Miku Martineau: Turning Insecurity Into Confidence

0:00The following podcast is a deer media production. It's juicy, there's a lot of abs and a lot of rowing. Oh my god. Well, Niko, what's up to? Squeez. So thank you for having me. The topic of mental health is so important, especially amongst young people. When it is such a confusing time, kids growing up in a generation that's so online, you're basing your reality on what other people say at that age. People would say really everythings, it would impact me at that time because I didn't have strong sense of self. I just did so many things to please other people's opinions about me and what a waste of time that was. I wish I could go back and just be like, we'll live your life, be who you are. Because once you have that feeling of like knowing yourself so much and being that rock and just being like, this is just who I am. If you're content with who you are at the end of the day, it's like those kinds of comments they can kind of hit you, but it just like deflects off. You have a protective shield of just power. Everybody should celebrate their differences and their uniqueness

1:03and their culture, culture is such a beautiful thing. I think the energy you put out is the energy that you receive. So like the busiest time in my life right now in my career, I'm like, what a perfect time to receive that because I feel so solid. And I feel so mentally great, filled and like content. So I'm just like, bring it on. Yeah. This week's guest is hands down one of the sweetest people I have ever had in the studio. Lumin drops, let me introduce you to actress Miku Marno. Miku stars in the new Netflix show Crew Girl, which you all know, I love a good YA show. So I am so excited for the show. She shares about the show, what viewers can expect, and also some behind the scenes of what it was like for her

2:06to actually learn the sport of rowing. She talks about what got her into acting and opens up about growing up as one of the very few Asian people in her community and how she had to deal with unkind kids and bullying that just led to real insecurities. She shares how that journey has evolved into a deep pride in being a Japanese Canadian woman and how she came to accept and embrace who she is over time. We dive into the topic of why representation matters so deeply and what it can mean for young people who see themselves on screen. Miku talks about what she does for self care and shares what parts of herself she wants to protect as she continues to grow in the industry. I truly had the sweetest time with Miku. She is one of a kind. I'm so excited to watch her career just grow and blossom because she's so deserving of every good thing that comes her way. Well, Miku, welcome to the squeeze. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. I'm excited. I feel like we've just been like chatting this sometimes. I know.

3:06I'm excited for our lemon drops who are our listeners. Lemon drops? We've got adorable. That's so cute. Hey, lemon drops. I'm excited for them to get to know you today and to learn more about you and your story. But we start each episode off with this jar. So it's a little game called Citrus Got Real. If you want to pull a piece of paper out of there, and you can read it too. My lemon drops. Wait, this is so fun. OK. OK, if you had to compete on a reality show, which one would you choose? Oh my gosh. Definitely not a dating one. Yeah. Actually, because when I'm working, I feel like I can't watch regular shows because my work schedule is so it moves so fast. And I'm already reading so many episodes for certain things that I'm trying to stay on track with my own plot line. Yeah. So the only thing I can really watch while filming,

4:07if I have time, is a reality show. So I'm still not finished. And I know everybody knows the result of it or the end of the show. But I just watched Love Island. OK, for the first time, have you seen? OK, wait, I want to know how you liked it. Because I've given it, I gave it a shot two seasons ago. But then I felt like I think it's because I tried it at the same time as everyone. And it was like, I'd watched four episodes, and then I fell behind, and then I was like, well, I don't, then it was just, it was too much pressure. Yes. It was a lot. Yes. I didn't watch Love Island. I feel like people have been on Love Island for years. Like they've been fans for years. And it was just never my thing. And then one of my co-stars on Bet Season 2 was like, you should give it a try. And I was like, OK, so we all had dinner one night. And we just watched it. I'm like, wait, this is kind of funny and good. And maybe it was because of my cast meets commentary that made it so funny. And then we were invested. We were like, oh, I'm rooting for them. But I mean, I could never, they are so brave.

