Latest / Breaking The Meta / Vertical Drama Villain Mary Foster: "How Did I Get Here?"
Transcript
- Mary Foster: They Mike Winson: But yeah. Mary Foster: had to have the clickbait, you know, Cross the Line with me. No one wants to watch that crap. Zaddy? Now they're in. Now now we're locking in. Mike Winson: No. Zaddy. Whoo. Hello, everyone. Welcome to Breaking the Meadow. My name is Mike Winson. Today we are sitting down with Mary Foster, who is star of such nail-biting movies as Cross the Line with Me Zaddy, which I cannot Mary Foster: Ha ha ha. Mike Winson: wait to talk to you about that one. Badass Plumber Girl, is the hidden heiress, which is probably one Mary Foster: Mm-hmm. Mike Winson: of my favorite ones that you've done. Mary Foster: Thank you. Mike Winson: And and so many, so many others. Hello, Mary. How are you doing today? Mary Foster: I'm doing great. I am always better after I like you list the names like in succession like that. I just like it's so funny. It's the craziest resume list ever. I was just out last night with a friend who was saying that he'll he works in wardrobe. Mike Winson: Mm-hmm. Mary Foster: and he puts them on his resume, you know, to when he's looking for more corporate jobs or just for like new whatever, Mike Winson: gosh No Mary Foster: like branching out. And he's like, I swear to God, like people probably think it's like. So he's like, I don't know what to Mike Winson: Well Mary Foster: do because if I don't list it then it looks like I haven't worked in four years but I ha but like if I do then people are like, what is this? So I don't know if it it's Mike Winson: Yeah, yeah. Mary Foster: helping or hurting, but I guess as an actor it's a little bit different. I don't know. Isn't that much Mike Winson: Well and yeah, and when you get ones like Cross the Line with me, Zaddy, you Mary Foster: Zaddy with the Z. See. Yeah. That one Mike Winson: Gosh. Mary Foster: that one just came out on Drama Box and I was kind of worried that it wouldn't because of Drama Box going full AI, but we shot it back in May. And so I guess that they're still releasing their live action ones, which is cool. I'm happy that it came out because I had some scenes that I I really liked and I really liked the team of that one too. Mike Winson: Yeah, now what obviously you've already done a lot of verticals up until this point, but what goes through your did did you know that this that that vertical was called cross the line with me, Zaddy, when you when you took it or was it called something else? Mary Foster: It was called Cross the Line With Me. so it just didn't have the Mike Winson: Okay. So Mary Foster: Zatty. So they added the Zaddy. They Mike Winson: But yeah. Mary Foster: had to have the clickbait, you know, Cross the Line with me. No one wants to watch that crap. Zaddy? Now they're in. Now now we're locking in. Yeah. Mike Winson: No. Zaddy. Whoo. Yeah. Yeah. okay. So, and we'll go into these in just second. I wanna, if Mary Foster: Cool. Mike Winson: we don't, if you don't mind, can we start off a little bit with just learning? I just would love to learn a little bit about you and how you got got into the space of verticals. Cause I don't know if you know, so I'm sort of new to the vertical world. I I did an interview that kind of crossed over with stuff that I do. other stuff that I do and I kind of got introduced to verticals and as someone who did musicals and acting, obviously I just love watching movies, but I got kind of obsessed with it. Now I'm getting to interview amazing people like you and others. So I just love the stories on how you guys went from because verticals are still new to a lot of people. They're they're Mary Foster: Yeah. Mike Winson: not and I can guess at least that you did not go into The world of acting thinking I'm gonna do a lot of verticals. Mary Foster: N no no no. I still ask myself every day, Mike, how did I get here? There are moments on set where I'm getting like a bottle of wine dumped on my head or I'm smacking someone and calling them a porker and I just like have an out of body experience and I'm like, How did I get here? Or like what's the line where it's like, I bet you're wondering how I got here? And then we're like, Rewind, yeah, it's cool. Mike Winson: Yeah. So so how did it start? What what was the direction you you were thinking you were gonna go before verticals became a thing? Mary Foster: Yeah, so I've been acting my entire life. I grew up I was in voice lessons, dance lessons. I did commute community theater. I have like yourself a musical theater background. I did all of my high school shows, any any community theater. I did stuff at Paper Mill Playhouse because I'm from Jersey. I'm a I'm a Jersey girl. So and then I would go into the city for workshops. Let's go. I would commute and Mike Winson: East Coast, Best Coast. I grew up I grew up in Massachusetts, so. Mary Foster: Nice! East Coast represent. Let's go. Yeah, I'm Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: big I'm big Jersey girl, I'm big Jersey energy, but and New Jersey has Mike Winson: That that explains the that that explains the plumber movie, actually. That's I've yeah. We'll go into that one. But anyway, sorry, continue. Mary Foster: yeah, no, we'll get into it. We'll get into it. That was a really that was a fun one. yeah, no, you're good. yeah, and New Jersey has New Jersey where I grew up, northern New Jersey, it has a lot of access to the city, and New Jersey itself has incredible training for musical theater on stage performing entertainment in general. So I just grew up in a really saturated space like that, and my mom was really intentional about Getting me trained. And then I went to college, Ryder University in New Jersey, and I got my BA in acting. And I was kind of open to anything. I guess most of my experience leading up to that had been in theater. So I naturally moved to the city. I did some off-Broadway, indie, just like grassroots stuff there. Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: but I didn't love living in New York so much. So Mike Winson: Mm. Mary Foster: and I have a ton of family in California, Northern California and Los Angeles. So When I moved, originally I was up in the Bay and I was still doing musical theater in San Francisco. but that ended during the pandemic. I was actually in a production of Once Upon a Mattress playing Lady Larkin. We were like going we were in our run. So we got one weekend down and then I was in rehearsals to play Dot in Sunday in the park with George. And then the pandemic hit, both of those went kaput, and that was my last. musical theater Mike Winson: Wow. Mary Foster: experience, which is unfortunate because it was so much fun. Anyway, so then I had an opportunity to move to LA, came here, things were kinda starting again. I I started a Shakespeare troupe with a friend, so still I'm doing stage. I haven't really crossed over Mike Winson: Mm. Mary Foster: into into film and TV yet. and then I was like, you know what, I wanna, I wanna, I need to start making I need to start making Like the Shakespeare, Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: the Shakespeare thing was so fun. And I got to be with my friends, but there wasn't any money involved. And I was like, I want to send it. You know, we're back. We're back, baby. COVID's over. Let's do Mike Winson: Yeah. Yeah. Mary Foster: it. So I was looking on Actors Access on Breakdown, and I was seeing web series or micro drama or vertical mini shorts, stuff like that. So it was really vague. I don't feel like they like cultivated or like coined the term vertical drama for A long time. So this was like 2023 Mike Winson: Right. Mary Foster: when I was seeing these. Right when Mike Winson: Okay, so like right when they started in the US. Mary Foster: they started. Yeah. And I I was reading the sides and I think I like self-taped for a werewolf one. And then I got offered a roll. I couldn't take that one, unfortunately. But then I was like, these seem a little different. Let me go on as like a Yeah, yeah. Mike Winson: Difference and understatement, I think. Mary Foster: I was like, I don't happening? I couldn't really tell from the sides what the plot was. They were just like nothing I'd ever seen before. So I was like, you know what? I'm gonna do background on one. I'm just gonna go and kind of like get the vibe. and so I did, and I did a background on a few, and then I was a day player on a few, and I kind of was just hooked on it. Like I loved the people, there were everyone was very like-minded. I loved the opportunity to network with other actors my age at my level, kind Mike Winson: Mm-hmm. Mary Foster: of like looking for the next thing. I f I know that there were some horror stories out there, but I never still to this day, I don't have too many bad experiences with verticals. I I just liked being in the space. I liked the energy. I liked the opportunity to get more experience on camera. So I was like, let's just send it. And then, you know, then it boomed. Then there was it was all over backstage or not backstage, all over actors access. So I was auditioning for them like crazy. And then it just kind of started, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And my first one where I had a recurring role with lots of lines was called it was with Brittany Marzichek and Lawson Grayson Mike Winson: Yeah. Yep. Mary Foster: and Miles Clohesi. my gosh, what was the name of it? Mike Winson: Is that a wait, I hold on. I watched it a little bit. Yes. Mary Foster: It's the sh it's the chef one. It's the Mike Winson: Is that cherished my ex-husband's brother? Yeah. Yeah. Mary Foster: Yeah, cherished by my ex-husband's brother. Yeah. Yeah, that that was the one. and then right after that, I booked Spoiled by Four Billionaires with Elijah Van Zanten and Kirby. And yeah, and then like that just started. I that started my villain era. and I've done yeah, so many crazy, crazy roles since then. But yeah, I never expected it. To go this way, but I've always been people would always ask me, you know, what do you want to do as your career as an actor? And I I would I've always been open to everything. Like I've done commercials, Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: I've done I'm I'm in the middle of shooting an indie horror right now. I've done obviously lots of verticals, I've done Shakespeare musicals. Like I'm really open. I like sketch comedy. I like improv. I I I'd like to say I'm like a jack of all trades and I just kind of like performing in any space. So but what I really liked about verticals was all like I know we make fun of it for being so absurd, but I like that because I'm I really like to lean into comedy. That's where I feel really comfy. I like improv. I like to play. That was a lot of the training that I did in school was just like absurdist clowning and I feel like I can just really be myself and like sink my teeth into a character by being able to just like make them my own with humor and make them relatable with humor. So that was really accessible to me playing villains. So I think that that niche really fit and I liked it a lot. I I I wish it was still booming. I haven't been like back to back contracts like that in a while, Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: but I really, I really enjoyed it. So I'm grateful for them. You can say what you want, but they've given me a lot. so no regrets. Mike Winson: Yeah, I mean, they're definitely there yeah, well, good. there's definitely some interesting stuff around the verticals. I remember the first few that I saw, you know, when I actually decided to watch it, my brain just could not process though just the absolute I don't even know how to describe it, just ridiculous. Yeah, absurdity of it. Mary Foster: Absurdity? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mike Winson: but you know, the more I've watched it, the more I've gotten I've gotten, you know, into it. It it it is funny. And again, you know, like your your part in Badass Plumber is a is the hidden mistress or heiress, sorry. Mary Foster: Yeah. Mike Winson: you play a a a New Yorker who was Mary Foster: Uh-huh. Mike Winson: who's the sister of the of the the main bad character male in the in the in Mary Foster: Yes. Mm-hmm. Mike Winson: the part and i loved it it was you know not only did it feel like i was closer to home when while watching it as well but you could tell you were having fun because it's like there were times where i was Mary Foster: I loved it. Mike Winson: like you went you almost kind of l add a little Jewish in there like you just went it was I was like I was waiting for you to say for Klemt or something at some point so Mary Foster: Very on theme. Mike Winson: It would have been so on theme. so what is what is it like in a w like cause some of like your most recent one, the the cross the line with me, Zaddy. Obviously, Zaddy for for most of us seems very funny, but the the episode itself is not humorous per se. And your part in it isn't humorous per se. But like what is it what is it like going into one and and going full comedy as opposed to like Being one where there's a little more because in the in the in your most recent one, you play the ex-wife who who Mary Foster: Yes. Mike Winson: comes back and is pregnant and is like, you need to marry me, and all that stuff. Where the, you know, in the in the other one, you're like, you were just, you are, you, you, you take New York sister, pain in the ass. I'm gonna hate you to a whole new level. And I loved it because it The whole thing was wild. Like every like your the person who plays your boyfriend in it is it is like feeling your energy too. And it was great. So what's it Mary Foster: Yeah, Alex. Yeah, he's fun too. Yeah. Yeah. Mike Winson: like? Do you go in do you go into them funny? Like, did you go into that expecting that to be much more humorous? No. Mary Foster: No. I didn't. So specifically for Plumber Girl, Luke and I had Luke Brewer played my brother and we had the most scenes together. We had the most lines, dialogue, me, him, and Skylar. I mean Alex, Alex did too, but me, him and Skylar have I had the most scenes with them. And I I I do a lot of my prep at At home, obviously learning my lines, learning the character, learning the scene, what's the non-negotiables of the circumstance that I'm living in. But you know, at that point, Luke and I had both done so many. And on paper, they don't differentiate very much. Like there's a pretty cookie-cutter way that you could play every single one of these roles. I mean, especially if you look at like male leads, they're they have to be very like arch archetype, like very mysterious. They can't really branch out of like sometimes they just need to be like a sexy six pack mannequin. But him and I had a lot of Mike Winson: Far too often. Mary Foster: as the villain, I think that there is more room to play. so Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: him and I had a quick conversation. I was in hair and makeup. He's like, I think I wanna do like an accent. Like, do you wanna like just like mix it up? So initially we tried to pitch being English to our director. Mike Winson: Okay. Mary Foster: but he didn't go for it. And then I do, I do I do Lisa all the time. Like I just talk like this, literally all the time. I'm like, my God. Like I really like a lot of people have compared me to like Fran Dresher or what's the actress? the character from Friends that goes, my God, it's Chandler Bing. Mike Winson: yeah, yeah, yeah. Chandler's boyfriend or girlfriend, yeah, the one who always yeah. Mary Foster: Or yeah, ex-girlfriend. So I do that voice a lot. So I just pitched it to Luke Quick, and I'm like, what if we do kind of like an East Coast New Yorker thing? And then that would play really well into the villain aspect because we're like in cahoots, you know what I mean? So he Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: was like, I love it. He's from Long Island. So immediately we were just riffing and getting it going. Yeah. And Mike Winson: you guys were would have been per perfect. Yeah. Mary Foster: and that's just kind of how that started. So that was a kind of a spur of the moment decision, even though I already knew that I wanted to bring comedy into it because I had done a lot of villains previously. Prior to that, and I knew that he was also a comedian as well. So I knew that we were gonna have that kind of like riffing chemistry. but the accent was a very spur of the moment decision. And then I remember I had when we started filming, we filmed the very end. For it was the first thing that we shot. And I think I spoke before him. So he was like, Okay, Mary, like, are we doing it? Like you're setting the tone because they're Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: rolling and you have the first line. And I I Mike Winson: Yep. Mary Foster: sent it. I literally looked and I was like, what's that? It's already whore doing here. And then I was like, you're locked in, Luke. You gotta go. Mike Winson: Yep. It was so good. Mary Foster: Yeah, and it was fun. I really liked being able to take a character that I kind of already had in my back pocket and whip it out and add it just to, just to mix it up. Because there's I think that that was one of the villains that kind of stand out amongst the other ones because she had the accent, because she had such a specific quality to her. but not every set will allow you to do that. So I just got lucky that on that set we were allowed to play and kind of have a little bit more control over the choices that we made with the character. That not not often you get to do that. A lot of people either don't understand kind of what you're doing or they want to stick to a a specific trope that will push numbers, that will, that will get them the data that they're looking for. Because at the end of the day, you know, the the the client, the producers and the client, they want to see numbers because that's what's gonna drive the store the the verticals in the algorithm and that's what's gonna make the money. So a lot of the times it's not available