Back on our bullshit with the incomparable Sarita Choudhury. You Might Know Her From Homeland, Mississippi Masala, Jessica Jones, She Hate Me, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, Learning to Drive, A Hologram for a King, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. Sarita tells us her pal Sakina Jaffrey convinced her to come on our little show and we are so glad she did. We talk about Sarita’s upcoming horror film Evil Eye out on Amazon Prime on October 13, sitting next to her Homeland husband Mandy Patinkin on an airplane while he reads sheet music, and, of course we had to quiz her on her plethora of lesbian and bisexual characters. This one was especially sweet! Let us know what you think with a little review, wontcha?

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@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

SPOILER ALERT: Anne Heche WAS on DWTS (so is AJ McLean) says she’s only been with one woman

Anne Heche’s ex from Men in Trees Coley Laffoon?

If These Walls Could Talk 2 (Anne Heche directed Ellen & Sharon Stone’s vignette)

Cher and Demi Moore in the much more serious, If These Walls Could Talk

9th Ave Saloon has shuttered but they sadly put the key to the woman’s bathroom on a hanger

Anne’s essay in “The Sound of Music is the Hottest Movie I’ve Ever Seen” in She Found it At the Movies: Women Writers on Sex, Desire and Cinema. Get a free copy when you follow us on all social media and leave a 5-star review. 

Sarita’s friend Sakina Jaffrey recommended us. Listen to the full Sakina Jaffrey #YouMightKnowHerFrom interview (one of our faves)

Evil Eye out on Amazon Oct 13th

She co-starred on Netflix’s Jessica Jones

Played Mira, Mandy Patinkin’s wife on Homeland 

Tom Tykwer who directed Run Lola Run knew her from Homeland to cast her in A Hologram for the King where she starred as Tom Hanks’ love interest

Film debut in Mississippi Masala (dir: Mira Nair,1991) opposite Denzel Washington

Worked with Mira Nair two other times: Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, The Perez Family

Started opposite Indira Varma in Kama Sutra which was banner when it came out

Intimacy coordinators

Played Chilean in House of Spirits, Saudi Arabian in and A Hologram for the King, and was referred to as Castillian in A Perfect Murder

Lesbian in Jessica Jones, Blindspot, High Art (uncredited thanks a lot Lisa Cholodenko)

The full Jaffrey: when women of color are cast as lesbians in interracial relationships 

She Hate Me is bad and homophobic. Anthony Mackie did not show his dick. 

Jessica Jones cello sex scene

Sonia braga Kim Cattrall  hands and then “sex” in Sex and the City

Sarita didn’t sing in Wild West and For Real 

Ben Kingsley was cast as originally cast as her father in Mississippi Masala and 23 years later cast as her love interest in Learning to Drive

Rosie Perez in Exactly with Sarita

We think Michael Douglas must’ve requested her for It Runs in the Family

Jessica Hect told us that fake teeth are the wave of the acting future (Jessica Hecht full episode)

Anne Heche is Celestia

Honey bees, we are back for season three and so glad to see youz. We are kicking off our new season with the brilliant Persia White. You Might Know Her From Girlfriends, The Vampire Diaries, Breaker High, and Dysfunctional Friends. We start off our very first “remote” interview with us in New York and Persia in LA talking about Girlfriends coming to Netflix, the possibility of a reunion film, meeting her husband Joseph Morgan while they were both wearing vampire prosthetics, and cutting her teeth on a “semester at sea” in Canada with a young Ryan Gosling. All that plus some exclusive Dustin Diamond and Stacey Dash scoop. Folx, it’s You Might Know Her From and we’re back! 

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@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

The Masked Singer now in Season 4 (not 3)

Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon “No Rain” video 

Celsete Holm died in 2012 

Is James Caan dead? No Robert Loggia is. 

Lena Horne death announcement

Popcorn is Cyndi Lauper?

