#9 Misha Whalen / From Community Theater, to Stand-Up, to SVU; an actors journey!

Actor and comedian Misha Whalen dishes on her entertainment journey, from Law and Order SVU to Saturday Night Live. She shares insights on balancing work and motherhood, the importance of networking, and her transition from stand-up to stand-in. We gossip about auditions, celebs, and admiration for fellow character actors. She also touches on writing, and her experience during the industry strike.  Follow her on social media for updates on her upcoming projects!

Insta: @mishawhalen
Twitter: @mishawhalen

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 2:00 Balancing Motherhood and Work
• 7:59 The Ups and Downs of the Entertainment Industry
• 10:58 The Importance of Networking and Social Media
• 14:00 Journey from Community Theater to Stand-Up Comedy and Improv
• 19:25 Navigating the Audition Process and Getting the Role
• 21:50 Learning from Talented Actors on Set
• 23:26 The Challenges and Rewards of Stunt Work
• 30:40 Staying Creative During Lulls in the Acting Care
• 40:00 Challenges and Rough Years in the Industry
• 43:43 The Importance of Taking Initiative
• 48:21 Favorite Celebrity Encounters
• 56:48 Laughter on the Set of SVU

Transcript

Shay (00:01.66)
All right. Hi everyone. This is Shayla Tharp. You're listening to Having a Laugh podcast. Today we have actor, comedian, Misha, well, actually, how do you pronounce your last name? Cause there are two ways that could be done. Waylon, Misha Waylon. And you've recently been working on Law and Order SVU where you can be seen as ADA Alice, and Mariska Hargitay's stand -in.

Misha Whalen (00:15.822)
Misha Whalen. Yeah. Yeah.

Misha Whalen (00:26.189)
Yep.

Shay (00:31.516)
Thank you so much for coming. And I've learned something new today that New York is only one hour difference.

Misha Whalen (00:34.254)
Thanks for having me.

Misha Whalen (00:41.326)
I think I learned that too from Chicago, right?

Shay (00:44.604)
Yeah, I literally was like, what do you mean? I was ready to go.

Misha Whalen (00:47.557)
I'm sorry.

I know and I was like, wait, am I crazy? What's happening? What time is it right now? Like I was like, did the clocks jump forward again or?

Shay (00:57.404)
Nope. Nope. It was just that kind of a morning.

Misha Whalen (01:00.845)
Okay, we're there. We've made it.

Shay (01:03.58)
Well, yeah, we made it. It's so lovely to like virtually meet you because I've just, I don't even know where, how I found you, but through the social networks. Yeah.

Misha Whalen (01:14.797)
We were doing more things or something, I feel like online, and it happened where we social media connected. Just a beautiful thing about social media. One of the things I like about it, as opposed to things I don't like about it.

Shay (01:27.412)
Exactly. Like that is, that's good. That's the good one is just networking. but yeah, anytime I see someone doing something in a similar vein that I do, I'm like, I have to follow. So, you recently just had a baby. Was, I guess it's not that recent now, has it? Is it still?

Misha Whalen (01:43.756)
Yes.

six months like the other day. So it's still very, it still feels recent or it's just been a whirlwind, you know, and he's, he's big and growing, but it's, it's a lot. Yeah, he's wonderful, but it's a crazy, you know, life just totally changed. Everything's totally different. So that really is true. What they say where it, yeah, everything, the life as I knew it is gone. Out world.

Shay (01:52.188)
Yeah.

Shay (02:10.524)
Are you enjoying it? Are you taking time off work? Or how's that working with your schedules?

Misha Whalen (02:16.043)
Yeah, definitely took some time off mostly because the job I had on Law and Order and working in TV and film in general really is hard. It's really long days. As you know, it's like 12, 14 hour days every day. So with the childcare costs and with my husband's schedule and my schedule, we just said we're going to take a little time so I can be home with him. And then that show, they just wrapped Law and Order. So it'll probably be in July. Hopefully I can go back.

Shay (02:42.332)
Right.

Misha Whalen (02:45.29)
when they come back for season 26 and you know, the baby will be bigger and he'll be a little more comfortable. Hopefully we'll have a routine because he right now doesn't really sleep. So we're still working. It's like crazy people are like, after three months they sleep and he's not there yet. So that's okay. He's his own person. But for us, it's, you know, it's a lot. So it'll be hard. It'd be hard. Yeah. It'll be hard to work the long days with the not sleeping. I'd probably be sick all the time, but.

Shay (02:49.742)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (02:54.812)
God.

Shay (03:06.396)
Figure it out.

Misha Whalen (03:14.954)
We'll see. I think he'll get better as we go. So that'll change. Every day is a new day.

Shay (03:20.188)
Every day is a new day and you can do it. You can absolutely do it. It's just gonna suck for a second.

Misha Whalen (03:25.321)
Yeah, yeah, and I work part -time. Like I'll do Saturday Night Live on the weekends sometimes and I'll do like bartending catering where I do, I pick up jobs like I've done for the last 12 years in New York City. So it's, you know, just went back to that gig life freelancing a little bit for this time being that works with our schedules and works with the baby. But that's all. So it's just been different, but everybody, we've adjusted.

Shay (03:30.46)
That's cool.

Shay (03:37.404)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (03:42.684)
Yeah. That's good.

Shay (03:49.404)
That's cool. I mean, I didn't even know you had like a regular, do you kind of just come in on SNL and sit for them and just kind of be a plant or?

Misha Whalen (03:57.577)
Yeah, literally. That's how it feels. But no, they have they let us do background like they it was like a whole thing years ago, I guess I like applied or whatever, not audition, but like, and then the casting people there, they bring in sort of a set number of people every week. So some weeks I don't get it. They don't have as many people that they need. But it's really fun because that's a show where it's live TV and it's comedy, which is my forte. And it's like,

Shay (04:08.06)
-huh.

Shay (04:17.788)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (04:23.624)
the most amazing experience in the world because you're just a part of a very legendary show and fast and curious and it's a crazy day. But yeah, I'll sit and do like the cold open and I'll just be a person sitting there as part of like a presidential whatever state of the union. Yeah, it's fun.

Shay (04:29.724)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (04:40.092)
Mm -hmm.

That's so cool. I bet it's fun to really just like, how long have you been doing that? Cause I bet it's fun to just watch the legends come out and just, it's like a master class.

Misha Whalen (04:52.167)
Yeah, it is. Yeah. And watching that we rehearsed like Friday nights and then we rehearse all day Saturday and then we do the live show. So I think I started when did I get that? Like probably 10 years ago was my first job, but I did their their pre tapes. Like that's what they'd start you out as to see if you're OK to be on the live stage because it's a little trickier than regular TV and stuff. So I did their pre tapes a lot.

Shay (05:00.412)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (05:06.972)
wow.

Shay (05:13.468)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (05:17.927)
which were fun and they were crazy. They'd be at like three in the morning on like Thursday and then they'd like be rewriting it. You might be there for 16 hours or three hours. But then and then we just started doing and then they started bringing me on to the live show, which was really cool. But yeah, definitely that when they have like the guest stars and they bring out people, it's really fun. And the host is always the driving force of like the energy and they're always so excited to be there. So, you know, one day one day I'll be there in real life, not not. But.

Shay (05:22.972)
Ugh.

Shay (05:26.684)
Shay (05:46.14)
Yes, you will. Not today, but you will, you will. Give me like kind of a rundown of you and this industry. Like where did you start? Did you want to do this as a child? Like where did this all come from for you?

Misha Whalen (05:47.879)
Not today.

