Motherhood In Hollywood

As I sit here, days away from an epic milestone of being married for 20 years, I have to pinch myself. I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to Chris Brooker. After being married for 20 years, people ask me all the time how we "make it work" or "what's your secret" and I usually just give the same response: respect, laughter and a lot prayer.  We love each other very much but as we've learned over our 20+ year relationship, love alone isn't enough. Chris and Heather Brooker at Rancho Bernardo Inn. You have to add respect to that. Ultimately, as cheesy as it sounds, Chris is my best friend. He knows how I feel about everything, and then how I REALLY feel about everything. He knows my heart, good and bad and all the mistakes I've made, and loves me anyway. And lest you think I'm putting him on a pedestal, he'll be the first to tell you I also know how he REALLY feels about everything, good and bad. We are symbiotic about our goals, and values. All of that being said, we don't agree on everything.

I was so excited to talk to Lacy Camp and her daughter Darby Camp about their acting careers! This mother daughter duo are teaming with talent. So much so, they are both starring in the new UPTV movie "When We Last Spoke." Darby plays a younger version of the character her mom plays named Juliet. "When We Last Spoke" airs April 4 on UPTV. "When We Last Spoke" is set in 1967. Two rambunctious sisters are abandoned and raised by doting grandparents and one wacky great-grandmother in the fictional southern town of Fireside. Humor, heartbreak and triumph are served with whipped cream and lots of local nuts in this heartwarming tale of family, friendship and forgiveness.​ Lacy has been on a ton of projects like "Vice Principals," "Outcast" and "Red Band Society." She tells me her daughter showed a natural talent for acting at a young age. And at 13, she's got a resume most adults would dream of. She starred as Reese Witherspoon's daughter in "Big Little Lies" when she was just 9. And you'll recognize her from "

You know I love a good documentary! Two new documentaries have the Internet buzzing this week and we need to talk about them. The first is "Fake Famous," a documentary from former New York Times and Vanity Fair reporter Nick Bilton. It follows three people who claim to want to be famous, at any cost and explores how easy it is to create fame on platforms like Instagram. Courtesy: FX/The New York Post The second documentary called "Framing Britney Spears" was trending all weekend on Twitter. The doc was produced by The New York Post and is available on FX via Hulu. It aims to delve into the mystery surrounding pop star Britney Spears and why she has been under a conservatorship overseen by her father for the past 12 years. She's basically dropped out of the spotlight in the last few years, except for the occasional erratic social media post of her dancing. And fans who are concerned for her well-being have started the #FreeBritney movement in an effort to get her out from under her father's conservatorship.

Listen, we've all got a lot on our plates these days. Between the pandemic, the insurrection, and a crumbling economy, who really has time to worry about the Golden Globe or the SAG Awards noms? Well, Hollywood does! Every year without fail, the stars drag out their botoxed butts to get their accolades and this year will be no exception. Heather Brooker on the red carpet for the 2020 SAG Awards. But this year will look difference because the nominations will be virtual as will most of the awards shows. The Academy Awards still haven't confirmed whether they are having an in-person event but they have until April to decide. So for now, I'll be covering the celebrations from my couch. Which should be a celebration in itself!  I dread major awards shows. As a multimedia journalist, I do everything on my own. I shoot, write, edit and produce my own content for work so being able to work from home makes my job exponentially easier. Heather Brooker on the red carpet for the 2020 Academy Awards. And although I d

Listen, 2020 was a doozy of a year to say the least. And just when we thought 2021 could save us all, a bunch of nuts stormed our Capitol and people died. If that's how this year is going so far, I don't have a lot of hope for the rest of the year. So I invited Chris Brooker to chat with me about politics, the pandemic and what we can look forward to in 2021. Like what to watch on TV! Chris and Heather Brooker at Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa. Chris is my favorite guest for many reasons, but mostly because he's my husband. We love talking about movies and TV almost as much as we love watching them. We talk about what happened this week in Washington as well as what we think will play out over the next few weeks in politics and with the pandemic. But we're also looking to the entertainment world to help us escape from the stressful situation our country is in. "Wonder Woman 1984" streams on HBO Max. Did you watch "Wonder Woman 1984?" We both agree that this movie had way too much plot and not enough charac

