Lyric Ross and Us | Deja Pearson

This is a headgum podcast. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a wonderful guest today on that was us, you know her as the character of Deja starting in season two and coming with us throughout the rest of the journey. Like she was there from the beginning. It's how seamlessly she fit in. She was a beautiful young actor, she was a young lady, now she's grown. She grown. She gonna be 23, matter when she was 14 when she started the show, ladies and gentlemen, one of my favorite TV daughters ever, the wonderful, the incomparable, lyric, Nicole Ross. Hello. Hello. Thank you for joining us in the flash. Yeah, thank you. I'm glad to be in a room this time. Yeah, you just moved back to LA. I did. For what? What for? Yeah. To come to the podcast. Pretty much. Yeah. You just had to move. You could have just flown in. I think that was the better idea. Yeah. Yeah. So for context, Ellebug Liz and Chicago was living in Chicago when you wound up booking the show as well. It's where you began your acting career right at age five. Pretty much. Well, it was the first thing you ever did when you were five. Was it commercial? Was it a TV? Um, what was it? I think it was like a jet magazine ad. Oh. Jet. I don't even make jet. Yeah. It was great. Yeah. It was a prank like that. Yeah. Okay. Was it first on camera job you got hold with you when you got it? Was I like nine? Okay. What was it? It was, it was some commercial for like a future woman president that they had done, you know, on the news. Nice. When you were going to be the president, were you. I was one of them. Yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah. What gave you, what were you inspired by as a young person that made you want to become an actor, a performer, being the business at all, you're so lovely and like, you have such a gentleness to you that like too lovely for this industry. Too lovely for this industry, you know, um, I'm just so curious. Honestly, I've been one to do this since I can remember. Yeah. This story that my mom keeps telling about when I was like two years old, and the Incredibles came out and I just got really obsessed with Frozen and this one monologue that he had. And I started like trying to memorize it. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so it's like, okay, whatever this is, I want to do it. Whatever is called acting, um, theatrical, whatever, like I'm going for it. I've memorized it, yes, it's been like that since. So cute. Yeah. I love Incredibles too. Me too. Honey. Where's my super soon. Thank you. Thank you. You locked it into the frozen. So then, okay, going back to Chris's question then, starting off in Chicago, going back to Chicago after the show was over, right? What ultimately brought you out here to LA right now? Um, I can't say that I just, I was so eager to make this move. Sure. Um, it was a lot of prayer that went into it. I really wanted to make sure I was doing the best thing for me. And I think at the time that I moved back to Chicago, that was the best thing to just be closer to family. And, you know, this has some time to discover what is going on in here. Yeah. The reason just kind of came to a close and I was like, okay, let's, let's see what the next step is. And I kept feeling that it was to come back here, but in a different way, I don't know what that means just yet, but I'm going to find out. Still processing. Not for you. It is interesting. Like, I will say this before we go any further, like LA, sometimes you guys, let me know how you feel. Man, you've been famous your whole life. Sure. Hold on, but here's the, here's the thing, it's true, it's true, there's this feeling that like, well, New York, like you've done Chicago as well. So you get, you can speak to that. When you're not working in one of those like mainly theatrical communities, you still feel very much connected to that community. And like, even though you just like, there's a reading somewhere or there's a play that you go see and there's still a feeling of like, sometimes when you're not working in LA, it just feels kind of lonely. Is that, yeah, is that what you're feeling right now or how you, yeah, I miss my family band. Oh my goodness. And when I got introduced to LA, I got introduced to Hollywood, which is like, it's already like, I don't like this at all. So hopefully this is getting introduced to another part of LA that's a lot more genuine and real people who are not so married to their jobs. I would love to explore that if possible. I feel you. It's out there. It is. It's really brave of you to come out here on your own and to like, pray on it and to trust your gut that this is where you need to be in the season of your life because it is like, I'm sure it's, it's incredibly challenging to step away from your family and your comfort zone and your community in Chicago, like there is still so much art that's being made there. But to know that like, for whatever reason, you're being called out here right now is, yeah, it's just, it's really brave and I know you will find community out here too. There are, there are good people. There's not just the industry. I think we all can attest to that. Sure. It's what keeps us here in some ways, but like you stay because you find your people. Yeah. It's such a sprawling place. Yeah. You can't point like in New York, you can kind of see New York in Chicago, you're like, there it is. That's it. Right over there. This neighborhood from here to here and in L.A. it just seems to go on forever, forever, and ever and ever. And every direction. Are we still in L.A.? If you're like, yup. Yup. Still in L.A. I'm driving in a straight line for 90 minutes. Still in L.A. Still Los Angeles. Where's Hollywood? Nobody knows. It's very true. It's very true. Yeah. There's the sign. That's not it though. Yeah. That's not it. It's more ethereal than that. Here's okay. So let me ask you this one, right? You're 14 when you get this gig. 13. 