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[0:00] Joe Rosko: Hey, what's going on? Welcome to Built For The Stage Podcast. This is Joe Rosko, founder and host of Built For The Stage, Broadway's number one fitness platform. With clients in over 20 Broadway shows, The West End, shout out to Jason, just opened up Hercules on The West End, excited to see it. Tokyo Disney, collegiate theaters across the country, we're your one-stop shop for all things fitness. Go to BuiltForTheStage.com. Special thanks to Broadway Podcast Network for producing the episode. All right, on to our special guest, very special guest today. I tend to say special guest as always, and I truly mean it, but today's very special guest, because it is a BFTS fan member. They put in some major work with me.

I mean, forget with me, they themselves, they put in some major work. While on tour, on the Philip tour with Hamilton, they just got off the tour, I think about a month ago, he was playing Hercules Mulligan and James Madison on the tour, but he's back. And I think he's back living in West New York, New Jersey. He put that in his bio, and he makes this funny little thing about saying that's a city in New Jersey for those who don't believe it. And I wanted to bring that up because, I mean, I believe it. I don't think he's lying, but I definitely want to talk about it. So please welcome to the podcast, Eddie Ortega.

[1:45] Eddie Ortega: Thank you. Thank you for the applause. Appreciate it. What's up, fam? Hello.

[1:47] Eddie Ortega: Hello, hello. I'm happy to be here, man.

[1:50] Joe Rosko: Okay. So I think this is kind of similar as far as the whole West New York, New Jersey thing. Kansas City is like split by Kansas and Missouri. So there's a Kansas City, Missouri, which brings this, that brought that memory to my mind when hearing West New York, New Jersey.

[2:12] Eddie Ortega: Yeah, I've actually been to Kansas City where it splits there. Because I traveled with one of my friends when he was moving to Denver a few years ago. And we stopped there and had like some drinks. And I was like, Oh, so and literally, you could see the split. It was like, Oh, there's Kansas City. I mean, there's Kansas and there's Missouri. And it was really fun. But yes, I do think it's similar. Because every time I tell people where I live, they're like, Oh, where you staying at? You just got back? I'm like, I live in West New York. And they're like, so it's like, like by Harlem. And I'm like, No, it's West, it's West New York, New Jersey. It's literally, it's in New Jersey. And they're like, Oh, Jersey.

I said, Yeah, it's Jersey. But I want to say the city if I said Hoboken, you'd be like, Okay, cool. But I'm like, so I always have to clarify that I'm not trying to act like I live in New York. Even though I love Jersey. I love Jersey. And I lived here prior to the tour as well in Weehawken. So I love Jersey.

[3:02] Joe Rosko: I want to take a guess. Because I, if anyone watches this video, I'm taking a guess all I could see are the colored sleeves and like a slight patch. Is that like a throwback Padres jersey? Or what is that you're wearing right there?

[3:15] Eddie Ortega: It is it is a Padres jersey. It's a Fernando Tatis. I can see the back. Okay. Yes. Here's the thing. Representing for the culture, but I am a Red Sox fan. So I just like confused. Yeah, my dad, my dad got me the jersey when I came back from tour, because he wanted to see a game with me. And I think the Padres are playing. And it was really cool. I was like, I'll take it. So I'm representing the culture. But definitely I'm a Red Sox fan.

[3:44] Joe Rosko: Got it. Yeah, beautiful. San Diego is obviously beautiful. But the stadium, all that great vibes. Speaking of sports stadiums, I saw on your Instagram while on tour, I think you sang the national anthem for the Chicago Bulls.

[4:00] Eddie Ortega: Yeah. Yeah, that was really cool. That was really cool. Tell me about that.

[4:10] Eddie Ortega: Yeah. So we, we basically I would say stops tour while on because I was there for a little over two years. In Chicago, we were sat there for five months. And yeah, we just got a dope opportunity to sing the national anthem. Me Marcus Troy, who's in maybe happy ending now and Jared Halton, who's leaving the Angelica tour in a few weeks. Yeah, they were just like, you guys want to do a trio and then we just arranged it ourselves. We all had different. We all had different versions that we saying and I think Marcus saying it in a choir before and so he's like, I'm gonna sing this part. I'm gonna add these things. And I was like, great. I'm gonna do this. And Jared was like, I'm gonna do this. And then I kind of tried to work some of the parts in between our rehearsals.

