Joy 101: Carrie Preston

"My Best Friend's Wedding was such a great thing to get because that was when romantic comedy was queen of Hollywood, and there I was with Queen herself, Julia Roberts… and being a Georgia girl, I think she was kind of rooting for me." -Carrie Preston Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is Presented by CVS. Shop your local CVS, right around the corner. Experience the full conversation on the "Joy 101 podcast with Hoda Kotb" wherever you listen to podcasts. For more information, please visit us at www.joy101.com/podcast https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joy101.com%2Fpodcast&data=05%7C02%7CBrianBurton%40iheartmedia.com%7C456ca28e0d434875d29f08df20c56f0c%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639265704489600524%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=TmqbUVMEsNjxUYFUa2Qf%2F84Pw17eLqjj%2Bb96Gk9QNvs%3D&reserved=0 See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:11Hoda Kotb?

  Hi guys, welcome to Joy 101, the podcast. Okay, get ready to be inspired. All right. If you're somebody who's wondering, am I on the right path? Am I doing the right thing? Should I be changing directions? Or should I trust my gut? The person I'm about to speak to right now is going to help guide you and help you as you head on this path. Her name's Carrie Preston, and she's an actress. She came from Macon, Georgia. She had no connections, but she had a gift inside and she knew she was destined to be an actress. So when she got 100 rejections trying to land a part, you know what she did? She kept going. She found herself landing roles in movies that you know, like My Best

• 0:53Hoda Kotb?

  Friend's Wedding and many more. She kept on going. She kept landing role after role after role. And now she is the leading lady in the show on CBS called Elsabeth. She is remarkable. She is optimistic. She's hopeful and she's chock full of great advice. Advice that I am taking in and I hope that you take in as well. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

• 1:21Speaker 01

  This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.

• 1:26Hoda Kotb?

  Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is presented by CBS. I've realized that joy doesn't always come from those big moments. Sometimes you find it on the most ordinary day. I'll pop into a CVS for toothpaste or paper towels, and it never seems to be just a quick errand. Maybe I'll grab a delicious Well Market Trail Mix or wander over to the Joy Word Collection. That's part of the fun. So the next time you're checking something off your to do list, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You might go in for one thing and leave with a little more joy. Visit your local CVS pharmacy, sponsored by CVS. Every purchase is a financial decision. So it's worth asking, what am I getting out

• 2:06Hoda Kotb?

  of this? If you're using the Chase Freedom Flex Card, you can maximize your cash back on things you need. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. Sign up for the Chase Freedom Flex Card. Learn more at chase.com/getflex. This is a paid collaboration with Chase Freedom Flex. Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Offer subject to change. Terms apply.

• 2:31Speaker 02

  Your team is on a deadline, but moving all your enterprise data will take time your business simply doesn't have. IBM technology lets AI work with your data where it already lives. With an open hybrid cloud approach designed to build on your existing investments. It's another way IBM helps you put your data to work. Let's create smarter business. IBM. Visit ibm.com to learn more.

• 3:01Speaker 03

  I'm Melissa Jelton, host of the What Happened to Her podcast. We're kicking off the season with the Sandra Birchmore story, a case the police wrote off as a suicide in a snowstorm. Her family never bought it, and the man they suspected wore a badge.

• 3:16Speaker 04

  You never know who that devil is because he's wearing a disguise. Sometimes it's a police uniform.

• 3:22Speaker 03

  And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad free with an iHeart True Crime Plus subscription exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Available only to iHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for iHeart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today.

• 3:40Speaker 05

  What happens when romance gets a little monstrous? On Radio 831, a romance podcast, join us, St. Johnna Basker and Tyler McCall, as we host our own monster romance extravaganza. We're joined by the Villain Edit author, Rosie Dannon, and sentient object romance expert, Gracie Delgado, to explore what these unexpected love stories can reveal about desire, fantasy, and what we actually want. Listen to Radio 831, a romance podcast, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 4:10Hoda Kotb?

  So take me back. I like to like, go to the beginning. I'm a beginning person.

• 4:17Speaker 06

  Sure.

• 4:18Hoda Kotb?

  Macon, Georgia.

• 4:19Speaker 06

  Macon, Georgia.

• 4:20Hoda Kotb?

  Macon, Georgia. Will you take me back to what it was like, if I were to walk into your house?

• 4:25Speaker 06

  Yes.

• 4:26Hoda Kotb?

  And there was your family.

• 4:27Speaker 06

  Right.

• 4:28Hoda Kotb?

  And you were like, eight or nine or what? What would the vibe have been if I walked in and said, hey, like, what's going on in here?

• 4:32Speaker 06

  Well, I have an incredible mother. She's an artist. She's, at that, at that time, she was doing, well, she was raising us, but she was also doing a lot of painting, sculpting.

• 4:48Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 4:49Speaker 06

  And she was starting to get into her version of art therapy, which is called expressive art.

• 4:55Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, beautiful, yeah.

• 4:56Speaker 06

  And she was working with different clients and stuff, using art as a way to deal with a number of issues for people. So she would, she was starting to get into that. My brother is older than me by two years. My sister's younger than me by two years. So we're very tight. And so you would have seen very close siblings, and we still are very close. My brother is an actor as well. And so he and I, at that time, were doing a lot of community theater.

• 5:29Hoda Kotb?

  When you were little like that? So was your mom like, go do it, have fun?

• 5:32Speaker 06

  Yes, my mom, you know, she's an artist. So, you know, she was all for it. My brother started doing plays. And then I wanted to be like my brother.

• 5:40Hoda Kotb?

  Of course.

• 5:41Speaker 06

  And so I started doing them too. And so we got involved in, you know, the community theater in Macon.

• 5:47Hoda Kotb?

  What'd your dad think of you?

• 5:49Speaker 06

  My dad, he's passed away now, but he was a geotechnical engineer. So I basically was living with the left brain and the right brain. I had them both in the house, you know, which is actually a really good combo.

• 6:02Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah. How cool. I was just, I didn't know your mom did that with, with art therapy. So as a little kid, being even introduced to something like that.

• 6:10Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 6:11Hoda Kotb?

  Doing art can soothe you. Doing, doing art can heal you.

• 6:14Speaker 06

  Yes.

• 6:15Hoda Kotb?

  Tell me a little bit about what that part looked like as a kid.

• 6:18Speaker 06

  Yeah, because it wasn't, I mean, of course, my mom's a brilliant painter and brilliant sculptor, but it's not about making a pretty picture. She would be able to, you know, say, work with somebody who was, you know, having, having trauma, you know, had, having experienced trauma. And she would say, draw a place where you are safe. So then the child, or the adult, or whoever, would be able to draw that place and find safety in that expression. And because that's coming from your subconscious, that's coming from inside of you. So it's not about, let's make a pretty picture of a flower. It's about expression.

• 6:59Hoda Kotb?

  Okay, that must have helped you later, because even to imagine, I was just thinking as you were saying that, like, imagine myself right now being in a place where I feel totally protected, safe, and loved, and cared for.

• 7:12Speaker 06

  Yes.

