Rabbit. That's when I had most of my fun back. High, high, high, high there. Them summer days, those summer days. Good ole Sly and the Family Stone. How does that one line go? Boop-boop-ba-boop-boop when I want to? What on earth does that mean? Welcome, kids, to the Phile for a Monday. The Supreme Court opening the door for same-sex marriage to resume in California. Apparently, the judges were really swayed by that Liberace movie. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, this ruling means California gay guys can finally marry someone other than Liza Minnelli. I have to say congratulations to same-sex couples. You can now be as miserable as everybody else. If you really don't want gay people to get married, you shouldn't ban gay marriage. You should ban gay divorce. Last week they ruled that it's okay for gay people to get married. This week, they'll rule it's okay for straight people to rollerblade. President Obama is currently on a week-long trip to Africa, where he will promote freedom, democracy, and economic opportunity. I guess he figured it hasn't worked here... so try it somewhere else. President Obama gave a big address about climate change. I'm doing my part. Day after day I barely expend any energy whatsoever. The Girl Scouts announced that their pension plan has a $347 million deficit. The Girl Scouts are $347 million in debt so in addition to teaching girls about camping it also is preparing them for careers in government. Independence Day is coming up and someone released this poster that I'm not too happy about...
I don't think suckit should be one word. A Phile reader took a picture of this sign and sent it to me.
So, you can't buy booze on July 4th? Okay. Have you heard that Edward Snowden is gonna have his own TV show in the fall? I have a poster for it right here.
I might watch that. Meanwhile, the NSA will release its last children's book this week. I'm sad, I really like those books they released and I want more. Wanna see what it's gonna be? I think it's the best yet.
LOL. That's funny. Hey! I like inspirational posters and they released a brand new one this year for July 4th? Wanna see it?
This week on July 4th a lot of people are gonna be swimming in their swimming pools. Not me, I'll be working. But there's some really amazing pools out there on this planet, so that's why for a few weeks I'm showing you the most phascinating ones. Check this out...
Don't believe the photo above? This incredibly crowded wave pool is located in Tokyo Summerland. During summer, it can get really hard to actually find some water inside this pool. That's fucking ridiculous. I bet it smells as well.
Don't think too hard about this one, it's a stretch. If you see it, email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com.
Yesterday I had Debbie Wasserman Schultz on the Phile talking about DOMA, today she wanted to come on and talk about what Rick Perry said about women's health issues. I'm sure she's fired up. So, please welcome back to the Phile, Chair for the Democratic National Committee... Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Debbie: "The louder they scream, the more we know we're getting something done."
Me: What is that, Debbie? Welcome back to the Phile by the way.
Debbie: That's not a line from one of the bad guys on "Game of Thrones". That's something that Texas Governor Rick Perry actually said last week about his own constituents.
Me: Really? He said that? About who?
Debbie: The ones fighting for women's health.
Me: I didn't hear this quote. What is he referring to? It is a great line by the way.
Debbie: He was referring to the sweeping anti-choice legislation that he's trying to ram through in the Texas state legislature...
Me: Legislation? What legislation was this?
Debbie: Legislation that was blocked earlier this week by a courageous group of legislators led by State Senator Wendy Davis... which would have the effect of shutting down access to basic health care for many women across the state.
Me: What do you think personally what Rick Perry said, or thinks?
Debbie: I don't understand how Rick Perry could look at what happened in the Texas state house where thousands of Texans gathered to support Wendy and her colleagues against this extreme anti-woman legislation...
Me: And take it as a sign that he's doing a good job?
Debbie: Yeah, but that's what we're up against.
Me: You'd think the Republicans would learn, right?
Debbie: Jason, a lot of people thought the Republicans would take a lesson from the loss we handed them last November.
Me: What did you think?
Debbie: I certainly hoped they would moderate their policies and rhetoric, especially towards women and other underrepresented groups.
Me: But?
Debbie: But eight months later, they still look like the same party that talked about "binders full of women," the same party who said their "job is not to worry" about 47 percent of the American people, and the same party that talked about "legitimate rape."
Me: The Republicans aren't becoming more reasonable, are they?
Debbie: If anything, they've become more extreme.
Me: What do you think is gonna happen?
Debbie: If we don't get serious now, they'll be in a good position to have major gains in federal and state offices across the country later this year and in the years to come. I'm not willing to let that happen.
Me: I hope you aren't either. Thank you, Debbie, get to work. Help Democrats like Wendy Davis who are going to take it to Republicans like Rick Perry. Is there anything else you wanna say?
Debbie: Everything we fought for in last year's election is at stake right now. We can't wait for the next campaign to get going.
Me: Well said. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, thank you again.
Debbie: Thank you, Jason.
The 32nd and 33rd artists to be pheatured in the Phile's Art Gallery are The Chalk Twins. Here is one of their pieces...
The Chalk Twins will be on the Phile in a few weeks.
