong enough. I I've also learned when I was on the slopes last year that I have zero muscles in my body, and I don't know how this is possible because I was an athlete. And I guess along the way, I just despise working out, so I just don't. And I've just uh played sports that don't involve any muscles, sort of like golf. I mean, it would be helpful if I had more muscles, but you know, I did like two runs and then I was like, okay, that's it. I'm done as far as runs go. My legs are tired. He was like, Are you joking? The two-year-olds are still going. You're you've got to get in shape. I was like, Yeah, maybe. Maybe a few more squats in my uh in my daily routine might be helpful.

[3:43] Taylor Cole: Yeah.

[3:45] Taylor Cole: Oh, well, I have to tell you, I uh I've enjoyed your work for a long time, by the way. But as great of a day as it is for me, my Uncle Paul might be your biggest fan in our whole family. So like having you on the show tonight is kind of like an early Christmas gift to him, especially.

[4:00] Taylor Cole: I uh love that. I love Uncle Paul.

[4:02] Al Malafronte: Oh, he's the best. I but do you typically find a lot of uh you know, Hallmark fans that fall into the old school Italians from Brooklyn demo, or is that kind of a first for you?

[4:14] Taylor Cole: That uh that is a personal first, but he will be happy to know that this uh movie particular has an Italian family and uh bringing together, yeah, all the different maybe your family has some of these traditions, but a few cute things that will highlight his heritage. So maybe he'll like it even more.

[4:34] Al Malafronte: Wait a second, are they gonna highlight the seven fishes in a Hallmark movie?

[4:38] Taylor Cole: I did not learn anything about that, but uh I don't want to give him anything away, so you will just have to watch.

[4:46] Al Malafronte: Oh my goodness. Well, on a more general level, can you tell Uncle Paul and all the folks at home uh all about this latest film of yours, Making Spirits Bright, and what we have to look forward to?

[4:55] Taylor Cole: Yes, it is a cute uh family movie, and basically it's about two families coming together. There's sort of like a Romeo Juliet sort of feud going on between these two families, and the two kids sort of, you know, well, shouldn't say uh the typical ending, but you might suspect that they could find and catch feelings for one another uh through like the turbulence of their family's past coming to a head. So it's it's definitely about you know getting in the spirit of decorating and uh uh all things Christmas and lighting up the outside of your house. We had so many cool decorations. I think this will really be a perfect place to like inspire anybody to get out of the house and actually put out some Christmas lights. Cause I know that can be challenging sometimes.

[5:49] Al Malafronte: Now, are you doing that back at your house in Lake Tahoe to deck the halls to get ready for the big premiere? Because technically it airs after Thanksgiving, which is fair game to put the lights up, in my opinion.

[6:00] Taylor Cole: I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I still have decorations up from 2020 just because they made me feel good. And it was a hard year. So I was like, you know what? This is cute there, and I'm just gonna leave it. So nobody can tell me that I can't. Um, so yeah, I don't think there's any time too soon to start decorating. And um I do want to put more outside. It's just uh figuring out how to do it because it's pretty tall up there. But we switched our our like the five lights on the outside to multicolor. So you just push a button and then they can change colors for all seasons. So that's pretty pretty set.

[6:39] Al Malafronte: That's pretty legit. Do you cue it up to like the music and everything?

[6:42] Taylor Cole: They do have a fade, but no, we don't have it to the music. But if you watch the show, there is some cool things like that going on in it for sure.

[6:51] Al Malafronte: Now let me ask you, Taylor, did you ever envision yourself as the you know the type of actress that was like gonna make such an impact on the holiday season in the way that you do on Hallmark? Just because it's just so funny. Because I know a little bit about your personality off-screen. Obviously, yes, you embody the good stuff in the messages of the movies, of course, in many ways. But it's like, did you ever like envision yourself on this sort of path?

[7:15] Taylor Cole: I never envisioned myself as an actor. So, you know, when this opportunity came around and it just aligned with all things that I wanted to do in this world, which is give back and make people smile and make it a better place and give good energy and you know, a feel-good safety net for anybody who needs it. Um, I couldn't believe that I felt so at home in such a warm, fuzzy place. So I was so excited that it existed and it's more happy that it found me. So yes and no, you know, I know because I didn't think I'd be an actress at all. I was, you know, an athlete, and I basically got asked if I wanted to go on auditions, and I was like, no, absolutely not. That sounds terrifying. And then I did because out of boredom, and then I became an actress.

So, you know, finding my way in the world of acting was sort of uh difficult just because I didn't really see I wasn't out to win awards and I wasn't out to uh you know be the best actress, or I was just, you know, sort of figuring everything out. And so when Hallmark came along, I was like, you know what? This is what I want. I want to make people smile.

[8:27] Al Malafronte: You know, one thing I've always loved about you, Taylor is you know, you mentioned how you were an athlete first. And in some of your past interviews, like on Home and Family, for example, which is very different from Break a Bat, obviously, you've talked about how much you love sports. And from everything I know about you off-screen, you don't just love it. Like you're a tremendous athlete to this day. I know you say you don't like to work out, but I've seen you hit a driver quite well.

[8:49] Taylor Cole: Oh, thank you.

[8:50] Al Malafronte: Yeah, my pleasure. It's the truth. And you know, yeah, you had major accolades going back to your high school days. Uh, can you take the folks at home through, you know, the roots of that athletic background going back to uh Arlington, Texas?