13 when you get the gig. Oh my. Oh my. Please do the research. Yeah. What did it feel like? What do you remember about the audition? I know we've asked you this before. I'm just revisiting it or whatnot. Because I ultimately want to get to like, was it like growing up kind of on a show? Like, did you feel in the midst of it where you're missing home where you're just excited for the opportunity? Was it all fulfilling? Was some of it hard? Like, I just want to know a little bit about how your experience was from 13 to 18, like doing the whole thing. I think at that point, I had had enough of home at 14. Yeah. Good. I've done enough of that. Yeah. I've grown you. It's only because, you know, I'm being put in a position that like, I've, I have never done anything like this before. And this is beyond where I was taken in my dreams. So it was like, I don't, I don't know what to do in this moment other than, you know, give it as much as I possibly can. Sure. Because I was just a guest star at that point. So it's like, okay, you got two or three episodes guaranteed to knock out the part. How am I going to do it? I don't know what I'm going to try. So that was it for me. I was like, okay, two or three episodes and I'm going home. I'm going to live my dream for like two weeks and I'm going home. And after that, they just, I kept bringing me back and I'm like, what, what is going on? It literally felt like my life was shifting. And it was a lot for me to take it in. First of all, all of the cutting of the hair and in the shape and a plug in my head is like in the end, I didn't even matter because I wanted this so bad. So it was, I was extremely excited, really happy. Okay, so you, as you were recalling that story, do you, you actively remember being nervous? And I ask you this question because since you hit it really well, like we all know El Bugia is an old soul. Yes. And it's like from the first time you are on set, I was like, she's been doing this for 40 years. Yeah. Right? And like clearly, you're not. But like, nerves weren't one of the first things that I caught. And like, you can usually clock when people are nervous, nervous. But like, your ability to move through it, it didn't impede your artistry. And I don't know if you have any sort of thoughts about it. But like, I'm curious because you do the job. Like, and you do the job really, really well. And I'm wondering, like, what would you accredit that to in terms of like, either preparation, your practice, or even just like who you are as a person? I mean, I don't know because I was shaking in my boots every single day. I was on that set. But I did have a mother. I still have a mother. You still have a mother? Shout out to Brandon. Yes. She has always believed in me more than I believed in myself. So when it came to work ethic and confidence, it mostly came from her. And you know, the rehearsing every day. And when I didn't have auditions and kind of threatening to take certain things away, it's like, I'm paying all of this gas money and you want to complain about going to an audition on a certain school day or whatever. All of that, everything that built up to that specific moment, it was already instilled in me by her. I don't know. I can't really explain it other than that. It's just I had a good foundation. Yeah. How do you lock into the work when you are on set, though, as Sterling said, because you just have, you're, you have such a gentle way. You're so calm. And it comes across as like, just so connected, so connected to who you are. I'm just curious, like, how do you form that? How do you tap into that? It's so seamless. Like, you are deja. There's no, like, right? Yeah. So I'm just curious. I don't think it's much of a formula to that for me. I just, I love what I do so much. I love the creation, the imagination, the, the freedom to just do anything that comes up and let whatever is in me flow out. And when I feel like I am in a safe space to do so, which T-I-U gave me that space, it's like I was so relaxed, weirdly, and, and still scared, so afraid of messing up. There was so much peace on that set. And I was just like, yeah, let's go, especially with this one. Yeah. Like, since what, the, the callback, I remember the way that you looked at me. Like, it was almost like you, we were like, this right here is already set in stone. It was a callback. It was two other girls there. But you looked at me like, this is, this is what it's going to be for however long. Yeah. Yeah. Like, it's a ton of y'all. Let's