Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Angourie Rice — on young fame, nerves on set, and 'The Last Thing He Told Me'

Episode Date: March 17, 2026

'The Last Thing He Told Me' and ‘Spider-Man' trilogy star Angourie Rice joins the show. Over vegan ravioli and lasagna, Angourie tells me about carrying on the ‘Mean Girls’ legacy after Lindsay Lohan and what it was like shooting the Apple TV+ series ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ on a houseboat with Jennifer Garner. We also get into how her YA romance novel Stuck Up And Stupid was selected for Reese’s book club! This episode was recorded at Crossroads Kitchen on Melrose in Los Angeles, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Right now, we're in one of those seasons where everything is happening all at once. I'm getting ready for a play in New York. And then after that, I'm going to be doing a musical in London. And we're figuring out schedule, school, travel, where everyone's going to be, you know, all of it. And it's getting down to the wire. And in moments like that, I'm very aware of how helpful it is to have a little support, which is something I've been thinking about when I've thought about hosting my home on Airbnb. Listen, if you're traveling, relocating temporarily, or just juggling a lot, hosting can feel like just one more thing on your plate.

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The most dangerous planet. Family, retribution, murder, prophecy. Beer and propane. Bobby Miller. Blake Pantha. That's fighting their boots. The ultimate soldier. Chicago, all right.

The best of the best stories now with even more from Hulu. Amazing. Have it all with 3-1 Disney Plus. Hey, it's Jesse. Today on the show, you know her from the Mean Girls movie musical. You know her from the Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy and the Apple TV Plus series. The last thing he told me, it's In Gowie Rice.

The night before my first day on set, I went with a family friend, and I remember actually lying down on the floor and just saying to her, I can't believe this is my life. I can't believe I'm about to do this tomorrow. This is Dinner's On Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. So today we're at Crossroads in West Hollywood. Crossroads is an incredible vegan restaurant here in Los Angeles. It's very popular. It's known for its Italian fair. think pastas and risottoes, decadent desserts, paccata, but it's all plant-based.

My guest today, and Gowry, is a vegan, so I thought this would be a perfect place to bring her. I'm a big fan of Chef Tal Ronan, who is elevating vegan cuisine here in Los Angeles. So I'm excited to sit down and get to the conversation. I've never, obviously, every time I've been here, it's been open. It's been opened and packed. Packed. Yeah, I know, I know. Yeah.

You live in L.A. right? I do. Yeah. I do. I go back and forth from New York to L.A. Yeah. And you are going back and forth from Melbourne to L.A.? That's really far. Just wherever work takes me, which is off in L.A. But your family's in Melbourne right now? Yes. Okay. I love how you say Melbourne. Well, I know I should. That's right. Am I saying it right? Yes, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know. I spend some time in Australia. I have a very good friend who is raised in Perth.

Oh my gosh, I used to live in a bit. I know. I know. Done your research. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so I know. We shot an episode of Modern Family in Australia. Yes, I remember that. You were in Sydney, right?

I was in Sydney. You were in Sydney. And then we went up to the Great Barrier Reef for a little while. And it was kind of, I mean, looking back, I was certainly I don't consider it to be one of our best episodes. Because it was like big swings about Australia. Like, it was just like a lot of like, a lot of like stereotypes, like dingo ate my baby. we're better than this. I remember watching it at the time and thinking, wow, they really came here.

I know. That was so exciting. Have you been back since then? Yeah, I went for New Year's Eve one one year. Oh my gosh. In Sydney? Yeah. I mean, they don't fuck around with New Year's Eve.

No. Yeah, it was insane. Because it's summer too. So everyone's out and they're like little outfits. I know. No, it was really fun. But it was like, that was like the hardest I've ever gone for New Year's Eve. And like that was the last time I ever went hard.

hard for New Year's Eve. Like it put it into all of it. I was like, and I'm done with that. And that chapter of my life is over. How long did you stay out? I think we, oh my God.

Did you see the sunrise? I might have seen the sunrise. It's the way to do it. I know. I mean, I go to bed at seven now. Except kids. So like, right.