Screening of Kindergarten Cop was canceled  (cast ftd Linda Hunt, Penelope Ann Miller)

Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina (AARON)

Mara Brock Akil’s Girlfriends streaming on Netflix

Kelsey Grammar produced Girlfriends on CW

Kelsey Grammar falling off the stage

Married to Joseph Morgan from The Originals

Reunion on Blackish

Jill Marie Jones leaves show after Season 6

Tricky as musical guest on Girlfriends

The Vampire Diaries

Was up for Willow in Buffy (but still had a role)

Breaker High with Ryan Gosling

Parker Lewis Can’t Lose

Blue Chips

Nick Nolte got her Taft Hartley 

Last Action Hero

Themes: Girlfriends, Breaker High, The Vampire Diaries 

Mustaches: Robert Townsend, Steve Harvey, Tim Reid

SBTB The New Class: Dustin Diamond and Dennis Haskins

Earthlings: Persia’s doc on vegans

Dysfunctional Friends

AFI Tracey Ullman & Meryl Streep

Anne’s essay in “The Sound of Music is the Hottest Movie I’ve Ever Seen” in She Found it At the Movies: Women Writers on Sex, Desire and Cinema. Get a free copy when you follow us on all social media and leave a 5-star review. 

Folks, we’re back! Sort of. Please enjoy this end of summer clip show. We recorded this in May but wanted to drop it now to let you know we will be back with brand new interviews starting on Thursday, October 1! In the meantime, enjoy this clip show featuring bits from Ann Harada, Maryann Plunkett, Annaleigh Ashford, Jayne Houdyshell, Joyce Van Patten, Sepideh Moafi, and Lainie Kazan. 

Follow us on social media:

@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

Discussed this week:

Full Ann Harada interview 

Full Maryann Plunkett interview

Full Annaleigh Ashford interview

Full Jayne Houdyshell interview

Full Joyce Van Patten interview

Full Sepideh Moafi interview

Full Lainie Kazan interview

Folks, it’s Damian and Anne here to let you know that we will air our season two finale sometime soon-ish this summer but right now we are using our time and resources to support the Black Lives Matter movement. If you are interested in learning more or donating, we have included some links that we have found helpful. If you are hankering for new You Might Know Her From episodes, we suggest starting with our catalogue of Black actors, which we’ve also linked out below to make it easy for you. Wishing you and yours a healthy summer full of socially distant protests and sweet sweet liberation. Subscribe and we'll be back soon. 

Follow us on social media:

@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

Resources and Organizations:

Audre Lorde "Your Silence Will Not Protect You"

GLITS, inc. 

@mvmtn4blklives

@justice4georgenyc - great to track events as they happen in NYC

The Okra Project

Black Trans Femmes in the Arts

Angela Davis and Michelle Alexander at Riverside Church 

Donate to Black Trans Groups

List of books, films, documentaries you can read and watch (Parade)

YMKHF Interviews:

Sasha Allen

Roma Maffia

Demetria McKinney

Carmen de Lavallade

Kimberly Elise

Frances Turner

Tonya Pinkins

Michelle Buteau

Deidre Goodwin

Daphne Rubin-Vega

And our episode honoring the late great Paula Kelly

This quarantined week we are celebrating the legend that is the late, great Jan Hooks. You Might Know Her From Saturday Night Live, Designing Women, PeeWee’s Big Adventure, 30 Rock, and A Dangerous Woman. Anne and Damian break down their favorite Jan sketches from SNL, Jan’s penchant for musical comedy, and the film she made with Debra Winger, Barbara Hershey, and Laurie Metcalf!

Follow us on social media:

@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

Discussed this week: 

Damian’s skin disease: Meluscum, PLEVA

Hand slapping face disease = “SLAP CHEEK” aka fifth disease or parvovirus B19

Jan Hooks (1957-2014)

Her time on SNL: 1986-1991 bridged Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, to Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers

Our fave Jan sketches: Mary Jo Buttafucco, Bette Davis’ Video Will, Tammy Faye Bakker, The Sweeney Sisters (Christmas Medley arranged by Marc Shaiman) 

Tina Fey used her stage time at Elle's Women in Hollywood Awards to remember Jan Hooks, her “idol” and Saturday Night Live forebearer 

Tina mentioned the Miss Self Esteem Pageant w/ Melanie Griffith

Replaced Sarah Jessica Parker in the Broadway play, Sylvia 

Barbra Streisand and Mariah Carey have horrible stage fright

Jan Hooks on Victoria Jackson 

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Coneheads, Batman Returns

A Dangerous Woman = Riding the Bus with My Sister + The Other Sister + Nell

Linda Bloodworth Thomason created Designing Women 

Jan’s character in Designing Women was Carlene (Charlene’s sister)

Annie Potts is hot! She went to Stephens College (so did Jennifer Tilly!)

