Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Good Inside with Dr. Becky
Episode: Broadway's Leslie Odom Jr. & Nicolette Robinson Talk Parenting
Host: Dr. Becky Kennedy
Guests: Leslie Odom Jr., Nicolette Robinson
Date: November 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features a heartfelt, vulnerable conversation with Broadway power couple Leslie Odom Jr. (original Aaron Burr in Hamilton) and Nicolette Robinson (Waitress). Together with Dr. Becky Kennedy, the couple explores what lies beneath public success: the challenges and rewards of parenting, breaking cycles from their families of origin, setting boundaries, and building a relationship—and family—rooted in growth and healing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Beyond the Spotlight: Who Are Leslie and Nicolette, Really?

• [03:19] The conversation opens with the couple describing each other, highlighting how much of their relationship success is rooted in the “off-stage” work: mutual respect, growth, and a shared appreciation for authenticity.
• Leslie on Nicolette:
  • She grew up in a family of performers but stands out for her kindness and inner beauty.
  • “She is more talented than she’d even have to be...she’s just a good inside, you know, she’s really just a good human being.” (Leslie, 04:00)
• Nicolette on Leslie:
  • Introduces him as a “Leo to the core”—vibrant, a natural host, deeply sensitive, and incredibly patient as a dad.
  • Praises his openness to change and personal growth over their 17-year relationship.
  • “He is so willing to acknowledge when there is room to grow and to change.” (Nicolette, 07:45)

2. Growing Up & the Roots of Creativity

• [10:06] Nicolette and Leslie share contrasting childhoods and how those shaped them as people and artists.
• Nicolette:
  • Raised in a supportive, artistic home—surrounded by rehearsals, music, and dance.
  • She describes herself as “contained, but still very vibrant.”
• Leslie:
  • Grew up amid family trauma, not feeling safe to express himself at home, but finding safety and space “to come apart” at school.
  • Vividly describes a rich inner life as a child—one he eventually channeled into performance:
    • “I was waiting for my autonomy. I was waiting to be free so that I could live fully, so that I could live joyfully.” (Leslie, 13:50)

3. Cycle Breaking: Healing from Family Trauma

• [14:13] Leslie reflects on overcoming a traumatic household and how performance offered a healthy outlet for his pent-up emotions.
• He explains the pain of parents attributing success to their parenting, rather than recognizing his journey of healing and self-discovery:
  • “It’s such a wild thing to survive that and to have a person that was responsible for that kind of look at you and say, how bad could I have done? Look at you.” (Leslie, 14:28)
• Decision to set boundaries with his family for self-preservation:
  • “That’s really an act of love ... for myself and for them.” (Leslie, 15:47)
• Dr. Becky explains how, for children, adapting to emotionally immature parents can lead them to internalize wrongness as a survival mechanism:
  • “For kids, it’s better to be a sinner in a world ruled by God than to live in a world ruled by the devil.” (Dr. Becky, 16:46)

4. Boundaries: Learning and Modeling for the Next Generation

• [20:19] Nicolette notes the transformative effect Leslie’s boundaries have had on their entire family.
• Dr. Becky discusses how boundarylessness (“You made me do that”) in childhood complicates adult relationships and self-knowledge.
• Nicolette:
  • Describes learning to articulate her need for space, modeling repair and respect for herself and her children:
    • “I’m going to give you space, because it looks like you’ve asked for some space, so I’m going to give you that. Or even asking for my own space in the moment.” (Nicolette, 23:55)
• Role-playing and preemptively talking with kids about needing space (“banana” as a family cue) helps normalize healthy boundaries (Dr. Becky, 27:14).
• Leslie’s evolution:
  • Realizing boundaries are about knowing “where I end and where other people begin.”
  • Letting go of the tendency to absorb others’ moods or make their happiness his responsibility:
    • “When somebody says they need space, that doesn’t have to be about you...I’m allowed to put myself on the list in that way.” (Leslie, 30:19)

5. Mental Health, Parenthood, and Self-Compassion

• [32:34] Nicolette opens up about her struggles with anxiety and depression, and how starting medication (with encouragement from Sara Bareilles) helped her regain emotional balance and presence as a mother:
  • “I feel like I can be myself again...so that my kids, when I do set boundaries, they don’t think it’s about them.” (Nicolette, 33:54)
• She describes the shift from feeling depleted by “impossible” days to being more resilient, emphasizing that seeking help is a sign of strength and support (34:06–37:53).

