Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Jenna Dewan — On Losing Pets, Breaking Outside the Box, and ‘The Rookie’

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

‘The Rookie’ star Jenna Dewan joins the show. Over pizza bianca and gooey garlic bread, we bond over the grief of losing beloved pets — I recently lost my dog Leaf, who Justin and I got when we first started dating. Then, of course, we gotta get to Jenna’s career. She tells me about the pressure to pick a lane – dancing or acting – after her breakout role in the film ‘Step Up.’ We also get into how she cut her teeth dancing alongside Janet Jackson and why she considers ‘The Rookie’ the best job she’s ever had. This episode was recorded at Pizzeria Mozza 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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Winter is hard, but your groceries don't have to be. This winter, stay warm. Tap the banner to order your groceries. Online at walla.ca. Enjoy in-store prices without leaving your home. You'll find the same regular prices online as in-store. Many promotions are available both in-store and online, though some may vary. Hey, it's Jesse. Today on the show, you know her from the dance competition show, World of Dance, the movie Step Up, and she's currently starring in the TV drama The Rookie. It's Jinnah Duon. I have an manager telling me, go in there if they ask you about dance. say, oh, it's something I used to do. They, do she would tell me, throw it away.

This is Dinner's on Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. So today we're dining at Moza. Now, if you live in L.A., you're probably asking which Moza? Pizzeria Moza is where we're having dinner tonight. And Moza happens to be right next door. Both are the brainchild of Nancy Silverton, who is a bit of icon here in L.A. And when I say bit of an icon, I mean major icon.

Nancy has been creating incredible food here in Los Angeles for decades. And I absolutely love the pizza that she makes here at Pizzeria Motta. It's casual. It's really warm. It's inviting. And it happens to be right around the corner from Paramount Studios, where my guest today, Jenna Zewan, has been shooting the rookies. So, let's just be a great place to bring her.

And I am so excited to get to the conversation. Okay. I had to put my dog down today. And it wasn't a surprise, though. So, older? Yeah, he's 15, a little more key. And the, yeah, so we'd have this, we sort of thought this might be the case for a while. I'm leaving town at the end of the week to do a play in New York.

And I was having such anxiety about being away when it might have to happen. Yeah. And in the last few days, she just took a turn. And I was like, well, I mean, the one bright lining is that I get to be here to say goodbye. That is. And I was really, really happy I could. I have dealt with multiple versions of having to put my dog down. Yeah.

There's no good way it happens. However, I did this with my recent dog we had to put down. Mika, she was like almost, she was 18 and also small. And it was right before the birth of my last baby, Ran. And it was the same thing. I was like, oh, my gosh, how am I going to do this and birth? And it ended up, it just happened. She woke up in a morning.

I was like, oh, this is the end. Yeah. And it was right before. And I know that feeling is so hard. But let me ask you this, though, because what I've been struggling with is how to talk to my kids about it. Yeah. I know there's some good books.

And we've read some of them in preparation. But this morning, knowing that, you know, this afternoon we were going to put leave down, we told Beckett our five and a half year old because we felt like he can, he's been a, he's been because he lost my mom. We lost my mom a little over a year ago. So he was able to process like what it means when someone just is no longer here. Yeah. My younger one, who's three, doesn't really understand yet.

But, you know, we told Beckett and he was able to say goodbye and he got very emotional. Did he have? Okay, so, oh my God, that's the hardest part, right? I mean, the hardest part is we're saying by someone we love, obviously. It's like your, like, my animals are my children. There's just the way it's always been. But telling your children, and I know, I mean, Evie was around that age when our dog Lulu passed away. This was like years, years, years ago.

And Evie's your middle child? Evie is my oldest. Your oldest, okay. So she's 12, almost 13 now because she was years. younger when Lulu passed and it was so hard to tell her but she knew it was coming but then it happened right

before this is what you don't do okay this is the like don't do this I was like whatever this is the don't do she had a winter show for school you know they do there's always a show right I already have excited about this oh my God but it was like every day we were looking at Lulu

this is not funny this shouldn't have me here but we were like is this today we had no idea because you're so old. And then finally, obviously the day came, and it was the day of her winter show. And I was like, how old do we handle this? So we had to tell her. Like she had asked, everybody she was asking, so I was honest. I was like, yes, Lulu crossed the rainbow bridge. Lul is in heaven. This is, you know, she, before after her show. This is before. No, I know Jesse. This is terrible. She asked. She asked. So I couldn't lie, right? So I had to tell her. But then the whole show was a sob because she was crying on stage.

