Welcome And Guest Introduction

Greg Staffa 0:00

You're listening to the Staffa Corner Podcast, a Staffatarian look, an entertainment in life, with your host, Greg Staffa. My guest today is Casey Gardner, someone whose journey in the industry entertainment industry proves that some of the most interesting stories aren't always the ones happening in front of the camera. Today we're going to talk about Casey's career, unexpected turns along the way, and what life in the business really looks like when the cameras aren't rolling. Casey Gardner, thank you for coming on today.

Casey Gardner 0:49

Thank you so much, Greg. I'm so excited.

Growing Up In Kansas City

Greg Staffa 0:52

So tell us a little bit about yourself. Where were you born and a little bit about your upbringing?

Casey Gardner 0:57

Of course, yeah. So I'm actually originally from the Midwest. I'm actually from Kansas City. If anyone's seen Ted Lasso, I was very excited to watch that episode because it brought up a lot of home for me. But I grew up in the Midwest, was out there for the first 18 years of my life, did school there, and really got a great introduction actually into the arts and into my passions and had a lot of room to explore. My schools that I attended were both not necessarily performing arts high schools, but they were very rewarding. And we had quite a big budget. So I got a lot of room to explore a lot of my different passions and found out that I really wanted to do this and decided if I wanted to, I would make the leap and move out to California. So yeah, original early life growing up in in the great flyover state of Kansas, and then moved out here for college to attend USC when I was about uh 18.

Greg Staffa 1:57

So and I'll try not to hold any of that against you, being a Minnesota person myself.

Casey Gardner 2:03

Oh no.

Greg Staffa 2:04

I won't hold that against you. But speaking of Ted Ted Lasso, you mentioned it. That first episode really was, I mean, it was almost like a travel uh documentary for that city. It was such a wonderful way to show people Kansas City, and it didn't feel like it was like stuffed on your face. It was just like a here's Kansas City, and it really was a love letter episode to the city itself. And I I thought that was very lovely how it did it, even if it was Kansas City and not Minnesota.

Casey Gardner 2:37

Yeah, it was so crazy to watch. I mean, I I haven't been back to Kansas City, I think, for about a year. I still have family out there, but watching it, I was like, I was freaking out calling my mom. I was like, you need to watch this episode right now. It was definitely a love letter. It was it was beautiful.

Greg Staffa 2:54

Well, for and I and I'm not trying to harp on Ted Lasso, but it almost from what I understood, most of that stuff was real locations. It wasn't like we created this fictional, you know, baseball hall of fame or this jazz place, or we it was they just incorporated real stuff.

Casey Gardner 3:11

Yeah, I've been to all of those locations many a time for class field trips to the jazz museum. I've been to Gates Barbecue with my dad growing up. That was like our favorite weekend spot. So it it was definitely so fun to watch on screen.

Taking The Leap To Los Angeles

Greg Staffa 3:26

Let's move on and focus on you. So yeah, make the move to California. What was that like? Because I mean, so often we we believe we can do something, we we dream of doing something, but it takes a lot of courage. I mean, not many people move their entire life to another city to make what they hope a dream comes true. What was it about yourself that you said this is the right thing to do and I can make it work?

Casey Gardner 3:50

Yeah. Fortunately for me, I have two parents that are very encouraging and always have been very encouraging of my endeavors and and my art. So I never felt scared about the move. I I felt like I did have a lot of support, but moving to California and specifically attending the University of Southern California, that was quite the culture shock. Coming from the Midwest, I I not to bring them up again, I did feel those first few years a little bit like Ted Lasso, very, you know, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed and walking into a world that was a lot more fast-paced and a different wealth dynamic, and just navigating a bunch of different people and cultures and yeah, it it was it was quite culture shock. It was quite um an exciting time, but I I think I always knew deep down, and because of the support from my family, that I really could do anything. I also have a brother who's a pilot, so we've both chosen pretty niche careers. So my parents were always really supportive, and I think that definitely got through got me through the transition for sure.

Greg Staffa 4:59

And we're always hearing that actors and actresses are always, you know, struggling actors, so they're never fully made it unless you're one of the big name actors or actresses. But was there a certain point where you realized that the scales had kind of tipped that this was the right move? You can still struggle and you know find hurdles, but was there a point where you realized that the move was correct, that the the scales of uncertainty were kind of shifting in your favor, or was it more of a casual transformation?

