One of the things that makes me truly happy is seeing other people do what they love from surfing in Hawaii to working with animals, people who live their lives doing what makes them happy are inspiring and beautiful. I first heard about Kate Somerville and her medi-skin Clinic when I worked as an on-camera entertainment host in Los Angeles. Before awards shows, every reporter and actress I knew had appointments at The Clinic to help get their skin glowing. I recently met up with Kate, to talk about her newest products in her eponymous line.
The Happygirl: Hi Kate. I am a big fan of your products. I religiously use ExfoliKate and your Somerville360 Tanning Towelettes. There’s a new product out though that beauty editors, Kate Somerville fans and your celebrity clientele are excited about.
Kate Somerville:Well, we have a new product, RetAsphere, that actually gets rid of your wrinkles. It depends, of course, on how deep they are. This is a product with Retinol. A lot of my clients have used Retinol or Retin-A throughout the years and they have had irritation. You can get red and flaky and your skin can look not so good for 3 to 4 weeks. I came out with a Retinol based product that is great for sensitive skin. It is an incredible technology called Smart Release. It is time release. If you look at the cream with a microscope you would see spheres. Around the spheres are lipids which match our skin. Inside the lipid is the Retinol in its purest form. Retinols can oxidize when they hit the air and when you put it directly on the skin you can get what I call flash-burn. It irritates the skin. With this product, however, because this is encapsulated inside the lipid, the lipid melts so it is your moisturizer and as it melts it releases the Retinol. You get those incredible results without the irritation.
Kate Somerville: People ask me what Retinols do. They ask me why they need this. Retinol turns over your skin cells faster. That means that the damage comes off. If you turn over the skin cells faster you get rid of damage and the years of damage that we have done to ourselves. Your skin will look a lot better as you age. If you are sensitive to Retinols, use it twice a week. This is your night cream so it’s two in one -- your Retinol and your night time moisturizer.
The Happygirl: Sitting across from you, your skin is flawless. What products do you use?
Kate Somerville: My favorites are my Gentle Daily Wash. It’s sulfate free and it doesn’t strip my skin. I am a no nonsense girl. It gets my make-up off in one fell swoop. I feel clean and I don’t feel stripped. Then Dermal Quench Liquid Lift, derived off my best and most famous clinic treatment called Dermal Quench. This is Hyaluronic Acid and oxygen. Every morning I get an oxygen blast. It lifts, plumps and keeps my skin really hydrated. I fly a lot and this helps me on airplanes. Then I do a little bit of Quench. This product has been in my line for 11 years. It is full of lipids and Hyaluronic Acid. Then I do Deep Tissue Repair which is my absolute favorite. It has eight different peptides in it. I feel that’s what keeps me looking youthful. Then my SPF 55 sunscreen if I am going to be out in the sun a lot. If I’m not out in the sun, I’ll use Jane Iredale makeup. I love a powder foundation. At night is when I do my Retinols and of course, ExfoliKate twice a week and Clinic-to-go pads once a week. Those are Lactic Acid peeling pads. It keeps my skin fresh. I am in the sun a lot. I live in Santa Barbara and I have an 11 year old. We are out in the ocean a lot!
The Happygirl: I LOVE your Tanning Towelletes. When I fly to the east coast I always fly make-free up free and apply a Tanning Towelette before take off. I land with an incredible glow.
Kate Somerville: I do those once a week. I don’t ever miss doing it. A little healthy color.
The Happygirl: A little healthy color makes me a happygirl. What makes you a happygirl?
Kate Somerville: Oh, my gosh. What makes me a happygirl? Well, first off my family, my little boy. Just waking up with him every day and smelling him and kissing his sweet little face. So, that makes me the happiest. Being in nature. . .I am a nature girl. Really understand that’s so basic, you know. Just bringing you back to earth and enjoying the time we are on the planet and caring for the planet. That REALLY makes me happy.
The Happygirl: Is there anything that makes you happy when you’re not having the greatest day? Music?
