Motherhood In Hollywood

Get your outrage ready, in this episode we're dissecting Hollywood and Politics. If you watched the Golden Globes last week then you saw the powerful speech Meryl Streep gave about Donald Trump. Hollywood was vibrating in the days after her speech with a lot of celebrities coming forward to champion her and weigh-in.Trump of course responded with a tweet calling Streep "over-rated", solidifying yet another example of how divided Hollywood and the current political climate are. It seems that nearly all of show business wants nothing to do with the President-Elect. Performers are backing out of the inauguration left and right and most celebrities are flat out refusing to perform. At any given moment twitter comedians are blasting Trump for something he said or did as well as most online news outlets. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the entertainment business finds Trump neither entertaining nor good for business. But this train is in motion and Donald Trump will be inaugurated this week as the 45th Pre

Courtney Peldon from Aqua Talent has been working in Hollywood since she was a toddler and she knows the ins and outs of this business. And since she's also my agent, I convinced her to let me interview her and get some insights on pilot season, how people "make it" in Hollywood today. We're also answering the questions you sent in via social media! Courtney has been on hit TV shows like Harry and the Hendersons, Home Improvement and Boston Public. She's also found herself in several roles behind the camera as well in casting and producing.  Now she's found her home as a talent agent, pitching some of the top working actors today (myself included!) Courtney Peldon and Jonathan Taylor Thomas on Home Improvement She tells me how making it in Hollywood today is different than in years past. Now it's about a lot more than luck and talent. You have to hustle and create your own content. Actors will learn: How social media has changed the landscape of entertainment jobs What's different about pilot season

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is arguably one of the best shows on television. It's a musical, it's a comedy, it's unrequited love at it's finest. Rachel Bloom was just nominated for her second Golden Globe for Best Actress and although she's the show's star, there are also very talented writers and producers working behind the scenes to bring these characters to life. Two of these producers are the writing team of Audrey Wauchope and Rachel Specter. I've known Rachel since we met 3 years ago in a Mommy & Me class. At the time, she was one of the only moms I knew in the industry who was still working and juggling motherhood. She doesn't know it, but I've admired her for many years (well, maybe she knows now!) and I was even more impressed when I found out she and another mom were writing partners. Audrey and Rachel started as friends, then roommates then eventually started working on scripts together. They wrote a feature film and loved the process of writing together so much they decided to team up and keep writ

There's a certain feeling that comes to mind when someone mentions the name, Jim Henson. For me it's comforting, nostalgic, and familiar. I'm guessing many of you have those same feelings. Nowadays The Jim Henson Company is creating a legacy that our kids will look back on with the same fondness. I sat down with Halle Stanford, the Executive Vice President of Children's Entertainment for The Jim Henson Company for some insights on how they plan to do that. As I was sitting in her office I couldn't help but notice how everything on the Henson lot created those same feelings I had about the shows. Halle told me that was also part of the Henson legacy and explained why the history on the studio lot is so important. She also shared how she rose to such a prominent position in children's television and how hands-on she is in the development of new shows. The Henson Company actually sold the rights to The Muppets and Sesame Street several years ago. With their 2 biggest properties gone, they found themselves in

When I asked Casting Director Renita Gale to be a guest on my podcast, I had no idea she would make me cry on my own show. Her story of how she became a mom is moving, inspiring and heartfelt. I hope she doesn't mind that I called it a Hollywood ending because it just gives me all the feels! Renita is a Creator, Casting Director, Dream Fulfillment Specialist which are pretty amazing titles. She's recently cast commercials for Bud-Light, Volkswagen, Target, AT&T, Texture, Nissan, The Cosmopolitan Hotel, CIAN, 23andMe.com, McDonald's to name a few. And she's also been a producer on several projects. She knows what casting is looking for and what producers are looking for when casting "types".               I've known a few people who've gone through the foster adoption process through the state of California and LA County. It's not an easy road to travel. It's emotionally challenging to say the least. Renita went through that process after being married only a few months because she knew it was the

