Having a Laugh
As an actor and voice actor, I've spent countless hours talking and jabbering away. So why not put my talking to good use and start a podcast? Get ready, babes, and join me for some spicy hot tea, generational TRAU-MA (Jamie Lee Curtis voice), and some hilarity. My therapist always told me I should do stand-up, and this is the closest I’ll ever get. I've also roped in some guests to join me in discussing acting, mental health, and behind-the-scenes magic. Welcome to the wild world of my podcast, where sarcasm reigns supreme and laughter is the best therapy.
https://linktr.ee/havingalaugh (FOR MORE)
Having a Laugh
#14 Creative Journeys, Being Neuro-Spicy, and More Fun with Aubrie Alexander
Actor and content creator Aubrie Alexander shares her TikTok journey, tackling the ups and downs of the entertainment world while keeping it real. She opens up about mental health, neuro-spiciness, and the importance of self-care. Aubrie goes on to chat about her family's industry roots, playing Dungeons and Dragons during lockdown, and her autism and ADHD diagnoses. Plus, the episode ends with some fun rapid-fire questions!
Aubrie Alexander: Tik Tok
Podcast Host
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Shayla - @shaylatharp_
shaylatharp.com
Having a Laugh - Instagram
Shay (00:00)
Hey everyone, this is Shayla Tharp and you're listening to Having a Laugh. Today we have Aubrey Alexander, an actor, content creator, singer, but most importantly, she went to Cal State Northridge, which is where we met, so the most important part. Yeah, hi, how are you? We haven't seen each other in like eight years. That's fine. That's cool.
Aubrie (00:17)
Very important. Good. I know, that's cool. I mean, that's cool, that's fine. Yeah, life's been life's been life. Life's been life in it up. It's been life's been life in. Sorry. But that's how I feel right now. I'm certain the entire country does. So.
Shay (00:29)
Yeah. Life's been lifin' it
love that we're just like, ha, ha, ha.
No, I
Yeah...
Aubrie (00:47)
Yeah. you know, we're, but life's been good. and just trying to just stay creative. That's
Shay (00:55)
Yeah, you, I am quite inspired by you because, you know, during the pandemic, not many, I didn't know many people doing TikToks yet. And you were kind of first on board and I just.
Aubrie (01:07)
I needed something, right? I felt it coming. I was saying right when I heard like the news coming out of, you know, China that a bunch of people were getting sick, I was like, something's about to go, something's about to go down. I'm also really into astrology and the astrology of the time was super chaotic. And I was like, I need, I need something. I cannot just, cause at that time I was taking like groundless classes one right after another. And I was doing a lot of stuff.
Shay (01:11)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (01:36)
And so was like, I need something. And yeah, it was only young people on the app at that time. So I definitely felt really weird and cringy making them, but I was like, I need something. So I just did
Shay (01:43)
Yeah
Yeah, I mean, that's what I did with this podcast. had to, you know, move back here and it's been a whirlwind and I was like, I need something. Something. But it's interesting, your TikTok kind of like, like just blew
Aubrie (01:59)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah, was, it's interesting because I think that it was the first time that I just was authentically myself and I didn't try to make things funny that other people, that I think other people would, like I wasn't trying to write jokes or sketches that I thought other people would find funny. I was just doing it for me.
And I just found a pocket of other nerdy adults that, you know, and I've met a lot of people in the community from it and like made friends, like, and it's, it's, it's an interesting space. And it's a cool space, for
Shay (02:44)
Mm -hmm. Do you do that as like so?
Aubrie (02:48)
I make not absolutely any no monies. Not a single dime has ever been made by, and I've had, I've had videos hit millions of views.
Shay (02:50)
Okay. I was like...
Yeah, I was gonna say, I've seen your videos hit millions. And you have like 70 ,000 followers.
Aubrie (03:04)
Let me rephrase. have made, I have the only time I've ever transferred money out of my TikTok account, had $54 and that was after like three years. And right now I have $23 in there and it's been about a year and a half. So just, it's because I don't, like I have no desire to write commercials for people and I don't want to do that. Yeah. The only brands that I would want to advertise are brands that I
Shay (03:19)
Racking it
like the brand is stuff.
Aubrie (03:33)
actually enjoy and those have never I've never had anyone you know I've reached out but I've never had any follow through except for one candle company but I just got a free candle so but candles are great cables are expensive and I buy a lot of but no so I have never I've never made any it literally is
Shay (03:48)
Free candles are great.
That's so interesting.
Aubrie (03:59)
for funsies. It's just for funsies. And I think that's why I've also started taking it even less seriously than I was at the beginning. And I really do just post what I want when I want to post it. And I have no, I don't, but I mean, sometimes it still works. So my most recent one that blew up Game of Thrones reposted it and I'm not wearing any makeup and I look like absolute garbage. And I literally made it in 15 seconds. I was like, I thought of...
Shay (04:01)
Wow.
Mmm.
Aubrie (04:28)
I saw the sound and I was like, this is exactly what this is.
Shay (04:33)
feel like someone should be paying you
Aubrie (04:38)
No one's gonna, they just reposted it. ain't gonna, that's so.
Shay (04:43)
Have you ever thought about going to YouTube or do you have a YouTube? I think you do Yeah,
Aubrie (04:46)
I do have a YouTube. I do. I only post shorts. I just got this bad boy. So I just got a nice mic, which I'm using right now. You know, I went from having three part -time jobs to now only having one part -time job. So it's, you know, it's the saving. It's the, you know, it's the, I'm not going to do something. I am.
