Motherhood In Hollywood

Being a playful parent is so important. It's been talked about a lot in my mommy and me groups, and I've read about it a lot online so I know it has value. That's why I couldn't wait to talk to former elementary school teacher and play expert Meredith Sinclair so she could share why having playtime with your kids, at any age, can help their development. Meredith is a contributor for The Today Show, and an ambassador to The Genius of Play, a national movement to raise awareness of play in a child's development. She's also written a book called "Well Played: The Ultimate Guide To Awakening Your Family's Playful Spirit." In her book she outlines ways parents can incorporate play from reading in silly voices, to creating a giant outdoor Tic-Tac-Toe game. The book also has DIY projects and hundreds of lists and tips for creating playtime. Many of you probably already some kind of play into your daily routine, but don't realize why it so important. Here's a few of the things we cover in this episode: Unst

Music is such a huge part of our family and no one represents that more than Mike Doughty. On any given weekend in our house you will hear music playing and chances are, it's Mike Doughty. He's the former lead singer of 90's indie rock band Soul Coughing, and has been a solo artist for 16 years. We've seen him in concert almost more times than anyone else (Ben Folds I'm looking at you) and own all of his solo albums and Soul Coughing albums. I know what you're thinking, why is this self-proclaimed hipster musician on a mom podcast? If you're thinking that then clearly you don't listen to my show. My show is basically the rock and roll of podcasts. It's a hipster magnet and you better be careful or you just might get sucked into it's fierce gravitational pull. Whoa. Tangent. I've found myself being extra wordy when thinking about describing this show. That's because I've been inspired. Mike is an incredibly accomplished songwriter, poet and author. His book called The Book of Drugs takes us inside his dru

NCIS: Los Angeles star Daniela Ruah is about to give birth to her second child any minute. In fact she could be giving birth right now I as get my interview with her ready to be released in to the world. But I'm sure she'll wait until after this episode comes out. Babies wait for podcasts right?   I loved getting to know Daniela. TBH, I don't watch NCIS: Los Angeles or any of the NCIS shows. But I think I'll start after talking with her. It was so inspiring and validating talking to her about how she manages family time with her demanding career as an action star. As an actress and full-time mom, I'm still trying to trying to figure it all out so it's really helpful to hear how other moms working in the business are making it work. Courtesy: Daniela Ruah via Instagram Daniela plays "Special Agent Kensi Blye" and is married to David Olsen, the older brother of her NCIS: LA co-star Eric Olsen. The story of how Eric set her up with his brother is so sweet. And she's also best friends with Eric's wife, Sar

If you've been paying attention you'll notice that I talk a lot about food and exercise. I'm definitely not a fitness mom, or healthy mom by any means. But I have crazy respect for my mom friends who are into that. Like my good friend Lynn Bettencourt who is a Beachbody Coach, and recipe specialist for Hungry Girl.   Lynn and I have been friends for a long time and have some amazing stories to tell about giving movie studio tours, parties, and cowboys.  We are both mamas now so some of those things are in the past. I'll let you decide which ones. I talked to her this week because health has been on my mind a lot lately. And when you talk about getting healthy, someone always says "have you tried Beachbody". My response is always, yes. I tried it years ago with Chris when we first moved to LA. Chris thrived on their program. I cheated and ate cheeseburgers between shakes. Now as we get older we're both looking for ways to get healthy but it's not as easy as it was. Life gets in the way. Excuses run r

My guest this week is power podcaster Travis McElroy! If you're a fan of podcasts, then you have no doubt listened to one of his shows at one time or another. He is what I would call a celebrity in the podcasting world and his fame happened almost by accident. Podcaster Travis McElroy He has eight (1 annually) to choose from, all of which are regularly near the top of the iTunes charts. He has hoisted an empire on his mic and says he's got even bigger plans down the road. Travis is the middle of three brothers who share hosting duties on their flagship show, My Brother, My Brother and Me. These funny brothers from West Virginia started their show 6 years ago and admittedly had no idea what they were doing. But whatever it was they were dishing out, listeners have been scooping up in droves. Now, the McElroy boys have built careers around podcasting and are working on a TV show about their lives. #LifeGoals Travis started his career in the theater and explains how podcasts came calling at just the ri

