December 9, 2025 • 42 mins
Ross Mathews opens up to Jennie about his unlikely rise from a Tonight Show intern to a beloved TV personality by choosing authenticity over fitting in. He shares how love, loss, bold leaps and everyday joy have shaped the life he’s living now… one built on gratitude, humor and being unapologetically himself.
Follow the "I Choose Me" Podcast on Instagram and TikTok
Follow Jennie on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Girl. Hi. Everyone,
welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about
the choices we make, and today I am joined by
Ross Matthews, someone who built his entire career on raising
his hand and betting on himself. Ross has made bold
(00:25):
choices in his personal life, trusting his instincts even when
people close to him didn't fully understand them at first.
Now he is happily married to an educator, and together
they've written the sweetest book, Teo and To. We'll get
into how they met and why this story mattered to them.
I'm so excited to be joined by my good friend
(00:46):
Ross Matthews.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Oh my gosh, when did we see each other last time?
I think it was on the set of Drew Barrymore?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Right, I think it was it? Was it true Barrymore?
Or did we do pictionary with that?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Oh my gosh, no, I think did.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
We were on Patuonary together and both of us sucked.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
No, truly terrible. But I will tell you this, I
was terrible at it. But they experience every time I
see you, every time I get to talk to you,
and you know who I am. It's always like not
weird for me. Do you understand what I mean? Like
you are kind, but I still I'm still like I
know who you are and you know who I am.
Like it's always weird, Kase, it's a compliment I do.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I do, But it's kind of like a weird Hollywood thing,
like when you I feel like when you are somebody
in the public eye and you meet somebody else in
the public eye, it is as if we know each other,
but we don't.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Sometimes we don't. But I've known you for like a
really long time school, but you didn't even know that. So, yes,
that's weird.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I think we also were both on that here. Remember
twenty twenty before things went buck wild with the pandemic,
we were both at the Hero Dog Show. Do you
remember that?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I do remember that. Yeah, I love doing the dogs rescut.
My dog is right over there watch us do this,
So that's always so important to Hi.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Audrey, I know her name, that's weird, but ah Audrey Awdrey,
what she doing over there? Just sleep and.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
She's aging gracefully and I've had her twelve years and
she's like a rescue. So I don't exactly know, but
she leaps, she runs, she cares, she eats, so she's happy.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
What a good life you've given her.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, I wesh. She's had a lot of facial work
because I won't I won't allow wrinkles in the house.
But other than that, she's perfectly fine. I'm so so glad.
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Okay, I love your origin story into the business. I mean,
you've had this incredible career that you and only you
made happen all on your own, all from the very beginning,
just by being one hundred percent authentic to who you are.
And I remember watching your stuff on jay Leno and
wondering where in the world did they get this adorable
(02:52):
man and how did they hit the jackpot like this,
like you were just like you came on the screen
and it was wow, he's got it.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Oh I I'll go back a little further, and thank
you for saying that. I'll go back a little further.
So I grew up in a little farmtown, loving pop culture,
feeling like I was like a weird gay cartoon human,
you know, like just like I did not fit in
this little farm town. I didn't know exactly what I was,
but it wasn't exactly this, and I just loved pop
(03:22):
culture and I just had this like you know when
you're young and you just like burn for things and
you just you can't explain it and you need to
draw to think. So I knew I was going to
be on TV, and I knew I was going to
be working in talk. I just at seven years old,
I pointed to Regis and told my mom, I'm going
to do that, you know, Oh my god. And so
I went to college. I thought, oh, what do you do?
(03:43):
I got a degree in communication. But while I was
doing that, I thought and senior year, I thought, I
got I've got to like get a gig. I don't
know how to do this. So I got an unpaid
internship Atlanta, which I remember driving to the interview for it,
and I remember thinking, this is how it's going to start. Now.
Mind you it was unpaid it, but I just knew it.
I had goosebumps.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I got goosebumps.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well you know when you know things. I just knew it.
And I worked there for free, for like, I mean
a whole semester, and then my last day, well a
little other thing. I also am nosy, so I wanted
to know. And I love television, so I wanted to
know what a writer was, what a producer was, who
pulled the curtain or the cord so the curtain could open? Who?
I wanted to know everything. So instead of like doing
(04:24):
what I was supposed to do, which was like making
copies and coffee, I would just go to the writers
and producers and be like, can you tell me? Like
just what do you do?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
You know?
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And one of them thought I was funny. So when
a comic dropped out of covering the Ocean's eleven premiere,
that writer said, you know who's funny is Ross in
the Hallway?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
And Ross in the Hallway? Oh my god, can you
make a show called Ross in the Hallway.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
It's not a bad idea, but it just was. I
think it was undeniable. I look back now, people ask
how did it happen? I really don't know, except that
I knew that it would.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
It was just destiny. Did you have like a big
picture plan for the career that you wanted? Like it
sounds like you knew from the very beginning, But once
you got your foot in that door, what was it
that you were like, this is what I want? Ultimately,
and this is how I'm going to get there.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Well, it's all it sounds like you're saying, like, Okay,
I want to walk, I want to go to the
moon one day. It sounds as outlandish as that, but like, okay,
I just knew. I was like, well, I better start
preparing what you're gonna eat on the moon because it's
I am no, one hundred percent certain this is happening.
So when they told me, what they did is they
brought me in that day to the head writer's office
and said, you know, would you want to go cover
(05:27):
with George cliney the Ocean's eleven premiere? And I'm like, ew,
would I? And so I was like yes, like yes,
when now you know yeah no? And so I had
like an hour before it happened to like sit by myself,
and I remember thinking like this really this crazy moment
of clarity, Jenny. I don't know if you have these.
I think we all are lucky to have a few
in our lives where I remember thinking, Okay, they're going
(05:48):
to laugh at you at first, just get them to
left with you by the end. Because this was a
different time in television like Will and Grace, maybe had
been on a couple episodes. Ellen had just come out
and been put away.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
It was the year was two thousand and it was
two thousand in one. Yeah, it was two thousand and
one December six thousand and one, and I just just thought, like, Okay,
they're not ready for this, but just get them, get
them with you by the end, and you have like
a six minute segment on Leto's what I had, So
I had six minutes to earn earn it, and it
was like that for the first few years. That was
(06:21):
my goal. And I did that show for fourteen years,
and I remember every time going out there reminding myself
they're going to laugh at you at first, get them
to root for you by the end and laugh with you.
And I did.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Oh, I love that so much.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
I mean, that's it that you were able to tell
What would you tell that guy now? That Young Ross?
Speaker 2 (06:43):
In many ways, I think Young Ross had a lot
more answers than current Ross stuff. You know, Like I
don't know, I think when we start including logic on
our plans, we sort of fall over ourselves. I think
it's better to just know that you can live on
the moon and not think about the oxygen. Does that
make it? That's a metaphor, you And it's what I'm saying,
(07:03):
Oh I do.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
I like metaphors? Thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know that I could
do it now. I think I would think about, you know, well,
what are the sponsors want and what's the democratic audience.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That like, as we get older, we have all these
like we understand our responsibilities so much more, and then
it kind of gets in the way.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, I think, like you know that saying like you,
I don't want to know how the sausage is made,
Like I don't want to really know how it works.
I think there's there's a lot to that because the
sausage is made is kind of gross and you kind
of know everything that goes into it. And now I
produce TV and I've been doing this for almost twenty
five years, Jenny, and like, I just think I got
to just not give a crap what the sponsors thought
(07:44):
and just be funny. And I like, I think I'm
kind of trying to get back to that a little bit.
I know, it's weird. It's life is so weird, and
like getting older is such a weird gift, but it is.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Can I ask you how old you are? Is that rude?
Speaker 3 (07:58):
No?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I just turned forty six.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
My picks for is.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
But my parents died young, both of them relatively long young,
and I think that there was a little gift in
there for me, as painful as it was that I'm
still trying to figure out, which is this understanding that
there's no take to My dad was fifty nine when
he died, you know, so I think about, God, I
have what fourteen years left if I get to that point?
So what do you want to do? And that's what
I'm kind of not struggling with. That is what I'm
(08:22):
processing right now. So when you ask me, like, I
forget how you exactly phrased it, but I'm a very
different person than I was twenty five years ago in
terms of my relationship with the world.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Right, absolutely, I mean I think I thought about that
too when my dad passed away, for sure, Like that
sense of mortality becomes such a realistic element in your life.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Yeah, And I ought to be clear, I'm not like
obsessed with dying. I'm obsessed with living, right, And you
want to live? I want to live? You will live? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah, Yeah, you talk about choosing yourself as a way
to be a better person in your relationships in life.