to you to take different risks because they don't trust that it'll perform well. So especially something Mike Winson: Right. Mary Foster: that's like so spur of the moment that's not pre-approved. But yeah, I got really lucky. The Zaddy one was a ha like I She didn't have as much humor to her. She was more calculating. She was more I also loved Lisa because she was like a little stupid. So like I could really lean into that. There wasn't a lot of success in the in the Mike Winson: No. Mary Foster: little games that she was trying to play. Like her and her brother were like a hot mess. So with yeah, in the in in the Zatty one, my character was a little bit more calculating, a little bit more malicious. So I didn't find that there were organically a lot of humorous moments to that, because she was so manipulative and Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: successful in in what she was doing. So it just really, yeah, it just depends on it always just yeah, depends on the circumstance. Mike Winson: Is there Yeah. Is there a like a a a kind of vertical that you haven't gotten to do yet or a part you haven't gotten to play that if you could snap your fingers and and just get the part that you would choose? Mary Foster: Hmm. I think for a while it was a protagonist lead that was a strong female character, just to contrast Mike Winson: Mm. Mary Foster: all the craziness. But I I was able to do that in June. I flew to Poland for two weeks and I shot with a company called Cherry Shorts. That's the name of their app. Cherry Shorts, sorry, it doesn't have an S. and I was I played a protagonist lead who was a successful lawyer. And she actually got pregnant and then had to grapple with like telling the baby daddy versus her. staying with her abusive ex husband and then also what does that mean for her career and and her like starting her life over from scratch. So that was a dream role, especially in this space for me because I wanted to show that I had range. I don't I I don't have to make every character it's like a crazy funny thing. Like I can do a lot of different stuff. So I I got that opportunity in June. it's called CEO of my broken heart on Cherry Short, if anybody wants to go check it out. And yeah, I think now I Mike Winson: Heck yeah. We'll put a link to it. Mary Foster: yeah, nice. Thanks. I think now I would love to do more fantasy stuff. I'd love to be in more werewolf ones. I did one werewolf one for real short recently. Mike Winson: That's the Blood King's Virgin Bride or the Alpha Boss Mary Foster: Yeah. Blood King. Mike Winson: gave me triple. Mary Foster: Alpha Boss gave me triplets. It was Alpha Boss gave me triplets. Yeah. the Blood King Virgin Bride, I was a maid in it. So I technically wasn't I was like a human maid. So I wasn't Mike Winson: Gotcha. Mary Foster: didn't have powers. But the triplets one, I did have powers and that was really fun, but I was only on it for two or three days, so it wasn't a ton of time to really like have a full character arc. My character, Is really abusive to the lead, like pre paywall. And then I get like Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: what's the word? Like I have to leave and never come back. What's that word when you're like Mike Winson: you're banished? Mary Foster: banished? Yeah, I got banished before the paywall, so not in the rest of it. But hey, I was pre paywall, so everyone could see me get banished for free. Yeah, but I Mike Winson: That's right. Exactly. It Mary Foster: would love to do more fantasy stuff. A pirate one would be really fun. I know that Mike Winson: Ooh. Mary Foster: the Crimson Sails and there was another one. Piratequisite. Mike Winson: What about a musical one? Mary Foster: A musical one would be great. I would have to like freshen up my chops a little my singing chops a little bit because I haven't done that in so long, but I it's still there. It's just a muscle that you gotta work. But Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: yeah, that that would be fun. I I'm really hoping that if live action comes back in the way that it was in the last two years, that we kind of branch out of the already established tropes. I have done so many CEO billionaires and I While I like the story, obviously, and I'm happy to work in any regard, I would like to see some fresh takes and some fresh stories. And I would like to see the industry, you know, accept them and celebrate them and push them just as hard as they push the same zaddy one that we've seen a thousand times. Mike Winson: it's funny that you point that out in because I I have said that my favorite ones to watch in general are where the the the woman is the strong character, where like Mary Foster: Totally. Mike Winson: like the I almost could care less about what the guy is doing in there when when the woman comes in and is just like, I can kick, I can just kick all your asses. I don't care. I'm just like, yes, girl, please keep going. It's so Mary Foster: Yeah. Yeah. Action, action with a very strong female lead would be awesome. I did a lot of combat, stage combat when I was doing theater. I'm like certified in longsword, unarmed, rapier dagger, quarter staff. So I would love to do anything where I get to do a lot more stunt work. That would be so fun. Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: yeah, maybe like a Mike Winson: And where the guy is just a plain old guy, not a hidden CEO, not a hidden billionaire, not anything. Like Mary Foster: Yeah, maybe she's the hidden she well, normally she's the hidden heiress, but like maybe she's Mike Winson: Right. Mary Foster: the hidden hidden billionaire badass ninja girl. Mike Winson: Yeah, who comes in and beats everyone ups and the guy's just like, Did you do it and should totally do it? It could totally be funny. Yeah. Mary Foster: Yeah, and that and that could be funny too. Yeah, that could be really Yeah. Yeah. I I completely agree. And I also would love to see so much abuse go away. Like we don't need to have I don't think Mike Winson: yeah. Mary Foster: we need to have rape in anything. Like w I in anything outside of verticals. Like I unless there's like a really strong point that you're trying to prove or like it is sending a very specific powerful message. Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: But that is that is not the norm. That's going to be a really niche story that you're telling. Not an unimportant one, but I just don't like this like tactless throwing around of sexual abuse and physical abuse for women. It's oversaturated and it's really disturbing that we like Mike Winson: It really is. Mary Foster: hyperfixate on it so much in this space. So I would like to see that Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: become more scarce. Mike Winson: Yeah, it it makes it it's it's kind of a catch 22 for for a lot of a lot of you in in that space because you all really need to work and you need to pay your bills and those are the only ones that that that keep coming so it's like how how do you combat I know there are a few different like new production companies that have formed that are very much trying to push away from it, but it's it's I I almost feel bad because I because that's something that we struggle with in a lot. I struggle with it in my space, in the space of of content creation. I'm always being told that I need to make certain kinds of content. I need to, I need to rage bait so I can get people to stick around and watch whatever I make for a certain amount of time. Mary Foster: Yeah, yeah. Mike Winson: And it's like I don't want to do that. I I I want you Mary Foster: Yeah. Mike Winson: guys to I want you guys to learn and and get enjoyment out of it, not piss people off for no reason. And it's it's the same idea. Like I the ones that drive me the the the most bonkers in the sense of I can never watch all the way through is when it's like a professor and an 18-year-old or like the massive, like even it cross the line with me, Zaddy. I did not watch a good chunk of it. I just went, okay, where's Mary? Where's Mary in this? Because I Mary Foster: Ha ha ha Mike Winson: wanted to see what your part was because it again, it was one of those, it was just that it it's not necessary. It's not necessary in in the topics. And I guess the question Mary Foster: Yeah, I I agree. Mike Winson: is how do we move forward in something like that, other than just new production companies coming in? Mary Foster: Yeah, I mean I do think that new production companies is a big thing. I think that having things having American production companies kind of put out the material that they know we're looking for is Mike Winson: Mm. Mary Foster: a step in the right direction. I don't think anything's gonna change overnight, especially because of like the footprint that companies like Real Short Drama Box, Drama Wave have made that continue to push these types of stories. And I'm not saying that all of their stuff is bad, but I do think that there has been data to show that they get a lot of clicks and a lot of eyes and they make a lot of money pushing these this content because people can't look away. Whether they like it or not, they're not going to be able to stop watching. If you're just scrolling in bed and nobody's holding you accountable for not watching the some woman get A heel to her pregnant belly and lose her child, like you're it's not Mike Winson: Mm. Mary Foster: that you enjoy watching it, but you're just sitting there, you're like, what am I even looking at? And then that's Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: gonna drive the data. So they're gonna keep pushing out. So I just think that if we, if there are companies that are dedicated to more, I I don't wanna say it all has to be like wholesome storytelling, but just Mike Winson: No Mary Foster: to get rid of this this stuff that puts an actor in a really uncomfortable position. Then I think that that's a small step in the right direction. It's hard, it's hard to turn down work. Like I said for so long that I wasn't gonna do an XXL one, but then I was presented with an opportunity and the storyline had changed a little bit, and I actually liked the way in which I mean my character was horrifying, but I thought the moral of the story was better than what we had seen in the past. Like I didn't Mike Winson: Mm. Mary Foster: think That she, the woman was now the Lawson's character. I didn't think that she was like now beloved by everybody and her love interest just because she lost weight. Like he loved her the whole time. So I thought that there was some improvement. And then I my experience with it was working with one of the most talented cast directors, DPs, production company that I've ever worked with. So it was ultimately a good experience. But you know, I did kind of have to think about. For a while be like, do I want to play someone that in that one I had to beat up a pregnant woman in the beginning with my co-star and her baby died, and then I Mike Winson: Hmm. Yeah. Mary Foster: harass her for the rest of the one and like, is this something that I'm gonna be okay with? But I think that at the end of the day, if the moral of the story is in line with what I believe, then I can be a part of telling that story. But Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: It is hard to put to put actors in that position because you're kind of grappling with morally your career and then Well, AI is just they're just that's Mike Winson: Yeah. Hey and you're dealing with AI now too, which is a whole different problem. Mary Foster: they're that's in yeah, that's crazy. The stuff that they're doing with it is yeah. Mike Winson: Yeah. so let's go to something a little more enjoyable other than losing babies. yes, Mary Foster: Yeah. Let's change let's change the vibe. Mike Winson: so What kind let's talk about has there been an experience that you've had where like you just it was one of the funny ex like those experiences where you think back and you're just like this was the funniest moment I've ever had on set. Mary Foster: Hmm. Actually I the