Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim

Episode: Josh Segarra
Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Ego Nwodim
Guest: Josh Segarra

Episode Overview

This heartfelt and humorous episode features actor Josh Segarra (Scream 6, Abbott Elementary, Arrow, Best Medicine) joining Ego Nwodim for candid conversation about gratitude, family, love, and the intersection of parenthood with a career in entertainment. Kicking off with small everyday joys, Josh and Ego dive into deeper reflections on their upbringings, parental influences, creative processes, romantic relationships, and the challenges of balancing personal and professional life. The episode closes with listener advice on tackling life's endless chores.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Everyday Gratitude – Small Thanks (04:00–05:56)

• Prompt: "Who or what do you want to say thanks to today?" (03:33)
• Josh's Response:
  • The barista at his gym who always makes perfect, creamy smoothies.
  • New Jersey Transit ticket takers who greet him warmly, setting a positive tone for his day.
  • Quote: "Even if I don't want a smoothie and she's there, I'm gonna go get a smoothie." (05:16)
• Discussion: The value of small daily kindnesses and how simple acts, like a well-made smoothie or a friendly train conductor, uplift routines.

2. The Art of Smoothie-Making (06:00–08:03)

• Ego and Josh compare their smoothie preferences, poking fun at their obsessions with frozen bananas and the correct almond butter proportions.
• Both agree on the joy of crafting something just right and shout out to those who nail the little details day after day.

3. Performing, Rehearsal, and Taking the Stage (10:20–21:08)

• Ego shares about her one-woman show at Lincoln Center: the pressure, the creative process, and learning her own capacity for creation under a tight deadline.
• Josh explains his love for the rehearsal period, especially in stage acting:
  • Quote: “That's the fire. The fire starts in rehearsal.” (15:53)
• Discussion: The vulnerability and anxiety that come with live performance and the drive to make each audience’s experience memorable:
  • Josh: “There's got to be at least one kid... it's their one trip. They got Christmas tickets... So then you're sitting there going like, all right man, let's see what this rehearsal period brought out of us.” (13:51)

4. Upbringing, Parental Influence, and Sibling Dynamics (22:41–34:27)

• Josh's Background:
  • Raised in Orlando, FL by Puerto Rican parents who were both pharmacists.
  • Oldest of three siblings, felt early pressure to be the responsible “good kid.”
• Family Immigration Story:
  • Parents' move from Puerto Rico to Florida for job opportunities, his father's Bronx roots, and his mother's English language journey.
  • Quote: "My parents graduated from pharmacy school in Puerto Rico... moved to Florida after the job fair. My dad was born in the Bronx... they moved to Florida... had me over there and. Yeah, I was raised on rice and beans." (22:49)
• Sibling Dynamics:
  • Large age gaps meant Josh acted as a surrogate parent, especially while his parents worked long hours.

5. Discovering Acting, Parental Support, and Risk (25:29–30:25)

• First Taste of New York & Acting:
  • Middle school trips to NYC sparked Josh’s Broadway dream.
  • Dad brought him to see shows like Wicked, Take Me Out.
  • The unwavering, “maybe a little naive” support from his parents who never doubted his passion.
  • Quote: “[My parents] have never in my life even made an eye roll... acting. Okay, boy, acting. We're gonna do acting.” (28:53)
  • The bittersweetness of Sallie Mae loans and the difference parental encouragement makes in high-risk careers.

6. Parental Guidance & Love Languages (31:22–34:35)

• Roles of Mom vs. Dad:
  • Mom: Go-to for emotional support and navigating heartbreak.
  • Dad: Quiet strength, life lessons through presence rather than words.
  • Quote: "[My dad] talks more now because he's retired. Yeah, he's got time... My memories are like, sitting on the couch and him, like, rubbing my head. And you don't realize how important that is until you're grown." (32:11)
• Love languages: Physical touch and words of affirmation, directly influenced by parental affection.
• Long-Married Parents: Their healthy, loving partnership became a relationship model for Josh.

7. Finding Love & Building a Family (34:35–51:22)

• How Josh Met His Wife, Brace: (A detailed, humorous play-by-play)
  • Met at a birthday party in Hell’s Kitchen, NY.
  • Their age gap (Josh 24, Brace 30) and her initial skepticism (“I've dated 80 versions of you before”).
  • The fateful spin class “test” on their first date, and the instant connection.
  • Quote: “I was texting every day... My heart was open... I showed up.” (42:05)
• Healthy Relationship Dynamics:
  • The importance of consistency, emotional availability, and support.
  • Understanding each other’s work struggles, especially in the arts.
  • The difference between past dating patterns and finding the “right fit.”
  • Quote (on knowing she was the one): “With Brace, I don’t know, just never shut off.” (48:02)
  • Cites Maya Angelou: “Happiness is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking the way you go about it.” (49:43)

8. Parenting—Reflecting Values & Openness with Kids (51:55–57:56)

• Influence from Parents: Josh describes mirroring his parents' approach with his own kids, notably apologizing for mistakes and talking to them openly.
  • Quote: “[Mom] She would apologize to us. She would explain things to us. She would say why certain things mattered... it was always conversations with mama.” (55:20)
• Teaching Sibling Solidarity: “In public, it's each other's backs for life. Unified front. This is a family unified front.” (56:11)
• Openness About Work/Life Lows: Including telling his sons about bad auditions and being emotionally transparent.
  • Son's wisdom: “But, daddy, you already [are] an actor.” (57:35)
• Self-Compassion Reminder: Both Josh and Ego recount moments their parents provided “big-picture” perspective amid career setbacks.

