Maya Hawke

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Was in Little Women with Maya Hawke. And most excitingly, she's joining us from Hungary, which I believe is also where Budapest is. So Willa, can you hear me? This episode is presented to you by Walmart. I'd like to say that I'm a pretty good gift giver. And for me, it's about making the extra effort to find the perfect gift. Walmart has the top brands we all love. One place, Nespresso, Nintendo, Apple, you name it. That's why it has to be Walmart for all my gifts this year. Guess Best Gift Giver Award goes to yours truly. Get the brands everyone loves at prices you'll love at Walmart. Who knew? Go to walmart.com or download the app to get all your gifts this season. I'm so grateful. Thank you for calling in from there. And thank you for talking about the great Maya Hawke today. My delight. My delight. I know. Now tell me how you two met. We met actually in Ireland doing Little Women in 2017. And I mean, we just fell in love. I think that would be it. It was a love story. It was a love story for sure. You both were, she was playing Joe, you were playing Meg. What was it like to play Meg? What did you bring to this Meg? I feel like my personal, my personal mission was to bring a humanity to her. Because I feel like she's often sort of like the, she's like the too perfect sister a little bit, which is I think why people don't love her and relate to her. And she also feels a little bit, you know, out of our time in the sense that she makes very classically gendered choices with her life. And so I feel like, I feel like my personal mission was just to like kind of elucidate why we should like Meg and why we should understand her as like a really kind of relatable, lovely character. And I think we did it. I think we actually, I think we did manage it. We managed to pull that off. And here you are, two young actresses at the time joining this production. I think for Maya, it was her first big production. And what did, how did you, what did you see in each other? How did you become friends? We really just like bonded because I had already been working, but I was suddenly kind of entering a new phase of my career where I was getting to do this project that I was like just so excited about. And it was her first job and she was so excited about it. And, and we just, you know, we were just like, oh, we're going to do this. And I was like, oh, we're going to do this. And we would like go to the, we were all staying at this hotel together outside of Dublin and we would like go to the pool together or the steam room and just like talk about what really excited us about being actors. And, and we just like really kind of connected on, on like an artistic level. And also I think on just a personal level, cause I think we're kind of very opposite people in a lot of ways. I think that we both like learn a lot from the other person in the way that they navigate the world. Cause it's so different from maybe the way that we are. How are you different? I think that, I think that I'm, I think, you know, the most like reductive two second answer would just be, I think I'm a very cautious person. And I think Maya is like full of just like a lust for life and a, and a real sort of like verve that she just is, is unafraid in situations that I sometimes feel a little bit more unsure. And I think Maya does a lot of things, you know, she does, she's on a Broadway show. She performs records music with a lot of different bands, including solo stuff. She's, you know, she's writing, she's acting like she, to your point, she, it feels like she ventures and is adventurous in the stuff that she does. What I admire about her so deeply is that she just kind of has this sort of like infinite curiosity and like well of creativity that she seems to be able to draw on. She has like a real, she's really interested in just the world around her. In a way that's like so kind of pure and like limitless. Um, so we're going to get to the question you have for me to ask Maya, but just before we do, I want to say congratulations on Pulse. Oh, thank you. I love a medical show. Well, you know, Maya was a big reason of why I took that job. Ooh, how come? Because she loves Grey's Anatomy and she was the one who made me love Grey's Anatomy. And when I was calling her and I was like, I've got this like possible job. What do you think? I want to talk about it. And she was like, do it. She's like, I will be the biggest fan of this show. Please. Has it been fun to play that kind of part and like get into the jargon and get into the vibe of what it would be like to be in an emergency room? What's, what's been fun about it? I feel like it's like, it's one of the most, I feel like in those sort of situations where you're like really just playing at a job, it's kind of like the purest expression of like the childhood fantasy of being an actor where you're like, I am now a doctor and I can now save people's lives. I'm like, wow. Wow. You know, like that's like a really cool thing, but no, I loved it. I love, I do love learning new things and I learned so much. And I'm also just like a little nerd and like loved just going through like the, the big ass medical pamphlets that we would get given for every episode and just being like, you know, oh yeah. Like watching like cadaver videos of like the surgeries and being like, wow, medical school. Do you, when you, I always try to ask people who are on medical shows, when you cut, do you cut into fake bodies? Real bodies. Just kidding. Like, do you ever have to put a scalpel in, you know, I know that there's fake torsos and stuff. Do you do that? Yeah. No, we, we had our like a prosthetics person was from walking dead. So our prosthetics were like next level. They were like, we're going to use some old zombies. We're going to get them. Yeah. Yeah. They were like, we got this. Okay. So thank you for getting on. And what question do you think I should ask Maya today? Do you have any thoughts? I'm curious whether her sort of, like lust for life, her ability to be so interested in the world around her was something that she feels, um, is innate to her as a person or whether it's something that she feels like was cultivated either by herself, by her community, by her parents. And, um, and if so, like whether there's a specific moment in which she like recalls seeing the world in that way from a young age. You know, what's great about that question is I think people really reduce, um, the, the children of actors and artists in the way that they talk about, you know, what is it like being, uh, you