first one that's coming to mind now, only I think I think there's lots of them, but I think the first one that's coming to mind, particularly because we were talking about Plumber, is when at the end when Alex is my boyfriend has to We pressured him into doing s what was what's the word I'm looking for? Like he's inside of a room with Kira Wisely, who is playing the lead in that one, and he has to while she's sleeping, I guess, touch her or whatever, which in in the vertical he's unsuccessful. She like wakes up like beats the shit out of him. Mike Winson: Right, of course not. Mary Foster: So it's fine. But we're me They're inside of a room and I I'm standing outside of a room and it's me, Luke, and Skylar, and the dialogue was really funny. We like couldn't get through it because also we were riffing a lot too. So we did a lot of Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: improv, but the line was that like you have to slap his ass. I was like, he can't get he can't like he can't do it unless you slap his ass. And then Luke was like, What? What are you talking about? And I just feel like he made the line so organic and then and then we're riffy. I was you gotta slap. Are you talking about? And like we just Mike Winson: And in a New York accent it makes it even better. Mary Foster: there were just so many scenes like that where we just couldn't get through it. And then everyone was getting mad at us because we just couldn't stop laughing. Cause we would just like keep Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: the scene going. And then our director, his name was Alex, and he was like, You guys, wrap it up. But and then, and then Mark Pontarelli comes around the corner. So I think he started coming around the corner sooner just to get the scene over with because we just wouldn't stop like improving. And then he would come around the corner and be What? And then like, sh- sh sh sh sh. So when you get a when you get a a cast like that where you just have like incredible chemistry with everybody and like you just click, Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: I had so many funny moments. my god, I had so many funny moments on my my poor husband is the real boss, where I was married to an actor. His name is Kelton, and Kelton is one of the funniest guys I've ever met. I don't know if you had the chance to watch it, it's starring Dominique Rose. And Vince Mike Winson: It's completely possible that I've watched it. Mary Foster: no, that's okay. I'm maybe you can cut out the names that I just said because I can't remember the lead actor's name. But but my best friend stars in it. Her name is Dominique Rose, and I play her sister. And Ryan Vincent. That's his name. Ryan Vincent. Mike Winson: Okay. Mary Foster: and that we had so many funny moments on that set because Kelton and I just again wouldn't stop playing. back and forth on each other. Like we played this, this very wealthy couple who like, and I was like, I have a drinking problem and we have a kid, but also we would like bicker the whole time, but we were also Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: like rider dies. Like we just had this really great connection build. And they kept a ton of our improv too because we were able to like weave it into the story very organically. And so that was Mike Winson: Mm-hmm. Mary Foster: another one where I we just had so many there was a moment where I'm they gave me a feather was my problem. I just had like a feather and yeah, Mike Winson: Cause why not? Mary Foster: I I asked for a glass of champagne, but they took it away and they were like, just play with this feather. And I was like, okay. So I was standing there. and they were going around one by one, getting single coverage, and then our son had a let an electronic car that he came and was driving around on this granite floor inside of the house. So on one of the takes, I'm like, I'm like improving, like I'm a little tipsy and I have this. Mike Winson: I definitely remember that. So I probably have seen, I probably have Mary Foster: Nice. Mike Winson: seen it. I remember the electric car and a kid riding on it. So that's probably the one I've Mary Foster: Yeah, Mike Winson: seen. Mary Foster: yeah. We were dying at the kid with the electric car. He was super cute. But I was like, I was he was my son. And then when it was my coverage, I was like with this feather. And I was come here, sweetie, just like drive it around on the granite a little bit. And everyone just started bursting out laughing because it wasn't really in the script, but I was just taking it to like such a weird place. What are you doing? Yeah, Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: that was yeah, that was a great ensemble cast. We had a lot of fun too. Mike Winson: okay, so this one just popped up on my thing. I didn't see this when I was when I was reading through all my stuff. I I have this thing that's in my research, it says that you starred in an eight thousand dollar pilot about fake infomercials. Or maybe that wasn't you. In Mary Foster: Hmm? Mike Winson: an as scene on TV. Mary Foster: yeah, as seen on TV, yeah, I yes, I did. As seen on TV, sorry. That was a little while ago. that was really fun. That was yeah, that was a pilot presentation, that not a vertical at all. And I really loved that character because she was Armenian. So there was and I'm Armenian. my mom's side is immigrants from Lebanon, but my ancestors are Armenian and my mom immigrated from Beirut. when she was 12. So I'm first generation on my mother's side. Mike Winson: Okay. Mary Foster: and and I saw the the listing on Actors Access and I saw that she was Armenian and it was a comedy and I applied auditioned for them got it and there was that was great because my dream role is to be on a sitcom. I would love to be on a sitcom. Mike Winson: Mm. Mary Foster: And that had a lot of sitcom energy in the way that we shot Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: it. It was very fast paced. It was super snappy, dry humor. very