So, so bringing in 2026. Oh my God. You didn't. We celebrated. We were with, I was with my family up in Napa and we found, like on YouTube,

you can find like, countdowns for New Year's Eve for kids. So you just play it because they wanted to do the countdown. And normally if I'm on if I'm on this coast, I'll do like the countdown with New York. So at 9 p.m., I can be like, add them out. People in LA love to do that.

They're like, oh, we celebrate New York. Sure did. Yep, that's right, that's right. But even that was too late for us. I was like, I don't know if I'm able to make it until 9 p.m. So we went on YouTube and we were like, countdown for kids. And like it was just like a, you know,

countdown from 30 seconds. And we did it with our kids, blew the thing. And it's bad time. And it was like seven. Right, right, right. But how old are they? Five and a half and three. They don't care.

You can kind of manipulate time in that way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. But, I mean, how times have changed from, like, me seeing the sunrise in Sydney. I mean, this was like 10 years ago. So I've just turned 50. So, like, maybe I was using probably before I turned 40. And now, you know, I'm like manipulating the countdown.

Yeah. while the sun's still setting. I saw the sunrise this year, which I think was maybe my first time seeing the sunrise. I loved it then. You went back to, you were there? I was at home. So I think because of the way it works, we celebrate New Year's Eve first in Australia. Like, we're one of the first places where it kind of ticks over.

That's right. That's right. You move forward in time. Yes, we're ahead. So, yeah, I celebrated. I went to a big house party. It was nuts. Yeah, I loved it, though.

Incredible. It was so fun. You go back, you go back a lot then. Yeah, I try to. Like, whenever I'm not working, I'm back home with friends and family. And your sister's still there as well? Yeah, my sister's there. And your parents.

My parents. The dog. The dog. But no, but everyone lives in Melbourne now. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Got it.

So what made everyone leave Perth? My family moved to Germany for a year from Perth. My mom was, she was, she was researching for her PhD and her research took her to Germany and she already spoke German and she wanted us to learn another language. So we all left. I did kind of when I was a kid, I mean I was 10 so I was like fluent. I you know you're a kid you just like soak it up. Yeah, it's such a sponge. And then I came when we came back, I continued to study it. I went to German Saturday school. So my German is okay now but it was so much better back then. Do you speak any?

My mother, my stepmom is German. Oh, really? But I, I don't speak any German at all. My dad's trying to learn for her. But like, you know, when you're 80 years old and you're trying to learn a new language, your brain's like, no. Yeah. It's probably, like, really good for the brain, though.

Oh, I'm sure. Like. But he barely retains, like, information from, like, when I get off the phone with him to, like, when I talk to him now. Like, he's not going to remember a new language. Okay. I love my dad. But he's not great about retaining information.

That's fine. Yeah. So you went to Germany and you were there for how long? Just for a year. Okay. I went to school there. Yeah, we didn't go to international school. We went to German school.

It was pretty scary. I turned. I turned 11 while we were there. Where in Germany were you? We were in Munich. Yeah. In the south. It was great.

Hello, guys. Hello. Hi, how are you? Thanks so much. Welcome. Let me get started with something to drink. So that's a bottle of steel, sparkling water. I want something sparkling.

Something sparkling? Sure. Yeah, sure, I'll go sparkling. Let's do it. Ooh. It's feeling bubbly. Thank you so much. I was here two nights ago. In my seat. Yes, right there. And last of my camera I sat in this booth.

How was your experience? Amazing. I love it here. I've been here a handful of times. It's great. That's awesome. Welcome back. Thank you. Thank you. Anything else to drink besides water?

For me, this is good right now. I'm good with this. Thank you so much. When I get you started with some food, when I get you the zucchini blossom to start, and the Romaine's sister salad, and then I'll get you the lasagna, the ravioli,

and... Surprise. Something else. Ooh. Thank you. I mean, you're... I love my parents so much. They were not involved in the arts at all.

They appreciated it. My mom specifically appreciated it. But my dad was a microbreed. biologist. My mom was an OBGYN nurse and they just had completely different. I mean, their careers were so far away from the arts.