[9:02] Taylor Cole: Oh boy, all the way back. Um I you know what? I s I think I started with probably every sport that had running in it, and then decided quickly that those were not the sports for me because while I am an athlete and I hand-eye coordination is is comes very natural to me. Running is the opposite. And I kind of bounce up and down in the same spot. My arms kind of go wagging all around and my feet kind of do little circles, and I sort of go nowhere at all. So I quickly eliminated all of those sports, which were soccer and and then uh basketball. I would get my eye poked out all the time. So my dad was an optometrist. He made me wear goggles. So I said, okay, skip, skip that one. And then I found volleyball, which had a net in between me and my opponent.

So I was like, sign me up. And then, you know, I got golf clubs when I was 10 and asked for Barbie. I got a pool table when I was 12. You know, I basically was my dad's uh my dad raised his best friend. So, you know, I was I was a little boy, as you will. But also you should know because it's it was one of our favorite things on set was uh some of the houses that we stayed at had ping pong tables. And one of the the first place that we stayed at had a ping pong table, but we could not find paddles anywhere. So then everybody starts stirring up and talking about their how good they are at ping pong, all this talk, and everybody's confident and oh yeah, I'm gonna show you and find these paddles and we'll play it out and see who wins.

So then we move on to the next house, and they have a ping pong table and paddle. So we had like this epic tournament of, you know, uh like a battle of to the end and see who could do it the best. And all the boys were pretty, pretty pissed off and blown away with my ping pong skills. But we were, you know, we were misbehaving actors because you're not supposed to get, I mean, we're bundled up in, you know, parkas and all of our, you know, basically mittens and our uh scarves and our hats, and we run inside, we take all that stuff off, which you're not supposed to, you know. We're like in our sweaters playing ping-pong and sweating and being the opposite of well-behaved and you know, just having fun and then running back out to set and like trying to put all our wardrobe back exactly how it was so it matches.

We're just you know, misbehaving, but it was it was really fun. And then also Carlo, he figured out my weak spot in my game, which was uh offense because I'm a defensive player, and I never you you never really have the opportunity to work on your, you know, your real swing unless somebody's lobbying you shots, and you you know, unless you're playing somebody not at your skill level, they're probably not lobbying you shots. So he did help me with my attack shot. So that was helpful. He just wanted to go on record and make sure that I said that because I did beat him very badly. So he just wanted some credit for my uh upping my game a little bit. So I'll give them that.

[12:15] Al Malafronte: Yeah, yeah, okay. Now, did they they know how good you were going into the shoot, or did you kind of hustle everybody?

[12:22] Taylor Cole: I didn't I took in the information and I was like, oh yeah, oh yeah, okay, let's play. Let's do this. You know, I'm I'm a humble competitor until until it really begins, and then I know my competition, and then, you know, the the playing speaks for itself.

[12:36] Al Malafronte: That's more fun.

[12:37] Taylor Cole: Yeah, absolutely. Those are my favorite types of baseball players as well. Especially like, by the way, I'm sure you've noticed like athletes in the age of like social media right now are so quick to I don't want to use the term show off, but they will they're more worried about posting what they can do in an Instagram reel rather than winning. Or at least there's a lot of New York Yankees players that tend to do that and they haven't won a championship in a dozen years now. But yeah, I I'm not I'm you for me, it's like you shouldn't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk.

[13:12] Taylor Cole: That's right. Yeah. It's more embarrassing. I mean, that I feel the same way about you know, people walking into a pool hall putting your own stick together. I'd rather play with the broken tip pool stick and you know, be better than the person that brought their own pool stick, because that's embarrassing. You bring your own pool stick and you get rocked. That's uh that's not good. So yeah, I like I like the humble approach, just slide in and oh, oops.

[13:43] Al Malafronte: Yeah, yeah, yes, ex show boating, exactly. I was gonna mention A-rod because I know you're from Arlington. Were you catching a lot of Rangers games at the old ballpark there as a kid?

[13:53] Taylor Cole: Well, actually, my dad was an eye doctor for the Texas Rangers. So we had season tickets, and every year he would ask at spring training, because that's where they checked the eyes, or initially, and he would ask one of them, he'd pick one of them, and he'd ask, you know, April 29th is my daughter's birthday. Well, you hit her home run. And you know, of course they don't remember on April 29th to hit me a home run, but my dad would tell me the player that he asked, and every year they would hit it. It was just by coincidence, or he knew that these people would hit the home run. And I remember it was Mickey Tettleton. Am I saying that right? Oh my gosh. Yes, wait. Um, was it Mick, not Mickey Templeton? Wait, I have to try to remember this. Mickey, yes, Mickey Tettleton. You're right. Mickey Tettleton, yeah. And it was, you know, the full count, everything and the bottom of the, I don't know, you say it, I don't know.

[14:53] Al Malafronte: Bottom of the ninth?

[14:58] Taylor Cole: You know, I was sweating, like, oh no, he's not gonna hit me a home run. And that's when it dawned on me, like, oh, Santa doesn't exist. And this is just for like I like it all came like crashing over me. Like, oh, he asked, but it's not real, but it's okay. That's really sweet, you know, like this whole mental like I grew up in like 12 seconds at 12 years old when I realized, you know, but then he ended up hitting the home run and it was amazing.

[15:28] Al Malafronte: So remind me of the old realization. Told Paul O'Neill that he promised the kid in the hospital that he'd hit like the two home runs for him, not just the one home run. So at least your dad kept expectations reasonable with just the one.

[15:49] Taylor Cole: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it was good. Oh my gosh. Did you have a favorite Texas Rangers?

[15:57] Al Malafronte: Go ahead.

