Faithe Herman and Us | Annie Pearson

This is a HeadGum podcast. On today's episode of That Was Us, we have a very special interview we do indeed with Faith Herman that's really interesting when you have these people that you got a chance to sort of watch grow up yeah I mean the young lady was eight years old maybe seven when we shot the pilot and she's 18 now it's what is time and especially with kids because you get a chance to see the whole like ten years for us is like okay Brown's got more gray you know I'm saying like things like change should you guys have children now yeah yeah and more gray and more gray you have no gray you have no gray well that's because I color it yeah me too oh I got it do you have gray oh yeah yeah and I'm bald one day I'll just let it all fly but not yet and you're just bolts do you show you my chest here it's very good you get it here oh yeah let's solve a bad gorilla baby you know but it is one of those things when you see people's babies right yeah and you see how much they can change in a year so imagine starting at one age and then growing up to another one it's it's kind of I get a little for climped up with it and I feel like they're not my children yeah and they kind of are my children like it's it's a cool let's just book what is this book you brought sorry yeah yeah no no no no no no please I'm interested in this book I check out books I was listening to podcast this dude as you climb you guys may listen to love and the guests that he had on one of her book he ends the each podcast what are your three books that you're and this one was called talk to your boys and a sort of 16 conversations to help tweens and teens growing in the confident caring young men and I have a team in between yes right I got a 10 year or 14 year old so my perfect book for you is the perfect move that sounds like a good recommendation I should check it out and and a lot of it with with the tweens and I don't know if this applies to girls in the same way or not you guys could speak to this if you have any expertise yeah there's this sort of withdrawal that can happen with young men as a way of sort of asserting their own independence right so it's not attitude for the sake of attitude it's like how do I be move from boy to man food and sort of needing the space to figure that out and what you as a parent need to do and so they talk about showing up like a cat versus a dog meaning like cat like you just sort of like go around the corner and you take a look and you see you know let them know that you're there if they need you whereas puppy energy is like hey want to play like want to get together and the puppy energy is usually something that is not as like readily received as you know yeah you know I'll tell you something this is interesting our dog is under the weather yeah because normally as soon as Ryan like he doesn't get excited for anybody else yeah but when Ryan comes out of the bedroom he's like it's time to play it's time to play Ryan came out of the bedroom and I didn't hear anything and I was like where's I and I went back to look he stays in the laundry room in the evening and he was just down he's looking up like oh no is he okay I hope so I hope so we're going to take him to the vet she's going to take him to the vet today but even brown yeah who's not like a super puppy man I was like all right that's not good yeah like I need him to annoy me more she walks out yeah you're not I'm not buddy well good thought you just like you just like a cat I don't I'm just like a cat and I sort of like that that energy is so I see it with my son I try to number one try to make sure that I'm having conversations with him that aren't just transactional but are just sort of like informational sometimes he'll be on the computer doing homework and I'll just go lay down on the bed yeah he's like just being present just being there yeah he's like what are you doing I'm like nothing I guess all right and then everyone so I'll just lay there and he'll be like what did you think of something or what you think of the soccer game like he'll start the conversation I'll bro you played a great game but like because so much of what we do is like did you take out the trash have you finished your homework like have you picked out your clothes do you know and like that can be I was like oh that that would suck yeah every time I open my mouth all he heard was do do yeah so I'm working on that and and it's and it's nice I see he's starting to go to parties all starting to go to parties and and the bird is it's it's tough you know I'm saying because she's like all right where's the part they do these things now where they don't give you the location of the party until the day of right like they'll do some sort of like so there can't be any plan evil planning on the part of a tweens teams something like yeah an extra people showing up yeah and Ryan's like well the first party went to she's like I need to know the name of a parent and I need to make eye contact with me and he's like you have to walk me into the party and you forget how easily him everything is embarrassing well sure everything is like you're not going to walk into the party with me it's like it's so hard to put yourself back in that frame of mind you got to remember and so like because now it just seems ridiculous like yeah I'm walking you in what's the big I don't know that house exactly I don't know those parents yeah all of these things and so like Ryan I had a sidebar and I was like hey bird I feel like and this is this is this goes from household to household and this is probably might even go back and forth between Ryan I is like I think we have to give him enough rope to see what he does with it before we just don't give him the rope yeah you know I'm saying like you got to see like he does his homework yeah you know what I'm saying like all the things that we ask of him as a young man he comes through so let's see how he deals yeah you know what I mean and and it's my mom would always tell me this she is like you know what I just let I just pray to the angels that you'll be saved hey yeah sure that works too hey be a little bit of both hey yeah yeah stuff's going to happen so it is it's fun and and so just to bring it back to to faith I don't have any of those responsibilities with this little girl I just have the joy of watching her grow up and become the person that she is she is sweet as pie yeah always was always was always will be her parents are top notch human beings which is not always the case Mandy boy I'm starting as a young person that started as a younger person yes I'm not a young person as someone who was a young person in the industry yeah like having that foundation of great parents sure is the most important ingredients yes and she has that she does not always the case I will say let's break it down what do you mean by that I think we were lucky on our show speaking broadly yes that the parents were always lovely yeah you know I think there's there's this perception and it is accurate a lot of times that parents can perhaps be stage parents right honey boo boo sort of sure exactly where you just like it's your investment in your child success is like it's all like you're too wrapped up and has as much to do with you as correct it's like your own ego your own dreams and that never seemed to be the case at least what I experience yeah because we worked with a lot of the a lot of different ages on the show yeah but her parents in particular I always remember and ares his parents like just and lyrics mom like they're all of my children all of your children were love I mean I can say the same thing about all of ours I loved Parker's parents and Lonnie's parents McKenzie like everybody seemed to be aligned with like good intentions they wanted the best for their kids no one felt like they were sort of as invested and you know they're child with this like there was none of those shenanigans which I have sort of seen firsthand yeah and experienced here's a question for you guys because this is actively asking you to call from your subconscious if you can't to conscious