The Truth Behind it All with Michaela McManus

Published Jun 26, 2023, 4:00 AM

Michaela McManus was brought to Tree Hill for what she believed was a relatively benign three episode arc. She left with so much more, including what would become her real life husband! Find out how it all went down. 
 
Plus, a debate erupts regarding her character Lindsey’s intentions… whose side will you fall on?

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We just watched a doozy of an episode, some good.

Some good, and some very bad. Is that what you were gonna say?

Cool, it's just this the yin and the yang. We got two sides of the coin today. Well, thankfully we have the most remarkable woman here to help us get through.

Sure, dude, guys, we're here for episode nine of season five, for tonight. You're only here to know much more commonly known as the Library episode. We all had some pretty fond memories of this, and then, good god, we watched it and we were like, wow, half of this script is gorgeous and half of it is so embarrassing.

Yeah, pay your writers, friends, don't go on strike again. Pay writers, man oh man.

But Hillary is right. We have an incredible guest with us today.

Yes, we do. The fabulous, beautiful, incredibly talented and just the best kind person I know, Michayla McManus is here and we're so excited to bring her in, Bring.

Her in, bring her in. How do you look the exact same? You have not aged a day? What?

Yeah, nice, you're being really sweet. I've no mean I turned forty last month.

It's like, welcome, Yes, mama, Yeah, you're the baby of the group.

Welcome.

She's like, are you casting spells? What are you doing to stay all young? Because I'm also forty and don't look nearly like you.

Thank you for your patience.

I had a technical difficulty on my phone. My computer wasn't working and I had to Mike Daniels had to come to the rescue and lend me ran up.

Can we just start with that then? Can we start with Mike Dan.

Mike, Yeah.

The Lindsay character came in and changed the game because she stole Lucas's heart, and you know, was really competition in a way that I don't think Peyton or me as an actor was anticipating. But in real life, your love story on the show was very sweet and seemingly not terribly complicated. You guys fell in love and ran away, right, Yes, I mean it happens at the end. So we were never together while I was filming.

Oh really, did you even know each other?

I met him so the previous episode to the one that we're going to talk about.

He wrote, yes, and it was beautiful.

Yeah.

So I remember like I'd get my script at the Riverview where I would stay. Yeah, we'd land on my doorstep in a nice little Manila envelope, and it was like Christmas every time I'd open my door, like, what's happening? And this song that had been in my head that whole week, wash, please please let me get what I want from the Smiths. You know, it was in my head. And I see the script, I'm like, oh my gosh, it's so weird. The song's been in my head all week by Mike Daniels. I'm like, who's this? And then I read it was my favorite script that's to that point.

It's so good.

And then he came for his episode because he was a first time writer that year, that was his first season and first ever writing job.

Oh my god.

Yeah, yeah, he was.

A staff writer and yeah, and and he came down for like two days or something, and we had a big group dinner. Sophia, you were there, I remember, and he was like, Joe was there, and Tory was there, I think, And I forget what restaurant.

I forget the name of it, but it was on that like mainstreap.

It was Deluxe or Circa one or the other. It was Deluxe.

And I was like, man, this guy is so sweet and he's so what I need in this business.

Like I'd already worked it on my head.

I was like, I can't really can't really go for the actor or then my you know, that was my thing up to that point. I was like, but this guy is so sweet and so charming, and like I really fell to connection with him right away.

And then and then cut to like the.

Charity basketball game months and months later. I think we must have been shooting like the finale.

Oh is that what it was?

Yeah, he awkwardly got thrown into a transpot band together because we were staying in the same hotel. We had a couple of It was like a rocky start, like some awkward moments because I was kind of like pushing on him.

But wait, after that dinner, did you guys exchange numbers. Were you texting? Were you in touch?

He did have my number. I feel like he texted me when his episode aired. Okay I loved you in the show or whatever.

Yeah, yeah, So I never got a text, did you girls a text?

No? Not me never certainly did not.

It was a ruse.

And then we ended up in the van together having these like awkward, bumpy moments, and Lisa was staying in my room with me because she wasn't shooting in that episode, but she wanted to come for the charity and I was like, come, stay, stay in my room.

We'll hang out Melicent, and she joined me.

And when I got back to my room, I was like, I had some awkward moments with this writer, my Daniels, but he's so cute.

There's something about him I really like.

