Elektra: “Give me a character and I’ll play it”
Salina Bartunek-Andrews was born in Cleveland and moved to New York City to dance. She is a Broadway choreographer and performer, a rock climber and she is also known as Elektra from The American Gladiators. Join Ice and Elektra while they share about...
Salina Bartunek-Andrews was born in Cleveland and moved to New York City to dance. She is a Broadway choreographer and performer, a rock climber and she is also known as Elektra from The American Gladiators.
Join Ice and Elektra while they share about how it was growing up as an athlete, how she got into rock climbing, and how that helped her get into American Gladiators, even when she had no clue what the TV show was about. They also share their thoughts on ESPN’S The American Gladiators documentary, what Elektra has been up to after American Gladiators, and more!
In today’s episode, we are covering:
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[00:03:12] Growing up as an athlete
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[00:13:35] Getting into Rock Climbing
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[00:18:07] Becoming an American Gladiator
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[00:27:36] The best memories from the Tour
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[00:28:47] ESPN’s The American Gladiators Documentary
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[00:40:16] Life for Elektra after American Gladiators
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[00:47:24] “Give me a character and I'll play it”
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[00:00:00] Intro: Welcome to Chilling With Ice with me, Lori Fedrick, or most of you know me as Ice from the American Gladiators. Thank you for joining me on this podcast where we're gonna dive in and go behind the scenes on the number one hit iconic show of the nineties. It's time to get up close and personal on what drove us to be gladiators, what challenges we faced, and how we overcame to reach all of our.
[00:00:28] Intro: I know in this first season, inquiring minds wanna know, was their drama fight hookups? Are we all still friends? What did we do in our personal lives? And how are we staying in such good shape years later? Well, stay right here and let's get into chilling with ice.
[00:00:47] Lori: Before we dive into our incredible episode today, I wanna let you know that this is a self-funded podcast and I would love your
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[00:01:32] Lori: Okay, let's dive in.
[00:01:36] Lori: welcome back to Chilling With Ice. I have another special gladiator with us today. Really excited about it. Selena Baric Andrews, and she played Electra on the American Gladiators. I'm super excited to have you here in the studio. Yay. So I know to be here. It's so good to see you. It's been forever.
[00:01:55] Lori: I mean, literally what, 30 years? It has been 30 years since I've seen you. That's
[00:02:00] Elektra: crazy. It's been nuts. It's a little freaky. I know. It really is. Time just goes by. I'm like that. Yeah. It's
[00:02:06] Lori: crazy. What's kind of sad is that like, I don't know, I had to have a podcast to grab everybody and like I know. Seize, I mean, it's la it's it's life.
[00:02:16] Lori: Yeah. You know, everybody gets busy with their families and their jobs and what they're doing and. I don't know. It's just really, you know. But I am so happy
[00:02:25] Elektra: to have you in here. Thanks. I'm happy to be here. It's so good to see
[00:02:28] Lori: you. So we're just gonna chill and just have a conversation and have some fun and just kind of maybe go back.
[00:02:33] Lori: You know, a little bit and talk about some memories and everything, you know, it'd be fun. But more than anything, let's get a little background on you because I was doing some research obviously on, you know, the web and there's not a lot on you by the way, just to let you know. Cause I know you kind of play on the down low, you know, that's your style.
[00:02:51] Lori: But, I know that you were a choreographer dancer because I know on the tour you were trying to teach me salsa, which I'm just like, I
[00:03:01] Elektra: have two left feet. Wasn't your happy
[00:03:02] Lori: place? Oh my God. Right. So gimme a little background on you. I mean, like, where'd you, where were you born and raised and what'd you wanna do when you grew up?
[00:03:12] Growing Up and her life
[00:03:12] Elektra: I wanted to be just like you. Oh, whatever. I was born and raised in Cleveland and then at about 1718 I moved to New York City cuz I wanted to give dancing a try. I had gotten injured really young, so I, I was a really good. Athlete. an artist. But, like in eighth grade, I had a couple, I didn't understand this at the time, but a couple scouting, track and field people.
[00:03:41] Elektra: I was high jumping really high for such a young lady. And then I got hurt in eighth grade and ninth grade and I had my two knee surgeries by the time I was at alcohol high school.
[00:03:55] Lori: How'd you get hurt in eighth grade? What'd you do?
[00:03:56] Elektra: Um, I was doing dance gymnastics. very seriously. Like they're club sports now, we call them.
[00:04:04] Elektra: And then track and tennis pretty like every season. I was fully booked with two sports.
[00:04:13] Lori: That's a lot.
[00:04:13] Elektra: I know. But I loved, I love the beauty like dance. I've been dancing since I was four in the living room with the music on the record player. Um, mean vinyl all day. Vinyl record player, vinyl full on. And so I, my, I had so much energy and I would just, you know, in Cleveland in the winter, inside and outside.
[00:04:36] Elektra: But I would dance and dance, dance all day. And finally at age six. My parents put me in ballet, which was my biggest love. I wanted to be a ballerina, but then I got hurt. So Broadway was next option. And, I got hurt doing like, you know how I'm just gonna do one more rep, or I'm just gonna do one more Yeah.
[00:04:56] Elektra: And make it better. And I blew up my knee. Oh my God. Well, I didn't really, I just heard it a little bit, but I had the wrong surgery, the wrong rehab, because the doctors didn't really know how Oh. And how we had team doctors. But my, my dad wouldn't let me go there. He was mad that I got hurt because I was just a really good athlete.
[00:05:15] Elektra: Like Right. Crazy good. He wanted me to play tennis, so, and I was scouted at tennis at six. Really? So I didn't really like the world. Oh. Because then my mom had, she died young and anyway, I had little brother and sisters, so I was like lonely. Yeah. And the tennis then, and people can be kind of mean. You know, kind of when you're six and you're beating 12 year olds, they're kind of mean.
[00:05:39] Elektra: They're
[00:05:39] Lori: very mean I'm sure.
[00:05:41] Elektra: So, yeah, so that was, and so I had that first knee surgery, which children should never have knee surgeries or surgeries in general unless it's emergency. Right, exactly. And it was whacked out cuz you, that's just not the way to go. And so I rebuilt everything as best I could and kept doing sports.
[00:05:58] Elektra: But then, yeah, so I moved to New York, did that kind of stuff and I really, I liked a lot of things. So I, in the Broadway world, move expanded to acting and singing and then did modeling. I really wanted to make, I, I feel proud that I was part of making. Sports modeling happened because I would show up to jobs.
[00:06:25] Elektra: It was for tennis gear and there's, these beautiful models were very nice, but they hadn't, they didn't even know how to hold the racket. And so I would go do photo shoots with friends, very, very good photographers. And we'd create these ad campaigns cuz I thought it was fantastic. And then I would try and go sell them.
[00:06:43] Elektra: That's awesome though. Yeah. So then sports modeling became a thing. Yeah. But, and other people too, not just me, but that was my contribution. There's a lot of, I did a lot of work. I loved art directing and so that is amazing. I loved choreographing, loved directing. I just, I like working with a team. And then in film I just like making, I love doing a team effort
[00:07:05] Elektra: Where everybody does their best stuff. And they just thrive and we all make something amazing. And for me, creating stuff was always about, still is about, Inspiring people to be their best self. Oh, 100%. Yeah. As opposed to just making art, because I said it's art, you know? So
[00:07:24] Lori: now when you were doing this and, you know, choreographing and modeling and everything, was there a specific area that you were going towards?
[00:07:33] Lori: Did you wanna be like a professional choreographer? Did you wanna be like, I mean, was there a certain, or, I mean, or was it just all in one, you know, in a way kind of like, okay, well, whatever kind of happens, or were you going for one particular
[00:07:49] Elektra: thing? Yeah. I wanted to create, I still want to create Broadway shows.