Long time listener, Colleen has been recommending we get into Julia Duffy

Neither of us watched Third Rock from the Sun. Distressing clip of Jan Hooks eating chicken (actually turkey) off French Stewart’s head

Playing Dixie, Jiminy Glick’s wife in Primetime Glick

Movie Jiminy Glick in LaLaWood is bad but has some good bits

The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show (where Jan plays Brett Butler, Rosie Perez, Faye Dunaway, and Whoopi)

Tina Fey campaigned for Jan to play Verna Maroney (Jenna’s mom) on 30 Rock

After 9/11 Jan moved to Woodstock, New York

Recommend this great GRANTLAND piece on the anniversary of Jan’s death

With Alec Baldwin on SNL who she later co=starred w/ on 30 Rock

Tina Fey puts Jan on her dream cast of SNL

Jan singing “I Didn’t Evolve from You “ as Kathie Lee Gifford

In another special quarantine episode, we discuss Anna May Wong, who appears as a character in Ryan Murphy’s recent Netflix series Hollywood. We are getting to know the real life actor, trailblazer, and queer icon who died in 1961. You Might Know Her From Shanghai Express, The Toll of the Sea, Piccadilly, The Thief of Baghdad, Daughter of the Dragon, and The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong. We get into Anna May’s transition from silent film actor to star of the talkies, the Asian actresses that came after her, and most importantly (to us) her lesbian cred.

Follow us on social media:

@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

Discussed this week: 

Dakota Johsnon calling out Ellen DeGeneres

Melanie Griffith lighting 16 year old Dakota’s cig

Niciky Hilton and Rod Stewart’s daughter

Young people we like: Florence Pugh, Keke Palmer (she’s 26 not 36), Theo Germaine

Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood (Netflix)

We talked with Katie Finneran about Lucy Liu (she called her while on mic)

Lucy Liu has star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame next to Anna May Wong

Other Asian and Asian-American stars: Constance Wu, Mindy Kaling, Joan Chen, Lea Salonga, Sandra Oh, Priyanka Chopra, Ming Na

Wikipedia lists 2 Asian women have been nominated for Best Actress Oscars: Merle Oberon (Dark Angel, 1935), Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Jackie) WHAT?  

First Asian woman nominated for an Oscar Miyoshi Umeki (Sayonara, 1957) 

Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog, 2003), Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, 2006)

Jennifer Tilly (Bullets Over Broadway, 1994) and Meg Tilly (Agnes of God, 1985) are half Chinese

Anna May’s IMDB

The Toll of the Sea (1922); Peter Pan (1926); 

Did The Chalk Circle in London with Laurence Oliver

The Good Earth (1931 book by Pearl S. Buck) 

Anna May Wong rumored to be cast. Screen test was apparently fantastic. 

Anti-miscegenation laws on the books

Hays Code 

Makes her own documentary on China in 1936

Donated money from Hollywood’s propaganda films to the China Relief Fund

Was set play Madam Liang in Flower Drum Song but passed before filming

Replaced by Juanita Hall who also played Bloody Mary in South Pacific film

Shanghai Express (1932, dir: Josef von Sternberg)

The Sewing Circle term for a secret group of Hollywood lesbians.

Term coined by Alla Nazimova

Rumored affairs with Nazimova, Marlene Dietrich, Dolores del Rio

Picture: Anna May Wong, Marlene, Leni Riefenstahl 

She said I’m “wedded to my career” 

The Barbara Stanwyck Show (1961)

Portrait in Black (1960) w/ Lana Turner, Anthony Quinn, and Sandra Dee where Anna May plays a housekeeper named “Tawny” and aggressively pets a Siamese cat. 

First Asian American woman to star in her own TV show:The Gallery of Madame of Liu Tsong (1951) which had its footage dumped in the East River (Vulture article)

Anna May Wong’s haircut inspired Edith Head’s and Damian says Linda Hunt’s

We are continuing our social distance, deep dives on dearly departed actresses. This week we dig into the oeuvre of actor, singer, and dancer Paula Kelly. You Might Know Her From Sweet Charity, The Women of Brewster Place, Night Court, Uptown Saturday Night, South Central, Santa Barbara, and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling. We get into Paula’s work in musicals including the little-known Alice opposite Debbie Allen and Alice Ghostley, her acting range best on display in films made by black filmmakers and screenwriters, and her cutting-edge role as one half of a lesbian couple opposite Lonette McKee.

