Up next in 10
arrie-Anne Moss sits down for a wide-ranging conversation covering The Matrix, Star Wars, and Marvel TV.
Highlights
Early faith in “Dolan” and why his calm, elegant set demeanor stood out.
The wild Matrix audition gauntlet: action day, reading for the directors, then reading with Keanu.
Building Trinity: months of fight training, the meaning of “steel,” and why the lobby set-piece felt like a one-take pressure cooker.
Injury & mindset: breaking her leg on a wire, training through recovery, and the mental math behind the freeway/motorcycle work.
Massive respect for stunt teams: timing squibs, camera marks, and making actors look great.
Marvel’s Jerry Hogarth: playing someone ruthless and manipulative was pure fun.
Star Wars entry: family cheering her on, lightsaber drills, sore shoulders, and first-week bar-fight memories on a fast TV schedule.
Life lessons: rejection on a prior TV gig freed her up for The Matrix; trusting the path over desperation; meeting fans who discovered her from totally different corners of pop culture.
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0:00
So, like looking back at Nolan's process uh on set, you know, was there any time that you thought this guy is going to be
0:05
one of the most influential directors of our time? I mean, I don't think you really think
0:11
like that um when you're in it. I mean, I knew he was incredibly talented. He
0:16
was so poised and he has this incredible calm,
0:22
very elegant way of being on a set and I
0:28
enjoyed that. And I I had no doubt he was going to be huge, but I mean, who knew that you could be that huge um like
0:36
he has become. Yeah. So happy for him. He deserves it. He's really talented.
0:42
Yeah. Uh great film and he keeps going stronger and stronger every film he does. Um you have been part of such
0:50
great adventures in film and obviously we're here to talk about Are you in the Are you in the you getting all this?
0:55
Oh, I'm getting all this. But I love We're getting like we're getting like I feel like I'm in the Arctic. We're in the time.
1:03
See, I love this. So, I apologize and now I'm freezing.
1:09
Jeez, I should have brought some cashmere or some wool. You saw how hot it was outside.
1:16
But obviously the little big film called The Matrix.
1:25
Well, the funny thing is, I think, is you appeared on a TV show with the same name. So, when this project came, you're
1:31
like, "What is this? Is this a continuation of what I did before?" Yeah. You know, there's these things in life where it's like such a crazy
1:37
coincidence. Um, and I did this series called The Matrix, which is about alternative realities as well. I didn't
1:45
really understand what they were talking about. Um, obviously then the Matrix
1:50
came around and I was like, "Oh, that's interesting." Um, of course I'd never imagined that I
1:57
was going to get the role of Trinity because I I just assumed it would go to a big movie star. So yeah, I mean,
2:06
what's the likelihood that an actor would do two things called The Matrix? I mean,
2:12
crazy. And I remember I got a gift um from one of the from the directors after the first Matrix and it's this really
2:19
cool piece of art that I have in my basement. It's got pictures of sort of the the journey of Trinity. And on the
2:26
back both of them wrote something, you know, to me personal. And one of them wrote that when they saw on my resume
2:34
that I had done a show called The Matrix, it made them go, "Huh?" So, you
2:39
know, you never know those little things that just make someone, you know, I don't know that
2:48
somehow gave it like a little a little beep, you know what I mean? Like a little frequency.
2:54
Um, are you thinking maybe this is fate?
3:00
Yeah. There is no
3:07
What was like the audition or casting process like? You went through a lot of training just for for this role and did you did they tell you how much like
3:14
physicality goes to the role of training? Yeah, I mean you have to understand like auditioning for something of this
3:20
magnitude like I had never done it before. So, like as I was going through it, I was just, you know, getting one
3:28
audition and then, oh, we want you to come in and read for the directors. And then you're like, read for the
3:34
directors. And then, you know, a few days later you go, oh, they want you to come in and do an action day, like 3
3:41
hours of action. I was like, oh, okay. Did that then it's, hey, they want you
3:48
to come back and read again from the directors. At this point, I had done
3:53
that 3 hours of the action with the the martial art team. I literally could not
3:59
walk. I'm not even kidding. And I remember I'm doing the scene and I'm sitting down. I
4:06
think I'm doing that scene with from the from the nightclub, you know, Neo,
4:12
you know, uh you know, you know that one. I can't even remember, but you don't know. And and I'm sitting there
4:18
and one of the directors asks me, he says, you know, I think you should stand up. And I was like, I can't.