She had to go backstage. Apparently they showed some cartoon, you know, to keep the kids like entertained before they went out in the show. The cartoon had a dog in it was horrible. So the teacher comes out. And she's like, Abby's really not okay. She's crying really hard back there. I had to go out there. We're sobbing in the audience who's up there trying to do You Are My Sunshine and just like tears streaming.

And I was like maybe like a little white lie would have been. this moment. I don't know though because sometimes like you know you tell these because I was like do we even mention to Beckett that this is happening today and I was like what if he's upset that he didn't get to

say goodbye. Have those goodbye so I don't know I feel like around life and death things specifically death stuff like I think being truthful is the only way to go. I think you have to be because then you live with that whole you're robbing them

of their own process and whatever their whole soul growth would be with knowing this information. But it falls so hard. Yeah. You can join the dog morning club with me. It's like you need, you need to like text me. Oh, you two. Welcome to Pizzeria. My name is Chris and I'll be taking care you.

Hi. Chris. Hi. I'm so happy to be here, yes. Is this your first time dining with us? No, but it's been a minute. Okay, so welcome back. The concept of the menu is still the same.

Everything is Fendi-style and intended to share. I would like to highlight a couple of our new items. We have a cheesy garlic bread here under the appetizer. It's going to be about eight ounces of our piece of dough with some mozzarella cheese, olive oil, come with the side of our pasta sauce, which is a tomato sauce. Guys. We're going to us with Parmesan cheese.

That's insane. That sounds incredible. And under the pastas, we have the stuffed shells here. The stuffed shells that's going to consist of a conky, bologna, which is a jumble milk, which is a jumble shell. It's stuffed with vexamero, ricotta, feelings. when it's filling, it's going to sit in the pasado sauce as well, darned wet pharmaceuticals.

For God, how good this food is, too. Yeah, yeah. I think we're going to try that garlic bread. Is it garlic bread? Yes. Insalata Mista. Insalata Mista. And the Bianca pizza, please.

Any allergies that we need to be aware of? No, I'm good. Jesse, have you done the L.A. where you just eliminate things and diets and you do and then you don't. I have, thank you.

I promised my doctor because I'm desperate to try and figure out why I don't have enough energy. The answer is because I'm a parent. I was going to tell you that. I was going to say that's because you got two kids because trust me, I have the same affliction.

But I was like, there must be energy somewhere. There must be something that's that's muting my energy level because it can't just be the kid. It's so funny. You said that. So my doctor was like,

Well, try not to do gluten for a little while and just see what happens. So I did and I was good about it for like, I don't know, a month, six weeks, mostly. I would forget that like soy sauce had gluten in it. Yes. I just, I couldn't do it cold turkey. But I don't know if I felt enough of the difference to like pin that as like a source of my exhaustion. I know. I do the same thing.

I always, every couple weeks I think, well, there's got to be a hack. There's got me something I'm missing. Like, who are all these people that I'm. I mean, I had a birthday party, and it was like a dance party, you know. We do a full dance party. It's fun. Wear sneakers, throwback 90s music. I mean, it is, we want you to have fun.

It's to get done. But we were planning it. She does not have kids, by the way. She's like, well, that's started like nine. No, that's cute. I was like, are you out of your mind? I was like, well, we don't start anything at 9 p.m. We have children.

We start at 6. We are here having. We start dinner at six. So we did. We started at seven. We were done by 11. 11.30. And people were pittering out by 10 b.m.

I said, we are officially, officially old. This is, this thing. Doesn't it feel so good to be in bed at like 9.30? Oh, yes. Yes. Like, let me put me in bed a TV show on something. Thank you. 930, 10.

Yeah. Just winding down. Yeah. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Jenna tells me the story of how she met her husband, Steve Kazee. Maybe you caught him in his Tony Award-winning performance. And once, I did, and we get into the challenges of navigating life after a public breakup. Okay.

