I’ve interviewed a lot of people in my roughly 18 or so years in journalism. When I was in Korea, I primarily wrote entertainment and culture articles. I covered music festivals and concerts, and did profiles on a number of indie musicians both from South Korea and abroad. I interviewed TV producers, movie actors, stylists and cosplayers. All sorts.
But one interview that always sticks out in my mind is the one I did with Billy Boyd in July 2019.
For those who may not recognize that name, he is a Scottish actor who played Pippin Took in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He was also in “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” the voice of Glen/Glenda in “The Seed of Chucky,” and was one of the many suitors of Brianna Randall in season four of the Outlander series.
To put it bluntly, my inner high schooler was absolutely losing her everloving mind in the days and hours leading up to the interview, because I was about to meet Pippin Took. Older Em was flipping out just as much because this is an actor from Outlander who worked with the likes of Catriona Balfe, Sophie Skelton and the great Maria Doyle Kennedy.
I remember pacing outside the green-room door as we waited to go in, muttering to myself about not screwing up. This was (and to this day remains) the biggest/most wellknown actor I think I’ve interviewed.
Yes, I was nervous. Incredibly nervous. Reminding myself that I was not allowed to blurt out 20 more Lord of the Rings questions nervous.
Andthenthedooropened, and one of the assistants led our photographer and me back into the room. Billy was seated in a large chair, but immediately stood to shake my hand and greet me. I barely had a moment to take a deep breath and center myself before he saw my Goonies shirt and exclaimed, “That’s one of my favorite movies! But I can’t seem to get my kids into it.”
This led to a five-minute conversation about why Goonies is one of the best movies ever and me getting my head on straight. The rest of the interview was a breeze.
Billy Boyd is quite possibly one of the loveliest, friendliest, ball-of-sunshine people I think I’ve ever met.Whether we were talking about his band and their latest album that was about to come out, or the possibility of having Mr. Forbes write a song to convince Brianna to marry him, or how gorgeous Orlando Bloom’s wigs were in LOTR, it felt like I was having a chat over coffee with a friend. Not doing an interview with a successful international actor who was in quite possibly one of the biggest film trilogies of the 2000s (or time, depending on who you talk to).
He told me about how growing up in a housing project in Glasgow pushed him into the arts -- he said that when he was young, people believed there were only two ways out -- football and music. So,hestartedaband.Something he’d always done in the background when he wasn’t acting.
But more than his story, more than the fun behindthe- scenes takes about LOTR, it was his effervescent, positive attitude that always stuck with me. Especially this quote.
“I think being negative and cynical is an easier route. So trying to put out positive art, joyful things is more difficult. I always try to put out not hope, but a sort of joy in these things.”
As the years since that interview have passed, I feel this more. I’m often overwhelmed with work and responsibilities, which is compounded by the fact that I struggle with anxiety. That struggle only seems to get worse the older I get. It’s so easy to fall into a space where every little thing is annoying. Where being cynical wins out over being happy. I hate to admit it, but I fall into that hole a lot, though I try my best to keep it among my closest friends and in private.
But I always come back to that quote. That entire interview. I remember the kindness and joy that Billy exuded.And it reminds me that we can choose that. It’s not always easy. Sometimes whenyou’reexhausted, and nothing seems to be going right, it’s far easier to complain and needle. And well, there’s nothing wrong with expressing frustration and getting it out of your system.
But it’s also okay to try and hold on to the joy in life. To be kind. To find happiness where you can, when you can. Because nothing is guaranteed, and nothing lasts forever. More than that, it’s okay to share your joy. And definitely share kindness.
I hope that I can be more like Billy. I hope that we all can.