GIA COPPOLA — on making ‘The Last Showgirl’ and on the inspiration she pulls from her filmmaking family
45:30 Share

My dive buddy just kind of started like whacking me underwater and then he didn't know how to tell me that there's a shark so he's trying to scream shark and then eventually he just went with singing the Jaws theme tune.

Hello, I'm Hannah Stipfel and I host a podcast called Oceans Life Underwater. If you haven't listened before and you're interested in the fascinating world of turtles and whales, then we might just be your new favourite podcast. To join us, just search for Oceans Life Underwater wherever you're listening to this.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Mario's Bistro. The special tonight is the Beef Carpaccio. With the Venmo debit card, you can turn the basketball game tickets your friends paid you back for into a romantic dinner that you can earn up to 5% cash back on. Use your Venmo balance to pay for the things you love to do. Visit venmo.me slash debit to learn more. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. Pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated. Terms apply. Dosh cash back terms apply.

Hi, it's Jesse. Today on the show, you know her as the director of Pamela Anderson's recent film, The Last Showgirl. It's Gia Coppola. Well, I hadn't seen Godfather until much later in my life because all my family had sort of been a part of it and seen it, so no one really wanted to rewatch. This is Dinners on Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. ♪

Born into one of the most iconic families in film history, Gia Coppola carries the weight of a cinematic dynasty while striving to forge her own unique path in the creative world. She made a huge impact with her most recent film that she directed, The Last Showgirl, which starred the iconic Pamela Anderson as an aging showgirl in Las Vegas. Pam Anderson's performance was nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award.

As the granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola and niece of Sofia Coppola, Gia grew up amongst legendary storytellers whose work has defined eras of filmmaking. Her journey as an artist is a compelling blend of honoring her lineage and collaborating with her family, but also establishing her own identity. Gia's work reflects a deeply personal perspective. ♪

By focusing on small, intimate stories rather than grand, epic narratives, Gia demonstrates a commitment to authenticity and exemplifies the delicate dance of an artist shaped by her lineage but defined by her own distinct voice. "How are you?" "Good, nice to meet you." I brought Gia Coppola to Squirrel in East Hollywood,

Founded by chef and owner Jessica Koslow in 2011, the restaurant started as a small jam company before evolving into a full-fledged culinary destination. That's so LA, am I right? Koslow's background in fine dining and her meticulous approach to flavor help shape Squirrel's signature dishes, like the gorgeous ricotta toast with a rainbow row of house-made jams, or the sorrel pesto rice bowl, which blend comforting familiar ingredients with bold, unexpected twists.

Now, don't be surprised to see a line out the door at lunchtime. The restaurant straddling the neighborhoods of Los Feliz and Silver Lake has long attracted a creative, food-savvy crowd, from artists and writers to filmmakers and musicians, all drawn to its playful menu and effortlessly cool vibes. I thought it would be the perfect spot to bring the effortlessly cool Gia Coppola. Okay, let's get to the conversation.

Were you guys okay with the Encino fire? We were, yeah. It came creeping over the hill toward us. Yeah. But we did actually have to evacuate. Yeah. But we also self-evacuated a little earlier because I have two young kids and dogs. Yeah, yeah. Super stressful. But we were okay. How were you? Yeah, we were fine. We evacuated too. I have a one-and-a-half-year-old, so we were, like, trying to get out. We all...

At one point the first night, my whole family and I went to my aunt's house and we all slept on the floor. So in a way it was kind of a fun sleepover, but given the circumstances. Yeah, my kids, we went to my in-laws and they were just like excited to hang out at Grammy and grandpa's house. Like it was an adventure for them. Yeah. At one point we actually really did have to evacuate because the fire was truly coming. Before it was like self-evacuation.

And there was like cumulus clouds coming over the ridge. Oh, no, it was so scary. My son was just like so fearless about it, though. He was like, oh, that fire is actually very close. I was like, yeah, we're leaving. But yeah, and I know that, you know, you were meant to do a lot of press with Last Showgirl during it. Yeah, our premiere actually canceled. It was like the same week that was going on. So, I mean, it was crazy. That's insane. Yeah. I'm a SAG voter, so I watched a screener of it of,

quite a few weeks ago. I loved it so much. Oh, thank you. It's a beautiful film. Thank you. That car should be, hopefully it's driving to like an auto shop. Yeah, I need some help. There's something dragging under there. Yeah.