[00:07:53] Elektra: Really. I have a ballet. I've written, I, I'm like, I have so many things that I never got to. I was helping this core group of friends. We were helping each other do our stuff. Yeah. And then, We haven't gotten to mine yet, so, but it'll happen. I'm just getting started, but it'll
[00:08:11] Lori: happen. I mean, life is, life is, you can have a long life and you know, it's like, what was it saying?
[00:08:18] Lori: You're never too old to be what you should have been. Yeah.
[00:08:22] Elektra: Well, we just have a purpose and we can tap into that. So I do a lot of interior work, always have maybe floundered in my twenties as we all do a little bit. But, but seriously the, like the films that I'm, and books and like, just constant creation, but it all, most of my stuff has to do.
[00:08:43] Elektra: And even the work I, some of the work I do now, it really has to do with helping people tap into their purpose mm-hmm. Their identity and, l. Be their best selves. So how, you know, just even as a personal trainer, you would want that. Oh yeah, yeah. But, through all the coaching young people and my kids and their, our little tribe we homeschooled, it's like, don't forget who you are, which little, little ones know, but then we talk 'em out of it, and we were talked out of it.
[00:09:17] Elektra: So yeah, it's a really big adventure and I've been close to death a few times, so I am so grateful to be here. My mom died at 37 and I'm like 58 and super happy. That's awesome. And, like feeling, it's still, it's nice to be in your fifties, I think. Is it? I think so. I know you're way away from that, but, um, way it's coming.
[00:09:46] Elektra: It's coming for you. But I think it is because of my perspective, having so many friends die young and my mom die young. Okay, I get that. Yeah. And having lost my health a couple times, I'm like, you have always
[00:09:58] Lori: had that internal, like calm, peaceful, yoga. That's how I, that's how I mean, seriously. You've always that kind of zen that just kind of really, you know?
[00:10:12] Lori: Yeah. That's how I've always seen you. I've always looked at you and that's, that's when I see you. That that's, that's my perspective of you. Wow. You know, you're just super chill and you've got that, just everything is just calm with you. Wow. And yet probably inside you're saying No,
[00:10:28] Elektra: not really. Well, not in my twenties.
[00:10:30] Elektra: Not, I mean, it takes a while to. I don't know. I, I, I think perspective is great and so I, I fortunately was able to be around different cultures. A lot with work. And as a young person, I saw how different places in the world do life and family life and, it's just different. well, I felt very, I we felt a little isolated when I grew up.
[00:10:54] Elektra: And then mom being ill and dying and stuff. Family was good, but there was no like process. It was just doing life. And I was super deep even as a kid. And I always questioning things always in trouble. I mean, what sign are you, set of curiosity, Aries? I'm in the end of March. So March what?
[00:11:18] Elektra: March 24th, 28th. Oh really?
[00:11:21] Lori: Yeah. Damn. You know what's interesting about that? Do you realize almost a four out five female gladiators were all Aries.
[00:11:29] Elektra: What? Yep. That's funny. That's cool. Fire signs.
[00:11:32] Lori: Wow. Yeah. A plus type personalities.
[00:11:36] Elektra: Yeah. Yeah. You know A plus. Yes. How many? That's where I got the A plus. I got got two miracle babies and they're super feisty, so they count for two each.
[00:11:45] Elektra: So I have four. I have two. How old are they? 20 and 21.
[00:11:51] Lori: 20 and 21. And you actually, we were talking, one was going for the US Open. Yeah,
[00:11:57] Elektra: he's now right. Today in Ohio. He qualified for the regionals. Sweet. And he had to go to Ohio cuz LA was full. And so if he makes it through that, he'll go US open this year.
[00:12:09] Elektra: Ah. Golf. Mm-hmm. He's a golfer
[00:12:11] Lori: man. I just picked up golf when I was in my forties. Did you really? I fell in love
[00:12:17] Elektra: with it. Ugh. You can go golfing with it. It's way too hard for me. Oh my
[00:12:21] Lori: God. I fell in love with it and. Being the athlete slash I wanna be really good at a sport. I just went and practiced and practiced and practiced and went on the course.
[00:12:35] Lori: And I mean, I was playing as much as I could and I couldn't get it through my head because obviously you watch your son play a lot, how just a little technical breath or your, your balance on your feet can completely alter your swing from the ball going slicing or, you know, going like this. And it's just, I, I tried to, I, you know, me, I was just trying to master it.
[00:12:59] Lori: Yeah. And I was like, maybe I should have started in high school.
[00:13:03] Elektra: Yeah. Well the nice thing about golf is that you can start at any time. Yes you can. But the mental game and the nuance is the thing. Oh, the mental game is so,
[00:13:13] Lori: yeah. Unbelievable.
[00:13:14] Elektra: Yeah. Oh my goodness. So that's what I've been working with my son on, so yeah, he did really well.
[00:13:19] Elektra: It was, it's been a year for him, so. It was a great, it was a great mental reset for him to qualify. That's nice. And qualified the next week for the US amateur too. So I hope he
[00:13:31] Lori: makes so long watching. I know. I mean, that is so cool. I know. How'd you get in the rock climbing?
[00:13:35] Rock Climbing
[00:13:35] Elektra: Oh, I had to have an outlet for the arts.
[00:13:40] Elektra: Mm-hmm. So I of course worked out. I don't really like going to gym, but I did. and in New York and dance is a workout as well, but I need to be outside. Yeah. So I finished a show called a Chorus Line here in LA once and I could barely walk and Chorus Line is known for, cuz you dance full out and then you hold still.
[00:14:04] Elektra: Mm. 20 minutes and then you dance full out and hold still. And that's the whole show dance full out hold still. And that's not good for your body dancing in heels like that. And then by the end, a lot of dancers in a chorus line. Either had to quit dancing or So I was in the gym in tears cuz I'm like, oh, I have to get back to New York, but I can barely walk.
[00:14:25] Elektra: I'm 24. Wow. So a friend in the gym said, Hey, you wanna go climbing? I'm like, climbing what? Rock climbing. Yeah. I'd seen it in high school. I was like, I have to do that, I have to do that, I have to do that. And so we went to Joshua Tree, played the Joshua Tree album as we went up. Nice. From two. And I fell in love cuz it was dance and gymnastics and a mental strategy game outside.
[00:14:51] Elektra: Yeah. Yeah. And then I started doing mountaineering and I was like, I could live outside the rest of my life. So you have, I just love
[00:14:58] Lori: it. You have no fear of heights, do you?
[00:15:00] Elektra: No. I'm actually like being up really, really high. I love that feeling. All right. I wanna just, you know the squirrel suits that they fly with.
[00:15:07] Elektra: Yes. I couldn't, the friends of mine started that and I couldn't do it cuz I can't land. Because you never know about your landing with para painting and stuff. I, when
[00:15:16] Lori: I see that, I'm like, I think that would be the coolest feeling in the world. Scariest shit. But yet at the same time, it just looks absolutely phenomenal.
[00:15:27] Lori: Yeah. And it's like, okay, if I didn't have a fear of heights, cuz I never had a fear of heights growing up all through my twenties. I would say that it started when I was in my forties and I don't know why, but all of a sudden I'd go up high and I, I'd noticed my heart started racing, get a little lightheaded and I was like, what is this weird feeling?
[00:15:48] Lori: Yeah. You know? And then maybe even being on, probably every human has this thought, but even being on a ski lift up high and I'd be like, I wonder if I would go crazy and just jump off this thing.