Casey Gardner 5:28

I think the first year that I moved, and and I think luckily for me, I had the introduction of school. Obviously, people that enter into this career take many different paths. I think if I had just moved out here to just pursue this, uh I have mad props to the people that do that because it is so difficult. I think for me, after that first year and just getting adjusted, that second year of being in school and being exposed not only to the collegiate level of people pursuing this for a career, but actually stepping into the real world and attending events and going to different talk shows and seeing different things being filmed. I think that I that second year I really realized I was home and I realized that it was a lot more accessible than I thought it was. And so I think for me, just the second year of being in the city and being so close and seeing, you know, celebrities sometimes at a restaurant, I was like, wow, I'm here. It's possible it can happen. It may take a bit of time, but it can definitely happen for

What Acting School Really Teaches

Casey Gardner 6:34

me.

Greg Staffa 6:34

Was your mindset that you were going to school in hopes of becoming an actor or actress, or were you an actress that happened to be going to school? Like what was your mindset priority?

Casey Gardner 6:47

Yeah, so I I did attend USC for an acting degree. So that was really rewarding because I I got a lot of training and a lot of exposure to obviously USC has you know one of the best film schools in the country. So getting to work on sets with expensive cameras, expensive equipment. Yeah, I went to school knowing that this is what I was choosing, this was the path that I was choosing, and knowing that it was gonna take a long time. I don't think I realized, I guess, the scale, like the levels in which this career you navigate. But I I went to school knowing that I wanted to be an actor and I'm gonna make it happen no matter what.

Greg Staffa 7:27

And I'm always fascinated by when someone says that they they went to school for acting because you know you see your Tom Hanks or your Marlon Brando's or your your Tom Cruises, and they all have very different styles.

Casey Gardner 7:41

Yeah.

Greg Staffa 7:42

Uh you look at today's world, and you know, YouTube influencers are suddenly becoming actors and actresses. So when you go to school to learn to be an actor, how does that that work when there's it I mean it almost seems like a buffet of of options and routes to become an actor from method to you know just studying the script? How does that work?

Casey Gardner 8:05

Yeah, so for me particularly, I um was in the program at USC that's not the BFA, if if you're unfamiliar, I I was in the Bachelor of Arts. So it's a a more uh a wider array of students that kind of approach that program. The Bachelor of Fine Arts program, the BFA, that's a smaller cohort of students. So I was not a part of that, but I worked really closely with a lot of those students. And specifically, I guess my journey through USC and going to school for for this was a lot of exposure into a lot of different techniques. I mean, working in Meisner, working a little bit with like Stella Adwork Adler's teachings, just working in a lot of different capacities and also working in spaces outside of acting. So I had the opportunity to take directing courses, writing courses. I minored in film studies. So I got to take a bunch of incredible classes at the University of Cinematic Arts, the School of Cinematic Arts. So specifically the training, I obviously everyone has a different journey into this career, but I think it was really foundational for me to understanding, I guess, just the discipline that it takes to be an actor and USC and specifically the BA program, you really have to find your own path. And I think that that's so much aligns with what it takes to be in this industry is you finding your own path, you navigating your own path. And yeah, I mean, USC is also a research institute, so to its core, so getting really familiar with doing a lot of research and prep for roles, all of that has been super foundational in how I approach my work.

Greg Staffa 9:47

I think of a lot of career paths that if I wanted to become, you know, a certain career, I can talk to someone about it or I can learn about it. But acting is is so different. One day you can be in LA and the next day you're in Berlin filming something, um, you're in, you know, a guest star in one episode, but then you're guest starring in uh 10 episodes. Is there any kind of mentoring? Is there any kind of how does that I mean, like who can you talk to as a young actor to kind of get guidance? Is it just talking to other people or is there any kind of system in place that kind of helps these new actors? Because some of them become famous overnight, some of them struggle and then you know things work out. But is there any kind of program or anything out there for actors to handle things?