We had just a couple and then we saying in this huge stadium first time I had any years. I was like, I can't hear anything. I can't have both. And this is crazy. There's so many people and we got to watch the game too they give us free tickets. So yeah, it was it was it was amazing.

[5:17] Joe Rosko: Is the Jordan culture still like heavy there? Or have they moved on to their own identity? What's it like being?

[5:22] Eddie Ortega: Yeah, so I'm a big I'm a big NBA fan. I will say the fans are pretty good there. But they got my thing. They don't have any identity right now. They had some interesting endings last year. Now they got Josh Gideon, a couple other guys. So they definitely passed the Jordan culture. I would say it's been 20, 30 years. Since almost 30 years since any greatness in Chicago. I guess Derrick Rose had had a moment. But yeah, they're past that. That room from I love the city. Chicago is a dope city. The stadium was great. The fans were good. But they they got to figure out an identity.

[6:01] Joe Rosko: Yeah, yeah. Speaking of cities, you're from Orlando.

[6:08] Eddie Ortega: Yes, originally, Orlando, Florida. Did you grow up with dreams of being a Disney park performer? Like what's it like in Orlando? What's it like growing up in Orlando, Florida?

[6:21] Eddie Ortega: Yeah, Orlando is great. I actually really do love Orlando. But outside of just like the Disney stuff. It's a it's a it's a nice city. What I will say is growing up, I definitely did not have aspirations to work in the parks. And I think I never really did. But I wasn't much of a performer growing up. Because I kind of started, especially musical theater. That was my senior year of high school. I was very late to even auditioning for Charlotte was my first audition. But yeah, so did the Disney parks, I just love going to them. Actually, I like them more as an adult than I did as a kid. Because I was a big Universal kid growing up loved Universal. But now I'm kind of a Disney adult. So yeah, no, but yeah, this me personally, I prefer filming TV over Disney parks. But as far as performing, but yeah, it I was real late to this stuff. I'll say that.

[7:18] Joe Rosko: Okay, cool. Perfect segue. I was wanting to get into like your upbringing and how performing came along. But apparently it was not until senior year. So how why then you know, you waited 18 years nearly while this out of that just come into your your scope of like, you know what? Yeah, how'd it come about?

[7:38] Eddie Ortega: Yeah, well, I do have to say that, you know, I sang a little before then. But yeah, how it came about is the show in the heights and I'll backtrack and get there. But my I started going to church like when I was 10 or 11. And then to sing the choir and I always thought I had a good voice. But I would sing forever. One time I sang for my sister and my cousin. And they laughed at me. And I said, Oh, I guess I'm not good at singing. And I was like in my head for years about that. But eventually I got the courage and I sang addition in the choir and church choir when I was like 12 or 13. And they didn't have any guys in the choir. So they're like, yeah, they basically the reaction was kind of like, yeah, he's good.

You're good enough. Like you need a guy. And I was like, Okay, I'll take it. So that's where I kind of learned how to sing a little bit more and how to harmonize. And I started enjoying that. And then when I got to high school, one of my best friends was in choir of the first two years of high school and I wasn't because I was like, performing in church is different than performing in the real world. But junior year, he convinced me. And he's like, bro, you sing, come join choir, I joined choir. The voice teachers, the teachers there thought I was great. And they're like, hey, you actually really good singer, you should take voice lessons. And so I'm like, in the board voice lessons, they said, we'll give you a scholarship.

So I was like, wow, these people really nice here. This is awesome. Started got got a scholarship for the voice lessons. And then I was a big AP kid, I wanted to be a lawyer. So I was like, I'm taking all the smart classes. I'm okay, was like top 10 in my class. And I was like, this is, you know, where I'm going. But I had to take electives. So I went, let me take an acting class. That sounds fun. I think I would enjoy that. We kind of do some dramas in church. So I'll do that. And that acting teacher saw me, he was like, you're really good. He's like, you should audition for the musical next year, which was in heights, which would mean I would do a senior year. And I was like, I don't know, I've never auditioned.

He's like, well, the lead guys Dominican, aren't you Dominican? And I said, Yeah, sure. I'm convinced. And a couple of the front the guys in chorus were also like, we're gonna audition audition with us, like we're gonna do it. So then I auditioned. That was a whole caddy thing. I got introduced to some of the caddy people in theater who I like wrote up because I knew the lead guy rap was not a rap. And so I was like, I'm gonna write up a rap. Like I didn't know how this worked. I had never sang any I'd never auditioned in my life. So I was I'm gonna write up a little rap, you know, maybe that'll be cool. So I wrote one up with practicing it for my audition. And the theater kids were like, Oh, what are you saying?