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And we're back with more dinners on me. Steve probably relates to this, your fiancé, like, he, you know, he's a theater actor. Yes. I know when I've gone back to do theater, I'm like, how am I going to stay awake to start my work at 8 p.m.? Yes. How do you do that? We talk about this all the time because he would love to go back and do theater, and I would love him to go back and do theater. but we think about the logistics of it often.

And it's, let's say we even, even if we lived in New York, we all moved there for the show. However, look, how do you do just bedtime alone? I am drained. I mean, it is 8 p.m. and we are. I mean, I was like, you have to go do a show. How does that work? Do you disco hours?

You have to sleep in. You have to sleep in. Or take naps during the day. Take naps in the day. I don't know about your kids. Are you sleeping in your trailer during the rest of? rookie you're not. No. It's the best job in the world though. The rookie is the greatest. Talk about divine blessing. This job is the best job that's ever happened. Why do you say that?

Well, for one, we shoot in L.A. It is the greatest group of people. Nathan. I love Nathan feeling so much. Nathan is the world's greatest human in the entire world. He did enough. He did a few episodes of Modern Family playing an interest of Haley's was a weatherman and his name was Rainer He's so funny too. He is comedically genius. He's so, so funny. He's like, so funny. He's like the number one on the call sheet.

He's like the best number one on the call sheet that could ever happen. He's professional. He's so funny. He's great. All of our scenes are together. We all have lives. We come in. We do our job.

Everyone's such a well-oiled machine. I mean, it's just, it's amazing. And we all go home. It's truly, I go to bed and I wake up the morning. And I think, thank you for this amazing. job. It's just awesome. So I don't sleep in the show. Although I have funny enough, I have before

because when I had Rianan, I brought her to set. So, you know, she's six, seven weeks. I think I had to about like seven weeks. And then I was breastfeeding her in between scenes, running back, going doing scenes. And I think at that point, I was, if I had downtime,

I was sleeping, napping. I just know Julie Bowen and Ty Borell on Modern Family had young kids when I was just like, like free and easy traveling world. And they were like, you know, new parents. And they would like, I don't want to get them in trouble with their spouses, but they would like lie about the length of the day

because they would stay in their trailer and then like nap for like a good hour before going home. That is a necessary, necessary thing. I've done it. All the girls, all of us, mama's on the show. And I've actually, we like see each other and we're like, you're hiding out, aren't you? Yeah. But giving yourself a little hour cushion. Oh, they're running late.

Yes. I'm going to sleep here for one hour. The traffic is really bad. I just need this break. In fact, one time I was in my trailer, I was sleeping. I don't know why I was because I had no reason to be sleeping. I didn't have kids at that time. But I was sleeping on my couch.

The trailers had that, like, bump out area with, like, the couch kind of bumps up. So I was sleeping on my couch, and I guessed that the transport people had thought that I had left and they were getting ready to move the trailers to another location for tomorrow's work. And so they pushed some sort of button or something and my couch just started like

retracting in and I was like, I'm out of yourself. I'm out of yourself. I felt like I was like in an episode like, you know, like Indiana Jones or something like the walls were closing. You're like, a whole narrow distance is going. Life inside, life inside. You're like, oh God, 9-1-1. Truly.

They were like, we're so sorry. Because I think I had moved, my car wasn't parked where normally was or something. Like, so they thought I had left. They're like, he's gone. Oh no, I've done that too. I've hit out before and they're like, wait, we thought you were gone. I'm like, nope, no, we're just taking an out.

Yeah, they could have, like, I was so tired. They probably could have transported me to the next location. I would have woken up, you know, in like Brentwood or something, like, on the side of the street. You're like, all of a sudden, you just like end up there like, where are, where am I? I didn't know I was going to else scundo today. Exactly. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

Yeah, so ridiculous. I know, it's insane, this parenting thing. I know. It's really crazy. It's been crazy And you've been doing it for a while Almost 13 years I mean at least me 13 in a few months

Which blows my personal mind And you still have a young one I mean At least in my head you do Because I remember when you were pregnant It didn't feel like that long ago That's the insanity of me is that I mean

I love it But I went 13 Then a long break And then another long break So I have a one and a half year old So I have all stage Yes. You got a baby, toddler, preteen.