consciousness oh do you have any thoughts feelings desires for how your children's lives would go that if someone put your foot to the fire you'd be like yeah I kind of want X Y Z oh I want them to be as joyful and passionate about whatever it is that I was about this like to look at friends of mine or family members of mine that were sort of not lost but it took them a while to sort of figure things out I always took for granted kind of the fact that I knew full stop what I wanted to do without question yeah unequivocal there was no backup plan 6 7 oh yeah clear yes and there was no which I realized now is like such a gift absolutely so I I mean I don't necessarily wish that for them but to find whatever it is like early enough where you can just enjoy the ride of getting to do it in school Like, whatever that, however that sort of looks, but I don't have any particular direction other than that. If they aren't artists, there will be no disappointment. Oh gosh, no. In fact, I kind of hope they're not artists. Okay. Okay. I got you. Well, I just hope they're gay. Cool. Yeah. I would love that too. I mean, my entire family is already so yeah. I was like, there's a high probability of happening. Genetic component for sure. Yes. Yeah, I haven't gotten there yet. I think it's, I just didn't at the stage where I just want them to have, to, to be passionate. Yeah. To, to identify like my son just recently identified a sport that he likes. Okay. And it's baseball, which came out of nowhere and he's good at it. Okay. And, and it's like, I don't follow baseball. I don't know baseball. Right. But just seeing him attach to something. Yeah. It was like, okay, great. Because if you can, if you can identify, if you can be passionate about things. Yeah. If you can have real passion for things, those passions will lead you to your purpose. Sure. And if you can identify your purpose and obey your purpose above all else, and everything else falls into place. Yeah. So I like that. So the, the ability to identify passions or two. Yeah. Clean them. So quick. The spot was killing me. I understand. I have a little bit of the ability to identify passion. I feel like you have an answer to this. I had like, like, there's little things that I didn't realize that I had. And then I confront them. So my oldest son used to be a flag football player. And it was very, very good. I wore pads from sixth grade to graduating from high school. Love the sport a great deal. And my wife said early on, she's like, these kids are never going to put on football pads, right? She's like, there's too much information that I have encountered regarding CTs, TBIs, etc. And I was like, all right, I can understand that. And so like, there was a small grieving process as he found soccer. 'Cause soccer is his sport. And I was like, man, that was probably the thought he was going to do the thing with chicken. And so you let it go and you keep moving on, right? Or with a Maori. I think what I want for him for everybody is similar to what you guys said, but also it's just the quality of relationships that you sort of bring into your life and that you nurture them and sort of value them to a high degree. And so everyone's like, I'll see like, there's like this, there's a streak of pettiness that my son has that that everybody does that every human being has. And I was like, don't please don't throw this relationship away. Because like he'll sort of be like, I don't talk to someone so anymore. I'm like, oh man. Maybe he'll be a talk show host. That'd be cool. There's a lot of layers to that statement. We should probably just make sure we bring it faith now. We can talk there. Check out this interview that we have with Faith Hurtman. More that was us after this short break. I can't check this out the other day. We were hanging out. Amari and all of his little friends were over at the house. They're kicking it. Playing basketball, playing in the swimming pool, whatnot. Ryan gets excited. She says, I'm going to make an apple cobbler for you guys. She goes all in, makes this apple cobbler. She's about to go divvy it all up. Goes into the fridge to get some ice cream. No ice cream. No ice don't say go with it. Not a problem. That's not an apple cobbler. Not a problem. Why? Shipped to the rescue, bro. I said, we need some premium vanilla a sap. Accomplished still hot ice cream melting on top. The kids had a perfect time. See, this is what I'm talking about with shipped. It's never just delivery. You get groceries and more shopped same day in the same way that you would if you were there yourself. You don't have time. You got to watch these kids in the pool. You can't be running to get ice cream. Yeah, and with shipped, you get everything you need. We're talking groceries, decor, gifts, and more delivered same day from nearby stores. That's and a lot of different stores, including national retailers like Safeway, Albertsons, Michaels, Target, Pet Smart, as well as local grocery stores in your area. Use code podcast to get a year of shipped for only $49. That's half off the regular $99 price at shipped.com/offer. That's s-h-i-p-t.com/offer. When you don't have any hair, you have to dress up your face in different ways, hats, glasses, and so I like to have a lot of glasses. The problem is I got all these prescriptions and now my eyes are changing and I need new prescriptions and I need to refresh my frames, my face shape as I'm getting older and shifting and I need new glasses. And you know what, even in 2026, replacing glasses feels like a whole production, a whole ordeal. Most of us just live with it. I know I am. I have glasses. We actually all have glasses. That's right. And you know what, you have to schedule an appointment, you have to pay a fortune, and then wait. But Zeni Optical fixes all of that. So Zeni is an online eyewear shop. Prescription glasses, sunglasses, blue light lenses, all of that, starting at under $30. Yeah, you go to Zeni.com, pick a frame, you start, you pick a frame, right? You upload your prescription and they ship it to your door. There's no appointment. Yeah, no store, no upsell at the counter. It's beautiful. Yeah. And at that price, I think something kind of shifts in you. You're like, do I really need new glasses? And you stop asking yourself that and you start asking, well, why wouldn't I get that? Why wouldn't I get three or four pairs? You're not agonizing over just one pair. Yeah. You get the ones that work, you get the fun ones, you get the pair that only matches one outfit because it under $30. You don't have to justify that. That's right. There's 150,000 five star reviews you guys. And if you've never bought glasses online before, Zeni has a virtual try on so you can see exactly how a frame looks on your face before you commit. And I will say I've tried these virtual try-ons on certain sites that you don't really get an idea. This one is actually really good. Okay. I got a really good idea of what those frames were going to look like on my face. And you're waiting to get them right? They're on their way. You guys can try to believe it as soon as I get them. You're going to see them on this podcast. If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Go to zeni.com/podcast and use code podcast15 for 15% off your first order. The style sell out. So don't sit on it. That's zenny.com/podcastpromocode podcast15. You guys? Yes, I was in Austin recently. And I had one of these trips where you end up doing way more than you planned. Sure. Like you've set a certain amount that you've planned and then you do way more than that. Yes, sir. We thought that we were going to spend one afternoon walking around and somehow it turned into like live music. Oh, man. Two barbecue stops. Let's go. Because you kick a one barbecue spot in Austin. You have to you have to taste test and compare. And those are the best trips truly the ones where you don't over plan every single minute. Exactly. Sometimes the best memories happen in those moments that aren't scheduled. So that's basically the Pearson family motto. And somewhere during the trip, I realized that while I was off making all of these memories, my place back home, no, it was just sitting there empty, which is probably true for a lot of people whenever they travel. Yeah, it made me think about listing my space on Airbnb. The only thing that would normally hold me back is wondering who's managing everything while I'm away. That's where Airbnb's co-host network comes in. You're going to hire a bed at local co-host with hosting experience to help manage the details. Well, there you go. I feel like I would want a lot of help with just the communications, you know, with guests making sure that they're exactly. And you know what? A co-host can help manage those reservations. They can communicate with guests and provide on-site support. So instead of worrying about what's happening back home, you can focus on being present wherever you are. If you thought about listing your space on Airbnb, find a co-host at Airbnb.com/host. Okay, guys, this is a special episode that was us standing alone. We're not talking about a particular episode, but we have a very beautiful, special delightful guest. She played Annie, my daughter on the show. You were eight when you started this show. And you were 18. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for Faith Herman. Yeah. Welcome Faith. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here with you guys. Oh my gosh. We're excited to have you. There's this weird, like I remember, I remember the beginning, like I remember like us doing like the soccer scene in the pilot in the pilot, right? And you're the one who was just like down on the grass, like playing and wasn't in the game or whatnot. And I had to like pick her up. And the first season, I was like, oh, I can carry her in my right arm. And then I'll take Ares and my left arm because I have to carry on both of the steps. I can't carry any. you're grown. You're grown. Yeah, it's it's crazy. It is crazy. Yeah, I was eight years old and 14 when we finished the show and yeah, I remember the first time we even had like family photos. Yes. Yes. And I was like, oh, we do this for the show because they're like, we're gonna have pictures in the house and I was like, oh, that sounds fun. So we got to dress up in our characters and we got to take them together and that was really exciting. It was awesome. Okay. So we'll start. We'll start with the beginning. Yeah. Right. I'm so curious like what the audition process was. What do you remember about like how this show first showed up in your life? I remember it was pilot season and they told me I had a pilot audition, which was my first one. First one. Yes. And I didn't really know to think of it. I was just like, okay, I'm excited. I'm auditioned. And the first audition, I was really nervous. I always get really nervous for auditions. Yeah. And I think I was about seven years old and it was like towards the end of 2015 Broadway. Yeah. Yeah. And I went into the room being nervous, but there was only like one person in there. And when she started interviewing me, or interviewing me, she started yeah, reading with me. Remember, she asked me my favorite color. And I was like, my favorite color is blue. And I remember going on and on and on about that topic. And I couldn't stop talking, which to this day is still my favorite. And I don't remember the specific scene that we did, but I had a lot of fun and I really enjoyed that audition. So then when I heard that I got a callback, I was like, what? No way. Like I couldn't believe it. And for the callbacks, it was like we're in a room. We were just waiting. And there was a ton of other girls. And it's funny, because they were all dressed up as soccer players. And my mom had me in a gray sweater, a pink owl necklace, and my hair like a little back with like bows. And I was like, when was supposed to should I have worn a soccer outfit since like that was like the first thing in like any intestine known for playing soccer. But it was nice to see all of them in there. And I remember seeing airs too. And her dad. And you kind of just like get paired up with like anyone they pair you with. So when we went into the room, there was there was quite a couple of people. And I was like, whoa, that's a lot of people because normally it's like just one or two with you. And but they were all very nice. They introduced themselves. And they're like, okay, you're gonna be doing this scene. And I think it was probably one of the bedroom scenes. I don't think we filmed it like in the actual show, but we still had me and airs had a couple of scenes in her room since we were sharing it at the time. And I didn't get paired with airs. But I remember thinking like when I met her, she was like the sweetest person ever. Like, I was like, that would be so amazing if she was my sister. So when like, I found out that I booked the show. And then we had our fitting. And then I ran into her like I was so excited. And I was also so excited to play this character. Because I was like, this is my first ever show. And I love this character so much. I can't wait to see what where this goes. Yeah. Yeah. So it was the best news. That's it's so interesting because you you got that experience going back just the audition experience. Yeah. You got that experience at eight years old to walk into a waiting room full of people who kind of look like you. Yeah. And it's so surreal. You're like, oh, that's what I would look like if I was two inches taller. Well, that's what I would look like with hair. Or you know, like whatever whatever the thing is. Sure. It doesn't really happen anymore. Yeah. So you might have been at what of the last. Oh, people actually went into a room. Yeah. Physically. Yeah. And sat and looking across the room. And other people had made choices. He made big joy. Now they're dressed like a soccer player or they. Yeah. You you can see that like people have made a different choice than you. Yeah. You don't know if it's the right choice. Sure. And clearly it wasn't. Yeah. You made the right choice. You stood out. Yeah. How did you like, did you grow up, grow up even though you were seven when you auditioned for this? But like, did you always, do you just remember always wanting to be an actor? I actually never really thought about it when I was low. I was always very like shy and reserved. So it was my siblings who did background work. Oh, wow. And my parents kind of was like, okay, like, would you like to try it out? And I was like, okay, why not? It sounds fun. Sure. And then also doing like print work. When it came to signing with an agency, it was just me and my other sister because I have quite a couple of. How many? How many of you are there? I have four siblings. That's right. And so I'm the youngest of five. And um, tall girls. No, not all girls. Four girls and one boy. One boy. Okay. The boy and my brother. He's the oldest. Okay. And um, I kind of just thought that I would just be doing background work and print work. I had to like an agent and photo share. Remember camping for them. How old were you the first like, print work or commercial? Yeah, like the first job that you got. The first thing you ever did. Oh, that's a good question. I think I was around like seven. So pretty little. I was so pretty fresh to everything. I didn't really know too much about it. It's got to be hard to remember since you were just new to memories period. It's true. It's true. It's have to be some of your earliest full-blown memories. Yeah. And that this is us was your first ever pilot audition. Like audition for a TV show. Yeah. Wow. And you booked it. And I didn't know what to expect at all. So I was very excited for where it was going. I was like, I don't know, but I'm so happy. So you got the got all these siblings at home. And now you've been introduced to your TV siblings. Yeah. First with Eris. Yeah. Then with Lyric. Yeah. What was it like growing up literally on television with two sisters, two sisters, two fake TV sisters. It was lovely. I enjoyed every second. Like even just like all of us together. I was like a family. And then when we got everyone really got to be together. And I remember meeting Eris for the first