Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Ali Larter — on leaving L.A. and working with Billy Bob Thornton

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

‘Landman’ star Ali Larter joins the show. Over a seafood tower, Ali tells me about shooting on-location in Texas, how she met her husband (and fellow actor) Hayes MacArthur, and what Billy Bob Thornton hates to do on set. We also bond over the difficulties of raising kids as working actors, moving to Idaho with her family, and Ali tells me about the hoax Esquire cover that landed her first manager. This episode was recorded at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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How did the locals react to you? I mean, place, plaza. Really? Yeah, because Idaho's cool. They don't care. Like, if I can shoot an elk, they would have been like, oh, my God. You're the star of this town. This is Dinner's On Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

I have been a fan of Ali Larders ever since I saw her in one of my favorite movies of all time, Legally Blonde. Listen, if Legally Blonde's playing on an airplane, you bet your bottom dollar I'm watching that on that airplane. That's going to be a flight that I'm very happy to be on. I also loved her on the show Heroes that my friend Zachary Quinto was on, but I am wildly invested in her new show, Landman. It's Taylor Sheridan's new show, and I am absolutely loving it. And I am very excited for Season 2, which she's out promoting right now. I'm sitting here at Mastros in Beverly Hills. I'm on a terrace overlooking North Cannon, which is in the heart of Beverly Hills. You hear the hubbub of people doing their fancy shopping downstairs. It's a beautiful

patio. Inside, it's dark and elegant with a low hum of people. Martinis are clinking, and the stakes are hitting that 1,500 degree broiler before coming out sizzling and clarified butter on a 450-degree plate. Careful, that plate's hot. And then there's the two-foot, tall seafood tower. I see some of the other tables are having this. Only Mastros can make a skyscraper of crab legs feel subtle, and yet so fancy. We actually picked Mastros for Alley, mostly because the mood here feels like it matches her landman energy, big, confident, a little bold. Angela, her character that she plays, has that Texas steelyness to her. You get the sense that Angela wouldn't blink twice at ordering the biggest

stake here. Okay, she should be walking in any minute. Let's get to the conversation. Come here, give me a plug. Nice to be doing this in the middle of all of the crazy. I got to feed you. Oh my gosh, please. Um, you're, how long are you in L.A. for? So I'm here till Friday. We started with New York. Uh-huh. Jump to the pond. Berlin. London. Jump to the pond back. L.A. straightened women in film. You were in Berlin? We've been everywhere.

I can't. I never knew it would be international. I'm like, where did this happen? Landman feels very American. Very. And it's like an eye into West Texas. It's not even like, you know,

all of it's been such a surprise. You know, I mean, how it's like connected with people when it's really, you know, it started with like the dangerous world of oil and the underbelly of it. And then I think that people like, you know, they drop in with the family. That there's so many different tones

and people in our show and different characters that, I don't know, it connected. Okay, listen, I was a Yellowstone fan. Okay. I didn't get all the way through the series yet because there's so much to like, and then there's all these like, you know, prequels and all the stuff that's like a whole world. Yes. And so when I got, I got season two of Landman.

And so I was like, let me just start with the first episode of season one first. I don't want to, like, jump into season two. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I became so invested. Oh, my gosh. I'm now like, I'm so invested. I'm so excited. It's so good.

Thank you. Thank you. That's such a compliment coming from you. And so you see our funny in the show. Like, I don't think the first season we knew we were going to be so funny. It is. And then we're like, okay, we got the joke and let's lean in the season. It's very funny.

I mean, some of the stuff that Billy Bob Thornton just throws away is so. In the opening, in the pilot episode, when there's like this crazy accident that happens on the highway. Yes. And he's, they're like, he's talking about creating an easement around the, the, the, the, the, the, the, devastation so we could still like, you know, bring oil in and out. And they're like, well, you know, we have to like mark this off because there's dead bodies or anything. He's like, well, there's no dead bodies on this side.

Right. And then he's like, one, he's like, oh, burned up man over here. I know. And the way he delivers that, it's just so dry. So dry. So dry. He's such like a crumajum. And then your character just like, oh my God. I light him up.

I light him up. It's just like oil and water. Two wrongs that make a right. Like, it's just like, who would have thought. It's not I, you know? Yeah, it's like Taylor's writing is so spot on. But when we first read it, it was so much fighting and vitriol between us. Like, it was just like, it was much harsher.

Yeah. And, you know, like, we- It was like, who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? Kind of. Totally. Well, it's like we do, I mean, Billy talks about it a lot. It's like, with the work with it, he thinks it's like it is, it does come back to, like, an old Hollywood romance, like the banter of it is like more of a throwback that we do.