And all of a sudden thing ding we both get texts at the same time. It's from and he goes, I'm staying in the room directly underneath you, guys, and I can hear everything you're saying.

Stop stop no.

You were just like like stopped speaking entirely like for the rest of the like.

Were you on the balcony or were you just in the room.

Inside the room, Terri.

Really what he heard was just like giggling and like because we were just a girl.

Yeah, and he was going, not knowing I'm talking about you.

That's amazing, more awkward around him for the next few days, Like it took a minute for us to find he has.

No idea what he did at the time.

Yeah.

Yeah, and then I think it wasn't until I was leaving the show and I was I was leaving to go directly at.

Law and Order. Yeah, And it was right.

Before I got cast when we went on our first date, and then I was like, oh, I'm testing for the show to New York.

I was.

I guess that's kind of it, you know, because we've gone on one date and Mike was just like so sweet and just like all in.

He was like, I'm going to red Eye it every weekend.

Oh my god.

Yeah, he's ready after date one.

You guys are cute.

Oh man, he's the best.

And so how many years have you guys been married?

Now?

So we just had our fifteen year dating anniversary.

Oh babe, I love that.

Fifteen years together is awesome.

Yeah, and we married after three years together.

Yeah, right on.

It's been like twelve years. Yeah, oh my god.

Oh crazy.

Listen.

There's a lot of cringy shit that came out of the One Tree Hill years. I mean, we all made some bad choices, but your story with your husband is seemingly like the gold standard.

Like you did it.

I mean, we have three little kids that are like One Tree Hill kids.

You know, it all started from this job, so it is very I have a lot of gratitude for this job for that.

You know, did he stay on till the end or how many years did Mike work on the show.

He was there for three years? Okay, he's five six and seven?

Yeah, yeah, I mean, look and I love that you go. Oh man, I just fucking love that you guys could have gotten together and bitched about all the same people together, and it's like, it's so nice to have that outlet with your partner where it's like what Peyton says in this episode with me and where she's like, who do we hate?

That? Is fun?

Man.

We just had a very different We were like on opposite sides. I mean, he was always in la It was almost that he ever came to Wilmington because really the writers didn't come to set them yeah.

Yeah, they would get one trip a year maximum.

Right, right.

I want to say that this episode is when the writers strike happened. It's like when it kicked in. So Mike might have been the last writer that was allowed to visit Wilmington because this episode that we'll talk about eventually was the first one where they were like, you cannot make any changes. If any changes happened to the script, it has to be like an actor improvising, So.

No one could tell us what to do.

It was just like either say it exactly like it's on the page, or your quote unquote improvising. So it was really like murky and weird. So he made the last ship out. Had the strike happened like one week earlier, I.

Might not have met him. You might not have had this whole.

Life sliding doors. Well, I want to go back even further, because you and Hillary went to school. Did you both go to Fordham together or just that did you?

So when I was the Welshman, Hillary was a sophomore and she'd already like blown up.

Well, let's let's temper blown up, like, let's blown up.

At the time, everybody knew who Hillary was.

When I got to campus, it was like, do you know, did you hear about the story about Hillary Burton she discovered down on the streets, and we were all like kind of hoping the same thing would happen to us, you know, standing by the red carpet, like maybe what happened to Hillary.

Success story?

And then I remember, I don't know, maybe it was my junior year when One Tree Hill started airing and I was watching it in the dorm rooms with so much friends.

Gardener, Oh, Gardner, Lowlan. I love that dude was dating my roommate Caroline. So you're like, we.

Got a you lived with Caroline?

Yes, Caroline is like one of my freshman year roommates.

I see.

We had so much like crossover with each other. And it was so exciting when you joined the cast because I was like, did you have jov Larry Saccaro? You did, h oh Man, And it was so nice because you know, when when you go to place like Wilmington and you start filming a show and you've had this whole other life that no one there knows about to have someone come in and be like, no, I know about your last chapter, and also let's.

Gossip, but tell me every I wanted to know everything.

It's such a strange connection though, because it's such a small school. You know.

I just got my godson into the school. All he wants to do is work in the industry. And I was like, baby, you have to be in Manhattan, so just let's just get you into the city. And I reach out to get him into the school, and did you have professor Papa Nicolau, the hot theology professor? No?

Oh, girl, that was the highlight of being there. I reached out and.