[15:58] Taylor Cole: I was there when Nolan Ryan was playing. So he was great just because he was breaking records and he was, you know, supposed to be retired and just kept playing or something like that. And we had every Ranger signature on and dad still doesn't know where those are to this day. But, you know, it's hard to say a player now because now everybody's gone through something terrible. Like Pudge, didn't he like get in trouble for steroids or I don't know, I can't keep up with everybody that I used to idolize is now done something terrible or gonna do something terrible.

[16:35] Al Malafronte: Well, you know, no, no. I mean, Pudge, though, nonetheless, yes, like he was named in Jose Canseco's book. And Jose Canseco briefly played for the Texas Rangers, and he's he did an absolute psychopath. But it seems like everyone that he named in the book actually ended up getting caught, or at least when they had the Mitchell report investigation in 07 into 08, they ended up coming in, coming up in that report. And Jose Canseco, as crazy as he is, like all these names he mentioned, like Bonds and Clemens and like Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGuire, all those types of guys, they ended up getting caught. But Pudge Rodriguez was not in that report, and he ended up going into the Hall of Fame, and there's still this like cloud of suspicion.

But in as the other thing about it is not only is there a cloud of suspicion, but him getting in might start paving the way for more guys who did steroids or probably did steroids, I should say. And since they weren't necessarily as good as Pudge Rodriguez, the fact that he's in kind of might open the floodgates a little bit, which is going to be really interesting to see. So he has a pretty significant place in the Hall of Fame, is like really one of the first guys to get in with like that cloud of suspicion.

[17:54] Al Malafronte: Right. Oh wow. Okay. Well A-Rod, the other Rodriguez isn't getting in.

[17:56] Taylor Cole: A-Rod's not getting in no matter what, because he actually served a suspension for it while playing. It wasn't just a cloud of suspicion.

[18:07] Al Malafronte: I mean, if I'm honest, I would take, you know, we had four season tickets. I'd pick two of my girlfriends and we'd dress up with all the Texas Rangers gear we could and paint our face just to get the boys' attention. So basically we'd walk around and try to, you know, at 10 years old get boys' attention, which was the opposite of what any boy was there for. They're not, they don't care about girls. They want to watch, you know, baseball. So we were, you know, we had fun and we'd come, we'd watch the dot race and you know, the final two or three innings. But other than that, we were there for boys and nachos and ice cream.

[18:46] Taylor Cole: You know what? You had me at the nachos there. Is that the best ballpark food at the ball or at the old ballpark in Arlington? I know they have a new stadium now, global.

[18:55] Al Malafronte: Oh, yeah.

[18:55] Taylor Cole: Nachos and the ice cream because it was served in a little helmet, the cute little helmet. I loved.

[19:02] Al Malafronte: Oh, could they still do that?

[19:03] Taylor Cole: I don't know. Well, yeah, they still serve ice cream in baseball helmets. They even put Dippin' Dots in there now, actually.

[19:10] Al Malafronte: I love Dippin' Dots, yes.

[19:12] Taylor Cole: Oh, so good. Like on a hot summer night. Like it's like I go from I go straight from hot dogs and beer to Dippin' Dots by like the fifth inning, then probably back to like another beer and another hot dog. I think it's pretty messed up, but I feel like it's the closest thing we've got to magic, you know, just melting in your mouth, little beads of happiness.

[19:30] Al Malafronte: Just yeah, it's pretty much magic.

[19:33] Taylor Cole: Yeah, oh, absolutely. You know, it's so cool, like just to hear how into sports you were. And I actually do have to know this. You know, having that type of a background, is there a story or two that stands out like in your acting career where that competitive nature, you know, from playing sports really lent itself to like some sort of an accomplishment or perseverance that you've had in show business, Taylor?

[19:59] Taylor Cole: Oh, wow. Um that is definitely, you know, a mindset that I've always kept with me, which is you know, teamwork and you know, building something together. I mean, on set, that's what you're doing is coming together for a bigger purpose and creating something. And yeah, I mean, on these movies, you're just on such a tight schedule and a turnaround. And if you're not banding together, and if you're not becoming a team and melding as best as you can, then it's gonna show, you know, the end product. You're not gonna win. So yeah, I mean, for sure, pushing through hard days, long days, you know, obstacles, whether it's weather or you know, just helping each other, somebody needs to run lines, you're doing that, or you know, entertaining each other and just keeping spirits high and morale up and all the things that you have to do is that go into sports.

[21:00] Al Malafronte: Yeah.

[21:00] Taylor Cole: I mean, I do it on set and I do it in my everyday, you know, just make sure your crew is good and your people are happy and you know, life is better.

[21:09] Al Malafronte: Now, you have a very team-first mentality. Let me ask you this. Let's say if you have a bad apple in the cast and they're a prominent cast member. Are you like a Jorge Posada that's gonna go talk to them in the clubhouse and you know, kind of set them straight? Is that in your nature too?

[21:26] Taylor Cole: Um, yes, I will definitely not hold back what I feel. But in these Hallmark movies, everybody's just really happy to be there. You know what I mean? It's a three-week shoot. So you're pumped week one. Week two, you're like, all right, okay, we're getting close to the end. And then by week three, you're like, okay, this could be done, and it is, and then it's done. So you never really get, you know, too upset or, you know, wiped out. You know, there's different shows that I've done. CSI Miami was one of them where it was, you know, it was a team, and then there was, you know, a few people who like to use intimidation factors and just made it a little bit more uncomfortable, but maybe it made it more comfortable for them.

It's like whatever works for whoever, you know, to get the job done, it's just, you know, let it let it be. And, you know, I'll try, I'm very friendly, so I try to make friends with everyone and try not to judge anybody on their bad day because we all have them. And, you know, everybody's going through something. So, you know, give everybody the benefit of the doubt and just try to help people whenever you can.