But we didn't want it to be that. It was like, how do we take some of the scripts and really find ways to, like, push in the love, push in the history, pushing the shared experiences, and then, you know, you do the work with the first season, and then second season, you're like, you know, you mean, everyone's just, like, well-oiled. I mean, you do the work of the, like, even the pilot, because you're, you're not in too much of the pilot. Yes, I don't think until three.

Yeah. And, but you're on FaceTime videos. But, like, even just, in a part of it's, you know, I can attribute to, like, the great writing, but a lot of it's just, like, chemistry amongst the actors, which you can't like explain explain or buy or create that just something that happens exactly but like to create that is hard and did you know billy bob before this i've never met him before um i remember the dinner that we sat down at it was like immediately give me a martini um he's like ripping through micklep ultra and just like you know smoking like a chimney and i had michelle there with me

um his wife connie and tom who's like you know billy's right hand who's always with us and it was kind of like two people dancing around a room for a little bit, like sniffing each other, you know? And then finally, you know, we kind of met in the middle and we just started talking. And he's so authentic. He's such, he's so real. That's the vibe I get from him.

I've met him very briefly. Yeah. That's the vibe I get. It's his way. You know, he's not putting on airs for anybody. Good afternoon. Hi. It is so lovely to have you.

Welcome to Mastros. Thank you for having us. Oh, you're very welcome. You are actually in our newest addition to our restaurant here, the garden at the penthouse. I love it. Very nice. It really is.

Yeah. So as far as starting you off this afternoon, did you want to do some iced water or did you prefer bottled still or bottled sparkling? What do you want? You know, actually regular water is fine for me, but just some lemon.

Okay, perfect. I'll do the same. And then are you interested in looking at maybe a cocktailist or having a glass of wine? I'm not a huge day drinker, but catch me at five, and I would have been in. It's a little early for me. Okay, fantastic.

We do have Coke products, lemonade, strawberry, I'll do a lemonade. Okay, perfect. And how can I, anything for you? No, just water. I mean, we're going to get into this food. I mean, I'm so excited to dine. I'm thrilled.

I can't wait. Is that what you call it? It's killing me, not to have like a shably with it. I mean, the whole thing is killing me. You're catching me a week too early, you know? You have found out. You cannot. I know, Kimmel.

I'm like, I don't ever. Like, you know, but as soon as that's over. If there's found you could get wasted. Not on Kimmel. Not on Camel. Right, exactly. That's going to be a post-Himmel. yeah yeah yeah so we'll go through everything that you can expect and we'll be right over with

beverages for you thank you thank you um that's so funny i i stopped drinking actually like a year ago oh my gosh do you feel amazing i do but i miss it so much like it's like to get the burn off you know it's like that's like the one part but i bet you're sleeping like a dream i do sleep really well i mean yeah although just and just my husband just sent me sometimes i take melatonin yeah and he sent me the thing about, like, how melatonin is bad for you. I'm like, you're drinking alcohol every night. Like, don't seem to me a thing about melatonin. No, forget it.

Like, give me the one thing. Give it to me, but you gotta just do magnesium. I know, high, high doses. Like, you know, triple the dose. Right. You know. I think of magnesium bath. Beautiful.

But I can't do that every night. That's a little excessive. Yes, but it's like, it's also, like, it depends when you're working and, like, what you have to do to just, like, take care of yourself. And then the off time, you can kind of ease up on it all. You know, I just find, like, when I'm shooting 14 hours, days or like just in the thrust of like the madness I'm like whatever can get me through just needs to get me through for sure um you moved to Idaho during the pandemic right yes

like I mean you are someone who has a pretty um well-known career and people know you from yeah doing this for a long time iconic roles long time like how did the locals react to you I mean plazae plazae really yeah because Idaho is cool they don't care Like, if I, if I can shoot an elk, they would have been like, oh, my God, that you're the star, this town. No. But that's not what it was. It was really just, it was like a simple unfolding of like relationships naturally forming and knowing that also we love being with our children. So a lot of the people that we spend time with are our children, the parents of the children, because, you know, it's like we're not into just like doing like adult dinners, you know?

We love when the house is packed with families and children are running around. So that's what we really saw there. And so that's, yeah, and so we just did it. And then we, you know, we fully committed. And I can't believe it's been five years, which is wild. But I feel like because, I think because we made a choice that was authentic and true to us, that then positive things happened, you know, in our lives. And it's like we made decisions for the right reasons.

That's what it felt like. know, putting our kids first. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Ali tells me about how she met her husband, Hayes McArthur, and a fascinating little tidbit about her landman co-star, Billy Bob Thornton. Okay, be right back. Big thanks to HomeServe for sponsoring this episode. You know, owning a home, it's amazing until it's not.

