Drama Queens - Brooke Shields - part 2

Episode Date: June 26, 2026

Having spent much of her life meeting other people's expectations, Brooke Shields is now defining success on her own terms. In part two of this intimate conversation, she reflects on aging, creative control, second acts, and why her popular mystery series "You're Killing Me" feels uniquely aligned with where she is today. Plus, find out how a broken bone led Brooke to one of the most important realizations of her life.  Watch season one of "You're Killing Me" on Acorn TV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, everyone. It's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Welcome back to the second portion of our conversation with our favorite gal, Brooke Shields. I think there's something so special about finding your friendships as women and certainly something that I think I cherish especially in our, you know, crazy line of work. And you are one of the people who lives in the way that I feel like I want to. I have looked up to you likewise for so long because you make sure, despite, you know, being the face, you know, being the icon, like being all of the things that sometimes women are told they're only allowed to be.

You add all of your full humanity onto it. And you've shared work about reclaiming ownership of your story. You know, your books, as I mentioned, have just been so beautiful. You've lived through moments of celebrity culture and also helped us process it. And you've made us, I think, think about those things more deeply. and I'm curious how you feel about fame now. Do you feel like for you it's healthier? Do you feel like it's a ruse?

Like, what is your relationship? You've been famous for 50 years. Like, what is that? You know, so that's a question, actually, that it's surprising me, not now, because it's been coming up. It's surprising that it has been coming up of late. And I'm sort of wondering what is in the zeitgeist and what is, I think, because with with internet sensations and TikTok stars and reality shows and right and you ask a kid

what they want to be when they grow up and they say famous you know you used to be I want to be a doctor or I want to be this I think people are starting to really look at fame differently like what does it really mean right and and is it good is it bad is it purposeful is it because it doesn't it it doesn't rely on the same criteria that it used to rely on in many ways um and infamous and famous is also you know what i mean like that that sort of the relationship between those two things i think is very different in this day and age and for this next generation's coming up what i have i used to fight it um i used to try to show you away from it, try to hide it, don't want to revel in it, don't want to, don't want to own it

because it just came with too much and it felt like it was cannibalizing my life, right? So I fought for to be regular and I fought to have real friends and I fought, fought, I got an education and all those things. And you kind of come to this, I've had to come to this conclusion that it's not going away. and I now look at it as a business. And when I was able to sort of make that switch in my head, I didn't resent it anymore. And yes, I still want privacy.

And I, you know, I'm always amazed at how people don't listen when they're, you know, they come up and they have to tell their story to you. And you know, I knew you, I had your jeans or your doll or you're this. And you were in my locker and you're like, and you could. be literally saying like I'm actually bleeding out right now and if I don't get to the hospital I probably will die right here and it's going to be ugly and really messy and and you can literally have a narrative that is that and they go I know right and you and my sister and I and this and the and you're just like wow people really need to just make it about them in that moment and they're desperate for

it and that used to make me crazy you know and it used to me and then and And then the selfie and the autograph and you're just kind of going like, there's nothing to do with me. It's all about you. Then I just sort of stopped and said, okay, first of all, let's have empathy for those people because if this is the most exciting thing, this happens to them, I'm like, I feel bad. You know, if I'm it, you know, or if that moment is so important to them, let them have it. But also, you know, say thank you and but I have to catch a plane or whatever it is. and you can be kind and you can still protect yourself.

But as an actress, you know, I've had to look at it more as a commodity element and use it and access it and pick up that phone call and call an executive. And, you know, where I never would have done it. I was, you know, I only be humble and be smaller and be everybody, you know, don't, you know, walk onto a set and be, I have to walk onto a set and I can be kind and have a wonderful work ethic, but I'm the boss and I have to act like it. And owning that power or that fame or whatever you want to call it has given it its purpose to me in a very different way. And, you know, it got me a pickup on a show. You know what I mean? And I know it did because of all the publicity I did.