Misha Whalen (06:05.477)
Yeah, definitely as a child I wanted to be an actress and I had like a list but I remember like playing soccer and telling all my friends like I'm gonna be an actress I'm gonna be an actor for acting like I didn't know what I was talking about So I finally when I did some community theater and then I did theater in high school and then I went to college and studied theater But I went to a liberal arts school just in case I didn't really like it and I was like, let me just love the school I'm at so that was great. I did love it and

I ended up doing like a one woman show at the end of my senior year, like for a thesis. And I think that sort of propelled me into when I moved to New York when I graduated, I got into comedy because it was like standup comedy because you're on stage alone for however long, for 30, 40 minutes, whatever my one woman show. I was like, I like this. I can captivate people by myself up here. I love making people laugh. So that's kind of where that went.

Shay (06:37.66)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (06:51.516)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (07:00.452)
in the standup comedy world. And then I also did improv comedy. I trained with them for a couple of years at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York, Amy Poehler's organization, which I think they just brought back because it was gone after COVID and now it's back, which is great. Yeah. But it was a really good training program in school for improv and sketch and everything like that. So I love that. Met some really great friends who've gone and done.

Shay (07:09.116)
How nice.

Mm -hmm.

Shay (07:16.7)
Misha Whalen (07:28.324)
really cool things, you know, don't compare yourself in the acting world, but I'm like, wow, they're doing amazing. You know, they're like, they're like doing their big show. I see them on Netflix and like prime shows all the time. I'm like, what? Look at you. Where'd you come from? But so everybody's doing different things. But it was cool to sort of start out with them 10, 12 years ago. And then with stand up, I was that's a that's a grind and that's a hustle. And that that was really. Yeah, if you tried it.

Shay (07:30.172)
Yeah.

Shay (07:34.628)
yeah.

Shay (07:43.132)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.

Shay (07:55.1)
Yeah, not for me.

Misha Whalen (07:58.276)
You've done stand up.

Shay (07:59.196)
No, no, because that just is like my biggest fear. To be, like I love acting because it removes me from the equation. I am no longer a part of it. Stand up, that is just people looking at you. And I'll absolutely not. No, no, no, no, no.

Misha Whalen (08:04.387)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (08:16.034)
Yeah.

And it's your own, usually it's your own word, you know, it's your own thought processes, your own observations, whatever. And you're like, yeah. Yeah. Well, I can totally see it's a similar thing. And a lot of comedians do podcasts. So it makes sense. It is you're putting it all out there. And with stand, I said the same thing. Stand up was like my biggest fear. But then so was giving birth. And I did both of them. But I say one of them is the closest you'll ever get to death.

Shay (08:24.7)
I struggle with the podcast because I'm like, that's my thoughts.

Shay (08:38.844)
Yeah.

Shay (08:45.98)
Misha Whalen (08:48.642)
And the other one, I had my son. I felt like it's, you know, sometimes it's great. Sometimes stand up, you're up there and it's the most high you'll ever be naturally. It's the best feeling. Other times it's, you know, very low. We all know this. So you talk to comedians. So it's like, that's the hard part. And the problem with me, I haven't done it in a few years since pre -COVID because it just, they were paying you in booze, you know.

Shay (08:51.932)
Ha ha ha!

Shay (09:15.92)
yeah, yeah.

Misha Whalen (09:17.153)
It's a lot of that stuff. You got to get people to come to your shows and nobody really wants to hear you tell the same joke anymore or whatever. But it's a grind. And the same with acting. It's such a business where I don't think I'm that great at the business part of either of those things, which if I could just do acting and audition and things would go great every time, that'd be great. But it's such an industry of who you know and shaking hands. Sometimes I'm just like, I don't think I'm good at this. So that's the hardest part, I think, of this industry.

Shay (09:28.38)
Shay (09:39.452)
It is.

Misha Whalen (09:47.008)
in general.

Shay (09:47.58)
For sure. And now that I've moved back to nowhere, it's like I've lost all the connections, the people, the... It's about networking, unfortunately. It's like 90 % like networking, 10 % luck, and then maybe some talent.

Misha Whalen (09:51.328)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (10:01.768)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, talent helps, sure. But I've seen how many people do you know that are really talented or yourself that you're like, it's just, you know, sometimes you don't catch a break and hopefully eventually will. And that's that goes with the business end and the luck part of it. But yeah, and certainly, I guess what's kept me in the business is those little breaks you get that you're like,

Shay (10:05.468)
yeah,

Shay (10:12.476)
I'm sorry.

Shay (10:23.388)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (10:23.744)
that'll keep you going because otherwise, you know, it's really hard. It's hard. It's a grind to just keep picking yourself back up and get rejected. And then finally you're like, I just got a little break. That was nice. And then you go, how many years without one?

Shay (10:35.708)
Yeah.

Exactly. I'm going on like a year without doing anything and I'm itching to do something but then yesterday I started sending out like agent emails again and I was like I hate this. I hate this. I hate it. There's the stress. The stress again of selling yourself is exhausting.

Misha Whalen (10:44.512)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (10:58.783)
Yes.

It is. And you have to really know like what you're selling, which is like the, I think the new wave of like the social, well not new, but the social media, TikTok and Instagram where you are a brand. I don't know what brand I am. You know, it's like, sure, I'm funny. I don't know. But like people, they're selling a brand and that's what these people are buying. And even agents now are buying if you have a million Instagram followers or whatever they want.

because I've worked with actors that aren't really actors or trained the way you might be or I might be, but they got a lot of followers and they're getting booked because they know that they'll watch the show. So that's a different world too since I think I started in New York. It wasn't like that here as far as auditioning would go. You wouldn't really be auditioning against an influencer.

Shay (11:34.268)
Yep. Yep.

Shay (11:41.916)
Yeah.

Shay (11:48.028)
Yeah. I mean, in London, they're still not really on influencer train. Like it's not a thing. So when I came back here and people were in, in the audition process, they ask you how many followers you have. I was like, what? Huh? Why? I was in LA, Chicago. I got, I kind of go wherever I can, but I had just been in London for the last four or five years and I just completely didn't think about.

Misha Whalen (12:02.942)
Yeah, yeah. In LA, you are in LA, right? Or you were in, or you...

Misha Whalen (12:11.517)
Yeah.

Shay (12:18.204)
those things. And yeah, yeah, it's nice. But now I'm back and I'm like, mm, unfortunate. Yeah.

Misha Whalen (12:19.069)
Yeah, that's nice.

Misha Whalen (12:28.509)
Yeah, yeah, back to that. I don't know how these people get followers. I throw shit on the wall every day. You've seen my social media, it's a bunch of nonsense. I'm like, here, let me talk about this for a minute. And it's just hard to get a, or you just hope for the best. You hope somebody likes it somewhere.

Shay (12:35.196)
either.

Shay (12:49.18)
Exactly, like I just have no idea what I'm doing and I'm trying and like another thing in another thing in England is they don't care about like your weight. They don't care if you, you know, look have wrinkles and now I'm like, my god, why does everyone look so good and thin? my god.

Misha Whalen (12:52.453)
Nope.

Misha Whalen (13:02.78)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (13:06.972)
Well, you look at, also I like that in London. They don't have, it's like they are, they're actually more probably focused on the talent and the art of it, you know.

Shay (13:15.196)
They are, yeah, they are, which I absolutely loved. So here it's been a juxtaposition of like followers verse talent. I hate it, I hate it.

Misha Whalen (13:24.412)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, and LA is different than New York. I've heard from friends too, and maybe Chicago too. Like LA's got a whole different vibe. And I lived in LA when in college, I did like a semester exchange program there. And like, I mean, this is a long time ago, and I didn't have a car. So I was taking like a bus places, which is dope in LA. But yeah, you know, it's like insane. I'm so lucky I was young and dumb. I should have been dead so many times. But

Shay (13:31.164)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (13:36.508)
Yeah.

Shay (13:41.596)
Shay (13:47.772)
rough.

Shay (13:51.804)
Yeah.