I am embarrassed to admit that I am one of those weirdos that has never seen "High School Musical." That is until I saw the most amazing woman on TikTok just slaaayyying her dance moves. I did the completely normal thing and Googled her and found out that KayCee Stroh played Martha Cox in all of the "High School Musical" movies. So I watched the movies and now feel completely qualified to comment on this pop culture phenomenon that millions of other people have known about for decades. I'm old, people. Cut me some slack! KayCee Stroh as Martha Cox in 'High School Musical' I had the best time talking to KayCee about her unique audition for HSM and the inspiring thing choreographer Kenny Ortega said to her that stays with her to this day. We talked about what's it like to be plus size woman in Hollywood, and the crazy things people have said to her about her weight. Seriously, what IS wrong with people? KayCee also talks about her life long love of dance and if her little girls, Zetta and Lettie caught the d

I have a slight obsession with the Salton Sea area. There's something so fascinating to me about this area that was once the playground for the rich and famous and is now in ruins. Through a series of ecological disasters and land mismanagement, this part of the Coachella Valley is desolate, and facing another ecological crisis. The Salton Sea is drying up and the toxic dust that's left behind will leave a devastating impact on the surrounding communities, even reaching as far as Los Angeles and San Diego. Channing and I visited the Salton Sea in July 2020 This impending disaster and the history of the area is explored in a new documentary called "Miracle in the Desert: The Rise and Fall of the Salton Sea." I spoke with writer/director Greg Bassinian who tells me why he wanted to tell this story and raise awareness for what's happening in this community. And before you write it off as a Southern California problem, the documentary explains how the impact is as far reaching as the federal government. "Mirac

Chris Brooker is back and we're diving into our favorite topics: TV, and our kid! With so much content to watch lately it can be overwhelming to choose something you like. We have some recommendations like "The Boys" on Amazon Prime Video, "Teenage Bounty Hunters" on Netflix, and Cobra Kai on Netflix just to name a few.   We are also opening up about what's like to start distance learning. Chan has been back in school for about 2 weeks and it's as sad as we thought it would be. She sits in front of her computer for 6 hours a day bouncing from Zoom meetings to independent study. She has almost no interaction with the other kids in class. This has been so hard to watch because Chan is such a social kid. She misses her friends so much and they aren't even in her class this year. She's in a new class with none of the friends she made in Kinder or 1st grade and no way to socialize to make new friends. I realize we aren't the only people in this position. Millions of parents around the U.S. are juggling work and

I've been working in the media for more than 20 years. Even though that pretty much reveals how old I really am, it's something I'm very proud to tell people. I'm a journalist who started out as a reporter in the small market of St. Joseph, MO. I was a "one-man-band" meaning, I carried all of my own equipment, shot and edited my own video and wrote all my own stories. Cut to 20 years later, and as the first ever digital entertainment reporter at NBC Los Angeles, not much has changed. I still do all of those things, but now I have the added element of posting all my stories on social media. It's a lot of work but I really love it! Becky Brooks shares that same passion for media. She is the executive director of the The Alliance for Women in Media, including journalism, digital, film and television. She says their mission is to connect, recognize and inspire women across the media industry. They do that through annual events, an interview series, the AWM Foundation, and the annual Gracie Awards, named after

It's been a hot minute since our family took a true road trip. Quick trips to Palm Springs and Laguna Beach don't really count. I'm talking about packing up the pets, stocking up on road snacks and mapping out destinations. That's what we decided to do to get our safe, social distance road trip in for the summer. We decided not to go with an RV like a lot of families are doing for a few reasons. One, both times we tried to rent an RV it fell through. And also, we were planning to travel some narrow and winding highways and didn't feel comfortable doing that in our first RV driving experience. Sunny Cove Beach in Santa Cruz.I have always wanted to visit central California. I sounds so dreamy and I imagine the photo opportunities would be off the charts (always thinking about my Instagram). So we started in Santa Cruz which was about a 5 hour drive from LA. We drove through a ton of farmland and had lunch in Gilroy, the garlic capitol of the world. Then headed north to Santa Cruz. I have to say, we weren't sup

