Work in Progress with Sophia Bush
Episode: BONUS: Lauren Holly
Release Date: May 8, 2026
Guest: Lauren Holly
Main Theme: A candid, laughter-filled behind-the-scenes conversation about Sophia and Lauren’s new mother-daughter road trip comedy, "Broad Trip," premiering on Roku, and a reflection on creative work as a perpetual “work in progress.”
Episode Overview
In this bonus episode, Sophia Bush picks up her conversation with “iconic” actress Lauren Holly to give listeners an inside look at their just-released film, Broad Trip. The conversation is packed with insight and camaraderie—ranging from the challenges and joys of independent filmmaking, to character development, on-set shenanigans, and reflections on writing as a lifelong, never-mastered craft.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. About "Broad Trip": Plot, Characters, and Dynamics
[03:57–06:08]
- Broad Trip is a mother-daughter road trip comedy starring Sophia Bush and Lauren Holly.
- The story revolves around the daughter (Sophia’s character) trying to convince her “wild” mother (Lauren’s character) not to rush into marrying a new man.
- Both central women have their own romantic subplots, but the real heart of the movie is the evolving relationship between mother and daughter.
- Sophia: “The love relationship that needs figuring out is us.” [05:04]
- The film explores how both women influence each other—mom wanting the daughter to loosen up, and daughter hoping mom will “be a little less flighty and nuts.”
- Intergenerational friendship as a theme: Both women have things to teach and learn from each other.
Notable Quotes:
“It's a true rom com. And the, the love relationship that needs figuring out is us.” – Sophia [05:04]
“Because you're trying to teach me from your perspective. And I think I have things to teach you from mine. And it's. It's so damn charming.” – Sophia [05:52]
2. Wardrobe and Character Transformation
[06:21–08:44]
- The wardrobe for Lauren's character is over the top fun—animal prints, lace, “more print, more flounce…more necklaces.” [07:28]
- Every night, Sophia would help Lauren remove a dozen-plus necklaces after filming.
- Lauren describes the transformation in hair and makeup: “Looking like you, and then… I dream of Jeannie, a bouffant and curls everywhere.” [07:51]
- Sophia explains changing her hairstyle (for her character Alice) to a short, “uptight little bob”—despite preferring her long hair: “Alice has to have like an uptight little short haircut.” [08:29]
Notable Moment:
- Laughing over the daily challenge of de-costuming Lauren’s character:
“Every night at rap, it was like, okay, you'd have to get your hair off your neck. And we would just sit there and unclasp—what, like 12 to 15 necklaces a night?” – Sophia [07:31]
3. The Reality of Indie Filmmaking: Road Trip Mayhem
[08:47–11:58]
- The cast had to innovate to meet time and budget constraints—gone are the days of “111 days in four global locales.”
- They filmed most car scenes using a “process trailer” (the car is pulled by a truck).
“The truck pulling our process trailer was like…it was the Skipper to a Barbie doll of a monster truck from a monster truck rally.” – Sophia [09:57]
- The truck was comically loud, making it impossible for the actors to hear each other—they had to lip-read on set and rerecord (ADR) all dialog in post.
- Lauren was shocked to be given 110 ADR cues ("Normally I would say maybe 15..."), all meant to be done in a single day.
“It was like, how is this? ...But I did.” – Lauren [11:29]
- Despite production hurdles, the actors’ camaraderie made everything work:
“We knew…not only do I like acting with you, I like being around you...You and I looked at each other, we were like, here we go, sister.” – Sophia [11:37]
Notable Quotes:
“I've never heard a muffler like that. And like, I'm a classic car kid. I have never heard. And I just remember when they fired it up, seeing our sound mixer…we could barely hear each other.” – Sophia [10:24]
“We were lip reading.” – Lauren [10:51]
“We had to do ADR for every single scene in the.” – Sophia [11:06]
4. Singing Under Wild Circumstances
[12:02–13:18]
- They were required to sing in the film—specifically, songs by Celine Dion.
- Both agree it was a “dirty trick,” especially while shouting over truck noise.
- Lauren: “They should never require me to do that ever again.” [12:16]
- Sophia: “No one but Celine Dion can sing Celine Dion.” [12:16]
- Director ultimately instructed Sophia to “intentionally try to sing this off key”—to fit her character.
Laughter Moment:
- The two joke about how dismal their singing attempts were under the circumstances and deflect any expectations.
5. Cheering for the Film’s Success & Supporting Female Creators
[18:08–18:41]
- Both hope for “as many sequels as our writer is willing to write.”
- Lauren humorously suggests people stream the movie on repeat—even if not actively watching—to boost numbers.
- Sophia: “That's like what I do when my friends have music come out...I stream on every single device in the house.” [18:34]
6. Personal Reflection: Writing as a Lifelong Work in Progress
[18:56–21:37]
- Sophia’s signature final question: “What feels like your work in progress?”
- Lauren: “Probably writing. Because I'll never master it. That's kind of the great thing about writing. It's always a work in progress.” [19:11]
- Lauren shares pride about selling a script and joining the Writer’s Guild, but admits writing feels more vulnerable and nerve-wracking than acting:
“I think I'm way more precious about writing. Like, it's so nerve wracking to me. It's so nerve wracking to me when people are about to read it. Yeah, I just go through a lot. I feel very vulnerable. Much more than acting where I, like, lay my soul bare. And somehow doing that is enough. But with writing, it's the judgment I worry about. Strange.” [20:26]
- Sophia relates, feeling anxious that her points may not be clear or empathetic in writing, and reflects how actors can “try a spectrum of options” on set, but with writing “it’s just the typeface”—no do-overs.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the mother-daughter relationship:
“The love relationship that needs figuring out is us.” – Sophia [05:04]
- On obstacles of indie filmmaking:
“We could barely hear each other. We were lip reading.” – Lauren [10:51]
- On persistent creative vulnerability:
“Writing…it's so nerve wracking to me. It's so nerve wracking to me when people are about to read it… I feel very vulnerable. Much more than acting where I, like, lay my soul bare.” – Lauren [20:26]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [03:57] – Film premise and character relationships
- [06:21] – On-set stories & wardrobe
- [08:47] – Road trip filming woes and ADR adventure
- [12:02] – The chaos of required singing
- [18:08] – Hopes for the film’s success and audience support
- [18:56] – “Work in progress” question: Lauren on writing
Episode Tone & Atmosphere
- The conversation’s tone is warm, self-aware, playful, and honest—both actresses frequently laugh at their mishaps and celebrate the joy of creative collaboration. They balance mutual admiration with self-deprecating humor and reflect honestly about the perpetual vulnerabilities of creative work.
Wrap-Up
Sophia and Lauren wrap by encouraging listeners to watch Broad Trip (on Roku), share it online, and to check out the Holly Family Fund. The episode gives fans a peek behind the curtain, celebrating both the chaos and magic of making movies with good people, and reminding everyone that we’re all masterpieces and works in progress—sometimes all in the same day.
