Brianne Howey

Summary

Podcrushed Episode Summary: Brienne Howey

Release Date: March 5, 2025

In this engaging episode of Podcrushed, hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, and Sophie Ansari sit down with actress Brienne Howey to delve into her middle school experiences, familial dynamics, burgeoning acting career, and the transition into motherhood. Through heartfelt conversations and candid anecdotes, Brienne provides listeners with a relatable glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of adolescence and beyond.

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1. Introduction to Brienne Howey

The episode opens with the hosts introducing Brienne Howey, known for her breakout role in Netflix's acclaimed series "Ginny in Georgia", and her recent film "Kind of Pregnant" alongside Amy Schumer and Will Forte. They highlight her versatile performances in both television and film, setting the stage for an in-depth conversation about her personal and professional journey.

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2. Early Life and Family Dynamics

Brienne shares insights into her upbringing in Pasadena, California, as the oldest of five siblings. She recounts the impact of her parents' divorce when she was around ten years old, leading to her mother becoming a single parent who emphasized academic excellence.

Brienne Howey [06:08]: “My mom was so worried about me getting into a really good college... It was a lot of pressure.”

Brienne discusses the athletic prowess of her siblings and how her own struggles with sports pushed her towards discovering her passion for acting.

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3. Discovering Acting

Brienne describes her late introduction to the world of acting during high school, where she found solace and community in improv and theater after facing repeated setbacks in sports.

Brienne Howey [08:57]: “I was so bad at every sport. So I had to go to... I tried out for improv, and I made that team.”

Her experience in high school plays, especially auditioning for an all-boys play while attending an all-girls Catholic school, marked the beginning of her acting trajectory.

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4. Relationship with Parents

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on Brienne's close relationship with her mother, which evolved into a deep friendship. She poignantly shares the loss of her mother to cancer when Brienne was 21, reflecting on how motherhood intensified her connection to her late parent.

Brienne Howey [28:20]: “It's hard to explain. We were really good friends... it feels like my mom's meddling up there and brought me this because it feels so much of my story.”

Brienne emphasizes how her mother's ambition and work ethic influenced her own approach to life and career.

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5. First Experiences with Love and Heartbreak

Brienne opens up about her long-term relationships during her teenage and college years, highlighting the intensity and drama that accompanied her high school romance. She draws parallels between her past experiences and her current role as a mother.

Brienne Howey [24:31]: “I had a very serious boyfriend throughout all of high school for four years, and then we broke up when I went to NYU. It was so dramatic.”

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6. Embarrassing Middle School Stories

Brienne shares a humorous yet mortifying memory from middle school when she mistakenly ran laps around the pool instead of the gate during volleyball tryouts, leading to an embarrassing encounter with the junior water polo team.

Brienne Howey [26:08]: “I entered the gate, and I literally ran around the perimeter of the pool... It was the most mortifying experience.”

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7. Acting Career and Roles

The discussion transitions to Brienne's career choices, including her role in "Ginny in Georgia" and the challenges of balancing dramatic roles with her desire to explore lighter characters. She recounts a dangerous on-set accident during the filming of "The Exorcist", where a stunt double was injured, underscoring the unpredictability of acting.

Brienne Howey [35:54]: “We had one freak accident on set... the stunt double... fell on the coffee table and broke his ribs.”

Brienne also touches upon her role in "Kind of Pregnant", where she portrays a character experiencing real-life-like birth stories, blending vulnerability with humor.

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8. Motherhood and Balancing Life

Brienne discusses the profound impact of becoming a mother on her personal life and acting career. She narrates her real birth story, which was incorporated into "Kind of Pregnant", highlighting the emotional and physical challenges she faced.

Brienne Howey [38:12]: “The scene in the bathroom floor in Kind of Pregnant is actually my real birth story... it was the first time I've seen my partner so scared.”

She shares the supportive environment on set, especially from co-star Amy Schumer, who facilitated a nurturing space for Brienne and her newborn daughter during filming.

Brienne Howey [44:30]: “It was so awesome to just be surrounded by other women, especially other women who are working with kids. And they let Siggy come to set all the time. It was so sweet.”

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9. Conclusion and Reflections

In the final segment, Brienne reflects on her character Georgia from "Ginny in Georgia", discussing the complexities and challenges of portraying such a dynamic role. The hosts wrap up with personal questions about Brienne's relationship with her husband, their meeting story, and advice she would give her younger self.

Brienne Howey [58:24]: “I would tell her not to worry so much that it's all going to be okay. Less worry. And maybe I would change my passwords.”

Brienne's heartfelt and introspective responses provide listeners with a deep understanding of her resilience, adaptability, and the balance she maintains between her personal and professional life.

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Notable Quotes

• Brienne Howey [06:08]: “My mom was so worried about me getting into a really good college... It was a lot of pressure.”
• Brienne Howey [08:57]: “I was so bad at every sport. So I had to go to... I tried out for improv, and I made that team.”
• Brienne Howey [26:08]: “I entered the gate, and I literally ran around the perimeter of the pool... It was the most mortifying experience.”
• Brienne Howey [38:12]: “The scene in the bathroom floor in Kind of Pregnant is actually my real birth story... it was the first time I've seen my partner so scared.”
• Brienne Howey [58:24]: “I would tell her not to worry so much that it's all going to be okay. Less worry. And maybe I would change my passwords.”

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Key Takeaways

• Family Influence: Brienne's mother's emphasis on education and success significantly shaped her early life and career choices.
• Passion for Acting: Discovering improv in high school redirected Brienne away from sports and into the performing arts, where she found her true calling.
• Navigating Relationships: Long-term relationships during formative years provided both challenges and lessons that Brienne carries into her adult life.
• Balancing Career and Motherhood: Brienne demonstrates the ability to navigate the demands of a successful acting career while embracing the responsibilities and joys of motherhood.
• Resilience and Adaptability: From overcoming athletic setbacks to handling on-set accidents and personal loss, Brienne exhibits resilience and adaptability in both her personal and professional spheres.

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This episode of Podcrushed offers a compelling narrative of Brienne Howey's journey from a pressured middle schooler to a celebrated actress and devoted mother. Her candid storytelling and introspective insights make for a deeply relatable and inspiring listen.

Transcript

[Nava]

Lemonade?

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah. You're hanging out at the all boys school. My mom didn't want, you know, practice goes late. She didn't want to pick me up. She was a single mom. So I'm getting rides from the older boys, going home, and I was fairly happy. It was really fun. Yeah, I didn't have many complaints about that. I was having a great time.

[Sophie]

You're like, mom, that's fine.

[Nava]

No pickup.

[Penn]

I love theater. I'm going to do this the rest of my life, Mom.

[Brienne Howey]

Exactly. I love these beats. Great.

[Penn]

Welcome to podcrust. We're your hosts. I'm Penn.

[Sophie]

I'm Sophie.