9. Careers in Entertainment—Representation & Firing (59:18–65:19)

• Having to Fire People in Showbiz:
  • Emotional difficulty in ending professional relationships, especially with reps who once helped build your career.
  • The search for the right “E” (manager à la Entourage): Wanting a true partner, not just a business transaction.
  • Quote: "In our world, they tell us all the time that we're the boss, but it doesn't feel like that. Really mostly doesn't." (60:33)
  • Josh credits his current manager for helping him focus on the big picture, not just “the next job.”

10. Life Transitions—Leaving the Big City (65:21–71:17)

• Moving from NYC to Jersey:
  • “Third kid was the tipping point,” especially with the logistics of strollers, city winters, and changing priorities.
  • Quote on when it was time to move: “We started feeling the city looking at us a little differently. Like, bro, you. You went one too far. We were good with the four of you.” (66:34)
  • The bittersweet transition—city roots remain strong, but family needs come first.
  • Hopes to return to NYC someday, “as two old people drinking coffee at the diner in the morning.” (69:12)

Listener Advice Segment:

“That’s nice, but what about me?”

Topic: How to Cope with the Never-Ending Cycle of Chores (71:24–77:58)

• Listener Zach: "How do you handle all life’s little chores? It feels never-ending—dishes, laundry, errands—any tips or tricks?”
• Ego’s reflections:
  • Shares the Sisyphean feeling of cleaning, only to immediately mess things up again.
  • Jokes about disposable plates and even turning underwear inside-out to delay laundry.
  • Quote: “Is this what it's supposed to be? Me folding my clothes, washing dishes?" (74:38)
• Josh’s insights:
  • Emphasizes balance and reframing: Find joy or satisfaction in completing tasks.
  • Sometimes “just have to do it,” and try to remember a time when the task felt new or rewarding (e.g., shoveling snow).
  • Quote: “Try to remember the task that you hate. Remember a time in your life when you loved it.” (77:01)
• Concluding advice:
  • Celebrate the satisfaction in crossing off tasks and gamify routines with rewards.
  • Acknowledge that chores are a form of self-love and care, setting a standard for your life and relationships.
  • Ego: “Maybe you can count some of those tasks as self love. You're setting a standard for yourself...” (77:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On small acts of kindness:
  Josh Segarra: “Even if I don’t want a smoothie and she’s there, I’m gonna go get a smoothie.” (05:16)

• On rehearsal and creativity:
  Josh: “That's the fire. The fire starts in rehearsal.” (15:53)

• On parental support against the odds:
  Josh: “[My parents] have never in my life even made an eye roll... acting. Okay, boy, acting. We're gonna do acting.” (28:53)

• On love and being consistently available:
  Josh: “My heart was open... I showed up.” (42:16)

• On knowing his wife was the one:
  Josh: “With Brace, I don’t know, just never shut off.” (48:02)

• On happiness and relationships:
  Maya Angelou via Josh: “Happiness is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking the way you go about it.” (49:43)

• On emotional honesty with children:
  Josh’s son: “But, daddy, you already an actor.” (57:35)

• On leaving the city for family:
  Josh: “We started feeling the city looking at us a little differently. Like, bro, you. You went one too far.” (66:34)

• On reframing chores:
  Josh: “Try to remember the task that you hate. Remember a time in your life when you loved it.” (77:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Everyday Gratitude (Smoothies & Ticket Takers) | 04:00–05:56 | | Smoothie-Making Chat | 06:00–08:03 | | Creative Process & Rehearsal | 10:20–21:08 | | Family Background & Parental Influence | 22:41–34:27 | | Acting Dreams, Parental Support, NY Aspirations | 25:29–30:25 | | Love, Marrying Right, Meeting Spouse | 34:35–51:22 | | Parenting Philosophy & Emotional Openness | 51:55–57:56 | | Firing People in Entertainment | 59:18–65:19 | | Moving Out of NYC/Choosing Suburbs | 65:21–71:17 | | Listener Advice: Tackling Chores | 71:24–77:58 |

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode oscillates between playful banter (on smoothies and messy kitchens) and vulnerable reflection, capturing both Ego and Josh’s warmth, humility, and humor. It blends practical insights with personal stories, and never shies from emotional honesty—even about topics like professional rejection or family pressures. Both host and guest are open about the struggles and gifts of their upbringing and careers, finding meaning in small acts of daily life and love.

Summary

Ego and Josh’s conversation navigates gratitude for the everyday, the generational impact of loving parents, the peculiar joys and struggles of creative careers, and the ongoing work of committed relationships and parenting. From tips on making the perfect smoothie to wisdom about reframing life’s chores as acts of self-care, the episode is a heartfelt, funny meditation on growing up, giving thanks, and staying true to yourself—on stage and off.