Work in Progress with Sophia Bush
Episode: Sophia Answers Fan Questions
Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Sophia Bush
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
In this engaging Q&A episode, Sophia Bush welcomes the New Year and answers an eclectic array of fan questions sourced from her community. She reflects on numerology, personal growth, political realities, activism burnout, love, self-care, forgiveness, and the simple joys of life—delivering a candid, encouraging, and deeply personal conversation. The episode focuses on embracing the duality of being both a “masterpiece and a work in progress,” and invites listeners to set meaningful intentions for 2026.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Entering 2026: Reflections & Intentions
Timestamp: 03:10 – 05:30
- Sophia shares her excitement about moving into 2026, referencing numerology (year of new beginnings) and the astrological year of the Horse.
- She prefers setting “intentions” over New Year’s resolutions, viewing them as more sustainable and less pressure-inducing.
“Resolutions just feel like a recipe for failure… a personal reset, of wanting to be intentional about positive change, that resonates with me.” (03:35)
- The current political climate and ongoing struggles for democracy are top of mind, as are personal resets.
- She mentions traveling in South Africa for a rom-com film and looks forward to spending spring at home in New York and her step-daughter’s fifth birthday.
2. Advice for a Closeted Queer Woman in the South
Timestamp: 05:35 – 10:16
- A listener from South Alabama asks for advice on being a closeted queer woman in a hostile environment.
- Sophia shows empathy, acknowledging the toll secrecy can take, and urges discernment about safety and trust.
- She corrects common misconceptions about faith and queerness, referencing Monty Mater’s research on faith-based acceptance.
“It really takes a toll on you… does damage to your soul, has the capacity to lessen your joy. I don’t want any of that for you or anyone else.” (07:14)
- Her advice: find safe people, identify allies, and trust yourself with the pace and method of coming out.
“You’ll know what the right answer is for you… My advice isn’t advice so much as a wish.” (09:42)
3. Coping with Overwhelm and Finding Community
Timestamp: 16:22 – 18:26
- On feeling overwhelmed by the world, Sophia admits, “Sister, I am overwhelmed all the time. My only advice is to try to spend more time around people who feel like sunshine.” (16:28)
- Suggests volunteering, building community by purpose, and seeking joyous activities.
- Cites Audre Lorde: “Joy is an act of resistance.”
- Warns against isolation, encourages making delight a priority in resistance work.
4. Key Life Lessons & Self-Improvement Advice
Timestamp: 18:26 – 21:06
- Importance of listening: “Ask more questions with less anger first…” (18:46)
- Changed beliefs: She’s let go of needing to please everyone, especially the burden of “likability,” particularly as a woman.
“I just am really done making myself small to please other people.” (19:55)
- On self-love: “I think everyone deserves some self love after surviving 2025.” (19:29)
5. Personal Green Flags, Reckless Memories, and New York Joys
Timestamp: 21:06 – 23:00
- Green flags: Kindness to service workers, genuine courtesy.
- Most reckless act she’d repeat: “Take an international flight to go on a date… It’s always reckless to show up for love.” (21:52)
- Favorite NYC activity: Recently visited holiday markets and tourist spots with family, appreciating “tourist” activities where she lives.
6. Dream Podcast Guests
Timestamp: 26:30 – 27:16
- Dead or alive, her dream guest is John Lewis: “He was such an incredible leader and such an icon… I wish I’d been able to have a long conversation with him.” (26:44)
- Would also love to interview Madonna for fun and inspiration.
7. Work, Music, and Performing On-Screen
Timestamp: 27:16 – 28:09
- To psych up for auditions: Instead of a “pump-up song,” makes tailored playlists for each character/job.
- On love scenes: “They’re the most choreographed things we do… really not romantic in any way.” (28:06)
- Most awkward moment is after the scene, facing the crew.