They're like, oh, yes, you're an alumni of the school, of course, we can help you get your god son in. And I'm like, what are you talking about. I didn't get to go graduate. And they were like, oh, no, no, no, it says on all of our stuff you're an alumni of the school.

And I was like, I'm not.

But if someone wants to give me a degree, cool, take.

It an honorary degree. I think they do that.

Do you go back for like alumni stuff.

It's been ages since I've been back.

Yeah, all right, we're going to make a trip.

I love that. I love that you guys knew each other and were like stomping around New York at the same time.

So having watched the show when you were in college, yeah, yeah, because you had a you know, college classmate on it. Was it weird when you had to audition or did it help you feel familiar and like plot how you were going to come in and give everyone your take on who Lindsey was? I mean, how how did that happen?

I mean at that moment in my life, I feel like I was just like throwing darts and like hoping something would stick. Because after Fordham, I went straight to NYU grad and I was pursuing my master's in theater. I was really on a theater trajectory and it's a three year program. It's a great program, and I'm midway through, like during my second year, a casting director sees me, leads a little note in my cubby and yeah, and he's.

Like, come up and maybe we can meet and maybe you can audition.

So I start going up during my lunch breaks, which is totally not allowed in the program because it's like there's eighteen kids in my class. It's like, you know, it's one of those.

Oh that's right.

They don't want you like doing stuff outside of the program. It's super taboo.

It's very much like in line with like Juilliard and Yale drama.

It's like, you're serious, you're in, You're here twenty four to seven, this is your life.

I thins you're not going to do a teen drama on thatf rap.

But I was hungry and I had this little moment where I was like, oh gosh, that's so enticing to get to have some experience. I'd always wanted to work on camera. So I went up and I started auditioning, and all of a sudden, I'm testing for a show, the show Brothers and Sisters.

Oh yeah, like a.

Right, I don't get the part. But it just kind of threw everything into a spiral, and they caught wind of it because I in LA you know, I have to leave.

And that was your lie. You were like, I have to visit my grandmother in Los Angeles.

Obviously I was too much of a like good girl that I couldn't lie. I was like, so I'm testing for a show, and it was like what.

They were not happy about it. I went anyway.

I didn't get the part, but it just kind of the wheels started turning and so I left school halfway through, which felt like such a you know, gamble, such a leap.

The stakes were so high to like make.

Something of this because you know, and and I got One Tree Hill like five months later, which is insane looking back, you know, so lucky.

It's so meta in that.

I mean, One Tree Hill was on when you were in college, so you already kind of knew what we were doing. And then Lindsay knows everything about Brooke and Peyton and Haley and everybody, but they don't necessarily like know her, and so it's like that duality's weird, that's funny.

We think of it that way. That's so true.

You had all the intel, oh man.

Did having that intel and knowing that Lindsay was going to come in as the wedge between Lucas and Peyton. Was it intimidating or was it exciting or both?

Oh my god?

The whole experience for me was just like massively intimidating.

Oh really, I was so intimidated by you.

We couldn't tell.

No, it was a fake it till you make it kind of situation because I was just like deer in headlights.

This is totally new to me.

I'd never worked in this medium before, and it's so it's funny, like, looking back at my performance, I'm like, oh my god, I had.

I was beautiful.

Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about.

We were all gaga over you because, like, you were so much more mature than we were, probably because we're all dropouts and stunted at whatever age.

We like about you, you just seemed so school.

It's different.

Yeah, No, you seemed so much steadier than I felt, you know, And so I was.

Just like, wow, she's like glamor.

Honestly, when I auditioned, it was supposed to be, well what I was told three episodes, I'm playing his boss, his editor.

Had nobody else love interest like in your memory. I didn't find out until I.

Was down there, oh one way, seeing the professional like wearing my pencil skirts the audition, like I'm the editor, you know.

And then it's kind of smart that they didn't tell you guys that though, because that would have been extra intimidating for people like you're coming in as a love interest for the lead guy on you know, on One Tree Hill. That would have been yeah, you're right, messed with your brain alone, you're.

Right, Like, like I was like, okay, this is another this is a great job because it's three episodes.

It's a great amount of experience I don't have.

And then I think I feel like I was in a fitting or something when somebody was like, no, you're you're his love interest, and I was like, but I'm only here for three.

Always the costumer, always, now boardrobe, nose man, they're already fitting you for wedding dresses.