My guest this week is YouTube star and social media mogul GloZell! This woman puts her life on the Internet every week and it's paying off big time. Even though I have a podcast and website and it SEEMS like I share all my business, I don't share the inner workings of my day-to-day life, at least not the way GloZell does. And it's that no holds bare visibility into her life that's created millions of fans around the world (called GloBugs). GloZell's "Glo All In" baby journey can be found on Awestruck GloZell has more than 4.5 million YouTube subscribers, 1.4 million followers on Instagram, and just under 1 million on Facebook. Holy. Crap. That's amazing! For those not in the know, GloZell has been creating funny characters and videos on her official YouTube Channel since 2008. They are quirky, outrageous, silly, and hilarious creations that can come only from the mind of GloZell. She's even done some incredibly high profile interviews with celebrities and President Obama. Her following is so popular she is

*I was compensated for attending this event sponsored by Nick Jr. and Mom.me. The thoughts and opinions below are my own.  Just in time for the holidays, kids can now get their hands on toys from Nick Jr.'s animated series Shimmer and Shine, and Blaze and The Monster Machines! We were thrilled to get a sneak peek at these colorful toys at The Mega Play Date event hosted by Nick Jr. and Mom.me at the Petersen Auto Museum. Once we stepped off the elevator we were transported into the rough and tumble world of Blaze and his buddies, and the magical land of Shimmer and Shine.  As I've mentioned before, we are big fans of Shimmer and Shine in this house. These twin genies and their friend Leah are a staple in day-to-day conversations. So when we walked in, I thought Channing's eyes were going to pop out of her head when she saw the set up. We were in Zahramay Falls! She immediately grabbed the Shimmer and Shine Wish & Spin dolls ($40) and the Shimmer and Shine Magic Flying Carpet ($30). Chan loved that she c

I used to be embarrassed that I watch reality TV. After all it contributed to the decline in scripted television, and thus fewer jobs for actors. But I can't deny it anymore. I watch it. A lot of it. And that's why I was super pumped to talk to Reality Life podcast host Kate Casey about her love of it as well. Kate's podcast is freaking funny. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of reality TV and strong opinions on most shows. She became a fan of the genre like most of us Gen X-ers did with MTV's The Real World. Remember that shit?? It looks like paint drying compared to modern-day reality TV. I am not a fan of the house-wivey type shows. That's probably my least favorite franchise. But I am a big fan of Big Brother! And some of the different forms of reality shows like HGTV's House Hunters and competition shows like The Voice. But Kate is a fan of it all. She's also a very funny and accomplished writer for her website loveandknucles.com where she's known for her reality TV recaps and blogs about life with

I first met Shannon Flynn on the set of Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn. I had a small but hilarious part as "Peg" the lovable truck driver. And I was nervous. I have always wanted to be on a sitcom for kids. My huge personality and comedy style lends itself to that type of show so I wanted to make a good impression. Shannon, being the pro she is, quickly put me at ease and told me I was really funny. Obviously I fell in love with her on the spot. Director Shannon Flynn I later learned that Shannon has been directing for nearly a decade. She cut her teeth on a little show called, Hannah Montana. Maybe you've heard of it? Yeah me too. She worked every day with Miley Cyrus as a dialect coach and then eventually as a director. She quickly gained notice by other networks like Nickelodeon and starting working regularly on shows like, Austin and Ally, Bella and The Bulldogs, and Jessie. A young Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) became great friends with director Shannon Flynn. But I wanted to talk to her about life bey

Autumn Reeser showed up at my door with a robin's egg she found in my yard. She carefully carried it so she could show my daughter who happened to be home during our interview that day. She also brought me coffee (*swoon*). That pretty much sums up all you need to know about Autumn. She is kind, thoughtful, and has a way with kids that only moms will understand. Actress Autumn Reeser with her boys Finn and Dash Of course Channing was immediately enamoured with the tiny egg and with Autumn. We all agreed to leave it in a safe space on the front porch and check on it later. My conversation with Autumn was as easy-going as you would imagine after something like that. She was willing to share her experiences being a working actress and mom with a complete stranger and I'm so glad she did.   Our mutual friend Mary set us up because she knew we'd have a lot to talk about. I completely geeked out when I realized her first role in television was on Star Trek: Voyager! I tried not to nerd out too hard but that's