[Nava]

And I'm Nava. And I think we would have been your middle school besties, spending our Saturday.

[Penn]

Afternoon watching the 16 and Pregnant Marathon. Oh, my God.

[Nava]

Did you guys see it? Did you see it?

[Penn]

Welcome to podcrust. Welcome to podcast. We've got a good show for you. Dumb. I feel dumb. I feel dumber for that.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That you're singing.

[Sophie]

Pen.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Is it because our guest said something today? Brienne, you already know because you clicked on this episode. Okay. We tried to pretend like it's a surprise.

[Penn]

Makes no sense.

[Nava]

No way.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Brienne told us about how her mom was really intent on her getting into a good college, and she did some things. I'll save it for the episode. She did some things for Brienne to really inspire her to get into a specific school. And I was reminded that my dad was the same. He was really into college and really, really inspired us and encouraged us. And he came up with a song for me to inspire me to only go to an Ivy League school, which I didn't. Spoiler alert. I did not go to an Ivy League school.

[Nava]

But he came up with a song.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And his song was Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Yale. Our little girl will never fail.

[Nava]

What?

[Sophie]

Whoa.

[Penn]

That's a little crazy.

[Hasan Minhaj]

During our break, I actually sent him a voice note.

[Nava]

Cause I was like, I know there's.

[Hasan Minhaj]

A second part of the song which was like, just in case I don't. He made like a second part that was about, like, the second string schools that would be.

[Brienne Howey]

Okay.

[Penn]

Want me to go to. I really want to hear that one.

[Nava]

Well, I forgot what it was.

[Hasan Minhaj]

So I asked him to send me a voice note, which I want to play.

[Sophie]

I haven't listened to it yet.

[Penn]

I really want to know, but I.

[Nava]

Want to hear it.

[Penn]

ASU or nyu. If you fail, we'll love you still. Or no, it was if you fail, we won't love you. There we go.

[Nava]

I mean, that's Catchier. That's catchier. There's two.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Let's see what this is.

[Penn]

I only remember the first part of it, which was Muhlenberg, Gettysburg, Bentley Bates. Our little girl.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Oh, shoot.

[Penn]

Our little girl has other traits. You talk about this. That it was tongue in cheek that we really, you know, and I. I don't think we pressured you or. Really. He's backtracking now. Direction of the Ivy League.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I'm not letting him finish because he's not getting.

[Nava]

That's hilarious. Wait, but are Gettysburg and the. Are those schools or are those the locations of fantasies and you've never heard.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Of them because they're second string. Maybe third or fourth.

[Penn]

Yeah.

[Nava]

So if we went to nyu, she went to an incredible school, actually. Just like Trish, right? She's. Is the school she went to, you mean?

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah.

[Sophie]

Brienne went to Tisch.

[Hasan Minhaj]

She went to nyu.

[Nava]

That's incredible that Sophie and actually Sophie and Brienne both ended up at nyu.

[Penn]

Yeah. So let's just get to it. Our guest today is Brienne Howey, who you probably know from her breakout role on the acclaimed Ginny in Georgia series on Netflix. I've never heard of Netflix, though. It's weird. I've heard of Ginny in Georgia, but Netflix is not ringing a bell. She's also been in films like Dear Santa and Batwoman. You know, speaking of Netflix, she's got a new film, Kinda Pregnant, that is streaming now. She stars alongside Amy Schumer and Will Forte. There's a whole, like, pregnancy, fake pregnancy thing. It's actually quite funny. It's more than kind of funny, but she's kind of pregnant. We loved having Brianne on the show today. Don't go anywhere. We will be right back.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I'm Hasan Minhaj and I have been lying to you. I only pretended to be a comedian so I could trick important people into coming on my podcast. Hasan Minhaj doesn't know to ask them the tough questions that real journalists are way too afraid to ask. People like Senator Elizabeth Warren. America too dumb for democracy.

[Sarah]

Outrageous.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Parenting expert Dr. Becky. How do you skip consequences without raising a psychopath?

[Brienne Howey]

It's a good question.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Listen to Hasan Minhaj doesn't know from Lemonada Media. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sarah]

Tired of the same old political shouting matches and talking points? Looking for thoughtful conversations that go beyond the headlines and help you understand issues that matter. I'm Sarah. And I'm Beth.

[Sophie]

Together we host Pantsuit Politics, a podcast.

[Sarah]

Where we bring grace, nuance, and perspective to the news. Because democracy deserves more than Hot takes. Join us as we approach politics and current events with curiosity, empathy, and a commitment to understanding the bigger picture. If you want to stay informed without the anxiety, we're the show for you. New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Fridays. Subscribe to Pantsuit Politics wherever you get your podcast.

[Penn]

Okay, so. So we'll just. We'll start at 12. So from what we gather, you grew up in Pasadena. You do have a lot of siblings, but of course, every family's configured differently. Just give us like a. Just give us a snapshot. Who was 12 year old? Brienne.

[Brienne Howey]

So, yes, I mean, you almost beat me to it. Very modern family situation. My parents got divorced when I was around 10 years old. They were a little bit on again, off again throughout that process. By the time I was 12, living with my mom, my mom was a single mom, worked super, super hard. My sister was probably seven at the time, and I think my whole world was. My mom was so worried about me getting into a really good college and it was just all about doing really, really well in school. Yeah, I had to have like, she made my AOL screen name my. She made my password Harvard. Like, she was just really all about because. Right. We want for our kids all the things we didn't have. So she. My mom came from nothing really. She became the CEO of a software consulting company by the time she was 30. She was really successful.

[Nava]

Wow.

[Brienne Howey]

But really put a lot of pressure on all of us to really succeed and try really hard and work ethic and school was so important. So there was. It was a lot of pressure.

[Penn]

Well, you say all of us. I think what I'm interested in is so I. I have a half sibling who I did not grow up with who was 17 years older. I have a stepson and a son, so they're 11 years apart. There's all kinds of ways that, you know, stepfamilies can exist and siblings can be. Were you guys under the same roof or were you like.

[Brienne Howey]

What was that like, technically the oldest of five. So when I was 12, they weren't all here yet. Right. It was just me and my one sister and we had the same mom and dad. Then our parents divorced. My mom remarried and had one more. He's now 18, and he lives in North Carolina with his dad. Then my dad had two more and they're now 22 and 21. Just graduated college and he actually. I'm so proud of him. I'm gonna brag. He just signed with the Detroit Tigers.

[Nava]

That's incredible.