And I always like sort of envy my friends who had parents who were deeply enmeshed in the arts just because I think it would have been fun to share that at an early age with them. And your mom was a writer, right? Yes, she's a writer and editor. Like she does

lots of things. around writing. I mean, super creative parents. Very creative parents. And I'm so, I am so grateful for that. Also because, like, their kind of creativity and, I don't know, general, like, artistic vibe was in everything. You know, it was like, yes, it was their job and they loved it, but it was also, like,

they were always encouraging my sister and I to put on shows for them and, like, you know, I'm like the kind of tyrannical older sister. are like telling her what moves to do. Same. That's me. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Is she older or younger? She's younger. Okay. Yeah.

Most of the time she was really willing. Which is good. Yeah. So is she in the business as well? She's not really. She did a lot of, she did gymnastics. So, yeah. I remember my mom telling us there was a point where she was doing dance and I was doing

gymnastics and my mom was like I think they should switch but she didn't say anything she let us figure it out on our own so we did end up switching she went quite far with gymnastics and I did dance you went quite far with are you do you still dance I love dancing but I don't I last year I started doing like adult dropping classes oh which is so fun like just what style I was doing Broadway jazz yes I was hoping you tasted like that And then I went back to ballet, which was... Oh, nice. That's hard. It's hard.

There was a lot of like internal, like mental kind of stuff to get over with ballet. Did you study dance when you were younger? I know you said you were in dance class a little bit, but... I didn't study it. Did you go to acting school? No. Okay. I didn't study at all.

I had to take ballet in school. Right. Yeah. Did you enjoy it? No. No, I'm not super coordinated. been. And I've never been a great dancer, but... But do you enjoy dancing?

I don't enjoy learning choreography. Yeah. And I don't even enjoy, like, going out to a club and dancing. Oh, no? Not really. Okay. That's all right. I just feel like, I don't know. I don't, I'm not free enough. Like, I like to be free on stage, but, like, when I'm out, like, it's myself. I'm just, like, I don't want to... Do you ever wear sunglasses in the club to dance? No.

that might help. Nothing helps. If I have, I don't have a beard right now, that, this is what actually is helped a lot. Oh, you feeling vulnerable? Oh no. Well, no, like,

so people don't know it's me. Yes. Oh, you mean it's putting sunglasses so you don't have to look at other people? Yes. That actually would help me. That's what I mean, like, I thought you meant to like disguise myself.

Oh. I mean, that too. No, but you're very recognizable. Yeah, yeah. No, I think that would actually help me. Yeah, that helps me because I don't really drink anymore. So going, like the first couple of times

I went out dancing. Mm-hmm. Stone Cold Soba. I was like, ooh, this is different. Everything's sticky and smelly. Maybe I want to go home. Yeah, I know, I know. But just put some shades on.

Okay. And then I'm like freer. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back and Gowrie shares her go-to response when someone recognizes her in public, and we get into the pressure and excitement of carrying the mean girls legacy forward after Lindsay Lohan. Okay, be right back. Carvana's so easy, just a click, and we've got ourselves a car. See?

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I want to tell you guys about a podcast that is near and dear to my heart, and I cannot believe it already came out a year ago. And you can all go listen to it ad free by subscribing to the binge podcast channel. What podcast, Corin? Tell us. Oh, it's called Blink Jake Handel's story. I created it about a man named Jake who I met, who is the only survivor of a terminal brain illness brought on by heroin use. But there is a lot of mystery and medical malpractice and true crime elements that are very shocking

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Plus, you'll get exclusive access to the over 60 other true crime stories on The Binge podcast channel. Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or head to getthebinge.com. And we're back with more dinners on me. Is that rare for you now to feel anonymous? It is, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's very rare. And, yeah.

And when you do get those moments, does it, like, feel like, yeah, like when I, I mean, when I went to sleep no morning, I got to put a mask on, it did feel incredibly free. It felt like a way off my shoulders. It's just, I never feel that way anymore. And I'm, it's okay. Like, I mean, I'm not, you know, I mean, I don't feel trapped by it. I don't feel, like, suffocated by it.

But it is something that I miss, definitely miss. Like, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I have like a fantasy about it. Like I wish that I could, you know. What would you do? Oh my God. It's like Carrie Potter in the invisibility club. Yeah.

