Adrianne Palicki on Friday Night Lights, Being Underestimated & Finding Her Voice

What does it mean to define yourself when so much of your life has been shaped by other people's expectations?

This week on You're Gonna Want To Hear This, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt is joined by actress Adrianne Palicki for an intimate conversation about growing up in Hollywood, finding your voice, and the women she's played who have stayed with audiences long after the cameras stopped rolling.

Nearly 20 years after Friday Night Lights first premiered, Adrianne reflects on the enduring legacy of Tyra Collette, a character who spent much of the series being underestimated and defined by others, before finally choosing to imagine a different future for herself. As the show celebrates its anniversary, Adrianne talks about reconnecting with the cast and fans, why Tyra's famous college essay still resonates with her, and the extraordinary messages she's received from women whose lives were changed by the character.

She also opens up about navigating Hollywood as a woman, from being judged by appearances and underestimated early in her career, to the pressure to be strong, likeable and youthful.

Adrianne also speaks about her new indie drama Due West, reuniting with fellow Friday Night Lights alumni and playing a woman forced to take control of her future when the systems around her fail. She discusses the power of independent filmmaking, the stories she wants to tell about women, and why she's drawn to characters who refuse to be defined by their circumstances.

This is a conversation about ambition, resilience, identity, ageing, rejection and reinvention, and what happens when you stop asking other people who you're supposed to be.

This episode covers:

• Adrianne Palicki on the enduring legacy of Friday Night Lights
• Why Tyra Collette still resonates with women nearly 20 years later
• The Friday Night Lights 20th anniversary and reconnecting with the cast
• The importance of Tyra's “define myself” college essay
• Being underestimated and finding your own sense of possibility
• Growing up and finding your way in Hollywood
• Being a woman in an industry obsessed with youth and appearance
• Rejection, ambition and redefining success
• Ageing and finding freedom in your 40s
• Adrianne's new film Due West
• Reuniting with Friday Night Lights alumni on Due West
• Producing Texas Forever: The Legacy of Friday Night Lights
• What it means to define yourself on your own terms

You can watch Due West on Apple TV

Friday Night Lights 20th Anniversary Roadshow: www.plex.tv/friday-night-lights-roadtrip

Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram

🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips.

Credits:

Host Georgie McCourt

Edited by Helen Smith

Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain

With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire

You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.