Kate Somerville: Definitely music can turn my whole world around in seconds but I’m a foodie. I love--honestly, this is what makes me happy: A bean and cheese burrito with chips and salsa and a really good margarita. Literally if you want a happy girl just put me right there in the sun. (laughs)
Audrey Hepburn said "I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls." It's true. Think about a happy girl. What does she look like? When a girl is healthy and happy and in her "zone" she is the prettiest girl in the room. Sure, a beauty is a good thing, but what matters just as much if not more is how much a girl likes herself. How comfortable she is her body translates directly to how good she feels about herself and how the world sees her. Someone who knows this correlation well is supermodel, Sarah DeAnna, author of the new book "Supermodel YOU." I had the chance to catch up with Sarah at Fashion Week in New York to talk about what makes a happy girl. Be prepared. You're going to fall in love with this girl.
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Win a signed copy of "Supermodel YOU" along with one of our favorite glassybabys in glamour. Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite tip on what makes you a healthy, happy girl (or guy!)
(enter by April 15 at 11:59pm PT)
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The Happygirl: Hi Sarah! It's a busy week here at Fashion Week!
Sarah DeAnna:It is!
HG: Let's dive in. You wrote the book "Supermodel YOU." What made you want to write this book?
Sarah: I never thought I would write a book. I am super super passionate about health and fitness and I will research these topics and learn everything I can about a topic. As a model I thought it was something important that I learn about and here I am in an industry that is obsessed with models being crazy thin. I know a lot of girls who don't know how to be thin and healthy at the same time. I was the healthy girl that was appropriate in my body shape and size and yet I could still be healthy. I realized that this message needed to be out there on a bigger scale.
HG: In the book you talk about the five keys of bringing out your inner supermodel. What are some of those keys?
Sarah: Everybody knows about eating and exercise but to be honest these are not the most important things. Other things govern these. I was fascinated in that there is no set diet that a model follows. Most models don't exercise. We all eat different things. Yes, diet and exercise are important but what regulates those? I read that sleep contributes to obesity, weight gain and throws your hormones out of whack. If you're tired you don't want to work out and you want to eat more. People think models are out partying all the time, but we're not. Healthy models know that we need to get our beauty sleep. That helps maintain your body and gives you energy to move your body.
Sarah: Stress is another enormous thing that can impact your weight. I found out that the #1 leading cause of stress is financial. This affects your security. Stress can make your hormones go crazy.
Sarah: The most important key, actually, is self-awareness. If you lack self-awareness you can't make changes in your life. This is related to self-consciousness. Most healthy models have good self-awareness. Most models have a good grasp on self-awareness versus self-consciousness. We constantly have to know everything about our physical body. There are so many aspects of being self-aware that transfer to the rest of your life. In the book I teach how what I learned as a model can help you feel empowered and feel good.
HG: When you're not feeling empowered what is the easiest way to get your mojo back?
Sarah: It's funny. I talk about this in the book. When I am feeling that way, negativity seeks in it's because one of the keys is out of whack. For example, it's proven that if you don't sleep well, that day you'll be more negative. So I will evaluate the keys. Then I can fix it. Or maybe it's stress and I'll try to alleviate the stress. For me it's crying it out, going to the gym, relaxing, getting a massage, listening to music. . .Music is super important to me so we put different playlists in the book. Different models gave us their playlists for different moods.
Need a lift? Watch Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger" video.
HG: Is there a song that you can listen to and it makes you think "Yeah, I've got it back."
Sarah: I do. There is a playlist that is in the book. It's all about super powerful girl songs by Beyonce, Christina Aguilera ("Beautiful"), Kelly Clarkson ("Stronger"). You hear these songs and you feel like an amazing, beautiful, woman.
HG: Sarah, I know you travel a lot. What do you bring with you that helps you keep healthy and happy when you're away from home?
