This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:02] Drew Gasparini: Hey there, it's everyone's favorite Glinda Understudy, Drew Gasparini here with yet another episode of Now We're Talking, the podcast that causes side effects such as bloating and dizziness.

[0:14] Drew Gasparini: Listeners, we have a movie star in our midst today. She's a powerhouse vocalist who got the attention of Uber badass director Steven Spielberg, and she could be seen starring as Maria in his upcoming film adaptation of West Side Story.

[0:27] Drew Gasparini: In this episode, she and I start a rumor about her. We talk about how we'd actually met before, but somehow I forgot. Hashtag drugs. And we even play a game of MASH. She's a dream and a delight, and it felt pretty, witty, and bright to be chatting with her. Ladies and gentlemen, now we're talking with the wonderful Rachel Zegler.

[0:47] Rachel Zegler: Babe, how are you?

[0:49] Drew Gasparini: Going crazy, bro.

[0:51] Rachel Zegler: But I'm okay.

[0:51] Drew Gasparini: Are you?

[0:52] Rachel Zegler: Why are you going crazy?

[0:53] Drew Gasparini: Is it because of this horrifying lockdown?

[0:54] Rachel Zegler: And because the world is a bag of shit.

[0:56] Drew Gasparini: And is it because the movie that you are starring in was supposed to come out and it didn't?

[1:01] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, that has something to do with it, I think.

[1:03] Drew Gasparini: Okay, I think I'm clicking all the boxes here. I think there's a little bit of all of the above, but yeah, it's been a little bit.

[1:09] Drew Gasparini: Cool. We'll check E for all of the above. Rachel, you know, you and I have something in common. I don't know if you did that right away.

[1:14] Rachel Zegler: Oh, yeah, we do.

[1:17] Drew Gasparini: You and I both got paychecks signed by Steven Spielberg.

[1:21] Rachel Zegler: Hell yeah.

[1:22] Drew Gasparini: Hell yes. When I was writing on uh season two of Smash, hold for applause.

[1:30] Rachel Zegler: Absolutely.

[1:31] Drew Gasparini: I have it on DVD.

[1:33] Rachel Zegler: Thank you.

[1:33] Drew Gasparini: Usually there's more applause than that, but that's fine. No, that's fine. That's all you could muster. It's fine.

[1:38] Drew Gasparini: Uh, so here's a story I want to tell about my Steven Spielberg experience.

[1:42] Rachel Zegler: Yes, and then I'm gonna ask just a couple questions about it. We're gonna dive right in.

[1:45] Drew Gasparini: Absolutely. Uh, but this isn't about your career. I want that to be very clear up front. I really want to get to know you. There is something about people's online presence that make me go. I bet if we hung out, we'd have like a blast.

[2:02] Rachel Zegler: Yeah.

[2:02] Drew Gasparini: And I never want to hang out in normal circumstances. And if it if I didn't have a podcast, I'd invite you to one of those like trampoline rooms.

[2:10] Rachel Zegler: Yeah.

[2:11] Drew Gasparini: You know what I mean? And that's how I'd want to hang out with you. I feel like you and I'd have a great time doing that.

[2:15] Drew Gasparini: Um, so here's my weird Steven Spielberg story. Smash, season two gets canceled. It wouldn't have if we had like 11 million more viewers. Where were all those people?

[2:25] Rachel Zegler: I was there.

[2:27] Drew Gasparini: Well, thank you for tuning in. Um, so when it gets canceled, in the mail, we get like this big thanks for working on the show thing from Steven Spielberg's offices.

[2:40] Rachel Zegler: Wonderful.

[2:40] Drew Gasparini: And it's it's a picture, like framed picture, and it's literally four feet fucking tall. Like, where do you put it? I don't know. But it's the whole lead cast, like Catherine McPhee and Megan Hilty and all those people, Deborah Messing, all drawn as a sketch, and behind them, lurking creepily in the background, is Steven Spielberg looking like a puppet master behind what so my question, I guess, is when West Side Story wrapped, did you guys get a creepy picture drawn of Steven Spielberg as well?

[3:16] Rachel Zegler: No.

[3:17] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[3:22] Rachel Zegler: Yeah.

[3:22] Drew Gasparini: You're jealous of the fact that I have this.

[3:24] Rachel Zegler: I I'm gonna take a picture of this and tag you in it on Twitter so you can actually see what I'm talking about. I couldn't even take it to New York with me. It's in my parents' house because I don't know how to travel with this thing or ship it. It's huge, it's so cumbersome and and uh um inconvenient. It was an inconvenient thank you gift, but I feel I feel thanked nonetheless.

[3:44] Drew Gasparini: Uh speaking of Steven Spielberg, yes, let's let's see what else you and I have in common. What is your favorite Steven Spielberg movie?

[3:51] Rachel Zegler: West Side Story is not included, obviously.

[3:54] Drew Gasparini: Okay. Um, okay, so I have a couple because um as a kid, ET was the first movie that made me cry.

[4:01] Rachel Zegler: I want to make it very clear. When you say as a kid, I have to roll my eyes a little bit because you're 19, am I correct?

[4:10] Rachel Zegler: Yes, I am.

[4:10] Drew Gasparini: Oh, darn girl. You were born in the 2000s.

[4:13] Rachel Zegler: 2001, I was.

[4:15] Drew Gasparini: You heard it here first, folks. We can all hate her collectively. Uh okay, so sorry. So ET was the first movie that made you cry.

[4:22] Rachel Zegler: Yes. I mean, I was, and it was partly out of being terrified because when the big hazmat suits come to take ET, that's terrifying. And we're kind of living in that like moment right now. We're all living in like a hazmat reality.

[4:35] Rachel Zegler: Hazmat reality, which is the name of my first album.

[4:39] Drew Gasparini: And oh there we go. There we go. There's sound effects in this wan.

[4:48] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, yeah, we'll have sound effects in post, don't worry. Um, but as you know, as I've when I was 12, I think, maybe 12. My parents took my sister and I to see Lincoln.

[5:01] Rachel Zegler: Um, and I remember being kind of like, do I want to see Lincoln? I'm 12. And I left that theater, and I would not shut up about it. I was like, I love this part and this part and the light in this part. And my parents were like, oh, she really liked that. And I I met Steven for the first time when I was I had just turned 17, and it was my first in person with the director and Tony Kushner and the producers.

[5:27] Drew Gasparini: Yeah.

[5:28] Rachel Zegler: They were all there. And he we were just powwowing at the end. We were shaking hands. He was thanking us for being there. And I said, Oh, Stephen, my favorite movie is Lincoln, because it really is one of my favorite of all times now. So, um, and he was like, How old were you when that came out? And I said, I think that was like 12. He said, You're the youngest Lincoln fan.

[5:48] Drew Gasparini: Yeah.

[5:49] Rachel Zegler: Most 12-year-olds would be like, it was like watching a book in life.

[5:53] Drew Gasparini: For real.

[5:54] Rachel Zegler: But it's have you seen it's fantastic.

[5:57] Drew Gasparini: I have seen it. I'm I'm one of the biggest Daniel Day Lewis fans of all time. I thought he crushed it.

[6:00] Rachel Zegler: Didn't he get the Oscar for that? Or he was nominated.

[6:03] Drew Gasparini: He did get the Oscar.

[6:04] Rachel Zegler: That's wonderful. You know, my favorite uh Spielberg movie is um Hook.

[6:09] Drew Gasparini: Oh.

[6:10] Rachel Zegler: I love so smart. So whoever's idea was to be like Robin Williams, like the hairiest grown man in the universe. Literally, the guy has hair on like parts of his body that chimpanzees don't have hair. And they're like, we're gonna make you the boyish, nymph-ish little beater bat. I think it was anyway. The whole movie just like I was overjoyed with that movie. Brought up all sorts of childhood memories for me.

[6:35] Drew Gasparini: Speaking of childhood, Rachel, let's talk about yours, which you're currently in the.

[6:39] Rachel Zegler: Which I'm currently in.

[6:41] Drew Gasparini: But it seems to me that like when you're and you can correct me if I'm wrong. I'm no child star. It's taken me a long time to become the gigantic showbiz entity you see before you.

[6:52] Rachel Zegler: Of course.

[6:52] Drew Gasparini: I want to know what it was like leading up to the moment, I guess, of meeting Steven Spielberg, because that, if I had to assume, would be the moment your whole life took a gigantic, not even a turn. You probably leapt off of Earth and into another planet.

