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Kelly Lynn Ryder — actress, producer, and the only person who knew Bruce Willis exclusively from Friends — joins James and BJ to talk surviving Hollywood without reps, getting the call to race to South Georgia and co-star opposite Bruce Willis, crying into her coffee at Grumpy Grizzly when her name first appeared in Deadline, and how she helped finance a Heaven's Gate biopic that just landed at Tribeca.
The Tracksuit Podcast is media industry professionals sit down with fellow creatives, filmmakers, and experts for wide-ranging authentic, unfiltered conversations about the entertainment industry - covering everything from the business of entertainment to the unexplained. Hosted by BJ Hendricks and James Cullen Bressack.
BJ: Welcome
James: to the
BJ: Tracksuit podcast.
James: Hello and welcome to the Tracksuit podcast. Today on our show, we have Kelly Lynn Ryder. She is a producer and actress that I've worked with quite a bit, as well as BJ has as well. And yeah, or like I like to say, Kelly Reeder.
Speaker 1: Hmm. Oh, no, it's Kelly Reader. Oh, no.
BJ: Welcome to the show, Kelly Reader.
James: By the way, this girl is very talented, a powerhouse in this industry, really getting a lot done. But one thing I did want to say is why I call her Kelly Reader and why I go, oh, no, is the very first time, you know, they talk about first impressions. The very first time I ever talked to her, like, I don't know what this is like. Five, six years ago at this point, she was talking to me on the phone and she got locked in her garage and she was like,
BJ: oh no, I'm locked in my garage, oh no. So that's
James: why every time I go, whatever she calls me, I go, oh no, Kelly Reader, oh no.
BJ: So when you see her on the street, go Kelly Reader, oh no.
James: Oh no, Kelly Reader, oh no. And it became Reader instead of Writer because Reader is, it sounds better with that voice, you know.
Speaker 1: Kelly Ryder. No, it sounds too put together.
BJ: Well, welcome to the show. Thank you for tracksuiting it up with your large cilantro chunks. It's more of
James: a onesie than a tracksuit, but we'll let it slide. I think it's a good dedication.
BJ: A
James: for effort. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1: You know, I got the tracksuit memo and I was going through my closet sort of going, oh, I don't have a tracksuit, but... I mean, who would hate me for a taco onesie?
James: Yeah. No hate. And as I said before we started, we were talking a little bit and I said, this episode is the Philip Glass episode where we're talking about that from NPR. And yeah, I'm just fucking with you. Okay, that's
Speaker 1: good. It's not really going with my sombrero vibe.
James: I just thought like a serious like composer like Philip Glass. This is what we're talking
BJ: about. And my dumb ass heard that and was like, are we talking about the Brady Bunch movie? Where like that's where like she was Philip Glass or whoever she was trying to date on that
James: situation. So Kelly. You have done quite a bit as an actress and you've recently gotten into, you know, producing over the past couple of years. Powerhouse. I mean, we just did Complex Texas together. We produced that like, you know, elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder. We just did The Leader together, which, you know, is just got into Tribeca, which, you know, you act in. But me and you worked very closely as a producer. What inspired you to start taking that path as a producer, not just an actress?
Speaker 1: I think that's a great question. Kelly Raider, Pittsburgh. Oh, no. Yeah. And I was sort of having to take quantity over quality massively. So in order to make a living, I had to say yes to probably 95 percent of jobs that were offered to me. I always had somewhat lines of things I would say no to. Like I've never done nudity and things like that. I would.
James: If I saw myself nude on a TV, I would die. But I, you
Speaker 1: know... You're faced with the choice of sort of getting a side job outside of this industry or doing as many things as you can do inside of it. And I was finding that I was filling my resume with things I was not necessarily proud of, but I didn't want to jump ship completely and do a job outside. Like a lot of people bartend or whatever. And that's not bad at all. You have to eat. You have to put food on the table. But I was trying to supplement income by feeding the machine of getting closer to what I wanted to do. And so I I was sitting there and I was racking my brain going, what in the world can I provide to a project that would bring me leverage and get me power of some sort? And everybody wants, but nobody has money. So it came down to if I can cultivate avenues to money, I will be useful to people.
James: And yeah, I mean Kelly has developed some wonderful relationships in this business to do that. But I mean I think what's really special is as an artist you took the bull by the horns and really decided like I am the master of my own fate. I am going to create my own path and not let anybody stop me from that. And before that you were working pretty consistently. I mean let's not – I know you said you were not saying no to things that you wanted to a lot because of having to work to eat, but that alone is quite a feat to be able to work consistently as a performer. But I think being able to change the path of the type of project you're doing and the quality of actors you're against is really interesting that you were able to harness that and take charge of your own career.
Speaker 1: I really appreciate that. And I remember when I first moved out here, the sort of ideal path for the actor is you don't do any jobs. You don't do any small independent films ever. You absolutely don't do any horror movies. And then you get the biggest agent ever. And then they send you on two auditions a year. And then you walk in them and you get them and you book the one series regular. And I think that that is the path every large agent or sort of power player wants you to take. And I don't think that's realistic. I mean, I think that I adore every film I've done. I love the small indie horror films. Like, that's what made me.
James: Shout out Slotherhouse. By the way, I did not work on that movie, but I just love that it's a killer sloth. Dude, I was wondering.
BJ: I was like, was it Slaughterhouse that you put some accent on?
James: It's a killer sloth. It's a killer sloth. I mean, come on. How could you not love that? We'll be watching.
Speaker 1: How could you not love that?
James: Watch it on Tubi.
Speaker 1: I think that movie's hilarious. It's so funny. And also, I think it's really funny that an American sorority house is doubled for the Serbian royal palace. Yeah. I mean, I got there and I'm walking around. I'm like, do y'all think this is what sorority houses look like in the United States? Because I mean, I'm not I'm not mad about it. I'm not going to complain.