[00:15:59] Elektra: A lot of people say that, what is that all about? What would happen if, what is that all about? It's
[00:16:06] Lori: so bizarre how our brains
[00:16:08] Elektra: work.
[00:16:08] Elektra: Yeah. My son has that. And we would go climb, I took them climbing every Thanksgiving, most of their childhood. We were at Joshua Tree camping out all week and climbing. And he would, he's really good at climbing. They both are. And actually my daughter's a kick ass climber now, but, he would climb up these things that were really.
[00:16:28] Elektra: It's not up, it's how you get down. Right. Okay. The dangerous, most people get hurt going down. See, I did not know that. So getting up is always easier. And when he was very little, he started climbing before he could walk and he would climb up things and then he would scream for my help to get him down.
[00:16:46] Elektra: And I'm like, finally had to just leave him there and go figure it out. Please help Jesus, please help. Cause he's
[00:16:51] Lori: just gonna splat. He's gonna splat.
[00:16:55] Elektra: But he would figure it out. Or I would teach him how if you leave a kid there long enough and they just, yeah, they'll figure it out and they're like, I need help.
[00:17:03] Elektra: Kinda like life. Yeah. So, yeah. So they would just, yeah. Anyway, but he has that thing and I could see it bubble up in him and I'm like back away from the edge if I'm setting up a climb or something. Right. He's like, but what would happen if I just stepped off? Like, I don't know. You might fly. You might, but you probably, you probably won't, right.
[00:17:24] Elektra: Today. Yeah. Don't do it on my watch. So, but yeah, I just, I loved climbing because of those combination of things I still love. It's my happiest place I bet. But right now I can climb and, the last few years has been a little rough, so I'm coming back into it. My friends who never stopped who were also professionals, they never stopped.
[00:17:48] Elektra: Yeah. They're, A lot of them live up in Bishop. So I just go there and they set up ropes for me. Yeah. And they're like, God, imagine you can do it. You can do it.
[00:18:01] Lori: So how did gladiators find you? Or how did you find gladiators?
[00:18:07] American Gladiators
[00:18:07] Elektra: Yeah, that's a probably, um, I didn't know what gladiators was. I thought it was pro wrestling.
[00:18:18] Elektra: And I'm like, no, no, because your personality, wait a minute. It's funny you say that cuz your personality, it's like,
[00:18:26] Lori: you know, tennis and choreography and you know, you wanna kind of like preserve your body so you can do more. And all of a sudden gladiators comes along and it's just like, whoa, this is, is this, is this your realm?
[00:18:38] Lori: Is this what you wanna be in?
[00:18:41] Elektra: It wasn't on my through line in my plan. Moving to Broadway in film wasn't on the radar, but it was beautiful in retrospect. Okay. Right away in retrospect. But the owner of the gym I worked out at. Brian Moss in Better Bodies in New York. Brian Moss.
[00:18:59] Lori: Yeah. Oh wait, I'm gonna stop you though.
[00:19:00] Lori: Really? That's where you trained Brian was
[00:19:01] Elektra: Brian Moss. Yeah. Super sweet.
[00:19:04] Lori: Quick little, little side note on that. I, when I opened my gym down in Orlando, Florida, which was, I don't know, 20 years ago or something like that, I couldn't do a Gold gym because they were doing territories at that time. Teach Better Bodies.
[00:19:17] Lori: So I did a Better Bodies Oh. And I franchised the name from Brian. Oh. And I had a better bodies in the middle of downtown Orlando, Florida. And I, when I was a bodybuilder. Wow. I mean, I went to New York and that was the place to go cuz everybody wanted that. Brian and Brian. Yeah. Yeah. And I think I even walked down, you know how you walked down the, stairs?
[00:19:37] Lori: I got to sign his wall. Ah. that was way before ice. but it was just, that's so cool.
[00:19:42] Elektra: So cool. That is a cool connection. We didn't know we had. Yeah. Brian is a, he was very kind to me. Very kind. And he would come over in his first gym that was upstairs, not downstairs. And I didn't really know what I was doing.
[00:19:57] Elektra: I had to work out. Mm-hmm. Cause of, I had to keep my body together. And he would just, so he's like a gentle giant. He's like, slow it down. Breathe. Right. And Gladys was there at the time and she was so kind. Oh, she was amazing. Right. Yeah. And then he got the call, do you have any bodybuilders who can climb?
[00:20:17] Elektra: And he's like, interesting. Um, I have a climber. Who's nice and strong. She's not a bodybuilder. And so I guess he had one of a press, I don't know, a press shot of me or something. One of my, I don't know, but he sent it in and they said, okay, we'll take her. You guys were on tour. And I was like, so he didn't try
[00:20:37] Lori: out or anything?
[00:20:37] Lori: You just No, they
[00:20:38] Elektra: just threw you in there. They needed a climber cuz none of you guys could climb very well. Oh, come on.
[00:20:43] Lori: Some of us could climb, you know, some of you guys, you know, who could climb Was, zap. Zap could climb.
[00:20:47] Elektra: Yeah, she could climb. She was dig. Did she do gymnastics at some point? I don't know.
[00:20:51] Elektra: I can't remember. I don't think so. I, I remember we had that conversation.
[00:20:54] Lori: I could kind of climb but I wasn't used to it. And I had to learn to use my arms and legs at the same time. Cause everybody thinks arms, you know, when you're climbing mm-hmm. You're pulling your arms or anything. But that's interesting.
[00:21:04] Lori: So you, first of all, you didn't know about gladiators. You didn't know of the gladiators. Mm-hmm. And then you went on tour.
[00:21:10] Elektra: Okay, so this is how it happened. I said, no, a couple months later. Brian's like, they're desperate for a climber. Why don't you just go do it? So I didn't have a show going at the time.
[00:21:19] Elektra: Mm-hmm. I didn't. It's February in New York and I was like, where are they? Reno? And I'm like, yes. Okay. I'll go. Cuz I knew I wasn't gonna get hired because I didn't look like a bodybuilder. And I'm, I just am photograph You look like an athlete. I look like an athlete. Yeah. But I, I was 128 pounds. Yeah. I remember when I first
[00:21:39] Lori: saw you, we were kind of like, she's gonna get killed.
[00:21:44] Elektra: But you didn't know who my dad was. So, but I went to Reno to go climbing. I brought all my climbing gear. Oh. Because I knew they weren't gonna hire me. And I was like, oh, free trip to go climbing. Awesome. Winter in New York. Let's do it. And then they took you and you were
[00:21:56] Lori: like, oh shit.
[00:21:58] Elektra: No, I was really, ha.
[00:21:59] Elektra: So. I would leave town all the time and I, I, I did, I was always, I was raised, you just give back. You always give back. Mm-hmm. So you give back from your, your full, you trade into other people with your best. So I taught inner city kids gymnastics or dance or sword fighting, whatever, Shakespeare. And, this group of kids that I just loved, and they were, they were the older kids and their self-confidence were a little low, like nine to 12.
[00:22:29] Elektra: And, I was always leaving town and they're like, where are you going now? Because the other coaches maybe weren't as patient. Yeah, I guess. And I was like, I, I'm, I don't even know. I'm going to Reno and I'm doing this thing called American and that's all I could say. And they were like,
[00:22:48] Elektra: and they're jumping around the gym going, are teachers gonna be American Gladiator? I'm like, so I dunno if I'm gonna be there on one, but that's so cool. So I kind of, I did it really for them. That's so amazing. Because I didn't, sorry, I didn't know what it was. But in New York we don't have tv. Like a lot of people don't have it.
