THE BEAUTY: Official Podcast Episode 3: Meghan Trainor

EVAN ROSS KATZ : Welcome back to the Beauty Official Podcast. I'm Evan Ross Katz, podcaster and thanks to The Beauty Yacht Rock’s new biggest fan.

ASHTON KUTCHER: Can we play some yacht rock?

EVAN ROSS KATZ : I'm here with triple platinum recording artist Meghan Trainor to unpack her epic smackdown scene in the Condé Nast cafeteria on FX's The Beauty.

Meghan Trainor I'm so joyous to be sitting down here with you right now.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I'm so happy to be here with you.

EVAN ROSS KATZ : Pop star slash actress.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Actress. I told my four year old last night. I said, mommy's an actress.

How do you feel?

And he said, are you not a pop star anymore? I was like, no, I am a pop star.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: No you're now you're a multi-hyphenate.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Yes.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Well, what was it like for you to see you up on the screen like this?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I filmed myself watching it because I, I, I studied it, and when I watched it, I was just like, I just open mouth, huge smile. Couldn't believe I was up there. I, almost lost my mind watching me in the trailer. Like that. My husband filmed me. He didn't tell me what was happening. He just passed me the phone and was like, check this out.

And then I saw it was the trailer and I was like, this is sick. Like, the show looks good. And then at the end of the trailer, I was in it and I started screaming.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: And it's funny because from the trailer, you might think the most violent thing that happens to you is getting choked out.

BEN PLATT: Brittany. Brittany.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: But now that people have seen episode three.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I'm out the window.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: You're out the fucking window.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: No no no!

My dream in life is to have been murdered on TV. Like, I listen to Dateline every night, I watch murder. I watch everything Ryan Murphy does. And I was like to be killed by Ryan Murphy is the ultimate dream. And when I heard about the role and, like, the audition, I was like, oh, this is my biggest bucket list.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I sense that we are amongst Ryan Murphy fans here right now. Favorite Ryan Murphy project?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Well, right now I'm watching All's Fair. I crushed it. I love it so much. But all the American horror stories. Love.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I get it. Okay, so talk to me about how this project came on your purview, and then how did you formally become attached to it?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Oh, just one day, my managers were like, apparently Ryan Murphy wants you to audition for this part. And I was like, what do you mean, Ryan Murphy? Like, the Ryan Murphy? He knows who I am, and they're like, yes, I guess his his team reached out and said, he wants you to audition for this. And I was like, there's no way it's him, but okay. So then I, my husband and I study the lines. I got with my husband's acting coach named Lee. We love you so much, Lee. I put my little flair in it, some improv stuff and, tried to be extra silly. And then, like, a week later, my manager FaceTimed me, and they're like, is everyone around you? And I was like, hold on. And then they came over my whole family and he was like, you got the part. And I was like, shut up.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: But was this always the plan for you? Did you always have this pursuit to say, like, I'm, I'm a singer and I want to be a singer slash actress?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Oh, yeah. I've always like, had the fire and want especially marrying an actor. Like. Like hearing all the stories my husband has of growing up being an actor since he was like a baby has, is the coolest thing to me. Now I watch things differently. I know how like involved it is and how long it takes to make projects.

I respect them more now and I'm so fascinated by it all. They let me bring Darryl to set that day and and he was just like, that's Disneyland for him, like Disney World. That's his dream. So we were both like...

We're a two actor household now.

Yeah. So I was like, as soon as we watched the trailer, I was like, I caught the bug.

I caught a bug. But the good news is I lost another 5 pounds.

BEN PLATT: Of course.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Jealous. Cough on me.

I get it, I love this. I want to be in a trailer. That was the coolest thing ever. Like, I've heard my songs in trailers, but I've never seen my face, like acting in a trailer and I was like, I'm obsessed, I love it.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: You've been on sets before. I mean, I'm sure music video sets, for instance, but like, how does that compare to being on the set?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Whatever you're picturing a Ryan Murphy set is, it's that maybe times two. There was like 100 people there. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was so professional and everyone was so kind. Everyone kept looking at me like, can I get you a drink? Can I get you food? Are you okay? And I was like, I’m fine. Don't look at me. Like, I'm not even here.

And we were all we were so nervous. Me and Amelia, we were like fresh baby actresses out there. And Ben Platt was with us, thank God, because I knew him. So I was like, at least I'm, like, acting with someone I know, and he's my buddy. And so he kind of helped me all day holding my hand.

He's like, we'll be fine, come on. And he knows the drill there. But, Amelia, I was just looking at her like, are you as afraid as I am? And she was like, I haven’t done this ever. Like, this my first time. She's like, but we can do this. I was like, yeah, we can do this.

BEN PLATT: Get that tushy up and right back out the door, okay? Before Anna sees you. You know, she can't stomach human weakness. And this is.

AMELIA : I can't. I used all my sick days for Coachella?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I don't get it. Deathly hung over on rocket rose. She's still a ten..

We just looked out for each other, and it was a long day of repeating the lines. And Ryan Murphy was there himself. He walked out looking fly, looking successful and came out to us and gave notes. He never he didn't give me a lot of notes, so I was like, am I doing good or? Sometimes he gave Ben a compliment and I was like Ben! And he was like, that was huge. That was huge. I got a compliment..

