THE BEAUTY: Official Podcast Episode 1: Bella Hadid

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Welcome to The Beauty Official Podcast. I'm Evan Ross Katz, podcaster and pop culture provocateur. I can't wait to dive into FX's literally hot new show from writer, showrunner and director Ryan Murphy about a revolutionary new drug that makes anyone and everyone drop dead gorgeous. Speaking of gorgeous, joining me today to kick off this wild new series is Bella Hadid.

I'm so happy to be here with you today. Congratulations on the show.

BELLA HADID : Thank you so much.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I love seeing you on screen. Model slash actress slash podcast host. A natural trajectory for you.

BELLA HADID : Done and dusted.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: A multi-hyphenate.

BELLA HADID : Oh, obsessed.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Now, you just had the pleasure of watching the episode for the first time. What was your reaction to seeing that intense opening sequence?

BELLA HADID : I mean, I have the chills thinking about it. I have like the best part about it for me is I was just so excited to do something that was so outside of my wheelhouse, and to be able to see it really come into fruition, and to watch the episode for the first time was crazy. It's interesting to watch yourself like that.

It was so exciting to see it actually in real life.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Yeah.

BELLA HADID : It was crazy. It was really crazy.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: And what I love about this, I mean, I think it's fair to call that opening scene kind of a rampage. And it's fun because, I mean, you completely set the tone for the series because this begins, we see you walking on the runway, which is a familiar sight.

BELLA HADID : Right.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: But then she exits and then the chaos begins. Motorcycle up the stairwell. And then all leading up to this explosion, which, as we move forward into later episodes, we understand that this will become common. But how did this project get pitched to you? How is the role explained to you?

BELLA HADID : I got a call and Ryan Murphy. Mr. Murphy wanted to meet me at Chateau Marmont.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: As he does.

BELLA HADID : As he does, which I love. But also, I have never been one to also meet a director at Chateau Marmont. He is the most personable, sweet, amazing person, but also I love his brain. I love, we sat and talked for so long because it was like we had met a hundred thousand times before. So actually we didn't even start talking about the script for like an hour into our meeting because we were just talking about everything under the moon.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Like, oh yeah, we should also talk about the script.

BELLA HADID : I was like, we should probably talk about what's going on. But honestly, I think what his vision really was was, would you rather be the perfect version of yourself for, you know, twenty eight days or, you know, six months or whatever the version of that is, or be yourself for the rest of your life?

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Yes. Which is so interesting because I feel like if you ask most people, they're going to say, of course the latter, like, I'm good with how I am, blah blah blah, but I feel like we need like a Vanity Fair lie detector test moment with it, because I think that there are a lot of people, you know.

BELLA HADID : Yeah.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: When it really comes down to it might weigh the option of like, what would it be like to go on this rampage, as we say, and have a little bit of time and just live the beauty life.

BELLA HADID : Right. And Ryan, what's so amazing about him, especially when it comes to him on set, is that he kind of goes with the flow and he really starts to like come up with things as it's moving. So what was explained to me when we first sat down for a meeting, things changed so much by the time we were on set, and even when we were on set, he'd be like, actually, let's do it like this. And so I was able to learn so much from him and just being able to be there and seeing him, you know, he would show me how he wanted me to walk and act and, you know, I've never worked with an acting coach before. So really being on set for the first day, Ryan was kind of my first real acting coach, and I was just so excited to be able to learn from him. He's brilliant and it was out of control. I mean, it was really the most incredible experience of my life.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: So you've been on sets before, but in what ways was this different from previous sets that you'd been on?

Modeling, you know, especially how I've worked for ten years, I'm on a different set every single day, and I'm on a plane every single night. And I think what was so beautiful about being on specifically this set was being able to be with people consistently, and it's really a family, you know, and I think that's what's so beautiful is everybody was so kind and so nurturing and so loving and so welcoming.

BELLA HADID : They just made me feel so okay with not having to be perfect. And it's funny because the show is about being perfect and actually what I learned through it is I don't have to be perfect, I don't have to look perfect. And there's a whole world of experiences that just show you who you are from the inside. Life is about trying new things, and if you don't, you know it's a it's a disservice to yourself, I guess.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Bella, you're good on the microphone. Let's be co-hosts.

BELLA HADID : Should we?

EVAN ROSS KATZ: That was quite profound. I really, yeah I appreciate it.

BELLA HADID : Thank you. Oh my gosh.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Let's talk about the physicality of the role, because it's my understanding that you performed a lot of these stunts. And, I mean, we talked about the motorcycle, but like you are like killing people right and left.

BELLA HADID : Yes.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: And honestly, the distance we just travel with you in throughout this scene, it's like it's funny by the end of the scene, it's like I was like, oh my God and then there's there's more, but I felt like I'd watched a mini movie. But talk about taking on something so physically commanding.

BELLA HADID : Yeah. I mean, for me, especially with the stunts, the stunt team was so amazing. They are so incredible. And I think that they really like just being beat up. I'm not. I've never like, punched. I've never I wouldn't hurt a fly. So to be able to do this and really like go outside of my comfort zone was so much fun to be able to do all of those different stunts. It's funny because we shot in so many different places, different countries, and when we were shooting it, you don't really know what to expect because I'm I'm not seeing how it's going to look obviously, with the effects. And all of the incredible things that they do behind the scenes. But it's crazy to watch that episode. I mean, it's really

EVAN ROSS KATZ: It's thrilling.

BELLA HADID : It's thrilling I guess.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Yeah.