[00:23:06] Elektra: Or at the time we didn't have TV and I didn't have time. Everybody had tv. Tv You didn't, I have a lot of friends that do not have tv. I just, we didn't watch tv. You had,
[00:23:16] Lori: we were always creative. Which is great actually. Yeah. To have a life to where you don't have to watch TV is amazing. There you go. Really go.
[00:23:22] Lori: It really is.
[00:23:24] Elektra: Bam. So that's, I just, right. Plus it was athletic. Why and why, and my thing is I can turn on the glamor or the athlete and I would get, I got, I mean, one of my most favorite jobs, a side note in the beginning of motion capture there, they needed people who could flip and fly and land and do sword fighting and, and create characters with their body.
[00:23:49] Elektra: Everybody's seen behind the scenes mm-hmm. With Lord of the Ring. So Andy Cir made this famous, but years before that in New York, there was a studio upstate or jersey and they were creating video games and they were creating 'em in a new way. And they're like, we need, my agent was like, oh, you, you're gonna love this one.
[00:24:08] Elektra: And I did. So I went up to this giant space and had to create a few characters and I was taller than a lot of the male gymnasts, uhhuh. So I got to do a lot of the male characters as like, you have to really, I. You're,
[00:24:22] Lori: I think I know what you're talking about, reading
[00:24:24] Elektra: the body. So you have these little balls all over you.
[00:24:27] Elektra: Yes, yes. I've seen that. And there's cameras everywhere. It's, it's upgraded now, but, and they had just had this open space and we would give us choreography or like a script of choreography and we would just have the best time we would fly through the air create. Oh, it was so much fun. It's just crazy fun, when you're young and your joints work.
[00:24:47] Elektra: Yeah. But, um, so that was like super fun and I got a lot of work out of that kind of stuff. Yeah. Because I was able to physically do things that a lot of women maybe couldn't. Right. In the sense of being an actor. A dancer, I could switch characters pretty easily. I cover a, a larger gamut.
[00:25:08] Lori: You, you were able to definitely, you had a stage presence.
[00:25:12] Lori: I mean, I remember when you came out, it was like you automatically were able to turn it on Yeah. And play with the audience.
[00:25:18] Elektra: Yeah. And that was the other thing. I knew how to deal with live audiences. Yes.
[00:25:22] Lori: And a lot of people didn't. Right. I mean, even some of the gladiators that have been on the show had no idea how to deal with the audience.
[00:25:28] Lori: Yeah, yeah. You know, you just come in and boom, boom, boom. What was your impression when you walked in and meant the gladiators?
[00:25:36] Elektra: I, well, I did a little research Okay. Before I came and I was like, I was gonna ask for everybody's autograph for my kids. Oh, that's funny. Like, oh my gosh, you guys are so cool. And, and I'm like wearing, I don't know, something totally inappropriate and I'm.
[00:25:51] Elektra: White as can be in New York in this, I'm in no sun Tan. Yeah. Yeah. And I look, you guys are all looking at me like, oh my God, she's gonna get killed. She's like so skinny. Yeah. Wait, definitely we did. Who is this person? And we did. And why is she here? Yeah. And I'm like, oh, well here I am then.
[00:26:08] Lori: But when she started doing the games, it was like, the girl can
[00:26:11] Elektra: move.
[00:26:11] Elektra: She's an athlete. Yeah. And I was raised by pro-athletes. Yeah. So my dad was a boxer and a baseball player. Mm-hmm. And he lived for sports. Even when he was very close to the end of life here, I was like, dad, there's, he's like getting mad because he couldn't ride his bike. Ah. Or he couldn't, he had a boxing gym in his garage and he couldn't hit the heavy bag anymore.
[00:26:35] Elektra: And
[00:26:35] Lori: I was like, that's gonna be me. Really mad once
[00:26:37] Elektra: I can't do anything anymore. So I'm gonna tell you, like I told my dad, there is more to life in sports I know. And he said, know, no, their effing isn't, not for me. He's like 82. That's awesome. And I'm like, yep, that's my dad. So I in like in track, when I got hurt, I got slower.
[00:26:55] Elektra: I was a very fast white girl and I could jump really well, but once I got that one knee surgery, I could never, never jump again. And I got slower and he came to one track meet and I got beat in 400 meters and he was like, Why'd you let her beat you? Wow. And he walked away and I was like, wow. So I kind of did the gladiators evidently for him too, because the only thing he ever watched me do.
[00:27:20] Elektra: Okay. And when we were in Cleveland, he came, that's the first time I'd been to Cleveland for other shows and
[00:27:25] Lori: came. Do you have any special, like memory slash favorite moment on tour possibly that you can recall on
[00:27:36] Memories on tour
[00:27:36] Elektra: tour? Um, I honestly, I had so much fun because see, I, I had a blast. See when I got, I landed and had a blast because, and even though I know you guys were like, I was used to that, so, come on, it's a team thing.
[00:27:53] Elektra: Oh
[00:27:53] Lori: no, you have to, we're all coming in. Got an initiate somehow.
[00:27:56] Elektra: Oh, for sure. But the idea that we could be inspirational obstacles Yeah. To real life. I mean, the whole concept was really, Quite good. Yes. And inspirational. Yeah. And then get to play all these ridiculous games. Yeah. I thought they were a blast.
[00:28:14] Elektra: Yeah. They were fun. I like, oh, fun. This is so much fun. They were fun. And so, and the climbing wall was, you know, not a problem for me. Right. You're like, but yeah, but I grew up playing football and baseball and boxing. So I, like Powerball was, I was just gonna ask
[00:28:31] Lori: you. That was my favorite as well.
[00:28:33] Lori: Yeah. That was my favorite as well. Yeah. I loved it. Me too. So, I'm gonna ask a question and we don't have to go into it, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. And that is, have you seen your ESPN
[00:28:45] Lori: documentary?
[00:28:46] Elektra: I did. I
[00:28:47] ESPN Documentary
[00:28:47] Elektra: saw it. Tell me what your thoughts are. Um, I thought it, I did not know what to expect and I didn't know there were, like, there were two, by the way.
[00:28:57] Elektra: Mm-hmm. I just, I'm like, well, it was such a positive experience for me for the most part, except that part. Yeah. and how I left, that was a little awkward, but, I was like, well, sure. I I didn't really know anything again. Right. but, and I didn't know if it would ever get made.
[00:29:15] Lori: Side note, we actually wanted to pick you up for Netflix.
[00:29:18] Lori: Oh. By that time you were already signed with espn. Aw. And they sent over all the, what they did is they sent over everybody's contract who we could not contact.
[00:29:28] Elektra: Oh. For ours. It's too bad.
[00:29:30] Lori: I know, I, I, I was really sad the team got separated.
[00:29:34] Elektra: That's that. I was shocked because I didn't know mm-hmm. Until they were interviewing me.
[00:29:38] Elektra: And they were on camera and they're like, what do you think about these people not being interviewed? And I was like, well then why are we making
[00:29:45] Elektra: this?
[00:29:45] Lori: You know, I used that, by the way, I picked something on my social media and I used you to where you said, Well, wouldn't you think that if you're gonna make a documentary about the American Gladiators, you would want the most popular ones?
[00:29:57] Lori: I was like, yes.
[00:29:59] Elektra: Well, that, I mean, I was literally shocked. Yeah. But I must say that Ben did a, a really good job with what he had. And it's, it was not what I expected. What did you expect? I thought maybe it was gonna be like, dirty and like badmouthing and like uncover all the dirt, like, you know, like a tabloid.
[00:30:19] Elektra: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And Ben went for like a story, a through line, really. The Johnny story. Right. And then, and then all the people that, how that affected their lives or were lives. Right. And then, there's some redemption at the end. Mm-hmm. I, I, I like stories with redemption. Yeah, of course. And, did you know this
[00:30:41] Lori: story No.