And a little longer, you know, I think it's gonna be it's gonna last longer than three episodes.

Yeah, I love that you didn't know.

I did not know.

And then and I was just so nervous about all of it. I was like, oh my god, they're gonna see right through me. I have no experience, and you guys were like the ones who just like had it together on a level that was so wild to me. Like I remember at the table read. I remember a couple of things when they drop all of the new pages, you know, in their pink pages or blue pages back in the day when there were hard copies, And I remember, Sophia, I remember you just like rifling through your scripts and like putting the new pages in where they belonged, And I had no idea what you were doing.

It was just like, what's happening.

She's taking pages, she's taking them out, she's putting in Like it was so like.

Am I supposed to be doing this?

I know? And I was just like I was literally just like watching you steadily, like do I need to do this?

How do I do this?

Then I made the connection with you Hillary about like our Fordham thing.

Yeah, come over, come to my house.

And I was like, oh okay, and you had me over for dinner and I show I pull up to your.

House and it's a scary house though.

Like we're so young and like rush out of school. Like I was so in You have like this cool taxidermy. You were just cool.

That house was freaky, man. I apologized.

I loved it. It was it was cool.

And then you had you cooked like seared tuna. I was like, who, I don't even know how where.

To begin making a meal like this. I like twenty three, twenty four years old. You know, I was so.

Intimidated by all of you just like had it together and you know, you were in season five of the show, and you know it worked. Before then, I was a fish out of the water, to say the least.

You know, well, you came in like right when all the toxic was going on, and I think there was a big like rush to make sure like you were okay, like the nothing where was going on with you, Like we got to talk to her, we got to bring her in to the fold real quick, because.

We liked you so much right away.

And I think that was surprising because you're supposed to be someone that I certainly was supposed to be combative with, and that was difficult because I really really find you.

It was like, but I.

Don't want to say mean things to her. That feels weird.

Yeah, No, I've felt that with you guys, all of you, And.

I think something that was always so clear, like and we've talked about it in the episodes leading up to this one and to you joining us today, is your presence was so powerful from day one. And I remember like one night going to Yosaki with you and Lisa and you guys both just being like, Okay, we've been here for a minute, like what's going on? We're just like God, we didn't say it then, but like the tea was spilt in every direction and I was like, I will kill someone for these two. Yeah, and like, I don't know, it was so it was so amazing to have incredible women come in and yeah, I mean to Hillary's point, like we knew.

What was up.

We were like what kind of texts are you getting? And are you okay?

And it was weird.

It was a good year, like we got Tory, Lisa and you and Daphne and Kate.

And Kate oh and everybody.

I mean, it was such a great influx of strong, smart, positive women.

And I think too what made me nervous was I got a I got a call and it was like just so you know, it can be really clicky down there, you know, just and I was like, oh god, because I like run the opposite direction when I can smell drama, Like it's just not.

My vibe, you know.

And so I got down there like kind of bracing myself, and I got like this invite to dinner from you. I remember going out the first night and Sophia, I remember you like pulling me down to the dance floor and you were just like dancing. It was just like so open and welcome me. I remember We're going joy to your house with Tory. I feel like, yeah, like desserts or something.

I don't know. I just remember you guys coming over. I don't know if I made dinner, if we just like, if we hung out and drank wine and then went out. I can't remember, but I remember sitting there with you guys.

It was the opposite of what Yeah. I was sort of bracing myself for yeah.

But then it makes you second guess it.

You're like, why all these bitches being so nice?

When's the other shoe going to trap?

Honestly, I welcomed it. I was like, thank god.

You know, so when was the last time you watched One Tree Hill? Did you just watch this episode? And it was the first one in ages.

I when I got worried about this, I was like, okay, I need to catch up and you know, do my homework and see because I can't remember it's been a minute, you know, what is the arc of my character?

So I've been watching. Yes, I'm like, how do you guys do this? How do you do this? Every week? Because it is torture to watch?

Oh god, I loved it. I mean because for me it's like watching a totally different person, like it was so long ago. And then like, you know, you have kids, you have other jobs, You have a life, You have all these things that kind of sit in the middle between then and now, and so it's just like making fun of somebody else that feels better.

That's a good way to look at it.

And it's true, like I don't even recognize myself.

I'm like, who is that person?

The voice is different, Like everything feels so different to me.

