Podcast Summary: Dear Chelsea – "Swimming Naked with Elizabeth Olsen"
Podcast: Dear Chelsea
Host: Chelsea Handler (with co-host Kathryn Law)
Guest: Elizabeth Olsen
Release Date: December 4, 2025
Duration: ~70 minutes
Episode Overview
This engaging episode of “Dear Chelsea” features actress Elizabeth Olsen joining Chelsea Handler and co-host Kathryn Law for an honest, lively, and refreshingly vulnerable conversation. The group dives into topics ranging from craft and career, privacy in the public eye, astrology, journaling, and relationships, to the value of community. Elizabeth and Chelsea deliver thoughtful advice to listener questions about family, dating, and self-respect, infusing the show with both humor and emotional intelligence. The episode showcases both celebrities' relatability as they each open up about their own experiences, preferences, and deeply held beliefs.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Chelsea’s Recent Adventures & Antarctica Stories
Timestamps: 04:07–06:14
- Chelsea recaps her whirlwind travel: Antarctica, Las Vegas, New York.
- Describes Antarctica as “redonkulous,” blending a conference on psychedelics with scenic majesty and camp-like shenanigans.
- Saw penguins up close, kayaked next to humpback whales, and participated in a (slightly ill) polar plunge.
- Says the trip was one of the best in her life.
- Quote: “It was like adult camp... I had a blast. Antarctica was majestic and gorgeous and I just was blown away.” (Chelsea, 04:47)
2. Elizabeth Olsen’s Acting Philosophy & Work Ethic
Timestamps: 06:15–10:56
- Discussing her performance in “Love and Death” and her love for mixing humor with drama—even in dark roles.
- Takes preparation and the craft very seriously but tries not to take herself too seriously outside the work.
- Values respect for colleagues by coming prepared; feels it’s important not to “learn lines on the day.”
- Struggles with being a public figure; anxious about offhand comments being overanalyzed in the press.
- Addresses a misreported quote about preferring movies in theaters vs. streaming.
- Quote: "The fun part to me is the preparation... But I don’t take myself seriously. I do take everyone else showing up to work seriously… that’s a form of respect." (Elizabeth, 08:12)
- Quote: “I get anxious that I’m gonna say something that... then afterwards you’re like, why does everyone care that I think people should go to movie theaters?” (Elizabeth, 09:13)
3. Navigating Privacy and Public Life
Timestamps: 10:56–12:26
- Elizabeth values keeping her personal life private.
- Chelsea affirms the importance of not caring too much about outside perceptions, especially as women.
- Mutual admiration for each other’s authenticity and boundary-setting.
- Quote: “We all have to say this over and over to ourselves—who gives a shit—until it breaks through and it is inside of us... because it doesn’t matter.” (Chelsea, 11:06)
4. Family Dynamics & Childhood Roles
Timestamps: 11:55–14:06
- Both women are from large families; Elizabeth is 4th of 6, Chelsea is the youngest of 6.
- Discussion on being a baby/middle child, observing, learning from siblings, and negotiating with parents.
- Elizabeth shares precise strategizing with her parents about curfews, underage drinking (“There is vodka in my room because when I go to parties, I wanna bring my own.” 13:18) and applying rules set for older siblings.
- Chelsea’s rebelliousness versus Elizabeth’s people-pleasing.
5. Acting Training and Process
Timestamps: 14:14–16:12
- Elizabeth dives into actionable tools from acting school: voice work, dialects, physical presence, script analysis.
- Explains working with dialect coaches, script partners, and the spiritual alignment with characters.
- Quote: “Where they hold their breath, how deep are those breaths... I feel there’s so many realizations... that make you feel aligned with their universe in some spiritual way.” (Elizabeth, 15:42)
6. “Eternity”: Plot & Themes
Timestamps: 16:12–18:48
- Elizabeth outlines the plot of her movie “Eternity”: an elderly woman must choose in the afterlife between her two husbands—comfort of a 65-year marriage or the path not taken (first love who died in the Korean War).
- Explores philosophical dilemmas, choices late in life, and the movie’s thought-provoking questions on love and purpose.
- Discussion of personal beliefs in the afterlife: Elizabeth doesn’t believe, but finds comfort for others in spiritual beliefs; Chelsea is open to energy and psychic phenomena but skeptical of reincarnation.
7. Astrology, Spirituality, and Everyday Rituals
Timestamps: 23:03–26:41
- Both discuss birth charts and personally relevant astrological readings.
- Elizabeth describes being deeply moved by an astrologer describing her need for travel, aligning with her self-knowledge.
- Journaling and swimming naked: Elizabeth journals by hand every morning and jumps in her pool naked to start the day.
- Quote: “I love swimming naked so much... I want to be naked in water all the time.” (Elizabeth, 26:53)
- Journaling provides self-reflection, problem solving, and is part meditation/therapy for her.
8. Somatic Therapy
Timestamps: 28:36–30:50
- Elizabeth shares newfound interest in somatic therapy (“only a month” in), describing how it connects physical responses with emotional talk therapy.
- Chelsea chimes in about EMDR and therapy techniques for reframing trauma.
9. Listener Advice Segment Highlights
Gunkle with Mean Girl Nieces
Timestamps: 35:15–41:51
- Listener Dustin asks for advice about nieces turning into “mean girls.”
- Advice: Speak with the parent (brother) honestly, reinforce positive behavior by example, have 1:1 conversations with the girls, and highlight good role models (Taylor Swift mentioned).
- Quote: “You can demonstrate how cool it is to be a nice girl... talk about women who are supportive of other women and instill that in your time with her.” (Chelsea, 38:25)
- Elizabeth adds the value of highlighting positive actions over just warning against negative ones.