[00:30:42] Lori: Before? No. There's a lot I didn't know either. Like I didn't know that Dan Carr actually. Had the name and the logo before Johnny came along, I had no
[00:30:53] Elektra: clue. Clue. That's not surprising. Yeah,
[00:30:56] Lori: there's no, unfortunately, love li gloss on me and Johnny, as you saw on the documentary, I think I
[00:31:01] Elektra: felt it in the room, in the studio a little bit because there wasn't, this is why, and I would say this, I, I, I don't know if I said it to his face, but there wasn't an honesty about him.
[00:31:14] Elektra: None in person, and I just don't do that very well. I don't, I don't like that. And it was a little, it just kind of, it just, I don't do that. And so he wanted to talk and I'm like, I don't really have anything to say to you. Right. Cause I don't trust you. Yeah. You don't seem true. And it was just a personal thing between mm-hmm.
[00:31:33] Elektra: Me and him. But, so I just didn't have hardly any, I didn't want any interaction with him. I, I took it as, I'm here for this, the kids and the fans. And I love being on this team, and so let's have fun. Yeah. Because, you know, I got pulled into the Bruiser's office a couple times. You have to take this more seriously.
[00:31:56] Elektra: Seriously. And I'm like wearing this teeny weeny little yellow, white, red, white and blue outfit. And I'm like, you're like, look at me. What do you mean? Seriously? Yeah. And I was like, what? Really? Yeah. And they're like, you're laughing. You're having too much fun. You're, and I was like, what? Wait a minute. They
[00:32:13] Lori: did that to you on the show?
[00:32:15] Elektra: Yeah. First season. See, I think it was, or maybe it was second season or maybe they were just looking for a way to get rid of me. I don't know. That's quite, but I was like shocking. You know? I am having a blast. Yeah. And what you showing, I really did not person understand. Yeah. Well it's
[00:32:30] Lori: interesting to me that it's like in the very beginning of the doc, and I don't know who said it, one of the producers said it to where each gladiator was their own brand.
[00:32:39] Lori: Yeah. I mean, that's what we did, right? We were a brand within a brand. Yeah. Okay. So you had your brand, who you were, who, who you portrayed, like you were an athlete, but yet you were fun and it was exciting to watch you. And then there was Nitro who was cocky and you know, it was like every person had their persona and their brand.
[00:32:59] Lori: Yeah. And so they never looked at it that way. No. The show was the star and we were just, we are just pawns like you're dispensable like that. And that's what Johnny said. He goes, oh yeah, we'd put a, we'd put a helmet on 'em and, and it wouldn't matter who they were, and the show would still go on. And that's funny because when you lost your brands inside the brand folded Yeah.
[00:33:30] Lori: And they were too arrogant to see it.
[00:33:33] Elektra: Yeah. I, I blinded by something, because that doesn't even make sense. It doesn't, the TV model does not, it, it was something that had never been done before. Mm-hmm. So if you try to plug it into a TV model, it doesn't work. Mm-hmm. And the people, the first couple, you know, not every gladiator stuck.
[00:33:58] Elektra: Right. And so before you came and then you like, There's no que if you think of American Gladiators as like a handful that you think of.
[00:34:06] Lori: Oh, 100%. Right. There's like, it's like staples. Yeah. Ketchup. Yes. So
[00:34:10] Elektra: much. And so as a staples Yeah. And as a director or producer, I wanna protect the, it's again, it's that cohesive unit when everybody does their best mm-hmm.
[00:34:23] Elektra: That we create something beautiful. Exactly. And that, that's not how TV works necessarily. Right. And they didn't, this was brand new. Yeah. So in, on like if you do a show, a live show, Broadway show, like when you have all that together Put together and musicians and crews and the actors, et cetera, if you're not working cohesively, it doesn't work.
[00:34:48] Elektra: Like Right. And we have to pull the curtain and start all over again. Right. So I love that energy of like, You gotta go, you're in flow. Yeah. And you just go. And so when I do any film work or all that, when I create that kind of stuff, I wanna help everybody do their best thing. I want my cinematographer do the best thing.
[00:35:08] Elektra: The sound. I, I like that. So how can I create space for you to do that? And now that's what I was expecting the producers of something brand new would be doing. But I saw that that wasn't it with Johnny. Yeah. That wasn't, and we were each of our, our own brand. I mean, that that just happened. Right.
[00:35:24] Elektra: Authentically. Yes.
[00:35:26] Lori: And, but which is amazing. And they, which was think that that was going to happen.
[00:35:30] Elektra: Yeah. But that, and, but they didn't f they, there was a f power play for Yeah. The, this is the brand. Mm-hmm. And you don't really, but I, I know we could talk about that forever, but I know it
[00:35:41] Lori: just doesn't even make sense.
[00:35:42] Lori: I think what I was a little disappointed in is, I know they probably interviewed you for about six hours. Five or 6, 4, 3, 2, maybe two, maybe four, four hours. I
[00:35:50] Elektra: wasn't that
[00:35:51] Lori: interest entertained. Come on on. You're very entertaining. I'm like, I don't, A great story. You have, I mean, listen you, from what you have done before gladiators and everything you've done, it's like no, you have a great story.
[00:36:04] Lori: And I'm surprised, and this is where some it they didn't, I I was expecting them to showcase you guys more. Mm-hmm. And you and your life.
[00:36:15] Elektra: Yeah. It was too, cuz we had planned, we had, they had talked about doing like, let's go do rock climbing, let's go do aerial stuff. Yes. And it didn't work out. But you know the story for Billy and the story maybe for Malibu.
[00:36:28] Elektra: Okay.
[00:36:28] Lori: So just side note on that one. They should have done something like Rest and Peace on Billy cuz Billy passed away a month later. Yeah. And, and they weren't done with editing. They did nothing like that. The other thing is, is, um, I'll just mention it because I'm gonna go into that. On another podcast, but, um, Thunder's wife Billy was really upset that they portrayed him that way, like crippled and walking around because he had just broke his hip and his shoulder eight weeks prior to film to doing that documentary.
[00:36:57] Lori: And they've kind of portrayed it like that's how it was for the last 20 years. Yeah. And he was a drug addict and everything else. And she was so upset because she was like, they didn't portray him as a businessman as how many animals he's rescued in his life and what a mentor and teacher he was. None of that just kind of portrayed him as a broken down gladiator victim.
[00:37:17] Lori: Victim. There you go. Yeah. And that was sad. It was sad. And they shouldn't have done that. They should have honored him.
[00:37:22] Elektra: Should have been more. Yeah.
[00:37:24] Lori: You know, so
[00:37:26] Elektra: that that's, yeah. Yeah. But I mean, no. Was it perfect and, and glorious? No. Yeah. But was it a decent story and not, and I think it needed to be told.
[00:37:35] Elektra: It's good. Yes. I think it needed to be told. Definitely needed to be told. Yeah, for sure. But yeah, I was a little surprised, but. I was more surprised when I was sitting in the interview going, what? And I was like, wait, what are you asking? Or, right, right. Yeah. I was so shocked. Really? Yeah. But I mean, I'm raising kids and I got my own, I wasn't paying attention to all the detail.
[00:38:00] Elektra: I, of course, I come from the world of arts and entertainment. Yeah. So it's just a job. Everything's a job. It's a job. Yeah. And I gotta, I, I'm, I'm not living to work. Right. I'm working to live. Of course. And so I'll do enough research to say, do I even wanna do this? Yeah. okay. I can, I'll do it. And then I, I just, raising kids was a, a whole world of its own for me.