know, considered a nepo baby, you know, you're in the same profession as your parents when in fact, like, what is it like growing up with artists that are parents and how do they introduce you to art? And also what is it like being a New York city kid? I mean, a lot of people don't know the feeling of growing up in the city and what that's like, like what you're, what you get to see or, um, or what you don't get to see, you know, like how does it limit you? And how does it open you up? And I think that's a, that's a great question. Really? Well done. You seem like a woman in her thirties who has her shit together. Congratulations. Thank you. I mean, you know, it's all an illusion. Really, really nice to meet you. It's such a pleasure. Thank you so much for the time and for helping me get to know Maya a little more. I really appreciate it. So fun. Thank you again. Bye. This episode is brought to you by visible when your phone's plans as good as visible. You've got to tell your people it's the ultimate wireless hack to save money and still get great coverage and a reliable connection. Get one line wireless with unlimited data and hotspot for $25 a month, taxes and fees included all on Verizon's 5g network. Plus now for a limited time, new members can get the visible plan for just $19 a month for the first 26 months. Use promo code switch 26 and save beyond the season. It's a deal. So good. You're going to want to tell your people switch now at visible.com terms apply. Limited time offers subject to change. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. Maya Hawk is with me. Maya, I'm so happy to see you. I'm so happy to see you. You know, we haven't seen each other in person since inside out to premiere shenanigans. Dude, that movie. I know. That movie made people so happy. I know. I feel so seen. What have you had people come up and say to you about that? It's been one of the great honors. Like my little sister was asking me the other day she was like do you get annoyed if someone asks you to do the anxiety voice or do you get it on it was like not at all because sometimes if like if someone wants me to go put on like an ice cream scooper uniform I'm like I'm done with the ice cream scooper you know but and like and but there was a while where that wasn't true but with this movie the that character I've had so many people feel so seen by it and like little kids yeah feel so seen by it and like could help them understand their brain better and like I'll get a call from a friend's parent like from like a parent a friend of mine who is a parent not a friend's parent um and be like hey would you do a recording like my kid's going through this hard time would you record something in the voice for my kid and I'll be like sure and I'll turn on the little speaker and be like hi oh I know it's really scary when parents have to go to the doctor's office and I know that it makes you nervous and I and I but the thing is you just take deep breaths and trust that your daddy will be safe and that the doctors are gonna take great care of him and like I um and so I like will do things like that and I don't mind at all I love it because it's so I know I feel the same I feel like you and I had a couple moments when we were doing press where we kept looking at each other like whoa this feels so much bigger than us and the response of the movie was so beautiful and uh I know that that is very rare to be in something good that people like that people go to see that is a good experience those don't always happen good for the world and that is good like that's like it's so so rare to have it hit all those benchmarks it's like a rainbow I know and plus a billion dollars babe I know what I'm saying for something that makes a billion dollars and is good for the world I don't think there's anything that does that no it's crazy no I mean it is so true like the word billion and good for the world doesn't go together not go together no of anything ever what have you learned about anxiety in the past year your own or others because you played that character so much and I think with like the joy anxiety relationship I it taught me a lot about showing love to that part of myself and like allowing other people to see it so they can show it love and that that is actually a way to calm it down is like inviting it into the conversation like looking at what it thinks and is worried about and kind of addressing each point and then ask and then like offering it a comfortable chair and saying like okay you're invited you know you're not I'm not trying to shut you out behind a door yes because that of course just works it up even more yes um and so I think in giving the biggest thing I learned from doing this and being allowed to be welcomed into the beautiful world of this movie is to give my anxiety a comfy chair yes it's so well said and for people listening right now like everybody is so stressed I know of course they are of course they are and I mean anxiety might be the defining emotion of our time it's been it was so fun to work on on on those characters together because when the time is very scary like these times you know you want to find a way to tune in check out help yourself help other people like you want to dip in and out but when you're just getting someone going like toxic positivity like this is great it's like babe things are bad things are bad these are real bad so anybody listening I want you to know that we know things are bad bad and but also if you you still need to welcome in some like you're not helping anybody if you've if you shut out joy completely well there's a beautiful moment in the movie and it's such a it's such a um testament to the work you did as anxiety and the work the animators do and the work that um Kelsey Mann did the director and Pete Doctor the producer and all the artists and Pete the creator and just all the writers Meg the the um when anxiety uh does a small little gesture to let when joy is being finally called back yeah finally Riley our characters finally calmed herself down on the ice she's talked to her friends she's feeling a little bit like herself she gets back on the ice she starts skating and joy is being called back and anxiety does a little I told you there's like a little genuflect like a little gesture of like this way like yeah for people listening you can't see what Maya and I are doing but we're doing a little like a little your table is over here man yeah it made me cry so hard and I just thought oh like the the tiny gesture of that is like what we're just we must try to do during this bananas foster