"Jessica Biel"

Early Life and Acting Beginnings [00:00:00]

• Biel's "outdoorsy, unconventional parents" in Boulder, Colorado, fostered an early interest in performing.
• She recalls constantly performing for her mother, who would film her.
• She imitated gymnast Nadia Comăneci and trained as a gymnast herself.

  "I was just constantly performing, doing dumb things that were not cool that she was pretending were cool."

Discovering Acting and Moving to LA [00:03:33]

• Biel was interested in music and theater, auditioning for "Annie" as a child.
• She began taking commercial acting classes and got involved with a talent agency in Denver.
• At ages 11, 12, and 13, she went to Los Angeles for pilot season, living at the Oakwood apartments with her mother.

  "And then it kind of switched into acting somehow."

Booking "7th Heaven" and Early Career [00:04:30]

• Biel booked "7th Heaven" at age 14, which was her first significant role and pilot.
• Simultaneously, she booked the indie movie "Yuli's Gold" with Peter Fonda.
• She describes this period as a dream come true, focusing on working rather than schooling.

  "The dream is coming true. I'm working. I'm not in school. I'm living. It's happening."

Life on "7th Heaven" [00:05:45]

• Biel starred in "7th Heaven" for four full seasons, essentially completing her high school career on the show.
• She describes the set as a supportive environment where she learned invaluable skills from cast and crew, like how to "find the light" and stand/sit smoothly.
• She recalls a specific camera operator teaching her the "Groucho Marx" technique for standing up to stay in frame.

  "I learned to find the light, stand up, sit down, get emotional in front of strangers, do crazy things in front of people I didn't know."

Balancing Work and Childhood [00:06:45]

• Biel attended a special school in LA for actors but rarely showed up.
• She played soccer, missing most practices but attending games, feeling she was both good and bad due to lack of practice.
• She played right midfield and was known for speed but not for scoring.

  "I was like sort of good and also really bad at the same time because I never practiced."

Transitioning to Adult Roles [00:07:40]

• After "7th Heaven," Biel aimed to transition from her teen star image.
• She felt the need to work hard to cross over into different parts of the industry.
• Roles in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Rules of Attraction" were significant in this transition, being very different from her previous work.

  "I think I started to feel like, oh, this is a business and I'm going to have to work hard to make that transition because everybody knows me as this very kind of proper sort of good kid on this show."

Life in Los Angeles and Career Strategy [00:08:40]

• Biel moved out of Colorado and lived alone in Los Angeles after "7th Heaven."
• She found it nerve-wracking at times but had a good circle of friends.
• She began to be more calculated about her career choices, seeking different types of roles.

  "And show that that was just a character."

Launching Iron Ocean Production Company [00:09:50]

• Biel and her best friend Michelle Purple, who had produced films like "Fast and the Furious," started Iron Ocean.
• They met 20 years prior while filming "Stealth" in Australia.
• The company's initial goal was to make small films about women and female stories, a niche not widely explored at the time.

  "And I said, you're right. But you do. So let's..."

Challenges in the Film Industry [00:10:50]

• For the first 10 years, Iron Ocean struggled to get projects made, facing blank stares from agents.
• They produced "The Sinner" and "Climetown," among others.
• Biel acknowledges the difficulty of breaking into the film industry and the constant need to work hard for each new job.

  "So we've been trying to make movies and TV shows for 20 years. It was so hard. We did almost nothing for 10 years."

"Matchbox" and Performance Driving [00:00:45]

• Biel stars in the upcoming film "Matchbox," based on a Mattel toy, comparing it to the "Fast and Furious" franchise.
• She describes herself as an "old lady defensive driver" but learned performance driving for the movie.
• She trained in Budapest, learning skills like stopping a car on a mark and performing 180 and 360-degree turns.

  "I got to learn how to, you know, stop a car on its mark, like put the right back wheel on a mark."

Driving Skills and Techniques [00:01:45]

• Biel explains that the cars used in "Matchbox" were performance vehicles with multiple pedals, not standard stick shifts.
• She learned to control the car precisely, including using a clutch and other pedals.
• The technique of using a sandbag to help cars stop on a mark was discussed as a film trick.

  "It needs to be real, real. I bet you'd be able to do it in a GMC of your choice."

Filming Locations and Experiences [00:02:50]

• "Matchbox" filmed in various locations, including Budapest, Morocco, and Slovakia.
• Biel experienced performance driving on a track, reaching speeds around 80 mph.
• She found it more difficult when she wasn't driving, feeling a loss of control.

  "And like, what'd you get up to? Nothing crazy. I mean, I think we were around, you know, 80 or something kind of normal freeway because it looks so much faster when, when the cameras are rolling."

Adrenaline and Driving Control [00:03:50]

• Biel admits to being an adrenaline junkie and enjoyed the speed and control of performance driving.
• She contrasts this with her usual responsible driving due to having children.
• The exhilaration came from knowing others would get out of her way and she could drive fast safely.

  "And it was so cool to get behind the wheel and know that everybody knew to get out of my way and that I was going to be safe and I could go as fast."

Personal Vehicles and Preferences [00:04:40]

• Biel drives an Escalade, calling it a "cool mommy car."
• She expresses a desire for a Porsche or a Bronco 2.
• She jokes about wanting a Yukon XL Denali and a triple max diesel.

  "It's, it's, it's, it's a, you know, it's a, it's like a cool mommy car. It's a, it's a cool car, but I would love like a little Porsche or, you know, I really like those, those new kind of Bronco twos."

Balancing Family and International Travel [00:14:00]

• Biel discusses the difficulty of balancing work, especially international filming, with family life.
• For "Matchbox," her husband Justin Timberlake was on tour in South America while she was in Budapest with the kids for seven weeks.
• She emphasizes the critical role of her nanny, support team, and assistants in making this possible.

  "It was, it was wild. The only way it works is the incredible nanny team, support team, assistant team, colleague team."

Decompression and Relaxation [00:16:00]

• Biel finds relaxation in zoning out and watching baseball, describing it as meditative.
• She also enjoys exercise, hiking, walking the dogs, and listening to audiobooks or nature sounds during walks.
• She values "forest bathing" – immersing oneself in nature – as a way to decompress.

  "I, I, I like to just zone out and stare at a baseball game on a television screen. Uh, that's sort of, it's just very meditative for me."

The Value of Boredom and Quiet Time [00:17:00]

• Biel and Jason Bateman discuss the importance of boredom and unstructured quiet time for creativity.
• They note that in today's world, people rarely allow themselves to just sit with their thoughts without distractions.
• Biel admits she struggles to carve out enough quiet time, often filling it with work-related tasks or exercise.

  "And it comes out of boredom. It comes out of letting your mind wander."

Baths vs. Showers and Hygiene [00:18:00]

• The conversation shifts to personal hygiene preferences, with a debate on baths versus showers.
• Biel expresses a preference for showers, finding baths to be more effort and questioning the hygiene of sitting in one's own "filth."
• She mentions taking showers after baths, except for "hydrogen bathing," which she believes is detoxifying.

  "You're stewing in your own juices. Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Matchbox" Release and Future [00:21:00]

• Biel's new movie, "Matchbox," was released on October 9th (three days prior to the recording, which is October 12th).
• She expresses gratitude for the podcast appearance and her long-time admiration for the hosts.
• She looks forward to seeing the movie and hopes to meet the hosts in person.

  "I can't wait for the car movie. I'm going to be taking so many showers."