You'll no doubt recognize my guest this week from shows like, What I Like About You, That 70's Show and One Tree Hill. But parents will probably recognize Allison Munn from Nickelodeon's Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn - the adorable show about quadruples and the antics they get into. And I have to tell you that Allison is just as a funny and engaging as her character Anne Harper on NRDD. Full disclosure, I met Allison just over a year ago when I filmed a small part on the show. She was so sweet and we showed each other pictures of our kids in the makeup trailer. Cut to a year later and I saw her at one of Channing's preschool parties and realized our kids were going to the same preschool. It's like we were destined to be mom friends! I asked her to be on my show and I'm so glad she said yes. One thing that surprised me about our conversation is how honest she was about the pressure actresses feel to look perfect. Seriously, how is this is still a thing? She admits she's harder on herself than anyone sh

If you marry the worlds of the X-Men School for the Gifted, and Harry Potter with a Futurama sense of humor, you'd have Skylanders Academy. I was treated to a special screening of the first two episodes of this show recently at The London in West Hollywood and had a wonderful interview with cast members Ashley Tisdale (Stealth Elf), Harland Williams (Hugo) and showrunner Eric Rogers (Futurama). Skylanders Academy is an animated action-comedy series that follows the heroic adventures of the Skylanders team, a ragtag group of heroes with unique elemental skills who travel the vast Skylands universe, protecting it from evil-doers. They achieve victory by setting aside their egos, learning to trust one another and fighting as one to maintain harmony and balance in the land. Led by showrunner Eric Rogers (Futurama), the series features the voices of Justin Long (Ask Me Anything) as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical, Phineas and Ferb) as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) as

The 2016 World Choreography Awards were held in Hollywood last night and MIH was on the red carpet! The event honors the best in media choreography. When I was in high school, I used to choreograph cheerleading routines and it was the best thing happening in my life. And that was on such a small scale, I can't imagine choreographing huge routines for commercials, films and televisions. But that's what these dancers were being honored for last night at The Montalban Theater in Hollywood. Choreographers were nominated for Motion Picture Television Episodic, Commercials, Television Reality Show/Competition, Music Videos, Television Award Show/Special, Digital Content, Digital Content Independent, Live Stage Performance. Allison Holker and Stephen Boss at the 2016 World Choreography Awards in Hollywood I interviewed nominee Allison Holker and her husband Stephen "Twitch" Boss about the digital commercial she choreographed and starred in for HP. She tells me she worked hard to translate their idea into a danc

I'll  never forget the first time I saw Louie starring comedian Louis C.K. Chris discovered it on one of the entertainment websites he reads and made sure we were ready so we didn't miss it. To say I was blown away would be just about accurate. It was smart, endearing, and funny. So as you can imagine, I was thrilled to interview Executive Producer M.Blair Breard about how Louie came to be, and the other groundbreaking projects she and Louis CK have been working on since. Pictured: M. Blair Breard. CR: FX Blair is Louis C.K.'s producing partner at their company, Pig Newton. Together they have created some of the most critically acclaimed comedies over the last 6 years. Better Things, One Mississippi, Baskets, Horace and Pete and the Emmy Award-winning Louie. And although she is primarily in television now, she cut her teeth in film in New York. I could not imagine a tougher road if I tried. But she kept at it, one job at a time until eventually she met Louis on the film Pootie Tang and her trajectory change

I was nervous to meet Stefanie Fair. She's a gorgeous, successful, talented mama of four who's been in the entertainment business since she was a young girl. Truthfully, I was a little afraid she'd think I'm a total dork and I sooooo wanted her to think I'm cool.  But when she came into my home and greeted me with the warmest hug ever, I new within minutes we would be friends. She was warm, funny, and very open about her experiences with motherhood and music and all of my nerves quickly disappeared. Stefanie has a unique perspective on the biz. She's a former child star with credits like The Golden Girls, My Two Dads, Punky Brewster and Blossom. She was also 1/3 of the 90's pop group Wild Orchid with Stacy Ferguson (Fergie!) and Renee Sandstrom.  And she totally upped the awesome ante when she told me she toured with all those 90's boy bands like 98 Degrees, 'N Sync and The Backstreet Boys. Um, hi, my teen years called and they would like to swap lives with you. Wild Orchid: Stefanie Fair (left) Stacy Fer