Things are blowing up around here. You could say we're going Atomic! That's because I interview Ellie Knaus, host of the popular Atomic Moms podcast. It was so much fun talking shop with a fellow podcasting mama. I've decided we're basically twins! Ellie is a mama actor (Undateable, Happy Endings) like me with a cute little girl, and she has a kick ass podcast. She's also just about the sweetest person I've ever met. Okay, maybe we're not twins. Ellie & daughter Sabrina (photo courtesy: Hello Pinecone Photography) Ellie describes Atomic Moms as a "weekly parenting podcast about the joys and complexities of caring for our little ones and ourselves." She chats with authors, parenting experts and caregivers on their expertise in a variety of topics. If you're looking for inspiration and affirmation, this is a great show for you. Okay, maybe we're more like similar siblings. Atomic Moms frequently tops the iTunes charts in the 'Kids & Family' section and Ellie is also a contributor for Huffington Post, AO

If you've watched any iconic film anytime in the last three decades, chances are you've seen the work of Director & Casting Director Risa Bramon Garcia.  She's worked with talented actors on dozens of films and TV shows like JFK, Speed, Natural Born Killers and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.   I tried to control my fan-girling when I asked her about casting her first feature, Desperately Seeking Susan. For me that movie was just the coolest thing ever because it starred the first lady of pop, Madonna. But don't worry. I played it cool. In fact there was a lot for me to actor geek out over. All of the projects Risa has cast over the years are an actors dream. Born on the 4th of July, Dead Presidents, and Roseanne! She also directed the film 200 Cigarettes with an incredible ensemble cast. I won't go on to list her resume because you can Google it for yourself and see just how many projects she has been involved in. You'll notice, Risa has worked on a lot of Oliver Stone movies. She describes thei

I had the pleasure of stepping into my old reporting shoes last week and interviewing some stars for the premiere of Bad Moms. And this is the episode where you'll get to hear those interviews. Yay! Heather Brooker reporting on the pink carpet for the premiere of Bad Moms The main cast wasn't able to stop and talk to several of the media outlets on the back half of the carpet, which is where I was. LOL  And that's okay! I was thrilled to talk to mega producers Bill Block (Elysium, District 9) and Suzanne Todd (Alice Through The Looking Glass) about their experiences with the film. As an actor, this was where I geeked out the most. How often does a mama actor get to have face time with mega producers?? As I mentioned in my post on the premiere, I talked with the films' writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore about why they took on a movie about moms. A lot of internet people got pretty upset when they first heard that two men were tackling a film about motherhood. And I'll admit at first I was a little like, he

I just got back from a whirlwind, 24 hour tour of Comic-Con in San Diego. My friend Heather and I jumped in the car and drove down for the weekend to party with the nerds, and geek out over celebrity sightings. (Tara Reid stop following us!) We are tired. But it was a blast! More to come in another post. This post is all about the beautiful mama actor Challen Cates and her open and honest talk with me about her experiences with motherhood in Hollywood.   You might recognize Challen from the Nickelodeon show Big Time Rush where she played the hilarious mom to the Knight kids! That's a HUGE deal because in case you didn't know, BTR was one of the longest running live-action shows in Nickelodeon's history. She's also been in a ton of other projects like Modern Family, Passions, and A Million Ways To Die In The West. She shares how starring alongside her son in that film was a special mama actor moment for her. And she stars in a wonderful web series called Namasté Bitches that skewers the LA yoga scen

Do you need a publicist? What performer doesn't like the idea of someone whose sole job is it so talk them up to the media? My guest is Katie Barker, Vice President of Publicity for CBS and she is a wealth of information kids, so listen up! I asked her when actors need a publicist and when they don't and the answer might surprise you. Katie works with some of the biggest names in television today like LL Cool J, Michael Weatherly, and Scott Bakula. That's because she represents the entire "NCIS" franchise, as well as the new Joel McHale show coming out this fall called "The Great Indoors" on CBS. She explains the difference between a network publicist, a studio publicist and personal publicist. She also talks about the challenges of working the red carpet and trying to get press coverage for a client because the media isn't interested in talking to everyone who walks the carpet. Who knew? Side note: I'm terrified one day I'll be walking down the carpet, all dressed up, and no one will want to talk to me.

