Good morning Hank, it's Tuesday.

Today's video comes to you in two parts. Part one: a major casting annoucement. 

So back in March, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Isabela Merced would play Aza in the movie adaptation of my book Turtles All the Way Down. And then shortly after that, Deadline Hollywood broke the news that Felix Mallard and Cree would also be in the movie. But somehow, none of these major publications saw fit to announce the most important news of all, which is that I have also been cast in the Turtles All the Way Down movie. 

Now Hank, longtime Nerdfighters will know that I have never managed to actually score a cameo in any of the movie adaptations of my books, and not for lack of trying.  

Like I was supposed to be in The Fault in Our Stars movie. I had two lines and everything. But my acting was so distractingly bad that they had to cut the scene out of the movie. 

But that was eight years ago Hank, and since then, I have been practicing. working to get to a place where I can say words in a normal-ish manner while looking into a camera lens.

But also while being filmed and not looking into a camera lens? Nope, no upspeak, just straight.
But also while being filmed and not looking into a camera lens. That got weird at the end.
But also while being filmed and not looking into a camera lens. That was an angry version. Just say it normal!
But also while being filmed and not looking- But also while being filmed and not looking into- But also- This is going to go great. 

Will I get cut from the movie? Probably. But that's okay. I mean, the work actual actors do just amazes me. Like to cite one example, Isabela so completely inhabits the mind and body of Aza that sometimes when we are filming difficult scenes. I want to intervene. Like I know it's acting, there are cameras and mics and lights everywhere, but she makes it feel so real that all that stuff disappears. Which is something that no one will say about my performance in Turtles All the Way Down. Oh, but there is one great thing about it.

So there's this document called a call sheet, which says like which actors are working each day and when they need to be picked up and stuff. And the star of the movie is the first person on the call sheet, and then the person who has the second-most screen time is number two on the call sheet, and so on. Anyway, my first day on the set, the second assistant director Tracy came up to me and said, "It's really nice to meet you, 19," because I am the nineteenth name on the call sheet.

And now I have a nickname. The hair and makeup crew even got me a necklace that has the number 19 on it. I've always wanted a good nickname, one that is simultaneously loving and humbling. I mean the thing about your regular name is that it's picked when nobody knows anything about you, including yourself. Whereas a nickname is generally bestowed when people do know something about you, like that you're the nineteenth most important member of this cast. 

Last thing about the movie: I'll be doing more Question Tuesday videos with the cast and also with the director, so leave some questions in the comments below. 

Part two: Crash Course.

So Hank, it truly boggles my mind to consider how many people have used Complexly's channel Crash Course to help them learn. Like these days, when I'm running an errand and someone recognizes me, 99% of the time it's as "the Crash Course guy." And I have to say, "the Crash Course guy" is my favorite nickname, even more than 19.

Because I am really proud of the people who make Crash Course and what they've accomplished together. Like in 2021 alone, they helped tens of millions of people learn about everything from organic chemistry to Black American history to infectious disease. Which incidentally were three of the series launched last year thanks in part to funding from the Crash Course coin, the 2022 edition of which is available now and only for the next two weeks.

The idea is that people can sponsor 2,000 learners with a $100 coin or 10,000 learners with a $500 coin. And you get this beautifully struck coin, which features illustrations inspired by the cave paintings at Lascaux. Cave paintings that remind us that people have been sharing information and learning from each other for a very long time. The link to get yours is https://crashcoursecoin.com/.  

Now of course, we know that the vast majority of people can't afford to support Crash Course at that level, and that's okay! The whole idea of Crash Course is that it is free for everyone forever, but if you can afford to, it is a beautiful coin and will also help Crash Course fulfill its mission of lowering barriers to education. 

Hank, I'll see you on Friday.