get it. Yeah. We'll be right back with more of that with us. We have, I can, I can tell you this. Me and Sue, after we've done with, with you and other, other young ladies, we went to Dan immediately. You were like, there's no, there's no thing like the other young ladies were wonderful. They were delightful. But you talk about somebody who was just like planted, right? I was like, there's, there's no other choice, right? And the Dan was like, yeah, you're right. And I was, me and Sue were like, overjoyed. I was like, all right, he didn't mess it, he picked the one, right? And so when you got there, like, there's, you had, like, I make fun of you because I love, but because like, there's this, like, wonderful sense of all that she had coming on and said, like, she would just look at everything and be like, ooh, look at that. Well, we got real strawberry. It's like, ooh. I wasn't allowed to eat on the other sense. Okay. This is the new world. Yeah. I have a breakfast, like, can we eat these parents? I don't think you yell in life or like sort of get too high or whatnot, but when, when, like, it's on set or whatnot, you don't meet too many young people that feel more mature than you. Yeah. And that's what you, that's what you feel like, right? Like, I, and I remember it was a perfect dynamic for Randall and Deja because there'd be times in which I wanted to give her something and she's like, I already know that. I don't need that. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Totally. And it was like, oh, yeah. That's probably how it is in life too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Bring some of my experience to this as well. She's like, let me tell you. But she would never do that because she's not that person, but like she could. She'd like, start and look, I have a suggestion. And I would be like, okay, whatever. Tell me. Yes. I wanted to help. Yes. That's crazy. You've been here before. Yeah. Well, I saw her. She came to visit me at Paradise the other day. And we had just got finished watching the episode where she goes to Boston. Where Deja goes to Boston to see Malik, and I was telling her. And we talked about this on the podcast. At the end of the episode where I said, like, you know, it's going to take me a while to catch up. I'm used to seeing the cute little girl who first came into my house and everything. So give me a moment to like, you know, appreciate the young lady who's in front of me right now. She being said, you were not honest or what not, and it's going to be a while before you get a chance to see your boyfriend again. Yeah. And this young lady looked at me and said, that's going to be a problem. And I was like, I don't know who this brought me up. She talking to. Yeah. But it was one of the strongest lines. Yeah. It was one of the strongest lines. Her parents' daddy. Yeah. That's going to be a problem. Because it wasn't mean. No. It was matter of fact. I was like, can you say that? Yeah. Like that. Yes. And she did. And she did. And you're like, well, that's going to necessitate a further conversation. And I was like, yeah. Well. It was really brilliant. You know what I mean? Yeah. We'll just have to talk about that. Because it wasn't the whiny teenager. Like, dad, what are you talking? No. It was just so adult. Yeah. No. Okay. That's what you think. Yeah. Because maybe you can recognize this at this point in time. But if not, I'll just say it out loud. Because you were occurring on the first season or whatnot. And if it had gone terribly wrong, you probably would have done two or three episodes. But when writers look on the camera, and they're looking at the dailies, and they're seeing what an actor is giving them, we're like, we're going to write more about her, right? And you got a chance to carry episodes. Yeah. Yeah. Like tell me, like the episode where you, like, your grandmother's PamGrey, you don't have too much to do with PamGrey. Do you have anything to her before you, but you know, there's, so there's the young girl, and then it's you and what's my girl who plays? Shawna. Shawna. Joy. Yes. Joy Brunson. Like, talk, talk to about like that episode and what you remember about, like, you put it on your back, and you carried that job. What do you feel like? I was so scared. Sometimes I don't believe you. I was so scared. I think you was ready. Yeah. Well, she was clearly because you did it. It was great. Like, I thought, I thought they would do it way too much, and these were going so fast. Like, how am I supposed to do this? But it was, it was a huge honor, and I was so nervous that I would mess it up. Yeah. It was kind of like, I don't know, I was afraid of everything, like every single wrong move. But everybody was so reassuring that, you know, I'm here for a reason, and I am doing this because of what the people have seen prior. Yeah. So just kind of like, okay, I mean, you're all crazy, but let's just do it. This whole time you were going back and forth to Chicago, even after you became a regular in season three, right? Mm-hmm. Season three. You were going back and forth to Chicago. You were still in the same school, same group of people. Yeah. What was it like kind of dipping in and out of that world socially, and then after those