It's like, what would you do? What would you do? I mean, I would go dancing. Yeah. Like that's amazing, you know? Yeah. Truly, without her glasses. Yeah.

So. But I think it's hard to let that go when you're very aware of it. Yeah. Do you, do you, you know, you've been working pretty suddenly since you were a kid. I mean, have you, have you. felt that slip away at all, anonymity? In some ways, in some ways, I wonder if this happened to you, probably not anymore, but like, I'll get like, do we go to school together?

Yes, I get that all the time. My answer is always yes. Oh, really? Oh, I should start saying. If they say, how do I know you? I think we went to school together. Even if, like, there's a huge, I love it when there's a huge age gap. Oh my gosh.

You're out here like, yeah, for sure. I remember you. Mrs. Smith's class, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, I think we went to school together. Yeah, you said it at the back, and you're like throwing pencils at me. That's right, that's right. You get really specific with it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I do sometimes say that. I was like, yeah, I think we did go to school together. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I get that sometimes too. People can't fully place it. Yeah. And I can get away with it.

I often say, oh, I just have one of those faces. Yes. Oh, yeah, I got recognized at a bar recently from the nice guys, which I did when I was, yeah, 13, 14. That was like one of your first big movies. That was like the first big thing. That was Ryan Gosling and Russell Crow.

So, yeah, that was like, that was a wild time. And yeah, someone at a bar recently was like, oh, I know, you're from that movie. That's crazy that I recognize you from that. And I was like, wow, yeah, that's wild because here I am like 10 plus years later. Yeah. It is strange sometimes. I haven't gone back and watched it. You haven't?

No, I watched it at the time. Or one of their favorite movies. Maybe. You know? Yeah. Was that sort of your first big, big thing? Yes, that's my first American, big American movie. Did you know who Ryan Gosling was?

Of course. And of course you knew who Russell Crow was because he's like an icon in Australia. Absolutely. Was there, I mean, would you remember like what it was like to be with these people that you kind of only knew from, did it feel weird? So weird. I remember that. I never, because I didn't act as a kid.

So I'm like, what would I have felt if I was like working with people that like I watched on TV? I just don't know how I would have acted. It was so strange. And I remember the night before my first day on set. And I actually had, I had a family friend chaperone me for the first couple of weeks because my parents were busy. They were like, they were doing a play in a straight.

they were like, so they, I went with a family friend and I remember actually lying down on the floor, just lying there and just saying to her, I can't believe this is my life. I can't believe I'm about to do this tomorrow. Like it was, it was unbelievable in the truest sense of the word. I was, I felt like I was going to wake up the next day and it would all be over. And that first day I was, I was shaking. I would like, like, could barely walk. I was so nervous.

Like my legs were like jelly. I was so nervous. Probably from like the unknown of what it was going to be. Yes. And I didn't know. Because I can't imagine like once the camera started rolling like that you weren't confident. Like it didn't, do you remember like what it felt like? Did it click in?

Maybe it did at some point, but not on the first couple of days. The first couple of days I felt like I was fighting for my life. I was so nervous. Remind me how old were when you did that? I was 13. Oh my God. Yum, thank you so much. Thank you.

Wow. Thank you. Yummy, yummy. This is so yummy. It's good, right? I know I'm like pumping the braces. I want to make sure I don't fill myself with too much food before my lasagna get to my 10 a.m. Lazzania.

And you're super into food. Oh my God, yeah. I am. I wrote a cookbook. Yes. I've hosted the Jane's Beard Awards a few times, which is like the Oscars of the culinary world, although they hate when we say that. When I was hosting James Beard Awards,

it was like, you guys, there's this thing in L.A. called the Oscars. It's basically the James Beard Award of the movies. And they were like, yes, it's exactly right. When you host, do you write your own, like, hosting stuff? Yeah, I mean, I'm the type of person that I always, I try too hard. I care too much.

That's the problem with me. I care too much. Great job interview answer. Right. What's your floor? I care too much. And so even if someone's like, like, we're going to make it super easy for you.