• 7:13Hoda Kotb?

  By the way, how beautiful to get all that so young.

• 7:15Speaker 06

  Yeah. And my mom could like, look at a photo, a drawing, and let's draw your family. And then she would be able to tell how the person put those people on the page, what the relationships are.

• 7:30Hoda Kotb?

  Okay, that is so interesting.

• 7:32Speaker 06

  Because it comes out.

• 7:33Hoda Kotb?

  Right. It's like someone's way on the end, someone's behind the tree.

• 7:37Speaker 06

  Why, this little girl would be all alone in a big, big, big, big, big chair. Okay, well, that says a lot right there.

• 7:42Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, wow.

• 7:43Speaker 06

  You know, and they're the parents way over here. Okay, these are the things that we're gonna work on.

• 7:48Hoda Kotb?

  Was, you seem, you strike me as someone who's an optimist.

• 7:50Speaker 06

  Yes, I am. I do. I'm a glass half full person.

• 7:54Hoda Kotb?

  Was that, was that part of your upbringing? Is that what you felt around the house?

• 7:58Speaker 06

  You know, I think what my mom gave me was passion and permission to be who I am.

• 8:06Hoda Kotb?

  Yourself, yeah.

• 8:07Speaker 06

  You know what I mean? Like, Macon, Georgia, wonderful place to grow up. But there is a, there, there can be a sense of, you know, you need to be a certain way.

• 8:18Hoda Kotb?

  Right. Fit in.

• 8:19Speaker 06

  You know, fit in, and be a certain way. And that was not my, my family. I mean, my, my mom and dad, they even, you know, wanted to start a commune. And we had, we had people who were living with us.

• 8:30Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, I love it.

• 8:31Speaker 06

  And we had land. And we had, there was the, you know, the, the dream of like, oh, we're gonna, we're gonna build some houses and we're all gonna have communal living. And we did for a minute, but it, you know, as those things do, you know, kind of fell apart there. But there was that understanding and acceptance of being different, being in a community and not feeling like you have to impress other people, you know, doing that kind of thing. And so it was interesting, as an actor, you know, there's so much of it that's about, you can hide behind another person.

• 9:10Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 9:11Speaker 06

  You, you, you, you are yourself within a character. And so it's really cool, you know, to be able to...

• 9:19Hoda Kotb?

  But now you make sense, I mean, you make sense to me, I mean, you make sense to me because your upbringing and the way your folks let you find your own way and like, because I was just, I was just at a Women's Wear Daily event yesterday, and we were talking about how so many people put the, put like a circle in a square. Let me fit. What does this want? What does this one want? I'm sure as an actress for you too, it was like, I'll be what you need. You tell me what you need. I can become, I will do.

• 9:47Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 9:48Hoda Kotb?

  Was that, as you were getting along in acting, I know you started out in Shakespeare, and you did all this different stuff, but did you feel the pressure of, I need to be something for them?

• 10:00Speaker 06

  Sure. Yes, of course. I mean, I think, because there's so many people that want to do one, the one role, but there's only one person who can do it.

• 10:12Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 10:13Speaker 06

  You feel like you have to try to guess what it is they're looking for, and you try to meet that. When the trick is, you have to bring who you are.

• 10:26Speaker 06

  To make it, the character become unique to you and that's what makes you stand out. It's like a weird mind trickery that takes a minute to learn.

• 10:37Hoda Kotb?

  How long did it? Yeah, I was gonna say that had to have taken some time, but.

• 10:41Speaker 06

  It does. It does take time. It does take time because there are also, you know, at least when I was coming up through the industry, um, you know, there's a lot of emphasis on what you look like. And, you know, especially as women and, you know, in, in the nineties, it was very, it was a very bro world and, you know, the women, the girls that were, you know, the girlfriend or the mom or, you know, the, the, the fat one, even if you weren't, do you know what I mean? Like the character one, you know?

• 11:17Hoda Kotb?

  You had to be either a sexy voluptuous or you had to be the mom or you had to be.

• 11:21Speaker 06

  Yes, yes. Or the, you know, or the lover or whatever, the prostitute or something like that. And, um, so there was, you know, that, that pressure, um, it during that time, you know? And I feel like, uh, somehow I was able to, and I think because I was doing theater, to be honest.

• 11:39Hoda Kotb?

  That, that had given you that.

• 11:41Speaker 06

  That helped.

• 11:42Hoda Kotb?

  Will you tell me about that part? So you, you go to Juilliard, you try once, it's a swing and a miss. You try again. Why? I'm curious, like, when something doesn't work? Cause Juilliard is such the gold standard. If you try and they don't accept you.

• 11:56Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 11:57Hoda Kotb?

  Was there any part of you that said, huh, maybe, maybe not? I mean, this is like the top school in the country. Maybe I'm actually not what I thought I was.

• 12:07Speaker 06

  Yeah. Um, I mean, I think I had a moment where, of course, I thought maybe that's not for me. But I was lucky in that I got a professor. I had gone to College of Charleston in South Carolina and quickly realized that that theater program wasn't as strong as I wished for, cause I knew I wanted to get a lot of proper training cause I really wanted to do this in my life. And back to my mom, she said, when I was a little girl and said, can, do you think I can do this for a living? She said, somebody's gotta do it, honey. I don't know why I can't be you. And so, you know, I felt I had that. That was instilled in me.

• 12:51Hoda Kotb?

  That's beautiful.

• 12:52Speaker 06

  Thank goodness. And so, um, part of our job is we do have to take no. We have to understand no, but we also have to understand if it's not this, then it's something greater for my highest good and the highest good of all concerned, because sometimes it's okay that you're not getting the part because it's not right for the project that you got the part. It's not right for the other people. It's for whatever reason, the synergy isn't right for you to have that part.

• 13:20Hoda Kotb?

  So after the no.

• 13:22Speaker 06

  So after the no, um, I had, there was a professor at a small school in Southern Indiana. His name is John David Lutz. He's no longer with us, but he said to me, if you come to the University of Evansville, I will get you into Juilliard.

• 13:38Hoda Kotb?

  Wait, what?

• 13:39Speaker 06

  This man said this to me and I was like, okay.

• 13:43Hoda Kotb?

  Did he?

• 13:44Speaker 06

  I auditioned for his school and he's like, you come here, I'll get you into Juilliard. And that was like a really bold thing. So I went to University of Evansville. Best decision I ever made.

• 13:57Hoda Kotb?

  Wow.

• 13:58Speaker 06

  Um, I'm still lifelong friends with so many people that I went to school with. He remained my mentor until he passed. It was just one of those things that was right. And I was, because I was transferring in, I was only there for two and a half years. And then sure enough, he, that school prepped us really well to audition for grad schools. And so I went in and, you know, they only take seven women a year at that point. They take more now. I think they take like half and half now, but at that point it was the understanding that we aren't, we are doing classical plays and there are only so many roles for women in classical theater. So we're gonna bring half the women, like, like it didn't even occur to them.

• 14:43Speaker 06

  Um, women can blame into, but okay. It's just verse. It's just school, you know? But anyway, so at that time they were only taking seven women.