James: But holy
Speaker 1: crap. But no, I love every film I've ever done. And I'm grateful for the experience because every set you're on, you learn something and you also grow with the people like funny enough, very small world. One of the first films I did when I moved here was. A really low budget horror movie we shot in a basement in downtown LA. And sort of, you know, Jared Cone was the director. And now, funny enough, I'm getting to produce a movie, you know, with you hand in hand where we hired Jared as the director. And so for me to go full circle like that, you know, 10 years later, however long it's been, is really sort of a milestone because I was just trying to get... Any role I could possibly get at the time. And now I'm sort of, I got to hire Jared, which was crazy.
James: Yeah, no, that was awesome. And that must have been a really great moment for you. And I think, you know, I saw you posted on your Instagram and it was a really powerful thing that I saw that, you know, you went from just being excited to be involved in movies and never would see your name in an article. And now you're going, wow, like my name's in all these articles. Like I'm actually named as the person in these movies now.
BJ: Variety, deadline, like.
James: Yeah. What is what is that like? What is what is experiencing that, you know, coming from, you know, North Carolina with a dream to L.A. and then, you know, having these things start to pop up for you?
Speaker 1: It's a really great question. I remember the first time I was listed in a deadline article. I was sitting in upstate New York having coffee with my grandma at this place called Grumpy Grizzly. It's like the best coffee place in the entire world. Shout out
BJ: Grumpy Grizzly. I'm
James: into it. This episode brought to you by Grumpy Grizzly. Grump. Grump. Grump. Grump.
Speaker 1: And we were sitting there and I got a notification, I think from IMDB, that there was an article linked to me. And I remember for the longest time I would go on in the little like news section and I'd click it and I'd refresh it on my own page and there would be nothing there for like years at a time. Absolutely nothing. And then I was like, oh, I got an article from Joe Blower. Oh, I got a horror podcast article, which is great. But, you know, Deadline was massive. And I was the last name listed. I think maybe my name was spelled wrong. They didn't include my middle name, but I was so happy to be in there. It didn't matter. I just started bawling. I just started crying. I'm a very emotional person. They had it as Kelly
James: Reeder. And
Speaker 1: You know, my tears are dripping in my coffee and I was so excited because my grandma was there and I was, you know, I got to share that with her. And it's so weird because now these articles come out and they are, like you mentioned, variety, deadline. These are the heavy hitters. And your picture's up with the other
BJ: stars. I love it. It's like, you know, celebrity, celebrity, celebrity. Kelly Reader.
Speaker 1: Kelly Reader.
BJ: And I'm just like, blown away. 100% blown away.
Speaker 1: I am. It still gets me. You know, I think that people think that maybe over time you desensitize and you to things. But I will always say that no matter what project it is, no matter what article it is, I will see my name or like I'll show up to set and I'll see that my name's on like a trailer or something. And I have to take a minute because I just I'm like, people are gonna think I'm crazy. Like, let me just cry for a second because I remember the very first one always.
James: Well, I mean, you've never lost this humbleness and this drive. And I think that's, you know, people want to see you succeed. And I think that's what's, you know, you have an infectious, you know, quality to you about, you know, just that passion and that drive and that love for the art. And also just, you know, you got talent, kid. But I think that it's really special to see that, you know... We get to live alongside seeing you get these wins. And I think that's kind of really nice because you haven't gotten a big head about it. I mean, you're here talking on the podcast, getting choked up remembering that your name was mentioned in an article once. I think that's, you know, it's definitely, you know, you are one of the hardest working individuals I know. I make a lot of jokes about how you do not answer your phone because you're always on the flipping phone.
BJ: And I met you the first time on Complex Texas. And your spirit is just absurdly amazing and infectious, like James said. It is. You are by far. I feel like I've known you for a long time. And I've only got to hang out with you X amount of times.
James: You just like Carolina people.
BJ: I do like Carolina people. I do like Carolina people. It is. I grew up in Southern Virginia. I spent a lot of time in North Carolina. So it makes sense. But you're. How much you want it and how much you appreciate it, even though all the things that have happened, you know, could give somebody a big head like you're just doing it. We send articles back to each other, back and forth to each other, because we're both in some of the same articles right now. And it's both like, what would young us? How would young us feel?
Speaker 1: Child us? Child us. Child me wouldn't know me. Child me would not believe me. But child
BJ: me wanted to be this or to at least have some of this. So I'm just mad appreciative. I love how appreciative you are because I'm the same way. You are the same. I love I cry all the time just to like get you know I got to see that Boris is dead thing the other day and I I recorded it which I wasn't supposed to. You recorded my movie? It was on the big screen at the at the Chinese theater and and and I I watched it back over and I cried on the way home because I was just like whoa like listen to your friends cheer for you. In that movie. And I was like, oh shit.
James: He got a huge cheer. And I was
BJ: like, oh shit, that's all my friends in one theater being like cheering for you. And James was just sitting there and I was just like, oh my God. I cried on the way home and was like, they cheered for me. That's a great feeling. And then he
James: said he needed a bean salad.
BJ: He needed a bean salad. I love bean salad.
James: It's a joke. But, you know, I do think I agree with you on my end, too. Like, I still get surreal when I'm working with some of these actors that I get to work with. I'm like, what would little kid me have said? Knowing that I got to work with Mel Gibson or Jean-Claude Van Damme. It's mind-blowing to me. Shannon Doherty. These people that shaped my life when I was little then actually shaped my life in person. And I think that's kind of special. What was it like for you when you first got to work with a star? You were opposite Bruce Willis. What was that moment like for you? What movie was that? Deadlock, which actually we just lost Patrick Muldoon recently, who was the other star of that. Rest in peace, Patrick. Whoa.
Speaker 1: So Deadlock was a massive memory and milestone and accomplishment for me in a lot of different ways, professionally and personally. I think that when you come from a town and... In North Carolina, that's a small place. People, the industry is not heavily focused on there. I mean, there was a Wilmington boom. There was, you know, One Tree Hill, Dawson's Creek. But I had missed it by the time I sort of got into the industry.
