Call Her Daddy: Jennette McCurdy – Half His Age

Host: Alex Cooper
Guest: Jennette McCurdy
Date: January 7, 2026

Overview

In this candid and emotionally rich episode, Alex Cooper welcomes Jennette McCurdy—the bestselling author of I'm Glad My Mom Died and now the acclaimed novelist behind Half His Age. The conversation dives deeply into themes of power, control, desire, trauma, and recovery, all reflected through Jennette's personal experiences and her creative work. Together, they unravel Jennette's journey from child stardom under her mother's pressure, her struggles with eating disorders and complicated relationships, and her creative process turning pain into impactful literature.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. New Year's Resolutions and Personal Shifts (01:19–03:34)

• Jennette is big on New Year’s resolutions, breaking goals down by season and reflecting between Christmas and New Year’s.
• She shares, “I've reached so many milestones that I wanted to... there’s something about that that has caused me to want to maybe reframe my life a little bit and wonder what else can I do from this and do for myself?” (03:13)
• Alex relates, noting how career goals tend to dominate but is inspired by Jennette’s approach to self-care.

2. The Success of ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ & Challenges of Adaptation (04:22–06:52)

• Jennette’s memoir has sold over 3 million copies and is in the process of becoming a TV show, with Jennette as showrunner and Jennifer Aniston set to play her mother.
• The adaptation process has been fraught with “politics,” which contrasts with the creative freedom Jennette feels in book writing: “Writing, you’re really rewarded for being truthful... producing, you're kind of rewarded for not being truthful... but I feel much more connected to my books.” (04:33)
• Jennifer Aniston, she notes, “relates to the material a lot... the only way to do this project” is with people who resonate deeply with the story. (06:20)

3. Themes & Inspiration Behind ‘Half His Age’ (07:04–08:47)

• The novel centers on a sexual relationship between a 17-year-old and her high school teacher, directly confronting issues of power imbalance and desire.
• Jennette reveals her personal motivators: “When I was younger, I really confused sexuality with power... I really believed that was power. And I really believe now, as a 33-year-old, it is not.” (07:08)
• Anger was a key driver for her writing: “I assume a lot of women will feel really angry reading this... I hope in some way... it’s useful in their processing of their own experiences.” (08:35)

4. Childhood, Family Dynamics, and Power (09:17–13:56)

• Explores Jennette’s formative years: her mother’s cancer diagnosis when Jennette was two, living in a house “like a held breath,” and how it forced her into hyper-vigilance and self-sacrifice.
• “My whole family... it felt like it was a held breath... OK, when’s mom gonna die?” (09:36)
• Her mother’s illness and Mormon upbringing created an environment suffused with guilt, where Jennette learned to prioritize her mother’s needs over her own, repressing resentment and anger.
• “I can't feel that. I'm going to just keep stuffing it down until eventually, of course, it can't stay stuffed forever. And it came up.” (12:37)

5. Child Stardom and Parental Control (15:42–22:33)

• Jennette began acting at age 6 at her mother’s insistence: “She was trying to be seen, feel seen through me. I think she was living vicariously through me.” (15:59–16:44)
• On being a child breadwinner: “There was an added layer of pressure... I need to take care of my family. This will be helpful.” (17:56)
• She describes her people-pleasing, codependency, and losing her own voice: “This is the theme of my life—how can I find opportunities to speak up for myself... so much of my childhood was rooted in being inauthentic to please other people.” (21:01)

6. Codependency, Eating Disorders, & Emotional Suppression (24:24–34:41)

• Jennette’s mother invaded all aspects of her identity, even requiring Jennette to share her diary and controlling her body and eating: “I didn't feel I had [freedom or identity]... Writing has been such a profound source of identity for me.” (24:49)
• The origins of her eating disorder were enmeshed with her mother’s fear of cancer and resistance to Jennette’s growing up.
• On disordered eating as mother-daughter bonding: “It was this really kind of secret bond that I think fueled the disordered thinking in such a significant way.” (27:46)
• Therapy, particularly DBT and schema-based approaches, was essential for recovery: “CBT, I don’t think would have been as effective, but those two modalities were really, really effective.” (32:24)
• A breakthrough: “There was this moment early on... Jamie [her therapist] encouraged me to see ‘in what ways is your eating disorder helping you?’... Recognizing its value was odd... but very helpful.” (33:46–34:40)

7. Accepting Her Mother’s Abuse and Finding Closure (35:07–36:58)

• Initially, Jennette recoiled from the idea of her mother as abusive: “Oh my God, feeling like my body was on fire when that was even suggested.” (35:22)
• Discovering her father was not her biological parent—another posthumous revelation that deepened her reckoning.
• “I would have respected her more—say the fucking truth... My senses are up for anything that’s bullshit and I can’t fucking stomach it.” (37:42)

8. Power Imbalances and Relationships with Older Men (42:24–67:35)

• Jennette and Alex both reflect on relationships with significant age gaps. For Jennette, her first adult relationship—at 18, with a man in his mid-30s—inspired her novel, especially its dynamics of “specialness” and power.
• “There’s something enticing about it, something mature... it kind of helps you fuel your ego at such a weird, susceptible time... Then, when you hit that age... In your 30s, I shouldn't even be talking to an 18-year-old.” (45:55)
• Manipulation was subtle: “You’re so mature. I can't talk to anyone this way... It was used as a manipulation tactic—how stupid of him.” (51:18–51:36)
• Jennette’s storytelling about sexual intimacy with her older partner is raw and honest, showing the confused mix of coercion, naiveté, and longing for approval.
• “It’s not going to be this mustache-twirly villain... but there are nuanced power dynamics at play.” (58:41)
• On emotional fallout: “In the moment, you're just like—I literally don’t know what else to do other than physically give myself to this person... The minute it’s over, you have never felt dirtier, you have never felt more worthless.” (62:55–63:35)

9. Patterns in Romantic Relationships: Unavailability & Attachment (67:35–69:00)

• Recognizes a pattern: “All unavailable. Whether they had a girlfriend, or a mental disorder, there was something... keeping them unavailable. I really wanted to chase that.” (67:54)
• Alex and Jennette tie these dating patterns back to childhood: seeking unavailable love mirrors seeking approval from a rejecting parent.