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And you and Hayes have been together for... 19 years. That's incredible. It's crazy. How did you two meet? You know, we worked together in office. Austin, and I had just come from living in New York. I spent a lot of my 20s in New York City, and I had just come back.

I wasn't even really sure I was coming back, and I met him, and, you know, Hayes is so funny, and he's such a light, you know, and I get nervous, like, at the lunchtime, you know, when you're on, like, you know, your first set, you know, just meeting the people. Like, do you sit with the crow? Do you sit with your cast? Like, usually I just, like, sit in my trailer and, like, you know, just, like, decompress. Oh, my God. Oh, come on.

Stop it. I mean, you don't know me that well, but now I know, like, you've got my number. This is divine. Oh, my gosh. That's incredible. Wow. What kind of oysters are they? Do you guys know?

Are they kushis, kumamoto's? What do we have? Oh, I love kushis. Beautiful. Yeah, so you have, like I said, beautiful spread here. So this is the shrimp cocktail. You have our house-made cocktail sauce underneath. Beautiful.

The kushi oysters, which are my personal favorites is. Beautiful. Then you've got that beautiful lobster cocktail that I mentioned, which is insane. Alaskan king crab legs. And then these are caper berries. I really love them. They're pickled. They're going to be very similar to an olive.

So definitely suggest to try it. You have a cocktail force in the lemon wedges there. And then your sauces, your dipping sauces. So we have our mashios mustard sauce on your left. We have a minionette, atomic horse, radish, which is extremely spicy, but it's super good. Okay. And then our half-made cocktail sauce. Beautiful.

So excited. This is a meal in a truck. Thank you. I know, seriously. You guys have in for a treat. Thank you. And in a spit bucket. Please enjoy. Beautiful.

I mean, should we start with oysters? Sure, let's start with an oyster. My God, I'm so excited. Our little, these are crackers. Something dainty. I have my own set of dip-ins. Oh, my goodness. Jesus, they don't go small here.

Oh, they're already loosened too. We can suck them down. Oh, good. Send them down. We can send them down. I'm going to try some of spicy. It doesn't even need anything. Really?

That was perfect. That was divine. I'm having one more. You can just tell they're so fresh. I mean, a bad oyster is, that's the worst. All right, I'm going to have this minionette now and try this. That's mostly my go-to is a minionette your go-to on the oyster? I love a horseradish.

You do? I love it, too. Sometimes I put a little horseradish on my minionette. Maybe I'll do that. That's delicious. It's still like champagne vina rup vinaigrette. You know, a lot of places do, like, there's one place in Texas that does, like,

a Franks hot sauce, like a little sorbet drop. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like so good, it keeps it cold. Very classy. Mm-hmm. So good. I think just the name seafood tower, though, so I'm so aggressive to me.

It's true. It is the meal. It's like a celebratory thing, right? I mean, but this is kind of my dream dinner. You know, we spend our summers in Maine. Oh, incredible. So we are lobster. Why do you go there?

So Hayes grew up going there, and when I started dating him, he brought me there. And, you know, we've gone every year for 19 years. I just love it so much. I love Maine. It's a great part of the world. We go to Provincetown a lot. Good northeast. Woo!

Atomic! It's really spicy. Got me. It's very atomic. Woo! I got me. I love it, though. It, like, clears me out after all my friggin plane rides.

You're ready for a scene. Seriously? You're ready for a very serious scene. That's the new trick. Oh, my God. Get the maestro as a chasmuch was a horseradish. Yum. This is just incredible.

I've got to slow down. There's me coming. We are going fast. Yeah, I'm really just housing this. My friend Patrick Adams is working on Taylor's new show. She's up in Montana. Okay. The Madison?

Yes. But he said that they had their like meet and greet in Texas. Does Taylor have like some sort of like a ranch that he just brings everyone to? Yeah, he lives right outside of Fort Worth and Weatherford. That's his world, you know, because he's on horses in the morning. Like he kind of does this because he has to. He just wants to be with his horses, you know, and his world and his son, Gus, and a pole. And so they live their amazing life out there and traveling all the time.

and, you know, somehow he keeps, like, spitting out these, like, you know, brilliant worlds that are so unique in their own way with all these amazing characters. And, you know, they're down there. What he's done that I think is incredibly special is that because of the indistibility in our world, nobody knows what their next job is.

And because he's shooting so much in Fort Worth, a lot of our crew will roll from, like, Landman to the Lioness and have year-round jobs. And that's something that it's just, like, a quality of life that you can give to the crew, which is a huge deal, you know, which is pretty cool. To trust all those people and just let you have your team around you. Yeah.