We had Kieran and Shipka on the podcast a few months ago, and there was just such buzz around it. And so I felt really so excited to finally see it. It's such a special film. Yeah, we had a lot of love going into it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this is interesting. I know Kate Gersten from years ago. Oh, amazing. She performed with my good friend Kevin Cahoon in a production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She was the understudy.

He played Hedwig and she played Yitzhak, opposite of him. And they became really good friends. And I know that she'd gone on to be a really great writer. And like, Mozart in the Jungle is one of my favorite TV shows that she was a creator on. And to see her name attached to this, I thought it was so...

I just, I had no idea that she was part of this. Yeah. So proud of her. My God. Yeah, yeah. Now, I know there's family relations. And I should just say Kate Gerson's the one who wrote the screenplay for The Last Showgirl. But it was based off of a play that she wrote. Can you tell me about, like, how it was adapted and how you two hooked up? Yeah, I mean, well...

She's married to my cousin Matt Shire. So we were quarantining together during COVID. And my cousin Matt knows that I love Las Vegas. And he's like, you know, my family's like, oh, you're so strange. Like, why do you like Las Vegas? And I mean, I've...

Always like, you know, during college, I was a photo major and I would like drive cross country to move my car back and forth at Bard College is where I went. And I'd always stop in Vegas and I'd love to take photos and just kind of wonder what life is like there and what is it like to live there? And I guess I was talking about that during COVID and Matt was like, you know, who else loves life?

Vegas as much as you do is Kate and she wrote this play when she was at Juilliard and I guess she was doing, she says the patter between songs for a show that was sort of overtaking the Jubilee Showgirls show. Okay, so yeah, Jubilee. Yeah. I mean, you and I know, but so Jubilee was a show that was in Vegas that was like iconic, I guess, really truly is like probably the longest running Showgirls show and it just closed recently, right? Yeah.

It closed like 2014, 16. Yeah. So not too long ago. Not too long ago. But yeah, so she was sort of observing how it was getting petered out. And it was this big, lavish, you know, 80 women dancing on stage and a lot of stagehands, but like 10 people in the audience. Yeah. And she was thinking how fascinating it was. And so she wrote this play really fast 10 years ago. Yeah.

And I, at the time, was sort of craving to make just like an intimate movie. I was sort of frustrated with like the waiting game of the industry. And when I was a kid, my family, my grandpa would always sort of like have us do one-act plays. Who's your grandpa?

So like working with my family and being creative was always just sort of instilled in us. And so it made sense. Like, why not like make a movie together? And yeah,

I thought about Kate's play and that sort of structure of, you know, not a lot of locations, not a lot of cast was, was made sense to sort of, to make an, a small independent film. And, and in doing that, I can keep my creative autonomy. It's, you know, no one's telling me who I have to cast and, um,

And yeah, so my mom did the costumes. My cousin Robert, Matt's brother, was the producer. Kate, my cousin, was the writer. One of my aunts was the script supervisor. It was like all my friends from high school were like heads of department pretty much. I love that. So it was really fun. And yeah, we made it in like 18 days really fast. So fast. Yeah. That's so fast. Wait, I have some questions about the costumes actually because they're very, especially the showgirl costumes, are incredible. Were many of those like...

Actual showgirl costumes, I assume. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, so it's funny going into wanting to just make this small independent movie, but then it's like, oh, wait, these costumes are really... You need the opulence. Yeah, extravagant. And my mom was like, you can't make this movie unless you have these costumes. You can't make them. Yeah. And we were fortunate enough that Dita Von Teese was doing her show that was sort of homage. Oh, my God, I love her so much. Yeah. I guess she's our modern-day...