Shay (04:55)
Mmm!
Nice.
Okay.
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (05:15)
negative about me is that I'm not going to do something unless it's like ready set go you know until it's like done um which is a problem which is why I have like 90 million unfinished projects so
Shay (05:19)
Fair enough.
Yeah, I feel that. So tell everybody like kind of how you got started. Like what was your childhood like? You come from a stunt man. Yep.
Aubrie (05:39)
I come from an industry family. If I were to ever succeed, I feel like you could call me a Nepo baby in a way. And I have nothing but pride in that. My entire family on both sides are industry families. My dad's side of the family, he's a stuntman. His stepfather, who's no longer with us,
did pyrotechnics for the industry. He's actually won three Academy Awards for pyrotechnics, Philip Corey. And my grandma was in hair and makeup, was nominated for an Academy Award for a hook for being head of, yeah, Chudy Corey, she's the best. And then my aunt Karen, my dad's sister is currently doing hair.
Shay (06:13)
Wow.
Aww.
What a legend!
Aubrie (06:36)
She was head of hair for the recent Hocus Pocus movie. She does a of stuff with Disney and she works all the time and she's a badass. And then on my mom's side of the family, my mom, my grandfather is an actor and has worked a lot. And then my mom was an actress until she had me and my brother. So, and her brother until he retired was a rigger. So, you know, just, you
Shay (06:39)
no.
Wow.
Okay, it's everywhere.
Aubrie (07:04)
It's everywhere. It's all the bases are being touched.
Shay (07:09)
So your family, were they supportive when you were like, I want to be an actor?
Aubrie (07:13)
They were like, you're gonna be an actor. So my mom put me in singing lessons when I was five years old. Thank you. And I am because she put me in singing lessons because I was five years old. It was made for sure. But yeah, no, I have had nothing but support from my very blessed in that way.
Shay (07:15)
Ha ha ha ha!
And you're a great singer.
My light just went out.
Aubrie (07:41)
darkness. Hello? Hello. Whenever I say hello, I think of that vine where she gets water and she's like, hello? Hello?
Shay (07:42)
Hello? Okay, sorry. Ghosties, hello?
Hello? That has never happened to me before. Spirits, hello. Hi. How you doing?
Aubrie (07:58)
Hello. Hello. Yeah, my whole family's in the industry. So it's never been
But at the same time, I've also been really anti -baking them for help. So I probably could have a lot more work if I was like, hey.
Could you help? But I tried, that's why I did theater for a while. Cause actually I was like, I don't wanna be like my family. I wanna be different. And so I didn't do, I didn't try and even put my toe into the film industry until right before COVID. Like a year before COVID. Yeah, I hadn't done any auditions, never tried to get an agent, like wanted to do theater.
Shay (08:21)
Ha ha ha ha.
really?
Aubrie (08:50)
and it wasn't until I started doing groundlings that I was like, I think I would be fun to do like a, you know, something like that. think it would be fun. and I tried to start and now I'm really, I am still trying, but you
Shay (09:09)
industry be wild. Are you still living in LA then? Yeah. I'm trying. I'm trying to get back there. It's just... It is so expensive.
Aubrie (09:10)
Yeah. Yep. I'm in North Hollywood. Been here for eight years. it here. Not going. mean, our
It's so expensive. If you don't need to live here, you shouldn't. I always tell other actors, the only reason I am still here is because my family's here and my husband's family is also here. So if like, and you know, now we have two nieces, so it's like, we're not going anywhere. Yeah, we can't. Yeah. I'm from here, it's home, but like, I always tell people who are trying,
Shay (09:33)
Mm -hmm.
It makes sense, like, and you went to school there, you know, you just, it's everything.
Aubrie (09:48)
go to Atlanta, go to Toronto, go to New Mexico. to, well, those are the three big ones right now. Is Atlanta, Toronto, New Mexico. New Mexico is really coming up. So I have a couple of stunt friends who moved out there and they just work all
Shay (09:51)
Mmm. Yeah. Anywhere, really.
Mm -hmm.
I've heard
I really heavily thought about Atlanta because it's near to my family, but I don't know. I want
Aubrie (10:17)
That's where my aunt is, that's where they're doing everything, Disney, everything, that's why
Shay (10:20)
I know, but I don't want to go to Atlanta. For me, no. really? No, for me, I want to go back to where my friends are, where I'm familiar with the area. I was there. That's the only reason I'd want to go back. But gosh, it's expensive. It's the reason why I'm not there right now. Like literally, to live by myself, I'm going to need at least like four grand a month.
Aubrie (10:23)
I love it there. I want to move there so bad. Yeah.
Oh, yeah, at minimum. And that's, mean, yeah, no, you can't even get it. You can't even get a studio out here for 17.
Shay (10:49)
At least. At minimum.
I never made that.
no, absolutely, like I've been looking and if I want to live alone, it's gonna be two grand a month at least, no bills. Sitting in the dark by myself.
Aubrie (11:06)
Yeah, nope.
Yeah, exactly. You can't, it's too crazy. It's just nuts.
Shay (11:14)
Yeah. So speaking of all those struggles, have you ever considered leaving the industry? Have you considered switching jobs? Have you considered anything other than being creative?