4:25
And then the and then a few days later it was, we want you to come in and read with Keanu. And I was like, oh my gosh.
4:32
So it's it's sort of this process that just keeps folding and it goes on forever and you just every time you get
4:39
a little closer, you're like, if even if I never get this, this is like the highlight of my life. And then they tell
4:47
you, okay, you have to sign your contract before at the last audition, you know, so that like if you get the
4:53
job, you're not going to say, I want a gazillion dollars, right? They have to put all that in writing and um and then
5:00
they say, "Okay, we're going to have you for a week. You get to decide." And so
5:05
the week ends and they say, "We need another week."
5:11
[Applause] Right? So, you can imagine, right? Like
5:16
by the time I heard I got it, I actually kind of forgot
5:22
cuz I just assumed, you know, this was a great experience. Like, oh my gosh, this is changed me. I
5:29
feel so this is so exciting and, you know, thank you universe. Thank you God
5:34
for this experience and I probably won't get it. And then I got it and
5:41
yeah, it just changed life completely. That's amazing. Were you signing? Was it
5:48
just for
5:55
fear and applause? Applause anytime you like. Um, when you first signed up, was it
6:00
just for the single film? Do they tell you that's going to be, you know, more to come or I think I think when you when you like
6:06
the way the contracts worked then I don't know how it works anymore but I think that they they signed me for three
6:12
like just in case you know what I mean. Um so but I it wasn't never discussed that
6:18
we were going to do more like I didn't have it never even crossed my mind. Yeah. Do you remember the first like the
6:25
actual first day of filming on set, walking on and seeing the sets and some of the actors and
6:31
Oh my god, I can't remember. That's crazy. How could I not remember?
6:37
No, but I remember like training. That's sort of the most visceral memory that I
6:43
have was, you know, Lawrence and A and Keanu and Hugo Weaving with this
6:48
incredible martial arts team with W Ping and all the guys, you know, we would
6:54
just train like through Friday from like 9 till 5 every day and it was so fun.
7:03
So, you fell in love with training. Yeah, I loved it. You get to know actors really well. That's how you start to develop that
7:10
camaraderie and that relationship and you know you're working hard. You're all kind of have a we all had the same um
7:19
you know end result that we wanted to accomplish and we're all going through our hard bits together. Lawrence is
7:26
doing his fight with this guy over there and there's Keon over there and there's me and we're all cheering each other on,
7:32
right? and um inspire each other and having coffee breaks together, you know
7:38
what I mean? It's it was just super special. On those coffee breaks, what was it like? Decompressing, goofing around
7:44
where we all kind of just taking Yeah. Yeah. I mean, really needing a break. I mean, you're just like, "Oh,
7:49
thank God I got a break." Um Yeah. Just laughing and
7:55
never imagining that it would look like what it looked like in the end. Like I think until I saw it in person, like saw
8:02
it the movie, I just had no idea that it would be like that cool, like the shots
8:08
and the way that the way that they shot it and the way that they lit it and all the colors and all the little intricate
8:14
things that all departments put into the making of that. Like when you're an actor on
8:20
stage, you don't necessarily, you know, on the set, you don't necessarily under see all that, right? I'm not looking
8:26
behind me at like the shot, right? And you see that just the way like, you
8:32
know, they put me or Keanu or Lawrence or whatever in the shot like it's just
8:37
so beautiful and rich and it's such a incredible work of art, I think.
8:46
[Applause] Welcome the sequels back to back, right?
8:53
Yes, we did the first one, then we had a bit of a break, and then we did both the uh second and third together. Yeah, it
8:59
took like a year. Was training more vigorous for that round? Because, you know, maybe some more endurance needed to do that.