I mean, what would you, how would you categorize her? So it's a bit different. And, and the show girls and like that whole world are very adamant that they're distinct or very different art forms. But, um,

And Dita knows that and was aware of it, so she really guided us of how to make sure that we didn't cross any... Cross into those areas, yeah. But she was able to help us sort of access those costumes. So they were the original costumes from the Jubilee. Oh, no way. Yeah. Oh, that's incredible. Yeah. So, I mean, they were like museum pieces. They hadn't left the building in 30 years. And Pamela said that some of the names were still written on the back of the costumes. This is Pamela Anderson, who is here to lead. Pamela Anderson, yeah. Yeah.

That's incredible. Yeah. I mean, Pamela Anderson was so incredible in the film, nominated for a SAG Award for Best Actress. So, but how, what was it like securing Pam in that role? I mean, that must have been such, the whole thing,

DNA of the film must have changed. I mean, having someone like Pamela Anderson, who's such an icon. I mean, I was listening to an older podcast of hers and they were, they were sort of dissecting how, you know, when she was doing Baywatch, she was arguably the most famous person in pop culture at that moment. I mean, everyone knew her name. Everyone knew what she looked like. I mean, she was so famous and still is so famous. Um,

And, you know, and then obviously with this documentary that she did recently about her life and rehearsing for Chicago, which I didn't see her in, but I heard she was incredible in. And I can only imagine she was because seeing what she did with The Last Showgirl, I saw versatility in her that she probably has never gotten the opportunity to show. First of all, I was thinking what a gift it was probably for her to play a role like Shelley in The Last Showgirl. But also, I mean...

And truly what just the history of what she who she is as a person bringing that there's so much unspoken subtext and nuance that she brings to the movie and the role. I mean, what was that like for you to know that she was going to be the one taking over the role of Shelly and bringing it to life and.

Well, I was sort of thinking about who could play the role of Shelly on the page. She's like a very distinct character. You can really hear her. But like no one was really coming to mind. Like you kind of fantasize like about a Marilyn. And because I think the character is so nostalgic herself, like you kind of.

bring yourself to that sort of era of actors. And so Matt was like, I know who your Shelley is. Watch Pamela Anderson's documentary. But it did feel kind of kismet because I saw a picture of her circulating from press for the documentary and I was sort of wondering, what about her? She'd be so interesting given this kind of

And I was such a kid kind of during that heyday that, you know, she's sort of just this icon. But it wasn't really, you know, I never watched the show. But I think watching the documentary, I just saw someone I really liked as a human. Like she's...

so soft and sensitive, but there's so much quiet strength to that sort of vulnerability. And yes, like I could see a lot of similarities with the character of Shelley and Pamela herself, like women sort of defined by their exterior beauty, but feeling like so much more and undervalued for kind of

who they really are and Marilyn was similar in that way and I related so much to what Pamela's taste was she is such a wealth of

admiring classical cinema and reading her book, like, and she loves to cook and she loves philosophy and Carl Jung and a lot of things that I, that I like and French new wave. And so I just felt like I was going to bond with her. Yeah. Um, and, and I really just didn't want to take no for an answer. And I, and I, and I think also seeing like,

Because she wasn't, you know, she was undervalued as an artist and craving to express herself that way. There was a desire to really want to, like, hand her that opportunity because I knew she would run with it. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Gia reveals the films that have impacted her, including the iconic film Showgirls. And we bond over not doing well in school. Okay, be right back.

This episode of Dinners on Me is brought to you by Nissan. These days, it feels like the world and our lives are moving at hyperspeed. I mean, that's why I love doing this podcast. It's a chance to slow down, to truly connect with another human being, and to enjoy the feeling of actually being in the present moment.

On that note, I'm very excited that Dinners on Me is partnering with Nissan because Nissan understands that sometimes the greatest rush comes from not rushing at all. And with the all-new Nissan Murano, you can enjoy an unapologetic refuge amidst the daily hustle and bustle of life. The Nissan Murano is not just a vehicle. It's a space where you can take a beat to catch your breath and re-energize to be in the present moment.

And trust me, this is the moment you'll want to be in and drive in. The Nissan Murano features an elevated, modern interior design and a bold new exterior look. Plus, the expansive panoramic moonroof adds tons of natural light to the roomy cabin. With massaging leather-appointed seats to help melt away the tension of the day and ambient moonlighting with 64 color options to set the vibe just right, what's not to love?

