VINTERVIEW: Working with Francis Ford Coppola w/ HALEY SIMS

Today we interview HALEY SIMS, who plays the dead wife that haunts Adam Driver's Caesar Catalina in MEGALOPOLIS. Haley tells us all about her experience auditioning, filming, stunt training, wrapping multiple times, and attending the premiere of the film.

You might have spotted Haley on the TV shows such as DEAD TO ME, RESERVATION DOGS, GOOD GIRLS REVOLT, and FLAKED, and most recently she co-starred in the horror movie THE GROVE which received a limited theatrical released on April 4th.

This is a companion episode to our 2-part coverage of Francis Ford Coppola’s ALPHA and OMEGA, The Godfather and Megalopolis. Make sure you check out those episodes first!

This is an excellent conversation, Haley is a brilliant storyteller, and I am so happy to be sharing this episode with you.

Chapters

• 3:14 Our Special Guest - HALEY SIMS!
• 5:59 Being an Actor in Atlanta vs. Los Angeles
• 7:00 Haley's History Prior to Megalopolis
• 11:23 Auditioning for Megalopolis
• 27:04 First Days of Filming
• 33:32 First Wrap
• 34:49 Second Round of Filming + Stunt Training
• 50:30 Third Round of Filming (While Pegnant)
• 59:10 Going to the Premiere
• 1:03:25 Has Anything Changed Since Nabbing the Part?
• 1:06:56 Haley's Drink Pairing with Megalopolis

Transcript

Dallas: 0:05

Are you not entertained? I'm and I'm Dallas and this is Vintertainment. We have opinions on just about everything. Sometimes those opinions are spot on. Sometimes they go down easier with a glass of wine. uh This is entertainment, the wine and entertainment pairing podcast. Welcome everyone to another Vinterview. Now, normally, Vintertainment is a show where we pair wine with works of entertainment, deep dive into that piece of pop culture and or art, and then sprinkle in a little wine edumacation. But today, instead, we have a very special guest interview, a Vinterview. This is part three, or rather a companion piece to our two-part coverage of Francis Ford Coppola's Alpha and Omega of his career, The Godfather and then Megalopolis. Go check out those episodes if you have not, I highly recommend that you do, and then come back here to listen to this very special interview with one of the actresses of the film, Megalopolis. Now, before we introduce our special guest, as always, everyone, please be sure to hit that follow or subscribe button if you have not done so already. That sincerely helps this podcast grow also, especially if you're already a subscriber and so completely useless to us in that regard. Do this instead. Recommend us to a friend or family member. Anyone you think will like deep dives into movies, TV, books, comics, and or music all matched with wine and wine education. Also, as we're doing today, interviews with professionals from both the wine and entertainment industries. And don't just follow this podcast. Also follow us and interact with us on Substack. Just head to entertainmentstudios.com where you'll find all our podcast episodes broken down by subject matter. articles on wine and entertainment, bonus pairings, interactive polls, chats, and pairing directories covering all the wine and entertainment pairings we've ever done, once again broken down by subject matter and updated weekly. Now, some of this is only available to paid subscribers of our sub stack, though we have made this as easy as possible to support us and gain access to everything we do by pricing these subscriptions at only two bucks per month or $19.60 per year. We know that if you are the kind of person who supports independent voices online, there are too damn many good problems to have, but so many writers, artists, filmmakers, there are projects on crowdfunding platforms. We know it's hard to support everyone you want to support. So if we happen to be one of those people, you can now spread your money a little further with a subscription to their entertainment being only two bucks per month. We hope to see you there even believe it or not, if you don't throw money at us like the cheap hookers we are. All right, now let's get started with today's special guest. Everyone warm welcome to Haley Sims. intro of Haley. In second grade, Haley was voted the wagon master of her class in their reenactment of the Oregon Trail. And man, she's been chasing that high ever since. She graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with dramatic arts degree and double honors. which was super helpful when she moved to Los Angeles to become an actress. She studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse in the advanced class for 10 years and then studied at Leslie Kahn's studio. You may have spotted her on TV shows such as Dead to Me, Reservation Dogs, Good Girls Revolt, and Flaked. And most recently, she co-starred in the horror movie The Grove, which recently received a limited theatrical release on April 4th. But she is here today. because she eventually moved away from Los Angeles and found herself in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was positioned to audition for Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis and where she snagged the role of Sunny Hope Catalina, nothing on the nose about that character name, nope, wife to Adam Driver's Caesar Catalina. So get ready to chat about how the unlikeliest opportunities can come at the unlikeliest of times. Haley, welcome to entertainment. How's Atlanta treating you this fine afternoon? And on a scale of one to 10, how much do you not miss LA? Okay. Hello, hello. Thank you so much for having me. I mean, what actor doesn't love talking about their acting? If you hate it, I'm like, why are you doing it? I know, I know. No, I'll talk about myself all day. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity. um It's a beautiful day here in Atlanta. I'm enjoying it very much. I've been here four years. I miss LA precisely zero amount. um It's gotta be something. Okay, yeah. I've got, yeah, no, that's fair, that's fair. LA will always hold a very special place in my heart. I lived there for 12 years, grinding away as an actor. I have a lot of family and friends there and a lot of fabulous restaurants. So I do, miss the people. By the way, all those restaurants are closed now. It's all such. uh Yeah, but I'm really liking Atlanta. So this is a good, you know, I don't know that I'll be here forever because LA is where it's at, although not currently right now. in the better spot right now. Real quick, actually, what is, terms of the sort of hustle of the actor, the actor life, the business, what is the primary sort of difference between being a gigging working actor in LA and Atlanta? It's a numbers thing. You know, in LA I am on any single submission that my agent puts me in for I'm what one of 5000 other actresses and here I am one in maybe 500. So it's just center. The scale of tens. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I remember when people were first starting to move out to Atlanta before the pandemic and I was like such a snob about it. I was like, my God, what are you doing going to Atlanta? Like LA is where you have to be. And they're like, well, big fish, smaller pond. And I'm like, whatever, the ocean is LA. But now that I'm here, now I'm like, you guys had the right idea because I am a bigger fish in a smaller pond. And I like that. I like that for me. Fascinating. So walk us through a little bit. Give us a little overview of your career as an actress. Like what was the struggle like leading up to you, like you're 12 years in LA and then leading up to you moving to Atlanta to be in the position all the way up to that uh moment where you were able to audition for Megalopolis. Like how was that for you? Give us a brief little, as brief as you can, a brief. know you guys are gonna have to reel me in because I get going and then I'm just off. You're preaching to the choir here. uh We bavlers. We can't judge. Perfect, that's perfect. I also have like a billion stories about Megalopolis. So yeah. Okay, let's see. How do we do this in a quick nutshell? 