Were you, like, looking to do another series or? This came out of the blue. You're in Idaho. Yeah. You're, like, admit it's like, is this, like, going to be something that's bad for my career or good for my career? And then this comes up. I'm part of my interruption. Yeah, please.

It's so good. Okay. So how can I prepare that Wagyu Ribai for you? Do you prefer medium rare, medium? I'm going to go with whatever you would like. I'm medium rare. I mean, that sounds great. So warm and red throughout all the way.

That sounds great. Amazing. Yeah. Yeah. If it's too much, we'll start on the ends. But you were... So we were there, and it's like, you know, I was reading different projects, but, you know, you think about where you're going to, we'd have to relocate. Right.

If it's a 10-month-a-year network show. Right, right. And so this one, though, it was just, like, so prestigious. You know, I mean, Taylor's a genius, and Billy is, I don't know, I think one of the best actors working in our industry. But he doesn't, Billy Bob doesn't like to rehearse. No. So talk me through that because I'm a rehearser. Okay.

Eric Stone Street also doesn't love to rehearse, but I'm from the theater background. And that's what we, I mean, I would rehearse for 10 weeks if I could. Yeah. Yeah. How do you do with that? It's the first time I've encountered that. Okay. You know, I did so much preparation for this character.

You know, I've worked with Ivana Chubbik for years, who's just, like, my partner in this. And I did all the work before. Yeah. I did all the, I do a lot of the work in preparation so that when I'm there, it can go in any direction. Okay. Also, I work with, like, Jessica Drake every week on the accent, because that's a big part of it. Because the accent is so specific to not only, like, Angela growing up in, like, West Texas, but, like, you know, like, Camu has, like, privileged background.

Like, there's so, there's, like, nuances within all these accents that really kind of show you a bit of who the character is and Ainsley who's grown up in the social media world so she doesn't say the same thing certain ways like it's all very much done by the books of like what's real in those parts of the world in Texas um but so you know coming on to set I mean the first day it was like the first scene I had was coming off the plane and walking you know surprising them um and it was you know three cameras we have like a batmobile circling around you know, 300 people, our crew is massive. Taylor's on a megaphone.

You know what I'm saying, shouting at me. And all of a sudden, I'm up there in the plane meeting and I hear action. We do not block. There is no rehearsal. I have not heard these lines, okay, with him. Okay, I have worked them. Yes.

And I just was like, go to God. So you're rehearsing on camera, basically. We're rehearsing on camera. And there's no blocking, like you're hitting a spot. It was kind of like, we was just finding it. And that's how it rolls. You know, there are moments now. where we're definitely, like, doing a little bit of blocking,

kind of walking through. Sure. But our camera people are extraordinary, and they find us, you know, which is a very different thing for me, thinking that I don't, like, if the shots messed up, if I'm, you know, six inches to the left, like, that's not what happens on our show. They find it, and they're able to, like, zoom in, zoom out,

which is also a fascinating thing because you can't play to how you think the scene's going to look or whether it's like, you know. You don't know which camera's picking you on. But is it like a tight, like, I'm always like, tell me, If you're coming in for like a really tight one versus, you know, like waist up. It's just you can do different things. It's so interesting that you're going to be like that, that comfort is being taken away from you in this process too.

Yes. Like your normal tricks and are the things that you find comfort in? It's like you don't have access to any of that. Yeah. It's just no. And you just, you have to just be extraordinarily present, you know? And I think that. Is this a Taylor thing or is this a Billy Bob Borton?

This is very Billy and Taylor loves it because Taylor's just fast. Got it. Taylor's fast. He does eight-hour days when he's directing. You know, I mean, we're usually a 13-hour day, you know? Wow. But Billy just really despises if, you know, a rehearsal where something happens. Right.

He's like he just doesn't want anything to happen. He wants it all on camera, you know? Manufactured, I guess. Yes. And he does like three or four takes and then the man is out. He's done. That's what Ed O'Neill would do. I remember when we started Modern Family and the girl who played my daughter was new to season three.

They cast her. So she was, you know, she's five years old, four years old, doing television. Oh, my gosh. And, you know, we're doing things multiple times. She's like, I just did this. Why do we have to do it again? And Ed O'Neill was like, yeah, agreed. Just move on.

Let's go. Yeah, let's go. Well, I mean, you have to have respect for other people's friends. processes, you know? And it's like, I could easily have reverence and respect for Billy because of his career. Uh-huh. You know, so it's like, I'm leading in to these people. And like Taylor, who's just an extraordinary screenwriter, you know, and a director, and it's like, they have a vision, let's go. And now it's like, I'm right there with them as their sparring partner. And I think it's like changed me as an actor about what I'm capable of and like, you know, the situations

I can be put in and what I know I need for myself. I never sacrifice. But how I think that, you know, you can throw me in with a pack of wolves and I'm going to find my way. It's so exciting. I love it. Now let's take a quick break, but don't go anywhere. When we return, we get into her early days of auditioning and how a hoax involving David Schwimmer kickstarted her career. Okay, be right back. Okay, this happens every holiday season.