time. Like we instantly connected. Like we like it wasn't just like on set. We were working with each other. We were also hanging out with each other outside of set. I remember we planned like, when are we going to go like eat dinner together? And our parents had each other's numbers. And we'd go have lunch or dinner or go shopping. And it was just always like so much fun with her. I always enjoyed it. And then when Lyric came along. When Lyric came along. I was like, oh, we get to have a sister. I'm very excited for that. So we just, I remember being, I think we were working that day on set. But we weren't called to set yet. And we had to do a reading. They told us with someone who could potentially be Lyric's character. And we had Asia. And we had the reading with Lyric. I was really nervous, but I was excited when I saw her and stuff. So when I found out that Lyric booked it, I was like really excited. Did you only read with with Lyric? Or did you read with other actors too? I think. I'm trying to remember. I don't remember that one too much, but maybe it was like maybe a couple other people. Not too many. I know I read with two other girls. So I think they brought in three girls for like the final round that Sue and I read with them. Imagine you probably read with them. But they dressed like soccer players. They were out. They made the wrong choice. Yeah. But it was, it was pretty small and it was very quick. But when Lyric joined, like she also, like we all instantly connected. And it was just like another addition to the family. And it was really exciting. You guys were always thick as thieves. Like any time I happened, and granted we didn't have too much crossover when we were all present day. And like the entire Pearson family was together. Rebecca was around. But Rebecca was around. We all got to hang out. But like any time I sort of spied you guys on set, it was like the three of you were a little unit. Like a real family. Yeah. It was amazing. How did you find the camaraderie between, let's pretend he's not here, sterling in Susan? Like how is it to work with them? And do you remember like any advice? Maybe they imparted on you while you guys were working together. Um, I loved working with them. They're great. Yeah, parents. I'm not here at all. And um, they were just it was since it was also new to me. And it was like a learning experience every day, getting to work with them and just like witness like their work in like on set every day. It was always amazing. I always admired them. And we'd like have so much fun on set. They'd always like laugh and make jokes with us and just also like talk to us personally and how we were doing. And then when it came to advice, like if we needed anything, like they come and talk to us and stuff. Yeah. And it's just it's always nice to have amazing TV parents on and outside of set. So they're amazing people. And I always love to work with them every second. Yeah. It goes both ways. So this is this is what I have to tell you all about faith with an E. Um, professional from day one. Oh, yeah. Like was always ready to go. New her lines. Um, always pleasant, right? Like easy to just sort of was game like if she got a piece of directions you're like okay and then she do it and you'd be like oh she took the direction yeah you know what I'm saying it wasn't just like an okay for the sake of okay like she's very bright and you can see her synthesize information and sort of just move with it timing like yeah she became like the one-line assassin queen yep where she would just drop stuff in and be like oh she just stole my freaking seat I've been working hard at this and this young lady faithfully the need just stole my deck I'm saying I remember one thing and two a couple of things from season one in particular that I want to ask you about do you remember this whole thing we did with the balloons when we were outside at your old house right in front of the house on location yeah you know I'm talking about and something wasn't going right do you remember this oh yes I do and it was one of the few times where I was like all right thing we got this we're gonna keep it to you like tell me tell me what you remember about it because I because you wanted to get it right and it was something what was happening what something was happening it just wasn't going the way we wanted it to go yeah I don't know it was a little bit of a silly day like I I wasn't feeling well that day already so I was kind of like and you know we're like being sick and stuff and my mom knows I was I was not feeling my best and you know I didn't want that to get in the way of you know being excited and being involved into the scene but I don't know why but that popper was not popping like I was like my hardest to twist it was like I was struggling so much and then yeah those streamers and I was already kind of feeling like weak and stuff like that so kind of it got the best of me and I was like I didn't really want it too so I try to have my mom had like a moment with me and was there for me and like checking in on me but yeah it was a little bit it was it was more because yeah it's like I remember the one poppin one poppin and and she her face is like a little chair just a little cute face and you all of a sudden you see like tears as I say if we got this it's gonna be okay but because she's just on it all the time like she's she's a professional and it's like you want to deliver and do what is asked of you but sometimes there are situations that are completely out of our control yeah like if a popper's not gonna pop if that's there's nothing we can really do about it that's on props yeah it was sent an email we love the props strongly yeah so of course of course here's it so now I'm gonna come back to something else but like I would often tease you because faith was doing like big projects while we were doing the show like I was like okay Hollywood I see you cuz lately then she's yeah oh yes like both and stealing shazam I'll go to the mood and like you better go I would get hype because she was so good and then what we're doing on network television show faith popping up in watchman baby oh yeah faith in watchman like doing the deck gun thing I was like all right well we'll just sit back on our little network show and let faith do everything so what was it like sort of comparing and contrasting being on set with us and like each set has its own sort of vibe and its own sort of mojo like what was it like going from place to place how did you compare and contrast the different environments and you've done more since then so like just talk to me about that little bit I feel like with being on this nonsense it was my like first big project and my first show I've I've learned a lot like growing up and being on there so kind of what I've learned on set with being in this community from the cast and crew I've brought it over to those other sets and it was really nice to meet those other people I remember it's funny because when getting mic'd like you have a lot of different ways you get mic'd up yeah and I remember one day on Shazam they're kind of I kind of got to do it myself and I was like oh I kind of I think I kind of know how to do it because I I learned from being on set from them always like just doing and paying attention and stuff so that was pretty funny I remember that but like I got it I can handle it now I know how to mic I think I got some sense of direction on how to do this yeah but yeah I think I just I was able to remember from what I've learned on set and like carried it over to those ones yeah as well and everyone was always very nice and it was it's interesting to see how differently every casting crew works yeah so very very good learning experience one of the first time when one of the first scenes where we really got to see as well to bring let's go I mean you you you have a very quiet scene with Ron Cephas Jones yeah William our heart yeah and we meet this little girl who has these words of wisdom for this grown man grown man grow on the stairs what do you remember about working with Ron because we talk about him a lot