Sarah: Traveling is crazy stressful. Especially for a model because often things are so last minute. I have learned to develop a routine. I have go-to outfits that I wear when I travel. It's usually freezing on planes. You want to be comfortable in your shoes as well. I always have my headphones and my eye mask. I always always have snacks on me when I travel. Always. I always have food in the glove books, protein bars, fruit, nuts, coconut water, water. People often confuse hunger with thirst so I always carry water.
HG: Is there a protein bar or a flavor that you like?
Sarah: Chocolate anything? (laughs) I have a chocolate affliction.
HG: What is your happy place?
Sarah: The beach. Anywhere that is hot, a sauna. . .People think I am crazy but you know the temperature inside a sauna? That is my ideal temperature. I don't really sweat. I should have been born somewhere super super hot.
HG: Sarah, what things make you happy?
Sarah: Music. This sounds crazy but I love the gym. I really love it. It is a space that is my time. Sometimes I will just go and move my body. I really love that. I love sleeping. I love a good night's rest. I love raw food. Raw chocolate, anything raw because it's just pure yumminess. I like really intellectual conversations that are highly charged even if it's above my head. I am a total nerd. I will watch university lectures. I geek out on that kind of stuff. (laughs) (Ed. note: So she's beautiful, nice, funny and smart.) I swear by Dr. Alkaitis. It is raw, organic and amazing. I get so many compliments on my skin. Makeup artists always say that they love my skin. It's very healthy looking. I love Levi's. They are the epitome of jeans. They are classic. There is something about Levi's that I love.
HG: Do you have a happy outfit that you put on when you want to feel sexy and cute?
Sarah: (laughs) You mean like these leopard print pajamas that I'm wearing right now? I bought these at Nordstrom and I love them. They're so worn out but I love it.
HG: Sarah, I loved talking with you and the message in your book about how to put your best self forward is so empowering.
Sarah: I think it's important to try your best to be happy.
HG: It can be a struggle every day to try to get your happy back. I believe that it all happens for a reason though.
Sarah: It does, doesn't it?
HG: It's been great talking with you, Sarah. Thanks for sharing what you learned along the way as a healthy, happy model.
"Supermodel YOU" is available now online and in bookstores nationwide.
Some of the best moments of my life have taken place at brunch.
There was that moment when I looked across the table at my then boyfriend (now husband, L.) over blueberry pancakes one fine autumn morning at Sylvester's in Northampton, MA and I knew, I just knew that he was the one.
There were the mornings on the sun-dappled patio at the Four Seasons Los Angeles when I enjoyed meetings with some of my favorite people at the movie studios. Negotiations over Lemon-Ricotta pancakes is always a good choice.
There were the Sunday mornings in Manhattan when I met friends for maple bacon Bloody Mary's at David Burke Kitchen.
Brunch is relaxing. It's happy mornings with coffee mugs that are always filled and tables that are laden with omelettes, fresh squeezed juice, ripe beautiful strawberries and fresh baked whole grain toast.
If you are having brunch with someone it means either the night before went really, really well or you are meeting up with someone you really really want to be with. Brunch is just a happy meal. Friends know that if they suggest getting together for a meal that I will say "Breakfast? Brunch?" Sure, dinner is lovely with the right people but brunch is wonderfully slow, delicious and typically full of laughs and those moments that just make your serotonin levels go all poppity pop pop.
Traveling the world I am not the girl who wanted to go to the hottest dinner spots. No, I always asked locals about their favorite breakfast/brunch spots, little dives, hidden restaurants that may be off the beaten path. The best oatmeal I ever had was in Melbourne, Australia. I remember the scrambled eggs at the small cafe in Paris that made me swoon and French Toast, well I've pretty much traveled the world in search of the most heavenly French Toast.
My Goat Cheese Omelette
Here in Seattle, we're lucky to be surrounded by some of the best restaurants in the world. Not long ago, we discovered Portage Bay Cafe (391 Terry Ave. N, Seattle) a restaurant well known for their organic, local and sustainable take on delicious, hearty meals. Housed in what feels like a Manhattan loft space, Portage Bay Cafe is open, airy and cozy. Here you'll find artsy folks, dads with strollers and Microsoft executives (Microsoft is located in the same building) sharing some of the best breakfast fare in the city.