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Just in time for the new year, prolon is offering dinners-on-me listeners 15% off their five-day nutrition program for your post-holiday glow-up when you go to prolonlife.com slash d-O-O-M. That's P-R-O-L-N-L-Life.com slash D-O-M for 15% off. This is not a drill. For the first time in lipstick on the room history, a real housewife has entered the studio. And not just any housewife, Rachel Zoe, the fashion legend herself. Did we expect styling stories, glam chaos, stories from the past decade, and a full cat eye at all times? Yes. Did we expect her to open up about divorce, rediscovering herself, joining housewives as zero prep, and what it feels like to finally feel like her again? No. It is vulnerable, iconic, hilarious, and one of our favorite conversations ever. The real housewives

have officially entered the chat. Listen now. And we're back with more dinners on me. Did you, I mean, when you, when you started to offer career, did you have aspirations to be, like, in this place? Did you, I mean, could you, I mean, I think back to, like, when I was, you know, 13, 14 and started, you know, to work a little bit and, like, I just, I was really young, too. I would say it was doing theater, though, and that's, like, all I really wanted to do. Yeah. I, thank you. You know, I just, if I was like, if I could be in the ensemble of Into the Woods, I've made it, like, I never, like, imagined these things for myself. Yeah. Oh, that's so beautiful.

You know? You got there. I did. I did. So much to be proud of. But, like, you know, it's just like, it's so rare, you know, like you can have incredible talent. But if you're not meeting the project at the right time, at the right moment, it just, it doesn't unfold. Right.

You know, I mean, I think probably the greatest actors aren't, you know, I've never worked before. That's, I think about that all the time. You know? I was just talking about Betty Gilpin, actually. She's having this, like, incredible moment right now. She's, like, one of the most in-demand actresses ever. and she's been working her ass off for so long. Right.

And I truly think she's like one of our greatest. She was amazing in American primeval. Amazing. And glow. Glow is incredible. She's just really super talented. But now she's sort of like on everyone's list and everyone wants to work with her. And I'm like, thank God.

I mean, like she was always going to work, but like she's having a real moment right now. Yeah. Yeah. When you were in the early part of your career, and you were having these opportunities, like in varsity blues and stuff. But did they feel, like, how did that, can you, how did those moments feel to you? Do you feel like they were landmark moments? I feel like growing up in New Jersey is just explains so much about me.

You know, like I'm ex at 4. My mom was driving me of the Jersey Turnpike through the Holland Tunnel, you know, for a go-seat that lasted 10 minutes long. Yes, go sees. It's just like, oh my gosh, just doing it, you know? And the thing with starting to go up to New York from, you know, this really, you know, simple, beautiful childhood I had was that I was starting to be exposed to everything that lit me up. Yeah. You know, artists, you know, fashion, architecture, you know, all of it.

And being in that city, like that melting pot at that time in the 90s was so exciting. and walking those streets was such a big part of like me going, just looking around by myself and going, who do I want to be? How do I get here? You know, how do I get here? And so much of it was like doing commercials

and I did do some acting classes when I was 13 and I was just put, you know, I was put with older guys. You know, it was a real just turn off for me. You know, I've been in a lot of situations in my career and my life that could have gone very awry. And, you know, it's just like

I had to develop this toughness to be able to kind of survive the industry at a young age from traveling to just go you know it's just like it is what it is you know that just was part of being in the entertainment business and there was like a toughness that came to me

but when the auditions started coming around auditioning is really hard for me I mean even to this day it's just like it's not something that comes naturally to me it's not really acting to me you're putting on a show for people you're not in the moment with another actor transcending space and time you're you're performing, which you are good at.

But sometimes opposite a reader who's, like, giving you nothing. They're like, I feel like a cat, a cat on a hot 10 roof. Yes. Yes, and it's really hard to be able to do that stuff. I know you've told this story so many times, but I'm still so confused by it. So, I mean, I'm going to ask you to tell me. And, like, I might have a few more, like, follow-up questions. But you have to explain Esquire story to me.

Totally crazy. I was in L.A., you know, it's like modeling, side hustle. Yeah, just paying, you know, paying your rent. Okay. Commercials, acting class, just like trying to find it. Kind of here, you know, I knew Amy Smart. I knew a bunch of different people. How did you know Amy Smart?