Aubrie (11:26)
yes, I for a second there. Yeah, I mean, I've always had a muggle job. I've always had a muggle job because and that's something I think my parents taught me is, you know, is that you always need something else. Always. It doesn't matter if especially like unless you're a star, unless you're even, you know, even people who are getting these huge, you know, daytime player roles, like, you know, just
Shay (11:30)
Well, you have muggle jobs here and there.
Good, yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (11:55)
big things and are doing really well consistently, trust me, they're still struggling like hardcore. So it's, I've always had a muggle job. This is the first time I've only had one, I'm like looking for another job right now. I've that I've only had one part -time job. This is the least amount of muggling I've done in a long while. But yeah, I,
Shay (11:57)
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (12:21)
I for a second there thought I might go into teaching. And I was doing substitute teaching for a while and I wanted to get my theater teaching. Like it would have been like technically I wouldn't have really left. Cause I would have like been theater doing. But I did substitute teaching for two years and I, it made me too sad. So they, the kid, I can't do it. I have my empathy radar is too high. I was the most depressed I've ever been.
Shay (12:42)
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (12:51)
because all these kids are just not getting any love or support anywhere else. And it's just like so hard. Like this generation right now is like, granted it was right after COVID. So it was like, you know, but I did all of the grades, but I had a fifth, I had a fifth grade classroom for a whole semester. And that was, and that was it for me. That was, I was like, nope.
Shay (13:05)
Yeah. What grade were you teaching?
So those are youngins.
No, yeah, not for me either. I'm not, I don't know, teaching. It's just, you gotta have that in you and want to do it. Yeah.
Aubrie (13:27)
Yeah, I could maybe do college or like open like a school like where people want to go there and want to be there. But
Shay (13:33)
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (13:35)
It's just, no. Yeah, I can't. No. So I tried, and I was still doing creative stuff at that time. But I realized that there's just, I mean, I've tried so many different things. And I keep coming back. I keep saying, I keep saying, I'm done. Or like, okay, if I don't make it by this age, or if I don't get something big by this age, or if it, and then I keep pushing it and pushing it and pushing
Shay (13:35)
No. Not for me.
I mean, yes.
Aubrie (14:04)
And literally my husband was violently just like, you're never going to stop. could you just stop saying that you're going to stop? I'm like, you're just not. So can we just agree that like, even if you take a long period of time off, which like, haven't, I don't know about you. I lost my agent over COVID because they dumped a lot of people. And so I've, yeah, I have not had representation since 2021. So, you know, I am.
Shay (14:05)
Literally.
Yeah. It's true.
Yeah, I just recently lost my idea.
Aubrie (14:34)
self -submitting and stuff, but I haven't had an audition in like four months. So, but it's also just so slow right now. It's dead. mean, I have PA friends, friends who are on, I have a lot of friends who work behind the scenes and that's what they want to do. And they can't, I mean, they can't get work. Like, I mean, it's, it's really concerning and more people should be talking
Shay (14:41)
It's just
I know. Yeah.
I agree, why is no one, like I feel like I see a few articles here and there and I'm like, but this is huge, why is no one mentioning this?
Aubrie (15:07)
Yeah, I think it's the same as just the rest of the economy is that people are like, no, the economy is great. Don't look at it. Don't don't look over here. Like it's like, you know, they're like, don't look at me. And I think the film industry is doing that right now because they don't want their investors to freak out. They don't want, you know, the the stocks to go down like, especially Disney, Disney
Shay (15:16)
Mm -hmm.
You
-huh.
Aubrie (15:35)
You know, like you can just tell, like they're all like, like, you know, I, just don't want people to know, you know, people do know, we're all talking about it. Everyone in the industry is talking about it. But, I, my, my muggle job right now is I work at a church and we pray about it every single week.
Shay (15:39)
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Exactly.
Aubrie (15:55)
like that's like one of the things is the industry because so many people you know in our congregate and I'm not you know in our congregation are in the industry and are struggling you know we hear you know it's like I hear about it every single every single day and so it's not it's very real here but the media is not you know talking about
Shay (15:56)
Aww.
Wow.
Right. And I wonder if that's because, like, everyone's just dispersing to other areas, so they're like, it's fine if you leave L .A.
Aubrie (16:28)
Well, yeah, and that's kind of true, but even that isn't, you know, it's not, it's better, especially for background actors, for, you know, for a non -union, for behind the scenes, for people who are doing other jobs, it's better. I am Sag, yeah. Yeah, and I am not willing to let that go. And I think that's more of a silly,
Shay (16:32)
It's not great.
Non -union.
Are you sag? that does make it really hard.
Aubrie (16:57)
a silly pride thing that just like my entire family is sagged. My mom's sagged, my brother's sagged, my dad is sagged. And my mom hasn't worked in years, you know, but she has it there, which is amazing. You know, and it's, you know, especially, and like my dad does work every once in a while. My brother hasn't worked in years, you know, my brother did stunts as well. He hasn't worked in years, but you know, it just, if you ever know, it's a one night.
Shay (17:02)
Yeah. If you're in it, might as well stay in it.
Yep, you never know.
You never know. No, I'm, I'm, yep.
Aubrie (17:25)
Right? You know, a friend might call and be like, Hey, this is perfect for you. And I know that that's unfortunately again, you know, and that's why I say I would own being a bit of an echo baby is like, that's how I'm going to, that's, that's, there's no other way that I'm going to break into the industry other than one of my dad's friends calling and saying, we have it. It's perfect for Audrey. We've, we've done it. We've done
Shay (17:29)
I'm ready.
