DISCLAIMER:
The following output was transcribed from our audio recording.
Although the transcription is largely accurate, it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.
It is posted to aid in understanding the interview but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
Christian Brescia 00:00
Hi everyone and welcome back to another episode of Mondays with Mindy. Hi Mindy!
Mindy Cohn 00:05
Hi Christian!
Christian Brescia 00:06
How are you doing today?
Mindy Cohn 00:07
I'm awesome. Today we're going to have a conversation with actress, filmmaker and author Justine Bateman. Justine started acting early and from 1982 to 1989 played Mallory Keaton on a television set comm Family Ties which is where we met. Simultaneously she co starred with Julia Roberts in the feature film satisfaction with Matthew Broderick in the night we never met and also with David do company and Sigourney Weaver in the film The TV set. She then went on to start in the American version of a TV comedy men behaving badly, and in 2003 in Showtime's out of order. She had other reoccurring roles and explore doing Theater in New York, but Justine wrote her feature film directorial debut violet, starring Justin throw and Olivia Munn, which premiered at the 2021 South by Southwest Film Festival. Before that, she had also wrote and directed the short film five minutes, that was a selection in the Toronto Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festivals of 2018. She also adapted the teenage book series The clip for a warner brothers internet series, so she made the jump to writing and producing and directing and as a producer, Justine helped produce the speechless campaign in support of the Writers Guild strike in 2007, and an internet talk show with fashion Maven and icon Kelly patrone wake up and get real. She also produced the films she wrote and directed, as I mentioned before the short films as an author though, which I'm really excited to talk to her about, because that's really her all current Justine's first book thing became a bestseller and was a nonfiction work about society's need for its presence. It was published in 2018 per second and most recent work face was released in April of this year, and a documentary is going to follow she's actually fundraising for that right now. So maybe we can help her out. Face examines the aggressive ways that society reacts to the aging of women spaces. Justine also holds a UCLA degree in computer science and digital media management, mother of two, she lives in Los Angeles.
Christian Brescia 02:16
Wow, she does not stop...
Mindy Cohn 02:18
I know ––– very prolific.
Christian Brescia 02:21
Yeah, I'll say. Ladies and gentlemen, we are really excited to bring to the show Justine Bateman.
Mindy Cohn 02:33
Good to see your face. We'll get into that later. Yeah. But we start each episode Christian and I kind of came up with this 20 random questions. I pick five. It's just to like, start the conversation. Okay, I'm meaningless or deep. I don't know. We've had them both. Who cares? Ok Justine.... Oh, God, do a deep dive Mindy. Um, how do you unwind or unplug?
Justine Bateman 02:56
I guess just, you know, like, not look at the news or just not like, not give a about like, all the things everybody's so panicked about on social media. Yeah, gamma that that was for me old school, old school, like, back when we weren't privy to every single thought from everybody about that. Yeah,
Mindy Cohn 03:24
I'm kind of embracing that. I don't know why, but especially today that is resonating strongly. Um, what's your favorite place in the world?
Justine Bateman 03:33
Jeez, that's a really hard question. I think I would like generally speaking, breasts. I like being Ooh, the forest like in the trees. And metaphorically, or not metaphorically speaking, but if I could pick like, a play sense. If it was more ambiguous, I would pick Fellini's film eight and a half. Oh, Hello, there. Oh, yeah. It's very cool. The music, the cinematography, just that and the feeling the whole if I could be in there all the time. That would be amazing.
Mindy Cohn 04:11
Oh my gosh, I'm obsessed with that answer. Okay,
Christian Brescia 04:14
great answer. Very creative.
Mindy Cohn 04:16
If you could ask anyone alive or dead. Anything? Who would it be? And what's the question?
04:23
I don't know. Do you guys have you guys already answered these questions yourselves? Are they repeat their brand? No.
Mindy Cohn 04:29
I mean, we I mean, I just pull it. So um, there's 20 randoms. Yeah, yeah, there's just 20 randoms. I mean, I personally there's a couple of people but I would harken back
04:39
and I need to get an answer. Yeah. Okay. I would ask like a just born baby pass what was going on? Before you exit for this moment?