• 14:53Hoda Kotb?

  That's insane. So.

• 14:54Speaker 06

  He, as soon as I got in, he was like, because he had never said that to anyone else. And he was never gonna say that again. I don't know why he said it to me, but well, it worked.

• 15:03Hoda Kotb?

  I think we spend so much of our lives waiting for the big moments, the birthdays, the vacations, the milestones, but the truth is some of the happiest moments show up on the most ordinary days. So like this, I'll stop into a CVS because I need one thing. Somehow the best part of the trip is never the thing I came for. So maybe I'll grab a delicious well market snack or maybe I'll wander over to the Joyward Collection. It's really full of fun, cool seasonal decor, thoughtful little gifts, and those little discoveries that make you so glad you stopped in. I have to tell you, if you're an Extra Care member, you're gonna save on things you're already buying

• 15:44Hoda Kotb?

  and those extra bucks really do add up. Just watching that total go down at the checkout never, ever gets old. I know life's busy. We're all juggling a lot. And that's why I think those little unexpected moments of joy matter so much. So the next time you're running errands, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You may go in for something you need, but don't be surprised if you leave with something that simply makes your day a little brighter. Visit your local CVS pharmacy, sponsored by CVS. Halloween has a funny way of making you buy things you'd never normally buy. A 10 foot skeleton? Sure. A full size fog machine? Why not?

• 16:25Hoda Kotb?

  Three bags of candy that somehow become six bags of candy? It happens. Which brings me to the Chase Freedom Flex Card, the savvy decision that will earn you more cash back on the everyday purchases, plus the extraordinary Halloween tricks and treats. With Freedom Flex, you earn even more treats on your Halloween and everyday needs. You get 5% cash back on popular rotating quarterly categories, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. That's no tricks, all treats. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. So sign up for the Chase Freedom Flex Card. Learn more at chase.com/getflex.

• 17:08Hoda Kotb?

  This is a paid collaboration with Chase Freedom Flex. Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Offer subject to change. Terms apply.

• 17:19Speaker 07

  Hello, hello. I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of Smart Talks with IBM. I spoke with IBM's Anna Paola Sees about what digital sovereignty actually means in the age of AI. AI now moves from somebody operating a system to the technology actually making decisions. So you have to have a much better visibility of what AI is touching, data it is accessing and where. Hear the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.

• 17:50Speaker 03

  I'm Melissa Jelton and in my new podcast, What Happened to Her? I'm bringing you new stories and conversations every week. Stories about women whose deaths were too quickly ruled a suicide.

• 18:02Speaker 05

  She was starting to get worried and get scared for her safety.

• 18:08Speaker 03

  Stories of survival. The only difference between me and her frankly was a little bit of luck because by all rights I should be dead. Cases that everyone else called closed. They can't convict her, right? Like she has so much evidence. These stories all start in the same place with a woman failed by a system that didn't believe her, that didn't protect her, that didn't see her. No child should ever experience that. And we were babies.

• 18:36Speaker 05

  She did all of these brave things and came out and spoke about it and he got a year.

• 18:42Speaker 04

  You never know who that devil is because he's wearing a disguise. Sometimes it's a police uniform.

• 18:48Speaker 03

  Listen to What Happened to Her on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 18:55Hoda Kotb?

  A lot of people believe in you, obviously. You're here. You've had such a beautiful career, which I want to talk about everything. But what do you think makes you unique in this sea of, you know, I was just watching the Emmys the other night, like you watch a million beautiful actors, but some people are the ones somehow.

• 19:14Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 19:15Hoda Kotb?

  Is there, I mean, I hate to put that on you because it's such a weird question, but is there like a, is there, I mean, there's hard work, there's belief in yourself, there's all these things. And then there's something else, I think.

• 19:27Speaker 06

  I think what you're talking about is that other, that something else. Yeah. And honestly, I think it's the specificity of, of who you are.

• 19:38Hoda Kotb?

  Who you are.

• 19:39Speaker 06

  Um, and bringing that to each of your roles.

• 19:43Hoda Kotb?

  Can we talk about that some more? Cause that's so, that works in every profession, by the way.

• 19:47Speaker 06

  I think so, yeah.

• 19:49Hoda Kotb?

  We try to, I did this at NBC a thousand times. I was like, what do they need? I'll be that.

• 19:54Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 19:54Hoda Kotb?

  And it wasn't until one producer said to me, what the hell are you doing?

• 19:59Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 19:59Hoda Kotb?

  Like be the you who you are when you come into my office. Be that, be you. Stop trying to do what you think needs to be done.

• 20:08Speaker 06

  Yeah, I think that's, that's definitely what I try to do. Now I also think, um, that training, no matter how, how you get it, even if you get it on, cause I know there are a lot of actors that didn't go to school, but they, but they worked a lot until they broke through, you know, but you're like, what about the hundred things that they already did? Do you know what I mean? Like when they're suddenly instant fame, you're like, yeah, I have been around. I know it's so funny, like I do, I do a little bit, only cause like I, you know, before I was a redhead, I was a blonde and I had a whole career as a blonde, but people don't know that. They just think of me as this.

• 20:48Hoda Kotb?

  Exactly that.

• 20:49Speaker 06

  So I am a big believer in that as far as, um, uh, making yourself stand out because you have a huge gigantic toolbox that you're pulling out of. You just have more tools. So of course you're gonna build a better house. You have more tools, you know what I mean? It's just, it's just a matter of like using those tools to create. And I do also believe in, you know, There's innate talents in people. But it's so funny, um, there's this videotape. I don't know where it is, but there is a, and it was like professionally filmed of a play that I did in my hometown when I was seventeen.

• 21:30Speaker 06

  And uh, I saw it fairly recently. And I saw this girl, who was me, but of course I've, I'm so distant from her. Who, you could tell she had potential. And she was, she had, she had something. But it was just completely raw. It was like a lightning bolt, just like flying around. And it just needed to get into that bottle, you know, cause it was, it was like, you know, Michelangelo makes a. He starts with a block. He started with a block and then he makes the thing. Yeah, and I think that that's what happens with, with training and experience. You know?

• 22:12Hoda Kotb?

  Well, I love all of your, the Shakespeare, you did Shakespeare, who, what, were you opposite, was it Patrick Stewart?

• 22:17Speaker 06

  Yeah, that was um, yeah, I, I started, you know, doing Shakespeare when I was like eighteen or something. I went to the Georgia Shakespeare Festival. And then I started doing like, uh, summer festivals, Georgia Shakespeare, Utah Shakespeare, Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Oh yeah, I love it. I love it. I love it. It's sort of like if, you know, if you can play Mozart, you can, you can sing a jingle. You know, you can play a jingle. It's like if you do Shakespeare.

• 22:44Hoda Kotb?

  You do anything.

• 22:44Speaker 06

  You kind of feel like you can, cause it, it just teaches you so much about what it is that, that we do and how to. Make a character clear, how to work with language, you know, how to be specific. Uh, with these words and you know, just all of that stuff that I think you then can apply to anything. Um, but my, my big New York break was doing The Tempest with Patrick Stewart.