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Well, what I love about this role for you is you're making this move over to acting, right? And you're like, you could take something that's light and breezy, something easy. But you found yourself on to this show. And like I said, like it's a very physical part, comedic like you are, it's a high impact role.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: It was exhausting.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Yeah.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I got choked out.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: So when you finally get there, like, you know, there's a world in which you might have wanted to take some baby steps, but no, not at all. This is like you're fully immersed in it.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: You have to jump in. I had no choice. Do stuff that scares you has been my motto for this whole time because, I mean, I never thought I would be successful in music, so everything after ‘All About that Base’ blew up has just been like, are you kidding me? Okay, like, how fun is this? Yeah.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: This show scares me. This is a scary show. When you were reading the scripts and sort of looking at the places that this show goes and, you know, we're talking about episode three today and...

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I didn't even read like a full script. I just read my scene and was like, I know exactly what this is. This is going to be sick.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Do you know what's to come?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: No, I haven't finished all of it because I want to watch it with the world at the same time. But I watched the opening scene with Bella and loved it. She killed it.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Crazy.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Crazy.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Motorcycle up the stairs. She's just whooshing through.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I'm so proud of her. That was so cool. And then I watched my scene with Amelia and Ben like 30 times so far. Because, like, I show it to every person who walks in my house.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I mean, obviously this is such a big moment for you, and I'm wondering when you when you look at this experience holistically, from the initial conversations that you had with Ryan to being on set to getting notes.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I got notes.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Notes on set. Actress, singer, slash actress. What does this whole experience mean to you?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Oh, this is a dream come true. This is the coolest thing I've ever done. I told my whole family, like, this is the coolest thing I've ever been a part of, ever. I cannot believe anyone here knows who I am still. I just walked by Ashton and he said I was hilarious and I was like, stop it. So I yeah, I'm pinching myself every day and I'm so grateful and I'm so excited just to be invited. Oh, that rhymes.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: That's amazing. I love how proud you are as you should be. It's exciting.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Yeah.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Now obviously the themes of this show beauty, esthetics, obviously it's something that we as a society are very much aware of.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Yes.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: But talk to me as someone that's like within this industry, that has the spotlight on them, and you've been doing this for quite some time. Did any of the themes of this show resonate for you beyond just, you know, the work?

MEGHAN TRAINOR: When I first heard about it and knew what it was about, I was like, oh, everyone's going to watch this because everyone has felt this at some point in their life and have struggled with with loving themselves or feeling beautiful or not and like, this is just so brilliant. I feel like everyone's going to watch this and want to know what's going on.

And it's it's absurd, it's insane. And I don't know if we’re allowed to swear, it’s batshit.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: You can swear.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: And I love that. I love watching Ryan Murphy's crazy brain go at it. And I was just, like, honored to be a part of it. It was sick. And what I said about the lip filler was definitely true. Like, I have, I have had bad Botox. I couldn't smile for months.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I feel like so many people, as you and I both well know, are delving into this world of esthetic enhancements. But also there's like a discomfort that a lot of people have in talking about it. It's one of those things that sort of like everyone's doing it but nobody talks about it. It’s kind of like Fight Club, but you are quite open about it.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I'm very open with, anyone who's following me, I try to I can only be myself. I'm a terrible liar. And I feel more comfortable living in my true self. But yeah, I worry all the time about, how it impacts everyone else. A lot of people got mad at me just for, like, being healthier and losing weight, and that was, like, very difficult to go through. But I know that I'm just trying to take care of myself and like, eating healthy and working out really like strength training three times a week makes me feel happy and healthy and strong. And I want to show that example for my babies.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Do you think that the conversation has changed at all? I mean, like like I said, you've been in this industry for some time now. It's not as though these beauty standards are something new, although from my perspective, I do feel like there's this increasing attitude towards many people of like over scrutinizing.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Yeah.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Just this idea that like, no matter what you do, it will never be right.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I talked to someone about this because they're online. They're an online presence too, and they get a lot of mean stuff said about them. And I'm like, hey, it's getting really loud isn’t it. And she was like, it's almost like there's a competition of who can write the meanest comment wins at this point right now. The angry comments and the mean, nasty words seem to be getting more attention, and people are gassing that up and it's it's tough. It's really scary. And, it's definitely way worse than it was ten years ago when I put out All About that Bass. It is significantly worse.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: And yet you emanate you have such a joyous presence even in the moment that you walked in here right now, I feel it, so it's like in a sense, you seem to have this remarkable ability to not absorb it.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: For like months ago, I was wrecked. I was wrecked at the comments and my husband would remind me he'd go look up. And I’d be like, what? He's like, look up at your incredible life. Look how lucky we are. And I realize, like, oh, I am not a person that can handle going through comments anymore. Like, I just can't and I live such a happier life. I'm like, oh, oblivious to it. I don't need to read all of the stranger opinions about me. And my therapist called me out. She was like, whoa, you give these strangers so much power. Okay, that feels bad.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: But isn’t it interesting how it's ultimately just like a switch that can be flipped? You know what, I'm actually just going to turn this off.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Put the phone down.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I’m gonna put the phone down indeed.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I cannot wait to watch the show.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I can't wait for you to watch it. We need to talk once you’ve seen it. Because yeah I was like I need your reaction. Last but not least, more acting from you. I'd like to see it.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: My team was like, oh my God, this is going to open so many doors. So I hope it does. I hope I get some auditions coming in, and I'm going to just try my very best, because I know acting is, like, really a tough, tough place to get into. I will try my best.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: All right. Well, I look forward to watching you succeed.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: Oh, thank you.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Thank you so much for being here. This was such a pleasure. I feel like we're... I love it.

MEGHAN TRAINOR: I love you. Congrats on your life. You’re crushing it.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Thank you. Congrats on yours.

That's all for this time. On the next podcast, I'm talking to Grammy winning Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and singer Anthony Ramos. And Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe and Tony nominee, actor and singer Jeremy Pope. To talk about their roles as the assassin and his beauty transformed protege. 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.