Christian Brescia 04:52
really creative answer to I like these answers.
Mindy Cohn 04:55
Gosh, makes me one box to ask you all 20 To be quite honest with you. Hi, I'm Justine, whom do you admire?
05:04
I love reading. I'm like a Harvard Business School case studies or someone who was the first to this or that without hashtags. But just like somebody who just said, This is what I'm doing, this is where I'm going, like Amelia Earhart, or, I don't know, Penny Marshall, who directed big, you know, just like, I'm going to go do this. And then it just seems so evident to me who these people are like, it wasn't after gaining permission from anyone else. It wasn't after like, well, as soon as we change society, I can get there. And then and then it was, this is where I'm going, I don't got my machete, I'm going to carve a path through this jungle, whatever it is, I don't care. I'm going to get there. That's my model for me, you know, so I've always liked reading about, like, I don't know, McDonald's, but cool again, like they all started idea. Right? Yeah. You know, I mean, there's many, many, many, many examples. I'm just saying, like, even the corporations that are so established now and have been for so long. Even those started with some. That's right. A couple of guys gone. Let's do this thing. Yes. Then how did they, they insert themselves into sort of the societal real estate. And then and now of course, they have such a large piece of that, but and then, you know, people like, Michelle, that me who's just like, got this style, who's you know, I
Mindy Cohn 06:32
got, you know, me about? Of course, I do. Yes, this
06:36
design ran around, right, and how to restaurant, all this different stuff. And, of course, it's Rick Owens, his partner, and wife, and Muse and all that, but on her own, just her style. And I mean, and that's like, you got you just have to be willing to be pletely on your own. Because you're, you're carving a new path, and regardless of the reaction, so anyway, people like that, and I endeavor to be more and more like that.
Mindy Cohn 07:03
Yeah, well, we'll circle back to this. But honestly, after reading face, I think you're becoming one of those people who finally opens up the conversation. Obviously, the conversations have been had, but on a real true blue target level of really calling to task people's honesty about how they really feel about aging and their bias these about especially women and women aging, so I'm, we're gonna get into that because I'm, you know, you're doing it, kiddo is what I want to say. Jesus, I mean, it's so amazing. Okay, um, last question, Justin, what scares you?
07:41
I think what's, here's me and I have to Oh, I have to like, you know, I like to, obviously, as you know, from reading the book, like, get down to my root beer, write it out and see how irrational it is. But the one that keeps coming up for me that I have to go like, Oh, that one again. It's just like, it's like, generally speaking, like a fear, I want to get everything I get, but like, eat everything at the buffet of life in a way. Like, I want to, like, why did I get married and have kids? Well, part of it is like, I wanted that experience. I wanted to experience that level. Like, what's that? Like? You know what I mean, of course, I love my husband and my kids, but I'm kind of like a pig about life experiences. Like, I want to know what that's going to feel like, which really serves me well as a writer director, you know, because I have a hunger to like, fully if I can't really experience it myself. I want to find out from others, like, what's it like? What was it like being in prison or, you know, whatever it is, and how does it feel to be in that's why like, I'm really, really really dislike shut down because it's just like, what new experiences Am I having? Like, yeah, I mean, you know, now it's opening I know, but like so much of my enjoyment of life and is being in situations that maybe I'm uncomfortable then. Or everybody else is being like a intellectual snob. You're like, oh, how do I navigate that your work comes up in me in those situations and she just had a year of like, almost none of them
Mindy Cohn 09:18
Well, you've seriously walked yourself right into the reason that Christian I created this podcast with me I mean, truly because the only really thing I was missing as soon as I knew we had right clean air water groceries I gratefully was financially okay for however long this was going to take I missed it. I think you also just defined being a creative better than anyone ever has. Not just on the podcast, but for me personally. She tried to express who I am and what I do because that insatiable curiosity that level of you're not interesting, unless you're interested you know, plug in men is like been my mo and so fully describes to me what it what it feels like. When I tell people what it's like to be a creative in this world, and not a business person or a teacher, all very amazing and required and needed, yeah, but, um, yeah, you know, you've really defined it for me. So we just missed, I get my inspiration from talking to other creatives. Really, especially just being in the business, specifically, my lane. Um, it's very subjective and up to other people, whether I work or not. So how do I stay, you know, it's that it's fine art reading, going to movies.