[00:38:27] Elektra: Oh yeah. I
[00:38:28] Lori: can only imagine. Yeah. I never had kids. Oh, you can find never mine. You have kids? No, no, no. You
[00:38:34] Elektra: could go golfing with my son. I'll go golfing with your son. He's a great coach. He's a great coach. Oh, that'd be so amazing. He's a really good coach.
[00:38:40] Lori: my girlfriend has a son and we, her and I have been together 13 years and Kai is 16 now, so, wow.
[00:38:48] Lori: but at the same time it was kind of a joint custody and he lives in Florida, so we'd get him every summer. That's a little shock for me. That was a little culture shock. I mean, you know, not having kids and all of a sudden having a four year old all summer. Can you imagine? I was just like,
[00:39:02] Elektra: where is my life?
[00:39:03] Elektra: Oh my God. Yes, yes. I am no longer that person. Yeah. And,
[00:39:09] Lori: and people would ask me and they'd be like, why didn't you have kids? And I'd be like, you know, is it bad to say that I'm very selfish with my mate? Meaning I. It's all about us. Mm-hmm. Because once you have kids, it's not about you anymore. Mm-hmm. It's all about the kids.
[00:39:26] Lori: And if it's not all about the kids, it kind of should be at least, you know, especially growing up until they're at least
[00:39:31] Elektra: 13. Yeah. It just, it it's a different relationship. Yeah. And it's not like the kids need to see you happy with your spouse. Yes. They need to see you happy with your partner. They learn by more by osmosis than going to school for sure young.
[00:39:49] Elektra: But they need to see how do you do life. Yeah. So in that sense, it becomes a whole new thing. It's not just you guys. So that, I think that's valid. Not everybody should get married and have kids. I don't, I
[00:40:02] Lori: don't think that everybody is cut out
[00:40:04] Elektra: for it. And maybe a few that, shouldn't have a lot, shouldn't have kids.
[00:40:11] Elektra: Since I work with young people, I can say that. Oh God. So,
[00:40:14] Lori: so what'd you do after gladiators?
[00:40:16] After American Gladiators
[00:40:16] Elektra: Um, I went back to work in New York. Mm-hmm. Um, did shows and created and didn't do a lot more modeling. But, um, I
[00:40:26] Lori: loved the photo though that you showed on the dock where you were like, your legs were up here.
[00:40:32] Elektra: Oh, I know.
[00:40:33] Elektra: Yeah.
[00:40:33] Lori: The lows. And you're like, after I broke my nose, there goes my $150,000 contract.
[00:40:39] Elektra: Oh my God. The first thing was like, oh, I'm still alive. The second was like, cover your nose before Bob Levy pulls in on the damages. And that exactly what he did. Oh, I heard it on the, it was so quiet. They're like, silence.
[00:40:54] Elektra: Pull in on, pull in, pull in, pull in, pull in before she covers. And so I covered my nose because I was like, and so I went and yelled at him later and I was like, dude, he's like, I what? That's what we do in live sports. And I was like, I don't want the kids to see all that. Yeah. it felt probably worse than it looked, but it was pretty bad.
[00:41:12] Elektra: I was like, I can't even imagine surgeries later. Can't imagine. Yeah. But, yeah, but I, I don't, I don't know. It was, yeah, I'm still stuck on the kids thing. I think. I think that, it's very, I appreciate your honesty cuz I don't know how many people are honest. Mm-hmm. People really suffer. We don't have this again, back to the different cultures.
[00:41:34] Elektra: Yeah. In America, our culture of this. Nuclear family is actually a very modern thing, and it's not how most indigenous cultures live. Mm-hmm. It's not allowed how a lot of cultures in the world live. So I was very grateful to have my various families in different countries where I worked and watched how they did their kids.
[00:41:51] Elektra: And I ended up with a tribe of people and we all raised our kids together. A lot of them were very, like my kids were super focused early. My son was grabbed my iPhone as soon as they came out and he started creating stop motion videos. I don't know if you've ever saw one.
[00:42:06] Lori: Unbelievable. That's
[00:42:07] Elektra: crazy. Yeah, he's just a visual storyteller and I'm like, I guess we're not having a lawyer in this family.
[00:42:13] Elektra: And then my, my daughter as well, she's a unbelievable writer, director, actress. Okay. So, and she's trained
[00:42:21] Lori: seriously. Do you think this, okay, because you said it's kind of through osmosis. Do you believe that genetically they get these kind of gifted, like, is your son gifted athletically because you are.
[00:42:34] Lori: And your dad was And your mom. Absolutely. And it kind of trickles down. I mean, or do you feel as though when it comes to kids, you need to definitely direct them and guide them? Well until they find their love.
[00:42:48] Elektra: So, in my spiritual life that I was told I couldn't have kids, two miracle babies. So when I was pregnant, I was like, I always wanted like a team.
[00:42:59] Elektra: And my sister got a team and she didn't want any, she was like nine kids, like a baseball team. I wanted like five boys and a girl. Four boys and a girl. I just wanted like one girl cuz girls are hard. And my sister got that. Wow. And she didn't want any, but she's got six. But, and she didn't want any, why didn't she stop after five?
[00:43:16] Elektra: Oh no. She had, she, they had, she was, Protected for the last, the third. Last, and then a vasectomy, I think for the last two. So, wow. Higher power wanted those kids. Kids, definitely. and so when I had these babies in here, I was like, I would pray over them and I would just listen to God, who are they?
[00:43:36] Elektra: And I felt like I got a little bit of a download of a, a, a framework of who they were. So I would just, I've worked with kids and been around kids my whole life, helped raise my brother and sister a little bit. And I just, the fact that any of us get born is like so beautiful. And miraculous.
[00:43:54] Elektra: And so, I just kind of knew, I, I, it's almost like I got this little fax, but it wasn't a fax. I just had a knowing of who these people were and I was like, Are you sure? There's like, like not a doctor or like, I know how hard it's to be an artist or an athlete, so, but look at I could, the
[00:44:14] Lori: pleasure that you've gotten now.
[00:44:16] Lori: Oh no,
[00:44:17] Elektra: it's awesome. You know what I mean? No, no. At the beginning. Yeah. I was like, whew. And then he started make son, so I made sure in their homeschooling we covered a classical education to learn everything you need to know to how to teach yourself. Okay, good. And get what you need. You know how to go find what you need.
[00:44:34] Elektra: Right. And you don't learn that in school. No, and my son you don't, son don't, yeah.
[00:44:39] Lori: Hardly
[00:44:39] Elektra: anything. In school we learn how to stress out, but um Right. For some bizarre rubrics, but. Like my son, like me, I couldn't sit still. And a boys, like, I even started him late in school and we gave it a try, but he was always in trouble.
[00:44:56] Elektra: Interesting. And he's a question, he's like, well, why? Why? Well, I
[00:45:00] Lori: think I thought that was just a four year old. Why? No, why?
[00:45:03] Elektra: Why? Well, we're supposed to keep asking that, but Yeah. I'm like, because?
[00:45:11] Lori: Just because, yeah.
[00:45:12] Elektra: No. Well, usually what you can say is, I'm not sure. What do you think? Uh, yeah.
[00:45:18] Lori: And then that's like, I didn't have patience for that.
[00:45:20] Lori: Yeah. I know. I don't know. That's why I didn't
[00:45:22] Elektra: have kids. Keep them guessing. But yeah, I think maybe genetics has a part to play in it, but I mean, by the grace of God, I could help them with their stuff. Yeah. Because I know it a little bit. Yeah, yeah. I know how to train to be a pro athlete. I don't know, golf.
