Vanessa Marano

Published Jan 24, 2024, 5:00 AM

Backstage with "April Nardini."

I am all in.

Oh, I.

Am all in with Scott Patterson, an iHeartRadio podcast.

My daughter just walked in April Nardini. Hello, Vanessa Mrano, Thank Scott.

How are you?

I'm doing great? How you doing? You're excited for tonight?

I am excited for tonight.

I know it's a good crowd. It's a nice buzz. Were you surprised to see what we did to get ready to do?

There was a lot of coffee, so that I was not surprised by it. And I actually didn't stop for coffee before those because when I know where I'm going exactly, am I not? There?

We go?

Can you hear me?

Now? I can hear you perfect? So what do you think of this Gilmore stuff? It just keeps getting bigger and bigger year in, year out. What do you attribute that to?

I mean, I think a lot of things. I think it had a very, very loyal fan base. But I was just talking about this, like, when it was on, it almost didn't seem as big as it is now. And I think it's probably because it's so accessible now with streaming that it found a new audience. And then also it's so rewatchable. I mean, you know, that I was a huge fan of the show before I got on the show. I can watch these episodes right over and over and over again.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's it's highly addictive stuff.

Yeah.

And there's so fast paced, and there's so many jokes that people are forced because you miss I mean, i'm watching it now if I haven't seen it ever, it's first time I'm watching.

I have to rewatch scenes because what's that joke? What's that joke? What's that joke?

Yeah, that must be such a trip for you because it's been like that.

That's wild, like watching another person that I don't know. I'm not kidding. Oh, I believe, because I don't want I can't watch myself. I get a Oh so now it's like twenty four years. I'm fine, fine, Yeah, sometimes that guy's pretty good and another time that guy.

Kind of stuff. Oh, come on, very critical, can't help. How do you feel about watching yourself?

I'm okay watching myself, But again, I have a child actor brain, so it was like I didn't grow up being as critical of myself as a result of that because I started so young that it just sort of like you almost had to watch yourself to get better and like be a little bit conscious of what you were doing so I can kind of disassociate out of myself a little.

I don't know if it's super healthy, but I can do it.

You make money off that other people pay a PSYCHIATRYT.

What would you recommend really young kids getting into acting to do?

How do you think they should go about it?

Well, you know, it's interesting and it's obviously so much different now than when I started, So like just from like an emotional psychological perspective, I would say, make sure you actually, like really like it and the craft and the school plays and all that stuff, because if you don't like it, it's not worth the struggle that it is to me your sanity within it.

And then I would say, like, yeah.

You do have to sort of realize that you as an artist are almost a product in some ways and really be okay with that and be okay with like what your boundaries are within knowing what it is to be putting yourself out there and like they're judging you, Like, yes, it's a performance, but all the feedback is going to be about you, and that could be really.

Really taxing on people.

However, if you love it enough, if you're willing to sort of you know, be logical about the whole thing and put your boundaries up in that way, I think then it is just putting yourself out there and trying to create your own projects. I mean, we're in a really interesting place now where it's like the influencer and people are putting themselves as an influencer. You want to be a performer, you can put yourself out there as a performer. You can put together your own you know, short films, what have.

You kind of easy to be discovered.

Now there's now no excuse not to be discovered if you really have the intestinal fortitude.

Exactly what you said, because it is it is a lot of work. Like I don't want to take away from the fact that, like every day you have to be creating something and putting yourself out there and have the financial means to do that as well.

But if you're starting younger, if you have.

The cushion of your teenager and your parents are supporting you and you're trying to figure it out, or even if you're in college and learning about your craft, that way, doing that in tandem to putting your work out there in any way that you can do it, I think is the best thing.

Yeah, you can, I mean, but the training aspect of it, you have to.

Train, and again just to make sure that you like it, because it's not worth it if you don't like it.

You really do need to aggressively go after it, you know, like a hungry animal basically, and if you don't have that kind of passion for it, don't do it.

And it also might not look the way that you thought it was going to look. I think, you know, my sister's on a Disney Channel show, and I think for a lot of young kids.

It's like that's that's what it is.

It's being on your own Disney Channel show, and it's like that's not necessary barely what it is. You might be finding your way in as a as a costume designer, and then you know, transitioning into a stylist, putting that out there, but still finding a way to then get your own podcast about that topic. It moves into a television show for yourself. All of a sudden, you're.

On a fashion show, you know what I mean.

Like, I'm not saying that's a straight line, but I think if you like the industry, or certain aspects of the industry, whether it be performance, but it's just overall creation. It may not look the way that you envisioned it, but you will still get to the place that you want to get if you love it enough, and like you said, are aggressive enough.

What are you doing now?

What am I doing now?

Well? I've transitioned quite a bit into producing actually, so yeah. I produced a film on Netflix that my sister was in, which was really really awesome. It's called The Royal Treatment. It was very cool to be like Laura's on Netflix and then you can go and watch an episode.

Of Kilmore Girls with me on it. There we are.

So yeah, I've been you know, producing, writing, I directed a music video and then yeah, the Strike. So now so hoping to act again sometime soon.

There were some of your big inspirations in the entertainment.

Field, Emma Thompson, I love obsessed with Anne Hathaway, but I think that's just because like I think I was Princess Diary's that.

She was in a pilot when she was eighteena and I was. I did an episode of that.

That's amazing.

Word.

I love her And I saw in a movie theater a couple months.

Later, ship record.

Well, I mean, I mean after one episode the Goal, the Unmitigated gall I cry.

I know you thinking about it now.

Because everybody knew she was going to be a huge everybody knows, everybody knows amazing.

Hell, let's see here, Tina Fe I also am obsessed with as well. Yeah, like like pretty much any like strong opinionated brunette is someone that I shockingly gramitate towards.

Any anybody from the Golden era of Hollywood.

The Golden era of Hollywood forty I mean, look, I think it's hard because so many women were being abused and overly medicated during that time, so it's a little bit difficult to be like.

But I mean, I think Judy Garland is an amazing example of like strength and overcoming adversity during a time period, and also like sticking up for the LGBTQ community before anybody actually was, which I think is very impressive for that time period.

So, and of course I love the Wizard of Oz. It could just be as simple as that.

What about new projects? When are you're working on now?

New projects?

I have a few different things in the producing pipeline. Something that I've set myself up for directing. We'll see if that actually goes. But you know that's that's what it is, man. It's just like chasing, chasing, chasing until something lands.

Van does. It doesn't get better. I miss you. I want to work with you again.

Let's do it. Let's make it happen, right, We've got to be aggressive, yes again?

All right?

Good deal. We'll see everybody, and don't forget.

Follow us on Instagram at I Am all In podcast and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com