[Brienne Howey]

It's so thrilling. He worked so hard, you know that literally, culture is so intense. And then my sister, who's 20, she's still in college, and she plays softball. So my siblings are all very, very athletic. My sister, we have the same mom and dad. She played lacrosse in Santa Barbara. And then my brother in North Carolina is an amazing swimmer. And then the other two are softball, baseball. So huge sports family. And that's kind of how I found acting was. Because I was so bad at every sport. I never made a team for anything. So I had to go to, like. Like, I remember my mom making me do these UCLA volleyball camps in seventh grade. And I would just cry. I would just call her crying, being like, please pick me up. I can't do this. I'm so bad at this. And it was the same. It was like tennis, basketball, all the things. Cause I was tall, and my family was so athletic, and everyone was just like, you have to play sports. And I just was terrible. And then I finally in. This wasn't until 9th grade, but then I tried out for the improv team, and I made that team. And that's when I was like, oh, I'm a thespian. These are my people. And then I started auditioning for the plays in high school, and it all carried away from there.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You talking about the UCLA sports camps just brought back a memory of.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah.

[Sophie]

Did it?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yes. A tennis camp. At a summer tennis camp at Amherst College. My mom made me join because my sister was joining, and my sister's really good at tennis. I have absolutely no tennis skill. The first day, you know, they had us. They, like, assessed us so that they could split us into groups and tiers and stuff. And then I had this, like, private group with a. And I realized later it was because there was no one at the camp. Like, out of over 100 kids, there was no one as bad as me. So I had to be.

[Brienne Howey]

If I was there, I would have been with the coach. With you, I would have been your friend. I, too, would have sucked.

[Nava]

That's sweet.

[Brienne Howey]

I cared that I was bad at it. I didn't care that it was sports. I cared that I was bad at it. And I think all of that pressure inadvertently created. It gave me some perfectionist tendencies where as I've gotten older, I'm really been trying to unwind those. Right. Like, it's not. That's not great for us. And I think, yeah, being 12, it was just a lot of pressure about. It was for the resume so I could get into a good college. That's more what it was about.

[Penn]

Yeah. Right, right, right. Okay. Okay. So when did. So it sounds like you, you discovered improv in high school.

[Brienne Howey]

How late into high school, like freshman or sophomore year.

[Penn]

Okay.

[Brienne Howey]

A little bit early on. Yeah. Cause and then I continued. That's what got me into doing the plays. Like the, our coach of the improv team was the one who recommended. He was like, you should try out for the plays. But the first play was a musical and I can't sing or dance and I went to an all girls high school and so I auditioned for the all boys play. That was just a straight play. Cause it wasn't a musical.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You could do that.

[Brienne Howey]

And that was the first. Yeah. Because they needed girls. So the boys auditioned at our school and we auditioned at their school.

[Penn]

Wow.

[Sophie]

Oh, how cool was. And what was that like?

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like my picture of being at an all girls school and then like being in the play at the all boys school.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I feel like that's just like a perfect setting.

[Brienne Howey]

It was the best. It was trouble. Yeah. You're hanging out at the all boys school. My mom didn't want, you know, practice goes late. She didn't want to pick me up. She was a single mom. So I'm getting rides from the older boys going home and I was fairly happy. It was really fun. Yeah. I didn't have many complaints about that. I was having a great time.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, mom, that's fine.

[Nava]

No pickup.

[Penn]

I love theater. I'm gonna do this the rest of my life, mom.

[Brienne Howey]

Exactly. I love these. It's great. I mean, I really, I mean that was more high school, not junior high. But yes. Once I found what like my community and my people and what I enjoyed doing and kind of coming into myself was definitely. Yeah. Later on in high school, doing actual plays, I. That's for sure where I started to fall in love with it all and like the collaboration and. But I didn't. Even though I grew up in la, no one in my family necessarily worked or works super directly in the entertainment industry. So I never really viewed this as a career. And to be honest, because my mom was so hard on me about getting into the right college and doing all of this, she necessary didn't necessarily love the idea of acting. She was like, you're not going to make any money and like it's a numbers game and those odds are so slim. And my mom was a real left brain numbers woman.

[Nava]

I'm curious, Brianne, what your dad was like sort of at this time in your life and just in general, like.

[Brienne Howey]

His vibe yeah, my dad. So at this point, I guess Preston and Morgan. So my dad had two more kids. They were really. Morgan was probably just born, and then. So they were really little. Maybe only Preston was around, and he's probably a toddler that actually, I think so. My dad getting remarried and having more kids brought us even closer. I think we weren't as close prior to that, but watching him, because, again. So my parents had me really young. My mom was 21. My dad was just a touch older. Nobody knew what they were doing. Everybody had a lot going on, you know, figuring it out as you go. And so watching my dad in his second marriage and with the kids, I loved it. And they were in Pasadena, and I was living in Lauda at the time. And it brought It. It brought us a lot closer. But my dad was way chiller. Like, he was the one. Like, if I got a bad grade, it didn't matter. He, like, he liked that. Like, he, like, he liked being the guy who was like, I don't care if you don't do well in math, whatever.

[Penn]

You can change your password.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like, Brown or Yale is always undermining.

[Nava]

Always.

[Penn]

Speak for yourself. I'm the one. So with my toddler, when I walk into the room and he's, like, eating chocolate, he, like, looks to his mom and he's like. And he goes to me, he goes, I need space. Give me space. Like, if he's watching. If he's watching something or if he's eating something sweet, and I walk into the room, if I've been there and he knows that I know, then it's fine. But if I walk in and he's doing. He literally is like, he's scared of you.

[Brienne Howey]

Yes. My daughter doesn't have. She's only one and a half. So she has a lot of words, but not as many words. But we're working on it. But she's doing something she knows she shouldn't be doing. And my husband or I walk anywhere near her, it's, no, no, no, mama. No, no, no. And she's just, like, pulling all the wipes out of the white bag or something like that. But, yeah, and we're trying to work on. I'm trying to teach her. I'm like, do you want privacy? Like, when she's going to the bathroom or something, like in a corner, and if you start to walk near her to go change her and pick her up, she's like, no, no. Aw.

[Nava]

Sweet.

[Brienne Howey]

I know.

[Nava]

That's really sweet, Brianne. So Brianne, obviously You went to this all girls Catholic school?

[Brienne Howey]

Yes.

[Nava]

Had some fun at the school plays. What got you into improv? What got you into theater besides not excelling in athletics? What drew you to that?

[Brienne Howey]

Sadly, that was literally it. I just. I was trying out for everything, and I didn't make any teams. I made, like. I barely even made the intramural teams in junior high. I just. I don't know, it just was not my thing. And then finding improv and doing the plays in high school, I still wasn't viewing it as, oh, my God, this is my future. This is my career. It was just, this is great for my college resumes right now. So I worked really hard at it. And it was more, I think, actually in junior high, I did. My mom took me to New York for the first time. Went to New York City. I fell in love. I remember seeing a woman. I don't know, she was, like, in a ball gown, standing in front of a hotel, and it was the most glamorous thing I had ever seen. And I was just obsessed with New York. So I fell in love with nyu. And then by the time I was applying to colleges, I thought, if I could get into Tish, I'll take this seriously. Maybe I'm meant to be an actor, and maybe I'll do this. But if I don't get into Tish, I'm not. I'm. I'll just do something else. I mean, I was, like, minoring in journalism or something and writing child psychology, actually. But I ended up getting into Tish, and then I was like, holy. Okay, I guess I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go do this.