How did you come to know that it starts with you?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I mean, I don't think I knew that younger. I
think I think my husband had a lot to do
with it. And Neil meeting him like six years ago,
your husband.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Who is a teacher, who is a hero.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
He's so smart, so smart, and like he we go
off to work and come home and like, what do
you do? And I'm like, oh, like on the set today,
I dress up like Dolly Parton and made chili and
my nail fell off and I go, what did you
do it? He'll be like, well, there was some at
risk youth who we counseled through. I'm like, understood, I
understand which one of us makes a real difference in
(09:46):
the world.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
That's so crazy. I love it so much.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Wild which is my dinner is so fun because we
really catch up on our day and our days are
so different. But it starts with me, you know. I
think it's time and age that teach you use you
your role in it. You know, it's about I was
just talking to my brother this morning about something that
happened with somebody else, and I heard myself say well,
(10:10):
rather than just be like, well, screw with them and
have that, but it was like, well, you know, they've
been going through a lot, and I wonder in their
childhood if they had you know. And I think that
that's the kind of stuff you get to know as
you're older, Like you can trace back your own reflex
in your own response to things and have empathy for others.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Right, And I think also, yeah, you start to be
a little less reactive out of the gate, at least
for me. That's why are you getting good at it?
I'm getting better at it. I'm definitely getting better at it.
I think that that's one of the things that I've
really noticed about getting older is that I have that
(10:48):
ability to give it a beat. I'll really think things
through for a second and then respond instead of just
firing off something which didn't really serve me very well.
So I think it's a matter of like looking at
your life and saying, what has served me, well, what
have I done, whether it's in my career or whether
it's in my personal life, what have I done that
got me the results that I wanted or made me
(11:10):
feel authentic in living the life that I want being
the person that I want, and you're able to really
kind of sort of you know, itemize those things.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Yeah, what am luxury that we can do that?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Right?
Speaker 2 (11:23):
You think about like I wonder if my mom ever
got to have I mean, I'm sure she did, but
she was so busy just kind of surviving, getting through
it all. Like, isn't it great that I hope everyone Like,
I don't know, I think if I had like two
little kids running around stuff, when I have this time
to try to be so try to get evolved, you know,
like what a luxury it is. But it really is
a luxury, And I'm so grateful to kind of be
(11:44):
aging like this.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah. Yeah, we're lucky for sure, But I think it
gets everybody. Whether you're a busy mom running around, we
all have our moments where we are reflective. I think
at some point.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
See, I don't think I could do it, the fact
that you have kids and do all this, Like I
am so simple that if I had I have a
chihuah one, I'm like, it's really hard for me to
find time to reflect, you know what I mean, I
don't know how you do it. I look at like Drew,
I see her work every day. I go to the
same hours as her, and like she also has like
two human beings who are growing up that she's dealing with.
(12:17):
And I just I don't know, Like, how did you
do it? How do you rise up and like do
all that?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You know, there's no like rhyme or reason. There's no
reason why I'm able to do it. It just when
you get in a situation, you all of a sudden
just get the wherewithal to make it happen, like it
comes with the territory, and then you just do you
just go.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
I guess what's the other choice is not Yeah, I
guess you just do it? Maybe I would, maybe you
know what, maybe maybe we all can rise up to it.
I don't know. Maybe I don't know, but I don't
want to sell myself short. But I'll know, my god,
no never.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
I'm Kristin Davis, host of the podcast Are You a Charlotte?
Most anticipated guest from season three is here the Tray
to My Charlotte. Kyle McLaughlin joins me to relive all
of the magical Tray in Charlotte moments. He reveals what
he thinks of Trey giving Charlotte a cardboard baby.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Why would I bring her a cardboard baby? I was
literally I was like, this doesn't track for me at all.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
When he found out Trey's shortcomings, I'm kind of.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Excited to talking about it. You know, I think he's
he's a guy spends time in Central Park. You know,
he's probably don't know' be some.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Surgery stuff, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
And I was like, all this kind of stuff going on,
and they were like, yeah, yeah, yeah, fine, and they said,
but he's impotent, And I was like, he's impotent.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
And why he chose not to return to it?
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Just like that, They came and presented an idea, and
I was like, I get I see it.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
It's so kind of a one joke idea.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
You don't want to miss this. Listen to Are you
a Charlotte on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever
you get your podcasts?
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Were there any choices I'm curious earlier in your life
that maybe you were making or made that your friends
and family maybe weren't sure about, or maybe they weren't
supportive of. Did you have that growing up? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I mean, I mean when I tell you that I
would say what I wanted to do in my life
when I was little, and it never changed. The reaction
wasn't always I mean, it was funny at first, and
then I remember specific like relatives who I love and
I'm close to, who were just looking out for me,
telling me like what are you doing get a degree
in public relations? Like if you want to be in media,
(14:32):
what are you doing? And then even one moment I
remember before my dad died, he got to see the
first couple years of LENO and the beginning he asked me.
I remember, like him being very cautious the way he
asked me, but he said, like, do you think maybe
they're making fun of you? And I remember knowing what
you're saying, but I just said, like, truly, I don't
(14:55):
give a shit, because like I want to use this
they can make fun of me, but like what I
was saying at the beginning, Jenny, I wanted to win.
By the end, I was convinced I could, you know,
I could get them to root for me by the end,
and so I told him like, I don't care if
they are and if and if they are, like I'm
still going to use this platform. Yeah, yeah, but it
did scare me a little bit, but I still was undeterred.
(15:17):
But yeah, I did have people. I mean, it's a
crazy thing about when you were little, like I wasn't
going to be an actress, Like okay, you know, but
then look what you've done, and I don't what is
that inside is that we just we hear that, we
understand their nerves, we understand the pragmatism in their argument,
but like, okay.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yeah, it doesn't align with what you have in mind,
so yeah, just let it go. Yeah, do you think
standing clear, being able to stand clear in those choices
has ultimately helped you show up better and stronger and
more authentic?
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Now yeah, yes, yeah, I'm processing. Yes, I think in
the early days I had no choice but to show
up like that because I got my one and I'm
going to talk about in terms of my authenticity, right
being a gay person on television back then everything. But
I didn't have the luxury of ever being in the closet,
(16:12):
Like can you imagine if I if.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
I was just like no, I don't mean to laugh,
but no, exactly, nobody can put ross in a closet.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
No, right, like baby in the corner, Ross in the closet.
It's not happening. And so I never had the pressure
of not talking about it. You know, people are like, oh, what,
what gave you the courage to talk about Are you nuts?
I would have had to like, what wear flannel and
not speak for a decade this is and I'd look
like quiet lesbian, it's not happening with me. I'm never
(16:41):
passing as a street man. So that was actually a
really big gift in terms of standing by my authentic self. Yeah,
no other choice.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
You give such great advice, and you know, I love
your social platform what you're doing with it. But what
would you say to a young person out there who
doesn't have that feeling of safety or security that they
can do it authentically one hundred percent all the time?
What would you say to them and encourage them to
make independent choices.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Well, I think I would say, and I want I
want this to be sort of a broad statement or
broad advice to anybody who feels like maybe they are
against the grain, whatever that means to you. I grew
up in a little farmtown, and in my case, I
was gay in a little farmtown, and I didn't see
anybody else gay. I didn't see them on media. I didn't.
(17:34):
I mean, maybe there was like a hairdresser you were
like in town, like Larry or so. I don't know him,
but you know, he seemed great. But like, there wasn't
anybody that I could see as a gay grown up.
So I remember thinking, as a little kid, can I
become a grown up? Because I, you know, grown up
like a grown up guy married a woman. I knew
I was going to do that, So like, what is
(17:54):
life then? I didn't know, right, And so what I
wish I would have known then is that somewhere, maybe
not outside my front living room window or my bedroom window,
but somewhere in the world there would be a group
of people that would not tolerate me, but like celebrate
me and love me because they were they had what
I was in common. And so I think for anybody
(18:16):
who goes against the grain, if you can just hold
on to the fact that I promise you somewhere there
is a community for you, somewhere, maybe not in front
of your house or in your small town, but if
you seek it out, there will be people just like you,
people who will make you feel like you're not alone.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Did you have that within your own small town community
at all? Did you have anybody that was championing for
you or celebrating your uniqueness.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Yes, not in terms of like peers that were also queer,
you know, but in terms of like especially women, my mother,
my mom's dress friend, Bonnie teachers, especially Diana at the bank.
Shout out to Diana from Criana used to give me, yes,
she used to give me a little suckers when I
would go in and I she had to know I
was like a giant, flaming eight year old, but she
(19:02):
loved me, you know. So it was women women who
made me feel like, I mean really the shit really,
like when I went into that.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
And like they just lit up when you came in
the room. I know the feeling because I am Diane
right now. I'm like you when I see you, every
time I see you, I feel like I love this man.
Like there, I can't hold back thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Well, it's it's almost like that what you like get
energy that you feel is like what fuels me Like
I would then like I felt so good going in
to see Diana at the bank that then it became
my mission to make Diana feel great at the bank,
you know, and and like that. I don't know when
that was my focus. I didn't give a crap that
they were being mean to me over there, because like, Okay,
you don't get it, but Diana's going to be so
(19:47):
excited when I come in with or and fill in
the blank, you know. So it was. It was. That's
why I mean, as gay as I am, I I
love women. I mean I don't have sex. I don't
want to touch them, I don't have sex with them,
but but I want to learn from them. I want
I want their I want their genius.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yeah, that's the beauty that you know what. That's why
I gravitate towards the gay community so much, because I
feel like they're my best friends, like I do. There's
no weirdness ever, there's just happy and support and like camaraderie.