So thanks again to Nissan for sponsoring this episode of Dinners on Me and for reminding us to take a moment and breathe. Learn more about the all-new Nissan Murano at NissanUSA.com. Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, and massaging leather-appointed seats are optional features.

Hi, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the host of the podcast Dinners on Me. Spring is here, and you know what that means. Longer days, backyard hangs, and of course, firing up the grill. And when I'm planning a get-together, Whole Foods Market is my secret weapon for making it both fresh and effortless. Let's start with light or fair because, you know, sometimes you want something crisp and bright after those rich winter meals. I'm going to be making a whole foods market.

Whole Foods Market has the best seasonal veggies. Think asparagus, artichokes, and easy salad kits to throw together in just a few minutes. Pair that with some wild-caught halibut or a perfectly marinated chicken breast, and boom, you've got a meal that feels as good as it tastes.

And if you're planning on having some folks over for this barbecue, Whole Foods Market has everything from high-quality meats to the best side dishes like deli salads and charcuterie boards that instantly level up any gathering. Oh, and of course, don't forget the drinks. Their seasonal Italian sodas like Berry Blend and Orange Hibiscus are my new obsession. So whether you're keeping it light or going full-on feast, Whole Foods Market has you covered.

Make Whole Foods your destination for all spring gatherings. Make Whole Foods your destination for all spring gatherings. And we're back with more Dinners on Me. Did we ever wait or join in? No, this is my first day. You know how I do. Okay, what can I get you? Hey, doll, you come here often? Okay. Joanna's going to take our order to go to the counter. I'm going to do...

the pesto rice bowl with salmon. Good choice. And then I want to, I think G and I should share the ricotta toast. The faint one? Yeah. Do you want a drink? Yeah, I want an almond milk latte. Iced? No, I want it hot. Hot? Mm-hmm. I'm cold. Great. What can I get for you? Thank you. Um...

Can I have the Sorel pesto rice bowl, the biggie with the chicken, sausage, and kale avocado? What can I get to drink? May I have an almond milk matcha latte, please? I'll do that hot as well. Are you nervous to leave us? What if we go off the rails? Make sure it stays red.

Were you a fan of Showgirls, the movie Showgirls? Yeah. Okay. That actually might have been the genesis of what my conversation with Matt... Because I sort of, like, way back during that time, I was, like, trying to investigate, could you remake the Pete Vanderhoeven Showgirls? Right. And I think everyone thought I was crazy, but now it's, like, super trendy. Yeah. But...

Then with Kate's play, I was actually really struck with getting to know the real etiquette of the showgirl industry. And like that, that, that symbol is like so much a part of Las Vegas, but the real show doesn't exist anymore. And so I was really inspired to kind of learn more about the actual craft versus the Pete Vanderhoof version. But I do love that. And I love Gina Gershon and.

So good. I mean, I just revisited that film over the pandemic. My husband had never seen it. Oh, my God. And it's one of those movies that when people say they haven't seen it. Oh, by the way, I have an admission to make to you in a moment. But when people say they haven't seen Showgirls, I'm like, are you insane? Yeah. That for me is required viewing. I just find it to be such a I mean, obviously, it has a camp quality and it's a cult classic. I.

I just love it so much. And we had Kyle McLaughlin on this podcast. And I was like, Kyle, I'm not trying to make you feel like

Because he has mixed feelings about being a part of it. And it's like, I truly... I'm not just saying it to be funny. I really love the film. Yeah, I do too. I enjoy it. And I enjoy it on many levels. I enjoy that it's campy and it kind of is over the top. It all makes sense to me. It's actually a really smart movie. And there's some great think pieces on it. Obviously, it's all about Eve, which I love. Yes, yeah.

then it's the sort of metaphor for the grotesqueness of Hollywood and that sort of over-the-top camp. But when you're talking about films that people haven't seen, I'm nervous to tell you this, but I've never seen The Godfather. Oh. And it's one of those films that people say that's one that people cannot believe.

