Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Side Dish: More Brooke Shields

Episode Date: May 14, 2026

More of my interview with ‘You’re Killing Me’ star Brooke Shields. Brooke reflects on her breakout role in ‘Suddenly Susan’ and how the cancelation affected her. Plus, a funny story involving a friend of ours, Windex, and Andre Agassi. This episode was recorded at Cafe Cluny in NYC’s West Village. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Here's a little side dish from this week's episode of Dinner's on Me. This week's guest is Brooke Shield. You know her from iconic roles in films like The Blue Lagoon and TV shows like Suddenly Susan and Lipstick Jungle. She has a new show out called You're Killing Me on AMC and Acorn. We met up at the West Village Institution Cafe Clooney. Now, to get back into the conversation, Brooke opens up about the difficult goodbye to her NBC sitcom,

suddenly Susan, after four seasons. Well, I didn't remember because I must have watched the finale not live, because they burned it off in the middle of the night. The series finale, right? Yeah. Like at 2 in the morning? Something crazy. And I think, I don't know what the thought process was,

but the last... Half of the season, I don't remember anything because David died and I wanted to quit the whole show. I was, I cannot, might have even been before last season. And under contract, I had to keep going there. And they changed the set so it didn't feel exactly the same. And it was like, this is David, who's one of your cast members. Yeah, I remember he passed away in the third season, I think, right? In the third season.

and my world was just irrevocably rocked. And the show just lost its balance. And then they hired Eric Idol, who they just kept writing mean to me. And it was a different kind of mean than Judd Nelson. Judd Nelson was like different kind of, you know, poking. But it was like intellectual, and it was funny, and there was chemistry, and they fired him.

David was gone Eric did not like being there and the humor was subpar by that point because we had no... Yeah, the chemistry just changed. It just changed everything and I think that they were just like cut your losses, let's get out and there was just

it was like the rug was pulled out from you know, under all of us we were all it, you know, it was definitely you know but you learn I will say though and maybe this you know, because, listen, after doing 11 seasons of a show, there are certain episodes I like more than others.

And, like, you know, when you're inside it, it just feels so, you can analyze everything. There'll be people that come up to me and tell me about certain episodes that they love. And in my head, I'm like, that was one of our worst ones. So I just want to, I'm saying this because I loved every episode of that show

and I loved all four seasons and I was an avid watch for a bit. And so, like, all that craziness that was going on in your head did not, I didn't absorb any of that. For me, it was like quality TV from beginning to end. And I loved it. Thank you.

Thank you. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Brooke and I recall a hilarious story I heard about her involving her suddenly Susan co-star Barbara Berry and her then-boyfriend tennis legend, Andre Agassie, and a bottle of Windex. It's a pretty great story. Okay, be right back. Right now, our family is living that.

New York theater life. I'm performing in a play right now called True, where I get to play Truman Capote, and the kids are here with me, and I'm working in the city, which is amazing. I love it so much. It also means I'm juggling a lot. Between rehearsal schedules, school drop-offs, figuring out dinner in between shows, and then making sure everyone has what they need, it's hard enough just getting through the day, let alone planning ahead. And while we're here in New York, fully immersed in this, you know, this season of life, it got me thinking about how our place back home is just sitting empty. If you're going to be away for a while, like me, listening to space on Airbnb can be a great way to put your space to use and earn a little extra cash while

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I sold my car in Carvana last night. Well, that's cool. No, you don't understand. It went perfectly. Real offer, down to the penny. They're picking it up tomorrow. Nothing went wrong. So what's the problem? That is the problem. Nothing in my life goes a smoothie. I'm waiting for the catch.

Maybe there's no catch. That's exactly what a catch would want me to think. Wow, you need to relax. I need to knock on wood. Do we have wood? Is this table wood? I think it's laminated. Okay, yeah, that's good.

That's close enough. Car selling without a catch. Sell your car today on. Carvana. Pick up fees may apply. And we're back with more dinners on me. I always went to regular schools. So, constantly.

I was living in two different worlds. I would go do a vogue shoot and then put on my jeans and pap sitters and go home and finish my homework and go to school the next day. Be done at three. Maybe at three I'd go do a bizarre cover or something. And then, so it was like two totally different worlds

that really never, fully, never crossed, except I did my homework. You can ask, like, DDA is this famous hairdresser. he was like, you were never not sitting in my chair. And that was before they started the double teaming. So you would sit in the makeup chair and then the hair or hair and makeup. Usually hair first and then makeup. And he said, I've never known you not to be reading a book or doing homework in the chair.