on the podcast but it was an incredible moment a credible moment on television yeah I was I was pretty excited to do that scene because Annie she's very I feel like she's she's pretty similar to me very like quite she's the youngest so she's kind of like reserved herself but very observant oh yeah so I feel like as I went back and I watched the show it it was nice to see and have this scene with Mr. Ron and being able to see the bond and relationship between Annie and Grandpa William was really nice because they because like she hasn't known him for so long yeah so you know like they spent some time together and then you get to see this closeness and stuff and then her being vulnerable with him sharing her story on like when she went to a sleepover like if she would have left she would have been sad so like if you leave you're gonna be sad and then I got also notice like that's her showing her like emotional maturity which is really nice because she's so young so you would have never thought like her like saying this like oh this comes from you like that's so surprising yeah very surprising but it was really comforting and it was a lovely scene to film I'm very glad that we got to do that yeah and see the relationship between the two out scene for sure when you work on your scenes I'm curious especially you're 18 now but you're eight seven when you first start doing these things like is it just saying lines for you or do you understand like like emotionally where that person is like I'm I'm curious for you in terms of your own maturation process like how attuned you were to like the emotions under the lines at the time or is it one of those things we just do them over and over again until like they start to like sink in and affect you in a particular way or did you have like oh what is it that I'm trying to do when I say this from the beginning yeah cuz it's like you want you want to know what's going on you want to know what is going on personally with your character yeah so I feel like asking questions and then like guess like doing it over and over helps because that's one thing that I had to like discover and figure out where I wanted to go with these certain scenes with Annie and I feel like as I've got an older like doing like character dives and like really learning about your character really helps you like go on these different journeys and figure out where you want to go in these scenes yeah that's only and I feel like it it was a process that I didn't have too much in the beginning though yeah I didn't know too much of it and how to study my character so much I mean how could you what's that's what I'm saying I got what's impossible because you doing this way younger age than I did like the first play I ever did I was 14 many more was younger Chris when you start 14 around 14 or whatnot and I'm wondering like what kind of choices I could have been able to make when I was seven because you've made really good choices like throughout the course of the show and I don't know if I've ever actually asked this question specifically but what is your relationship like to acting is it something that you want to do in perpetuity is it something that like you see like it was fun to do for a particular period of time in your life like what how do you relate to it right now I feel like at the time it was very fun for me yeah and I got to spend especially on the show we got to spend so much time with these characters and working with everyone so I feel like it it grew my love for acting that I didn't know that I had before and it just it made that want stronger for me that I really I really do want to be in this industry that I really want to continue it because every time I get an audition like I'm so excited I'm like this is so fun like this is something new that I get to do and they're all so different in every way yeah I love the process I love the work that goes into it and I I want to keep doing it like it's something that I really enjoy yeah and I truly love this is your jam you feel it like this is you can hold on to this for a minute I have a question sort of more generally broadly speaking about the show when did you realize like what how big the show was and how much it meant to fans like you remember a particular moment where you were like whoa this is sort of beyond anything I could have have ever expected and I'm sure you had maybe interactions with people in your life like maybe coming up to you on the street or strangers that wanted to talk to you about being on the show. Like when do you remember that like really becoming apparent to you? - Probably around like when I was like maybe 10 years old, I feel like I could have taken like, took in the information that they were giving, not that like I ignored anything they said, but like just coming to that realization 'cause you never know how big a project could be. - Sure. - And I've always heard like how important the show was to people. - For you allowed to watch the show. - I did watch, oh I did watch the show. - You did. - I did watch the show every Tuesday I watched the show. - Oh my gosh. - Did you buy anything out or you just watched? - You watched, yeah. - Yeah, anything if I had to, I'll cover my eyes, but otherwise like you know, I watched every single episode, I wanted to tune in and I wanted to see it. And I was always so excited. I was like, no way I get to see myself on TV right now, like this is insane. - That's fun for you? - For younger me, it was fun. Like I, yes it was like, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. You know, I'm a little picky on myself, but I was so little. So it was like, I'm just excited to see myself. Like I mean, I'm still excited. - I was very excited. - It was fun for me. (all laughing) - Yeah. - No, it's always a fun experience. I love it. And it's like, it feels so surreal. Like I couldn't believe that I could see myself, but it's just like, you know, like when you get, when I was becoming a teenager and stuff, like I'm like, I start like, I don't really like the way I look in that scene, but I'm like, it can't be picky. - Of course. - You just, you know. - I mean, that's a part of growing up, no matter what. You're just living your teenager life like on the big screen, it's magnified for everybody. But what's there a moment you remember when the show, the show is big, like I'm on this big TV show, this is kind of crazy. I'm just curious as a young person, like how that affects you or? - I feel like maybe I'd say going back to school, I had like, people at school like in the staff that would watch the show and say how much they loved it. And then also hearing like just other stories on how much people connected to it and could relate to it with these characters. I was like, wow, that's like everyone really does watch it. Like I remember even having a classmate was like, my parents watched the show. And I was like, it's crazy and they couldn't believe that. - Yeah. - More that was us after these words from our sponsors. - Summer always makes me rethink what I'm reaching for every day. Lighter fabrics, better materials, pieces that just feel good, the moment that you put them on. And they also look effortless. I think that's what is so important. And that is why I keep coming back to Quince. - Me too. - They focus on high quality essentials. We're talking breathable linen, soft organic cotton, a washable silk, but without the luxury markup, right? - Yeah, without it. - Without it. It's rare. - Who needs a luxury markup? - It is a rare balance where everything feels elevated but still easy. - Mark it down, son. Quince has beautiful everyday pieces. Like 100% European linen pants, dresses and tops with style starting at $32. - Yeah, they got this, they got, their denim is so soft. - I love it. - They have these incredible linen shirts that are great for layering with the cotton sweaters. Everything, I'm not kidding. Everything on the site goes together. - Yes, you just order it and you put it all together. - I love it. - And it's not just clothing you guys. Now, what else they got? Tell me all about it. - I've just bought a bunch