[7:07] Rachel Zegler: Yes.

[7:08] Rachel Zegler: That I mean, that is the best description I've heard from from someone who doesn't really know the story, like in detail. That is so people think that it was a very easy transition into the life that I began to live a couple two years ago now. Um it wasn't easy at all, and it really was that like just you know, you know, it was crazy.

[7:28] Rachel Zegler: So um, you know, it I started loving musical theater at a very, very young age. I was four years old when I saw my first Broadway show, and I saw Beauty and the Beast. Um and I was obsessed, and I I just loved it so much, and I saw all the Disney shows um because that was what my parents wanted to take me to. And then, you know, time started moving, I started seeing more of the classics. I saw Le Miz and Phantom of the Opera and uh Chicago and all of those things.

[7:59] Drew Gasparini: And on Broadway, you were saying on Broadway.

[8:01] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, I'm very fortunate to live in a close proximity to Manhattan. And so I yeah, I was and also the financial privilege was there too, that I got to see shows whenever I wanted. Um yeah, 100%. And I didn't really consider it something that I could do for a living until I was 12-ish, and I was in my first show. I played Sprintsa in Fiddler on the Roof uh at my local technique.

[8:30] Rachel Zegler: The the the highly regarded character of Sprint Spritza.

[8:34] Drew Gasparini: Yes.

[8:34] Rachel Zegler: Sprinza, okay.

[8:36] Rachel Zegler: Yes, she's the second youngest of Tevia's daughters.

[8:39] Drew Gasparini: What's the other one?

[8:40] Rachel Zegler: Don't tell me, hold on.

[8:41] Drew Gasparini: Bielka.

[8:42] Rachel Zegler: Bielka. I can't even believe I ripped that out of my brain.

[8:46] Drew Gasparini: I can't even fucking believe it.

[8:49] Rachel Zegler: I auditioned for Bielka, did not get it. So we're still holding on to grudges, by the way.

[8:51] Drew Gasparini: We're still holding on to things, yeah.

[8:57] Rachel Zegler: Kathleen, if you're listening, I really thought I would have been a good Bielka.

[9:01] Drew Gasparini: No, I I mean, what a and I it was like a full production. So I was 12 when I was in it. I turned 13 in that company, but we had you know a four-year-old man playing Tevya, and we had older people as as Yenta and all of those characters, and it was such a beautiful experience and a beautiful not your typical high school, you know, not at all show you're doing with other students. This was like a legit thing.

[9:24] Rachel Zegler: It sounds awesome.

[9:24] Drew Gasparini: Right. And that was when people started to pay attention to my voice because I was with this group of people of very talented individuals, and they were telling me that I was good. And I was like, I am, and then I started to take it a bit more seriously, went into voice lessons, started doing more shows, and once other people tell you you're good, that's when it clicks for you. It's like, oh, maybe it's not just a fantasy in my brain. Maybe this fantasy lives outward and like absolutely and it's such a real thing.

[9:51] Rachel Zegler: Like it sounds comedic, but it's so true that like that outside validation actually does do wonders for your self-esteem. Unfortunately, that is something that we come to rely on in this industry. But it was it was real, and then I started significant, yeah.

[10:07] Drew Gasparini: Absolutely.

[10:08] Rachel Zegler: Yes, and I I saw it as my my path in, and I started performing in high school. I made a YouTube channel, and my my covers started taking off on YouTube, and um the day I met you was the day I don't know if you remember meeting me when I was a child.

[10:25] Drew Gasparini: Rachel, Rachel, I don't, and I'm so happy we're about to talk about this.

[10:29] Rachel Zegler: Oh yes. Well let's first of all, let's just blame all the drugs I did in my 20s for not remembering this this obviously life-changing for you.

[10:39] Drew Gasparini: Oh yeah, meeting.

[10:40] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, it was life-changing. So when was this paint the picture?

[10:44] Drew Gasparini: I love you on this podcast in a reminder. I'm telling you when we met.

[10:46] Rachel Zegler: Well, I think the year was 2015. Almost certain. I was a freshman in high school, so I was 14 years old. And um I was uh that day it was the Broadway flea market in Schubert Alley.

[11:03] Drew Gasparini: Okay, and I think I remember being there supporting my good friend Alex Brightman.

[11:07] Rachel Zegler: And I was signing a couple of of I Could Use a Drink albums or whatever I was doing there.

[11:12] Drew Gasparini: Sure, sure.

[11:14] Rachel Zegler: So I had just sung a little fall of rain with Chris McCarroll from Le Miz and Percy Jackson, and you know, and I loved him and we had such a good time. And that video ended up going like viral in the Broadway community because it was just really fun and sweet and it it went super well.

[11:31] Rachel Zegler: And I was walking around kind of like floating on a cloud because it had gone so well, and yeah, I bought a 35 millimeter album, Ryan Scott Oliver. God bless what a great album one of my favorites, and um I'm pretty sure, yeah. So I I bought it and I bumped into Alex Brightman while I was buying it, and I was like, holy crap! And we just talked for a second. My mom took our picture, took me and Alex's picture, and then she you turned the camera around on my mom's phone and took a selfie with her, and I don't have the picture, but it exists somewhere.

[12:13] Drew Gasparini: If that picture exists and you find it, please blast it and tag because I gotta see that.

[12:19] Rachel Zegler: I'm gonna find it because and I was like, oh my god. And when I was looking through, I didn't know it was you when I met you because you're wearing sunglasses because you're super famous.

[12:28] Drew Gasparini: And I like to keep a low profile, of course.

[12:31] Rachel Zegler: And then I was scrolling through my mom's phone, and I was like, That's Drew Gasparini, and she was like, I don't know who that is. And I'm like, okay, but I do, and I can't believe I didn't get a picture of Drew Gasparini. Um, I'm gonna find it someday, but that'spirini, but uh a picture of Drew Gasparini.

[12:49] Drew Gasparini: Here, let's see the picture right now. Let me take it.

[12:50] Rachel Zegler: Yes.

[12:52] Drew Gasparini: I'm gonna take a video because I do my one second a day.

[12:56] Rachel Zegler: Oh, that's good.

[12:57] Drew Gasparini: Ready? There we have it.

[13:00] Rachel Zegler: Yay!

[13:01] Drew Gasparini: Yay!

[13:02] Drew Gasparini: All right. Uh wow, I love that story so much. And uh wow, this is this makes this podcast even more special to me. I can't even believe it. It's like almost seven years later.

[13:13] Rachel Zegler: Before we I know, God, time is flying by. And you're you look, you're a grown almost woman now.

[13:19] Rachel Zegler: I know.

[13:20] Drew Gasparini: I know. What I find what I find fascinating about you and the career that you have, and the career you're gonna continue to have is that there was dreams of Broadway.

[13:31] Rachel Zegler: Yes, but Broadway hasn't happened yet.

[13:34] Drew Gasparini: No, you skipped a few steps, I did, and decided, I guess, to to just get cast in the one of the world's most famous directors' interpretations of one of the most famous musicals, playing one of the most famous parts ever written for it.

[13:49] Rachel Zegler: I mean, what would you have done?

[13:51] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, of course. I I would have skipped those steps too. Are you crazy?

[13:54] Rachel Zegler: Oh my god, Jesus Christ. You know, when I got Smash, I thought I was skipping steps. I was like, I haven't had a Broadway show yet, but you know what? TV's gonna change my life.

[14:01] Drew Gasparini: I think it did the opposite.

[14:04] Rachel Zegler: I think I didn't think it made me shake the etch a sketch and start all the way back over the street.

[14:09] Drew Gasparini: Absolutely.

[14:09] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, exactly. I fell backwards a little bit. Uh so now that you are on this trajectory of, and I love that people are already familiar with you because of your YouTube channel, because of your presence online, which is joyous.

[14:21] Rachel Zegler: Oh, I was talking to Catherine Gallagher about this, um, who I love. I think she's just one of my favorite humans. And we've worked together a couple times, and she's just great. We were talking about how this makes me sound like I'm 75 years old, but this younger generation of actors and the support that I see coming, because online, you obviously know this, can be the most toxic place in the entire world.