9:06
So, that's like I decided that I was going to be in like
9:12
epic shape to start cuz, you know, I had to work out. We all worked out to get in
9:17
shape. So, like I showed up in shape and in the first week I break my leg
9:27
and it's funny. I I read sometimes I'd love to put this straight. I read
9:32
sometimes people saying I don't know if it's online or whatever that I broke my
9:38
leg and I was afraid I was going to be replaced. I never thought I was going to be
9:43
replaced. I mean I mean I had months to train. So anyway, I mean anyway, I just
9:49
don't think that's funny because no, I wasn't worried that I was going to be replaced. I just didn't want to hold up production, you know what I mean? I
9:55
didn't want to be a nuisance to anyone. But I still went to training with the
10:01
broken leg and I broke the leg on the wire. So I'm doing the I'm on the wire
10:07
and the guys kind of dropped me kind of.
10:12
They didn't really drop me, but it was like I landed too hard and they kind of,
10:18
you know, they pulled the wire, you know, and it was just this combination of them like dropping me too hard and me
10:26
like landing too hard and I heard my leg break and I was like, "Oh no."
10:33
But thank God I was in shape, right? I was
10:40
I healed quickly. takes six weeks to heal a broken bone as everybody probably knows but that is true.
10:47
Was there a favorite stunt you like doing every time they put you on those wires? Something that you enjoy doing adrenaline rush.
10:53
Um no I didn't have an adrenaline rush. No,
10:59
cuz you you're like so focused and you want to do it so well, you know. That was one thing I always really wanted to
11:05
do it so well for the directors because I love them so much and I was so
11:11
grateful and so honored to play her for them and so you just want
11:18
to do it so well. So, I was thinking about the motorcycle,
11:24
you know, I think that's in the second Matrix when I'm on the motorcycle with the actor on the back. And that was
11:31
really mentally challenging to ride that motorcycle without a
11:37
helmet, without him without a helmet. I'm not a motorcycle rider. And the
11:43
trucks are coming by and you know you feel that breeze and you feel that like right like like almost like you could
11:50
just you could just fly right off it and you're like steal like mentally I
11:56
remember thinking mentally like I cannot entertain one moment of thinking I can't do this.
12:05
So for day after day after day, I was like
12:10
that, you know what I mean? Cuz I had someone's life, not only my life, but someone else's life. And when they said,
12:16
"Okay, we're done." I was like, "Oh my god." I was That was a lot. I was like
12:24
mentally a lot. Yeah. Crazy. Can't believe they let me
12:30
do that. Can you emphasize a little bit the importance of the stunt team and you
12:35
know how serious they take their work to ensure all the stages also pulling off some crazy things that never seen
12:40
before? Yeah, I mean those guys are unbelievable. Um and I will never fully
12:47
understand it. Like you know the you know the scene um in the first m where
12:53
and I both we walk in through the metal detectors and you know that whole that
12:58
whole thing. I remember like we did we were doing it
13:04
and I did it was the first time I ever understood that like you got one take and then it's hours to
13:13
reset it and it's not only like me hitting my mark
13:20
but it's the action it's our guys hitting their mark. It's the squibs going off at the right time. It's so
13:28
many people, the camera guy catching it. And if one of us is off, it's so much
13:35
time to redo it and so much money to redo it. Like the pressure
13:41
of that, which I, you know, they protect the actors from feeling that pressure. At least we were protected. But at the
13:48
end, I really I really got that. I was like, "Wow, like
13:54
that was intense." and fun. Like to me that scene is like my favorite scene. I love it.
14:02
Yeah. The stunt team scene like are really important to film, you know, forever and they make sure they pull off all these amazing things. Yeah. They're
14:09
sometimes overlooked, I feel like. Oh, yeah. They're they're they make you they make you as an actor look so great,
14:18
you know, especially for me. I always got to fight stunt guys. Um, which makes
14:24
you really good cuz they they they make you look better cuz they can take the hits and I hit a couple of them and they
14:32
don't get mad at you. You can't hurt an actor, you know what I mean? The stunt guys don't mind. They love it when you
14:39
hit them by accident. Uh, with your character Trinity, was
14:45
there part of her personality that you connected with the most?
14:51
I don't know. I mean, I don't think of Trinity as a p having a personality.
14:56
Like I mean, it's not that she doesn't have personality. She's just so beyond personality.