I've never seen. But I was, I mean, I know you're such a film buff. Are there, are there, and you obviously must be incredibly influenced by both your aunt Sophia and your grandfather's filmmaking, but what other filmmakers are you inspired by that aren't your family members? But also are there things that you're ashamed to admit that you haven't seen yet that are considered classics? Um, well, I hadn't seen Godfather until much later in my life because I,

There was a lot of pressure and intimidation, but also all my family had sort of been a part of it and seen it, so no one really wanted to re-watch that with me. Yeah, I can understand. So it wasn't until my mid-late 20s when I saw it. A friend sat me down and was like, I'm going to watch this with you. Can I ask what she thought? Oh, I mean, it's amazing. I mean, I hear so much about...

his process of it, like those stories I've heard over and over and over again. But to just see, yeah, I mean, it's an epic. It's like it feels like a novel, all the nuances. And, you know, I like when things have this sort of undercurrent of America and our hunger for that American dream and what that means. Yeah.

I mean, I was thinking about what are some of my favorite movies. Like, I always say Jaws is one of my favorites just because that's just like really tight and like never felt the same about water ever again. That's right. Yeah. And also a lesson on how to shoot things on a budget and still...

There's such restraint in that film that I found... I didn't think about those things when I was watching it for the first time. I was just scared shitless. But now as an adult and someone who's made films, I'm like, oh, wow, the restraint, the creativity that they had to figure out that movie. It's really incredible. Yeah, and how those accidents actually...

It happens so often and you have to just sort of have creative thinking and how that served the project. Yeah, yeah. And performance and shots and, like, yeah. So I love that movie. Social Network's a huge one for me. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I feel like David Fincher, like, seeing his movies were like, oh, that makes me want to make movies. Yeah. It was incredible. But I don't know, like...

I've never seen Gone with the Wind. Me either. Me either. That's the other one. Those are the two, The Godfather and Gone with the Wind are the two that I'm like, I feel like people look at me like I have three heads when I tell them I haven't seen those. Yeah. The one that, I have several friends who've told me they've never seen Sound of Music.

Oh, yeah. Okay. Have you seen that one? I saw that when I was like a kid. Yeah. See, for me, it was one of those I would watch every year. And so much so that I actually didn't realize because it was on live television and my parents would let me stay up late and watch it. Same with Wizard of Oz. But there was a point of the film where there was a commercial break.

And with Sound of Music, it was right before basically the Nazis were introduced. And you realize that was a whole subplot. Oh, my God. I totally forgot. Yeah, it's been so long. It's been a while. But my parents would always be like, oh, and that's the end. It was like basically like Lonely Goat heard. And then they'd like, that's the end of the movie. Even though there was like another hour. And so for the longest time, I thought, oh, that's the way the Sound of Music ended. And then I watched it again.

all the way through. Then I was like, oh, there's a whole other act here that I've been deprived of. Yeah, totally dupes. But yeah, that's why people, when they say they haven't seen Sound of Music, that's a big one for me. Yeah. I'm always fascinated by, and I have several friends who do have family members who are successful in the entertainment industry and are entertainers themselves. I mean,

How has it been for you? Because you really do have a very distinct voice. I watched your very first film, Palo Alto, which I really loved. And I saw so much of that style carried over with The Last Showgirl. And I do want to talk also about the evolution of the 10 years between those two projects.

But how has it been for you to, you know, acknowledge the legacy that you come from and then also carving out your own path within that? Thank you. Wow. Thank you. Oh, the opposite here. Yeah. No worries. That's beautiful. Yeah. I think when I was a kid, like I wasn't interested in filmmaking just because it felt like a lot of pressure and,

But then I studied photography and I had a great teacher. Like, I feel like once you... I really struggled in school. And, like, once I had this professor, Stephen Shore, who's an amazing photographer, he

And he really showed me to just like love learning and art. And it was so not about like anything technical, like to this day, like I don't know how to set up any lights or any sort of digital photography. It's like I had a giant eight by 10 camera that I had to lug around in the winter, the East Coast winter. And, you know, it, you,

you put your head under the fabric and take your picture, but it was so much about being thoughtful with what you wanted to capture and what is the sort of concept behind it and letting other things fuel your inspiration and reading and so forth. And from there, I kind of just discovered that I wanted to challenge myself more and that storytelling and movies...