5:10Was it this past season that you watched the US? Yeah, the most recent one, the US one. So I haven't watched any other season, but maybe I will. But I'm still not finished. I don't think I'm even halfway through. But it's probably good, like, comfort background noise. Yeah, that's what it was. It was like, my brain is so busy all day. And Bet Season 2 is really crazy. Like, we are, I wish I could say what the plot is and all the things that I've been doing for these past three months. But it's nice to kind of just turn my brain off to just watch it. But so if it wasn't a dating show, it would be when I was younger, I really wanted to go on survivor. Oh, really badly. Because I kind of grew up more outdoors. And it was the one show I think that me, my brother, and my dad would all watch together. Yeah. And so, yeah, I would still be down to go on survivor. Oh, gosh. I think I'd be a little bit more scared now but I'd be down. Oh, that's good for you. Good for you. I don't.

6:10OK, I want to talk about crew, girl. Yeah. I'm excited. I love a good YA show. The Lama Drops know that I, that is like my favorite form of television. And I'm really excited to get to watch this. Thank you. But for anyone who hasn't heard of crew girl, can you give them a little detail about the show? Yes. I think my first thoughts when I think of crew girl, it's juicy. There's a lot of abs and a lot of rowing. But overall, in my opinion, it's such a nice coming of age story. It's a YA series. It's about this young rower named Tegan and after a huge family scandal, she's forced to relocate with her mom. And Tegan is an athlete. She's 16 years old. She's opinionated and a bit fiery. And she has a great passion for rowing in a single school. And she wants to pursue this, but the new school that she goes to doesn't have a girls team.

7:12And there was series of events she's forced to become the coxen of an all-boys rowing team. So she's kind of going from a solo athlete to not only being a member of a team, but also kind of being the leader of a team. If you're listening to Jo, know what a coxen is. It's basically like the leader. Yes. It's like the person who sits at the front of the boat, the rowing boat. And there's eight seats. And every rower has a different position in the seats. And the coxen is like the leader of the boat, saying the calls, directing them through races. And so it's about the story of that and these young rowers. And a lot about adolescence and navigating friendships and romances as we do when we take more teenagers. And family dynamics as well. And I'm so happy to be here today because I feel like I, first of all, the topic of mental health is so important, but especially amongst young people, when it is such a confusing time, I think,

8:15from when you're young to your 20, throughout all life, we experience it. Especially when we're young, we're really trying to figure out who we are as people. And that mixed with the navigation of all these things, revolving around mental health. It can be hard. So I'm so happy to be here and to talk about all of that. You're so cute. That was such a good description. Oh my gosh, really? I'm like, sign me up. That was really good. I actually don't think I've heard someone describe a show of theirs. And I'm not just saying that. I was like, wow. OK, no, I'm there. I was so excited. OK. OK. That's good. I'm going into my day. Thank you. Thank you. No, I love it. OK, wait. What was your knowledge of rowing? Because I have, I know nothing. I don't. I don't. I didn't grow up around rowers. I was in. Besides what I see in my mind of like, I don't know. Of like, I know. I, saying, I think more of the notebook kind of rowing. But I learned so much. So I was shooting an independent sci-fi film in Ithaca, New York.

9:18And I had already known that I had booked Crew Girl before I was there, but I was there for a month. And so I needed to learn how to row before I started shooting the show. Because especially when I'm taking on a role that's so specific to a certain sport, like, obviously, I want to do it justice. And I'm a person that, you know, when I get a role, I work really hard to represent it correctly in my opinion. And so while I was shooting this movie in New York, I was doing rowing training on the weekends at a random lake in New York. And I learned so much. I had such a lovely coach who was a professional rower growing up. And I was out on the water in a single school. And the boats are so thin. So they're very, you can fall in. Yeah. And I fell in a few times. Because when I think about rowing, I thought, OK, only more than like, I need to get strong fast.

10:18Yeah. But it's not just about strength and endurance. It's so technical. And it's so much about balance and coordination. And that I had no clue. So learning was such an amazing process. And then when I went to Victoria BC from New York to start shooting crew girl, we had like a two week period with everybody in the cast to learn together. So I was focusing on single schools, but also learning how to become a coxin. But it's also, I think, important to know for me to the audience that Teagan in the show also has never been a coxin before. Of course, she's grown up with the sport of rowing and all of that knowledge. But being a coxin versus rowing in a single school, they are separate things and they require separate things. So we had a great professional team who taught us and it was so much fun. Like, I love learning a new skill for all.