When you and Steve started dating, was there a conversation about having kids and, like, that's something that you both wanted to do? Yes. We, funny enough, we did a, he's probably, I love him. We did a psychedelic journey. This is where we get really interesting. But we both in together, and in this journey, we both saw it. We knew we looked at each other and we're having kids.

I think we both knew we'd want. It wasn't a shop, but it was like, we're, I don't know if you've ever done any psychological journey, but you, like, you've, like, knowing, you've, like, just, I can't explain it. You have a, you have a download. And we were like, that's happening. Wow. It's definitely a part of what we felt to be our sort of mission. It was like, oh, yeah. Yeah.

This is part of what's happening for us. I love that. And it was really soon after that, actually. Really? Yeah. I'm trying to remember, I don't actually know if I know this one, because I knew Steve before I knew you. So, because Steve and I are Broadway kids.

Well, you guys are, yeah, you were friends waiting for me. I mean, I knew Steve when he was dating Megan Hilty. I mean, that's the, that's a throwback. That's a throwback. I mean, that was like way back win. Yes, once days, right? Yes, one stays, even before once. And I, first of all, I mean, when I saw Steve in once, I was like, who is that?

Like, I mean, this dream boat. Same. So talented. so, I mean, it's a great actor, great singer, plays guitar, so good looking. I was like, oh my God, this guy. I know. And I was so excited to get to know him.

And then when he moved to L.A., I was, you know, I would see him around because, like, he didn't have a ton of friends here. And so, you know, we would have him over a little bit. And then I remember, I think Sarah Hyland actually told me that he's like, my friend Jim is dating, this guy named Steve Kazee. And I want to make sure that he's good. for her. And she was like very protective of you. Oh, my sister Sarah. And I was like, I know Steve

and she's like, tell me everything about it. She like wanted dirt. And I was like, I only know him to be a great guy. So I endorse this. That's wholeheartedly. But she was very like, very protective of you. That's really sweet on a lot of levels. Sarah's the best, most of all. We played sister.

I know you guys. That's really, really sweet. He is the best. I mean, honestly, like, we, I had the same feeling when I saw once. So you had seen him in once. Yeah, so I had gone to New York. But he won a Tony Award for, by the way. Shout out to Steve's Tony Award.

Yes, shout out to the Tony Award and just the utterly mind-blowing performance of him at once. But I went to New York for a press chunk of, funny enough, and every time I go to New York, so I've never done Broadway, never done theater a day in my life, but I love it. Like, I love it. And so I always pick a show and I go see it. And I said, I want to go see this show once. I love the movie. You know, I go see it.

So I took my mom. she was in town and we went to see it and we both had the same reaction she was funny enough it was more my mom my mom was going oh my god this man is so who is this emotion she kept going

he's so emotional and he's so talented and look at him la la la la la she was like blown away by him so much so that I jokingly was like we're going to wait and say hi to him so you can meet him okay so

I'm like mom you're going to you're going to meet him because I'm like wanting to embarrass her a little because she was just so flabberg as him but it was out of a movie he like walked out and I and we had this do you know I actually thought to myself I met him before like I had that moment of like oh I think I know him I was just like you were amazing oh my god thank you so much you're amazing and it's just he's like thank you but it was a weird it was a flicker of a huh oh interesting and he ironically and you know once we've talked about this he had the same thing.

Like, have I met her before? He was like, whoa, who's this person? I feel like I know her, I, something. So anyways, I went off a night. That was a long time ago. A long time ago. But I completely forgot. Didn't forget, but I didn't think about it.

It was just a moment and I went, God, it was such a cool. Well, you were in a other relationship. I was married. It was not even, you know, there was no, I just, it was such wreckage. I remember thinking, like, it's interesting. And then obviously, and later on, and, you know, I'm, no longer in a relationship. I mean, coming out of a very public relationship,

was it something that was tricky for you to navigate? I mean, sometimes I think to myself, because I've been in this business for so long, which I know you have to, it's my normalcy bias, I think it's a little off or different. There's certain things that I'm just used to accepting that's a part of my life, that I went,

I go visit my cousins or I visit someone who's not in this business and they think that's just wild. What do you mean? People are talking and saying things about you on a daily basis

and you, I just have some weird ability to kind of tune it out. Yeah. But it's always a thing. You know, there's a thing. It's like even that you think, okay, if we're gonna go to an event

and you're, you know, do we go together? Right. You know, it's always a conversation. Right, right. But we just kind of live. I know. Yeah, good.