time we're living in yeah because that is I mean whatever we can do babe well and to make room for each other yeah and like and to make room to get off of our phones which we were talking about before we started rolling but to get off of our phones and to get off of our phones and to get off of our phones where we're just being bombarded by like here's a funny video of a cat here's a video of the apocalypse here's a like here's a funny joke that is offensive here's a funny joke that's your humor but would offend someone else here's another video of the apocalypse like it's like to get out of that and into like oh here you and I are sitting with each other yeah we're looking each other in the eyes we can still do this yes we can still talk and and be and make space for each other yeah and like you know look at the people around us and that we have to make time to do that even as we make time to try to figure out what is happening I agree and I you know I kind of experience you as a as an old soul have you been told that I have been there's been some ageist claims about my soul made you must get this a lot people talk and they roll their eyes about their twin about people's 20s and what's good about being in your 20s oh what's good about being in your 20s I mean I'm already starting to have more random body pain and but I know I have less than I will have so like it's a more pain-free time recovery is faster recovery is faster yes so that's good I still like I I can still um I yeah just general recovery bounce back from things more quickly emotional recovery um into like independence yeah you know it's like this kind of miracle window before insane amounts of responsibility but after independence where no one's telling you what to do that's like that's the miracle of your 20s right is that like your responsibilities are there but they're not like usually kids and family you know or they can be but you know that bent that yet but they are but you have this freedom and that's a cool window of time and um so miracle window is such a good way to say it Maya that like you're very wise it's true it's like if only one can know the time they're in and appreciate the time they're in it's hard to do yeah it is yeah um okay speaking of the time you're in I want to jump back to little Maya yes because I'm always really interested in what what it's like being a New York kid I was kind of a sad kid or like set point melancholic you know like moody and emotional and homey and like I but a New York City kid is awesome used so much stuff to to look at and do like my favorite place to go was the Metropolitan Museum of Art Temple of Dendor because of the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler do you remember that book and the kids like was ran away for anyone who hasn't read it they ran run away and they live inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art and they sleep in the queen's bed and they steal money from the fountain and it's awesome and I love that book and I loved going to the Met and I love going to the Natural History Museum and I love going to the zoo and there was just like so much to do activity activity based on a general as like a little kid yeah and I love that and so many different ways to explore the world and I love going to the zoo and I love going to the zoo and I love going to the all your weird interests like I had lots of weird interests as a kid I loved like dead insects like the one the preserved dead insects and I love going to see them at the science museum and I love rocks and it was like you know just like so much exposure and different kinds of people you could decide to be yeah and so much interaction with difference and that was so cool and I think so rare because so many people grow up in these little communities where it's like everyone feels the same but in this city you're like interacting with humanity all the time and you get to decide who you are which is great and then you get to high school and it's like being in college for other people like it is crazy yeah I went to more clubs between ninth and twelfth grade than I have been since like right like it was a lot of pressure for New York kids to be very interesting they there's a lot of pressure to be interesting to be adults to be on the town yes there's a lot a lot of that and I love going to the museum and I love going to the museum and I love being a part of that did you ever have like a 13 year old like I'm in studio 54 and I don't know how I got here like yes you did yes or you're just in a club and it's like I'm little I might be too young for this I'm too little for this interesting seemed like a good idea at first I'm proud of myself for getting in here but now how do I get out but I I love it I would do it I would raise kids in New York I I I think it's awesome an awesome way to grow up to your point there was an independence you took the subway you walked around you kind of figured out life what were some memories of that time when you felt like adult or grown-up oh you You know, a moment where you had, like, an adult moment. Well, I realized in high school that I could cut class. Yeah. And that, like, there was, like, no real ramifications to doing it. And so I started, like, just doing my own thing, like, during the day. And in high school, I experimented with smoking cigarettes, which you shouldn't do and is bad. Very, very bad. Very, very bad. Very, very bad. Do not do it. You look very cool. Don't do it, though. Yeah, don't do it. Don't do it, but you look cool. Yeah. But I couldn't buy cigarettes because I was a kid. And so I would occasionally, like, walk around to try to bum cigarettes off people. This is what I'm talking about. This is what I picture a New York kid doing. But I went to school in Brooklyn Heights. And the only people who smoke in Brooklyn Heights are, like, construction workers. And they smoke Newports, and I hated Newports. So I would take the subway. I would take the subway to—this is a ridiculous story—to the East Village so I could bum Marlboro Golds off of— because people in the East Village smoke Marlboro Golds, like, outside McNally Jackson Bookstore. And so I would, like, take the—on my free period, my lunch break or whatever, I'd, like, be like, I won't go to math today. I'll just, like, take a double free period, and I'll go take the subway to Greenwich Village or the East Village and bum a Marlboro Gold off some, like, intelligent, like, handsome man smoking outside of a bookstore. Some documentary filmmaker. Yeah, some documentary. Some documentary filmmaker, like, sipping a