10:31
You know, in Los Angeles, talking to people, you're at a party or, you know, a dinner or a restaurant or at lunch or whatever. And because so many of us live in Los Angeles, like, you bump into people and meet people and exchange ideas and all of this and, and not like, oh, we're in a black tie party, and you can happen at those two. But it's, yeah, the majority of these like encounters in parties or whatever are like dinner parties or your restaurant. Oh, so and so's at that table. Oh, and then their friends, you know, work in music, and there's all and to not have any of that was just like, yeah, it was brutal. Hey, I want to say also, like, yeah, meaning to tell you like, I am like loving your book. I'm loving like the hair and the glasses and how your face is just I'm like, when you said like, let's do this. And then I went, and I was like, oh, Mindy, for sure. I haven't like seen you for years.
Mindy Cohn 11:26
I know decades. Yes.
11:28
Truly. Like, you know, your account just like pictures of you, you know, doing this podcast now. And I was like, Oh, my God, this look, it's awesome.
Mindy Cohn 11:38
Oh my gosh, it was so not thought about which probably is the best thing for me. But thank you, you know, again, one of the reasons that I literally I do want to just admit this, and I'm not going up your ass. I had a proper wheat a couple times reading the book is because I always felt even as a young person. Oh my gosh, the best is yet to come. I still feel that way. Yeah, weeks from my 55th birthday double nickels. And yeah, I still feel that way. I don't I haven't hit an age where I'm going back. And I'm also wasn't wasn't that girl that peaked in high school. So I do feel just aesthetically, I look better. What it really is, is I'm just more comfortable in my skin. And that happens with age too. And so just reading some of the accounts at home you covered was so validating for me and life affirming. I just think it's a must read. It's so fascinating. I want more men to read this book, yes to the women. But I mean, I think every man on the planet needs to read this book.
12:39
I've had a number of DMS from guys that are saying like, hey, just what's the feedback? Yeah, they're like, this isn't just a women's thing. You know, I feel pressure to change my face to or, you know, there's something there is if there's something wrong with me unless my face is different, which is like, that's an infinite loop. You know, there's, you're not right until your face is different. And if that is always true, right? You're never correct. You're never right. You're always and that's like, that's like psychological warfare. There you go. Yes. You're always you always look wrong to change it. And then once you change it, that's wrong, too. And then that's wrong. So mincing, saying that and then a few men are saying my wife of many, many years wants to get plastic surgery and have a facelift and I don't want her to change things. Like I love Well,
Mindy Cohn 13:31
I do I have
13:32
I have friends. I bought her book. I bought your book hoping that she would change her mind. Hmm.
Mindy Cohn 13:38
Well, you know, I also felt in reading the book. I couldn't help but think of my mentors who you know, were Jerry Paige, Ruth Gordon and Cloris Leachman and all of whom never had worked on who, by the, you know, got their books. Rich to put her out? Yes, of course she is, you know, that she is Oh my God, my little angel. Um, you know, broads, but also, the best was yet to come not only in their personal lives, but their careers. You know, I remember Jerry saying, Do we know how old I am that I'm winning my Oscar. Thank you just checking. You know, she was very aware, you know, of what she was. So anyway, again, I think we've sort of lost that for some reason, those kind of role models that let themselves age beautifully and naturally. And I so hope this book sort of like recalibrates everyone. I want it to do that well and be that prolific.
14:32
Yeah, I mean, it's, uh, it seems to have, yeah, thrown a wrench in the works, which is good, you know, the sort of inexorable March that we were on towards, you know, fixing your face, no matter where it looks like, you know, to have somebody go like, raise your hand like, excuse me. I just wanted to ask like, wait, why are we doing
14:59
we're not sure I don't know what we do, you know, like when you go in a store and you go, Wait, why do you have this? This rule here on, you know, you know, where we can stand in front of the cashiers, or whatever it is right. And they're like, right? I don't know, that's just our policy. And you go, Yeah, but really make any sense, does it? And they're like, it's the policy. Right example.