Shay (13:55.484)
Right.

Misha Whalen (13:56.698)
naive. So I was like, this is fine. Like that's I'm just at a bus stop at three in the morning. It's okay. But yeah, but I think that it was a different world there. You know, hard to make friends, but also just like everyone's like, I'll call you. Yeah, you're great. I'll call you. And they didn't. So I think New York is a little bit more I guess I like the real raw kind of meanness of it here.

Shay (14:01.18)
Cool. It's fine.

Shay (14:18.812)
yeah, yeah. Yeah, I guess I didn't even think about that. That's probably kind of refreshing a little bit.

Misha Whalen (14:25.242)
Yeah, for me, I don't know, but I'm nuts. I don't know.

Shay (14:28.764)
So has the whole industry kind of like as a whole for you been fun, stressful? Do you like love hate it? I assume everybody kind of love hates it, but I mean how are you liking it?

Misha Whalen (14:41.049)
Mm -hmm.

I think we're all like masochists. We like the abuse of it because it is it's a really, you know, but any artist is like that. So I think I've loved it. I've had some really wonderful experiences. I've had the best times, you know, and I've had times where I want to quit and not be here anymore and do this work. And the hustle has gotten to me mostly because for me, it's always been the the.

Shay (14:46.907)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (15:13.497)
paying my bills with like my day jobs just to keep auditioning or keep the days free for unpaid work type of thing. And that's hard because there's people who I know who their parents paid their rent and I didn't have that. So I was always hustling my butt off to get the work. And that part was hard because I felt I lost some opportunities, but that's a starving artist idea, but I was never starving. But that part was hard and I think...

Shay (15:28.54)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (15:41.912)
I've had so many cool, different, weird jobs that I've had that that has helped me write comedy and write about my life and make and have interesting stories that other people don't have because I'm just like, I was a personal assistant to an insane like investment banker. And my job was just like hide his girlfriends from each other. Like really. Or yeah, I've done like fit modeling, like things like that. And I worked on SBU and got that job for the last eight years and that.

Shay (15:57.692)
Ooh.

Shay (16:06.044)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (16:11.511)
was life -changing, obviously. But yeah, so that so and then I've always, you know, bartended and waited and you wait tables, you meet people and stuff like that. And that's the New York actor. But yeah, there was I got a break where like when I did The Daily Show when I was really young, starting out, I got a line on the show. They auditioned me on set. I got a line and then told everyone to watch the show and then they cut it. So.

Shay (16:14.524)
Yeah.

Shay (16:23.1)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (16:38.775)
with your first big break and you're so excited and then they, you know, they don't tell you they're gonna do that. You're just like, this is so huge. I'm gonna go places. And they cut it. And so then it's like, you start over and you get another thing. So, you know, that's, but that's life. That's what happens all the time where you get, you know, three callbacks and then you don't get the part and you had your heart set on it or something. So that type of thing was tough. But then I'd get like a little break and get a commercial and.

Shay (16:51.356)
my god.

Shay (17:03.196)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (17:07.19)
you know, life was rosy again. So I think we're all in that like ebb and flow of, I don't know, every day is really just so many ups and downs and you meet so many wonderful people and you know, and then you have a baby and then God knows what the hell is gonna happen.

Shay (17:09.564)
Yeah. Yeah.

Shay (17:19.804)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (17:24.772)
Then it's just hell.

Misha Whalen (17:28.758)
Then I'm just trying to keep a human alive and then also myself, sort of, but it's still, everything else I did was easy up until this point, I guess.

Shay (17:31.772)
Yeah, yeah.

It's fine.

Shay (17:38.94)
God, I don't know how you do it. Like that is, like my biggest fear is having a kid. I just, I'm like, I can barely keep myself alive.

Misha Whalen (17:46.517)
Yeah, same, but you'd be wonderful then. It's okay. It'd be wonderful. It's great.

Shay (17:49.532)
Okay, great.

That's the prerequisite. So how did you come upon your job at SVU as like the standard?

Misha Whalen (18:03.349)
That was, you know, working in the film and TV industry for a while, doing background, doing auditions, getting weird stand -in days, day player days on like movies and stuff. Like I don't know who I stood in for, like Gina Gershon. And then I was on like a bunch of weird shows, like Dennis Leary's show. So like I'd get those day player jobs for whoever, five, eight pernets all the time. So the casting people got to know me as that person who can do the job, has a brain.

Shay (18:22.972)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (18:31.412)
can hit a mark and that was all I really knew of it. And then the stand -in at SVU who'd been there a while, she got fired, I guess, for something crazy and they called me in and they had 10 of us auditioning against each other for a stand -in job, which I'd never heard of, because I'm like, what is this? Right. But this show, she's the number one on the call sheet.

Shay (18:33.628)
Yep.

Shay (18:49.052)
my God.

Shay (18:55.292)
Right, you know.

Misha Whalen (18:57.524)
It requires a lot. She's in every scene and what they do there, I don't know how many shows they really do this on, but the stand -ins, second team, run all the lines, do full rehearsals as if they're first team. So not every show does that. Sometimes they don't even bring you to set when you're a stand -in. I've done those where it's easy peasy, you get paid to do nothing. But this one, they do full rehearsals. For her, I do rehearsals with the principal actors, almost every time.

Shay (19:09.308)
Right.

Shay (19:26.524)
nice.

Misha Whalen (19:26.899)
scene, which is amazing practice for me to get comfortable. I'd be full of Broadway actors and, you know, iced tea. And just like, and we'd be reading the lines and we'd do rehearsal and she trusted me enough to be like, yeah, whatever, you know, whatever Misha does is fine. And then she would tweak it and do her own thing, obviously. But I would do photo doubling for her. So I do the scenes with them on camera or off camera, depending. And,

Shay (19:31.996)
God, yeah.

Shay (19:35.74)
No!

Misha Whalen (19:55.474)
So that was great. So I'd memorize the lines, do rehearsals, do actual scenes. So it was nerve wracking at first. And then once I got it after the audition process was a couple of weeks and she was comfortable with me and the other people, I'm sure were great, but I think it just was not the right fit. And then that, yeah, eight years, nine seasons later, I think. Yeah, so I got it. And then I got the role of the ADA, Alice Schultz, after a little while putting my work in. And...

Shay (20:16.7)
Wow.

Misha Whalen (20:25.265)
That was really wonderful and they had me recurring for that. But yeah, it was an interesting little journey to get there, but probably just many years of being present and in front of people and you get, you know, you just meet people and they're like, okay, yeah, she's great. And now it's so funny when I meet people, sometimes they don't know what I've done and they're like, you remind me of that actress on that show. And I'm like, because I'm, you know, tall, brunette and I'm deep voice, loud, I don't know. Or I just took the...

Shay (20:49.084)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (20:52.849)
characteristics of Marishka slash Captain Benson and bring them into my real life. I don't even know it. And I'm just, I'm like, I just embody it now naturally. God. Yeah. The, the whisper of, God. You saw that? She didn't love that impression at all.

Shay (20:56.796)
Yeah.

I think you did.

Shay (21:03.228)
whisper.

The whisper!

Well... Didn't she? no...

Misha Whalen (21:15.344)
She laughed, but I think she's like, wait, people are like, do I sound like that? Iced tea on the, my impression of him, which I don't think is very good, but he's just like, that's some good shit. I always say that shit, you're right. They started showing everybody. I was like, my God, you don't realize people will see these things, but.

Shay (21:19.804)
Like, do I whisper?

Shay (21:34.076)
Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's so funny. What have you learned from, God, that's such like good practice to be doing that every week, every day to be, even if it's not gonna end up on camera, it's just such an amazing experience. Like.