It's perfect! We've done it!
Aubrie (17:53)
We found it. Because I know, yeah, and I will and I have no shame in that at all. So yeah, I have no shame in it whatsoever. That's the only the only times I've ever worked. I've gotten a lot of auditions. I used pre -COVID, you know, we audition all the time and shit. everything that I've gotten has been because my family is, you know, working on
Shay (17:55)
Well, take
I get
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (18:22)
So I have, yeah, I have no shame, I have no shame in saying that it's, people should be more honest about it.
Shay (18:22)
Take it. Take it.
I agree. feel like that's something that we should all be discussing. And it's like, hey, why are only people with these certain connections getting jobs? Or why is everyone else struggling? Why is...
Aubrie (18:34)
Okay.
Yeah. Because the film industry is one giant family. You know, it's one click, you know, it's even like, I don't know if you saw the movie Fall Guy. But well,
Shay (18:42)
It's one click.
I didn't know. Not yet. Not yet.
Aubrie (18:51)
And I mean, I am the daughter of a stunt guy, you know, so it was a whole different caboodle for me. Like it was just like, yes, this is life. Like this is it, it's so on the nose. But even in that, it's like, they all knew each other from movies before. you're not, like that's how all the jobs my dad, that's how, especially for the stunt industry.
Shay (18:58)
Mm -hmm.
Ha ha ha ha.
Mm.
That's just how it is.
Aubrie (19:18)
If you don't know somebody or you're not, yeah, if you don't know somebody and you're not a family member of someone or you're not like crazy to do, like doing crazy, like there's some people who just do crazy stuff, but like you have to know people or else it's just, and it's getting even, I think that that's gonna start happening even more and more post COVID for acting as well is that like less and less auditions are happening for a reason. They're just calling.
Shay (19:18)
That's even smaller.
Aubrie (19:46)
you know, people they've worked with on past projects and it's just, it's happening more and more nowadays, even then when it, you know, it was already super common and now I just think it's, it's actually common practice, you
Shay (19:49)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah, I was just gonna say that. Speaking of all that and all those struggles, like, obviously, mental health's a big thing in this industry. How have you been taking care of yourself? Like, I also know you've got, like, a lot of autoimmune
Aubrie (20:16)
Yeah, I've been on it. Yeah, I've dealt with ifibromialgia, which is a chronic illness. And I discovered that while we were in college. I was in the hospital a lot in college. And that is I always, especially now that we've hit 30.
Shay (20:31)
Mm -hmm.
Hoot!
Aubrie (20:42)
I put my body first, always. I will always choose my health over anything else. And I think because I do that on a daily basis, I would be able to put my health on the backburner a little bit if I got a big thing. And so I always
I do, I use this time that I'm not working on anything to really put my mental health and my health first so that when I, if and when I am working on something, I could do those long hours and I could do different things. Yeah. Yeah. I walk every day. I definitely don't lift heavy weights anymore. I use, I want to get back into that, but I've had,
Shay (21:21)
You do a lot of working out. mean, like, I've known you as a fitness, like, buff,
Aubrie (21:34)
just dealing with different things. But mental health wise, I think that everybody should be in therapy, even if you're not in this industry. Therapy is so important. Yeah, it should be free. It should be free. Everyone should have to do it. But I also think that doing something creative outside of acting, outside, for fun.
Shay (21:43)
I agree.
mandatory?
It should be free. Everyone has to do
Aubrie (21:59)
just for you, whether that's crocheting or painting or just even coloring in a coloring book or, you I, the stupid thing I do is I make aesthetic collages on Tumblr. Yeah, and it's for me. Like, it's for me. Like, I do that for me. I do it for free. I do it for people. And it's, that's my little thing that I do for myself to be, to like stay creative that's separate from,
Shay (22:11)
I love that. and Tumblr. Yup.
Aubrie (22:27)
acting or producing or anything in that sphere. It's to have something not in that sphere. And people are like, well, I write. I'm like, that's in that sphere. It's in the sphere. No, something that no one else is going to see that's just for you. Or that people do see, but that it's not monetary. You're not doing it for money.
Shay (22:37)
It's in the sphere.
Yeah.
You mentioned astrology as well. Does that help with your mental health?
Aubrie (22:57)
Mm hmm. I mean, I've, I've been an astrology girlie, been an astrology girlie since I was a child. It's so funny. Actually, my mom recently went through my room and she found a bunch of like astrology books and like little books that I was like, had since I was like a child, like young that I don't remember reading, you know, but that I'm like, that's cute. I have them here. But
Shay (23:02)
I know you have, yeah.
Aww.
Aubrie (23:26)
I think it helps me figure out the world and just kind of put things into perspective. And it's the same thing people use like numerology or the Myers -Briggs or whatever you want to use to understand reality. I just like it.
Shay (23:44)
Yeah.
I find it gives me just that tiny bit of hope that I need or just guidance that I'm like, okay, I'm not gonna jump today. Today. Today. Thanks guys. Yeah, yeah, not in the stars today, but maybe later. Did you really struggle during COVID with maintaining your mental health? Because I did.
Aubrie (23:53)
Mm -hmm. Today. Today. It's not in the stars.
Yeah, for
This is good. I always say that I always feel so awful for saying this, but it's like it's just the truth. COVID was probably the best, the happiest I have ever been.