[14:46] Drew Gasparini: The worldwide web is a frightening place to go down, and it can really ding up your self-esteem. The way you guys all seem to have each other's back because you have an understanding of what the business entails and what it feels like to be a little more recognized, and what it feels like to be called fat or stupid or untalented online. You guys seem to have each other's back. Uh, and I love watching that, but that wasn't my question. My whole point here was to say, I love that people know who you are, they're gonna know who you are even further. You haven't even blown up all the way yet. Is that mind-blowing? Like it's it hasn't even happened yet. When the movie comes out, just hold the fuck on to your seat and frame that fucking selfie I took on your mom's phone.

Let me live on a wall somewhere in your famous household. Um is there a going forward? Is is and this is kind of an iteration of a thousand questions that were sent to me on Twitter. A lot of people had the same-ish question of what do you think is gonna happen next for West Side's after West Side's story? But my question really, I'm gonna you uh evolve that question and make it more of a do you want to do Broadway still, or is this like a thing now you feel like you've you've jumped past it and now you want to go down this movie star road?

[15:58] Rachel Zegler: For me, six. Not that you can't do both, by the way. Of course, of course, people do both all the time and they do it uh brilliantly, and um, and I've you know been fortunate enough to work with a lot of people who did come from the Broadway stage, Ariana DeBose and and David Alvarez, who won the Tony at like 13 for Billy Elliott. Like, you know, I always equate success to my Broadway debut. Like, I will know that I made it when I'm on Broadway because that was my first love, but it has to be the right thing now. Yeah, you know, where like when I was I tried Broadway multiple times. I tried for it, and I never I never got past, I never got a callback for anything. So that's so insane. How dumb do these casting directors think?

Like, honest to God. Tel Cara Rubin, are you listening? What the hell? Give this girl her Broadway break. Are you crazy? It's really funny because I look back and I say, you know, as cliche as it sounds, and so many people will say it to you, and you'll roll your eyes every time. It wasn't right. It wasn't the right time, it wasn't the right project, it wasn't the right role. But I auditioned for School of Rock when I was a kid. Um didn't get that. Obviously, I my they told me my voice was too mature because it is. I could not have passed for a fourth grader, just wouldn't have happened. Um I I auditioned for the West Side Story Revival, did not get that. Um Hamilton a couple of times, never got through there.

No, Hamilton, Hamilton's gonna be an offer only situation for you. I swear, I've already called Lynn, we've talked, it's gonna happen. You're just gonna get whatever part you want. You can do the king. You can be Hamilton, you can be Aaron Burr if you want. I really, and I and I could. So I'm like, you know, it would have to be the right thing. I want to originate something really badly. So, you know, if the timing's right and it works out, it would absolutely be a dream come true because that was always the plan. Um, but I fell in love with film. I wasn't expecting it, and I did. And and I love the something surprising about the process. Like, I know all I know of it just from watching it and being on set a couple times for things I've worked on, is there is a shitload of waiting around.

[18:09] Drew Gasparini: Very true. Uh, so how did you manage to have patience and keep yourself entertained and like you know, I guess I guess you're reminding yourself, be grateful, be here, you know, all that kind of stuff. But like, were you bored?

[18:22] Rachel Zegler: You know, I was never bored. There were times where, like, you know, there was a 4 a.m. call for dance at the gym, and you know, anybody who's seen West Side Story knows that Maria doesn't do much dancing in Dance at the Gym. She's yeah, you know, that's the whole point is that she's on the sidelines with Chino the whole time. And uh, you know, so Chino and I would be stuck in our trailers for a couple um hours before we were actually called to work. But you know, I took a nap and I got some sleep, and I would like lay legitimately like a corpse, like because I had my makeup and hair done and I wasn't wanna I didn't want to like do I didn't want to ruin it. I didn't want anyone to have to touch me up or anything. And I remember particularly one of those days, Bradley Cooper came to visit our set, as right, because of course that's typical. That's most sets. Uh he just pops by, yeah.

[19:12] Drew Gasparini: He pops by and um rehearsals too, just for Broadway. He'll just come by.

[19:15] Rachel Zegler: He just comes in and he's like, hey guys, it's me. And I didn't believe that he was there because my my my best friend Josh Rivera, who plays Chino, is a bit of a jokester, if you will. And he came up to me and he was like, Rachel, Bradley Cooper is here. And he said that I'm the best actor he's ever seen. And I was like, Okay, you're full of shit. I'm walking around, literally in my skivys, like getting food from Crafty, and who's walking towards me but the beautiful Bradley Cooper. And I was magnificent.

[19:44] Drew Gasparini: Was he as glorious as we all want him to be?

[19:48] Rachel Zegler: He was very kind. He's very, very kind and very um gracious with his time. And he talked to us, and we were talking because he was he produced The Joker, so we were talking about the Joker and talking about all of that stuff.

[20:00] Drew Gasparini: Yeah.

[20:00] Rachel Zegler: Oh my god. But I was never uh bored or annoyed. There was always something to do, someone to talk to, and and and I was there as much as I could be because who wants to miss out on that experience? So yeah, what I mean, what an amazing experience. I I hope, I hope going forward. This is my hope for you, that going forward, once you're cast in the next several dozen things that you'll be doing on film, that that allure stays the same. The idea of like I'll always find something to do during my downtime. I'll either sleep like a corpse or I will I'll meander around in my underwear and get seen by Bradley Cooper. Either way, it seems it seems like an eventful afternoon. Uh, should you not be shooting at the time? It's just an experience to hang on to, and plus to watch masters like Steven Spielberg do their thing, that must be a thrill all in itself.

[20:49] Rachel Zegler: I got to watch Steven Spielberg direct Rita Moreno, like because I I wanted to be there and I wanted to be present. And and I went to everything I could orchestra recordings, the album recordings, even if I wasn't recording that day. I would watch Steve Sondheim talk to Spielberg, and they're having a conversation.

[21:10] Drew Gasparini: Ladies and gentlemen, did you hear her just then? She just said Steve Sondheim. The casualness of that sentence is mind-boggling. Just Stevie, you know, pops in. Holy shit. I love it. I love I love hearing those talks of Steven uh not Steven Spielberg, of sorry, Steve Sondheim. When he what he's talking about when because he was like 23 or something like that when he wrote the lyrics to be a good one.

[21:34] Rachel Zegler: He was a kid, yes.

[21:35] Drew Gasparini: And he is so annoyed at his past self because of this uh place for the side.

[21:42] Rachel Zegler: Is he annoyed at that?

[21:43] Drew Gasparini: He's annoyed because he puts he put a lyric on a very important note, but it's a very unimportant lyric. There's uh and he talks about how uh is such a yucky uh place for us, and it lands in a nice area, but you're hearing uh for like 40 seconds, it feels like before you get down to place for us, and the song continues. It's so funny to listen to him reflect on that work when in any other time or any other lifetime, I would have been like, this is perfect, this is genius. We're 23, sit down.

[22:15] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, well, I got an earful about how much he dislikes I feel pretty, which everybody knows about how much he hates I feel pretty. And um, for those who don't know, uh I feel pretty's my song. I got an earful about how much he he did not like it. And you know, what did he say to you about what he doesn't like about the song? What were some of the specifics you remember?

[22:36] Drew Gasparini: Pretty much what he says to everybody who asks about it, where he's like, what kind of 18-year-old immigrant girl is saying she feels pretty and witty and bright?

[22:44] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, he doesn't speak that much English. And I'm like, you know what? That's fair, Mr. Sondheim. Um Steve. And I will say, you know, uh, looking forward to this film, that we we did something with it that I think fixes it, you know, fixes his criticism of it.

[23:01] Drew Gasparini: We cannot say what that is, obviously.

[23:04] Rachel Zegler: No, we can't. But I am so gonna have to see. I hope everybody pays good cash money to see this fucking movie when it comes out. I really do. I'm looking forward to it. And is the plan still to go back to theaters, you know, once the world opens back up?

[23:18] Rachel Zegler: As far as I know, uh, you know, everybody who's been paying attention to it, December 10th is our release date. Um according to the very trusted individuals, Dr. Fauci and everybody who knows what they're talking about.

[23:31] Drew Gasparini: Yep, I pray to the God of Dr. Fauci.

[23:33] Rachel Zegler: I do too. We worship at the altar of Fauci, and I I think we'll have theaters by then. I'm I'm manifesting that truly. I want it to be true so badly.

[23:41] Drew Gasparini: No, it's gonna happen. It'll happen.

[23:44] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, it's going to happen, and we're going to be able to see it on a big screen and big speakers hearing Gustavo Dudamel play that incredible score.