6. Proud and Hard Parenting Moments

• [39:01]
  • Proudest: Nicolette shares a video of her son Abel waking “softly,” appreciating beauty, and spontaneously apologizing for a mistake—a sign that their model of repair is having real impact.
    • “It’s moments like that where you’re like, they are listening.” (Nicolette, 40:46)
  • Proudest (Leslie): Praises daughter Lucy for showing boundaries with her brother—refusing to get “hooked” by his moods (42:12).
  • Hardest:
    • Leslie: Struggles with balancing work (especially performing at night) and being present in the day with his kids (44:14).
    • Nicolette: The mental load and anxiety of solo parenting, and how self-care, including medication, helps her manage the pressures and not let anxiety “be my biggest challenge” (47:43).

7. Hamilton & the Challenge of Sudden Success

• [48:09] The duo reflects on the “meteoric rise” after Hamilton and its impacts:
  • Nicolette navigated being in Leslie’s shadow in social settings.
  • Leslie admits he lacked the awareness and tools to prioritize checking on Nicolette in those heady days.
  • “We’ve had the years to sort of say, what was that?...How do I make sure I don’t let go of your hand in this room?” (Leslie, 49:57)
  • Both feel they’ve gained healing and clarity, making their current season as parents and artists more intentional.

8. Rapid Fire & Memorable Parenting Stories

• First roles:
  • Nicolette: “Soccer girl on Party of Five.” (52:16)
  • Leslie: “Martin Luther King in nursery school for the Black history pageant.” (52:21)
• Parenting off-your-chair moment:
  • Leslie tells about 2-year-old Lucy telling their housekeeper Maria she didn’t like her (“I don’t like you, Ria”), but then coming back to apologize on her own—showing the power of repair and patience. (53:02–54:53)
• Hopes for the future:
  • Nicolette hopes her kids will say: “My mom loves me more than anybody in this world...and she's also taught me to do things that I love for myself, too.” (56:26)
  • Leslie: “My dad might be the kindest guy I know.” (56:50)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On boundaries and resentment:
  • “They didn’t ask you to treat yourself like garbage so that you could put them first.” (Leslie, 31:36)
• Modeling repair:
  • “When we repair with our kids, we are cycle breakers.” (Dr. Becky, 57:56, closing reflection)
• On seeking help:
  • “All kinds of support are a sign of strength.” (Dr. Becky, 35:57)
• On parenting’s emotional journey:
  • “Some days...the only true difference you can have between a day is whether it feels impossible or hard. Like, hard is sometimes the best it gets.” (Dr. Becky, 35:33)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:19 – Who are Leslie & Nicolette offstage?
• 10:06 – Childhoods and the birth of creativity
• 13:50 – Leslie on finding freedom and autonomy
• 14:13 – Surviving and breaking familial cycles
• 20:19 – Cycle breaking: boundaries and repair
• 23:55 – Modeling boundaries for kids
• 27:14 – Dr. Becky’s strategies for setting boundaries with children
• 32:34 – Nicolette on mental health and parenting
• 39:01 – Proudest and hardest parenting moments
• 48:09 – Behind Hamilton’s rise and couple’s dynamic
• 53:02 – Parenting story: First repair from a toddler
• 56:26 – What do you want your kids to say about you?

Episode Tone

The episode is profoundly honest, warm, and at times, gently humorous. Leslie and Nicolette are refreshingly open about difficulties and growth, giving listeners a sense of camaraderie and hope—modeling Dr. Becky’s core philosophy that everyone, parents and children alike, is “good inside.”

This summary captures the richness, heart, and actionable wisdom from the episode – invaluable for any parent or person striving for growth, connection, and healing.