I have always been fascinated with television. I consume hours and hours of it each week and have since I was a kid. I was an 80s baby raised by a single mom who worked full time so the TV was my babysitter a lot of the time. And since I was little I have dreamed of being on TV, making people laugh and being a part of their family week after week. And while television has changed a lot since the 80s, my dream hasn't. The feeling I get when I watch a great show hasn't changed either. When I first moved to LA I immersed myself in improv and comedy at the Groundlings. I thought the best way to get my own show was to just be funny and work with great people and eventually I would get cast. Hindsight is always 20/20 but I wish I could tell myself to become a producer and develop my own show. That's where I want to be! Now that I know more about the TV development process I understand just how little control and power actors have, unless you are also a producer. Brenda Milinkovic is the Director of Development an

Lia Dias is the newest cast member of Bravo TV's "Married to Medicine Los Angeles." She joins the show in season 2 and hints that the drama is worth tuning in for. She is a friend of Dr. Imani's and prides herself on the notoriety of being a business entrepreneur and a girl boss rather than embracing the lifestyle of being a typical doctor's wife. Her husband is a psychiatrist and colleague of Dr. Imani's. Lia Dias is a new cast member on season 2 of "Married to Medicine Los Angeles." We talked about how she juggles owning a chain of beauty supply stores called The Girl Cave LA as well as her three kids, Kaylin, Colin and Kayla.  She tells me that she didn't have any concerns about letting cameras into her home to film her family because Bravo made sure all of the kids were taken care of. She explains that it was a priority for them to make sure the kids were comfortable in each scene and took breaks when necessary. "Married to Medicine Los Angeles" airs Sundays 9/8c on Bravo TV. She also talks about how

Jessica Butler is the co-creator of the hit Nick at Nite series, "Instant Mom." She and her husband writer/producer Warren Bell created the show based on her experiences as a stepmother. She says she felt there was nothing on TV that represented how families can co-parent together. She also wanted to dispel the trope of the wicked stepmother, which does more harm to families than people realize. RaiseMagazine.com focuses on telling stories of non-traditional families. Butler is a stepmother of two sons, and an adoptive mom to one son and wanted to see her stories and other non-traditional stories represented online. So she launched Raise Magazine, a lifestyle site for modern mothers, featuring stories of stepparenting, adoption, foster care, surrogacy, and non-traditional families. Warren Bell and Jessica Butler co-created "Instant Mom" on Nick at Nite based on their family. Butler says she creates content for fellow stepmoms who are navigating a new marriage, instant motherhood, and co-parenting all at o

If you read the title of this post then you're probably thinking, wait, Heather has an empire? I might be exaggerating a bit. But this podcast did help me build a business, expand my network, and discover a new career path. This is my 200th episode of Motherhood in Hollywood and I'm celebrating! And of course my guest is Chris Brooker. We're taking a brief look back at the incredible guests who took the time to share their story with me on my little show and what has changed in my life in the almost five years since MIH launched. My first Motherhood in Hollywood in July 2015 I have to say a huge thank you to my first few guests, Jen Hasty and Amy Crofoot. These two mamas were my only mom friends at the time and graciously agreed to come to my house and let me pick their brains about being a mom in Hollywood. When I started MIH there were no parenting-centric entertainment podcast. There was a lot of comedy podcasts, entertainment podcasts, and parenting podcast but none that combined what it means to be a w

My guest this week is no stranger to the red carpet. Ashlan Gorse Cousteau was a red carpet reporter for "Entertainment Tonight" and E! Network before leaving it all behind to pursue her passion for conservation and story telling. If her last name sounds familiar it's because she's married to Philippe Cousteau, grandson of famous explorer and conservationist Jacques Cousteau. Together they have formed a passionate partnership around using the power of entertainment to raise awareness of conservation issues. Species renderings from 'Drop in the Ocean'   Ashlan and her husband Philippe are producers and narrators of a new Virtual Reality ocean exploration experience "Drop in the Ocean" that premiered at Tribeca Immersive in 2019. Ashlan Gorse Cousteau and her husband Philippe Cousteau hosting "Caribbean Pirate Treasure" on Travel Channel. Recently, she was also the co-star of Travel Channel’s award-winning series, "Caribbean Pirate Treasure" for three seasons.  Her documentary, "Nuclear Sharks", for Discove