• 23:09Hoda Kotb?

  Is that, I don't know how big he was then, but was it?

• 23:13Speaker 06

  He was huge. He was huge. You know, he was like, it was, you know, the height of Star Trek Next Generation. We, um, we did it first at Shakespeare in the Park. And we would come out of the show, and this was obviously before the online ticketing. We would come out of our show and there would be a line all the way around the theater waiting to get tickets. For the following night's performance. And they were all his fans.

• 23:43Hoda Kotb?

  Do you feel different acting opposite somebody like that?

• 23:47Speaker 06

  This was like the dreamiest, like I couldn't believe, I get to make my New York debut doing Shakespeare? With Patrick Stewart, like who's, you know, from the RSC and. The voice and you know, the, just his, his zest and love and passion for it. You know, his, his quest to make it as great as he could. Like he took it so seriously and yet he was so fun to play with. And then George C. Wolfe, who directed it, it was his first Shakespeare. He had never directed Shakespeare. This icon. So, you know, that was a, a really great, and again, you know, back to.

• 24:26Speaker 06

  Coming in with your own unique take on it. Um, this was to play Miranda, his, his daughter and. My thought about that was, this is a, this is a young girl who got brought to an island. With her dad, no women. And there's a magical creature there and there's a, you know, spirit, but there's no women. She doesn't have a role model. Her role model is her dad. So she's gonna be a total tomboy. She's gonna be a boy, basically, until she meets Ferdinand. And then her woman has come out. So I just. Chopped my hair off, you know, it's like, played Miranda like, oh, like a little boy.

• 25:11Speaker 06

  And uh, and that was a unique take on, you know, an age old role.

• 25:17Hoda Kotb?

  I feel like all of your roads have led you to such beautiful places. I mean, you, you meet your husband again. Uh, that was how many years ago?

• 25:25Speaker 06

  We've been together thirty-four years. Yeah, married twenty-eight.

• 25:29Hoda Kotb?

  So two actors married that long.

• 25:31Speaker 06

  Thirty-two years, sorry, married twenty-eight, yeah.

• 25:34Hoda Kotb?

  Two actors married that long. You go through all the things that actors go through. You know, sometimes you're hot, sometimes you're not.

• 25:44Speaker 06

  Yes, yes, yes.

• 25:45Hoda Kotb?

  Whatever. How do you maintain a, a good, healthy, strong relationship? Given the kind of, like, kind of two ships.

• 25:55Speaker 06

  Yeah, well, we did, you know, we started off with the same, I think, goals and we met. Doing theater. He's older than me. He had come to it through, actually, he was an artist first. And then, so by the time he started working, he had a lot of gratitude. Because, you know, he was like down in Florida with a day job of like fixing up houses and. And he was doing community theater. And then, you know, he hit, he hit it very well and in New York and got a lot of attention and. Was always humble and grateful about it. And so I think that we both have that.

• 26:35Speaker 06

  Because we come from more humble beginnings. There's no nepotism, there's no, none of that. Yeah, we both did it ourselves. There's a lot of cel- celebration in what the other does. We also. We really stay out of each other's lives and careers. Like I don't, he doesn't even read with me if I have to audition for something.

• 26:57Hoda Kotb?

  Michael Emerson is your husband. Boston, many, many other things. So, um, well, that's, that seems like a beautiful way of doing it. That's not, you do your own. When we, you went, you said theater helped you get the other roles. So when you think of theater, then you think of going to, to the movies. Like I remember you, you know, My Best Friend's Wedding, all these different things. So. How many auditions does it take? How many does it? What was the longest stretch you had to go to, to land a role?

• 27:32Speaker 06

  Yeah, I know. I remember uh, when I first started going out to LA, you know, um, I mean, I was lucky when I first got out of Juilliard. Um, to get theater roles pretty, pretty quickly. And that makes sense because I came from a classical theater training program. But the film and TV thing, I was like, I really wanna crack that. And part of it was because I kept hearing in the world of theater. Um, you're not gonna get this part because we're going for quote, a quote unquote name. I was like, okay, what's a name? What's a name? What's in a name, as Shakespeare would say? Um, and so I thought, I guess I better go get one of those. Better go get one of those names if I'm gonna do theater, cause.

• 28:14Hoda Kotb?

  That's so interesting.

• 28:16Speaker 06

  And I was like, okay, I gotta go figure that out. So I took myself out to LA. I slept on my friend Malcolm Getz's couch. He was at the time on this sitcom called Caroline in the City. So I was like, he's doing it, you know? Maybe I can, you know, and I luckily I had good agents and they would just, you know, send me out on everything. Everything, even if I wasn't right for it.

• 28:39Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah, who cares?

• 28:40Speaker 06

  Pilots and, you know, this was like a busy time when you're in your twenties. And this was during a time when they had a pilot season and there was a lot going on. Things are very different now. Um, but there was a lot going on and I remember counting once before I actually got my first thing. It was like a, up or to a hundred auditions before I.

• 29:01Hoda Kotb?

  So a hundred no's?

• 29:03Speaker 06

  A hundred no's.

• 29:04Hoda Kotb?

  Before a yes?

• 29:06Speaker 06

  Before a yes.

• 29:08Hoda Kotb?

  Okay, on no, number eighty-nine?

• 29:10Speaker 06

  Yes, kind of. It was somewhere up in the eighties and nineties, yes.

• 29:13Hoda Kotb?

  You're in there. When you're in there. Cause I always think about that moment, like, okay, you know, sometimes they say it's not your door. Keep knocking on my door. And sometimes you're like, this is God, the universe telling you pivot, pivot, pivot. But you just kept knocking.

• 29:29Speaker 06

  No, I knew I had something to give. Yeah, I knew I had something to give and I just needed to find somebody who wanted to receive it.

• 29:36Hoda Kotb?

  By the way, that's a great life philosophy, isn't it?

• 29:38Speaker 06

  You know, I was like, and I would, you know, I'd work really hard. I liked working on auditions, you know, I liked that. I tricked myself into thinking I had the role when I went in. You know, so you have this confidence and this is my role and I'm just in rehearsal right now. And so I would come in with that and, you know, really try, try not to second guess. It was harder in, in early on. Cause I thought, you know, I would get feedback of like, Carrie needs to, you know, wear, she needs to wear more makeup. Or she needs to, you know, wear sexier clothes and that kind of thing. And I was like, for the quirky best friend, do I? Um, and I would do my best, you know what I mean?

• 30:23Speaker 06

  Money to hire a stylist or something like that.

• 30:25Hoda Kotb?

  You were just going for it. What did you get after the hundred? What was the role, do you remember?

• 30:29Speaker 06

  It was a pilot that didn't go to series, but it was a pilot. That was when, you know, networks would do so many pilots. And then they would pick like five or six to go. Um, and it was a pilot called Cuddy Whitman. It was with James Remar. And I was playing this deputy, this day, and it was a comedy. It was like light and tone, kind of like The Rockford Files, say.