episodes come out, becoming like a recognizable person at such a young age? That was rough. Was it? Yeah. In my way. I am, if you couldn't tell, very reserved. And just, you know, coming back home and having random people recognizing me from a specific show, like I couldn't go to the grocery store without a line of people being in the back of me for some reason, trying to get a picture with me. It was ridiculous. And I had no idea that that was to come after I made this appearance going, "This is us," so it kind of just hit me out of nowhere. The pair of social relationships are odd enough as it is, but people forget, like, this is a child. Yeah. Yeah. You're a kid. Yeah. Who's trying to go about her life and, you know, it's one thing to follow a grown man around the grocery store and try to get a photo. Still weird. But even more so. But I do, young sterling. Whenever I see you. I saw you. I still do it. I still do it. I still do it. I still do it. I still do. I still do it. I still do it. I still do it. I still do it. But yeah, what was it like in the school setting? How did your friends react to you coming and going? They would say that coming back after I had cut my hair, oh, kids are extremely cruel. Yeah. What they say about the cute one. Oh my God. It was horrible. Yeah. It was really bad. I have two daughters that had to cut their hair on the show. That's a question. And you know one of them, they're like, oh, I didn't like it. Yeah. Like the whole time, I was like, you're like, I'm not looking forward to this at all. Yeah. Honestly, you're doing that to a young black girl, a lot with most of us. Our hair is everything. Speak on it. So it's like you, you're taking all of that as someone who has struggled with low self-esteem, I used to use my long hair because it was pretty long as kind of like, I don't know a sense of protection, I already didn't think that I was beautiful without it. So you're taking away my beauty. Now what do I have? Now I've got to come back as this, I'm not saying it in like a literal sense, but I do, I did think that I was hideous. Oh my God. It was, that was kind of the reality and I didn't have people around me telling me otherwise, at least in that school. So that was something that I had to just live through for some time. How long did it feel like I didn't remember for it, like you felt covered again? Me until like a few years ago, listen, let me tell you guys something and this is an important conversation. Like I would talk to this young lady all the time and tell her how beautiful she was and she's like, no, I'm like, what do you mean, no? She's like, I'm not, like you can say that, but I know I'm not, and I'm like, look at this smile. Oh my gosh. The most dazzling smile. Look at the eyes, look at the nose, and the jaw, and she's like, it's a beautiful girl. It is. And like it was, it was, it was real tough and it still is because I think she still sort of works through it, right? And I sort of insist on trying to be another voice because we all go through that. I go through it easily, like there's times in which I look at like kid pictures of me and I was like, oh, that's tough. Thank God for a beard to cover up all this face, but I'm not being perfectly honest with you. When Xavier has to go like back in the day and be like, clean shaven, oh, there's a lot of face. Give me a beard. Let me cover some of this crap up. I don't need to use the voice. So I say that to know like, if I even have that voice in my own head or whatnot, I'm deeply appreciative of when other people give me another voice to hear, right? And so I just, I'm going to keep saying it, not because I'm trying to convince you, but every once in a while you'd be like, well, sterling things, this. Yeah. So. And Mandy and Chris. There you go. And this entire podcast. Yeah. Are you able to think back now to that time and have a little more grace for yourself and recognize that maybe it wasn't quite as bad as? Yeah. I definitely, I look at myself a lot differently than I did. Sure. Then. Thank goodness. There was a lot that had to happen in order for me to get to that point. But I am starting to see and appreciate the beauty that I carry. More so the inner beauty because I wasn't seeing any of it at one point. So it's like, now things are just starting to come up like, oh, okay. I didn't even know that this was a part of me. Like, this is something that I actually really loved in this particular person that I grew up with or that I was around. And I share that same things was different stuff like that. And my relationship with God and how he looks at me. That has probably played the biggest part of turning around my own vision, my natural vision at least. How does God see you? Oh, don't make me cry. I am a literal princess. Yeah. I am royalty, which is crazy that that's coming out of my mouth, but it's true. And a child of God and being made in his image, there's so much beauty in that in itself. There's so much love that you walk with and that you have to share. And the light that you carry in the midst of darkness, that in itself is very powerful. And I'm starting to realize that he gave me that type of power to share with others and to change a couple of things around me. I answer