Dating as a Busy Single Mom
Timestamps: 46:12–52:15
- Amy, a single mom in Southern Oregon, feels stuck dating in a small, conservative town and asks for advice.
- Chelsea and Kathryn encourage joining groups (hiking, tennis, etc.), traveling to bigger cities (“Go to Portland for a weekend”), and dedicating a realistic time frame (six months) to the search.
- Quote: “I think it’s important when you want something in your life to say it, write it down... focus energy towards it.” (Chelsea, 50:06)
- Group laughs over men with “fish in their profile pics”; Elizabeth surprises with fishing lessons (but clarifies she’s married).
Relationship Stuck in “Casual” Mode
Timestamps: 57:31–61:54
- “Stella” wonders if she’s being strung along after three years with a non-committal boyfriend.
- Panel’s consensus: If he avoids conversations about the future and moving in, it’s not worth staying—value yourself, don’t “campaign” to be chosen.
- Quote: "If you love someone, there should be no problem talking around anything. You shouldn’t be campaigning to be someone’s choice." (Chelsea, 60:03)
- Elizabeth analogy: “What you want is the full fucking meal. And all they’re doing is giving you a crumb...” (Elizabeth, 61:02)
10. Healthy Relationships & Elizabeth’s Engagement Story
Timestamps: 62:04–65:36
- Discussion of what healthy relationships look like.
- Elizabeth shares a charming, funny, extremely personal proposal story involving her neurotic (but wonderful) husband, cheese boards, fire lighting failures, and a dock proposal.
- Chelsea highlights importance of communication, comfort, support, and laughter in a partnership.
- Quote: “His goal every day is to make me laugh, which is also annoying when I’m mad at him, but he does it very quickly and early in the morning.” (Elizabeth, 65:10)
11. Community & Social Connection
Timestamps: 42:05–45:48
- Discussion of importance of community and shared rituals, especially as America becomes more politically divided.
- Both women advocate for in-person connections absent of politics—like local theater, sports, bartering in their towns, and creating traditions.
- Quote: "We have more rituals in other countries than we do around that, especially in-person rituals.” (Elizabeth, 45:48)
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “The fun part to me is the preparation and the discoveries that you have during that time. But I don’t take myself seriously. But I do take everyone else showing up to work. I have to show up also prepared. And that’s a form of respect...” — Elizabeth Olsen (08:12)
- “We all have to say this over and over to ourselves—who gives a shit—until it breaks through... because it doesn’t matter.” — Chelsea Handler (11:06)
- “If you frame it that way as a child, to the parent, what does the parent— they’re like—wait, wait, I just lost that argument.” — *Chelsea Handler on Elizabeth’s teen logic (13:30)
- “If you can’t have that conversation, I don’t, I don’t think it’s worth your time...” — Elizabeth Olsen, on relationships stuck in neutral (59:51)
- “What you want is the full fucking meal. And all they’re doing is giving you a crumb.” — Elizabeth Olsen (61:02)
- “His goal every day is to make me laugh, which is also annoying when I’m mad at him, but he does it very quickly and early in the morning, and it’s really annoying often.” — Elizabeth Olsen, on her husband (65:10)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Chelsea’s Antarctica Story | 04:07–06:14| | Acting Philosophy & “Love and Death” | 06:15–10:56| | Privacy, Anxiety, & Public Persona | 10:56–12:26| | Family Dynamics & Childhood Roles | 12:26–14:06| | Acting Tools & Training | 14:14–16:12| | “Eternity” Movie—Plot & Themes | 16:12–18:48| | Spirituality & Afterlife | 18:48–21:19| | Astrology, Journaling, Swimming Naked | 23:03–27:04| | Somatic Therapy & Self-care Tools | 28:36–30:50| | Listener: Mean Girl Nieces (Dustin) | 35:15–41:51| | Listener: Single Mom Dating (Amy) | 46:12–52:15| | Listener: Stuck Relationship (Stella) | 57:31–61:54| | Engagement Story & Relationship Reflections | 62:04–65:36| | Final Reflections on Community and Healthy Relationships | 42:05–45:48|
Episode Tone & Speaker Style
- Open, irreverently honest, and laced with self-deprecating humor.
- Chelsea is candid, encouraging, at times blunt but always supportive.
- Elizabeth is thoughtful, slightly shy about public persona, very detail-oriented and introspective.
- Both admire each other’s approach to boundaries, self-respect, and authenticity.
Summary Takeaways
- On Growth and Boundaries: Preparation, professionalism, and boundaries are crucial to success—whether on a film set or in your daily rituals.
- On Letting Go of Judgment: The anxiety of saying the “wrong” thing is universal, but authenticity and self-respect trump public opinion.
- On Relationships: Don’t settle for crumbs; hold out for genuine commitment and reciprocity.
- On Community: Shared public rituals and community events are vital for social cohesion, especially in polarized times.
- On Spirituality: Birth charts, journaling, rituals (even skinny dipping), and some therapy can anchor one for the challenges of modern life.
- On Self-Discovery: Try new practices (journaling, somatic therapy), have honest conversations (with kids, siblings, or partners), and cultivate connections wherever possible.
Episode Highlight
“What you want is the full f***ing meal. And all they’re doing is giving you a crumb to keep you along for a certain amount of time until they realize they need to give you another crumb. …And then you’re just addicted to the crumb.”
– Elizabeth Olsen (61:02)
Overall:
A lively and relatable episode blending clever advice, deep self-reflection, honest tales of vulnerability, and—yes—fun anecdotes about skinny-dipping, cheese boards, and the making of meaningful choices at every stage of life.