We'll write everything. You just have to show up. I'm like, it's not going to, that won't happen because I'll want to punch it up. I'll want to do my own thing. I will spend days rewriting this. And that's what happened. Like, I basically, I treated the Jane's Beard Awards as if I were like Ellen DeGeneres hosting the Oscars.

I love that. I was like, I need jokes. I need costumes. I mean, I want to get these people a good show. Absolutely. But I love that level of dedication. When people care so much about something. Yeah.

If I'm going to do it. I mean, my. sister and I, I mean, this is really full circle for us, but we started making silly, funny music videos together a couple of years ago, just to songs that we like. We like making music video. Yeah. And it's gotten to the point now where we're like, we're like so stressed about it. We're like, oh, does this, does this song fit?

Like, what about this shot? Like, do we like this shot? And then we have to, like, sit down and be like, wait, actually, doesn't matter. Yeah. But, you know, it's like. Nobody does. It's so important. to us. It's like we feel like we're making a music video for, you know, that's going to be shown on

the television, but it's, it never will be. And this is just dancing. Are you singing as well? We're not singing. We choose a song that we love and then we just make a video for that song. What was the last song you did? The last song we did was, it was a song from this Australian movie musical from the 80s. Called Abba. Called Mama Mia. I don't know if you've heard of it It was this movie called Starstruck From the 80s It's just great

Like Australian movie musical And there's a song in that called I Want to Live in a house It's this really fun Like 80s like kind of Yelly like I don't know It's just like super fun

And we made a music video to that In our house with all our friends Have you I mean when I was researching you I was like something popped up and it was like your music and of course it was like a lot of stuff

from mean girls but I mean your voice is great have you wanted to do have you done musicals theater no no musicals I don't think I would have the stamina really really I would have to train very hard but like why would you like why would they ask me and like put me through

two months of training when there are so many people who have it, you know? Because they're talented and great and why not? Thanks, but. But Mean Girls had some really difficult music. Yeah. I mean, yeah, it was a Broadway show first. I mean, those.

Yeah, I mean, I saw it on Broadway first. Yeah. Ashley Park, with one of my good friends who played Gretchen and the musical version on Broadway. And I think she had a cameo in the film as well. Yeah, no, I mean, but it was. It's no joke. It's full on. Yeah, I was very nervous for that.

I imagine. It was so scary. It's sort of, I mean, that movie, I'm sure you were a fan of the film before. Oh my gosh, I loved it. I mean, it's such an iconic film. So iconic. And then on top of that, you're playing a role that Lindsay Lohan did. I mean, she's an icon.

Yeah, big shoes. Big shoes. I mean, that whole cast was like... Incredible. Truly. Incredible. Yeah, I mean, and then making it into like this musical movie, like, just back to what you're saying about the music, like, it's also so different when you're like

singing to the back row versus when you're singing to like the cameraman who's right here, you know? It was like this really intimate kind of balance between like who are we performing to? And I did love those moments where it's like. I'm just performing to our cameraman. Like, that's kind of so fun. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we return, Engowery tells me about the one food she misses most since going vegan.

And, spoiler, it's nowhere near a burger or a ribeye. Plus, we get into what it was like shooting the last thing he told me on a houseboat. Okay, be right back. Sabrina. Karen. I have been listening to a new show from The Binge called Fatal Fault. fantasy. I am obsessed. Wait, wait, I need to know more. Tell me. Tell me everything. Okay, I will. It's a very shocking. It's this like ultra weird crime story of a murder for

higher plot that, yeah, wait for it. Leverage the dynamics of the underworld and underworld being a medieval fantasy game. Wait, so it's live action role playing gone wrong. Horrible wrong. And you can binge all episodes now. Oh my God, that sounds so good. I know what I'm doing on my drive home today. Search for fatal fantasy and subscribe to the binge podcast channel on Apple Podcasts or at get the binge.com. And then once you're done, you can listen to one of the over 60 true crime and investigative podcasts a part of the channel while you wait for the next month's drop. I really need to know what happens. Selfishly, you do so that we can talk about it. So whenever you listen, search for fatal fantasy and hit subscribe to the binge to get all episodes all at once,

ad free. And we're back with more dinners on me. Yes. Thank you so much. This is the lasagna. Wow. Thank you. My gosh.