11:21Like, I think I'm so grateful for my job. Like, I genuinely think I have one of the coolest jobs in the world and like, I enjoy it so much. Yeah. So I had a blast learning how to row. And I have so much respect for rowers. Like, it's insane. Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited to get to watch it. I'm also ready for like a new sport. Yeah. I feel like we've been stuck on hockey for a little bit. So I'm excited for like, don't get me wrong. I've loved all of the shows. Yeah. But I'm excited for like a new sport to like make it stay you in the YA category. I know I'm excited. There has been a lot of hockey. And I actually grew up playing hockey for years. Oh wow. Yeah. So I don't know when I was younger, I was like, maybe I could do a role with hockey, but I never would have thought I would be doing a role of a of a rower. I would have probably guessed like a few other sports before. I know before rowing. But it's so cool because once you learn more about rowing, the rowing community is actually huge. And like the people that are in it are so tight knit

12:23and know so much. And it's so interesting to have been a part of. Yeah. Yeah. That's cool. What do you think will surprise viewers most about the show? Ooh. I mean, when you make something, it's really, it's kind of like I leave it in the hands of the viewers now. Yeah. It's like take anything you'd like from it. Like I had such a fantastic experience making it. And I think we love entertainment and media because we feel like we can resonate with it. Or we feel understood or connected. Or we just have a great time or we can turn our brain off. But I think they'll just have a great time. I mean, I'm biased. I think it's just a bingeable show. Maybe they'll be surprised to see what I'm seeing in the show. I don't know.

13:24No, no, no, no. How do you relate? You said your character's name is Teagan. Yes. How do you relate to Teagan? Is there any characteristics that she has that you feel like you? Or can easily relate to or maybe the opposite? Right. I don't know. Like honestly, when I play characters, I try to pick characters that are actually quite different from myself. But obviously when you're playing a character, you're like, how you try to relate to certain things. But for Teagan, I think what I relate to most and also what I just love about the story so much is that she's a young woman pursuing what she's super passionate about. But throughout the series, she recognizes that she's young and it's like, OK, to make mistakes and still learn. And I feel that very much because I've been acting since I was 13. And I think because of my work in working so much, I have matured fast and certain aspects of my life.

14:28Sure. And I'm so passionate about it. I genuinely love being on a set so much. But also, it's important for me to remember that I'm 20 years old and that I'm still learning and growing and figuring out who I am and to give myself grace for that. So I relate to her on that level. And also maybe just the athlete level. Like I grew up doing a lot of sports, like hockey for years, gymnastics for years, figure skating, volleyball. I was very like my dad put me in a lot of sports. And it definitely taught me a lot about resilience. And I think Teagan carries that with her a lot through the series. So yeah. What the? One of the things I notice when I walk into a small business that has it together is how the whole checkout experience feels. It's fast, it's clean, everything works, and it doesn't feel like they're fighting their own system

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18:32That's tempo meals.com slash squeeze for 60% off your first box. Tempo meals.com slash squeeze. Rules and restrictions may apply. This episode is sponsored by Honest. And honestly, this one feels really personal to me right now because of someone who is expecting I've been doing so much research on baby products lately. The amount of label reading, ingredient checking, and general overthinking I've been doing when it comes to what I'm going to use on my baby's skin is a whole new thing. And I feel like that's just what you do when you care because the decisions feel so important. That's exactly why I've been so drawn to Honest. They make baby essentials made for life's most delicate skin. And the whole brand is built around this idea that parents deserve to feel genuinely confident in what they're using on their little ones. Honest holds every product to their highest standard, the Honest standard, thoughtfully choosing the ingredients they put in and the ones they leave out. Their baby products are also hypowallergenic and dermatologist tested. And that combination, knowing someone else

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20:34Did you want to do it growing up? Or did they just happen? It just happened. I wasn't, my family was in, we didn't watch that many movies together growing up. I also grew up with, I grew up in Canada, in Toronto, Canada. So my dad's French Canadian. But my mom immigrated from Japan when she was in her late 20s, close to 30s. So I feel like growing up, a lot of my friends there, they've watched the classics, like growing up, the American, Canadian, pop culture, movie classics. And that was never my case. I'm still behind on them, I feel like. So I never watched movies like that and was enamored by the film, enamored by an actor and was like, I want to do that. I didn't really know that was an option. But I think when I was younger, I just tried a bunch of things. I was very curious and I had a big imagination, I think.