[00:45:38] Elektra: but yeah, we just learned all the tools they need to do. They can edit in all the Adobe programs. They can make their own movies. They know how to That's incredible. Do it all. I love that. So, yeah, and they've studied, and Dakota studied in conservatory, so she is like, Dakota's calling my daughter Dakota Lare.
[00:45:53] Elektra: I love Dakota lore. Yeah. Powerful. That's very, she's super feisty. You would like her. I love that. So, yeah. But anyway, I, I am just super grateful for, first of all being alive, but I had so much fun with the, the, the glad you, I mean, I think I got a little too big for my britches at the end. Tell me why, how, because it's like this immersed world just for, you know, four weeks, three weeks in, in la.
[00:46:25] Elektra: But like, you know, I, I was a in, in. Unless you're the lead in a Broadway show or you're a top model, we are all just making this machine move. And we are grateful. Like not everybody gets to dance on Broadway. Right, right. But we're very grateful. But we are, we're horses. So I didn't have a lot of attention in like, I'm just doing what I normally do.
[00:46:53] Elektra: I'm just happen to be around a lot of people who do this very well. So you got a lot of attention in the gladiators. I got a little attention. And then TV's different than film and different than theater. TV's very different. And that was a very different situation too. Yeah. So I'm like, oh, and then the kids loved it and then all of a sudden the whole world knows about it.
[00:47:13] Elektra: Yeah. And I'm like, well, yeah, I play le. And they're like, what? And I'm like, okay. I guess, you know, it just seeps
[00:47:21] Lori: in. Real quickly, how did you get that name?
[00:47:24] Give me a character and I'll play it
[00:47:24] Elektra: Oh, yes. Um, so on tour I was sh there's like, you have to have a name Shadow. I'm like, shadow, right? Something weird. Shadow, I don't know. Cuz I was like hiding in my own and give me a character to play and then I'll play it.
[00:47:36] Elektra: Right? And they're like, that won't work. Find another name. So I call my brother who is a, he's very, he, he's like multiple degrees, right? I was like, I need a name for this show, TV show called American Gladiators. He's like, I've never heard of it. So we didn't grow up in
[00:47:53] Elektra: tv.
[00:47:55] Lori: just watch it for a couple seasons.
[00:47:56] Elektra: he found it on tv and he watched and he is like, okay, here's, here's a couple names. And they were, I'm like, I do not want like a three letter name. Mm-hmm. Because I can't compete with like Ice or Zap, like there's not gonna be a competition there. So he said, okay. It came down to the Electra, Greek or Roman.
[00:48:16] Elektra: So in Greek, I don't remember if it's correct right now, but. Electra with a K is not such a great. Really? Electra with a C. She's a good girl. So I chose Electra with a C. They made Elektra with K and they owned it. Right. So
[00:48:33] Lori: yeah, I remember the movie that came out, right? It was after, yeah, the Gladi year.
[00:48:38] Lori: Electra, which
[00:48:39] Elektra: Jennifer Garner. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome movie. I loved it. Yeah, she's
[00:48:42] Lori: amazing. That's the kind of stuff I wanted to do. Yeah. Those were the kind of movies I wanted to do. I just didn't have, I guess I don't have the, I think like I watched you on a couple, like television shows and stuff, and you can act.
[00:48:55] Lori: You really can't act. I can't, I don't think I can. I really can't. You know, and I even went to like acting schools and everything like that, and I, I, you know, I just, everybody was like, it's just, you know, having a conversation and being natural and getting into character and, I mean, I just, I don't know what it is.
[00:49:13] Lori: I didn't have that. Kind of something inside me that I could actually act. And I so wanted to, we still can, I know, it's just, I, you know, I've went to different acting schools or classes or something around here and you, how these act The, the teachers are either, they're full themselves, they're, they, they, they miss the boat.
[00:49:34] Lori: So they're teaching now. Yeah. and it's just, you know, I had, I had one online on Zoom and she would just yell at everybody.
[00:49:41] Elektra: Awesome. Like Stella Adler and
[00:49:45] Lori: I, yeah, probably.
[00:49:46] Elektra: There's just some. Yeah. And
[00:49:48] Lori: I'm just like, going on. Why, why, why am I putting myself through this? Especially when Covid hit, you know, I was like, okay, I'm gonna take this time now and I'm gonna look, go into some classes.
[00:49:59] Lori: But it was all on Zoom. Yeah. You can't do it on Zoom. It's hard. It is so hard.
[00:50:04] Elektra: You gotta have some skills to be able to do stuff. And I
[00:50:06] Lori: didn't have skills, so therefore that was even more, you know? Yeah, yeah. It was, it was very intimidating for me. And then we'd start the class at like five and get done at 1130.
[00:50:15] Lori: I was like, and they'd be like, all right, Lori, you're up. And I'd be like, huh, what? Huh? And I was like, seriously?
[00:50:24] Elektra: Yes.
[00:50:24] Lori: Yes. Yeah. And it was just, it was just one of those things. But yeah, that was, those are the kind of movies. I mean, if I had the talent, I don't think I have the talent. And yes, I think everybody can learn different things.
[00:50:36] Lori: But, that was, those are the kind of movies. I think it'd be a lot of fun to do.
[00:50:39] Elektra: Oh, for sure. You know, with the right coach, you could probably do way more than you realize, but it, it comes down to probably doing, like if you, you know, if you got a job, then you would hire a coach to help you. Right.
[00:50:50] Lori: And I would do that for auditions once in a while. Uhhuh, remember, remember Glow? Yeah. Okay. So right before Covid hit I did, I had my agent and he was sending me out on different auditions and, you know, they weren't big parts. They were always small little pieces here and there. That was still fun.
[00:51:07] Lori: You know, trying to stay in the limelight. glow came along and there I auditioned for it, and I don't know, three, four weeks later, he calls me and goes, well, they didn't want you for that part, but they have another part for you, and it is a series regular. And I was like, whoa. Seriously? He's like, yeah, they're gonna put you on standby right now, so don't go anywhere.
[00:51:27] Lori: a week later, COVID hit Oh, everything shut down. Yeah. Yeah. And I was like, okay, this is only gonna last six months. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. It'll, it'll be okay. Yeah. And even my agent was like, don't worry about it. They're gonna go back, you know, and everything. And I was like, just waiting and waiting and waiting because my body type and who I am and how I look, I can't.
[00:51:49] Lori: Do a lot of roles. You know that it's very specific for me. So when that came along, that was like perfect. And then all of a sudden they just shut it down completely. And I was like, fuck,
[00:51:59] Elektra: you know, too bad. Well let me know if your agent, by the way, you should send her out for Mandalorian, cuz you could do, there's other things you can do that are out there now.
[00:52:09] Elektra: And I would think, but
[00:52:09] Lori: maybe I just don't for you. Yeah. Okay. Well let's talk about that later. Because that would be amazing. That is something on my bucket list that in life. And I know I'm not done with it yet. Yeah. I really wanna study and learn and I'm so disciplined when it comes to sports.
[00:52:25] Lori: I'm thinking I can be disciplined to do this. You know? And it is a discipline, I
[00:52:29] Elektra: believe it's a huge discipline. Yeah. And you have to be, become very comfortable with being uncomfortable and extremely vulnerable. Yes. And know what to do when you're done and go home. Is it 10? You like that?
[00:52:44] Lori: My engineer behind the scenes.
[00:52:45] Lori: You've got 10 years, you're awesome. I know, right? but yeah, we'll talk about that. I would like to find out who that coach was. Yeah. I'll give you info. That's super cool. Yeah. But, I am, I'm so excited to have you here and talk about, just thanks little glimpse of gladiators and I didn't know how you got your name and you know how you auditioned, which kind of didn't, you just got thrown in, which is amazing and so cool at the same time.