BJ: Me too.
Speaker 1: So in a lot of ways, it's a dream. Depending on where you come from, it really is only a dream. And it's a very, very far reaching one. And I remember when I started to book films and move out here. I don't know if you guys know the story of even how I got here. That was a whole thing. A very like welcome to L.A., Hollywood, Me Too story. Oh, Jesus. Yeah. I did not know that story. It's a whole thing. That's going to be the next
BJ: part. We'll definitely come back to that. We'll touch on that.
Speaker 1: I moved here and I started to get anything that I could do. And then you realize that people and their go-to question is, oh, who's in it? Anyone that we've heard of? Or have we heard of anything that you've done? And that's sort of the go-to question. For sure. And I would always say, well, you know, so-and-so from so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so. They're on this show and they were a guest star on this four years ago. And you have to explain for 45 minutes what the people on the show on that you're working on.
James: I many times say to other filmmakers, if you have to explain who the actor is to me or to other people, then they're not famous enough to be like the name actor for your sales sheet. But in the South
BJ: where you grow up, that's what people worry about. Anytime I did any projects, it was like, but who's in it? Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, oh,
Speaker 1: that's exactly. I mean, years. And so I would always get tired of doing this explanation. And it was really, really fun for when people said, who's in it? And I said, Bruce Willis. There was no follow up question. Right. And that was really cool. Even my dad. I remember when I told him I got this on a recast. So the girl originally cast in my role, I guess. Unfortunately got to set tested positive for COVID and Jared, the director, Jared Cohen again, he picks up the phone and calls the first person he can think of who can replace her fast enough who he trusts basically because this was his biggest movie at the time. I get a call from Jared and he goes, how fast can you get to South Georgia? And I said, well, I'm quarantining with my family in North Carolina. I can get in the car. When do you need me there? And he goes, tomorrow at 6 a.m.? And I said, well, it's it's 536 p.m. And so then he goes, I got to go. But can you talk to this woman, D? She'll figure out your travel. So I remember I get on the phone with D and I'm thinking I'm going to be some like featured extra or waitress number four.
James: Kelly enough to know while Jared was on that call, she already started driving. She didn't wait to talk to Dee. She already started driving to Georgia just in case.
Speaker 1: Just in case. Just in case. I
James: don't know.
Speaker 1: I mean, you're absolutely right.
BJ: Because you're like, I will take waitress number four. I will take waitress number
Speaker 1: four. And I didn't know what role I was even going to be. And so then Dee goes, well, you're going to be here for, you know, three, three and a half weeks. And I said, for what? And she goes, well, you're going to be like a lead. I mean, you're in the whole movie. And I said, what? He and I have been in the whole movie. So then I'm already running back to the house to pack. I get off the phone. I fall to my knees and start sobbing. I can't even breathe. My mother's next to me going, do you need an inhaler? Do you need an EpiPen? What just happened? I was like, no, Bruce Willis. I can't fathom this. Mom, we got to get back to the house. So I run back to the house. I'm like super out of breath. We're in a hilly neighborhood. I run in the door. My dad thinks I'm dying. My dad's like, Kelly, what's wrong? I'm throwing stuff over the banister into a bag. It's like a getaway bag for my South Georgia escapade. So then he goes, what's going on? And I said, movie, movie, I gotta go. Call me from the car. And mom's like, I'll read you the script on Bluetooth. I've got you. And my dad goes then, who's in it? And I said, Bruce Willis. And he goes, the Bruce Willis? And I was like, yes. The Bruce Willis. So then I run out the door. I jump in the car. My mom does read me the script on Bluetooth on the car in the way there. And then it's so cute because she so she gets the part where she goes, Kelly, Kelly. She just stops talking on Bluetooth. I'm like, Mom, did we cut out? What's going on? Is it service? She goes, Kelly. Kelly, there's a guy who's in his mid-60s and balls across from you. She's like, I think you have scenes with Bruce. I think you have scenes with Bruce. So then she starts sobbing. I start sobbing. I can't see. I'm driving. There's no service. I finally get there, get to set, and then I do the movie. But it's funny because everybody thought I was the most antisocial person ever on that set because I would not leave my room. Because you were learning
James: the lines.
Speaker 1: I didn't want to get COVID. I knew the girl got recast before me. So I'm like, if I walk out of my hotel room and I get COVID, I'm not going to be able to do this movie. I'm going to get recast too. They were testing you every
James: day. At that time, it was like the deep nose ones. They would shove it down the back of your brain. The thing that I've always found really, like I admire a lot about you, not only your wonderful relationship with your mother, Kelly likes to talk to her mom on the phone a lot and she has a great relationship with her. But, you know, one thing that I think is really special is you have done all this literally on your own. You don't have reps. You've literally, you bet on yourself, you believed in yourself and you've... Pushed without a shadow of a doubt to just keep going without that support system. And so my question to you is, how do you keep going in a business like this that's so difficult and believe in yourself that much to not give up?
Speaker 1: Well, that is a really good question. I have an album on my phone and I have a notes tab and I have actually a pile, a massive stack of handwritten cards from people or people asking me for autographs, moments and memories on sets that like in a bad day I like to go back and remember. And in hard times, I will go and look at them all and like go through the cards one by one and even I'll save messages who I've been reached out to people over the years, like girls in high school who are a little nasty with me, apologizing, being like, you were actually really nice and I'm really sorry and I'm really happy to see you succeeding now. And that stuff means the world to me. I think that people think it's almost not worth reaching out sometimes because too much time has passed or, you know, the moment's gone. It matters. People remember that. I remember that. And I always try to find the people who really do want me to succeed because I absolutely have moments of weakness. I think everybody does in this town. But knowing that there is no backup plan, that I don't have reps, if I don't get the audition myself, I won't get an audition. So it almost lights a fire under me. I think it's sort of catch-22 here.