Scrappy. We were roommates in Milan. Incredible. Okay. When we were 17. So when I came out here, she was the person I knew, and then the world just expands, you know, around that. Which is so funny.

I love her so much. She lives in Michigan. Now I miss her. I don't get to see her. She's so great. You know? Yeah. Wait, what, what?

Oh, I was at the Esquire story. Oh, yeah. You're like, I've told it so many times. Can you remember? No, I mean, it's like, it's funny. I just had to do this Wall Street Journal interview that took me down memory lane. And it's like, we've been doing this long enough. Yeah.

You know, you kind of like go back into all the pivotal moments. And that was, I was cast by the photographer because he knew me. And was like, we need someone that is believable as like an ingenue. And it was really crazy because they wrote it about, you know, Hollywood's fixation on making it girls and it was their big old joke, you know, on Hollywood and Hollywood bit it, you know, people- So they basically created a fake it girl. Yes. And that was you.

Yes. A different name. I know the name is Allegra. Yeah, Leger Coleman. So random. Yes, so random. It's like an allergy pill. Yeah.

And there was a whole backstory. Yes. Deepak Chopra, David Schwimmer, pictures with him. Right. Like, they really made it look like it was a profile on this rising actress. And you were just the model who was playing that actress. 100%. And people bought it.

I got a manager. And you got a manager for that. And then other doors opened. And that's like, you know, all these things that have happened in my career, I didn't, like, stand there and go, should I walk through that door? Right. It was like I was charging through, like a bull in a china shop my whole life. Do you remember when that opportunity came, like, okay, this is a job we want you to do? Like, what was, do you remember what your thought process was?

Was it like, oh, this is just another job? No, it was really fun. because I got to be incredibly expressive. Right. You know, and even in all the pictures, you know, it was like getting to play into that. Was it a cover story? Yeah.

Incredible. Yeah. So you're on the cover of Esquire having like, really hadn't, had you had anything? No. You hadn't done anything. Hadn't done anything. Had you had anything commercials, commercials, commercials, commercials.

Yes, which I haven't done. You would be like, But most people don't read it. They skim it. They see the cover. They flip through. They see some pictures. They have the...

Who's this girl? Right. You know what I'm saying? No one did their homework to like, is David's true? No. And then all the calls were happening. And then I kind of,

it led me to my manager and then it led me into a lot of opportunities. And I started, you know, getting auditions, you know? And people would see me. You know, I mean, that's half the battle in our business. It's just getting in the room. Absolutely. And I remember one of my first auditions, like within the first couple of, months was for Chicago Sons and I had to play a girl who was like psychosomatic. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. And I remember,

you know, again, like one of the six auditions that day. Uh-huh. And going in and going like, I'm so sick of this shit. Like, I'm going to do this and I'm going to do it how I want to do it. Yeah. And I went into the room with there's 10 people and I sat on the floor and I just went there. And I fell into what I believed was happening. And it was one of the first moments I felt like I connected as myself to the character and it was all of a sudden it was alive.

You know? And that was my first, really my first role. Wow. Yeah. It was on that show. Do you remember that show? I do. Yeah.

No, it was Chicago Hope. Yeah, yeah. It was like a procedural. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was the first one. No makeup on.

You know what I'm saying? Like just going in and that's always been my dream. Like, you know, it's like I end up playing these characters that are so, you know, fancy and, like, all glam. Yeah. And you can see, like, in Final Destination,

or it's, like, whenever I get a chance on heroes, you know, it's just like, where can I take it off? You know, like, I don't want the makeup. I don't want to do that. Like, what's interesting to me is a face, you know, and not having it look all done up, you know? I mean, the age we're living now where everyone's freaking face-tuned and filtered, and I'm just, you know, I look at a lot of the women

who are aging so beautifully and gracefully. And I just, like, that's the path, you know, Julianne Moore and Michelle. Pfeiffer and Jessica Lang and, you know, really doing it the right way. Amanda Pete, like, just doing it the right way. I mean, I am like, I'm like, I think I'm better to do another series. Because the thing I'm talking about, like, getting to do a character and, like, parse out information and, like, really, you know, live with a life of a character for a long time

is really something I haven't done in a while and I would like to do. Yeah, I've only done it once before with heroes. Yeah. And, you know, with... With two different characters in here, too. And then, like, a third. I mean, it went off the rails. You know?

I was just like, what is going on here? Like, you know, but you're committed. And so you have to like... I was fully on board with heroes for the first few seasons. It was great. Brian Fuller was great. We had, like, great directors coming in. Dave Semmel was amazing.