15:01
She's so like still and fierce and like steel. Like that was one
15:08
of the things that the directors would say to me, steel. like if I was maybe
15:15
not grounded enough, um, I could just hear that word and know kind of what I
15:21
needed to anchor into, if that makes sense. It's hard to
15:27
remember. I mean, it was how many years ago? Long time ago. It's a long time ago. And yet it feels like yesterday. It's
15:34
kind of weird. Feels like yesterday and yet it feels like a million years ago, too, at the same time. Did you enjoy
15:41
that? They asked you to come back to the voice over work and they continued with the the anime and some of the video
15:47
games and stuff like that. Were you excited to kind of return in that aspect too to continue the story? Yeah. I mean, I think we did that all at
15:54
the same time. Like I don't remember shooting that separately. Like I I feel
15:59
like we were doing that we kind of did all that while shooting. So, you're not even really aware of what that's going
16:04
to look like, right? I I just didn't know. Uh when you got the call that the
16:11
fourth film was happening, how surprising was that?
16:16
Totally a shock. Yeah. I never saw that coming. And other people would say to me like, "Oh, I hear there's another Matrix
16:23
coming." And I'd be like, "No, I like died." You know, like,
16:28
yeah, I couldn't believe it. I was very excited. I mean, got to train again with
16:35
Keanu and and I I that's one of my highlights of my career, I think, is my
16:40
time with him training. We have so much fun. We're such good partners in that
16:46
way. So, it was really nice. Seems like you all bring the best out of each other when it comes to training. Really push each other to the edge. And
16:53
yeah, he's so professional and like he trains and works harder than anyone I've ever met. And just every day I would be
16:59
like, "Oh, he's working so hard. I have to work even harder. Like, oh, we're older now. Bring it down a notch. And
17:06
he's like, no, no, he's he's unbelievable. He's so dedicated.
17:13
Take, you know, just you'd see him and he'd be so tired, sweating, and he just
17:19
keep going and going. I mean, he deserves all of that success and and
17:24
love that he gets from people. Yeah. Yeah. Indeed. He's a lovely person. That's for sure.
17:31
Yeah, don't be afraid to clap. We're here for a long clapping.
17:37
Did it feel like revisiting an old friend, you know, when you did the fourth film or just kind of like a completely new chapter for for that
17:44
matrix? I think a little bit of both. Um
17:50
it was like going back, you know, what was very similar were that that was the
17:56
feeling of doing things that were so difficult and you thought impossible
18:02
and yet you were going to do it. And that's something that I've never
18:08
experienced except with the Matrix. So, like Lana had this vision that we were going to jump off that building, you
18:14
know, and um a lot of people did not want us jumping off that building.
18:20
Like a lot of people like I it didn't look like we were going to do it. And um
18:26
we trained and we trained and I didn't know if I could do it. I mean, I knew I wanted to I knew I wanted to, you know,
18:34
rise to the challenge, but my husband, I remember us having breakfast one morning. He's like, "You're not actually
18:39
going to do this, are you?" Like, I'm terrified of heights. And I was like, "Yeah, I'm going to do it." And he's
18:45
like, "Really?" And I was like, "Yeah." And I would sit in my hotel room
18:52
every morning and every night in the dark, visualizing myself doing that for hours,
19:00
just mentally seeing myself do that.
19:05
Because I thought before before I got into the mind, you know, the way that my mind needed to think about it, I thought
19:13
I'll faint like as I do it, I'll be fainting in the in in um,
19:19
you know, on the wire. But yeah, that was really cool. Was there something you learned about
19:24
yourself while doing all these crazy stunts and you pushed yourself to the edge when it comes to everything? I I mean, you learned
19:31
everything about yourself. you you you you can't do stuff like that and be the same
19:37
person at the end. Like it just brings it's so difficult to explain, but I mean
19:44
we've all experienced things that we've had to really push ourselves to do. Um but yeah, I think it it grew me for
19:52
sure. Yeah. Impressive Miss Trinity, right?
19:58
So you can really that's for sure. I want to talk about
20:04
joining that Marvel universe.
20:09
Yeah. Um when they asked you to join this world they're building for television
20:16
and bringing you know Jerry Hogarth to life life you know what did you find most compelling about her and that
20:22
character when they offered that to you? Oh my gosh, she was so much fun to play.
