Jenna Dewan — On Losing Pets, Breaking Outside the Box, and ‘The Rookie’

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson”

Episode: Jenna Dewan — On Losing Pets, Breaking Outside the Box, and ‘The Rookie’

Date: March 31, 2026
Location: Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles

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Episode Overview

In this candid and heartfelt dinner conversation, host Jesse Tyler Ferguson welcomes actress and dancer Jenna Dewan for an evening at Pizzeria Mozza in LA. Together, they delve into personal themes of loss, parenting, creative reinvention, the realities of working in Hollywood, and the power of breaking out of professional boxes. Jenna opens up about her experiences navigating the entertainment industry, her journey through public relationships, and the profound impact of dance, particularly her time with Janet Jackson and transitioning into acting.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Navigating Grief: Losing a Pet While Parenting

• Jesse reflects on the emotional process of putting down his 15-year-old dog, Leaf, especially as a parent needing to explain the situation to his children.
  • “The one bright lining is that I get to be here to say goodbye.” – Jesse (04:54)
• Jenna shares her own experiences losing dogs, including one just before giving birth—emphasizing there’s never an easy way or time to say goodbye.
  • She recounts helping her daughter Evie process their dog's passing, sharing a bittersweet mistake of telling her just before a school play:
    • “The whole show was a sob fest… She had to go backstage. Apparently, they showed some cartoon that had a dog in it. It was horrible.” – Jenna (07:31)
• Both agree on the value of honesty with children regarding loss, despite the difficulty and timing.

2. Parenting & Life Adjustments

• Jenna and Jesse swap stories about the exhaustion and logistics of parenting.
  • “There must be something muting my energy level, because it can’t just be the kid.” – Jesse (10:31)
  • “We don’t start anything at 9pm. We have children. We start at 6.” – Jenna (11:32)
• Jenna jokes about the realities of growing older, shifting social hours, and bedtime routines.

3. Working as Parents in Entertainment

• Jenna describes the logistical challenges of having a partner (Steve Kazee) in theater, handling late-night schedules, and parenting young kids.
  • The exhaustion leads to stories of dozing off in trailers, sometimes hiding or “giving yourself a little hour cushion.” – Jenna (16:42)
  • Jesse and Jenna recount stories of hiding out for rests during shooting days.

4. Jenna’s Family Structure & Psychedelic Epiphanies

• Jenna speaks about her blended family—almost thirteen years as a parent, then adding more children with long gaps.
• She candidly shares about an intentional “psychedelic journey” she and Steve did, where they both “knew” they wanted to have kids together:
  • “We both saw it, we knew, we looked at each other, we went, we’re having a kid. Like, we’re having kids. I think we both knew.” – Jenna (19:02)

5. Meeting Steve Kazee & Navigating Public Relationships

• Jesse recalls Broadway memories with Steve and the origins of Steve and Jenna’s connection (“I had that moment of like, oh, do I know him?”).
• Jenna opens up about moving from her marriage (to Channing Tatum) to a new, public relationship:
  • “There’s certain things that are… I’m just used to accepting that’s a part of my life.” – Jenna (23:28)
  • She discusses tuning out tabloid noise and adjusting to media scrutiny on relationships.
  • Jesse shares how friends (including Sarah Hyland) were protective and invested in her happiness (20:58).

6. Dancing with Janet Jackson & Lessons in Respect

• Jenna recounts her early dance career highlights, including a powerful core memory of returning to perform "Rhythm Nation" with Janet Jackson at the Hollywood Bowl years after touring together.
  • “She remembers everyone’s name that she’s worked with. She brings us into her life. Not many artists are like that with dancers.” – Jenna (27:10)
  • She describes Janet’s approach as “family,” rejecting any industry hierarchy between performers and emphasizing mutual respect.

7. Breaking Out of Professional Boxes in Hollywood

• Jenna discusses being pigeonholed as either a dancer or actor and the pressures that followed the success of Step Up.
  • “I have a manager telling me, go in there, don’t wear a stitch of makeup… If they ask you about dance, say, ‘Oh, it’s something I used to do.’ Throw it away.” – Jenna (03:11, expanded at 30:19)
  • She describes dissatisfaction from “inauthenticity” and how it failed to bring her joy or further her career.
  • A turning point comes with a “surrender prayer”—releasing expectations and opening to what truly fulfills her.
  • “It all sort of shifted… I had a call from Jennifer Lopez...she was like, we’re doing this show World of Dance, and I just think you’d be a great host.” – Jenna (35:32)
  • She praises J.Lo for legitimizing multifaceted creative careers, breaking boundaries, and seeing value in versatility.

8. Reflections on Britney Spears and the “Lane” Debate

• The two discuss a recent viewing of Britney Spears’ Crossroads and the stigma of artists expanding into new territory.
  • “You start realizing, oh my gosh, people are multi.” – Jenna (39:06)
  • They bemoan the tendency in Hollywood and beyond to force people into a single professional identity.

9. The Rookie: Jenna’s Current Role

• Jenna describes joining The Rookie (originally for a small role) and feeling great gratitude for the experience and workplace.
  • “It’s just awesome. I go to bed and I wake up in the morning and I think, thank you for this amazing job.” – Jenna (15:39)
  • She highlights the show’s family-friendly environment and supportive cast, especially Nathan Fillion.