On the Saturday morning we visited, the place was PACKED (there are loads of stores and apartments in the area) but the wait was less than two minutes. (We would have waited 60!) The coffee was quick and the menu thorough. I opted for the Goat Cheese Omelette and L. had the Chorizo Sausage Scramble. (Click here for the full breakfast menu) Had we ordered any pancakes or french toast we would have taken a trip up to the succulent berry bar.
Yes, this is the infamous berry bar!
The omelette was amazing. The coffee was rich and perfect. L. opted for fruit instead of potatoes and instead of an expected sad grape/cantaloupe/melon combo, he was presented with a bowl of freshly sliced bright grapefruit, orange and pineapple.
L.'s Chorizo Sausage Scramble. Look at that gorgeous fruit!
Sure, the breakfast was incredible but what made this restaurant easily one of our new favorites was the fact that the menus were clearly lovingly invented and prepared from locally sourced ingredients with sustainability kept in mind. Maybe this fact made the food taste better or maybe it was just that people doing good things made everything just feel good.
Portage Bay Cafe is owned by John and Amy Gunnar and offers breakfast, brunch and lunch at three locations with catering as well.
If you're in the Seattle area, this should be a stop on your Happy Places list. Maybe I'll see you there!
The best quote from last night's Golden Globes Awards was easily this one from Jodie Foster as she delivered her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award. I've been thinking about this one line from her speech since last night. While in her touching, funny, honest 6:40 speech, Foster touched on her boys, her body of work, her friendship with Mel Gibson and her former life partner Cydney, these points weren't what was on everyone's lips this morning.
No, what people are talking about is this gentle, kind, imploring message to her mother who is battling dementia. My grandmother suffered from this gut-wrenching disease. I remember one day when I sat with her she said to me "Do I know you? I like you?" I looked directly into her eyes, hoping that my love was strong enough to reach into her soul. "Yes, and I love you. I love you. I love you." Maybe no matter how aware or tiny or hurt a person may be, I hope "I love you" is a phrase that one's soul will always recognize and embrace.
Sometimes a girl just needs a pair of shoes to lift her spirits. Yes, sometimes they are running shoes that make you feel bouncy and fast and happy but sometimes, you come across very special shoes that make you feel beautiful and ladylike. This is something designer Rachel Roy excels at.
Last night at a lovely (and yes, very ladylike event complete with sparkly lemonade-cucumber drinks and hors d'oeuvres on silver trays) Rachel debuted her new Footwear and Dress Salon Collection at the Nordstrom downtown Seattle flagship store. (10% of the day's sales were donated to the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Backstage Pass program.)
There is a reason that fashion standouts like First Lady Michelle Obama, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner and Penelope Cruz are drawn to Rachel's collections. Her style is tailored yet cool and luxe. Wearing Rachel Roy whether it's a trench coat, illusion dress or houndstooth heels adds that punch of confidence.
Last night I spoke with Rachel and I became smitten. You will too.
The Happygirl: It's so good to meet you, Rachel! It's such a great event tonight! You look so happy. What makes you happy? Rachel Roy: Oh, a lot of things! I try to surround myself with love, good intent, being around people with good energy and good spirit who want to be people that don't mind fighting for the sake of good and who want to learn.
HG: Are there are particular things that you love?
Rachel: Oh! I love candles, incense, good food, good wine, good tea, shopping, bubble baths. . .
HG: Is there a scent that makes you happy?
Rachel: Yes! Red roses. Jo Malone Red Roses is my favorite perfume. I love the body lotion. It reminds me of everything magical and glamorous that I aspire to be. This scent reminds me of 1940's movie icons. . .
HG: Is there a movie that makes you happy?