James: But you're doing better than a lot of people who do have reps. 100%.
BJ: There's a lot of people we know that have reps that aren't doing it near like you and then also just doesn't have the spirit. I think your spirit is 90% of the whole thing for me is that you're going to make it no matter what because of how much you want it and how much you deserve it. I
James: also didn't know how sentimental you were having these little saved messages and notes and stuff. I definitely connect with that. I save a lot of things myself.
Speaker 1: I realized that, and I didn't realize that just sort of meeting you, but when you get to know you, there are a lot of layers there. You are very onion.
James: I'm very onion. Are you calling me Shrek? He is very onion. Oh, girls are like onions. Mm-hmm.
BJ: James had the same thing you had. I knew James when, you know, I'm a little bit older and when James was coming up, he was doing these movies and he kept doing it and he kept doing it and a lot of people that we knew that we were in the same circle with just quit. They could never take it and James never quit. He just kept going and going and it paid itself off and he's returned the favor to so many people by helping them out along the way. It's been pretty epic. You two are a lot alike.
James: One thing that I learned when I was working with Wes Craven is Wes gave me advice and he said the people that make it in this business are not the most talented. It's the ones that just don't give up. And because he's like, eventually, if you keep at it, everybody gets their shot. And that really stuck with me because I was like, I'm just not going to give up. There is no possibility. So like you, I decided no fallback plan and I tattooed life on my knuckles because the only thing that I could have was a restaurant job. And the one rule, the first rule on the thing was you can't have any visible tattoos. So I made it the most visible tattoo I could have so that I could not go back and get a normal job. And
BJ: he walked into our office with this. I'm
James: like, I'm not going back. It's this or nothing. And I'm like, I'm going for
BJ: it. He laid his hands down on the table and was like, check this out. And I had known him for just a little bit. And he was like, I'm going to make sure that this works out the way I want it to work out. I don't want to have to go do these other jobs. I want to make sure I never have to.
James: I was like, no safety net. I'm committing to this forever.
Speaker 1: I did not know that's why you got that tattoo. And that's so cool. Because you told yourself that I believe in me enough. Yeah, I
James: believe in me enough. And I think that's the thing. People need to believe in themselves enough to take that swing. And so many people don't. They don't believe enough to really go for it. And those people that don't believe enough to go for it... Then live with regret and those are the people that will try to bring your accomplishments down because they feel threatened by seeing your success. That's
BJ: true.
James: And I know you've dealt with a lot of stuff in this career of people telling you, oh, you're doing this or like getting mad at you for things that you don't understand why and what happened. And it's because they see you moving up and they want to bring you down. There's a theory. Fishermen, when they... Collect crabs. They put crabs in a bucket and they never put a lid on the bucket. And they don't do it because they don't need to. It's a waste of a lid because if a crab tries to climb out of the bucket, the other crabs will pull it back in because if they're stuck in there, they don't want the other crab to get out. And that philosophy exists a lot, sadly, in this business. When they see other people starting to grow, people want to pull you back down to their level because they do not want to see you succeed because it shows them their own inadequacies. And I think that somebody as young as you fighting as hard as you, it's, you know, it definitely is why as nice as you are, you will create enemies because people don't want you to do better than they are. But you keep on keeping on.
Speaker 1: No, I appreciate you. I mean, we've talked about this a lot, even just as a friend, I'll call you and ask advice. She'll
James: call me and it'll be like a three hour conversation.
Speaker 1: Yeah. It's hard. It's hard because I do try and keep people happy and make them feel respected. But... There are some lines where I don't think I cross and I accidentally piss somebody off and I've had to let go. It used to eat me alive if I didn't please people. You have to let that go or you will not make it forward in this town or in maybe any. You have to let it go. Well,
James: in this business... No matter what, people are going to not like you. It just exists. You cannot have everybody like you. If everybody likes you, then something's wrong because it means you're not working as hard. You're going to create enemies with any amount of success, regardless of whether you try to, regardless of how nice you are, because people will find a reason to dislike you and they were always going to find that reason. So instead, you have to just be true to your own code of ethics, make sure that you are behaving correctly and being the best you can to others. And if they don't like you, that's a them problem, not a you problem.
BJ: We did a podcast the other day with Kristana Loken. And it was phenomenal to hear her take on that same thing where people are going to bring you down at some point in time, but you just have to keep going. You have to kind of stay in your vision of things. And that's definitely something that I've learned over the course of time as well. Like if everybody likes you, then you're definitely not being honest.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, too. And I think that a big transition for me also was losing so many friends. I think in this business, people outside of the industry don't understand how much it takes and how grueling it is. The hours on set, the hours after set, sort of you're never there. You cancel on events. You can't make plans ahead of time. One bag is always packed at the door. You can't operate and function in a normal way. You might have to
James: drive to Georgia at any point in time. I said, Bruce is waiting. Bruce is
Speaker 1: waiting. Well, no, actually, after that movie, I always have a go bag. It's in my closet. I actually do have
BJ: a go bag. And I think that goes back to the same thing with what we were talking to Cristana about, is it all has to do, especially these days, here, with having that group of friends that's really supportive. Which in my earlier time in the career, I didn't have a lot of that. It was very much like who's the hierarchy, like you don't get a seat at the table, these type of things. Over the last couple of years, I've developed a group of friends through James with you, these type of people that are just really supportive. Like if Kelly Reader gets something, we all get something.
James: Kelly Reader! But I also truly believe... Stop trying to find a seat at the table, build your own table and let them sit at yours. That's
BJ: true. You've done that.
James: I don't believe in fighting to be a part of a club that doesn't want you to be in it. Exactly.
Speaker 1: I think that's a transition I'm going through. You know, I sort of recently moved to more of like the South Bay area and... It's interesting. People are patient for a certain amount of time and they reach out for a certain amount of time. But then when you can't do things so often, they give up. They don't understand. They sort of, oh, you know, she's flaky or whatever. It's hard because I'm not. I just can't. Yeah, you're busy.