I mean, that's where you should be doing. But the beginning was, like, definitely, you know, how that goes. Yeah. We all know how that goes. Right. Now, let's take a quick break, but don't go away. When we returned, Jenna tells me what it was like working with Janet Jackson during her early dance career, and we get into the pressure to pick a lane in Hollywood.

Okay, be right back. I'm Craig Melville. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. I've always been a glass, half-full kind of guy. And now, I'm talking this. people who look at the world that way too.

Some really fascinating folks who share their defining moments, their triumphs, the challenges. Their stories are funny and quite candid. So I hope you'll join me each week, and who knows? You might just come away with your own glass hatful. Search Glass Half Full with Craig Nelson from today on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Infamous is the gossip show that's smart. We talk about Tyra Banks and Bringing Down Top Model. We talk about Jenna Jameson and how she dominated the 90s.

You know, she's horny and she's in charge. She just was very smart about marketing herself. We talk about celebrities who maybe shouldn't be celebrities, like the Beckham guy. Brooklyn is their first kid. He's had a little bit of the Nepo baby curse. We investigate orgasm cults. A woman's erotic power can unlock many other powers in her life. And, of course, we discuss people who have gotten into lots of trust.

My name is Molly McLaughlin. I am one of Jen Shaw's many victims. She was defrauding the elderly, and her tagline was the only thing I'm guilty of is being shamazing. Listen to Infamous, the gossip show that's smart. The show's called Infamous. Susan Galbraith was a housewife in Mayfield, Kentucky. But after a murder in town, Susan took it upon herself to find witnesses who could point to a killer. She thought she was going to be a hero. But that's not what happened. The lies, a lot of lies. What were Susan's real motives? She wasn't in it to help them find the killer. Why then did the cops take her seriously? It was known that she was getting funds from them. Susan's son is wrestling with his mother's legacy to this day. I mean, my mom was, I used the word

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all at once, add free. And we're back with more dinners on me. When Janet was at the Hollywood Bowl, I was there that night. Yes, when we all came back. You were there? Yeah, I was there that night. Oh, she brought all, she calls us the kids.

It's all her sort of dancers on tour, like her dancers from tour. And how many years after you had been on tour with her, did you do that night at the Hollywood Bowl? Oh, God, that must have been, let's see, that was, must have been 10, maybe more, maybe 12 years after? Maybe longer, God, this is my terrible math.

I'm going to go back and be like, it was 20. I don't like, don't remember. Two decades. You're like, I'm 25 years. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All I know is I got a call from her manager. I picked up and he's like, assign me. He's like, Janet wants all her dancers to come back and do Rhythmination.

We're going to have one practice at Screenland Studios for one hour. Okay. And weirdly, every one of us was available. Like, every one of us showed up, came. I have incredible rehearsal practice of all of them from like legends that I used to look up to, even their legends that they lived up to. I mean, all of us at Hollywood. That was one of those core memories that I remember.

Did it come back to you? Oh, yes. Yeah, it was incredible right away. Janet taught me a lot of things about just life but also being in this business. She remembers everyone's name that she's worked with. She remembers every dancer, where we're from, she knows our life. I mean, she brings us into her life. And not many artists are like that with dancers.

You know, there is a real sometimes feeling of you're the dancer. You're at a different hotel than we are at. Or you're not as good as the singers or the backup singers. There was like a hierarchy, but she did not have that. If you were on her team, you were on the tour, you were part of her family. Like, she had spa nights. We were always at the same hotel as her. I mean, it was just like really little things that as you get older in this business, you start seeing, well, not everyone's that graceful.

Yeah. How old were you when you started dancing professionally? In general. Yeah. A team. And shortly after with Janet. Yeah, right after. So I moved to L.A.

Went to U.S.C. And this just was auditioning, auditioning. And nothing happened for a while. and then, you know, one thing happened. I think it was a Mandy, funny, and I think it was a Mandy Moore. She was a guest on our podcast. I love her.

