Random Questions with Tara & Yuri!

Recently, I accepted a mission from the Action Chick herself (really… who wouldn’t?) to interview Tara Platt & Yuri Lowenthal, the masterminds behind the webseries, Shelf Life. Of course, I had not heard of the show prior to this so I ran over to youtube to catch up. Which was helpful when I started working out questions- special thanks to Stewart for his suggestions, too! But as a psychologist, I’m a big fan of random questions- I find that you can learn a lot about someone with a bit of randomness. We had quite a few laughs during the interview but these random questions didn’t quite fit my write-up. Too good not to share, so here’s an excerpt from the interview-

Still of Yuri & Tara from the recent Concierge Questionnaire (click the pic to read that!)

NerdLush– Alright, I’m a big fan of random questions to finish off an interview, whether they get used or not, I think they tell a lot about a person, so: if you were forced to, who would you want to trade places with for 24 hours?

Tara– Is this like an either or question, or anyone?

NerdLush– Anyone.

Tara– I would totally trade places with, um, Sandra Bullock.

NerdLush– Ooh.

Tara– Because she’s also a female producer and actor and she’s further along in her career and has a different life than I have and it would just be interesting to walk a day in her shoes.

NerdLush– Mmhmm.

Yuri– And I think I might have to trade places with George Lucas for 24 hours because a) I wanna know what the hell is going on in that guy’s head, and b) I wonder what it must be like to just sort of say, “Go do this” and it happens, or “I want to put my money here” and you’ve got unlimited cache, and it’d be curious, somebody that sort of—powerful

Tara– Joss Whedon?

Yuri– Yeah, but I sort of get the idea that I know—

Tara– Oh yeah, you know what goes on in Joss Whedon’s head

Yuri– Not to be presumptuous, but I sort of get the idea of Joss. George Lucas, I’m like, what is that guy thinking? He’s created some of my favorite memories in my life and destroyed some as well and just seems to weild this amazing power without prejudice. I’d be curious to walk in his shoes for a day. He might be a totally normal guy.

NerdLush– To be in George Lucas’s place, I think I would use that power to cancel any future changes made to Star Wars.

Yuri– Oh, genius. Genius.

NerdLush– I’d just be like, “No, we’re not doing that. We’re not doing anything else, we’re sending it back to the original, that’s it, we’re done.”

Yuri– Just think of the damage we could reverse in 24 hours, having control of George Lucas like Eddie Murphy in that horrible movie where they all control the body of Eddie Murphy.

NerdLush– And what is the hardest lesson ever in your life that you’ve learned?

Yuri– I think—

Tara– You have a good one?

Yuri– I think, it’s a lesson I’m still learning on a day to day basis: it’s okay for people not to like me.

Tara– Oh yeah.

NerdLush– That is a good one.

Tara– I’m working on learning that one.

Yuri– I’m working on it. I feel that I spend so much of my energy concerned about whether or not people like me, that I think I should just shut the hell up every now and then and calm down and just be aware of the fact that I don’t NEED everybody to like me.

Tara– Yeah, and I think to counter that a little bit, mine would also be my lesson that is still in process, is that I don’t have to control everything. I’m such a big control freak, I try to keep everything under control instead of trying to learn that it’s okay if I’m not in control.

NerdLush– Those are both very good lessons to learn for anybody. The last group of questions I have are an either/or. You have to pick one. So, pirates or ninjas?

Yuri– Ninjas.

(at the same time)
Tara– Pirates.

Yuri– Ohh, ohh! We just saw the great divide in our relationship..

NerdLush– Coffee or tea?

Tara– Tea.

Yuri– Coffee.

NerdLush– Black and white or color?

Tara– Color. (pause) You can pick black and white

Yuri– I feel like wow, wow, this is really interesting. We’re not doing this on purpose just to be…okay, keep going.

NerdLush– Um, Guitar Hero or Rock Band?

Yuri– Rock Band.

(laughter)

NerdLush– Root beer or Dr. Pepper?

Yuri– Oh, you just picked two of her favorite drinks, her head is gonna explode!

Tara– Uhhh, uhh!

Yuri– Dr. Pepper.

Tara– Uh, root beer?

(laughs)

NerdLush– Sweet or sour?

Both– Sweet.

NerdLush– Ooh, stereo. Scuba diving or sky diving?

Tara– Scuba diving.

Yuri– Uh, scuba diving, I think.

NerdLush– Okay, last one. Spring or fall?

Tara– Aw, crap! Spring?

Yuri– Fall.

NerdLush- I’m gonna cry if I ruined your relationship! I’m so sorry!

Yuri– Reporter ends Hollywood relationship.

NerdLush– That was really interesting, though, because it was not quite every one, but so many of them were just—different. But in your defense, differences are what make relationships better, so I saved your marriage! Really.

Yuri– Yeah, I would like to side with you on that.

Tara– I would agree with that

Yuri– As much as we may bicker about one thing or the other, but yeah.

NerdLush– (Laughs) That’s all I have for you.

Shelf Life!

Yuri Lowenthal

Tara Platt

Tags: Action Flick Chick Posts, Actors, Geekery, Interviews, Nerdtastic Ramblings, Personal, Random Questions, Shelf Life, Tara Platt, Web Series, Yuri Lowenthal