12 years in LA, very much the like classic actor grind, know, the first few years just got into an acting school and tried to figure out how to get my first co-star, which I eventually did by kind of joining a pyramid scheme. Well, yes, the cast and director shall remain nameless, but I was like, yes, I'm interested in your product. Exchange emails, phone numbers, baby got her first co-star. So I really worked the system on that one. m Yeah, that's the best result from a pyramid scheme I've yet heard. So hey. be fair, that is a totally valid sort of route to a guest star role, a co-star role in LA. And one of the only places where it's actually valid. You know, if she's gonna come at me, I'm gonna use her and then it's all gonna be fine. Ding, ding, ding. Yep, yep. So that's how I got my start. then I was just grinding away and there was a little bit of a turning point when I got Dead to Me because that show was super fun and also ended up being very well received and very popular and I became the hey girl. And they carried, I got to be in all three seasons of that, just popping up every once in while being like, hey girl, to Linda Cardellini. And that was so, so fun. And put me on the map in a little bit of a different way. I had a recurring thing under my belt. I had three seasons. I had got to work with Christina and Linda and James Morrison and all those fabulous people. ah So that gave me a little leg up. So then I felt like when people were like, have I seen you in anything? And I'm like, wrong. And then they'd be like, what? And I'd be like, come on. Don't you know that? uh ah So did that. So got a little bit of momentum from that. A couple more co-stars and then the pandemic happened. So everything shut down and got real quiet. And then I didn't have a job and I didn't have an apartment and my relationship ended and blah, blah, blah. So I was living with my parents. My acting manager dropped me. And in that breakup conversation, he was like, if you can go to Canada. And I was like, cute, how am going to do that? And he was like, and if you can't go to Canada, yeah, I was like, sound advice. It's not you. It's me. Like I don't. And he was like, if you can't go to Canada, go to Atlanta. And I was like, you know, F you, I'm not going to Atlanta. And then I off the phone with him and I was like, like maybe there is something about Atlanta. ah And so I called up my best friend Rachel and I was like, hey, thinking about moving to Atlanta for like six months to a year, just to see what it's like, you know, it's tail end a pandemic, everything's shut down in LA, but they're the South for better or for worse, they're still chugging along. ah And they figured out self tapes a long time ago. So like, what if we just go check it out? So we were like, all right, if we can get agents, we'll go to Atlanta for six months to a year. So we got ourselves. You and the best friend did this together. You gotta tell me you're working on a buddy comedy about this story. You got it. mean, It's gotta be trip to right? Okay. so we're working on it. So we moved out here and immediately started auditioning so much more than I ever did in LA. Again, the numbers thing. And both of us are just like, my god, whoa, what is this amazing? And then let's see, we were here, maybe it was after a year, probably a year-ish. She saw this thing on Instagram and it was an open call for Coppola's new movie. He was filming in Atlanta and they were just putting an open call out to actors in Atlanta and she sends it to me on Instagram. She goes, you think this is a scam? And I'm like, I don't know, probably. uh do it anyway! Good luck with these things! I'm feeling good about this scam. It's always worked for me in the past. And I was like, look, you you just send an email. So we sent an email being like, yeah, we're interested in coming to this open call. get emails back saying, cool, your RSVP'd show up at Trilith Studios, which is the big studios down here in Fayetteville, just south of Atlanta. uh like, you 8 a.m. on a Monday, Francis is going to be there. Bring your headshot. He's going to take your headshot, shake your hand, ask you a question. That's going to be the same. This never happens. That's hilarious. He's gonna be there? Like, we're gonna meet Francis? Like, what? So I like take the day off work. Rachel's and I, you know, we're just, like, okay, we're going. We're like, we're just, making this happen. We drive down to Trilith at like seven in the morning. Hundreds of Atlanta actors there, maybe 300, maybe 500. I don't even know. We were like part of the first crew. They COVID tested everybody. It was like phenomenally run how they had this sorted out. Very well executed. ah So then we get... funneled into this gymnasium about 100 actors at a time. And up at this front long table is Francis and his producing partner and the casting directors and a couple of other miscellaneous people. And we're just like, my gosh. This is freaking forward. A couple are just sitting at this table like what? And we're all just a bunch of actors holding our headshots like, Right, right, right. Let me have- So then they have us get up one row at a time into like a line of 10 actors and one at a time we walk up to the table, we hand Francis our headshot, shake his hand and then he asks everybody a question. And generally the question he was asking people was, do you have any other skills or hobbies outside of acting? So, yeah. And people would be like, well, I'm a dancer or I sing or I, you know, do karate or whatever, but whatever you answered, he would ask you to. to do some of. So if you were like, well, I do ballet, he'd be like, great, do third position or something. I obviously don't do ballet, so I didn't, I don't know what positions are. But then, so you'd see people out there like, you know, doing their, their whatever. And then he'd be like, I sing. And he'd be like, great, do a bar of your favorite musical. And so people would start singing and you're just like, he's really tested people. And they're just like making things up. So I'm standing in line, my little line is getting moving closer and closer. And then he goes, Well, you know, this is getting kind of stiff. Are people bored? Why don't we shake it up a little? Why don't everybody in line come over here? Let's make a circle. We're gonna play little improv game. And I'm like. into an improv game with Francis Ford Coppola. I'm thinking this is as crazy as my life is gonna get. I have no idea what's in store for So we like get into a circle. We play that game where you like make a sound and like pass it across the circle. So we're like passing sounds with Coppola for like a couple of minutes. And then he's like, okay, great. Let's get back to it. And we're just like, my God, this is nuts. Like what? So then Rachel goes up and she shakes his hand and he says, do you have any skills? She says, I'm a dancer, I used to be, and he tells her, do some positions, she does some positions, then she moves along and then I go up, I hand him my head shot, I shake his hand, he goes, do you have any other skills or hobbies? And I'm like, honestly, I'm really only good at acting. And he kind of looks at me like, not super entertained. And he goes, what do you do when you're not acting? And I said, well, I'm a preschool teacher, which is true. When I moved to Atlanta, I became a preschool teacher. And he lit up and he goes, really? And I go, yeah, I teach two and a half to three year olds. They're very, very sweet. And he was like, used to teach a summer camp, a theater class to nine year old boys. And I was like, wow. He goes, I think they all own Manhattan now. you uh Fuck. uh Make a movie basically opposing them and everything they're doing today. but yeah, friends of yours, great. So then we talked about kids and art for a couple of minutes. um And then I thanked him for being there and for meeting him. And he said, you know, nice to meet you. And then I walked away and I was like, my God, I just met Francis, what is happening? um And then I promptly locked myself in a bathroom and couldn't get out. And I couldn't get a hold of my girlfriends because their phones were all on silent for like. It was a real high day. They had those like they had those trailer bathrooms set up. Yeah. And I like, you know, I walk out there and I'm like, Hey, you're gonna use the bathroom before we drive home for an hour. And I'm like, in the bathroom, look at myself and be like, you're so cool. You met Francis and I'm going to the bathroom and then I reach for the door and I'm like, just fully locked myself. This is the first