I was born and raised in Oklahoma. It was almost required that at some point I listen to country music which I did. More specifically, my family loved the sounds of honky-tonk. I grew up with my mom blaring Merle Haggard, Hank Williams (Sr. & Jr.), Lefty Frizell and George Jones on the car radio. Much the same way I blare Lady Gaga and 2 Chains now. I digress... Let's just say I have a deep fondness and appreciation for honky-tonk music. And if you've ever listened to my podcast then you know I love funny moms. Thankfully, Stacie Burrows and Shannon Noel make up the musical comedy duo, Mommy Tonk, combing honky-tonk with funny shit for moms! I feel like I struck gold! Their songs are brutally honest, knee-slapping funny, and gut-busting graphic. Need more adjectives? Just listen to their stuff already! They explain how they were brought together by Lindsay Kavet during an Expressing Motherhood show and instantly bonded.   Soon after meeting they created MT and now they tour the US singing songs with tit

Getting eyeballs on anything you create online is a huge hurdle for actors today. And the moms of The BreakWomb are leaping over that hurdle. They bill themselves as "moms who do sketch comedy, or comedians who do motherhood." Any way you pitch it, they've struck gold. Laurel Coppock, Megan Grano & Molly Erdman of The BreakWomb I couldn't wait to dive into the minds of The BreakWomb moms and find out what motivated them to start filming their mom comedy sketches and what they plan to do now that their idea has taken off (millions of views and counting!) They admit the videos are the fun part, but now they find themselves in the business world trying to navigate what's next for their brand of comedy. I predict more exciting things ahead! I was fascinated to hear about their background in sketch comedy at various schools in LA and how they translated those skills into videos about motherhood. It's a trend that's becoming more and more common. Moms are taking the mom stereotypes to task and putting a funny

I can't believe it's been a year since I recorded my first podcast and launched Motherhood in Hollywood into the history books. Technically my first episode was released on July 17th, but I released 3 episodes at once because someone on the internet told me that was the way it's done.  I still don't know if they're right. But I do know that I've completed 52 episodes and this has been the most challenging and empowering year of my life. I've said many times that the reason I launched MIH was because I needed a creative outlet as a full-time mom and working actress. And doing a podcast seemed like a wonderful way to combine the things I loved.  My first episode with actress and mom Jennifer Hasty was interrupted halfway through by Channing, who had to go potty. And it was made abundantly clear in that moment that my life would be a constant challenge to stay my pre-mommy creative self while raising my silly, strong-willed girl.  One year later, Channing and my husband Chris as much a part of this show as I

I have never wanted to make a film.  I've wanted to write a film, and star in a film but the idea of going through all that work to produce a movie makes me tired. I'm fascinated with filmmakers though. I have so much respect for the people who are in the trenches of movie making. Jennica Schwartzman and her husband Ryan are great examples of what I'm talking about.                   Jennica shared with me how she felt like no one was going to cast her in the roles she wanted to play, which I know a lot of actors can relate to. So she not only started writing her own parts, she started producing her own films.  She's very honest about how the role of indie filmmaker is one she's still learning and growing into.  I couldn't wait to ask her about the challenges independent filmmakers are facing today. She was also very open about how her faith plays a part in her life, but it's not necessarily the focus in her films. We talk about how Hollywood tends to turn it's back on the idea of faith-based fi

One of my favorite things about doing this podcast is that I have an excellent excuse to call people I haven't seen in a while and say, "hey come be on my podcast!".  Lucky for me (and you) my friend Tony Rago said yes! Tony is an acting coach at Scott Sedita Acting Studios where he teaches Sitcom Characters and Technique.  I assume he just starts every class with, I learned everything about comedy from Heather Brooker.  Let me know if you hear him say it and you'll get a discount on my podcast! First, here's the ridiculous Carl's Jr. parody we talk about in this episode. I wrote it with Brandy McKay when we were at ACME. Tony and Kevin King bravely offered to play their parts. Keep in mind this was before we had kids. And before either of us had actually seen breast milk. New at Carl's Jr - watch more funny videos Tony is a naturally funny guy who has a real love for sitcoms and half-hour comedies. I wanted to talk with him about the evolution of the sitcom over the years and how actors can adapt to the