• 30:51Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 30:52Speaker 06

  It was light and tone and I'm, you know, I love doing comedy and, um, and it was a great role and a great experience. So I got to be on set in a kind of low pressure situation. Sure. It was a pilot.

• 31:02Hoda Kotb?

  And then when did my best friend's wedding come?

• 31:04Speaker 06

  It came right after.

• 31:05Hoda Kotb?

  Right after that.

• 31:06Speaker 06

  Right after that. So it was like some, a little door must have opened energetically. And I was like, okay, and I, you know, raced through it.

• 31:15Hoda Kotb?

  So tell me about that litany. So you're in my best friend's wedding, then you start getting these roles that are working. Tell me about what that journey was like before we get to where you are.

• 31:25Speaker 06

  Yeah, you know, my best friend's wedding was such a great thing to get.

• 31:28Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 31:28Speaker 06

  Because that was when romantic comedy was the queen.

• 31:33Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 31:33Speaker 06

  Of Hollywood, you know, and there I was with queen herself, Joy Roberts.

• 31:37Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, yeah.

• 31:37Speaker 06

  Who's also from Georgia.

• 31:38Hoda Kotb?

  What was that like, by the way, working with her?

• 31:40Speaker 06

  She was lovely.

• 31:40Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 31:41Speaker 06

  She was great to me. Yeah. And also, you know, being a Georgia girl.

• 31:44Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 31:44Speaker 06

  You know, I think she was kind of rooting for me. And then Rachel Griffiths was playing

• 31:49Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, yeah.

• 31:49Speaker 06

  my twin sister, fraternal twin sister, and she and I still keep up and I love her. Um, and you know, it was like a luxuriously long shoot.

• 32:00Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 32:01Speaker 06

  Living in Chicago. I was like, oh, this is how it is. This is how it's gonna be, you know, forever. And of course, that was not the way it was at all times, but it was a good way to get spoiled. You know, a little bit and, and enjoy, you know, what that had to offer. And, um, and that, you know, that did a lot for me. Just to, even the time from, you know, filming to when it came out, my agents were able to say, oh, she's in a Joy Roberts movie. And then that put me, you know, where I got to get a role in a Bruce Willis movie. And then I, you know, started getting other pilots and, um, I did so many pilots before one actually went to air.

• 32:39Hoda Kotb?

  Wow.

• 32:39Speaker 06

  But.

• 32:40Hoda Kotb?

  What was the one, the one that went to air?

• 32:42Speaker 06

  It was called Emerald and it starred Emeril Lagasse.

• 32:46Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, my God. I love him, by the way.

• 32:48Speaker 06

  Isn't that so funny?

• 32:49Hoda Kotb?

  I love him. That's so crazy.

• 32:50Speaker 06

  Well, he, they thought it was a good idea to see if he could be an actor.

• 32:54Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 32:54Speaker 06

  And he did a lovely job, but it wasn't really his thing, you know? But it was so great working with him though, because he would make us food.

• 33:02Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah, of course.

• 33:03Speaker 06

  I mean, he would be like, here, you guys hungry? You want, you want some, you know, gumbo?

• 33:07Hoda Kotb?

  I love how, um, because your philosophy of walking into an audition, like I already own it. I have this job.

• 33:15Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 33:16Hoda Kotb?

  These little tricks, these little things that you do.

• 33:19Speaker 06

  Mm-hmm.

• 33:19Hoda Kotb?

  What, um, like, tell me a little bit about how, because I'm interested in just how you live your life to, to keep that kind of positive energy. And this podcast is called Joy 101.

• 33:30Speaker 06

  Yes, it is.

• 33:31Hoda Kotb?

  So it's kind of about, about where it comes from, you know? Does it come from, is it external? So is there something you do in the morning, in the evening, or in between?

• 33:41Speaker 06

  I think it does take discipline.

• 33:42Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah, tell me.

• 33:43Speaker 06

  Don't you think joy takes discipline?

• 33:45Hoda Kotb?

  That's brilliant.

• 33:45Speaker 06

  Because it's easier to suffer.

• 33:48Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 33:49Speaker 06

  Isn't it? I mean, the human condition is suffering, right? That's what, that's the human, that's what Buddha, that's what the Buddha said.

• 33:55Hoda Kotb?

  Uh-huh.

• 33:55Speaker 06

  You know, that's, that's, that's the baseline. And so we, because it, because that is unavoidable suffering. We all suffer. Therefore, we're not alone.

• 34:06Hoda Kotb?

  Mm-hmm.

• 34:08Speaker 06

  Therefore, we, we can be a part of a community. We can feel that we are a part of something bigger. So that keeps us from feeling like we're doing something by ourselves. Feeling part of a community brings joy. Going to do, like, I'm on this wonderful show right now, Elizabeth. I play Elizabeth. This is a miracle. This is a miracle. So when I find myself in any way tipping towards, you know, getting in some kind of trance of suffering about whatever, I'm like, I hurt my foot or, or I don't know what it is, some little thing, like, I had to wake up at 4:00

• 34:47Speaker 06

  AM, or you know, something that, that you can easily get hijacked by, I've replaced that with, this is a miracle. But this is a miracle. This is a miraculous thing. And sort of replacing the suffering with joy. And that does take discipline.

• 35:06Hoda Kotb?

  Yes.

• 35:07Speaker 06

  And it takes concentration and it takes working on those things. And one way you do that is meditation. So it took me a long time to get to meditation.

• 35:20Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 35:20Speaker 06

  Because I'm a very, I'm like a little hummingbird, you know? Um, that is sort of my soul animal. I love a hummingbird. Um, to sit and just be with whatever it is that arises.

• 35:33Hoda Kotb?

  Mm-hmm.

• 35:34Speaker 06

  Um, because that then gives you the concentration that you need to then bring joy into your life, I think.

• 35:43Hoda Kotb?

  Boy, I think that's beautiful. You said Elizabeth is a miracle.

• 35:47Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 35:48Hoda Kotb?

  I mean.

• 35:49Speaker 06

  It's a miracle for any show to ever get made.

• 35:52Hoda Kotb?

  But here's a thing to me. I'm listening to your career and I'm so like, wow, by everything. So to me, it's, I'm probably like your mother. No, nothing doesn't surprise me. Of course it's gonna be you.

• 36:00Speaker 06

  This is my mom.

• 36:01Hoda Kotb?

  Why wouldn't it be you?

• 36:02Speaker 06

  For sure. This is my mom. Yeah.

• 36:03Hoda Kotb?

  But, um, but tell me about having top billing on a show.

• 36:09Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 36:10Hoda Kotb?

  Because for so many people, when they listen to this or watch this, they'll say, oh, I know her from, I know her from. But now there's a show where your name's at the top.

• 36:19Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 36:20Hoda Kotb?

  It's your show.

• 36:21Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 36:21Hoda Kotb?

  You're the lead.

• 36:22Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 36:23Hoda Kotb?

  Um, what does that feel like, um, for you?

• 36:27Speaker 06

  Yeah. I mean, I try to bring everything that I have done in my career up and to this point to it, which is be a supporting player, be a part of an ensemble. I mean, theater alone at the beginning, I mean, is, is such an ensemble art form. And television should be as well. And film should be as well. There's a weird hierarchy that can happen.