Rachel: Yes! Lots of movies. If I want fashion and inspiration "The Women"-- the 1930's version. If I want a good love story, "The Notebook." Each and every time I cry with my 12 year-old daughter.
HG: What is you idea of a perfect Saturday?
Rachel: Good question. Sleeping in in my bed. That makes me happy! It's like a cloud with soft pillows and yummy sheets. Being with my girls, of course, and surrounding myself with love and fun, somewhere where we are in the sun and we can hear the ocean with people who care about us around us.
(note: Here's where Rachel did something that no other interviewee has ever done. She flipped the interview around and started asking me questions.)
Rachel: What makes you happy?
HG: Wow. Being around other people who are happy. Just being around people who are honest and who choose happiness in their lives. (note: When I first met Rachel I introduced myself as The Happygirl.)
Rachel: Tell me about The Happygirl.
HG: It's the adventure guide to getting your happy back. It's about living your life with intention even after loss that you feel like you can't rebound from. . .
Rachel: So you found out how to do that and you're passing the tools on. . .Oh, I love that! You ARE The Happygirl.
HG: So are YOU!
One of the things that stood out for me about Rachel is this moment: Before the event started I watched a 12 year-old girl (accompanied by her sweet dad) carefully taking photos of the shoes displayed and patiently waiting to meet Rachel. It was an awesome moment to behold when she got the chance to meet Rachel and talk with her about fashion. There were also the friends who came to the event together and squealed when Rachel took a picture with them and the fashion stylist who seemed almost apoplectic and who could barely speak when Rachel smiled at him.
Thank you to Nordstrom for hosting this event and to Rachel Roy for not just being a style icon but for being the kind of person a 12 year-old girl will always remember.
* Which shoes did I buy? The black and white houndstooth 'Ana' on the left. Do you like them?
Lobsters. The Nantucket ferry. Salt air. Dunkin Donuts coffee. James Taylor. Pumpkins.
These words-- these words make me happy because they remind me of Massachusetts. They remind me of home. Last month when I was in my hometown in Massachusetts on vacation I realized that it is in this place where I am content and happy. Driving past my best friend Mimi's house I remembered the prickly sting of the hot sun on my wet skin as we splashed in her pool every summer day throughout high school. I sat quietly in a pew of the church I attended as a little girl with my grandparents. When I closed my eyes I could almost feel my grandmother's soft hand on mine, reminding me to be still. Each time I got on the Mass Turnpike, I remembered the trips to The Cape, to my college in New Hampshire and to my boyfriend's (now husband's) college in Syracuse. It's the highway that led me to happy places, places where I am just a girl named TJ.
When I got back to the west coast after my vacation, friends said things like "You look so relaxed. You look so happy. You're glowing. What's up with that?" "I went back to my happy place," I said. I wondered what other people considered to be their happy place so I started asking friends "Where is it in this world that makes you happy?" What I learned is that a happy place is the city you moved to after college. It's the vacation spot you travel to every year. It's the place you moved to across the country so you could be with your partner. It is the town you grew up in and the place you love.
Here at the Happygirl, we want to know "What place makes you happy? Why do you love your town? Is it the place you grew up in or the place you live in now?" Welcome to Happy Places.
We're starting deep in the heart of Texas. We asked Dallas fashion expert and beauty author Victoria Snee to tell us about her place, her Dallas.
Victoria Snee Dallas, Texas
Describe Dallas and why you love it in one sentence:
From the friendly people to the fabulous food and shopping to the warm weather and, of course, the Dallas Cowboys, there is just no place like Big D! Three words that characterize Dallas: Proud, chic, fashionable.
My Saturday always starts off with a good cardio workout at Willowbend Fitness and then food shopping for the week at Central Market. Then, I like to get my hair done at Dry Bar with Jenny or Bonnie and make-up done by Jeff with Giorgio Armani cosmetics at Neiman Marcus NorthPark. I might have lunch at Patrizios where I always order my favorite grilled chicken salad. I usually like to spend the afternoon shopping at NorthPark or I might get a manicure with Joey at Frederic Fekkai or a facial and massage at the Four Seasons. We always like to go out for dinner with friends on the weekends. Some of our favorite restaurants are Al Biernat's, Ocean Prime, Capital Grille and Nick and Sam's.