I just think that it's so interesting to hear from
(20:31):
your perspective how much you love women, because I've been
saying that all these years that I'm just dialed in
when it comes to my friends that are gay, and
I love them so much, I can't even take.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
It, can I. I don't know if you're taking applications,
Jenny Garth, but if you are looking for to add
another gay friend who will love you, I.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Actually you're in.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
You're hired, Audrey, I'm in. Okay.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Speaking of gay and happy, you had a post not
that long ago. I'm not sure when it was that
you said that it is exactly how you pictured your
life as a grown up, gay, happy and in love.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
That's exactly it. I know, right. It was a moment.
It was this summer. I was eating at one of
our favorite restaurants. You know I live. I live in
New York now, which I can't believe it, but I've
been here for almost six years, and we were at
this restaurant we go to all the time. It was
beautiful summer day and my husband Wellington, was across from
me and I had a martini and Audrey Mark dog
(21:34):
or twelve, I mean, this is really gay, was next
to us. You're on a little bag and the chair
next to me, and I was wearing a hat that
Drew gave me that it was like, it's Audrey on
my hat. So I'm like, such levels of gay, you know,
but it's exactly what I pictured. It was one of
those moments in life where I was like, Okay, if
it all goes away, I'm just noting it right now. Yeah,
(21:55):
it happened, and I can. I'll always remember what this
feels like.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Good. Well, let's talk about the happy end and love
part of that, because, as you said before, your husband
is a teacher, God bless his soul. What do you
love about him?
Speaker 2 (22:13):
So yeah, he's he he's a teacher forever and now
he's he's like an administrator. To know, he like trains educators,
he does all that. What I love about my husband
is how different our life is. You know, he was
he was born in the Dominican Republic. He moved here
at five. I didn't speak the language. Came and was freezing.
It was November. He didn't know what cold was. You know.
(22:35):
Think about all the foreign this land, this country was
to him. And now I meet him, and he when
I meet him, he has two masters, a doctorate, is
you know, like an assistant superintendent. And I just meet
this person who is such a force of nature, all
(22:57):
self made, and I just remember being in awe of him.
And then as I got to know him, I realized
how silly he was. And I love both of those
components of him. That he's like this brilliant person who
it's so different in me from me in many ways,
(23:20):
but also I relate to how aggressive and ambitious he is,
and then when he comes home, he's just a whack
of do and I, I don't know. I love that
he makes me laugh every day. He makes me think
he can think.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
I'm awe laughter, it's laughter, right, number one on the.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
List, number one. The other I was just in Charleston,
South Carolina, and I came home the other night and
made you know. When I got home at five, I
made dinner and I realized I was going to bed
that we just had music on and I cooked and
we didn't stop talking the whole We didn't put a
TV on, but we didn't stop talking and laughing until bedtime.
And that was just a normal day. But I really
clocked it.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
It was great. That's good. I'm so happy for you.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
It's Wilfred Dell and Sabrina Bryan.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
From the podcast Magical Rewind and we have a very
special guest on this week's episode. He's the mastermind behind
some of your favorite movies like Hocus Pocus, Newsy's The Descendants,
and of course High School Musical. Yes, it is the
one and only a living legend. Director Kenny or Tega we.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
Sit down with Kenny to talk about his incredible career
and the legacy he's created with his choreography and films.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
You seriously will not want to miss this one.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Listen to Magical Rewind on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Hi, it's Jenny Garth, host of the I Choose Me podcast.
This week, I'm so excited to welcome my friend Gabrielle
carteris the Andrea Zuckerman from Beverly Hills nine o two
on ZHO to the pod. We're choosing to get real.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
I applied to the networks about my age and contracts.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
They never would have hired me if they had known
my age. We're choosing to be honest.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
She looked at me, and she said, this business is
about the mask, which you have neither of, and.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
We're choosing to get nostalgic. Listen to I Choose Me
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts. I know your mom passed away. I'm not
sure what year was that, twenty twenty so I heard
you say in a post also that you had to
(25:21):
mourn your mom alone, and my heart broke because I
can't even imagine how isolating that must have felt, even
on top of everything that was happening with the world.
But to be going through that kind of grief and
loss alone in a house, alone, where you didn't have
(25:43):
people coming.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
We didn't even have a funeral because it was the
height of COVID, you know, it was. It's the only
way that I know to mourn my mother because it's
the only It's how it happened for me. But looking back,
I do feel robbed of closure maybe or what usually happened.
(26:05):
Let's go back. What usually happens when somebody dies is
the family gathers, you sit together, you cry, you talk
about the person, you literally mourn, and you are held
up by those who love you. That was not my experience.
And I still am. I think I'm still in the
middle of it. I mean, it's going to be six
(26:25):
years in May, and I I just didn't get that
part of it.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
And I don't know, like, celebrate her life, yeah, in
a community set, you know, or mark her existence almost,
you know, like yes, and I and.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
I don't know. I'm still figuring it out how I
feel about that. It wasn't my choice but I mean
literally we you know, people couldn't gather. So but I don't.
I don't know how.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
What if you what if you did something, what if
you created?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Think about it? Yeah, I think about it, but I
don't know. I don't. I don't know, Jenny, I don't
know if I'm scared to go pulled all that up
again because I'm like, no, I mean, it wasn't put away, right,
but at least it's put away that I want to
like take all that laundry out and fold it again,
and we might be a yeah, yah ya yaye.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
That's a big choice.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah, it's a big choice, but it might be the
best choice. So I'm on that fence. I have those
same thoughts.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Yeah, only you'll know, yeah, and then the answer is
whatever it is, because we all grieve differently, obviously, But
I just I wanted to go back and be able
to support you during that time. You know, just send
you loving energy, and I just can't imagine how hard
that must have been. You're so strong, thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
You know, it was such a shitty time for everybody,
remember that. Oh god, I know it was pretty bad. Yeah,
but it did bring me here, I have to say,
I think if I I think maybe in those moments
that's when I also decided to move to New York.
Is because I met I met Wellie January. To my
head when January twenty twenty, Mom pissed away in March
or so I may, when the world was shut down,
(28:04):
oh man, and then I you know, I came to
visit Wellington in New York in October of twenty twenty,
and that's when I popped in for Drew for a
day and then just stayed here and decided to move.
I don't know that I would have like put a
saddle on life and ridden it, you know, to write
it like I did, if if I hadn't been broken
(28:25):
from the death of my mother like that. You know,
I think in a way she maybe orchestrated it from
beyond or something.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
I mean, you do feel that way? I feel that way?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
You do?
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Or are you?
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Like?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
I feel like her passing or someone's passing always leads
to some sort of divine guidance at the around the
corner if you're open to it. And I think that's
the hardest part when you're in grief and you're you're
struggling so much. But then when you are open to
(28:56):
feeling them and be you know, being led by them
on a spiritual level. Magical things seemed to open up.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yeah, and again getting rid of logic, right, I feel like,
remember how we talked about when you add logic and
then you kind of wouldn't make the same decisions. But
I think I was so heartbroken that logic was out
the window and I was just operating by gut, which
is kind of I think when the best stuff happens. Yeah, yeah, truly.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Okay, so you and your husband wrote a book together.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
We could tell me.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Where is it? When did happen?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
So we were at our wedding. I remember our wedding
day Wellington. So it was so beautiful. We got married
blocks from where we met in Portavarta. It was the
first thing out of COVID. It was like twenty twenty two.
So people were like I remember looking at them, be
like I haven't left the house in years, and here
I am, and for it was great. I mean I
think six people got COVID at the wedding, but whatever,
it still was worth it. But so wedding comes to
(29:58):
me and his nephews, who are of course my nephew's
now but his sister's kids were our ring bearers, and
he said, I saw the cutest thing. Remind me to
tell you later. He told me this on our wedding day,
and the next day he told me I saw them
with their father rehearsing how to like walk in unison
and he's like, it didn't occur to me that they
would be so nervous to do it. And we started
(30:20):
talking about how cute that was that they wanted were
that they were nervous, and I was like, they're nervous
is my wedding day? Why are you? I was making
a joke. But when we asked her they were nervous,
they said, well, we just wanted to show up for
you guys, you know, And we thought, oh god. Wellington
the educator thought there is such a lesson in that
about no matter who you are, showing up to your
family matters, right. We all want to do that. So
(30:42):
we decided to write this book. I'm a storyteller by nature,
he's an educator, and so we used this book, this
story with those things. Drew our Drew was our actual
flower girl at our wedding, so we made her a
little girl in the book because it would be weird
to have like a movie star directly, a little weird. Yeah,
and it was. So the book just was so cute
and I'm so happy because we're right. We just wrote
a second book in the series, and that'll be coming
(31:04):
out soon too.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
What's that one going to be called?
Speaker 2 (31:07):
It's a Teo and Teo story. So we follow the
boys and our relationship. But we like we realized is
you know, when we had this idea, we did a
lot of research in terms of books about two uncles
for kids, you know, in terms of just like that
special relationship, and it's it's a niche, I understand, but
it is valuable, and there weren't a lot of them.
So we just thought, well, let's tell our story. I
(31:29):
love that write what you know right exactly. It's the
publishers were like, where's the second book. I was like, well,
something has to happen. I can't make up a scenario.
