THE ELLEN DeGENERES SHOW 1/7/04
Tia wears a tiara, Ellen wears a corn hat, and then they dance. Tia Texada's first ever talk show appearance.

Ellen: Our next guest has appeared in such films as Phone Booth and Nurse Betty. She currently stars as Sirgeant--- "Sirgeant"? Sergeant Maritza Cruz on NBC's popular drama Third Watch.

Tia Texada: So next time I'll enter a different way and then you'll have the bra for me.
Ellen: Then we'll have the bra for you and then I'm sure you'll complain about something else.

Ellen: Congratulations on the show and it's the hundredth episode and five years. You've been on what? Two years?
Tia: Actually, yeah. {cheers and applause} Thank you. Yeah, I actually joined last year so I was new coming into it and um, it's been a wonderful experience and what is-- I mean it's hard for any show to make it to 100 and so it's quite an accomplishment.

{about shooting "A Call For Help"}
Tia: Our cameraman, was just-- he was just like a dancer.

Ellen: Ten minutes. So that means that you can't mess up because if you mess up and there's like, you know, six people in the scene you're responsible for having to start over again. That's a lot of pressure, to have ten minute scenes.
Tia Texada: And it happened.
Ellen: Really?
Tia: It happened. Yeah. It happened to one of our guys who plays, uh, a-- a EMT. We had gone, beautiful take and everybody was just-- it was like a dance, you know, it was perfect and then he got to the end and he maybe had like one line and he just completely blew it and it was just-- and we all felt it, you know?

Tia: In theater, you know, you mess up and it goes on, you know? But in this situation, you mess up and it's on tape, you know. You know about that.
Ellen: Yeah, well, luckily I never do, but...
Tia: I wasn't implying that, but...

Ellen: We're back with Tia Texada and we're both wearing tiaras. Tia Texada is wearing a tiaria and, uh, I also am wearing a tiara.
Tia: I love it.
Ellen: Yeah, it is nice. You really do like it. I noticed a whole shift in you. You put the tiara on...



OClick for Audio of the Interview (10.5mb)