So, like, I was doing two things at the same time for 30 years, 27, something. But it didn't feel like, did it feel like compartmentalization at the time? or to sort of feel like this is just my fully formed stuff. This is what I do. I'm an actress and I'm happy I'm doing both covers and bizarre covers. And I'm also a student. And like it's just all part of my life. And other kids were on teams, on team sports, you know?

Yeah. This was my team sport. Interesting. So I would, you know, and the two worlds never really collided unless I brought one of my high school friends with me if there was an opening or a premiere or something fun. Right. And my mom would say, okay, we need six tickets.

And she'd say, okay, invite all your high school friends. Yeah, talk about, like, your friends that you had at that time. I mean, did you have, I know obviously we're like, we all know that you, like, we're friends with Michael Jackson, and that was like that thing, you know. Who are the other people that you had in your life? On the phone with, excuse me, a best friend from high school yesterday for like an hour. I have, like, four really close high school friends that we're, we are always making, like, I'm going to all their daughters' and sons' weddings coming up in this next month. And, you know, we go away together.

They're my go-to. You know, one lives on the Upper West Side. Then there's Jersey and down the shore. And, like, there is a level of comfort because we were all on the cheerleading squad together. We all went to Dwight Englewood, which is a school in Jersey. And I commuted from the city, which was weird. nobody was doing that. Now everybody's doing it.

Like kids are going to Fieldston and Dwight and they're commuting out of the city. But then I was the only one that did that. But my mom wanted me to go to a co-ed high school. And so we were in the trenches together. And once that first semester was over, the luster wears off. They're not, they got other things I think about.

Like, I'm not that much interesting really. after, oh, you know, Blue Lagoon Girls is in ninth grade, let's not talk to her. You know, we'll show her, she's not fancy. And of course I'm like, okay, also with the teachers. That really will make me popular. And, you know, and then you got the Rizzo of the group. Right.

Who's my best friend? Call her Bad Lisa. You would love Bad Lisa. And you've got my other girlfriend who was with me at True. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's my other high school. close, close girlfriend. I feel like I've met, as you call her,

I feel like I met her. I think you have. And I think you introduced her as bad Lisa. That sounds so familiar to me. She said during the other night, she goes, can I at least be better Lisa? I go, nope, it doesn't have the same ring to it. So those are my high school friends.

Then I have about, you know, five, maybe six, like a couple of different groups of college friends, and I need all of them. Yeah. And there's a real blessing to that. Because when I look back, I do know people from the industry, but I don't have a lot of really close, famous friends. Because I, you work with them intensely,

and then, like, sometimes you don't ever see them again. Right. Except on a television show. Like, my communication with my suddenly Susan people and some of my lipstick dungle people, those are... My dad, Sarah Highland loves her so much. Oh, God. You played her mother, right?

I play her mother. The jungle, yeah, she adores you. I mean, I felt so maternal to her. And also, I made you confirm a story when I first met you. Do you mind if I told this? Barbara Berry, who is on, do you remember this? Barbara Berry, who is on Suddenly Susan with you. I was on Suddenly Susan with her.

Okay, okay. You were Susan, so she was on with you. but she told me a story about she and her husband had a fire island house and she would let her friends stay there

and when you were with Andre you and Andre went to stay at her Fire Island house and I guess she had forgotten that she had left a bottle of windex with a note for the housekeeper saying please clean the windows and she gets a phone call while you and Andrea are staying at her house saying

Brooke Shields is on a ladder outside your house cleaning your windows. And they were like, well, I guess I'm just to clean the windows. And that's my payment for staying. Might as well do it. And Barbara was like, she's like that. Yeah. You know, she tells you to do something. You just kind of help it.

You go, okay, yeah. I'll do it. That's so funny to me. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Brooke tells me about being the president of the Actors Equity Association, the union for professional stage actors, a role she's held since 2004, and what it's been like

advocating for fair compensation and conditions. Plus, we exchange stories about breaking the ice and awkward situations. Okay, be right back. I am always trying to cook more at home. The one thing I do know is if you start with really good ingredients, everything just gets easier. That's exactly why I love Wild Alaskan Company.

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A little stronger. There are really good aspects to it. There has been a huge learning curve because I'm used to going into a company that might be downtrodden, might have had a leads that didn't get along, or, you know, sales that are going down, and then I'm the shot in the arm, right? Right. Like when you went to Chicago. Chicago, a wonderful town.

