Heather Morris Dives Deep into 'So Help Me Todd' and Reflects on Her Journey with 'Glee'

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[00:00:12] All right Heather, thank you for joining Pop Culture Unplugged. Thank you for having me.

[00:00:18] So I've been following you for a while now on Instagram and everything. You've been busy dancing and then of course you're promoting so I'll be taught I noticed earlier today.

[00:00:28] How would you describe all this to the kids like I said you're busy I mean were you just a tour of something like that for dancing over the weekend.

[00:00:33] What are you doing so I teach on a convention on the weekend okay it's called the ends convention and so our season is usually January to May and I'm non stop gone like every single weekend weekend obviously it's changed because I just started working on the show in January but yeah I mean I have a hard time sitting still so like I don't really I get really antsy when I am nothing.

[00:00:57] To do and so I will fill my time with all the things and then I'm like a computer and I'll completely crash out of nowhere.

[00:01:04] I'm like I won't respond to text I won't reach out and then a two weeks later I'm like okay I have to come back to reality.

[00:01:13] So I love how you've done a little bit of everything you've done like you know, of course believe everybody remembers you from now you've done the dancing voice over work now you I saw you work on a podcast too.

[00:01:24] Yeah I produced a scripted podcast called the bystanders we did two seasons and it was a labor of love with my best friend Ash lensie and Jacqueline Hills.

[00:01:36] We aired our second season in end of July so it's been a few months and it's risk it's so well received people love it because of course we have Jane Lynch as our narrator and who doesn't love to hear the soft soothing voice.

[00:01:52] And you're in your ear as you're driving in traffic.

[00:01:56] So what's next for you now the bucket list you're checking these little things up what's next for you like a goal or something you want to hit.

[00:02:04] Oh do I have a goal?

[00:02:06] I'm never like constantly reaching for the bigger better higher more scenarios.

[00:02:16] I'm actually just trying to like encompass everything and balance it which is like the hardest thing to do and probably impossible but on my bucket list is definitely I started producing with a podcast and so I love it.

[00:02:34] Love I love what goes into film so if I'm not necessarily on camera just what happens behind the scenes and it gives you such a bigger appreciation for the things that people do off camera right the people that like take care of you.

[00:02:52] Aside from that I am like in the beginning process of starting like an environmentally friendly like refill service.

[00:03:04] So you know you have like these subscription boxes right that you can get these products these favorites these monthly subscriptions.

[00:03:12] But what we want to do is try and cut waste and cut cost of waste and get rid of the plastics and all that stuff so just trying to wrap my head around what goes into that and it's really really really beginning so it's daunting but yeah I'm excited.

[00:03:27] You're right you can still.

[00:03:29] I'm I'm literally just like on my phone I have a note section of like tick-tock ideas and then like pitch ideas and it's like yeah I don't know I get it from my dad my dad was a workaholic and loved his job and I'm the same.

[00:03:46] There's nothing about grinding away I see it as a good thing.

[00:03:49] Yeah I love being motivated I find it a very positive thing.

[00:03:54] I feel the same way with this show tonight to change the sun but it's every day I'm like I like I work a job and I do this on the side and I'm family and everything too and it's like who can I get on next who can I get on the next I'm always like working working.

[00:04:05] That's so good and I'm so happy for you.

[00:04:08] So let's go back a little bit in time was acting always the plan the future of your what you wanted to do.

[00:04:16] Yeah so I was incredibly shy growing up like like painstakingly shy I would freeze and I still wanted to be a star.

[00:04:26] So like my biggest hurdle is getting over that fear of like crossing over from like knowing what I want but like having the tools and then being able to execute.

[00:04:37] And so I did like acting workshops growing up but I still was like really shy I didn't do it a ton.

[00:04:43] I live I grew up in Arizona Scottsdale there weren't a ton of like theater opportunities we have like one theater program and I dance so much I didn't do high school theater so anyways once I'm about to LA it was like the perfect opportunity I started taking acting classes which was like a very serious

[00:05:03] my inner technique which is very opposite from what I feel like I represent so yeah I mean acting for me has always been something that I aspire to do and still aspire to to feel like I have fully immersed myself in the joy and and relaxed and comfortability of being in the scene and playing.

[00:05:28] I'm still always looking for that.