scene of the Buddy Comment. Like when the nerves hit, right? Where it's like that, that's like, now you start shaking and you're like, oh, that was the delayed reaction that I needed to hold off while I was in there. But yeah, it's such a high, yeah, the come down is a crash. I'm like in there talking about shaking. Yeah, it was very silly. Calling my friends, their phones are on silent and I'm like, you guys, you guys. Eventually they found me and they helped me lift the door and push it. So that was great. So then I was like, if this is it, if this is what I get from this, this is the story, then that's awesome. And then a day or two later, I got an email that I was invited to a callback for the role of Sonny with Francis. and I was like, are you shitting me? all I did was hand this guy my headshot, talk about preschool, and I somehow have a callback for a role that has a name? Like, what? They don't send me any sides. They say it's either gonna, either Frances will give you a sides there or it'll be in front. I didn't know that. um makes sense for that character though too, because there aren't really that many line lines. Like you're very much a physical presence, but not someone who has to do a lot of back and forth dialogue with other characters. Yeah. Yeah, it all makes a lot of sense now, but at the time it was wild. So we held the callbacks at the hotel that he bought down in Peachtree City, the old movie hotel. So he had purchased that hotel. It was like half blown up when I, so that's where he had the callbacks. was just full walls missing. I so I drive all the way down to Peachtree City and I come to this like ratty rundown hotel and I'm like. If you thought it wasn't a scam before, I met him! How is this even more scammy? oh I think he's gonna be here. Like, funny. It was like very weird, really just like literal walls missing out of the side of this hotel building. So I go in, they COVID tested everybody again, again, very well run. So I go into this tiny little room and it's Francis and his producing partner and casting. There's this like tall velvet chair sitting in front of them that I like sit in. And they, Francis goes, are you the Ozzy? And I was like, oh. I'm not Australian. I'm the preschool teacher and he was like, oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and he goes do you dance and I go ah no No, and he goes, you know, you can't dance and I was like not really I mean I can like hold it down in the club And he goes, okay, that's okay. He goes, okay, so why don't you go ahead and stand up for me? And I'm gonna have you do some interpretive dance. Wow. oh What about the part where I said I couldn't dance? What about that? He goes, I want you to go ahead and do some interpretive dance, interpretive movement. And I want you to pretend like you're a ghost. Now, we have seen the movie, so we know that this makes sense. Again, at the time I was like, WTF. And he's like, I want you to move around the space. I want you to haunt me. You don't have to come up to the table, but I want you to haunt me. And I want you to be a ghost, the ghost of yourself. And I was like. So you do your best Patrick Swayze and move around. Man. uh Right? I know he had one up on me already. And so I'm standing there. Talk about the most out of body experience. I'm just like, you know, it's Francis. just go, you just do whatever. So I start moving as one does when you're a ghost. And he was like, I want you to haunt me. He's like, now I want you to be the ghost of my ex-wife and I want you to make me feel bad for everything that I've done. I want you to make me feel guilty. And so I'm moving my arms. And at one point I'm like, I should move my so then I'm moving my legs. Just trying to like, I don't even know. And then he's like, and now you want to seduce me, you want to lead me away, you want to like guide me out of here. And so then I'm like, yes, I'm trying to seduce you. Oh my gosh. So then I'm doing all this stuff and then he goes, okay, great. Thank you so much. It was nice to see you again. And I'm like, oh, that's it. Okay, great. That was my callback. And I was like, You can lock yourself in the bathroom immediately, my god, yeah, basically. Essentially the same thing. I go down to my car and I just like sit and stare into the middle distance for like a good five minutes being like. That just happened. What just happened? Like, was that real life? Like, what was that? I mean, it's the things you can't truly prepare for, right? Because you don't know what it is until you get there. And then it's over and you're like, yeah, all the things you could have done, all the sudden thoughts you have now that you've had 10 minutes to think about it. But that's part of the point is he wants it spontaneous in the moment. you're like, well, that was that. That is what I've got. Yeah. And I've now since heard that that is kind of what he does. He kind of like vibes with people. He doesn't even really give you lines. He just wants to see your energy and your, and particularly for this character, sort of just how she exists and moves. ah So now I know it's normal, but yeah, it was, it was a trip and I didn't know how to feel about what I'd done. Cause it was so like beyond anything I'd ever participated in. So how between that and the next callback? There were two. then just a couple of days go by and I get a text message from my agent who I love and is a very good friend of mine. And he was like, and I had reached out to him after, I didn't tell, I have an Atlanta agent and I have an LA agent. I didn't tell either them I was going to the open. Yeah, didn't tell either of them I was going to the open call because I was like, you know, this is crazy and I don't know. But then I did this interpretive dance for Francis and I was like, I think I'm gonna pull. Anthony. So I'm like, call my LA agent on my way back home from this call back. And I'm like, okay, so crazy thing just happened. And I tell him all about it. And he was like, wow, that's wow, I will let you know if I hear anything. um So then he texts me a couple nights later. And he's like, hey, uh I need the I need your Atlanta agent's email. And I'm like, okay, so I sent him her email. And he's like, okay, and also because I want to be the one that tells you you're the choice for so Wait. And I was like, I'm sorry, I'm gonna need you to spell that out for me. And he was like, you are going to be Sonny Catalina in Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis. And I screamed and I jumped on the coffee table and it was a whole thing. Yeah, and even better, my best friend also booked the movie, which was amazing. She also had a weird callback, but her callback was not interpretive dance. Her callback was just uh lines and improv. So a little more normal. um So yeah, we were just like, this is insane. Like, this is why we moved to Atlanta. This is the moment. This is why we're here. That's fantastic. Yeah, yeah, it was wild. It was really wild. Neither of us really could believe that that had happened, and the way that it happened was wild. um There was only one callback though. Like I do, that feels like a relatively painless. I know that's weird saying it now that we just shared all the pain, but it's like relatively painless compared to how these things dragged out and teased for, you know, indefinitely. And this was like a callback. And then he's like, I made my decision. And I'm like, Ooh, beautiful chefs. and I think he must have sensed it. I think he just was picking up those vibes even before that second call. Like, think even just meeting people on that day, he was making notes on headshots. I think he had scribbled Sonny on my headshot and put me on the phone. Yeah. Yeah, was crazy. So then they send me the script and then I'm looking at the character names and I'm like, Sonny Catalina. uh Adam's character is Caesar Catalina so does that mean that we are married? Adam Driver's wife? Because that's like a whole other... that's great. name on all your socials adamdrivers why Sorry honey, although you didn't have the honey at that point, right? Were you in? Had you met your current hubby by then? Yes, yes, I had. I had met him. um I don't know, maybe we weren't married yet, but we were together and he's like a huge movie buff. He knows so much more about movies than