Da: Your character, gia Matteo, was given the in-universe nickname of “Miss- provocative-and- unfortunatelygood-at-Her-Job.” Can you give us a primer on gia and how she got this unusual but epic nickname? aK:

I think “Miss-Provocative-AndUnfortunately-Good-At-Her-Job” is the primer. Gia is an extremely talented architect who Ana and Christian hire to design their new home. But she’s inappropriately flirtatious and not afraid to go after what she wants ... or who she wants.

Thank you for asking, and my answer is: It’s all important. Sexual harassment and sexual violence are not acceptable on any level. The #MeToo movement was the cracking open of a new conversation. The beginning of an era led by women where both men and women are bringing a new awareness around what is and what is not appropriate when it comes to someone using their power to manipulate someone.

There’s safety and strength in numbers. The #MeToo movement creates a safe platform to share and highlight all levels of sexual harassment, from physical to mental abuse. #MeToo identifies those who have been raped or groped to those who have suffered through experiences in the gray area—the area that encompasses situations that don’t fit neatly into the categories traditionally thought of as harassment. We talked about it a lot on the podcast.

“Have you ever giggled your way out of an uncomfortable situation?” “Ever wanted to call someone out but decided to take the path of least resistance instead?” “Ever justified someone else’s behavior because you’re friends with them?” These are all feelings and experiences under the #MeToo movement as well, and I think that’s important for both men and women to know. The most important thing we can do is be willing to stand up for ourselves and one another.

As a society, we have to retrain ourselves to recognize inappropriate situations as they are happening and to take action in that moment. I have to do this, too. Instead of immediately relying on one of my many self-taught coping mechanisms to dodge a “tricky situation,” I have to be willing to stand up to someone in the moment if it’s happening to me. I have to be willing to stand up for someone else if it’s happening to them on the street, on set, anywhere and everywhere. If I ever see any form of harassment happening ever again, I have to trust that it’s safe to speak up and not be afraid to lose my job, have someone else lose their job, lose a friend, etc.

Men are asking me how they can help. My answer is always: “speak up.” The more men and women collectively speak up, the less and less someone will feel safe harassing someone else. Sexual harassment is about manipulation and power. And silence has fueled that power for years. When we take away the silence, we take away the power. And we create a happier, healthier environment for all.

We are one race: the human race. It’s that simple and that complicated. Simple because we all deserve equal rights. Complicated because to actually achieve this, we must be willing to look at our own history and ask ourselves: “At what point did we create a divide? And why? Are we willing and able to accept a new story now?” By being willing to let go, we can write a better history for future generations to come. And we need to start now!

The altitude sickness! Just kidding— kind of. My character, Olivia Charity, came to me at a time when I needed her most. I was going through a tough time personally and being able to turn all of