10. Life Imitating Art: Firefighter Nannies

• Jesse shares a story about hiring a retired firefighter as a nanny, joking about her practical safety sense vs. home aesthetics—a gentle, relatable parenting comedy thread.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On grief and honesty with children:

  • “Sometimes…around life and death things, specifically death stuff, I think being truthful is the only way to go.”
    – Jesse Tyler Ferguson (08:15)

• On industry pressure:

  • “I spent years trying to do that. Had a manager telling me, go in there…If they ask you about dance, say, ‘Oh, it’s something I used to do.’”
    – Jenna Dewan (03:11, 30:19)

• On moving past others’ expectations:

  • “I listened for a while…and I tried to go in and have meetings with people, but it was always, ‘Well, you know, dance got you here, but you’re…’ It was never seen as good…But it didn’t work. I was miserable.”
    – Jenna (34:05)

• On Janet Jackson’s mentorship:

  • “If you were on her team, you were on the tour, you were part of her family…Not many artists are like that.”
    – Jenna (27:10)

• On blending creative passions:

  • “That just opened me up…Doing that changed things. It freed me to be multiple things.”
    – Jenna (36:38)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|----------------| | 04:23 | Grieving pets & talking to kids about loss | | 06:41 | Jenna’s retelling of Evie’s experience losing their dog | | 11:05 | Parenting exhaustion & party logistics | | 14:47 | Challenges of performing in theater while parenting; sleeping-in stories | | 19:02 | Jenna & Steve’s ‘psychedelic’ decision to have a child | | 23:28 | Navigating the public nature of relationships | | 26:08 | Janet Jackson Hollywood Bowl reunion & dancer culture | | 30:19 | Breaking out of the dancer “box” & industry pressure | | 34:05 | Personal epiphany and transition to TV hosting (‘World of Dance’) | | 39:06 | On being “multi” in Hollywood; Britney Spears ‘Crossroads’ mention | | 40:34 | How ‘The Rookie’ role happened and its evolution | | 41:45 | Jesse’s funny firefighter-nanny story & fire safety tangents |

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Tone and Language Notes

• Friendly, emotionally open, and humorous—Jesse and Jenna blend playful banter with authentic vulnerability.
• Conversational and relatable—heavy on anecdotes, lightly self-deprecating, laced with show business inside jokes.
• Supportive, encouraging, and honest about the challenges and joys of being multi-dimensional, both in career and in life.

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For Listeners Who Haven't Heard the Episode

This episode is a rich, empathetic, and inspiring look at balancing family, loss, creative ambitions, and personal growth in the public eye. Dewan’s honesty about her struggles and triumphs—whether grieving pets, raising kids, or refusing to be put in a box—provides guidance for anyone feeling pressured to “pick a lane.” Ferguson and Dewan share strong chemistry and deep friendship, making even digressions about garlic bread or fire blankets feel meaningful. The conversation is equal parts comforting, funny, and motivating—a must-listen for anyone interested in the realities behind Hollywood’s glamour, parenting, and personal reinvention.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Spring break planning at our house is it's definitely an adventure. Our kids have very strong opinions and they're always on different sides of the spectrum. Beckett has very strong opinions about the ocean. It has to be a certain temperature and the wind has to be blowing a certain way if he's gonna get anywhere near it. He doesn't want sand on his feet. Sully, on the other hand, he will roll around in the sand and doesn't care about the water temperature. And he, you know, he could be just sitting amongst seagulls and he's happy. Justin and I, we just want to air conditioning and wifi. Honestly, juggling all the details of a trip can be very stressful. And while I'm thinking about our plans, I also start thinking about our house while we're away. And it hits me. Maybe we could list our place on Airbnb while we're gone. It always sounds great, but I don't know if I can manage all the details myself. That's where Airbnb's co host network comes in. You can hire a vetted local co host to handle all the behind the scenes details, managing reservations, guest communications, and even providing on site. So hosting feels manageable even with everything else going on. So if you're traveling this spring, it might be the perfect time to list your space on Airbnb and maybe earn a little extra cash while you're gone to put toward that extra future travel someplace with air conditioning and Wi fi. If you're ready to host but could use a little extra help, find a co [e-mail] host so right now I'm in New York City. I am doing a play about Truman Capote and It's basically a one man show, just me for 90 minutes. I am basically eating, breathing, sleeping Truman Capote and this play. And I have very little time for myself, let alone time to cook for myself. That's why Home Chef has been a total lifesaver at this point in my life. They deliver fresh pre portioned ingredients straight to my door. And the recipes are so easy to follow. Whatever kind of day you're having, Home Chef has you covered. From classic recipes with fresh ingredients and home 30 minute meals to oven ready trays and quick microwavable lunches. There's even a dedicated family menu for easy four to six serving dinners. And this is the most important part. They all taste amazing. Like restaurant quality amazing. Home Chef has worked with chefs like Gordon Ramsay and now Giada De Laurentiis bringing chef inspired recipes right to your kitchen. Plus, it's affordable. Home Chef customers save an average of $86 per month on groceries for a limited time. Home Chef is offering my listener 50% off and free shipping for your first box, plus free dessert for life. Go to homechef.com dom that's homechef.com dom for 50% off your first box and free dessert for life. Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

Hey, it's Jessie today on the show. You know her from the dance competition show World of Dance, the movie Step up, and she's currently starring in the TV drama the Rookie. It's Jenna Dewan.

[Jenna Dewan]

I have a manager telling me, go in there. If they ask you about dance, say, oh, it's something I used to do. She would tell me, throw it away.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This is dinner's on Me. And I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

So today we're dining at Mozza. Now, if you live in la, you're probably asking which Mozza Pizzeria. Mozza is where we're having dinner tonight. And Moza happens to be right next door. Both are the brainchild of Nancy Silverton, who is a bit of icon here in la. And when I say bit of an icon, I mean major icon. Nancy has been creating incredible food here in Los Angeles for decades, and I absolutely love the pizza that she makes here at Pizzeria Mozza. It's casual, it's really warm, it's inviting, and it happens to be right around the corner from Paramount, Paramount Studios, where my guest today, Jenna Diwan, has been shooting the R. So thought this would be a great place to bring her. And I'm so excited to get to the conversation. Okay. I had to put my dog down today. And it wasn't a surprise, though.