And the people want it, you know, and I thought, okay, don't resent it. It's not taking from your life. If you can harness it appropriately and don't ever overuse it, but use it correctly and fairly, you can have a long, longer career, you know? And I think that that's been only in older years. Wow. You know, so it's, it's a little, it took me a while. because in a way I was like, oh, that's, ew. But then I started looking at it as an executive producer. And as someone, you know, I was talking to the head of the union.

And we were at an AFL-CIO event, which was all the different unions and the presidents of all the unions. And actors' equity was there. And I went as the president. And this one woman is just such a dynamo. and she runs all of, I mean, she runs the automotive union and the construction worker union. And she's just this lovely mom and this beautiful, like, she's just a great person. And she said to me, she called me up one day and she's like, I have to tell you something.

And I said, okay, she said, you don't step into your power and you deserve to. And you really, really should. And she said, not just as a union leader, because it's the most uncomfortable thing for me. but because it's all about taking the attention and speaking on behalf. I can speak on behalf of people and for people, but I'm used to being of the people more. And I think that she said, that's known more. You've to stand in it and be as big as you can be. And I had a therapist who said the same thing.

And it's been a very interesting few years of, being okay, walking into a room with my head held high and not apologizing, you know. And I think that that, I think many women do experience that. Yes. And I want to keep telling them it's not arrogance. It's ownership and it's a privilege to be able to have that. And that's changed while I've been getting. to this sort of stage in my life.

And I'm taking more risks and I'm, and then there's a freedom in it too. And it's amazing what people want that from you. You know, they want, they want that. They look to it. And so you putting yourself down is not helpful to them, you know? Right. And now a word from our sponsors who make this show possible.

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Ilsonique, in Montreal, every day you enter is another chance to win. It's an interesting thing because men are asked to humble themselves as they succeed. And I will never forget, Connie Britton said something to me, similarly to what you're saying now. We were, you know, talking about something we had done, and she was going to post something and was like, she was asking me for, like, what's another way to say? And I said, I don't know, maybe because this is such a, you know,

monumentous moment, open with, like, something like, I'm just so humbled to be here. And she looked at me and she goes, no, I'm not humbled. I worked for this. And I went, oh. And it was this sort of moment where I was like, oh. Yeah. And also like, you're Brooke fucking Shield.

She's Connie fucking Britain, you know? Like I'm looking at my friends going, oh, right. And I could see it for other people, always. And I could do exactly what you're saying. I could say, step into your power, know your worth, organize for more. Our unions deserve a raise. People deserve health care. P, you know, everyone deserves rights.

And it took me until the last couple of years to realize I can inhale and expand and speak out power, more power for us. I take it away from myself in every second all the time. And I am currently in a season where I am trying to recalibrate my relationship with and my comfort with who I am. Like, I can look at every woman in my life and say, you are first name, fucking last name. Can I say that about myself? And it is a really interesting moment to go, oh, I'm sort of an expert analyst at systems that affect us negatively in the world, and I have not given myself the same grace to look at

the way I have been impacted by a system that wants to take worth away from women. Whoa. Like it's a crazy, it's a crazy moment. And it's really cool to hear you talking about owning your power when you walk in a room. Because I've thought of you as like this gorgeous, powerful person for as long as I've known you. I mean, I think that's a common thing. I think women are so used to holding other people up and taking care of. and supporting and, you know, you spend it all,

and then you don't have it for yourself. And it's like, yeah, yeah, her, but, and you were a part of the, like, somehow not a part of the club. And I think, you know, I also, humility isn't interesting, being humble and being, I always thought that that was the key. And I had a trainer once who said, I will never teach my children to be humble.

