Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Appearances
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Well, hello there. It's me, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. I'm so happy to be back with Season 3 of Wiser Than Me. And to celebrate that, I am so excited to share that we have partnered with Lingua Franca, a New York City-based luxury and sustainable clothing brand, to offer our listeners Wiser Than Me-specific hand-embroidered sweaters, sweatshirts, and more. LEMONADA LEMONADA
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
My high school was so different, but just as foundational. My high school and elementary school was a private all-girls school. I went there for 10 years. And then, my God, my father, I do not know why, he wanted me to go to an all-girls college, which I definitely did not want to do. He absolutely insisted that we go tour Wellesley College.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
We had Rita Moreno on this podcast. She's wonderful. She's wonderful. Did you know that she dated Elvis Presley? And she said he was kind of boring.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I know, but I mean, I have to say that was a shock for me to hear that. I think that's amazing.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Good for you, reaching across the aisle.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
So we did, and we ended up having this huge fight about the school while walking across the quad. And all of a sudden, a bee flies up my skirt and stings me on the ass. This is a true story, you guys. No kidding. And I started screaming in front of the whole tour group like a crazy person. The good news is I didn't have to go on the rest of the tour. So that was excellent.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
So you hit an obstacle, you know, like, well, the Affordable Care Act, that was a hard one, was it not? I mean, and you launched a campaign across the country to get the word out about the Affordable Care Act, right? To have people tell their personal stories. Were there other examples of that kind of leadership that you did, Nancy, before the Affordable Care Act to get legislation done?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
There's much more with Nancy Pelosi in just a moment. Stay right where you are. This show is sponsored by Liquid IV. Between traveling, hosting big gatherings and keeping your family sane, there's always a lot going on this time of year. When life gets that hectic, taking care of yourself and staying hydrated tends to fall off the radar.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
But anyway, back to my all-girls high school. My school has a roster of wildly successful female alums, and maybe that's because at a school like mine, everyone who is the captain of a team or the star of a play or president of the class or the valedictorian or whatever is a woman.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
That's symbiotica.com slash wiser for 20% off your order plus free shipping today. Filmmaking can take you anywhere. Sometimes it's to a soundstage, and other times you get to go abroad to fab places like London or Paris. The only downside to traveling? Your home is left unused while you're off exploring. That's why hosting on Airbnb is such a great idea.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
It turns those travel days into an opportunity to earn extra income. Whether it's a spare room, a cozy guest house, or your entire home while you're away... Airbnb makes it easy to share what you have. You're in control every step of the way. Decide when you host, who stays, and how much you charge. Plus, Airbnb offers tools and support to help you feel confident and secure.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
You might be wondering whether your place is a good fit for Airbnb, but many hosts started with the same question. So if you've ever thought about listing your space, now's the perfect time. Turn unused space into extra income and give travelers a chance to experience your city like a local. Plus, then you can use that extra cash for your next adventure, wherever your travels may take you.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host. After the 2016 election, you described Hillary's loss as actually physical, like a mule kicking you in the back, which, by the way, I think is very apt. I felt the same way. Many of us now are still feeling maybe even a bigger sting, a bigger kick.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Can you give us some advice, Nancy, about how we move through our feelings of not just disappointment, maybe even despair? I know you talk about, you say, don't agonize, organize, which I love, love, love.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
And when you look at lists of successful women, CEOs, members of Congress, musicians, journalists, the percentage that went to all-girls schools is considerable. Kind of stunning. I mean, everybody from Pink to Michigan Senator Alyssa Slotkin to Ambassador Susan Rice and Melinda Gates to, I don't know, the Wicked Witch of the West, Margaret Hamilton. Yes, it's true.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
By the way, congratulations. You won your seat again. No surprise, but that's so fabulous. And in an interview, you said, I'm confident in my ability to lead because I know my strengths. So my question is, what are your strengths? What do you see your strengths as being? Well, first of all,
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
They all went to all-girls schools. So am I making a pitch for all-girls education? Well, no, not exactly. I'm making a pitch for putting women in charge.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
You do say in your book, lead by instinct, that you have to trust your judgment, have the confidence to act when the moment demands. So here I have a question about that. I have a question about the use of strategy versus intuition instinct, right? Because a couple of moments, for example—
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
But when the former president, the president-elect, when he made that speech, that State of the Union, and you tore up the speech, were you—had you read the speech before and did you think, I'm going to tear it up, or that was an instinct, that you had the intuition to do it in that moment?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Well, it was an iconic moment. And your gesture, it was like, talk about blowing off steam. It was a huge relief to see you do that. It was like, oh, there's a sane person reacting sanely to insanity. But it was such a sad speech.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
It's a pitch for an even playing field because I bet the powerful and successful women who did not go to all-girls schools were also at some point in positions where their leadership was allowed or maybe they powerfully insisted it be allowed to flourish. Success followed. Of course, not everyone is a leader, obviously. But when women lead, everyone benefits, men included.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