When you are away from Dallas and you return what do you look forward to the most?
I usually look forward to just spending quiet time at home and walking outside with my husband through the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve by our home in Plano.
What is the one attraction in Dallas that you will always take your visitors to?
I love to show visitors Cowboys Stadium. It is so massive and impressive and home of my favorite football team!
Nick & Sams
Is there a food associated with Dallas? If so, where do you find the best?
I think there are a lot of different foods associated with Dallas--barbecue, steak and Tex-Mex. Even though I have lived most of my life in Texas, I am not much of a barbecue fan. For steak, I like Nick and Sam's and for Tex Mex, I love Gloria's.
Neiman Marcus
What are the top three happiest places for you in Dallas?
Definitely NorthPark Center (especially Neiman Marcus), playing tennis on the courts at Gleneagles Country Club and spending time in Frisco with my goddaughter.
What's your favorite restaurant? (What do you order?)
I always order fish whenever we go out since I don't like cooking it at home. I love the salmon at Al Biernat's and Nick and Sam's.
What do you wish people knew about Dallas?
That we don't all live on ranches and ride horses!
Any insider tips for Dallas?
I have a big sweet tooth so I love the cupcakes at Gigi's and the cookies&cream popcorn at Uptown Popcorn. Nothing beats breakfast at Breadwinners. The Rattlesnake Bar at the Ritz Carlton serves the most delicious cocktails and I also love afternoon tea at the hotel as well.
Do you have any other favorite places you like to visit?
I LOVE Paris! I have been several times including my honeymoon. We also took a trip to Italy for our 10 year anniversary in 2011 and I fell in love with the fashionable streets of Milan. I came back home broke!
Victoria Snee is an AP Award winning journalist and author of The Beauty Buzz. She currently works as Northpark Center’s Fashion and Beauty Expert.
Victoria joined MIX 102.9 in 2007 as co-host of the morning drive radio show “The Morning Mix.” In 2009, she was named one of Dallas’ Ten Most Beautiful Women by D Magazine. Victoria has covered lifestyle, fashion, beauty and entertainment stories in DFW for the past 12 years working as a reporter on CW33 News at Nine. She regularly traveled to Los Angeles and New York City interviewing major Hollywood stars at movie premieres and red carpet events.
Victoria started her broadcast career working on FOX 4’s morning show “Good Day.” She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a BA in Broadcast Journalism.
Victoria lives in Plano with her husband, former FOX 4 News reporter, Jeff Crilley.
Victoria's book "The Beauty Buzz" is available here.
The special 2 hour "Dallas" premiere airs Wednesday, June 13 at 9pm ET/8pm CT
When you hear the theme song from the "Dallas" series you immediately think of Southfork Ranch, scheming, power and of course, that irrepressible force of nature--JR. That song and that force of nature are back with a premiere as big as the heart of Texas. "Dallas" returns to television in a new series on TNT that is every bit as delicious as the series you remember complete with original cast members including Larry Hagman (JR), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing and Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing). "Dallas" premieres Wednesday, June 13 in a 2 hour season premiere.
Joining the cast are Brenda Strong as Bobby's wife, Ann Ewing and Jesse Metcalfe as the son of Bobby Ewing and his former wife Pam. The series picks up 20 years from where it left off. It's easy to imagine that these characters have been living their life offscreen for two decades and the cameras have come back to see what the characters are up to. I've seen seven episodes so far (from the presskit) and it is wicked fun! Last week we got a chance to meet Brenda and Jesse and we were instantly smitten. Read on to hear more about who challenges who at Scrabble and who's loving Alabama Shakes.
The Happygirl: Let’s talk about Texas. You shoot on location. How has Texas been for you?