20:28
Like like it's so it's so interesting, right? We're just like in the Matrix. And I'm like can feel it, see it, smell
20:35
it, taste it. And now I'm over here in Jerry Hogart and the Marvel world and
20:41
Jessica Jones and Kristen Ritter and Eeka Darville and oh I you know I as an
20:49
actress playing her was just fun. I mean, she's
20:55
so bad, you know? She's so ruthless and
21:02
so manipulative and I am none of those things. So, to get to
21:09
like play that is just incredibly fun. Um
21:15
there's you I couldn't take her too far, you know, like that was really quite a freeing
21:21
experience. And um yeah, I loved it. I was sad to see that end. But you know,
21:28
most of the time when a job's over, I'm kind of like ready to like put the clothes away and like put the character away, grow my hair, you know what I
21:34
mean? Um but I I was sad to see that that show end for sure.
21:40
But you appear like in multiple Marvel projects kind of connecting them, you know, all those corners of that universe. Did it feel special, you know,
21:46
connecting the threads between some shows? Yeah, that was really fun. And I love just like showing up in like another,
21:52
you know, like Iron Fist and Daredevil and it was really neat.
22:00
So, would you be open to revisiting Jerry if that Oh, yeah. I would love to do that. I mean, I like Yeah, I just loved her. I
22:08
loved playing her. I think the call will come. I will put that. I think that call will come,
22:14
right? Marvel that [Applause]
22:19
from the Matrix, the Marvel, then you jump into Star Wars. What's this? What's going on? This is amazing that you're jumping into all these. Does it surprise
22:26
you to this day to be part of all these these great worlds? Yeah, it's so
22:32
surreal and yet it all just has made sense as I've gone along. I mean, I've
22:37
told this story before, but my my family, my kids, my husband were really into all the Star Wars shows. And um I
22:46
was walking like like you kind of have in my house like where we watch TV, you kind of got to walk through it to get
22:52
like to the kitchen and to get upstairs. And I was like with a laundry basket taking clothes up and they're watching
22:59
their show. And my husband yells, "You should be on one of these one of these Star Wars shows."
23:06
And literally the next day I got offered that job.
23:13
Can you imagine? I was like, "Oh, really?" kind of like looking at it, you know? I'm like, "Yeah, I mean, I watched
23:20
Star Wars as a kid, but like, you know, I hadn't been watching all the new shows, so that was really thrilling.
23:26
My family was so happy.
23:32
That was the only that was the the one job where my kids were like
23:37
how much did they tell you about your your character Dar backstory? How much did they tell you going into it?
23:42
I mean they they tell a lot about um a lot like a lot of the backstory was
23:48
written. They gave me that and then also a lot of like Star Wars education. Um
23:56
yeah and then my kids gave me a lot of education.
24:02
And when I got it wrong, I really heard about it. And I did get it wrong.
24:08
Did you get to pick out your lightsaber? Did I what? Get to pick out your lightsaber. No. They just had it ready for you.
24:14
But but I think they they gave me a lighter one because it really hurts the
24:22
shoulders. You know, you don't really think like that. Like literally going home at
24:28
night. I mean, I'm older, too. You know, it's like I think my neck and my
24:34
shoulders were out for like 6 months after doing the lightsaber. My breath
24:40
was out. You know what I mean? I mean, it's real. Was that training more vigorous than the
24:45
Matrix? Oh, no. No. What type of training went into this? No. I just My body just hurt more than
24:52
when I was 30. Well, is there like a lightsaber school? Yeah, we spent a lot of time on the
24:58
lightsaber, but again, like they will not let you do it for too long in the
25:03
beginning because you can really hurt yourself. I mean, you don't it's just that repetitive motion and they start
25:09
with it really light. Um because you don't cuz you get into it.
25:14
It's kind of fun, you know? I would go home to my hotel room with like a broom
25:20
and just practice it like all night cuz I really wanted that to be cool. I was
25:25
like, "If that is not cool, I am going to be so upset."
25:30
I told the director, "If this is not cool, I will never talk to you again."
25:36
Can you talk about the first day walking onto that set, walking onto a Star Wars set? What's like the first thing your eyes went to?