By the way, there's no male intuition. You'll notice that's not a phrase.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Nine out of ten, it's still an A. But you make it happen.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Yeah. It's time to take another break. We'll be right back with more wisdom from Nancy Pelosi. I know we're all so excited to find the perfect gifts for the people we love. There's nothing like seeing your adult child light up because you finally nailed it and surprise them with exactly what they wanted. Macy's Friends and Family Sale is here to help make that magic happen.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
It's good for everybody. At my all-girls high school, which was far from perfect, it had its own stupid rules and prejudices and very conservative ideology, my experience of seeing women lead without apology, myself included, by the way, instilled in me an expectation of female leadership, a normalization. That's the word. That was just how it was, and it was wonderful.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Wiser Than Me Season 3 is available ad-free when you subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You'll also get access to exclusive interview excerpts from each episode. Subscribe now in the Apple Podcast app. I know you've said you characterized yourself as being shy when you were younger. Do you recall a moment when you first entered public service?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Do you remember a time where you got pushed back and you had to really steal yourself and go? No. No.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Having children obviously prepared you for all of this, correct?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
And then out in the real world, my classmates and I just expected to be taken seriously. And when we weren't, we would put up a hell of a fight. I mean, if I've learned one thing from Wiser Than Me, it is that the women we have been so honored to talk to from everywhere. every walk of life, they know how to put up one hell of a fight. They know how to lead.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I would say, see, this is why I like so much playing Selina Meyer on beat and why I think I could tap into it because there are parallels, you know? You have to stay relevant. You have to keep getting elected. You have to, as an actor, keep getting jobs. And you need to be electable. And the parallels are kind of run deep. You're a brand. You're a brand.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
There's a brand of you that you're selling, right?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
You said that if your mother, Big Nancy, which is the greatest name ever, you said, if she lived in my generation or my daughter's generations, my goodness, Lord knows what she would have been able to accomplish. Because she was an inventor. She held a number of patents, which is extraordinary. One for a steamed facial machine. Can you talk about her and her influence in your life?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I remember what a good man he was. I remember when I was back in the 80s, I was on Saturday Night Live for a couple of years. And he hosted when I was there.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
No, you have not crossed the bridge. I'm going to help you with this. Speaking of your mom, this is something I found incredibly touching, that when you were first in Congress and you would get letters from your mother whenever— Oh, woman. A woman was appointed. Can you please tell us what those letters were? That is mind-blowing to me.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
And she would say it, tell them I'm praying for them.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
They have, every one of them, earned our deep, deep respect. So as I've said many times, listen to old women, motherfuckers. And we're just scratching the surface of each of these individuals' life story, the tons and tons of wisdom they can pass along to us.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
What a loss it has been for our country, our culture, to not hear from all of the women with brilliant ideas and tons of talent and genius, the women who have been kept from leadership, from flourishing by stupid rules, by what is now almost laughingly called the patriarchy. Well, fellas, you're lost because women in leadership roles, well, I mean, obviously, we're not 100% fabulous.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Yes, this is from the suffragette movement.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Yeah, we do, and hopefully it'll be in our lifetime. Not mine. Oh, absolutely. It'll be in your lifetime. Nancy, just stick with the hot dogs and the chocolate ice cream. You're going to outlive us all. So, look, I'd like to ask you about your marriage. Yeah. For the first, I guess, maybe 25 years, I guess it seemed pretty traditional, I think. And he had a very demanding, successful career.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
How did your marriage evolve as your political career demanded more of you? Yeah.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Why five? Why didn't you go for more?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I'll grant you that. I mean, you do get your occasional insanely crappy congresswoman, your idiot female pundit. We're not batting 1,000, but we're batting in the high 400s, and even Ted Williams never did that. Well, how perfect then.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
But you were thinking outside the box. That's kind of, that's fabulous.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
You've been in Washington so long, Nancy, and you've been on the front lines. You've witnessed so much in terms of the vitriol in the discourse between sides has become so toxic. It's the most toxic I've ever witnessed in my lifetime. Yeah, let's eat chocolate. Absolutely have a piece. Yeah. And do you think, before I ask you any more, can I have one of these too? Okay. Is it good?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Is it worth it? It's delicious. Oh, this is too huge. They're big. Yeah, they're big. All right. Well, anyway, I'm going to ask you this question and then eat this. Do you think it's ever going to be possible to pull back from this toxicity? I mean, do you think it's possible to sort of put the toothpaste back in the tube in terms of public discourse in your heart of hearts?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
that we talk today on the last show of the season to a fellow all-girls high school graduate and one of the greatest female leaders of our time, maybe even the greatest female leader of our time, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. I'm Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and this is Wiser Than Me, the podcast where I get schooled by women who are wiser than me.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Yeah, and I think that most people are fundamentally good, and so we have to count on that and believe in that and move forward with that in our hearts and minds, right? The goodness of the American people...