[22:40] Al Malafronte: Yeah, no, I mean, it's a especially for you, especially because it seems like all the movies that you are in for Hallmark, you're the leading lady. And I feel like there's a responsibility that comes along with that in some ways. But nonetheless, though, I don't know, I wasn't sure if that responsibility translated to, you know, what's going on off camera as well. So that was something that I was really curious to hear, actually. Um, I you know, you talk about your time at CSI Miami. Is David Caruso gonna be doing any Hallmark movies in the near future, you think?

[23:11] Taylor Cole: I don't think so.

[23:15] Al Malafronte: How was he?

[23:16] Taylor Cole: He was really, really sweet to me. He was really, really sweet to me. Um, you could tell that you know, the crew had been working with him for a long time, so they had their the way that they did things, which was, you know, when he was on set, it was all business, and you know, that and that works for him. That's his process, that's how it goes, you know. And if that's what gets the job done, then so be it. But you know, there were certain things that could have potentially made the work environment more smooth, but you know, one scene he basically told everybody to be ready for whatever he was gonna do, but didn't tell anybody who was gonna do. And then he proceeded at the end of our scene, and you could see it in the show if you watch.

Um, he takes all the beat all the glass like beaker, like the test tubes and everything, and he just swipes them across and it shatters every piece of glass on the table. And you know, it was cool. It made the shot, sure, but he got a cut on his arm. There was glass everywhere. They have things that they have breakable glass. Like he just had to say, "We're I'm gonna do this," and they'd be like, "Cool, we'll set up this." And then he wouldn't have got cut, and there wouldn't be glass over. You know, it's just like sort of like a, you know, sure, sure, let the actor be creative and let them like live in the space and let them do whatever, but like let's just do it the safest, easiest way for everyone, just so we don't have to spend extra time cleaning up your mess.

So there's you know, there's a few different ways of doing things, and he definitely had his. And um, you know, I think just my way of doing it would just have a lot more fun in it involved in the process for sure.

[25:12] Al Malafronte: He sounds like he might be too big of an insurance risk on set for Hallmark.

[25:16] Taylor Cole: It's probably for the best, right? Because you got if every actor that goes on there has to be insured. So it's like if someone if you have someone who's prone to like injuring themselves, like with off the cuff like behavior, unexpected behavior. It's like you probably you probably don't want that for those like on the you don't want that energy around like those feel-good movies.

[25:36] Al Malafronte: We also don't have time for that.

[25:38] Taylor Cole: There is no time.

[25:41] Al Malafronte: Yeah, yeah. It's like moving on.

[25:43] Taylor Cole: You're yeah, that might actually like calm him down because he just doesn't have enough time for any like shenanigans. But maybe David, come on, let's do a Hallmark.

[25:58] Al Malafronte: You mentioned that is so good. You know, you mentioned the term misbehaving before, and it's like you guys are out like having competitive ping pong tournaments, but yeah, no one's like breaking glass on set or no drama then.

[26:14] Taylor Cole: No, no, it's all in good fun, that's for sure. Where do you typically go to shoot? Do you go with the Canada crew? Do you do a lot?

[26:22] Al Malafronte: Um, where do they usually have you for your films?

[26:25] Taylor Cole: I've done a tour of Canada. I've been to most all the provinces and um is that even am I saying it right? Anyway, I've been to most of Canada for Hallmark movies. But yeah, they do shoot some in the States, like the one before this one I shot in Florida. That was, you know, I had a week in between and then unpacking my Florida stuff and repacking for Canada was quite a trip.

[26:55] Al Malafronte: So do I even have to ask where your favorite place to shoot was? It had to be South Beach then, right?

[27:02] Taylor Cole: South Beach Love. My favorite place to shoot, like that I've ever shot a Hallmark movie, was definitely Utah. I mean, we shot my summer prints in Park City in the summer. So we, you know, it was gorgeous. It's clean, it's you know, a lovely little cute town, and we got to do it in the summer, so that was definitely a favorite.

[27:29] Taylor Cole: And then there was another one in Delonega, like in Atlanta, or in Georgia, just north of Atlanta, and that was amazing. We shot South Beach Love in Florida, but it was in St. Petersburg, which is a really cute, adorable little piece of Florida, if you ask me. Um, but it was so hot. But we were shooting, you know, a summer movie, so it was fine. But shooting those movies in heat like that is just another level of extreme sport.

[28:03] Al Malafronte: Yeah.

[28:04] Taylor Cole: Yeah, no, a hundred percent. And it's not like you have time because like you said, there's very little time when you're shooting those movies. It's not like you know, you can go to the beach during your, you don't get multiple lunch hours where you could like sit on the beach, right?

[28:15] Al Malafronte: Oh yeah.

[28:17] Taylor Cole: No. And sweating is not prohibited. So not the non-advice. So just I had the neck fan around all the time just trying to stay cool. So it was pretty, pretty brutal.

[28:29] Al Malafronte: Yeah, I can imagine. And um, you spent some time in New York, by the way, when you first started your career, right? Wait, were you like 18, 19 at that point?

[28:37] Taylor Cole: Yes. I had just turned 18. Uh, it was a day after graduation. I got my diploma and I left. Uh, and I was modeling for about a year in New York, and then I was visiting my mom in LA, and yeah, and they asked me to audition and I did. And so I said, okay, fine. And I'll honestly, uh, in all honesty, the reason why I booked that first job was because I did not care. I did not want the job. I just wanted to get back to my boyfriend in New York, and I want to get back to my life in New York. I was just visiting my mom. And so the fact that I didn't give any cares in the world about, you know, booking this job is the reason why I booked it. So keep that in mind, kids.

