This week on Make Me A Nerd, Mandy's chatting with the multi-talented Justine Huxley – voiceover artist, musical theater star, and, as it turns out, a total nerd in her own right.
Justine's nerdiness spans the spectrum. She reminisces about belting out show tunes as a kid in San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square (pre-smartphone, sadly, no viral fame) and geeks out about Stephen Sondheim. While Mandy steers clear of museums, Justine confesses her love for all things natural history and science – butterflies, dinosaurs, the whole shebang.
But wait, there's more! Justine just celebrated her public D&D debut at DreamHack Atlanta. As the voice of a quirky scientist in the video game Apex Legends, she was invited to participate in live D&D sessions. Turns out, she's a natural, rolling a string of 20s (now known as the "Justine roll") and winning over the D&D crowd.
The heart of the episode, though, is Netflix's "Blown Away." We're all hooked on the glassblowing competition, mesmerized by the artistry and skill. They break down the show's "Top Chef"-esque format, marvel at the contestants' creations, and sympathize with the physical demands – the heat, the burns, the evaluator, Katherine, whose critiques can be a bit…oof.
They get into just a bit of the nitty-gritty of specific episodes, praising Edgar, a young glassblower with a knack for realism (sadly, eliminated too early), and discussing the "Potluck Party" challenge, where one contestant declared his dislike of eating (what?!), and another created a powerful piece about food scarcity. They also weigh in on Debra, a talented but perhaps slightly overconfident competitor.
Obviously, click through to learn more about Justine's fantastic world. And check out "Blown Away," seriously. You'll be blo... oh never mind.
Links & Notes
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What is Make Me A Nerd with Mandy Kaplan?
Hey folks. Mandy Kaplan here. I’d like to share a bit about my intentions and mission for MMAN if you’ll indulge me. You will? Huzzah!
Look, I am a lot of things. I’m a writer, actress, mother, and lover of musicals and cats, but NOT Cats, The Musical. Give me a little bit of credit, would ya? So...throughout my life, I’ve been surrounded (and intrigued) by all things nerd. A sister who plays D&D, a Star Wars-obsessed husband, friends who love anime, comic books, video games, and...well, you get the picture. Somehow, I have always held it all at arm's length. Not to get too deep, but maybe I never thought I was smart enough to follow it. Or maybe I have control issues and have never been able to embrace fantastical things like dragons and time travel. Until now!
So, with an open mind and heart, I am ready to join this massive (and beautifully inclusive) club and GEEK THE #%$ OUT! It’s time for all my wonderfully strange friends to baptize me into NERD-DOM. Please join me on this journey. Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover or remember a side of yourself along the way. Or at least make fun of me as I try!