I do, like so much more. um And when he found out I was meeting Francis, he was like more excited than me. And when I found out I booked the movie, my excitement was purely because I got to tell him that I booked the movie. It was very cute. was very cool. Yeah, so then I booked it and then... long until it began? when was the first, I don't know, did you do like a read through first with everyone or how did it begin for you? So the part of Sunny, really like you said, didn't have a lot of lines. She's very much just a presence. So they sent us the script and I would immediately do that like control find and I just like clicked through it anytime it says Sunny. so I discovered that while I said very little, I was talked about a lot. and referenced and all kinds of things. So I was realizing what a very cool part it was, even though, my ego was like, I don't get to say very much, but it's like, it was just a very cool part as far as like just really carrying through the whole movie sort of for importance. The interpretive dance suddenly make a lot of sense like on first read through for you where you were like, I get it. Or did that come later? Well, it came later because the first call that I got from production was like, hey, um, cool. So you're our sunny and I don't know if you've read the script yet, but one of the things is that there's a puppet of you. And I was like, a puppet, say, and they're like, yes, it's going to be life-size sort of marionette. So we need you to come down to Trillith. We're going to do one, put you in one of those boxes with all the cameras. It's like 350 cameras take a simultaneous picture, 190 on your face. But like, we're gonna create uh like an identical puppet to you, life-size feet. Yeah, and I was like, what is happening? um So my first day of work was going down to the studio and getting into this little camera thing and having them take my photos so that they could make this. life-size puppet of me. And then they hired a dancer to wear my puppet face and hands and feet. And so in the end, they got a dancer to do the dance. But he did choose me. I guess you just want to see what my face might look like on a moving, a body that could dance. You f***ed the character. just needed an answer. Like, go ahead, no, let me just. It's almost ahead of the AI game where he's like, we will pay you for your life, but then we're just going to go use it. you did get to do more than that, though. But yeah, we'll keep keep going with the story. but I did get to, yeah. So I had the Sunny puppet and then me. And one of my first days on set was with her as well. And so I'm like looking at myself as a puppet being like, that's kind of crazy. I don't know about that. um Yeah, so that was first. And then my first day on set was so funny. um So just really quick, it's my story, but Rachel's first day on set was, this is my best friend who booked it. the very first day that they filmed and they were in downtown Atlanta and they were doing, she played this woman in a jewelry shop who gets like mugged or something. So there's like, and ended up getting cut out of the film. It was very sad. But she gets like mugged and then Natalie Manuel is like slapping her awake and then there's a car chase and there's an explosion. And so it was like big budget, exciting like sounds and Frances was there and everybody was there and it was like, blah. And so she called me afterwards and she was like, oh my God, it was amazing. And so then I'm like, this is gonna be so cool. So like I go to my first day on set and they put me in like all white makeup and this white gown. And then I sat in my trailer for like 14 hours. And then eventually they bring me into this tiny little soundstage studio and it was awesome, but it was so the opposite of what she had done. I was in this tiny little soundstage. I was actually shooting with Roman. I was uh with Second Unit and we were doing super closeups of my face. If you recall in the movie, there's a couple of times where it cuts to my face and I'm Caesar. So I was doing that. I was like walking past the camera and then being like. uh You've been doing that ever since now in public, right? Everywhere. The grocery store. Do I look familiar? You know what I That's your new thing, Exactly. Yeah, it's weird people are responding differently than the Hey Girl thing, So it was like, it felt like, you know, I was doing a very cool student film. Like I was like this tiny little space and very sort of experimental with the lights and looking like right down the barrel at camera. And I'm going, oh my God, is this okay? Are we sure? But very cool, but not. what I was expecting and then not seeing Francis. I was like, oh, you know, I didn't get to work with Francis. But again, I had no idea what was to come. So that was my first day. It was like very mellow, very chill. then they just kept bringing me back. The next time I came back to set, I did a photo shoot with Adam because they, at one point they... uh know, Pan and the townhouse and there's all those photos of us together. And so Adam and I did a cute little cozy photo shoot together, which was also very surreal. They were like, okay, be in love. There you go. And we're like, oh, what's your name? It's so nice to meet you. I love you. And this was a like fake dance and all this stuff. And then they had me in to do the stuff, the coma stuff where I'm laying on the bed in my coma. and Adam comes over and braids my hair and stuff and there's people working on my nails and my hair. At one point I'm laying there and Francis comes in and he was like, grabs my big toe and he's like, this little piggy went to the market. I'm like, this little piggy stayed home. And then we like go back and forth and do the whole thing. And if I was like, if I was ever a preschool teacher more than in this moment, this is all my training was really. uh Hahaha! Um, yeah, so that was cool and it was awesome. And then I wrapped and I was like, wow, that was, you know, that was amazing. I, I didn't do a lot, but it was still like very cool. And I worked a little bit with Francis and then there's one part where I have my close up line of like, you know, be with her and they put me like within a black sort of black box situation. And Francis was like, you know, three feet away from me and he was coaching me all these different ways to say my three words or whatever. And that was wild and surreal. at one point he was like, I don't even, I can't believe I'm gonna even share this story. But he was like, I want you to say it like you're a ghost. More of like a ghost thing. So I go. Caesar. Not that! It's not gonna be that. You That's great. So what was that initial period before rap time wise? What was the interval from first day to your first rap? was maybe four months. It was kind of spread out. We started in maybe, I don't know, maybe it was like October, November. And then I wrapped maybe in February, whatever. a couple months. They bleached my eyebrows because I was supposed to be very ghost-like. So I had my eyebrows bleached for like nearly six months. yeah. That was real look. Christmas with the in-laws, right? Yeah, exactly. Every morning I'm coloring them in so I don't scare my preschoolers. I was gonna say that yeah exactly you're gonna be full albino at that point with your complexion and whatnot with those eyebrows was a lot. It was a look. So then I wrapped and it was amazing and I was like, wow, I just did this thing. For the first time, I had my own cast chair. said Sunny on it. And I was like feeling very cool about that. And it was wild. then a month went past and I get an email from production and they're like, hey, quick cue, how do you feel about water? And I was like, well, uh I could always drink more and I like it. I find it refreshing and I can swim. uh Yeah. It's like, where are we going with this? And they're like, how do you feel about playing dead underwater? And I was like, I feel pretty good about it. Yeah, I think that sounds. What it entailed? I had no idea. I was like, seems kind of cool. He's like, can you hold your breath underwater? And I was like, yeah, I can hold my breath underwater. You have to like weight me down, but I think I could do it. And he was like, cool, I'm going to put you in touch with some of our stunt team. And I was like, a stunt