Can I get another different plate? Sure. Sure. This is a tough of piccan. Yum. Yum, yum, yum. What is this? Tofu.

Tofu. Oh, my best friend. Are you, are you vegan, vegetarian? I am. I'm vegan. You are? Yes. Yes.

Ellen DeGeneres had this great, she was vegan for a long time. I think she's vegetarian now, or maybe even pescatarian. But she, in her comedy special, she was, like, talking about how people who find out she's vegan are so worried about how she's getting her protein. Oh, yeah. People love to worry about protein. She's like, you have no idea. Oh, I'm actually fine with this plate.

Thank you. She's always saying, like, you have no idea how many times people are asking me if I'm getting enough protein. People get worried. People are worried about the vegans sometimes. I'm like, it's okay, guys. I'm all right. I'm okay. We're fine.

Yeah. Has it been something you've always? It's been a slow journey over 10 years. I stopped eating red meat when I was 12. I did a project, a science project. The point of the project was absolutely not to turn the children vegetarian. That was not what the project was. But that is the effect it kind of had on me.

It was just about, it was a project on, like, cow farming and, like, versus grain farming. And it was just kind of an interesting science project. And what I learned from that, I was like, ooh, you know if I want to eat cows anymore? Yeah. And my mom doesn't eat red meat, and she hasn't my whole life. Right. So that was kind of easy. Yeah.

So stopped eating red meat, and I just ate chicken and fish. then when I was 17 I became vegetarian and then when I was 21 I became vegan so it's been a long it's been a long journey so it doesn't feel difficult anymore is the question you get asked most of someone learns are vegan is it what do you miss

and do you miss anything? I don't miss meat the only meat-ish I could maybe see myself missing as canned tuna I used to love like canned tuna with rice and that's it. Maybe like a canned tuna and rice.

Yeah and like a squeeze of like ketchup. A squeeze of ketchup. Mixed up. Oh my god. I don't know for some reason that was like that was really good. I loved that. That's not what I was expecting that recipes to go. It's like salty and a little bit sweet and yeah. I don't know. It's a full meal. You've got

a vegetable of meat and a carb. I love that the tomato is a vegetable. Yeah, yeah, the ketchup is the vegetable. That's really funny. Yeah, but really what I do miss most, I think, is, like, good, like, pot-set Greek yogurt. Oh. I think that is hard to make vegan. The best one's a coconut, but the coconut ones make me feel a bit sick.

You're also a sweet. Yeah. I find. They're always trying to, like, hide whatever. Right, right, right. Um, taste. So, yeah, that's kind of what I miss, but. I don't miss it enough.

Wait a minute. That's, it's amazing. Is this a piccata? Yeah. That's really good. I love. I've never gotten that here. I've never gotten it here either.

That's really delicious, yeah. You know what I was listening to on my way here? Hmm. First of all, I love what a book nerd you are. Oh, thank you. I don't know why this surprises me. I mean, we just live in an era now where it's like people are on their phones all the time. And, um, we just, we just, we,

don't, it's very rare for me to meet a younger person who is as much of a book file as you are. I mean, it's just, it's really exciting. And, I mean, I know you're also an author. Yes, thank you. Which is incredible. And, but like I, you really know a lot about, you know, the history of literature. And I was really impressive. Like, I, thank you.

I was excited. to actually kind of listen to like some of your favorite books of like the last year because I'm always looking for for new things to read. I mean, for me, I feel like I used to read a ton when I was in New York. And this was before like my phone was also a scream. And, you know, I would read on the subway and then I would get invested in a book and then I'd read it at home and then I would like read in bed and like and that sort of like was my end. And then I moved to LA and when I didn't have the subway anymore, I just kind of stopped reading. Yeah. But you really do. I mean, you are, you're in there.

I love it. I just love it. I mean, I, but I was always a reader. Like, as a kid, like, I would read anything from the library. My dad would take me to the library, and I loved the library because everything was free. And what's the name of your podcast is the community library? Yes. I have a podcast about books for the community library. And yeah, my dad, the library, I mean, I loved the video store because I loved movies, but they were also. because you had to pay for that, they were like rules about that. I mean, not, you know, my parents were like, okay, you can get one new movie and one old movie, but the library was free so you could get whatever books you wanted and however many you wanted as long as you returned them on time and didn't.