[23:52] Drew Gasparini: So my God. Was he? He's uh LA Philharmonic. Is that who that is?

[23:56] Rachel Zegler: Yes, yes. Holy shit, what a lot of God, you've just you've like in the in a in the quickest span of time, you've hung out with these people like idolize. It is amazing to me. Can we trade lives for like? If we were to trade lives for a day, I would have you go back in time to the day of working on West Side Story when we had four, I won't say who, but four incredibly different people who were very, very famous in the same room. And I sat there like bobbing my head, ping ponging back and forth, listening to genius, talk to genius, talk to genius, talk to genius.

[24:32] Drew Gasparini: Well, if I was here, off air, I'll tell you who it was. But I can't. I'm not gonna.

[24:36] Rachel Zegler: Okay, yes, okay. I can't wait. We're gonna keep we're gonna keep the video going after we turn off the episode, and you'll tell me. Uh if we did switch positions and I was there that day, obviously I don't know who these four individuals are who you're talking about. Right. But I can promise whatever you were wearing that day will have been ruined by me shitting in the pants of myself.

[24:57] Drew Gasparini: It was a Shrek the musical hoodie that Janine Tesori gave me.

[25:02] Rachel Zegler: Wow, I would have ruined your Shrek the music hoodie.

[25:05] Drew Gasparini: I don't know. That's prized. You gotta hang on to that, that and make it clean and keep it good forever.

[25:10] Rachel Zegler: Yeah. Uh let's do embarrassing storytelling.

[25:13] Drew Gasparini: Oh boy.

[25:14] Rachel Zegler: I'm trying to think. Dang. Okay. We're let we're gonna do a an embarrassing story exchange while you think, I'll give you mine.

[25:22] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[25:23] Rachel Zegler: I'm nervous.

[25:24] Drew Gasparini: Don't be nervous.

[25:26] Rachel Zegler: Don't be nervous. It doesn't have to be like you you haven't, you've barely lived through the the your 20s. You haven't even lived through your 20s, which is one of the most embarrassing things happened to adults anyway. So I would say don't worry, I'm not expecting a lot. But my embarrassing story is actually uh from high school.

[25:42] Rachel Zegler: Okay. And this happened to me. I played um, I sang in jazz choir in high school.

[25:47] Drew Gasparini: Nice.

[25:47] Rachel Zegler: And when I wasn't singing in jazz choir, it was advanced jazz choir, whatever that means. I played bass, upright bass for some songs that I wouldn't sing it, and we would go to these competitions.

[25:58] Drew Gasparini: Oh, yeah.

[25:58] Rachel Zegler: The reason I liked doing that is because if you unplugged the bass, you just couldn't hear it. And I could literally look like I was playing amazing shit, but I don't read music. Nobody knows this about me. I don't read music. I don't read music. Don't tell my composer friends.

[26:16] Drew Gasparini: I won't. I won't. They won't hear this, will they?

[26:19] Rachel Zegler: I I don't know. I don't know who's listening to this. This is how you're gonna test your friendships. Is like, oh yeah, we'll see how many people unfollow me after I made this stage. Who's gonna be surprised? I don't, so I don't read music. And then after we do the performance for this competition, we get criticized by like a jazz famous person who comes in and is like giving critiques to each of the performers. And I was like, he's just gonna be talking to the singers. I'll be back here. My confidence was insane. So I was playing, and then he goes, Okay, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. Can I just hear the bass player real quick all by himself? Can he just play the piece all by himself? And I made up something that sounded like it literally it went from a jazz song to me isolated, and it was like boo, doo dee dee, doo doo doo, and it was outed in front of hundreds of jazz freaks that I don't know how to play bass.

[27:16] Rachel Zegler: That's actually the first song. That's the first song on my album, Hasmat Reality.

[27:20] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, has Mat Reality.

[27:22] Rachel Zegler: The name of the song is B Doop B.

[27:24] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, and it's just me on bass. It's actually an instrumental. You invited me on to be a feature. I thank you again for that opportunity.

[27:30] Rachel Zegler: You're very welcome. Did you get paid yet?

[27:32] Drew Gasparini: No. I haven't gotten paid. I'm I'm just expecting a gigantic royalty.

[27:36] Rachel Zegler: Uh, because that will obviously be the most streamed single.

[27:40] Drew Gasparini: I'm sending you a gigantic portrait of Steven Spielberg.

[27:45] Rachel Zegler: That's so perfect. Uh so that is my that is my high school embarrassing story. Rachel, what do you got?

[27:52] Rachel Zegler: I'm I'm I'm actually like at a loss at the moment because I know that they happened.

[27:57] Drew Gasparini: She's 19 years old. She's starring in a movie directed by Steven Spielberg, and she can't think of one embarrassing thing about her life thus far. Everybody listening, again, I'm gonna give out her address, and we can get porches and pitchforks, and we're gonna go to your house and make sure you understand the hatred.

[28:15] Rachel Zegler: I understand. But I'm trying to think of like something that because oh my god, I mean, I hit my head pretty hard when we were when we were shooting West Side Story. And that to me, and like I wanted to cry right after it happened because that's how the embarrassment. And because of the embarrassment, because I did it in front of everybody, and actually my hair clip that I wore broke when I hit my head. And it was like a special like this is Maria's hair clip. This was Maria's hair clip. Like the picture that you know, the pictures that have gone out of me in the film, really the only ones that are out there are from Dance at the Gym. So everyone's kind of seen the half up, half down hairstyle.

Um, and it was that hair clip, and I hit it on a windowsill when we were like about to I guess we're about to film the balcony scene, and those were the last two days of filming. I had gone about what, six months surrounded by these people, and the last two days I decided to be an embarrassment. Um yeah, that was pretty embarrassing, and I I hit my head so hard and the clip broke and fell to the ground. Um the noises, the clunky noises following the bash of the head, it keeps drawing attention to the fact that you were clumsy for a minute. That is a pretty embarrassing. I mean, yeah, I mean it's not like you were around Steven Spielberg or anything.

[29:32] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, I was, I I will say though, I I met Barack Obama wearing Harry Potter socks, and I wasn't wearing shoes, and I think about that all the time.

[29:44] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, no, I I think that is when I met Barack Obama, I was wearing my Borat thong, and that was also a very embarrassing moment for me.

[29:53] Rachel Zegler: Wow, I I can't believe it. The two things you just said back to back.

[29:57] Drew Gasparini: When I was starring in this movie, the thing popped out of my head, how embarrassing. When I met the president, uh, I was wearing Harry Potter garb.

[30:05] Rachel Zegler: How embarrassing. I was wearing Hufflepuff socks, and I was wearing my Shrek the musical hoodie, and he looked like I said, I'm not wearing Shrek.

[30:14] Drew Gasparini: It was the same. That's one of the people.

[30:18] Rachel Zegler: There you go. It's one of the people.

[30:21] Drew Gasparini: Okay, okay, okay. Oh my god. That was one of the people in the room. We can't say who the other three were, but we got one of the things.

[30:24] Rachel Zegler: That was one of them. And it was um and it was a terrifying uh experience. And I didn't know that we were meeting the president until about like four hours before it happened.

[30:38] Drew Gasparini: So I didn't, you know, we came straight from rehearsal for Dance at the Gym.

[30:41] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, yeah. And I was like, you guys, I'm sweating. I have no product in my hair, nothing on my face, and I'm wearing a Shrek the musical hoodie and Hufflepuff socks.

[30:54] Drew Gasparini: Wow. Throw me a freaking bone here, man.

[30:57] Rachel Zegler: Hi guys, sorry to interrupt while Rachel recovers from that embarrassing story. I just want to remind you to keep up with our guests and support the things they have going on by following them on their socials. You can find Rachel on Twitter and Instagram, and make sure to subscribe to her popular YouTube channel.

[31:12] Drew Gasparini: Say, while you're doing things on your phone, make sure to subscribe to this podcast. What a whore I am. Back to the show.

[31:20] Rachel Zegler: Could we start a rumor about you today?

[31:25] Drew Gasparini: Oh boy, what would it be? And if not you, if not you, obviously it'd be more exciting if it was you. We could start a rumor about me today.

[31:31] Rachel Zegler: I have no shit. I mean what? I'm I'm fair gang. What are we talking about by rumor?

[31:35] Drew Gasparini: Because there are rumors about me. What are what are some rumors that exist about you?