[Hasan Minhaj]

That's amazing.

[Brienne Howey]

And, yeah, I loved it. And then I did my first student film freshman year, and that was really the game changer. It was like I had never felt that type of community and collaboration, and it was just like a bunch of college kids from all these different departments and walks of life creating something together, and nothing felt better.

[Penn]

So can we just rewind a little bit? Because we're gonna get. I'm really interested in that transition. That's like. That's a really rich vein. Not only do we have a few classic questions about adolescence, like first crush, first heartbreak, first, you know, and any kind of embarrassing stories. I am curious. Like, you know, part of our premise is this idea that at 12, 13, 14, you know, your mind is obviously, the body's developing, but your mind is really developing. And, you know, and your capacity to feel, your capacity to, like, look out into the world and see Patterns that you couldn't see before to see, to think about, like, I don't know, even literally like, you know, aspects of society. What, what if you could have, if you think what would your 12 year old, 12 year old or 13 year old self might have said if you ask like what do you want to do for the rest of your life? Would you have had an answer? You don't have to because that's.

[Brienne Howey]

I had like work answers. Like I wanted to be a photographer or an architect. Yeah, I don't know why, but again, my mom was like, you're not gonna make good money being a photographer. She was just really all about like, you have to take care of yourself again. That's just parents projecting from their own upbringings and all the things you want for your kids.

[Penn]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brienne Howey]

But I, what was I. I was also. I'm really sensitive. Still am, but more so I was a pretty sensitive and I stayed in my lane a lot. I think I was kind of afraid to take up a lot of space, to be honest. Just being the older sibling, I really took care of my younger siblings. I had to grow up kind of fast and I was really independent again. Like my mom worked a lot. I was kind of raised by. And because my mom had me so young, I was raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, nannies. And then I was kind of that kid who really, really gravitated. Like you had those best friends and like their parents were still together and you'd go to dinner at their house and they would take you on their family vacations. Like I was that kind of tag along friend to some of these families growing up who are still, those are still my best friends to this day. And their parents are still such a huge, huge part of my life.

[Nava]

You know, it's interest to hear you talk about how independent you are because every time you name like a possible career, like journalist or photographer, architect, I can picture you in all of them, which isn't always the case, you know, but I'm like, oh yeah. Brianne just seems like she would have been excellent at everything she's naming. And I don't know why, but you just have a quality about you that seems like you would have excelled at whatever path you chose.

[Brienne Howey]

Thank you. I guess that's what's kind of cool about acting. You're. You then kind of get to take on all these different kinds of things.

[Penn]

And you don't have to do any of them. You don't actually have to be good.

[Brienne Howey]

At anything about them. They do it all for you and they make you look good.

[Nava]

Stick around. We'll be right back.

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[Sophie]

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[Hasan Minhaj]

I do want to ask about your first experiences around love and heartbreak around junior high, high school, whenever it was for you.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah, you know, it's so funny. I. Now that I have a daughter and she's only one and a half, I swear to God, she's so boy crazy. And we're all like, where did this come from? What on earth? Like, she's so young. Oh, my God. And then the more I think about it, I'm like, oh, my God, I think it was me. Yeah, I, like, always had boyfriends and crushes. And I had a very, very serious boyfriend throughout all of high school for four years, and then we broke up when I went to nyu. And it was so dramatic. And he was two years older than me throughout high school, so my mom wasn't thrilled. And we definitely got into, like, he got me my first fake id and I snuck out all the time and he would sneak in and it was bad, bad. Now that I am a mother and I have a daughter, I'm like, jesus Christ, this is all gonna come back.

[Penn]

To me tenfold it now. Do you feel like you had. I mean, you were together for nearly four years.

[Brienne Howey]

A long time.

[Penn]

That's a long time for. For that age. That's like a. That's like, that's a marriage.

[Brienne Howey]

You know, it. And I've kind of had. Yeah, I've had a couple of those. Then. Then we broke up. And I had, you know, my fun in college. And then the end of college and the four years after college, I had another boyfriend for like four years. And then we broke up. And then I was single for a little bit, doing my thing, and then I met my husband, and now we've been together for a very long time.

[Nava]

You have a sweet story of meeting your husband. So we'll circle back to that once we get to your adult years, if that's okay.

[Brienne Howey]

Of course. Of course.

[Nava]

So another. Another question that we like to ask is if you have an embarrassing or awkward sort of middle school memory.

[Brienne Howey]

I mean, so many you guys, so many. The one that always comes to mind is I was trying out for the volleyball team, and I was like, a little bit late, and everybody was meeting up in the parking lot, and they had already done the warmup, I guess. So she, the coach is like, brianne, go run a couple laps around the Pool. And there's the pool. And then, like, an enormous, enormous gate around the pool. I don't know what I was thinking. I entered the gate, and I literally ran around the perimeter of the pool, not the gate of the pool. And the junior water polo team was practicing, and they all of a sudden I just hear, go.

[Sarah]

Oh.

[Brienne Howey]

Oh, my God. They told her to run around the pool. Like, I didn't get that. I was supposed to run around the gate. And it was. It was the most mortifying experience.

[Sophie]

Did you continue?

[Brienne Howey]

Because it was all the boys. I think I probably did, yeah. I think I finished my last.

[Sophie]

I'm committed. I'm committed.

[Brienne Howey]

I took, yeah, my, like, shortcut. Cause I was like, God, that would be way too much to run all the way around that big gate. I'm just literally gonna run around the perimeter of the pool. And it was just super embarrassing, but I think I probably finished it. Yes. I don't think I quit.

[Nava]

It doesn't sound like you. You wouldn't quit.

[Brienne Howey]

My passwords. I'm not a quitter, you guys.

[Nava]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I heard that you had an extremely close relationship with your mom growing up, like, to the point where maybe you called yourselves the Gilmore Girls A little bit weird.

[Brienne Howey]

It's very true.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah, that paints a good picture.

[Sophie]

I feel like it's just so.

[Brienne Howey]

It's like the one that. Then when I got cast in Ginny and George, it was just felt. I mean, that's what the show is about. It just felt like it was a very full circle moment. And, yeah, like, I remember my mom and I, we would. We would call ourselves the Gilmore Girls. We would watch the Gilmore Girls. My mom, at times, was more of a friend than a mom.

[Hasan Minhaj]

How did that relationship evolve throughout teenhood and then into adulthood? Do you feel like you ended up finding, like, a nice balance of friendship and parent, or how did that go?