You know, Tim Kring wrote the first season. The first season was really special. First season was incredible. You know, but then it kind of, you know, it falls apart. You know, success can be hard for a show, too. Yeah. And success can be. be very hard for people to stay the line, you know, to hold course and not go off the rails,

you know? Huge ensemble, too. I remember. Huge. Zachary Quinto and I have known each other for a very long time. And we were, like, hanging out at Akbar together. And this was the for modern family. Yeah.

And we were just, like, hanging out. And this, right after Heroes started, and there was a big billboard with his face across from Akbar, which was, like, the place that we'd always hang out, you know. Oh, my gosh. I love it. I was like, this is, you're having an incredible. moment right now. It's such a big moment for him. Yes. Huge moment for him. And he was so good on the show. So great. And it kind of like launched him off to the next thing, you know? And, you know,

it was, yeah, a massive ensemble is always going to be hard. I mean, I think it was 12 or 13 of us. 12 or 13 of you. And also such an experiment. Like, it was, like, conceptually. Yeah. Such an experiment. Yeah. I mean, the pilot was so beautiful that Dave did. And I think that it, like, again, like, it connected with people like their desire and want to believe. that there's more to us, you know, that we do have something special inside of all of us. And that's why, like, that's the,

I've done, like, some movies that have had that international kind of, like, you know, audience, but that was the first thing I was surprised by a television show that really had that. Yeah. And we went all over the world with that show. I mean, I remember, yeah, I mean,

like, you all, that cast was, everyone was so excited about you all. Yeah. It was a special, special one. And so it's like when I think about this, the second season, how much even more delicious it is than the first. Right. And like a third, you know what I'm saying?

Like, and hopefully we'll get to do two or three more or maybe one more. You know, you just never know. But the idea that what you've had is to be able to, you know, continue to grow within the character and the story. I mean, our first season is only 10 days, you know? So it's like the show is still small in the amount of time. We've all been back together. So there is a lot of space left, you know, for these stories.

unfold. Sure. But who knows? I mean, this industry. Yeah. No, for sure. Yeah. Okay, while we're waiting for our meet, I want to hear a little bit about

Legally Blonde. Yeah. Because it is one of my favorite films in all time. Oh, my gosh. Thank you. I mean, to be, that era of, like, films, there were so many great movies that came out of that time. But, like, very few, like, have the staying power that that film has.

Yeah. I mean, they turned it to a Broadway musical. Crazy. I mean, that's... Right. I mean, it was, you know, Mark Platt produced it. Robert Lucchette is a brilliant director who directed it. I remember going through the casting process and, like, you know, really wanting to play

this character because it just cracked me up that she went to jail for Lange with suction. Like, I just thought that was so defining in who this woman was. Like, she was not going to let anyone take away, you know, her vanity. You know what I'm saying? Like, her little secrets. And I just thought it was so funny. And then it came together again, like, you never know when it's going to have. that berry dust sprinkled on the top.

Yeah. Thank you. And, you know, Reese is extraordinary in it. Yeah, she is. The whole cast. Salma Blair, I actually saw this week, which was so great. Oh, I love her. And she's amazing.

You know, and it's just, it's something that you show to your kids and then it. Yeah, what do you have your kids? Yeah, yeah. Watched it? Yes. Yes. I mean, that's the one they can watch, Jesse. It's, yeah.

The other ones. That's a D-Wod. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. Look at that. That's insane.

That is very exciting. That is very exciting. We're going in. Oh, my God. You have a black triple mushroom yoke. Oh, my gosh. Beautiful. Thank you.

Of course. Beautiful. And I know earlier we were talking about. I had one of those mushrooms. Yeah, of course. The middle of the steak, so the plates are going to be extra hot. So you can cook up the steak a little bit.

Okay, great. Beautiful. Thank you. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And when you came in, we weren't originally going to have cream spinach. And you came in and you mentioned and I was like, Chef Walter, we have to do it.

It's so gorgeous. I love cream spinach. Thank you. That is my most favorite. I've been like talking to my husband because I'm almost done press tour and I go this weekend it's steaks and cream spinach, baby. That is my favorite. Do you on any broccoli? I'm going to stick with cream spinach now. That looks so good.

Here I'm giving those to you. Try a little nib. You know, I live in the land of potatoes. Oh yeah, you don't, yep, yep, I'm not huge on the mashed, but I will try them. I do love a mash. I'm scared, scared. Got this? I'm good, I'm good, it's not hot, it's not hot, everyone.

Oh, that's totally, just perfectly cooked. This is perfect. Yeah, it is great. Oh my gosh. It's not even that rare, it's beautiful. Gorgeous. Would you share with me, Bon Appetit, your secret for a long marriage. I've just celebrated.