[00:05:31] You say it's inspiring and everything like who are some of your role models kind of curious.

[00:05:37] As far as acting goes yeah as far as acting goes that you kind of looked up to try to study their work.

[00:05:44] I love how honest Jessica Chastain is about the industry and just how open she is was sharing like the experience and and the behind the scenes and how long it does take you because obviously you know our industry is a lot like 95% knows.

[00:06:04] And even somebody like me who you think would like get offers straight out of Glee that wasn't the case and so for me I had to jump shots right into auditioning and hearing all those notes for so long and like just how it shapes you into being grateful and knowing that those opportunities aren't always there so even if you don't want to do that audition that day.

[00:06:33] Being grateful that you even got that audition to do that one page for you know an NBC show so yeah I don't know if that answered your question but.

[00:06:46] I love Jessica I think she's definitely inspiring to me.

[00:06:51] So for all those years that you know you've been in the industry and everything I know you have people that come up to you every theory but like you people are trying to get into the industry what kind of advice do you give them when they first start out i'm sure they've asked you.

[00:07:03] Okay so we're there enough I I love to shop on Facebook marketplace because I'm an environmentalist and I like try to reuse and reduce and so I bought an IKEA piece on a Facebook marketplace.

[00:07:16] I dropped to this girl I picked up the piece and she's like oh my god your Heather Morris she's like i'm obsessed with you oh my god I can't believe you're buying something for me.

[00:07:26] She said what's your advice for somebody like me and I was kind of like oh how do I answer that in like a really quick moment you know like yeah I don't people always ask me advice and it's like.

[00:07:39] I for me honestly what i've seen work the best for any sort of.

[00:07:44] Any genre in this career whether you're dancing whether your camera operator whether you're doing background anything if you are a genuinely nice person and you're present and you just are happy to be there in a non.

[00:08:05] What's the word.

[00:08:10] Oh my god i'm trying to search for this word it's like um it's like.

[00:08:16] Toxic positivity okay so there is such thing as toxic positivity right somebody who is way too positive and it overrides the circumstance or they're not realistic about their feelings or expectations like I told her like that's not what we're asking you for you here we're just asking you to be.

[00:08:33] To be a joy to be around and that's what I've learned in the industry is like casting everybody just loves a good person and no consistently higher you not only if you're talented but like if you just are happy and want to be there you know.

[00:08:50] Yeah i've had guests on they talk about that too like when they're being on set you know those people that you could tell like they don't want to be there they're just there to do the work and you got other people that they don't want to leave they want to be there all day it worked and working.

[00:09:03] Exactly you want to absorb it.

[00:09:06] So how did the voiceover thing happen for you too.

[00:09:10] So I haven't done voiceover voiceover in a while i did ice age many years ago over 10 years ago amazing opportunity incredible i was counterparts Nicki Minaj who i didn't get to meet but i was still like her best friend.

[00:09:28] And then i moved on to doing podcasts so i've done voiceovers for podcasts but i haven't done voiceovers for animation it's the most impossible business to break in and i can't crack the code and it's driving me fucking bananas.

[00:09:43] So if you have advice for me if you've done voiceover.

[00:09:47] I have a done voiceover that had guests on the device over and i love it sometimes they love it more than it instead of like doing an actual TV show because we get to sit at home and record everything and they just send every bit.

[00:09:57] Yes and i love to like be quirky and silly and and play characters and do voices so.

[00:10:05] So how do you go from like you know like i mentioned earlier believe you know you played britney how do you go from like a show like that into like now show like so hotly talk like two different kind of genres in a way.

[00:10:21] How do you like to pair yourself to jump into a role like this.

[00:10:24] Well being a recurring role or like a guest star you know it's it has its pros and cons obviously you come in there and you're like everybody's established they all know each other.

[00:10:34] They have this rhythm this group like will i fit in am i gonna you know there's almost also an anxiety like am i going to impress them like I did my audition there's all that that goes into it but.

[00:10:46] Again like I of course don't myself up and i was nervous to go into so hot me Todd.

[00:10:52] They love my tape of what they love me kind of scenario and Skylar is the sweetest person in the entire world and is so welcoming like when I jumped on zoom for the table read.

[00:11:03] The welcome I got from everybody in the table read was so incredible Scott pender cast who's the creator as well like everybody is so nice so.