Follow us on social media:

@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

Discussed this week: 

Damian loves this oddly satisfying Twitter account “Vídeos Satisfatórios” 

Anne loves ASMR #hotknife #slime #kineticsand videos

Chiropractor YouTube channels we love: Advanced Chiropractic Relief LLC and

Damian is on TikTok

Relatives of celebrities on TikTok: John Travolta’s son, Judi Dench’s grandson, Julianne Moore’s daughter 

Paula Kelly in Sweet Charity (1969) directed by Bob Fosse 

Rema Webb played Paula Kelly in Fosse/Verdon but was a blink and you miss it

Walter Kerr on Paula Kelly 

Lee Daniels on Paula Kelly 

Paula went to LaGuardia School of the Arts and Juilliard 

Something More! directed by Jule Styne, starring Barbara Cook

Starred in original London cast of Sweet Charity with Juliet Prowse

“Big Spender” and “There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This”

Paula’s killer FLOURISH at end of “Big Spender” 4:32 mark

“Baby Dream Your Dream” from London cast

Scatting on The Richard Pryor Show

Peter Pan for BBC with Paula as Tiger Lily, Mia Farrow as Peter, Danny Kaye as Captain Hook

Broadway’s original Tiger Lily was Sondra Lee

Alice musical starring Debbie Allen, Alice Ghostley, Paula Kelly

Did Mike Nichols secretly direct Annie on Broadway?

Mike Nichols put Alice Ghostley into Annie as Dorothy Loudon’s replacement in Annie

Debbie do Catalina Bar & Grill

Late in life lesbian, Marsha Warfield 

Tall men on Night Court

Paula Kelly as Leggy Peggy with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier in Uptown Saturday Night

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor (miniseries starring Oprah, Cicely Tyson, Paula Kelly, Lonette McKee)

Lonette McKee’s beige bra and oatmeal monologue

Paula Kelly in Playboy (the pubic wars)

Fuck Yeah, Paula Kelly is a great resource

Because of the state of the world, we are trying something new this week and celebrating a long lost actress, the legendary Charlotte Rae. You Might Know Her From The Facts of Life, Different Strokes, The Worst Witch, Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Lil Abner, Ricki and the Flash, and Car 54, Where Are You? We break down some of our favorite credits of Charlotte’s, the gems we uncovered while doing our research, and revisit the kind words past guest Nancy McKeon had to say about the star of stage and screen.

Follow us on social media:

@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

Discussed this week: 

Catherine Zeta-Jones has a cunnilingus loving husband in Michael DouglasCZJ singing “One” with new lyrics we’re convinced she wrote for Michael Douglas’ AFI award

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Annie, 42nd Street for #InternationalDanceDay

Andrea McArdle and Jane Krakowski in Starlight Express

Liza stepping in for Gwen Verdon in Chicago (b-roll footage from original production)

Liza stepping in for Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria on Broadway

Raquel Welch did the national tour of Victor/Victoria 

Charlotte Rae's IMDB

Nancy McKeon full interview on YMKHF

The Bon Soir and The Blue Angel (and the inside)

Mrs. Schnauzer in Car 54 Where Are You

Went to Northwestern with Paul Lynde and Cloris Leachman

Alice Ghostley apparently bearded for Paul Lynde 

2 Time Tony Nominee: Pickwick; Morning, Noon, and Night

Charlotte played Paul Lynde’s aunt on his tv show despite the fact that they’re the same age

Sally Field is only 10 years old than Tom Hanks but played his mom in Forrest Gump

Had a bisexual husband

The Worst Witch w/ Tim Curry and Fairuza Balk

Our favorite number: “My Little School”

“Friends?” with Cloris Leachman who stepped into Seasons 8 and 9 of The Facts of Life

Cloris being weird at the TV Land Awards

Friends with John Astin who guested on an ep of Facts of Life “The Summer of ‘84”

Ricki & the Flash with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline

The incredibly talented Sasha Allen joins us on today’s episode. You Might Know Her From Camp, The Voice, for colored girls…, Hair, and Pippin. Sasha talked about how the cult film Camp shaped her career, finding balance between her music career and the theatre, how The Voice uplifted her when she was down on her luck, and the power of Ntozake Shange's choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. All that goodness, plus her behind-the-scenes experiences backing up The Rolling Stones. Sasha was our last in-person interview for a little bit but we’ll be back next week with something new and fresh.