Misha Whalen (21:50.847)
Right, yeah, it's thankless. Nobody knows, there's no notoriety in it, but there is so much beautiful work. I wasn't afraid to audition ever. When there's cameras, you walk on the set, you're immediately comfortable. There's actors they bring in, the victims sometimes on that show have never been on the set before, and they're like crying on cue. They're amazing, but they're really nervous. And then the set atmosphere, especially an old show like that that's been around a long time, you got some veterans there.

Shay (22:01.276)
yeah.

Shay (22:20.22)
Misha Whalen (22:20.623)
It's just a very intimidating atmosphere. And so those people, I don't have the fear of that necessarily. You can go in and do the work, but I think it's scary if you've never been on set or you've never been around that, you know, three cameras in your face and lights and people talking to you and doing a million things. And so that's the beauty. Yeah, yeah, it's scary. Yeah.

Shay (22:39.612)
Mm -hmm. People screaming in the back, like...

It's a lot.

Misha Whalen (22:44.815)
It is and if you're just like you auditioned and then you get the job and you're like, this is what this isn't what I was preparing for, you know, so I'm lucky where I get I don't have that anymore. I'm always ready for my opportunity if it comes.

Shay (22:51.612)
yeah

Shay (23:00.7)
There's one time I really learned my lesson when I was a victim on a series of some, I don't know, I was a victim in the hospital bed. And Luis Guzman came up to me and he was like, so what's your illness? And I was like, I don't know. And he was like, do these extras even learn anything anymore? You need to know what you have. And I was like, okay.

Misha Whalen (23:26.925)
Shay (23:29.02)
Okay, but that instantly changed the way I thought about everything. I was like, I need to get my fucking ass ready when these people come up. Like I need to have shit ready on point, ready to go when the camera or those people come up. And I then got a job on that show for the rest of the year. Cause I think he just kind of liked, I don't know, that I wasn't scared. I was just like, shit, yeah, I should get on my shit. So.

Misha Whalen (23:45.292)
Misha Whalen (23:54.925)
Yeah, and respected you enough to even ask and expect you to have like, you know, you're done your backstory or whatever. Like that's amazing that he would assume he did and yeah, be ready.

Shay (24:02.524)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He came back an hour later and he was like, you got it? And I was like, I do. I do. And then he like, he was like, all right, good. That'll do. Yeah. Yep. Yep. So sometimes you just gotta go through that really intimidating thing of just the cameras and the people and sometimes have.

Misha Whalen (24:12.749)
awesome.

Misha Whalen (24:17.356)
Good, now you're all set. Now we can give you a part. There you go, done.

Shay (24:31.1)
the legends yell at you.

Misha Whalen (24:33.035)
Yeah, yes. yes. I've been yelled at a few times, but I'm not gonna... my god, I'm not gonna say it, but yeah. Yeah, but you have to. There's a lot of emotion on a set.

Shay (24:36.38)
Have you?

That's fair. Exactly. I think you just, it's a lot of emotion. It's high, strong adrenaline. People have deadlines. People gotta, you know, it's the camera needs to go there for this lighting and we gotta do it now before we lose the sunlight at three. It's just, there are so many more factors than just the actor, which is kind of nice because then you're like, look, it's not all on me.

Misha Whalen (25:06.091)
No, time is money. Usually it's just about the money. Yeah. Yeah, yes. That's one of the things I found about definitely the best actors that I've worked with. They are always so prepared and they come in, especially on a procedural drama, they don't really, the directors often are more technical. Like they're working with the cameras and lighting and the actors just kind of come in and do their thing. They expect you to do your thing.

Shay (25:09.5)
Yeah, they just want you to get in, do the job, and go.

kind of free.

Misha Whalen (25:34.891)
not really work with the director a lot as you might on a Tarantino movie, but like it's, yeah, you do your thing and you're done and they want you to do it well and quick and not too many takes. Like it's, you know, some directors are more actors, directors, but oftentimes on these shows, like they're not. And it's fascinating to see some of these amazing actors just be so on point. They'll be having a conversation, laughing, joking, and immediately they say rolling and they are in a very heated discussion about a rape or a murder. And you're like, what?

Shay (26:00.764)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (26:04.458)
And really good. And so you're like, OK, that's how the good ones do it. They can just get it.

Shay (26:04.54)
Right on.

Shay (26:11.964)
huh.

What was one that you were super impressed with?

Misha Whalen (26:18.793)
gosh. There's been so many last year. I think Bradley Whitford, I really loved. He was amazing. That's my most recent memory. You know, he's really talented. Yeah. Elizabeth Marvel, I really loved. She's she's a working actor. You know her. She's been in everything and she's been on Broadway. She played a lawyer. Yeah, she's really fantastic.

Shay (26:25.564)
god, I love him.

Shay (26:32.54)
He's so talented. It's disgusting.

Shay (26:43.644)
Let me Google.

Misha Whalen (26:48.713)
And yeah, and then Stephen Tobolowski. These are people, you know, again, like I didn't work the year when like Robin Williams was there. Yeah.

Shay (26:49.244)
yes yes yes.

Shay (26:54.524)
Let me Google.

Shay (27:01.052)
my god, Steven, I've actually worked with him on... Silicon Valley. Hilarious man.

Misha Whalen (27:07.368)
Yes. Like the stories he would be telling in like this interrogation room, I was crying, laughing rehearsal with him and he'd be telling him and they'd be like rolling and he'd be so good. And he like I even emailed him after that we were out and I was that we had a lot of rain during his episode and the SBU set's really old. So like literally that would get like flooded this.

Shay (27:30.844)
yeah.

Misha Whalen (27:34.792)
place like, you know, it's not like necessarily a soundstage. So it's like, so he emailed me and he's like, you you were such a pleasure. One of my favorite parts about working on a show where neither a ceiling or walls will protect you from getting wet. Like, I was just everything. So anyway, I love like Groundhog Day in comedy. Like he was like I was starstruck for him, which is hilarious. Yes, exactly. George Wallace was on the show.

Shay (28:00.06)
You like the character actors.

Misha Whalen (28:04.263)
big time comedian. Suzy, what's her Suzy? What is it? Esmond from Curb. She was what the hell's not Esmond. My brain. Sorry. This is where. Yeah, Suzy Esmond. So my brain. I don't I know I'm functioning on no sleep, but yeah, there's been a lot. Those are the comedy, but also character actors that I think and Ice Tea Every Day just was the most hilarious of.

Shay (28:05.116)
God.

Shay (28:11.772)
Shay (28:16.956)
My brain ain't, you know, Suzy Esman. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Misha Whalen (28:32.678)
person ever to work with. And he would say, he's probably said this on something where he does his, his teeth sheds his light on everything, but he'll say, this job's amazing. I don't, they tell me what to say. They tell me what to wear. They tell me where to stand. If I don't say what they need me to say, they tell me what to say again. And it's like so true. Like he's like, he makes it sound easy, you know, and it is, but.

Shay (28:59.74)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (29:01.382)
It's also not and he just was he's just funny. Mariska is a boss, you know, so every day she came to work, you know, ready to play and crushing it and kind of helping everybody, showing the ropes to the new actors and just just running the show. And yeah, I think I've been lucky to have a lot. Carl Weathers was on the show, worked with him, and that was really cool. Just they just had a lot of Michael Rapoport, who's another comedian and Brett.

Shay (29:10.108)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (29:28.188)
Ugh. Yeah. Yeah.

Misha Whalen (29:30.277)
Aaron, you know, the giant, the brother. Yeah. And he was a mate, like working with him was amazing. Made me feel tiny. My first episodes I did there. And so that was really like just, I guess, a special time that stood out in my head. But like, there's been a lot of people that I felt watching them was enlightening and knowing that they were like kind and willing to.

Shay (29:32.316)
God dang. Yeah.

Shay (29:37.34)
Really? Of course, I'm sure.