team? Stunts? uh And I'm going, okay, yeah, sure. Am I in a fiery explosion underwater? Like, what's happening? Had no they were like, you know Francis added a line to the script and so we're just trying to make that happen And I'm like, oh, okay. So then this fabulous girl calls me Alexis, I think Lord her dad is like huge in the stunt world And she calls me up and she's like, hey, my name's Alexis I'm gonna be in charge of your underwater stunts and I'm like, what is happening? And she gives me this like fabulous fabulous feel about how her number one priority is my safety and we're gonna spend a lot of time making sure I'm comfortable and safe and all this stuff and I'm listening and I'm like, yeah, no, that all sounds really great. Cool, yeah, yes, I'm gonna be safe, great. What am I gonna be doing again? Like, can we go back to the car where we're And she was like, yeah, we're gonna have you um probably 13 feet underwater in a car uh and it's gonna be as if the car is driven off the thing and then you're gonna be sitting in the car. And I was like, yeah, okay. So get off the phone with her and that night I have like a complete panic attack because I'm like, whoo! on. We're talking about me being 13 feet underwater. And my, and my air source is not in my hands. My air source is somewhere wherever camera is. And I was like, Um, but they rented out a dive center down in Peachtree city, for a week. And I spent two days, two six hour days with Alexis and her assistant, Lacey. And they basically taught me how to scuba, which I had never done before. And I don't know if you have, but it is a wild concept when you're starting out because it does not seem natural. I know it takes training. Actually, you have to take classes before they'll even let you. You can't just go scuba-ing, right? You can't just, you have to actually take classes. I've never done it, but I'm aware that there's more to it than you expect. Yeah. I knew you had to get certified and stuff, but I didn't realize what uh a mental sort of game it was. so they, go to this, my first little six hour class with them. It was very cool, you know, indoor pool. They've got all rented out for me and they talked me through all the equipment and how everything works. And I'm just like, okay, sounds okay. And then they show me the rag and it's uh rather than like having the tank on my back, they have a tank with like a long two. It's like a hookah rag. and I've got my goggles. And so they're like, okay, so here's the regs. So you breathe, you breathe in and out, and then we're in the shallow end. like, and then you just go underwater. And I'm like, oh yeah, okay. Breathing, breathing, breathing. And then I go underwater and I hold my breath. And they're like, so what you're gonna do is you're actually gonna keep breathing. I don't think so. That doesn't seem right. And they're like, you you gotta trust me. So it's crazy. You have to go down. really gotta like focus on breathing, because your body is like, we are underwater. and breathing would be dumb. So don't do it. You have to like force yourself through it. training your nervous system to like make that natural, make that something you can do. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So we spent hours that first day with me just learning how to like breathe underwater and to the point where I could like sit in the shallow end. put weighted belts in my lap and I would sit down. had my goggles on and I'd sit down just at the bottom of the pool with my little rag and I would just breathe and they would be like, just hang out, just hang out until you feel comfortable. And that's what we did. They, I, I feel like I told them, I guess, yeah. Right. She's like, yes it was. I'm so bad at this. But I told them afterwards, I felt like a baby dinosaur who like imprinted on them because I like loved them so much. Like they literally had my life in their hands and like they made me feel like I would do anything. Like I just felt so safe and so taken care of and I could never have done what I did without them. I mean, they were just sweet. I could not sing their praises enough. It could be worse, you could have gotten cast in James Cameron's The Abyss back in the day. We've all heard those horror stories where it's like, none of you are trained to do this, but we're doing it anyway. The director almost died twice. Those actors. They're still scarred. They always tell those stories. This is the literal opposite experience. was like a joy. We had, so we did, yeah, did, yeah, two six-hour days with like a gap in between so I could like get my head right. ah But it was, they were so good and slow and deliberate. So, you know, we go underwater, I just breathe, breathe, I breathe. And then they go, okay, great. Now we're gonna practice um taking the reg out of your mouth and putting it back in underwater. And I'm like, that's impossible. And they're like, no, no, true, we can do it. So then they teach me how, you you take it off and then you put it back in and there's like a button that you push and the air all shoots out and then you start breathing. Um, so then we just practice that taking it again and out and in and out. And then they're like, okay, great. Now we're going to do the goggles. So you're going to take your goggles off while you're underwater and then you're going to put them back on and you're going to empty them of water while you're underwater. Again, that's impossible. Nobody could possibly do that. And they're like, but wait, you can't. And so they showed me how to do it. It's so cool. You like take them off. You're just like all in the water and then you put them back on and you do this cool thing where you put them on and you like breathe through your nose while tilting your head. And then all of a sudden all the water is out of your goggles. Interesting. It's amazing. It's amazing. Yeah. So we did that. We did that for a long time. I just like did my goggles, took the rag on and off and then like, okay, great. Now take the rag out, hand it to Lacey. And then when you're ready for it back, you do this. I'm like, whoo. Okay, so then we do that just like little at a time. just like hand it to her and then I'm like, give it back, give it back. And she's like, there you go. And she like puts it in her mouth. So we did that. So we spent a whole day in the shallow end, sitting on the ground, just doing all those things. Then we came back a day later and we did all that same stuff. But this time we did it in the deep end at eight feet. So they took me down eight feet, reacclimated myself, practice the reg, practice my goggles. And then we just started practicing like how far away Lacey could be from me when I took the reg out and how comfortable I was. And I went into it being like, guys, I can't really hold my breath that long. Like I'm feeling a little self-conscious about like how quick they're gonna have to do this shot because I'm gonna need my air. But like, again, they're just so good at what they do. They were like, the more comfortable you are, the more at ease you are, the longer you're gonna hold your breath because you're just gonna be like hanging out. Like no risk, no pressure, just chilling. And so we got these big long stretches where I was like, yeah, I can just float and hang out. And then like, when I'm ready, you just go ahead and bring that air back over. So we did that second day. And then we had a rehearsal day. for the actual filming day, they rented out this safety center that's down in Fayetteville or something. And it's this massive pool. The deep end is 15 feet deep. And it's got this rig that's specifically designed to drop cars into the bottom of the pool so that rescue people can practice rescuing people out of cars. There's a ton of lakes in Georgia. ah so cars be going into the lakes. And so they're going to practice rescuing people. So that's like what this pool was made to do. So they rented out this whole big safety center. And then they blacked out the entire pool with like, you know, black fabric so they could light it the way that they wanted to. And they put all this like fake. plants and stuff in there. The thing about this movie, you know, and we can talk about this when we get there of like, you know, if people like it or don't like it or whatever, Francis went hard on practical