Adams family. I mean, Adam's family, they had a tango, people didn't touch, because nobody would be in the same room practically together. Like, it was just so, so much goes on, and then I inherit that. Right. But if I'm positive enough, I go in working my ass off, really show them how committed I am, that I'm there for the right reasons, and then I believe in them, feel little.

lucky to be surrounded by them. Like, there's a, there's a morale boost, right? I, that's not the way it is in a union. In a union, you have rules. You have to work, live by. Rules, I never knew existed, and they come from, like, England in the early, whatever century, and you have to, like, with the people, the things, and you have to say, like, permission. a motion to, permission to speak and motion to approach the bench and the... Yeah. And I'm... Everything takes forever.

Well, yeah, and it's Robert's rules. There's this book this thick. And I was like, look, I don't like this guy, Robert. I don't like his rules. And meanwhile, you can't do that. It's an established thing. And it's a union. Yeah.

So once I got used to being, like, attacked, and I then got over it being personal. Because people have platforms. And this is very important. The power that they yield can be used freely against me. And when I got past that, and I really looked at why I was there, what do I bring? Visibility, access to conversations, a platform on which to highlight bad behavior like at Casa Bonita for the the people, Disney, you know, probably never work in these realms again because I'm fighting

for better conditions for people. It's a really hard battle, you know, because you're fighting government, you're fighting internal governance. And, you know, it's a platform on which people can be mad. And a lot of the time, I'm... the other end of that anger. And I get sucked in. You know, and I'm crying in the cab on the way home

because I'm like, I don't know how to do this. And then I kind of like talk to, there's like two, like three people on staff who talked me off. Because I was like, I don't know if I can be effective. And they're like, you already have been, but you have to follow really what you believe, take everything with a grain of salt and have it not affect you personally.

And once I did that, I was able to have a better understanding and a fuller view of where I can affect change. You know, getting, you know, better wages for touring companies or protections for women, you know, health-wise. How long do you have a tenure? It's four, I think I have two years left on this run. Yeah. Yeah. And I assume you're glad you did it. I'm very glad I did it.

I think, you know, I was met with some of what I had been met with when I went into different companies, which was, oh, she's just famous. That's why everybody voted for her. You know, and oh, she's just famous, like, she's not going to be serious about any of this. Most of the president's been people who have been working actors in the... They have... Well, in the olden days, like the Ron Rifkins and, you know, the past, past. But then in the past, like, nine, ten years, been relatively un... Like, not famous.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, I think they were trying to go back a little bit to the sort of figurehead that can, can, speak at a rally or get the attention at a walk. Which is really important. It actually is. And when you lean into that, because at first I was like, well, I'm not just going to be the famous one. Like, I really have to get into all the minutia.

And it was like, I can't affect change here. Yeah. I've got to do it on a different scale. I sort of also feel like our great presidents do that thing. Like, I think Obama was so great because he was a great spokesman for, like, so many big things. but he couldn't, like, me obviously got very deep into, like, many things, but, like, you know, there is a point where you're just like, you are this, it's like, I feel like someone like, oh, Brooke could be a great president

because she's like, people will listen to her. And she'll like, just tell people the policy and, like, you know. There is something to that. And luckily, within staff, I have, like, a good surrounding, you know, support group that will say, okay, here's, here's what's gone on up until next. with this. Yeah. You know, and then I can ask the questions and then I can be armed with more information.

Like I'm going to Denver in the next week or so to see Casabonita and really kind of look at how, you know, the South Park theme park that they bought and they took it over and now it's a South Park themed big pink, like fantasy lands kind of a thing in Denver. there's a documentary on it and I think the people who created Matt and Trey created South Park had always wanted to own this building or something

and they ended up buying it and converting it and it's a I think it's in an episode of South Park and they have you know swimmers doing Aqua Acts and Aerial X

and singers and dancers and it's a whole themed restaurant and you know they're conditioned are unfair. So, like, even just doing those personal things and showing my support and, you know, physically showing up,

that's helped us a lot, open up conversations. Yeah. I was at Disney. And we were all at the negotiating situation. We don't really talk too much about it, but at one point, there was a lot of resistance. And I sat there and I go, well, And there were so many people, like in this long line separated,

and it's all designed for, like, condescension and, like, oh, God, I'm seeing, I'm in front of the bosses, like, you're on trial. Yeah. I walked in, I was like, oh, boy. So at one point I said, well, I said, I just have to say this does not feel like the happiest place on earth. Did it get a laugh? Not by the other side. They were like this.