Shay (24:24)
I had some great moments. I actually really liked a lot of it, but some of it was bad.
Aubrie (24:28)
And I always feel bad because so many people died. And when I think about that, I get really sad. I went through a very deep mental health journey on figuring out what was actually going on with me and figured out that I'm a neurodiverse person. And I really got to recharge.
from not having to be around people. I can talk a lot, I can be social. I can put those masks on and like, you know, be that person. I definitely was in college. But the reason why my physical health is so much better is because I had that time to like totally reset.
Shay (25:14)
Yeah. I also found it. I mean, I hated saying that as well, like that I found that time to be refreshing because I needed to just stop, put on the breaks. like, I got into yoga. really figured out what I was eating and doing for me. like for me, mental wise, it was actually quite helpful. There was a time where I was like, okay, we need, I need to see somebody, but most of
Aubrie (25:42)
I was really lucky for the year we were really locked down. He was my boyfriend at the time and my now husband and another couple of two creatives, two actor friends of mine who were a couple decided like, let's just move in together and get like a house. like, so we had more space. We had like a whole huge townhouse. And it
it was nice to have another couple there to be creative, started playing Dungeons and Dragons for the first time since I was a kid. And now that's almost like that's my life. But it's, I think I got to really do a lot of inner child work too and just of play and
Shay (26:31)
Mm.
Aubrie (26:34)
having to use your imagination in different ways. yeah, I loved it. I was also, know, I got laid off, so I was unemployed and getting that nice, pretty unemployment check that was like three times the size that it was the most money I'd ever made. it was like, it was, yeah, it was a dream come true, honestly, for the year that it was like, you're locked down.
Shay (26:47)
Ugh.
Okay, so you were doing good.
Aubrie (27:01)
And I did go right back to work. went right back into the food industry, like right when I could go back to work. But it was, my life just went
Shay (27:10)
The spirits. That's weird.
Aubrie (27:12)
What is going on? is it dead? That's gonna be so sad!
Shay (27:18)
no!
Literally, my light has never turned off before. It's spirits. Yeah, it's, she... It's fine. Yeah, it's not terrible. You also mentioned you are neurodiverse and that is something I have also investigated for myself. The algorithm was saying I'm a little spicy. And so I went to the doctor.
Aubrie (27:23)
I think it might be dead if it goes off. If it goes off again, yeah, it's dead. well, we're dark. It's dark in here a little bit. That's fine. It's all terrible.
Yeah, it was so funny. Yeah, it was really funny because I had been with my therapist for two years already and we had done a lot of work and she sat me down one day and she was like, I've waited about a year to like bring this up with you because.
Shay (27:51)
And they were like, you're a little spicy.
Aubrie (28:13)
I never want to push this on my clients or whatever or anything. She was like, I think you're autistic and I think we should test you. And I was like, huh. And I thought about it and it made a lot of sense. And so I did the test with her and it was like, hello.
and I, very high percent. I was like, okay. And so then she sent me to an, the Drake Institute to do an actual test. yeah. And they were like, yep. And they were like, and we also think you have ADHD. And I was like, that's cool. That will win me for sure. and so, and I'm still on the journey to get a diagram because I'm with Kaiser and they're like, you have to do everything with us or it doesn't count.
Shay (28:32)
Hi!
Aubrie (28:59)
so I do have my ADHD diagnosis with Kaiser, but I'm waiting, have been waiting to do their tests because it's like a, it's like a year wait list. It's crazy.
Shay (29:09)
I'm on some sort of waiting for the ADHD one. My therapist also was like, she was like, it was about after a year. She was like, I think you're this thing called highly sensitive person. And I was like, I'm just sensitive. And she was like, no, like it's everything else. Like I struggle with, if it's a bright light, like if I go into Walmart, I'm like, these lights, know, sounds, smells.
Aubrie (29:25)
No.
the whole.
Shay (29:37)
you know, just she was, I was like, this on the spectrum? And she was like, it's low down there, but it's on a spectrum. You're spicy. You're spicy. And I was like that, it just opened up my entire world. was like, my God, this makes so much more sense.
Aubrie (29:44)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, understanding that I'm not the biggest one for me was understanding that I'm not depressed and burnt out was life changing for me. And because the way you treat that is completely different. And like the way you treat yourself and like how you feel and like the things that you do to, you know, get yourself out of that burnout, you know, is totally different than things that, you know, you're supposed to do to try and help yourself not be depressed. So
Shay (30:02)
Mmm.
Yeah.
Aubrie (30:24)
I, and it has helped me dramatically.
Shay (30:30)
I also noticed that like now when I notice I'm getting hypersensitive about things, I change where I'm at or what I'm doing or you know it doesn't lead me into the depression because I'm now not ignoring everything. And it just feels so much better but I hate that so many people are kind of just like it's not you know if you can't see it people just
Aubrie (30:45)
Exactly.
Yeah, if you can't, mean, I think I'm lucky in the way of that. I've already dealt with that with my fibromyalgia, you know, especially with doctors. It's like, they're like, you don't look sick. I'm like, okay, I know, thank you. Thank you, I'm beautiful. You know, I'm really hot. No, but you know, it's like, I just...
Shay (31:05)
Mm, yeah.
Are you in pain? Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. I'm beautiful.
Aubrie (31:25)
So I don't care. And I don't think I've ever cared what people have thought about me, but you're supposed to. And so I've always tried to, like, you know, try to care and like try to think about what people might think, you know, if I'm doing something. And I just don't do that anymore. I just don't care.