[29:21] Al Malafronte: Interesting. So that you think you that's really what you attested it to, just because you had no nerves going into the audition room?

[29:26] Taylor Cole: Hundred percent. Did not care. It was that is exactly what it was. And then I remember auditioning after I got that job, going, oh boy, people think I know what I'm doing. Like then just panicking. And basically, I remember walking out of a test of a, it was for One Tree Hill, and I was just like, I'm sorry, I'm just gonna, I'm leaving. Like I just had to like excuse myself because I knew it wasn't going well. I knew like I was too nervous to do it, and I didn't have any skills because I'd never been to an acting class. I never had any experience. I was just like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna cut everybody's, you know, time short here because this is not going well. So I'm just gonna spare you. See you later.

[30:07] Al Malafronte: So what made you keep going? Was it because you actually loved it or you just happened to keep getting parts?

[30:12] Taylor Cole: Yeah, it's just because I kept getting parts. I mean, now I do it because I love it, because I found this niche of, you know, goodness and giving back and making people happy. I mean, the fans are just incredible. The reaction you get and the joy that it brings. And, you know, there's not a lot of content like this out there. So that is very rewarding. And that's sort of what I was having trouble with when I was first acting was just finding the fulfillment, you know, being excited to go to work and why was I doing this? What was my purpose? What, you know, it just sort of felt like a grind and like getting a paycheck. It was a step up from modeling because once I moved from modeling to acting, I was like, oh, this is much more fulfilling.

And then when I was just doing the parts that I was, you know, that my physical body would get me, it just felt sort of empty. And then, you know, these ones had a story and a connection and just a giving back nature that I just really made me happy to do. So it took a while, but I got there.

[31:25] Al Malafronte: Yeah, no, and then some. I mean, look, look at Uncle Paul. There he is out in Long Island, a Brooklyn native, like, you know, an old Italian guy who loves your movies. I mean, you and you've got so many other fans of, you know, all sorts of backgrounds that love you just as much. So I think that says a lot.

[31:39] Taylor Cole: Yeah, thank you. Um, I do have to ask you, by the way, just to touch on one thing as far as like the modeling background. You started doing that while you were in high school.

[31:51] Taylor Cole: Yes. I mean, I modeled as a baby, like before I had hair on my head. So I modeled as a baby because my mom was a model, and then I modeled when I went to Catholic school, but basically I had to stop because you could only get out of Catholic school if you were on your deathbed. There was no like getting out for work. So I stopped then and then I started back up in high school. So my summers were spent in, you know, Australia or Germany or Italy. So those were my summer breaks.

[32:27] Al Malafronte: Interesting. So was that like unusual in your school where you have like the athlete who was also like traveling the world as a model at a young age? Because like that didn't happen where I grew up.

[32:38] Taylor Cole: Yes, it was. And then I was, you know, in our local stores like Gadzooks, which I don't know, is that a national brand, Gadzooks? It was sort of like, you know, what's that a hot topic or like, you know, one of those?

[32:54] Al Malafronte: Oh my god, hot topic, yeah.

[32:57] Taylor Cole: We didn't have good Gadzooks in New York, but Gadzooks. So it was like it was sort of just like the store that everybody got their jinkos from, you know. And um, yeah, I was on all the billboards all, you know, four years of high school. So I was in 17 magazine and teen, like I was in all the, you know, different magazines that were targeted towards our age group. So yeah, it was different. It was, it was, it was uh yeah, it was different, but it was everybody was very sweet. So I was a friend of everyone. I wasn't I wasn't clicky in any way. So it was easy for me just because I loved and got along with everybody.

[33:44] Al Malafronte: So you weren't vapid as Michael Scott would say about models.

[33:48] Taylor Cole: Great. Yeah. No, I was not thank goodness. No. I just felt I felt grateful that anyone would hire me. I was like, great, you're gonna pay me to do what? And that's how I felt about, you know, when I booked my first acting job. I was like, cool. California weather seems good. Let's do this. Like I don't believe you're gonna pay me to do that. Okay, let's go. So kept going with that.

[34:11] Al Malafronte: Yeah. I love I love how that's the root of it. That is so cool to hear obviously Taylor. Holy cow. My God. So what do you have planned this holiday season?

[34:24] Taylor Cole: Um, I am going to New Hampshire to visit my husband's family and uh, and then before that we're gonna do Thanksgiving and of course watch Making Spirits Bright which follows Thanksgiving weekend. So we'll probably just have a friends giving and make some delicious food which is one of my other passions food and eating all things yummy. Um, and you know just hang out, enjoy the beautiful nature wonderland that Tahoe is and get up on the mountain and do some snowboarding.

[34:55] Al Malafronte: That sounds kind of epic.

[34:57] Taylor Cole: It really, it really does. Holy cow. I've actually never been to New Hampshire, by the way, but just I mean, everything like the picturesque image that I have in my head about like the holidays in Lake Tahoe. It's like you just painted it for me, and I'm not even like looking at any visual outside of that Lake Tahoe sign that you have, right?

[35:15] Al Malafronte: Right by shoes.

[35:16] Taylor Cole: Oh, and there's another second one too.

[35:18] Al Malafronte: What's that?

[35:19] Taylor Cole: That's a cornhole set.

[35:21] Al Malafronte: Is it really?

[35:22] Taylor Cole: Yeah. So I um, part of my, I think it was probably five years ago. I had a dog who had congestive heart failure, and basically he had to pee every 30 minutes. I couldn't even go to the movie without, you know, having to, you know, make sure he's okay. So I was like, you know what? Uh, let's buy a truck and a trailer and travel the US from job to job. So um, in that time span, I, you know, it was a year and a half. The dog had a year to live and it lived a year and a half. It went to two music festivals on each coast on the west coast and the east coast. And basically, in that time, you know, you're living in a tiny, tiny trailer, and um, everything has to serve a purpose. So, in that takeaway from that trip, it was everything needs to serve two purposes in my life. So that's art, and it is also cornhole.