Jesse Metcalfe: It’s been great.
Brenda Strong: It has been extremely welcoming. The city commissioners and the entire city has bent over backwards to make shooting there a pleasure including opening up the old Southfork Ranch so we can shoot our exteriors there.
Jesse: The people of Dallas have been very welcoming too. Texans are a prideful people and Dallas is something they hold close to their hearts and the fact that the series coming back and we are part of this series, we get a lot of love.
Brenda: As a cast we felt a congealing of authenticity just by being there through osmosis and having that skyline. Jesse and I got to be on a 600 acre ranch and ride horses. There is a level of the land building your character that you can’t get anywhere else.
Jesse: I think it is essential that we are shooting this entire new series in Dallas. Just as the city has evolved so has the show. It is a contemporary show. It’s as though the cameras weren't rolling for the past 20 years and they just turned them back on.
HG: Was one of the reasons you decided to take these roles because Larry Hagman was attached to it?
Jesse: Larry, Linda and Patrick actually gave this incarnation their stamp of approval and that gave us all piece of mind to be part of the project.
Brenda: They didn't want to be involved if this wasn't something they could be proud of. It s a big risk, you know? “Dallas” was such a part of the zeitgeist of the culture and they didn't want to go out with a fizzle. They ended the show and they had tried to piece something together but they realized they didn't want to do anything unless it was high quality. When they got off the phone with each other after reading the script they each said “I’m in. Are you in? OK. Let’s do this.” That was the stamp of approval that made the rest of us think “If they are willing to come back then we are willing to put our toe in and get wet.”
HG: It would have been inauthentic had you all appeared on the screen without them. Don’t you think?
Brenda: Yeah, I wouldn’t have done it without them. It would have been a caricature without them. No one would buy it. The characters were too beloved and people have them in their memory banks and anything but them wouldn't have worked.
HG: I’ve seen 7 of the episodes so far and maybe it’s a little thing but I loved the opening credits with the “Dallas” music and sliding panels. It was very 80’s. For the fans of the original series, it’s kind of comforting.
Brenda: Absolutely. Cynthia Cidere and Steve Robin paid very close attention to the fact that they didn't want to completely reinvent but keep the pillars of what made “Dallas” Dallas and then build a new house around that.
Jesse: There was talk in the early stages of coming up with a new theme song and that would have been insane.They did update the song a little bit. I was told that the drums in the original song had to be replaced because they were a little too disco. (laughs) A lot of the new buildings in Dallas are featured in the opening.
Brenda: And the song. I didn’t realize how much a part of my awareness the song was but when I drove up to shoot at Southfork the very first time the song popped into my song. I hadn't seen “Dallas” in 20 years but suddenly (sings a little of the theme song) plays and I was like “Wow! That was really interesting!” (laughs) I think the audience may feel that way as well.
HG: What would you say to fans who loved the original series? What can they expect from the new series?
Jesse: They can expect what they fell in love with initially. The show is rooted in the themes that made the show a success-- ambition, greed, power, loyalties, betrayal. That is very much at the heart of the new series. I think their expectations will be met if not exceeded. Larry, Linda and Patrick are all on top of their game if not better than they ever were. They are more seasoned actors and they are so good in this new series.
HG: You two fit in well with the rest of the cast. You have an easy feel. What did you do to get that family feel.
Jesse: Larry hosted a dinner.
Brenda: I wasn't there. I hadn't been cast yet but you guys had a bonding.
Jesse: We bonded. We bonded. (laughs) I guess you were the last one in.
Brenda: The very first time I met Patrick, Larry was at the table read. Larry set the tone. We went around the table introducing ourselves. Patrick was to my left and he said “Patrick Duffy, Bobby Ewing.” It gets to Larry and he says “Larry Hagman, icon.” (laughs) There was such an ease. We were family now. We mean business. They made us feel welcome from the get go.
