Good morning, good morning, good morning this morning, we have a new episode with the great Brooke Smith. You Might Know Her From Series 7: The Contenders, Grey’s Anatomy, Big Sky, Weeds, Vanya on 42nd Street, Bad Company, Iron Jawed Angels, and The Silence of the Lambs. Brooke looks back with us on her lead performance in the super prescient indie Series 7: The Contenders, the strange way she was let go as Dr. Erika Hahn on Grey’s Anatomy after being one-half of the lesbian couple “Callica” with Sara Ramirez’s Callie Torres, the mindfuck of being told to gain weight for your first acting gig, and the beautiful camaraderie of the ensemble of actors that brought to life Vanya on 42nd Street. All that, plus theatre, New York, straight actors playing queer, and reconnecting with her old friend Mary Louise Parker. Plus none of us ever seeing Chris Nolan’s Interstellar. Let us know what you think, bambinas! 

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Metamucil is psyllium. Damian loves body pillows, Anne loves heating pads and lavender sachets.

Things that calm our almost 40 year old bodies these days: 417HZ playlists=white noise/womb noise, acupressure mat, weighted blanket, Tourmaline

Gamerline is Carly Simon’s IG character

“You’re So Vain” was written about Warren Beatty (and she auctioned off this gossip for charity)Carly Simon’s song “Bat (Fly in Me Face)” and also soundtrack for This is My LIfe (the Nora Ephron movie starring Julie Kavner and our very first guest, Samantha Mathis)

Samantha Mathis full episode of YMKHF (our very first ep!)

Carly Simon was in the Woody Allen doc denouncing him

Carly Simon is Simon of Simon & Schuster and was married to James Taylor

Series 7: The Contenders (2001, dir: Dan Minahan)

Series 7 also stars Marylouise Burke and Merrit Weaver

Brooke watched a lot of Cops to prepare

Season 40 of Survivor aired last year

Stars as Catherine Martin in Silence of the Lambs

Jonathan Demme (director of Silence of the Lambs) chose Brooke for the role

Brooke’s mom (Lois Smith, not the actress) was a publicist (worked for Michelle Pfeiffer) and Michelle recommended Brooke to Demme. 

Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) wanted to make a skin suit of his victims.

Vincent d’Onofrio was in Brooke’s acting class and had just gained 70 lbs for Full Metal Jacket

Brooke announced she’s usually a size 10-12 on The View

Played Dr. Erica Hahn on Grey’s Anatomy for 4 seasons (she replaced Dr Burke, Isaiah Washington who was fired for allegedly slinging gay slurs at TR Knight)

Played a love interest for Sara Ramirez’ character, Callie 

Was Brooke Smith fired from Grey’s for supporting Ralph Nader in 2008?

Brooke Smith talking about how she hated that the Grey’s writers were writing “gay panic”

Brooke Smith is pansexual!

Ammonite with Kate Winslet and Saorsie Ronan’s press tour was embarrassing

To the Bone opposite Lil Taylor, in Stop Kiss opposite Sandra Oh

Calamity Jane on Deadwood was written for Brooke Smith

Also played a lesbian in The Crossing

Vanya on 42nd Street had a starry audience while they were rehearsing Uncle Vanya, the play by Anton Chekhov for 3 years

Brooke would see Glenn Fitzgerald in anything on stage

Was in pilot of Dirty Sexy Money but was replaced by Sheryl Lee

We would see Tyne Daly in anything ever any old day

We love all the Mary Louise’s: Burke, Wilson, Parker

Brooke was very good on the new series Big Sky. The next season features Ted Levine

Brooke recommends Call My Agent (Netflix) 

Jean Dujardin from The Artist

Iron Jawed Angels starred Hilary Swank, Anjelica Huston, Molly Parker, Vera Farmiga

Bad Company directed by Joel Shumacher (“gay legend”)

Played Nancy Botwin’s friend in Weeds 

“It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again”

Plays Toni Colette’s best friend in In Her Shoes. 

Part of the hardcore punk scene in 1980s NYC

Worked at Trash & Vaudeville

Grey’s Anatomy uses pig bones for actors to saw through as they play doctors

Worked with a ton of heavy hitting directors: Jonathan Demme (best), Christopher Nolan (worst?), Robert Altman, Mira Nair, Woody Allen, Curtis Hansen, Jason Reitman (also worst?), Paul Mazursky

SNL lesbian period drama sketch

Brooke was in Series 7 with Merritt Weaver, who was in Nurse Jackie with Anna Deveare Smith who was in The Manchurian Candidate remake with Jon Voight who was in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider with his daughter, Angelina Jolie who was in Girl, Interrupted with next week’s guest.