Yeah, you're so good in it, though, I mean, what kind of stuff did you do growing up? How did you get involved in theater. Were you doing razzle dazzle musicals like Joy and I or were you a tispan activist like Sophia?

What are you doing?

I wish I had a voice in me, but that was not my fate in life. But my mom did community theater. So I grew up watching my mom on stage. Yeah, I remember when I was.

Is she still she does she does this?

That's awesome.

Yeah, my brothers and sisters we just went back in February of the previous year to go see her star in a show. She's still doing it. And when I was nine, I saw her in Night Mother. Are you guys familiar with that play? Yeh, it's dark, it's dark. I oil the ending but it's pretty heavy at the ending, and I was so moved by it. I think that was really the first moment where I was like, oh, I want to do this, you know. Yeah, I was watching my mom.

Oh that's so nice. But you work with your brothers a lot now.

I've been so lucky to work with them a little bit.

I mean we did that movie like like four or five years ago.

You're always like promoting them on your social media and I'm like, she's.

The fuck of bess. I want a sister like Mikayla.

They've just been my champions, like through and through.

And we made our first movies together like twelve years old. When I was twelve, and god, they were like nine or something. We were doing the like horror movies, you know, and so we've just been on this ride together and getting to do that movie with them. We shot back on the East Coast where I'm from. It was just next level, like passion project.

You know what's it called.

It's called The Block Islands Sound and it's on.

It's it's it did great, it's it was.

Yeah. I'm so proud of them and like I'll do anything they do because I just have like the shorthand with each other, and I feel so safe with them. I mean even I remember even during One Tree Hill when I had like moments where I'm like really just like second guessing myself and I'm feeling insecure. They were like the first people I'd call. They were at Emerson, They're in college, and I was just like, I'm like, the ledge helped me get off it, and they would they just say the right things, and they're just they're the best. And I have two older sisters too, who have just spent like also some huge supporters.

I have a My.

Family is like that big old Irish Catholic family.

Exactly, like the most supportive of the best. That it's a hard business. So to have that foundation and have those people who support you, I just it's priceless.

I don't know what I would do without it.

Then you and Mike work together again, right, you guys were doing that show here in New York.

Yes, we did the Village to get the Village. That was another that was like an incredible year because I shot the pilot of the Village with Mike and then I went basically straight to doing the movie with my brothers. It was like the best year of my life creatively because like my best friends. Yeah, projects that I feel so passionately about that, I really believe in that experience with Mike was next level.

And then you just got to spend Uh how long were you in Yosemite doing National Park? Is it called national Park?

It was called criminal Nature, so pilotal.

Nature they changed.

Yeah, yeah, I shot that uh last year exactly this time actually in June.

Which side note, Mikayla's male lead in that pilot bought my house, bought my ranch in California. Oh really Yeah, so funny.

So funny because i'd been to that house. That was the last time I saw you, was right at the start of the pandemic. Yeah, and we're all like looking for something.

To do, right, brought the kids out to see the horses.

We went out to see the horses.

And I've been to that house since to see Parker who now owns that house.

Like so wed, so is it very different? I haven't. I have to keep meeting to text his wife and ask her to send me pictures of the house.

When what they do, I mean, such an amazing property. Yeah, it's a special special.

Playing to know. That's so funny. So okay. So back to Yosemite though, because you were there for how long?

So that shoot, we were down in New Mexico for.

Oh for two weeks.

Yeah, and then you split it up and then we had a whole other unit, like an entirely different crew when we went up to Yosemite. So we were in Yosemite for three days, which was incredible cool.

Yeah, because they don't really let people.

Yeah, I was gonna say, do they shoot there?

I don't feel like that's an environmental friendly green light situation.

It was like we had a very small footprint, like no trailers, Like it felt very indie film, you know.

Were you going to put a trailer with the buffalo? That's so weird like it?

But it was great.

It was like such a fun such a fun project that sadly, you know, it didn't go just that's the way it goes sometimes business.

But you just never know. Yeah, there you got to take them was one offs.

Yeah.

Some of the best things don't go and some things that are met go forever and may sometimes it's the other way around, and you just like you just never know.

Yeah, And it's like the things like the village, I could have spent the rest of my life on that show and been just like the haasiest person on earth.

But you know, we got one season and that was that. But lucky to get the season, you know, you never know.