[00:53:09] Lori: I
[00:53:09] Elektra: think it was Brian that probably talked me up, cuz he had known me now at that point for quite a while. Yeah. And I do this whole gymnastics workout in the gym. Yeah. After I'm done lifting. So I did handstand, all this weird stuff and I'm like, can I please have a private room cuz people stare. And he's like, well actually it's really inspiring, so just go ahead and do it.
[00:53:27] Elektra: That's funny. Okay. But so you basically
[00:53:31] Lori: went about your life afterwards and kept working Yeah. And got married and had kids and
[00:53:35] Elektra: Yeah. Yeah, I did. And I, I had some, yeah. I'm just super grateful. I mean, I wouldn't, I think I could have made different choices along the way, but I'm grateful for all the really fun, fun things.
[00:53:49] Elektra: I mean, I really was working a lot Yeah. In this industry before I did that show. And it was so nice for me that I could do three, four weeks in the summer In New York, when you're not doing a a, a Broadway show or you're not on tour or summer stock or whatever, you're, you don't have anything to do. So that was perfect.
[00:54:06] Elektra: You did so
[00:54:07] Lori: much like before you were actually on gladiators that none of us gladiators ever did. I mean, if you really think about it, most of the gladiators we're just bodybuilders. We were just bodybuilders, we were doing shows and that's it. I mean, girl, you were on Broadway, you weren't course line, you were choreographing.
[00:54:21] Lori: I mean, that's phenomenal. That was you different. So much going on. Yeah. You know, before you entered the gladiator
[00:54:28] Elektra: world. Yeah. But it was so fun. I mean, and I like having those two. I like, I get bored quickly. I do too. That's an
[00:54:37] Lori: thing. That's anest thing. So
[00:54:40] Elektra: rock climbing. Yeah. Broadway modeling kit, whatever.
[00:54:44] Elektra: Yeah. I like turning, I like taking the hat off and putting on a different hat. cuz I, you really, the reason why is cuz I'm, I struggle with perfectionism. Yep. And if I don't get it perfect, I start beating myself up. But if I have another thing to focus on, I can channel that energy into this new thing kind of thing.
[00:55:02] Elektra: So I don't
[00:55:03] Lori: know if you believe in astrological signs, but I'm telling you an Aries, what you just described is me. Okay. And every Aries I have met, it's at least 90% to 95% accurate. All across the board. It's just the way we are. And I don't, I don't know if I believe in that stuff, but it's Sure. A big coincidence, you know, kind
[00:55:25] Elektra: of thing.
[00:55:26] Elektra: It is interesting. I mean, in the, there's, so there's the spirit, soul, and body of all of us, right? And we're here in the 3d, in our body, but the bigger thing is our spirit. Yes. And the emotional energy of the body is massive. It's how do people heal themselves who have been given the, you know, oh, you have cancer, you're done three weeks.
[00:55:49] Elektra: So how does that happen? There's physiological things you can do, but it's a will. It's your emotions, and then you tap into your spirit and it's really spirit, soul, and we get to live in this body. I don't believe when you die. That's it. I, I was just gonna ask you that. Oh, no, no, no. This is, this is a very special time
[00:56:08] Elektra: That we get to live like this. And I know when I was very young, It was a bit difficult as a kid, and so I had,
[00:56:18] Elektra: I felt like I was a mistake. Oh, interesting. And so I didn't wanna like, kill myself. But at six years old, I'm like, I don't, I shouldn't be here. I I'm, I'm the problem. Hmm. That was the voice I heard. And having worked with kids my whole life, I hear that all the time from little six to 10 year olds.
[00:56:38] Elektra: So do you think it's
[00:56:38] Lori: depression, the spirit, the
[00:56:40] Elektra: soul, the, well, I think if you have a traumatic, it just takes one or two traumatic incidences where you can, like, it's almost like that, you know, you get shaken out of your identity. And so you build a narrative to help yourself survive or you. Now we have so many drugs for kids.
[00:56:59] Elektra: They're depressed or whatever. That's so sad. But they don't, that's a whole nother podcast. Yeah. That's another bring me back for that. Let's, but, but so I try to impart to kids. You, you, if you look at science right now, I, I happen to really like neuroscience and quantum science and I, if you look at everything we know now, and I started this in my twenties, there is this whole deme, like we only see 0.5% of the light spectrum.
[00:57:26] Elektra: There's the entire light spectrum. Not seeing Well you
[00:57:28] Lori: fascinating. You are so fascinating.
[00:57:30] Elektra: Love talking to you. Well thank you. But I, I think it's super fascinating cuz I had to figure out, I know I have this huge purpose. Yeah. But I also feel like such a mistake and I'm like, and the voice that would come at me would be like, just get rid of you.
[00:57:46] Elektra: You're the problem. You've ruined on everything. This is a problem. And I was like, okay. But I didn't wanna like kill myself. I just. That was hard, right? Yeah. And sort of, and it's in the air, it's in the frequency. So if you go back to the light spectrum, and we're only seeing this much But science clearly shows us that there's way, way, way more.
[00:58:05] Elektra: And we've put men on the moon, we're headed to Mars. we can split in atom. How are we not tapping into, I don't know, the fifth dimension? I don't know the other dimension. So I, through my spiritual belief is in Christ. So I tap in that way and I am like, I have, there's so much. Yeah. And so I, I don't know, I'm just really.
[00:58:34] Elektra: Since I've had these, you know, very serious illnesses or injuries or whatever. I remember at 30 years old, they said last knee surgery right around 30. They're like, we have no idea how you're walking cuz you have nothing left in your knees. You have like one ligament in one knee. Oh. And I was like, because I'm really strong.
[00:58:52] Elektra: Yeah. They said, you need knee replacements. Yeah. And I'm like, Hmm. Not gonna happen today. And so I'm waiting for some technology that has now come. and I do need those knee replacements, but I, I'm waiting for the supernatural one or this new technology. Yeah. So I'm, I'm on, I'm on the list. God,
[00:59:11] Lori: there's, I mean, I could sit and talk to you for hours about this stuff.
[00:59:13] Lori: It is just, it's fascinating and I love it. I
[00:59:16] Elektra: know. I wanna hear more about you. I'm gonna do a podcast now and I'm gonna interview you. Let's do it.
[00:59:22] Lori: Thank you so much for coming over here today. I know you drove a long way. I mean, you know, it's la It's la Isn't that funny? It's
[00:59:29] Elektra: like we were five moving in 20 minutes so far, you know, it's, it just gets further as you drive.
[00:59:35] Elektra: I know,
[00:59:35] Lori: exactly. But thank you so much. No, it was wonderful
[00:59:38] Elektra: seeing you. Good to see you too. And if you bring me back, I promise I'll, I'll take a shower and
[00:59:42] Lori: Are you kidding? You look amazing. I love, I love your bass Pro shot, pat. Thanks. Thanks, Teagan. Exactly. Oh, you're definitely, I love it. We're gonna do another podcast.
[00:59:52] Lori: All right. We're gonna wrap it up here today. And thank you so much for watching. And Selena, thank you for being here today. I really appreciate it. And, thanks
[01:00:01] Elektra: for doing this. This, I think it's important. I think so. Yeah. Yeah. It's fun. You're amazing. Aw, thank you.
[01:00:08] Lori: Mm-hmm. Until next time, we'll catch you later.
[01:00:12] Outro YT: Thank you so much for listening to Chilling with Ice, and don't forget to hit that like button. Subscribe and share wherever you listen to your podcast. Remember to follow us on Patreon and YouTube at Chilling With Ice and on Instagram and TikTok. You can follow me@lori.ice dot Patrick. I look forward to chilling with you next time here on Chilling with
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