8. High Anxiety Moments and Tools for Reframing
Timestamp: 28:09 – 29:08
- Reframes “have to” as “get to” for gratitude: “It’s been really transformative for me.” (28:53)
- Acknowledges that her anxiety is high sometimes, shares this coping strategy.
9. Private Pride & the Work of Forgiveness
Timestamp: 29:09 – 30:15
- Proud of inner, unspoken work of healing and offering tenderness even to those who’ve caused hurt.
“When you can not only forgive yourself, but forgive the people that have hurt you, you can encourage other people to forgive themselves.” (29:56)
- Emphasizes everyone has “hurt and been hurt” and advocates expanding tenderness both ways.
10. Looking Back: Childhood Self’s Perspective
Timestamp: 30:16 – 31:13
- Imagining what 8- or 9-year-old Sophia would think: “She was like a little old granny in a little kid’s body… I think she would be really proud that I work so hard and that I’m also choosing a life that I love.” (30:35)
- Notes that pursuing happiness and being willing to fail would delight her younger self.
11. The Most Profound Lesson about Love
Timestamp: 31:14 – 32:33
- Ashlyn Harris (her partner) submits the final question: “What is the most profound thing you’ve learned about love?”
- Sophia’s answer: Love can be soft, flowing, and ever-present. It need not always be hard—“It can be water, it can have flow, it can surprise you… it finds its way into every little crevice of your life and nurtures who you are.” (31:56)
- She expresses deep gratitude for learning this later in life.
Notable Quotes
- On moving forward:
“I want to feel like instead of going backwards, we’re going forward… Maybe that’s why the numerology stuff is clicking for me these days.” (04:23)
- On coming out & safety:
“You’ll know what the right answer is for you. My advice isn’t advice so much as a wish.” (09:42)
- On coping with the world:
“Try to spend more time around people who feel like sunshine… we can do without a lot of things, but we can’t do without delight.” (16:31)
- On listening:
“Ask more questions with less anger first. I think it’s a good exercise…” (18:47)
- On bravery and love:
“It’s always reckless to show up for love and to take a risk to see if you’re going to fall in love or better yet, rise in love.” (22:04)
- On love’s nature:
“The most profound thing I have learned about love is that it doesn’t have to feel like rock. It can be water… it finds its way into every little crevice of your life and nurtures who you are.” (31:56)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment/Topic | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Opening, New Year & Numerology Reflections | 03:10–05:30 | | Advice for Closeted LGBTQ+ Listeners | 05:35–10:16 | | Overwhelm & Finding Joyful Community | 16:22–18:26 | | Listening, Kindness, and Changed Beliefs | 18:26–21:06 | | Green Flags, Bold Moves, and NYC Traditions | 21:06–23:00 | | Dream Guests & Inspiration | 26:30–27:16 | | Work, Performance Prep, and Love Scenes | 27:16–28:09 | | Handling High Anxiety | 28:09–29:08 | | Forgiveness & Inside Growth | 29:09–30:15 | | Childhood Self’s Thoughts | 30:16–31:13 | | Lessons about Love (Ashlyn Harris question) | 31:14–32:33 |
Memorable Moments
- Sophia’s vulnerability in addressing a young queer fan’s safety and self-acceptance (05:35–10:16).
- Honest acknowledgment of personal overwhelm and the strategies she uses to overcome advocacy burnout (16:22–18:26).
- Playful admission of taking international flights for love (21:52).
- Heartfelt response to her partner, Ashlyn Harris, about the complexity and grace of love as a lived experience (31:14–32:33).
Summary
Sophia Bush offers a heartfelt, witty, and relatably raw collection of reflections on life’s transitions, challenges, and joys in this fan-driven Q&A. Tackling topics from political pressures to the self-work of forgiveness, to the hilarious logistics of filming love scenes, Sophia's openness builds a sense of community and possibility. She urges listeners to pursue joy as resistance, honor their needs for community, and set bold intentions for 2026—reminding us all that growth, vulnerability, and choosing love are the measures of a life in progress.