Casey Gardner 10:38

There's nothing that I've found yet. So if anyone has a program or anything that they know, reach out to me and let me know. But for me specifically, I I've realized I've kind of come to a stage in my career where it's it's really just reconnecting with the people that I know, um, the community that I have, of other working actors around my age that are doing this. And honestly, just having a safe space to air our grievances, to talk about what we're working towards, our goals. A lot of uh USC, a few, a handful of USC professors I still reach out to, and um, they're you know, working actors and talk to them as well as classes. A lot of the teachers that I meet in classes have become resources for me to reach out to, but there is no there's no program or guidance or steps for this career. So it really is tapping into the the community that you know and reaching out and building new community for yourself as

Short Films And Building Relationships

Casey Gardner 11:39

well.

Greg Staffa 11:39

And one of the things that you started doing early on was getting cast in shorts. What was that like to finally start getting involved in in roles and stuff like that, even if they were shorts?

Casey Gardner 11:51

Yeah, I did quite a few short films in college. I believe, I think it was a requirement to graduate. I I want to say it was, maybe it wasn't. I did quite a few shorts in college, so that was great to just understand what it means to be on a set, to understand the terminology, all the moving parts that are happening. And then I also did quite a few shorts outside of college, so working with just people in LA that are building things. I believe I did a project with Green Heart Greenhouse Media Productions. I believe they're still around, but just different programs, different places. And I think it was it's so vital for young actors, for anyone that's just starting this career to not be worried about the finish line, but just get on a set and learn how to act. Learn how to act on a set.

Greg Staffa 12:42

This next question might be a little bit above your pay grade, so I apologize. But I've attended uh South by Southwest for like six or seven years, and I'm always amazed by, and you've done so many shorts, it looks like. I've always been amazed of the women directing shorts. Uh they are award-winning shorts, they get recognized at these film festivals and honored at these film festivals, but there seems to be a disconnect in being able to be award-winning short director to then transferring that into a more you know feature film, even if it's a smaller feature film. Having done the the number of shorts that you've done, have you seen that disconnect as well? Why do so many women do so well creating shorts and have a tough time getting into features?

Casey Gardner 13:34

Yeah, I mean, I I definitely have seen that discrepancy, and I think it's one that exists even for women that are, you know, at the top of their game making incredible films. Greta Gerwig, I know Gina Prince by the Wood has had a lot of struggles just trying to get she directed The Woman King, Love and Basketball. I think that unfortunately for women and for people of color in this industry, there still is definitely a long way to go in terms of representation, IP, getting your ideas out there and having them be considered credible and valid and worth making. There's also quite a bit of saturation, I think, in the entertainment industry, in terms of people that want to do this, but maybe don't, I don't want to say don't have the talent, but maybe don't necessarily have the skill level to do it, but still are doing it based on their connections. So I like to say that this whole thing, and I've heard this said before, is really a combination of talent, um, uh dedication, work ethic, and a lot of luck. I think that that's the three things, or I guess four things that are the sweet spot recipe for translating from a smaller short film into breaking into the market.

Greg Staffa 14:54

What was that like to kind of start padding your resume and adding, you know, the shorts and the miniseries and stuff like that? You know, was that a struggle? Did you find that you were able to navigate that relatively successfully, or how was that journey to you? And was there any moments of self-doubt?

Casey Gardner 15:13

I honestly found it so freeing to be able to work on short films, miniseries, um, all of those different kinds of, I guess, less great the less less grandeur in those projects. I I found it really freeing because oftentimes a lot of people working on those sets are people that know each other. There's a lot of a sense of like uh community of, hey, we're gonna get this done no matter the cost, no matter the time, whatever. We're gonna all really come together and hunker down and make this project. So you really feel, I guess, more a part of a team. And I never experienced a lot of self-doubt in that space. However, transitioning from that space into the more, I don't want to say professional projects, but more mainstream projects. That was when I started to feel a little bit like, oh, okay, if I mess up, there's a lot of money at stake here. That's when I definitely started to feel a bit more of like the imposter syndrome and the self-doubt.