Yeah, after working on like One Tree Hill and having you know, obviously some very public, toxic situations, I find that I only want to work with people I already know now, Like, those are the only jobs I want to do. If it's with like relatives or family members or lifelong friends and things like that. If you could do a project with anyone that you in your circle that you haven't worked with yet, Like who are you going to do the next gig with?

Yeah, I haven't worked with yet?

Yeah, I mean you've worked with your husband and your brothers.

I know. There how picks like it's that's so tricky because.

You're gonna have to lure your mother off of the stage just like mummy, Yes, Mummy, join me.

That would be cool.

That would be so cool to get to do something, honestly, to do something on stage, and my mom would be so special to do My Kid, which was the show.

Oh yeah, that's full circle mother Daughter?

Has it ever been made into a film.

I'm sure, I feel like it must have been. I mean, yeah, I should know that, but I don't.

We have some research to do that would be really cool.

Yeah, that's let's go get funding.

Ducy Spacek and Anne Bancroft did it in nineteen eighty six, doesn't count. Yeah, it's been a lot with all the love in my heart.

They're fabulous, like everything's getting rebooted these.

Days for a new one.

Yeah, we have a whole butt ton of fan questions that we need to get to because people found out you were coming on Mikaela and.

Oh and they went bananas flood. Yeah, because these are all the people who want us to reboot our show, and since we have not, like get very amped to get in on the fan questions and get the sort of behind the scenes perspective if your game to play.

Oh absolutely, let's do it.

So from Kragan, Okay, they're asking if you could have any other love interest, who would it be? Who else could Lindsay have had a little dalliance with in Tree Hill? These kinds of questions. It's like, I love that our fans use their imagination and love to suppose every possible scenario that could have happened and maybe should have happened.

I mean, offset, I had the best time with.

Lee, Like so we just had such a great relationship, you know, hanging out.

I love that kid.

So kid, he's not a kid anymore, but get such a ball together. So let's say Lee, let's set Lee in the mix there.

Oh, I want to ask this one.

Uh Freley asks, how did you feel about your style? Lindsay was twenty two years old and ready for business meetings twenty four to seven.

Question. I mean, it's that's where I'm what I'm saying when I'm like, I look back and I'm like.

Who is this person?

Because I at the time, which you would never know, I was wearing like T shirts and ripped jeans and Converse.

And yeah so not and I'm you're so rock and roll, so.

That girl, like I love a T shirt and jeans like I'm I mean heels, I'm like, okay, when do I get to take them off?

You know?

So, But for whatever reason, people often see me as this sort of polished and professional.

Hardly I wonder if that has to do with my theater training and just sort of.

Like that's what I look back at and I hear in the way that I converse on the show. It's like everything had intention, and everything had like, you know, there was.

Just like a certain good posture. Would like to throw it away, it wasn't there.

Yeah, it was like Alexander technique was just like you know, it's like the State.

So it's so funny to see myself.

I'm wearing those pencil skirts and those like you know, silk buttoned downs and very structured. I did not recognize myself when I'd step onto step.

But at the same time, I was like, I'm playing a character and this is who lindsay, Yeah, let that go. Yeah.

Also, like businesswear was a thing that young women wore back in the early aughts, and I look back and I'm like, what were we doing? That was our one time in life to just be slutty and inappropriate, and instead we were wearing capri pants and oh Man matching sweater sets.

Hailey in this episode, the wardrobe was rough. It was like, well lately, like as a teacher. It's like she became a teacher and then suddenly dressed in all businesswar that's it, that's all.

I was super jealous of Peyton's clothes. Yeah, so cool all the time.

Peyton had the best vibe this season.

Totally, that was all Carol Cutshaw.

But there really was. You're right, there was such an era of like young professional business wear.

Oh god, I feel like I look like I'm in my forties.

You know.

No, but they didn't. They did the same thing to Alice. They made Alice all like super serious too, Mouth's boss.

Except she was in all short skirts.

Yeah she had baby size.

Yeah.

But one of the benefits of playing older or looking older when you're that young is that as you age, people are constantly amazed that you have stayed the same.

Yeah. Yeah, you haven't changed at all.

Okay, Steph wants to know what was your favorite Lindsay moment and what was the most challenging one.

Okay, well, this is the same answer actually, Oh and it was from this episode. It was the speech that I.

Have to see about my dad. And I read the page and I was like, ooh, this is tough.