• 36:54Hoda Kotb?

  Mm-hmm.

• 36:55Speaker 06

  With, sometimes the lead need, has a bigger ego than, and then it throws off, in my opinion, the whole balance.

• 37:02Hoda Kotb?

  Totally.

• 37:03Speaker 06

  Of this community. And so I try to, I like to. That's my goal.

• 37:09Hoda Kotb?

  Mm-hmm.

• 37:10Speaker 06

  Is to create a situation where everybody feels a value, what they're doing. There's 300 people that it takes to make an episode of television.

• 37:20Hoda Kotb?

  Wow.

• 37:21Speaker 06

  Um, a lot of them you don't even see. They're doing stuff you don't even know. But that everyone feels like they're coming together with the common good of making something

• 37:30Hoda Kotb?

  Mm-hmm.

• 37:30Speaker 06

  as good as possible.

• 37:32Hoda Kotb?

  Mm-hmm.

• 37:32Speaker 06

  Making something wonderful. And so I try to instill that in, in myself. I, I, I come on set and I try to put myself right in the, the, the middle of, of the makeup trailer.

• 37:45Hoda Kotb?

  Right.

• 37:46Speaker 06

  I make myself accessible to everyone. I don't, I try not to set myself apart.

• 37:50Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 37:50Speaker 06

  You know, I share the van with people. I just like that communal.

• 37:55Hoda Kotb?

  That's you. Yeah.

• 37:55Speaker 06

  Yeah, thing. Because I feel like it, it then creates an atmosphere where everybody can do their great work. And that's the goal, you know? But as far as like, actually this thing happening, I mean, a lot of things have to line up for that to happen. That's what I mean by it's a miracle, you know?

• 38:14Hoda Kotb?

  I think we spend so much of our lives waiting for the big moments, the birthdays, the vacations, the milestones. But the truth is, some of the happiest moments show up on the most ordinary days. So like this, I'll stop into a CVS because I need one thing. Somehow, the best part of the trip is never the thing I came for. So maybe I'll grab a delicious well-market snack, or maybe I'll wander over to the Joyward Collection. It's really full of fun, cool, seasonal decor, thoughtful little gifts, and those little discoveries that make you so glad you stopped in. I have to tell you, if you're an Extra Care member, you're gonna save on things you're already buying,

• 38:54Hoda Kotb?

  and those extra bucks really do add up. Just watching that total go down at the checkout never ever gets old. I know life's busy. We're all juggling a lot. And that's why I think those little unexpected moments of joy matter so much. So the next time you're running errands, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You may go in for something you need, but don't be surprised if you leave with something that simply makes your day a little brighter. Visit your local CVS pharmacy, sponsored by CVS. Halloween has a funny way of making you buy things you'd never normally buy. A 10-foot skeleton? Sure. A full-size fog machine? Why not? Three bags of candy that somehow

• 39:37Hoda Kotb?

  become six bags of candy? It happens. Which brings me to the Chase Freedom Flex Card, the savvy decision that will earn you more cash back on the everyday purchases, plus the extraordinary Halloween tricks and treats. With Freedom Flex, you earn even more treats on your Halloween and everyday needs. You get 5% cash back on popular rotating quarterly categories, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. That's no tricks, all treats. More ways to earn, more ways to get rewarded. So sign up for the Chase Freedom Flex Card. Learn more at chase.com/getflex. This is a paid collaboration with

• 40:19Hoda Kotb?

  Chase Freedom Flex. Cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, N A Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Offer subject to change. Terms apply.

• 40:29Speaker 07

  I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of Smart Talks with IBM. I spoke with Dr. Laura Jayhai of Cleveland Clinic about how advanced computing is helping shorten the path from medical discovery to treatment.

• 40:42Speaker 06

  The moment that there is a compound that someone in a lab thinks it would be effective to treat a certain disease, it takes about 10 to 13 years from that moment to when that drug is on a shelf for a patient. A big part of that gap could be computationally solved. Better simulation of compounds, designing drug trials that are more efficient, that would finish faster. That was the motivation to bring computational tools.

• 41:13Speaker 07

  And technology closer to biomedical researchers. Learn more about how Cleveland Clinic and IBM are using AI and quantum computing to revolutionize biomedical research at IBM.com/smarttalks.

• 41:29Speaker 03

  I'm Melissa Jelton, and in my new podcast, What Happened to Her, I'm bringing you new stories and conversations every week. Stories about women whose deaths were too quickly ruled a suicide. She was starting to get worried and get scared for her safety. Stories of survival. The only difference between me and her, frankly, was a little bit of luck because by all rights, I should be dead. Cases that everyone else called closed. They can't convict her, right? Like, she has so much evidence. These stories all start in the same place, with a woman failed by a system that didn't believe her, that didn't protect her, that didn't see her.

• 42:12Speaker 06

  No child should ever experience that. And we were babies.

• 42:15Speaker 05

  She did all of these brave things and came out and spoke about it, and he got a year.

• 42:22Speaker 04

  You never know who that devil is because he's wearing a disguise. Sometimes it's a police uniform.

• 42:27Speaker 03

  Listen to What Happened to Her on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 42:34Hoda Kotb?

  Well, I love the delight with which your character sees everything. I feel like you see everything. I saw you on Colbert, whenever that was.

• 42:42Speaker 06

  Okay.

• 42:43Hoda Kotb?

  And it was so adorable, because, first of all, Colbert came on your show.

• 42:47Speaker 06

  I know, wasn't he so great?

• 42:49Hoda Kotb?

  First of all, how cool are you? Like, Colbert comes.

• 42:52Speaker 06

  We had the best guest stars.

• 42:53Hoda Kotb?

  Who else? Amy Sedaris came. Who else came?

• 42:55Speaker 06

  Oh, my God, everybody. We've had Diane Weis. We had Steve Buscemi. We've had, like...

• 43:01Hoda Kotb?

  So what you call, and they're like, sure, one. Sure, yeah.

• 43:03Speaker 06

  Apparently, Steve Buscemi asked to be on the show.

• 43:05Hoda Kotb?

  Wait, what?

• 43:06Speaker 06

  Yeah, he was this huge, huge fan.

• 43:08Hoda Kotb?

  I love it.

• 43:08Speaker 06

  And he had his agents, he called his agents, said, can I be on Elsabeth? Everybody was like, oh.

• 43:13Hoda Kotb?

  This is cool.

• 43:14Speaker 06

  Yes, Steve Buscemi.

• 43:14Hoda Kotb?

  What is it about?

• 43:16Speaker 06

  You can be on a CBS, the little comedy, sure. No, I think it's because the writing is great. They get to come on in the great tradition of, like, Columbo, where, you know, Columbo was the anchor of the show, but they had whoever was the great guest star of the day that would come on and be the murderer, and then, you know, do the murder and have a, get to play a fun character that's maybe outside of their wheelhouse.

• 43:41Hoda Kotb?

  Right.