was an extension of photography, but it invites more people and can be collaborative. And and it's all these things that I love, like like music and costumes and set design. And and so I just kind of naturally would start gravitating to making like little films with my friends. And when I got the opportunity to make Palo Alto, it still felt really kind of

intimate none of the pressure of like where was this going to go or how is it going to be seen was ever really in my mindset so I think I was beautifully kind of naive in a way you were 27 when you made that 26 yeah around then yeah so I guess from there because I wasn't thinking about the aftermath and I think that's so important when you're you're making something is making it for uh you your community something that you want to express that's not to be shared yeah yeah

And that happened again with Showgirl. I just wanted to make something. I didn't want to deal with the waiting game and, oh, you can't have this because you need that and the algorithm of what gets seen or who brings value and bullshit, bullshit. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So why not just go and make a movie like how Cassavetes does? My grandpa always says, use the weapons at hand. And so I'm so grateful that I have such a creative family that we could all come together and make something. Yeah. I mean, your family is famously—I love this about your family—famously supportive of one another, very collaborative. A few things you said that really struck me, you talked about being—

Yeah. Yeah.

if you're an A student or a B student, you're like that you're on the right track. And if you're struggling, it means there's something wrong with you. I know for me, I felt a lot of insecurity around that. And I lost a lot of my self-confidence and it took a lot for me to regain that. So it's always impressive to me when I hear from someone that they struggled in school and yet they're so successful doing something that they're so good at. I mean, how did you overcome that?

I feel like all of my trauma does sort of stem from like school and never feeling like good enough because I didn't get the grades. And I was really struggling because I remember, and it's a scene in Palo Alto where the college guidance counselor says like, you're not going to go to college. You don't have good grades. Yeah.

And so I think that bothered him. And so he came up with a system that it's way easier to get into college if you go in as a transfer student in the second year. So if you go to community college, get your associate's degree, then you can transfer to college. And I got to transfer into Bard College, which was a school I wanted to go to. And then I was able to have Stephen Shore, who is a photographer I admire, be my teacher, who then helped me. Thank you.

Thank you. It's delicious. Do you want to try it? Okay, thank you. Hi, Jessica. Gia, officially. Nice to meet you. Thank you so much. Yes, I love it here. This is delicious. I'm so happy.

I've never had the salmon. You were telling me that I should get it with salmon. It's pretty new. She's never had the toast, so I was like, let's do it. Squirrels are healthy-ish. It's healthy, but it's right there. Yeah, that's a good treat for a kid. I have some information I'm excited about.

I learned, Jessica, you're opening up for dinner soon. We are. We're opening. You're hearing it first right here. Yeah. Right. Yeah, we're opening up for dinner in March. So, yeah, we're opening a bar at the end of the building in 2026. And then, you know, then it'll be the whole package. I'm really proud of you. Resilience. True resilience and continued resilience during this time, you know. Yeah, yeah.

I'm excited. Thanks for being here. Thanks, Jessica. Thanks for having us. Yeah. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Gia tells me about learning about her late father, John Carlo Coppola, through his family, Napa Summers with the Coppolas growing up, and her pandemic-era meet-cute with her now-husband, Honor Titus. Okay, be right back.

Now, you know I love a good brunch, whether it's a laid-back Sunday with my husband Justin and the kids or a full-on feast with a bunch of my friends. I just love it. And when it comes to putting together the perfect spread, Whole Foods Market is my go-to. They've got everything you need to make your brunch extra special. Smoked salmon? Check. Buttery flaky quiche? You bet. And don't even get me started on the fresh berries. I said don't. Seriously, don't get me started on them. Oh, you already did. Okay.

Okay, now let's talk drinks. Whole Foods Market has the best cold-pressed orange juice, bar none. It's perfect for mimosas or just sipping straight while you flip pancakes. And if you really want to impress, grab a berry chantilly cake or some warm hot cross buns to finish brunch on a sweet note. And just tell people you baked it.