And I said, wow, I always thought that that was a good thing. I thought those who weren't humble were arrogant. And he said, I'm not saying you have to be bad or arrogant or mean or stuck up or anything like that. But you walk into a room leading with being humble and you've just made yourself smaller. You can be gracious. You can be thankful. You can be humbled by seeing something.

unbelievable. That's beautiful or that's something in a child. You know, that is, that is being brought to the, to the core of that's not bad. Healthy humility, maybe. Healthy humility and willingness to, willingness to celebrate yourself because how do we expect others to do it if we don't, you know? And you think, I mean, I used to think, oh, I'll self-deprecate and then they'll they'll like me and then they'll they'll stick up for me and then you start believing your self-deprecation and then you start actually being self-deprecated to yourself and then you're like oh wait a minute and then you're mad because you feel less than yeah and it's very it's the opposite of arrogance and it and it's taken me quite some time and listen it served me in the beginning do you know what I

mean because people did like me and they did want to work with me and I did make friends and and it did put people at ease at first when they first met me if I because I was famous and they weren't or or whatever and and it's a shtick you know and and and it's funny at times but as I've gotten older it just doesn't fit the same way yeah and and and that's freeing too you know but it it's kind of daily you sort of have to, I have to work on it daily, because I'll fall right into the pattern again so quickly. And I, I was, this is a crazy story. I broke my femur and I was, a couple, a few years ago, and I was on the ground in a gym. And I just finished this like crazy two week challenge that I, I don't know, I needed to do it for whatever reason. And,

The paramedics are there, and I'm on the ground. And, I mean, I'm in the kind of pain that is unfathomable. I mean, like, like animal sounds are coming out of me. And I could see the paramedic recognize me. In that moment, he recognized me. And without missing a frigging beat, as in pain as I was, I started to say something. Like, not Blue Lagoon, but like something for Schildzy, right?

Yeah. To like, because I saw it in his eyes. You were going to crack the joke that always plays well. Right. And within a second, my trainer grabs my shoulder. And he goes, hey. And I kind of looked up. He goes, you don't have to do that.

Stop it. And it was that moment that then I ended up being just able to just, I think I passed out because of the pain. But it was, I thought, wow, this is so hardwired into me. Yes. I'm even doing it with a broken fomber and I'm dying. They didn't know if I was in internal bleeding or like it was so, so dire and serious. And I did it even that second.

And this was like five years ago maybe. And I remember like waking up in the hospital and being in excruciating pain and they wouldn't give me another. x-ray and I finally said, look, if you want me to be a hysterical female, I can do it. I said, I'm really good at it. And I said, but give me another x-ray. Thank God I did because my bone had popped off the device. And I thought, self-advocacy and not, don't do it anymore. It's not, it's not attractive either. It's not good for your girls, you know. You don't have to poke fun at yourself to make other people comfortable. And it's hard. It's hard. And, you know, again, there is a schick in it that kind of does serve you in a way. Yeah. It doesn't feel like it fits anymore. And that's

been really kind of eye-opening for me in this era of my life. Well, when you talk about how it doesn't fit, and it's a new era, and there is a new job. And you've said, you are, you are the boss. You are the executive producer. You know, you, by the way, fought to defend the title of your show, and I love that it stuck. You're killing me is, it's the perfect phrase. It's the perfect joke. It's also a little bit of spice in the cozy core mystery world, you know, for those of us who were raised on Angela Lansbury. Like, I love that you have managed to thread this needle for yourself. And I'm really curious. Did you set kind of intentions for this on day one because you've been on this journey of, oh, the old schick doesn't fit? Did you go into this job a new version of yourself? Very much so.