[36:19] Al Malafronte: I was gonna ask if you were playing cornhole in the house, because that would have been cool too.

[36:22] Taylor Cole: But yeah, it really does make for a nice artwork. You can take them right off and play cornhole. So yeah, that's what it's for.

[36:30] Al Malafronte: Wow, I gotta get to the Cole house for the holidays one of these next few years. I talk about this Break A Bat holiday block party like it's so fun, but damn, this is where it's at, Lake Tahoe.

[36:40] Taylor Cole: Oh yeah. And then look, we've got even a dart, a dart board that I made myself with my, well, my husband helped on a sled. So that's attached. I don't know if you can see it very well, but yeah, I could see it.

[36:53] Al Malafronte: Oh wow.

[36:54] Taylor Cole: Yeah, so we've got darts and pool, and you know, the game room is well equipped with all hand-eye coordination. No running.

[37:02] Al Malafronte: No, are you the best?

[37:03] Taylor Cole: No run, no treadmill down there.

[37:05] Al Malafronte: Okay, fair.

[37:08] Taylor Cole: But all sports.

[37:09] Al Malafronte: Yeah. Are you the best player in the relationship? Are you better than your husband at darts and pool?

[37:15] Taylor Cole: Actually, you know what? And in LA, I had a pool table, and it had this slight tilt to it that no one else could play on that table. Like I was the queen of that table. And I think I've just trained myself to play on that table. There's a new tilt on this table, and I cannot figure it out. So he's got me, he's got me on this table. But I think it's because I don't play as much as I should. I'm gonna, I'm gonna go play right now. Thank you. I need to practice.

[37:43] Al Malafronte: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's a good idea. This is where you can get your reps in, but yeah, exactly. I need that home advantage. I need that home advantage for sure.

[37:54] Al Malafronte: Yeah, yeah, I agree. And um, oh, I know what we could actually do to make sure you get those reps in before you even get onto the pool table. It's a little game that we play where it's like it's high stakes, just like husband wife pool, by the way. It's called fastball derby. Have you heard of it?

[38:12] Taylor Cole: No, I haven't.

[38:13] Al Malafronte: All right, so I want you to picture yourself like in the ninth inning. Um, it's, uh, your team's down a run, let's say, because we want to put some more pressure on you. Games on the line. Aroldis Chapman is on the mound. He's throwing 105 miles an hour. Are you familiar with Chapman?

[38:29] Taylor Cole: Mm-mm.

[38:31] Al Malafronte: Fastest throwing man ever. And he, yeah, think of me as him without any ability to throw 105 miles an hour or without any neck tattoos or anything of that nature. But um anyway, so he's throwing really fast and you gotta think quick. Um, I'm gonna ask you a question. You tell me the first thing that comes to your mind, some stories if you find them fitting, and you try to bring home that winning run and make sure you're on point during your pool practice. How does that sound?

[39:00] Taylor Cole: Okay, sounds good.

[39:02] Al Malafronte: All right, batter up telling.

[39:04] Taylor Cole: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's basically like a rapid fire. It's like what it is.

[39:09] Al Malafronte: Uh okay. I'm actually the worst at picking because I, I might like one of my mottos in life is why choose. So if you are gonna ask me between two things, I'm probably gonna tell you some messed up answer why I'd pick both. But go ahead.

[39:25] Al Malafronte: Let's let's not multiple choice, which may I think makes it even more challenging. So this is your life. Let's do it.

[39:30] Taylor Cole: Let's go.

[39:31] Al Malafronte: Uh actually, this one is multiple choice. Texas barbecue or New York City Italian.

[39:36] Taylor Cole: Oh, Texas Barbecue.

[39:39] Al Malafronte: Most recent show tune you played in your Spotify.

[39:43] Taylor Cole: Most what?

[39:44] Al Malafronte: Most recent show tune you played in your Spotify.

[39:47] Taylor Cole: Oh boy, I'm not a showtune girl. I don't know. It would have to be, um, as Hamilton, you get none of that worked its way into any of your, uh, Mormon one.

[40:04] Taylor Cole: What's Book of Mormon?

[40:06] Al Malafronte: Yes, Book of Mormon.

[40:08] Taylor Cole: Okay.

[40:12] Al Malafronte: Yeah, it is funny.

[40:14] Al Malafronte: Team Derek Jeter or Team A-Rod.

[40:18] Taylor Cole: I, I don't, I don't know enough about any of them.

[40:22] Al Malafronte: That's as bad. I'm sorry.

[40:27] Taylor Cole: Are you sure you want to take on your husband in pool? Because I, you don't seem to be very on your game here, Taylor.

[40:33] Taylor Cole: Aren't they both like they both have something not great about them, right?

[40:37] Al Malafronte: I, I can't remember what newsline, uh, headline article I've read that did something terrible, but A-Rod a little bit more than Jeter, and I'm not trying to sway you like to choose one way or the other. Jeter's been pretty squeaky clean, but if you want to view this as a knock on him, he's weirdly obsessed with privacy. So you could you would you want someone who's weirdly obsessed with privacy? Or are you team weirdly obsessed with privacy, I guess, or team, uh, steroid user and no Jeter, cheater, cheater, cheater.

[41:10] Al Malafronte: Jeter.

[41:11] Taylor Cole: That is correct.