[00:11:15] That is such a blessing for me it's just to be around that and.

[00:11:19] I kind of got to ease into it too like i'm really only in a lot of scenes with with Skylar in the first episode so that I feel like thank god i'm not like juggling a bunch of hats and.

[00:11:32] And doing a billion things but yeah my my character still quirky I play Judy who is the downstairs.

[00:11:38] Like Claire at the gift shop and she serves coffee and like nicknacks and stuff but she has this like world review and she has like six degrees and from an online university so she's just quirky which I play really well and she has this like pointed.

[00:11:59] I did a personable like aura around her so I do love that that she is an opposite juxtaposition of what Brittany is because Brittany was pretty vain she was daft whereas Judy might still be a little bit daft however she.

[00:12:17] Has six degrees from an online university and you know it's it's really fun to play.

[00:12:24] What was the description you were given for Judy like before you did your self tape and like how did you prepare to like try to get into this character.

[00:12:31] Exactly as I just describe it she's pointed so she says pretty honestly and not in a negative way there's like oh there's a there's a way you can do it especially with a show like so help me talk because it's fast comedy and they obviously positivity so.

[00:12:44] auditioning wise with something like that you can't like if you're going to be an honest character it has to be like positive honesty and never like judgy right so yeah definitely pointed and has a world view sees the world in a different light than everybody else that was sort of that line that I got.

[00:13:05] Were you able to were you able to be like creating with this character like try to put your own spin on it or try to change a little bit like work with the writer producers.

[00:13:14] As far as the writing goes like I definitely asked hey can I change this word here because on I remember on Glee with Fox like the writing was so specific and if you messed up you'd have to start you know take it back and do the whole thing right and so just upfront I was like hey Scott if I can't do that.

[00:13:35] I fluff these words a little bit or if they come out differently is that cool and he was like oh my god yeah so what I've I've latched on what Skylar does is he'll kind of like he'll prove it in ahead of time he'll be like hey I want to say this word instead of this word.

[00:13:52] So that's kind of that's kind of how I do it but yeah I definitely give her more of like a how they're feel like she still has to feel authentic to me right right that's like the best time that like when you play a character like that too it's like because you feel like you're like.

[00:14:05] You're connected to it and then it's like a little bit part of you is in this character.

[00:14:09] Yeah because if not and you're just playing a character I feel like sometimes there's like a sh there's like a filter over your face and so you're not really like in the scene with somebody you're trying to just fill this character.

[00:14:23] So you mentioned also Skylar I have him he's coming on the show I just don't know when yet we're trying to work out a day because I know they're still filming and everything but I work.

[00:14:31] Did he give you any pointers when you jump on this on those series with him any advice.

[00:14:38] No honestly he's just like a really great counterpart because he is very present and he's really perceptive and he's also like the biggest cheerleader which is so kind to us somebody who's like that was amazing I love that you know like in a scene with you doing it back and forth.

[00:14:56] Yeah he's a really great cheerleader and his fiance Chloe is just so wonderful it's such a cute little couple that just makes me so happy they're getting married this summer.

[00:15:09] So you have a recurring role this season how many episodes are we expecting to see your character.

[00:15:14] From what I know now I have four so I just film two or six and then I have a few more because they're only doing 10 episodes this season so i'm lucky enough I get to come on and do more than one because usually a guest star is like one episode thing but.

[00:15:29] Is there a specific episode that have you filmed all your episodes yet or no I have it no I go back a week.

[00:15:35] Have you read all the scripts so you know what's coming up ahead I don't.

[00:15:39] So you don't even know what's going to happen with your character.

[00:15:41] I don't I don't i'm like telling everything.

[00:15:45] I love I love what I have guests on the time is sometimes like they don't even get the script into like a day or two before they even film a certain episode and they just go crazy and where they're reading it is how you feel when you go through stuff.

[00:15:57] So far I usually get them like a week in advance so at least have that excuse me going for me so i'm not like.

[00:16:06] Ross straight out the gate which isn't a bad practice to have anyways like giving us crypto for it's just like an audition you know we'll get like seven pages and you're like.

[00:16:16] Fuck like how am I going to audition this in a day.