21:35So when I was in elementary school, I joined a thing called Show Choir. I just like singing and dancing. Just for fun. And my childhood best friends were still my best friends to this day, did it with me. So it's a really fun memory that I have. But we performed at this event called Show Choir Canada. And we had a whole performance, kind of like the Canadian version of pitch, I was like, I was just kidding. It was like, a cappella too. It was a pitch perfect in my mind. Yes, it was a cappella. I think part of it was, I'm like, I think it was so long ago. I was, this was the summer before high school. Okay. So I did that and then through that, at Show Choir Canada, I got this scholarship. So I don't know, it's a go to New York for this art camp at one of their colleges. Wow. And you had to audition, but you had to pick an art that you wanted to audition for and to see if you got into this program. I think it was like a three week program during the summer.

22:38And I remember, there's like singing and dancing, theater. And I saw one for acting for film and TV. And I was like, what is that? Like, I kind of want to give it a try. So then I did that and I went there. And I just remember having such a great time. It was scary though, because I never, you know, you're, we were like a small group. Maybe it was like 10 of us in the class, in the program. We take classes all day long. And we do monologues in front of each other. We'd be doing scenes together. And I had such a great time though. Like I enjoyed it so much that when I came back to Toronto. And I was 12, 13. I started to take like workshops that I found. And then there was like a conference at these workshops where you could perform and be scouted by like an agent.

23:38And I was scouted by my agent. And I'm still with her to this day. And she's so sweet. She's so professional and really cares about me like a mama bear. Yeah. So so young in the industry. And I'm really lucky. I feel like to have entered the industry when I did. And also to be surrounded by such great people from a young age because it is like you're working on a professional setting, young. So it's important to be surrounded by people that really care about you and not just the work. That's not true. Right. And I am just very, very fortunate for that. And then yeah. And then I just started doing self tapes when I was 13. And then I booked my first role on Netflix, which was an action movie with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, from Scott Pilgrim versus the world. Mm-hmm. And and then I was 13 in Thailand shooting my first movie. And I knew nothing. Yeah. Oh my gosh. That really did just kind of like obviously not fall into your lap.

24:39You were doing stuff before, but it really just happened. It really did just happen because I was having fun. And my whole point, the whole thing of me, like, you know, then doing the workshop, it was like I just wanted to continue having fun with this. For sure. So that's special. Yeah, it is. And I feel the same way now. I think the reason that I'm here right now, getting to talk to you about, you know, crew girl and everything is because I've just mixed, you know, hard work. But with purely just doing it because I love it. Yeah. So yeah. Yeah, that's special. I want to touch on your upbringing a little bit. You mentioned to us that you grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood. Yeah. And just the struggle that you had growing up with fitting in as most kids do and finding your identity. What was that part of your childhood like for you? I mean, there were, and I think a lot of people can relate.

25:39There's great parts of your childhood. And there's not so great parts. But, you know, today speaking to you guys, if there's any Asian, any Asian people or part of the community listening, I am so proud to be a leading Japanese Canadian actor. And I wear that as a badge of honor. I am so proud. It really makes me who I am, my Canadian side and my Japanese side. But when I was younger, I unfortunately and regrettably didn't feel as proud because growing up being one of the only Asian people in my school, there were very few of us. You definitely feel a little bit like an outlier or a little bit different. And, you know, kids can say some mean things purely out of lack of education and lack of awareness because we're kids and we don't know better. But it still hurts. I think, you know, yeah, all you want to do is a kid.

26:41A by nature is just fit into the group. So I think dealing with that kind of led me to have some insecurities for sure and feel different. And it was a thing where as I've got an older, I've realized how being unique is actually your superpower. And it makes you who you are. There's so many parts of myself that are so Japanese. And I love it. Like I love it with my entire heart. And I'm really lucky that I've been able to have that period and time of reflection and be so content with it now because I think everybody should be, everybody should celebrate their differences and their uniqueness and their culture culture is such a beautiful thing. And I'm, yeah, I'm so proud to be Japanese. Yeah. Did you ever feel like you had to change parts of you to fit in?