Mindy Cohn 15:20
So yeah, you know, love this. I'm so gonna bring that back. I have a question. Yeah. I got a question over here.
15:28
Can you explain this? What's the genesis of this? Why? What's the reason for you, it's as if there was a rule that everybody should cut off, you know, one of the one of the toes of their left foot, and everybody's doing it, then you go, Hey, I really just that, like, I don't know that women understood that they can say, Oh, your theory that like, you know, an older face is a will limit how far someone will go in their life. Yeah, I see that on the menu. And I'm just like, that's not for me. I'm gonna, this is another idea. I like better on the menu, which is like, like, we're saying, like, the best is yet to come. You know, I as long as I'm alive, go to ages alive or dead, right? I'm alive, I'm gonna keep doing all my stuff. Like, there's nothing that can stop me. I mean, that's the, as we get older, I mean, this stuff, I wish I'd known in my 20s, you know, that, like, don't go towards anything you want, like, nothing is happening. If there are obstacles in the road. That's not like, you're being stuck, you're being trained, you're being trained on this obstacle course. So that once you get to the goal you're heading for, you'll be able to handle being there. You don't let yourself get trained. And you're like, Well, no, this should be given to me. Because, you know, hashtag this hashtag that's like, I don't want I want that brain. Because when I, once I get there, I have to be able to handle the position. Right?
Mindy Cohn 16:58
Yes. Well, and also just, I mean, another reason why it's like in your 20s, you're not supposed to know, and that's why there should be no fear of getting older. I mean, with it comes so many cash and prizes. That is not they are not talked about as much as all the other stuff, you know, so I want to take you, you know, not that far back, but back, I hope you don't mind. But what was the impetus of you writing the first book thing, like what? Oh, did you read that? Did you have a cleaner I read like the first I'm gonna say third, before I, you know, this happened. So I wanted to know, like, how that came to be,
17:32
cuz we were like, you know, up there, like, in the same era at the same time, so just the text me after I like, I want it, I want to hear I want to hear your take on the whole thing. That whole, you know, life cycle thing. So, so what was the genesis for writing that book? Yeah,
Mindy Cohn 17:51
I mean, all of us, you know, you're writing, you're directing, you're producing you're, you're certain what made something and you go, Okay, I have this book in me, and it's coming out now. And here it is. Yeah, um, you know what I mean, um, that's a commitment for that book.
18:05
I was, I was going to UCLA. You know, I went in at 46. So I was I was, like a freshman, or sophomore, UCLA, and I had been already kind of processing, like I said, like, trying to write out my fears. Whenever something kind of pushes my buttons, get to the root fear of it and get rid of the button. That's the ideal. I don't want to change people's behavior around me. I want to change my ability to even hear it. Yeah. Sort of depth to it. You know what I mean? I don't have time to change everybody. Jesus Christ. I mean, anybody who's ever been in a romantic relationship is that yeah,
Mindy Cohn 18:38
I mean, I tried in my 20s, late 30s. Yeah, I tried doing that. It didn't doesn't work. Yeah.
18:42
too hard. Like, I'm not interested. I don't have time. There's not a time. So that's not my thing. But I would so I'd already been doing that. And then I was taking these CDs sociology course. And I was, and I was hearing these, you know, I already had my theories on people's behavior. But it was interesting to be in a sociology course and hear that so many of the theories that already had were had names to them. Mm hmm.
Mindy Cohn 19:12
That was my major so you're talking my language?
19:15
If I if I were to go back and get a Master's, I think it would be in sociology. And sociology was so much more interesting than psychology. Interesting. 100% ology, like, I thought the opposite I thought since y'all what they cover in sociology was going to be in psychology, but now particularly interesting, all the sociology on so great. Oh my God, we got to talk later about.
Mindy Cohn 19:38
Yeah, really? It seriously? Yeah, I changed my life.