Greg Staffa 16:15

Really. And I just wanted to touch on one of the things that you said. You kind of hinted at it, that people in Hollywood talk to each other. And that's one of the things that I've been amazed with. I have been covering entertainment since 2012. And, you know, you'll you'll write something about a writer on a TV show that few people have heard about, but you you're right that you really enjoyed that writer. And four years later, that writer is a head writer on a hit TV show, and he remembers that this critic wrote about him being a lowly writer, and then four years later, he's a showrunner, and so yeah, you might be doing shorts or these little, you know, smaller productions, but oftentimes these cameramen, these lighting directors, these directors, they go on to other things and they remember how they were treated when they were doing those lowly shorts, and people do talk. And so I think that's one thing that a lot of people in the industry don't kind of fully realize or appreciate that you know you might dismiss it and say, Well, this is just a short little project that why should I care, or you know, you're fully professional. But like you said, they they really do talk.

Casey Gardner 17:28

Yeah, yeah. And I think that so often when you first start out, and this is a trap I think most people fall into in any career, is thinking, oh, I'm just gonna meet some, you know, studio exec and they're gonna change my life, or I just need to get in a room with all these, you know, huge people, and and then and then I'll be seen and then I'll I'll I'll make my way. But I think that there's so much value in networking, I guess, across and really building relationships with people that are maybe not at the top of their career, because who knows, in 10 years, like you said, they could be a studio, uh, studio head, they could be um an exec, they could be a showrunner. It's it's really reaching out and reaching across and forming relationships with people that are in the exact same place as you.

Imposter Syndrome And Audition Reality

Greg Staffa 18:16

You talked about you know the imposter syndrome and and everything like that. The industry is, I mean, for outsiders, we look at it and say, Oh, what a lavish life, they get to live, and they go to Hollywood parties and and all that stuff. But talk about the imposter syndrome a little bit and just what is the process of constantly, I mean, there's constant rejection. You can be a great actress, young actress coming into the industry, but rejection is is part of the game. And how do you how do you deal with that? And what's your process for dealing with those kind of things when you have them?

Casey Gardner 18:50

Yeah, I mean, I think when it comes to imposter syndrome, it's uh the most important thing for me has been really having the grounding pillars of friends and family who know me outside of the world of acting that can remind me when I when I'm struggling or when I when I feel um a little bit out of my depth. I think it's having the people in your community that really validate, you know, hey, you've always been so-and-so, X, Y, Z. Why would getting this big thing change that? I think the really important thing for actors to remember too is like they hired you, you know, they hired you for the job. They want you here. Everyone wants you here, and everyone wants you to succeed. And so I think I that's something that I've learned to adopt, I guess, in the past three years is just remembering, like, no, I I was hired to do this job. Obviously, I I bring something of value. I know that for myself, and they know that. So it has really helped me to qualm a lot of my own anxiety. And then when it comes to the rejection, honestly, for me, it's kind of like it's the um, you know, a hundred thousand, a million hours, just putting in the work. And I think every opportunity is an opportunity to grow, it's an opportunity to learn something. And you just have to realize when you're going into this career, majority of the career is no. That's that's what it is, whether you're uh a director, a writer, a filmmaker, but all it takes is one yes. So majority of it is no, and that doesn't change your worth. It doesn't change the work, the quality of work that you do. But it's just uh a simple truth. And once you learn to accept that, I think it opens up your eyes, it opens up your world to just being excited to play and to show off your skills rather than being dependent on them to validate that.

Greg Staffa 20:45

And I think a lot of it is mindset. I, you know, auditioning for Hollywood is almost like buying a house where you're going around with a realtor and you go to one house and you're like, nope, that's not it. You go to another house, and you can go to 20 houses and say, nope, that's not the right one until you get to one. And I heard an actor, and I wish I could remember who to attribute this to, but he said, acting, you know, he he's he's gone on editions where he just nailed the addition. He was just perfect. Everything he did was perfect, they loved him, and then he didn't get the part. And then he went to the film and saw the role that he auditioned for, and he goes, Wow, I was not what the director had in mind for this, and now I see it. And you don't know what you're looking for. And now you use the house hunting equation where you know you're looking at a perfect house and it might be great and have everything that you wanted, but it just it wasn't home and it wasn't the right fit. And so you go until you find the right fit. So the rejection might have absolutely nothing to do with you, but it yet it feels you know personal at the time, but you never know what the director is envisioning. And so that's part of it that I think gets lost on a lot of people.