effects. And I think it's incredible. I mean, he could have CGI'd this little moment in the movie in two seconds for $5, but instead he took a week and Lord knows how many tens of thousands of dollars. to get this like crazy shot that is maybe 10 seconds in the movie, but looks so dope for those 10 seconds. And the movie is riddled with that. I mean, the practical effects that he did on this thing is just mind a practical filmmaker and it is beautiful. He is committed to that sort old world techniques, I guess. And it just, I just love it. I mean, it's just such a testament to him as an artist and this whole process. Like my mind just kept being blown. Cause I was looking around being like all of this for me, like they're all, all these people, this, safety and these girls were hired to train me and they bought me a hot tub so that when I got out, I could warm up. I mean, was, I was like, this is next level crazy. um So we did a rehearsal day, they walked me down to the deep end and I saw this, that so crazy. Because the pool, didn't have the lights on the rehearsal day, the pool was just blacked out. So I'm down there with my rag, walking down from the shallow end to the deep end and all of a sudden, out of the darkness, this headlight appears and then there's a car. And then I'm looking at the little convertible in the bottom of a pool, like, does anybody know this is here? It's crazy. So I'm playing around with the car and yeah, it was. It was so cool. So we did a rehearsal day and they got the camera down there and we practiced a little bit with what that was going to look like. The pool was so cold and they were like, we promise it'll be warmer by tomorrow when we actually film. And I'm like, okay, I'm going to be fine. But I'm definitely wearing like, know, neoprene pants and whatever else I can lay around under here. So yeah, so then the next day we filmed it and Francis was there and I chatted with him a little bit before we got started. And he like, I went and like sat with him and he held my hand and he was like, thank you for doing this. And I was like, I mean, my pleasure. Thank you for having me. And he goes, goes, you know, this, this moment, it's really the story is going to be told through your hair. And I was like, oh, and he was like, so, you know, sorry, but this is really about, you know, her hair, she's just come into the, driven into the lake. And so the hair is like, you know, telling the movement, the story. Yeah. Yeah. And I was like, game on, let's do it. And he was like, okay, thank you, thank you. And I was like, yeah. So I got into the water, I got down into my little car. And then we just started filming and it was like, so fun. It was so fun. And I remember being like, I'm so scared about this, but this is just so cool and fun. And I was able to hold my breath longer than I thought that I would to the point where everybody up top was like, holding their breath with me every time I take the rag away and they would all be like, and then like kind of freak out when I wasn't asking for air and they'd be like, somebody better give her air. Because everybody who was working on it, except for the crew, so they have a specific crew to be underwater with us, That in the water filming people is what they do. But everybody else who was part of kind of the regular movie crew was like, this was like their first time being a part of this underwater. situation and so they were all crowded around the monitors and everybody was like really into it. It was just like such a fun energy. And so we would do a few shots and then they would have me come up and like take a break and breathe some real air. And I would come up and I'd be like, we're gonna go again? Are we gonna go again? And they were like. Yeah, like are you are you game to do? I'm like, yeah, let's do it again. Like, let's just keep going. So then I go back down and then be like, you know, Francis, she's down to do it again. And he'd be like, OK, well, why don't we try this other angle? Like, what if we the camera down lower on the car and we like come up? So then we were like getting to play and doing all these crazy shots where he'd like start low and come up with one where they started close on me and pulled way, way, way back. And like another one where they started back and pulled in. And my gosh, it was just It was just so cool. It was so fun and wild and we were just having the best time. And eventually they were like, okay, okay, okay. got like, if we just, Francis will just keep coming up with ideas. Like we got. right, right, right. Yeah. Water for long time. So yeah, so finally I got out, I got in my little hot tub. This is amazing. That's cool. Yeah. think stunts are always like that. If they're safely done, I mean, they are, I think actors, especially like when you're not a stunt person, like having a stunt that is safe enough that you can do, if you just get that little bit of training, if you just have that safety in place, it's like, yeah, it's amazing. It's like, you realize why stunt people become stunt people, like chasing that thrill. Amazing. Yeah. I like very much want to like take stunt classes now. I'm like, was so cool. I'm so into it. I feel so bad ass like. get to go in those like parkour gyms, know, and like swing from things and like fall on all the foam pads where it's again safe, but you're just like swinging through the air and you're like, it's so freeing. It's amazing. Yeah. Put underwater stunt work on your resume because that's clearly a thing. You now have a special talent outside of acting. uh I require a lot of people to do that. I'll eat two tea You don't want him to be like, show me, we have a pool over there. Yeah, I'm down there like, um, uh, yeah, I haven't been brave enough to put it on my resume yet. Cause I just, I feel a little like, I don't know. I should, I should, I should cause it's cool. And I did it and I learned, I learned how to do my own underwater stunts. And I was like, do I get a stunt bump for this? Uh, my agent was like, yeah, I don't know. And I was like, I'm going to ask them. I just put a lot of work into this and they said they buddy Joe Hooker was the stunt coordinator. Who's like a legend. And he was so sweet and so complimentary. And he was like, I've had actresses at the edge of the pool who would have dipped out by now. And I'm like, I think that you're probably lying to make me feel better, but I really appreciate it. And it's really helping me. Yeah, it was cool. was cool. And then I wrapped it. So I wrapped for the second time. What I thought was it. was it. And it was such a crazy high to end on. was like, this is wild. This is everything. This is amazing. And I finally got my like big budget, you know, experience. then, so let's see, that was in March of whatever year. And then in April, I got pregnant. em And then in October, they emailed me and they were like, hey, we want to do some reshoots. Francis has added some stuff we want to do. Six months. We want to do some reshoots. Are you available? And I was like, yes. I was like, I am super available at the moment. uh I do look just a little bit different because I'm six months. And they were like, my gosh, congratulations. OK, let us find out if this will work. And I was like, OK. So then they emailed me back. And they say, great news, we're gonna do it. The way that Frances wants this particular scene shot is very stylized and kind of pixelated. And so we're not even really gonna see you that much. um So it's a go, we're gonna do this, we're gonna shoot. I think they were gonna like go November. And I was like, my God, that's amazing. Thank you. Yeah, yes, great. And then like two days later, they emailed me again and they were like, yeah, actually we can't do that. We're gonna get a body double. And I was like, fine. And then the next day they emailed me again, which is like, this is how this whole production went back and forth, back and forth. And then they were like, no, no, no, okay, you're back on. You're back on. We're gonna do it. Come to All Movie Hotel. This is where we're gonna shoot with a little black box theater thing that we can shoot in. And we're gonna have you do some ADR as well. And like, let's go. Like I'm in. So I show up, you know, seven and a half, almost eight months pregnant, very pregnant. And wardrobe has