12 years Congratulations Thank you And how long together? 15 That's real Yeah It's real

You know it always feels I had to talk about it Because you're always like My gosh Yeah I don't know We're still in it You know Like we're just still in it

And I think that I will say like My father When we were getting married It was like Just remember There won't just be long days There can be long years

there can be long years and to hold on. Oh. And I think that, like, there's, it's, it's not, like, romantic advice. It's more that, you know, like, I'm in, I'm in for it. I'm in for the journey with this man, you know? I mean, it's his sense of humor that just holds us together. It's nice, having funny people. You know, it's just beautiful.

My daughter is so funny. Is she? Oh, my gosh, she's a riot, and the faces she does and the thing she does, and she's got what he, you know, he gave it to her. And it's just, like, I love being in a house of laughter. and if I do get like too intense or something, it's just like a joke is made, and I'm like, I want to,

but then it kind of breaks and that's the gift of laughter. Yeah, yeah. You know? My five-year-old is like displaying some real incredible comic timing recently, and I'm so impressed. We had, do you know who Pam Adlawn is? Yes, how do I know that? She created better things.

She's a really wonderful writer and actress, and very funny. She and Nathan Lane came over for, dinner together. Oh my gosh. And they played brother and sister on Mid-Centary Modern, which is a show that Ryan Murphy created for Hulu with Max Munchnik, and it was great. At one point, my son, Becca, Nathan Lane

just like, you know, with kids, as I'm not surprised. I've known him for a while, but, like, he's so brilliant. He's so brilliant. And he played, he was in Lion King. Like, you would think that, like, he would just have an affinity to work towards kids? Yeah. No, no. He's like, you can just keep a distance. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I never would have thought that. Yeah, and my son was like, Nathan, Nathan, guess what I have?

And he goes, he had something behind his back. And Nathan goes, hepatitis. And Becca's like, no, a car. But anyway, Pam Adlon. Right, exactly. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. A little over that. So Pam Adlon was sitting at the dinner table and Becca was playing Uno with her.

And she didn't understand the rules to Uno. So she was like, had this like very intense look on our face. And she was like, really focusing. Oh, I've got to figure this out. And so she played with him for like 20 minutes or something And then it was time for him to go to bed And she's like, oh, Beckett, it was so nice meeting you I had the greatest time with you

I had so much fun And Becca goes, didn't look like you're having fun He's got it, you gave it to him Died it. And it's been like a running joke like Pam thanked me for dinner She's like, well, and I said Pam didn't look for your having fun That was so funny ever

for the rest of her life you've got her. Oh my God, this is like the biggest shrimp I've ever seen in my entire life. Okay, here we go. It's like Herman or something.

It's like it needs to be named. It's a comedy-sized shrimp. Wow. Okay. That's not a shrimp. That is a... Right. It looks like a lobster.

It's not even a prawn. No. How am I going to eat with Eric in 20 years? I don't know. I do not know how you're doing that. I don't know how you're going to do it. I mean, you need to like power walk around Beverly Hills. Yeah, I'm going to walk to Stia City.

Oh my God, I can do it. I can do it. Thank you for having me and feeding me. Deliciousness. I know. Oh, my God. That is to die. Berries. All right, we've got to go into this chocolate.

Okay. Fuck the berries. We're already in it. Mmm. That's what they're famous for? I mean, it's something to be famous for. So that is the cinnamon pecan butter cake. It's so crazy.

Oh my god, look at us. And with the, yeah, pecan. So it has a creme on glaze, which is like an ice cream base, essentially. Oh, my God. This is our, so flourless chocolate. It's so good. Oh, my God. It's our chocolate sim cake.

So, espresso and tuaca, no flour, which is funny. The cake is where it's at. I mean, that cake is so, I know. That is incredible. Oh, my God. We've had the regular butter cake before. Yes, of course I have. So, of course, with the raspberry sauce, this is better.

better in my personal meeting, and I love it. I hope you guys enjoyed everything. All right, that's going to last me through Kimmel. Yeah. Your love. Thank you for having me. Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it.

Congratulations on everything. Tell Eric, I said hi. I will. Oh, okay. This episode of Dinners on Me was recorded at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, California. Next week on Dinner's on Me, you know him as, well, my husband. and Cam on Modern Family. It's Eric Stone Street.

We'll get into some of our favorite memories working together over 11 seasons. Eric's incredible attention to detail when it came to Fisbo the Clown. Plus, I get the inside scoop on his super secret wedding. It was so secret, I didn't even know about it until just a few days before it happened. This is going to be a fun one. And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now, by subscribing to Dinner's 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 Dinner's On Me show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today. Dinner's 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 Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balance Kalasni and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.