Shay (31:27)
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Mm -hmm. Good.
I think that's what happens when you hit 30. I think that just there's a switch that happens and it's like, I don't care.
Aubrie (31:54)
I don't know because I know a lot of middle -aged women.
Shay (31:57)
These are facts. That's very true. I take it back. But for me, when I hit 30, I was like, I don't care at all.
Aubrie (32:05)
No, I don't have the energy to care. That's my, like, I don't have the energy. I don't have the energy to care. I only have the energy to care about other people and even like the world and like how they're feeling. that's already like, I already spent.
Shay (32:09)
That's what it is.
I do not.
I only have the energy to keep myself alive.
in my sphere.
Well, you're a very empathetic person. You're a very empathetic. You're a, what is it? Empath. You're an empath. And, yeah.
Aubrie (32:37)
Yeah, yeah, I feel everything all the time. And that is actually something that a lot of, know, which is why women don't get diagnosed as much for being on the spectrum is that you don't you think the opposite you think that because that's a very autistic boy thing is like to not have empathy and to like to not understand other people's emotions, whereas
On the female side, it's the opposite. We like feel too much and we feel other people's emotions too much and we feel too much. So it's interesting. But I feel like a lot of that has to like, I walk into a room and I just, I know how everyone's feeling and I'm like, boy, you know, it's a lot. I
Shay (33:27)
It's a lot.
Aubrie (33:31)
I can't care what they think about me because I already care so much how much how they're feeling that I just don't care about their opinion if I can't, can't. It's too
Shay (33:42)
Isn't that interesting? I mean, this is one of the reasons why my therapist was like, you're spicy, is because I also can go into the room and I feel everybody's emotion. And I just, I feel the vibe. I'm big on the vibes. I'm like, I already know you're mad about something. I already know it. I feel it. I can feel it.
Aubrie (33:57)
So,
Yeah. And it's about something that I try and do is it's about not, I have to remind myself that that feeling is not about me.
Shay (34:11)
Right, I'm very actually quite good. That's where I think I draw the line. not, I wish I were a little more empathetic with people, but I do it as like a protection. Cause I just feel, I feel it so harshly that I'm like, I can't even, it's too much. Yeah. Or I would go down a rabbit hole.
Aubrie (34:27)
Yep. Yeah, you got to put up those walls.
I hole a lot. I rabbit hole too much. I've been trying to be better about that. That's something I'm working on right now. But
Shay (34:36)
yeah.
I think I was a lot worse before COVID, before I did a lot of the introspective work. And then I was like, okay, we need to start building some walls or figuring out, you know, just doing more work. But before I would be able to get roped in, it was the thing like, you know, in college, I got roped into other people's dramas and, and things, cause I just felt it. And I was like, I'm in it. I was like, I got cut that out. Do you have any other?
Aubrie (34:58)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
Shay (35:08)
like major hurdles that you've had to overcome in this like industry besides your mental and physical health.
Aubrie (35:16)
I think, I mean, we are constantly, I mean, I, you know, I don't, I don't work very often. I'm not, you know what I mean? It's like, it's the, yeah. I think that it's just a hurdle that I continuously have to go through. And it's like, I told you earlier is that I don't want to do anything until it's perfect. Like I don't, like, I don't want
Shay (35:25)
But being creative is 24 -7.
Aubrie (35:42)
put it out there, I don't wanna show the world, I don't want to even start anything until I have everything in place. And so I think that, and it's why I don't do, it's just doing the thing. And
Shay (36:01)
Do you think that's part of your neuro spiciness?
Aubrie (36:05)
It might be. I also think that I'm just a perfectionist in general. And I always have been. And so I don't
Shay (36:10)
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (36:15)
Like I don't want to do something if I don't have all the pieces or I don't have, you know, all of the preparation that I need to do. Yeah, like I don't submit auditions if I don't think I'm perfect. If I don't think I'm perfect for the role. Like I have a hard time. Like, like if I get the script and then I read it and I do the thing and I'm like, I wouldn't cast me in this. So I just don't.
Shay (36:42)
Okay.
Aubrie (36:43)
I say, and I say to people, after reading the script, I would not cast myself in this part. Thank you so much for the consideration. And, you know, sometimes I actually get responses like, thank you, you know, for not wasting our time. And yeah, yeah. And so, you know, but I think that that is pigeon me, pigeon hold me for sure. And I do it to myself. So it's a hurdle of my own making, for sure.
Shay (36:56)
Yeah. yeah, they love that. They love honesty.
Yeah, but I mean, it's something you're aware of, something you can pinpoint, something you can work on. I mean, me, I'll apply for everything.
Aubrie (37:23)
Yeah, you as you and guess what you work, you do stuff, you know, you do.
Shay (37:29)
I will, yeah, yeah. Because I am.
Aubrie (37:32)
I watch you and I'm just like, yes.
Shay (37:36)
I'm like, you want me to be that? I will be that so quick. But is that desperation calling? Maybe. But I also just, I love stretching my bounds. The
Aubrie (37:44)
No, I disagree. Yeah, I like doing character work. think the most things, unfortunately, I think another hurdle that I have that I have had to jump over is, is, is that my looks do not match my vibe. The way the way I look does not does not match my vibe on
Shay (38:05)
That's... I don't know. Yeah.