Misha Whalen (29:58.596)
just talk with me, which sometimes you go onto a set and actors aren't like that and they're not kind and they're not generous and they're not willing to look at you at all. You know what I mean? You're kind of in their way. So I've had some of those experiences and whatever, we have to be tough. But then when you meet the good ones, you're like, okay, that's something.

Shay (30:10.588)
Mm -hmm. Yeah.

Shay (30:23.676)
was worth it.

Misha Whalen (30:24.324)
So I'm missing a bunch of people I'm sure I'd love to name drop and tell you about, but in other films and TV shows I've worked on, there's been great people too, but that show, there's just so many people every week. It's like, certain ones stand out. Yeah.

Shay (30:37.852)
Exactly, yeah.

Mm -hmm, of course. I couldn't, I would love that. I mean, that's why I did a lot of extra work in LA was just to sit and kind of watch. I mean, if I had a day off, what better to do than just get paid to sit around on set and watch the legends work. So I'm pretty jealous. I think the amount of times I've applied to be a dead body on SVU is...

Misha Whalen (30:49.347)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (30:57.162)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (31:09.091)
You should be, you should get it, why not?

Shay (31:11.516)
Bitch, I don't know.

Misha Whalen (31:13.347)
They need to call you!

Shay (31:14.78)
Every year I go, yo, Jonathan Strauss, I see you and I see you not hiring me.

Misha Whalen (31:18.307)
It's the art. I would say you can do better than a dead body. You start off as a live body victim and then maybe be a dead body, but.

Shay (31:24.348)
I'm sorry.

Literally, I was like, what do I need to do? I'll be British? I don't know what you want.

Misha Whalen (31:31.234)
Yes. my god. I was wondering. I thought you'd have an accent, but now you don't have an accent or maybe you do.

Shay (31:36.156)
I don't. I would switch it. I switched it back and forth. Like if I were over there, I would switch to English because not that they don't like Americans, but they are a bit ruder to Americans. And I was just like, 100 % got it. Like after being there, I was like every American tourist that came, I was like, mm, mm. You are not doing me good right now. So.

Misha Whalen (31:52.834)
Yeah, well, I don't wake up on a sleeper.

Misha Whalen (32:01.185)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (32:05.884)
I switch back and forth. And luckily I took, you know, I have a master's, you know, from over there. So I learned a lot of the accent and things like that. So a lot of my work is British, which is lovely. Yeah.

Misha Whalen (32:18.753)
Okay, that's so great. Yeah, so you really studied it and you know what you're doing. You're not just like doing what a caricature of a British person, you know what you're doing.

Shay (32:24.156)
Yeah.

No, I did about three hours a day during my masters, like three hours a day of accent work, just learning the British accent for like two years. So it was a long time. It was a long time. But then I kind of snowballed into other things. Like I ended up doing some stunt work. I saw that you've done stunt work. Is that true?

Misha Whalen (32:40.096)
Wow.

Misha Whalen (32:50.432)
Yes, I did stunt work for Marishka and I did a little training for that with the stunt guy here, but I wouldn't say I'm by any means a stunt person. I just had one of our stunt directors, Jerry Hewitt, who passed away, unfortunately, he gave me a shot and just, and I wish I kept up with it because, you know, it's one of those things where like if I pursued it more and I trained more, I think.

Shay (33:01.372)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (33:15.231)
but it's a whole nother route. Like I was doing standup comedy to go and you have to be good at stunts and focused on that if you want, you know, there's just, to go down that road would be another, I'd have to focus on that. I think I wasn't there, you know, and you do get hurt as much as it's a beautiful, amazing profession. And I respect those people so much, but I've watched a lot of people get hit by cars and fall off bikes and I'm like, you're not getting hurt.

Shay (33:27.26)
It's a lot.

Shay (33:34.332)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (33:45.275)
I did have fun doing Marishka Stunts a couple of times and it was a great opportunity and it worked out. And it was some, you know, they could call me for some of the easier ones, but, you know, who knows? The producers didn't want to hurt me, I guess, but I was like, it's okay, you can hurt me. It's good money. I'll take the paycheck. But the big ones, like the, you know, that's okay. But like, you know, driving around the corner as a stunt driver or whatever and doing a little short, I can handle it.

Shay (33:46.139)
Yeah.

Shay (33:57.212)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (34:02.62)
Yeah. Right?

Shay (34:09.34)
Yeah.

Shay (34:13.18)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (34:15.518)
But yeah, I'd love to get back into it. And it's, you know, if you've done it, it's really, it's cool. And the people are really interesting, tough people. And now I think they get an Academy Award, right? And they put it into the, I think they just, yeah, finally, yeah.

Shay (34:26.98)
I'm sure. I would hope so.

God, because yeah, it was, I've only done a few things and you really have to just be so focused on it because you have to be physical shape, you know, you have to do everything mentally right. You got to be really focused on it. And then like the requirements to get even more certified within it. It's like its own giant community, obviously. So it's just, I couldn't, I couldn't put all my eggs in that basket. I'm athletic, but.

Misha Whalen (34:59.229)
Exactly.

Shay (35:00.988)
It's a lot.

Misha Whalen (35:02.493)
you have to really, like, it's different than acting too. I think like actors aren't really some people, because you just have to go all into that world. As you would take acting classes and do everything to be an actor and go down that path, it's a really different world. So that's what I learned doing that. And I was training a little and I'm like, okay, I can't really dedicate myself to this. So leave it for somebody who will.

Shay (35:25.148)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Misha Whalen (35:28.668)
Hey Matt, being athletic doesn't really help me for that, but I could sprint and that's great. I did some sprints and they shot my feet for Mariska and that's what they needed. So, you know.

Shay (35:34.844)
BAM!

Shay (35:39.228)
There you go. There you go. I think people underestimate the amount of jobs that can be done on a set like that. Like, that's my feet. Like...

Misha Whalen (35:49.348)
Yeah, yeah people don't you've seen my hands my shoulder my ear my toe everything at all no I'm like Merit was in the Hamptons. That's not her. Are you kidding me? She's doing that. That's she's not holding a phone. You're nuts

Shay (35:55.42)
Yeah, you're all over the place.

Shay (36:02.46)
She's taken. I know. Sometimes I can clearly see it. I'm like, that ain't her fingers.

Misha Whalen (36:08.572)
Shay, Shay, you're, you are onto them. my God.

Shay (36:14.716)
That's not I'm fake, but that's also just because I sit and stare at stuff like I can't watch regular TV shows because I just am hyper focused on catching the little things or You know, it's like not fun for me anymore. I'm like I need to watch just golden girls on repeat something That I don't focus on

Misha Whalen (36:21.436)
Right.

Misha Whalen (36:32.539)
Right where they had just the camera sitting here just that's it and those ladies just went ham like that's no. Yeah.

Shay (36:37.948)
Yes.

Shay (36:41.756)
Yep, yep, and that was it. Now I'm like scrutinizing every detail of every show I watch and I'm like, did I see a boom mic? Where'd that go? You know, it's just like, it's exhausting.

Misha Whalen (36:48.602)
Yeah.

Yeah.

It is, it is, I agree, 100%. It's fun to point out sometimes, it's not fun. Like my husband doesn't really love watching TV with me because he's just... I get it too. I'm very annoying, I know.

Shay (37:01.468)
No one likes watching TV with me, and I get it.

I get it. It's exhausting. It's exhausting to be in my brain. I get it. What have you had any, I mean, obviously you've had lulls in this industry as we all do. What do you do during those lulls or those times? Like you're doing standup. Do you write? What else do you do to get the creative juices afloat?

Misha Whalen (37:12.122)
Yeah, you get it. You get it better than anyone.