[Jenna Dewan]

So older.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. He's 15, a little morky, and the. Yeah. So we'd have this. We'd sort of thought this might be the case for a while. I'm leaving town in, like, the end of the week to do a play in New York. And I was having such anxiety about being away when it. When it might have to happen.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And in the last few days, it just, like, took a turn and I was like, well, I mean, the one bright lining is that I get to be here to say goodbye.

[Jenna Dewan]

That is.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And I was really, really happy. I could.

[Jenna Dewan]

I have dealt with multiple versions of having to put my dog down. There's no good way. It happens. However, I did this with my recent dog. We had to put down M. She was like almost. She was 18. And also small. And it was right before the birth of my last baby, Ran. And it was the same thing. I was like, oh, my gosh, how am I going to do this? And birth. And it ended up. It just happened. She woke up one morning, I was like, oh, this is the end of it. Right before. I know that feeling. It's so hard.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Well, let me ask you this, though, because what I've been struggling with is how to talk to my kids about it.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I know there's some good books, and we've read some of them in preparation. But this morning, knowing that this afternoon we were going to put Leaf down, we told Beckett, our five and a half year old, because we felt like he couldn't. He's been able because he lost my mom. We lost my mom a little over a year ago. So he was able to process, like, what it means when someone just is no longer here.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

My Younger1, who's three, doesn't really understand yet. But, you know, we told Beckett, and he was able to say goodbye, and he got very emotional.

[Jenna Dewan]

Okay. So. Oh, my God. That's. That's the hardest part, right? I mean, the hardest part is we're standing by someone we love. Obviously. It's like, you're like, my animals are my children. There's just the way it's always been. But telling your children. And I know, I mean, Evie was around that age when our dog Lulu passed away. This was like years, years, years ago.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And Evie's your middle child?

[Jenna Dewan]

Evie is my oldest, so she's 12, almost 13 now. She was younger when Lulu passed, and it was so hard to tell her, but she knew it was coming. But then it happened right before. This is what you don't do. Okay? This is the, like, don't do this. I was like, whatever. This is the don't do. She had a winter show for school. You know, they do. There's always a show, right?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I already have anxiety about this.

[Jenna Dewan]

Oh, my God. But it was like every day we were looking at Lulu. This is not funny. This should not be here. But we were like, is this a day? We had no idea because he was. She was so old. And then finally, obviously, the day came, and it was the day of her winter show. And I was like, how do we handle this? So we had to tell her. Like, she had asked everybody she was asking. So I was honest. I was like, yes, Lulu crossed the rainbow bridge. Lou is in heaven. The.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Is this before or after her show?

[Jenna Dewan]

This is before. No, I know, Jesse, but she asked.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She Also asked, you can't lie.

[Jenna Dewan]

She asked. So I couldn't lie. Right. So I had to tell her. But then the whole show was a sob press. She was crying on stage. She had to go backstage. Apparently they showed some cartoon, you know, to keep the kids like entertained before they went out in the show. A cartoon that had a dog in it. It was horrible. So the teacher comes out and she's like at these really not okay. You know, she's crying really hard back there. I had to go out there. We're sobbing in the audience. She's up there trying to do you are my sunshine. And just like tears streaming. And I was like, maybe like a little white lie would have been this moment.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I don't know though, because sometimes like, you know, you tell these these. Because I was like, do we even mention to Beckett that this is happening today? And I was like, what if he's upset that he didn't get to say goodbye, have those goodbyes. So I, I, I don't know, I feel like around life and death things, specifically death stuff, like I think being truthful is the only way to go.

[Jenna Dewan]

I think you have to, you have to, you have to be. Cuz then you live with that whole, you know, you're robbing them of their own process and whatever their whole soul growth would be with knowing this information. But oh, it's so hard. Yeah, you can join the, the dog morning club with me. It's like you need friend, you need to like text me.

[Chris (Server at Pizzeria Mozza)]

Hello you two. Welcome to Pizzeria Mosa. My name is Chris and I'll be

[Jenna Dewan]

taking care of you today.

[Chris (Server at Pizzeria Mozza)]

Chris.

[Jenna Dewan]

Hey.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Happy to be here. Yes.

[Chris (Server at Pizzeria Mozza)]

Is this your first time dining with us?

[Jenna Dewan]

Not mine, but it's been a minute. Okay.

[Chris (Server at Pizzeria Mozza)]

So welcome back. The concept of the menu is still the same. Everything is family style and intended to share. I do would like to highlight a couple of our new items.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Peace.

[Chris (Server at Pizzeria Mozza)]

We have a cheesy garlic bread here under the appetizer. It's going to be about 8 ounces of our pizza dough with some mozzarella cheese, olive oil. It comes with a side of our passado sauce, which is a tomato sauce garnished with parmesan cheese.

[Jenna Dewan]

That's insane.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That sounds incredible.

[Chris (Server at Pizzeria Mozza)]

And under the pastas we have the stuffed shells. Here the stuffed shells is going to consist of a conqui filoni pasta noodle, which is a jumbo shell. It's stuffed with vegetable ricotta filling, spinach filling. It's gonna sit in the passado sauce as well.

[Jenna Dewan]

Garnished with parmesan. Forgot how good this food is too.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, Yeah, I think we're gonna, we're gonna try that garlic bread. Garlic bread, yes. Encalata mista, enchilada mista, and the Bianca pizza, please.

[Chris (Server at Pizzeria Mozza)]

Any allergies that we need to be aware of?

[Jenna Dewan]

No. I'm Jesse. Have you done the LA where you just eliminate things in diet?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I have.