And I was like, Oh, I'm actually not gonna sing. I'm gonna rap. I feel like that makes more sense for the role. Right? Like, Oh, no, you're not allowed to rap. You have to sing. It was a total lie. He sabotaged me. I didn't have a song prepared. So I just sang something from Tarzan that came to my head. I changed the key like twice. It was very embarrassing for me. But my monologue went well. And and I danced. Okay. But I remember being upset because I saw that those same kids who told me that can't rap. They all rapped. No, yep. They are. And I said, Oh, this is how y'all do it here. Cool. So before the I'll get to the end here, but basically that the audition ends, everyone's going home. But I was like, you know, in my field.

So I was like, I didn't give what I wanted to give. So I stopped the director, she was just leaving. I said, Can I just rap for you real quick, like I had something prepared, I misunderstood. I thought I couldn't rap, I would love to rap for you. And I ended up rapping something from the show. Because I listened to the show before the audition. I was like, I love this. And so I rapped a verse from it. And she just kind of looked at me and nodded and said, Thank you. And I walked away. And then a few days later, I found out I got the lead role. So that was incredible. And then doing the show. Just that was what made me want to do it. Like when I actually performed in my my senior year, in the show, I was just like this.

There's nothing like this feeling I'm the rehearsal process was everything to me. Working with people. I'm like, Oh, we were all harmonizing. We dance with this actually like dancing, who knew? And and then by the end of it, I was like, I want to do this now. And my parents were like, what you want to be? You're going to school for a lot. What happened? And yeah, and then so then I auditioned for my alma mater, Florida State. And I had no dance training. I had a year voice lessons. And I had done two shows, because I did end up doing show on the fall in the spring of my senior year as well. And they and I was awful in the dance audition. I did solid and the other ones and they didn't accept me.

I decided to still go to the school. I was like, I'm still gonna go I'm gonna be a general music major. And I'm gonna audition again. Because I had people who I knew through my voice teacher who had also

[12:36] Eddie Ortega: And I'm like, I'm going to pursue it. We have kids who have been doing this for years, that are auditioning. And I said, bet, then I'll, you know, I'll prove you wrong. What class do I need to take? Took a lot of ballet and jazz that first year. And got better as a dancer, got into a show after I didn't get into the show and then someone dropped out of Ragtime that year and then they were like, hey, we need someone else. Can you join? I joined. They got to see me in that process. They were like, oh, good person, works hard, better dancer than we thought. And then auditioned and got in. And then that's where I learned and, you know, got my degree and the rest is history. Awesome. All right. That's a cool story of resilience right there. Awesome. Yeah. I would have thought after the no, during the first audition, you would have been like, well, I guess lawyer it is, but that's cool.

[13:57] Joe Rosko: Do you still remember the, uh, In the Heights raps, all of them?

[14:09] Eddie Ortega: Oh, yeah. Well, yeah. Cause I ended up playing with Snobby again, professionally, uh, my junior year of college. Uh, so that it's the summer of my junior year of college. Uh, so yes, I do. Cause I love that role and I would love, I would love for that show to get a revival. But, uh, yeah, we'll see. I, you know, I know that Hamilton is such an iconic prolific show, but when you put them mono a mono, I always choose In the Heights. I'm, I'm a diehard In the Heights fan. Um, yeah, I can remember. Let's see what year was it? I saw it when Jordan Sparks was in In the Heights. That's when I saw it. Um, but anyways, 2009 to the summer. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, cool. So let's, uh, we'll segue to the, to the tour. So you just, it's been a month, right? Since you finished the tour, you said you're, you're on it for two years. Is that what you said?

[15:11] Eddie Ortega: Yeah. A little over two years.

[15:15] Joe Rosko: Okay. A little over two years. Nice. Uh, tell us about, uh, tour life. There's a few topics I want to touch on, but let's just jump into the fitness part since you know, that's how we know each other while you're on tour. When did you decide to like, get back into fitness? Uh, did you try from the beginning? Like, what's that like? I think this is a great topic for people listening because it is, uh, like I said, before we started recording, it's a struggle to find your groove to find, uh, how do I, what gym am I going to in this city or, you know, where am I going to eat or how am I going to survive? Uh, always on the go. So what were your like, what was that beginning journey? And then how did you find that groove that you found? Cause wow, what an amazing six months it's been since we started.