James: So recently, you know, outside of the film world, you know, you dealt with a traumatic situation. You were you were attacked and dragged across the ground by a dog. Oh, It was very playful. It was like tug of war. It was not. She was laughing the whole time, but I have never laughed harder in my life because we both like
BJ: We did not discuss this, so I was like, ooh, hard transition. It was not
James: traumatic at all. She was laughing hysterically. He was not violent. He was very playful. No, I've
Speaker 1: never seen James laugh so hard. Ever. Not in my entire life. I
James: was laughing so hard I was crying because I've never seen him do that. He just grabbed her hair and was trying to
Speaker 1: pull her. And I was laying there going, James, like, are you going to do something? Are you going to intervene here? And I look up. He can't even function. He's incapacitated. You were laughing
James: pretty hard, too, though. It was pretty ridiculous. He was just like trying to drag you to the next room by your hair. He's this big. He's like this big. Yeah, I have a little
BJ: Frenchie Meatball. Who's adorable, by the
James: way. I do love Meatball. Here, a picture of Meatball is going to pop up right here. There you go. That's a reference. Oh, do you do that in post?
Speaker 1: Yeah. Okay.
BJ: Is there any project thus far in your early career, since it's going so awesome, is there any project so far that's been your favorite?
Speaker 1: Okay. Deadlock and the leader. Well, I mean, this is hard. This is really, really hard. Deadlock came to me at a time when I needed it most. I was having a very, very hard time trying to figure out an avenue in this career. And the avenues people preach as the ones to go were not working for me. So I was trying to create unorthodox avenues and holes in the system to where I could. And also during
James: COVID, a lot of introspection too. Yeah.
Speaker 1: No, true. And it really it meant a lot to me because I felt like I wasn't meant to be there until I sat there and felt like I was worthy. And that was a mental shift I needed massively. And then I think also the leader. I am so happy and proud of myself that I could be sort of such a large acting role in it because I do all this for acting. I really do. It's like I will produce and I will finance and I will do all the things. But I really just want to act. That's all I want. So because I was a large role, it was a true story. You're representing people who actually lived and went through this and you have to do it in a manner that's truthful but respectful also. It was just so fun to then see that it got, I mean, when it got into Tribeca. Is
James: this your first time in a major festival?
Speaker 1: I was, I guess I was an EP on a festival film. In a movie that you're acting in. Acting in, yeah. First time
James: ever. And Tribeca hasn't happened yet. So, I mean, that must be really exciting to be going to Tribeca for a major festival for that. Are you going?
BJ: Yeah. What do you mean? She's already got the go bag. The go bag is
James: ready to go. She's already got the go bag. Oh, I love that. James knows me well.
Speaker 1: I'm definitely going. She's definitely going. My parents are going to go. I think I'm really excited. And I am actually concerned because, you know, nobody prepares for me. Like there are not enough tissues in the world. I'm going to see that movie come on and I might need to remove myself from the theater. You
BJ: just go back to the back far right corner. You're just like hanging out back there.
James: You know, me and you worked together very closely for Over a year to get that movie financed because it was not an easy movie to get financed. And I reached out to Michael and I was like, I like this concept. Michael's the director, Michael Gallagher. And I was like, I like the cast. I like the thing. I'm going to help you finance this. And I reached out to Kelly and me and her teamed up and we brought in a large amount of the financing for this movie. And it was not an easy road because it's not a genre film. It's a drama film. A biopic about the Heaven's Gate cult. And it's, you know, a heavy subject matter. And so, but we believed in the project and that's really, Kelly and I got very close during that time because we were on the phone daily figuring out how to make this movie happen.
BJ: And that was with Joel David Moore's company as well. Yeah, it was
James: with Joel's company, Balcony Nine, and Michael Gallagher's company.
BJ: Joel's awesome. I spent quite a bit of time with him. He's pretty nice.
James: Yeah, you produced a movie for him,
BJ: right? Yeah, we had to be in an editing room for quite a long time. So it was nice to learn about each other, if I'm not mistaken.
James: In Another Life, that was like before you knew me? That was when I knew
BJ: you. That was when I knew you. You were coming into that office. You were about to get pernicious.
Speaker 1: That was right before I did
James: Permit. So I was 20 at
BJ: the time. What movie was it? That was Killing Winston Jones back then. And then James was working on Pernicious at that point. He had finished 13, 13, 13. And some other things I believe in that realm. And James was coming in to do that. And then it was so awesome because I got to be a producer on Pernicious. But then I was like the one producer. They were like, you cannot go to Thailand. And I was like, damn it. And I was cool with it until James. And I was like, well, I wasn't cool with it. At first I was like, I really want to go. And then James got there. And then James posted this picture of this huge spider on his bed. And I was
James: like,
Speaker 1: no, fuck that. I was like, I'm out. I'm out. I'm out.
James: But, you know, I could definitely relate to what you were saying about, you know, once you worked with Bruce Willis, like that kind of legitimized, you know, for you when I was 21. And I did, you know, this is why Shannon Dougherty held such a special place in my heart. And even other than. Our friendship because me and her ended up having such a beautiful friendship and working together for so many years but she was the first actor that I worked with like SAG actress that was recognizable that I was able to say this is her and people knew who it was and I was 21 years old at the time and I felt like that legitimized me and she chose to work with a 21 year old filmmaker at that time and that was So special to me. So, you know, I it's it's a tough business because up until then, every time I would talk to people, people would be like, when are you going to make a real movie? And I was like, I thought I was. I
BJ: thought every movie I
James: made was a real
BJ: movie. Didn't you do one with Shannon? It was around that time, a little bit after you did Pernicious, if I'm not mistaken. I may be mistaken on time, but didn't you do a movie with Shannon and Tom Green?
James: Yeah, that was Bethany when I was 23.