You had to have this conversation with Ryan at the Chateau where he's presenting this to you, but did you have a sense after that conversation of what this was going to entail?

BELLA HADID : I knew that I was going to have to push myself, but I really think that in whatever job I do, I love to do that. To be a character of Ryan's was, you know, I would have done anything for him. So I knew that when it came to this role, I was going to have to be completely, you know, I would have to let loose and just kind of not care about opinions, not care about anything and I just I never wanted to do something that I didn't do a hundred percent. It was a lot of physicality.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Now was that you on the motorcycle?

BELLA HADID : Okay, well, no, my there was two, incredible stunt doubles who really taught me so much while we were working together. And they were always on standby just in case, but, they were the ones that did the motorcycle stunts. Since I was sixteen, before I got my driver's license, I wanted to get my motorcycle license, which is really interesting now, years later, I think I should have done it because I almost was manifesting this role of having to ride a motorcycle.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: No time like the present.

BELLA HADID : No time like the present.

You know. Exactly. So now I think I'm going to have to do it, but when it came to the motorcycle stunts, there were a lot of funny things, like, I would have to hold a rod as if I was holding, like just kind of like walk up the stairs. Which that was really embarrassing to think about. And I'm really like, whatever this is.

I mean, I was on a motorcycle on a rig for, like thirteen hours for multiple days straight, when we'd be going through Paris and all of those different scenes. And when I get hit by the car.

This team was specifically some of the most incredible artist stunt coordinators I've ever seen in my life and the opportunity to be there with them and just to watch them work and learn from them, was something that I could never have imagined. I was in awe of all of them the entire time.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Let's talk about this. Getting hit by the car, knocking heads into glass, putting heads in toilet bowls. I mean, it's just like, yeah, which part for you was the craziest?

BELLA HADID : Well, you don't really drink out of toilets very often.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I haven't, no.

BELLA HADID : And let me tell you, we did a lot of different versions of that. I'm glad it ended up just being the splashing of my face. So when I tell you I have to shove my head in that toilet bowl a couple times.

And now I look back and I'm like, I think they just did that for fun. Just because like I would be like like...

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Will she do it?

BELLA HADID : Will she do it? She'll do it. Yeah. They just want to see how far I would go.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: You're like, I'm a yes person.

BELLA HADID : I'm a yes person. I was willing to do just about anything and I just I love horror films in general. I love thrillers. I love watching them. So being a part of it, to see, like, those little parts of what happens behind the scenes and how it works, it was so cool. And we can talk about me all we want, but I'm just not the most important person in those five minutes that I was in that, you know, in that scene.

Because every single person that was on that set made that happen the way that it did. And I'm just so grateful. It was, the energy was infectious. The talent was out of this world, like to the point of like putting tiny little rocks in my arm, like to the detail. Then we also had, you know, the prosthetics team, we would just have the best time talking about different things.

It was the full Italian team of prosthetic people, and they're so funny. They would be playing punk rock music the whole time or like, you know, it’d be like between that and like Fleetwood Mac, which was really interesting and they wouldn't really veer anywhere else. So it was kind of like you're always just on an up and down rollercoaster, which was pretty much, I think, what it's like to be on a Ryan Murphy set.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Let me ask you, because you mentioned the fact that you love horror films and this Ryan Murphy in general, but especially on the show, there is some body horror.

BELLA HADID : Yeah.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Are you someone that can completely watch that, or do you ever have to look away? Because I had moments when I was watching this show where I was like, I cannot believe I'm watching this, but I'm watching it, but I can't look away.

BELLA HADID : It's interesting because being on the set, like I said before, it's so different because when I watch real horror films, there are parts where like, things get a little grotesque and I'm like, oh, but for some reason with like just about anything else, I'm pretty good when it comes to where I like it. But on the show, it's all fun. Like we're all friends, we're just having fun. We're like beating the poop out of each other and you know, it's all good. But then you actually watch the show and you're like, that's crazy. And I really look like I'm hurting people.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Now to close us out, you know, you talked about that initial meeting with Ryan at the Chateau. Script comes in, you arrive on set, you have this experience. When you kind of zoom out and look at the whole of all of this what has this experience meant to you?

Multifaceted. And I guess that's the word. And sometimes we don't know our strengths or don't know how far we can go to be able to experience different things in life. And for something like this, where it was so different than anything I've ever done, I actually was able to look at it and be like, man, I'm proud of myself. It was just such a dream to be able to be on this set.

Well, thank you for being here. Can I say, parasocially I feel very proud of you. I loved watching you in this. I thought it was just a thrill. And I feel like you completely nailed it.

BELLA HADID : Thank you so much.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Yeah, and I had fun with you today.

BELLA HADID : I had so much fun with you today.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Let's do this again. Now that we're co-hosts.

BELLA HADID : And now that we’re co-hosts.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Yes. Anyway...

BELLA HADID : It’s the Evan and Bella show.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I love it.

BELLA HADID : See you guys later.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: See you guys later, Bella. Thank you so much.

BELLA HADID : Thank you so much Ev. I'm so, so grateful for you. You’re the best.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: That's all for this time. On next podcast, I'm talking to longtime Ryan Murphy collaborator and star Evan Peters and his costar Rebecca Hall about playing feds with benefits and managing an explosive relationship. You can check it out on Hulu, Hulu on Disney Plus, or YouTube. Watch new episodes of The Beauty Wednesdays on FX, or stream on Hulu or Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers.

Lots of places to check out this hot new show. Be sure to rate, review, and follow The Beauty Official Podcast wherever you watch or listen. I'm Evan Ross Katz and I will see you next time.