of kitchen stuff. - Yeah. - All of my bedding is from Quince throughout my entire house for the kids, for us, for guests, everything. I have been such a deep Quince fan forever. It makes it easy to bring a more premium feel into everyday life. - That's right, you know I'm the Quince Prince. These pants right now, Quince. - Yeah, are they really? - That's right. Last night I put on an outfit to go to an FYC event, finished it off with a gold necklace from Quince. Listen, my life is full of, I mean, from our salt and pepper shakers to my wife's red light therapy mask. - Everything is from Quince. - Quince, my dogs. - Elevate your summer wardrobe, go to quince.com/TWU for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now, available in Canada too. That's q-u-i-n-c-e.com/TWU for free shipping and 365 day returns. - Quince.com/TWU. - Hello friends. If you have listened to this podcast, then you are well aware. We are gigantic article furniture fans over here. - That's right. - This beautiful catch we're sitting on right now. - Article. - Guess what, our coffee table. - Article. - Our chairs. - Chair's article. - Just bookcase. - All around. - Look around. - It's, look around. Feast your eyes on articles curated range of mid-century modern or coastal or scanned inspired pieces that shine on their own, but also pair seamlessly together as we've sort of mixed and matched. - Yeah. - The thoughtful design approach makes it really easy to mix and match and it helps you create a space that feels cohesive and dare I say stylish? - It's quality without compromise. All right, guys, what you know. - Yes, I do. - That's why we're telling them. Article takes great care in curating its collection, focusing solely on high quality, meaningful pieces that will stand the test of time. - Yeah. - All right, it's meticulously packaged. The weight and the feel of the product is incredible. And a lot of things come mostly assembled. - Makes a big difference, man. I want to spend time enjoying my furniture not putting my stuff together. - That's right. - You know what I'm saying? I don't have time for that. - Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more to claim visit article.com/twu and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. That's article.com/twu for $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. (upbeat music) - I think one of my favorite moments from the entire run of the show was it the first time that we won Best Ensemble? - At the Saga Awards. - That was amazing. - 'Cause we did win twice. - We did win twice. (laughing) But when we were all there, and you were there, and I mean, everyone was there. Not just the five, seven or eight of us, and it was this giant, and we will put the photo on the screen right now of all of us holding the actor awards, the Saga Awards. And at the time, one of those weighed the same amount that you did. - They're very heavy. - They're really so heavy. - I was like, "Oh, I didn't expect that." - Yeah, totally. It was like a giant dumbbell. - They now have like a stand next to the microphone. So if you win, you can put it on the stand so you don't have to hold it the whole time. - Yeah, 'cause it's that heavy. - It's like 15, 20 pounds. - It's heavy. - It's not, yeah. But that photograph is still one of my favorite photos. - It's like us kind of like going crazy or something. - Yeah, yeah. - We had us cheering. - Yeah. - And there must be 20 of us. - Yeah, it was a big group. - Yeah, it was really big. - 25 cast members. - Were those experiences fun for you? - Yeah, it was my first time there. I didn't really know much about the Sagawatts at the time. And I was like, "You good to dress up?" You get to wear dress, you get to get ready. And I went with my mom the first time. I believe I went with my dad the second time, right? And I remember it was my mom's birthday, too. - Yeah. - And what a birthday gift. - Yeah, and then just seeing everyone outside of set and we were all like, you know, dressed up and stuff, that was very exciting. - It was always fun to like get dressed up and see everybody like, "Oh, we're outside of like the office." - Especially when we all got to be together. - Yeah. - And to get and to be recognized as an ensemble. - By our peers. - Yeah, 'cause I mean, I didn't get to see, I didn't get to work with everyone like, at least I guess like the younger versions, like Lonnie McKenzie and, you know, and Parker. And then you have your teenagers. So getting to really see everyone. That was really exciting. - As we got further down into the seasons, you even got to see yourself, your character transported into the future, right? A older version of "Annie Winsor" was cast. What was that experience? - That's a good question. - It's surreal. - Yeah, that was crazy when I found out that I was gonna have an older version. I was like, "Oh, I'm so curious." Like how she gonna look. - How'd she think she looked? - I think she looked. - Yeah, I did. I think it was really good. - It was really good. - It was really good, right? - Yes, it was. - We've just gotten to this point in the podcast and watching the show. And I was watching with my husband. And he was like, "That's Annie." - He called it immediately. - He called it immediately. Like, didn't remember. We get to this point in the show where seasons four and five are like a little fuzzier. We remember six. We remember one and two. But yeah, it's funny. Like, even just totally like out of context. He was walking across as I was watching. He was like, "It's Annie." I'm like, "Yeah, you're right." It was really good. And then even like with cautionary to see like how Annie addresses in the future, that was exciting to see. I loved it. - You see, that's kind of a bohemian vibe. - Yeah. - It's really cool. - Yes, and continue to wear her like colorful cardigan. - That's right. That's right. - I loved it. - Here's a question. How do you feel just, I mean, in life from seven to now 18? 'Cause you are. always sweet, always very respectful. What have you? How do you feel? Are you a different person? Are you the same person? And what ways do you think you have changed? Right? Like just as a person. I'd say I'm different from when I was younger. Being 18 is such an awkward age. Like there's like change that happens but nothing. I mean I guess it's pretty big for me because you know I'm so little and I was working on the show and then you know then your teenager and then you're in high school and then you experience that as you're working and then now I'm in college which is like a crazy different experience and I didn't know how to how it would go. I was really nervous and stuff but I was like it was a very exciting chapter that I was ready for. I think you'll find as we can attest and as the show this is us can attest. The ages don't get any less awkward. Yeah as you continue forward. Yes. There's different different levels of challenge. Everything has its own challenge. I'm curious for you as you just sort of told us that this is your passion right? You want to be an actor and this is what you're you're studying in school. Do you have sort of a dream role? Is there something like are there kinds of parts or projects that you tend to gravitate towards more or you're looking to do and then like ultimately what is what is what is the ultimate dream? That's a good question. Good question, Mandy. Yeah that's amazing. You know it's like sometimes you're like oh yeah I want to do a horror film or like a musical would be so fun. Like there's like all of us have our own little like you know pet projects that you're dreaming one day might come to fruition. Mandy wants to do a horror musical. A horror music on the show. I mean when I was it's funny when I was little I always wanted to do a superhero movie. Oh so when I got the audition for Shazam I was I was so excited I was like no way I get to audition for a superhero. So that was something that I really wanted right now. I think about it. Bucketless is empty. I'm open to everything. But I'm open to everything. I feel like I've had auditions first and scary movies and I'm curious how this side is like I get nervous. I get not nervous. I get scared watching those movies or but I still watch them and I'm curious on how the filming processes and if it really is scary like being on set I feel like that would be a lot of fun. I bet it with like defuse the tension and the fear a little bit. You'd probably watch if you wound up doing it. If you did a scary film you would probably realize like oh actually. Yeah. I've seen like exactly it's kind of silly. Yeah. No. Not getting ready to. You are right. That's amazing. One of those drag it to be I get to turn into a werewolf. No way. That's so cool. That's all I'm gonna say. Oh my goodness. And then you get to know like all the fun details that went into it and then when you watch it you're like I know what happened right here. I know how it works. Yeah. Yeah. That is so exciting. I'm so excited. Yeah. Is there anything about you that you think people would be surprised by? Like you think people may read you for one thing but like what's something about you that you think people would find surprising. I don't know. Huge MMA fan. Mixed martial artists too. She's not even a fan. Like she is. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She's a fighter. Oh that's hard. I know. Also don't tell them let it be a surprise. Yeah. How about you'll just surprise people. They'll have to wait and see. Yeah. I'm curious. Are there any fun or funny stories from like the show that really stand out to you? Like anything that happened on set. I know you guys were getting into trouble. You guys were only laughing. Honestly that's when I think about something going on over there. The Pearson family, your Pearson family. I was like no it was only like a barrel of ours was not a barrel of laughs. We were all well we definitely had our laughs. Okay. Every time I looked over at the three of you you were all laughing about something. Yeah. You guys have like your own inside secrets. I want to know inside jokes. Oh my gosh. I love you around you guys. It was like always so much fun. Like when the cameras were rolling we were always laughing. Like especially Eris. She always had something funny. And stuff like I loved it. Yeah. It was great. I feel like towards the end you guys started doing TikToks. Yeah. There's a lot. Oh yeah. I remember I had Eris do like a TikTok with me even like when we weren't rolling. One of the episodes I was pretty funny. You do that like outside of the set and stuff. And then when we'd have like the big gatherings with like Thanksgiving. Yeah. So just really exciting. Like all of us together and stuff because normally like we don't get to see everyone. I know. So that was always a lot of fun. I love those episodes and just to see what the Pearson's like their family traditions were. Yeah. Like for Thanksgiving. That was really nice. Yeah. It was a good time man. Like there's something like every once in a while I have these pictures of you guys at my house. They only like kept a couple of things from the show. And it's really just like pictures of you and Eris and Lyric and me and Sue when we were younger. And it's sort of just surreal for me. I'm not your parents. Very parents. Right. But I got a chance to see you like grow up. Right. And there's there's nothing like faith is not the person that ever had to be like rained in or anything. You know what I'm saying? Like everyone's like Eris. Eris we shouldn't. Eris we're shooting a show now. And she's like, oh sorry. But like faith was always just sort of like taking it all in. And she's like, I know it's time to shoot by you to tell me. Like I'm ready. Yeah. You know, and it's I don't know man. Like I feel like thank you guys. I'm pointing to their parents because I only have two boys but I kind of feel like I got a chance to raise three girls too. Even though I didn't. But like kind of, you know, I mean, we spent so much time together. So much. Yeah. It was a joy. Like it was a joy to see how you consistently showed up. Like really ready. Like there was even a moment like in season six where I was like I think I think faith needs to have like she wasn't on the train for a moment. And I remember reading the first one. I was like, Dan, I think we had faith on this train. Yeah. And he's like, yeah, we do. Because you were just you made everything better. Like these lines that they would give you. Like did you know that you were as funny as you were? I don't think I did. Sometimes I just I'd say thing when I was like, oh, that's pretty funny. Like that's what I loved about Annie. I feel like she wasn't trying. It wasn't intentional. Like, yeah. And she just say exactly. And then like what she really knowing what she was saying sometimes, I don't know. Like one of the episodes I remember about the her having her inhaler and Beth giving it to her. And she's like, my vice-vasma. And she's like, who's this cocaine? And then it's like, yes. And do you know what's going on? Yeah. Like that was that was the fact that I think about her. Yeah. And then even I remember like at the dinner table, like the knock-knock jokes, like trying to distract. Like there were certain things. Like maybe I realized, yeah, that's pretty funny. Yeah. But not all the time. There was one. I realized when when Malik's family came over to the house and you're like, I want a baby. Oh, wait. I mean, yes, that dinner, that awkward dinner. I want one. Like she was holding the baby. And then Annie, Annie said some comment. I don't remember exactly what it was. But she was like something. Like, doesn't that make do you know the stepmom? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just very straight forward. Yeah. And you know, we're always excused from that dinner table. Like, was the knock-knock joke in the episode I directed? Was it? We had a big dinner table scene to where again, you guys were dismissed from the table. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because we had that little like scene of us like sitting in the living room together. Yeah. And she's like, okay, would I tug on me? You're like, you're going to say the knock-knock joke. Have you said them? And I was like, well, not in a while. Yeah. But I did it anyways. We meet. Tess and Annie showed up front. Deja, I'm, but it didn't work out. Yeah. It didn't work out too, but it was funny. You worked out each and every time. Like you, your mom and dad were such beautiful people, right? Like you, you come from such a solid background. Well, here's the other part too. The whole time around the show. You know, you guys commuted from San Diego the whole time. Yeah. Like mom, you tell me about waking up like early early. Like what do you remember about? Did you just sleep in the car? Did you ever try to keep your mama company? Like how did it normally go? Oh my goodness. Yeah. It was pretty early and then having to drive from San Diego Tully, like sometimes it's two hours or three hours. And I would, I remember I would love to, you know, stay up with my mom. But then I'm, but then she's like, think it's okay. You could go to say it was like, you can't come fee. That's off to mom and dad for all of that driving, all of the miles that you put on the car. And going back at night, like you never like, how often did you guys stay in LA if you had to have an early call the next day? Did you always go back home? Usually I'd always go back home but sometimes yeah we had moments where we stayed in hotels, like if we were there for like maybe like two days and stuff, so we'd stay up so it was nice that we were like, oh now we're like 15 minutes away from the studio. Much easier. It's a much easier commute. Much easier. But yeah, my mom and dad, they always brought me like pillows and blankets and made sure that I was comfortable and getting the sleep that I needed. And even like, with school with my mom, like when they would send me off my school with like, okay, this is the work that you're going to be doing while you're on set and mismoney would make sure that I would do it. If there was something that I didn't finish, but I had finished school, my mom would even stop like at a restaurant and like we'd like eat dinner