cappuccino. And I was like, I am a grown-up, and this is an adventure. Oh, this is exactly the kind of story I picture. Yeah. Just getting on the subway for a cigarette. Yeah. Because you have a preference. A neighborhood-based cigarette preference. Ridiculous. I mean, during that time, there was probably a sense of you when you knew deep down, even in high school, like, I'm not going to worry so much about math. I'm going to be an actor. Yes. I know what I'm going to do. When did you know you were going to be an actor? You know, when did you feel like you were going to be an actor? When did you feel like, I'm going to really make this my job or my life? I knew I was going to be, like, an artist of some kind. I think I was, I mean, I think I was really afraid of being an actor because my parents are both actors. And I got to see that, you know, they were as successful as one, as I could ever have dreamed to be in that profession. And still had so much job insecurity and stress and highs and lows. And I was like, I don't know if this seems fun. And, like, and, you know, I had experiences of, like, going to school and, like, trying to leave my house with, like, an umbrella because there was some article out and there was paparazzi around the house. And I was like, this seems, eh. Yeah. Like, I don't know about this. Yeah. And so it wasn't until, like, 11th grade where I realized that there was nothing else that I was good at and liked. Yeah. And I was like. You know, like, I just, I like this. I am good at it. I feel like this is my community. Like, the other people who like this, I like them. And they put up with me. And because they'll put up with anyone. You know, that's great about the theater community. They will put up with anyone unless you're mean. And, but I, so I would just, like, found my home. And I was like, okay, I'll figure out that other stuff. This is what I want to do. Okay, this is a great, that's a great segue into. To our, so we do this thing at the beginning of each show where we talk to people who know our guests. Oh, no. Yes. And just to talk well behind their back. And it always kind of helps me figure out if there's questions I should ask my guests. And also to get to know the guests more. And we talked to your friend, Willa Fitzgerald. She's the best. She's the best. Now, you two met on the set of Little Women. Mm-hmm. Still the greatest experience of my life. Wait, tell us why. It was my first professional job. I had to. I had to drop out of school to do it. And I was really worried about it. And it was like, oh, whatever. I get to Ireland. We're in this town called Dunleary. They've, I've just never had an experience this positive. We, it was the four sisters and the guy who played Laurie. And we fell in love with each other. And we were staying at this seaside hotel in this port town. And it was the Royal Marine was the name of this hotel. And it was like walking distance from this farmer's market. And these restaurants. And we just loved each other. And, you know, it's gone for me now. I'm already so old. I can't stay awake forever. But do you remember when you were like 18 and 19 and you just didn't need to sleep at all? Yes. Like somehow I could work a full 14-hour shooting day and then be like, should we go out? Yeah. Like, and then like, you know, and then I'll learn my lines and then I'll go to sleep for two hours. And then go back to her. I don't know how we did it. But it might have just been the raw joy of how in love with each other we were. Yeah. Like we were going to set on the days that we weren't working. And being like, I have a note. You should try this in the next scene. We just. It was just like acting, acting, acting. It was just like acting. We love it. And we love each other. And we're all. Sisters, sisters, sisters. And it's Ireland and it's the ocean. And like we did a moon spell where there was a full moon. And we bought crystals from this guy in town. And we put the crystals in the moon. And then we went skinny dipping in the port. And it was freezing. And it was like just happy. It was happy. Fun. That sounds so fun. Yeah. I mean, she was talking. I mean, she adores you. And she was talking. About exactly that. Like how you all connected so fast. And she was saying that there is this. You have this lust for life. And that one of her questions was. Do you feel like that's always been innate? Like it's kind of what we're talking about. Nature versus nurture. You're the. You know, you have. You're the daughter of artists. You're looking at. You want to be an artist. Do I want. Do I want the life of an artist? What does that even look like? But there is always like this little thing inside all of us. From the minute we're born anyway. Like did you always feel like you had that? Some kind of lust for life. And her question is. Do you think it was innate? Or was it nurtured by the environment that you were in? Or both? I think both. Yeah. I think I've like always believed in magic. And always believed in love. In a really intense way. And I think that that was nurtured in me. From a really young age. Like my, you know, my parents are magical. And like. My mom like, you know, was this magical creature who like, you know, would come home from work. And she was like looking fabulous. But she'd take everything off and immediately put on like a big velvet skirt and gardening gloves. And go outside and like teach me how to like pull up stinging nettles to make soup. And like and the soup would be a witch's potion because it was good for you. And like she just had this magic to her. And my dad would be like, we're going to water. And we're going to make a masterpiece. And like I'll do this blue and you do red and we'll see what we create. Like there was just this imagination fostered in me from a really young age. And I just like I believed I was really lucky to get that kind of love. And that kind of exposure to seeing the world as a place where magic is possible. And I just it's like the luckiest thing ever to have that happen. And I think that's what I've been doing. I think it like I always think about it as like the Harry Potter. You know in Harry Potter how when his mom dies she puts a spell on him that protects him from dying with love. I kind of remember. Okay, you kind of know this. I've read all of them out loud and I still. Harry Potter's mom protects Harry Potter with a magical spell. I remember the mother dying because of course the mother always has to die. She always has to die for the kid to be on an independent adventure. In every single story. Yeah. Okay, so she dies. There's