Episode
Ep444 - Tess Marshall: Embracing the Kookiness
- Published
- May 19, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3682
- Processing state
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Summary
Tess shares her journey of embracing authenticity and finding her unique voice across stage, television, and film. She opens up about how she found true artistic fulfillment by embracing the "kooky," quirky, and offbeat parts of herself rather than trying to constantly force her five-foot-nine frame into a traditional ingenue box. She breaks down the surreal whirlwind of her recent career milestones, from performing on The Today Show at five o'clock in the morning to hearing the news of a Tony nomination. Alan and Tess swap hilarious stories about major life updates happening in the least convenient places, including the exact moment she received a FaceTime call inviting her to Broadway while riding completely alone in an Amtrak quiet car. The conversation also shifts into creative endeavors outside the theater world, including Tess's passion for music and her upcoming solo album. She breaks down the therapeutic process of heading to Nashville to record a deeply personal breakup album, laying down tracks on the legendary microphone used for Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway. Alan and Tess bond over their shared experiences with self-diagnosed ADHD, hilariously dissecting the reality of "body doubling," "doom scrolling," and the mounting clutter of "doom piles". From a formative high school moment where a failed math test accidentally set her on a path to music school, to a lightning-fast, 60-second summary of Les Misérables, Tess delivers a wonderfully candid, smart, and funny look at a life in the arts. Tess Marshall is a versatile performer whose stage credits include a year and ten months as a swing and dance captain for the off-Broadway production of Titanique at the Daryl Roth Theatre, where she ultimately stepped into the iconic role of Celine Dion. Her screen credits i…