[16:08] Eddie Ortega: Yeah. Thank you. And yeah, I mean, it was like any journey there were hills and valleys, like, uh, you know, I, I, when I got the job, I remember I was like, Oh, I want to lose a little bit of weight. Um, and then through the rehearsal process and all that. And like you said, trying to find gyms, cause I'm in a hotel. I didn't understand that I can get my own place. Sometimes I didn't know how the gym stuff worked early on. Didn't know what I was doing. I actually put on a few pounds, but like lived with that. Cause I was like the experience prepping for the role was more important to me. Then as time went on, actually, uh, by a year in, I gained like 10 pounds and I was like, okay, that was like the first mark where I was like, it's time for me to like make a change.

And I did, and I lost like 15 pounds. I did like Kennedy X and stuff like that. Cause I had done in the past and, and was doing better by eating better, but then gained it all back and a little bit more again. And that's when we kind of got to the time, uh, where I met you and I heard from people, uh, Alexa and, and, uh, Blaine, uh, I'd heard that they had worked with you in the past. And I was like, yeah, I think I need some, I need, I need some accountability, even if it's just, it's just, I don't need, you know, like, cause I'm pretty, pretty good at staying on things as far as like, uh, like having accountability myself, but I need an extra, like, Oh, if I, if I start falling off, like, okay, now I can't let Joe down.

Like, I'm not gonna let myself down, but I can't let Joe down either. Uh, so it, so yeah. So then that was, uh, I also knew the tour was ending June 1st. So I was like, I'm getting through the holidays. And then in the new year, I'm, I'm locked in, you know, uh, talk to you. And I think, I think what, what changed was I knew now I have, cause I'd never really had a trainer in the past. I was like, now this is something that I've never had before. Therefore I might get different results. So that was the first, my mindset was do that first. Uh, and then it, it almost felt like homework and I loved homework in school or like whatever, like a test. And I was like, okay, so now I'm getting these workouts.

I got to hit all of them, you know, no excuses. Uh, so yeah, it was, it was a process at first. Cause it was like the gyms were hard to figure out. Cause I had paid for Airbnbs ahead of time. And now I was like, okay, well I want to get set. There was a time where I wanted to get steps in more. So now I was like, okay, well now I'm going to get Airbnbs that are walkable. So I changed some Airbnbs. So I'm just walking to the theater. I was walking to the gym. Um, that was helpful. And then a couple of months in nutrition was a big thing that I focused on after I was like, okay, I'm locked in on the workouts. Um, and that was just a lot of studying the YouTube setting of like, okay, proper macros, you know, uh, what's the deficit I want to be at.

Eventually what types of foods are more filling? Cause I was getting calories, but then I was like, I'm still hungry. And then all of a sudden it's like, oh, you need, you need more fiber. You need more of this.

[19:11] Joe Rosko: What were your go-to's that like kind of saved the day where it's like, oh yeah, it's the same calorie, uh, uh, breakdown, but I feel a lot better. I don't feel as famished for sure.

[19:23] Eddie Ortega: Fruit and vegetables. Yeah. Cause I just growing up. Uh, I mean, I don't want to speak for all Dominicans or Latinos or whatever, but like our, we're used to a lot of carbs and each amount of protein, but not necessarily a lot of vegetables. So for sure. And so I think I was like, for me, broccoli, I can have as much broccoli, Brussels sprouts, those were things that I was like, well, I can fill half the plate with this. And I love the way it tastes. And, and that started getting really full. Um, eventually now I'm locked in on like, I have basically the same breakfast, same lunch, uh, uh, and planning meals ahead. So like for me, I like have my wrap with my egg whites. I do a little bit of chipotle mayo on top for a little bit of flavor, but I seasoned it well enough that it tastes decent.

Um, and then Greek yogurt, I get like this, whatever we Google, but usually, uh, like a light strawberry Greek yogurt, like blueberries, Greek yogurt, nonfat. And then, uh, I'm missing one thing. Oh, and then a bunch of blackberries, blackberries, blackberries, blackberries. I love blackberries. They're crazy high in fiber. I love the flavor. Um, and they, yeah, they make me feel full. So, you know, a hundred grams of that.