This has to be based in real life. So as
soon as like something happened, I thought, oh, there is
a story we're telling. We wrote it so good.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
You clearly love working on the Drew Barrymore Show because
I mean, you have a heartbeat that's such a dream
job for you, so perfect. I can't even a show
that you're now a producer on. Yeah, can you tell
me how that happened?
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Well, I, uh, well, the show is great. You've been
at the show. We love when you come on the show.
There's a special vibe there. It comes from Drew. We're
in season six. It is the best. I love producing
in general, even on The Tonight Show. You know, I
was there for a few years before and then I
became a creative consultant was my title. But I was
really producing all my sons with it, and I learned.
(32:21):
I mean, I went to boot camp with the best.
These are people that work on The Tonight Show are
the top of the game, right seasoned? Yeah, And I
learned from them so much. And so I've been producing
really my whole career. I produced Drag Race. I produce
this show now other things I love. I think TV
is like a rhythm. It's almost like music. You know,
(32:43):
you watch it and you're like, if you're watching rehearsal, okay,
that's wrong, that note is off. We got to fix
like the cadence of it. It's not working. And I
love going to rehearsal. I sit down there. There'll be
like a stand in for me sometimes. I just I
need to see it sometimes and then I pop in
and you can just iron out and make it smooth
and help tell the story in a more balanced, smooth way.
(33:04):
I love that part of producing. I'm not great at like,
let's find three experts and track them down in ninety
seven emails. I'm not that kind of producer. Well it
could be, but it's a different.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Kind of producer.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
You're creative, yes, yes, And I love finding people who
that I'm obsessed with, who I think people will relate to.
There's this woman on TikTok who goes thrifting and she's
an antique expert, and she'll tell you about what to
look for, like this is this kind of Crystal is cut,
this kind of Crystal's handmade. I'm obsessed, doctor Lori. We're
getting her on the show. So like finding people who
(33:34):
I think have something to say. I love that part
of producing. But it's about a love affair with television.
I just I love editing. I edit all my own stuff.
I love not on television, but all my like when
I'm on my social media, I edit all that stuff.
It's it's a puzzle piece. Media is I just I've
(33:55):
always loved it since a little you know me? Hello,
you know better than me? Are you doing it for sol?
How long?
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Now? Oh god, don't do that.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I don't understand it.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
A long time since I was seventeen.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
But I mean, you know, so we know what we're doing,
and we've been around people who do it better than anybody.
And if you pay a lunchin around great people, you
become much better.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
I know that's the way to go. Go to somebody
who's his nose more than you, who's had more success
than you, and just watch and learn. I mean, just
hearing all of that makes me really have a you know,
I know, but like I still have even a more
appreciation for how hard you have worked to get where
(34:37):
you are and how far you have come.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Congratulations by the way, on the show getting three Daytime
Emmy Awards this year.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
I know, I know our her and makeup team, our
directing team and Drew herself, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
So deserved.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
And what does it feel like it feels? I know
it feels well, there's a few fee one. I'm so
proud of the people I work with. They're so good
at what they do, to see them be recognized and
you know, to dominate. It's the job is great recognition,
the nomination, and then to win, right but selfishly, the
Ross Matthews experience was going to the Daytime Emmys and
(35:15):
walking it and thinking about being in Mount Vernon watching
Rosie cry when she won her first or watching Oprah,
or watching Susan Lucci and Jenny When I'm tell you,
I would sit and watch them and be like, oh God,
when I get to go there, I know I'm gonna
wear a white tuxiedo because I love that look and
I know, I mean when I was in like a kid,
and so to go there it was just confirmation. It
(35:37):
was like I wished I could have. I thought about
Little Ross and I wish I could show him, but
I know what he would say if I could go back,
like in the time machine and say look and he
Little Ross would go, I know.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Yeah, duh, here we are.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
I know. This was my plan and it was great
and I felt like I didn't feel like an imposter,
you know, because sometimes we do. I felt like I
earned my ticket in a way like I felt like
I you did. Yeah, I felt like this is what
I do because a lot of times in life you
feel like, what am I doing here? Shut up? Just
(36:13):
act like you belong right, blended, yeah, Blendon, this one
I felt like, Okay, yeah, girl, you earned your ticket,
so enjoy it. Enjoy the show.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Feeling for you.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Yeah, it's good, And I enjoyed the show. I didn't
go to the bathroom once it was three and a
half hours. I used in the front and I just yeah,
that face, just stupid happy.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Oh that's so exciting. I love this for you. Do
you find yourself talking to little Drew to little drewid listen?
Do you find yourself talking to little Ross a lot?
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Yeah, more about asking questions and talking to him like
I think about like, like, how would you do it
if you didn't know what to do? I think about
that a lot, Like the conversation a little bit earlier.
I think I turned to him for answers more than
to give him answers. I love to I just feel
like I knew more when I was little. I didn't
(37:03):
let the life get in the way of making decisions.
It was more gut.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Well that your gut has worked for you. Thanks. It
seems as if I want to ask you I know
your your schedules really crazy. That daily talk show schedule
is very grueling, especially as you're producing it. What do
you do to create peace? Like inner Piece, any tips
you could share on finding those pockets of peaceful moments
(37:29):
or even moments of self care.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
I think for peace moments for me, or going to
gratitude with the perspective we talked about, you know, like,
and I don't know if it's part of aging or what,
but I really do go there even when I'm frustrated
or something like I'll just try to just God, this
sounds so cheesy, it's really I get it. I hear it, like,
(37:53):
go to gratitude sounds so dumb, Like it's like it's
on a sign, a go to gratitude, right, I hear
my Though I don't want to speak in home good
sign lingo, but I really do feel like that. I
think I feel it centers me, it brings me to somewhere,
or like I can be really annoyed by something at
like something what happened that's just unfair coming, and I'll
just be like okay, okay, okay. Because the flip side
(38:16):
of this ross is there's no job. The flip side
is you're working still at Lane Bryant, which was a
great job just but like in high school at the mall,
like you know, like there are ye.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
I love it that you've worked at Lane Bryant. Hold on,
Oh my god, my people, hello, I love wow wow.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
But I even like in my life, even a bad
day of work is like the fact that I have
a badge that gets me through those doors is a win,
you know.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
So you go back to gratitude. Yeah, it works every time.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
I think it does. I think it's a cliche for
a reason, but it really does. Really.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Yeah, it seems so silly.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
With perspective, though, I think perspective is an ingredient that
gratitude needs because like I'm grateful to be alive. Okay, thanks,
thank you, next, right, but like I'm grateful because of
this reason because it could be this. It's helpful for me.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
In a world though that as ours right now, that
feels wildly out of control. How do you choose gratitude?
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Like, well, you better choose it quick because if the
world is out of control, who knows what we have left.
So if you're going to choose gratitude, I would do it.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Like maybe today oh yeah, right now, because wait till tomorrow,
which you have. Either you can live in anger and
resentment and unhappiness, or you can just live in gratitude.
It sounds a lot simpler.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Well, it is a choice. I understand we're wired certain
ways and people are wired in different ways. In my wiring,
it is it's always faster, short, or quicker, more efficient
to go to gratitude as soon as possible.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Absolutely. Oh my gosh. You wrote a very funny book
called name Drop The Really Good Celebrity Stories. I usually
only tell it a happy hour, so that's a good title.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
So I was thinking in honor of that, we would
play a little name Drop game for a fun holiday
bonus that will drop later this week, so I don't
miss that. But I'm just so thrilled at all of
your success and I'm just so grateful for you joining
me today, my old friend.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
I'm so happy. Listen, I and we and we are friends,
you know, I really, I really do mean that. But
I I'll love you for so long and I'm not
nervous around you anymore. But I do have to say
at first I wasn't, but I love that we are here,
So thank you. I love our Yes, I love our evolution. Okay,
before I let you go, Ross Matthews, what was your
last I.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Choose me moment?
Speaker 2 (40:36):
I really think it. I don't know it's my last one,
but my last big one I hinted earlier I talked
briefly about. But it was about coming to New York.
It was about feeling something and following it, even though
it was super scary. I think, you know what a
luxury was that I could do that, that I could
(40:58):
but and it was almost selfish in a way, you know,
like I'm going to go move across the country now
and okay, and I had to do it in a
way where my brother come watch the dogs for a
few months, and that we had to move things around
to make it happen.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Other people had to help.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
And it was only so I could go do something,
you know, that I could go follow this person who
I was falling in love with and go show up
at the show. That there was an opportunity. It was
just for me, and so many people moved things to
make it happen. But I think about what if I
hadn't been selfish in that time?
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Do you think it was selfish?
Speaker 4 (41:33):
Though?
Speaker 2 (41:35):
I don't think so thought it was until you just
asked me that, because it was all about me. It
was like, I want this, I'm going to do this.
It's going to be uncomfortable for some people, and I'm
gonna have to ask favors from some people and so
I can go get this. So in a way, yeah,
it was. But I think it would have been into
service not to yes.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
And I don't think that the people you asked things
of would see it as you being selfish. Honestly, I
would think that your brother would be like, look what
he's done, and if he hadn't done that, who knows
what would have happened in his life.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
Well, I love that perspective, you know. Wellington tells me
that too. I always think I'm annoying or in the
way of people, and he's like, some people want to
show up for you. Some people like doing things.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
You know, a lot of people want to show up
for you, Ross because you're a good human.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
Well, Jen Garreth, can I go what time tomorrow? Let's
do this again?