Misha Whalen (37:35.641)
I think I write every day. I do write every day. Yeah, as far as getting with comedy, I try to just keep writing and hope that, you know, I'll get back on stage again soon or write a screenplay. I don't know, just write my ideas. And that's why I do TikTok because I had to after COVID, I realized I kind of just have to jump on that train because it's going and I talk into my phone and tell jokes or whatever because I

Shay (37:38.812)
do you?

Shay (37:48.38)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (37:59.26)
It's going.

Misha Whalen (38:03.608)
thought it was stupid, but now I'm like, okay, you kind of got to do it to stay sort of relevant or to join the party. And so and lols like I'll always like, yeah, I think that's how I stay, I guess, a little creative is just writing and stuff. And then hope for an audition where I think that helps keep me creative in my mind where I'm like, okay, I'm a part of this world still I'm still doing it. Because otherwise, I'm just like, bartending or waitressing, you know, when I'm not working, like that's easy to get into like a

Shay (38:07.324)
No.

Shay (38:25.724)
Yeah.

Misha Whalen (38:33.304)
what am I doing with my life, you know, type of thing when you're doing that hot. Yeah, so every day just to kind of write or to always find the funny, I think, or a story when you are out and especially in New York, you can always look around and find something funny and hilarious and make it funny, even if it's not quite so funny. But yeah, that's I try to do that anytime I can.

Shay (38:36.7)
Yes it is. Yes it is.

Shay (38:50.492)
yeah.

Shay (38:57.724)
What did you do, like, during the strikes? What was that like for you, that time period? god. Triggered. god.

Misha Whalen (39:03.223)
God. God. Well, that's that was nuts. Yeah, because I was pregnant. So really poor timing because I was pregnant the last three months of shooting SPU, but it was my first trimester. So I didn't tell anyone, obviously. So but everyone's always like tired and sick there. So I feel like nobody expected anything because I was really tired and sick every day for three months. And people are like, that's and that's just normal. And I was like, OK.

Shay (39:18.78)
Okay.

Shay (39:27.548)
Yeah. That's normal.

Misha Whalen (39:30.678)
But when we wrapped, I told people, but I thought we were coming back in July, obviously. So I was like, I needed to work before I had the baby. And then the strike just kept going and going. So I was doing, I don't even know, I was working like a brand investor job. I was working the US Open, whatever I could, but it's hard. Gaining an extra 30 pounds, you're just like, you didn't really want to be standing anymore. So it was a very weird time. And then I think...

Shay (39:49.084)
I'm going.

Misha Whalen (39:59.158)
As soon as I had my son on Halloween of 2023, the strike ended the following week. Like it was just like one of those times in life where things did not line up how I would have really liked it. And maybe it's all meant to be in the end and something will come down the line. You know, the stars will align better for me in a certain way. Not that not my son is perfect, but as far as just the weird strike year, everything was felt a little bit backwards. I don't know.

Shay (40:02.652)
Shay (40:13.692)
huh.

Shay (40:27.004)
Mm -hmm. Just testing you.

Misha Whalen (40:30.134)
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it was bizarre and I wasn't able to go back to work right away. So because, yeah, so it was just that was everyone was like, wait, what do you mean you're not coming back? I'm like, I had a baby like four days ago. Like, I can't. Like, I'm just not there. I know people do it, but I'm just I'm not I'm not there. So I yeah, it was everyone was so excited. The strike was over and I was excited for them, too. But my whole new life kind of had begun. So that was weird. Yeah, I'd say the strike.

Shay (40:42.716)
Guys!

Misha Whalen (41:00.31)
That was through us all through a loop because COVID was so recent that the COVID and everything was hard enough. And then, you know, we all got through that. A lot of my friends moved out of New York and quit the industry. So this felt like another time that that was happening. So it was kind of a bummer to, you know, know people were like, I'm not doing this anymore. It's just, you know, it's so inconsistent. And you just.

Shay (41:04.476)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (41:24.124)
You get to that level where it's just like, it feels like it's never ending because COVID, you know, I felt that the lack of opportunity and then with the strikes, it just has been a really rough few years in this industry. And I don't think, I mean, the strikes are over, but I still don't think it's quite back to where it was.

Misha Whalen (41:46.678)
No, it's not. No, I know there were, I think there was initially in May supposed to be 99 productions coming to New York and they built all these stages. We have stages all over now. They've added in Queens and Brooklyn and even like Jersey. And I think now there's only like 36, like a bunch of things totally nixed or canceled or paused or whatever. So it's a lot of just network shows, which, you know, that's not enough for all the working people that need work.

Shay (42:04.316)
god.

Misha Whalen (42:15.478)
So I started doing, or I got trained and stuff for props and set dressing. So I could start doing that on set, you know, just cause it's a better, better money, a little bit flexible and you're on set still. And it's interesting to me, but still creative. Yeah, it's really cool. But that, like my friends who are doing that, there's a huge wait list at their union hall.

Shay (42:21.404)
nice.

Shay (42:30.396)
It is interesting, I love it.

Misha Whalen (42:37.974)
for just to get on any job. So like I'm at the way bottom of that wait list. I wouldn't be close to getting anywhere because there's so many people ahead of me who, you know. So that's tough right now for a lot of people. I know everywhere across the board, all the LA and everywhere.

Shay (42:52.668)
Yeah, I just lost my agent that I've had for the last few years in England because obviously I moved here so I was I just I just said I don't think you know it's gonna be beneficial to have an English one at the moment so I'm gonna find American rep. my god. Lord ain't nobody signing right now. That's for sure.

Misha Whalen (43:15.218)
No, no, no way I can imagine. I've freelance with people over the years. I've never really, I had signed with one agent, but I didn't really get much. But yeah, that's a whole nother animal and beast to conquer. But now especially, yeah, there's not, I don't think they're doing anything committed.

Shay (43:33.788)
No, no, I have sent like 500 emails in the last week and like just crickets or like we are not taking people right now.

Misha Whalen (43:43.409)
Yeah, well good. At least you sent them. That's great. You know what? You got a girl there and you never know when they'll look back and be like, okay, maybe we can call her now, but give it a little time or you never know what they're looking for. But that is it's good you did it. And I know that's such I've done that before. It's a real task to take that on and send those emails or make calls or whatever. It's so hard, but it's good when you do it. It is it's satisfying in a way because you just you did it. You sent them and they're out there in the ether.

Shay (43:46.428)
of course.

Shay (43:54.588)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (44:02.78)
It is.

Mm -hmm.

Shay (44:12.284)
They're out there. Yeah, exactly, exactly. You just never know. It's a whole thing about networking. It's just reaching out and talking to people. Well, I have some rapid fire questions for you. Okay, they're pretty simple, pretty easy. Okay, I'm just gonna ask. Number one, New York or New Jersey?

Misha Whalen (44:13.329)
Yeah, and that's great, and you never know.

Misha Whalen (44:29.456)
Okay.

Misha Whalen (44:37.135)
Okay.

New York. But I'm from New Jersey, so that sounds like Jersey. It does have the best reputation, but I love New York's the greatest city in the world. So should I not explain my rapid fire answer? OK. I was like OK.

Shay (44:41.724)
New York? Okay. I know!

Shay (44:50.876)
Yeah. No, you can, you can go right ahead. I knew that might be a toughie. Who's the most famous person in your phone contact?

Misha Whalen (45:04.239)
Probably Mariska Hargitay. I mean, I think she's definitely the most well -known, right? I don't have the Duchess of Cambridge here. Like, I don't know who else it is. I'm not gonna list anyone else. I don't know. Yeah, no, that's good. We'll say that.

Shay (45:06.236)
Yeah, I guess that would just win, yeah.

Shay (45:11.708)
Yeah, yeah, no, that was a silly one of me.

Shay (45:22.908)
Okay. Have you ever stolen anything from a set you've been on?