your question without mad on the cross. That's an acceptable answer. Yeah. I'm good with that. It's okay. You're sorry. Did those moments of seeing how you know, having to cut your hair or how people reacted to that or the difficulties, did you ever waver on whether or not this was the right path for you or were you still steadfast in that? I think I wavered for like two minutes and then I was like, okay, I'm over it. Because again, I wanted this so bad, like it's going to grow back somehow, but I want this for the rest of my life. And if I let it slip just because they're trying to cut my hair. First of all, I thought it was going to be like into a cute little bob, so I was like, okay, that's not too bad. But you know, you had it like you, you did, you did it, didn't you? I was very short. Yeah. They put into like two pig tails and I went, got some scissors and started cutting and can really piss me off with this one. He was just telling me it's like higher layer, just just go a little bit higher, just keep going higher. I was like, oh, I'm about to throw something at this man right here. But it was after that where they had the hair style is kind of, you know, give me a tapered look. I cannot think of a better or worse person to be giving you that direction. Like for those, for those who don't get, it's like, yeah, it's, it's both perfect. There could not be a more infuriating situation, I imagine for you, for you, especially being new. Yeah. Yeah. Who is this gentleman? He's a vibe. I'm sorry, sir. It's very cool, you. Thirty what? Thirty something. What? I said, I'm not from here. Higher. This is enough. Yeah. It's high enough. Sir. Okay, so your experience, we mentioned working with Joy Brunson. What? You guys did such exceptional work together. And she came back a lot on the show as well. So I'm just curious like what your relationship was, how, because you guys developed this sort of instant chemistry. especially in the one episode, which I'm blanking on the title of Sam, the one that Lyric carried. That was an entire day, yeah, yeah, I think it's season three because there's a whole thing of her like the end of season two. She goes back with her mom, right, and she's back and forth, back and forth. And there's us like sort of like they're sleeping in the car and that's what it sort of goes in the season three, I believe, because Beth and I begins our problems when we go to Vegas for your bachelor party or whatnot, and she's calling me from there and she's like, why are you handsome? Yeah, that's it. Season three, I'm pretty sure. I was two, seven, ten. Okay. It's in the season two. Yeah. We need a gig. We need a gig. You are not even as serious regular and they're like carrying on for so long. But you're right, but to that effect, you're right, Sterling. It's like our writers were watching Dailies, getting reports back from set from Dan and they were writing to that. That's the fact that like how rare that is. Yeah. And also like, I think we've talked about this a lot. It speaks a lot to our audience too, that are like we're invested. Cool. You tell us where you're going. We're going to follow you every single direction. You're telling us you're going to give us a whole episode about this young woman. I bet you she's a very integral part of like the entirety of this series and this family. Like, let's go. Yeah. I love that. But your work with Joy was so beautiful to watch throughout the entirety of the show. What was it like working with her? How did you find that chemistry with her so immediately? She just kind of gave it to me. I don't know. I think it was already there. She was so much fun. She was so genuine and relaxed. She was just a cool person to work with and be around. And she, I mean, like thank you for talking about the work that I did in that episode. But she was really the anchor for me, at least. Like, I don't think that I would have done such a great job if it weren't for Joy. She gave you a lot of work. Yeah. She carried that for me. Yeah. I love that. Is there a particular? And you, of course, did a lot of incredible work with the Saute. Yeah. Black. Yeah. And is there a. You're supposed to be here. Yeah. You look right in the camera and tell him where he's supposed to be. Yeah. You was supposed to be here. Yeah. Anyways, we'll talk to you later, Saute. Wait. Are you going to ask your question? But you just made me. Remember we did a talk back somewhere where Kenya Bears was hosting it for us. And for an episode that you guys were sort of front and center on. And I was like, and you're like, I don't know how to talk to people. And I was like, you just open your mouth and say a little something. And so Black is like a little girl, man. He loves talking to anybody, anything like that. And she's like, a talk to you is 19. And she knows how to talk to people and everything like, I'm only 17. Yeah. And I was like, you're going to be fine. And I was like, no, I'm not still, I'm not going to be fine. More that was us after these words from our sponsors. Is there a particular storyline in the show or a scene that you either found the most satisfying or the most challenging? Like, what was the hardest stuff to work on and what was the most enjoyable stuff to work on? And