Casey Gardner 22:00

Yeah, and to I have like two points to add to that. I I I believe it was um I believe it was Sterling K. Brown when when he was talking about paradise that said, like acting is a lot like dating and this industry is a lot like dating. You know, you can go on a date with someone and this is very similar to your house metaphor. Like you can go on a date with someone and they may have all the things you're looking for, but there's just something where you don't connect. And that's a lot like this industry. Like you may go out on all these auditions and you may feel like, oh damn, I'm I'm the perfect candidate. I I I feel like my audition was so good. I have all the skills, the singing or the horseback riding, whatever they need for this role. But then you see the thing and and you see the final product and you realize, wow, I I didn't have that one specific thing that that tone of that project needed. Um, so that takes a lot of the pressure off. And another tip I think, too, for um young actors, any actor, is if you can find your way into a casting office in some capacity, whether it's reception or being a reader. I have learned so much just sitting in casting offices and watching actors work and watching them come in. And it really is it's an energy thing. It's is once you know, you know. And it doesn't mean the other people were bad or good or whatever, even the person that books the job, they could have a horrible audition, but the energy is what matters.

Greg Staffa 23:30

I I don't want to harp on it, but when you said that you felt the imposter syndrome, that really kind of caught me off guard because you made the move to LA, you went through the process of going to school, you got started in shorts and started building up and started doing mini-series and built yourself up. You kind of did all the check marks to earn your your stripes. So to hear that you kind of felt that imposter syndrome, I get the leap was a little bit, you know, scary. But was is there a point now that you're you're past that? Because it seems like you did what most people would assume be the right path, the right check boxes. At what point, or is there still that feeling of kind of imposter syndrome that you mentioned?

Casey Gardner 24:12

Yeah, I think at this point, and I think that also comes with age. Like, um at this point, I I I feel very confident in what I bring and have a lot more self-assurance than I did, I think, when I was 21, 22. I think also the world of social media is great in that we can see what everyone's doing, but uh for young actors, it can be really, really discouraging because you feel like, oh, I just had this huge win. I did a short film, and then you get online and you see someone, you know, oh wow, they just booked a role in a huge feature opposite Channing Tatum. Like, oh my goodness. So I think more of the imposter syndrome for me came from just being young and being in a new city and navigating something. And I think the more you do something, the more repetition and and reps that you get in something, the more confident you feel. So I feel now so much more comfortable than I did at 21, 22, 23, and so much more confident in the work and the quality of work that I'm showcasing.

Greg Staffa 25:18

And what was the biggest being a gal from uh Kansas City going to LA? You know, you find that you are making it, you're getting booked in larger roles. Looking back, what was one of like the bigger misconceptions? Because doing that journey took a lot of faith and hope. And you know, I'm sure you did your research and stuff like that, but what was like a big misconception, positive or negative, that you had going into it that you wished you kind of realized beforehand?

Casey Gardner 25:45

Yeah, I think when I was younger and I I actually had a a meeting with a professor of mine after graduating. And I remember sitting down with him and being like, Why didn't you tell me? I was so mad. I was like, why didn't you tell me this career is so hard? It's like, why didn't you tell me while we were in school that this was so difficult? And he said, if we told you guys that, most of you wouldn't pursue it. Most of you would have changed majors, most of you, you know, wouldn't want to do this with the rest of your life. I think that that's the one misconception I had is that it was a short, short timeline. Like uh, you know, I'd graduate and I get into a few projects, and then in three years I'd have this amazing career. And I think realizing that it really is, you are in this for the love of it. And if you do not love it and you do not see yourself doing anything else, and you are not willing to build a career and build a craft, no matter how long it takes, then you you should probably find something else to do. And that doesn't mean that you quit or give up. It just means that this thing is really hard. That's why so many people, you so few people make it to the tippy top. And it's not even about that, it's just about being the best artist you can. I think that's definitely something I wish I would have known. It's just how long it takes and how much of a commitment that this career is.

The Hard Truth About Career Timelines

Greg Staffa 27:10

And if we could make you queen for the day, queen of Hollywood for the day, what are one or two changes that you would love to see that if you just sign it on paper, those changes would happen? What would be some of the changes that you would make?