[00:16:20] And I mean Todd has so much dialogue as you've seen in the show so I hats off to him i mean not Todd sorry Skyler Skyler has so much dialogue and so does Marsha they have.

[00:16:32] They have quite big monologues to do so yeah i'm just impressed by the talent on that show.

[00:16:39] Now they've had a little bit of a taste of sitcom world too would you ever want to jump at the full time sitcom if you get your answer one of those.

[00:16:46] I wish man i love to I would love to perform for a live audience and just have people there I mean it would probably take me like a good week to like settle into the live audience atmosphere right like.

[00:17:00] Yeah you know landing the jokes at the timing but that's why you have rehearsals and the multi cam aspect of it i hear it's a grind but then you get like.

[00:17:13] A week or two off right like you work for a bit and then you take some time off and then you work for a bit so.

[00:17:19] I would love to.

[00:17:21] And these days not a lot of sitcoms are live anymore yeah i mean so you only have a handful that still do it.

[00:17:27] At least like the showrunners are like the writers were there just watching you and like.

[00:17:34] Egging you on i just need like there's something about being able to act but then have the energy behind the camera like just the availability of somebody giving you live feedback is so nice.

[00:17:47] So so so far what do you have films with Judy is there a specific scene that challenge you the most or like a specific scene that you enjoyed doing so far.

[00:17:55] Obviously no spoilers if you can spin it around we did a scene in like a nightclub.

[00:18:05] And this was so this was the second episode I just left from there we did a scene in nightclub and I was so excited to be there and like I got to meet.

[00:18:17] Todd the character Todd's brother Lawrence in the scene and it was really fun and like dressing up with so cute to go out into the like you know you have your like every day where.

[00:18:28] But we had to be in a nightclub so you have to talk like extra loud to be in a nightclub and i'm always trying to be present and so I kept kicking myself in the ass because I would start out super loud and then I kind of get lower and lower.

[00:18:42] As the scene went on and so it definitely kicked my ass and by the end I was like oh i'm going to get fired like I I have to remember this fucking no.

[00:18:53] And I did by the end which is always great to feel afterwards and I didn't get fired thank god.

[00:18:58] So like please help me back please.

[00:19:01] Hey you never know sometimes these recurring roles can come to season three fully never know full time.

[00:19:06] Yeah you never know they might like your character they do that they do that a lot these days with certain characters.

[00:19:11] Oh god I hope so i love Vancouver it's such a beautiful little city and again like I said already like everybody is so nice that CBS so i'm like please.

[00:19:21] So that's amazing so we have you said mentioned four episodes you've already filmed two your first ones this Thursday what's next for you now and you're the other projects you don't have to tell us about the coming up or you're about to work on.

[00:19:32] I don't have anything coming up other than teaching i'm just you know back to the grind back to auditioning and and yeah just being a mom is my full time job so.

[00:19:45] Trying to afford those children is what i know I know all about it yeah.

[00:19:51] Yeah yeah yeah yeah.

[00:19:54] Very easy with the let's jump a little bit dancing glee now like glee's been over and out for how many years and people still love this series which I thought's an all this because i'm sure fans hit you up online.

[00:20:06] Asking you still questions these days yeah it's fun to see new fans that have come up in the last three or four years like covid had a huge rise we went over to the plus.

[00:20:17] And then i'm still meeting people who I'd never seen it before and then picked it up and they're like oh my god I loved it oh my god I love this show and it's.

[00:20:27] It's it's um it's a cool perspective to have going from being in it and the thick of it and like getting that feedback and being almost like.

[00:20:36] overwhelmed by all that and then now being where I am today and just like seeing it from an outsider's perspective because it's done and it's in the past and now i'm you know i'm moved on i don't know the things and lived had kids and stuff like that so still hearing it to this day I think is just a testament to.

[00:20:56] What kind of magic we brought to box yeah have you been approached it off for like.

[00:21:01] Like to do like a con for like autographs to meet the fans because that's a huge thing out of these days where people want to see stars and former shows to go on.

[00:21:09] I went out in 2022 i went to Dublin and I did a tour out there with.

[00:21:16] With Kevin McHale and that was really fun to see max addler came with me Kevin McHale.

[00:21:24] Josh came out and I actually got to meet the cast of Greece the original.

[00:21:28] Wow and take a photo with them because they were there as well and like coper Kai was there yeah the fans love it and especially over there.