27:44Yeah. Yeah, not even just being, you know, Japanese and Canadian. I think it's just a thing maybe we all feel growing up. I think, you know, especially with body image growing up and you're going through puberty and your body's changing. I think kids are brutal sometimes. What they say. Yeah. And I can't even imagine like, now kids growing up in a generation that's so online. It may be it's heightened, I'm not sure. But like, I, yeah, I used to be, because kids would say things about, I was naturally, I naturally had a very fast metabolism was very tiny because of, I'm, you know, just my Asian genetics as well. Like my mom was the same growing up. But people would say really, really things. I was a late bloomer. So, you know, people were worried about that. And I would actually, it would impact me at the time

28:47because I didn't have strong sense of self. And I was like, if you think that is, you know, the standard, then that's correct because you're basing your reality on what other people say at that age. Yeah. So, I would wear things like, for example, I was so insecure about being thin and not, you know, volumptuous and beautiful. I was, I would like wear always back pants. Yeah. I would like never wear anything tight. I would also like, I had a naturally very high pitched voice growing up and people would tease me about that. So, I would try and make my voice look like, oh my god. I just did so many things. Yeah. I think when I was younger, subconsciously, too, probably, to please other people's opinions about me. Yeah. And what a waste of time that was. I wish I could go back and just be like, we'll live your life. Yeah. Be who you are and like, because once you have that feeling

29:50of like knowing yourself so much and being that rock and just being like, this is just who I am. And if, like, take it or leave it, you know? If you're content with who you are at the end of the day, it's like those kinds of comments they can kind of hit you, but it just like deflects off. Like you have a protective shield of just power kind of. I think being in the industry and also being 21 and still like navigating life in your early 20s, how do you, how do you say content with who you are as a human and fight those, those thoughts, which I think no matter what industry or job, whatever form of part of life that you're in, you can definitely struggle with like wanting to change to fit molds of whatever is going on in your life or the people around you or you want to, you know, bend in a little more, even if you are confident in who yourself, who you are as an individual.

30:50Right. How has that been for you kind of navigating that into as you gained more success and you're in the public eye more, like how have you learned to kind of balance that? Right. Honestly, I taking care of yourself. You need to take especially having such a busy work schedule now that I'm so grateful for, but it was really like, okay, sleep, eating properly, making sure you're strong, physically and mentally. Yeah. So it's just having that certain understanding of yourself. And like I said, continuing to trust yourself and to take risks, I think in your 20s, it's such a great time to take risks and try things. And, you know, navigating your 20s is hard as well because it's like, yeah, I am a 21 year old girl, like 21 year old girl, like I am still navigating my own personal life

31:53outside of work. And that's really important. Like I think also to just what will make me blossom into a better actor as I age is experiencing real life. Yeah. It's important for me to take those moments and like I'm quite a simple person. I like the simplistic things when I'm not working. Yeah. Sleeping in or going on a walk or hanging out with my pet or my friends. Yeah. Like those things really fill my cup. And this year, especially this past year, I have gained such positive experiences like that. And yeah, I just, I have experienced a lot in the past few years. And I think a lot of young people who are listening and who are maybe in relationships in your young 20s too, which is such a normal thing. I think that's really interesting and cool because relationships also teach you so much about yourself.

32:54For sure. It's like a mirror. Yeah. And for them as well. And then it's like you're both learning who you are as people and what you need. And so I was, I used to be in a longer term relationship. And that taught me so much that I'm so grateful for. And I think this year of being single, I've learned so much on how to not forget to fill my cup. I think it's hard when you are young and you're so in love. And you kind of forget maybe you're, you're starting to build a life with somebody, but you know, we're young where our, our minds are allowed to change on what we envision for our future or what we want. And I think anybody, if you're in that scenario, like it's okay to change your mind and to make mistakes and for sure and learn from that. And so I've had such like a fulfilling and fruitful year, honestly, because this year has really been me deciding like, I want to spend time alone.