I mean, gosh, I was like reading while brushing my teeth and like got toothpaste on the book and, you know, like reading on the train and like someone jostled me and like ripped the page. So like I have unfortunately damaged a couple of library books, but I was probably. pay for them. But yeah, I just always loved it. But I also went through like a time of, I think in high school of like, you know, having to read for school and being like, oh, I don't want to do this anymore and I'm annoyed with what they're assigning us. And I think a lot of people fall out of love with reading when they loved it as kids. And then reading as a grown up has this like, I don't know if this is true, but sometimes it feels this way like, oh, it's like big and

intellectual and like serious but well i feel like sometimes when i'm reading as an adult like i have been known to like hide the cover of what i'm reading because i'm ashamed i think like this is not what i should be reading like this is not smart enough it should be like infinite jest or something right right right right you know and it's not but that's fine it doesn't matter no i'm having a ball really by the way but like i just don't want other people to judge me yeah and i'm sad i'm ashamed to say that that i have done that but it's that thing of like Reading is just fun. Like, you remember when you're a kid, and I mean, I remember, like, I would read the whole day,

and I'd come downstairs for dinner, and I wouldn't be able to talk because I had been silent for the whole day, which was rare for me as a child, because I was just so in the book. My voice would be, like, croaky. And you wrote a book with your mom after that. Yes. We've got a new one coming out. It's called My Wonderful Disgrace. It hasn't come out yet.

It hasn't come out yet. It comes out in May. That one's really fun. That's an original story. Takes place over one night at a school dance. And we follow a bunch of different characters. It's all told in letters, emails, transcripts, texts. It's very like, you're kind of like watching this disaster unfold.

I love that. I love that. But what was exciting that I was sort of tickled by was that you, you know, Reese Witherspoon, who's such like a now, uh, You know, it's like her and Oprah. If, like, you know, they're the people who tell us what to read. And she has such great taste. And, you know, she's obviously, um, produces so many, um, adaptations of books.

But she chose, um, your book for. She chose stuck up and stupid as a young adult summer pick for the book club. And this was before, because she's a producer on, um, on your show now. Yes, she's a producer on the last thing he told me. So there was kind of that connection there. But of course, like, you know, never know. I mean, we sent it to Hello Sunshine, like, fingers crossed, like, we hope you like it. Were you already working with her at this point? Yes. Okay. And, but we sent it like not knowing.

We were like, oh, you know, we just, we hope, and I would never presume anything. I would never be like, oh, you know, you owe me, like, never. Right. Because, like, she's so amazing and she's done, like, so much for the book industry for, like, women's stories in film and television. I was so, like, honored to be part of the show. And then we were actually filming season two, and the Hello Sunshine team said, oh, can you, can you come into the trailer with Jen? Like, we just need you to film, like, a little Mother's Day kind of video.

I was like, okay, yeah, it was on my lunch break, so I was like, all right, yeah, let's go, we'll do it. You put your tuna fish and catch up aside. Hold this. Don't eat it. I know it's tempting. So I went in and they said, okay, we're going to FaceTime your mom. And I was like, okay, yeah, I mean, yes, it's like for a Mother's Day thing.

All right. So that's a bit weird. And they had all these cameras set up. I was like, okay. And then we started talking about Mother's Day. And then Jennifer Garner, who's the lead of our show, who's like. your mom on the show. Yeah, stepmom.

She's like such a dear, dear person. She like pivoted the conversation. I was like, oh, Jen, like, where's this going? And she said, I just, I'm so excited to tell you something. I was like, oh my God. She said, your book has been chosen as a book club pick for Reese's book club. I was like, oh, my God. And my mom was on FaceTime.

It was like, it was. That was the first time she was hearing to you. Yeah. We had no idea. I said to Jen, like, how long have you known? She's like, I've known for so long. I couldn't keep it from you any long. It was too much.

It was so special. So special. So special. That's really incredible. Yeah. And like what an amazing, like, team to be part of. And now we've got season two coming out of the show. And you filmed that already.