19:43
So I was in there. And then so I was taking notes in the margins of, you know, the books that sociology books and stuff and I was like, Alright, well, that was in that really span and then I was just thinking like, this phenomenon of fame, and not the, you know, not the chintzy, sort of People someone chasing it and they're famous for two minutes. I mean like that, you know, if you've ever been somewhere where Brad Pitt walks in or, you know, you name it like a bonafide movie star, right? Or somebody who's well known me the air changes. Yeah. Air changes. And also, you know, talking to you, like, you've experienced that, you know what I mean? Like, when you would walk into a room, like, oh, everything in the room would change, you would, you never had an opportunity to see that room in a normal state. Because your presence would change. So what is Emerald, me? So the book was like, sort of an examination of that, but then also talking about the life cycle, because it's not just the what happens when you're at that height of pain. But what happens when the same starts descending, and how the charge in the room changes? And how it becomes almost a resentful, angry treatment of you? Which sounds like that's very interesting. What could
Mindy Cohn 21:00
you say that in a different way? Sure. You're talking about?
21:03
So the book is about the life cycle of things, you know, like brain begins, it rises up in that sense. And, yeah, some people don't, I experienced that entire lifecycle. Some people don't like somebody like Brad Pitt comes out there, equilibrium will probably get that equilibrium till the day they die, Tom Cruise. So I looked at what the experience is like, on the inside. And I really tried to, it's so funny. So people like, Oh, she's a bit some people don't understand that what I did was like, really went back in my emotional memory, and tried to write exactly how I was feeling at those points in that lifestyle. You know what I mean? Yeah, to the point where my editor was like, Are my not my editor, my publisher was like, we need chapter at the end. That's like where you're at now? And I'm like, Oh, no, I'm not in any of these stages yet. Writing it's so routine, such a visceral way that yes, repair and I'm like, okay, yeah. Not only what the experience is, like, on the inside, what's going on? What are my theories and sociological theories about why the audience is reacting the way they react that different to the famous or, you know, becoming unfamous people at different points in those life cycles. And then it also gets into how we democratize seeking of fame, you know, with with social media. And what that does, unfortunately, it is it quantifies people's value, instead of qualifying it. So now it's all about your, your important or valuable, whatever, if you have this high number of followers or Yes, or whatever, which is a bad way to qualify people. And you see now if you talk to therapists that deal with the teenagers and young adults, you're seeing a lot of depression and panic. Yeah. Are you
Mindy Cohn 22:57
willing to go to any lengths to get dot dot dot versus before? It seemed to have an attachment to a skill and ambition a career as something in between friends, you
23:09
know? Yes. Were you what kind of person were you? Are you somebody they can rely upon? Are you somebody who's nice to be around the you know, all your fun? Or you know, where you your insight, whatever it is to qualify somebody is to use those qualities. Not you're not by somebody? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Mindy Cohn 23:33
So in the midst of all that, so you finish fame and you finish face and I love what's happening with face now this whole move to actually and by request to by many people, this needs to be a documentary. I couldn't agree more. I'm totally in that camp.
23:48
Yeah. We'll be able to make an announcement about that soon. So but I also am doing you know, I thought well, there's so many women move by and men moved by this book. I thought maybe I'll give Indiegogo a try to do the film of this that is this a documentary? That's about the concept right? Now. Okay. But now, but also going to do I was always going to do a film of this way, take 14 of these 40 or 47 stories, and shoot those. So trying to raise the funds over Indiegogo for that. Yes. Got to have money to do that. So I'm giving that a shot. And we'll see it's it's very unusual to raise that much money over a crowd funding but I promise I'll get it.
Mindy Cohn 24:32
I think you're gonna do it. Yeah, it's happening. Yeah. I'm just have a request that I really wanted a T shirt, but I'm double XL so you know, whatever happened for you? Thank you because I need that. I mean, I'm contributing anyway, regardless of a note, Mindy. Well, I definitely well, or just, I'll see. I'll make a note. That was just me. You know, soliciting, please. Um, but seriously, it made me feel like I'm Another book that has to happen now is talk about sighs. Um, but yeah, right, no thanks. I always have that conversation with my fashion designer friends, you know, some of who I've really taken to task. Totally tangential to the moment. Sorry about that. I just want a T shirt. Um, so tell me during this, if I could take you back again, a little bit to that last, you know, 18 months. Did you binge on stuff? What did you how did you survive during the shutdown? shutdown?