• 43:42Speaker 06

  And then go on to their other thing. It's only, you know, it takes eight days to shoot an episode of our show.

• 43:47Hoda Kotb?

  I mean, I read something, and now I know how right it is. It said, somebody was saying of you, she never got into this because she loves the work. This is why, she got into it because she loves the work. She never wanted to be famous.

• 44:02Speaker 06

  Right.

• 44:02Hoda Kotb?

  I mean, never wanted that part of it. And you could tell the way you talk about everything.

• 44:07Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 44:07Hoda Kotb?

  So when you do get an Emmy, when something, when you do get an Atta Girl.

• 44:11Speaker 06

  Yeah, that was pretty great.

• 44:12Hoda Kotb?

  That's gotta be pretty cool, too.

• 44:13Speaker 06

  It was cool, because, you know, it was the industry who said, hey, we recognize what you're doing. Because when I won the Emmy, it was actually for playing Elsabeth, but it was just a guest spot. It was guest, you know, I was a guest recurring character on The Good Wife and The Good Fight, but this was during The Good Wife. So I wasn't like a known entity, but it was people responding to the character. It was people responding to what the writers, the director, myself, all came up with together, which was this unique person that somehow people enjoy.

• 44:49Hoda Kotb?

  Connect.

• 44:49Speaker 06

  And here we are. I'm still playing her, whatever it is, 17 years later.

• 44:54Hoda Kotb?

  So when you first got this character, did you do your thing? Like you just said, you, like you said, when you get a character, you're like, how is this gonna, how am I gonna come through this? What did you get in the beginning, and how did you fashion her?

• 45:07Speaker 06

  Yeah. I mean, I, first of all, on the page, it was, I knew it was something.

• 45:12Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 45:13Speaker 06

  I could tell. Like, I read it, and I was like, oh, boy. This is, this is gonna be a very interesting, very specific character, maybe, that we haven't seen before. I just know that, reading it on the page.

• 45:29Hoda Kotb?

  Okay.

• 45:30Speaker 06

  And, and that I was gonna wanna do, do something that I was gonna hope that they were gonna receive.

• 45:37Hoda Kotb?

  Mm-hmm.

• 45:38Speaker 06

  You know? And luckily with that role, it was a direct offer, but that's also scary, too, because it means I'm coming on set with a character that they haven't seen, because I did an audition. And I'm like, oh, God, are they gonna like it? And it's so, or is this gonna be what they want? Is this fit into their universe?

• 45:54Hoda Kotb?

  Right.

• 45:55Speaker 06

  Because I'm just a guest, you know? And I remember walking on stage and doing the first rehearsal, and just taking that little swing, you know? And everybody kinda laughed, and everybody laughed, and everybody was like, okay, great, great. Yeah, yeah, more of that, more of that.

• 46:14Hoda Kotb?

  More of that. Oh, that must have felt so good.

• 46:16Speaker 06

  Relief.

• 46:17Hoda Kotb?

  Huh?

• 46:18Speaker 06

  But like, on the page, there was this word, pause. So I had a line, and then there was pause, and then a line. And I thought, okay, the line, the line. What's the pause? What's going on in there? What's happening with this person? Why is she taking a pause? What's her brain doing? What's her body doing? What's her... So then I built the character around that, honestly.

• 46:43Hoda Kotb?

  That's so cool.

• 46:45Speaker 06

  Because I was like, something's, something's happening with this woman's brain. It's different. There's something different with her, you know? She's thinking differently than everybody else around her. And what does that look like, and what does that sound like, and what is that?

• 46:54Hoda Kotb?

  How cool.

• 46:55Speaker 06

  Yeah, and that was just a really fun little nugget to extract from, I don't know, even know if the writer even knew.

• 47:03Hoda Kotb?

  Right, what they were putting in there. Wow, that's really cool.

• 47:06Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 47:06Hoda Kotb?

  So you have this beautiful professional life. You have this lovely, awesome husband. You talked about your mom and how she's such a cheerleader. I know you lost your dad.

• 47:17Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 47:18Hoda Kotb?

  And he had, he had Parkinson's for many years.

• 47:20Speaker 06

  Yes.

• 47:23Hoda Kotb?

  What did you lose the day that he, he passed?

• 47:27Speaker 06

  Yeah, I mean, we watched him struggle so long, that he wasn't trapped anymore. Like, he would refer to himself as being trapped. And nobody wants to live that way, you know? And this was, he died over 10 years ago now, and, you know, he did some of the, he did as much of the experimental stuff as he could take, you know? And eventually, I think it just overtook him. And so there was a sense of, he's in a, he's in a better place. You know, they say that, like, oh, you're in a better place. And I really do feel like he was released from that suffering.

• 48:11Hoda Kotb?

  Wow.

• 48:12Speaker 06

  You know?

• 48:13Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah. How's your mom?

• 48:14Speaker 06

  They weren't together, but they were very good friends. And, and my mom, she's doing great. Like, her health is great. She, you know, she has osteoarthritis, you know? There's so many people who have a lot of issues with that. So she does have some mobility stuff, but she's about to basically be up and live with us full time.

• 48:36Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, wow.

• 48:36Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 48:37Hoda Kotb?

  Okay.

• 48:37Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 48:38Hoda Kotb?

  And I saw your cute puppy. Sorry, but that is the cute, is it still a puppy?

• 48:41Speaker 06

  It's, he's a puppy. We rescued him about a month ago.

• 48:44Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, sweet.

• 48:45Speaker 06

  We lost our beloved rescue that we had for 16 years. 16 extraordinary dog years.

• 48:50Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, my gosh.

• 48:51Speaker 06

  Talk about joy. Just get a pet, you know what I'm saying? Just get a dog, and you're done. That's like, that's, it's like joy tap, you know? It's joy on tap.

• 49:01Hoda Kotb?

  We just, we got one, we got one a year ago. Waffles, who's a caboo, but I tell you, my girls, I have a seven and a nine-year-old. It has changed the temperature in the house. It's changed.

• 49:13Speaker 06

  It changed everything.

• 49:15Hoda Kotb?

  I should have done it sooner, but like, last night was the first night my daughter actually slept with the dog, because she's been dying, too, but we're trying to make sure that she's all trained. She had the best night's sleep. She popped up in the morning. She was like, hi, Mom. Waffles, it was amazing. I mean, she was already dressed at 6:30. I'm like, wait, what's happening? Usually, I'm like, honey, gotta get up. But anyway, you're right. It's such a game changer.

• 49:37Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 49:37Hoda Kotb?

  So we...

• 49:38Speaker 06

  So we rescued this little guy about a month ago, and he's a miniature poodle. I don't know how, he was running around by himself in New Jersey with no tags and no chip.

• 49:47Hoda Kotb?

  Oh, my God.

• 49:48Speaker 06

  Because he's perfect. He's in our lives now. Yes.

• 49:52Hoda Kotb?

  So I like to ask everybody, as we wrap up these interviews, what's bringing them joy these days? So for you, on like, a day that isn't, I don't know, what, what is it that's, that's filling your cup these days?