Now, if you want to host but you're also short on time, like we all are, no worries. Just order Whole Foods Market Catering. From bagel and lox platters to deli salads, they've got you covered. You just have to order 48 hours in advance, pick it up, and voila, brunch is served. No one will know you got a little help from our friends over at Whole Foods. It's all about the hacks, people. It'll be our little secret. Make Whole Foods Market your destination for all spring gatherings.

D'Ussé Cognac is the perfect ingredient to elevate the vibe. Whether you're out for the night or staying in, it's best enjoyed your way. Maybe that's keeping it simple with D'Ussé and Lemonade, an easy-to-make cocktail that blends the sweet tart flavor of lemonade with the smoothness of D'Ussé. Just add D'Ussé to make good vibes better. Tap the banner to learn more. Drink responsibly. And we're back with more Dinners on Me.

Do you mind if I talk about your dad for a little bit? Sure. I know you lost your dad before you were born, like seven months before you were born. Your grandfather's side of the family, it seems that they really embraced you and sort of filled that space of giving you information about who your father was. What is it like learning about your parents through the eyes of their other relatives? I've always, you know, we'll have this missing part

in my heart for not knowing what that was like. And I can't imagine like what my family went through to lose someone like that at such a young age. And also there is so much beauty in what I have to do is find the beauty of that. I'm so grateful that they've all embraced me so closely. And I have such a tight bond with my family because of this sort of

and they all stepped in and helped raise me. My mom was only 20 when I was born. I was going to say, your mother was also new to the family, right? Yeah, yeah. Right, yeah. So he was 22 when you passed, but he had this really full life. I hear stories of he would have beer for breakfast and loved cars. He had a very distinct personality that I'm like, oh, at 22, that's so...

rare. And I'm so grateful that like there's all this writing that my family have of that time and it's hard to read but it's also like what a privilege to kind of understand my father in this way and understand like my birth in this way. So I think you know that there's something

different in that, that not a lot of people get to kind of really experience in that way. Yeah. How is it, you're a new mom. I mean, I felt so changed after becoming a parent. Is each kid like a new pancake where you're just trying to figure out? You think you know the recipe and they're like, oh no, I'm actually a waffle. Yeah.

Yeah. Just throw it in the chest. Yeah. But to be, you know, you and your husband or, you know, raising this child together. I mean, it's just I just feel like becoming a parent so much opens up and someone's just cracked open in you that you don't expect. Like, do you ever think about like these moments in your life? Like, oh, this person who gave me life is missing out on such big moments. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, I do feel that loss, but I also believe that it's amazing when you think about, like, oh, there's a piece of him in my child. Yeah. And things that maybe are so just natural. Like, my family often says, like, oh, you have this expression that he used to do, or, like, your mannerism was very much like that, and it's like...

I never met him. How would I know to do those sort of things? And that's sort of just the interesting part about genetics and to see that there's a piece of him in my son, I think is really cool. But man, parenthood, like, I can't believe almost everyone goes through this and it's like so insane. Like, I mean, and that was so much of what this movie opened, like,

I couldn't have told this movie had I not become a parent. And I wasn't, you know, I wasn't pregnant when I first embarked on this journey. And then I had my son and he was eight months when we were filming. And I was like, I couldn't have told this story had I not become a mother. Yeah. Because it's like opens up a part of you that is you can do anything like because you have to. And I'm like, oh, there's such a strength in that story.

Yeah, so I don't know how you have three. That's amazing. Yeah, yeah. Two, just two. Two, oh, okay. Please don't give me another one. People ask us if we're going to have another, and we're like, no, absolutely not. Yeah, yeah. Will you tell me a little bit about these? First of all, did you grow up in Napa or L.A.? I grew up in L.A., but I would go to Napa, like, every summer, every holiday. I was, like, seven years old, and I'd put on the little, like, badge, and I'd just fly by myself to the Oakland airport and...

Right? Yeah. It was a hot wheel. And yeah, I would just hang out with my grandparents. Tell me about these one-act plays that would be done each summer. Well, I was young, so I would sort of just observe all the other family members kind of partake in it. It was only really one summer, but I think we were constantly always being creative together. And I think that was something my grandparents really appreciated.

installed in all of us. They took one-act plays and then either locals from Napa were in them or the family members were in them and you had to direct them and they really performed them in front of an audience and we had the town come in and...