[00:21:38] You know it's different we we actually have a lot of fans in.

[00:21:42] Brazil and South America and then a ton overseas as well.

[00:21:47] That was a different experience what's been what's been like your favorite memory from that show that still sticks to you this day.

[00:21:54] What's been my favorite memory I think just like all the behind the scenes moment and like the inside jokes we had and.

[00:22:03] Just sharing like the downtime you know like the scenes are and the work is obviously so beautiful but just like.

[00:22:11] I don't know i'm all about like peer support and.

[00:22:17] Watching my friends perform and like seeing the seeing how talented that entire cast was every freaking day and like day in and day out and just.

[00:22:29] God how lucky were we that we got to watch.

[00:22:31] There was 16 of us 16 cast members like every single person had their own special flavor and taste and it all worked together that was that's still to this day I think that's probably why fans love it so much is like.

[00:22:49] You have a little bit of everything and it's really cool that you can see representation in so many different ways.

[00:22:53] I don't know if you're aware this I found it on YouTube the other day there's a video.

[00:22:58] If I find it off the DM it to you it's one lineers from your character somebody has made it a lot and you have a lot of those like you know one lineers and like.

[00:23:08] So how did you deliver those one lineers of straight face all those all those years.

[00:23:15] She had to be yes it was it was very.

[00:23:21] Yeah it was very vocal fry quiet like it was so fun to do because.

[00:23:29] It changed it's like a it's like a sound wave you know like the whole scene is doing this and then all of a sudden it's like.

[00:23:36] All the musical notes stop and then you just hear this like random line and then it keeps going it's like I feel like that's what she was was like.

[00:23:43] Just this weird beat in the music.

[00:23:46] I loved it I loved it she was based after Karen for me and girls and.

[00:23:51] Karen has always made me laugh so.

[00:23:54] Would you have you know like some of these shows they ended fans wanted to come back if they ever called you would want to come back to do another similar version of Glee as a teacher or something that would you jump in the opportunity.

[00:24:05] I would yeah I think I think the film industry has come a long way and I think you know it was a it was a really tough show.

[00:24:14] To do and I think you know being in the space that I am now absolutely I why you're so bad to be in a musical again it's like it's the coolest thing to do is just staying in dance and have fun and spread joy and like touch lives and.

[00:24:32] That was so magical and I think.

[00:24:36] We have so many experienced like videographers now and because we know when we started it was like nobody really knew what they were doing nobody had done a lot of musicals and so there was like a huge learning curve for all of us and so having done that and the formula.

[00:24:50] I think we would have a such better grasp at it, especially as an actor performer.

[00:24:55] And now we're seeing a lot more musicals getting released in theaters we have wicked coming up in a few months.

[00:25:02] All the time it feels like every few months.

[00:25:06] Oh yeah mean girls I haven't seen it yet have you seen it I haven't seen it yet either I want to see it so bad I wanted to see in theaters and I didn't get a chance to do it

[00:25:15] I was really fine.

[00:25:17] We bought it on digital but we haven't watched him our life is playing the watch is about to watch one night.

[00:25:22] We have it we have it we just want to.

[00:25:25] I think it's out on digital to rent it now.

[00:25:28] I hope it's on Amazon marketplace I'm going to watch it.

[00:25:32] I watched the other day oh my god it's so good.

[00:25:35] I haven't watched that either.

[00:25:37] When you have kids too it's kind of hard to keep up with everything I want to say.

[00:25:41] So I get to travel all the time on airplanes and so that's my excuse is because I get to turn on and shut everything out of the world and just turn on a movie.

[00:25:50] Heather now how can the listeners of you were a fine social media keep up with you with future projects that's all be taught or whatever else you got coming up.

[00:25:58] So you can catch me on Instagram that Heather Elizabeth it's confusing it's Heather with two hours Elizabeth with two ages at the end.

[00:26:07] I've tried to change it people have told me I could and I still can't figure it out.

[00:26:11] Anyways and tick-tock I am at Heather Morris TV and that's it.

[00:26:17] I don't do anything else.

[00:26:19] So Heather I thank you for giving me a chance today we got to get you back on and continue on with future projects.

[00:26:24] Go check out so help me talk Thursdays at nine.