[Jenna Dewan]

And then you don't.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I, I, I had, I promised my doctor because I'm desperate to try and figure out why I don't have enough energy. The answer is because I'm a parent. Let me just tell you that that's

[Jenna Dewan]

because you got two kids. Because trust me, I have the same affliction.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

There must be energy somewhere. There must be something that's muting my energy level, because it can't just be the kid. And so my doctor was like, well, try not to do gluten for a little while and just see what happens. So I did. And I was good about it for like, I don't know, a month, six weeks. Mostly I would forget that like soy sauce had gluten in it. And like, I just, I couldn't do it cold turkey. But I don't know if I felt enough of a difference to, to like, pin that as like, yes, a source of my exhaustion.

[Jenna Dewan]

I know I do the same thing. I'm, I always, every couple weeks I think, well, there's gotta be a hack. There's gotta be something I'm missing. Like, who are all these people that are out? I mean, I had a birthday party and it was like a dance party. You know, we do a full dance party, wear sneakers, throwback 90s music. I mean, it is. We want you to have fun. It's a get done. But we were planning it. And she does not have kids, by the way.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Okay.

[Jenna Dewan]

She's like, well, let's start at like nine, you know, that's cute. I was like, that's the. Are you out of your mind? I was like, well, we don't start anything at 9pm we have children. We start at 6. We are here. We start dinner at 6. So we did, we started at 7. We were done by 11, 11:30. And people were petering out by 10pm I said, we are officially, officially old. This is.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But it's. Doesn't it feel so good to be in bed at like 9:30?

[Jenna Dewan]

Oh, yes, yes. Like, let me put me in bed. A TV show on something.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Thank you.

[Jenna Dewan]

9:30, 10.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

Just winding down.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

Now for a quick break. But don't Go away. When we come back, Jenna tells me the story of how she met her husband, Steve Kazee. Maybe you caught him in his Tony award winning performance in Once I did. And we get into to the challenges of navigating life after a public breakup. Okay,

[Jenna Dewan]

K Pop Demon Hunters, Haja Boy's breakfast meal and Hunt Trick's meal have just dropped at McDonald's. They're calling this a battle for the fans. What do you say to that, Rumi? It's not a battle. So glad the Saja boys could take breakfast and give our meal the rest of the day.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It is an honor to share.

[Jenna Dewan]

No, it's our honor.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It is our larger honor.

[Jenna Dewan]

No, really, stop. You can really feel the respect in this battle. Pick a meal to pick a side

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

and participate in McDonald's while supplies last. So good, so good, so good.

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[Jenna Dewan]

How did I not know rack has Adidas?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Because there's always something new.

[Nordstrom Rack Announcer]

Join the Nordic Club to unlock exclusive discounts. Shop new arrivals first and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices.

[Jenna Dewan]

That's why you rack.

[Nordstrom Rack Announcer]

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

Steve probably relates to this. Your fiance. Like he, you know, he's a theater actor. Yes, I know when I've gone back to do theater, I'm like, how am I gonna stay awake to start my work? And yes.

[Jenna Dewan]

How do you do that with him? We talk about this all the time. Because he would love to go back and do theater and I would love him to go back and do theater. But we think about the logistics of it often and it's. Let's say we even. Even if we lived in New York, we all moved there for the show. However, look, how do you do just bedtime alone? I am drained. I mean, it is 8pm and we are. I was like, you have to go do a show. How does that work? You do disco hours. You have to sleep in.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You have to sleep in or take naps during the day.

[Jenna Dewan]

Take naps in the day. I don't know about your kids.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Are you sleeping in your trailer during the rookie?

[Jenna Dewan]

No.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You're not?

[Jenna Dewan]

No. It's the best job in the world though. The rookie is the greatest. Talk about divine blessing. This job is the best job.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Why do you say that?

[Jenna Dewan]

Well, for one, we shoot in la. It is the greatest group of people.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I love Nathan. Phil.

[Jenna Dewan]

Nathan is the world's greatest. He really is human in the entire world. He's.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

He did a few episodes of Modern Family playing an interest of Haley's, was a weatherman and his name was Rain or Shine.

[Jenna Dewan]

He's so funny too. He is. He's so comedically genius. He's so, so funny.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Okay, so you have him like number one of the college.

[Jenna Dewan]

The best. Number one on the call sheet that could ever happen. He's professional. He's so funny. He's great. All of our scenes are together.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

We all have lives. We come in, we do our job. Everyone's such a well oiled machine. I mean, it's just, it's amazing. And we all go home. It's truly. I go to bed and I wake up in the morning and I think, thank you for this amazing job. It's just awesome.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

So I don't sleep in the tr. Although I have, funny enough I have before because when I had Rhiannon, I brought her to set. So, you know, she's six, seven weeks. I think I had till about like seven weeks and then I was breastfeeding her in between scenes. Running back, going, doing scenes. And I think at that point I was, if I had downtime, I was sleeping, napping.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I just know Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell on Modern Family had young kids when I was just like free and easy, trap and the world. They were like, you know, new parents and they would like. I don't want to get them in trouble with their spouses, but they would like lie about the, the length of the day because they would be like, they would stay in their trailer and then like nap for like a good hour before going home.

[Jenna Dewan]

That is a necessary, necessary thing. I've done it. All the girls, all of us mamas on the show have done. I've actually. We like see each other and we're like, you're hiding out, aren't you? But giving yourself a little hour cushion. Oh, they're running late. I'm set. I'm going to sleep here for one hour. The traffic is really bad. I just need this break in Fact,

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

one time I was in my trailer. I was sleeping. I don't know why I was. Because I had no reason to be sleeping. I didn't have kids at that time, but I was sleeping on my couch. The trailers had that, like, like, bump out area with, like, the couch kind of bumped up. So I was sleeping on my couch. And I guess that the transport people had thought that I had left, and they were getting ready to move the trailers to another location for tomorrow's work. And so they pushed some sort of button or something. And my. My couch just started, like, retracting in. And I was like, I'm in here still. I'm in here still. It felt like I was like in an episode, like, you know, like Indiana Jones or something. Like the walls were closing.

[Jenna Dewan]

You're like, whole, whole narrow.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Just life inside, life inside.