[Brienne Howey]

So it's complicated. My mom actually ended up passing from cancer a long time ago, though, now. Thank you. It was, like, 15 years ago, so I was 21. 14 years ago, maybe. And so our time got a little bit cut short, but we. It was. So while when she. She got diagnosed when I was in high school, and it was also the same time that she met her husband. So she actually moved to North Carolina to have another baby with her husband and I. Because it was my junior going into senior year of high school, I just wanted to finish out the year. So my aunt and uncle actually moved in with me into my house in Lada when my mom was in North Carolina.

[Nava]

Wow.

[Brienne Howey]

So, I mean, it's hard to explain. We were. I don't. As far as I guess the balance goes, we were really, really good friends. And, I mean, she mothered me, of course, but, like, then when she got really sick, the. The. The role. Your roles change a little bit. Right. And, like, we were so close, and I would, like, fly to New York a lot for all of her treatments. I know. I'm sorry. I feel like this is pivoting to, like, a sad, sad story.

[Penn]

No, it's not.

[Brienne Howey]

Okay.

[Nava]

We welcome that.

[Brienne Howey]

Okay. Okay.

[Nava]

Yeah, very much.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Okay.

[Brienne Howey]

I mean, it isn't all sad. She's still, like. I don't know. I. Now that I'm a mom, it definitely shines a spotlight on all of these things. And I almost feel closer with my mom in a way, even though she's gone now that I am a mom, because I just can't stop thinking about her and thinking about how I was raised and what I want to take with me and what I don't want to take with me and how that's okay, too. But, I mean, yeah, I loved our relationship, but it. Of course, I mean, it was Gilmore Girls, and it was Ginny and Georgia. Like, I get the reason Georgia resonates with me so much is there weren't a lot of boundaries. My mom shared everything with me. I shared everything with her. Like, I got. My mom caught me sneaking out, and I didn't even get in that much trouble because she just felt so bad that she was living in North Carolina at the time and couldn't be there for me. But she really wanted to have this family, and it's hard. Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah. Thank you for sharing.

[Brienne Howey]

Of course. Sorry. It's a lot. No, no, no, no.

[Penn]

I mean, look, we. We actually, we. We talk about death and loss and. And grief quite a bit on this show. More than our distributors would like, I think.

[Brienne Howey]

They don't care.

[Penn]

We do what we want. So you entered, you know, like, mature youth, like 21, having lost your mother and. And. And then. And it just feels to me that finally having the opportunity to play Giorgio could have at points, felt like. I don't know how to put it. I just know I've had this a few times in my life. Playing certain roles where you're like, this is so on the nose that, you know, it's like, you. Is anything I'm saying resonating yet? Like, it's like, you know, it's like.

[Brienne Howey]

Cut you off. Yes.

[Penn]

Well, no, it's. Please cut me off.

[Brienne Howey]

It feels Just so meaningful. Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't want to cut you off.

[Sophie]

Cut him off, please.

[Brienne Howey]

It feels so meant to be. Like, I don't. There's just so much. I feel like my mom, like, met was meddling up there and, like, brought me this because it feels so. It's so much of my story. Obviously not. I'm not on the run or a murderer, but so much of the other stuff. Like, my mom was so cool and savvy and, like, was this crazy, successful software consultant, but a single mom. And, like, when we were moving, wanted to furnish her house with all Crate and Barrel furniture, but it's so expensive. So she worked for Crate and Barrel. I mean, I probably shouldn't be saying this, but this was so long ago. She worked at Crate and barrel for, like, two weeks just to get the 30% discount, furnish our house, and then quit. Oh, my gosh. That is. It's Georgia. Like, it's. She had to survive. My mom was a true. Like, she. She just had to survive. And that's a lot of what. Yeah, these roles and characters are. And, like, before Jeannie and George, I did kind of a lot of dark stuff, and that's not really what I thought my trajectory was gonna be here. Like, when I first signed with my team, I was, like, 21, and it was all like, let's take on rom coms, and this is gonna be so fun and light and funny. And then for whatever reason it might have been, I think probably because I was hurting and grieving, that I was kind of just attracting darker stuff. I think about that a lot, truthfully.

[Nava]

You know, it's interesting you said that, because I was wondering. Obviously, this comparison is frequently made, but speaking to you, it is really palpable. The sort of Julia Roberts comparison. And she was, like, the queen of, like, romantic comedies and one of the best to ever do it. So I was wondering, like, why was Brienne knowing that you started an improv? You have this actress who. I can't think of anyone else who resembles her so much, even in the way that she speaks.

[Brienne Howey]

Speaks.

[Nava]

You know, the way that you do. Yeah. So I was curious, like, why was Brienne on this sort of, like, drama path? And you're funny, so that's interesting.

[Brienne Howey]

Like, it just. Yeah. I don't know. Being an actor is so weird. And, like, I feel like I used to get questions about, like, what do you want to do next? And it's like, whatever they put me in, like, whatever I book. I don't. I Don't have a choice. It's like, what am I getting a call back for? Who, where, where, who's. Where am I testing? But I do remember at one point in time, I think I was testing for the Exorcist, which was this dark show on Fox. Geena Davis played my. Alan Ruck played my dad. It was so cool. But at the same time I was testing for that, I was also testing for a comedy, and I had to pick which one I wanted to put in first position. And the comedy was amazing. But I remember having a talk with my team just about kind of the state of comedies in the industry at that time. And they weren't getting picked up as much. They weren't getting as many seasons. And I don't know, the other script was. Just felt like it a little bit. It felt like it was going to have more legs. But because I did Exorcist, it did kind of change things. Then the next couple things I did were dark sci fi.

[Nava]

Yeah.

[Brienne Howey]

Shows. But I loved them and they were great, but they didn't. Yeah, I loved.

[Penn]

Do you by chance have. I typically do not ask questions like this at all. They can testify to this. There are so many superstitions around people who've been in the Exorcist. Are you aware of these?

[Brienne Howey]

A little bit. Yeah.

[Penn]

Like, I. I'm not. Are you guys not. And I went into a Wikipedia hole and discovered that there's all this stuff around, like this strange circumstances of many actors and actresses, like, dying prematurely after having been in it.

[Brienne Howey]

But anyway, so we had one. We had one freak accident on set. And it did involve one of the actors playing the priest, but it was his stunt double. And it was a scene where we're all in the living room huddled around this coffee. And I played. What was my joke I would make. Oh, I was depressed, not possessed. So I wasn't the possessed one, but I was the sister of the possessed one. And I was just like a really sad ballerina girl and the stunt double. So we're all gathered around the coffee table. Mom, dad, sisters, and the stunt double is the priest. And he's being exorcised, I suppose, in a way. And he gets thrown from one corner of the room to the other corner of the room. So he's on. He's on ropes. And as he. As they start the stunt, he goes. The cable breaks and he falls on the coffee table on us, shatters the coffee table, breaks his ribs.

[Nava]

Oh, my God.

[Brienne Howey]

It was terrible. He's okay, but it was like A horrible, horrible accident.

[Nava]

Brianne, that's traumatizing for everyone. For everyone. How did you guys recover?