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I think I'm going to convert to Catholicism after this conversation. Okay. I don't know what I'm going to do on confession, but I may have to do it. All right. We have to wind things up because you have places to go. I have quick little questions to ask you. Is there something you go back and tell yourself at 21, Nancy? I'm glad we got the chocolates.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
So maybe. You would maybe spend more time on a little self-care. A little. Or just a shower, perhaps.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
God bless you. Thank you. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi. What a treat to have you here. My pleasure.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Well, thank you for saying that. My father came here. He was born in France, of course. And so for him to have the opportunity to meet the French president, to come to a state dinner like that was pretty mind-blowing. It was really an exciting—that was an exciting evening for sure.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
All right. We done did it. Here we go. You want more chocolate?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Hey folks, before we begin, we wanted to let you know that this episode was recorded before Speaker Pelosi's recent accident in Luxembourg. We are keeping her in our thoughts and sending our love for a smooth and speedy recovery.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Well, wasn't that something else? Oh, my goodness. Ladies and gentlemen. Wow. Okay. So normally, of course, on this podcast, I call my mother after these conversations and I sort of bring her up to speed on the conversation that I've had with the wise woman I was talking to. But in this case... My dear mom was listening because she was so excited to hear it live. So she heard the conversation.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
We're going to grab her on Zoom now to see what her thoughts are. Sit tight. Hi, Mommy.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Yeah, I know. I felt the same. By the way, I don't know if you know this, but my sister Lauren came to watch it live, too, as did my niece, your granddaughter, Fia. And she came along as well. And so she got to meet Nancy Pelosi, which was very important and exciting. I thought that was cool.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Well, not just her grandchildren. She brought all the children up. Well, yes. So there were lots of people who had brought their kids on the opening day of Congress and they had brought their children and grandchildren to the floor. And so she invited all the children up. Right. Which is so cool of her to have done.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
And also, by the way, you know what else is interesting? She has said many times that she's doing the work she does, she's doing it for the children. She uses that phrase a lot. I thought that was particularly interesting because I don't know if you remember, but Patti Smith, when she was on the show, she said the same thing.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
When people ask her where she stands, she says she stands for the children. That's an interesting framework to think about a point of view, a political point of view, to apply that lens to help you come to a conclusion or an opinion.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
It is an axiom, an undisputed truth that in the developing world, the fastest, most effective way to bring a village, a province, a nation out of poverty to reduce disease, crime, and violence is to empower women. But right here in our own rich, supposedly sophisticated nation, we're too stupid to apply that same axiom. We need more women in positions of power.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Okay, but I think that the calendar thing probably has to do with an update on the iPhone, and I can help you figure out the calendar. There's a search thing that you can push.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I will. I promise. So, by the way, this is, as you know, the end of season three. And I think what a perfect conversation to end on because we can all sort of leave this season thinking about what is our why and kind of pound down on understanding why. not only what our why is, but how it came to be, and then apply it to our life and move forward positively.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
And I mean, it sounds like this is all of a sudden a self-help podcast. I really don't want it to be or mean it to be. But anyway, it's interesting, an interesting thing to consider. I've actually been thinking about what is my why. I'm not really sure what it is, but I'm thinking about it. Anyway,
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I just want to say that's the end of Wiser Than Me Season 3, and it was a great one to go out on, and bam, there you go, right? Oh, yeah. Sorry. Sorry, Mommy. Had you fallen asleep? No, no.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I didn't know who I was talking to either. I'm talking to our listeners, but I'm also talking to you. Yeah, you're still on here.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Yeah, that's right. So it's true. If you've got older women in your life, take some time to listen to them. You might learn something. And, Mommy, I learned tons from you, and I love you tons.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
There's more Wiser Than Me with Lemonada Premium on Apple. You can listen to every episode of Season 3 ad-free. Subscribers also get access to exclusive bonus interview excerpts from each episode. Subscribe now by clicking on the Wiser Than Me podcast logo in the Apple Podcasts app and then hitting the subscribe button. Make sure you're following Wiser Than Me on social media.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