[31:40] Rachel Zegler: Um that my viral video of me singing shallow from a star is born got me the part in West Side's story because obviously Maria is a pop belt role.

[31:52] Drew Gasparini: Yes, obviously it was that big belty moment. When we all know the reason you got the part was because of this.

[31:58] Rachel Zegler: I'm starting the rumor right now.

[31:59] Drew Gasparini: Right. It's because you were scream singing the prodigy song Smack My Bitch Up.

[32:04] Rachel Zegler: I remember it was a. Oh my god. I actually it was Smack That by Akon.

[32:08] Drew Gasparini: And so, yeah, okay, sorry. Yeah, absolutely. Smack that by Akon. That's what landed you in the offices of Steven Spielberg, and he was like, I heard the video. Say no more.

[32:18] Rachel Zegler: Exactly. That's what got as you. I didn't audition for a whole year. Not at all. It was actually just the one video, and I immediately got the call and I got cast.

[32:26] Drew Gasparini: Great. Wow. I hope if nothing else, everybody takes away from this podcast that you got the part of Maria in the Steven Spielberg adaptation of West Side Story by singing an Akon song.

[32:37] Rachel Zegler: Yeah. And not auditioning outside of that one performance of the Akon song. There was no other auditions. I think this is a really healthy rumor to speak.

[32:44] Drew Gasparini: Well, I had actually never sung anything else before. The only song that's in my book is SmackDown by Akon.

[32:49] Rachel Zegler: So yeah, that's another rumor that I'd heard. And I'm glad that you're verifying it here today.

[32:54] Drew Gasparini: Of course. A rumor about me.

[32:57] Rachel Zegler: Right. Is that I uh am a really good kisser.

[33:03] Drew Gasparini: Oh no. That's a rumor. That's it's it's and everybody knows this because they see me practicing on my knee when I'm sitting on the subway.

[33:11] Rachel Zegler: It's all of New York talks about it.

[33:13] Drew Gasparini: Right. Everybody, everybody. That's embarrassing for me, but it's more like I can show my talent by making out with myself.

[33:19] Rachel Zegler: Well, and everybody knows now that you're a really good kisser. And that is how I got the part of Maria in the upcoming West Side Story movie.

[33:31] Drew Gasparini: Uh all right. Another little game I want to play with you. We're gonna play Who Would Win in a Fight Broadway edition.

[33:36] Rachel Zegler: Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice. And we I'm assuming we have to justify our answers.

[33:41] Drew Gasparini: I would love to hear a justification of your answers. I'm gonna toss out three Broadway actors, okay? And this is like this is a to the death kind of thing.

[33:51] Rachel Zegler: So assess Exactly, Hunger Games, assess who is gonna be playing dirty, assess who is gonna be coming in with throwing big, and you know. Here are the three names that I'm gonna toss out.

[34:01] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[34:02] Rachel Zegler: Steven Pasquale.

[34:04] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[34:05] Rachel Zegler: Jonathan Groff.

[34:06] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[34:10] Rachel Zegler: Aaron Tavate.

[34:11] Drew Gasparini: Oh shit. Okay.

[34:15] Rachel Zegler: Hmm. Okay. Okay. Off the bat, like first impression. Right out of the game. Stephen Pasquale could take them all.

[34:22] Drew Gasparini: I I am so happy you said that because the minute I was like, if I'm starting with Steven Pasquale and Jonathan Groff's number two, Jonathan doesn't stand a chance against the ship.

[34:29] Rachel Zegler: No, he doesn't. He's too sweet. He's too sweet. He's too kind. He probably wouldn't even show up to the fight.

[34:34] Drew Gasparini: Exactly. He would be like. So he wouldn't even be there. It would literally be just a punching match between Stephen Pasquale and Aaron Tavate.

[34:41] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, and I think Stephen Pasquale, I mean, like, all love to Aaron. I've had a crush on him since I was like seven years old.

[34:46] Drew Gasparini: Oh, who hasn't? And I, you know, I I just love him, but Stephen Pascual.

[34:52] Rachel Zegler: Stephen Pascual could probably just open his mouth and like but I will say, Aaron Devate's got epic survival because six months of catch me if you can, homey never took a show off.

[35:01] Drew Gasparini: Hey, that's that's an argument. I suppose that makes him good in a fight.

[35:06] Rachel Zegler: I think that, and also he's gonna win a Tony this year.

[35:10] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, God, I hope. Yeah, Stephen Pasquale. Okay, I'm gonna toss out three more people, and then you tell me who who's gonna win at this battle royale.

[35:19] Rachel Zegler: All right.

[35:20] Drew Gasparini: Karen Olivo.

[35:23] Rachel Zegler: Leah Michelle.

[35:26] Drew Gasparini: BB Newworth.

[35:27] Rachel Zegler: Oh shit. Okay.

[35:29] Drew Gasparini: So immediately Leah Michelle's out. There's just no way.

[35:31] Rachel Zegler: Okay. I think she'd play dirty.

[35:34] Drew Gasparini: I think she'd get real.

[35:35] Rachel Zegler: Well, she absolutely would. She would. But I think like when it comes down to physical strength, I know that I watched Karen in Moulin Rouge, and I was like, she could kick me into next week.

[35:46] Drew Gasparini: I know she could.

[35:47] Rachel Zegler: No, yeah, you're right. But BB Newarts been at it, and I know that she she would like really pack a punch.

[35:53] Drew Gasparini: She's got some tricks up her sleeve. I really think so. I think I think Karen Olivo might be in such awe that she is fighting B. Newworth that she might just forfeit and give the fight to BB Newworth.

[36:02] Rachel Zegler: Yeah. I have a I have a Leah Michelle story, and I don't care who hears it. I went and saw, I went and saw uh Spring Awakening, my buddy Matt Doyle. I grew up with Matt Doyle.

[36:10] Drew Gasparini: And we love Matt.

[36:13] Rachel Zegler: And I want to go see him in Spring Awakening. I was so proud of him. I went backstage and Leah Michelle's backstage, and she's not talking to anybody. There are no people around her. And me and my brother, we went up to her and we were like, You are so great. And she goes, I know that. And then walked away.

[36:31] Drew Gasparini: I am not exaggerating at all. I've never, I've never been treated like that to this day after that. I've never been treated like that. It's crazy.

[36:41] Rachel Zegler: When people say that to me, if they say that to me, my first instinct is no. Like, can you imagine being like, I know.

[36:52] Drew Gasparini: I know. People people go up to you and they go, Aren't you the girl that sang smack that by Akon? Say, I know. I know. I am that girl.

[37:00] Rachel Zegler: I couldn't believe the gall. Um, okay, last little game I want to play. Twitter questions, okay? Oh, have you ever played the game Mash?

[37:09] Drew Gasparini: Yes.

[37:10] Rachel Zegler: Yeah. Yes, where you make the spirally things and the whole thing. So I would like to play with you.

[37:14] Drew Gasparini: Oh my god. I played, I played with my family the other day, and it was so hysterical. I thought it'd be fun to bring to the pod.

[37:20] Rachel Zegler: So uh here are the categories we are going to do.

[37:23] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[37:23] Rachel Zegler: And don't feel like you have to, I got it all here. You don't have to do it.

[37:27] Drew Gasparini: Okay, okay. I got it. I was prepared. Uh so MASH, as we all know, stands for mansion, apartments, uh, shack, and house. Those are your options.

[37:35] Rachel Zegler: Yes.

[37:36] Drew Gasparini: The categories below are gonna be dream spouse.

[37:39] Rachel Zegler: Oh boy, dream dream job, oh boy, dream pet, and dream vacation spot.

[37:39] Drew Gasparini: Oh boy.

[37:47] Rachel Zegler: Okay, so go ahead and give me and every all the viewers here, viewers. I'm so old, the listeners.

[37:53] Drew Gasparini: Well, yeah, no one's watching this. Although you did you get your eyebrows done right before this.

[37:57] Rachel Zegler: Thanks for showing me the whole eyebrow out. Yes, you know what? I can't do anything to my eyebrows. I need them to grow out all the way so that I can use it as a long comb over because I've I'm losing my hair. So I thought it'd be a nice way to just grow it out, disgusting and bushy, and then start combing it, slicking it back to make it look like I have a very low and handsome hairline.

[38:15] Drew Gasparini: What do you think of that idea?

[38:17] Rachel Zegler: Like Jim Carries the Grinch.

