Episode 47: Now That We Think About Villains (with Happy Anderson)

This week we are joined by Allison’s Ithaca College friend, acclaimed actor Happy Anderson (Mindhunter, The Bikeriders, Maggie Moore(s)) for a timely and deeply vulnerable discussion about blame, empathy, and facing the uncomfortable truth that we may all be the villain in someone else’s story.Since Happy is known for portraying epic, complex bad guys—including serial killer Jerry Brudos on two different TV shows—he brings a rare level of psychological insight to the conversation, which expands beyond performance, to examine our human urge to look for villains we can assign blame to when we don’t want to accept personal responsibility. You’ll also learn where Happy’s name came from, find out what Alice thinks she and Happy have in common, and hear about Allison’s truly weird trick for combatting social anxiety at college parties. We hope you’ll tune in to listen to this episode and then email us at [email protected] to let us know what you think about villains. Have you ever been the villain of someone else’s story? Has someone been the villain of yours when they may not have intended harm? Do you find yourself looking for a villain to justify your own behavior? We love to hear from you and we’re planning another email episode soon, so please send along your thoughts and feelings! (If you’d like to remain anonymous, make sure to let us know so we don’t use your name on the air!)Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support sharing our episodes and leaving reviews of our show! xoAlice & Allison P.S. - As a head’s up if you have little ears in the car with you, there’s a few four letter words in this episode.Thanks for listening! This podcast is public so feel free to share it.LinksHappy Anderson Follow Happy on InstagramGo see Happy in Brigadoon at the Pasadena Playhouse (May 13th-June 14th)Keep an eye out for Lear Rex in movie theaters soon!Books mentioned in this episode:Equus by Peter Shaffer*The Girl Who Baptized Herself by Meggan Watterson*Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin*Support the show by using our affiliate links!Force of Nature, Planet Friendly, Toxic-free Cleaning*Our Bookshop Store*Follow us Alice Carbone Tench & Allison LarkinIf you love this podcast, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts*affiliate link This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com