[Jenna Dewan]

You're like, oh, God, 911 showing up. That's horrible.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

They were like, we're so sorry, because I think I had. My car wasn't parked where it normally was or something. Like, so they thought I had gone.

[Jenna Dewan]

They're like, he's gone. Oh, no, I've done that too. I've hit out before. And they go like, wait, we thought you were gone. I'm like, nope, nope. Just taking a nap.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, they could have, like, I was so tired, they probably could have transported me to the next location. I would have woken up, you know, in like, Brentwood or something. Like on the side of the street.

[Jenna Dewan]

Like, all of a sudden you just, like, end up there.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Like, where are. Where am I?

[Jenna Dewan]

I didn't know I was going to El Segundo.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Exactly. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Jenna Dewan]

That's ridiculous.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's so ridiculous.

[Jenna Dewan]

I know. It's insane, this parenting thing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I know.

[Jenna Dewan]

It's really crazy. It's really crazy.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And you've been doing it for a while.

[Jenna Dewan]

Almost 13 years. I mean, Evie's gonna be 13 in a few months.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

Which blows my personal mind.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And you still have a young one. I mean. Yes, at least in my head you do, because I remember when you were pregnant. It wasn't. Didn't feel like that long ago.

[Jenna Dewan]

That's the insanity of me is that. I mean, I love it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

But I went 13, then a long break and then another long break. So I have a one and a half year old. So I have all stages.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Jenna Dewan]

You got a baby.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

When you. And when you and Steve started dating, was there a conversation about, like, having kids and, like, that's something that you both wanted to do or.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes, we Funny enough, we did a. He's probably 11. We did a psychedelic journey. This is where we get really interesting. But we both in together and in this journey, we both saw it, we knew, we looked at each other, we went, we're having kid. Like we're having kids. I think we both knew we want. It wasn't a shock, but it was like weeks. I don't know if you've ever done any psych journey, but you, you like, you knowing you've like just. I can't explain it. You have a. You have a download. And we were like, that's happening.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wow.

[Jenna Dewan]

It's definitely a part of what we felt to be our sort of mission. It was like, oh yeah, this is part of what's happening for us.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I love that.

[Jenna Dewan]

And it was really soon after that, actually.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Really?

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'm trying to remember. I don't actually know if I know this. I knew Steve before I knew you, so. Because Steve and I are Broadway kids.

[Jenna Dewan]

Well, you guys are. Yeah. You were friends.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I knew Steve when he was dating Megan Hilton.

[Jenna Dewan]

I mean, that's the.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's a throwback. I mean that was like way back, right? Yes, Once. Days, even before Once. And I. First of all, I mean, when I saw Steve in Once, I was like, who is that? Like, I mean, this, this dreamboat.

[Jenna Dewan]

Same.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So talented. So I mean, it's great actor, great singer, plays guitar, so good looking. I was like, oh my God, this guy. And I was so excited to get to know him. And then when he moved to la, I was, you know, I would see him around. Cause like, he didn't have a ton of friends here. And so, you know, we would have him over a little bit. And then I remember, I think Sarah Hyland actually told. Told me that he's like, my friend Jenna's dating this guy named Steve Kazee. You were like, and I want to make sure that he's good for her. And she was like, very protective of you, my sister. And I was like, I know Steve. And she's like, tell me everything about. She like wanted dirt. I was like, I only know him to be a great guy. So I endorsed this. That's wholeheartedly. But she was very, like, very protective of you.

[Jenna Dewan]

That's really sweet on a lot of levels. Sarah's the best.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She is the best.

[Jenna Dewan]

We played sisters.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I know.

[Jenna Dewan]

You bet. That's really, really sweet. He is the best. I mean, honestly, like, we. I had the same feeling when I saw Once.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So you had seen him at once?

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes. So I, I had gone to New

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

York that he won a Tony award for. By the way, shout out to Steve.

[Jenna Dewan]

So shout out to the Tony Award. And just the utterly mind blowing performance of him at once. But I went to New York for a press junket, funny enough. And every time I go to New York, so I've never done Broadway, never done theater a day in my life, but I love it. Like, I love it. And so I always pick a show and I go see it. I said, I'm gonna go see this show once. I love the movie and I'm gonna see it. So I took my mom, she was in town, and we went to see it and we both had the same reaction. She was. Well, funny enough, it was more my mom. My mom was going, oh, my God, this man is so. Who is this emo? She kept going. He's so emotional and he's so talented. And look at him. La, la, la, la. She was like blown away by him. So much so that I jokingly was like, we're gonna wait and say hi to him so you can meet him. Okay? So I'm like, mom, you're gonna, you're gonna meet him. Because I'm like wanting to embarrass her a little because she was just so flabbergasted. But it was out of a movie, he, like walked out and I. And we had this window. I actually thought to myself, I've met him before. Like, I had that moment of like, oh, like, do I know him?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wow.

[Jenna Dewan]

I was just like, you were amazing. Oh, my God, thank you so much. You're amazing. And it just. He's like, thank you. But it was a weird, it was a flicker of a. Huh.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, interesting.

[Jenna Dewan]

And he ironically, in, you know, once we've talked about this, he had the same thing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

He like, have I met her before?

[Jenna Dewan]

He's like, whoa, who's this person? I feel like I know her. I. I. Something. So anyways, we. I went off a night. Long time ago, Long time ago. But I completely forgot. Didn't forget, but I didn't think about, you know, it was just a moment

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

that I went, well, you were in an other relationship.

[Jenna Dewan]

I was in a relationship. Married. It was not even, you know, there was no. I just. It was such recognition. I remember thinking, like, that's interesting.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

And then obviously later on, and, you know, I'm no longer in a relationship,

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

and I mean, coming out of a very public relationship, was it something that was tricky for you to navigate?

[Jenna Dewan]

I mean, sometimes I think to myself, because I've been In this business for so long, which I know you have too. It's my normaly bias, I think, is a little off or different. There's certain things that are. I'm just used to accepting that's a part of my life that I won't. You know, I go visit my cousins or I visit someone who's not in this business, and they think that's just wild. What do you mean? People are talking and saying things about you on a daily basis, and you. I just have some weird ability to kind of tune it out. Yeah, but it's always a thing. You know, there's a thing. It's like even that you think, okay, if we're gonna go to an event and you're, you know, do we go together? You know, it's always a conversation, but we just kind of lived. I don't know.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, good. I mean, that's what you should be doing.

[Jenna Dewan]

But the beginning was like, definitely. You know how that goes. Yeah, we all know how that goes right

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

now. Let's take a quick break, but don't go away. When we return, Jenna tells me what it was like working with Janet Jackson during her early dance career. And we get into the pressure to pick a lane in Hollywood. Okay, be right back.

[Fandango Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Fandango. People say fans are too distracted these days, but the truth is, when a great movie hits the screen, you show up. You stay glued, invested, part of the story. And without fans like you, there'd be no cinema magic, no shared moments. So head to fandango.com to get tickets, stream or rent or buy top movies and series. Fandango loves fans.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Protein is now at Starbucks, and it's never tasted so good. You can add protein cold foam to your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha. Try it today at Starbucks.

[Jenna Dewan]

This is worth knowing. TikTok shop helps you discover good value products and surprise deals fast. No endless searching, just smart finds. Download TikTok now.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

When Janet was at the Hollywood Bowl, I was there that night.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes, we all came back. You were there?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, I was there that night.

[Jenna Dewan]

Oh, she brought all. She calls us the kids. It's all her sort of dancers on tour. Her dancers from tour. And.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And how many years after you had been on tour with her did you do that night at the Hollywood Bowl?

[Jenna Dewan]

Oh, God, that must have been. Let's see, that was. Must have been 10, maybe, maybe more. Maybe 12 years after. Maybe longer. God, this is My terrible map. I'm gonna go back and be like, it was 20, I don't think two decades. You're like, I've lived for 25 years.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

All I know is I got a call from her manager. I picked up, and he's like, sign me. He's like, Janet wants all her dancers to come back and do Rhythm Nation. We're gonna have one practice at Springland Studios for one hour. Okay. And weirdly, every one of us was available. Like, every one of us showed up, came. We have. I have. I have incredible rehearsal practice from, like, legends that I used to look up to, even their legends that they lived up to. I mean, all of us at that Hollywood. That was. It's one of those core memories that I remember.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Did it come back to you?

[Jenna Dewan]

Oh, yes. Yeah. It was incredible right away. Janet taught me a lot of things about just life, but also. Also being in this business. She remembers everyone's name that she's worked with. She remembers every dancer, where we're from. She knows our life. I mean, she's. She brings us into her life. And not many artists are like that. With dancers, you know, there is a real sometimes feeling of, you're. You're the dancer, you're at a different hotel than we are at. Or you're. You're not as good as the. The singers or the backup singers or the. There was, like, a hierarchy, but she did not have that. She was. If you were on her team, you were on the tour, you were part of her family. Should. We had spa nights. We were always at the same hotel as her. I mean, it was just, like, really little things that as you get older in this business, you start seeing. Well, not everyone's that graceful. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

How old were you when you started dancing professionally?

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah, 18.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And shortly after with Janet.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah, right after. So I. I moved to la, went to usc, and this just was auditioning, auditioning. And nothing happened for a while. And then, you know, one thing happened. I think it was a Mandy Funny, and I think it was a Mandy Moore.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She was a guest on our podcast. I love her.

[Jenna Dewan]

She's the nicest. So that was, I think, my very first paid job. And then it. It was a Toni Braxton, and then it turned into Janet. So it. It happened. And then I very quickly was like, I'm gonna not go to go. Janet asked me to go on tour, and that's my dream.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So I have heard you talk about it before, and I just really. I find it, so. I know. I find it's incredibly encouraging to hear that you went through this.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And came out on the other end of it. But like, that you, you know, you were struggling against being pigeonholed in ways I think so many people can relate to, not just in the entertainment business, but, like, really so many industries and, you know, feeling like you had to let go of one facet of yourself in order to support another facet. Like, you couldn't be two things at once for you, I imagine it was probably dancing and acting at the beginning. And like, I mean, now it's producing as well. And like, you, you know, you're. I mean, so many other lanes as well. But with Step up, which I know is such a big moment for you, it really, I mean, demanded that you be able to do two things really well.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I mean, it really demanded that you dance well.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes. And then also I had to learn how to act.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. And, you know, I mean, I'm sure that the confidence that you got from that certainly, like, seeded something in your brain that you're like, oh, this could be something I want to do more of things. Things like that. But talk to me about, like, how you were able to sort of break through people wanting to keep you in Elaine.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah. You know, my. The way I was, there was such a meant to be feeling throughout all of this. So I. I was not an actor. You know, I was not never a trained actor. And I was quite literally found from dancing with Justin Timber in sync on the Grammys. But he saw that was like the girl could maybe act. It was a manager. And that's like, literally how all this even started, Right?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

So I kind of have always just learned as I've gone and had to say, okay, well, then all of a sudden I was an actress. You know, I was in Step up, but because it happened that way, it was all happening. And I was sort of learning as I went and trying to figure out this new career and this new passion that I was apparently going to be a part of, but I didn't know much about. And I knew that I had a natural Ish knack for it, and I knew I liked it, but I didn't know fully what I was doing. And I. So many years I spent trying to be this cookie cutter girl has a hit movie. You're the lead of a hit movie or an actor in the hit movie. These are the things you should do afterwards. You know, what is Natalie Portman doing? That's where you should be looking. And so I spent years trying to do that I mean, I even. I mean, had executives being like, well, she could just, you know, could she just like. It's like, tone yourself. I have a manager telling me, go in there, you know, don't wear a stitch of makeup. If they ask you about dance, say, oh, it's something I used to. To do. They. She would tell me, throw it away. That's something I used to do. Or you, you know, do you. I had. I had. I had a calendar that I had done back in the day as a dancer. So this is the thing about dancers. Like I said, we say yes to everything. We don't really know what is happening. And at the time, I was just excited that I was getting free pictures out of this. You know what I mean? I like, oh, I don't have to pay for these headshots. I'm getting free pictures of this. I was like, yeah, we're highlighting some really awesome dancers together in this one calendar. You can pick your photo shoot. And of course, I'm like, oh, well, you know, I love the Wicked Games music video. So can we. Can I be, you know, that video? And so we had show up. There's black sand, and, you know, I'm in the dancer, so we're always half naked. So I'm like, with her, like, you know, covering her. Like, I did the whole shooting and I get the pictures under. At the time, they were nice. Then I see the whole calendar and it's like music video beauties. So it was hardly any dancers. A lot of, you know, girls that were in music. I had no idea. And I said, I don't care. I have these free pictures. But of course, when you become an actress and you're in a Disney movie and all this stuff, there was talks about like, how do we get. We don't want people to find this when they look up your name. And how do I. At the time, I remember not really caring. I was like, that's a part of my life. I didn't really know what I was fully doing, but I'm not necessarily ashamed of it. But it was this feeling of, you need to be this particular type of actress and person, and if you're not that, you're not going to be taken seriously, you're not going to be seen. And so I listened for a while and I did it. And I tried to, you know, go in and have meetings with people and they'd ask about D, but it was always done in a way of, well, you know, dance got you here. But you're, you know, it Was just never seen as good. Bothered me and didn't work. That was the thing. It didn't work. You know, I.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Because you were trying to, like, mold yourself into something that you weren't. To please them.

[Jenna Dewan]

I was trying to please other people.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

There was zero authenticity happening.

[Jenna Dewan]

There was no authenticity happening. I felt. Felt even clothes wise. Everything was trying. They were trying to make me something. So it didn't work. Long stories. It didn't work. I was miserable. Miserable. I wasn't happy. I was feeling defeated all the time. But I had a really big epiphany in it. Like, epiphany. It wasn't a random. You know, it's just a random. Like, I was sort of driving one day and I had this thought, and I had. It was almost like a surrender prayer where I just said, I just want to be filled. I want to feel good. And I want to feel like my talents and my gifts are being used for something that felt a purpose. Whatever that looks like. I. I really released it. I said, if it's not filmed, it's not tv, whatever that looks like, at least I know I'll be feeling that, you know, And. And funny enough, it just all sort of shifted. And that next week was. I had a call from Jennifer Lopez or J. Lo. She was like, we're doing this show, World of Dance, and I just think you'd be a great host. And at the time, my agents and people, no one was really excited about. They couldn't see actresses that could also host, that could also dance. All of a sudden, you weren't a serious actress. You know, you went into. Know that was. Yeah, but I said, I don't care. I feel good about it. I want to go try and do it. I want to.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You know, also, you were being called up by someone who has literally done all those things.

[Jenna Dewan]

I know. And by the way, well, yes, she is an icon.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And I mean, talk about someone who is a dancer who's achieved great acting success, great musical success. I mean.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yep.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Producing six at me.

[Jenna Dewan]

And

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

it's interesting that, you know, they were like, well, we don't see this as being legitimate. You're like, literally the person who legitimized it. Just.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes, just call me the person who paved the way. Actually just called me to give.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Had you met Jennifer Lopez before that, or she just was aware of you?

[Jenna Dewan]

She was aware of me. I think she was aware of me. I can't remember if we had met, maybe in passing at some point, but she was also a Janet dancer.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wait, wait, wait, I feel like I remember that.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah. So I always. Always, to me, she was somebody who was breaking boundaries and still is, you know, and so she called me, and I was. So I've never hosted. She's like, well, we're starting next week. You know, it was one of those. Yeah, jump in.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But thank you.

[Jenna Dewan]

Just the openness to doing that change things, you know, it freed me to be multiple things.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Jenna Dewan]

This looks amazing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That looks so good. So last night, Jess and I went out to dinner, and then, you know, it's Super Bowl Sunday, and so I enjoy watching Super Bowl. I'm not a football fan, but, like, I was. I would have been very happy to watch and go to a party. And what I've seen of the Bad Bunny performance is incredible. But instead of watching Super Bowl, Justin and I went to Vidiots in Eagle Rock, which is where they show old films. And we watched. They were showing. Get ready. This is really. This is going to come in from left field. Britney Spears. Crossroads.

[Jenna Dewan]

Chad. This is my dream night. You went to go on a date night to watch the Crossroads?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Jenna Dewan]

Was it still as well?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I don't. I realized I had never seen it.

[Jenna Dewan]

What?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I had never seen it.

[Jenna Dewan]

Oh, that. That's a piece of iconic history.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wait, is this cut? I don't know.

[Jenna Dewan]

With, like, Zoe Saldana's in it, right?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Future Oscar winner Zoe Saldana, future box office. Like, she's this past year. She's like, the number one box office star. She's in it. Who else? Justin Long.

[Jenna Dewan]

God. Oh, Justin, it's. Oh, my God. Wait. This is the greatest. First of all, I've never heard of Idiots. I'm gonna have to go.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, oh, Samantha from Sex and City. Kim Catal.

[Jenna Dewan]

She. That's right. She played the mom, Right. Oh, my God.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Like, we were laughing because, like, we're like, Kim was like. She was great at it, but it was like she was. She was in so little of it. I was. I. I wonder if Kim. Patrol. King Patrol. Oh, my God. I wonder if Kim Cattrall was like, you have four hours.

[Jenna Dewan]

She definitely was. You were like one day padded around something. You know, we've all been there.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Anyway.

[Jenna Dewan]

That is really good.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But also, like, I don't. I mean, it's sort of as we're talking about people who have been put in their lane.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You know, seeing Britney Spears.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Headline of film.

And she's really good at it.

[Jenna Dewan]

She was so good in that movie.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She's great.

[Jenna Dewan]

I remember. I loved that movie, too.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And she's really good.

[Jenna Dewan]

I hate that we do this, but we do that thing where you see someone go in a different lane than you're used to, you know, and we all think, oh, and you're. You know, you start realizing, oh, my gosh, people are multi.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Absolutely. I know.

[Jenna Dewan]

It's the greatest pizza.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's really good. I'm really.

[Jenna Dewan]

I don't know why I've never ordered this.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Normally, I don't like a All white pizza. I like. I like the red sauce. I love pepperoni, but this is delicious.

[Jenna Dewan]

Look at me trying to scrape every last piece of this sage. Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, I love this.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And how did the rookie come about? Would you. You. Because, I mean, that's like. I know your character has a dance background or they've mentioned it in passing.

[Jenna Dewan]

No. Well, kind of. They do like Ember John, but it

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

doesn't leave with that at all.

[Jenna Dewan]

No, no, no, no. It was actually. I don't remember what season it was. It was at some point in the season, they did an episode where we flashbacked to an old. You know, prior to my character Bailey being a firefighter and all these things. She was a video dancer. And so we did a flashback scene. You know what I. Yeah. So every. Every job at some point finds a way to bring it out. So we do some sort of dance. That was our way. On the Rookie. I got the Rookie. I got a call because my. One of my really good friends, Eric Winter, plays on show. He called me and said, hey, would you ever be interested in doing this show? My. My showrunner and creator, Alexi. Who's Alexi? Holly is one of the greatest people.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

Thanks to your awesome, awesome. And was thinking about finding just a guest spot. I said, yeah, totally. You know, like I said, it felt like a big yes. Felt fun to do. I said, so it was only one, maybe two episodes. And I just thought, hey, that sounds like fun. I'll go do it. I think Nathan's. I'm a huge fan of his. I think he's great. And then it just turned into this. And, you know, five. God, yeah. Five and a half seasons later and still on it and loving it and just feel really, like, very lucky.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. We had. We hired a nanny when Justin and I were. He was busy, super busy producing some stuff. And I was doing a play. We're like, okay, we gotta. We gotta find someone to help out here. And my friend Lizzy Kaplan, do you know Lizzie? She was like, if you're looking for nanny, I have someone who we can't use because she'd been working with her for a while, but, like, they were moving and Heather couldn't move with her. Heather is a former firefighter.

[Jenna Dewan]

Stop it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You're a retired firefighter. Our daddy. Yeah. And let me tell you what it is, is I cannot recommend it enough to have someone with that background.

[Jenna Dewan]

Okay. That's.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's helping you out with your kids.

[Jenna Dewan]

I mean, actually incredible.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. Oh, we feel so lucky.

[Jenna Dewan]

He must have the most sense of trust too.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

Whatever it is, she's got this.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She like, sees the worst case scenario and everything.

[Jenna Dewan]

Oh, that's, you know, right? She's like, hold on. I've seen how this can go.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. I've seen how this can go. I've seen the wrong ways can go. And sometimes they're like, we have to just trust that that's not gonna happen.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I also remember, like, we didn't have like, proper because we've moved into our. The new house for you guys, and we didn't have proper, you know, fire extinguishers and all this stuff. And I guess there had been a grease fire under her watch. And so she was like, we need to get a fire blanket. And I was like, that sounds great.

[Jenna Dewan]

Uh huh.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And so it's so funny because she had like, she bought. She got. We got all this stuff and like, it arrived and I was like, you just place it where you think it should go. I was thinking would, like, go in like little like cabinets and stuff. She had like, the fire extinguishers were like part of the decor. Like, everything was just out. The blanket was like.

[Jenna Dewan]

It's like, she's like, if it's gonna be here, it's gonna be useful. I'm gonna have it where I can literally grab it. We have fire blanket is very un underrated. That is something we should all have in our home.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we do have it. I was like, it has to go in the drawer. Yeah, it has to go in the drawer. I'm sorry. We can't have the fire blanket out by the stone.

[Jenna Dewan]

You're like, no, not with the spices. Exactly. It to be a little bit hidden.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So that was the funny part about Heather, because she was like, so great in so many ways. Like, not a great design eye. Yeah.

[Jenna Dewan]

She's like, I'm practical. Most of firefighters.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Exactly.

[Jenna Dewan]

Very practical.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But happy that she's in our household. Truly.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah. That's amazing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. Yeah. Thank you for doing this.

[Jenna Dewan]

I love you, Jesse. I love you. Thank you.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yay.

[Jenna Dewan]

We did it.

[Chris (Server at Pizzeria Mozza)]

We did it.

[Jenna Dewan]

I love this

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

this episode of Dinner's on Me was recorded at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, California. Next week on Dinners On Me. You know her from her unforgettable roles in Boogie Nights, Austin Powers, the Spy who, Jagged Me and the Hangover. And now she's starring in the new thriller, they Will Kill youl. It's Heather Graham. We talk about her decades long career in Hollywood and why she feels more confident in her 50s than ever before.

And if you don't want to wait

until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners On Me. Plus, as a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, you'll also be able to listen and completely ad free. Just click try free at the top of the Dinners on Me show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today. Dinners On Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale, she composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week. And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[Jenna Dewan]

Hey everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, no.

We help people customize and save on

car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Jenna Dewan]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Anyways, only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty.

[Jenna Dewan]

Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.