We're on Instagram and TikTok at Wiser Than Me, and we're on Facebook at Wiser Than Me Podcast. Wiser Than Me is a production of Lemonada Media, created and hosted by me, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. This show is produced by Chrissy Pease, Jamila Zahra Williams, Alex McCohen, and Oja Lopez. Brad Hall is a consulting producer.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Rachel Neal is VP of New Content, and our SVP of Weekly Content and Production is Steve Nelson. Executive Producers are Paula Kaplan, Stephanie Whittles-Wax, Jessica Cordova-Kramer, and me. The show is mixed by Johnny Vince Evans with engineering help from James Sparber, and our music was written by Henry Hall, who you can also find on Spotify or wherever you listen to your music.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Special thanks to Will Schlegel and, of course, my mother, Judith Bowles. Well, believe it or not, this is the final episode of season three. And because it takes a lot of people to make a show like this, I wanted to take a moment and quickly thank all of the many wise people who helped make this podcast possible.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
And of course, I'm not saying men should stay away from politics. I mean, we've had 45 male presidents and almost two and a half of them were great presidents. Right. And one of those wasn't even named Washington or Lincoln. I'll let you guess who that was. I'm just saying if you want to get stuff done, hire women. Elect women.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
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Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Case in point, Nancy Pelosi, the first and only female Speaker of the House and arguably, and I'm going to make the argument, the most effective speaker and leader in a century. Nancy Pelosi didn't run for public office until she was 47 years old. Can you believe what I am saying? and think of what she has done.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Always a fierce advocate for the unseen and unheard, starting with the AIDS crisis in the 80s through the Affordable Care Act, which she, through her magical political jujitsu, somehow worked through Congress and now insures millions of Americans. Her stupendous tenacity has led her to become the most powerful woman in the Western world.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
It is no surprise that Nancy Pelosi grew up in a family that lived and breathed politics. Her dad, Tommy D'Alessandro Jr., wasn't just a visionary Democratic congressman. He was also a great dancer and the mayor of Baltimore. Her mom, Big Nancy—I love that name—was a whip-smart strategist, inventor, and I'm guessing—guessing, possibly—the brains behind her husband—
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
And Nancy, she was little Nancy, the shy youngest of six children and, of course, the only girl. When Nancy became a public servant, she showed us what tough, unwavering, principled persistence looks like. She leads with agility and ferocity and does it while taking zero crap.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
My God, the threats and real violence she has had to put up with throughout her career, the classless, insipid, dangerous way that the people who are taking power right now think they can talk about this great woman. I don't know how she perseveres, so let's find out. I can't wait to talk to someone who I have been...
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
It's hilarious to me how often a conversation with somebody in their 50s or 60s or even 70s will start with the words, well, when I was in high school. We never get over high school, do we? Seriously. I mean, as my own kids get older, I see constant proof, for good or ill, that these high school years are critical and formative.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
So truly lucky to work with on so many issues important to me and to her, and who is simply one of the smartest, wisest, most fascinating people we'll ever have the privilege of talking with on our show. My God, I am deeply honored to welcome a mother, a grandmother, a person of faith, the Speaker of the House Emerita, the voice of the Democratic Party, a real deadhead, and a woman who is...
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
completely and utterly wiser than me, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. Welcome, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I want to just ask you some silly questions at the very top, if I may. Please. Are you comfortable if I ask you your real age?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Like young girls do, too. By the way, we have chocolate here for you because we heard you were a bit of a chocoholic.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
We have that in common, by the way. What's the best part, do you think, about being your age? May I call you Nancy?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Yeah, I know. I don't feel that way. I know what you mean. Well, of course, you're so vibrant. You're doing everything all the time. So I can understand. You just have more experience under your belt, right?
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Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
What about, are you wearing heels right now?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Yeah. You know, it's funny, because when I was doing this show called Veep, in which I played the vice president and then the president, and I was always in heels like the heels that you often wear. Stilettos, mm-hmm. Yeah. And we made a whole thing of me taking off my shoes once I got back into my office and being barefoot. Do you take your shoes off when you're working? Not so much.