Misha Whalen (45:28.718)
I mean, yeah, it's technically stealing, but the prop guys would give me, yeah, that's good. I'm gonna never get a job again. No, the prop guys would give me makeup and like candles and like lotions from like a teenager's room on a set because they're like, well, it was probably 25 years old, honestly. It's probably not really safe to be using the makeup or anything, but it'd be like, I'm trimming it out or we've used it too many times or whatever. And they'd give me it, you know, so yeah, sorry.

Shay (45:36.156)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (45:39.824)
yeah.

Shay (45:47.004)
Probably.

Misha Whalen (45:59.246)
that. Yeah.

Shay (45:59.644)
You're so kind. What's something people get wrong about you?

Misha Whalen (46:06.061)
sometimes I think people think I'm like mean or like tough, I guess, with my first impression or when they meet me initially or see me, I don't know, not resting bitch face, but maybe it's just my overall vibe or, I don't know, intimidation factor. And I'm like a little mush ball. I just want to, I just love everyone until they piss me off. But like, I really think that initially people have told me they're like, I thought you'd be mean or something. And I'm like, what? No, I'm nuts. What do you mean? Like, no.

But, or not funny, they wouldn't think I'd be funny or something because maybe if I'm in serious mode, you know, I'm sure everybody looks different when they're focused. But yeah. Yeah.

Shay (46:45.212)
Yeah, that's very fair. I guess you kind of already said something about this, but what is the context behind the photo of you on the Jon Stewart show?

Misha Whalen (46:56.364)
so, okay, so the thing I talked about with the getting the line on Jon Stewart's show was about a year before the photo of me in a giant vagina costume. So that, so totally different. Yes, but same show. Because that first opportunity I got on the show and that was really cool. I was just doing background and then they gave me the part and then they cut the part. And then I was working at a restaurant in Jersey about a summer later, a year later.

Shay (47:01.98)
Yeah.

Shay (47:06.524)
okay, so it's different.

Misha Whalen (47:23.66)
And John Stewart came in, he had just moved with his family to Jersey. And I was like, listen, I've been on your show. And then he's like, really? And it was so like the next week again, they gave me another weird little thing that he did of like, it was a pre -tape about the Eyes Wide Shut type of like thing, like joke, whatever they did. And I met him there and I was like, my God, I met you at the restaurant. And then he's like, whoa. And then I'd see him again at the restaurant with his family. And he's like, we're doing a...

Shay (47:42.268)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (47:53.483)
Halloween thing. And I was like, okay. And then this girl, this producer there emailed me and she's like, I think we want to use you for this Halloween thing. And he was like, yeah, no, we're going to use her. And I guess he told them because she was like, we might go with an intern. And I was like, okay, like I didn't know what the hell was going on. And he's like, no, use the girl that that weights tables in Jersey. Use that. She's funny and she's crazy and she's been on our show and she's really not like I talked to him every time he'd come in to the restaurant. And so he pushed for me to get that.

Shay (48:05.628)
Yes!

Shay (48:09.948)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (48:21.962)
I didn't really know what it was. He goes, it might be inappropriate for you. And I was like, I don't think anything's inappropriate for the sake of comedy. And so they bring me in to do this shoot before Halloween and it was with Kristen Schall and Jon Stewart. And I was dressed in giant vagina costume and it was amazing. And they told me backstage, like, just act like you're wearing like a sexy nurse outfit. Just don't have any reaction. Just walk out and...

Shay (48:23.484)
Nice!

Misha Whalen (48:48.553)
And as soon as I walk out or saw myself in a reflection, like the whole audience was going nuts. John was really uncomfortable, like crying, like blushing, not crying, but like blushing in red. And they did a great bit about Halloween and like what it is women are really saying when they're distressing a slutty nurse and slutty pirate and whatever. And it was like, this is what they're really saying. Why don't you just wear this? Just put it all out there. So that was that. And it was the most wonderful day on set. And...

area. It was very fun. But yeah, now my face will forever be in the vagina, I guess. But it's okay. I said if I'm typecast as that forever, that's fine. That's, I don't need anything else.

Shay (49:22.716)
Right, huh? Yeah.

Shay (49:28.348)
fine. I mean I went to your IMDB and that was the first pick that popped up so that's how you're dying.

Misha Whalen (49:34.153)
Yeah, absolutely. That's fine. I don't need anything. That's what I need. That works for me.

Shay (49:43.132)
I love it. What is your guilty pleasure TV show?

Misha Whalen (49:47.688)
I just will still rewatch like Sex and the City all the time. I'm not a reality person. Like I don't watch The Housewives of anything or The Cardassians. That's not my thing. So like, but I think my husband always makes fun of me because it's always like Sex and the City is on, especially if I'm having anxiety. I think knowing the end or something or just knowing what I'm about to do, it just calms me and I'm fine. Like and.

Shay (49:51.836)
yeah.

Shay (49:56.796)
I don't either.

Shay (50:08.796)
Yes.

No, there's a scientific thing that says people that are having anxiety or stress or whatever, they go to rewatch the things that they already know what's going to happen so they aren't anxious. And that's why I rewatch Golden Girls all the time. I'm just like, I know what's happening. I know the lines. I know the laugh breaks. Like, stress -free.

Misha Whalen (50:27.175)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (50:31.548)
Yeah, just free and it's such a funny show like that

Shay (50:35.612)
Yeah, and I literally was just thinking about restarting Sex and the City like yesterday. So maybe...

Misha Whalen (50:41.607)
Well, it's on Netflix, so it's, yeah, Netflix.

Shay (50:44.924)
Hmm, maybe this is a sign.

Well, I'm going to probably start it now. So any regrets that you have?

Misha Whalen (50:51.078)
You should.

Misha Whalen (50:55.655)
Hmm. I think, well, I guess my, I don't know if it's a regret, I hate having regrets, but my last standup show I did was at like Dangerfield's Comedy Club, which was in New York, and now it's renamed Rodney's or something now, they closed it down. But like that, I ended on such a high, like I hadn't performed since then, but I still write and you know, life happens. But I think I regret not really pushing harder and continuing to make sure I got back up.

Shay (51:02.94)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (51:11.196)
Okay.

Shay (51:16.764)
yeah.

Misha Whalen (51:25.734)
more after that because I did, it was just, you know, it was just, I really love standup and I miss it. And that was like, why did I not go and continue? I had an agent at the time that wanted me to do a college tour. And so I couldn't do the tour. I was, I started work on SVU and I thought that was, you know, it was a great opportunity, but the hours on SVU are really crazy. So I couldn't really do both. So I think I chose job over comedy, but.

In a way, it's okay. It was meant to be. I got many opportunities, experiences out of it. But I'm like, you know, I'd love to just get back and figure something out. Not do a college tour, but, you know, do something else. So I think that's a regret, I guess, where I, you know, if I took the other road, what would have happened? But I don't know.

Shay (51:56.54)
Yeah.

Shay (52:04.892)
Yeah.

Shay (52:11.948)
I think you're right. It probably worked out for the best and you have so much time going forward and you're writing, it's gonna work out.

Misha Whalen (52:22.309)
Right, hopefully, you know, it all is worth something. Who knows?

Shay (52:25.198)
Mm -hmm. What is your star sign? my god, me too! Yes! November 9th!

Misha Whalen (52:29.028)
Scorpio.

Really? When's your birthday? November 12th?

Shay (52:37.326)
No wonder this is okay. Okay.

Misha Whalen (52:39.565)
Maybe I wouldn't notice it about you. You're like me. We're like a weird Scorpio because they're not always, you know, sometimes they're mysterious and I don't know.

Shay (52:44.38)
Yeah!

Shay (52:49.852)
Well that's the thing is people also say that I look like a huge bitch or intimidating and they don't want to come talk to me and I'm just like I'm funny as fuck.