[Brienne Howey]

Well, we took the night off and then I.

[Sophie]

That was also deep into.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah, it was deep into night shoots. And I think we all agree we were deep in the season, deep into night shoots. And that's a change needed to be made. So I think we took a little mini break and had to pivot. But, yeah, I mean, these things. Yeah, these things happen. It's horrifying.

[Nava]

Wow.

[Penn]

So let's pivot from exorcisms.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Okay.

[Brienne Howey]

Okay. Fair. Are you sure we don't have to wait.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Actually, maybe a segue. The other day, yesterday, my daughter, she nearly one and a half, so probably similar age to your daughter.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

And she would not go to sleep, she would not take a nap, which hasn't happened in a long time. And finally, like, last straw. My husband's like, I'm just gonna take her on a drive. Cause that will just like. That'll do it. But he took her on a drive and he said. He texted me.

[Sophie]

He was like, she has her eyes closed.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Like she wants to sleep so bad, but she's moving her hands, like, trying to keep herself awake.

[Sophie]

We need an exorcist.

[Brienne Howey]

I know that feeling so well. They just bite it so hard.

[Nava]

Yeah.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Sometimes she. She does seem possessed, but that.

[Sophie]

I feel like it bring us maybe.

[Hasan Minhaj]

To kind of pregnant. I. I watched it last night and the prenatal yoga class made me laugh out loud.

[Penn]

Yeah. So funny.

[Brienne Howey]

Oh, my God. Thank you so much. I'm so glad. So ridiculous. That was. That scene was hard to shoot. They were doing the farts in real time and we had to like, do a couple takes with no farts because we couldn't get through it. And it was like, please just put it in in post. Like, we gotta get through the scene.

[Penn]

They were playing like, what, like a fart machine kind of. With.

[Brienne Howey]

Of course.

[Penn]

Wow.

[Nava]

Yeah.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

It's.

[Brienne Howey]

Happy Madison.

[Penn]

Wow.

[Brienne Howey]

So many farts.

[Hasan Minhaj]

But I was curious what you, Brianne, your experience was like, pregnant.

[Brienne Howey]

My experience. So look, I actually had. I had a. I had a pretty wonderful experience. As my doctor would say, boring, which is good, but that doesn't. I was a trooper throughout it. I complained quite a bit. I didn't love the experience, but.

[Nava]

I.

[Brienne Howey]

Mean, it's a freaking miracle. I felt like a science experiment. And I was. I was having a really hard time not knowing what it was going to look like with work and that. It was really hard to navigate. And I actually. I shot a movie in my third trimester. Oh, my gosh. Because I didn't. I did this Jack Black, Fairly Brothers movie, and I just. I didn't want to say no. And I. My team and family were very supportive, as was the project. So I was like, okay, I didn't think I'd be doing this, but let's go do this. So I got really lucky in a lot of ways. And then to go back to Kind of pregnant, I actually had a pretty easy labor, all things considered. But the scene in the bathroom floor in Kind of Pregnant is actually my real birth story. So the night before we shot that scene, I don't really remember. It was just a much simpler scene. Before that, Amy called me and was like, hey, we're gonna do something crazy tomorrow. Let's go tell our birth stories. And I was like, what? And she was like, do you, like, would you be open to this? And I thought, you know, when a door opens like that, let's walk through it. It was, like, a little vulnerable and scary, but I felt safe with the people around me, and we just kind of went for it. And so, yes, after I had her and everything was fine. And then afterwards, that actually did get pretty scary, and I bled out a lot, and I had no idea what was going on. And that was the first time I've seen my partner so scared. And that was really scary. But the baby was so perfect and happy and healthy, and she was. She was just on my chest the entire time, throughout all of it. And it. It really. I was okay. I was okay.

[Nava]

What was it like to have to act that to sort of relive it?

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah, it was vulnerable. The fun part of the story. I was watching the Real Housewives of Orange county in bed, and my water broke, and I didn't know what was happening. I thought I just peed myself. And my husband kept looking at. It was, like, late. It was 9pm and he was like, what's happening? And I was like, oh, nothing, nothing, nothing. And I, like, went to the bathroom, and I came back and I was like, I think something's happening. Like this. I think this is happening. So I call the doctor. They're like, yep, come on in. I started having contractions right away at the hospital. We got there at 10pm and then my daughter came at 10am so we're there for 12 hours. My husband actually did almost miss the birth because he went to go get food. He went to Egg Slut across the street from Cedars. And they. Then they check, and they're like, oh, My God, you have to start pushing. They're like, where's dad? And I was like, he's getting food. He's at Egg Slut.

[Penn]

He's always at Egg Sluts.

[Brienne Howey]

He's at Egg Slut. And I was like, no, no, no. He's. He left the vicinity. Like, this guy's gone. And then he came back in, and I. You know, it was legs open. It was happening. He walked directly in. He's holding tater tots and egg sandwiches. And he goes, do you want a tater tot? And I just said, matt, it's happening. She's coming. And he said, what do you mean? And I was like, it's happening right now. And then he. The doctor just said, grab a leg. So then he grabbed a leg, and then it was 20 minutes later, she's out, and we thought everything was fine. And then my OB got her cell phone, and I thought that was really odd. She was panicked. She started making calls. And I'm just in love with the baby at this point on my chest. In love, in love, in love. So many endorphins. But I do notice more and more people are entering the room. More and more people are on cell phones.

[Nava]

Whoa.

[Brienne Howey]

And that's not right. And then I saw Matt really worried, and. And, I mean, I was panicked, but I had my daughter, and she was okay. And they basically, I. They thought a portion of my placenta was still inside of me. They kept doing the ultrasounds, and they kept seeing something, and in the process of trying to get it out, it created more and more blood leaving. So then there. And unfortunately, this happens to a lot of women, so we didn't. But then they. They were able to stop it. So it was only a couple hours, and then everything was okay. But, yes, right after I had her, those next couple hours, I was just bleeding a lot.

[Nava]

Wow. Brianna.

[Brienne Howey]

So then that was the story that then we ended up using for that bathroom scene in Kind of Pregnant.

[Nava]

Thank you for sharing that. We. I don't think we've ever heard anyone's birth story on the podcast, and it's really meaningful. Yeah.

[Brienne Howey]

Thank you. And that. That was actually. That's why Amy wanted it in the movie, because she basically was like, have you ever heard a birth story? Or she's like, do you know your own birth story? And I was like, no, I have no idea. And that was all her idea. She just thought it was really important that we can maybe start talking about these things and normalizing them.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Penn]

You know, it's. I have to Remember? So my wife is a doula, and I read that. Okay. And she was actually Amy's doula.

[Brienne Howey]

I did read this.

[Penn]

Okay, so. So I forget sometimes that, like, people don't, like, live, eat and sleep birth stories.

[Brienne Howey]

Cause you do. Yes.