• 50:03Speaker 06

  Well, I mean, I will start with Rue. That's his name. Yeah, the dog. And it, it brings me joy to, to have a project with my husband.

• 50:11Hoda Kotb?

  Yeah.

• 50:11Speaker 06

  We didn't have kids, and so we are very involved in my nephew's lives. My nephews bring me joy. My friends' kids bring me joy. But this is something that we do together. And I like having that, you know? There's, we basically now, that's all we're gonna ever talk about. Like, we used to say, what did we talk about before Chumley, which was our first dog? Now we're gonna say, what did we talk about before Rue? So that does give me joy. And, you know, coming on, coming on set, working with, you know, incredible actors, like the ones that we are getting on our show, starting with the great Wendell Pierce, who is...

• 50:56Hoda Kotb?

  He's amazing.

• 50:58Speaker 06

  There's many things that Wendell Pierce could be doing right now, and he wants to be on Elsabeth. I don't want to talk him out of that. I mean, he's extraordinary as a person and as an actor. And so coming on set with him, with Ben Libra Ross, who plays my son, and doing a scene and laughing together.

• 51:19Hoda Kotb?

  What you love.

• 51:20Speaker 06

  It's just cracking each other up. It's just, that is the, like, pinnacle of the dreams that that little girl in Macon, Georgia, had, sitting on, you know, backstage in the wings, watching, you know, everybody on stage and waiting for her entrance. I made my entrance. Yeah.

• 51:48Hoda Kotb?

  Okay, I'm ending it there. I had one more question, but I cannot. When you have a perfect ending, you leave a perfect ending alone. Carrie, thank you so much. That was so beautiful.

• 51:58Speaker 06

  Thank you for having me.

• 51:59Hoda Kotb?

  I hope that anyone who's listening, who's wondering, like, you know, should I keep knocking on the door? Should I keep trying?

• 52:04Speaker 06

  Yeah, you should.

• 52:05Hoda Kotb?

  Should I keep going for it?

• 52:06Speaker 06

  Yeah, you should.

• 52:07Hoda Kotb?

  Just go.

• 52:07Speaker 06

  Yeah.

• 52:08Hoda Kotb?

  You're living proof. Ah, so good. Thank you, Carrie.

• 52:12Speaker 06

  My pleasure.

• 52:15Hoda Kotb?

  Hi, guys. I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Carrie Preston. I love her, right? I got kind of misty at the end there. She's an amazing human being. Make sure you tune in and watch her show, Elsabeth, on CBS and on Paramount. So here's something that I think I need to work on, maybe you do too. You know, sometimes it's hard to slow down, even if you have time. You know how you're like, I have time off. Let me get the grocery list. Let me run to the store. I have to go to Walgreens. I have to do this. I have to do that. So Joy 101 has some advice for you. We have one of our practitioners named Abby

• 52:54Hoda Kotb?

  Rollinson, and she's going to help us in this little two-minute video to slow ourselves down. Take a listen.

• 53:03Speaker 05

  Hi, I'm Abby Rollinson for Joy 101. This is a reminder for those days when everything feels a bit too much, when you're feeling anxious, or feeling flat, or teary, or snappy, or just off. And what I'm about to say might sound really simple, but it's something that I come back to again and again in my own life and in therapy sessions with clients. So here it is. If you're having a wobbly mental health day, lower your expectations, and then lower them a little bit more. Because sometimes the hardest part isn't the difficult

• 53:46Speaker 05

  feeling itself, it's the pressure we put on ourselves to keep going, to push through, and to pretend we're fine when we're not. But your nervous system isn't a machine. It responds to stress, and to exhaustion, and sadness, and overwhelm. And when it's dysregulated, it needs care, not criticism. And look, I know that sometimes it can feel like happiness should be our default emotion. But that's actually not how being human works. Being

• 54:24Speaker 05

  human means having hard days too. And we're meant to feel the whole kaleidoscope of emotions, not just the shiny ones. So next time you're having a difficult day, consider this your permission slip. You don't have to do everything. You're allowed to move slowly, to rest, to take care of yourself in small, gentle ways. And honestly, on days like this, enough can be really, really small. And that's not just okay, it's necessary.

• 55:01Hoda Kotb?

  All right, Abby, thank you so much. By the way, guys, we have tons of great practitioners on Joy 101 on our app. It's got everything you need to help you throughout your day, whether you need to slow down, whether you need to meditate, chill out, whether you just need some motivation, all good ways to help you out. All right, guys, I'll see you again back here on the Joy 101 podcast.

• 55:33Hoda Kotb?

  I've realized that joy doesn't always come from those big moments. Sometimes you find it on the most ordinary day. I'll pop into a CVS for toothpaste or paper towels, and it never seems to be just a quick errand. Maybe I'll grab a delicious Well Market Trail Mix, or wander over to the Joy Word Collection. That's part of the fun. So the next time you're checking something off your to-do list, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You might go in for one thing and leave with a little more joy. Visit your local CVS pharmacy, sponsored by CVS.

• 56:04Speaker 03

  I'm Melissa Jelton, host of the What Happened to Her podcast. We're kicking off the season with the Sandra Birchmore story, a case the police wrote off as a suicide in a snowstorm. Her family never bought it, and the man they suspected wore a badge.

• 56:19Speaker 04

  You never know who that devil is because he's wearing a disguise. Sometimes it's a police uniform.

• 56:24Speaker 03

  And you can get access to all episodes 100% ad-free with an iHeart True Crime Plus subscription exclusively on Apple Podcasts, available only to iHeart True Crime Plus subscribers. So don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for iHeart True Crime Plus, and subscribe today.

• 56:42Speaker 05

  What happens when romance gets a little monstrous? On Radio 831, a romance podcast, join us, Sanjana Baskar and Tyler McCall, as we host our own monster romance extravaganza. We're joined by The Villain Edit author Rosie Dannon and sentient object romance expert Gracie Delgado to explore what these unexpected love stories can reveal about desire, fantasy, and what we actually want. Listen to Radio 831, a romance podcast, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 57:13Hoda Kotb?

  Michael Lewis here to tell you about my new book, Blockers, which gives you an inside look at the Trump administration and the public servants who stood in its way. These were people who were securing our most sensitive data, keeping the public safe from all sorts of threats, and engaged in life-saving scientific research, until they were told they no longer belonged. And the question to me is, if they can't survive in our government, then what does it say about us? Get Blockers now, only at blockers.fm.

• 57:46Hoda Kotb?

  This is your girl, TS Madison, coming to you loud, live, and always and forever in color from the Outlaws Podcast. National Coming Out Day is in October, and we've

• 57:56Speaker 01

  got stories from all your favorite LGBTQ celebrities to celebrate. Check out our episode with comedy legend Wayne Brady. My daughter was actually the one, she said, Dad, you may be pansexual. The iconic Billy Porter. And Terrell Grace and I talk about family and children's family posts coming out. I don't like statements like that. That's Dad, or that's Grandma. No, no, no, no, no. It should never come at the cost and expense of your own sanity and your own mental health. Download the free iHeart Radio app, search Outlaws with TS Madison, and listen now. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.