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Thank you so much, Thank you, I love you.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
I love you.
You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Girl. Hi. Everyone,
welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about
the choices we make, and today I am joined by
Ross Matthews, someone who built his entire career on raising
his hand and betting on himself. Ross has made bold
(00:25):
choices in his personal life, trusting his instincts even when
people close to him didn't fully understand them at first.
Now he is happily married to an educator, and together
they've written the sweetest book, Teo and To. We'll get
into how they met and why this story mattered to them.
I'm so excited to be joined by my good friend
(00:46):
Ross Matthews.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Oh my gosh, when did we see each other last time?
I think it was on the set of Drew Barrymore?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Right, I think it was it? Was it true Barrymore?
Or did we do pictionary with that?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Oh my gosh, no, I think did.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
We were on Patuonary together and both of us sucked.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
No, truly terrible. But I will tell you this, I
was terrible at it. But they experience every time I
see you, every time I get to talk to you,
and you know who I am. It's always like not
weird for me. Do you understand what I mean? Like
you are kind, but I still I'm still like I
know who you are and you know who I am.
Like it's always weird, Kase, it's a compliment I do.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I do, But it's kind of like a weird Hollywood thing,
like when you I feel like when you are somebody
in the public eye and you meet somebody else in
the public eye, it is as if we know each other,
but we don't.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Sometimes we don't. But I've known you for like a
really long time school, but you didn't even know that. So, yes,
that's weird.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I think we also were both on that here. Remember
twenty twenty before things went buck wild with the pandemic,
we were both at the Hero Dog Show. Do you
remember that?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I do remember that. Yeah, I love doing the dogs rescut.
My dog is right over there watch us do this,
So that's always so important to Hi.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Audrey, I know her name, that's weird, but ah Audrey Awdrey,
what she doing over there? Just sleep and.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
She's aging gracefully and I've had her twelve years and
she's like a rescue. So I don't exactly know, but
she leaps, she runs, she cares, she eats, so she's happy.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
What a good life you've given her.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, I wesh. She's had a lot of facial work
because I won't I won't allow wrinkles in the house.
But other than that, she's perfectly fine. I'm so so glad.
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Okay, I love your origin story into the business. I mean,
you've had this incredible career that you and only you
made happen all on your own, all from the very beginning,
just by being one hundred percent authentic to who you are.
And I remember watching your stuff on jay Leno and
wondering where in the world did they get this adorable
(02:52):
man and how did they hit the jackpot like this,
like you were just like you came on the screen
and it was wow, he's got it.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Oh I I'll go back a little further, and thank
you for saying that. I'll go back a little further.
So I grew up in a little farmtown, loving pop culture,
feeling like I was like a weird gay cartoon human,
you know, like just like I did not fit in
this little farm town. I didn't know exactly what I was,
but it wasn't exactly this, and I just loved pop
(03:22):
culture and I just had this like you know when
you're young and you just like burn for things and
you just you can't explain it and you need to
draw to think. So I knew I was going to
be on TV, and I knew I was going to
be working in talk. I just at seven years old,
I pointed to Regis and told my mom, I'm going
to do that, you know, Oh my god. And so
I went to college. I thought, oh, what do you do?
(03:43):
I got a degree in communication. But while I was
doing that, I thought and senior year, I thought, I
got I've got to like get a gig. I don't
know how to do this. So I got an unpaid
internship Atlanta, which I remember driving to the interview for it,
and I remember thinking, this is how it's going to start. Now.
Mind you it was unpaid it, but I just knew it.
I had goosebumps.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I got goosebumps.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well you know when you know things. I just knew it.
And I worked there for free, for like, I mean
a whole semester, and then my last day, well a
little other thing. I also am nosy, so I wanted
to know. And I love television, so I wanted to
know what a writer was, what a producer was, who
pulled the curtain or the cord so the curtain could open? Who?
I wanted to know everything. So instead of like doing
(04:24):
what I was supposed to do, which was like making
copies and coffee, I would just go to the writers
and producers and be like, can you tell me? Like
just what do you do?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
You know?
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And one of them thought I was funny. So when
a comic dropped out of covering the Ocean's eleven premiere,
that writer said, you know who's funny is Ross in
the Hallway?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
And Ross in the Hallway? Oh my god, can you
make a show called Ross in the Hallway.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
It's not a bad idea, but it just was. I
think it was undeniable. I look back now, people ask
how did it happen? I really don't know, except that
I knew that it would.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
It was just destiny. Did you have like a big
picture plan for the career that you wanted? Like it
sounds like you knew from the very beginning, But once
you got your foot in that door, what was it
that you were like, this is what I want? Ultimately,
and this is how I'm going to get there.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Well, it's all it sounds like you're saying, like, Okay,
I want to walk, I want to go to the
moon one day. It sounds as outlandish as that, but like, okay,
I just knew. I was like, well, I better start
preparing what you're gonna eat on the moon because it's
I am no, one hundred percent certain this is happening.
So when they told me, what they did is they
brought me in that day to the head writer's office
and said, you know, would you want to go cover
(05:27):
with George cliney the Ocean's eleven premiere? And I'm like, ew,
would I? And so I was like yes, like yes,
when now you know yeah no? And so I had
like an hour before it happened to like sit by myself,
and I remember thinking like this really this crazy moment
of clarity, Jenny. I don't know if you have these.
I think we all are lucky to have a few
in our lives where I remember thinking, Okay, they're going
(05:48):
to laugh at you at first, just get them to
left with you by the end. Because this was a
different time in television like Will and Grace, maybe had
been on a couple episodes. Ellen had just come out
and been put away.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
It was the year was two thousand and it was
two thousand in one. Yeah, it was two thousand and
one December six thousand and one, and I just just thought, like, Okay,
they're not ready for this, but just get them, get
them with you by the end, and you have like
a six minute segment on Leto's what I had, So
I had six minutes to earn earn it, and it
was like that for the first few years. That was
(06:21):
my goal. And I did that show for fourteen years,
and I remember every time going out there reminding myself
they're going to laugh at you at first, get them
to root for you by the end and laugh with you.
And I did.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Oh, I love that so much.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
I mean, that's it that you were able to tell
What would you tell that guy now? That Young Ross?
Speaker 2 (06:43):
In many ways, I think Young Ross had a lot
more answers than current Ross stuff. You know, Like I
don't know, I think when we start including logic on
our plans, we sort of fall over ourselves. I think
it's better to just know that you can live on
the moon and not think about the oxygen. Does that
make it? That's a metaphor, you And it's what I'm saying,
(07:03):
Oh I do.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
I like metaphors? Thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know that I could
do it now. I think I would think about, you know, well,
what are the sponsors want and what's the democratic audience.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That like, as we get older, we have all these
like we understand our responsibilities so much more, and then
it kind of gets in the way.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, I think, like you know that saying like you,
I don't want to know how the sausage is made,
Like I don't want to really know how it works.
I think there's there's a lot to that because the
sausage is made is kind of gross and you kind
of know everything that goes into it. And now I
produce TV and I've been doing this for almost twenty
five years, Jenny, and like, I just think I got
to just not give a crap what the sponsors thought
(07:44):
and just be funny. And I like, I think I'm
kind of trying to get back to that a little bit.
I know, it's weird. It's life is so weird, and
like getting older is such a weird gift, but it is.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Can I ask you how old you are? Is that rude?
Speaker 3 (07:58):
No?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I just turned forty six.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
My picks for is.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
But my parents died young, both of them relatively long young,
and I think that there was a little gift in
there for me, as painful as it was that I'm
still trying to figure out, which is this understanding that
there's no take to My dad was fifty nine when
he died, you know, so I think about, God, I
have what fourteen years left if I get to that point?
So what do you want to do? And that's what
I'm kind of not struggling with. That is what I'm
(08:22):
processing right now. So when you ask me, like, I
forget how you exactly phrased it, but I'm a very
different person than I was twenty five years ago in
terms of my relationship with the world.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Right, absolutely, I mean I think I thought about that
too when my dad passed away, for sure, Like that
sense of mortality becomes such a realistic element in your life.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Yeah, And I ought to be clear, I'm not like
obsessed with dying. I'm obsessed with living, right, And you
want to live? I want to live? You will live? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah, Yeah, you talk about choosing yourself as a way
to be a better person in your relationships in life.
How did you come to know that it starts with you?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I mean, I don't think I knew that younger. I
think I think my husband had a lot to do
with it. And Neil meeting him like six years ago,
your husband.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Who is a teacher, who is a hero.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
He's so smart, so smart, and like he we go
off to work and come home and like, what do
you do? And I'm like, oh, like on the set today,
I dress up like Dolly Parton and made chili and
my nail fell off and I go, what did you
do it? He'll be like, well, there was some at
risk youth who we counseled through. I'm like, understood, I
understand which one of us makes a real difference in
(09:46):
the world.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
That's so crazy. I love it so much.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Wild which is my dinner is so fun because we
really catch up on our day and our days are
so different. But it starts with me, you know. I
think it's time and age that teach you use you
your role in it. You know, it's about I was
just talking to my brother this morning about something that
happened with somebody else, and I heard myself say well,
(10:10):
rather than just be like, well, screw with them and
have that, but it was like, well, you know, they've
been going through a lot, and I wonder in their
childhood if they had you know. And I think that
that's the kind of stuff you get to know as
you're older, Like you can trace back your own reflex
in your own response to things and have empathy for others.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Right, And I think also, yeah, you start to be
a little less reactive out of the gate, at least
for me. That's why are you getting good at it?