actually a whole theory about that. Oh, really? Yeah, about children's. There's stories and then you have to kill the parents and children's stories because that's how children become the unfolding of their own story. Right? They become little adults. God forbid. The mother live long enough to see her child succeed. God forbid. But I always feel like that period of time in my life where my parents, what my parents did and gave me this magical spell. Like love, love spell where like, you know, then there were other different hard times in all of our lives. But that early. Magics protected. Oh, my God. And they do say that like from like one to five or one to three, like is so much, I mean, it's a lot of pressure on young parents because that time is so important, but like so much of your belief system about the world and how you feel and if you feel safe and your attachment style is formed like so early. And are you, I mean, because I've, I've sensed from you both introvert and extrovert. This is true. Oh, my God. I got it. You got it right. So what? Tell me about that. How have you figured that out? Okay. I see myself as having three cups. There's the extroversion socialization cup. Yeah. The alone time cup and the with one other person having an intimate conversation cup. And I need all three cups to be somewhat full to be functioning. Yeah. Like if I've had too much parties, work, like not no alone time. And just these two cups. Two cups are full. Oh, I'm gesturing. And this is audio. That's okay. The people you're making, you're gesturing cups. I'm gesturing cups. But the, you know, if I'm, then I really feel bad and I need alone time. If I've got too much alone time and not enough socialization, I really feel bad and drained. So I'm always trying to like look at my schedule and my life and be like, am I getting enough friend time in one on one? Am I getting enough alone time? And am I getting enough like energizing social outside in the world? going to see a concert, going to see a play, go into something like i need a little bit of everything i love the cups um idea um i do something similar where i think about a refrigerator and i think about magnets and then i in an in the best day ever all five magnets are on the refrigerator but i try to get three so it's like work motherhood friendship you know uh spirituality wellness some kind of care and um and uh what's my fifth magnet uh relationship so it's like if you can get three out of five it's like today i was a good partner today i i did like some good mom stuff and i worked a little bit or it's like no today i took care of myself today i met with friends and today i you know um gave my kids some good advice whatever is the magnets that you can put on there very rare to get five yeah but you don't want to go too long without having a day that has like you don't want to leave one of them you get a dusty magnet you don't want to get a dusty magnet yeah yeah yeah we could go we could but we you and i could sell the cup and magnet i was just thinking we could write books we could make we could make these magnets separate podcasts just about this and we could make billions of dollars and it would be good another good billion and it would be like uh with me today she's of course the inventor of the cup theory yeah uh she brought me that theory when i was working on my magnet project and together we've got cups and magnets we're touring the world yeah this episode is brought to you by subaru there's something about being on the road that has a way of leading to those unexpectedly memorable little moments and in the all-new 2026 subaru hybrid it's like the destination isn't even important it's the drive baby and let me tell you i'm in that car and i feel like a million bucks quiet ride comfortable love my subaru can't get enough with up to 581 miles in the subaru forester hybrid and even more 597 in the cross-track hybrid you can go further between stops and stay in the moment longer visit subaru.com slash hybrid to learn more the subaru forester hybrid and cross-track hybrid love goes the extra mile ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease symptoms don't pause for the moments that matter that's why understanding your treatment options matters discover what's possible with trimpia guselka map trimpia is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis serious allergic reactions increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them and liver problems may occur before treatment get checked for infections and tuberculosis tell your doctor if you have an infection flu-like symptoms or need a vaccine talk to your doctor and explore what's possible or call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more about trimpia and visit trimpiaradio.com this episode is brought to you by function health september is world alzheimer's month so here's a reminder to check your brain health function provides over 160 lab tests for one dollar a day and member pricing on advanced imaging these tests assess biomarkers tied to brain health like magnesium and omega-3 as well as brain-related add-ons such as a genetic test for inherited alzheimer's predisposition own your health for a dollar a day join at functionhealth.com slash good hang and use code good hang 25 for a $25 credit this episode is brought to you by k18 you know hair isn't just hair it's confidence identity so if you're noticing more hair in the shower drain or those first grays you need k18 future iq biomimetic hair longevity serum it delivers up to 19,000% of your hair in just a day so if you're interested in learning more about k18 you can download it from k18.com and get your first purchase at k18 hair.com with code amy um okay you've finished stranger things it's done what was it like um when it's that's a wrap on maya hawk a series of hair science that's done what was it like when it's that's a wrap on maya hawk a series of hair science that's done what was it like when it's that's a wrap on maya hawk a series of hair science that's done series rap i know you can't tell us anything but i do hope you tell us how it ends but i will of course i will great thank you you can tell me off the air but um uh uh what was it like hearing series rap well i want to hear what it's been like for you like what it was like for you on parks like you know it's i i think for people who don't know right so if you're an actor on set you get um like that's a season rap on maya like season four all right and you get your last shot and often people will kind of clap and stand around and say stuff but series rap is a big