Aubrie (38:12)
on screen and like when I'm acting. So when I get things that, a lot of things that I have said no to are, or not said no to, but said thank you so much for the consideration, but I'm not right for this, is like, if you would look at me, you'd think that that's what I would, you know. Like
Shay (38:29)
Well, like, what were they? Like, I'm trying to think. Like, in college, I saw you in Batboy, and you were, like, the home -make, yeah, the mom, the home -make -y mom. But that's not your vibe.
Aubrie (38:36)
The mom. Yeah. Yeah. But now, yeah, that's now I, I have, I don't know if you saw, but I got a breast reduction. It's been great. It's been so great. thank you. I love them so much. But before that, I had huge tits, like
Shay (38:50)
I did see that. Honestly, slay.
yay.
Yeah.
Aubrie (39:05)
And so really I got called in for horror, know, girl next door, sexy, you know, this.
Shay (39:10)
Girl next door. Well that's because you're very cute, you're very fit. It's like, it makes sense, but.
Aubrie (39:17)
So, and I just, think my better cast, like my better casting would be the sidekick, the best friend, the, you know, quirky, you know, girl or whatever. Yeah, exactly. So I, and I read better for those things. But I, yeah, I would always get.
Shay (39:33)
I could see you being like the little techie nerd, like, yeah.
Aubrie (39:46)
I wouldn't get called in for those things because they would look at me and say, well, that's not your look. And I'm like, but I promise. I promise. And then they look at my resume and theater wise, that doesn't matter so much because you're far away. And so I would always get roles that I read well
Shay (39:59)
I promise. Yeah.
Yeah. Yes, that is a great bonus.
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (40:14)
And so my resume does not match how I look at all because for theater, I would always get the mom or the sidekick or the things that I actually read well for. But I have gained a little bit of weight in the good places and I've gotten my breast reduction and stuff. And so I definitely, and I'm no longer blonde. So there are things that I think have helped me now.
Shay (40:26)
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Aubrie (40:41)
that I'm hopefully almost over that hurdle, I hope.
Shay (40:45)
Yeah, I think you're coming in your own.
Aubrie (40:47)
Yeah, I'm getting close. I'm getting close.
Shay (40:49)
You're there. I see it. Well, do you mind answering a few rapid fire questions? Yeah. Okay, cool. Let me grab them. Okay. Number one, what's something people get wrong about
Aubrie (40:56)
Let's do it.
that I am a bitch. I do come off and I now know that that's for sure. come off, I come off harsh and kind of just because I'm just a really blunt, straightforward per individual. I yeah, people usually are, but I promise I'm so nice. I'm so weird.
Shay (41:21)
I was scared of you.
Ha ha
No, I have the same issue. I have the same issue.
Aubrie (41:30)
You know, I'm so weird and so quirky and nice. And if you just get to know me, I promise. Because I'm not, I promise, I'm not mean. I'm just a baby. I'm just a little baby. Yeah.
Shay (41:36)
I promise. I'm just a baby. I'm just a baby. I get it. I get you. What is your guilty pleasure TV show?
Aubrie (41:48)
right now? Love Island. Love Island. my god. Well, I've watched it since before. They had it in the US. I've watched it since, yeah, the UK. Any, any, any reality, Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelorette, any of those. Yeah. I just like watching people. It's, you get characters. I
Shay (41:50)
What have I won? I've never gotten into that. I've... I know.
I was just gonna say is it British because yeah
Anything about love really is what I'm getting.
Yeah.
Aubrie (42:17)
You know, I'm a sketch girl, I'm an SNL girl. You get the characters you get on these shows. watching, my favorite thing to do is watch neurotypical people interact with each other because I think it's so interesting and they're so weird. They think we're weird, but there's so much more to them.
Shay (42:20)
That's so true.
Yup, yup. Favorite Harry Potter character. I put this one in for you.
Aubrie (42:43)
my
Shay (42:44)
I know, I was like, this will be five minutes of debating. Okay.
Aubrie (42:46)
As in the books, it's Ginny Weasley, but they fucked her over. I'm sorry if I shouldn't cut some here, if you need to believe that. But they, I will never forgive the movies for that. She's my favorite character in the books, for sure. She's such, she's such a She doesn't give, she doesn't just, she's the best. But in the movies, probably Snape, because Alan Rickman's performance is perfect. And,
Shay (42:53)
No, it's fine.
yeah.
Yep.
Aubrie (43:15)
His arc is my favorite in the books. you know, I, and, and so, yeah, Snape in the movies.
Shay (43:21)
Yeah, that's solid answer. I really, I think I would say I got it. Yeah, shout out Snape and I'm a Slytherin, what are you?
Aubrie (43:28)
I was a Slytherin and then I changed again, changed a lot over COVID. I have, I that I, well, I just retook the Pottermore quiz. I've taken the Pottermore quiz seven times, but because I was really upset that I was a Slytherin at first and I retook it and I was a Hufflepuff. So.
Shay (43:35)
They changed your whole house.
You would be a, yeah, like a baby of a slither and Hufflepuff. I could see that.
Aubrie (43:55)
Yeah, always say that Slytherins are just Hufflepuffs who need to go to therapy.
That's what I say. That's what I say. Because once every Slytherin does their healing, the houses are almost the same. The descriptions are almost identical.
Shay (44:01)
Cold out. Shots fired.
They're a Hufflepuff.
my god, that's so true. Maybe I should retake it now. I'm probably a Hufflepuff now.