Brenda: Patrick and I are playing words games Whirly Word and Scrabble. He was upset when we were shooting the pilot because I beat his twice at Scrabble and he said “That’s it! I’m not playing that anymore with you.” (laughs) But we’re like an old married couple sitting around playing Scrabble. It is just an instant ease. It organically happened.
HG: Did you watch the original series?
Brenda: I didn’t because Ann is Bobby’s new wife and she wouldn’t know the ins and outs of the Ewing family. I also wanted to have authentic surprise. I wanted to take the characters at face value. I didn't want to know every secret. However, I was on the original series. I was a one night stand!
HG: You are a good shot. You shoot a rifle well in the new series.
Brenda: I am a pacifist at heart. I am a yogi and a granola eater but ironically I seem to play women who carry guns. In “Starship Troopers” I carried a gun through the entire second film. I never really shot a shotgun. That was new to me. I went out to the range and learned to respect the weapon. I was really surprised at how much energy and focus it takes.It was a new skill.
HG: I know you both are physical. Brenda, you even did yoga here in Seattle. Is it important to you mentally and well as physically to work out? At the Happygirl, we look for ways to get our happy back. Does working out help?
Jesse: Yes, definitely. Yoga is more of a spiritual practice than weight lifting or running but I think all of those things aid in melting away the stress that you accumulate.
Brenda: I like the way that you put that--about getting your happy back. The belief in yoga is that we are innately connected to joy and it is what is in the way of that joy that yoga releases. The idea is that you do yoga to return to the joy that should be yours. So, I like your motto.
HG: What do you think drives people more” Money, Sex or Power?
Brenda: (laughs) I think it depends on the person. Some people are ambitious. Some people find power through sex. Money can mean freedom or prison. It depends what you align yourself with. I think all three are themes that run rampant through our show and any character at one time could be balancing on one of those. What runs you, Jesse?
Jesse: Probably power, my ambitions. Most of my energy goes into following my dreams and desires as far as my career is concerned. What makes life enjoyable?
HG: I like what JR said in one of the upcoming episodes-- “You’re not given power, you take it.”
Jesse: Or strongly go after it. Take can mean taking something that doesn’t belong to you. I think there is nothing wrong with having a strong drive and being an ambitious person. Everything in moderation.
Brenda: These things can be addictive. I like that there are things being said that people start to think about. Thematically this family represents the common struggles most families go through. Maybe not at this epic level but I think every family member struggles for your place in the family. Does someone love you more than they love someone else? Vying for what you feel is your rightful piece of the land, property or the love of your parents. These are common themes.
Jesse: A lot of the storylines in the first season I actually drew from my own experiences. Every family has a certain level of disfunction. I think that is why this show is beloved because everyone can relate to it.
Brenda: As Linda said beautifully “We are a functioning dysfunctional family.”
HG: What make you happy?
Brenda: Music, adventure, travel.
Jesse: Music, nature, humor. I love to laugh
Brenda: Flowers make me happy. Friendships. Daffodils.
HG: That’s a happy flower.
Brenda: I have strong memories of being a little girl picking daffodils from the field.
Jesse: Isn’t that a weed? (laughs)
Brenda: Yes! (laughs)
HG: Jesse, for you is it about playing music?
Jesse: I like anything that transports me or makes me feel something. The thing I love about acting is that it is incredibly cathartic. Every actor has a burden or inner conflict that your can pour yourself into and through that kind of get past whatever issue you have. I love bringing myself to my roles. Music inspires me. Movies me happy, music, nature. people, I love to travel, laugh.
HG: Happy song?
Brenda: All I have to do is put on anything of Adele’s “21”.
HG: Isn't that sad, though?
Jesse: I generally like music that’s about heartbreak. (laughs)
Brenda: There is a Florence and the Machine song that makes me really happy too.
Jesse: You know what is a great album? “Boys and Girls” by Alabama Shakes. Have you listened to that one? It’s by a new band. It’s very bluesy, soulful. It’s a very happy album.
HG: Brenda, Jesse, thanks for a great chat. Best of luck on the ranch!