deal and on a show like yours which has been such a long journey for you and for everyone involved and there's been strikes and there's been covid in the middle of all of it and everyone's gotten older and grown up and everyone's been watching and watching and watching yeah um a good ad will make sure that that that that series rap means something that people are there and they're there for you and like it's just a it's a big moment matt and ross who are amazing wrote uh scenes that seem to have some connective tissue for the characters and for us and on this last day of shooting we got to film these scenes that had this beautiful connective tissue and i actually think i like learned something about acting that way that day and being present in your own emotion as a person and the emotion of the character and allowing those two wires to connect and i think that's a big moment for me and i think it's a big moment for me to connect yeah and i my life has been changed as an actor the way that i act has changed since that series rap day it and and it was so emotional i cried all day long from beginning to end in these like kind of crashing waves and i just love i love everybody on that show so much and it's been so it's shaped me so much and we've been on such a long complicated journey together and you were what 19 i started i was 19 and i was like i'm gonna die i'm gonna die which is like, you know, lots of them started at like nine and have been doing it for 10 years. And I've been doing it for seven and started at 19. So, I mean, I got nothing on them. But it's funny that you've been on a show for seven years and you still think you're the new kid. That's crazy. I do. I do still think I'm the new kid. But it was really emotional. And I don't know if I'll ever have another experience like it. Yeah. I mean, congratulations on that show. Your work is so good. That show is so great. And it really, I mean, just to, you know, I'm sure you can feel the anticipation growing. I can't even imagine the press junket you're going to have to do when this show comes out. It's going to be crazy. It's going to be bananas of how you're going to be talking about, like, that show feels like, I don't know, that the audience has been through it with you, too. Like, it feels like the audience has also been through it. Yeah. I guess is the only way to say it. That the kids on the show and the audience have been through it with you, too. And I think that's the only way to say it. I think that the kids on the show and the audience have not had an easy couple of years. And it's, there's something about it that feels very cathartic about the end of it. Yeah. And I don't even know if I'm right about this, but I've always seen the upside down as a metaphor for depression and anxiety. And in some ways of, like, your teen years, it's really hard to be a teenager. And the, like, the hormones that get released, the new emotions that get released of depression and anxiety and self-awareness and self-consciousness, it's like a hard period of life to survive. And I've always seen the upside down as, like, this, you know, portal that opened up to all those emotions for these young people and, like, navigating one's way out of it and through community and bravery and friendship. It's really emotional. And, like, the. You know, the allegories to what's going on in the world right now are plentiful. Yeah. And it means a lot to me to get to be a part of something like this, because it's really a once in a lifetime thing. These, like, adventure stories and these hero stories about kids and groups of kids grow up with this. You know, they grow up simultaneously with you. And it's. I'm so grateful. I just. It's such a special thing to get to be a part of. That's so awesome. And you and your friends, like, Joe and Sadie, you're, like, doing music. You're on stage. You're all doing a bunch of things together at the same time. Can I talk about your music for a second? Because I would be curious your relationship to. You're such a talented and multi-talented artist who can do a lot of things very well. And, like, what I imagine for you, what I picture in the future is us hearing you writing and directing and producing and doing so many things as well as acting and music. But right now you're. You have two very big careers in what. They are. It sometimes feel like very disparate ways of participating in the arts. It's like, if acting. Acting is one kid and music is the other. Who's my favorite kid? Yeah, who's your favorite kid? Well, okay, the way I like to see. First of all, I don't always do a good job balancing. I don't have a favorite kid. I love creativity and I love storytelling. And I see them as completely connected. And, like, if there was an outlet in the wall with two plugs, it's like. Different lamps that you plug into the same power source is how I feel about it. That said, I'm a much more trained actor than I am a musician. And I'm a much more confident actor than a musician. Mm-hmm. Walking on to set or on to stay, like, you know, a rehearsal period is where I feel confident and comfortable. And I feel like I know the rules and I know, like, I like it there. And I feel really grounded. Music is really scary. And it's like it terrifies me. Performing live terrifies me. Writing terrifies me. What people are going to make of my lyrics terrify me. Like, it's all really scary. So it's the same power source. One of the lamps is, like, a scary Halloween lamp. Yeah. That I, like, don't totally know how it works. And the other lamp is, like, my favorite bedside nightlight or something that's, like, this is my comfort zone. And if you want to listen to Maya's lamp workshop, you need to go to the Beverly Wilshire. You need to go to Cups and Magnets. Cups and Lamps and Magnets. No, it's so true. We've got a whole product line. Just to put out, just to manifest, just for a second, for fun. Do you ever, like, do you ever think about writing a musical? No. Oh, do you think about writing a musical? Yes, but that's not what you were going to say. Oh, my God. But what musical do you want to write? I don't know. Yes. Okay. The answer is yes. So, great. Write that. Okay. But do you ever have, like, a fantasy of being on stage singing and singing with someone who you, like, you know, deeply, like, do you have an artist whose voice, a musical artist whose voice you fantasize about harmonizing with and singing with? Alive or dead? You know, I have a lot of different people that I love. I am terrified of harmonizing. You are? That's the only thing that I can kind of do. Really? Yeah. It