Today's pheatured guest is hot... she's also an Award Nominated Finnish American actress whose film appearances include The House of Branching Love and Sideways. She is known for her performance as Bee Sting in "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" on Sci Fi Channel. She co-starred in soap operas: "Passions" and "Days Of Our Lives", the television series "Bones" on Fox and "Two and a Half Men" and currently she's the host of "Wipeout Finland". Please welcome to the Phile... Anna Easteden!
Me: Hello, Anna, welcome to the Phile. I have to say first thing... my God, you're beautiful! Okay, we got that outta the way, and I'm good at stating the obvious, how are you?
Anna: Thank you. You're so sweet. I appreciate it. I'm doing good!
Me: You're from Finland, right? Is Finnish your first language? I guess it is.
Anna: Yep, Finnish is my first language. I still speak it with my parents to this day.
Me: Your English is pretty good, Anna, when did you learn to speak English? I take it you were pretty young, right?
Anna: Thank you. Yes, I sound pretty American now. I started learning English when I was 8 years old and by my early teen years spoke it fluently.
Me: I have to ask you about your last name... Easteden. It's like East of Eden. Is that a common name in Finland, Anna?
Anna: I really need to read the book "East Of Eden". I have seen the movie by that name. No, it's not a common name at all. In fact I might be one of the few people in the world who has it.
Me: Do you still live over there in Finland? I don't know much about Finland except they created "Angry Birds". I think I interviewed someone else from Finland years ago. It's by Norway, right?
Anna: I live in Los Angeles, and have lived in California for over 10 years now. So far this year I have gone to Finland twice, so I do visit often. But you got it right: Finland and Norway do have a common border. And there is Sweden in between Finland and Norway most of the way, but all three countries meet up in the north.
Me: You are currently the host of "Wipeout Finland". When I first heard of this title I thought why would anybody want to wipeout Finland, then I realized what the show was. Did you have to audition for that part?
Anna: Ha ha! Very funny. I hope no one wants to wipe out Finland. That would be terrible. There is a show called "Wipeout" in the US too, and the show I am hosting is the same show except the Finnish version. I did audition for the job. I was in Los Angeles, so I send in a Youtube video to the producers in Finland. In it, I basically said that I think I'd be an awesome host for the show and luckily the production agreed with me! If you want to see the audition video and at the same time hear me speak Finnish, it's here: youtube.com/watch?v=IC40k8Md7vM.
Me: I have a picture here of you on the set, Anna.
Me: Is it a fun show to do, Anna?
Anna: Oh my! Yes! Super fun. We shoot in Buenos Aires, Argentina. So that alone is fun!
Me: Have you tried any of the obstacles yourself?
Anna: No, I haven't. At first I did want to try them, but I was forbidden because of insurance purposes. But in the end I might have been too scared to try them anyway, so the insurance thing works as an excuse for me anyway. Ha!
Me: I have to tell you, the first interview I ever did on the Phile five years ago was with Jill Wagner, who was the host of the American version of "Wipeout". Like you she has acted and modeled. Do you know Jill?
Anna: Oh, yes, I love Jill. I think she is fantastic as a host, super funny, very beautiful and perfect for the job. I don't know her personally but I certainly have watched her in the American "Wipeout". And she has been a role model for me as the host for "Wipeout".
Me: So, what came first for you, Anna, acting or modeling?
Anna: Modeling. I got my first modeling job at age 12. Acting came along with modeling. As a model I did some commercial and music videos, so those were my first acting jobs.
Me: Did you go to school to study acting?
Anna: Yes, I have gone to many acting schools, some in Chicago and some in Los Angeles. I like to study different approaches to acting, so I can take the things that work for me from each technique.
Me: You have been in some pretty popular shows... "Medium", "Bones", "Two and a Half Men". Wow, you are doing pretty good. On those shows do you play someone from Finland or do you play an American?
Anna: I barely ever get to play a Finnish person. I do play Americans, and I get cast as Russians quite often, which I think is funny, because I don't speak Russian and have never been to Russia. But I'll take it! I do a really good Russian accent though.
Me: I have to ask you how was it working with Charlie Sheen? Any wild stories? Did he hit on you? Did you party with him?
Anna: No wild stories. Sorry. He was such a charming, professional, awesome guy. Really. He took my opinions about our scenes into consideration, which I found very surprising and heart warming. He was the star of the show and I felt like he could do whatever he wanted, and didn't need to ask for my opinion, which he did. Made me like him even more. And no partying for us. I did run into him at a lunch restaurant accidentally a few months later.
Me: Being on TV in Finland and America, how would you compare how they are? I mean, is it pretty much the same thing on set and backstage no matter what country you're in?
Anna: Yes, it's pretty much the same thing. I remember doing the first Finnish project a few years ago when I hadn't worked there for a long time and I was very surprised how similar everything with the shoot was compared to Los Angeles. I felt that even the cinematographer wore the same clothes his American counter part would!