Casey Gardner 27:26

Hmm, that's a great question. If I were queen for a day, I think honestly, I think that the community aspect that we talked about for younger actors, you mentioned you asked earlier, you know, uh, do you have any mentors or anything? I think that there needs, and I it might be something that I work on in the future, there needs to be a place for actors to go to have community, to air their grievances at every stage of their career. This career can be really lonely, and a lot of the time that you are working is by yourself. You're learning lines, you're prepping a character, and so few of the so few, uh, such a little amount of this career is actually working. It's actually being on set, you know? So I think that a community is space for actors to gather and talk and go see plays and and and movies and be rewarded in that sense would be great. I think that that should be a mandatory thing that everyone has to join. And then another thing, I I I really wish that there were still opportunities for people to go into the room. I know that that's something that happens a lot in the commercial world, but I think that we've really lost, I guess, a little bit of the essence of showcasing your skills in a in a more improvisational way. And really working with a director. Sometimes when you get a tape, you know, you're doing your take on it, and they think that's all you have to offer. And yeah, you can, you know, you can send in a few takes, but there's something so I think magical about going into a room, seeing all the other actors, preparing, working on their lines, connecting with people you haven't seen in a while, and then going in and getting to work and be directed. I don't, I think self-tapes have been great and transformational in terms of like the access that it's allowed people, but I do wish there were more opportunities just for people to have those skills and understand how that world works as well.

Fixing Actor Community And Casting

Greg Staffa 29:36

Interesting. One of the things that you're looking at in the future is starting either like a production company or a studio, but in the meantime, and we'll get to that. But if Steven Spielberg came to you today and says, I love your work, I want to give you Steven Spielberg backing to, you know, be in any kind of film that you want to be to tell a story that is important to you, what kind of story would it be or who would it be?

Casey Gardner 30:01

I've thought about this a lot. I think my time in growing up in Kansas City was really transformational for me, both for the good and for the bad. I don't know if you've ever seen the film The Outrun with starring Sir Sha Ronin, but um it's based on a book, a memoir, and it's just such a beautiful coming-of-age story of a young woman navigating life, navigating life post, I guess, post-addiction, and just understanding who she is, what her purpose is. And if I had the chance to tell a story, I think I would really take myself back to that time in my life of being a young girl in a city where a lot of people didn't look like me, and not really knowing who I was, but also having such a strong conviction that I was meant to be something, just not knowing how to connect A to A to B. So I'd love to tell a story like that. I'd love to have something really real and authentic, and I'm really into, I guess, uh gritty filmmaking and really raw filmmaking. And so that would be the kind of story I would tell. I I'd call it, well, I don't want to say what I'd call it because I don't I don't want anyone to steal my idea, but I think that I'd love to tell the story of that. I think that it could also just help so many young women that go through the same thing.

Greg Staffa 31:25

And then I brought it up, but I wanted to get my Steven Spielberg question in first. But you also are looking at doing like a studio or a production company. What gets you interested in that and why? I mean, it seems like a lot of people have that in mind, but few are able to pull it off. What makes it special to you and why you?

Casey Gardner 31:45

Yeah, I have a very, I guess, type A brain. So I'm as much as I am creative, I'm also very analytical. And I would love, I think, for me to open up a production company that is really dedicating to dedicated to telling stories for and by, I guess, people of color. Uh, I would love to also hire crews and staff people that look like the stories that we're telling. And I've always really been interested in the production side because I think that it offers you a little bit more creative control sometimes than being an actor. Often, as an actor, you're like the last addition to a job. You know, you're the final piece into a huge puzzle that's been building and being pieced together over months or even years. And so for me, I think production just offers me a lot more creative control and a lot more agency in in the kind of work and the stories that I want to tell.

Representation And Creative Control

Greg Staffa 32:47

And this is always an interesting topic to me because as a white male from central Minnesota, you know, I don't see necessarily the point of view that you see it from. How off still is Hollywood in your mind, and how far do we need to go still? One of the things that I notice or appreciate is like a show like The Unicorn came out um a couple of years ago, and it had black friends and black families and stuff like that in the cast, but it didn't feel like they were the black friend or black family, they were just one of the families. So when you mentioned that we need to tell more black story, I mean, can you explain that to someone that me like me that doesn't fully get that? Or how do we without inserting myself in my foot too much? But where is that balance between telling stories of everyone that because you said the people weren't there that looked like you versus kind of overcorrecting and focusing on those stories? Where is the balance and how do we we do that? And how far off do you think Hollywood is to where you say you know Hollywood finally, and they'll never fully get it, but how far off are we from saying, you know, how Hollywood is finally doing it right?