And again, like I this was a new medium for me, and a lot of times in TV and film you don't have the ramp.

You just have to drop in and go.

And I was super nervous about it, and I don't know if you guys remember, but I had like this mini breakdown. I remember, you're yeah, okay. So we were in our cast shairs, little cast holding room, and we.

Probably rehearsed it.

But when you rehearse and TV, you know, it's like pretty quick and it's blocking and then off you go, and the cameras are going to set up and you know, any minute now we'll call you in and then you'll deliver.

The scene and then we'll move on.

Right. YEA, so fast movie, so much pressure, and I was not used to it at the time. And so I'm sitting in the chair and it's the perfect time for touchup, so hair and makeup they swoop in and I'm like trying to get into this headspace, which was super challenging, and I remember the tears, just like my eyes start to well up and I just start to cry. And Sophia, you're like right across from me, and I think you're like reading a book and you look up and you see you're like.

Okay, everybody, everybody out, everybody you like come over and you're like, we need to give her some space. Is everything? Okay? How are you doing?

And like joy came over and you came over like everybody just kind of like like group hug moment to like help me calm down and get my bearings, and like it was so I really look back at that moment because I really needed it, and you guys really came for me in that moment. And when I watched that scene last night, I was like, I'm so proud of that because I get to that place, but only because I had this support of my cast.

Yeah, dude, you did that scene in like two takes. Like I remember after the first time you did it. I mean the crew members were like whoa, Yeah, it.

Was so real.

But you got me there, like it was, it was all built.

That was in you. You just needed us to clear some space.

Man, Yeah, you just needed a minute.

I it's so wild that you're talking about this, because you know, we have these weird like moments right where you get the sense memory from this stuff. And we're all zooming from all different parts of the country right now. And I'm in London and it's twelve thirty in the morning and I'm I'm walking every day, you know, from my and like I'm trying to learn the city. So I get off at like different train stops that are around where our theater is, so I can like go in and every day when I like walk from a different train station to the theater, I just have like playlists going. And I went back into my phone and I and I scrolled into like an old mix and Explosions in the Sky came on, and I literally was like this was three days ago and we were prepping for this episode, and I was like, oh my god, I remember that night being like here and like putting what a weirdly intimate thing. I just like stuck my earbuds in your ears and was listen to this song and in the library and then like I I just remember, it's one of those things that anytime I hear that album, I think of you.

And like I was.

Walking to work, you know, fifteen years after we did that scene in the library that night, and so I just thought about the story you just told like literally three days ago.

Well, it's so cool. It's so cool how things like that stick with you.

It's crazy, right, yeah, Like it just and suddenly you're right back there with your with your team.

I just so appreciate you teaching me, like, hey, take your moment, Take your space, and I've you know, it took me a while to kind of gain that confidence to be like, oh, I'm going to listen to my earbuds. I'm gonna have a voice in this and not just be like, Okay, I'll sit here and i'll do that and I'll do you know what I mean. Yes, that it's a collaboration and that's how we do our best work. And yeah, you guys taught me so much on the show, so that.

Is important to do that. It really is, because it's easy to walk into an environment that you feel a little intimidated and you just want to just I just want to just do my best and not create any waves. And man, that's just there's no real creativity there. And I think real artists crave that, like, please show up with an idea, even if it's terrible and crazy. It's an idea and we can play with it and maybe something interesting will come out of that idea. But if we're all just playing it safe, I know, nothing exciting happens, you know. So I love that that you were willing to take up that space, Hillary, Was it hard for you? That was the most mean I've ever seen Peyton in the show. Yeah, that you know, and I know you had to push I mean, I'm assuming you justified that by knowing that you had to push that hard in order for Lindsey to really like snap. Was that hard? Did it feel like an a necessary out of character or did you I would just love to know kind of what you were thinking about that when you read it and then when you had to do it. Were you told, like, go further, go further?

What was that?

Yeah?

I mean, obviously there's a ton of stuff going on behind the scenes, so I think that there was a bit of character assassination that was happening, and I was super protective, but I also felt super safe with Mikayla that we could just cut the ship and be like, hey, we're gonna say these horrible things and we're going to do this job and it's going to feel very uncomfortable, and I think being able to cut through kind of that murkiness, especially women that are pit against each other in a pretty dark industry.

I don't know.