She's the nicest. So that was, I think, my very first paid job. And then it was a Tony Braxton, and then it turned into Janet. So it happened. And then I very quickly was like, I'm going to not go to going on. Janet asked me to go on tour, and that's my dream.

I have heard you talk about it. about it before, and I just really, I find it's so, I know, I find it's incredibly encouraging to hear that you went through this and came out on the other end of it, but like, that you, you know, you were struggling against being pigeonholed in ways that so many people can relate to, not just in the entertainment business, but like really so many industries. Yep. And, you know, feeling like you had to let go of one facet of yourself in order to support another facet. Like, you couldn't be two things at once.

For you, I imagine it was probably dancing and acting at the beginning. And, like, I mean, now it's producing as well. And, like, you know, you're in, I mean, so many other lanes as well. But with Step Up, which I know is such a big moment for you, it really, I mean, I mean, demanded that you be able to do two things really well. Yes. I mean, really demanded that you dance well. Yes, but also I had to learn on that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And, you know, I mean, I'm sure that the confidence that you got from that certainly, like, seeded something in your brain. They're like, oh, this could be something. I want to do more of things like that. But talk to me about, like, how you were able to sort of break through people wanting to keep you in a lane.

Yeah. You know, the way I was, there was such a meant-to-be feeling throughout all of this. So I was not an actor, you know, I was never a trained actor, and I was quite literally found from dancing with Justin Timelma

in sync on the Grammy. Somebody saw that and was like, the girl could maybe act. It was a manager. And that's like literally how all this even started, right? Yeah. So I kind of have always just learned as I've gone and had to say, okay, well, and then all of a sudden I was an actress, you know.

I was in step up. But because it happened that way, it was all happening. And I was sort of learning as I went and trying to figure out this new career and this new passion that I was apparently going to be a part of, but I didn't know much about. And I knew that I had a natural-ish knack for it, and I knew I liked it, but I didn't know fully what I was doing. I think so many years I spent trying to be this cookie cutter. Girl has a hit movie.

You're the lead of a hit movie. You're an actress in a hit movie. These are the things you should do afterwards. You know, what is Natalie Portman doing? That's where you should be looking. And so I spent years trying to do that. I mean, I even had executives being like, well, she could just, you know, because she just like, tone yourself.

I have a manager telling me, go in there, you know, don't wear a stitch of makeup. If they ask you about dance, say, oh, that's something I used to do. They, they, she would tell me, throw it away. That's something I used to do. Or, you know, do you, I had a calendar that I had done back in a day as a dancer. So this is the thing about answers. Like I said, we say yes to everything. We don't really know what is happening.

And at the time, I was just excited that I was getting free pictures. You know what I mean? It's like, oh, I don't have to pay for these headshots. I'm getting free pictures of this. I was like, yeah, we're highlighting some really awesome dancers together and this one calendar. You can pick your photo shoot. And, of course, I'm like, oh, well, you know, I love the Wicked Games music video.

So can I be, you know, that video? and so we had show up, there's black sand, and, you know, I'm in, you know, I'm a dancer, so we're always half-naked, and I'm, like, with her, like, you know, covering her, like, I did the whole shoot, and I get the pictures, and they're, at the time, they were nice, but then I see the whole calendar, and it's like music video beauties. So it was hard landing dancers, a lot of, you know, girls that were in music, I had no idea, and I don't care, I have these free pictures, but, of course, when you become an actress and you're in a Disney movie and all this stuff, there was talks about, like, how do we,

We don't want people to find this when they look up your name and how do it. And I was like, at the time I remember not really caring. I was like, that's a part of my life. Like I didn't really know what I was fully doing. But I'm not necessarily not ashamed of it. You know, but it was this feeling of you need to be this particular type of actors in person. And if you're not that, you're not going to be taken seriously. You're not going to be seen.

And so I listened for a while and I did it. And I tried to, you know, go in and have meetings with people. And they'd ask about dance. But it was always done in a way of, well, you know, dance got you here. But you're at, you know, it was just never seen as good. Bothered me and didn't work. That was the thing. It didn't work.