10. Healing, Healthy Relationships, and Motherhood (74:15–77:05)

• Jennette describes her long-term, healthy relationship: “I've been in a relationship for nine years... every year, it truly gets better.” (75:12)
• On motherhood: She doesn’t want children but recently froze her eggs just in case: “I think, I know, I know I don’t want kids at this point... but I’m open to changing my mind.” (76:29)
• The egg freezing process was “straightforward and simple” due to supportive care.

11. Owning Her Success and Authenticity (78:38–81:47)

• Jennette has struggled with allowing herself to celebrate success due to ingrained fear of being perceived as “rude” or a “diva.”
• “I get this thing—it’s my G Willikers Persona... the Mormon homeschool 7-year-old... ‘I’m just happy to be here’... No! I earned my seat at the table.” (79:37–80:59)
• Alex encourages women to “be the bitch,” citing Shonda Rhimes: “Just say what you’re feeling... Being honest means you’re not being a ‘bitch’.”

12. The Writing Process of ‘Half His Age’ (83:01–86:58)

• The seed of the novel began on a Japanese bullet train when Jennette was 24: “I thought—it’s going to be a student-teacher relationship, and it has to be a book.” (83:11)
• Writing fiction allowed her to illustrate bolder aspects of herself through her protagonist, Waldo, whom she describes as “who I wish I could have been at 18.”
• Therapy and personal recovery work were essential precursors: “For me, therapy and self work really ties into career and achievement... The first foot has to be in that therapy chair.” (86:24–86:58)

13. A Hope for Big Conversations: Desire, Power, and Loneliness (87:04–89:24)

• Jennette wants her new book to spark real dialogue: “I hope it sparks conversation... around desire and power... endless conversations to be had... and also loneliness.” (87:17)
• Reflects on the necessity of women’s voices and honesty: “My experience has so often been—why is nobody saying this?... Writing is the place where I can not explode, but explode in that way.” (89:24)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On burnout and reframing:
  “I'm wondering what else can I do for myself—should I take care of myself this year instead of completely focusing on work?” (03:17, McCurdy)

• On creative freedom vs. Hollywood politics:
  “Writing, you’re really rewarded for being truthful... Producing, you’re rewarded for not being truthful.” (04:33, McCurdy)

• On desire and power:
  “When I was younger, I really confused sexuality with power... Now, as a 33-year-old, it is not.” (07:08, McCurdy)

• On family trauma:
  “My whole family—it felt like it was a held breath... when’s mom gonna die?” (09:36, McCurdy)

• On mother-daughter codependency:
  “If you give her what she wants and what she needs, you are going to avoid rejection and abandonment.” (65:22, Cooper paraphrasing McCurdy)

• On surviving an eating disorder:
  “Easily, [what I’m most proud of is] overcoming an eating disorder... That was the hardest thing I can imagine doing, and I’ve done it.” (82:11, McCurdy)

• On female powerlessness and sex:
  “In the moment, you’re just like, I don’t know what else to do other than physically give myself... and the minute it’s over, you have never felt dirtier.” (62:55, Cooper)

• On honesty as liberation:
  “My senses are up for, for anything that’s bullshit and I can’t fucking stomach it... It’s worth it to be honest.” (37:42, McCurdy)

• On representation in fiction:
  “Waldo is bolder than I am in certain ways—she’s who I wish I could have been at 18... I’ve learned from her how to incorporate that in my own life.” (84:40, McCurdy)

Key Moments by Timestamp

• 01:25 – Jennette’s approach to resolutions and self-reflection
• 04:22 – On memoir success and TV adaptation politics
• 07:04 – Motivations behind her new novel’s theme
• 09:36 – Impact of her mother’s cancer on childhood
• 15:59 – Entering acting as a child and familial pressure
• 24:24 – Diary sharing and codependency with mother
• 32:24 – The role of therapy in eating disorder recovery
• 35:22 – First time facing her mother’s abuse in therapy
• 42:24 – Setting for ‘Half His Age’; discussing older men, power imbalances
• 51:18 – The manipulation of “mature for your age”
• 62:55 – Sex, power, and emotional aftermath
• 75:12 – Jennette’s healthy, long-term relationship and stance on motherhood
• 82:11 – Most proud of: Recovery and her novel
• 83:11 – Origin story of writing ‘Half His Age’
• 87:17 – What Jennette hopes her book will spark: conversations about desire, power, and loneliness

Final Takeaways

• Jennette McCurdy’s journey is one of reclaiming voice, unlearning cycles of control, and forging a new path through art. Her candid sharing is powerful, challenging listeners/readers to reflect on their own relationships with power, desire, and honesty.
• Half His Age serves not only as a personal catharsis for Jennette but an invitation for deeper societal conversation about taboo topics—especially how young women are socialized about power, sexuality, and self-worth.
• The episode threads a consistent call for authenticity: “2026 is the year of saying whatever the fuck you actually feel and stop putting on a front.” (90:06, Cooper)

For listeners seeking a nuanced, heartfelt exploration of trauma, recovery, and creative reclamation, this episode is essential—both for Jennette’s personal wisdom and Alex’s supportive, insightful facilitation.