BJ: Got it. Was that your first movie with her or no?
James: No, the first one was Shannon was Blood Lake
BJ: with her and Christopher Lloyd. Didn't you get that financed somehow through Animal Planet or something? Animal Planet paid for it, yeah. I was
James: the youngest director to make a movie for television at the time. Like actual
Speaker 1: network. It was on Animal Planet?
James: Yeah, it was their only original film ever. I don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing. I currently also hold the second highest ratings Animal Planet ever had. My movie was the second highest ratings. The first highest ratings was a... Puppy Bowl. No, it was a thing about like mermaids being real or something. It was a fake documentary about
BJ: or real documentary. Who knows? People love Gerald the
James: Dolphin.
BJ: Love him.
James: We could get into that.
BJ: Our director just threw up some shit on screen. Yeah, I told you to bring up the dolphins
James: because I have gone on rants about Gerald the Dolphin before, guys, because, you know, it's a conspiracy thing about this dolphin. Do you know about them? That has taken people hostage and apparently it's fake, but I don't know. He's
Speaker 1: referenced this multiple times in our conversations. She's like, I do know about this
James: dolphin. He talks all the time about this dolphin.
BJ: We've had way too much conversations about this dolphin and this damn teleportation to Waffle House, which I was like, shit, can I push that button? I don't know about that one. Oh, tell them about the
Speaker 1: teleportation. I actually like, I love Waffle House. Me too. If I have a choice, I will go Waffle House hands down. I think I ain't going to
BJ: get no cheesy eggs. Oh, I know. The chocolate chip
Speaker 1: waffles, the hash browns, the Graham Slam. They don't really have one of those out
James: here, but I liked when I was in Kansas City, I went to Waffle House.
BJ: Yeah, we would totally do that. Yeah, somebody in the government with some job that he has or whatever has now said that he was teleported through some sort of situation to, Greg Phillips was teleported to the Waffle House. And like, this is like, to him, that shit happened. So I was just like, damn, I don't know what button you push, but I will go in and push that same button.
Speaker 1: That's like Hot Tub Time Machine. Right, but to the Waffle House. And
BJ: I said, well, why are we not making somebody out of that movie? Well, no, Hot Tub Time Machine
Speaker 1: goes back in time. This just teleports you to a Waffle House. Well, but it's just similar. You get in a portal of something where you pop out with either in a different year or waffles. This
BJ: happened in Rome, Georgia, which I didn't even know Georgia had a Rome.
Speaker 1: Oh, Rome. I've been there. Yeah. Well, yeah, of
BJ: course, with your go bag. You go back right through Rome.
Speaker 1: I have a go bag at Waffle House in Rome, Georgia.
BJ: That's where the teleportation device is hidden in your to-go bag.
James: So Kelly, what advice could you give to actresses, actors trying to make it in this business?
Speaker 1: You know, honestly, I get asked to, this thing is just so fun. I'm sorry, I just keep wanting to play with it. I do too, I want to touch. Oh, don't touch it there. This is my no-no square. That's hard. A lot of people ask me to mentor them and I just wish I had more time. And frankly, I don't even know how to tell them what to do. You everyone has their own path and you just are you have the responsibility of finding it because not one path will work for any other person that is yours and yours alone.
James: You are definitely trailblazing as the first you at the moment. I've never
BJ: met anybody like you the whole time I've been in this business.
Speaker 1: Guys, you have to be careful with what you say around me because I don't see tissues.
BJ: You just got to leak it into the Fiji water,
Speaker 1: right? I would say... Refill the water. Refill the Fiji.
James: With tears. Our Fiji water is brought to you by Kelly's Tears. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Things started to change for me when I started to say yes. I think that the universe presents paths and people can either shut them down or take them. I was used to shutting them down. The more people you meet, the more rooms you're in, the more things you say yes to, the more events. I hate networking. But the more you actually do. There will be one of those 100 people who will help you in the future.
James: You should come to my networking events, by the way. They're great.
Speaker 1: They are great. They are great.
BJ: Thursday is once a month pineapple.
Speaker 1: I think that when you start saying yes to the things presented by the universe, you sort of start getting on paths that present themselves more clearly. It will at first be very, very overwhelming. You're like, I don't know why I'm doing this or maybe I shouldn't. Is this a waste of time? And then you will quickly learn what paths you should go down. This is a much
James: more spiritual response than what I figured you would. BJ is super into crystals and, you know, different rocks. Are you into that kind of stuff as well?
Speaker 1: I'm day by day. Like, I think it's a thing where I was very, I would say like traditional growing up. And I think that when you go into this world and you go into this business, you realize and I realize that the unorthodox avenues were the only ones that got me anywhere. So you sort of have to expand your thinking and be open to more things. Every day, I don't know the right answer to anything, but I just acquire more information. I try
James: to be a
Speaker 1: sponge. I think that the universe has really sort of been on my side in some situations, and I can't deny that. Whether it is God, whether it is some other power, I don't know. Your
BJ: positivity is amazing. I'm not
Speaker 1: saying no.
BJ: Yeah, the positivity is amazing. I mean, for me, that was the whole thing where I kind of came to this point where I was like... I really love people. I love, love, love people. And I hate being done wrong, but it's been done a lot of times, but I still love people. So I can't let that change my perspective of people. And if I can push the love out constantly, even if everybody else is feeling it, that's what I'm going to do because it makes me feel...
James: One powerful thing that you have BJ is that, you know, people have done you wrong and you've never allowed other people's actions to define you and how you treat others. No, no, no. You know, and I think that's a really special quality to have. And if
BJ: I did back when I was younger, I've learned from it now to where I'm like, that's, that's not who I want to be moving forward. You know, it's, I used to get jealous of what other people got. I used to get jealous and be like, wow, that person got that role. I've been battling for that role. Or that person got to do that movie. Or I got to produce that movie, but I didn't get to go. And then I was like, all of that was a learning experience to get me to this point in my career where I'm like, I love people and I love the point that I've gotten to. I'm really excited about where I've been
James: able to go to. Almost to a fault sometimes you send money before the contract exists. Yeah, that happens sometimes. I did that the other day. He did that to me and I was like, well, I mean, luckily it's me, but I'm like, dude, we got to sign a contract. We had to
BJ: pay somebody and James was like, damn, let me get that contract done before you send that money. I was just like, I was like, pay this motherfucker. I was like, damn, why not do that? I know.