[Penn]

So many people. I know. I know their birth story because it's just a. Yeah. I don't know. It's part of it. But it was really moving to see in that scene, of course, which I. You know, I mean, I know societally it's like. Yeah, it's an issue, and it's really interesting to delve into, so. Yes.

[Sophie]

Thank you.

[Nava]

And then it seems like in the film Kind of Pregnant, you know, even this conversation with Amy is really telling that. She called you, she wanted to have this exploration of real birth stories. And then I heard that she allowed you to bring your daughter on set and even had, like, a little nursery for her. I think that's not typical. I'm not sure. But, yeah. What was your relationship with Amy like as a new mom and all of that?

[Brienne Howey]

Look, I don't have a ton of friends who are actors and moms, so it's a really amazing Venn diagram, if you can have anybody in that. And her son's older, so she's really already been through it all. And, yeah, she offered to have. It was my first job back after having my daughter, of course, again, not knowing what to expect. I was pretty scared on how to navigate all this, especially as someone who, like, takes work so seriously, probably a little bit too seriously. And I. Having your family and kids there, you know, your energy is elsewhere, so it's a new version of you.

[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

And.

[Brienne Howey]

And that's why it was so awesome to just be surrounded by other women, especially other women who are working with kids. And they let Siggy come to set all the time. She was there all the time. It was so sweet. And she had the best time. I mean, she was. So I actually. We shot Kind of Pregnant and then season three of Ginny and Georgia back to back. Like, I wrapped Kind of Pregnant, like, on a Tuesday, and we started our table read for Ginny and Georgia was Wednesday. But my daughter grew up so much over that process. So, like, when she was on set for Kind of Pregnant, she was like, 8, 9, 10 months old, a lot quieter, not really moving. And then by the time we're, like, at the end of season three of Ginny and Georgia, so it's like six months later, she's, you know, 14, 15 months. She's so loud, she's screaming. My name when she sees me on the monitor. Like, then she couldn't be on set anymore. But they were. Yes. It was a very positive first experience back that was a lot more empowering than I expected.

[Sophie]

So nice. You don't hear that often.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah, it was cool.

[Penn]

I'm interested in some connections between these characters for a moment. My sense. I mean, you could definitely call your character from kind of pregnant. Like, she's the emotionally stable, healthy, direct, transparent. She's, like, very grounded. She's very. She's just kind of like. She's sort of like, what can be.

[Brienne Howey]

Like, modern day mom.

[Penn]

Yeah. And she's like the foil to the mess of Amy Schumer's protagonist, you know, Whereas Georgia is obviously, she's at least more superficially a mess, if not actually more a mess. Right.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah. Inside and out. We're. Yeah. George has got a lot of issues, you guys.

[Penn]

Yeah. Yeah. So. Right. Yeah.

[Brienne Howey]

Hot topic.

[Penn]

So I guess I'm curious, was it, like, refreshing to play somebody who you didn't have? You know, you just could be more straightforward.

[Brienne Howey]

It was really fun to play. Georgia is larger than life, sucking all of the oxygen out of the room on set. It's like Georgia is go, go, go, go, go. All of the rhythm to all of the dialogue, all of the monologues. Georgia's two steps ahead of her daughter all the time. She's cutting everyone off. She already has a plan going. She's exhausting. Like, Georgia is so much. And she takes up so much space. So playing her, yeah, it's a lot. And then to get to do Megan kind of pregnant is just so she has two feet on the ground. She doesn't have time for your bullshit. She is the straight man. And it was fun. It was really actually fun to be the straight man as opposed to the person in the room doing all the things. But because I'm a little bit more used to doing that, to being Georgia, I was a little bit worried. I didn't know if I was doing enough. So I had to kind of trust in that process that, like, is this enough? Because I now have a muscle where it's like, more, more, more. And, like, a lot of times when we do Georgia, they want these. You know, they want the biggest take. Like, we're doing a lot of take, and they generally use, like, the biggest, most heightened ones. So it was a completely different experience, getting to just be still and grounded and a little bit more of the straight person. But hard. Still harder than I expected.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Yeah.

[Penn]

So that I. I wonder if since that was the first drawback after having. Having a child and then going into Georgia, I'm curious. You know, her motherhood is such a big part of who she is. Georgia, and yet you hadn't been a mother. Of course, you know, you have that potent relationship with your own mother. So I wonder if there's just some kind of transfer or evolution there that happened that you noticed in season three when you went back for the first time as Georgia as a new mom.

[Brienne Howey]

Yeah. So, look, I haven't. I've seen a couple of episodes of three. It. I haven't seen everything yet, but, man, I don't know about you guys. I. I just. My heart is. I'm just a puddle now. Like, my. My heart is just like an open wound since having my daughter because I'm so obsessed with her and in love with her. So, yes, I've always kind of been this mother hen in my life, even without having kids, just because I had so many younger siblings. And then season three, yeah, it's a lot deeper. There's more heartbreak. The season is darker. It just kind of naturally unfolded that way. But actually, here's the biggest difference I found while shooting season three. It takes you away from your family so much that I had to make it worth it. I was just like, I can't fuck around. This has to be worth it because it's taking me away from her so much. I just really wanted to give it my all and make it work, worthwhile, or else. Or else I'm away from her for no reason.

[Penn]

Yeah, I feel you there.

[Nava]

So obviously it's a breakout role. You're incredible. Georgia is a delicious character. And I just want to know for you personally, Brienne, what about Georgia gives you the ick, like, the most, and what do you aspire to the most about her?

[Brienne Howey]

Oh, there's one or two things this season Georgia does that are really hard to get behind. I mean, she's already done a lot of things that are hard to get.

[Nava]

Yeah, I'm like, what else could she do? She's already killed people.

[Brienne Howey]

There's. There's a pretty big one this season, but I won't spoil it yet, I think. I mean, yeah, obviously the murder, but let's see her. Georgia doesn't have an identity outside of Ginny, and they are. It's like there's. There is zero separation. It's almost. It's a control thing. It's like ownership, and it's. Georgia does not have a life outside of Ginny, and she suffocates her. And she. It stops her daughter from being able to, like, grow into the person that she is. So that's probably the ick. It's pretty. That's hard.

[Nava]

Yeah.

[Brienne Howey]

And then something I love about her. I admire that Georgia takes up a lot of space. I wish I did that more throughout my life, probably.

[Sophie]

And we'll be right back.

[Nava]

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[Sophie]

About Rakuten sooner because it's actually an incredible tool. I am already doing regular shopping at places like Sephora for skincare or or Adidas for workout gear. Urban Outfitters for, you know, the trendiest stuff. All of those stores are on Rakuten, so the fact that I could earn cash back just by clicking through their site before I shop. Total game changer. Rakuten really is one of the smartest ways to save money because you earn cash back at over 3,500 stores. Everything from fashion and beauty to electronics, home essentials, and even concerts tickets. Stores like Nike, Bloomingdale's, Levi's. They pay Rakuten to send them shoppers and Rakuten turns around and gives part of that payment back to you. It's like getting rewarded for buying things that you were already gonna get anyway. Cashback is deposited directly into your PayPal account or Rakuten can send you a check. You can even maximize your savings by stacking cash back on top of other deals like store sales and coupons. You're already shopping at your favorite stores. Why not save a little while you're doing doing it? It's honestly a no brainer. Membership is free and it's easy to sign up. Get the Rakuten app now and join the 17 million members who are already saving. Cashback rates change daily. See rakuten.com for details. That's R A K U T E N Your cash back really adds up.

[Sarah]

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[Sophie]

My left turn question is about your husband because I think I heard you.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I saw you say that you introduced him to bubble tea, which then made.

[Sophie]

Me think like, how, gosh, how old were they when they met? Why hadn't he had bubble tea before?

[Nava]

Right.

[Sophie]

Where is he from?

[Brienne Howey]

He's 2. He's living under a rock, I guess on the west side. No, we've been together for like nine years. So this right. We got together in 2015 and he had never had boba. I don't know what a bubble.

[Penn]

I mean bubble tea was like a thing like 20 years ago. But is it really that crazy? I feel like I've not. I've had bubble tea, like, twice, and it was like, 20 years years ago.

[Nava]

That's a.

[Brienne Howey]

You probably were obsessed. Yeah, exactly. You obviously were. Hanging out in Arcadia with me and my siblings, getting boba after school.

[Nava]

I don't even know if Pen has ever had a chicken McNugget, so I wouldn't turn to Pen.

[Penn]

Oh, are you kidding? No, no, no. I've had.

[Brienne Howey]

Are you super healthy? You're very healthy.

[Nava]

He's gonna say no, but the answer is, yes, I am.

[Penn]

I eat all kinds of things. I just don't. That's a lie.

[Hasan Minhaj]

I think one time he had a weak grass shot.

[Sarah]

And I never forgot.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Forgot.

[Nava]

Yeah.

[Penn]

The truth is, I'll eat. I'll eat kind of any and all things.

[Nava]

But growing up does take the smelliest supplements I've ever. No one around me ever has smellier supplements than Pen.

[Penn]

It was the. Those are the wellness pills. You know what the wellness pills are those Garlic. Those. They have teal top. Yeah.

[Brienne Howey]

And they work. They really do keep you from getting sick.

[Penn]

Yeah.

[Nava]

Yeah.

[Penn]

I.

[Nava]

When I travel or getting laid.

[Brienne Howey]

I was going to say work out, really.

[Penn]

But. No, but growing up, I had so much. I had just nothing but fast food, basically.

[Nava]

Okay, sorry, but we pivoted on Matt.

[Penn]

No, no, no. Let's focus on this. Let's focus on the bubble tea.

[Brienne Howey]

Let's focus on fast food.

[Nava]

How did you and Matt meet?

[Brienne Howey]

We met the old fashioned way. We met out and about at bars. It was. I. So what's kind of funny about me and Matt? I was at nyu. Matt was at New School. We were in New York at the same time and never met. Met. We're both from la. Both were back in la. Then at the same time I started. I was going out with like, a. Some of my New York friends who introduced me to their New York friends, who, of course, were his friends. So I got kind of close with his group of friends without him because he was studying for the bar, so he wasn't. He wasn't hanging out. And then all of a sudden, it was the end of summer and I'm with his friends. He had just finally taken the bar. So he reemerged. And I was like, well, who the hell is this guy? And where have you been? And then so we ran. That was two nights. We just accidentally ran into each other. And it was like, oh, my God, this is so cute. What's going on? Then we continued to run into each other four nights in a row.

[Sophie]

Wow.

[Brienne Howey]

Literally just out and about. And we've been together ever since then. However, cut to our wedding. And this is true. I didn't know. So during his vows he said that of the four nights we met, the last two he did call and find out where I was.

[Nava]

Uh huh.

[Brienne Howey]

It wasn't, it wasn't fate. Yeah, yeah, it was good old fashioned planning.

[Penn]

Oh wait, did he show up and say.

[Brienne Howey]

It off fully like you're here? Oh my God, we're both there. Wow. We're at Marvin on Beverly. Weird. Yeah.

[Nava]

Is it fading?

[Brienne Howey]

The dark room?

[Nava]

That's amazing. Yeah, that's really sweet, Brianne. We have a final question we ask every guest.

[Brienne Howey]

Okay.

[Nava]

Which is if you could go back and talk to your 12 year old self, spend a little time with her, what would you say? What would you do?

[Brienne Howey]

Oh gosh, I would. I would tell her not to worry so much that it's all going to be okay. Yeah. Less worry. And maybe I would change. Maybe change my passwords.

[Sophie]

Tish. Yeah, exactly.

[Nava]

Great.

[Sophie]

Oh, thank you so much for coming on.

[Penn]

Thank you so much for being.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Pleasure to talk to you.

[Nava]

Thank you, Brian.

[Brienne Howey]

Thank you so much for having me. You guys. It's really nice to meet you and thank you so much for your time.

[Hasan Minhaj]

You can watch Kind of Pregnant on Netflix right now and you can follow Brianne Howey online at Brianne Howey.

[Sophie]

Podcrust is hosted by Penn Badgley, Nava.

[Hasan Minhaj]

Kavlan and Sophie Ansari.

[Sophie]

Our senior producer is David Ansari and our editing is done by Clips Agency. Special thanks to the folks at La Monada. And as always, you can listen to podcrust ad free on Amazon music with your prime members membership. Okay, that's all. Bye.

[Nava]

Brianne. I just want to say I have a dog who's been sick all night. Like throwing up. Another thing. So if I go off camera and unmute, it's because I'm dealing with him.

[Brienne Howey]

No worries. And I'm so sorry. I too have a very barfy dog. He's not sick, he just eats a bunch of he shouldn't and is constantly throwing up.

[I]

Hey, I'm Reshma Sajani, founder of Girls who Code and Moms First. I consider myself a pretty successful adult woman. So why is it that in midlife as I'm about to turn 50, I feel so stuck? Join me as I try to find the answer on my so called midlife from Lemonada Media. I talk to experts and extraordinary guests about divorce, exercise, menopause, sex, drugs and more to understand what we're going through and how to make the most of it. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sarah]

Does your office have an evil donut bringer? Do you have a personal canary in a coal mine? Are you guilty of over apologizing? I'm Liz Craft. And I'm Sam Sarah Fane. We're television writers and showrunners and the hosts of Happier in Hollywood, a podcast where we share all the juicy details of our career in television and offer tips and strategies that will help you and us have an even more successful, satisfying and fun career. Whether you're in Hollywood, Dollywood, or somewhere in between, check out Happier in Hollywood every Thursday from Lemonada Media.