Latest / Besties Do Verticals / Episode 30 - Straight Until He Kissed Me Anniversary Special

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Episode 30 - Straight Until He Kissed Me Anniversary Special · Besties Do Verticals

• Lucy: Relax. Aleta: Ha Hello and welcome to Besties Do Verticals with your besties, Alita and Lucy. And today, to end our Straight Until He Kiss Me Anniversary episodes, we are beyond happy to welcome two special guests. Hi, I'm Alita. Lucy: And I'm Lucy. Greg Duffy: And I'm Greg Duffy. Aleta: Mm. Evanooshka: Evan Gambardella. Aleta: Thank you for being Evan and not John today. Greg Duffy: John. Evanooshka: I mean I could be John Lennon if you want. You want me to get the glasses back? I have so many glasses, I could be so many different people. Aleta: Besties, what a treat we have for you today to wrap up our Straight Until He Kiss Me anniversary celebration. What a year it has been. Who would have thought that a fun, campy little rom com would affect so many people's lives and have such staying power? September 14th marks one year since Evan and Greg did their first ever live together, and we can think of no better way to celebrate that than having them on the podcast together. Greg and Evan, we know how busy you are, and we appreciate you taking even more time to speak with us today. Greg Duffy: So happy to be here. Reminisce together. Evanooshka: Me too. Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: And instead of the normal kind of start of the podcast where we have you introduce yourselves because we've already done that, we have been asking fans these last few weeks what straight until he kissed me meant to them. We know you've spoken about it on several lives, but for newer fans, can each of you share what Straight Until He Kiss Me meant to you? We could start with Greg. Greg Duffy: Well, Straight Until The Kissed Me, as you probably know, was my first lead in a project. I think I had been I had left my corporate career and I had only been acting for a few months, and then I got this role, and what a wild ride. And I remember stepping into the fitting before we started shooting a day or two before, and I met Evan, who was just full of pizzazz and energy. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Greg Duffy: And felt so welcoming, and I was like, god, this is gonna be fun. And for me, straight until they kiss me has meant so much to see the community that has built up around it and how they show up for each other. It is truly like the most welcoming space that I'm familiar with on the this corner of the internet. And I feel so fortunate to be a part of that community. And I never would have expected it. I remember Evan and I on the set being like, how do you think this is gonna do? I was like, I think it's gonna be great. Like, I don't know. Who knows? We're all kind of flying Aleta: Ha ha ha. Greg Duffy: blind. And as a kid who felt kind of like an outsider, the space that has been created in the community built around this is a space that I would have felt so safe. And so I feel so lucky to be a part of that now as an adult. Lucy: It's beautiful. Evan? Evanooshka: I know, I'm follow that up. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: let's see. yeah, echoing a lot of what Greg said, I think Straight Until He Kissed Me initially started as an amazing opportunity. It was my first lead in a vertical as well. It was a BL. It was like, my gosh, I've wanted to do this for a while now. This is so exciting. and the the process, I'm not gonna talk about Straight Until He Kissed Me meant because that was like an amazing part of like my learning how to be a better artist in general. But what strangely kissed me, I think, after it came out meant, it was a shock. It was a shock how it like took over the internet for a minute. I was I remember being like I like disassociated a bit when Greg told me 'cause I I'm I'm not chronically online. and and Greg would like show Aleta: Ha ha ha Evanooshka: me things like from TikTok and I'd be like, What? Like I this is this real? This is happening? Greg Duffy: I'm like Evan, this edit of you has like two million views. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: Yeah, and I'm like, that can't be right. Like there must be something wrong with that. And I it it changed our lives overnight. And why I think it did so surprisingly well for us. We thought it was gonna be like any other vertical. hit or miss might get some views, might not, might get a little fandom, might not, but this really was different. And I think what was different was similar to heated rivalry. There is a need for queer joy right now in the world. And that vertical, more than any other vertical I've worked on, is a joyful ride. It's a rom-com through and through. It is ridiculous. It is self-aware. It makes fun of itself. It's like i it's there was so much Creativity made just in the room with Die the director and us, and we like made choices on the day, in the moment, that like gave it so much more life. And I think in in a in a time where AI has totally taken over the vertical space, hu humanity in a story like this means something to people. That's how we connect with stories. And I think that's what Straight until he kissed me. was kind of the secret sauce. It it was it's a it was a joyful ride, and that's why the community, I think, connected over it. because of the ridiculousness of the story and the sweetness of it and the the wildness of it. And like Greg said, the community that formed afterwards is the legacy of this story. I think more than anything else, the the community that built around it, From the Discord to all of the communities on Instagram and TikTok, etc., it's it's changed there there were new friendships formed over this that never existed. And I think that that's what I'm most Aleta: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: proud of about it. That like it actually like brought people together. And I think that is literally what if anything is gonna take away from this. If I'm talking to somebody who's never heard of this vertical before, it's like it's it it made A strong and compassionate community of like an army of lovers. Greg Duffy: Mm. Lucy: Yeah. Evanooshka: Which is pretty powerful. Lucy: I agree. Aleta: And lasting too, which so many Evanooshka: Yeah. Aleta: are just forgotten, right? Like people are like, Greg Duffy: Mm-hmm. Aleta: I love this vertical, they talk about it for a few weeks, it's done, right? Greg Duffy: Yeah, the shelf life is really pretty short usually. Lucy: It is so when I do any kind of edits, Straight Until He Kiss Me a year later is still some of my highest performing edits compared to brand Evanooshka: It's crazy. Lucy: new just released BL. Greg Duffy: So interesting. Lucy: It's so crazy. Evanooshka: Crazy. Lucy: And we even did a little test. it was me and Vertical Fix Studio because we have been putting out some new content. We're like, why isn't it hitting? And We put out a tutoring my rival boy and a straight until he kissed me and they exploded. And it w this we were like, these are old. And but yeah, it's it's you guys. It really is. There's a lot of power in I think the two of you as well. So I don't know. Yeah. Evanooshka: Nice of you to say. Thank you. I think there's power in everyone Greg Duffy: Thank you. Evanooshka: in this community. That's what makes this so special. And like you said, Alita, it's lasting because of that. Greg Duffy: Yeah, serious Lucy: It is. Greg Duffy: friendships. Like I think li what I perceive to be like lifelong friendships. I mean, obviously between me and Evan and and people who might have been on set, Evanooshka: Mm-hmm. Greg Duffy: but I mean people in the community who have become friends, this podcast, you've all like lifelong. Aleta: Yeah. Evanooshka: Yeah, it's cool. Greg Duffy: So special. Lucy: It has been crazy. There are still a few of us left. So you can Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: you can see it on the OG fan episode. We're still around. Did you watch it? You should watch Aleta: God. Greg Duffy: I watched that one. It was amazing. So Evanooshka: Incredible. Lucy: you should watch it, Evan, because Rod Botto gets in there and says some really sweet things. So yeah. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Rod Botto. Evanooshka: Ugh Love Love Rod Botto. Hi Rod Botto if you're watching. I love you. Lucy: No. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: Well, Alita, I think we should move on to the next fun part. Aleta: Alrighty. So I if you've watched it, Greg, I made some well found some trivia questions for the fan episode. And I sent them over to Lucy and she said, These are too hard, no one will get them. So we saved those ones for you. Greg Duffy: Can't do it. I I think I'm screwed. Let's see. And maybe we can give you BTS of of some of this stuff too. Aleta: To see what you remember. Exactly. Lucy: I actually please. And we had her pull some of them out anyway because some of the ones she's like, they'll know. And I'm like, when do you think the last time they watched Straight Until He Kiss Me was? Because they're not like us. We rip Straight Until He Kiss Me apart and edit it constantly. We know everything. But I don't know when you guys watched it. Yeah. Greg Duffy: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Aleta: We've been through it frame by frame, yeah. Evanooshka: It was Greg Duffy: I know because you c Evanooshka: a year ago for me. Greg Duffy: you catch the mistakes. Yeah. Lucy: All Aleta: I Evanooshka: Yeah. Like the third floor. Greg Duffy: I went back when the Lucy: right, well let's do Aleta: Ha ha. Greg Duffy: third floor is a great one. I remember that one. There were some see we were like, guys, can we just change the script? Lucy: Yes. Evanooshka: Yeah, it's so funny. We knew it while we were filming it, it was like, How are we gonna fix this? We're like, All right, well Aleta: Why did they not fix it? Why did they not just change the line on the day? Like Evanooshka: It's a great question. It's a great question. Greg Duffy: I don't know. I don't know. It's a little Easter egg. For those who don't know, we Aleta: Really, it would have been so easy. Greg Duffy: we had to go to the 17th floor in the script and the elevator we filmed in had three floors and we pressed the button and it you can clearly see there's only three. And Evanooshka: Yeah. you know you know why it wasn't changed? Because they we we went in order that day. This is a little BTS here, I know we're derailing a bit. and we filmed the moment where I'm coming in on the bike first, and Aleta: Hm. Evanooshka: then we filmed me going into the the office and I'm going, Seventeen floor, seventeenth floor, seventeenth floor, yeah put it put it put it in. And I said the line already and Greg Duffy: You said the line already and we wrapped that scene before we realized Evanooshka: Yes. And we get in the elevator and it's like, There's only three floors, so and we can't go back and redo it. Greg Duffy: And we're not going back. You can't go back. Aleta: they they booked a three-story building. Why not change it at that point? Greg Duffy: That building is a very multiple things that we each have filmed have been in that building. It's kind of a a common building to film Evanooshka: Yes. Staple. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Yeah, we've seen it on a lot. Greg Duffy: in. Yeah. And and so I'm sh I'm sure it fit every other thing they needed. They weren't thinking about seventeen floors. Aleta: Mm. no way. Evanooshka: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think it's like kind of part of the the lore of that thing. Like this doesn't make sense. Greg Duffy: It's funny. It's so funny. Evanooshka: What is Aleta: It Lucy: Part of the charm. Aleta: is. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Yeah. Aleta: All right, well let's see if you can get these ones. What make of cars does Hunter drive? And what color are they? Greg Duffy: One of them's a BMW. The one that I think I pull up in God. Cause I actually had to drive it for a second. You Aleta: Mm. Greg Duffy: know, I had to I did pull it up. what color? Aleta: Mm-hmm. Greg Duffy: dark. Like like black or dark blue? Aleta: The BMW? Greg Duffy: Is it white? So white BMW. And then but isn't there a different car when he sees Miles jumping? Yo, yo, Aleta: Yeah. There is. At the cupcakes Evanooshka: Yeah. I knew that Greg Duffy: then you should answer and I shouldn't. Aleta: Ha ha ha Evanooshka: Hey, you're you're in the hot seat, not me. I am in the cool Greg Duffy: It's it's really easy to Evanooshka: seat. Greg Duffy: say you knew it after I got it wrong, and then she revealed the answer. I won't. Evanooshka: Well, I guess you'll never know. Aleta: So when you pull up to save Miles from the muggers, you're nice. Greg Duffy: Is that black? I couldn't Do you know the Mick, Evan? You do? Aleta: Think it's a G Wagon. sorry. Evanooshka: I that's what I was gonna I mean you're not gonna That's exactly what I was Greg Duffy: It's a G Wagon? Evanooshka: gonna say Greg Duffy: It's a G Wagon when I save him from the cupcakes. That yes, Aleta: Yeah. Yeah. Greg Duffy: yeah yeah yeah. I was thinking of when he's about to be thrown off the roof. Is that the same BMW? Aleta: That's still the white one. Yeah. Evanooshka: yeah. Aleta: Yeah. Greg Duffy: It's a G-Wagon. That was actually one of some BTS on this. We d so there was a stunt driver Aleta: Yes. Greg Duffy: for that one. because it Aleta: Okay. Greg Duffy: has to come to a screeching halt in Aleta: Hm. Greg Duffy: the scene. You're not gonna trust me. Evanooshka: Yes. That was Johnny, right? Greg Duffy: Yeah, Johnny was the stunt coordinator and the stunt Evanooshka: I it was Johnny. Greg Duffy: driver. Great guy. And they didn't I think Johnny was testing it. I don't think we were filming. Evan was standing there, and we've got Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: Evan. Evan, your picture's frozen for me. Let's see. Evanooshka: no. Is it back? Greg Duffy: Kind I kinda want your reaction to this. No, it's a he's back. it's just for Lucy: You've been back this whole time. I think it was just for Greg. Yeah. Greg Duffy: me. Great, we'll keep going then. Johnny, I think, is practicing bringing the car to a screeching halt. It's like 50 feet or Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: whatever that is in meters, like 15 or something. And Johnny goes, slams the gas, then comes to a screeching halt, and Evan is standing like right there. Like right in front of the car and Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: did not know j do you remember Aleta: Ha ha. Greg Duffy: this, Evan? Evanooshka: Yes. I will never forget that. That's something I will never I thought I was going to die. I was like Greg Duffy: I was like, are we rolling? Yeah, I thought you were gonna die. Evanooshka: That was one of the last things we filmed, too. That was the last that was the last night of filming. Greg Duffy: It was so scary. Your last day, last night. Yeah. That was crazy. Evanooshka: Right before the cupcake scene. Greg Duffy: Right. Aleta: Crazy. Lucy: Was the cupcake scene the last scene? Evanooshka: car scene. It Aleta: Mm. Greg Duffy: The last scene was the car. Evanooshka: was the car the car with the cupcake scene where he blew out the candle. Lucy: Okay, and that was the very last one. Greg Duffy: Yeah. When Lucy: Okay. Greg Duffy: like when yeah, the Evanooshka: Last thing we filmed. Greg Duffy: the end of that car scene, which is that yeah, I think Evan has the fever, Miles has the fever, and then we're gonna take him over to the house. But the the car part is the last scene on the last day. Lucy: Very cool. Okay. Greg Duffy: I was thinking about this too. You wanna know what the first scene we filmed was? Do Lucy: Yes. Greg Duffy: you know this? It was us at the at Everett Industries Resort walking in for the first time into the doorway, which is like with nail with Evanooshka: Boxes. Greg Duffy: with the box, you have the cakes. It's the beginning of the retreat, basically. That was the first scene we filmed. Yeah. Aleta: Hmm. Hmm. Evanooshka: There's this selfie that we took where we're carrying the boxes and that literally was right before we started filming. That was the first shot of the entire thing that we did. Greg Duffy: Yeah, that was like first scene. I have it. Let's see if I can find it. Lucy: I don't think I actually knew this. Did you know this, Alita? Aleta: No. Evanooshka: Yep, that's the one. Greg Duffy: I think Lucy: I remember Greg Duffy: I I think I'm having a bad hair moment, but that's the picture of us Lucy: this photo. Aleta: Aw Greg Duffy: right before the first take. I don't like it, but Evanooshka: Are you having a bad hair moment? When have you ever had a bad hair moment? You literally post Aleta: I don't think so. Evanooshka: your bedhead moments every Wednesday, so I don't really I don't I'm Lucy: Ha ha ha Greg Duffy: Curated. Evanooshka: gonna call your bluff, buddy. Greg Duffy: Sometimes Aleta: I think those bedheads are very jused. No. Greg Duffy: The comments are like, is that really your bedhead? I do go like this. I kind of like try to let it let's fix this a little bit. It's still bedhead. I didn't Evanooshka: Yeah, 'cause my bedhead is not Greg Duffy: shower. But yeah, it's just a little shredded. Aleta: Ha ha ha Evanooshka: Ew Greg Duffy: Nasty. Lucy: Okay, let's jump to a Miles one here. Okay, when Miles is trying to Greg Duffy: Get ready. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Lucy: so either of you can answer this, but Evan will probably know. Evanooshka: okay. Lucy: When Miles is trying to make up with Hunter, he brings him a lunch that Hunter throws in the trash. What does the note on the bag say? Evanooshka: I I know. Lucy: Okay. Craig? Evanooshka: Should I say? Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: If you want. Greg Duffy: Yeah, so. Evanooshka: Okay, I'm sorry. Lots of little sad faces. Greg Duffy: yeah, I totally knew that anyway. Lucy: Was that your handwriting, Evan? Evanooshka: No, that was not that was not my handwriting. Lucy: Okay. I was curious. Evanooshka: I was art department. Lucy: Well, it looked very nice. Greg Duffy: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: Yeah, it was super nice. They made me look like I well, I d I do think I have nice handwriting, but that handwriting was particularly nice. I I don't know if I have that nice of handwriting. Greg Duffy: I think you do have nice handwriting. Lucy: I wonder if the next one will be as easy. Evanooshka: Thanks, Greg. Aleta: The next one I thought was so easy, and I still think Greg Duffy: Okay. Should we raise? Aleta: Everett Industries would get this one. What color cocktail Evanooshka: We could race. Aleta: is Miles drinking when he and Hunter go to the business meeting at the bar? Evanooshka: I think I know. Greg Duffy: It's either pink or blue. Blue. Aleta: Do you think it flew? Yeah. Evanooshka: I think blue. Greg Duffy: Yeah. I remember I think we had a whole conversation about it. No, yeah, we were like Aleta: It's like bright blue. Evanooshka: Yep. Mm-hmm. Greg Duffy: I think we were like, would Miles drink this? And we were kinda like, Maybe, yeah. Aleta: Ha ha ha Lucy: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: I was like, absolutely. Cause my whole color Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: my whole color scheme was blue and green for every everything. Aleta: Yeah. Yeah. Evanooshka: And that suit I wore when Greg Duffy: Yeah, it's funny. Evanooshka: I was drinking the cocktail is green. It's like I'm like going to the Emerald City. I almost bought it. I Lucy: Yeah. Greg Duffy: We had Evanooshka: loved it so much. Greg Duffy: We had a few conversations about choices like that, where it's like, would Miles, you know, Miles who, I'm not gay, I'm not gay, I'm not gay, is he comfortable drinking a fruity cocktail? Or like the first pair of pants I was supposed to wear in the first set of scenes in the cafe were these I think you've heard us talk about these pants that are not in the final cut. They're like these fabulous, kind of sparkly wide leg pants. And it's like they were like die, the director said, too gay for day one, too gay for where Hunter is right now in his Aleta: Ha ha ha. Greg Duffy: like self awareness. Evanooshka: Mm-hmm. Aleta: Mm. Greg Duffy: And so in the same way we had a conversation, I think about the blue drink. It's like, would Miles be drinking a bright blue drink? And we were like, maybe. Yeah, reasonable. Evanooshka: Like Miles is definitely a lot less self aware of those things, I think, than Hunter would be. Greg Duffy: Hmm. Mm. Yeah, hunters always think about what people think about him or something. How he appears. Evanooshka: It's like Miles, like, Why do you think I'm gay? When it's like very clear he's gay. Hunter's like, Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: I know I'm gay. I'm not gonna let anybody else know that. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. Interesting lore. Lucy: Okay, in the ca same ki Evanooshka: Technically I'm bi. So that's that actually does hold up. Lucy: Okay. Yeah there you go. Greg Duffy: Canonically buy. Lucy: Didn't they think Alita, wasn't the thought for Hunter was it demosexual? What was the thought for Hunter? Aleta: I don't know. Greg Duffy: For Hunter. Lucy: People Aleta: I don't know. Lucy: have tried to guess the sexuality of Hunter Greg Duffy: Yeah. Lucy: and we just assumed that he really had to care about somebody before he Greg Duffy: Yeah. Lucy: would be interested. But I don't know. What what do you think? Greg Duffy: I don't think he says he's gay, right? I don't think he necessarily comes out and identifies that. I think the way that he speaks about it to Miles does give maybe something like a maybe bisexual, pansexual, because he said he he talks a lot about how like if you love someone, their gender doesn't matter. Could Evanooshka: Mm. Greg Duffy: be gay as a result. That still perfectly works with that, but it seems to be possibly broader. Possibly broader. We don't have much of his relationship history. Evanooshka: Mm-mm. Lucy: Yeah. Greg Duffy: Whereas we are obviously have more of Miles's, famously, in the story. Lucy: Ha ha Evanooshka: The only relationship history we have of yours is that you can't get it up with any of the women. So Greg Duffy: with women. that's interesting. Actually that's a good point. Aleta: Yeah, but they're like all employees who are trying to hit on him, so like Greg Duffy: Totally. Right. Not exactly a steamy scenario. Lucy: So in that same kind of scene, so this is for either of you, how much does the gangster try to extort from Miles? Greg Duffy: I think I know. Evanooshka: Think I know two. Isn't Greg Duffy: Wanna say it on three? Evanooshka: it? Yeah. One, two, three. Ten thousand dollars. Greg Duffy: One, two, three, ten thousand dollars. Lucy: Yeah, yeah. Evanooshka: Wait, you you you cedar. Greg Duffy: Wait, was it delayed? I think I think I'm on a delay. I think I'm on a delay. I think I'm on a delay. No no no no no no no. No no no no no no no. You're breaking up on me. I can't I can't hear you. Evanooshka: I said it first. I said it first. Let the record show that I said it first. sure, sure, sure, sure. Whatever. Aleta: Hahaha. Lucy: Ha ha ha. Greg Duffy: You're I think my service is bad. You're you're break ach aching Evanooshka: Lame Greg Duffy: I said it at the same time, I swear! Evanooshka: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And my name is Tickles McGee. Greg Duffy: For what it's worth I'll call you that if you want. Aleta: Ha ha Evanooshka: Ha ha. Greg Duffy: Your face is still frozen for me, so I do think it's something for my computer. Evanooshka: God, okay. Greg Duffy: It's a great actually I Lucy: We have Greg Duffy: should screenshot it and send it to you later. Lucy: Yeah, we have learned it's like everything that records is in from your own system. So even if someone looks frozen to us, it comes out beautiful at the end. So it's really interesting, but it can mess with a little bit of a delay. Yeah. Yeah. Greg Duffy: It's fascinating. That's cool. Okay. Thanks. Thanks, Lizzie. Aleta: Hey, what reason does the jealous hunter give for separating Miles and Noah? Greg Duffy: He he walks into that scene. I have a great photo from this one too. and he says, he he breaks Evanooshka: He's stalling. Greg Duffy: them apart and he says like something about I can help then I can help with the the scene when in the bedroom in the Aleta: The scene in the bedroom. When when Miles is packing and Noah's there hitting on him for like the eighteenth time, Greg Duffy: Yeah. Is it the client meeting? He's my assistant. Aleta: It is before Greg Duffy: No, not quite. Aleta: that, but the reason was kind of hypocritical. Greg Duffy: Evan, Dina? Evanooshka: I actually don't know. He's like cleaning something. Greg Duffy: I know. I know. It fraternizing is strictly prohibited between colleagues. Aleta: Yes. Lucy: You got it. Evanooshka: yes. Yeah. Nice. Nice nice nice nice nice. Greg Duffy: Totally. But when you're when you're the CEO you can rewrite the handbook. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: You guys are getting these a lot better than I thought you would. I was telling Alita, I was like, this might go bad. I'm proud of you. Greg Duffy: We got it. Evanooshka: Kind of embarrassing. Lucy: All right, very last one, guys. How are Hunter's birthday cupcakes decorated? Greg Duffy: They have rainbows on them. Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: Rainbow, I remember thinking how gay they looked. Evanooshka: A little like sprinkles. Greg Duffy: Rainbow sprinkles with rainbow was there something else? Like a little rainbow. Evanooshka: And it was vanilla cream. Greg Duffy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: Which you wouldn't know because you Lucy: You won't Evanooshka: didn't eat it, but I ate I ate several of them. I ate I think Lucy: I was gonna say Aleta: Course he did. Evanooshka: I ate like six of them. Lucy: Evan will know the dessert. Greg Duffy: And you wore them. Evanooshka: I'm not joking. I I I had so many. I I ate so and I was sugar high s like that whole night. I stayed up so late. Because I was on like a such a high like my god we just rapped, my god, I made balloons, and I was like eating cupcakes the whole time. my god! Greg Duffy: How cute is that? Evanooshka: my god. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: Cute. Evanooshka: my god. Greg Duffy: let's see. No. Lucy: That's the best. It was White Frosting, Gold Star Candle, and Rainbow. So you guys get that one for sure. Greg Duffy: Star candle. Alright. Evanooshka: yeah. Greg Duffy: Pretty good score. Lucy: we do have another game that we're hoping will spark some more BTS. We shall see. This one is basically the next line game. So we're gonna feed you a line, and then you need to tell us Evanooshka: shoot. Lucy: what the line is after that. Greg Duffy: Is this a race? Are we trying to Okay. okay. Aleta: No, it's specific to the person. Lucy: No, we're gonna p we yeah, we we will tell we will say Evanooshka: What is with you and racing Lucy: Greg Evanooshka: and comp competing? Greg Duffy: I love some healthy competition. Lucy: There won't be there won't be for this one. Evanooshka: That's surprising because you definitely lost that last game. Greg Duffy: It was a delay. It was a delay. You'll see it in post when they when they splice it together. I'm gonna slip I'm gonna slip Lucy Evanooshka: Right, right, right, right, right, right, right. Mm-hmm. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Greg Duffy: and Aleta some money so they can like edit my answer. Wow, that's so easy. Evanooshka: Let me change my name to Tickles McGee, hold on. Tickles Magee. Great. That Aleta: Ha ha. Evanooshka: should yep. Because clearly that's reality. Aleta: She said, I didn't know we could change our name. Lucy: my goodness. We actually have a new nickname for Evan. It just happened yesterday and Greg Duffy: Yeah. Lucy: Lexi's gonna hate me for saying it. We've never had one for Evan. Evanooshka: no. Lucy: So Greg is Moon Pie and yeah, Evanooshka: Where did that come from? Lucy: it's it's weird. And Evan is Greg Duffy: What's that from? Can't can't just close. Aleta: Ha ha ha Lucy: yeah, Evan is Chaos Gremlin. That's his new one. So basically, Greg Duffy: cute I like that. Aleta: Fair. Lucy: yeah. Evanooshka: I'll take it. Lucy: It only took a year. okay. So, guys, Miles says in the alley after the altercation with Amber and Joss to Hunter, he says, Can I take you out to dinner to repay you for all the mess I caused you today? Greg, what did Hunter say in response? Evanooshka: percent Greg Duffy: I I already told you I don't like men. Is that right? Yeah. Lucy: Yay Yes it is Okay Evan That's it Evanooshka: already told you, I don't like men. Greg Duffy: I already o yeah, and then you have that line. That's so good. It's Aleta: Ha ha ha's the next slide. Greg Duffy: so good. Lucy: I was hoping you would do it that way too. Evanooshka: Dai loved that moment. Dai was Aleta: Ha ha ha Evanooshka: cracking up behind the camera just being like, Greg Duffy: It truly sounds like a voiceover. It sounds like a voiceover. It sounds like someone who who does tr movie trailers, like that voice. Lucy: Could you just just for me, could you do your little have at it? Aleta: probably doesn't remember that but Lucy: Do you got like a cloth next to you? Evanooshka: Wait when I when I'm doing Aleta: With a Evanooshka: that like like How at it That one you're talking about when I'm swinging the the the napkin around? Aleta: Yes. Yeah. Lucy: Yes, thank you. That was purely Evanooshka: Yeah. Lucy: selfish. It's just for me. Thanks. I Greg Duffy: Gonna have it on a loop. Lucy: know. How about it? Greg Duffy: No way. It's far too funny. Evanooshka: I think you know what would be interesting? Maybe maybe we can share the script with people so they can see what the original writing was. Greg Duffy: I wonder. Evanooshka: I wonder if that's allowed. I'll Lucy: That would be cool. Evanooshka: have to look at our contracts to see if we're violating any rules with that, but that'd be kinda cool to see. Lucy: It would be. We'll dissect that too. We'll be like, Look what they changed. Greg Duffy: Yeah. A lot. You'll see a lot of changes. Evanooshka: Yeah, there's a lot. Aleta: Next one. When Hunter comes into the warehouse and insists on helping, Miles tells him, Mr Everett, we really don't need the extra help. Greg, what does Hunter answer? Ha ha Greg Duffy: something like Mine. Evan, do you know? I can picture it, because I'm I have I I take the I think I take the box from No or I at least I get in between them and I separate them. Aleta: Well, there's a moment when you shove the box at Noah, but then y w Miles is like, Greg Duffy: It no, yeah. We don't need your help. Aleta: We don't need your help and and it's kind of a funny one liner. Dumped him. Evanooshka: I don't know either. Lucy: You say it, Alita. Aleta: I said what I said. Greg Duffy: I said what I said. It is kinda funny. Yeah. He's Aleta: One time that hunter's kind of sassy. Evanooshka: Ooh Greg Duffy: he he's kind of brooding. Evanooshka: one time? Aleta: Ha ha ha. Greg Duffy: Yeah, yeah. He broods a lot that day, I feel. Lucy: Yeah. Greg Duffy: Cause he's jealous and he's like Yeah, Aleta: He's ver very jealous of Noah. Greg Duffy: yeah, yeah. Yeah. I said what I said. Yeah. Lucy: Okay. I was gonna say too, as we say lines, if you're like, ooh, I remember that and you wanna say it, they would much rather hear you say it than us. So just so you know, because Aleta: Yeah, for sure. Greg Duffy: Yeah, yeah. Lucy: we are gonna read some of your lines. But here's the next one. In Hunter's office, after Miles gives him a medical exam, Hunter opens his shirt and asks for Miles to look at something. When Hunter says And you could say it if you want, Greg. I could start you off. With both men, it's hardly Greg Duffy: Anything to be embarrassed about. Right? Lucy: Pretty much. Yep. Greg Duffy: nothing to be embarrassed about. where my high head went was the I asked you to look at the wound on my back Aleta: Ha ha ha. Greg Duffy: Which which I undid my Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: I undid my belt for, by the way. Aleta: You removed your belt entirely for Greg Duffy: We had a Evan and I had a lot of conversations on the day. We were like, How on earth are we gonna make this believable? Why would he Lucy: Ha. Evanooshka: Mm. Greg Duffy: take off his belt? Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: Was that right, Lucy, or did I skip a line? Was there something in between? Lucy: You you you were pretty much right. What's there to be embarrassed about? And then he says, unless you see this as less than professional, and then it was Evan, what does Miles say in response to that? Greg Duffy: Is it his voiceover? Evanooshka: Yeah, it was a voiceover. No? Lucy: No, it was actually not. Greg Duffy: No. Lucy: No. You have a lot of voiceover Evanooshka: Shoot. Lucy: in that scene though. This one Evanooshka: Yeah. Lucy: you verbalized. Evanooshka: This is my audition scene too, I should know this. Greg Duffy: Think I think I know. I think Evanooshka: What's the what's the previous line again? Lucy: it is so we're both men, it's hardly an evasion of privacy. What's there to be embarrassed about unless you see this as less Evanooshka: Alright, here goes nothing. Is that something like that? Lucy: So it's when you're like psyching yourself up to do what you're about to do. Greg Duffy: Is it did this Did he say I'm not gay at this part? Evanooshka: Or I'm like, yeah, it's like totally yeah, I'm not like I'm not gay. Greg Duffy: no, yeah. I'm not gay. Lucy: Pretty much. It's Evanooshka: Is that right? Lucy: of course not. Yeah, it's pretty much that. It's of course not. No, I'm not embarrassed. I'm not gay. That Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: right. I'm Lucy: was it. Evanooshka: not embarrassed. I'm not gay. That's that that's that. It's that moment. I remember that. Greg Duffy: So good. Lucy: That was that one. Bonus point if you guys can remember the sound effect that happened to him at that time on Miles. Evanooshka: Like boom Greg Duffy: That's what I was gonna guess. Like butting? Lucy: It's random because it's like a frog. It's like a rivet. It's like a ribbet. Evanooshka: Wang Is it a quack? yeah yeah yeah okay Aleta: Yeah, that's right. Evanooshka: that one yeah yeah Wang Greg Duffy: That's insane. That's an insane editing Lucy: Yeah. Greg Duffy: choice. Evanooshka: Yeah, it was. It wa the sound effects of this vertical are probably my favorite of any that I've been in. Yeah. Greg Duffy: Erst off off the wall. Evanooshka: They just they w they went wild with it. They went wild with it. Greg Duffy: Yeah, there's like not a three Lucy: Ha ha. Greg Duffy: second period where you're not getting the sound effect. Evanooshka: No. Lucy: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: Makes it so fun. Lucy: True. Hey Alita. Real Evanooshka: Do you guys like the sound effects? Do you think they're they're like fun and they make the story better or Aleta: That was a question we had actually how you guys felt about it. Some of them Lucy: Yeah. Aleta: I think are really good. Some of them kind of take it out a bit. Greg Duffy: Mm. Aleta: There's a couple times when there's a lion roaring when Hunter's kind of having a moment and Greg Duffy: I remember that, yeah. Evanooshka: I don't know. I think it like plays up the camp of it all, which I Lucy: So Aleta: That's cute. Yeah. Evanooshka: love. I love that. So i it just Greg Duffy: Yeah, my first reaction is it makes it like unrealistic or something. It takes out the kind of the groundedness of it. And then Evanooshka: Definitely. Greg Duffy: upon a rewatch, it's like, this is hilarious. Like this is so funny. It's over Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: Ha ha Greg Duffy: the top way over the top. Lucy: I've heard from a lot of fans that sometimes they don't like it, but I personally love it. I love all the sound effects. I Greg Duffy: Yeah. Lucy: but I know that's not everyone's jam, but I like rom coms, I like Evanooshka: Yeah. Lucy: comedies, and I think it's Greg Duffy: Yeah. Lucy: they're really fun when they're in there. 'Cause it there still could be like sweet and tender moments and sexy moments, but I appreciated the sound effects around it. So Evanooshka: Yes. Lucy: Alright, so on the rooftop, after Hunter supposedly saves Miles from trying to jump off the building. Hunter at one point says to Miles After Hunter tries to kiss Miles, by the way, and Miles says he can't Hunter says Why not? You started this If you remember the lines you can continue, Greg, otherwise I'll keep going. Greg Duffy: you're the one who kissed me you're the one who something I remember you gotta know that. Lucy: Pretty much you're the one who confessed to me. Greg Duffy: Yes to me. Lucy: Yep, kissed at the coffee shop. Evanooshka: right. That was like that weird word. I Lucy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: remember we had some problems with that word. Greg Duffy: Which one? Evanooshka: Confessed. Made a confession. Greg Duffy: Why? Was there a weird thing with that? yeah yeah. You're the one who confessed to me. Yeah. It's very dramatic. Confessed. Evanooshka: 'Cause nobody says that. Nobody says you can best you can best too low. It's like, yeah. Aleta: This Lucy: Ha ha ha. Well that is K drama. That's K drama in anime. Evanooshka: Yeah, right. Right, right, right. Lucy: Because before verticals I watched a lot of those and yeah, Greg Duffy: Yeah. Lucy: it's when you confess to your crush. Evan, what does Evanooshka: Yes. Yeah. Lucy: Miles say in response? This one's so fun and you panic when you say it. You panic. Evanooshka: I'm not gay. Lucy: No. Greg Duffy: It's good guess, Evanooshka: I don't think so. No. I mean that's Aleta: Ha ha Greg Duffy: statistically speaking. Evanooshka: like thirteen of yeah, Lucy: Do you Evanooshka: exactly. Lucy: Do you remember Greg? Greg Duffy: just me. Lucy: I'll give a hint because Greg Duffy: Because you have erectile dysfunction! Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: God Greg Duffy: And is that when is that when Fiona comes? No, it's about Aleta: Huh. Yeah. Lucy: Yep. Evanooshka: Yes, and drops all of the Greg Duffy: when she comes Yeah, my rectile dysfunction Evanooshka: she's like my god. Greg Duffy: That statistically actually is a good second guess after I'm not gay, because that one is said quite Aleta: Yeah. Greg Duffy: a few times. Lucy: I like that line because Miles is just in a real panic at that point. He's like Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: Yeah. Lucy: damn it. Alita, I Evanooshka: Insanity. Lucy: think we should move on to questions. Okay. Aleta: Think we should. Yes. So we have some fan questions. the first one was was just a question that I had. I was going through it this week and it looks to me like almost all of it was filmed in the same house. Greg Duffy: So a lot of it was filmed in that house, and that was the Everett Industries Resort, which we could have a separate conversation about. What is Everett Industries, by the way? Miles is the medical intern, and then we have a whole set of real estate and resorts. But Aleta: Yeah. Greg Duffy: so big question mark there. But most much of it, probably three to four days, was filmed at that house out of like Aleta: Mm. Greg Duffy: the nine days or so. The other sets were the office set, and The cafe area. That was a different set. Were there any other sets, Evan? The house was the majority. Evanooshka: For the resort, you mean? Aleta: For the root. Greg Duffy: Well it was it was the resort, that was the backyard of the house, and then like it was also my bedroom, it was also where I'm working out in the morning, it's also Aleta: Tammy's house. Evanooshka: Yep. Greg Duffy: hammies yeah, like yes, exactly. So a lot of it was Evanooshka: Mm. Aleta: It all the decor is just all very same ish, so I was like, This has gotta Evanooshka: Yeah. Aleta: be the same place. Yeah. Yeah. Greg Duffy: Yeah, it's like kind of like a s like an Airbnb of like a big kind it was obviously a mansion, but yeah. Evanooshka: It was a big house. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Good eyes. Lucy: Well Greg Duffy: The storage room, all of it. Aleta: Yeah. The storage Lucy: All from the same. Aleta: and and when you're coming into the storage room, you're coming in Evanooshka: you weren't being sarcastic. I thought you were being sarcastic. Aleta: from the kitchen into a garage or something. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Aleta: Anyway. Greg Duffy: Ha. Aleta: We've watched this too much. Okay, Lucy. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: I love it. Lucy: All right. So we're gonna do we collected questions Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: from fans, and I know you've all gotten so many questions from folks over the year. So we think some of these might be new, but we have one from Becky Yado. You guys probably know her. She likes to make yes, she loves to make Greg Duffy: We know Becky. Hi Becky. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: Hi Becky. Lucy: Loves to make a lot of edits and she is such a supportive person to everybody, Greg Duffy: Yeah. Amazing. Lucy: fans and you guys. Evanooshka: Yeah, she is. Lucy: So she says that she always wanted to know how you remember your lines so easily. Greg Duffy: Mm. Lucy: And then a follow-up question, how long do the intimacy scenes take to film? Greg Duffy: Good question, Becky. Do you want to take it, Evan, at first? Evanooshka: Yeah, sure. I'll answer it backwards. The intimacy scenes it really depends on what intimacy scene you're talking about. Some of them don't take that long at all. Some of them take much longer. And I think with us they took a little bit longer because there's a lot of care from the intimacy coordinators that we have because they were both fucking awesome and incredible. Olivia and Jen were like the stars of yeah, like yeah, truly, truly the best. Greg Duffy: Jen, yeah, shout out. Favorites. And we've worked with them many on many things. O Olivia did Princess First Love, Drive Him Wild, Jen did also do Drive Him Wild. Yeah, they it's so great to work with both of them. Evanooshka: Yeah, they're a amazing. and so it's hard to say like an exact number, but definitely takes longer to do the intimacy scenes because there's more care with those particular intimacy coordinators, I'd say. But in general I'd Aleta: Mm. Evanooshka: say they take a little bit longer. And then the first question remind me the first part which how do you memorize your lines? That part's the first rung of the ladder for what it means to be an actor. Like memorizing your lines is I t what I my process is like I'll look over the sides from for the next day, the night before, I will say each line at least ten times just to like get it in there so that I can internalize it overnight, s literally sleep on it, and then wake up and have a be a better grip to be able to improvise in the moment with the person. Because if I'm if I'm focused on what I'm trying to say or like trying to remember my lines. That's the thought. The thought has to be what am I doing to this person? It can't be what am I trying to say here? Otherwise it Greg Duffy: If it's not internalized, it comes it comes off as bad acting, basically, because you're not in the moment, you're in your head. And that's you can't be that if you're gonna try to deliver something well. Yeah. Yeah, I can Lucy: Makes sense. Greg Duffy: answer the same way. intimacy definitely takes longer because there's a lot of choreography up front. You're you're actually choreographing with the intimacy coordinator, which hopefully you can accomplish at some point during the day before you get to that scene. So you kind of jump in you're ready. But a lot of times there's no opportunity if you're in a lot of the scenes prior. And one of the biggest differences with an intimate scene is that it's a closed set. So really only people who need to be there are there, which means that that ends up being obviously the camera people, the director, sometimes the executive producer who's giving like final approval on stuff, sometimes not. So sometimes it takes double because you film a scene and you kind of then send it off to people who are not on the closed set, who are just like right outside or something. So they can kind of review and be like, did we get what we needed? Did we get all the approvals? Whereas usually that whole team is just sitting behind camera and is approving scenes as they're filmed. Like, yep, we got it. And that's a few different people, some of whom are not in the closed set. So there's this kind of like watch and get feedback process. And then you have like, if the executive producer is giving feedback, they're gonna maybe deliver it to the director, who's gonna then deliver it to the intimacy coordinator, who is then gonna pull you aside and talk about it in a safe environment. And then you can execute it. Or if you have feedback, it goes back up the chain as an actor, then it comes back down. So you have this chain of command which keeps actors safe, but it just requires much more. So yeah, they they take, I would say double, if not more, than a typical scene would require with the same amount of dialogue without intimacy. Something like that. memorizing lines, same as Evan, review the night before. And then my method is like internalize it. There's so many lines in a day. We film so many pages of text of script in a day. So as memorize it and practice with my scene partner as much as I possibly can. I'm I'm memorizing fully in c like fully memorized five minutes before the scene. because then I can deliver it and Evanooshka: Wow, yeah. Greg Duffy: then it has to like exit my brain for to make room for the next step. And so I'll tell you what the secret secret is that really makes this work is you usually block a scene. So you get all the choreography. Sometimes you I mean you can have your we have sides of the day, we have a script in hand, we're delivering, delivering, and then they have to light it. So the Everyone they've just figured out where's everybody gonna stand, what's it gonna look like, where the cameras, how many shots are we gonna get, from which angles. And then as an actor you get like fifteen, twenty minutes by your s away from set because they have to light it in a specific way. And that's where my secret sauce like boom boom boom boom boom. Run it, run it, run it, run it, run it, get in there. That's what I usually do. Lucy: I like it. Greg Duffy: Evan's probably more prepared than me. Evanooshka: It no, I I it's everyone's different. And I think that the other thing I'll say too I like to memorize my intention. Like what am I trying to do? Because then the line will find me in the moment. Greg Duffy: Yeah, even if you may word it more in a hum more human way, even if you just memorize your intention. Yeah. Totally. Evanooshka: Right. Yes. And then the other thing that's helpful is memorizing like what the actions are too, like in in like physically. because if I'm doing like especially a scene that's really repetitive where the lines are very much the same, which is very common in verticals, it can be easy to mix them up, so putting something physical with it helps to like separate out what This line is from the other line. I don't know if that makes sense. Greg Duffy: Evan has a BFA. Actor. Lucy: Like an actor. Greg Duffy: Okay. Lucy: right, Alita. Aleta: Okay, so this one's from Tash, who I Greg Duffy: Thank you. Aleta: you should yeah, I think Evanooshka: Hi, Tash. Aleta: you both know, yeah. Greg Duffy: Our friend from down under. Aleta: Yes. With the little cutie Evanooshka: Down a nap. Aleta: cutie son. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: Having a burger with your glass of water? Aleta: Tash asks, if you could tell your past self that you're going to make this vertical, what would you say to them? So like from before you've made it. Greg Duffy: I have okay, my answer to this, you I've said this before. You know that I had like two Good Short offered me two different roles at the same time. One was in a different vertical as like a supporting straight person, and this one. And I think if I could tell myself like 15 years ago, self, teenage self, you're gonna even be given an option and you're gonna opt for the queer one. Is something fifteen year old me never would have thought I could have done. So if I go all the way back there, it's like, hey, you're gonna be okay. You're actually gonna like love this part of yourself. And you're gonna wanna share it with the world. And this is one of the ways you're gonna get to do that. And you're gonna be really proud of it. So say yes to that. What would say. Aleta: Ha ha Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: Beautiful. w how far back to my past self am I going? Like right before the filming of this Aleta: Just well I Evanooshka: or Lucy: Sure, let's do Adult Evan. What would you tell Adult Evan? Aleta: Sure. Evanooshka: Well there's two different answers to that. Adult Evan before or after I came out too. Like if I Greg Duffy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: if I were to say this to Adult Evan after I came out, I would just say like you're gonna have a time in your life. Enjoy it. Enjoy every second. You know, I I did enjoy every second. There's not there's not really much Greg Duffy: Mm, gotta have no Evanooshka: to say, it's just like you you're gonna like love this moment, like savor it, because I remember like Greg Duffy: Mm. Evanooshka: not wanting to go home because I loved it so much. It was such a fun such Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: a fun time. and I would say To my pre coming out, Evan. Maybe I wouldn't say anything at all because I wouldn't want to psych him out. Be hey, guess what? The i everyone in the world is gonna know you're gay. That'd be a little bit overwhelming. I'd be like, Greg Duffy: No. Evanooshka: So that that passed really past Evan? No, I don't think I'd tell him anything. Just be like, Yeah, Greg Duffy: He wouldn't be ready for it. Evanooshka: just like just Aleta: Ha ha ha ha. Evanooshka: we'll we'll talk to you a little bit later. If I were to tell Evan, who was struggling in the closet, knowing that I'm gay and wanting to come out, be like, Just so you know, your queerness is your power and you will become Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: a your your work as a queer character is what's going to put your career in hyperdrive. That is pretty extraordinary to think like Greg Duffy: Got chills. Evanooshka: that I you know, I was trying to be this like This version of myself that I was not. And in fact, Miles was really an extension of me in many ways. Greg Duffy: We know people no know you now know that to be true. We've had the pleasure of getting to know you more and more, yeah. Evanooshka: And that Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: Yeah. So that i would just say to him like it's like look what's gonna happen because y you're you're gonna be just fine. You're gonna be okay. Don't don't worry. Or if you wanna worry, that's fine, but you're just wasting your time. Greg Duffy: It's your superpower, it's not your weakness. Yeah. Evanooshka: Yeah. Yeah. It's nothing that's like a deformity. Like I used to think it was a deformity to be gay or like something that was like a gen I remember my ex used to tell me like, it's like probably like genetics that like was like something like wrong with us. I was like, god, what a terrible thing. Tap terrible way to think about yourself. Like you're a like there's something like wrong with us at a at a genetic level. It's like, Aleta: What? Evanooshka: no, no, that's not That's not it. It's a superpower like Greg said. Greg Duffy: A lot of people still think that way. Evanooshka: Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty normal I'd say. Mhm. Greg Duffy: That's why the work's important. Yeah. Evanooshka: That's why stories like this matter, Lucy: Yeah. Evanooshka: it's why we gotta keep making them. Lucy: That's frickin' right. Okay. We have one from Diamond. So on Instagram, they're shine bright Evanooshka: Hi Diamond. Lucy: like a diamond. Yeah. Greg Duffy: Hi Diamond, of course. Lucy: She she is a a budding editor. But her question is, what did the other person do that made you comfortable on set? Evanooshka: What did they do? I was never comfortable with Greg. Lucy: So what did Greg do to make you comfortable, Evan? Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: been faking it the whole time. Aleta: We can tell. Evanooshka: the Can you imagine? The f imagine we like actually hated each other in real life. The the first Aleta: no. Evanooshka: no, the first time I remember feeling comfortable around Greg because we were like kind to each other the whole first day and that was like lovely and we were just excited to be there as our first leading roles in a vertical. So like that was we like bonded over that. But the first real moment that I felt like truly safe was when we did that intimate scene in the warehouse Greg Duffy: Mm. Evanooshka: and I have that anxiety attack from being claustrophobic and I r I remember like, I gotta really go there today and we talked with Jen, who was the intimacy coordinator on that day. and Jen kind of walked us through like where we feel and Olivia was there too, I think. Olivia came later, right? Olivia Greg Duffy: Yeah, I think so. Evanooshka: come later that day? I think so, because yeah, she was in the room in the bedroom scene, I think, later on. and they both did this exercise where it's not exercise, but this conversation where you need to identify what's green, what's yellow, and what's red on your body. And we kind of went through that like where I'm where my red zones are, where my yellow zones are. Greg Duffy: You can be touched in the greens, you can't be touched in the reds by the other person. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: Thank you. and that was the first time I was like, Okay, great, now we have boundaries for this. And then when I was really going there emotionally in the in the warehouse scene, in the claustrophobic scene, Greg was like really nice and kind the whole time, checking in constantly, Aleta: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: always going out of his way to like, hey, how are you doing? What's going on? Are you okay? Is this comfortable? Is this okay what I'm doing? Is can I touch you here? Is this alright? Is this is this screen? Is this he would constantly be checking in and it was Greg Duffy: Ha ha Evanooshka: extremely professional and very accommodating. Especially when I'm doing a scene where I have to be extremely vulnerable on top of being intimate, right? 'Cause it being Lucy: Mm. Evanooshka: intimate's vulnerable it as it is, but like I was like, Greg Duffy: So intense. Evanooshka: my god, I gotta like recall a moment of of trauma to like trigger myself, basically. And that's that's scary. And Greg was consistently went out of his way to be kind and check in. And from that day on, like day two, I was like, this is a good guy. Greg Duffy: Gonna work. I'll also say, well, first of all, thank you. And I'll say I on the last episode where the the fans of the Besties verticals spoke, Ginger said was very vulnerable and said, I suffer from panic attacks, and Evan's representation of the fan panic attack made me feel so seen. So I also just want to say I think like you, Evan, did a lot of work to try to prepare for the delivery of that scene, which was so intense we did many, many times, as people know from different angles and You had to go there like for a long time that day, over and over and over again, and you made people feel very seen and understood from their own real life experiences of panic attacks. Evanooshka: Thanks for saying that and thanks, Ginger, too. Greg Duffy: For me, I mean I I'll say two things. One was like the aura in the fitting. Like Evan has such a welcoming demeanor about him. We're strangers, we are both like don't really know what we're walking into, and we know the script. even the audition scene was like that crazy scene with the Wasala dressing, so we're like I think or no, it was the belt scene. It was a both. The belt scene. Evanooshka: It was the belt scene. Greg Duffy: I think that Sal dressing scene. Evanooshka: it might have been both. Greg Duffy: I think it was both. I think those those were the two scenes. And I was like, this script is Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: wild. And so walking in that day, I was like, God, I hope this person is someone that I can really like see myself getting along with. And Evan was so warm and without an ounce of any ego, like was like. really was asking questions and how are you and how's it going? And yeah, like, have you read the script? And isn't this crazy? And we're gonna have to figure this out together. So from the moment I met him, I was like, okay, like that calmed me. I was like, we're gonna figure this out and we're on the same team. And that felt so good. And then I think it was probably I mean that's when I started to feel comfortable. But the intimacy scenes in particular are where you how someone shows up in as an actor opposite you is really how you've will determine how you feel how your anxiety and your stress is while delivering that scene. And I remember the scene where Miles has the fever and there's the baby bird water to the mouth thing and then the the kind of the intimate dream that takes place there. that was kind of intense. I think that was one of our earlier more intense scenes it was because it was shot at that house, which was the first few days. and then Also handling the intimacy scene where there's Tammy and we go from this like violent scene to this intimate scene, and in the same way the panic attack into the kissing. So you're you're dealing with this wide range within the same scene and how you can take care, like Evan said, take care of that story and say it in a in a way that like holds the audience, holds the character in a way that feels comforting, not sensational. And no Evan was like right there at the beginning being like, How do you how do you think we should like approach this? Here's what I think, here's how do we take care of it? And that type of verbiage for me signals like the priorities of the person. I'm not this isn't just a job I'm clocking in at. Like I'm trying to tell a story with care. And that type of approach early, early on made me like build made me trust you so much, Evan. Evanooshka: Likewise, I feel the same. Cause the priority was about our comfort with each other at every time, including Greg Duffy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: that moment where we were asked, hey, Greg, you wanna wear a prosthetic penis? And we both were like, Let's check in, talk with the intimacy coordinators. We're both Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: like, No, no, we are not doing that. And like we were on Greg Duffy: No. Evanooshka: but like but having that like we're we're But like our our number one job, I think, before even telling the story and to and giving service to these characters was to make sure that we were okay. At least that's how Greg Duffy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: I that's how I felt. I I felt like our number one job constantly was checking in, which is why the chemistry was good, because we felt safe. I think that's how it works. I think you have to prioritize your scene partner's care and like and comfortability, because if you Greg Duffy: Hundred percent. Evanooshka: don't The the a whole the whole thing falls apart. The whole thing fucking fails. Greg Duffy: Totally. Evanooshka: Like Greg, how did Lucy: We did Evanooshka: you see that that Aleta: Yeah. Evanooshka: that Ginger Where did I miss that? Greg Duffy: that was in the the episode, the last episode before yours, which was like the fan episode. Mm-hmm. But the questions are in the doc. Evanooshka: that's got it. Got it got it got it. Thanks for saying that, that was really nice. Yes. Aleta: It was so nice to hang out with all those OGs. Lucy: Greg did his research. Greg Duffy: So cute. I didn't know everyone's you know, I didn't know all the faces, so is it kinda nice to also attach faces to names? Evanooshka: Yeah, I wanna see that. I'm Lucy: Yeah. Evanooshka: gonna I'm gonna check in on. Greg Duffy: Good. You gotta watch it on YouTube instead of just listening 'cause that really there's a lot there. That's really beautiful actually. It's a very beautiful episode. Lucy: Yeah. Yeah, do it on YouTube. Evanooshka: okay. Lucy: Yeah. Evanooshka: Thanks, Greg. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Thank you to these two for bringing them together. Lucy: Alita This Evanooshka: Yes. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: wouldn't exist without you two, so you know, I know we say that a lot, but you're responsible Aleta: Yeah. You're responsible for this disaster. Greg Duffy: Mm. Evanooshka: No, no, no, no, no, no, Greg Duffy: For the chaos, the chaos. Evanooshka: no. We we may have we may have provided the Greg Duffy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: raw materials, but the spark was lit by you two. That that is not our doing. We are not responsible for this podcast. Mm-mm. No, Greg Duffy: You can't blame us, you can't blame us for all that. We will not take that blame. Lucy: So Evanooshka: no. Lucy: I guess there was like a pilot light maybe, but then it was just Evan and Greg coming in with just like gasoline or matches and they're like, Greg Duffy: The pilot lay the gasoline. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Lucy: We're just gonna make it go a little harder, but that's cool. Evanooshka: All right, I'll take that. Aleta: Now you're stuck with me for life, Lucy, sorry. Lucy: That's fine. Alita, do you want to do Lexis? Okay. Aleta: alrighty. Yeah, sure. So you you all know Lexi, another friend from Down Under. Greg Duffy: Yeah. I like see. Evanooshka: Hi Lexi. Aleta: She asked, Is there a scene that you would like to do over again? Evanooshka: I wanna do all of it again. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Greg Duffy: I had the opposite answer. I was like I wouldn't change a thing. But do it again a hundred percent. I th I wouldn't change a thing. I Evanooshka: Wait, is that the question? Aleta: Yeah. Greg Duffy: which scene would you want to do over? Evanooshka: Like what would we change? Greg Duffy: yeah, what's Lucy: Yeah, like what seed? Do over. Like is there a scene? Evanooshka: do over I mis I misunderstood. Greg Duffy: Does it mean yeah, change it or Aleta: A do over. Greg Duffy: does it mean just relive it? Evanooshka: I misunderstood. Aleta: She didn't clarify that. But I was thinking she meant like to to do o like have a do over for to change it. Greg Duffy: To change it. Evanooshka: I like Greg, if if that's the case, if that's the the way the question is, the context of the question, I would say nothing I'd want to change because it is as it is and that's special. But Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: I think if there was one moment I wish we could maybe have a little bit more time on because it was so stressful, was the parking Greg Duffy: Mm. I know what you're gonna say. Evanooshka: lot at the at the top of the parking lot where Aleta: Ha ha ha ha ha. Evanooshka: We had to film that entire sequence in like forty minutes. Which is crazy. Greg Duffy: Everything is one take. Evanooshka: Crazy. And they just I remember literally Greg Duffy: Do you Evanooshka: being like moved physically by Vince or by somebody of like it's like okay. and I I was like, Greg Duffy: Next line. Evanooshka: and action. And it was like, I don't even know like what we're doing. I I remember there was one time when they said action, I like, What are we doing? And they're like, just say something. Greg Duffy: What scene is this? Evanooshka: It was the it was the moment where we're we're you save me. save me Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: and you like you like clock bring me to the ground and then Greg Duffy: Yes. Evanooshka: I get up and then the the the the the bag falls. Like all that shit was filmed in forty minutes. Forty minutes. Because the sun was setting, the helicopter showed up. Greg Duffy: The whole thing. Typically it would