James: I'm like, dude, come on.
BJ: Yeah, sometimes at a fault for sure. But yeah, I appreciate that, man. It's been a fun ride.
James: So Kelly, with Complex Texas, I think this was, if I'm not mistaken... If not your first, one of your first times like fully actually producing, not just raising money, but like being through the casting process that all of it through the whole movie. I think you had done one other with a Cif like that, right?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I did one Redemption and then I did one called Among Wolves a while ago. But that one was a thing where I was almost just helping and I kept helping so much to a point where they were just like, give her the producer credit. She's helped so much. But no, this one, I was the most involved with by far of anything of my career.
James: So what was that like, you know, doing something like that? You know, what is, you know, jumping into that? Any wild stories from the producer's side that you could say, you know, hopefully nothing negative about me?
Speaker 1: I always have known that I've loved to be involved. I love to be involved, but I loved to be so involved. I mean to the point of there's everything. You don't realize as an actor or even as an EP when you step onto a set you're only one designated area and you are thankfully shielded from all of the others. As a producer there is no shield. You're just like taking all of the hits With all the arrows all day. But it's fun. It's like when you get a win or when you sit down and you figure something out, it feels so good because it's almost like your baby. You go into this and you're holding it and you sort of every day you're watching it grow and it gets a boo-boo and then you patch it back up and like she spit up. So then, you know, it's crazy. And then at the end of this, you see this finished product of something that you actually made. I have no idea. I didn't know it would affect me so much. I really love it. And watching, you know, somebody like James who knows what they're doing and approaches it from a conservative angle. Like there are a million different types of producers out there. And I want to follow somebody who makes smart, safe decisions rather than risky ones. And I really grew a lot of knowledge and respect for him through this, seeing... That of all the options on the table, he picks the safest one for everyone involved over and over. And that is what I want to do. Time and time again. I want to make the best movie I can the safest way possible. And that is from following somebody who makes the conservative choices.
BJ: You two were a great team as well on that set together. Both of you were. I would get to set and Kelly would be in like, Kelly had this gorgeous wardrobe for most of the movie that I got to see her in. My shorts and I spent. And the boots
James: and everything.
BJ: And Kelly's got her acting gear on, but she's got her producer face on at the same time. And she's co-doing everything with James as well. And it was magic. I was in a scene in the backseat with James and James is like producing the entire time. He's in the backseat. He's like, we're just waiting for camera to roll, but I got all this shit to do. I was like,
James: oh, man, I should not have cast myself in this one role because I'm like, you know, I had one line, which was just laughter. And I was like, oh, I could do that. That'll be easy. And I'll take a baseball bat to the head. Sure. That sounds fun. And then, you know, lo and behold, I'm like, I thought that was going to take me, what, like an hour and a half. And I'm like six hours into the day, like I cannot still sit in this car. I got to go do things. I'm like, I got stuff to do.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so I didn't know if I was allowed to talk about that or not. But yeah, you actually getting knocked out. That was like by far my
James: favorite moment. It ended up being L&D because I knew we only had time for one swing of the bat. So when I got hit in the head with the bat, I really sold it and I sold it too hard. And so I threw myself... Into the car and I hit my head on the car bumper on the way down and I knocked myself out. Oh shit. And so I was like unconscious. Yeah, in the scene. Like I was unconscious and I like woke up like during the scene still filming because there's all this stuff after I get knocked out and I was like, I'm just gonna... Not tell anybody about this so that we don't have to do it. Someone's method. Yeah, well, then we had to pay for the fixes of the car because my big old head dented the car.
BJ: I remember you and Cam were really mapping all that out with Jared, the director, and other people on set.
James: Luke LaFontaine, yeah.
BJ: Because you only had one piece of sugar glass. Right. Yeah. Yeah. One left that you could use for a good break. Yeah.
James: Yeah. Yeah.
BJ: That was crazy.
Speaker 1: Another thing that I thought was so impressive was, frankly, Kevin Dillon.
James: Kevin's the man. One of the sweetest individuals and just like such a hard worker. And, you know, one unique thing about Kevin, especially as a number one, is how welcoming he is to the rest of the cast. You know, he will run lines with people. He stays for people's coverage. He sits with all the other cast at lunch. Just like befriends everybody. And it's one of those things where it's really like unique for a number one, like the main actor to do that on a movie. And I think he made the whole cast feel comfortable. He did.
Speaker 1: No, and even on the first day, I walk over to him in hair and makeup and he is so sick. He is trying not to cough. He's trying to find throat coat, tea, medication. He is, I mean, you shouldn't, you know, he was not feeling good. And then when we, I mean, the camera starts rolling and he... Tries to not cough during my takes and then he goes in the other room and tries to recollect himself and then come back and, you know, do it professionally. He's a trooper. He powered
James: through. Oh my word. Yeah, he's great. He's just so sweet.
BJ: I was intimidated the first time I met him because I mean, I fucking love Entourage. I grew up being like fucking Entourage is everything about this business. So when I met him, I was like, holy shit, it's Kevin Dillon. And now just being able to work with him and speak with him at different functions and things like that. I'm like, hey, Kevin. And he's like the nicest dude you can possibly imagine. I have a
Speaker 1: funny story actually. So it was halfway through filming and I keep telling people I'm doing this movie and everybody keeps talking about Johnny Drama. I'm like, who the hell is Johnny Drama?
