<p>This week on <em>Spotlight</em>, Kat sat down with the brilliantly funny and refreshingly candid Milana Vayntrub, actress, creator, activist, and the voice behind Marvel’s beloved Squirrel Girl, fresh off the premiere of one of the most anticipated films of the year: <em>Project Hail Mary,</em> alongside Ryan Gosling.</p><p>Milana plays Alessia, a Russian astronaut tasked with nothing less than saving the universe. She was instantly drawn to the character’s grit. “She had to be a little bit of a renegade to be a female astronaut in Russia,” Milana tells Kat. “She had to overcome some real stuff to be the person they chose to not just represent their country, but to save the universe.” It’s a role that fits: part hard-ass, part party girl, entirely compelling.</p><p></p><p>But the conversation goes much deeper than the red carpet. Milana and Kat explore the state of the internet, the clickbait economy, the rage machine, and the bots designed to manufacture chaos. Milana speaks openly about the online harassment she faced during her AT&T commercial days, describing it with raw honesty: “It felt like men were grabbing at me.” Rather than retreating, she channelled that experience into advocacy and into <em>Only Philanthropy</em>, her platform where exclusive content funds charitable causes.</p><p>There’s also a beautiful detour into her OG YouTube era with creative partner Stevie Nelson, her passion for female-led storytelling, and what she’s doing at home to raise her son differently — making sure he grows up watching shows with female leads.</p><p>Warm, wickedly sharp, and completely herself, Milana is exactly the kind of guest that makes you want to hit play all over again.</p><p>🎧 <em>Listen now — by subscribing to our Substack, you get episodes a little earlier.</em><em>Spotlight with Kat Siggers is a </em><a target="_blank" href="https://nerdspin.com/"><em>Nerdspin</em></a><em> Podcast</em></p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Spotlight with Kat Siggers at <a href="https://spotlightwithkat.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">spotlightwithkat.substack.com/subscribe</a>