Joey King Takes a Lie Detector Test

Look, the table's wet.

My hand is sweating,

and it's a question about ketchup.

Sabrina warned me about this interview.

[Joey laughs]

Here we go.

[Judd] Lift your hands up please.

My heart's beating fast.

Is it gonna read that and think I'm lying?

[Judd] No.

I used to be the polygraph examiner

for the Queen's DA's office.

I was a detective, so.

[static crackling]

[Interviewer] Is your full name Joey Lynn King?

Yes.

[Interviewer] Are you 22 years old?

Yes.

[Interviewer] Are you nervous?

Uh huh, yes.

[Interviewer] Judd, are we ready?

Good to go.

[Interviewer] We're going to start

with the first category, your career.

Your professional acting career started at the age of four.

Yes.

[Interviewer] Was it your decision to start acting?

Yes.

[Interviewer] Is it true that child actors

don't spend much time in school?

Yes, actually.

I spent, I spent actually a decent amount of time in school,

but then I did most of my schoolwork when I was on set.

[Interviewer] What level of education

would you say you have?

10th grade.

It's fine.

I don't think I'm, I think I'm a smart person,

but every now and then, when I'm struggling to do something,

I'm like, Sorry guys, I just have a 10th grade education.

[Interviewer] So if I ask you to do long division,

you'd be able to do it on the spot?

No, not anymore anyway.

Why the heck would I be doing long division?

Why would I need that in life right now?

I mean, not, stay in school, but I'm just saying,

I don't use that every day.

I don't think I could do it, no.

[Interviewer] So you don't know

what 20 divided by five is?

I know that it's four.

[Interviewer] How about 1040 divided by 20?

No.

I know it's probably pretty easy 'cause it's even numbers,

but I'm not even gonna try.

[Interviewer] It's 52.

Would've never guessed that.

[Interviewer] You are 22 and have over 70 acting credits.

Do I?

Okay.

That's great.

Yes, do I?

That's inconclusive.

Okay, yes.

[Interviewer] Do you remember all the roles you've played?

I would say...

I would say no.

[Interviewer] Are there any you wish you could forget?

Yes.

[Interviewer] Which one?

No.

[Joey laughs]

[Interviewer] What do you remember about this role?

Oh yes.

I loved this role.

I was, I played a girl named Brianna, I think, on New Girl

and look at that haircut.

What a little mushroom head.

That was a wig, by the way.

That was a wig, 'cause I had shaved my head

for the movie I did called Wish I Was Here,

and it was still growing out.

But they needed me to have hair for this role,

so I got this cute little bob situation going.

I actually still have it.

It's in my closet on a wig head

and it's been there for 10 years.

[Interviewer] You've worked on multiple projects

every single year since you started acting.

Yes.

[Interviewer] Is it because you're paranoid

about appearing lazy?

That's a good question.

I think I used to be paranoid of feeling lazy.

Now I don't feel that way anymore.

Now I'm like, I really appreciate the breaks

when I have them.

But before, yes, I think it was because of that.

[Interviewer] When actors take multiple years off

between projects, do you consider them lazy?

No.

That's a really lovely decision.

Spend time with your family, your loved ones, I love that.

[Interviewer] Why don't you do it then?

I do.

This is, well last year was pretty nuts

but this, this is my first time,

kind of after I finished my last project in December

and I said I wasn't gonna work until April again.

[Interviewer] Do you consider yourself a workaholic?

No.

[Interviewer] Have you ever used the term girl boss

to describe yourself?

No, I have not.

[Interviewer] Judd?

Yes, she's telling the truth.

[Interviewer] You played Elle in The Kissing Booth.

Mhmm.

[Interviewer] Would you say

that makes you an expert on kissing?

For sure.

[Interviewer] Judd?

She's lying.

[Joey laughs]

Oh shit!

I actually, it was kind of a joke, but I was like,

I wonder if it's gonna register as a truth.

[Interviewer] Would your boyfriend say you're an expert?

I would hope so.

You're being truthful.

Yeah, I mean, that'd be weird if I didn't hope so.

[Interviewer] How do you feel re-watching yourself

kissing people on screen?

Yeah, I don't love watching myself kiss on screen.

It's weird.

I'm like, Ew, what are you doing with your face?

[Interviewer] Have you ever watch YouTube clips

of yourself kissing co-stars?

Kissing co-stars, no.

But I have watched YouTube clips of myself before,

just to make sure I don't sound like an idiot and stuff.

[Interviewer] You've appeared on a lot of red carpets

during your career.

Did you always like getting your photo taken?