I might do that after.
What is the last thing you googled?
Aubrie (44:24)
I think it, I think it was actually who. yeah, it was.
Shay (44:27)
I love finding this
I love what
Aubrie (44:35)
It was the age of the actor who's playing Jason House of Dragons. was like, I am only 20. I know. I know. I felt really gross. was like, huh, huh, huh. And so now I'm like, he's a child. He is a child. He's a child. And I, but he doesn't come off 20, but he is 20.
Shay (44:42)
How old is he?
Right? Isn't that weird?
Aubrie (45:03)
So I felt really, I felt really, I was like, I sent out into the universe, I like, I'm so sorry for sexualizing you. Sorry.
Shay (45:04)
He's solid 20.
Sorry. Isn't it weird once you hit past 30, you're like, wow, 20 is a child. But literally when I was 20, I was, when I was 20, I was grown. I was grown. You can't tell me. And now I'm like, sit down.
Aubrie (45:17)
Yeah, that's a child and I felt really bad.
I was, yeah, was grown. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Shay (45:31)
What was your favorite childhood movie?
Aubrie (45:34)
it's a tie between Lion King and Fern Gully.
Shay (45:38)
You know what? Every single person I've had on here has said Lion King. It's so good. It's so
Aubrie (45:44)
love Lion King, but that Lion King is like favorite toddler movie, you know, like I I, I loved that movie when I was a toddler. But you know, to like, to like now I still love that movie. But my favorite like I'm 10 was Fer and Gully. I watched that movie over and over and over. I loved fairies. My whole room was the fairy, you
Shay (45:53)
Mm -hmm.
yeah.
Ferngully was amazing.
Aubrie (46:10)
and it made me the environmental advocate that I am today. It told me, it was like, gas is evil.
Shay (46:19)
Do not put oil in there. Yeah, no, that's... I really loved Ferngoli. Good shout. What's your favorite karaoke song?
Aubrie (46:26)
Yeah. So this is also another tie. If I want to be funny, I do for Galicious every time because I can do the whole thing really. But if I, if there's people there I want to impress, I usually like am that bitch who sings Defying Gravity for karaoke, you know?
Shay (46:35)
Okay.
Yeah.
Aubrie (46:51)
Like if there's someone there who like I'm trying to impress, if it's like, I'm out with like new, if I'm out with my improv friends, it's for Galicious. If I'm out with like, I'm doing this show with all these people and I don't really know them, I may need to show them who I am. I'm like Define Gravity. Yeah. So.
Shay (46:54)
absolutely.
Mm -hmm.
Defying gravity. You've been shown. That is great and good on you that you can sing that because I cut out maybe like three fourths of song. I'm like, all right, that's enough. I got enough. Do you have any regrets?
Aubrie (47:24)
yeah, and I wish that I didn't, but I totally do. I regret going to college. Sorry. yeah, I regret, well, I regret, I regret, I regret, I regret, went to Sonoma State University for two years first, and I met a lot of wonderful people and incredible friends. So I still talk to you and that part of it, I don't regret. but I wish I would have stayed in LA. I wanted to get away. I was.
Shay (47:31)
Really?
Well, I'll let.
Aubrie (47:52)
I was 18 and I was like, I wanna get away from it. I wanna be different. I wanna go somewhere away. But it definitely, it totally cut me off at the knees career wise, I think. I think if I would have stayed, I would have started working in the film industry then and I would have not been a little bitch about it and done stuff. If I would have literally just gone to Northridge right away, or gone to COC and then gotten to Northridge.
Shay (47:53)
Mm -hmm.
right away.
Aubrie (48:21)
so, well, I had, I had experiences. I had the college experience, you know, I went away and I, yeah, and that's fine. but yeah, definitely. That would probably be
Shay (48:24)
Yep. well.
Yep, and a degree.
Fair enough. What's your favorite hobby?
Aubrie (48:40)
I mean, I think I would probably say exercise. Because that is up. But about astrology, I don't make money off it. I love reading people's charts. I would love to make money off of it. I've done enough classes to where I totally could charge people for it. But yeah, I've thought about it a lot. But haven't done it yet. So thought about doing it for a little bit.
Shay (48:56)
You could probably do like a TikTok Live and do
Aubrie (49:06)
But I would say exercise is my hobby. I enjoy it. makes me happy.
Shay (49:12)
Finally, what song do you have on repeat repeat lately? Mm -hmm Joyride Joyride
Aubrie (49:18)
Right now, enjoy Ride by Keisha.
Yeah, was like, Kesha released a new, like the, you know, the teenage Aubrey was like.
Shay (49:30)
I thought the dance you were doing on TikTok, your joyride, I thought that was a real thing.
Aubrie (49:34)
Thank you. No, I just did it for me.
Shay (49:38)
And I was like, that's the dance. And then I was like, don't, she's, okay. I thought it was the real thing. I was ready to do
Aubrie (49:43)
This is for me.
No, another really funny person made a funny dance, which I liked too, but that was the one that just popped into my head. But I just love, I love it. It's so weird and it's so fun and I just love
Shay (50:00)
Mm -hmm. Yeah, happy for her. Well, you survived the podcast. Thank you so much. I have loved getting to chat with you. Please come back anytime. I appreciate you.
Aubrie (50:06)
I did. I know.
I appreciate you. Thank you for having me. This is so fun.
Shay (50:16)
Let