Follow us on social media:

@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

Discussed this week: 

Vintage eyeglasses shop in East Village: Fabulous Fanny’s

Pince nez, monocle

WTF apparently Mr Moneybags from Monopoly never wore a monocle we all just assumed he did

Cucumber on Amazon

Queer as Folk featured Sharon Gless in a wig

Gale Harold as Brian Kinney 

Galt MacDermot who wrote Hair died in 2018

“Good Old Fashioned Loverboy” is the most underrated Queen song of all-time

Babylon (the gay club in Pittsburgh on QaF)

Grey’s Anatomy loved to release soundtracks

The High Fidelity tv series is a soundtrack heavy show starring Zoe Kravitz (Jessica Hecht has a cameo)

LimeWire, Kazaa, BearShare

Damian loved Belle & Sebastian and The Magnetic Fields

Anne urges Damian to watch Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Sasha opens Camp with “How Shall I See You Through My Tears” from The Gospel at Colonus

Oral history of Todd Graff’s Camp by Louis Peitzman

Worked with Diane Paulus twice (Hair & the nat’l tour of Pippin)

Got some circus skills while doing national tour of Pippin

Sasha comes from artistic family (great great grandmother was first black person accepted at Juilliard, brother is an artist, daughter dances at Alvin Ailey)

for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf (Ntozake Shange)

Angela Bassett at for colored girls last year

Performed “Age of Aquarius” on Letterman etc but then “Hair” was chosen for the Tony performance

Appeared on Season 4 of The Voice and “Not Ready to Make Nice” got her the 4 chair turn

Worked with Adam Levine and Shakira on The Voice

Sasha Allen was on an earlier vocal competition Vh1’s Born to Diva

Andrea Martin, Priscilla Lopez, Lucie Arnaz, Adrienne Barbeau all played Berthe on Pippin tour

Ranks herself as singer, actress, dancer

Blue Bloods opp Donnie Wahlberg and Power opp Omari Hardwick 

Sasha’s ex worked with NKOTB

Naturi Naughton sang on Power

Was in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind at Kennedy Center when she was 14

Watch 14 year old Sasha in Whistle Down the Wind starting at the 1:04:25 mark

Aquarian mother; Libran daughter

Connected to ¾ women in 20 Feet From Stardom (Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill)Merry Clayton originally sang the female solo in Gimme Shelter. She passed the torch to Lisa Fischer, who passed the torch to Sasha, who was on Season 4 of The Voice with Judith Hill 

Lisa Fischer and Sasha

Mick Jagger making Mick Jagger faces behind Sasha when she wails on “Gimme Shelter”

Went to LaGuardia School of the Arts where she was friends with Nicki Minaj

“White Boys” from Hair

The Rolling Stones treat her the best. Mick & Keith hang out and give great gifts.

We love Joey McIntyre

This week we are chatting with our youngest guest ever, Sydney Lucas. You Might Know Her From Fun Home, Girl Mostly Likely, The Skeleton Twins, and The Son. Sydney gives us the skinny on playing young Alison (aka world famous lesbian, Alison Bechdel) in the Broadway musical adaptation of Bechdel’s graphic novel, Fun Home. And yes, she now makes sure all future projects she’s involved in pass the Bechdel test. Sydney also dished on working with Mamma Mia icon Pierce Brosnan in The Son and the juice is delicious. 

Follow us on social media:

@damianbellino || @rodemanne 

Discussed this week: 

Older brother, Jake is also an actor who was on Broadway at same time

Fun Home (Alison Bechdel) is a graphic novel that was turned into a Tony winning musical

Sydney sings “Ring of Keys” at The Tony’s

Sydney was up for 2012 revival of Annie starring Lilla Crawford

Plays Pierce Brosnan’s granddaughter on AMC’s The Son

If anyone can find info on stuntwoman Jimmy Smith (Sydney’s stunt double on The Son)

11 callbacks for Matilda

Played young Kristen Wiig in The Skeleton Twins and Girl Most Likely 

MGM abused Judy Garland

The Bechdel Test

Broadway’s original Annie, Andrea McArdle is still singing “Tomorrow” 

Lois Smith plays old version of Sydney’s character in The Son

Sydney's fave child star = Daisy Egan (Tony winner for The Secret Garden)

Sydney & Daisy perform in The Secret Garden together in 2016 concert

Daisy’s breast pump tweet

Pierce Brosnan singing in Mamma Mia