33:56I want to learn what I genuinely like. I want to do things because I like doing it. And I think when you're young, it's important to start to fill your cup first, not in a selfish way, but in a way where if your cup is more full, yourself, you can then have the water to fill other people's cup in a way, better way. Yeah. So I've agreed. Yeah. I've just been like, I'm also just like the timing of everything of me filming the seconds used in a back coming to do promo for, for crew girl. I'm like, it's, I, I'm a person that I think the energy you put out is the energy that you receive. So like the busiest time in my life right now in my career, I'm like, what a perfect time to receive that because I feel so solid. And I feel so mentally great and filled and like content. So I'm just like, bring it on.

34:58I love that. Yeah. I love to hear that that's like where you're at. Because in these types of seasons, definitely can be, maybe hard because a lot of what goes on during this time period in the industry is can be like very overwhelming. If you're not grounded in absolutely in yourself and your mental health makes of what you need and all of that stuff. It is so important to remember that because yeah, things can get, you know, last minute in this industry and like, oh, you're going there and then going here and then it's like, if you feel like your sense of home is with yourself, you'll be okay. Yeah. We talked a little bit about representation. And the importance, I want to know to you, what is the importance of on screen representation? Yes. And if there was ever a moment growing up that you felt represented or even now today that you feel represented. Right. I mean, again, I'm so proud to be a leading Japanese Canadian actor because when I was younger,

36:04I didn't really see any Asian actors in the leading roles. So and especially as a young Japanese girl, I was for sure, like I was saying, having those feelings of being different. Yeah. And so it makes me so happy on both sides for people that are older than me and younger than me. Because hopefully maybe that will make a little girl feel like she belongs a little bit more. Yeah. Because she does and she's awesome. But also for all of the Asian actors that have come before me who have paved the path in the industry, who have created and done the work and like, poured so much into making it possible for me to be to have the opportunity to play a leading girl today. That means so much. And Michelle Yo was so inspiring to me and I had the privilege of working with her on Star Trek.

37:11And I got to tell her that I had booked my first leading role because I was auditioning for it at the time of filming Star Trek. I just thought, no, it gives me chill. Oh my god. It gives me chill. I have a photo of it too. I've said this in so many ways. But it's so iconic to me. It's so iconic. I mean, such a legend and like, like, is she a such a legend as a person and in the industry and yet be telling like an iconic Asian actress that I had booked my first lead as an Asian actress was a very, very special moment for me. That's so sweet. I like getting it. It's the practice you know. No, that's so sweet. It keeps sharing that. I love that. Yes. It's so special. But it also like reminds people because I feel like sometimes people can be like, why, like, why does representation matter? Like I feel like that, that question still is asked. But I think it's stories like those where it's like, oh, like this is why representation is so important.

38:17It is. And we live in such a diverse world. Media should replicate that accurately. Yeah. You know, yeah. So yeah, I, I feel so honored. Really? That's so sweet. What a fashion. How long ago was that? That was, I was 19 when I started filming that. So 18, 19. Okay. And that aid, though, you're very well spoken. I appreciate that. So I feel like I used to not be at all. Really? I used to actually hate like when I think even they probably exist online, watch my old interviews. They're like, I don't know what I was so nervous. Yeah. But that comes with confidence. Yeah. And just speaking your truth, but so funny because I actually, I, I, my husband, I talked about this a couple of years ago, watching like old interviews of him, compared to he did fall in maybe like three years ago. Right. And it was the most calm, relaxed, well spoken thing he's ever done.

39:19And he came off and I was like, what like, what's switch? And I think he was just like, I just like felt like safe and confident in himself. But also like, I think because he grew up as a child actor and just, there's so much pressure that I think your reps and people can put on you to say the right thing and make sure you're not saying the wrong thing. And this, I think was the first time he was like, oh, like, he just like went out there and had fun. Yes. That's the biggest honestly type I would give. Yeah. Oh, have fun. Yeah. I think you'll succeed so much more if you're having fun. I love that you even locked that already because he unlocked that at like 31. It took him a little, it took him a little longer. Life insurance is one of those things that lives on the to do list forever. You know, you should handle it. You just never quite get around to it. And then something shifts a big life moment, a conversation with someone you love. And suddenly it stops failing like something you'll get to eventually and starts feeling like something you need to handle now.