Me: I asked if you play an American on TV, which is somewhat of a stupid question... but, I don't know if I read this right, you once played Nicole Brown Simpson?! Is that the Nicole?
Anna: Yes, I did. I played Nicole Brown Simpson on a Japanese TV-movie. Yes, that Nicole.
Me: Where was this, and how was it playing that part? Was the movie about the murder?
Anna: We shot it in Los Angeles and even used one of the homes she ones lived in as a shooting location. I remember feeling scared when I played her because of what happened to her. We shot a murder scene in which you cannot tell who the actual murdered her. Shooting that scene was pretty intense because it was super cold and I had to lay on cold cement steps covered in fake blood trying not to shiver for a few hours. Later on the movie was dubbed with Japanese voice-over and the voice of the Japanese actress who dubbed Nicole sounds nothing like me. It's pretty funny to watch if you know what I actually sound like.
Me: Nicole wasn't a red head, Anna, did you have to dye your hair?
Anna: My hair was blondish for that job. Yes, it was colored.
Me: Who played OJ?
Anna: I am superbly embarrassed right now… because for the life of me, I cannot remember his name! How terrible of me! He is a fantastic actor and he actually isn't American originally either. Very sweet guy.
Me: I personally first heard about you from Stan Lee's "Who Wants To Be A Super Hero?" You played a villain in that show, right? Bee Sting?
Anna: Yes, Bee Sting. A villain who wears a sort of a bee dress with beehive hair and has an attitude.
Me: I only saw one or two episodes of that show, and for a minute I thought you were named Bee Sting, pronounced like beasting, but it was bee sting. Was that fun to make, that show?
Anna: That role was so much fun! I loved playing a villain because I get to be evil and not feel bad about it. In real life I try to be super nice to everyone, so it's fun to get to be mean every once in a while.
Me: I bet you became really popular with the geeks, Anna. Did you do a lot of conventions for that show?
Anna: I have been to a few conventions, yes. It's funny that some people still recognize me as Bee Sting, even though I have done many other characters after that. But I think she is memorable for many people.
Me: Did you get to meet Stan Lee?
Anna: Yes, I got to meet Stan Lee. He is such a great man. He worked with all of us, even if it was late. I think one night we were still on set at midnight and he was there with us. He is such an icon to many people and I feel lucky to have worked with him.
Me: Are you into comic books?
Anna: I don't read comic books on regular basis. I do like to watch all the movies based on comics, and certainly would love to act in them.
Me: I vaguely remember that show as being a reality show, but it was scripted, am I right?
Anna: Yes, all of my parts were scripted. But the show really was a reality show for all the contestants, who were "good people". The villains parts and Stan Lee's part was scripted.
Me: You also modeled as comic book characters I think. I am a big comic book buff, and don't understand this. Did you model for anything in particular?
Anna: Yes, I basically posed for the artist who draws the characters and you can clearly see my features and body even though the images are depicting a famous comic book character. So I am sort of blended into the characters. I have been on the cover of Wizard magazine and other comic book publications.
Me: Who did you model as?
Anna: I have modeled as Mary-Jane from Spider-Man, as X-Men's Rogue and Colleen Wing from "Daughters of the Dragon" among others.
Me: Do you still do a lot of modeling, Anna?
Anna: Yes, here and there. I do feel that I am an actress now more than a model. But I do still love modeling as well.
Me: So, are you gonna be in any other TV shows or anything my readers can see over here in the States?
Anna: I just booked an awesome acting job that unfortunately I cannot talk about it publicly yet, but keeping my fingers crossed all will go well with that one, so I can let you know about it soon!
Me: How many episodes of "Wipeout" are you gonna be doing? Did you sign for another season?
Anna: We have ten episodes for the first season and I would love to do another season. I think it's a really fun job.
Me: I really thank you for being on the Phile and I hope you can come back again. On the Phile I ask random questions thanks to Tabletopics, so here is yours... Would you prefer money for a housekeeper, cook, gardener or personal secretary? I don't understand that question, Anna, do you?
Anna: Hmmm… Okay, so does it mean that I would get extra money just so I could hire one of those people? I actually constantly think that I need a housekeeper who also cooks! So, let's hope now that I magically get enough money to hire one full time. I would love someone to keep my house clean because I dislike cleaning and I would love someone to cook my meals at home because I think food tastes so much better homemade.
Me: That's a good enough answer. Go ahead and plug your websites and please come back again, Anna.
Anna: Thanks for having me! I loved it. My website: AnnaEasteden.com. Twitter: twitter.com/AnnaEasteden. Facebook: facebook.com/AnnaEastedenFanSite. IMDB: imdb.com/name/nm0794609/.
Me: Thanks again, Anna.
Man, she's hot, right? That about does it for another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Debbie Wasserman Schultz and of course Anna. The Phile will be back next Sunday with Phile Alum Jennifer McKee and then on Monday with Phile Alum Dean Povinsky, lead singer for the band Wildlife. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Have a safe Independence Day, everyone.
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