sarcastic. and I I think it did well in the in the in the indie circuit. I think they submitted it to some festivals and it won some awards. I no one told me about it at all. I I saw that on Instagram. Like they would post like what they Mike Winson: good. Mary Foster: did with the pilot after the fact and it did it did well. But Yeah, I think that they had plans to potentially write more. So I hope that they keep me in mind if they, if they do, because that was one, I think that was like at the beginning of my vertical career that I did that separately as like a separate little project. But yeah, it was it was fun to get something a little bit more grounded at the time. I like to kind of I'm also shooting an indie horror. Like I said, I've been working with this company for this year. filming this like indie cult horror. And that is a really nice way to work the smaller acting muscles, like and not being so big and and making these massive chaotic choices. Like you can really bring it back down. And I play a much more straight character in that one where everyone's crazy around her and she's kind of just experiencing this like wild, horrific journey that then, you know, has a lot of disturbing imagery at the end, which is gonna be really fun. But it's nice to have projects like that, like the pilot, like the like the indie horror, where I can do something completely different. So I don't get like just stuck in this one style all the time. So it's been nice to have that like range. Mike Winson: Absolutely. it's it's interesting that you say that because now that I'm getting to interview people like you, I tell people that getting in getting to interview people in the vertical actor in the vertical space has been my my break from all of the other stuff that I do because half of what I do involves current events and things going on in the world today. And it's Mary Foster: Gotcha. Mike Winson: it's It's a little depressing right now. And Mary Foster: It is, yeah. Mike Winson: and and I spend three hours every day talking with people that still try and argue that you know the the landing on the moon didn't exist and a bunch of other stuff that just are wild. So to to get to meet people like you and just laugh and talk about Just crazy crap. Yeah. Mary Foster: Crazy crap. Mike Winson: Like again, it's like, let's let's talk about whether the the moon landing is real or my zaddy. Like like you just can't the the it's Mary Foster: Yeah. But that's but genuinely I think that's why s we have so many fans in this space is because they want an escape from the conspiracy Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: theorists, from inflation, from six dollar paying six thirty-nine for gas. Like they wanna be able to just like tune that out for an hour and just watch Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: something that, yeah, is a little bit crazy, but it's so entertaining and there's real people who are having fun making it and getting the opportunity to do something creative. And I just think that When it hits, it really hits because they can be so fun and funny. And like Plumber Mike Winson: Yeah. They can be. Mary Foster: Girl was just by the name, the badass Plumber Girl is the real heiress. Like that's insane. But it when you Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: watch it, there's Mark Pontarelli, Kira Wisely, me, Luke, Skylar. Like you have some of the funniest, most passionate actors in the space in that. So you're gonna get like quality entertainment. And then you can just forget all Mike Winson: Yeah. It was so good. Mary Foster: about, yeah, you can forget all about. People that think the moon landing didn't happen. Mike Winson: so you said you were interested in being like your dream is to be in a sitcom. It just Mary Foster: Mm-hmm. Mike Winson: made me think if there was a sitcom that has already existed that instead that you could have gotten in, what would it be your top choice? Mary Foster: Mm. I love I love the good place. I love Mike Winson: Okay. Mary Foster: New Girl. I my Mike Winson: Mm-hmm. Mary Foster: first favorite sitcom ever was Friends. I've seen that maybe three or four times through. I love I was just on the tip of my tongue and I just lost it. Shit's Creek. That's another that's another favorite Mike Winson: Okay. Yep. Mary Foster: one of mine. I love Frasier. I watched Frasier a lot as a kid. Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: yeah, anything like that. My my roommate's been binging Big Bang Theory, so I can hear it through the wall, and I haven't watched Big Bang Theory in a while. But I love a la I love a classic laugh Mike Winson: Ugh. You haven't in a while, okay. Mary Foster: track. Yeah. I think in sitcoms you can have that like they cover so much ground. You can have really funny Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: big outlandish moments of craziness and then you can have a lot of heart and then you can have romance. Like they just cover so much and it would just be I obviously I clearly from what I've been saying, I really resonate with ensemble casts and being able to play off of other people's energies. So being able to do that on a sitcom that would hopefully be successful and have multiple seasons and you can kind of like go through this long journey with the same people, that would just be the dream. The dream for me. And I think I think it would really sit sit well with my strengths too, because Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: I can I can yeah, kind of play with other people and then have the freedom to be silly but then also real and Yeah. Slice little slice of life. Yeah. Mike Winson: It's my favorite too. I I love that. I l I love I love something that it gives me some ability to to play on other people. That's that's my favorite. That's my favorite thing to do so. Yeah. Mary Foster: Yeah. Well, that's a big theater thing, right? Like I feel like if we both have experience in theater, like when you're live in front of an audience, that's all you have is other