for me the dress that I had worn underwater. I was like, guys, did nobody tell you? And they were like, it'll be OK. We just won't zip it up and we'll put a coat on you. And I was like, sure. Again, it's going to be very stylized. And they sent me a script, but they were like, this is kind of an outline. But actually, Francis just wants you to improv with Adam. And I was like, That's mildly intimidating. um Great, great. So I show up, I get into my little outfit. um I go into this tiny little room with Frances and a little table and it's all, you know, black, like a little tiny black box. And Adam comes in and Frances talks to us a little bit and he's like, yeah, I saw this is just, this is that moment, Dave, when you emailed me about like, you know, she saw something that enraged her jealousy. So what we had planted there was a ashtray and there was cigarettes with lipstick. And so the idea is that I'm coming home from the doctors where I found out that I'm pregnant. We've been trying for a long, time to have a baby and it wasn't working. And I finally found out that I'm pregnant. So I come home and my first line had to be, have good news. And then after that, Francis just wanted us to, to improv and to, I would notice the cigarettes and then we were just supposed to start going and talk over each other and crescendo. And then I was supposed to leave and that was, that was what we were going to do. So we did. So we improvised this scene. We did it, I think, like five or six times maybe. um And it was like, again, one of those crazy sort of out of body surreal experiences. just like, I'm in this tiny little space. I am improv-ing with Adam Driver. Adam Driver. mean, like, talk about the bucket list. Like, shut up. I just cried. was like, how is this my life? And it was so fun. And you know, it's like actor. actor play, we're just having a good time yelling at each other. um So that's what we did. We did a couple of times. And, and, and Francis would give us little tweaks, like make sure you tuck over or make sure you really hit, you know, hit this high point and then like get out of there leave, whatever, whatever. And all this whole time I had to kind of hold my jacket over my very pregnant tummy. And then, and then we finished and Francis was like, you know, congratulations, by the way. And then he was like, can I, can I say something to your belly? And I was like, I gave some words of encouragement to my unborn son, which was like crazy and cool. And then they were like, okay, great. Now you're going to go to God's father. We see. And they're like, OK, great. Now you're to do some ADR with Francis. So then we go into this tiny little recording studio, which is like me and Francis and the two recording guys. And they had me just do a couple of my lines. And then they had me do some more scissors. And then Francis was like, OK, I just I just want to play a little bit. I'm going to just give you a prompt and then I want you to just do or say whatever whatever you feel. And I was thinking like, OK, like. You know, he threw me at the callback because I wasn't ready for the ghost thing, but like, I've really been through it now. I've done this movie. Like, I'm going to be ready for anything. Like, what you got, Francis? Like, bring it on, bring it on. And I'm like, yeah. And he's like, OK, ice water. And I was like... What do I? Hahaha You nothing. I was like, I'm sorry, am I supposed to say words? Am I supposed to make noise? You just run out and lock yourself in the bathroom. I forget, you know what, I gotta go. Like I did all I could. It was so funny. I was like, of course you give me something that I was just like not at all prepared. So then, you I made my best ice water impression. And then we just played from there. It was like, you know, leaves and this and that. It was, I was just sitting there, you know, playing with one of the greats. Yeah. And then I wrapped it again. And that was that. Third time's the charm. Wow. That's going be a hell of a story. Yeah. Yeah. That's also going to be a hell of a story to tell your kid when he's 18. You're like, by the way, guess who's in that belly? So talk to you through my belly. Yeah, and then that improv bit, so true to what he said, it is very pixelated in the movie, but he used our dialogue, which when I saw it for the first time, I was like, I just made those words up. Those are in his movie. He just used them. And that also is kind of crazy. Now you want your rating credit. Now you need your rating credit. And for the listeners, this is something that what we were talking about earlier when this improv scene came about, there's a moment near the end when we're actually seeing the underwater scene when Adam Driver's character is explaining what happened to his wife. And he narrates over this quote, she came home with good news. but saw something that enraged her jealousy. I followed but saw her drive over the bridge and into the icy water. And in that madness, it came to me, I discovered the principle of Megalon trying to save her life. And when I watched that scene and I asked her, I emailed her this in advance is I was like, was something, did something get cut? Because I feel like that's referencing something that is no longer in the movie that it seems it's kind of almost a throw away line, but I'm like, wow, this seems to be explaining so much though, but it's keeping it so vague. So it is interesting that there was more there that did not, for whatever reason, he was like, no, we don't wanna do that part in the movie, but we'll still have these lines. But I was very curious because that stood out to me the very first time I watched the movie, as I was just like, that's explaining something that I'm like, keep going with that. Why did you stop? Like, this isn't enough. So I'm glad to know there was more of a story there. And I do feel like there's a couple of elements in the movie where he sort of teases at an explanation but doesn't give it to you. Yeah. everything I think he does in the movie is very intentional and making that choice to not fully explain it and leave you being like, what? But how then? What? better for worse whether you love it or hate it like these were it's not an oversight right it's intentional yeah. So so did you get to when did you get to see the movie like that were you invited to any sort of premier so on and so forth like what was your big how how early did you get to see it as a as finished film. So I got invited to the uh friends and family screening that happened in LA that he did for distributors when he rented out the um IMAX at Universal Studios. that was like March, February? March? March, I think, of last year. And I get an email saying, you are invited to this top secret screening of Coppola's Megalopolis. Yeah, that was I think three weeks before Kung. ah Yeah, was something like that. Yeah, because he was looking for distributors. ah And they were like, it's in LA, you know, let us know. No plus ones, no phones, top secret, non-transferable. And I got the email and I was like, I have a two month old baby. Do I leave my two month old baby to fly across the country and watch a movie? I do, I do that. I do that. I did do that. I did. yeah. And the timing worked out that like my mom happened to be in town. So I left her and my husband and our brand new baby. I bought a ticket like to go there and back basically within like 36 hours. I had to buy all new clothes, nothing fit. I was still like really had just had a baby. ah So I flew out to LA. I'm like I don't know if you guys have kids, but I'm like pumping on the plane and then I drive over to Universal Studios and I'm like pumping in the car because my boobs are filling up because my baby's breastfed every three hours and I'm like, you know. It was a whole thing. I like pull up to ballet and I'm like, I need like 15 minutes. Can I just, and they were like, oh yeah, just go right over there. So I'm pumping in the car and then I'm like, okay, here I go. So I'm like walking over to the theater with like Andy Garcia. mean, it was just like, I don't know that I've ever been in a room with that many celebrities. And I walk in and I took the first free seat was next to Joe Montagna. I'm like, and then that's how I got to see the movie. And it was so cool and so fun and so surreal to see myself. I've