and then I'm doing school work on this side to make sure that I got my school in. Because the next morning, I just go back to school and you know, and continue going from where I left off. So how is that going back and forth between like going to actual school, like attending with your friends and then like doing school on set. Like, did you feel like people regarded you different or treated you different? Was it a weird thing to jump back and forth between those two worlds? Yeah. It was a little weird on how to navigate it. And I didn't really know how school was going to be. I was like, I'm going to be missing some school and not like how am I going to be able to keep up with the work in it. But I had really amazing teachers that were always there for me and making sure that I had all the school work that I needed. They had a schedule planned out for me. Even when it came to taking tests, I'm like, I'm going to miss a test day. But they're like, no, here's the packet. And then you get to do that with your studio teacher and then give it back to us. So they made it very organized and easy for me to be able to stay on track with everyone, which was really nice. So it didn't make me feel like I was excluded or anything. And I was still getting my school work in and learning. So it was really nice to have that support. Did you feel like people treated you differently or looked at you differently or no? Maybe. I don't know. It was, it was kind of weird like being younger because you don't really think of it. You just want to make friends in school and stuff like that. And you want to be friendly to everyone and stuff. And maybe other nine year olds aren't watching the show. Yeah. I mean, no, but like, yeah, they got on like the, the sort of, I do what you say. I did. I did. I did. I think probably for fate. I'm guessing because she's so mellow and sort of unassuming with it. Like a faith that showed up with like a big old like this is a swag bag. I got to go work right now. My mom's got a commuter. I can't make it to this thing. I'm a jigger. Sorry. So I'll see. I'm sure everything was very understated. She probably just kept it like mellow or whatnot and nice and easy. She did bring her saggle word to school, though. Oh, wow. That's like, hello? This is my saggle word guy. Show and tell. Yeah. The thing that I, but what you're talking about, Mandy is interesting because I had this feeling of feeling like the same person. But other people were now responding to me differently. Yeah. Even though I felt like I'm just, you know, doing me or whatnot, but other people would sort of be like, oh my gosh, like until to that extent, do you feel like other people would sort of look at you differently, even if you felt like the same person? Yeah, because I definitely felt like the same person. I didn't want to be treated any differently. Yeah. Um, and stuff. So maybe like at times, I felt like I didn't know people's intentions sometimes. Yeah. But then I still had like those close friends that, um, at school that were always there and supported for me and didn't, you know, didn't treat me differently. And those are the people that you value probably the most because like, oh, they know me for me. Yeah. And not for anything else that I'm doing in the world. Yeah. Cause it gets harder like when you get older and then you move into middle school and high school and like trying to navigate and find like, um, who your real friends are. Yeah. Um, so it's because it's like you don't want to assume with people because I, and that's like it was hard for me. I'm like, I don't know. But I feel like I had, I had a pretty good like normal experience that being treated, um, not differently. And, um, I was able to have that elementary, middle school and high school experience and find those friends, um, which I'm very thankful for. And then I also had people around me who kept me grounded. I had my siblings. I had my parents and my, you know, my cousins and everyone. So, um, for me, I, I, I felt fine. Okay. Like yes, like you go through those challenges and you have to figure it out. But I mean, anyone goes through challenges. Amen. Amen. I mean, to, to a certain, to the same extent, like, it's funny because you're dealing with this at a much younger age. And maybe like as the show sort of comes down from the Zach, it's like we're four years away from it right now. But I do remember thinking for a period of time, I was like, how do I know why people want to be around me? And I'm sure Mandy, like for you, for someone who's been in the public eye for an extended period of time as well. Like, how do I know people are are hanging with me because they just like Mandy and not sort of like the spheres that come around, Mandy, you know what I mean? Like is that something that you felt like you had to negotiate at all? I think the older you get, the more dug into who you are, I think you're just, you become more perceptive of like, that feels offered. That doesn't feel genuine. Like, I think as a younger person, it's harder to navigate that. Um, um, especially like, I think I'm sort of a recovering people pleaser. So I always just wanted to like, you might suffer from the same thing. You treat everybody well and you just expect that like the world at large is going to do the same for you. And sometimes that's not always the case. And I just feel like as I've gotten older, I've learned to sort of maybe pick up on things that don't feel entirely genuine. That's a good way to think you kind of just feel it. And I, since I have like all these older siblings and all my cousins, like, they go through experiences as well and like, I go and talk to them, you know, for advice and stuff. And I'll also of course go to my parents as well. Right. So that's just like those are very helpful for me. Yeah. Like you, what you're saying to a certain extent, I think, I can see and learn from other people's experiences too and not just my own. Yeah. Which is, she's smart. She's smart. Is there anything you're excited about right now? Yes. In your life that you want to tell people about or where can people find you on socials? If that's something you want them to be able to do? Oh, um, I have Instagram, take talk in Twitter. Of course. This under my name, Faith Herman. Faith with a name with an e. Yes. Thank you so much. Um, but I'm just, I'm excited for the chapter in my life that I'm in right now for school. I'm very excited to see where that goes. And, um, I, I'm enjoying every second right now. So I really, I really like it. I just have to say like there are so many of our children on the show that have prioritized school. And I feel like it is so unbelievable, you know, that like that, even though you're an actor and you're a working actor, and this is something that you want to pursue, like watching Niles, Lyric, like people that are just sort of like school, school, and that's something that I want to experience too. I, I just, I applaud and commend you for that. I think it's like, it's a once in a lifetime experience. It's when I didn't have. So I'd like whenever I see other young people who are working, but still prioritize that. I just, I think it's incredible. You won't regret it. You're a bomb young lady. You are. It's been a joy to watch you grow up. I can't wait to see what the next 10 years has to offer you. Don't forget about your boy. Give me a job. Yeah. Exactly. When you're directing one day, that's what I'm saying. We're all looking for work. Yes. Consider us all open. Yes, that is my dream. We look forward to it. Thank you for joining us. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so thankful. I got to see you guys. I missed you guys so much. I missed you so much. And your parents, ladies and gentlemen, this was Faith Herman with an e. We appreciate you being here. Would you do me a favor? Would you look into your camera? And would you tell them the name of this show? That was us. That was us, is filmed at Rabbit Green Studios and produced by Rabbit Green Productions, music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. That was a hate bomb podcast. [BLANK_AUDIO]