Yeah, I don't, no, no that's not true.

I used to like it a lot more than I do now.

[Interviewer] What changed?

Self criticism and criticism from the Internet.

[Interviewer] Have you ever practiced posing

before you went to an event?

100%, every one actually.

Making sure I got all my angles for that outfit.

[Interviewer] Do you have a go-to red carpet pose?

Depends on the outfit.

Usually a short dress, I'll cross the legs,

makes them look a little longer.

And then, I don't do hand on hip, I don't like that.

I'm like, Ew, who is she?

[Interviewer] Was it more fun attending red carpet events

as a kid or today?

I'd say today

'cause I can have a glass of wine afterwards.

[Interviewer] Was it fun going through puberty

in the public eye?

I mean, I didn't really think

I was going through too bad of an awkward stage at the time.

I was a pretty confident 12 to 15 year old girl.

It was, it's now that I'm looking back

at some of the haircuts I've had

and what I thought was fashionable, I'm like,

You know?

Good for you that you just thought it was great

and you were doing good.

But I feel it more now than I did then.

But I was really just like, Yeah, I'm the coolest

when I was 12.

I just thought I was the tits.

[Interviewer] You shaved your head three times

throughout your career.

Correct.

[Interviewer] What do you think it is about your hair

that makes people wanna shave it off all the time?

Right?

I don't know.

Is it, is it, I don't know.

People love to separate me from my hair.

Maybe it's my cheeks.

I feel like, I don't know if they look round right now

but I always had a pretty round face,

and I think that when you're a kid,

that makes you really cute,

so people were like, Shave it off!

Let's see those cheeks!

But yeah, I don't know.

[Interviewer] What's harder,

growing bangs or a full head of hair?

A full head of hair.

That's really tough.

It gets, it's really cute for a while,

pixie cut and all that stuff.

And then when it gets a little bit past that,

it's just so hard to make it look good.

[Interviewer] Moving on to the next category,

relationships.

I'm, I feel like I look like an unsettled,

like I've had a bunch of coffee.

I'm jerking around

'cause I have these little tremors of nerves.

[Interviewer] Billie Eilish once said she wanted to be you

when she was younger.

Yeah.

[Interviewer] Do you want to be her today?

No, but I absolutely love her.

[Interviewer] Why not?

I don't wanna be a musician.

It seems like a really fulfilling but also a tough job,

really tough job.

[Interviewer] Would you sing with her on stage

if she asked you to?

Yes.

If Billie Eilish asked me to do pretty much anything,

I'd say yes.

[Interviewer] Did you like her latest album?

Happier Than Ever, yeah, I love it.

[Interviewer] What's your favorite song from it?

Happier Than Ever.

[Interviewer] That's convenient.

It's, I know every word to that song.

[Interviewer] Judd?

She's telling the truth.

[Interviewer] In her lie detector,

this person had said she watched all of your movies,

which you then said was a lie on Instagram.

I know she's lying.

[Interviewer] How do you know?

'Cause she has, I, she has not seen

the Hallmark movie I did when I was seven.

Of course not.

She's a liar.

[Interviewer] Does she lie to you often?

Probably.

[Interviewer] Have you listened to all of her songs?

No.

I don't even know who that is.

Those words don't even compute in my brain.

[Interviewer] Judd?

Yup, that's a lie.

[Joey laughs]

[Interviewer] What about her ex-boyfriends?

Have you liked all of them?

Oh, no.

[Interviewer] Has she liked all of your boyfriends?

No.

[Interviewer] Wow, honest friendship.

Yeah, we love each other.

[Interviewer] You mentioned your ideal date

would always involve food.

Yes.

[Interviewer] Do you ever get hangry?

Actually no, and this is interesting

because I have 23 and Me and it says in my chart

that I share more Neanderthal DNA

than 70% of other 23 and Me users,

and one of my variant traits

of being an inherent Neanderthal is that I don't get hangry

when I'm hungry.

That was a literal thing they told me.

[Interviewer] Wow.

So yeah, I don't get hangry.

So I'm a Neanderthal.

[Interviewer] Do you feel there's ever

an inappropriate time to have a snack?

When you're on set and they're rolling

and you're not in the scene

and you're crunching on a carrot,

that's probably a bad time for a snack.

[Interviewer] What about in this situation?

I thought that was a genius move

to bring my favorite candy to keep me nourished

at an award show.

Award shows are tiring.

A sugar high is perfect for that situation.

[Interviewer] Are you allowed to bring food

to a red carpet, or did you sneak these in?

I've never been told not to.