it could have been like a three hour. And and the you guys know the whole story of the helicopter Evanooshka: Praise. Greg Duffy: and people thinking that Aleta: Yeah. Greg Duffy: Evan Evan was being murdered. the the first I believe the first thing after the helic Evanooshka: Five fine. Greg Duffy: after the helicopter left, when we basically were like it started to go away and we just started filming. And so you might even I don't even know if there's any helicopter audio in the final thing, but my next thing was I had to run and say like, don't Whatever my line is, don't jump. I didn't reject you, or whatever that line is as I'm running to go get him. And I yelled it because the moment calls for me to yell this line. I think he's jumping, you know, it's so serious. And I I start saying the line as I'm running, and they're like, Evanooshka: Mm-hmm. Greg Duffy: people think people were already in trouble with the police and I was like you what how do I tow the line I think this guy's about to jump off a building Evanooshka: I I know, I know. Greg Duffy: acting challenge don't yell it to please don't jump they were like you have one shot and Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: They like, don't jump, don't jump, I'll save you. Like what? Greg Duffy: I was like okay so I did yell it in the end they were like no more no more no more we're gonna get kicked out of here so that was I think that's such a great answer and there's one part Where I think I say something like I say something to Fiona when she shows up like, not now, Fiona, or something, and the audio's messed up. You hear you know that part I'm talking about? The line is a little bit muddled and I just think they only had what they had. It was one take and for whatever happened in the sound, I hear it, I'm like, the sound is kinda muddy. but everything we did that day was just one take. And it was such a it was such a Evanooshka: yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Greg Duffy: beautiful scene. I th the lighting was so beautiful. So yeah, it would've been nice to have more time there, but we were up against time and the law, so we had to just move on. Mm-hmm. Aleta: Ha ha. Lucy: Lawbreakers. Evanooshka: Crazy. Crazy. The fact that Greg Duffy: That was crazy. Evanooshka: it came out, I was like ex fully expecting that entire sequence to be an absolute just unwatchable moment. Yeah. Greg Duffy: I th I thought we were gonna have to film another day. Yeah. Evanooshka: And it like actually looks halfway decent. We're aware of like w Greg Duffy: Looks looks good. Evanooshka: what, you know, happened, but Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: if w if we were to go back and have a little bit more time, I think that whole sequence could have been more, maybe. We could have gotten more I don't know. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Evanooshka: I don't know, but no we'll never know. Greg Duffy: Wouldn't change it. Wouldn't change a thing. Lucy: Is is that are you guys in agreement that that's probably the scene you both would want to change? Greg Duffy: I I'm so I I think that's a great answer and I I would agree, but I I think on the whole I'd be like when you get lightning in a bottle, you don't always know exactly why or what and if you change one thing you don't know how Evanooshka: Totally. Greg Duffy: it's gonna change the Aleta: Mm. Greg Duffy: the whole thing. I'm kinda like w Quirks Evanooshka: Totally. Greg Duffy: Quirks and all. Third f three floor elevator and a seventeen floor building in the script, like it just it's just funny. It's Evanooshka: Right. Greg Duffy: just works somehow. So I w I really Lucy: It does. Greg Duffy: wouldn't change a thing 'cause I it would jeopardize the possibility of of this community forming, I think. Evanooshka: Yeah, like we could redo that elevator sequence and like, let's get a button that says seventeen on it so it doesn't but that's part of the weirdness and quirkiness and charm of of this story. Of like, what? Yeah. Are Greg Duffy: Yeah, yeah. The quirking is. If you know you know. Like Easter egg, like people can kinda yeah, yeah. Evanooshka: you paying attention? Greg Duffy: Yeah, yeah. Lucy: So many conversations happen because of that. So Aleta: Ha ha. Greg Duffy: Totally. Totally. Lucy: I agree. That's a very good answer. Okay. So this one was interesting. This is from Rainbow Vibes. That's her Instagram name. Greg Duffy: Hi Rambo Vibes. Evanooshka: Hi Rainbow Vibes. Lucy: She her question was, has what is a straight until he kiss me question that you've never been asked but would love to answer? Greg Duffy: Mm. Evanooshka: How you always look so good in every shot? Greg Duffy: With it with it. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: I don't know. I I I really thank you so much for say asking that. I I don't know Aleta: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: I don't know. That's Greg Duffy: When is the Oscar gonna come for your performance? Lucy: Ha ha ha. Greg Duffy: When will the Oscars have a vertical category? You know what? Aleta: Mm-hmm. Greg Duffy: I don't know. Lucy: Those are some good questions. Evanooshka: my God. What is the question, Greg? Do you know how to answer that? Greg Duffy: I feel like we've Evanooshka: I don't know how to answer that. Greg Duffy: we've had a year's worth of questions. We like you remember early on, we were like answering all the TikTok comments and making all those extra videos and stuff. Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: We answered so many, I feel like. I feel like the fans often know more than I do at this point. You know what I mean? They remind me of something like, yeah, Evanooshka: Yeah, totally. Greg Duffy: because we had said it once, and it's like, that is what happened there, but I don't I I forgot. Evanooshka: Totally. Greg Duffy: Wish we could be asked. I'll I'll say this, maybe. a an actor is able to sink into the role, do a good job when they feel safe because of the other actor and actors, obviously. I will I really would love to give a shout out to the director, Die, who created an environment for us to have so much fun. And play around. And I would say, in particular, as we know, like let Evan really play around with the script and humanizing it and making choices, improvising a lot. We know those scenes where I'm laughing because Evan's improvising something and it's for super organic. I think, and I've said this, I look like a better actor because I'm yeah having really organic reactions to Evan, who's improvising something. we've both worked with directors who can be challenging to work with, and we've we've worked with directors who are great. You know, who have allowed us to do fun things like that. We had so much fun with this. So I think the question to turn it around Jeopardy style would be like, who's who's an underrated part of the picture of Straight Until He Kiss Me? And I would say die Lucy: Mm-hmm. Greg Duffy: because she ha was so Collected, you know, we're going later at night, we're yeah, we're behind, whatever. You would never know it by Dai's demeanor. Evanooshka: A hundred percent. Greg Duffy: And I value that so much. I've worked with directors who have who lose their tempers, and it just creates this trickle-down effect of like, my god, everyone's kind of upset. How am I supposed deliver right now? I'm not in my body. I'm kind of like anxious and nervous. And again, Evan and I have both worked with bad situations like that as actors. And so, you know. Director's obviously behind camera, but who is an underrated person who people wouldn't always know, who really helped bring this thing to life and allowed us to make really fun and free choices that I think made it what it is. I would really I would love to give a shout out to Die who let that happen, let that feeling flourish on the set. What a joy. Like Evan and I were so present the entire time because of that. Evanooshka: Yeah, we I've never had so many I don't think any of us have had so many setbacks on set that we had for Straight Until He Kissed Me. I mean we had COVID take over the set and like everybody Greg Duffy: my god, COVID, yeah. Evanooshka: we had a skeleton crew running the thing. Everybody's wearing masks. Greg Duffy: People were dropping like flies. Evanooshka: Yeah. Like I we were it was it was s the morale was so low because of that. And then when we had the you know, the cops called and like there was just endless shit. Greg Duffy: It's crazy. Evanooshka: of just happening every day. It like, my God, like let's get this Greg Duffy: How are we gonna do this? Evanooshka: right. And Di like Greg said, never lost it. Only like you you knew like maybe like if something we I remember like, there's COVID onset. And I just like calmly looked, Greg Duffy: Ha ha ha. Evanooshka: took a hit of her vape, Greg Duffy: Ha ha. Evanooshka: and was like like dragging like dragging it out of her nose and was like Cool cool cool cool cool cool cool cool cool. Like laughed about with us. I was like, that's Greg Duffy: Cool, cool, cool, cool cool, cool, cool. Okay. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. She's like processing. Evanooshka: the shit right there. That's that's the energy that I need to do my job because otherwise, it's like speaking as a hypnotist, we are we are literally speaking into existence the environment we are creating so around us. so in that moment, Dai had an opportunity to be like, I could've just Lucy: Ha ha Evanooshka: gotten so angry. and instead stayed calm, cool, and collected and got the job done. Yeah. Greg Duffy: And people are looking to the director. Yeah. The director sets the tone. I would say the director and like lead actors often are looked to to set the tone. And die set the tone. Lucy: Love that. Aleta: Gretchen's question is very similar to Lexi's. What is one thing about Straight Until he kissed me that you wish had been done differently? Evanooshka: I wish everybody got vaccinated before they did it. You know, that maybe would have saved us a little bit of aggravation. Greg Duffy: I don't know. I people might have Lucy: Ha ha. Greg Duffy: been though, like it was Evanooshka: I don't know. Aleta: was vaccinated and I've had COVID twice. Greg Duffy: I Evanooshka: Yeah. Greg Duffy: only I've had COVID four times and it was only after I was vaccinated. I never got it prior to vaccination. 'Cause I once Lucy: Same, same. Greg Duffy: I got vaccinated, I was like out and about. I was like living my life. Got it four times. Got the boosters. Evanooshka: Same for me. Yep. Which technically it's not about Lucy: Yeah. Evanooshka: not getting it, it's just not going to die from it. But yeah. Greg Duffy: Not getting it badly, yeah. Yeah. Lucy: Yeah. Evanooshka: But I don't think there's any way to prevent the God, really? Aleta: Well, it nearly killed me and I was vaccinated, so ha ha Evanooshka: Yeah, see that's the Lucy: Yeah. Evanooshka: thing. It's it's it's Greg Duffy: my god. Evanooshka: it's such a yeah, I don't know. I don't know. Greg Duffy: Crazy. Aleta: Not the COVID. It gave me the a blood clotting syndrome that I have for life. So yeah. Evanooshka: The the vaccine Lucy: Yeah. Aleta: No no, c getting covet. I was fine and then I got Evanooshka: gave you that? Or COVID? my god, wow. Greg Duffy: COVID itself. Aleta: covet and then I got that. Greg Duffy: So insane. Evanooshka: My God I'm so sorry. Aleta: Yeah. So Lucy: We we told you guys that the the fandom in particular, a lot of us like have the craziest stuff. So that was that's Alita's. Greg Duffy: And Aleta: That was mine, yeah. Little little tiny Lucy: Yeah. Aleta: surgery to remove blood clots from my lungs. Greg Duffy: Mm. Aleta: Yeah. Yeah. Evanooshka: Is it better now? Is it Greg Duffy: What's what's Aleta: Yeah, yeah. I mean I was on Greg Duffy: It's chronic. Aleta: oxygen twenty four seven for a while there, so that was not fun. Yeah. Evanooshka: my god. Greg Duffy: So scary. Aleta: But yeah, we're we're we're all fucked up and that's that's my deal. Lucy: But but let me say, here's the thing. We we might say that, but this is gonna be so cringy, but Straight Until He Kiss Me is what I think delighted so many of us to get through a lot of this crap, right? So Alita's got crap, Evanooshka: Mm. Lucy: I have crap, all of the people in that OG episode have crap, and the other people who Greg Duffy: Yeah. Lucy: couldn't be involved do. And there was such a common theme when Straight Until He Kissed Me came out. Yeah, it brought all of us together and we're friends, but it gave us a way to cope. And I've heard Greg Duffy: Mm. Lucy: this also on like the straight side of verticals as well. Like I've heard even Jen Cooper, Vertical Drama Love talk about it. It's been an escape that's like it's come into a lot of people's lives when they needed it the most. And Greg Duffy: Mm. Evanooshka: Yes. Lucy: that was the case for Alita and I. We both needed this. And you were a part of that and die was a part of that and there's just Greg Duffy: Mm. Lucy: so many decisions that went into that being made and none of this would exist without it. And we're so freaking grateful, truly. Evanooshka: As are we to you. Greg Duffy: I'll Lucy: Yeah. Greg Duffy: and I'll add to that, I think a lot of people, you know, are dealing with a lot of invisible things, right? And what's really cool that I see in this community is like people are willing and open to share what they're going through, in a serious, serious way. I mean, serious things that are happening, in some cases, like truly life-threatening things and and mental health and It's a tribute to the space that's created. You don't share those things in spaces where you don't feel safe, right? And so I think there's a lot of that is brought to light in this community, in the subscriber chats and other places, because people feel safe. And I do think it's reflective of a lot of people's lives that they but they deal with it in they suffer with it in silence where they they don't feel comfortable sharing it. And this community does, and that's says a lot, I think. Lucy: But you guys gave us the space for that. 