Hannah Zeile Of "This is Us" Goes Over The Popular NBC Drama And Its Fourth Season
Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. NBC's “This Is Us” chronicles the Pearson family across the decades. This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who we become, and how the connections we share with each other can transcend time, distance and even death. Hannah Zeile of the series joined BUILD.
Video Transcript
[THEME MUSIC]
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Hey, everybody. Welcome back to "BUILD at Home." I'm your host, Brittany Jones-Cooper. And today I'm super excited to be chatting with Hannah Zeile, who plays the young Kate on "This Is Us." She's here to talk about the show and some new music she's cooked up during her social distancing.
But before we bring on Hannah, I want to remind you guys to visit the website nokidhungry.org. As of today, 806 million school meals have been missed due to school cancellations because of COVID-19. And there are a lot of kids in communities who rely on that food. So if you're looking for some ways to get involved, if you want to donate some money, visit nokidhungry.org.
And now I want to welcome Hannah to "BUILD at Home." Hi, Hannah.
HANNAH ZEILE: Hi. Hi, everyone.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: So where are you, and how have the last couple of weeks been?
HANNAH ZEILE: Yeah, so I am quarantined at home in Los Angeles-- born and raised. So it's been-- you know, it's been a crazy-- it's been a weird time. It's been a little scary. I personally suffer with anxiety. So I know I've been a little anxious. But for the most part I've been just trying to keep somewhat of a routine, but also be patient with myself and understand that, you know, a pandemic is scary. And just trying to work on my mental health as much as my physical, wash my hands, but also you know, keeping my mind in check by-- I like to create art when I need an outlet. So I've been doing a lot of that.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, I feel you. That patience thing has been very important. Because I feel like there's all this pressure to do stuff. And-- and it's like, sometimes you have to be kind to yourself, and just sort of be patient with the day. And maybe you don't do anything, and that's OK. You know, it's sort of like checking in with yourself.
HANNAH ZEILE: Totally. I feel like-- I think it's great that everyone wants to promote, like, productivity and keeping a routine. And I know that they say one of the keys to happiness is, like, having a routine and structure. But at the same time, you know, we have to remember that this is a scary time. And it's OK for you to feel scared or for you to just want to kind of curl up and be lazy for the day. You know, we need to be kind to ourselves.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Absolutely. I have definitely curled up on the couch and-- and watched a lot of stuff. "This is Us" is always in rotation.
HANNAH ZEILE: Oh, yay.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: You guys recently wrapped up season 4. But what are you watching?
HANNAH ZEILE: So I'm starting from the beginning of "Breaking Bad." I had watched some of it, but I never watched the whole thing in its entirety. And now all the seasons are on Netflix, and I have a lot of time. So I'm doing that right now.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: That's great. Because when you finish that, you can then go and watch "Better Call Saul," and just keep it rolling. Like, you can stay in that world.
HANNAH ZEILE: Oh, that's, like, so true.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah. So you just have so much TV to watch.
HANNAH ZEILE: OK, cool. Now I feel like I-- now I'm like-- before, I had too much free time. Now I'm like, I have so much to do.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: You have so much to do.
HANNAH ZEILE: So many episodes to watch.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: For your "This is Us" fam, have you talked to any of them, or have you checked in and see how they're doing?
HANNAH ZEILE: Totally, yeah. Obviously Niles and Logan and I are super, super close. We play triplets. And so we're close, on and off screen. So I've talked to them almost daily. I talked to Mandy because it was her birthday. So I messaged her. I talked to Milo. I talked to Chrissy when her single came out. So yeah, actually--
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: That's awesome.
HANNAH ZEILE: --I'VE been in contact with a bunch of them.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: I always thought it was interesting too-- like, during this time, have you watched any shows or movies with your castmates in them? Like, does that ever happened to you, like you turn on a movie, and you're like, oh.
[CHUCKLES]
HANNAH ZEILE: Yeah, I had-- the only thing I'd seen was-- before I started the show, I'd seen "A Walk to Remember." That was like-- I remember being at, like, a sleepover with a bunch of my girlfriends. And they were like, we're going to sit and watch this and cry together. And it was way before I'd ever been on the show. And then now that I've been on the show, I was actually getting my hair done, and they were playing "A Walk to Remember" on one of the screens, which was funny.
But I've never seen "Gilmore Girls." But I think that's one that I'd like to venture into maybe.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: You have so much good stuff to watch during this quarantine period. You've never watched "Gilmore Girls"?
HANNAH ZEILE: No. I'm just on a huge binge watcher. I don't feel like my focus is-- like, I watch a little, and then I kind of have to get out of the hole. So it takes me a while. But now I have so much to watch.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: That's fair, that's fair. Well, you mentioned that you have some anxiety, and that you use art to sort of help with that and process that. And-- and part of that has been songwriting. You wrote a new song called "An Ode to My Anxiety." So tell me just about the process of writing that and what you were inspired by.
HANNAH ZEILE: Yeah, so I've made original music for a while. I've always kind of been into just writing songs. And I had, like, you know, two songs done maybe a year ago, but I never released them because I'm an overthinker, and I just never felt like they were ready to put out.
