Trisha Paytas joins the podcast to talk about her unexpected and much-talked-about Broadway debut in Beetlejuice. She shares what drew her to the show, how the opportunity came about, and what it’s been like stepping into a completely new kind of spotlight.
We also get into her family background and the early days of her online career, how she first gained attention, and the twists and turns of twenty years on YouTube. Trisha speaks openly about the fandom she’s built, the tougher moments she’s faced, and the mental health journey and personal growth that have shaped who she is today.
It’s an honest, surprising conversation about reinvention, vulnerability, and the ways we keep learning from both the chaos and the successes along the way.
Special thanks to Jimmy Whetzel and Hannah McKinley for their production and editing efforts in putting this episode together.
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Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please subscribe or donate. Thank you!
Transcript
Hey everyone… so before we dive back into regular episodes, I wanted to take a moment to talk to you directly, because the silence over the last several weeks hasn’t sat well with me. Both of my podcasts truly mean a lot to me, not just because of the stories I get to share, but because of the people on the other side of it—you—listeners who tune in, reach out, and make this whole thing feel like a community. And disappearing the way I have… yeah, that’s been weighing on me.
The past month has been a lot. Opening Beetlejuice on Broadway—which saying that still feels surreal—has been one of the biggest moments of my career. And I knew it would be demanding, I really did, but I don’t think I fully understood how much it would take out of me physically and mentally. That first week alone felt like a whole season’s worth of adrenaline. And right as I was starting to find some kind of rhythm, I got hit with congestion and bronchitis and even lost my voice. I had to call out of shows, which as any performer knows is frustrating enough, but it also pulled me away from everything else in my life… including the podcast.
Then just when I coming out of that sickness, I injured myself during a show last week. Nothing dramatic, but enough to force some changes in my performance while I work through physical therapy. And look—I’m not sharing all this as a long list of excuses. These aren’t meant to justify anything. This is simply what’s been going on and why things fell through the cracks. It’s like all the challenges and struggles I talk about on Why I’ll Never Make It and Closing Night happening to me in real time, and I’m disappointed in myself for not checking in sooner and letting the silence stretch as long as it did. You deserve better communication from me than that.
So this is me addressing it, out loud, and thanking you—truly—for sticking around, for being patient, and for understanding that life sometimes derails even the things we care deeply about. I’m incredibly grateful that you continue to listen, continue to support, and continue to make this space what it is. It doesn’t go unnoticed, and it certainly isn’t taken for granted.
I’m getting back on track, slowly but surely. The plan going forward is to return to a consistent rhythm without burning myself out or giving you anything less than a stellar podcast. So thank you for being here. Thank you for giving me grace. And thank you for letting me hit reset and pick things back up again. I’ve got some really exciting episodes ahead, and I’m really looking forward to sharing them with you. Take care.