I think to add to that is like in children, like my grandfather and like, um, is just always teaching us to be a child again. And like that, that, and sort of like creativity should be playful and enjoy it and, and, and fun. I mean, so much of being, I mean, I, under the umbrella of artists, but like an actor or a director or a writer is about end product and like how successful is that end product? I mean,

I've always struggled with what the meaning of success is. I'm interested in hearing what the definition of success is for you, but also through the lens of having family members who have done things and done things very well in their field. First of all, has there been intimidation? Was there ever intimidation for you to also follow in footsteps of

As you're forging your own path, but also what is success like for you? I feel like success, you have to take the external out of it. And it's an interesting question that I'm always sort of trying to understand is like, is it still art if it isn't seen? And my grandma, not to always just sort of revert back to like my family, but like my grandma...

would always do these sort of conceptual art films and kind of find art in all around us. I'm so grateful that I get to be creative, that I get to make stuff. Like my grandma, I remember I'd bitch about like some job thing and she's like, "You're so lucky that you get to work." Like it wasn't that long ago that women didn't even, they had to just be housewives. Yeah.

And you can still sort of see the... And so much of what The Last Showgirl deals with is that kind of systemic lag for women and working mothers. And I found that interesting. But not to digress, but success for me, I think, is that I get to be creative. And, you know, my family is happy and healthy. And I have a beautiful son that's so...

We go on a walk and every little thing is exciting. And it's like, it's just a puddle. But it's amazing. And I think if you can kind of keep that alive within yourself, then there's so much gratitude. Yeah. I mean, I definitely try to align myself with that as much as possible. I forget sometimes I get caught up in like exterior noise and what people think of

you know, what I'm putting out there. It's hard. It's hard. Well, you think of like Van Gogh, like he never knew what his success was. Yeah. So you just hope that your art gets to live beyond you if the planet still exists. Yeah. Yeah.

Your husband is an extremely talented painter. I'm a fan of his. Oh, thanks. How did you two meet? A blind date. Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah. My friends, our mutual friends set us up. I mean, I think we kind of knew what each other looked like, but not like much about each other. And it was during COVID and he took me to a restaurant.

in Pasadena or I met him at a restaurant in Pasadena but it was because it was during COVID it was just in a parking lot and he was really embarrassed that he thought we could go inside but yeah he was he was really sweet he showed up holding flowers and um uh yeah I feel like uh it just kind of kept progressing like uh

I like nothing scares me more than like a date. I thought like, OK, what makes me relax? Like playing a game, like maybe we can play like a card game because I love card games. It's like if he won the card game that I'm super skilled at, then we could get another day. And he, of course, won. And so it just like went on from there. That's a tricky time. I mean, I.

was deep into marriage during COVID, but I can only imagine that it must've been a tricky time to also get to know someone. Well, we always say that like, like it was kind of like Chihuahua years in a way, like just like made time really fast because you, you kind of get to know someone really fast. Um, so, you know, not too long after we, we, we have our son. I'm happy for you. Yeah. Um,

Oh, my gosh. Well, congratulations on the film. It's so fantastic. I'm so excited to meet you. I've been a fan for a while. And I just, I admire everything you've done. And thanks. Thank you for lunch. Yeah, this was so yummy. It's on me. It's all on me. Dinner's on me. This episode of Dinner's on Me was recorded at Squirrel in East Hollywood.

Next week on Dinners on Me, she's a comedian that's been on your TV since 2007 with a long-running talk show on E! plus a documentary and talk show on Netflix. It's Chelsea Handler. Well,

We'll get into her latest book, I'll Have What She's Having, a memoir that divulges moments truly only Chelsea could experience, like playing pickleball with the Bush daughters to being called out by Jane Fonda for being difficult. And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners On Me Plus.

As a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, you'll also be able to listen completely ad-free. Just click Try Free at the top of the Dinners On Me show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today.

Dinner Is On Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and A Kid Named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Angela Vang. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Del Schee composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Ballance-Kolasny and Justin Mikita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.