never seen myself that big on that massive high max screen. It was a real moment. And it was so crazy to not like, have anyone to share it with, like in real time. Like I had Joe. and I just remember sitting there like gripping my seat and having this like absurd grin on my face. Oh my gosh, this is like, this is crazy and real and um, and then, and then it was over. And then I was like, well, I don't know anybody here. Everybody's famous. Right. So I like hung out for a few minutes and was like, is, I don't know, I should go. I should go. I should probably elbow my way into too many conversations here. What doing next, guys? Yeah, so, people or what's happening. But I saw a casting and they were like, you just had a baby. And I was like, I did just have a baby. And now I have to go catch a flight home to that baby. Yeah, so then I flew back to Atlanta and I was very glad I got to see it because then it had its premiere at Cannes. And so I obviously didn't fly to France for that. And I didn't go to Canada for the other sort North American premiere. I did go when it came out like a days early, they did that live stream Q &A, and they screened that at certain IMAX theaters. And so I went with my husband and like a crew of people to go see that and that was really fun. And like when the lights came on at the end of the movie, my husband was like, this is sunny. you Hahaha! oh Thank you, thank you so much. Yeah, needed him at the premiere too, because course the other person can like, you know, shout you out and spotlight you and it's not. oh to be humble. I need my height man, yeah. So going forward, must always bring own height man. Yes. That's you had a question earlier. Do you remember what that was? I cut you off. That's all good. I had actually jumped forward, so I'm glad you cut me off. I was wondering, since this, what's been the impact in terms of you professionally, terms of kind of the inertia, the momentum? Like, what changed? Has anything changed? Oh, gosh. No, not anything. No, gosh, that's just the nature of this industry, isn't it? You can be in a fabulous Francis Ford Coppola movie and nothing can change. And I do think, I mean, who knows? There's no rules, right? There's no rhyme or reason to what we do. I think because it didn't get a lot of commercial success, not that many people saw it. And so maybe it's not that. I mean, I'm assuming my agents are out there being like, she worked with Coppola. She worked with Adam. She's got that under the belt. I knew. And beliefs and dreams. Yeah, you know, it's like every time you book something, you're like, this is going to be the thing. This is the thing launches me and then. it changed just your POV or like your own? Because when you moved to Atlanta, did this helps re spark some of the fire in you at least for acting and continuing to pursue acting or how do you feel, even though it had nothing really big has changed per se, but do you feel a little more like, well, that happened so something else can happen? Right. Yeah, I think that I came to Atlanta with my fire still very lit. Like I was still very excited about acting and came here to find more work. so, and booking the Coppola thing was like, ah like, good job, Haley. You did the right thing. You moved to Atlanta. like this is why we're here. And the experience was so wild and profound and amazing that And I took so much away from that, from each bit of it was the gift that kept on giving. just kept coming back for more, kept having new and incredible experiences. And so even just those stories have like filled me up and I feel confident because I've got that under my belt. Yeah, so I think the fire has stayed lit and I am still excited and I do wish that more people had seen the movie and maybe had liked the movie as much as I liked the movie. Well, we'll see when it finally gets distribution too, of course, in the state, like outside of theatrical, because we're all still waiting on that. Here in North America, it's in this sort of limbo. I think they're working on deals, but like I had to um hit up a friend overseas to like help me get a Blu-ray of this thing. No kidding. Because it's over there. It's released over there. It's just not here. So. I know, I don't know. My husband ordered a Blu-ray as well. He ordered one from overseas so that I could autograph it. So we'll see when it hits the larger public, because we know people are not attending theaters as much as they used to. So it was still a small segment of the population that would even be a part of the theatrical experience one way or the other. But on that note, you know, this is a wine and entertainment pairing podcast. of course, we have to ask you, since you're here, what would you drink while watching Megalopolis? What is your drink of choice? Or, or, what drink sort of is synonymous with your experience uh filming Megalopolis. either one or both. I guess my gut instinct response to what I would drink with Megalopolis is a martini. Because it's like, it feels old school Hollywood to me. It feels very classic. It feels sort of a little mysterious, a little sexy, a little dangerous. But then you have to add blue cheese olives because there's a deference there. You know? oh It can't just be a straight up martini. You've got to have that little flair because this movie has... dirtiness in that, like the olive and then even that blue cheese dirtiness. a 30-year development period, fully self-funded. Yeah, there's some indulgence in that. Yeah, 40-year technically, yeah. So I think that's what I would go. All right. uh Thank so much. Yeah. Thank you so much for being here, Haley. um I'm also going to ask you, if you want anyone to follow you online, where should they follow you online? Where can they find you? Or we can skip this question if you're like, no, no one should follow me online. Thank you very much. If you would like to follow me online, I am on Instagram as theHaleySims. TheHaleySims. I'm not very active online since having a baby. So every once in a while there'll be some red carpet photos like the horror film that I just had come out and then baby photos is really all I've got these days. of course. If you wanna f*** Billy Simpson's online, you can some baby photos. Wow. we're still out here. We're still hustling with the, you know, baby and auditions and it's all happening and and that buddy comedy about the two actresses who flee LA called avocados and peaches, i'm just saying. Good, that's good. And let me also, I forgot to mention at the beginning, shout out to Alison Hayslip for putting us together in touch with each other so this podcast could happen. All right. On that note, folks, thank you so much, Haley, for being here. And for all our listeners, we will be back next week for another wine and entertainment pairing for your entertainment, for your Vintertainment. you. For now, everybody. everyone. Thank you. Yes, keep a lookout for Megalopolis when it hits North America. And if you're overseas, go buy the Blu-ray or streaming if it's available on streaming. It is definitely a movie that everyone should experience. And Haley. is a unique singular voice. Haley, mentioned the horror film. How recent was that? Is that a recent release? April 4th was the limit. Okay. Yeah. And then it'll be on, it'll be on streaming at some point soon. Yeah, so that's called the Grove everyone which was a real pain in the butt Let me tell you if you live in LA there's a theme there's a place called the guy Every time I tried to look up if it was playing in LA like limited and I was like theaters the Grove and I could get was that the Grove and I was like I did that as well, yeah. No, it was, the theaters closest to LA that it was playing in were like orange something. I mean, I just. Plus, Angelo's are not driving that far for it. Because we lazy. It's not that far, but we lazy. Yeah. No. Thank you so much Hailey! Ciao for now everyone, we'll talk to you next week. Beautiful and do you know by any chance how to I want to give her a shout out for making this connection on the show. Do you know how to pronounce her last name. want to be 100 % It's a slip. I was like it's a slip or high step and I just wasn't 100 % and I'm like I'm pretty sure 98 % sure. Right. We'll all be wrong together if it is, so cool. Let's just all take it down together, yeah.