I'm getting better at it. I'm definitely getting better at it.
I think that that's one of the things that I've
really noticed about getting older is that I have that
(10:48):
ability to give it a beat. I'll really think things
through for a second and then respond instead of just
firing off something which didn't really serve me very well.
So I think it's a matter of like looking at
your life and saying, what has served me, well, what
have I done, whether it's in my career or whether
it's in my personal life, what have I done that
got me the results that I wanted or made me
(11:10):
feel authentic in living the life that I want being
the person that I want, and you're able to really
kind of sort of you know, itemize those things.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Yeah, what am luxury that we can do that?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Right?
Speaker 2 (11:23):
You think about like I wonder if my mom ever
got to have I mean, I'm sure she did, but
she was so busy just kind of surviving, getting through
it all. Like, isn't it great that I hope everyone Like,
I don't know, I think if I had like two
little kids running around stuff, when I have this time
to try to be so try to get evolved, you know,
like what a luxury it is. But it really is
a luxury, And I'm so grateful to kind of be
(11:44):
aging like this.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah. Yeah, we're lucky for sure, But I think it
gets everybody. Whether you're a busy mom running around, we
all have our moments where we are reflective. I think
at some point.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
See, I don't think I could do it, the fact
that you have kids and do all this, Like I
am so simple that if I had I have a
chihuah one, I'm like, it's really hard for me to
find time to reflect, you know what I mean, I
don't know how you do it. I look at like Drew,
I see her work every day. I go to the
same hours as her, and like she also has like
two human beings who are growing up that she's dealing with.
(12:17):
And I just I don't know, Like, how did you
do it? How do you rise up and like do
all that?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
You know, there's no like rhyme or reason. There's no
reason why I'm able to do it. It just when
you get in a situation, you all of a sudden
just get the wherewithal to make it happen, like it
comes with the territory, and then you just do you
just go.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
I guess what's the other choice is not Yeah, I
guess you just do it? Maybe I would, maybe you
know what, maybe maybe we all can rise up to it.
I don't know. Maybe I don't know, but I don't
want to sell myself short. But I'll know, my god,
no never.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
I'm Kristin Davis, host of the podcast Are You a Charlotte?
Most anticipated guest from season three is here the Tray
to My Charlotte. Kyle McLaughlin joins me to relive all
of the magical Tray in Charlotte moments. He reveals what
he thinks of Trey giving Charlotte a cardboard baby.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Why would I bring her a cardboard baby? I was
literally I was like, this doesn't track for me at all.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
When he found out Trey's shortcomings, I'm kind of.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Excited to talking about it. You know, I think he's
he's a guy spends time in Central Park. You know,
he's probably don't know' be some.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Surgery stuff, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
And I was like, all this kind of stuff going on,
and they were like, yeah, yeah, yeah, fine, and they said,
but he's impotent, And I was like, he's impotent.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
And why he chose not to return to it?
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Just like that, They came and presented an idea, and
I was like, I get I see it.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
It's so kind of a one joke idea.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
You don't want to miss this. Listen to Are you
a Charlotte on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever
you get your podcasts?
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Were there any choices I'm curious earlier in your life
that maybe you were making or made that your friends
and family maybe weren't sure about, or maybe they weren't
supportive of. Did you have that growing up? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I mean, I mean when I tell you that I
would say what I wanted to do in my life
when I was little, and it never changed. The reaction
wasn't always I mean, it was funny at first, and
then I remember specific like relatives who I love and
I'm close to, who were just looking out for me,
telling me like what are you doing get a degree
in public relations? Like if you want to be in media,
(14:32):
what are you doing? And then even one moment I
remember before my dad died, he got to see the
first couple years of LENO and the beginning he asked me.
I remember, like him being very cautious the way he
asked me, but he said, like, do you think maybe
they're making fun of you? And I remember knowing what
you're saying, but I just said, like, truly, I don't
(14:55):
give a shit, because like I want to use this
they can make fun of me, but like what I
was saying at the beginning, Jenny, I wanted to win.
By the end, I was convinced I could, you know,
I could get them to root for me by the end,
and so I told him like, I don't care if
they are and if and if they are, like I'm
still going to use this platform. Yeah, yeah, but it
did scare me a little bit, but I still was undeterred.
(15:17):
But yeah, I did have people. I mean, it's a
crazy thing about when you were little, like I wasn't
going to be an actress, Like okay, you know, but
then look what you've done, and I don't what is
that inside is that we just we hear that, we
understand their nerves, we understand the pragmatism in their argument,
but like, okay.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yeah, it doesn't align with what you have in mind,
so yeah, just let it go. Yeah, do you think
standing clear, being able to stand clear in those choices
has ultimately helped you show up better and stronger and
more authentic?
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Now yeah, yes, yeah, I'm processing. Yes, I think in
the early days I had no choice but to show
up like that because I got my one and I'm
going to talk about in terms of my authenticity, right
being a gay person on television back then everything. But
I didn't have the luxury of ever being in the closet,
(16:12):
Like can you imagine if I if.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
I was just like no, I don't mean to laugh,
but no, exactly, nobody can put ross in a closet.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
No, right, like baby in the corner, Ross in the closet.
It's not happening. And so I never had the pressure
of not talking about it. You know, people are like, oh, what,
what gave you the courage to talk about Are you nuts?
I would have had to like, what wear flannel and
not speak for a decade this is and I'd look
like quiet lesbian, it's not happening with me. I'm never
(16:41):
passing as a street man. So that was actually a
really big gift in terms of standing by my authentic self. Yeah,
no other choice.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
You give such great advice, and you know, I love
your social platform what you're doing with it. But what
would you say to a young person out there who
doesn't have that feeling of safety or security that they
can do it authentically one hundred percent all the time?
What would you say to them and encourage them to
make independent choices.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Well, I think I would say, and I want I
want this to be sort of a broad statement or
broad advice to anybody who feels like maybe they are
against the grain, whatever that means to you. I grew
up in a little farmtown, and in my case, I
was gay in a little farmtown, and I didn't see
anybody else gay. I didn't see them on media. I didn't.
(17:34):
I mean, maybe there was like a hairdresser you were
like in town, like Larry or so. I don't know him,
but you know, he seemed great. But like, there wasn't
anybody that I could see as a gay grown up.
So I remember thinking, as a little kid, can I
become a grown up? Because I, you know, grown up
like a grown up guy married a woman. I knew
I was going to do that, So like, what is
(17:54):
life then? I didn't know, right, And so what I
wish I would have known then is that somewhere, maybe
not outside my front living room window or my bedroom window,
but somewhere in the world there would be a group
of people that would not tolerate me, but like celebrate
me and love me because they were they had what
I was in common. And so I think for anybody
(18:16):
who goes against the grain, if you can just hold
on to the fact that I promise you somewhere there
is a community for you, somewhere, maybe not in front
of your house or in your small town, but if
you seek it out, there will be people just like you,
people who will make you feel like you're not alone.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Did you have that within your own small town community
at all? Did you have anybody that was championing for
you or celebrating your uniqueness.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Yes, not in terms of like peers that were also queer,
you know, but in terms of like especially women, my mother,
my mom's dress friend, Bonnie teachers, especially Diana at the bank.
Shout out to Diana from Criana used to give me, yes,
she used to give me a little suckers when I
would go in and I she had to know I
was like a giant, flaming eight year old, but she
(19:02):
loved me, you know. So it was women women who
made me feel like, I mean really the shit really,
like when I went into that.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
And like they just lit up when you came in
the room. I know the feeling because I am Diane
right now. I'm like you when I see you, every
time I see you, I feel like I love this man.
Like there, I can't hold back thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Well, it's it's almost like that what you like get
energy that you feel is like what fuels me Like
I would then like I felt so good going in
to see Diana at the bank that then it became
my mission to make Diana feel great at the bank,
you know, and and like that. I don't know when
that was my focus. I didn't give a crap that
they were being mean to me over there, because like, Okay,
you don't get it, but Diana's going to be so
(19:47):
excited when I come in with or and fill in
the blank, you know. So it was. It was. That's
why I mean, as gay as I am, I I
love women. I mean I don't have sex. I don't
want to touch them, I don't have sex with them,
but but I want to learn from them. I want
I want their I want their genius.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yeah, that's the beauty that you know what. That's why
I gravitate towards the gay community so much, because I
feel like they're my best friends, like I do. There's
no weirdness ever, there's just happy and support and like camaraderie.
I just think that it's so interesting to hear from
(20:31):
your perspective how much you love women, because I've been
saying that all these years that I'm just dialed in
when it comes to my friends that are gay, and
I love them so much, I can't even take.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
It, can I. I don't know if you're taking applications,
Jenny Garth, but if you are looking for to add
another gay friend who will love you, I.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Actually you're in.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
You're hired, Audrey, I'm in. Okay.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Speaking of gay and happy, you had a post not
that long ago. I'm not sure when it was that
you said that it is exactly how you pictured your
life as a grown up, gay, happy and in love.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
That's exactly it. I know, right. It was a moment.