I think when it comes to the hardest and most enjoyable, I think they kind of go hand in hand. Great. Okay. Because I love a good challenge. Yes, ma'am. And I like working with people who I consider to be great or one of the greats. So any time I worked with Sterling, any time that I worked with Asante, I would say that those were the most challenging and the most enjoyable at the same time. Because I felt like we were not in competition, but yeah, in competition, it's you against me right now. It's fun, it's playful, and like you throw something at me and I throw something back at you. Like it was, it was really. You have to raise your game with people like, yeah, it's exciting. I like to think of it, like, as it is a bit of a tennis match, but it's a match to see how long you can keep the volley going. It's not like you're trying to like knock it past somebody. You're not trying to get the point. You're not trying to get the point, but you're trying to come up with as many shots as you can on that. Yeah. It just has fun with it for sure. We have a couple of questions from listeners here, from from Jess W. She said, in what ways did you surprise yourself the most playing Dacia? I think there are certain moments where I would see, I guess, the playback, whatever, because I don't understand fully what I'm doing in the moment, I'm just in the moment sometimes. So it's like when they say, cut, it's like, hey, I don't know what I just did. Is that okay? Like, I'm kind of freaking out, and then I'll see it or whatever. And I'm like, what did I just do with my eyes, like, what was that little subtle movement right there? Like, what were those kinds of things? Like, I didn't know that I could do that without realizing or playing the end. And being fully prepared or whatever, like, you know, having a step by step plan. So I would say that those are the moments where I surprise myself. Yeah. I'm sorry, you just made me think of something. I always sort of looked at it like, okay, in my mind, I think I'm doing this. And then when I would watch it, for me early in my career, I was closer to that. And for me, it took a while for what I think I'm doing and what I want to see to sort of sync up. Sure. But I feel like that synced up pretty fast for you. Do you have a tough time watching yourself? Absolutely. Well, you shouldn't. No, I'm just kidding. You get to feel however you want. You do have a tough time? Absolutely. Really? Absolutely. I don't like the different mannerisms that come out of me. My voice gets on my nerves. What? Oh gosh. Yeah, it's really hard for me. You got to get used to it. Has it gotten any easier? Absolutely not. Okay. Copy that. Inga.krc on Instagram says, is there a trait about Deja you wish you had yourself? I feel like a lot of the traits that Deja carries would have gotten me in trouble with my mom growing up. Well, that's going to be a problem. Yeah. Yeah. That would have gotten me in trouble. Good stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, softy red link. I don't do nothing. It was actually one of those times where we were watching an episode. And I looked at my mom. I was like, if I said that to you, what would have happened? And she was like, I don't think you would be here today. So we offended your life. But I mean, Deja is so brave and so sure of herself, she's not, she's not wanting to let somebody tell her about who she is. And that is something that I kind of, I grew up doing, you know, if that's what you think about me, then that's, that must be how I am. And I kind of just, I took it as the truth. But she is one of those people, which is crazy, like you're 12. And you're like, no, I, I know me. And you can think whatever you believe, but this is what I want and this is what I'm going after. That's something that I'm still learning how to do today. So I want to take that with me. Yeah. Yeah. M. Spear 102 on IG said, did you ever get to meet future Deja, the actor who played? Yeah. Digimeter. Briefly. Yeah. I was walking past her. I think she came out of the makeup trailer and I was going. Is that me? Is that me? First of all, she didn't sound anything like me at, in that moment. Yeah. So when I saw her in that first episode, I was like, this is so freaky. Oh, look at it. The casting is. The casting is. My three daughters in the future. Yeah. It's look a lot like my three daughters. I told you Taylor was not watching and he just like happened to look up. He's like, oh, it's test. And Deja. Yeah. Yeah. I was like, yeah. I mean, this is during the rewatch. Yeah. out he wasn't watching along so deep but without skipping a beat he knew exactly what was happening. I was like, yeah, yeah. That was is too much. I already don't like my own boys. So now you are like a copy and paste. I can't do like it was Sterling does it? Sterling loves to do his impression of you. Sterling makes me sound like a southern bell. I don't know where he's getting that from. No, he's also conscious. No, no, no, I declare. I do not know where he is getting that. And of course, the last question we have from Shannon is which cast member made you laugh the most, but I think that's fairly obvious. Yeah, but what about that it was me? Oh, okay, okay, okay, okay. You're a sister. Yeah, you and he has laughter. That's the thing like he is so unintentionally funny. She's on it. Right. That's great. And especially when she was younger because she was you never knew whether she was serious or not. Right. Yeah. She's still don't. She's the same. Yeah, did you get to see her when you visited paradise? Was she there? Yeah, because she actually came on Ares's birthday. So Ares just turned 21. Oh, yeah. Did you make Ares? I saw on Instagram. Did you make Ares get your car? I should have. You should have ordered something. You didn't order anything from Ares. Oh, Ares, can I get a I'll take a sandwich and I think you did the order and form. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She was like surprised because I didn't tell her that she was coming to the set and then they just hugged. It was very, very sweet. They laughed a lot. Ares in the Pearson family is a bit of an engine for mariment. Yes. She's she she brought a lot and you can misschief. She has a mischievous sparkle in her eye at all times. Yeah. There's there's sweetness from faith. There's like deep introspection from L. Bugh and then Ares was just like showtime. Yeah. Let's shake it up. When you look back on your time on our show. I love you guys looking at the questions. I'm just like listening. No, no, no. I just want to, you know, make sure we're asking some things that people are curious about. What do you look back and are most proud of about that 13-year-old that came on the set and did the bravest thing ever. You're just jumping in headfirst to this experience. Like what are you most proud of that 13-year-old for? I think I'm proud of the fact that she went in and did the job like that was her last chance. Yeah. Very proud of that. Without knowing anything about what the future held. Yeah. She went in and just did it regardless of her emotions and any doubts running through her mind. She did it. Hmm. Very proud about that. Yes. That's what she did. You did, I mean like I'm hands down without a question. I don't, I could not have done that at 13. I would have been so in my head about so many different things. What have you in terms of my worth or am I deserve this or blah blah blah blah blah blah. That like when I saw you do it what's suing I both. We were just like are you watching this look? And I was like yeah I'm watching I mean we would just have like these little sidebar conversations and be like this girl is not playing around. Yeah. As soon as like you best up the game up round I'll be like are you back there soon? You too. I ain't trying to get acted up straight. Yeah. Like we was having a conversation. It's like we were watching something special. Yeah. Yeah. Like you I believe that you are special. And I think the world is only gotten the glimpse of what you are truly capable of. And so let me ask you this question. As we transition from child actor to a young adult now. What have you? Like what are you finding? How are you categorizing that transition? Is it an easy transition? Do people want you to play younger than what you are? Do you feel like you're getting age appropriate role offers and auditions? Talk to me a little bit about that transition. I think it's a little weird like. Okay. With the way that I look already I'm not necessarily going after my age or a little older. But I guess there's a demeanor that I carry that's like well maybe she should play her age or a little older. So it's like go back and forth. I'd rather not play younger because I've done it a few times and I've I've had enough. You like bringing the maturity to the things that you've done. Like I have a life experience that I can read. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean if there is a younger role with just like a really cool story. Yeah. I'm okay with the whole the teeny-bopperish thing. Like that's for somebody. That's cool. Okay. Not hating. Yeah. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I just that's not that's not what I want to be a part of necessarily. You want to go deep. I would like to. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I feel you. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's been weird because it is a transition and it's a long transition. Yeah. Let me tell you right before anything else happens. I don't know. People put this girl to work. Yeah. Hello. Hello. Yeah. Hello. Hello. Put this girl to work. She is one of the best I've seen do it. Talk to her. Right. She look a professional. You know, this is funny. I remember one time. Only one time. You remember you'd like been up late and you had like a couple hours of sleep and you had the monologue outside of something and you were just like I was like, yeah, she's like, I'm tired. And I was like, let's go into this room. Yeah. And we're going to run these lines. And you remember, we just did it. Like over and over. We're just going to do it and do it and do it. And I was like, how you feel? And she's like, I'm still tired. I do believe I have a case of the vapors. She knocked it out, right? And this is like what you're talking to me about is something that we just heard in a letter on the last podcast where like even through the tough times, the difficulties of what not, you were