[38:19] Drew Gasparini: Very much so. Like Jim carries the Grinch. Talk about an Oscar snub, am I right?

[38:23] Rachel Zegler: I agree. All right, dream spouse, celebrities only. Give me three, and I'll pick one for you.

[38:30] Drew Gasparini: Okay, um, okay, I think because it's a given, and this is so stupid. Um, I'm gonna say Oscar Isaac, but everyone thinks that like I thirst for Oscar Isaac, but in reality, I just really he's the star of my favorite movie ever inside the Wind Davis. Um, and I admire him so much, and he's been such a fantastic mentor in my life.

[38:47] Rachel Zegler: So all I heard was you're thirsty for Oscar Oscar Isaac.

[38:51] Drew Gasparini: That's that's what the internet hears too, so it's okay.

[38:53] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, yeah. Another rumor we're gonna start today. So uh even though that is pretty available online elsewhere. Everybody knows that.

[39:01] Drew Gasparini: All right, number two, choice number two, dream spouse. We're playing Mash with Rachel Zegler. Here we go.

[39:06] Rachel Zegler: I'm gonna say I have to say Aaron Tavate. I gotta give it to Aaron.

[39:09] Drew Gasparini: Aaron Tavate, we love Aaron Tavate.

[39:13] Rachel Zegler: I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm so laugh. All right, Aaron Tavate, uh, last one. I'm trying to think. I'll be honest, I haven't been obsessed with the with a male celebration. Can I can I do a female celebrity?

[39:24] Drew Gasparini: Absolutely, you could do a female celebrity.

[39:26] Rachel Zegler: Oh my gosh. Um let's let's say Lady Gaga.

[39:30] Drew Gasparini: Lady Gaga, holy hell, yes. With her. Lady Gaga. And if like you're seeking some male energy, she can give male energy.

[39:38] Rachel Zegler: I would even say her energy transcends gender and she's just energetic.

[39:42] Drew Gasparini: Like that's just I agree. You know.

[39:43] Rachel Zegler: I agree. I couldn't agree more. I love Lady Gaga. Uh, I'm gonna give you Al Roker.

[39:49] Drew Gasparini: Okay, that's fair.

[39:51] Rachel Zegler: The world's most famous chubby weatherman. We love Al Roker. Uh all right, give me your dream jobs, three of them.

[39:58] Drew Gasparini: Okay, I'm gonna have to say Marine Biologist.

[40:01] Rachel Zegler: I love that. Okay. Is that something you've always wanted to do?

[40:04] Drew Gasparini: No, but recently I've been, you know, sitting in quarantine. I watched the show The Zoo on Animal Planet, and I think about how badly I wish I were best friends with a sea turtle.

[40:14] Rachel Zegler: So Okay. I mean, just to become friends with Crush from Finding Nemo, that's worth it 100%.

[40:19] Drew Gasparini: Absolutely. Uh all right. Next dream job. We're playing MASH with Rachel Zegler. If you're just tuning in.

[40:25] Rachel Zegler: Yeah. I'm gonna say an actor.

[40:28] Drew Gasparini: I love being an actor. I love that that's number two for you.

[40:31] Rachel Zegler: Okay. Number three. Uh, and my first job I ever wanted was to be a fashion designer.

[40:37] Drew Gasparini: Oh, I bet you'd kill it. You have, I mean, I follow you on the Insta, and many people do, but you got the looks.

[40:45] Rachel Zegler: Oh, you know how to pull out, you have great fashion sense.

[40:48] Drew Gasparini: I don't. Do you see my Goofy movie?

[40:50] Rachel Zegler: I love your goofy movie sweater.

[40:52] Drew Gasparini: Goofy movie.

[40:55] Rachel Zegler: I agree. Oh my god, do I love the songs from that? Okay, so the job I'm gonna give you is Leah Michelle's assistant.

[41:01] Drew Gasparini: Oh, good God. I think that would be very fun.

[41:04] Rachel Zegler: Okay. Goodie. Uh Dream Pet.

[41:08] Drew Gasparini: I've always wanted a dog.

[41:10] Rachel Zegler: So that has to be.

[41:11] Drew Gasparini: You've never had a dog?

[41:12] Rachel Zegler: My parents would not let me have pets. I had a few.

[41:14] Drew Gasparini: You leak of dog energy.

[41:16] Rachel Zegler: I know. I know. A la Leo Michelle.

[41:21] Drew Gasparini: I know. Okay. A dog.

[41:25] Rachel Zegler: A dog.

[41:26] Drew Gasparini: What number two?

[41:27] Rachel Zegler: Pet number two. A clownfish.

[41:30] Drew Gasparini: A clown fish.

[41:31] Rachel Zegler: I want a clown fish. There's a finding Nemo theme here, but I want a clownfish.

[41:35] Drew Gasparini: It's definitely a finding Nemo theme here. And they're cute. I mean, they're cute fish. I get it. Have you ever seen like the small ones? They're so sweet.

[41:41] Rachel Zegler: Yes, I have. At Petco, actually, I see the little clown fish.

[41:47] Drew Gasparini: All right, pet number three.

[41:51] Rachel Zegler: I really want a giraffe.

[41:53] Drew Gasparini: Oh, I love that.

[41:56] Rachel Zegler: Giraffe.

[41:57] Drew Gasparini: Yes. And for pet number four, I'm gonna say Drew Gasparini.

[42:01] Rachel Zegler: And it would be so welcome here. So all I need is like a little bed on the side of the bed, and just feed me. That's it.

[42:08] Drew Gasparini: Got it. Uh okay. Dream vacation spot. Hit me with your three.

[42:13] Rachel Zegler: I love Barcelona.

[42:15] Drew Gasparini: I've been once and I want to be back very badly.

[42:18] Rachel Zegler: Alright, Barcelona. I love Barcelona. It's beautiful.

[42:21] Drew Gasparini: So beautiful. I want to visit the Maldives.

[42:25] Rachel Zegler: Okay, Maldives. Um, because I've just seen pictures and I think it's really pretty.

[42:30] Drew Gasparini: Yeah. Um, and then I really do want to go back to Paris.

[42:38] Rachel Zegler: I've been to I've been very fortunate to have been to Paris once, and I could see you really uh excelling in an environment like Paris.

[42:46] Drew Gasparini: Yes. I am going to say new work.

[42:51] Rachel Zegler: Oh my goodness, where we filmed the infamous I feel pretty in uh in West Side.

[42:56] Drew Gasparini: Oh good. I meant the airport in specific.

[42:59] Rachel Zegler: So uh that's even better. Uh okay. When I say go, you tell me when to stop.

[43:03] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[43:04] Rachel Zegler: And go.

[43:07] Drew Gasparini: Stop.

[43:09] Rachel Zegler: Okay. I'm nervous.

[43:10] Drew Gasparini: Oh god. The results are on the way.

[43:17] Rachel Zegler: And we have the results.

[43:18] Drew Gasparini: Oh boy. They've just come in hot off the presses. Uh, ladies and gentlemen, I have Rachel Zegler's future in our hands.

[43:26] Rachel Zegler: Oh, yes.

[43:27] Drew Gasparini: You'll be happy to know. It's not so bad.

[43:31] Rachel Zegler: Oh, wow. It really could have been worse.

[43:34] Drew Gasparini: Okay. Um, your dream spouse, you share a mansion with Lady Gaga herself.

[43:40] Rachel Zegler: Oh, yes.

[43:41] Drew Gasparini: We have for the fact that you are Leah Michelle's assistant.

[43:48] Rachel Zegler: Okay, so just know that that is part of your trajectory here.

[43:52] Drew Gasparini: Uh, you have a beautiful pet giraffe.

[43:54] Rachel Zegler: I'm very sad I didn't get chosen. That means I'm still up for adoption, everybody who's listening.

[43:58] Drew Gasparini: And uh your vacation spot is Barcelona.

[44:02] Rachel Zegler: Barcelona.

[44:03] Drew Gasparini: Barcelona. So it's not so bad. Things turned out okay for Rachel Zandler on cash.

[44:09] Rachel Zegler: Yes, yes, it is. Now you're gonna do mine. I love this. Guys, this is categories.

[44:15] Drew Gasparini: Okay. And listener, if you've made it here, congratulations. We have a basket of cookies being sent to your house. Yeah. Uh and an autographed album of uh Akon's "Smack That." But it's not signed by Akon, it's signed by us. It's signed by both Rachel and I. That's right. So I think it's worth negative money. I don't know how that's possible. But let me know when you're ready, and I'll pick three, and then you get to pick one.