It was this summer. I was eating at one of
our favorite restaurants. You know I live. I live in
New York now, which I can't believe it, but I've
been here for almost six years, and we were at
this restaurant we go to all the time. It was
beautiful summer day and my husband Wellington, was across from
me and I had a martini and Audrey Mark dog
(21:34):
or twelve, I mean, this is really gay, was next
to us. You're on a little bag and the chair
next to me, and I was wearing a hat that
Drew gave me that it was like, it's Audrey on
my hat. So I'm like, such levels of gay, you know,
but it's exactly what I pictured. It was one of
those moments in life where I was like, Okay, if
it all goes away, I'm just noting it right now. Yeah,
(21:55):
it happened, and I can. I'll always remember what this
feels like.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Good. Well, let's talk about the happy end and love
part of that, because, as you said before, your husband
is a teacher, God bless his soul. What do you
love about him?
Speaker 2 (22:13):
So yeah, he's he he's a teacher forever and now
he's he's like an administrator. To know, he like trains educators,
he does all that. What I love about my husband
is how different our life is. You know, he was
he was born in the Dominican Republic. He moved here
at five. I didn't speak the language. Came and was freezing.
It was November. He didn't know what cold was. You know.
(22:35):
Think about all the foreign this land, this country was
to him. And now I meet him, and he when
I meet him, he has two masters, a doctorate, is
you know, like an assistant superintendent. And I just meet
this person who is such a force of nature, all
(22:57):
self made, and I just remember being in awe of him.
And then as I got to know him, I realized
how silly he was. And I love both of those
components of him. That he's like this brilliant person who
it's so different in me from me in many ways,
(23:20):
but also I relate to how aggressive and ambitious he is,
and then when he comes home, he's just a whack
of do and I, I don't know. I love that
he makes me laugh every day. He makes me think
he can think.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
I'm awe laughter, it's laughter, right, number one on the.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
List, number one. The other I was just in Charleston,
South Carolina, and I came home the other night and
made you know. When I got home at five, I
made dinner and I realized I was going to bed
that we just had music on and I cooked and
we didn't stop talking the whole We didn't put a
TV on, but we didn't stop talking and laughing until bedtime.
And that was just a normal day. But I really
clocked it.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
It was great. That's good. I'm so happy for you.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
It's Wilfred Dell and Sabrina Bryan.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
From the podcast Magical Rewind and we have a very
special guest on this week's episode. He's the mastermind behind
some of your favorite movies like Hocus Pocus, Newsy's The Descendants,
and of course High School Musical. Yes, it is the
one and only a living legend. Director Kenny or Tega we.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
Sit down with Kenny to talk about his incredible career
and the legacy he's created with his choreography and films.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
You seriously will not want to miss this one.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Listen to Magical Rewind on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Hi, it's Jenny Garth, host of the I Choose Me podcast.
This week, I'm so excited to welcome my friend Gabrielle
carteris the Andrea Zuckerman from Beverly Hills nine o two
on ZHO to the pod. We're choosing to get real.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
I applied to the networks about my age and contracts.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
They never would have hired me if they had known
my age. We're choosing to be honest.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
She looked at me, and she said, this business is
about the mask, which you have neither of, and.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
We're choosing to get nostalgic. Listen to I Choose Me
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts. I know your mom passed away. I'm not
sure what year was that, twenty twenty so I heard
you say in a post also that you had to
(25:21):
mourn your mom alone, and my heart broke because I
can't even imagine how isolating that must have felt, even
on top of everything that was happening with the world.
But to be going through that kind of grief and
loss alone in a house, alone, where you didn't have
(25:43):
people coming.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
We didn't even have a funeral because it was the
height of COVID, you know, it was. It's the only
way that I know to mourn my mother because it's
the only It's how it happened for me. But looking back,
I do feel robbed of closure maybe or what usually happened.
(26:05):
Let's go back. What usually happens when somebody dies is
the family gathers, you sit together, you cry, you talk
about the person, you literally mourn, and you are held
up by those who love you. That was not my experience.
And I still am. I think I'm still in the
middle of it. I mean, it's going to be six
(26:25):
years in May, and I I just didn't get that
part of it.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
And I don't know, like, celebrate her life, yeah, in
a community set, you know, or mark her existence almost,
you know, like yes, and I and.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
I don't know. I'm still figuring it out how I
feel about that. It wasn't my choice but I mean
literally we you know, people couldn't gather. So but I don't.
I don't know how.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
What if you what if you did something, what if
you created?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Think about it? Yeah, I think about it, but I
don't know. I don't. I don't know, Jenny, I don't
know if I'm scared to go pulled all that up
again because I'm like, no, I mean, it wasn't put away, right,
but at least it's put away that I want to
like take all that laundry out and fold it again,
and we might be a yeah, yah ya yaye.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
That's a big choice.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah, it's a big choice, but it might be the
best choice. So I'm on that fence. I have those
same thoughts.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Yeah, only you'll know, yeah, and then the answer is
whatever it is, because we all grieve differently, obviously, But
I just I wanted to go back and be able
to support you during that time. You know, just send
you loving energy, and I just can't imagine how hard
that must have been. You're so strong, thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
You know, it was such a shitty time for everybody,
remember that. Oh god, I know it was pretty bad. Yeah,
but it did bring me here, I have to say,
I think if I I think maybe in those moments
that's when I also decided to move to New York.
Is because I met I met Wellie January. To my
head when January twenty twenty, Mom pissed away in March
or so I may, when the world was shut down,
(28:04):
oh man, and then I you know, I came to
visit Wellington in New York in October of twenty twenty,
and that's when I popped in for Drew for a
day and then just stayed here and decided to move.
I don't know that I would have like put a
saddle on life and ridden it, you know, to write
it like I did, if if I hadn't been broken
(28:25):
from the death of my mother like that. You know,
I think in a way she maybe orchestrated it from
beyond or something.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
I mean, you do feel that way? I feel that way?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
You do?
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Or are you?
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Like?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
I feel like her passing or someone's passing always leads
to some sort of divine guidance at the around the
corner if you're open to it. And I think that's
the hardest part when you're in grief and you're you're
struggling so much. But then when you are open to
(28:56):
feeling them and be you know, being led by them
on a spiritual level. Magical things seemed to open up.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yeah, and again getting rid of logic, right, I feel like,
remember how we talked about when you add logic and
then you kind of wouldn't make the same decisions. But
I think I was so heartbroken that logic was out
the window and I was just operating by gut, which
is kind of I think when the best stuff happens. Yeah, yeah, truly.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Okay, so you and your husband wrote a book together.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
We could tell me.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Where is it? When did happen?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
So we were at our wedding. I remember our wedding
day Wellington. So it was so beautiful. We got married
blocks from where we met in Portavarta. It was the
first thing out of COVID. It was like twenty twenty two.
So people were like I remember looking at them, be
like I haven't left the house in years, and here
I am, and for it was great. I mean I
think six people got COVID at the wedding, but whatever,
it still was worth it. But so wedding comes to
(29:58):
me and his nephews, who are of course my nephew's
now but his sister's kids were our ring bearers, and
he said, I saw the cutest thing. Remind me to
tell you later. He told me this on our wedding day,
and the next day he told me I saw them
with their father rehearsing how to like walk in unison
and he's like, it didn't occur to me that they
would be so nervous to do it. And we started
(30:20):
talking about how cute that was that they wanted were
that they were nervous, and I was like, they're nervous
is my wedding day? Why are you? I was making
a joke. But when we asked her they were nervous,
they said, well, we just wanted to show up for
you guys, you know, And we thought, oh god. Wellington
the educator thought there is such a lesson in that
about no matter who you are, showing up to your
family matters, right. We all want to do that. So
(30:42):
we decided to write this book. I'm a storyteller by nature,
he's an educator, and so we used this book, this
story with those things. Drew our Drew was our actual
flower girl at our wedding, so we made her a
little girl in the book because it would be weird
to have like a movie star directly, a little weird. Yeah,
and it was. So the book just was so cute
and I'm so happy because we're right. We just wrote
a second book in the series, and that'll be coming
(31:04):
out soon too.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
What's that one going to be called?
Speaker 2 (31:07):
It's a Teo and Teo story. So we follow the
boys and our relationship. But we like we realized is
you know, when we had this idea, we did a
lot of research in terms of books about two uncles
for kids, you know, in terms of just like that
special relationship, and it's it's a niche, I understand, but
it is valuable, and there weren't a lot of them.
So we just thought, well, let's tell our story. I
(31:29):
love that write what you know right exactly. It's the
publishers were like, where's the second book. I was like, well,
something has to happen. I can't make up a scenario.
This has to be based in real life. So as
soon as like something happened, I thought, oh, there is
a story we're telling. We wrote it so good.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
You clearly love working on the Drew Barrymore Show because
I mean, you have a heartbeat that's such a dream
job for you, so perfect. I can't even a show
that you're now a producer on. Yeah, can you tell
me how that happened?
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Well, I, uh, well, the show is great. You've been
at the show. We love when you come on the show.