I don't think it's smiled upon,

but it wasn't like I had a hot dog in my hand.

It was in a box

so I thought no one would really have a problem with it.

[Interviewer] Judd?

She's telling the truth.

[Interviewer] You're the youngest of three sisters.

Correct.

[Interviewer] Is it true that the youngest

always needs the most attention?

No.

I think that's not true.

You're telling the truth.

Yeah.

I could sit, when I was a kid, with Barbies

and entertain myself with just no one else for hours.

[Interviewer] Do you think being an actor

means you always need to be the center of attention?

Yeah, I think so, probably.

[Interviewer] Do you know

who your parents' favorite child is?

Yes.

[Interviewer] Is it you?

No, it's Hunter.

I mean, she's the best.

She's like, if I was her mother,

I'd be like, Oh, of course.

[Interviewer] You're currently dating this man.

Yes I am.

[Interviewer] So be honest.

Oh God.

[Interviewer] How's it going?

Wonderful.

[Interviewer] As a Gen Z-er.

Am I?

[Interviewer] Yes, you are a Gen Z-er.

Okay.

[Interviewer] Is it hard dating a Millennial?

No.

It's great.

Yes, she's telling the truth.

[Interviewer] What's the most Millennial thing he does

that you would never do?

Sometimes he'll quote movies that I hadn't seen

'cause they were more his favorite when he was a teenager,

and I'll be like, What,

and he'll be like, Oh yeah.

That's probably about it.

[Interviewer] So which is the better generation,

Z or Millennials?

Millennial.

[Interviewer] Why?

I feel like we have too much Internet now.

[Interviewer] Moving on to the final category, your life.

Would you consider yourself funny?

Yeah.

She's being truthful.

[Interviewer] Are you sure?

Yeah.

I mean, at times.

I feel like there's a time and a place,

and sometimes I can deliver some good one-liners.

[Interviewer] Do you think you're the funniest person

to appear on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody?

Definitely not.

[Interviewer] Who is funnier, Dylan or Cole?

Well, on the show as a kid, I thought Dylan was funnier.

[Interviewer] Could you tell them apart?

Yes, absolutely.

I was in love with them when I was a kid, oh my God.

[Interviewer] Did you have a crush on either of them?

Fat crush, but on both.

My mom used to joke that she could see little heart bubbles

popping off my head, the top of my head

when I worked with them.

I was seven.

I was like, Oh my God, I'm in love!

[Interviewer] You've mentioned you're lactose intolerant.

Yeah.

[Interviewer] Do you think it's because you grew up in LA?

No, I think it's 'cause I'm, well maybe it's not.

I don't know.

I was gonna say 'cause I'm Jewish.

But I actually grew up drinking milk

and eating cheese and cream cheese and all that stuff

and I was fine.

I don't know when the flip switched,

but when it did, it flipped hard.

[Interviewer] Did you ever fire an assistant

for giving you something with dairy?

No, never.

I've also only ever had two assistants

on two different projects.

I don't have a baseline assistant.

[Interviewer] Have you ever fired an assistant?

Yeah, but never did it personally.

[Joey laughs]

[Interviewer] Have you ever been fired yourself?

Yes.

I was asked to be on a show by a friend of mine

who was a showrunner,

and then I read the script and I was 18 at the time

and it was for a 26 year old

who had a very job that was not believable for me,

it was a cop.

And at 18, me, I already look so young.

My first line in the show is,

Freeze, put your hands in the air.

I did the table read for the network

and the network fired me because I was too young.

And I, honestly I wasn't even sad.

I was like, Listen, was I right or was I right,

'cause I said to the showrunner, I was like,

I'd love to do the show for you,

I just think I'm too young.

And he was like, No, you're perfect.

And I got fired.

I was like, Ha, I was too young.

[Interviewer] You post a lot of candid things

on your Instagram.

Yeah.

[Interviewer] Did you ever delete a post?

Yes, I've deleted a couple.

[Interviewer] Was it because it didn't get enough likes?

I actually think that's a reason

that I have deleted posts before,

but I'm not proud of that, obviously.

I'm just being honest, 'cause Judd over there would out me.

[Interviewer] Off the top of your head,

do you know how many Instagram followers you have?

Yes.

Do you want me to, 18.8 million.

[Interviewer] Do you ever notice if you lose followers?

Oh yeah.

Not that the number's small, but I'm not gonna lie,

it was at 19 and then I think I was a little inactive

and people got a little tired of me.

[Interviewer] Final question.

Oh.

[Interviewer] Did you lie at any point

during this lie detector test and we didn't catch you?

I think so.