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Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Not so much. My God, these heels don't bother your back?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
What about food? I mean, I know you eat chocolate ice cream, but like when you're at work, do they have good food on Capitol Hill, like at the house there? Is there any good food?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
I have to tell you, I was once in the—I had the great pleasure of having lunch with then-Vice President Biden in his office. Yes. And I was really nervous because I'd never been, you know, hanging out like that with a vice president before.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
That's right. But when it came to the real thing, I was anxious. And we sat down to eat and... He starts to order, and I didn't have any appetite because I was so nervous. And I said, oh, I'll just have a salad. And he says, I'll have that salad. And he goes, oh, no, no, you should have the crab cakes. He goes, just bring the crab cakes, too.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
And the next thing I know, I've got this huge plate of crab cakes and this massive salad, and I could barely eat a thing. I'm sure he—anyway, whatever. But I did have it by the crab cakes. They're pretty good. At least the White House crab cakes were good. Yeah, that's a different— Well, of course, you're near Maryland, and crab cakes are part of our staples. I know. Coming from Maryland.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Nancy Pelosi
Totally, totally. You graduated from the Institute of Notre Dame. It was an all-girls Catholic high school in Baltimore, right? Yes. By the way, I went to an all-girls school, too, in Bethesda, Maryland. And I have to say there was a huge benefit to going to an all-girls school. Did you like going to an all-girls school?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Well, hi there. It's me, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. We're back for Season 3 of Wiser Than Me. We've got so much more wisdom to share from the magnificent old ladies featured this season. To celebrate the start of Season 3, we've added some groovy new items to our Wiser Than Me merchandise collection.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
So, speaking of your mom, when you left Puerto Rico, you had a very tight family community back in Puerto Rico, and you came to the United States with your mom when you were five, I believe. Yeah. And it was just the two of you in New York. How did you, in those early days, how did the two of you navigate together? You were a team, correct? Yeah.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
And most of all, in making a lot of money, which is just so thrilling to hear about, again, from another Ivy League-educated white guy who wouldn't know his own privilege if it ran him over, which it did several times. But did it stop him from bloviating? Oh, no, no, it did not. And like I said, you know what?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Rita's smiling and waving at me, right? Just so our listeners know.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
It's time for a break. There's much more with Rita Moreno when we return. Certainly, you've taken a lot of pictures with your kids and family this year. Holidays, first day of school, vacations, and all those little moments in between. Here's the thing. Even with all those great shots, sharing them with the whole family can be a hassle. It can feel like a lot to manage.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
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These were fancy friends, and they have a little balcony thing, so we were sitting outside, and it was a lovely early fall evening. And as this guy is pontificating about his latest trip to Dubai and the rising value of something or other, and I'm just praying that dessert is coming so I can get the hell out of there— I started to notice this really weird smell, right?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
There's nothing like seeing your adult child light up because you finally nailed it and surprise them with exactly what they wanted. Macy's Friends and Family Sale is here to help make that magic happen. From December 4th through December 12th, take an extra 30% off top gifts and 15% off the best beauty brands. They've got something for everyone. Ugg boots, advent calendars, nest candles, Crocs.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Rita, I read your memoir, and I have to say, it's a page-turner. It's really well written. Your life is just fascinating, and you're able to relay that beautifully in the written word.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I mean, it's like this awful smell. And it's very close by. And I'm trying to identify it. And then it hits me. Oh, my God, it's dog shit. This motherfucker is not just completely full of shit, he has stepped in shit. Okay? Dog shit. What a tremendous justice this was, but it was an awful stench. So dessert comes, and I hurry through it, and I make an excuse, and we hightail it out of there.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Well, this is the story I want you to tell, please, because I was lucky to be at the Academy Museum when you were getting the honor recently.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I know, but our listeners don't know it. So you need to explain, set the stage. You were involved in the Civil Rights Movement. You were there at the March on Washington. And you were right there next to Dr. King, correct?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
She was his good friend. Was it Mahalia?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Mahalia Jackson. Mahalia, she was there with him.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Head over to our merch shop to check out all of our great stuff, like a classic Wiser Than Me baguette tote bag, a kitchen tea towel with my grandma Didi's delicious peanut butter cookie recipe featured on it, and a brand-new, gorgeous, hardcover Wiser Than Me notebook to capture all of this season's bits of wisdom. Start shopping today by visiting wiserthanmeshop.com. Lemonada
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Is that a story? That is a story. Can you talk about that? At that point, you hadn't heard him give that speech. Can you talk about your personal Rita experience hearing that speech in that moment of time? Can you bring us back to how you felt hearing it?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I mean, come on. With good reason, you thought this. Yeah. And for the listeners, the Hollywood blacklist was a period of time, largely in the late 40s through the 50s, where the government persecuted people they suspected of being communist sympathizers. So given that, what did you learn about bravery during that period of time? Wow.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
And that dog crap smell follows us into the elevator where I'm telling my husband about how awful this guy was. And then the smell is with me straight out into the street, and it's still lingering as I'm, you know, dotting the I's and crossing the T's of my description of this, let's just say it, asshole. Yeah.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
You know, you've mentioned, actually, that Anita became a role model for you, which I think that's interesting because I've never thought about, like, a character that I played as being a role... Well, of course, I've played a bunch of fuck-ups in my career, but what was it about the character of Anita that you admired?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Hey, did Chita Rivera also try out for it or how did that work?
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
By the way, just so our listeners know, Cheetah played Anita on Broadway. Oh, she was the original Anita. But anyway, I'm interrupting you. You go ahead. Talk about that. You were auditioning for the role.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
And it's not until we are literally stepping into the cab that I realize the dog shit is on my shoe. Yeah. Here endeth the lesson. Judge not that ye yourself be not judged and all of that. But my big takeaway was that when you step in dog crap, you really have to just throw away the shoes. And my other big takeaway is how much I enjoy talking here to the wonderful, wise women on this show.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
You talk in your book a lot about sexual harassment, which you endured at that party. Oh, that awful Hollywood cocktail party. That awful Hollywood cocktail party in which you were sexually harassed. By the host. By the host.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Can I tell you something? Somebody said something like that to me back in the 80s in Hollywood. And I did the same thing. I giggled. Did you? Yes. I did. I did. I was very young. And just say, why don't you go fuck yourself?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Yeah. Don't fuck me. Go fuck yourself. Is that what you would do if you could redo that moment? Absolutely.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Well, except to say that don't you think the whole thing, it's interesting because you giggle because, first of all, it's so shocking. It feels so shameful. And, you know, as women, I think we kind of absorb their shame.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I mean, it's so refreshing and revitalizing for me, and I hope, dear listener, for you too. So thank God, thank God then, that today we get to talk to someone who is not full of shit, but is full of wit and grace and talent and wisdom, the incomparable Rita Moreno. I'm Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and this is Wiser Than Me, the podcast where I get schooled by women who are wiser than me.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
It's bananas. That's why I giggled. I know. It's bizarre. It's bizarre. Let's take one more quick break. My conversation with Rita Moreno continues in just a moment. You can stay cozy with Cozy Earth. Why go back to your old pilling sheets when you could be slipping into a bed made with Cozy Earth's bamboo sheet set? Cozy Earth is widely lauded for their incredible softness and breathable design.
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Go to cozyearth.com slash wiser and use code wiser for an exclusive discount of up to 40% off. If you get a post-purchase survey, say you heard about Cozy Earth on the Wiser Than Me podcast. Hey, Wiser Than Me listeners, it's Julia here with some very exciting news.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
We have teamed up with Caddis, the California-based maker of high-quality custom eyewear, to bring you exclusive Wiser Than Me reader frames. How cool is that? I personally handpicked the frame, the color, and added a very special phrase engraved right on top. It says, get wise. Isn't that fabulous? So you can feel the wisdom flowing every time you wear them.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
So head to wisethemeshop.com and check out the Cadiz collection to grab yours now. So in the wonderful PBS documentary about your life, you talk about something which I think is going to really resonate with a lot of women listening to this. When your husband, Leonard, passed away, you were married for 45 years. Yeah. You felt so many things, of course, and you were with him at the end.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I know what you're going to ask. Go ahead. Yeah, but you said you felt a sense of relief. And I think that that was an incredibly—talk about brave—brave thing to say. I think it gives voice— To something that is sometimes unspoken. And can you talk about that?
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You listened. That was part of the pact. That was part of the pact. You know, you said you wanted this. You got it. So you don't have a partner now, right? And so can you talk about finding community? I mean, it's one thing when you're working because that's all built in. You know, you have your community at work. But when you're not working, what's your community?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Some actors have a kind of motor, an energy in their performances from role to role that is kind of supernatural. You know what I'm talking about? It's like an inner light that they bring to all their characters. They seem somehow to be totally alive, powerful, and impossibly vibrant. Thank you so much for having me. Totally captivating to me.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
How have you found your community? I know you have – you're a proud mommy and you're a proud grandma.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
She's still a friend. Oh, that's so nice. Her name is Gail. Good old Gail. Everybody needs Gail in their lives. That's right. Yes. Was it hard giving up driving?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Of course you do. I can fully understand why that would be hard to give up. And what about things like cognition? I mean, you're searching for words here and there, but it doesn't sound like you're having any serious cognition issues.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Is it frustrating to ask for help in those circumstances or not really?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I'm going to completely shift gears here because there's one aspect of your life that we haven't touched on. And I think that people would benefit to hear from you about this. I know you battled when you were younger, of course, you battled feelings of inadequacy and you attempted suicide.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I want to know if, do you still struggle with a negative voice in your head, that negative voice from way back when? And do you have advice for people who struggle with a lack of self-worth who are listening to this today?
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From the bitter comedy of her killer dance number, America, to the unforgettably gorgeous harmony of I Have a Love. Oh, God, I can't even think about it. It's so good. Knockout stuff. And of course, she won an Oscar for it.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
In your life, there's a theme that I'm feeling, and the theme is about power and freedom. And I think, if you agree with me, as you've lived your life, you've felt more power, self-power, and you've gained more freedom. Is that safe to say?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
And if it was compelling to me when I saw it on TV in reruns in the 70s, imagine what it meant to Latino families across this country and its territories as they watched her in a Spanish dubbed version. For them, Rita Moreno wasn't just a star. She was their star. La Nuestra. Her extraordinary career on stage, in the movies, and on TV spans seven decades. She was the first Latina to win an Emmy.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
No, there's another person who thinks the same, and that's me. I couldn't agree with you more.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I think for me, it's twofold. I think it speaks to intelligence, which I find intoxicating. Oh, me too. I forgot to mention that. That's so important. So important.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
And it's also just, it's playful and it's joyous. And that's what I want. I want play. I want joy. That's my goal. If there was anything more to get in my life, I just want more joy and more play. Yeah. And so, Rita, speaking of joy, it has been so wonderful to speak with you today. And before we wrap up, I do want to ask you a couple little quick questions. Okay. Okay.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Is there something you would go back and tell yourself at 21, Rita? Yeah.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Is there something you would go back and say yes to?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
He was. And just so our listeners understand, he was your agent at the time, and he raped you. And I was 16, and he raped me. And he raped you.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
She has two, actually. A Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, the famous EGOT. At a time when Latin people were especially marginalized in Hollywood, Rita fought and continues to fight for roles that portray Latinas with dignity and depth. To put this into perspective, despite being the largest minority group in the U.S., Latinos still remain underrepresented in the media. Let that sink in for a second.
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Well, he has to live with himself, that horrible... Demented, awful man. He has to look at himself in the mirror and be who he is. I'm glad you got up and left. I'm glad. He didn't realize what he had said. He really didn't. Of course he was coerced. So, of course, crude. Crude, vulgar, foul, inhumane. Well, good. So you didn't tell him off except that you did. You got up and you left.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I think in that circumstance, less is more. You're a piece of work. I'm out. Yeah. Wow. That's just incredible, Rita. You really are brave. So now I have one final question for you. Is there something you're looking forward to? Yeah, being 94. Yeah.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I don't need them for anything anymore. No, it's fine. You don't have to walk up gobs of stairs.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
And listen, you are a blessing. Except to accept awards. That's right. And I'm sure there'll be plenty more coming your way. You deserve every one of them. Oh, God, no. I don't think there's anything left. I've got a lot of those. But listen, I want to tell you how much I admire you. And you're just a complete and total blessing to the world. Wow. That's lovely. Thank you.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
And also thank you for coming and talking to us on this show. We've got lots of wisdom that you've imparted today, and we're very grateful.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Bye. How much fun to catch Rita on her birthday. Oh my God, that's a wiser than me first. And obviously she's experienced so much in her life. All right, let's get my mom on the Zoom and see what she has to say about this conversation. Hi, Mommy. Hi, Love. Hi, Lovey Mommy. How are you doing? I'm doing fine. How are you doing? Good.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I just spoke with Rita Moreno, who is 93 years old, if you can even believe what I'm telling you. She's incredible. Is she still dancing like crazy? She doesn't dance as much as she did because her knees are kind of shot, as she says. However, she's sharp as a tack. She says she's still searching for nouns and things, but she's still working. She gets out there. I mean, it's quite remarkable.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
By the way, Mom, when you were in New York in the 60s— Even the late 50s, I guess. Did you see West Side Story on Broadway? I did, yep. You did? Oh, yes. Yes, absolutely. So you saw the original production? The original production, right. Tell me what your, when you saw it, what was your reaction? Do you recall?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
So you saw Chita Rivera play the role of Anita because she's the one who played it on Broadway, right?
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Oh, what year was it on Broadway? I'm going to guess that it was in the late 50s. I don't know that for sure, but I would guess that because the movie... of West Side Story came out in 1961. Right.
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If it's bad now, can you imagine the shitshow it must have been like back then? She has channeled that strength into becoming a trailblazer beyond showbiz, too.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Yeah. Did West Side Story... Did that impact your impression of sort of the Latin community at that time? Did the show have impact on you from a cultural point of view as you considered the Latin community in New York? It did.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Yeah. It was a very powerful work of art.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Great, Mommy. Well, thank you so much. I'm so happy to talk to you about these little things.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
She marched for civil rights alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., advocated for her friend Norman Lear's People for the American Way, a progressive advocacy organization, and has consistently worked to empower Puerto Ricans, urging them to vote and hold elected officials accountable. And that energy that I was talking about before, it's still there. The woman is a dynamo when she performs now,
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
You are, mommy. Everybody is crazy about you.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Yeah, I'm like a therapist who goes, okay, well, I'm afraid our time is up.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Until next time, dear patient. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Love you, mommy. Talk to you later. Okay, bye. Bye. And before we go, dear listeners, if you or someone you know is in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, you can call or text 988 to access a trained crisis counselor. There's more Wiser Than Me with Lemonada Premium on Apple. You can listen to every episode of Season 3 ad-free.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Subscribers also get access to exclusive bonus interview excerpts from each episode. Subscribe now by clicking on the Wiser Than Me podcast logo in the Apple Podcasts app and then hitting the subscribe button. Make sure you're following Wiser Than Me on social media. We're on Instagram and TikTok at Wiser Than Me, and we're on Facebook at Wiser Than Me Podcast.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Wiser Than Me is a production of Lemonada Media, created and hosted by me, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. This show is produced by Chrissy Pease, Jamila Zahra Williams, Alex McCohen, and Oja Lopez. Brad Hall is a consulting producer. Rachel Neal is VP of new content, and our SVP of weekly content and production is Steve Nelson.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Executive producers are Paula Kaplan, Stephanie Whittles-Wax, Jessica Cordova-Kramer, and me. The show is mixed by Johnny Vince Evans with engineering help from James Farber. And our music was written by Henry Hall, who you can also find on Spotify or wherever you listen to your music. Special thanks to Will Schlegel and, of course, my mother, Judith Bowles.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Follow Wiser Than Me wherever you get your podcasts. And if there's a wise old lady in your life, listen up.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Amazing, whether you know her from The Ritz on Broadway or West Side Story, The Electric Company. Hey, you guys! 80 for Brady or her scene-stealing role in One Day at a Time, Rita has managed to keep the same irrepressible charisma she's had since starting Spanish dance lessons in the Bronx at the age of six. There's even, by the way, a tribute Barbie doll of her in her Oscar dress.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I am so thrilled to welcome a real star like A mother, a grandmother of two, a true force of nature, and someone who is miles and miles and miles wiser than me, the wonderful Rita Moreno. Welcome, Rita.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
No, you really do. That is such a good response to an intro. I want more money. Wow. Oh, Rita. Okay. Are you comfortable if I ask your real age, Rita? Oh, for sure. Today's my birthday.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Just a quick note before we begin. This episode contains discussion of sexual assault, and there is a brief conversation about suicide. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or contemplating suicide, you can call or text 988 to access a trained crisis counselor.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Rita. Happy birthday to you. Man, Julia, that's the best. The best.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
And what do you think is the best part about being your age here at 93 years old? God, that's cool.
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Yeah, this is the vibe I'm getting from you. Smart.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
I heard you went on a two-week vacation with your daughter. Yeah. Is that correct? And what was that like? Do you travel with your daughter a lot and talk about sort of when you go on vacation with your daughter, are you planning it? Are you relaxing? What is it all about?
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Yeah, and they smell so good, too.
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Julia Gets Wise with Rita Moreno
Okay, so we got invited to a fancy friend's fancy apartment in New York for dinner, the kind of thing I'm usually actually quite good at getting out of gracefully. But in this case, it actually did sound like a nice group, and I hadn't been around humans for a bit, you know, because I've been working and whatever. And so off we went.
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Yeah. It's such a great present for both of you. And then you get to be together and really connect.
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Yes, but you're a pain in the ass together, right? Yes. Yes. So it's a great relationship. It's so lucky. That's so beautiful. I love the idea. I've actually given my boys—I have two sons, and I've given them both— Frequently I've given them like experiences as gifts as opposed to more crap to have around the house. What do you mean by experiences? I mean tickets to shows, tickets to games.
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They're both really into sports. So I get them tickets to go see the Lakers or whatever it happens to be, baseball, go see the Dodgers, stuff like that. They love that kind of thing. But now I'm thinking I'm going to give them trips with me. Absolutely. Yeah, I'm going to do it. Absolutely. So you're obviously very fit. You work out all the time. What's your deal with that?
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Well, I was there when you accepted recently at the Academy Museum, and they gave you an award.
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Yeah, I was there, and I heard your speech, which I want to talk about, but the— I don't remember you getting help going up the stairs.
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And I got seated next to a gentleman whom I have met before, and I've never really gotten to, but what the heck? I mean, how bad can it be? Uh, bad. Yeah. Okay, so first of all, he starts to butt into conversations from all around the table. The mansplaining gets going pretty fucking quickly, and we learn that apparently he's an expert in everything.
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I mean, you're obviously... Yes, okay. So then, and what about, if you don't mind, I'm curious to know, do you have like a... Do you have a food thing? Do you watch what you eat? Explain what your food situation is. I try not to. You try not to eat?
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I know, and then I read you used to sit out in the sun and become like a piece of bacon. What the hell? Oh, my God. You haven't had skin cancer issues or anything from that? Never, never, never.