really scares me. I am not a good harmonizer, and it scares me. So, what about forget the harmony? But just singing with? A back and forthy, like. I, like, I would love, I would love to, I would love to sing with Joni. Uh-huh. I mean, I would have to do, like, a harmony, like, a one-note harmony while she danced all over the place. But I love Joni. I mean, this morning I was listening to Judy Sill a bunch, and I love Judy Sill, and I love Joni, and I'm obsessed with Adrienne Lenker, and I am obsessed with Taylor Swift, and I'm obsessed with, I mean, I just love. You love singer, female singer-songwriters. Yeah. I love songwriters. I just think they're so cool. Yeah. And I, it's like almost that fantasy is more like to get to write a song with someone. Yeah. And not, like, singing it and performing it is less the dream. It's like writing a song with someone that would be the dream. Ooh, I love, okay. And speaking of writers and artists, you have worked with, in films, you've worked with really talented, distinct voices. Wes Anderson, Bradley Cooper, Quentin Tarantino. That, that experience of getting on a set with someone who feels like they have a very strong sense, do you like that? Do you like, like being in someone's sympathy? Stimulation, basically. Do you like jumping in there? Yes. I find it extremely fun and really relaxing. Yes. You were in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with, like, five actors. You were all playing Manson, Manson children. Yes, yes. Manson people, Manson-ish people. Manson, Manson-esque. And did your mom give you, Uma Thurman is your mom, did she give you any advice about working with Quentin? Keep your shoes on. Keep your shoes on. Keep them on, baby. And you're going to try to get. Keep them on, baby. Keep them on. Keep those shoes on. Keep those shoes on. Keep those shoes on. Keep those shoes on. Perfect advice. Perfect. Did she come to the set? No. Yeah, it's weird to have your parents come to set. Yeah. I know, it's just, I don't even like. Or I don't even find it weird. The shoes just wasn't in town. Well, I don't like anyone. Well, we're New Yorkers, it was L.A. Right, she's like, I'm not going to L.A. No. No, I have too many things to do here. I've been to that set. Because I was a set kid. I think it's the best place on earth. Okay, tell me about sets you were on when you were a kid. Oh, oh, so many. I mean, one of the most memorable ones was the set of my super ex-girlfriend, because I got to get into the flying suit. And it was a movie that my mom did. It's really good and really funny, but she was a superhero, and so she flew in it. And I got to be, like, I got to get into the thing and, like, fly across this studio. But really, the thing I remember about sets is they all blur together, except I love crafty. And I loved the, it was like this safe little world where I could be alone. So, like, no one needed to be watching me. I could walk over to crafty and take cookies and M&Ms and gummy bears and get them, and I could go watch the stunt people practice, and then I could go watercolor in the trailer, and I could go to the costume shop and help them sew. And it was just like Disneyland, basically, where I was independent and left alone and allowed to explore and allowed to just, like, park my butt at the monitors and watch take after take after take after take. And it's really where I fell in love with acting was backstage at the theater and on set. And so I think it was the most fun thing ever. What always shocks me is when I invite people. I invite people to come to set that they don't want to come, and when they come, they get bored. I'm like, what do you mean it's Disneyland? And they're like, you just did the same scene nine times from one direction and then moved the camera and are doing it nine more times. How on earth is this like Disneyland? This is so interesting. I'm the exact opposite. People want to come to set because they seem like it's interesting, and I say it's not. It's boring. Well, it's very true, and I will say one of my favorite things in the world. Generally is to be not busy around a busy person. So I still like to go with people to set because it's where I'm the most at peace because I all my cups are getting filled. I'm not alone, but I also and there's tons of exposure to people if I want it, but I can be totally alone and not busy and just like reading my little book somewhere and it's fine. So it's got this like social, not social privacy, all these different things all at once, and it feels so good. To me, it's like such a nice way to spend time with someone is like five minutes when they have a break. Hi, how are you? That was cool. That was good. Goodbye. I'm reading my book again. Like it's I love it. So I think there's something I really love about visiting other people on set and having visitors on set when they feel like I do. And you brought up the cup system. And just once again, for $59.99, you too can learn Maya's cup system. It comes with a workbook. There is a we do a in-person. You have to watch a seven minute video before a paywall. And then we're going to be in Reno November 15th. We're very excited. Okay. And then the other question I wanted to ask you is because, you know, you played anxiety. The world is anxious. You're really in touch with those feelings and you take great pride. And I think in being part of like a big discussion about it, what do you listen to, watch, read? How do you make yourself? How do you make yourself laugh? Like, what are you getting? Where are you getting your your where are you getting your joy from? Where am I getting my joy from? Well, recently, I got a lot of joy from the fourth wing book series. It's fantasy. It's like romantic fantasy. Dragon College, basically a dragon war college. And that was my escapism of choice. I said so many things just now. OK, so say again. It's called the fourth wing. It's the name of the book. It's the first book. And it is a dragon college. It's a it's a war college for dragon riders in a fantasy universe. It's romantic. It's very sexy. I've been looking for a new fantasy is my new like I never thought it would be a genre I'm into. I'm so I'm so into it. I felt the same way. I'm so into it. Have you read The Name of the Wind? No. OK. Patrick Rothfuss. R-O-T-H-F-U-S-S. Rothfuss. Rothfuss. He wrote a book called The Name of the Wind. OK. And it is it is a series. It's part of the King Killer Chronicles. And it's a fantasy novel. And it's basically just like it's just the story of like a child who grows up in an inn and how he becomes like this king killer. It's