There's a special vibe there. It comes from Drew. We're
in season six. It is the best. I love producing
in general, even on The Tonight Show. You know, I
was there for a few years before and then I
became a creative consultant was my title. But I was
really producing all my sons with it, and I learned.
(32:21):
I mean, I went to boot camp with the best.
These are people that work on The Tonight Show are
the top of the game, right seasoned? Yeah, And I
learned from them so much. And so I've been producing
really my whole career. I produced Drag Race. I produce
this show now other things I love. I think TV
is like a rhythm. It's almost like music. You know,
(32:43):
you watch it and you're like, if you're watching rehearsal, okay,
that's wrong, that note is off. We got to fix
like the cadence of it. It's not working. And I
love going to rehearsal. I sit down there. There'll be
like a stand in for me sometimes. I just I
need to see it sometimes and then I pop in
and you can just iron out and make it smooth
and help tell the story in a more balanced, smooth way.
(33:04):
I love that part of producing. I'm not great at like,
let's find three experts and track them down in ninety
seven emails. I'm not that kind of producer. Well it
could be, but it's a different.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Kind of producer.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
You're creative, yes, yes, And I love finding people who
that I'm obsessed with, who I think people will relate to.
There's this woman on TikTok who goes thrifting and she's
an antique expert, and she'll tell you about what to
look for, like this is this kind of Crystal is cut,
this kind of Crystal's handmade. I'm obsessed, doctor Lori. We're
getting her on the show. So like finding people who
(33:34):
I think have something to say. I love that part
of producing. But it's about a love affair with television.
I just I love editing. I edit all my own stuff.
I love not on television, but all my like when
I'm on my social media, I edit all that stuff.
It's it's a puzzle piece. Media is I just I've
(33:55):
always loved it since a little you know me? Hello,
you know better than me? Are you doing it for sol?
How long?
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Now? Oh god, don't do that.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I don't understand it.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
A long time since I was seventeen.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
But I mean, you know, so we know what we're doing,
and we've been around people who do it better than anybody.
And if you pay a lunchin around great people, you
become much better.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
I know that's the way to go. Go to somebody
who's his nose more than you, who's had more success
than you, and just watch and learn. I mean, just
hearing all of that makes me really have a you know,
I know, but like I still have even a more
appreciation for how hard you have worked to get where
(34:37):
you are and how far you have come.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Congratulations by the way, on the show getting three Daytime
Emmy Awards this year.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
I know, I know our her and makeup team, our
directing team and Drew herself, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
So deserved.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
And what does it feel like it feels? I know
it feels well, there's a few fee one. I'm so
proud of the people I work with. They're so good
at what they do, to see them be recognized and
you know, to dominate. It's the job is great recognition,
the nomination, and then to win, right but selfishly, the
Ross Matthews experience was going to the Daytime Emmys and
(35:15):
walking it and thinking about being in Mount Vernon watching
Rosie cry when she won her first or watching Oprah,
or watching Susan Lucci and Jenny When I'm tell you,
I would sit and watch them and be like, oh God,
when I get to go there, I know I'm gonna
wear a white tuxiedo because I love that look and
I know, I mean when I was in like a kid,
and so to go there it was just confirmation. It
(35:37):
was like I wished I could have. I thought about
Little Ross and I wish I could show him, but
I know what he would say if I could go back,
like in the time machine and say look and he
Little Ross would go, I know.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Yeah, duh, here we are.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
I know. This was my plan and it was great
and I felt like I didn't feel like an imposter,
you know, because sometimes we do. I felt like I
earned my ticket in a way like I felt like
I you did. Yeah, I felt like this is what
I do because a lot of times in life you
feel like, what am I doing here? Shut up? Just
(36:13):
act like you belong right, blended, yeah, Blendon, this one
I felt like, Okay, yeah, girl, you earned your ticket,
so enjoy it. Enjoy the show.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Feeling for you.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Yeah, it's good, And I enjoyed the show. I didn't
go to the bathroom once it was three and a
half hours. I used in the front and I just yeah,
that face, just stupid happy.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Oh that's so exciting. I love this for you. Do
you find yourself talking to little Drew to little drewid listen?
Do you find yourself talking to little Ross a lot?
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Yeah, more about asking questions and talking to him like
I think about like, like, how would you do it
if you didn't know what to do? I think about
that a lot, Like the conversation a little bit earlier.
I think I turned to him for answers more than
to give him answers. I love to I just feel
like I knew more when I was little. I didn't
(37:03):
let the life get in the way of making decisions.
It was more gut.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Well that your gut has worked for you. Thanks. It
seems as if I want to ask you I know
your your schedules really crazy. That daily talk show schedule
is very grueling, especially as you're producing it. What do
you do to create peace? Like inner Piece, any tips
you could share on finding those pockets of peaceful moments
(37:29):
or even moments of self care.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
I think for peace moments for me, or going to
gratitude with the perspective we talked about, you know, like,
and I don't know if it's part of aging or what,
but I really do go there even when I'm frustrated
or something like I'll just try to just God, this
sounds so cheesy, it's really I get it. I hear it, like,
(37:53):
go to gratitude sounds so dumb, Like it's like it's
on a sign, a go to gratitude, right, I hear
my Though I don't want to speak in home good
sign lingo, but I really do feel like that. I
think I feel it centers me, it brings me to somewhere,
or like I can be really annoyed by something at
like something what happened that's just unfair coming, and I'll
just be like okay, okay, okay. Because the flip side
(38:16):
of this ross is there's no job. The flip side
is you're working still at Lane Bryant, which was a
great job just but like in high school at the mall,
like you know, like there are ye.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
I love it that you've worked at Lane Bryant. Hold on,
Oh my god, my people, hello, I love wow wow.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
But I even like in my life, even a bad
day of work is like the fact that I have
a badge that gets me through those doors is a win,
you know.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
So you go back to gratitude. Yeah, it works every time.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
I think it does. I think it's a cliche for
a reason, but it really does. Really.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Yeah, it seems so silly.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
With perspective, though, I think perspective is an ingredient that
gratitude needs because like I'm grateful to be alive. Okay, thanks,
thank you, next, right, but like I'm grateful because of
this reason because it could be this. It's helpful for me.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
In a world though that as ours right now, that
feels wildly out of control. How do you choose gratitude?
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Like, well, you better choose it quick because if the
world is out of control, who knows what we have left.
So if you're going to choose gratitude, I would do it.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Like maybe today oh yeah, right now, because wait till tomorrow,
which you have. Either you can live in anger and
resentment and unhappiness, or you can just live in gratitude.
It sounds a lot simpler.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Well, it is a choice. I understand we're wired certain
ways and people are wired in different ways. In my wiring,
it is it's always faster, short, or quicker, more efficient
to go to gratitude as soon as possible.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Absolutely. Oh my gosh. You wrote a very funny book
called name Drop The Really Good Celebrity Stories. I usually
only tell it a happy hour, so that's a good title.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
So I was thinking in honor of that, we would
play a little name Drop game for a fun holiday
bonus that will drop later this week, so I don't
miss that. But I'm just so thrilled at all of
your success and I'm just so grateful for you joining
me today, my old friend.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
I'm so happy. Listen, I and we and we are friends,
you know, I really, I really do mean that. But
I I'll love you for so long and I'm not
nervous around you anymore. But I do have to say
at first I wasn't, but I love that we are here,
So thank you. I love our Yes, I love our evolution. Okay,
before I let you go, Ross Matthews, what was your
last I.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Choose me moment?
Speaker 2 (40:36):
I really think it. I don't know it's my last one,
but my last big one I hinted earlier I talked
briefly about. But it was about coming to New York.
It was about feeling something and following it, even though
it was super scary. I think, you know what a
luxury was that I could do that, that I could
(40:58):
but and it was almost selfish in a way, you know,
like I'm going to go move across the country now
and okay, and I had to do it in a
way where my brother come watch the dogs for a
few months, and that we had to move things around
to make it happen.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Other people had to help.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
And it was only so I could go do something,
you know, that I could go follow this person who
I was falling in love with and go show up
at the show. That there was an opportunity. It was
just for me, and so many people moved things to
make it happen. But I think about what if I
hadn't been selfish in that time?
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Do you think it was selfish?
Speaker 4 (41:33):
Though?
Speaker 2 (41:35):
I don't think so thought it was until you just
asked me that, because it was all about me. It
was like, I want this, I'm going to do this.
It's going to be uncomfortable for some people, and I'm
gonna have to ask favors from some people and so
I can go get this. So in a way, yeah,
it was. But I think it would have been into
service not to yes.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
And I don't think that the people you asked things
of would see it as you being selfish. Honestly, I
would think that your brother would be like, look what
he's done, and if he hadn't done that, who knows
what would have happened in his life.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
Well, I love that perspective, you know. Wellington tells me
that too. I always think I'm annoying or in the
way of people, and he's like, some people want to
show up for you. Some people like doing things.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
You know, a lot of people want to show up
for you, Ross because you're a good human.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
Well, Jen Garreth, can I go what time tomorrow? Let's
do this again?
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Thank you so much, Thank you, I love you.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
I love you.
Hosts And Creators
Tori Spelling
Jennie Garth
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.