[20:48] Joe Rosko: Did you struggle, you kind of got into a groove where your, your breakfast, lunch, uh, you said tended to be like pretty much the same. Was that a struggle with you or are you kind of wired that way where it wasn't a big deal for you to eat similar stuff almost every day?

[20:57] Eddie Ortega: I'm wired that way. I'm going to be honest. Cause I know it doesn't work for everybody, but like, but also I got here over the last couple of months. Cause I was having certain things where I was like, yeah, chicken. Yeah. I'm making a bunch of shrimp and then I'll make some veggies. And then I was like, and then, you know, whatever it is, these meals changed, but I just got to find something that I like to eat. And that's, it took a few months there, but I am wired in that even at first when things didn't taste great or whatever, like I was like, I'm still hitting my targets and I'm trying to lose weight. And that's the goal now that I'm more in like a, not trying to lose the weight really as fast or as much.

Um, I cared more about like how it tasted, I guess. Um, so yeah, uh, I think I'm wired that way that I can eat the same thing, but like, I love Caesar salad. Now I like have a Caesar salad for lunch pretty much every day. Um, and I love chicken. I eat a bunch of chicken. So yeah, it's, yeah, I'm just kind of wired that way.

[22:03] Joe Rosko: When you were on tour, but not doing the Airbnbs, but the hotels, uh, obviously it was a lot more difficult to prep a variance of meals compared to an Airbnb. Did you find any tricks of the trade in the hotel that worked for you? Or did you just feel like this ain't working?

[22:17] Eddie Ortega: I will say the hotel issue was not an issue for long. Cause my girl ended up joining the tour, like four months, four months and maybe four months in, maybe three months in, and we couldn't share a hotel. We had to get Airbnb. So I mostly had Airbnbs everywhere so that I didn't deal with the, not having the kitchen, but especially when, when I met you, like I didn't have that issue much at all. It was more like, like Seattle, I was driving distance away. Like I had to get in the car. And so I was like, Oh, I'm not getting my steps. And so now I got to find creative ways to get steps in. Um, but as far as cooking meals, like I always had the opportunity to, to have a kitchen and to make meals.

The, the issue sometimes was like, I'm in Seattle, I'm in Portland. I heard there's good food. So like, I don't want to just, I mean, I know I have goals, but I need to find a way to fit these calories to where I can go eat something really, you know, awesome or have the famous mac and cheese or famous, uh, uh, clam chowder, you know, um, in Seattle or whatever. And so, and I eventually got to a point, especially in March, that was when I, everything switched and I figured it out, um, how to make that work and to make sure I'm eating stuff that I like to eat, but also still hitting my goals.

[23:43] Joe Rosko: Yeah, definitely. Uh, like a one show matinee is good for that where like, you can kind of backload those, uh, carbs and intake to when you're going to go out and have those meals. Whereas like, since it's a matinee and it's early, if you hadn't eaten that much, like it's okay, you can get through it and then just, uh, you know, go at it. I love, I love, I love some good food. So I know exactly I'm doing that when a weekend comes and I know like, Oh, I'm going to get after it tonight. I switch immediately to like my almost non-existent carb intake protein only. Cause tonight I'm about to consume my daily carbs in one sitting.

[24:27] Eddie Ortega: That's me. That's me today for my birthday. I'm taking it to a nice restaurant and I was like, well, we all eat well. And so all the protein is being consumed right after this. Yeah. And then after workout.

[24:40] Joe Rosko: All right. Well, let's hop off. Happy birthday to your girlfriend. Let's hop off to, uh, staying on the Hamilton tour, but off of like the fitness side, um, with being in a show that is about the, uh, upbringing of our country. Like what has that been like the past, like six months or even like last year, was it business as usual? Or like, what was that experience like being on a, on a tour of a show? That's about the upbringing of the United States of America.

[25:12] Eddie Ortega: Yeah, what makes the show incredible is that the meaning can change when the world is morphing the way it is. And not that the meaning is completely changed, because the meaning is the meaning, but it is informed differently when, you know, stuff that's happened with ICE recently, during the election. I mean, that was a tough time for, I think, a lot of us doing the show. And, you know, you hear something as simple as I remember, there were times where there were people who would like shout, USA, USA, after Yorktown, and we would have different reactions. Like because it was around the election that would happen. I think we were in Denver. Yeah. And some people in the cast would be really uncomfortable with that.