Casey Gardner 34:05

Yeah, I I think everyone's always gonna have a different opinion about this, and I think for me, uh it's it's not necessarily about telling there are quite a few black stories, you know, uh Asian American stories that exist. I think when it comes to seeing the pinnacle, the major market of films that are being released, you still often don't see a lot of like when I think of the black women that I see on screen that are like the romantic leads and the the stars, I really only think of maybe two or three. It's it's Zoe Saldana, it's um Zendea and Viola Davis that I I I see in the films when I go to see films. And when you look at, I guess, in terms the the other, the opposite end of that, you know, there have been histories and uh centuries and so many years of of seeing other people fill those shoes. So I think for me it's less about, oh, we need to tell completely black stories or we need to push the needle. I think it's more just about allowing people of color to occupy and take up space in stories in which they were often relegated to the background, relegated to the best friend, um, and knowing that those stories can still be relatable to any audience. I mean, I've I've grown up relating to white women on screen as the leads in in some of my favorite movies for years, but I don't look like them. And so I think it's just uh Hollywood and maybe I guess the future, someone understanding that even if you place uh a person that doesn't look like you in a story, they still can connect with anyone. Um, and I think that's really where I hope that we get to. I I I would love to see just more people that look like me occupying occupying space and taking up space in major movies, in you know, Christopher Nolan films, in these huge Steven Spielberg films, in these huge films that we see just taking up leading role spaces.

Greg Staffa 36:13

Is it more of a casting problem? Is it a mindset problem? Where do you see kind of is it a racist problem? I mean, because I I had an argument or a discussion where I questioned, you know, there's a show called Dr. Ken with Ken Jung, and that was an Asian community or Asian comedy, and the Cosby show, you can make the argument if it was too whitewashed or not, but that was a black family comedy. And to me, I I started wondering, well, I grew up on the Cosby show, loved the Cosby show, and as a young kid growing up in Minnesota, I never thought of it as a black family show. Yeah, yeah. I thought of it as a show about a family. Yeah, I don't look at Ken J. So is it some of it, is it racist? Is it the mindset, or do we have need to stop putting these labels on that says the Wayne's Brothers show is a black comedy? Why don't we just say it's a comedy? Is it is it racist? Is it a mindset? Is it where do you think the biggest kind of source of that problem is that that makes us put these in boxes and have to do better?

Casey Gardner 37:21

Yeah, I mean, I think it's it's a I guess a systematic kind of archetype that has been around. I I don't want to attribute it solely to any one thing because I feel like it's it's a very complex issue. Um, but I think that unfortunately nowadays a lot of stuff is based on, you know, IP and stuff that people know is gonna make them money. And that's not a bad thing. Everyone wants to make money on a project they make. But I think getting back to the core of telling the truth and telling stories that are truthful, if you do that, anyone can watch it, anyone can watch it and can relate to it and can love it. I mean, uh, there's a new show on FX slash Hulu um called Adults, and it has a cast of a bunch of different people that look very different, and it's so rewarding, and everyone is loving it, and you know, it's it's taking the internet by storm. And I think just understanding that yeah, there is something to relate to in everything, as long as you have a good story, and as long as you cast people that are telling the truth, that's really what matters. So I think it's just giving a fair shot and a fair opportunity to anyone that you see could that could fill those roles.

Greg Staffa 38:34

Interesting. Sorry to dig into that deeper subject, but I think it's important to perspectives. So one of the things you have coming up is Gettysburg 1863. What, if anything, can you tell us about that?

Casey Gardner 38:47

Yeah, it's um a film actually that we filmed in Gettysburg. So in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which is uh such a historic town, and it was like going back into a time capsule. There's, you know, a bunch of re reenactments of the Civil War and obviously a bunch of historical sites and and monuments, but it to its core truly is, I think the film is a love letter, a love letter to the people that were going through so many different struggles at that time. Um, the people of today who are products of that struggle. It's also a a love letter in itself, a love story in itself of how love, I think, can transcend even the worst atrocities that we have experienced as people. But it's really just like a time capsule, uh, a story about um America, a story about our history, and a story about hopefully the future that we're trying to build.