One of Channing's favorite shows these days is Shimmer and Shine on Nick Jr. In fact she loves it so much, I think she's convinced she's a genie. So as you can imagine when I found out the creator of the show was basically a magical genie mom disguised as a human, I had to have her on the show. Shimmer and Shine Creator Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz is the glittery guru behind Shimmer and Shine. The show is about twin genies-in-training from Zahramay Falls who grant wishes for their best friend, Leah. The girls work together to solve the problems that arise when wishes don't go as smoothly as they plan. The music is also poppy and addicting and there have been many a dance party in my living room while it's on.   My reason for having Farnaz on as a guest was purely selfish. I want to know how she does it! She created a popular animated series, is a mom of 2 young kids (both big fans of Shimmer and Shine btw), and somehow manages to find time for major DIY projects. Amazing! Also,

Mayim Bialik plays neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowlerand on CBS's The Big Bang Theory and is actually a neuroscientist in real life. So when she puts her stamp of approval on a science-based toy, you can bet she's done her research. Mayim Bialik and Heather Brooker at the Fisher-Price Think & Learn event I had the pleasure of interviewing Mayim recently at a Think-A-Thon event hosted by Fisher-Price. They have launched a new line of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics) toys intended to teach preschoolers skills like communication, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. The Think & Learn toys are also designed to help preschoolers in reading, writing and arithmetic through hands-on play.                   Several preschoolers joined in the fun at the party. Most of them gravited toward the Code-A-Pillar ($50), a caterpillar that encourages experimentation while developing coding, sequencing and critical thinking skills. Sounds lofty right? But I could see the groundwor

When Erin Ziering met her prince charming, I'm sure she had no idea that she would be under a microscope for the rest of their lives together. That's because she happened to fall head over heels in love with actor Ian Ziering (Sharknado, Beverly Hills 90210). The couple now has 2 adorable girls together and just launched a new lifestyle website, AtHomeWithTheZierings.com. Their blog gives us a glimpse into their lives as every day parents, who happen to be famous. They go to events, cook together, and share their love of fashion and photography. As someone who's raising a girl in LA myself, I was curious to hear Erin's take on raising young women in LA. And based on our conversation, it seems like we agree we have our work cut out for us. One of the coolest things I learned about Erin is that she used to be a traveling nurse and chose to step away from the nursing field to focus on her family. But before you assume she's just a Hollywood housewife, you should know that she's working hard to turn her b

Did you know 4 out of 5 car seats are not installed properly? That's a staggering statistic considering how many kids are being carted around every day in this country. I had the chance to learn all about car seat safety and home safety this week at the 5th Annual Red CARpet Safety event. It was held at The Commissary at Sony Pictures Studios where a ton of celebrities came out, including yours truly, with their little ones to learn more about proper car seat installation. Jenni Pulos, Ali Landry and Brooke Burke-Charvet at the 5th Annual Red CARpet Safety event The event was co-founded by Ali Landry and Saraah Samandi to help raise awareness of car seat safety issues in a fun, informative way. I finally got to take Chris with me and Chan to an event which made it even more special. We stormed the rainbow carpet in typical Brooker style: real awkwardly!   Once inside we were treated to car seat safety demonstrations from brands like Diono, Orbit Baby, UPPAbaby, and Nuna. There were also lots of areas f

We all saw Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings crush it on the beach volleyball court this summer at the Rio Games. She and her partner April Ross took home the bronze medal, adding to her collection which includes 3 gold medals. But when I interviewed her recently at an The Honest Company fall party, she told me the one thing she's most proud of is her family. In addition to being a world-class athlete, Kerri is a mom of three. She tells me her heart is in being a mommy to her kids. She says when she won the bronze medal in Rio, her kids said, "Mommy we didn't win gold!" And rather than defending her bronze medal, she used that opportunity to teach them about what it means to win at every level. Even though gold was her goal, she was still proud of the work she and her partner did to win bronze. She says her family is a big part of her life and has been supportive of her career in every way.  They talk about the importance of healthy competition in her house which is a lesson a lot of us could use. And I had