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44:32Yeah, I go on a walk. I call a friend, I we gab, I ran to a friend. They tell me about their life. I tell them about mine. It's like it's genuinely so refreshing. I love food. I eat a crepe meal. I do things for fun. I try and live a very regular life. I think taking care of yourself is so important. It's so important and your sustainability as a person. Because if you're not doing little things every day to take care of yourself, it eventually you'll crash. And it's harder to get up from a crash than to just slowly take a day by day. I think when someone is struggling and they think about, because now we have so, which is so great, that we have so many ways to improve our life. And like, even before we started rolling, we're talking about pregnancy,

45:36all these things that you can do. There's so many resources, which is so great, but I think sometimes, it can be overwhelming the amount of things that we can do to self-improve. And so my, I think my main thing is just doing little things. So I genuinely enjoy every day. It can be so small whether it is sleeping for an extra 30 minutes, or calling a friend for 10 minutes. I think if you do that over time, it doesn't seem so big and scary. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. How is prioritizing your mental health while working for you? Because I know your schedule will be a little crazy. Yeah, it is just those things. Because sometimes I'm, you know, especially for Baton crew girls, like I'm there Monday through Friday and on weekends, I'm memorizing my lines and catching up on laundry. And like, you know, and then repeat for like the certain amount of months that we do it. So it is really making sure I'm trying to get enough sleep, fasting hydrated, eating enough, eating healthy foods,

46:40eating foods that I enjoy as well. It's all a balance. Yeah. And all of those things, I mean, this entire summer, I know I'm only 21, but I've been sober all summer. Yeah. Because I knew how crazy of a work schedule that I would be having. And it just helps me stay refreshed, not even that like, I don't know. But maybe it's easy for me because I've never really been like a big part of your or a drinker. Well, still, I mean, even because I think I relate to you in that way. Like I'm, I've never, like, I've never blocked out. I've never, I don't like drink like I'm not like a big drinker, but I'll have one to two. But like if I'm out with friends, but if I am constantly doing that or having a glass of wine every night, I feel like for me, it does cloud me. It does. Yeah, same. And there's the fact that that's so nice about just like I did. I the past two years, well, I mean, this year, I ended up getting pregnant. So my dry January is still still going on.

47:43But the last year, my dry January, like I, it lasted like four months for me. Like it's just like, yeah, it's like something that it makes me feel better. Same. I think it affects people in different ways too, depending on your body. And for me, it really makes like it's like, I actually think I'm a bit allergic. Yes. Really? Yeah. Do you get like really red or like I get body aches sometimes even at just like one drink? Yeah. I was thinking I was allergic to, well, I'm actually very curious once this baby comes out to try. And I was thinking I was, there's some wines that I'm allergic to. I really do like hard alcohol. Like I'll do an Avarol Spritz. Yeah. Sometimes a dirty martini, but that's like all I got. But I actually, I found out that I'm allergic to a lot of red wine. And I would like my tongue would, and mouth would get bumpy. Whoa. And I would get like, I would get like red in my cheeks. I'm like hot. Yeah. But I, it didn't happen right away.

48:44It was like over time for me, which was weird. Interesting. But then I felt like at the beginning of the year, I started having it with white wine. But then again, I was also pregnant and I didn't know. So it could have also, it could have maybe been that. So I'm curious to see if that is the case. Wine for me as well. Actually, it gives, I get, well, me and my Asian friends call it Asian glow. I don't know about Canadian things. One of my girlfriends from high school, we were called Asian glow. Asian glow. But it's not just that. I get like body eggs if I usually drink wine. Maybe it's the, the, I don't know what it is actually. I'd be really curious if there's like a study done. Like, yeah, with like your, like with Asian, with Asian genes. Because it is a common trait. A lot of my Asian friends also feel allergic sometimes. So I'm, yeah, it's, it's, there has to be. There has to be some correlation. There's gotta be something. Yeah. You, I've, we've always been talking about your mom.

49:45I'd love to know if there's any, um, any traits from her growing up in a Japanese household, anything that she's taught you or you've learned from her that's really like shaped who you are. Yeah, I mean, I think it is very common in Japanese culture that they have such a strong, more ethic. So that my mom has been like waitress on my life and she loves it. Like she has the most positive mindset that I've like, like, she's always seemingly okay, which I'm not saying to always pretend that you're okay. Yeah. But, um, yeah, I am always so inspired by that. And I think I'm a generally positive person because I've seen that. And I think I'm such a hard worker because I've seen her work so hard. And I think also just her groundedness. Yeah. I think, um, my mom's Buddhist. So she prays every day, but usually it's not for yourself.

50:47You're praying for people in your family or for people that are going through a hard time. Um, there's just so many things about Japanese culture that I love. I'll share one in specific because I think it's kind of cool. I think in Canada and America, we're kind of like we think of graveyards and it's scary. But in Japan, it's, I grew up with it being such a sacred, amazing space because my, my mother's father, so my grandfather passed away when I was like one year old. And I met him once because she took me to go see him. Yeah. And I've tried to visit Japan almost every year since I've been born. I, I've, there's been some years where I've had to miss out. But every time we go, we go to her father's grave. And we don't just like, you know, I feel like here, maybe it's more of like a morning thing, which is also like valid. Yeah. But we go and we clean his grave and we bring him food, his favorite foods.

51:49And it's like they, I can talk for hours about how enamored I am with Japanese culture, because I think it's so respectful. Yeah. And so honorable to like continue to honor and cherish and be there for people who are no longer even with us on this planet. So I think that kind of growing up around that kind of energy has made me, I like to consider myself like a caring person with my friends or, you know, whoever I'm with or like I, I feel, I feel like it's important to take care of other people around you as well. Yeah. So that I've definitely gotten from my mom. Yeah. That's so sweet. Yeah. So chicken. Yeah. I'm going to be reaching out to you when I got, when I got a Japan. Because once this baby comes out, I've been dying to go to Japan. You never been.

52:49No, I've never been. Okay, you would love it. I'm going to need to get a whole lot to do. Yes, I will give you one. I know such great places. Look, yeah. I'm excited. Okay, last couple of questions for you. What part of yourself are you most committed to protecting as your career continue to grow? Wow, that's so sweet. I think my relationship with myself, I think it is an industry where there can be perhaps, it's like a lot of people are involved. A lot of opinions are involved. And I want to protect the relationship with myself because I love acting so much, not because of, I mean, this part of it is great. Like this is kind of the celebratory part about it when you can talk about it and it comes out and you can see everyone's reaction and it's so nice. But almost selfishly and a little bit in a little way. I love acting because I just love the experience of making whatever I'm making.

53:53I love being on a set. I love traveling to be there. I love meeting new people. I love being an artist in itself and collaborating with so many wonderful and talented people to create one thing. I think that's a skill within itself and it's really fun. And I never, it gives me a sense of child wonder when I act. Like I feel like a child when I'm playing outside and doing an imaginary game with my friends. So I never want to lose that. And I never, yeah, I just want to protect that relationship with myself and keep that sacred. And so I can do it for a long time and keep doing it and love it throughout my career. Yeah, that's great. Last question is what are you most proud of yourself for? I am most proud of myself for my resilience.

54:59I think I feel and there's so much more growing that I have to do, but I feel like from what I think of myself as a child, I've grown so much. And I'm so happy that I can stay here with you and be like, no, I have a strong sense of who I am. And that very few things can really rock me. I'm really proud of my resilience through my career. And yeah, through who I am as a person. Yeah. What about you? Oh my gosh, I'm proud of myself for getting through this. Yes. Almost for almost there. It's like what a beautiful thing. Yes. I cannot believe that a woman's body can create another human being. There's been so many times, like the fact that there's just like, she could come out right now and like literally be fine. Like there's a little human inside of me right now.

56:00It's crazy. It's crazy. Women are so strong. I know. We're on it. We're on it. We're the best. Thanks for coming. Thank you. This is so fun. I've so excited to watch the news. Thank you so much for everything that's coming for you. Thank you. Thank you, Lemon Drops. Yes. You guys are so cute. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.