You know, I would. Because you were trying to, like, mold yourself into something that you weren't to please them. I was trying to please other people. So there was zero authenticity happening. There was no authenticity happening. I felt even clothes wise. Everything was trying, they were trying to make me something. So it didn't work, long stories, it didn't work.

I was miserable, miserable, it wasn't happy. It was feeling defeated all the time. But I had a really big epiphany in it. Like epiphany, it wasn't a random, you know, it was just a random, like a sort of driving the day and I had this thought. And I, it was almost like a surrender prayer where I just said, I just want to be filled. I want to feel good, and I want to feel like my talents and my gifts are being used for something that felt a purpose. Whatever that looks like. I really released it.

I said, if it's not film, it's not TV, whatever that looks like, at least I know I'll be feeling that, you know? And funny enough, it just all sort of shifted. And that next week was a, I had a call from Jennifer Lopez, actually, J-Lo. she was like, we're doing this show, World of Dance, and I just think you'd be a great host. And at the time, my agents and people, no one was really excited about, they couldn't see actresses that could also host,

that could also dance, all of a sudden, you weren't a serious actress, you know, you went in, you know that was. Yeah. But I said, I don't care. I feel good about it. I want to go try and do it. I want to, you know. Also, you were being called up by someone who's literally done all the,

those things. I know. And by the way, well, she is an icon. I mean, talk about someone who is a dancer who has achieved great acting success, great musical success. I mean, producing success. I mean, it's interesting that, you know, they're like, well, we don't see this as being legitimate. You're like, Lily, the person who legitimized it just called me. Yes, just called me. The person who paved the way actually just called me to give me the stuff. Had you met Jennifer Lopez. before that or she just was aware of you? She was aware of me.

I think she was aware of me. I can't remember if we had met maybe in passing at some point. But she was also a Janana dancer. Wait, way, way. I feel like I remember that, yeah. So I was always, to me, she was somebody who was breaking boundaries and still is, you know. And so she called me and I was, so I've never hosted. She's like, well, we're starting next week.

It was one of those jump in. Thank you. Just the openness to doing that, change things. You know, it freed me to be multiple things. Yeah, thank you. This is amazing. That looks so good. So last night, Justin and I went out to dinner.

And then, you know, it's Super Bowl Sunday. And so I enjoy watching Super Bowl. I'm not a football fan. You do. But, like, I would have been very happy to watch and go to a party. And what I've seen in the Bad Bunny, performance is incredible. I love it. But instead of watching

the Super Bowl, Justin and I went to Vidiates and Eagle Rock, which is where they show old films. And we watched, they were showing Get Ready. This is going to come in from left field. Britney Spears' crossroads. Shut. This is my dream night.

You went to go on a day night to watch Crossroads? Yes. Was it still as incredible? Well, I don't, I realized I had never seen it. I had never seen it. Oh, that's a piece of iconic history. Oh, wait, so it's kind of...

With like Zoe Sal Donna is in it, right? Future Oscar winner, Zoe Salada, future box office, like, she's... This past year, she's like the number one box office star. She's in it. Who else? Justin Long. God, oh, Justin.

It's... Oh, my God, wait, this is the great... First of all, I've never heard of idiots. I'm going to have to go. Oh, oh, Samantha. from Sexless City. Kim Cotrol. Kim Cotrol.

That's right. She played the mom, right? Oh my God. I used to love. We were laughing because we were like, Kim Chau was like, and she was great in it. It was like she was in so little of it. I was, I wonder if Kim patrol, King Patrol, oh my gosh.

I wonder if Kim patrol was like, you have four hours. She definitely was. You were like one day, padded around something, you know, we've all been there. Anyway. That is really good. But also, like, I don't, I mean, it's sort of, as we're talking about people who have been put in their lane. Yes. You know, seeing Britney Spears.

Yes. Headline of film. And she's really good in her. She was so good, none of them to me. She's great. I remember I loved that with you. And she's really good. I hate that we do this, but we do that thing where you see someone go in a different lane than you're used to, you know, and we all think, oh, and you're, you know, you are realizing, oh, my gosh, people are multi-talented.

Absolutely. I know. The greatest pizza. It's really good. I've really good. I've never had a little bit. I don't know why I've never ordered this. Normally, I don't like an all-white pizza. I like the red sauce. I love pepperoni.