[44:41] Rachel Zegler: I'm ready. I'm ready.

[44:42] Drew Gasparini: Okay, great. So Dream Spouse.

[44:44] Rachel Zegler: Yes.

[44:45] Drew Gasparini: Dream spouse. I'm gonna go uh really kind of specific here, but we're gonna go 1996 Jennifer Aniston.

[44:51] Rachel Zegler: Okay.

[44:51] Drew Gasparini: I was the who I was named after.

[44:53] Rachel Zegler: I was named after her character in Friends.

[44:55] Drew Gasparini: Is that true? You actually were?

[44:56] Rachel Zegler: That is true. They were gonna name me Catherine, but my sister's name is Jacqueline, and they thought they were too similar. And they were watching Friends, and they said, that sounds nice.

[45:09] Drew Gasparini: And so you have Rachel Green energy in a very good way. I hope you take that as a compliment.

[45:13] Rachel Zegler: I do. I do.

[45:14] Drew Gasparini: All right. Spouses.

[45:16] Rachel Zegler: Tina Fey.

[45:17] Drew Gasparini: Solid choice. Tina Fey, big time.

[45:18] Rachel Zegler: And uh Sarah Bareilles. I will always be in love with Sarah Bareilles.

[45:23] Drew Gasparini: I will always be in love with Sarah Bareilles. And then you get to pick whoever my final choices here.

[45:29] Rachel Zegler: I'm gonna have to put Lea Michele just because of the story you told me. And also because you made me her assistant.

[45:35] Drew Gasparini: So I know.

[45:35] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, no, that's fair. Hey, how fun, we'll get to hang out.

[45:38] Drew Gasparini: Because if I get her, yeah, we'll get to hang out.

[45:40] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, that's the reason I did that.

[45:42] Drew Gasparini: Dream job.

[45:45] Rachel Zegler: Dream job.

[45:46] Drew Gasparini: I would love to be a chef.

[45:48] Rachel Zegler: Really? Do you cook?

[45:49] Drew Gasparini: I do. I cook, yes.

[45:51] Rachel Zegler: Amazing. Well, that's good. That's the first step.

[45:53] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, being good at something and then pursuing it. I'd like to be a chef. I would love to uh be the composer of The Karate Kid on Broadway, coming to theaters near you.

[46:03] Rachel Zegler: Wow. I'm excited.

[46:04] Drew Gasparini: You know, there's We are also gonna offer you the role of Miyagi.

[46:09] Rachel Zegler: I was gonna wait till the end of the I think you'll have many people upset with that.

[46:13] Drew Gasparini: Um okay, third and final job, dream job for me. I think would be pro-skateboarder.

[46:19] Rachel Zegler: All Tony Hawk understood. And just to be very frank, I'm horrid at skateboarding.

[46:24] Drew Gasparini: I'm miserable at it.

[46:26] Rachel Zegler: But if I wanted to be good at something that I'm not good at, that would be the thing.

[46:30] Drew Gasparini: So you're not good at you can't horrible at skateboarding. Have you you've tried?

[46:33] Rachel Zegler: Oh yeah. I think my legs are too short and my torso is too long, and my center of gravity is is all very off.

[46:41] Drew Gasparini: Oh good. I'm choosing for you pro Heely, so like you're using Heely's to do tricks.

[46:47] Rachel Zegler: I think that would be really good.

[46:49] Drew Gasparini: Thank you. Heely for those, those are the with the wheels and the heels.

[46:52] Rachel Zegler: Yes, I had to wear them when I was Ariel in The Little Mermaid.

[46:56] Drew Gasparini: And I was with that for anyone.

[46:58] Rachel Zegler: So you're pro Heely.

[47:00] Drew Gasparini: Yeah. Dream pet a baby elephant.

[47:03] Rachel Zegler: I love elephants more than I can even explain to people.

[47:07] Drew Gasparini: Yes. Um, dream pet, my dog Gordy already is my dream pet, so I'd toss him in the in the bottom there.

[47:15] Rachel Zegler: That's a great question. I think he's a mutt of like a thousand different varieties. But he's just he's a Gordy. That's all he is to me. Commissioner Gordon. I love him.

[47:23] Drew Gasparini: Very uh, and I think I would have a beaver. There's this woman on TikTok who has a pet beaver, and it's so funny to watch.

[47:32] Rachel Zegler: All he does is collect shit from around the house because he can't help it. And he builds dams. He builds dams all over the house.

[47:39] Drew Gasparini: How do you domesticate a beaver?

[47:42] Rachel Zegler: I don't know. But he's like taking her golf clubs and like stacking them on a bench. Like it's hysterical. I love it.

[47:47] Drew Gasparini: I love that. I'm gonna put down Wookiee because I don't think that's a punishment. I think having a Wookiee from Star Wars, I think you should.

[47:55] Rachel Zegler: I would love to have a Wookiee. They can all visit the planet Kashyyyk and pick up a Wookiee for you.

[48:00] Drew Gasparini: Vacation spots, Drew Gasparini.

[48:02] Rachel Zegler: Vacation spots, I would love to do south of France.

[48:06] Drew Gasparini: Nice. Have you been?

[48:08] Rachel Zegler: I have not, but I hear great things.

[48:11] Drew Gasparini: Great. Uh Fiji, I know that they have tree house hotels, and that seems appealing to me.

[48:16] Rachel Zegler: I know. I know. Swiss Family Robinson life. That's all I want.

[48:20] Drew Gasparini: You, me, Lea Michele, Fiji. Let's go!

[48:23] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, and Lady Gaga. Maybe she'll be a good one.

[48:26] Drew Gasparini: Lady Gaga will come with us. It'll be so good.

[48:28] Rachel Zegler: Oh my god. You, me, Lady Gaga, and Lea Michele in a tree house. How fun.

[48:33] Drew Gasparini: Uh and uh London. London's my favorite city.

[48:35] Rachel Zegler: I've never been and I'm dying to go.

[48:38] Drew Gasparini: So we belong there.

[48:39] Rachel Zegler: You would love it.

[48:40] Drew Gasparini: I think I really would because I think I belong in New York and I think London is the way to get out of the noise of New York.

[48:46] Rachel Zegler: I'm going to put um I'm gonna put the North Pole so that you can write so that you can write music for Santa's Elves.

[48:57] Drew Gasparini: And it's like actually a beautiful thing.

[49:01] Rachel Zegler: It is because child labor often needs to be serenaded.

[49:05] Drew Gasparini: Who said the elves were children? Okay, come on.

[49:08] Rachel Zegler: Okay, I'm gonna start drawing a circles. When I say go, then you have to tell me when to stop.

[49:14] Drew Gasparini: I'm such a good person, guys.

[49:15] Rachel Zegler: Okay.

[49:16] Drew Gasparini: You're great. You're killing it. Go.

[49:19] Rachel Zegler: Stop.

[49:20] Drew Gasparini: Okay. That was a while. I drew that spiral very quickly. Okay. Uh and while Rachel is counting my fate.

[49:27] Rachel Zegler: Yes.

[49:27] Drew Gasparini: I I will go ahead and discuss some uh factoids about uh me. Both my feet are different sizes. On my left, I wear a size 11. On my right, I size three and a half. So it is basically a tennis racket next to a ping pong paddle. It's uh other than that, I just trained my dog to do a very fantastic trick where he can drive me home when I'm too poor.

[49:53] Rachel Zegler: Okay, well, I have your future. And um, ladies and gentlemen, here is my future brought to you by Rachel Zegler. Yeah, there's a full moon on Friday, so we're manifesting this future. You got a great life, my friend. And you're so lucky that none of my choices got picked, and I'm feeling a little bit gypped by the universe. Um you live with Tina Fey in a beautiful apartment.

[50:15] Drew Gasparini: You're a pro skateboarder, my bro.

[50:18] Rachel Zegler: And you two take care of your baby elephant. Oh and occasionally you leave the elephant with me when you go to London on vacation.

[50:30] Rachel Zegler: I'm so sorry.

[50:32] Drew Gasparini: I'm so sorry. I'm so but at least you get to watch my elephant from time to time. So that's that's before I say goodbye to you, my dear. Is there anything you want to say to the young people? Because you have a lot of followers.