We filmed it. We filmed it in L.A. You filmed it in L.A. You filmed it in L.A. Where did you film the first season? Also in L.A. Also in L.A. Where is that house that you live in?

Well, that the houseboat was in Sarsolito in San Francisco. We did do a, um, like, Like, yeah, at the end of filming, we went out there. I've never wanted to live in a houseboat until I saw that. It's pretty amazing. Like, I get seasick by just like looking at the ocean. Okay. But I want to live in that house.

But you want to live in that house? Yeah. What was so funny, too, is that our green room was another houseboat on that dock. Oh, gosh. So we were like sitting in the green room and it was like. Oh, no. I kind of love it, but I don't get super seasick. So I get more like travel sick.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. When we were filming season one of the last thing he told me, I was living in Santa Monica right by the beach. So I would walk to the beach a lot. And I would like go out onto the pier or just like down by the beach and think about how if I could see, you know, if I had like magical powers, like my parents are on the other side of that ocean.

Like all the way over there. If they went to the coast and looked down, at the ocean, like we'd be looking at the same body of water, which is kind of nice. Very nice. So that's what I would do. I mean, it must feel really fortunate that you get to, because this is your first, like, TV series that. It's my first time I've come back for season two.

Yeah, were you playing like a role for? For a number of years. I mean, yeah, with, I guess I did Spider-Man. Right. three of those movies I wasn't in the third one much at all I really did mostly the first and second one

and that was strange too I mean that's a whole other thing that's a whole other thing yeah from like I was casting that when I was 15 and the third movie came out when I was 21 wow just such a like

what a crazy like six years to be kind of involved in that yeah yeah it's hard to like like, yeah, figure out who you are in the face of something that's so out of your control. Yeah. You know? It's like you can't really control who's going to cast you if they want you or they don't want you.

You know, that's kind of doesn't matter what you do or don't do, you know? Yeah, exactly. It's hard. I feel thankful. I feel like my parents really tried to, like, instill that in me. like, you know, that you are a worthy, creative person, whether people are casting you and paying you to do it or not. And every creative pursuit is worth it.

Like, internally, which is good. Thank you for doing this. It's so lovely meeting you. This was so nice. Yeah, it was so lovely. Like, this was so nice. And thank you for having such a nice insightful conversation. It was so fun.

I appreciate it. You're awesome. Awesome. So good. Thank you. Are you guys ready for dessert? Oh, we have dessert? Oh, we have dessert.

Keep it rolling. Yes, let's go. Don't cut. Wow. Thank you. You're welcome. Some coffee. I'm all good.

I think I'm okay, yeah. You're a dessert person? I'm such a dessert person. I'm always like, we'll have a look at the menu. Yeah. Like, we're not going to not have a look. I love the looks. Everyone gives us one.

Do you want to see a dessert menu? And everyone's like looking at it. Everyone else, like, who's going to... We'll have a look. Yeah. I had a terrible dinner once where they came over, they said, do you want dessert? Everyone immediately said, no, we're fine. And I was there like, yeah, I don't want it.

I don't want dessert. It's fine. I didn't have the courage to speak up and to speak my truth and say, we'll have a look. Don't ever do that again. I learned my lesson. I went dessertless. You went home angry. Yes, I was upset.

And you lost five friends. I was really upset. Yeah. And I was like, cool. we're not going out to dinner again. Oh, absolutely not. We always have to have a look at the dessert menu. You at least look.

That's the thing we've learned today on today's episode of Ditters on Me. At least look. At least look. And with that. And with that, we'll take the check. This episode of Diner's On Me was recorded at Crossroads Kitchen on Melrose in Los Angeles, California. Next week on Dinner's On Me, you know him as the creator and host of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, and the award-winning mind behind everybody loves Raymond,

it's Phil Rosenthal. We'll talk about how a kid from Queens turned family dinners into one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, and he tells me about what inspired him to write his second children's book called Just Try It, Someplace New, with his co-writer, his daughter, Lily. 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'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 Bear engineered this episode. Hans Dale She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balance Kalasney and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week. Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything. Like packing a spare stick. I like to be

prepared. That's why I remember, 988 Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 988 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada.