Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Guest: Ginnifer Goodwin — On Marrying Her Prince Charming & Becoming Her Own Version of a Disney Princess

Air Date: November 25, 2025
Location: Jon & Vinny’s, Studio City, L.A.

Episode Overview

This heartfelt episode features actress Ginnifer Goodwin, known for Big Love, Once Upon a Time, and voicing Judy Hopps in Zootopia. Over Italian comfort food, Jesse and Ginnifer delve into the peculiarities of show business, family dynamics, parenthood, making peace with career ups and downs, and the magic of Disney—on screen and off. Goodwin shares candidly about marrying her “Prince Charming,” balancing creative life and motherhood, and discovering her vaudevillian roots. Laughter, vulnerability, and showbiz secrets are on the menu.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Settling in at Jon & Vinny’s and Family-Friendly Dining

• [05:05–06:40] Jesse and Ginnifer bond over the joy of Jon & Vinny’s (with detailed praise for their lesser-known breakfast menu).
• They joke playfully about ordering, with Ginnifer’s husband usually taking the “little lady will have…” ordering role—a dynamic she enjoys when someone else makes the choices.

2. Parenting, Careers, and Keeping Kids Grounded

• [06:45–07:59] Talking about their children’s lack of interest in show business, both Jesse and Ginnifer reflect on whether to raise their kids in or away from “the arts.”
• Goodwin’s kids remain unimpressed by Hollywood glamour. She shares, “We thought we were going to keep them as far from the arts as humanly possible... But what a terrifying life of rejection!” (07:08)

3. Becoming Disney Royalty — Once Upon a Time and Zootopia

• [09:02–10:49] Ginnifer relives getting the call for Zootopia while pregnant, and the difficulties of keeping the role secret due to Disney’s NDA strictness.
• “I was afraid to tell anyone where I was going on weekends… I literally started coming up with absurd excuses.” (10:33)

4. Living the Disney Dream... and Marrying Prince Charming

• [11:01–11:22] On playing Snow White and meeting her husband (Josh Dallas) on the set of Once Upon a Time — “I did. I know we’re not a cliché at all. Met on set.”
• Discussion of filming at Disneyland and getting to see the secret Disney Suite. “It’s this beautiful two-bedroom apartment above Pirates of the Caribbean and… the whole room comes alive with a show.” (12:26)

5. Navigating Fandom and Red Carpets With Kids

• [18:51–22:40] Goodwin shares her kids had no clue she voiced Judy Hopps. “My mom thinks she sounds like that rabbit, but she does not.” (19:43)
• The family prepares for the Zootopia 2 press tour: “How do we keep this within sort of like the bowling alley bumper... put those up in this situation?” (21:54)
• They practice for red carpet “paparazzi” moments to avoid their kids being overwhelmed.

6. The Vulnerability of Creative Work—Animated Films & Zootopia 2

• [23:01–24:07] Ginnifer tears up describing how watching Zootopia 2 for the first time moved her:

  “I wept through it. I was like, I can’t believe I get to do anything on this.” (24:05)

• The complexity of animation teamwork: “I find that with animation, unlike live action, this character is a team effort… she’s a compilation of so many people.” (23:47)

7. The Role That Got Away—Her Almost-Casting in Frozen

• [24:53–26:06] Ginnifer reveals she nearly played Anna in Frozen and felt heartbreak when it didn’t happen:

  “My heart was broken and I didn’t tell anybody for years… it’s my responsibility to actually own where things don’t work out.” (26:06)

• Touching follow-up from Josh Gad: “He inscribed his new book to ‘my first Anna.’” (26:45)

8. The “Big Love” Audition: A Legendary Story

• [31:02–34:56] Jesse prompts Ginnifer to recount her chemistry read with Bill Paxton—an infamous “hand job” audition scene:

  “I crawled across the table and climbed in his lap… I could see as I turned around, everyone’s in shock. And I was like, oh, I fucked this up!” (33:10)

• Despite her embarrassment, she got the job and received a supportive call from Bill Paxton.
• Jesse shares his own wild stage prop story, leading to a joyful tangent on the absurdities of their business.

9. Imposter Syndrome and Navigating Hollywood’s Social Scene

• [38:22–43:15] Goodwin discusses losing touch with former castmates after motherhood and feeling like an outsider at Hollywood events.
• Jesse assures her she’s not alone; even A-listers like Allison Janney and Elizabeth Banks feel the same anxiety:

  “So many people I know have, like, deep insecurity… almost everyone I talk to has the same feeling about these parties.” (40:39)

10. Showbiz Ancestry: Vaudeville & Variety

• [43:15–48:49] Ginnifer recounts discovering her great-aunt’s vaudeville stardom and her great-grandfather’s pivotal role at Variety.
• Moving story of Gregory Peck honoring her great-grandfather:

  “[Peck] said he was a champion of young talent… I feel like I would not have gotten the start I got if I hadn’t had… your great-grandfather helped me.” (47:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On showbiz life:
  “What we do for a living is bonkers. Do you ever just, like, take a step back and you’re like, this is literally what… we’re doing today?” (37:37, Goodwin)

• On not getting Anna in Frozen:
  “Absolutely ended up where I’m supposed to be in the Disney family... But in the moment, my heart was broken.” (26:02, Goodwin)

• Describing red carpet anxiety:
  “[Parties are] like a high school reunion for you… but maybe we’re all just in the same boat, wondering if we can keep paying the mortgage.” (39:36, Goodwin paraphrasing her husband & reflecting on industry insecurity)

• On family showbiz roots:
  “My grandmother… said ‘habit’—that’s why she never mentioned growing up with Gershwin, Bob Hope, and Jimmy Durante… because we kept our heads down.” (45:00, Goodwin)

• On Disney magic at work and home:
  “I almost brought a Donald Duck bag… and I was like, it’s too much. I’ll save her for another time.” (10:55, Goodwin)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Welcome & Jon & Vinny’s chat: 05:05–06:40
• Parenting and kids’ showbiz disinterest: 06:45–07:59
• Landing and hiding Zootopia role: 09:02–10:49
• Snow White, Prince Charming, & Disney reverence: 11:01–12:26
• Navigating red carpets with kids: 18:51–22:40
• Zootopia 2 emotions & animation teamwork: 23:01–24:07
• Frozen “first Anna” heartbreak: 24:53–26:06
• The legendary Big Love audition: 31:02–34:56
• Self-doubt in Hollywood, social events: 38:22–43:15
• Family’s hidden vaudeville legacy: 43:15–48:49

Episode Takeaways

• Candidness & Humor: Goodwin is refreshingly honest about rejection, insecurity, and the surreal aspects of her career, using humor to disarm and connect.
• Vulnerability & Resilience: The emotional undercurrents about missed opportunities and navigating visibility—both as a public figure and a parent—will resonate with listeners in and out of showbiz.
• Shared Humanity Behind Fame: Jesse and Ginnifer humanize Hollywood, revealing that even stars wrestle with nerves, impostor syndrome, and balancing ambitions with family.
• Magic and Realism: The conversation celebrates the joy and magic of storytelling, but never glosses over the uncertainty, luck, and hard work behind the scenes.

Recommended for:
Fans of Disney, lovers of behind-the-scenes Hollywood stories, working parents, and anyone curious about the vulnerable, funny, and messy realities behind fairy tale endings.

(Note: Timestamps reference key conversational shifts; subheaders reflect each main topic as it unfolds.)