[50:41] Rachel Zegler: I do. And they look up to you.

[50:44] Drew Gasparini: My god, do they look up to you? Uh, there's a couple Twitter questions I have here that I want to get to.

[50:49] Rachel Zegler: Of course.

[50:49] Drew Gasparini: Uh, but before we get to these questions, because some of them are a little silly. Um, what do you have to say to your followers who have supported you so far?

[50:57] Rachel Zegler: Oh my god. I mean, they're the they really are the best. And and there's such a there's a meme that goes around, you know, there's that Sue Sylvester meme from Glee where she's like, I'm going to create an environment that is so toxic, right? And so there's a meme that they share pretty often that was like Rachel Zegler when creating her fandom, I'm going to create an environment that is so kind. And that means a lot to me because I truly believe kindness is the source of all great things in the world.

[51:27] Rachel Zegler: As funny and cynical as I try to be a lot, there's a lot of good in the world. And and it's hard to find it nowadays. And and I really want my so when you, you know, complimented young people on social media, that group of people that we have with Antonio and Celia and Andrew and Renee and Kat, um, it's a group of people that I'm so grateful to be included in because we create a very healthy environment. And when we notice that things are getting unhealthy, we shut it down. Um, and I you know, I get a lot of questions a lot of like, how do you how do you make it? Because I guess they think I've made it, and that's very sweet for them to say. And uh I still think there's way more to do and so much more room to grow and places to go and things I want to do.

But just try. Just keep trying. There is no one is ever going to be mad at you for trying to make your dreams come true. And and you shouldn't rob yourself of that experience of just trying. What's the worst that could happen? You have to try again. Like, yeah, try. And you know what? With all the trying, what you said earlier that really packs the punch is you're gonna get opportunity after opportunity if you try, but you're gonna keep getting opportunities if you're kind. Because people are gonna want to hang out with you, people are gonna want to work with you. And it matters, it matters so much more than people think. Don't be an asshole, children. Don't be an asshole. Don't be an asshole.

Just go in there with your best foot forward. Be kind to everyone, learn people's names, say thank you. It's like the simplest things, but you have to tell them to do it because I don't know. I I really love learning people's names and their stories and saying thank you to the people who are doing their jobs. And that encourages them to do their job. And it makes you feel like you're really appreciating the little things in life. And that is the key to happiness. So that's what I have to say.

[53:22] Drew Gasparini: Thank you, Rachel.

[53:23] Rachel Zegler: Yes, absolutely. Learn names, be kind, try hard, folks.

[53:27] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, say thank you, folks. Uh, and before we say bye, let me just read because uh a lot of people shot some questions my way. Yeah, uh, let's let's give them what they want here. So this comes from B-way Darlene. She says if you could have lunch.

[53:42] Rachel Zegler: I love you, Diane.

[53:42] Drew Gasparini: Sorry. I love that you know your Twitter fans. This is great. If you could have lunch with three famous people, dead or alive, who would they be?

[53:49] Rachel Zegler: Um definitely Marilyn Monroe. Uh she I love I love her very much. Um, I would also say Catherine Hepburn, queer icon who took no shit and did so much in her lifetime. And um I would I would really want to have uh lunch with George Cukor, who it was a famous director who loved to work with Catherine Hepburn and also loved to direct for women and loved to champion for women. And one of his famous movies, The Women, is one of the greatest movies of all time. And it there's no men in the cast.

[54:27] Drew Gasparini: A lot of knowledge being shed here. This is great. I'm gonna hang on to those names. I never would have guessed anybody choosing those people. That's great choices.

[54:37] Rachel Zegler: This one comes from, I love it. A lot of them have your face as their phone picture. This one comes from uh Zagler Anadala.

[54:46] Drew Gasparini: Yes.

[54:47] Rachel Zegler: Does that ring a bell?

[54:48] Drew Gasparini: Okay.

[54:48] Rachel Zegler: She says, Are you recording any new music?

[54:52] Drew Gasparini: Um on my own, yes, I am. Uh, you know, I don't, I don't I don't know what's going on with my music just yet, but I I hear you all screaming at me to release it. Uh it's a hard, vulnerable place. I'm sure Drew understands. Like it's a little bit more.

[55:08] Drew Gasparini: I don't understand. I'm completely shameless.

[55:09] Rachel Zegler: I wouldn't write a song that is made up of fart noises and release it. It doesn't matter anyway. Beautiful. But yes, we'll see what happens. I don't know. I hope that you continue writing of what I've heard, what you like to share on the internet. I think your stuff is gorgeous. Your voice is clearly gorgeous, but I think that's a good thing. Being a songwriter is is vulnerable, and that's what makes it so brave. And after this conversation, I can really assess that you are one of the bravest people I have met and had the pleasure of talking with.

[55:36] Drew Gasparini: Last question before we say goodbye.

[55:38] Rachel Zegler: Yes.

[55:38] Drew Gasparini: Uh, this is from exhale underscore grande.

[55:42] Rachel Zegler: Hello.

[55:43] Drew Gasparini: Hello, Xhale. How is your screenplay coming?

[55:47] Rachel Zegler: Yes. So, what advice do you have for an aspiring actress? Also, I love you.

[55:52] Drew Gasparini: Is that Elise? Is that is that their per this person's name? Do you know?

[55:55] Rachel Zegler: Oh, I don't know. The handle is X. I didn't write it down.

[55:58] Drew Gasparini: Okay, I think I think that might be Elise. Um, hi, I love you. Um okay, so the first one was my screenplay. It's coming along. I've challenged myself to write a page every day. Um because I kind of need that, like, I need that goal in order to actually write, because I'm one of those people that will slam their heads on their keyboards. Um, but again, like my music, it's it's coming from, you know, write what you know, and it's coming from a very vulnerable place. So sometimes I have to put it away and be like, I can't do this today mentally. Yeah. Um, but my my therapist has been very helpful in that, and and she's helped me a lot with what I can open up about and what is easy for me to access. Um then the other was uh uh any advice for an aspiring actress.

[56:42] Rachel Zegler: It really goes back to what I said before. Try, try and watch a lot of content. Like people will make fun of you for being like, I watch a lot of movies. Don't let them because it's studying, and I really believe that. Like watch shows. Yes. Yes, go back to the people who set who paved the way for what's already happening right now. I always say go watch some Catherine Hepburn movies. Uh, watch Audrey Hepburn as well. Watch Catherine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby and The Philadelphia Story, and you will be a happy, happy gal.

[57:10] Drew Gasparini: Wow. Wow, and also I love you too, Elise, because I I know you said you love I love you too. That is very sweet. Thanks, uh Twitter for all those questions. Um Rachel, I gotta say, just to send off here, what a fan I am of yours now more than ever. Just having to get to hang with you. And uh uh selfishly, I really hope that you and I do get to work together one day.

[57:32] Rachel Zegler: I hope so too. Oh my goodness, it would be such a honor to have it. Uh I'm glad I I glad I got this podcast in before you blew up completely after the movie comes out. Because then you'll never have time for me, of course.

[57:42] Drew Gasparini: But that's not true. I'll be back anytime you ask me.

[57:45] Rachel Zegler: Anytime you're gonna do it. You have an invite to the opening of Karate Kid whenever that happens.

[57:48] Drew Gasparini: Yes, my guest, come party with us, and we'll have the best time ever. Can I hear some? It's kind of a funny story, please.

[57:52] Rachel Zegler: Yeah, well, that could that could be another offline conversation.

[57:57] Drew Gasparini: Yeah, thank you. Um, Rachel, you're a dear. I really appreciate you taking the time to take care of it.

[58:03] Rachel Zegler: Of course, any time.

[58:04] Drew Gasparini: Ouch, I stepped my toe right as I push record. Hey, thanks for listening to this episode of Now We're Talking. We're a proud member of the Broadway Podcast Network. Fuck my toe hurts. You can find out more about me and this podcast at bpn.fm slash now we're talking. You can find me, Drew Gasparini on Instagram and Twitter, and on TikTok at the Drew Gasparini. A big fat, juicy special thanks to our guest, Rachel Zegler, and to all you sexy buttheads for tuning in. I really do love you. And hey, on the subject of loving you, why don't you love me? Right back by subscribing and rating this podcast wherever you stream your podcast. And please keep tuning in for more amazing guests. Tune in next week when our special guest is the mayor of stupid shit booger town. How's that for improv? My toe hurts.