'Cause it you know, the Discord was created, but honestly those subscriber chats too, that's where a lot of really deep relationships I think came about. And so you guys are amazing. Evanooshka: Why we need more joy like this though. I d I don't think to be more specific with what Jen Cooper was saying, which hi Jen, if you're watching this, Greg Duffy: Hi John. Evanooshka: love you, Jen. I think that the the we mentioned this at the beginning, s some of the biggest successes I've seen were th leaning into comedy or ridiculousness or campiness because the the world is bleak. People have a lot of shit going on. Everyone's got something going on. And that the fact that this can this medium can exist and not take itself too seriously, be able to infuse an Ivy of joy into people's lives, that that can't be undervalued. Greg Duffy: So Aleta: Yeah. That's why we don't wanna see the creepy Lucy: I want more queer Aleta: ones or the violence. Like we don't need Lucy: I know. Aleta: that. We need something positive and uplifting. Sorry, Lucy. Greg Duffy: Totally. Lucy: We want more of No, you are fine. I talk a lot, you go girl. Evanooshka: Right. Lucy: But I know, just straight until he kissed me, I want more of those vibes. I want that back. And yeah. Greg Duffy: We do too. Evanooshka: to to to to to go back to something you said earlier about you know that when you post edits of Strange Elie Kissed Me, they still do well Lucy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: compared to other verticals. And th there's I have a theory here which is I remember talking with somebody behind the scenes of another vertical I was working on and they talked about that for a long time, last year, the beginning Scene that you'd see online would be somebody falling down a flight of stairs because that generated engagement. Greg Duffy: Mm. Evanooshka: It was clickbait Lucy: Yeah. Evanooshka: because people are like, my god, what's about to happen? And you'd see multiple verticals with people falling down stairs. However, they said that the algorithm is noticing it's not working anymore, and that people Greg Duffy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: have stopped reacting and engaging the same way because they know what's about to happen. And they're like, also. Like, first of all, that's just human nature, right? If you see somebody falling down a flight of stairs, you want to know, like, my god, are they okay? What's happening? Like, Greg Duffy: What's happening? Yeah. Evanooshka: this is this is crazy. This is looks painful. It's not because people like violence, it's because they want to know what happens next. But once that was worn out, i it it it lost its power. But charm and camp and comedy, You can watch that shit over and over again. It's never gonna lose its power. It's always gonna make you feel Aleta: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: a little bit fuzzy inside. So that I think Greg Duffy: Mm-hmm. Evanooshka: is why these things can be enduring and lasting, like Alita said, and they're not they're not relying on data to tell us what people are watching. Because the data will always, as a a data analyst like Hunter Everett used to be, Aleta: Ha ha Evanooshka: the the data changes all the time. Aleta: Or Greg Duffy. Greg Duffy: Margaret Duffy, yeah. Evanooshka: Maybe that's how you made Aleta: Sorry, yeah. Evanooshka: your your your billions. You're a data data analyst. Is it data do you say Greg Duffy: Through analyzing data. Aleta: Ha ha Evanooshka: data or data? Greg Duffy: I tend to say data more, but it both are right. Aleta: Yeah. Evanooshka: Me too. Okay. Greg Duffy: Yeah. Yeah. Lucy: okay. Aleta: Ooh. Lucy: All right guys, we're gonna jump into a question from Dizziest Fan. Aleta: I do the last two. Okay. Hunter Everett: I just use this man. Lucy: So, Dizziest Fan, was the Tickles McGee: Is it? Lucy: sc was the script original? Or do you know if it was translated or adapted from something? Tickles McGee: No clue. Nope. Hunter Everett: Do you know this? I don't know. I actually don't know. I Tickles McGee: No clue. Hunter Everett: think that the CEO trope is obviously pr very prevalent, but I don't know that this exists in another language or format. Exactly. Tickles McGee: There apparently is like I know the writer we DM'd a little bit back and forth, but I'm not sure if they were the only writer or if they were the writer. Hunter Everett: Yeah. After it got big she reached out to us. Aleta: Mm. Hunter Everett: There were a few. Tickles McGee: yeah, hard to know. Hunter Everett: 'Cause I was like, 'Cause Tickles McGee: How we find that out? Hunter Everett: she she it was in it, I think it was the Good Short Writers Room. Cause she reached out I think it was like full time people for Good Short because I when she reached out, I was like, my god, we loved it. can we get Tickles McGee: Yeah. Hunter Everett: in the writer's room for season two? And sh Aleta: Ha ha ha. Tickles McGee: Right. That's right. That's right. That's right. Hunter Everett: she was like I I I I I I think so. I don't know. I mean obviously there's so many variables and then And then obviously we you know season two didn't come to fruition in any particular way. But we were like, let's get in there. We can tell the story with you guys, you know, build the backstories and stuff. So I think it might have been original. And you know this about the title that it we changed it changed? Do you know the original title that we auditioned for? Evan, you remember? Lucy: Mm. I don't think so. Tickles McGee: was it Aleta: I remember. Tickles McGee: yeah, from from intern's desk to the CEO's arms. Hunter Everett: Yeah. Think about how much of a mouthful that is compared how great is the title. When I heard Straight and Telecash was like yes. 'Cause it Aleta: Ha ha Hunter Everett: it's not a vertical title. Lucy: No, it's not, and we wouldn't have suckum. Hunter Everett: It's so awesome. Suck Tickles McGee: the another title that was in contention by the way, 'cause I did I did talk to them a little bit about it Hunter Everett: yeah. Tickles McGee: back and forth, was The Billionaire's Twink. That was another one. Yeah. Yeah. Hunter Everett: How crazy would that be? How awesome. Lucy: I kinda like it. Hunter Everett: Yeah, no me too. Lucy: Especially with the twinkle ink. Hunter Everett: Th I know. Twinker bell. Tickles McGee: Yep. I mean, it could have just been called the billionaire's twinkle ink. That'd be that'd be pretty cute. Hunter Everett: Could be amazing. Lucy: It'd be so cute. Tickles McGee: But I don't think you can be straight until he kissed me. That's pretty that's pretty iconic title. It is. Hunter Everett: I don't think. It's iconic. Lucy: Yeah. It is Hunter Everett: Suck Lucy: stuck Tickles McGee: Like the fa I don't even know if they knew what they were doing with the acronym, but they n they nailed Hunter Everett: They did not know. They did not know. Aleta: No. Tickles McGee: they nailed it. The whole shebang. Hunter Everett: It hits. It hits on every level. Tickles McGee: Yep. Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. Lucy: You said it was lightning in a bottle, and it's true. I think they didn't Hunter Everett: Mm. Lucy: nobody realized and this was just meant to be. It's just how it is. Aleta: Right, we have one from Laura, who we know. Hunter Everett: Laura, ¿qué tal estás? Tickles McGee: Hi Laura. Aleta: Con qué experiencia de Sakum te quedarás por muchos años que pasan que te haya marcado especialmente, aparte de conoceros los dos. Hunter Everett: Sabes que quería empezar con el hecho de conocernos. El hecho de conocer a Evan Gamberdella es una experiencia. Como. Increíble. Pero fuera de la experiencia de conocer a Evan. La verdad es que es un poco cheesy, un poco corny. Aleta: Ha ha. Hunter Everett: Pero la oportunidad, bueno, la oportunidad al principio ha ser un papel principal por la primera vez. La verdad es que la opportunidad de participar con la comunidad después de todo que vamos a tener for el resto de nuestras vidas, participar in comunidad con nosotros in una manera de todos nosotros compartimos los valores de seguridad, de inclusividad, andas relaciones for the day. Y participar en eso es un regalo como que nunca pensaba que iba a tener en mi vida. Y estoy muy agradecido por todo eso. Basically, like it's a little corny, but you know, the first opportunity to play the lead was so was so amazing. But there's a beginning and end and an end to that. But to participate in the community which shares values of like safety and inclusivity, we'll have for the rest of our lives, these friendships. And Tickles McGee: Yes. Hunter Everett: that lives forever and ever. And that is like something I never knew I would have in this lifetime. Gracias Laura. Lucy: Beautiful. Tickles McGee: Gracias, Laura. Lucy: So the last question, and I think Alita gave it to me because she wants to see me fumble. I cannot think of how to pronounce this person's Instagram handle. Soy goosey? Soy jissy? What do you think? Aleta: So juicy? Hunter Everett: I th I think Tickles McGee: Yeah. Hunter Everett: it's juicy. I think I saw this one. So juicy. Probably. Tickles McGee: Mm-hmm. What's up? Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: Okay, soy juicy. How would you describe your experience on the set of Straight Until He Kiss Me in just one word? Hunter Everett: I have an answer. Tickles McGee: Greg, you do you Yeah? Hunter Everett: I have an answer. I have the idea. I think I could Tickles McGee: So curious. Hunter Everett: choose a couple of different words that would describe it. I'll I'll say this word and I'll describe it. It's really more about the the feeling. to me, the the experience was like a portal. So it's like a doorway. because if honestly, like there's a before and after in my life to that experience. And I think we all have different portals, different it's just a different path. You walk through, you say yes to you say no to something, and different doors open, often in unexpected ways. The most Meaningful things in life, whether it's a relationship or an experience, often come from like unexpected places, unplanned places. So for me, quite an unplanned, unexpected thing, even to be in this profession and then to have this opportunity. and so it's like a portal. It's like, man, what a what a be picture like the doorway in like in the line the voice in the wardrobe. Or or picture the doorway in Monsters Inc. And like the doorway before is kind of my old life and it's kinda it's a little bit it's a little bit grace grayer scale. And you kinda open up the door in the wardrobe and you're like boom and it's rainbow cupcakes. You know what mean? Tickles McGee: Mm-hmm. Hunter Everett: So it's a little bit like it was a doorway into like the kind of a magical world that I then was able to be a part of. So it's a portal or a doorway, I would say. Tickles McGee: That's a great answer. I'm having Hunter Everett: Ha ha ha. Tickles McGee: a hard time picking one word. I feel like Yeah, if I'm just talking about the experience and not what it did for my life, then I would say It'd probably be as simple as like exhilarating. Like it was like riding a roller coaster. Every day was exciting and thrilling and like, what the fuck's gonna happen today? It was just it was a ride, Hunter Everett: Really? Tickles McGee: it was a roller coaster. It was a but I I also the first word that came to mind was grateful. That was the very first word that came to mind. Because every day I was just so grateful to be there. It was like such a a fucking dream come true to tell a queer story as a queer character, as a queer person and queer actor. That was like what I wanted to do. And I finally got to do it. And I was like, I don't know if I'll ever get to do this again. I have no idea how this is gonna do out in the real world. And frankly, I think I mentioned this when it first came out. I was like shocked by it because I thought I was like not gonna get like as a leading role, people were kind of criticizing my looks at a previous vertical that was also a BL. So I was like I just I had such low expectations. So I was just really grateful Hunter Everett: Mm-hmm. Tickles McGee: to be a part of the experience. It was such it was such a fucking Yeah, it was just awesome. I'd say I'd say grateful or exhilarating for me. But I think portal's a better answer. It's like more magical. Maybe magical's the word. I'll say magical. Magical Hunter Everett: That we go. Aleta: Mm. Tickles McGee: is the right word. I'll say that. That Lucy: Ha ha ha ha. Tickles McGee: was a roundabout Hunter Everett: I rem Tickles McGee: way to get to the answer. Hunter Everett: I remember like I think I posted one video after it came out that was sort of like let me answer your questions and that video got a lot of views on TikTok and I you and I were talking, Evan, and you called me, you're like, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to like go online. Like, I'm not really social media is not really something that it I was like really? We were Tickles McGee: I was right here when you called me. I was literally in the spot. Yeah. Aleta: Ha Hunter Everett: and I was like, Well, I don't feel any pressure, but also like feel comfortable being maybe a little imperfect if you just wanna post like a Something, anything, and and don't worry about what it looks or feels like. If it feels like it's good, it's it's you, then just maybe just post it and just see if that you know that lands in any particular way or you know, people like it. And I remember there's this early video you posted where I think it was like dark. The video was like dark and it was kinda like it was very you. It was very like I don't I don't know what's happening but wow it seems like a lot of you like this thing and I I can't remember exactly what the video and the video got a bajillion views. People like, my god, I love you and it was a very you video but it wasn't like it certainly was not overly produced or overthought. And I thought that was such a beautiful way to like start participating in things online. It was you were just like, I'm just gonna be myself and figure it out. Tickles McGee: Well t speaking of like a t a testament to how much I trust Greg, like I was not on TikTok at all. I was very much like, let's have less social media in my life. Let's like downsize my online Hunter Everett: Sorry. Aleta: Ha ha ha Tickles McGee: interactions with anybody. and Greg's like, you should totally like hop on because it's trending everywhere and you gotta like, you know, and like, yeah, you gotta you gotta Hunter Everett: It's like trending. Yeah. Aleta: Yeah. Tickles McGee: Ride the wave, baby. Like take advantage of it. I was like, I don't know what to say. So I think I said I like, Hi, this is crazy. Like I said and I Hunter Everett: Yeah. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Tickles McGee: I remember watching my followers go from like I think I had like a thousand it was nothing on TikTok. It was like absolutely 'cause I I maybe three videos on there. And it just exploded and my notifications just kept coming in on Instagram, on Hunter Everett: Mm-hmm. Tickles McGee: TikTok. I was like, What the fuck? Like what it Like so this actually is getting viewed? I was like, wait I didn't think people were Hunter Everett: Yeah. It's crazy. Lucy: Ha ha ha Tickles McGee: actually watching it. I was like, this is this he's making this up. But I trusted Greg, so that's why I did it. Aleta: Yeah, 'cause we all watched those ads and then we went and looked you both up and we followed you both. And then you did that live and that was it. Everyone was everyone was in the community. Tickles McGee: That was crazy. Crazy time. Aleta: Yeah. Lucy: Yeah. Tickles McGee: And then Good Short did the live too, with that we Lucy: Thank you, Greg, for Yeah. Tickles McGee: we were like we arrived three minutes before we went on, which is like Aleta: Ha ha. Tickles McGee: totally typical for us. It was just Hunter Everett: Various. We like walked into the building and they're like, and we're going live in five. We're hi everybody. Okay, we'll sit. Lucy: Wow. Tickles McGee: Yeah. Yeah, it was a it was a it was a magical time. It really was. Lucy: Thank thank you for teaching him the ways, Greg. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Hunter Everett: I just said like don't put too much pressure, just be try to be yourself if you can. Don't there's all these social media experts like you gotta have this and you gotta have that. It's like just l Lucy: Mm. Hunter Everett: let go of it and be yourself and that's what people love about. Tickles McGee: Well that's why I always avoided it, 'cause I thought I had to like be a certain thing on social media rather than just Hunter Everett: Yeah. Tickles McGee: talking like this, you know? I was like, people like Hunter Everett: Yeah, yeah, totally. Aleta: But what people Lucy: Yeah. Aleta: like is you. Hunter Everett: They like Lucy: Yep. Hunter Everett: you, really you. Tickles McGee: That's I guess the lesson. I was like, cool. That's nice. Lucy: Yes. Tickles McGee: Like But Hunter Everett: Yeah. Tickles McGee: I but again, I thought that people thought I was ugly. That was my introduction into the world of like, I'm getting I'm getting people who Hunter Everett: Yeah, the comments. Tickles McGee: like Yeah, they were they were sending mean DMs and shit. that's that's unfortunate. You Hunter Everett: So crazy. Tickles McGee: know? Aleta: They need glasses. Lucy: Yeah. I assume that's not the case anymore, Evan. Hunter Everett: Yeah, they're asking for the feet picks. Lucy: You s that Greg Tickles McGee: No, that was just you, Greg. Hunter Everett: Sorry, that was me. Sorry. Forgot. Aleta: Those aren't the pictures they're asking Tickles McGee: Ooh Aleta: me for with my profile pic of you and Andrew, so Hunter Everett: boy boy sorely disappointed. Tickles McGee: No. Lucy: All right, besties. We are gonna move towards the end of this amazing episode. We did get some some we did ask all of you over the last couple weeks to submit to us what Straight Until He Kiss Me meant to you. And we did read some on the fan episode, but we left a few for the two of you, Greg and Evan. So Alita has sent Three to Evan, three to Greg. Up to you how you want to read them. You can go back and forth or read all three, whatever you prefer. If you want to start Greg while Hunter Everett: Back and forth. Lucy: Evan looks, that is fine. Aleta: Yeah. Tickles McGee: Got it. Hunter Everett: Got it. Okay. This is from Tosh. Suckham has changed my life by bringing me into an amazing fandom. Gravit Greg and Evan have given me a community I'm lucky to be a part of. Thanks, Tosh. Tosh. And shout out to Tash Tickles McGee: This is from Nettie. Hunter Everett: and the fam. Tickles McGee: Succum was the vertical that really got me into the fandom, plus introduced me to Greg and Evan who are deeply special to me now. As you are to us, thank you. Hunter Everett: Thanks, Natty. Aleta: Mm-hmm. Tickles McGee: Thanks, Nelly. Hunter Everett: This is from Greg Duffy fan, who can I say it? I I I know who that is. Aleta: Just just say that, yeah. Hunter Everett: Greg Duffy fan. Shout out. Shout out to my faith. What Aleta: Mm-hmm. Hunter Everett: Saka means to me is that it introduced me to Evan, such a talented actor that I didn't know before watching The Vertical. It also helped me get more familiar with Greg's acting and appreciate him in more and more. Also, the show has made me discover such a beautiful friendship like the one between Greg and Evan. One year already, time flies. Thanks, Greg Duffy fan. Tickles McGee: Really does. Thanks, Greg Duffy fan. Okay, this is from DizziestFan, which I really hope you're not that dizzy, because I don't want to have to be worried about you falling over. Aleta: Mm. Tickles McGee: Succum stands out to me as one of the most lighthearted, silly, and campy BL verticals. As a lesbian, I think it's wonderful to have a queer show like this where we don't have to mull over drawn out negative plot lines and instead can relax with something short and fun. While knowing that the casting crew put a lot of care into creating it. It's exactly what we're talking about. Thanks for getting it. It's exactly what we've been talking about this whole time. Yep. Hunter Everett: Yeah, you can feel it come through. A hundred Lucy: Yes. Hunter Everett: percent. This is from Rachel. Succum is so much more than just the vertical itself. It is the actors, Greg Duffy and Evan Gambardella. They brought so much to the characters of Hunter and Miles, but even more than that is the actual humans behind those characters. They have built communities where we can feel safe and seen and loved. They have put themselves wholeheartedly into these characters to bring us humor and a beautiful love story. I didn't start with Succum as my first BL story, but it is the story that kept me in this fandom. I would love to see a succumb too to continue their story, but any story that has Evan, Gambardella, and Tickles McGee: Yeah. Hunter Everett: Greg Duffy in it would be wonderfully done. They made me feel connected to not only the characters but themselves too. I'm so glad that I am a part of this fandom community. I feel like I belong. Even if I'm a straight woman, I feel accepted and loved. Aleta: Ha ha Hunter Everett: Straight women are allowed in this fandom. Tickles McGee: Mm. Aleta: I felt like that when I first joined your subscriber Tickles McGee: Alive. Aleta: chat. I was like, should I be here? Hunter Everett: Allies welcome, allies welcome. Aleta: Ha ha ha. Tickles McGee: Mm-hmm. next one from Liney. Lena. Aleta: Lena Lena. Tickles McGee: Lena. Lena. Thank you. Okay, Hunter Everett: Lean, that's you say that. Tickles McGee: so the next one's from Lena. A year ago I watched Succum and I remember telling my friend at the time that it was the best thing I'd ever watched. And I meant it. It truly was. Aleta: Hehehehe Tickles McGee: It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, and being queer myself, I do consume a fair bit of queer media, but this was something else. It felt honest. And it d just drew me in. I did not find a fandom space for it, and for some reason, no other vertical or any of the actors appeared in my feed since. But the feeling I had when I watched the vertical never left me, and I often thought about it. For almost a whole year I never realized how many people had found a space to connect over the show. That's so amazing! And I'm sad that I've Hunter Everett: My God. Tickles McGee: missed out on so much. But two months ago, I decided that I wanted to try and find the show again to watch it because it just never left me. And that's when I realized that there's a whole world of BL verticals and it's a wonderful community of people and they've all welcomed me into the fold. So even though my gosh, this is so sweet. So even though it took me a while to get here, suck'em still brought me here in the end. Hunter Everett: Lena no, but it's so beautiful. Tickles McGee: That made me cry. That's so nice. Wow, that's so cool. Hunter Everett: Wow. I'm so glad you were inspired to go digging. Tickles McGee: That's cool. That Hunter Everett: Us. Tickles McGee: makes me feel great. Lucy: You have a lot of fans who love you. And yeah, if you do get a chance, there are some more amazing statements to be heard in that fan episode too. So a lot of love. Hunter Everett: Some Lucy: Alright. Tickles McGee: Thank you. Lucy: Boys, gentlemen, Hunter Everett: Mm-hmm. Tickles McGee: Ladies Aleta: Ha ha ha. Lucy: distinguished gentlemen. It means the absolute world that you took this time with us. We are a queer and fan podcast first and foremost, and this feels bittersweet, considering how it all started. Straight until he kissed me is what got so many of us into verticals in the first place, and in the end, it was the both of you who that made so many of us stay. From the bottom of our hearts as a fan, thank you for this really special episode, and to the listeners, this one is definitely for you. Hunter Everett: We love you. Tickles McGee: Love you. Aleta: We love you. Well, besties, it has been so much fun celebrating Straight Until He Kissed Me. The one thing that everyone loves about Greg and Evan is how kindly and generously they engage with their fans. And we are so incredibly grateful to them both for joining us today. That wraps up the anniversary specials. We hope that you've enjoyed them, even a fraction of how much we have enjoyed recording them. Hunter Everett: Mm-hmm. Aleta: And we hope that you will join us again next time. Bye besties. Lucy: Bye besties. Hunter Everett: Bye, Besties. Tickles McGee: Besties. Love you. Aleta: Ha ha ha.