I'd like to think I'm the smartest person I know. Then I misspell a word like restaurant (where does the U go??) and reality slaps me in the face. Turns out my friend Audrey Kearns is one of the smartest people I know. She's scored higher on all the smart people tests that get you into college than most people, and she knows a lot about geek culture. A lot. I'm a (out and proud!) Star Trek fan, and enjoy all things nerdy. But Audrey is on another level. That's why she created a website to let her geek flag fly called Geek Girl Authority. GGA is made up of podcasts, videos and geek-related news for serious fans. In this episode we chat about our new podcast collaboration with GGA co-founder Claudia Dolph called Booze and Phasers. Basically, we talk about the latest in Star Trek news, and fandom while indulging in a Trek-themed drink. AKA, we get plowed and geek out. Audrey also shares her deeply personal experience with OCD, how it manifests itself day-to-day, and her life-changing diagnosis.  I love her

I really hope this podcast goes viral. The irony would be too much!  That's because my guest is viral video vixen, writer, and mom Morgan Shanahan. Morgan is a Senior Editor for Buzzfeed and has her finger on the pulse of the internet. She stays on top of everything happening in the parenting world including funny videos, celeb news and topical parent-themed listicles because it's her job.  She's also an award-winning screenwriter and a director. Is there anything she can't do? Probably. But we didn't talk about that in this episode. We did talk about how I'm jealous of the Chewbacca mom, but not because of her fascination with Chewie. It's because she played the public like a fiddle. We also squeeze in some celeb talk about Ryan Reynolds.  Apparently he really is that nice! And she hints at a story about another celebrity involving a hamster and her car. But I've been sworn to secrecy. Sorry suckers! The most compelling part of my interview with Morgan was her honesty about dealing with postpartum depr

If you know anything about me by now it's that I like to switch things up in life, and on my podcast every now and then. So this week we are taking a departure from mom talk and exploring the world of jazz with my friend and professional vibraphonist Lolly Allen. Watching Lolly play the vibraphone is exciting. She really gets into it with arms flailing, and mallets flying. I used to play the xylophone in high school and yes, that is as cool as it sounds.  Lolly also shares how playing with musical instruments as a child influenced her career choices. See? Toys and play make a difference! Okay so maybe there is a little bit of mom talk in this episode after all. And she talks about how her parents fostered her love of music from childhood into adulthood. Now she's a pro in the jazz world with one album under her belt and another in the works. She writes and produces her own jazz music. How cool is that? I can barely play chopsticks! I am so impressed with Lolly. Her music is hypnotic. If you close your eyes

Putting into words what it's like becoming a mother is tricky. For some, the words flow easily and they are filled with beautiful stories and smart analogies. For others, there's lots of swears and a through-line of, "am I doing this right?"  I feel like I fall somewhere in the middle. Ah fuck it. I'm definitely the latter. That's why when I met Lindsay Kavet and found out about Expressing Motherhood I couldn't wait to hear more about it. Expressing Motherhood is an ongoing live stage show where moms, and sometimes dads, share their stories about motherhood. Lindsay co-created the show with her friend Jessica Cribbs and have been performing it with a rotating cast all over the US since 2008. I first found out about Expressing Motherhood from my friend Jill Simonian from TheFabMom.com (hey gurrrl!). She saw that I am clearly a gifted writer and have a deep-seeded need (read: desperate) to perform and thought this would be a perfect place to feed my soul. I think she might be onto something.... Expressing M

The only show my husband screen grabs images and videos from and sends them to me is Bob's Burgers. Its random comedy bombs have made me LOL at least once in every episode for the past 6 years. Now that's saying a lot because I am a "tough crowd" when it comes to laughing at jokes. One of the reasons this show is so funny, is because of talented writer and mom Wendy Molyneux.  When I interviewed her she was quick to point out that she is one of many writers who work on the show, but she was the only one in my podcast studio at the time so she's the one I gushed over.  Wendy works with her sister Lizzie on the show who also happens to be her writing partner. I would love to be a guest at family dinners because I can just imagine the tangential jokes would have me rolling.  I'm still hoping to get invited so, fingers crossed! Wendy and Lizzie also worked on the short-lived Megan Mullally talk show a few years ago and she has some interesting info on what it was like to work in the fast-paced world of daytim