[41:12] Al Malafronte: That is probably correct answer. I just I just like I don't keep up with your with the headlines on the you know ball players. So I'm afraid to say Jeter, and then he was, you know, arrested for doing something terrible yesterday. You know what I mean? I'm just like, I'm not gonna say it's not gonna come out of my mouth until I know all details. Um okay, uh favorite Christmas song and which version of it.

[41:40] Taylor Cole: Oh, I love uh I want to wish you a Felice Navidad, you know, because at the very end of it, he just sings it from his guttural passion. He just he just really wants to wish you a Merry Christmas. Just of his heart, and he just sings it with so much passion. I think that's a good thing. Do you sing too, Taylor?

[42:04] Taylor Cole: Oh no, I am the worst singer. And in this movie, actually, um, Making Spirits Bright, there is a there's a scene where we have to do a Caroling thing. And luckily, she's not supposed to be able to be a great singer. But it is not only singing, which I'm terrible at, but it is singing in Italian, which I am way terrible at. I cannot speak Italian. And so it was I'm not sure how they'll cut it together or whose ears are gonna bleed while watching this, but I'm sorry. And uh I hope you don't hate me because of it.

[42:44] Al Malafronte: And they don't tell you if they use so listen, I really hope you were good because I am curious to hear your singing voice because I don't want to hear like some vocal overdub thing that they're gonna try to pass off like when it's actually someone else singing. They did that to Ashley Williams, actually. She told me a couple of years ago. Where like they took out she can carry a tune and they took out her singing voice and like put someone else in, and everyone was just really confused. Like, wait a second, like the octave's changed. Wait, that this isn't who I was listening to for the past hour of the movie. So hopefully you did some passable Italian.

[43:14] Taylor Cole: Oh my gosh. Well, I mean, if they dubbed her voice and she could sing, then my my voice has no chance in staying, but uh we'll see. I guess we'll find out over Thanksgiving weekend.

[43:27] Al Malafronte: Exactly. Oh brutal. Yeah, well, you know, that that was the true test was you know, Hallmark uh will do anything for Hallmark because I sang. So that's bottom line.

[43:40] Taylor Cole: Well, your character's Irish too. So I mean, you really you played you you you did well there. I I can be profitable both sides of the team, both sides of the Romeo side and the Juliet side.

[43:49] Al Malafronte: Yeah, exactly. Very nice. How about the uh non-Hallmark Christmas movie that you're watching every year no matter what?

[43:58] Taylor Cole: Oh, what's a good one? Um, uh home alone, of course. Home alone is entertaining, never it never gets old. He's so clever. I mean, it's educational.

[44:17] Al Malafronte: Yeah, how to throw a two-pite for somebody's head.

[44:20] Taylor Cole: Very useful skill.

[44:21] Al Malafronte: Yes. This is good stuff. I could choose that.

[44:25] Taylor Cole: Yeah, it shows you how to be resourceful, yeah.

[44:27] Al Malafronte: That's right. Yeah, he's thinking on his toes. He's good. Yeah. Survival skills. I like that. Strangest place you've ever been recognized.

[44:37] Taylor Cole: Oh boy, in a fun house at in um Niagara Falls. Yeah. So we were inside the fun house, and I was I was not in the proper mental space to talk to the person. So I oh, oh my gosh, I have another one that was so gosh, I don't even know if I should tell the story, but I was on a see, I was this was back when I did my first job, and I um I was probably 21, and I was in CVS, and I had a cold, and I uh so I was in the I was going to Jesse McCartney's birthday. So I had bought him like um a handle of Jack Daniels. So I have uh Jack Daniels in my hand. I had a pregnancy test in the other hand, because my boyfriend and I, you know, but I just was making sure. And then um, and then I was in the cold and flu aisle, and I just got because I felt so terrible, I just started getting the giggles, and I couldn't stop.

It was uncontrollable. List listing off the the different symptoms or different things that it said that it cured, which was like coffee, cough, runny nose, sniffles, like you know, they were basically saying the same thing over and over, just in different adjectives, right? They were just the runny nose is the sniffles, and I just like lost it. I just I was like, they're just saying different adjectives, and I just fell on the floor. I was like sweating, I was felt like shit. I had you know alcohol in one hand, a pregnancy test in the other, crying laughing in the in the um in the in the cold and flu aisle. And somebody came around and they were like, Are you but I was with my boyfriend at the time was Ryan Quanton.

He was on the show as well. So they recognized both of us, and he asked us if we were on the show, and I said, and I just started laughing again, and then Ryan answered and he was like, Yeah, yeah, we are. And then he turned to like four other aisles. He goes, Hey guys, it is them. And then like six other people from other aisles come out, and I was just I I was just holding these two things that just contradicted each other so heavily that I I just I was speechless. I was like, this couldn't be. I I couldn't have been more read. I couldn't have been more embarrassed. It was, I just wanted to explain, but I felt like the more I explained, it was it would just get more awkward, and then I was just like, nice to meet you bye.

Thank God this wasn't in the age of smartphones, right? Holy cow. It was bad. No one was there to take pics or video, and it's good. It's just your story that you told to our audience wonderfully. And wow, quite the image right now. Holy cow. Taylor Cole with a bottle of jack and uh pregnancy tests and one in one end on the floor of a uh CVS.

[47:31] Al Malafronte: Yeah. Just something you don't see. And to get recognized on top of that. Getting pseudoped.

[47:36] Taylor Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Oh God. That was pretty bad.

[47:39] Al Malafronte: Oh, all right. Um, as surprising as that was, uh, fact about Taylor Cole that would surprise people the most.