cool. But it's very like school to train. To get to the thing. I love. I give me a training sequence. Me too. Make me into the person I was always meant to be. I know. I love it too. Force me to do it. I love that because what do you like about the fourth wing? What did you like? It's just like incredible hardcore training sequences. There's a very hot like guy who's like he's a rebel and like maybe he's bad except obviously the bad guys are there. Actually the good guys and the good guys are the bad guys. You have to figure that out. And it's awesome. And and he like trains her because he's like you their lives get wed together. Spoilers. And like he's like you have to live so that I can live. Yeah. And so he's like do sit ups. And she's like OK. And it really works for me is all I can say. Do sit ups. Do sit ups. Do sit ups. You got to have a strong core if you're going to fight those dragons. Those dragons go right for your core. You got to have a strong core. You got to. Yeah. And she's like stabbing him with knives. And he's like yeah good job. Good job. Good job. You know it's amazing. Do you read or listen? I read this. I do both. I do a lot of audio books. But I've recently been trying to get back into paper books. Yeah. Yeah. And so that's been bringing me joy. Love that. I watch piles of TV. I love comedy. Recently I loved the studio. That was really fun. So funny. It wasn't hard. So funny. I mean the choice. The sartorial choice isn't that alone. Or incredible. The way that character is so ridiculous. And my buddy Ike is in that, who was so great, too. That episode where he kept getting thanked at the Golden Globes. Yeah. And Scott was thanking him. It's just so fucking stupid and funny. Also, the old school Hollywood party where Zoe Kravitz is like, old school Hollywood means there's drugs in the food? I love that one. It really got me. That's not what that should mean. She was so good in that episode. Yeah, so I've been doing that. Do you ever, like, I mean, I guess, you know, Stranger Things is like, it's a new, it's like current fantasy. I mean, that's fantasy. But would you ever want to? Yes. Okay. Great. I don't need to finish it. Because I think that what I'm getting, like, I really don't need to finish it. Because what I'm getting from our convo today is, like, story, adventure, fantasy. The kind of bigness of life is, like, what energizes you. Like, you're excited about the next. Like, you're really looking forward. You have, like, a really big capacity for big, swirly ideas. I really love them. I mean, not to mention that, like, almost all of the best fantasy is about humans banding together to take over fascist regimes. Right. Like, it's just a general theme. Yes. Of fantasy. Yes. And, like, about the little guy rising up. And I really, and I think that's partly why it's, as a genre, is kind of exploding right now. Like, people, like, romanticism and fantasy people are really, it's, like, always at the top of the bestseller list these days. And I think it's because community, it's always about, like, an unlikely band of maniacs and different people from different places that find each other and come together to try to build a new world that works better for them than it used to. I just want to say that, like, getting the experience of talking about Inside Out 2 with you. Getting to know you has been so great. And I hope we get to make another one. I would really like, I mean, I would like to do anything with you. It would be so wonderful. But I really hope we get to make another one. Because I want to see more of anxiety and joy learning how to work together. I know. And they have the same physical symptoms. Mm-hmm. And they, look, they get things done. Okay? They get things done and they're excited. Some emotions like to chill out, lie on the couch, and those are important, too. But anxiety and joy are going to, like. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And they're going to, like, keep things moving. Yeah. Yeah, I know. They are. I'm so happy that you came today. I'm joyful that you came today. I was anxious about it. No, I wasn't, actually. I was just excited. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for coming, Maya. Thanks for having me. I love you and love seeing you. You're the best. I love you so much. You're the best. You're the best. And I would do something with you even with our real flesh and blood bodies, too. Okay, yeah. We can do that, too. I mean, I prefer animated, but. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just a lot easier for me in terms of hair and makeup. I mean, also just the pajama pants aspect. But if you do make a fourth-wing movie, I will play the dragon, the body of the dragon. I would not be in charge of making it. Here's hoping. Here's begging the world. I will donate my body to be the dragon. I will donate my body to dragons. Thank you, Maya Hawke. That was such a great conversation. I loved it. And for this Polar Plunge, I just want to talk about books because we talked a little bit about books and how they are bringing us joy. And I want to mention again a fantasy book that I love. It's called The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Eagerly awaiting the next book, sir. So, chop, chop. So, check it out and, you know, get your dragons on. You can't ever have too many dragons. But thank you, everybody, for listening to Good Hang. And bye. See you soon. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producer of Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zanaris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease symptoms don't pause for the moments that matter. That's why understanding your treatment options. Discover what's possible with Trimfiya. Trimfiya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections, or lower ability to fight them and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need a vaccine. Talk to your doctor and explore what's possible. Or call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more about Trimfiya. And visit TrimfiyaRadio.com. This episode is brought to you by Whole Foods Market. Fall is here and Whole Foods Market has everything you need for cozy meals, seasonal treats, and easy entertaining. Elevate your hearty dishes with tasty bone-in beef short ribs or New York strip steaks with no added growth hormones or antibiotics. And as the fall evenings draw in, why not get ahead of cold season with immunity shots, herbal teas, lozenges, and supplements. Make sure you look for sales throughout the month. Shop fall flavors with higher standards at Whole Foods Market.