And some of us were like, Oh, that's kind of funny. And then it would start happening more often. Then you're kind of like, Okay, I get why this is uncomfortable, because we don't know. We don't, unfortunately, we don't know as cast members, if it's like just like a, you know, a member who's like, just really loved the audience, but we just really loved what they saw Yorktown, big number, boom, it finishes. And you're just like, yeah, like our country won this war, or whatever, they're just into it. Maybe they're a little tipsy. Or if it's someone who is trying to, to make us uncomfortable, which we've had those people who, whatever. And so I say all that to say that, like, I remember that time in Denver.

And how tough it was for some of us in Seattle, I think there were some moments there too. And then recently, with the stuff with ICE, I mean, with a lot of us, how we look, where we come from, doing that show was easier some days than not than others. So I'll have to say, like, it's a great show for like, just in a vacuum. But yeah, sometimes, sometimes I think there was a lot of introspection on like, you had to have some introspection on like, what is this show for me today. But sometimes it was to help with everything that's going on. And sometimes it was kind of like, I have to put aside some things and just like, focus on my, my character and less about the meaning. I'm focused on, you know, my job.

So yeah, I think we got a little deeper here and there. But like, I think it just depended on, on, on the day and the time. And you talked about where the world is now. And I think, yeah, just some days were easier than others.

[28:02] Joe Rosko: Yeah, yeah. All right. So now that you've moved on from the tour, are you happy to kind of have some breathing time? Like, what's up? What's the transition like? I know, with the industry, we're in a show one day, we're out of a show the next. Like, for example, Real Women Have Curves, Smash, these are Broadway shows right now that have all recently announced closing. Obviously, your show is, is the Phil tour still going on? Or was your contract done? Like, what was your scenario of leaving the tour?

[28:40] Eddie Ortega: Yeah, the tour closed June 1. So that tour is just up and done. Also saw all three of the shows, great shows, especially recently saw Real Women Have Curves. Love that show. Crazy, right? So good. Speaking of things that are like current in the times and hits a whole different way. Like, that couldn't be any more true. But yeah, to go back to that, I'm kind of I kind of fumbled the bag when I was bringing it up. But like, my clients that are in those shows, some are indifferent, some thrive, some really struggle. What is the transition been like for you? Do you have any like encouraging words for people listening fellow performers of like, how you kind of welcome that with open arms, in any way that you might? Yeah, just kind of riff off that for a little bit.

[29:38] Eddie Ortega: Yeah, the first word that came to my head is divine timing. That's just with me, like, not just like, you know, whatever you believe in, I think spirituality, spirituality, it's not just, you know, whatever it is. But I believe that the universe, whatever, like things happen, how they're supposed to happen. And I just believe that like, if I'm meant to struggle, then I'm going to struggle, but I'm going to end up where I need to be. I've always been that way. Obviously, getting into this business, like, you know, with that I said, with school and audition for the schools, and you know, I got to know, but I'm like, okay, it was supposed to be no now, it's gonna be yes later. That's when I got Hamilton, I had a big savings and was just auditioning.

And then by the time I got the job, I was thinking I had to go back to Orlando, because I didn't have any money left. And then luckily, the job fell right when I needed it. I mean, literally right when I needed it. So all that to say, for me, in that I'm, I don't have anything lined up right now. You know, I'm blessed to have a decent savings again to, to, you know, push through and see what comes. But yeah, I would say just keeping a high vibration, keeping staying positive, knowing that you need to do things to whatever you need to do, it's get a job outside of the industry or whatever, like do it. But we know what we signed up for, because we love this so much. And the next thing is going to it's going to come if you want to keep this in, it's going to come because even on the tour I was working on, I was working with people who had stopped doing theater for five years and pursued something else.

I think one of them pursued interior design for five years and they loved it. And then this job came up and they said, great. And then they did, they did that tour for five, six years after that. And they're, you know, in their late thirties, early forties. And so like it, you will, you will always end up where you're going where you need to be is how I feel about it. And sometimes it's not exactly what you want or exactly the way you want it to happen. That part is maybe most times it doesn't happen exactly the way you want it to happen, but it's because it needs to happen that way. And it's and it is a blessing. You look at it that way and also surround yourself with good people. I think that's a big thing. Like, yeah, I think the people around me make this transition easier because yeah, without them, it'd be harder.

[32:01] Joe Rosko: I love that. Yeah. When I journal a lot of the time I'll write, I'm on my way. Like you're headed there, this, you might be in the Valley, but you need to be in the Valley to head to the peak. Like there is no high without the low. So I love that. All right, cool. So other than that, Eddie, we talked about fitness. We talked about your tour life. We talked about Orlando. The last thing I really just want to know is like, how do you find your grounding or your social life or like who Eddie is outside of, of theater speaking to you already, I could tell like, you're a well-rounded guy. So like, another thing I want to pass the mic to you on is like on helping like our, our listeners is like, where do you find that center outside of the stage?

Cause I always try to preach that like, it's great to be a person in theater as opposed to a theater person. Cause I think psychologically, mentally, our mental health can be so much better when it's not so consuming, if you will. So like who, yeah, who are you, what movies are we watching? What hobbies do we got? What people, where are we going to see our, our friends? Like what's up with you off the stage?

[33:35] Eddie Ortega: Yeah. And I agree. It's incredibly important to have those things to keep yourself centered. I'm a big sports guy. I just am. So it's yeah. I mean, the NBA finals and the playoffs were just happening. So, so honestly, the hardest parts for me were always those like Sunday nights or whatever, where we had the two shows on Saturday and Sunday on tour. So then it's like, so then it's like, Oh, I'm missing the super bowl. I'm missing like, you know, when football was on or the big game is, you know, every night. So sometimes that was hard, but that's a big thing for me. I just love sports. I love playing sports when, when sometimes you would give me conditioning, I'd be like, I'm balling for an hour and a half.

I think that covers it because I just love, especially basketball, which I'm excited to be here and hopefully find some people to run with at some point, but yeah, big, big sports guy movies. I've really been in a horror recently, but yeah, I do love horror, but I love, I just love good movies. Me and my girl are big on like when the Oscars are coming, we're like, okay, let's make sure we can watch as many of these as possible. And, you know, I loved a Nora. I know it won a, the Oscar for best picture. And I was happy because I thought it should have, but yeah, so, so big on, yeah, big on that. We, I love a trashy reality TV, big, big fan of that. Love love Island. And I was just going to say, are you on?

Love Island. Love is blind. Big brother. I'm trying to get more into survivor, but I'm real behind on that. So yeah, I'm, Oh, Oh my God. Traders, which I think is one of, if not the best one out right now. So yeah, I'm big on big on that. And then like, I I'm a, I'm very, very competitive, which did also help with losing all the weight that I did because I, yeah, I just like competing with me. If I can't compete with someone else, I'm going to compete with myself. But I love like, you know, escape rooms and mini golf and bowling and anything where, you know, people are doing a softball league. I'm like, let me join. Like I am big on just competing with people, board games, which, you know, more or less can make people like me or not like me.

Cause I do like to like talk trash and whatever. It's all funny games, it's all funny games, but some people don't like that, but yeah. So that's, that's me. I would say that to me on, on hobbies. I'm also big on astrology.

[36:11] Joe Rosko: All right. That last thing.

[36:16] Eddie Ortega: Oh, okay. What, uh, what month are you born in?

[36:22] Eddie Ortega: This month? My birthday is in less than three weeks.

[36:30] Joe Rosko: Okay. I'm a one month after you. So I'm a Leo.

[36:30] Eddie Ortega: Yeah. Yeah. You're August. Okay. Are you late August or early August?

[36:40] Eddie Ortega: Uh, uh, the 11th early.

[36:40] Joe Rosko: Yeah. All right. Yeah. All right. Well, I'll have to get you out to one of those, uh, board game bars sometime and, uh, and see what you got. Have you, have you been to any in the city? Have you ever been to a board game bar?

[36:50] Eddie Ortega: I don't think I have in this city. No, they're, they're serious. They're watch out. They're serious.

[36:55] Joe Rosko: Okay. Yeah. I'm going to be bad at first and then I'm going to question. That's how I do it.

[36:59] Eddie Ortega: Okay. Okay. Okay. I like to do it. It sounds good. All right, Eddie. Thanks so much for being on the podcast. Appreciate you and everything you shared with us.

[37:08] Eddie Ortega: All right. Thank you, Joe. It's been a pleasure.

[37:08] Joe Rosko: All right. Later. All right. Eddie Ortega there from, uh, the Phil tour just got off a month ago. Heard his story, uh, a lot of inspiring stuff there and his workout journey. Uh, crazy, uh, really proud. So, um, yeah, follow Eddie on the gram. His Instagram is in the description of this episode and that's it folks. I'm Joe Roscoe with Built for the Stage. Actors or athletes train like one. Later.