But this is delicious. Look at me trying to scrape every last piece of this. This sage? Uh-huh. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And how did the rookie come about? Would you, because, I mean, that's like, I know your character has a dance background,

or they've mentioned it and passes. No, well, kind of. They do, like, Ember John. But it doesn't leave with that at all. No, no, no. No, it was actually, I don't even remember what season it was. It was at some point in the season they did a,

an episode where we flashbacked to an old, you know, prior to my character Bailey being a firefighter and all those things, she was a video dancer. And so we did a flashback scene, you know what? Yeah. So every job at some point finds a win. to bring it out. So we do some sort of dance.

That was our way on the rookie. I got the rookie. I got a call because one of my really good friends, Eric Winter, plays on the show. He called me and said, hey, would you ever be interested in doing this show? My showrunner and creator, Alexi, who's Alexi Holly is one of the greatest people.

Yeah. Things you're awesome. And I was thinking of my finding things through a day to do a guest spot. Just a guest spot. I said, yeah, totally. You know, like I said, it felt like a big yes, felt fun to do. I said, so it was only one, maybe two episodes. And I just thought, hey, that sounds like fun.

I'll go do it. I think Nathan's, I'm a huge fan of his, I think he's great. And then it just turned into this and, you know, five, yeah, five and a half seasons later. And I'm still on it and loving it. And I just feel really, like, very lucky. Yeah. We had we hired a nanny when Justin and I were

He was busy super busy producing some stuff And I was doing a play and we're like okay we got to we got to find someone to help out here And my friend Lizzie Kaplan Do you know Lizzie? She was like if you're looking for nanny I have someone who we can't use because She'd been working with her for a while but like they were moving and Heather couldn't move with her Heather is a former firefighter. Stop it.

He's a retired firefighter. Our daddy, yeah. And let me tell you what, it is, I cannot recommend it enough to have someone with that background. Okay, that's like, helping you out with your kids. I mean. Actually, incredible. Yeah. Oh, we feel so lucky.

He must have the most sense of trust, too. Oh, yeah. Whatever it is. She, like, sees the worst case scenario and everything. Oh, that's, you know? Right. She's like, hold on. I've seen how this can go.

Yeah, yeah. I've seen how this can go. I've seen the wrong way this can go. And sometimes we have to just trust that that's not going to happen. Yes. I also remember, like, we didn't have, like, proper, because we've moved into our, the new house. Uh-huh. You know, and do you guys.

And we didn't have proper, you know, fire extinguishers and all this stuff. And I guess there had been a grease fire under her watch. And so she. was like, we need to get a fire blanket. And I was like, that sounds great. Uh-huh. And so, it's somebody because she had like, she bought, she got, we got all the stuff and, like, it arrived and all it was like, you just place it where you think it should go.

Uh-huh. I was thinking, like, go in, like, little, like, cabinets and stuff. She had, like, the fire extinguishers were, like, part of the decor. Like, everything was just out. The blanket was, like, next to the stove. It's, like, it's going to be here. It's going to be useful. Truly.

I'm going to have a weapon, I can really wrap it. We have. Fire blanket is very underrated. That is something we should all have at our homes. And we do have it. I was like, it has to go in the drawer. Yeah. It has to go in the drawer.

I'm so you can't have the fire blanket out by the stone. You're like, not with the spices. Exactly. We made it to me a little bit hidden. So that was the funny part about Heather because she was like, she reached so great in so many ways. Like not a great design eye. Yeah. She's like a practical.

Most of firefighters are. Exactly. Very practical. Uh-huh. But happy that she's in our household, truly. That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah.

Thank you for doing this. I love you, Jeffrey. I love you. Thank you. You did it. I love this. This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Pizzeria Moza in Los Angeles, California. Next week on Dinner's On Me, you know her from her unforgettable roles in Boogie Nights, Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me, and The Hangover.

and now she's starring in the new thriller, They Will Kill You. It's Heather Graham. We talk about her decades-long career in Hollywood and why she feels more confident in her 50s than ever before. 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, they'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 Balanced Kalasney and Justin McKita. I'm Jesse Tyler. Ferguson. Join me next week.