And I was spearheading the whole thing. I mean, I reached out to the showrunner and I'd worked with her multiple times. And I knew she got my humor and I knew her writing was smart. And I called her and I said, look, I know we've done movies. episodes here and there of things. I said, but let's, let's write a, let's create a show. Let's find a vehicle. And she was like, well, mysteries are very popular right now and only murders in the building and Matlock and murder she wrote and all of those that kind of, it's kind of coming back and it's this cozy mystery sort of a thing. And I said, you know, there's a huge appeal. And it is very

much a big chunk of my audience. And I said, let's, and we just started talking. And we just started talking. and brainstorming and I said, you know, I'm fascinated by generational differences. And I have kids who make fun of me and they are in their 20s. And it's funny, but it's also we both teach each other. So we brought that kind of put in the mystery world. She came up with this sort of idea of this character. And every step of the way, I knew I was going to be an executive producer, but I'd never been an executive producer that had that much say.

that you know, AMC would call me and say, what do you think about this? Or how about this director and these actors and what about this? And they actually wanted my opinion. Yeah. And I fought for things. I fought for the title. I fought to keep the humor in. You know, they get very safe with me. They want me to just be non-offensive and pretty and not, you know, networks. You know, just keep her, keep her likable. And I'm like, no, the reason why these characters are likable is because they're flawed and they're funny. And we're not doing bloody, gory. We're doing Agatha Christie. We're doing a little bit of, you know, a little wink without taking you out of it. But you're doing, we're doing things that are relationship oriented. And these people you care about. I mean, yes,

there's a body that's going to drop every week, right? Sleepy little town, little fishing, safe, fishing town. The cove. We love it. But I walked into this whole thing. I pitched it with her. We pitched it to AMC and AMC ACORN. And from every step of the way, I watched them look at me differently and look at my history

and my experience and nostalgia and fame and all of those pieces put together. And then I worked my ass off for the show and for the edit and for the PR. And I said, you know, you guys have the capacity and the capability to make this a hit or not. I will, I will do everything I can. And I know I can get the publicity and get the outlets and the, I mean, to be on these competing shows, I don't know how the press department did that. But, you know, normally, if you do one, you can. do the other and everybody owns you and and it just I kind of really looked at it and I walked on

to the set every day and I set an example and you watched it in the electrics you watched it in the gaffers you watched it in the dolly pole you know and guys these grunty old guys would come up you know came up to me and said you know you really make this an enjoyable place to be and you make me laugh every day and it's really good we want to like and these guys have been pulling cable for you know 50 years you know what I mean and and they've seen it all and and there was such respect for the way that I set the tone for the for the set and and people worked extra hard and it was just it was so great to sort of be able to be that example um and feel really not feeling arrogant about it, but just feel like I did earn the right to have these opinions and also say,

like, please prove me wrong, and I will defer to your expertise. And I love that and I will learn as well. And that's important too, because it doesn't mean I'm always right, you know? Yeah. And now a word from our sponsors. Up close and personal with shineouts, Brent Smith and Zach Myers. Win your way into an exclusive IHard Live for an intimate performance in Q&A, July 6 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Don't miss it. For your chance to win, enter now at iHartRadio.ca. With Brent Smith and Zach Myers of Shinedown.

Stream the new album 8, available now. I had a producer really early, my sort of like, you know, safe person mentor in North Carolina when we did One Tree Hill. And he always used to say, the best idea always, always. He said, if it's my idea, he'd go, so if it's your idea, he goes, if it comes from one of the electrics, I don't care, best idea, always wins. And I took that with me forever. And eventually, I finally came to the place that you're talking about, which is sometimes I do have the best idea. And if somebody else has it, A plus. But if I have it, I'm allowed to have it too. And that little nuance. That feels like a nice place to be where I'm not always saying, oh, well, you know, you know better

than me. No, we're all really smart. And let's put our heads together and come up with something great. I don't have to diminish myself to make anyone else happy. And actually, if I don't diminish myself, maybe I can encourage other people to be as big as they are. You know, I've learned a lot from like my husband in the writing room, you know, and you know, they write a script and then put it to the room and they're all around a table and what about this is a joke? Or what if he did this? Or what if she said this? And it becomes it's augmented and the power of all of it, the collective. And nobody is fighting for their idea just because it's their idea. The best idea does, does make it into the script, you know. And so I mean, how cool.