[47:49] Taylor Cole: Um I am a terrible runner, but you already know that now. But I mean, for an athlete, that's sort of uh it seems like that should be like a a thing that an athlete could do, and I cannot do it.

[48:06] Al Malafronte: True. I guess that is surprising.

[48:08] Taylor Cole: Sure, sure. I uh what what's more surprising? I don't know. Um you stumped me. I'm not very good at this quick thinking challenge.

[48:19] Al Malafronte: You're on a roll there. Now you're just fouling pitches off. You're what's something about you? I want to know about you, and then maybe it'll spark something for me.

[48:27] Taylor Cole: Something that would surprise people about me. Oh my goodness. I've actually never been asked this question on the podcast, and I want to give a PC answer. Um, okay. I am not obsessed, but I am very passionate about the Beach Boys, and I really like 60s and 70s music, and I listen to it almost exclusively. And when people meet me, they are like, and if they get an inkling of that, like if they see like Brian Wilson as like the screensaver on my phone, or you know, they'll be very shocked and then ask for an explanation. And you know, when I talk to them about it, yeah, they that surprises them because on the surface, I don't seem like some guy that's stuck in the 60s and 70s with their musical taste.

[49:14] Taylor Cole: Oh, how funny. I I was friends with John Stamos back when I was in New York and he was doing Broadway cabaret, and um yeah, he was the he's the drummer, right? Or one of the drummers, or sometimes drums or something like that. But yeah.

[49:29] Al Malafronte: Yes.

[49:30] Taylor Cole: So is it let's I'm gonna nerd out here for a second. Yes, I love and I love John Stamos. I think he introduced the Beach Boys to a whole new generation of viewers on Full House, which is great, which is partly how I got into them, aside from you know, listening to the music with my parents in the car. But he plays with Mike Love's version of the Beach Boys, which is very different from Brian Wilson and Al Jardine that do their own thing together. It's Mike Love. Long story, yeah.

[50:00] Al Malafronte: Sounds like exactly.

[50:11] Taylor Cole: Got it. Did that inspire you to think of something that would surprise you?

[50:15] Al Malafronte: I mean, the fact that you're friends with John Stamos kind of surprised me, I guess.

[50:19] Taylor Cole: There you go. Um, that I was uh that I was the only child that I was raised by my dad, that I'm a tomboy. I don't know. I'm like, what what's surprising? I'm such an open book that I feel like there's not many things I don't talk about. I'm not very not very, yeah, I don't know. Come back to.

[50:40] Al Malafronte: Yeah, that's that's fair enough. I feel like people have learned a lot about you tonight. Um that maybe they didn't know before, which is really cool. And um now uh there is one question though that we do have to uh use to rap fastball derby, as sad as I am that this hour is almost up. Um what is the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you?

[51:03] Taylor Cole: Uh my dad, he always taught me choose happy. And that, you know, that's not that's just going with the overall general. I mean, I've talked to so many people about this, choose happy, because it's some people it's not that easy. And it's more about just um, you know, waking up every day and appreciating and giving gratitude to the most simple things like your hands and your feet and the fact that we breathe air and you know, there's a roof over ahead, like just starting with the smallest things of gratitude really help you you know, have bring an optimistic outlook to life, and that just is so easily uh, you know, carried throughout the day because of that one little tiny mindset, you know, that you begin your day with.

[51:56] Al Malafronte: Wow. That's good stuff, Taylor. You uh I think you brought home the winning run and then some, and you were just like the best party guest that we could ask for. Like unbelievable. I had so much fun with you. Thank you.

[52:09] Taylor Cole: Thank you for having me. That was really, really fun. It was a pleasure. And um I I just have to ask, you know, let's say next holiday season, or if uh you're ever in New York, A, will you come back to the holiday block party and B, will you say hi to my Uncle Paul? Would that be if you're ever in New York, like you think we can make that happen?

[52:29] Taylor Cole: Most definitely. Oh, I have one. Um, something that is uh that someone wouldn't know about me would be that I am k so terrible at doing accents. You know, as an actress, sort of should be part of my uh what I my skill level, but I somehow I I could do around the world in one sentence. I just cannot stay on track with one accent. I'm just shockingly, shockingly bad at accents.

[52:58] Al Malafronte: So there's something interesting. Can you give us a quick can you give us a quick example of one of those accents to close out the episode?

[53:07] Taylor Cole: Oh gosh. I mean I like give me give me an accent to do.

[53:13] Al Malafronte: Let's hear a Brooklyn accent for Uncle Paul.

[53:16] Taylor Cole: Okay, a Brooklyn accent. Ow, it was really fun to hang out with you. This podcast was real splendid.

[53:28] Al Malafronte: How do you know in Brooklyn so splendid?

[53:31] Taylor Cole: You were great up until that point, though. You're passable until that point. Splendid.

[53:38] Al Malafronte: Oh, Taylor, you're a rock star. Unbelievable. Thank you so much again for being here. And uh I just uh my god, this was a fun one. Thank you again.

[53:50] Taylor Cole: Thank you, Al. Well, for the folks at home, thank you all so much for tuning in to break a bat tonight. Uh be sure to catch Taylor in Making Spirits Bright on uh Saturday, November 27th at 6 p.m. Eastern time. This is Al Malafronte signing off from the Break a Bat holiday block party. We'll see you next time.

[54:12] Al Malafronte: Thanks for listening to Break a Bat. This is produced by the fine folks at the Broadway Podcast Network. Visit and subscribe at BPN.fm slash break a bat. You can find me online at break underscore a underscore bat underscore podcasts. And you can also find the Broadway Podcast Network on Instagram at Broadway Podcast Network. It's been so great having you here with us today, and we'll see you next time.