So then during this time, the silver lining that I found in this pandemic was that I've had, you know, all the time in the world to focus on my music. Because I do have, like, a little setup at home to record.
So yeah, I had-- my producer had given me a beat that was a little more uptempo and a little different a vibe. And I really loved it, but I remember just saying, you know, I feel really anxious today, and that's just not my mood. I don't-- so I don't want to be inauthentic. I-- and I literally said, I don't feel like myself today because I felt kind of down. And that's the first line of the song, is, "sorry, I don't feel like myself today."
So it kind of just built from there. I just was feeling anxious about everything that's going on, and just drawing from the anxiety that I already suffered with. And I just felt like this was a good time to put this specific single out, because I know that it can feel like a really isolating feeling when it's happening. But so many people do feel the same way. And I feel like right now especially, people that don't usually feel anxious are anxious. So I just thought it was a good message about right now.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: How long have you been living with anxiety and trying to figure out how to deal with it in a positive way?
HANNAH ZEILE: Honestly, I feel like I've always had it. I didn't really know what it was when I was younger though. But I just recently had family members tell me, like, about stories or memories they have of me at, like, 10 years old with, like, behavior habits of being anxious.
I'm also a type 1 diabetic. So growing up with that, I had-- kind of fueled some my anxiety, because I had seizures and things when I was young that were a little traumatizing.
So but just, I would say, in the last, like, two to three years is when I really kind of was able to be self-aware of what I was struggling with, and be honest with myself, and be able to be open with others about it because I had accepted it myself. And I don't know, just trying to find whatever ways it is to cope. Because in the moment, when you're panicked, you feel so irrational and so out of control that it's hard to find that-- that ground. And I think that it's been important for me to try to find that for myself and also help others find that.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah. I appreciate you talking about your personal experience. I mean, I think anxiety is something that impacts so many people. And sometimes there's still a stigma around it. So I think it's really empowering to not only speak about it but to write about it in a song, and sort of explore it lyrically as well. That's really cool.
HANNAH ZEILE: Thank you.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: And did-- I read that-- did your brother help you out, too, in making it?
HANNAH ZEILE: Yeah, so I-- I recorded the vocals when there was just the piano, like, that chord progression that you hear. And then once the vocals were laid down, my producer, GM BEATS, he built the rest of the beat around my voice.
And I heard it, and I loved it, but I just felt like it still needed something a little more. And because this is so personal to me and my first release, I thought, you know, who better than the person that I look up to musically and that I'm closest to, my brother.
So since we're quarantined-- power of the internet-- I just emailed it over to him. And he played live guitar on it from his home, where he's quarantined, and then emailed it right back. And then we had the completed version.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: That's amazing. So if we want to hear that completed version, where can we hear that?
HANNAH ZEILE: Yeah, so it just released today. I'm super-excited. But it's on all streaming platforms now. So wherever you stream your music or listen to your music, it's called "Ode to My Anxiety." And you can find it there.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Well, I can't wait to hear a little sample. I know you're going to sing for us. So I'm going to let you take it away. This is your show right now.
HANNAH ZEILE: OK. All right, we're going a capella. So OK, let's go.
[CLEARS THROAT]
(SINGING) Sorry, I don't feel like myself today. Just give me till tomorrow and I'll be OK. Sorry, I just need a little time, time for tears to dry, time for fears to die. Because when I said, I'm fine, it felt like a lie.
I've been so far that I think I might break. I'm not sure how much more can take. I got this baggage, it ain't going away. I'll be OK. I'll be OK. I'll be OK. I'll be OK. I'll be OK.
Sometimes I'm scared to go outside. I keep getting older, world keeps getting Colder, that's what I've realized. Sometimes I just need the chance to breathe, a chance to slow the time, chance to slow my mind. Because when I said, I'm fine, if felt like a lie.
Been so far that I think I might break. I'm not sure how much more I can take. Got this baggage, it ain't going away. I'll be OK. I'll be OK. I'll be OK. I'll be OK. I'll be OK. Mm-mm-mm. I'll be-- I'll be OK. Mm-mm-mm.
[CLAPPING]
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yay. That was beautiful.
HANNAH ZEILE: Thank you.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: That is so, so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with us.
HANNAH ZEILE: Aw, thank you.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: And I love that now I can go listen to it on repeat for the rest of the afternoon.
[CHUCKLES]
HANNAH ZEILE: Thank you. I hope you do. I hope everyone enjoys it. Thank you so much.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, so for the-- those of you guys listening and watching, you just heard an ode to my-- "Ode to My Anxiety," which is streaming now on all musical platforms.
Hannah, thank you for writing it. Thank you for joining us today. It's been really fun chatting.
HANNAH ZEILE: Thank you so much. This was so fun.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yes, and please come back and visit us anytime. And stay safe. I hope you and your family are healthy-- and happy and healthy.
HANNAH ZEILE: Thank you. I'm sending health and love and light to you, and to everyone, and all your loved ones. And I hope that I'll get to come in in person when all of this craziness is done.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Please. I am looking forward to it.
HANNAH ZEILE: Great.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: I'll see you next time.
HANNAH ZEILE: [CHUCKLES] Bye.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Bye.
[THEME MUSIC]