25:30
timing, so did not want to be in this moment, where just personally, I felt and I know, people, this was not their experience, or they disagree with it, or whatever, which is fine. My experience with this whole shutdown is it there was a massive panic. That needn't have been. I don't think panic is the answer to any situation. I don't care what the situation is. panic, I think is not the right move.
Mindy Cohn 26:00
Yeah. Well, it's like worry that people think that it's an action verb, but it isn't. It's just not an action verb.
26:06
So I felt like there was I didn't want to be in that. And then there was a, you know, and then of course, we had the US election on top of that, and yes, and then the gasoline was being thrown off. You know, and I don't mean this as a criticism of the press. I feel bad for the press, because they, you know, they can't, they can't sell things the way they used to, they can't sell their, you know, in depth interviews and articles in the newspapers, in the magazines. It's been that way for a long time. Yeah. So in order to survive, they've got to chase what's trending. And sometimes what's trending becomes that Australian forest fire, which so there was a lot of gasoline being tossed around, you know, what I mean, about the virus and about the US election, and I was just like, I was just like, Oh, my God, I just don't want to be here right now. I don't, I don't, I felt like not a lot of rational thinking was being in fact, the people that were trying to speak rationally about, you know, fill in the blank situations are sort of shamed and pushed aside. And I was like, anyway, because I really didn't want to be in 2020. I didn't, you know, I wound up writing for scripts. And I know that sounds like Wow, you're so prolific. And
Mindy Cohn 27:18
yes, it does. It does.
27:20
Yes, it does. But it was correct. I just won't be in some other parallel universe, where nothing is happening. That's what so one of the scripts I wrote was an adaptation listening
Mindy Cohn 27:33
for your denial is a very a talk about action verb, right. I mean, let's Yeah, you know, I cannot
27:40
say that Mindy, you know, baking, baking bread from scratch, knitting a bunch of sweaters from my friends, learning and solving a Rubik's Cube, you know, which, you know, I totally, like, two minutes. I know, there's like other people that can do it. Like, yeah, like a small fraction of that amount of time. But, you know, all the usual things. And,
Mindy Cohn 28:01
I mean, listen, I was thrilled people were finding nature. You know, I had found it a long time ago. That's, you know, my higher power. So, you know, great, I was still for other people. I thought, What have you been doing your whole life that you have not found nature? We'll start talking about hand washing. I was like, you know, this is a new thing when you like, your hands in your mouth. Oh, hey, sorry, but if you were raised by Ayana cone, trust me you know that skill? I mean, I have been a hand washer from way back so yeah. Let me ask you this. Are you in the mode of author and filmmaker behind the camera or is there have you filled your gas tank with being in front of the camera and acting or is that still there on some level?
28:50
No, you know, it's interesting to you I mean, that was like a vacation I stepped into you know, it's like my third job I mean, I within four months like you know, I was doing that that job and so and I good I were many other things that followed the signing I mean, but I mean as far as acting goes, like I was good at it and yes, gifted at it I'll say you don't have talent for it comes easily to me. I understand it. I think it's an incredible art form that few people focus in on to make a focus in on to be good at I'm just gonna say I think more people are acting that are gifted to act but I could do that about a lot of arenas there's probably others out there that are a gifted as Dr. Jean you know what I mean? Like when I do you know, how it feels to be gifted at something, you know, for somebody it may be. It may be mathematics, for another might be organization, you know, we're coordinating whatever it is, and once you know how it feels to be gifted at something, you know, when you're not and when you know that you're
Mindy Cohn 30:01
Here's why I asked. I asked because for me one more time, the best is yet to come right I have yet to fulfill, I've only been able to do it, you know, where no one sees it in acting class or with groups of friends where I have done my version, let's say of misery, right? That psychotic, or that my excitement level of where to go and to be on stage eight times a week, my ambition is still very alive and healthy in me because I have not fulfilled whatever that is. Right? I'm just wondering if you have any of that
30:33
shifted for me, I got to a point where, okay, I'll tell you what happened. I I mean, I was at a point where I felt like my acne had never been bad. And it was really, like, more and more honest and terrific. And, but also what was happening was digital media was exploding since like, 2007. I had already started, you know, I mean, I've always written but I started writing scripts. And then this happened to you a few years prior to that. And then this happened. And I was like, Oh, my God, this is what I was looking for. And to love that restitution stuff. And so I was so excited about them during the writer strike and all this and I was heavily involved in that and, and started doing speaking on panels and everything, like in the days of digital media, and doing projects up doing conventional projects, or, but then I had this more complex projects I really wanted to do anyway, to truncate the story. At the same time, I was pitching all those to, you know, brands and studios. And all of this, this these projects I was doing or wanted to do. I was continuing to audition for five years. Like I'm not exaggerating, five years, I had just like suddenly, like the spigot had been turned off, did not get, I could not get a job off. We're now at the risk of sounding arrogant, like this was highly unusual. It was bizarre. unsettling. Yeah, it's very strange. It's like, I
Mindy Cohn 31:54
mean, obviously, I've been through those periods, too. Of course,
31:57
I understand what half my life was, my life had to shut my feet, my life, whatever you want to call it, that door had to be shot hard. Otherwise, I would have continued to just attract. And what was necessary was that I have 100% of my focus in the reading, person directing, offering direction, and got it and also thank God, because look what's happened. I mean, see, so I wouldn't have put all my focus in this direction if I continued to get acting jobs. And so when I hear that saying, like, you know, when I hear people attribute, like, Oh, I'm, I'm getting older, and you know, they want to get me out of this job, or they got plenty of jobs. I would say like, could it could it perhaps be better news than that? Yeah. You turn it around, put it tapping Yeah, that your life is taking you in a new direction. And these are old directions or old situations that your life is done with? Perhaps Could it be if you look at it with a different perspective, perhaps there are opportunities that you can go for now, because the timings there. So for me, maybe it was so much about the timing, and it was covered for a long time, because I'm like, I'm so bad. Again, rich, sounding arrogant. So please, give me access. Like, how is this happening right now? Yeah. And it was because I'm also a really good writer, and director, producer and author, and I needed to be I need my headache. 100% natural, but that's fine. That's how it went. For me. As far as my life took a turn, it'll be almost like somebody getting suddenly getting a lot of opportunities to go to Puerto Rico and work with orphanages. They're just like, I don't know, this is like, my life has gone this way. And then I get there. And it feels right. And it feels perfect. Because I had wanted to direct since I was 19. But the timing never felt right. And I know for me creatively, if I tried to do something before the timing is there, I'm just going to make like a pile of junk. It's not going to be right,
Mindy Cohn 34:04
well, junk you have not made my friend hurt. And I just say I know I'm I am being as sincere as I can. I hope that carries across the sound waves here. I'm just so taken, especially having had the privilege of reading the work and just doing a deep dive into it. I am I can't wait more. And again, it's all I have to say. I'm so glad to have found you. And I'm so glad you have come on and graced us with your amazing presence and talent. And I simply adore you truly, you are a voice that needs to be loud and proud for our friends. Keep screaming.
34:37
Yeah, let's have lunch, you know. And then and then should come back and talk to you about on the other side of this. I have a poster for my film violet
Mindy Cohn 34:46
that I wanted to talk about that yes, we will definitely get into that
34:50
that was mentioned that whole creative process, you know, might be interesting to your listeners to about 100% Yeah. 100% well to tell you like Good actors I thought I was as much as I enjoyed that, like, I enjoy, like writing, not just enjoys wrong words. Like I am a writer, director, producer, like, well, you're a storyteller. I mean, like, yeah, it feels almost like acting was something I did for a while until the timing was there for me to write and direct use, because it's just like, I mean, I hope I'm on a set when I die. Like I hope I you know, I at the helm, you want to keep direct as many films as I can, that are, you know, in my sort of baggage Rex right now.
Mindy Cohn 35:41
Yes, I'm looking forward to your first feature length. That's, yeah, yeah. Yeah, let's go. I'm ready. Ladies and gentlemen, one more time. A round of applause for the very talented Justine Bateman. Hey, everybody should be clapping wherever they're listening.
Christian Brescia 36:01
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