25:41
Yeah, that was amazing. I mean, obviously the costumes are amazing, but also I started with that fight, the
25:48
fight that I had at the beginning. That was my first week of work was doing that fight. Um, which again is like kind of a
25:55
short amount of time to do something like that. Um, like on the Matrix, you know, that takes a lot longer. Um, so
26:04
cuz TV has a very different schedule than films, right? You're just doing so many more pages per day on a TV show
26:10
than you are on a movie. Um, but yeah, the the sets were incredible. Um, but I, you know, in the bar scene with all the
26:16
characters, like I just was looking at, I was so blown away by all the different
26:23
characters and the, you know, the things they built, the the the
26:30
characters they built and their animating and I mean, it was really like,
26:36
wo, true artistry. It was really amazing.
26:42
Looking back across all these universes, what's one lesson you carried with you from each of them in your career?
26:53
I know, right? Give me a steak, an actor.
26:59
What if I What's a lesson I've learned? Is that what we said? Going back all these universes, what's one lesson you've carried with you from
27:04
each era of your career? Well, I mean, I'm one of those people
27:11
who chooses to look at life in a way that I want to learn from all of my
27:18
experiences, right? I I intentionally look at things I've done well, things I
27:26
haven't done well, things I've been challenged with, and I try to always grow
27:32
by having that self-awareness, right? to look at my life that way. So being an
27:39
actor really gives you an opportunity to do that if you're if
27:44
you're grounded enough not too in your ego and not too judgmental about
27:49
yourself because it is also difficult to see yourself on screen like that. Um,
27:55
and I think I've been able to I think because of playing Trinity and the confidence that that character gave me
28:02
going through playing her that I've been able to watch my career and learn a lot
28:08
and I could never sum it up in one thing. Um, you know, I trust my path.
28:15
It's something I've always I've always trusted like if a job has my name on it, then it's mine and if it has somebody
28:22
else's name on it, it's theirs. So, I never had that competitive feeling. I never had that desperate feeling like I
28:28
got to get a job. Like, I never felt that way. I was like, if I'm meant to play this character,
28:34
I'll get it. If I do the work and I show up, you know, I had an acting coach that would say that success is when
28:40
opportunity meets preparation. So, I would always be like, okay, I'm going to be prepared and I'm but I'm going to let
28:47
it go. Like, I'm not going to be like, I got to have this. Like, no. because I
28:53
remember I did a job before The Matrix. I was on a TV show called FX
28:59
and um it was a really fun show and I did a couple seasons and then the third season they sent me a fax saying that I
29:06
wasn't going to be in the next season. I was horrified. I was like, "What do you mean? What?" And I was so upset. It hurt
29:14
my feelings. It's just part of the business. It happens to everybody. It's not personal. You know, they're going a
29:19
different direction. But I remember being really heartbroken about it. Like really heartbroken. I felt like
29:25
embarrassed. You know what I mean? All these feelings that you can have when you feel rejected or like, you know,
29:30
you're not good enough or something. If I had done that show, that season, I
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would never have been available for the Matrix. So, it was such a blessing. And
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I learned that through that hard experience of feeling disappointed that
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the world opened up to me through that rejection. You know, I always say rejection is God's protection. I say to
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my kids all the time like trust your path. If a door shuts, you know, give it
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a cry, be bummed out, but know that something greater is coming. And when
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you can believe that, then you actually have different energy, right? Like if
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you're going through life going, I'm I suck. Because you can't see that your path
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is unique and you're being guided by things you might not be able to see,
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right? Um so yeah, [Applause]
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some great words right there.
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I want to end on this though. So when you meet your fans who discovered you completely, you know, completely
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different corners of pop culture, what does it mean to you that your work continues to inspire across generations
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and genres? Oh, it's so moving. Like I love to do these shows because I don't get an
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opportunity to like see people who love what I do, right? Like or love things
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I've done or have been moved by things I've done or have been moved about by,
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you know, whatever. You know what I mean? Like I'm at I'm in my life doing
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the laundry, going to the grocery store. You know, my grocery doesn't really care anymore. Like maybe the first time he
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met me, he thought it was kind of cool. Now he doesn't care. Right. So it's almost like
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remembering a part of my life. And it's cool. It's like like I'm so
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honored, you know?
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Thank you very much. Thank you for coming to space. We want to see you back.
31:45
We appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for coming. Appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you.
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[Applause]