Yeah, and I think that's great. I mean, writing books too and having a really good editor and having an editor that doesn't just say, well, write this instead, they have a series of questions that they choose to pose to you so that the editors that I've had that I've really enjoyed working with have given me the ability to come up with the best way to say something because they've asked certain questions of me and helped guide me into thinking about it differently instead of saying, here, write this. And that I think is in most creative endeavors

if you're lucky, you know. I love that. What do you want the friends listening at home to know about the show? Obviously, everyone, if you've been living under a rock, you're killing me is on Acorn TV. it's such, it's just such like a delicious thing to watch. First of all, it's, you really hook into these two women and they're, how they are navigating

together coming from very different lives and experiences and ages. And I think that, first of all, people have a hard time finding acorn. It's really easy to do. You just go on to whatever you stream through, whether it's like Roku or whatever. And search, and then you can search the show or search Apple. You can even go on to Amazon, I think, and you can find it. But it's there, and it's like it pops up first. So that's been interesting to try to help educate people on to how to get acorn

because not everybody has acorn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But is that you can watch it with all types of people. Like you don't, you can watch it with your kids. You can watch it with a partner. You can. And it's just entertainment. And you will laugh and you will have your heartstrings pulled every now and then.

And you will, you know, it's a great escape. It's, you know, it's 45 minutes or whatever with commercials or whatever. And it's just you kind of watch it and you leave feeling lighter because you forgot everything and that's crazy in the world. You mean an enjoyable TV watching experience? Remember those? I know. Remember those?

And you just sort of feel like, oh, I feel like. oh, I feel like I just took a yoga class or something, you know, and you've laughed and you've cried. It's better than cats. And it's just a, it's a feel good. They say cozy mysteries. And I don't know. I mean, that gets kind of a little schmaltzy, in my opinion, the way that sounds.

But it's definitely, you know, there's room for just entertainment. And it's okay to laugh. And it's okay to, you know, and we're not, it's not gory. You don't get a sick. feeling in your stomach, you know, like so much of it that I watch and I'm just like, oh, God. And it just makes you feel good. I love that. There's so much that you've done and I know you're not, I know you're not hanging anything up

anytime soon. So when you think about, you know, how life feels right now and how fulfilling it is, what feels like your work in progress still? I mean, probably everything. I mean, you know, I'm gearing up for the second season and already, I'm already fighting. I'm just like already having conversations like, no, we have to get the writer's room started two weeks earlier, not two weeks later. Yeah. Yeah. No, we have to build the sets. It was like all these things. But I think I'm a, I think where I am a work in progress is giving myself a little bit more of a paddle. the back and knowing that I really do have to take care of myself. And that means sleeping and that means physically. And because I will run so, I mean, look at my arm. I'm in a huge cast. What happened? My muscle was starting to attach itself around a nerve and killing the nerve. And I was losing feeling in my hands. And you know, you don't want to be the crazy lady, you know.

when I finally just said to this doctor, I was like, can you do all the tests, please? Because turns out, something's up. Something's up and you know better about your body. So I think where I am a work in progress is not really not being afraid to speak up for myself and for things that don't feel right to me and not saying yes to absolutely everything. Because I just, I'm tired. I'm just tired. I know. I really am. And, you know, it's okay. you don't owe anybody anything you know i mean yes our kids but but that it's that comes from a different place you know but i think you know this obligatory yes yesness you know it's just doesn't doesn't feel good anymore you know yeah yeah that's i think that might be my work in

progress too, my friend. Wow. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Oh, well, I love it. I mean, for everyone at home, catch up on the whole season of your killing me on acorns. Yeah, it's like, it's perfect. It's, it's, it's like a great weekend of being entertained and then we can all be ready for season two to come out. Yes, thank you. I'm just so happy for you. I just, I'm so happy. This is a, this is a piece of what you're doing right now because I think not only could I listen to your voice forever, but you have so much to say and you're so smart

and lovely and it's and I'm glad people are getting to experience it. Thanks, honey. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.