Sometimes you need years of a relationship to do that with someone, and sometimes you just need like a couple couple days. And I feel like we were able to do that in a really like healthy, safe way, which so that made me love it.

That made me be like it, let's fight.

But you didn't have a reaction when you got that, like why would Peyton do this or say these things? It just struck me as out of character. I'm watching it and I'm.

Like, whoa, I know.

I feel like we're going to force Mikayla to stick around and talk about the actual episode with us and just dissect the sh out of it. This is the perfect episode for Lindsay's commentary because at this point.

She knows all of these Tree Hill girls and it's like, I'm done with your bullshit.

I'm don don Do we have any more fan questions we want to hit there's one I want to read.

There are so many and they're so good. But Megan's question has come.

I must be addressed.

It must be addressed. What is your take on the bamboo? Was it friendly or was Lindsay claiming her territory?

That's so funny. No, it was all friendly all but here's too is like, I you know again, I showed up thinking I'm the boss.

I have no idea, I'm even the loving every day I'm getting new information.

I'm that is the kind of crazy thing about episode, and it's like you actually have no idea where your character's going, right, so, like you know, just to go back to what Joy was saying about this particular episode, I was like, what Lindsay saying, now, like this isn't who I thought. She was like, you're kind of being thrown this stuff. So in my Michayla way, probably I was like, ah.

I have gotten so many fan reactions because a couple podcasts ago, Mikayla.

I was like, bullsh she's claiming her territory. Yeah, and we were all like, come hackme. Haley didn't get one. The ex girlfriends all got him.

Haley didn't get one.

Actually that's a good point.

Yeah, all I'm saying, I know what you were doing. I love the love triangle. It's so fun to play. Like, did you have fun doing it? Because we really did get to be like bitchy together.

Yeah we did. I mean.

I was so great for the job. It was such a like I really can't stress that enough. It was such a stressful moment for me to leave school. Yeah, and so then to get this opportunity, I just wanted to do right by everybody. I just wanted to like learn, and I feel like I was a sponge. I mean, I just remember that my very first scene. I'm doing the scene with Chad and I'm We're in bed and I'm wearing his shirt and it's like, yeah, I'm like.

I'm locking his light. I don't even know what I'm doing.

Wait, did he give you the Michael Caine book? No, because listen, when we shot the pilot, I was in your exact same shoes. I was like, oh my god, I've done one episode of Dawson's Creek. I don't know any of these technical rules. And Chad took me out to real cafe and gave me a copy of that Michael Caine book like Actors on Acting or it was like a book about like how to hit your mark and learn the crew members. It was just like a technique book and it was so helpful. And he was the only person who could have given me that, because like, what was it like an ad gonna give it to me?

Like here, dumb read this.

Oh.

He was super nice to me because again I was just like super nervous and and like I remember them putting the tape on the floor and yeah, like I had no idea what the tape was about, and he's like, oh, that's remark.

He was, yeah, yeah, it was like, what's that?

What's that tape about? It's fun. We got tape all over the floor here.

Yeah, y'all make an art?

What is.

Oh?

Speaking of art? Before we dive into the episode, Mikayla, are you creating anything right now? For those of you who don't know, Mikayla is an incredible fine artist and I would love to know what you're up to.

So nice, Joy. I mean, my hands are pretty full with these three.

Little so I feel like I get my art fixed with crafting because.

You know so.

Or you know, we just renovated our house, so I love an interior design and I love doing you know, little like that just like that. Those are my fun little side hobbies. Yeah, but it's always been a dream of mine to go back to art school because for me, it was like, I mean, pursue art or pursue acting, and I went the acting route. And it's again it's like that sliding doors moment. I'm like what but who knows?

Yeah, what's Lindsay doing.

One of the last questions is how do you envision Lindsay's life playing out after leaving Lucas. Is she just like taking classes at risdie and painting.

I love that she goes to Rhode Island. Yeah, definitely not on before she.

Had to leave Tree Hill behind and start a new life and find something like one hundred percent into her you know.

Yeah, I deserve that she did. I'm all for it.

Okay, so we're gonna talk about this episode, but you guys are gonna have to the listeners at home are gonna have to wait. And I can't wait to break this one down.

So juicy, Yeah, can't wait. Thanks for hanging Hey, thanks for listening.

Don't forget to leave us a review. You can also follow us on Instagram at Drama Queen's o t.

H or email us at Drama Queens at iHeartRadio dot com.

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