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Each month we ask a new eco-maven 18 questions about his or her life, occupation, and advice for other like-minded people. This month we connected with Harvard graduate and star of NBC’s hit drama Grimm, Bitsie Tulloch. Bitsie has also performed in film and theater and continues to be an active participant and celebrity representative for the Corazon de Vida Foundation, through which she fundraises and visits orphanages in Tijuana. Be sure to watch the season 4 premiere of Grimm on October 24th and to check out Bitsie’s Instagram and Twitter.
1. What is your name?
Bitsie Tulloch
2. What is your occupation?
Actress
3. Do you have a “green” memory growing up?
I grew up overseas in Spain, Uruguay, and Argentina. When we lived in Uruguay, my sister Elena and I would wake up at dawn and go into our backyard to pick blackberries. We kept staining our pajamas so eventually my mom told us we could only go out and pick them if we were naked!
4. What’s your favorite meal?
This is a hard question to answer! I love my grandma’s spaghetti. And the fried eggs my boyfriend makes me for breakfast. And my dad grills an awesome Argentine asado. But honestly, it comes down to cheese. I’ll eat almost anything as long as there’s cheese on it. Except for cilantro. I hate cilantro! Blegh.
5. Who/What inspires you to be more “green” in your life?
David Giuntoli is very eco-conscious, and stays on me about the little things (I’m good about the bigger/obvious things such as turning lights off and recycling). He discourages me from drinking so much bottled water at home, so I’ve switched to drinking the filtered water in my fridge. I often google simple ways to be greener (baby steps!) and have become MUCH more aware of toxic chemicals in household products because my dog is hyperactive and gets into things.
6. Where on the “green scale” do you fall?
I consider myself to be fairly green in that I recycle, use CFL light bulbs, use totes for grocery shopping, etc. I’m proud of Grimm—it’s a very green film set. There are no plastic water bottles allowed, we recycle, and we even compost meals!
7. What are the most rewarding and most challenging parts of your job?
I am loving my career right now! It’s been so wonderful being on a TV show as fun and entertaining as Grimm, and then being able to do interesting movies during my hiatus. I recently wrapped an independent film called Chronic opposite Tim Roth. It’s very dark and disturbing—such a departure from Grimm! It was very rewarding exploring such a different character, and then a few days later going back to being Juliette. 🙂 The only time I ever think of my job as challenging is on night shoots when it’s freezing outside and pouring rain, which fortunately is not too often, so I can’t complain!
8. Where’s your “greenspot” food, body care/beauty, oceans, home or neighborhood, explain:
My greenspot is outside hiking. There’s a beautiful hike up to the top of Multnomah Falls that I’ve been doing since the beginning of Season 1 of Grimm. It’s a little over a mile up to the top, and then if you keep hiking up there are lots of swimming spots and smaller waterfalls. It’s so peaceful and stunning. We are so lucky to be shooting Grimm here in Portland. It’s one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to, let alone lived in. If you drive an hour west you’re at the stunning coast, an hour east you have mountains and snow, an hour south you’re in beautiful wine country. It’s tremendously verdant and has such clean air and gorgeous scenery.
9. Where do you turn for your news?
As far as print, The New York Times and The New Yorker. For social media, Twitter and Facebook. On TV, it’s usually The Daily Show (I love Jon Stewart) or CNN. For radio: NPR.
10. What is one environmental change you vow to make in the next year?
I vow to switch all of my light bulbs to environmentally friendly CFLs. Right now I’d say only 50-60% of my lighting is CFLs. I will also be more mindful of shortening my time in the shower—I love getting under the hot water at the end of a long day, but it’s wasteful. I’ve also been biking more around Portland and want to keep it up!
11. If you could trade places with one person from any time in history (past or present) for one day—who would it be and why?
Gertrude Stein! She was friends with such incredible artists such as Picasso, Mattise, and Hemingway. For 40 years in Paris she hosted fabulous parties for artists and writers—I would LOVE to be Gertrude Stein during one of those soirées!
12. You have a meeting with the leader of every country in the world. You have 30 seconds to tell them anything you want. Go!
Everyone deserves the right to an education, and it starts with literacy! When people have even just fundamental reading skills, the poverty rate declines and economies improve. It also improves health and life expectancy! Let’s focus on improving education systems worldwide, starting with the world’s poorest countries.
13. You have the chance to send one tweet to all the tweeps in the world. Let’s hear it in 140 characters, or less!
Wake up each day with a grateful heart. 🙂
14. If there was one industry/product that you could make more eco-friendly, what would it be?
I would love to see all industries switching to renewable forms of energy. In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, it’s a great way to encourage innovation. Companies like Google have been awesome examples—they use a fair amount of solar and wind energy, and have committed over $1 billion to renewable energy projects. It’s very impressive!
15. Where in the world would you most like to be right now?
Seville! Spain is my favorite country to visit, and Seville is one of my favorite cities in Spain. I would love to be wandering the streets at twilight, on my way to have tapas and a glass of red wine.
16. What is the best book you have read recently?
I re-read John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany—probably for the 6th time. It’s so rich and layered, and it means something different to me each time. One of my all-time favorite books. Next up is Haruki Murakami’s new novel, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. I’m so excited!! I love Murakami.
17. What makes you cringe?
My dog Henry’s farts! Litter. People who don’t pick up their dog’s poop. Hypocrisy.
18. What do you want your legacy to be?
The older I get, the simpler my ‘grand schemes’ have become. Daily, I strive to be kind to everyone and to be the best version of myself. In the next few years, I’d love to get married and start a family. That’s what it ultimately boils down to—love and family.