And my guys behind me were like, this. And I was like, oh, come on. Nothing. And one guy was late. And it was such a long walk before you had to go sit. And I went, I'm sorry. If you're going to make that walk late, you're going to strut.

And they hated me at that point. I was like, oh, God, this is not going well. Oh, my God. But you can't break the ice in those situations. No. There's no breaking of the ice. It's like, I can go into a company and break the ice by doing something stupid or calling something out. All that matters is you want to break the ice.

And then you're going to try. That's all that matters. Whether or not it actually breaks the ice, you have no control over that. You can try. But I can at least try. That's all I can do. I don't know why this reminds me that my son was in my older son is in a karate class. And he was testing for a new belt.

And his teacher, he's this great guy. Master C is his name. I don't even know his real name. Sensei. Master C. And he was like, talk to us about, you know, when you come in on Saturday for the test, like the vibe in here is really different.

It's like very serious. Like there's be a lot of different kids, like different age groups. This would be a table set up. There's be people that you don't recognize that are on the other side of the table and we're watching you, we're analyzing for your test for the thing.

It's like a different vibe. Like it's very quiet. It's very serious. And he's like, we're preparing all of us for what to expect on this Saturday. So I'm like, okay, you know, it can't be that different. We get there on Saturday. I've never walked into a more tense room.

And this is like for children, like a five-year-olds testing for their belt. Right? So my son goes in and he doesn't really like understand. Like, I mean, he was told that it would be more serious. But he's like, okay, he's a pretty good kid. So he was like being quiet and doing what was told of him. And so they bring in the first group and they're on the mat. And Master C's, you know, running around getting stuff done.

And they have like these, these protocols and, like, things that they have to do. Like, you have to bow every time they get off the map, like all this thing. And, you know, it's all part of the tradition, but also, like, just the ritual. The ritual, but also how strict it is. And, like, you know, it's a good lesson to learn. Yes, exactly, exactly. Anyway, so Mastercy is running around doing all this stuff. And Beckett, in dead silence.

The room's dead silent. He goes, Master C, you didn't bow getting off Matt. Oh, my God. I love him. The whole room erupts into, like, laughter. And I was like, thank God. Wow. He broke the ice.

Oh, and he felt strong enough to do it. And also, he kind of didn't know not to. But it was the truth. Yeah. Right. And Master C was like, you're right. And because I'm sure every time he's gotten off Matt, he's had to remember or been told.

That's right. So, so. So, you didn't bow getting up for that. And it wasn't even judgmental. And he was like, good back. He's like, you know you're right. You did it. They'd like, everyone was laughing.

Like, I'd loosen up the room. And I feel like, these kids are probably going to have a little bit of a better time now that like, it's not so tense. Like, I was stressing out. But also, you know, it wasn't judgmental. No. It was stating the facts. And also showing MasterCy that he was, he had learned as well. Yes.

Do you mean like there was a few things that were. being, the breaking the ice was a consequence of it. Like, it happened. I don't think he was maybe trying to break the ice. But it was a truth. And, you know, I think I'm not sure what crowd even, but it's all sort of about truth and honesty and, you know, whatever. So it's like, I give him, that's a lot of credit. I was very proud of him.

I bet. Yeah. Yeah. Oh. Oh, you should be. That was a little more from my conversation with Brooke Sheehan. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Diner's On Me. This episode of Diner's On Me was recorded at Cafe Clooney in New York City's West Village.

Next week on Dinner's On Me, you know him from The Punisher, the Walking Dead, the Bear. He's currently starring on Broadway in Dog Day Afternoon. It's John Bernthal. We'll get into his intense, no-b-S approach to acting, and how he brings such raw humanity to every character he plays. 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. Hey there, legal team.

Welcome to the Bravo Docket. We're Sessie and Angela, two attorneys with a serious passion for pop culture and all things reality TV. We use our legal know-how to break down the most sensational lawsuits and legal battles in the world of reality television. Just remember, we're lawyers, but we're not your lawyers. Follow along on Instagram at the Bravo Docket and shoot us an email at the Bravo Docket at gmail.com. Subscribe to our podcast so you never miss a moment of a legal lowdown on your favorite reality stars. Get ready to laugh, learn, and lawyer up with the Bravo docket.