Greg Staffa 39:44

And do you know what kind of timeline that has for a release or trailers or anything?

Casey Gardner 39:48

Yeah, I believe that they're having a premiere in November in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. So hopefully the film will be out in theaters, I believe, in November/slash December. It is somewhat of a Christmas movie, like in that uh area of Christmas time. So I'm we're looking, I believe, at like a winter release for uh this year, 2026.

Greg Staffa 40:10

Oh, it's coming surely. And is there any other project that you're working on?

Casey Gardner 40:14

Yeah, I actually have another film that's in the theaters right now. I don't know if it'll still be in the theaters by the time this podcast comes out, but it's called Paper Flowers. Um, and that's based on a true story. It's a beautiful story about a young man's journey from uh after he receives a cancer diagnosis. And it's about his life and and really how he remained positive and and left such a lasting impact on not only the people around him, but the whole world. And it's a beautiful film. It's out at AMCs all across the world. So in case anyone's interested and wants to shed a few tears, I definitely recommend checking it out. We filmed that uh about I think in 2023, about three years ago. So it did our film circuit. We were we got a bid for an Oscar uh short film nomination, didn't get the nomination, but we're contending for a lot of different categories and and won a lot of awards at a bunch of different festivals. So it's finally out in the theaters for everyone

New Projects Giving Back Closing

Casey Gardner 41:12

to see.

Greg Staffa 41:12

Okay, I think I've heard of it. I don't think I I haven't seen it in any festival, but I I have heard of it, I believe.

Casey Gardner 41:18

Uh yeah.

Greg Staffa 41:20

And then while I have Yan, not to put you on the spot, but is there any charities or anything that you want to promote and give some attention to?

Casey Gardner 41:26

I think that you know, California suffered a lot of loss during the fires. So if you are looking to donate the Alt to the Alcadena area or any charities in California, that obviously has happened and some time has passed, but people are still, you know, trying to figure out where they're gonna live, how to rebuild after a very devastating loss. And a lot of communities of color were displaced um in the Alcedina, Pasadena area. And so if anyone has any, you know, I know life is expensive now, but any room to give to people that are hoping to rebuild, I think that's where that's where I would go towards.

Greg Staffa 42:06

Two quick questions left for you, and again, I appreciate you coming on. So you're back in Kansas City, either you're getting on a plane or you're getting ready to make the drive to LA, but you're kind of sitting down for the last time before you go. If you were to sit down with your younger self at that moment, what advice would you give her?

Casey Gardner 42:26

Hmm, that's a beautiful question. I think if I could sit down next to her, I would definitely tell her to remember who she is, remember that so many people love her, and to know that anything is possible. Anything is possible, and that the ride that she's about to get on, not just the flight, but the ride of her life and her career is about to be so exciting. It's gonna be a lot of ups, it's gonna be a lot of downs, but it's gonna be so worth it in the end.

Greg Staffa 43:01

Nice. And finally, when we talk about you or an actor and actress in general, we often tie it to the the films that they've done or the roles they've done, or you know, we don't say Casey Gardner without saying, you know, actress Casey Gardner, or you know, Casey Gardner starring in the upcoming film Gettysburg. But when you get up in the morning, you go into the bathroom, splash a little water on your face, and look in the mirror, who is it that you see?

Casey Gardner 43:29

Hmm. That's a great question. I am very big into affirmations. So when I get up in the mirror, I I and look in the mirror, I think I just see myself as like a being, not to get too spiritual, but just a person with a lot of love. I see myself as a person with a lot of love, a lot of abundance, and just knowing that whatever I believe about myself, I'll see in the world. So I I try to operate from a place of love.

Greg Staffa 44:03

Nice. Well, Casey Gardner, thank you so much for coming on. I am a huge Civil War buff fan. So I'm thrilled to see uh Gettysburg when it comes out, or well, it's detectively it's Gettysburg 1863. Um I'm very excited to see that. And uh I wish you luck and what the future holds for you.

Casey Gardner 44:24

Wonderful. Thank you so much, Greg. This was great.