James: Have you not seen
Speaker 1: Entourage? No, I've never seen it. And I was thinking, is there an actor in my movie that I cast named Johnny Drama? What is happening? So I finally halfway through filming, I Google it and then it makes a lot more sense. But yeah, I have to watch Entourage. I've never seen Big Bang Theory. I got to watch that for the gym. I've never seen Big
James: Bang Theory. Yeah, for Jim Parsons. I
Speaker 1: watch these people and I work with these people and I have no idea what they're famous for, but I adore them as humans. I really got to get better.
James: You knew Yippee-Ki-Yay, motherfucker. You knew Die Hard. I
Speaker 1: actually have never seen Die Hard. Oh my gosh.
James: Get
Speaker 1: out. End
James: the podcast
Speaker 1: here. Get out. You've never seen Die Hard. No, I knew Bruce from Friends.
BJ: Oh,
Speaker 1: shit. What of all things?
James: No, that is not the credit you knew of Bruce's.
BJ: This is why everything has lined itself up for you so
James: perfect. You were excited about a person who just acted in one episode of Friends. He was recurring. How is, how is, what?
BJ: He was recurring.
James: He was recurring. She was like, oh, I got to work with the recurring guy from Friends. Yeah.
BJ: Bruce Willis from Friends. That's what you knew him as. Yes. Oh, shit.
Speaker 1: I mean, I knew that he was famous in other things. I just hadn't seen them.
BJ: Maybe this is your secret weapon. Like, if you're in all the stuff that you don't know anybody, you can't get intimidated by. You just go. It's true. It's like this thing. I
Speaker 1: don't know. Oh, my
James: gosh.
BJ: That is the most coolest thing.
Speaker 1: This is the most coolest shit. I'm unique.
James: I can't believe that.
Speaker 1: I want to watch Die Hard though. It looks good. It
James: is
BJ: one of the best Christmas movies you will
Speaker 1: have
James: to say. I'm just mind blown.
Speaker 1: I have not seen a lot of movies or shows and I don't broadcast it because people have this reaction but of the top 10 best movies of all time I have no idea if I've even seen them.
James: Zoolander? That's like saying like, oh yeah, Brad Pitt, that guy from that show with Little Dicky, because he has like one cameo in that show. Oh yeah, Brad Pitt, the guy from the Little Dicky.
BJ: Oh, it's like Will Smith, he's that dude from the cameo in Anchorman 2 or 3 or whatever. I've seen
James: that, I've seen Anchorman. Or The Rock, oh yeah, I remember The Rock, he was in the other guys. That's
BJ: what he's saying.
Speaker 1: I love the other guys in The Rock.
James: Oh shit, here we go. Yeah, but my joke is that he's only in it for like 10 seconds. Then you're not
BJ: allowed to do a movie with The Rock.
James: Because you
BJ: know him. Yeah, you can't work with him.
James: You already know him. I thought that was a
BJ: good one. I know we're getting closer to the end of the podcast. Is there anything that you'd like to promote? And then also, is there advice for people who want to be the next Kelly Ryder? Kelly Lynn Ryder. Kelly Lynn Ryder. And
James: also, sorry, plug your socials as well. Yes.
Speaker 1: Okay. Well, my Instagram is at Kelly Ryder. I didn't know whether to go by Kelly Ryder or Kelly Lynn Ryder for the longest time. But there's another Kelly Ryder who's an accent coach who's a very good one. So we go head to head sometimes. So I'm going Kelly Lynn Ryder. But my Instagram is at K-E-L-L-Y-R-E-I-T-E-R. You didn't have to spell it out. It would have popped up underneath you. Okay. Yeah. I don't know how. I don't do a lot of these things. And I would say I'm so excited for Complex Texas. I'm so excited for The Leader. Kate Might Die. That's another one that I'm really excited for. But I mean, The Leader, Tribeca, because I was such a big part of it. I've never been so excited for anything in my life. Like, I hope this doesn't come across wrong, but I feel like I just had a child. And you know how everybody takes pictures of their babies and they're like,
James: oh, my God, look at my baby. I'm like, look at my movie.
Speaker 1: So anyway, and yeah, advice. If you outlast people, you will eventually get more of the opportunities that you're looking for. And no matter what, at the end of the day, like when I moved here, basically everyone I knew who moved here with me is gone. And I think you really have to be committed so much and so delusionally that you cannot have a backup plan. There cannot be an escape route. You have to remove them all. And if you outlast them, you will be the chosen one at some point. You just don't know when that is.
James: And what hair care routine gets Meatball to attack your head?
BJ: It
James: was literally the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. I just can't. It was so fun because he was trying to tug of war.
BJ: Also, you were on the back lot at Universal the other day. Are you allowed to talk about that or no? The prop house is always so fun to go
Speaker 1: in. I'm working on a few things. I'm working on some cool things with TV and movie. I'm trying to get in on some bigger budgets and some really cool names everyone's heard of. So I'm under lots of legal agreements and I have no idea. Watch Kelly say something in a taco suit that gets her fired. That would be on par. Well, if you're going to
James: say it, you might as well wear the sombrero while saying it. I know.
Speaker 1: I might as well. Go all out. Go all out. I don't know why you guys didn't want me to wear this.
BJ: We got the best of both worlds.
James: Well, Kelly, thank you so much for coming on. It was fun having you. And really, it was a pleasure. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1: I forget I can move this. You tell me every time.
BJ: You are one of the most amazing people I've ever got to meet. So thank you for being just the coolest, most awesome person. We talk about you all the time. Literally, we were just having discussions earlier about... How do we put Kelly in that? How do we do this? How do we do things? You are absolutely amazing. Never change. Be you and you're going to be so successful.
James: Definitely. Never change. Be you. Don't lose that drive and that spark. Thank you.
Speaker 1: It's amazing. Love you. Thank you so much. Thank you all for being in my corner and for believing in me. I believe in you guys too. See you next week. See you next week. See you next week. Where are we supposed to look? See you all next week.