people's energy. So it becomes pretty addictive. Yeah. Mike Winson: Yep. Absolutely. All right. So the way I usually end these is I do I call it a speed round. Basically, it's just quick and easy questioned answers. So Hot what's your top coffee order? Mary Foster: cold brew with splash almond milk. Mike Winson: Mm. Cobra's the best. Mary Foster: Mm-hmm. Mike Winson: sweet or savory breakfast. What what is your go to? Mary Foster: Savory. Egg avocado toast. Yeah, this morning I had two pieces of toast with cottage cheese, tomatoes a little bit of salt, and two fried eggs. Yeah. Mike Winson: There you go. Beecher Mountains. Mary Foster: Ugh, I hate this question. Both. I ha it's both. I both. I can't pick. I love the Mike Winson: That's fair. That's fair. That's fair. Mary Foster: outdoors so much. I can't pick. I'm sorry. Both equally. Forever. Mike Winson: No, you don't need to apologize. go to karaoke song. Mary Foster: I don't like karaoke. No. I'll take the beach and the and the mountains and then I'll and then I'll I'll yeah, I'll Mike Winson: What? Your music theater person who hates karaoke? Mary Foster: wait, wait, no. Can we can we do what's it? Date Mary Kale. I'm gonna I'm gonna date. the mountains, I'm gonna marry the beach and I'm gonna kill karaoke. That's my answer. Mike Winson: Okay, that's fair. Okay. All right. Hey, you know, it is what it is. dogs or cats? Mary Foster: Mm, right now cats. Mike Winson: Okay. favorite comfort food. Mary Foster: Mm. Tuna sandwich and salt and vinegar chips. Mike Winson: Mm. Love it. last show you binged. Mary Foster: I'm binging hacks right now. Before Mike Winson: Okay. Mary Foster: that was heated rivalry. I had never seen it. And I watched it in like two days. Mike Winson: we talked about a little bit morning person or night owl? Mary Foster: Recently I've been a morning person. But Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: yeah. but I could be a night owl if you wanna have a good time. I could be a night. We could go out. Mike Winson: I think most of us can. is there a food that you refuse to eat? Mary Foster: Mm That's a good question. Refuse to eat. I don't think that I would try. I've seen that. I don't want to hate on anybody else's culture, but I've seen do you know what baloo is? It's like the egg. And you it's like a egg with like a little I just I don't know, I saw it on TikTok the other day and I saw someone eat it and I'm sure they love it, but I don't know that I would eat that. Mike Winson: I mean mine mine would be l something like a century egg. I have no desire to try a century egg in any way, shape or form. So Mary Foster: Yeah. Yeah, something like that. I don't know. But I it's interesting. Mike Winson: Yeah. Mary Foster: I was vegetarian for ten years and now I just started eating meat again. So I'm actually in a phase of my life where I'm trying a lot of new things. So I haven't refused Mike Winson: Mm. Mary Foster: anything in a long time. Like, yeah, I haven't had bacon yet. Let's try that. Mike Winson: yeah. favorite season. Mary Foster: Ooh, sorry, you cut out, what'd you say? Mike Winson: Favorite season. Mary Foster: Fall. Right now. Spooky season. Mike Winson: You are you are you're from the northeast area that that's I everyone I've talked to that that grew up somewhere around there is always gonna say fall, it's the best. Mary Foster: I know my seasonal depression is brewing 'cause I always get it around autumn. Mike Winson: Mm-hmm. sweet treat you can't say no to. Mary Foster: Mm-hmm. Dark chocolate. Mike Winson: Dream acting co-star partner. And we can even broaden it. Like we're talking like just living, dead, just someone who if you could have the chance to like act next to them, it would like make your it would make your life. Mary Foster: Let's do let's do Daniel Day-Lewis. Like let's just send it. Like best of the best. I don't know. Mike Winson: Okay. Send it. Absolutely. Yeah. Might as well go for the top. if you had a free day with zero plans, what would you do? Mary Foster: Spend it outside. Yeah. Beach. Beach and mountains. That's what I would do. Mike Winson: There you go. There you go. All right. Mary, thank you so much for spending time. For people that want to find you, where where can they do that? Because you are on social Mary Foster: Yeah. Mike Winson: media. Mary Foster: Yeah, I am. You can follow me on Instagram at Mary Jack Foster. It's Mary J A C Foster. you can also follow my small business called Fostering Flowers. I make handmade jewelry with Real Press Flowers and I sell it on Etsy. So if you want to support a small business, you can just give me a follow and some likes. And Mike Winson: Hey, yeah. Mary Foster: yeah, you can also follow me on TikTok. I'm Mary J. Foster on TikTok. And then you can check out my entire list of verticals if you want to go in and binge them as well on my IMDB, which is linked on my Instagram. Mike Winson: Yep. Mary, thank you so much for spending time. It was really great to meet you and get to know you. I appreciate it. Yeah. And for everyone that's listening, Mary Foster: You too. Thank you. This is so fun. Great questions. Mike Winson: thank you. For everyone that's listening, thank you so much. please hit all those buttons down below. It makes it possible for me to keep doing what I'm doing, which is talk to amazing people like Mary. So please, Mary Foster: Mm. Mike Winson: please, please help help me out. and for those of you that maybe do it. Sh sh. Mary Foster: Do it. Do it. I beat people up for a living. Do it. I'll s Mike Winson: She'll bring out, she'll bring New York out. Watch it. she's got slapping down perfectly. for those of you that are new to this podcast, just so you know, breaking the meta is about having hard conversations when necessary, fighting to break the status quo and the idea that all people, no matter your race, religion, gender, or identity, deserve rights, respect, dignity, and safety. Again, Mary, thank you so much for being here. And for everyone else, we'll see you next time on Breaking the Meta. Bye guys.