The entire entertainment industry has come to a grinding halt. There are a few movies and TV shows that were wrapped before the coronavirus pandemic hit that are still rolling out with PR, but for the most part there's nothing new happening. Yet. But you can bet when it does, I'll be ready. I've been spending some of my spare time doing self-tapes, general auditions and reading books about acting. I'm also soaking up any tidbits of information casting directors are sharing right now like my guest this week, Lindsey Weissmueller. We recorded this interview before the shut down but the helpful information will last far beyond what's going on right now. My hope is that this is helpful to you and gets your mind working toward how you can jump back into acting once things get going again. I first met Lindsey when I auditioned for "Adam Ruins Everything." It was a small part but that didn't matter. Lindsey took the time to chat with me, get to know me, and let me play a little bit with my role. What a dream! As

I've been living and working side-by-side with my husband Chris for over 3 weeks now. At first we were worried about how it would all work out. But I feel like I blinked and it was April. Chris is joining me on the podcast this week to talk about how our lives, all lives, are forever changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. This is what our current situation looks like as we life and work side-by-side during the coronavirus pandemic. We are both very fortunate to have our jobs but we know that could change any moment. One swift swing from either of our employers and we could be jobless. For now we try to keep a routine, a schedule of some kind, each day. That gives us some sense of normalcy, and normalcy for Channing. Her birthday was on Sunday and we celebrated in the best way we could without having an actual party. I started the day by pranking her with a confetti drop on her head when she woke up. She was so surprised and it really set the tone for the day of fun I had planned. We did a scavenger h

The number one question in my DM's and inbox over the last month has been, how did you get invited to the Disney Creators Celebration? The short answer is, luck. The long answer might give you some insights on how you can get the attention of the Disney powers that be to hopefully secure a spot in this invite only conference. First, what is the Disney Creators Conference? It's a week-long celebration for creators that begins with 3 days at Walt Disney World, and ends on a 3 day Disney Cruise. This event used to be known as the Land and Sea Disney Social Media Moms Conference (DSMMC) and was made up of mom bloggers who are passionate about all things Disney. About a hundred moms were invited from all over the U.S. to have unique experiences and get a behind the scenes look at some of the Disney operations. It seems like organizers have tweaked the formula for the event and opened it up to non-mom influencers and creators which is a great idea. There are so many Disney bloggers and influencers who aren't par

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I've never watched "The Bachelor." Or "The Bachelorette." Well, I've watched enough of it to know it's not really my jam. But its cultural significance and popularity can't be ignored. There are dozens of podcasts, fan sites, and more dedicated to all things Bachelor nation and it's one of the highest rated shows on television. DeAnna Stagliano (Pappas) was on season 4 of "The Bachelorette" So when I found out my friend DeAnna Stagliano (Pappas) was not only a contestant on "The Bachelor",  but also an actual Bachelorette I was shook. I had no idea this sweet woman I'd gotten to know over cocktails at the country club was on this show I have a fair amount of disdain for. Before you judge me for judging this show, let me tell you where I'm coming from. I'm an actress, and for years I was under the impression that all these reality shows were taking away TV airtime that could go to scripted shows, and therefore, create jobs for actors like me. I assumed that these types of sh

You have no doubt seen Melanie Paxson on your TV hundreds if not thousands of times over the last two decades. Most of you will recognize her right away as the "Glad Girl". She captured our hearts and made us want to use better food storage and trash bags when she starred in several commercials for Gladware.  My favorite commercial she starred in was for Red Robin. Seriously, their burgers are bomb! In addition to being a prolific commercial actress, Melanie has a lengthy list of TV credits as well. She starred in "Cupid," "Happy Family," and all three "Descendants" movies. And I also have a favorite show she's been in: "Notes From the Underbelly." That's where I got my final SAG voucher to join the union. I was not only a fan of that show, but it some small way, it helped get my professional acting career started. So as you can imagine I was thrilled Melanie agreed to come on my show. We immediately jumped into how much we love being moms. As in-demand as she is, she is prioritizing her children and fo