still intent to move forward. Like when you talk about your nerves, maybe you had them and maybe I caught a glimpse of them. But when they called action, yeah, in it. In it. In it. Man. So I'm saying like, this is a young person who has been here before who's meant to do this job, give her and yourself the pleasure of watching her work. Period. Period. Point blank. That's it. And the story. Yeah. Should we do some fun ones? We'll say goodbye. Yeah, fun. A couple of fun questions. Give me a fun. Yeah. What do you have a comfort movie? Comfort TV show? Something you'd go to to like find a way. Chronicles of Narnia. Oh, the movie or the book? The movie. The movie. Yeah. Okay. And the book. I like that. Excellent choice. I've just I've just introduced bear to the Chronicles of Narnia. He's very into it. Oh, my God. Yeah. He loves it. Loves it so much. Okay. What about something you're currently obsessed with right now? That is nothing to do with acting alone time. Oh. Well, you're getting some of it right? The out here, my specialist being by myself and not being bothered by anyone. Well, thanks. Thanks for coming. Yeah. Just phone on airplane mode and just message, message, received. At least that was us. She's like alone time. You know what? I love more than anything. Not answering. Tell me. I mean, we should because this next question involves sterling's first celebrity crush. So we should acknowledge the passing of the great dolly part. Yeah, I thought about you. Bro, that hit me. Yeah. It really hit me because I was just on the phone and I got a time alert. Why not? And I was just like, what? She was everybody's favorite person. I don't think you could like have found. I didn't know just like the level of philanthropy that you donated over 500 million. Like making sure that young people were reading because she grew up in a place where literacy was not the most readily encompassed thing. Like she could have been a billionaire. And she's like, you know what? There's more important things. There's another way that I can circulate my wealth, my energy, my talent into the world that don't just benefit me, but benefit all of us. Shout out to DP, dolly part. Let me give the full thing because I don't want anybody misinterpreting me, dolly part. Yeah, so that I mean that we talked about it a lot on this podcast. Do you have a first celebrity crush? I know is that crazy no no no no no no you asked me that before yeah and you didn't believe me so you started like looking people up I do you sure wasn't this person so cuz you the thing to like Elbergh knows a lot of stuff that I would consider myself to be a contemporary of like like 90s hip hop and R&B or what have you so like would it even be anybody from that era. Oh you know I just got into the the trial that just opened back up two pop was fine. Two pop that was a beautiful. Yeah here's me. That's true. Here's beautiful. A great you to full man. That's true. Okay that's a good that's a good one. That's a good one. That's one of the best. But I mean that's that one my celebrity crush though. I'm just acknowledging that the man was gorgeous. Alright so there's a difference. Your your your alone time is about to start your your your bike stuff are you listening to music? I am listening to what is the artist right now. Okay that we should be listening to. Is there a particular artist? What was the last artist you listened to that you were like this is the jam. I haven't answered that one. Oh you do. Well mine's different not for you for it's for me. I can't just want to answer the question real quick because as I was in Martha's Vineyard I was playing John Baptiste and he's his song American Symphony. Yeah dude. I think it's like one of the most beautiful. Oh I gotta listen to it on the way home. I'll play it for you like right after the podcast is over like it it makes me feel things and like I'm like overcome with this idea like I have to put this in a film or a TV show and it has like I have like images in my head that come to me it's like it's just piano. Yeah gorgeous. Wow yeah he is so. He's amazing incredible. Unbelievable. Anybody? That's fine. It's okay. That's fine. No pressure. That was enough socializing. That was yeah. It's a long time. You've reached a limit. We're done now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Elba. Thank you so much. That was an hour with lyric Nicole Ross. I love you. You're one of my favorite people on this planet. I'm so happy to be able to share the city with you if and when you don't want a long time and you want to meal with me and Ryan Michelle and two crazy boys come through to the cramp man. Don't be a stranger bring Brandi because Brandi's out here too and we get a chance to kick it and again just one less time. Put my girl to work man. Let's do it. Go check out her work on Iron Heart which is on Disney Plus where she kills kills and then if you need to come back and you've been watching the rewatch podcast so you already know what she's done on our show. Undeniable. Let us get more. We've seen the young woman. I want she grown now. Let her cook. Do you want to look at your camera and say that was us? Ladies and gentlemen 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 HitGum podcast.