Misha Whalen (52:59.524)
Yeah, yeah. So that maybe that's the thing. That's the one little weird part of Scorpio where we're all. People are not sure of us. Yes, that's right. That's right. That's right.

Shay (53:04.956)
where they look scary. -huh.

We just get shit done. That's all. I mean... favorite celebrity.

Misha Whalen (53:19.811)
What'd you say?

Shay (53:19.996)
Favorite celebrity you've ever encountered.

Misha Whalen (53:23.78)
Shay (53:25.116)
But I guess we've kind of covered those two.

Misha Whalen (53:27.203)
We've covered a lot of them, but favorite.

Shay (53:29.052)
Mm -hmm. Anyone that you were just absolutely like, I can't believe I'm in the same room as this human.

Misha Whalen (53:38.403)
my goodness.

Shay (53:40.412)
Cause there was, I'm trying to think of some, for me, Jessica Lange, I was on set someday and I was just like, I can't even.

Misha Whalen (53:48.323)
okay, I have Martin Scorsese. But I went to my friend, I don't know, long story. My friend knows the special effects guy for Scorsese, all his movies. She took me to the filming of The Departed one day, just one day. Yeah, and I was like 18 or whatever. I was really young, but we went to a set and Leo was there and Vera Farmiga was there and Scorsese was there. And I also.

Shay (53:51.708)
okay.

Shay (54:05.048)
wow.

Shay (54:13.244)
Yeah. I'm gonna die.

Misha Whalen (54:16.994)
off of Wall Street one day where he was Martin Scorsese and Leo were there. And I think those two, watching them work and seeing Scorsese action and just what he does and how he directs and how awesome and funny he is and like his way of doing things. That was really fascinating for me. And I love his movies and I just love, I love him. And he's like a little Italian meatball. He's so cute. And I'm just like.

Shay (54:41.724)
He's just a little meatball.

Misha Whalen (54:43.841)
like you're just like people's heads are getting shot off. But I do, I think that was my favorite, you know, experience and maybe, I don't know, just a really special moment in time for me where it's like, okay, screenshot this, like you don't know if this will ever happen again. You don't know if you'll ever work with him, but that'd be cool. But the, well, to just be a fly on a wall.

Shay (54:47.324)
Ha ha!

Shay (55:04.38)
huh.

Yep, yep, sometimes that's just good enough.

Misha Whalen (55:10.977)
Yeah, sorry, I just had to think about it for a second though, too, because it's, you know, one of those things where you're like, wait, my favorite.

Shay (55:18.652)
Yeah, yeah, I don't really think about them too often, but sometimes I'm like, wow, that was just cool to be in the vicinity of. Just feel the aura. Like I felt Jamie Lee Curtis. I was on Scream Queens once and she was there. And I felt the aura. I felt the vibe. And I was like, my God.

Misha Whalen (55:25.28)
Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (55:32.929)
AHHHH

Misha Whalen (55:38.176)
Yeah, those people definitely have it's like an energy that comes in with them. It's just wild Yeah, yeah

Shay (55:43.164)
Yeah, like I've been touched by greatness. Yeah. Of the many things you do, which one makes your heart beat fastest?

Misha Whalen (55:56.176)
Just making people laugh. So anything I can do to do that, whether it's real life as I call it or on stage or on a set or anything. Or writing a stupid tweet, I don't know. Making people laugh makes my heart beat.

Shay (56:03.996)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (56:12.636)
Mm -hmm. This is also a side question to that. Do you guys laugh a lot on the set of SVU? Is there a lot of laughter there or is it kind of...

Misha Whalen (56:20.511)
Yeah, I always think that's so funny. You'd be surprised how a show about rape and murder, the cast and crew can have so much fun. I just call it like the highly dysfunctional family on show because it's like really nuts how anything gets done. But then everyone really is having a good time. And then immediately is like, how did you do it? Did you murder her? What do you rape? Where's the semen? Like you're just like, wait, what? Laughing about this. But, you know, obviously it's a very heavy subject matter. No one's making light of it.

But you have to get through a day and you can't have that heavy energy all day. So people do try to make whatever we're doing a little bit less that and more light, have fun a little and then do the work. And that's very serious and we don't make fun of that. But yeah, it helps get through the day.

Shay (56:59.42)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (57:09.276)
I think, yeah, very much needed on something like that. I think you need it. Especially if you're there all, I mean, 14 hour days, 12 hour days.

Misha Whalen (57:18.558)
Yeah, it's like a 10 -minute show. It could get to you, I bet, but there it never really did. It's just, you know, leave it at the door when you get on the subway home, but really the people you're with make it certainly tolerable and make it a lot more fun, whatever we're doing.

Shay (57:31.772)
Mm -hmm.

Shay (57:35.964)
Awesome. Finally, what songs do you have on replay lately? What are you listening to? What playlists? What we got?

Misha Whalen (57:42.333)
my gosh. I'm like an old school person. I literally have like that song. No, this is not old school. The song Tipsy that's like remade called Bar Tipsy. I don't even know what that is. Like I'm just, I'm starting to like make myself listen to country because I'm like, that's light and fun. And I can just like, you know, have a beer with it. I don't know. But I always listen to like classic rock. I'm a Bruce Springsteen girl all through and through my

Shay (58:03.484)
Yeah.

Shay (58:08.444)
Mm. Yup.

Misha Whalen (58:11.324)
My workout playlist is literally like 90s songs that are now trending on TikTok. I'm like, why? What? You know what I mean? Why is this bad? But it's or 80s songs even probably. But but yeah, I listen to a lot of eclectic mix like it's my husband's always like when I put shuffle on in the car or anywhere and it's like my Spotify shuffle. It's just it's schizophrenic because it's just like Bruce, Billy Joel and then like Acon.

Shay (58:17.852)
I know, right?

Shay (58:35.612)
chaos.

Misha Whalen (58:41.436)
And then, I don't know, Bad Bunny, I don't know. It's just like, where are we right now? Like, what's going on? Peter Pollard. Yeah.

Shay (58:46.428)
I feel that very much. And mine's kind of like that, but then mix in some Stevie Nicks and then it's just like, yeah, where are we? What are we doing? And then Cardi comes up.

Misha Whalen (58:56.604)
Mm -hmm. Yep. Yes, exactly. Yeah, WAP comes on and then Peter Polparari and we're like, whoa.

Shay (59:02.556)
Yeah.

I got a Broadway tune in there. Yeah. Mm -hmm.

Misha Whalen (59:06.939)
Yes. yes. Exactly. Meditation music. I have it all. I don't know. It's just everything.

Shay (59:12.348)
yeah, I do too. I have those, the little gongs against the bowls. Yeah. Well, that is pretty much it. You survived. Thank you so much for doing this with me. Is there anything you're working on now that you'd like to plug? You said probably in July, hopefully we'll be back for SVU working for them.

Misha Whalen (59:17.883)
Mm -hmm. Namaste. Namaste.

Misha Whalen (59:41.85)
Yes, hopefully I'd be back at SVU until then, you know, hopefully beyond anything else that's shooting. I've sent out auditions. I even auditioned with my son recently for a commercial. So we're going to get out there and and get on set again soon. Maybe SNL this weekend. I don't I don't know if I need to plug and I will let you know when I do. But, you know, my TikTok at me, show well and Instagram at me, show well and I always Twitter at me. So I always.

Shay (59:42.364)
What else do you got?

Shay (59:52.156)
aww

Misha Whalen (01:00:07.866)
post my jokes, my daily jokes, my daily videos, my daily nonsense, anything I can to get a laugh out of people. So hopefully you'll follow me. Thank you.

Shay (01:00:18.204)
You give me a chuckle. Yeah, man, that's why I followed. I was like, she funny. You're welcome. Let me turn this off. Give me one second.

Misha Whalen (01:00:25.113)
Thank you so much.