Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen : Amy Brenneman Talks About “Normal” and How Jay Isn’t It.
SHOW NOTES
Actress/writer/activist Amy Benneman talks about creating a TV show, writing plays, the pleasure of performing in front of people. Her kick-ass judge-pioneer mother, lawyer activist dad and how they started her on a journey of trying to fix the world, expectations of what the world thinks is normal and how it messes up the rest of us, parenthood and raising a neurodivergent child and how she taught Amy to accept and embrace who she is and she talks, about how Jeff Bridges can seduce you without ever laying a hand on you.
Bio: Amy Brenneman earned a degree from Harvard College in Comparative Religion and studied sacred dance and indigenous ritual in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is a founding member of Cornerstone Theater Company which produces site-specific, community-based theater on themes of social justice. Favorite Cornerstone roles included Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Natasha in Three Sisters and Clytemnestra in The Oresteia.
Other theater: CSC Rep, Lincoln Center Theater, Williamstown Theater Festival, Yale Rep and The American Repertory Theater. She starred in the world premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Rapture Blister Burn (Playwrights Horizons, Geffen Theater) and Power of Sail opposite Bryan Cranston (Geffen Theater.) She played Miriam of Nazareth in the world premiere of Galilee 34 (South Coast Rep) and starred in The Sound Inside (Pasadena Playhouse), which was named one of the years’ best performances by the Los Angeles Times. She recently finished the world premiere of Larissa Fasthorse’ Fake It Until You Make It at Arena Stage in Washington DC.
Amy co-created, wrote, and starred in MOUTH WIDE OPEN (The Yard, American Repertory Theater) and OVERCOME (The Yard, Cotuit Center for The Arts). She has performed her original spoken word pieces at venues such as Spark, Tasty Words and the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse.
Amy created, executive produced, and starred in “Judging Amy” (multiple Golden Globe Emmy and SAG nominations) based on the work of her mother, the Honorable Judge Frederica Brenneman. Other television: “NYPD Blue” (multiple Emmy nominations, SAG award) “Frasier,” “Goliath,” “Jane the Virgin,” “VEEP,” “Private Practice,” “The Leftovers,” “Tell Me Your Secrets,” “Shining Girls” and “The Old Man.” Film credits include CASPER, FEAR, DAYLIGHT, HEAT, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, NINE LIVES, THINGS YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT HER and MOTHER AND CHILD.
For her activist work, Amy has been honored by Women in Film, The Brady Center, the League of Women Voters, the National Children’s Alliance, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Producer’s Guild of America, among others. She currently serves on the Creative Council for the Center for Reproductive Rights and on the board of Crimson Goes Blue, an organization dedicated to preserving and strengthening democracy in America. In 2016, she was part of the amicus brief for the Supreme Court case Whole Women’s v. Hellerstedt and received the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from The Feminist Majority for her ongoing commitment to reproductive rights. She is married to writer/director Brad Silberling and has two children, Charlotte and Bodhi.
Bio: Amy Brenneman earned a degree from Harvard College in Comparative Religion and studied sacred dance and indigenous ritual in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is a founding member of Cornerstone Theater Company which produces site-specific, community-based theater on themes of social justice. Favorite Cornerstone roles included Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Natasha in Three Sisters and Clytemnestra in The Oresteia.
Other theater: CSC Rep, Lincoln Center Theater, Williamstown Theater Festival, Yale Rep and The American Repertory Theater. She starred in the world premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Rapture Blister Burn (Playwrights Horizons, Geffen Theater) and Power of Sail opposite Bryan Cranston (Geffen Theater.) She played Miriam of Nazareth in the world premiere of Galilee 34 (South Coast Rep) and starred in The Sound Inside (Pasadena Playhouse), which was named one of the years’ best performances by the Los Angeles Times. She recently finished the world premiere of Larissa Fasthorse’ Fake It Until You Make It at Arena Stage in Washington DC.
Amy co-created, wrote, and starred in MOUTH WIDE OPEN (The Yard, American Repertory Theater) and OVERCOME (The Yard, Cotuit Center for The Arts). She has performed her original spoken word pieces at venues such as Spark, Tasty Words and the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse.
Amy created, executive produced, and starred in “Judging Amy” (multiple Golden Globe Emmy and SAG nominations) based on the work of her mother, the Honorable Judge Frederica Brenneman. Other television: “NYPD Blue” (multiple Emmy nominations, SAG award) “Frasier,” “Goliath,” “Jane the Virgin,” “VEEP,” “Private Practice,” “The Leftovers,” “Tell Me Your Secrets,” “Shining Girls” and “The Old Man.” Film credits include CASPER, FEAR, DAYLIGHT, HEAT, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, NINE LIVES, THINGS YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT HER and MOTHER AND CHILD.
For her activist work, Amy has been honored by Women in Film, The Brady Center, the League of Women Voters, the National Children’s Alliance, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Producer’s Guild of America, among others. She currently serves on the Creative Council for the Center for Reproductive Rights and on the board of Crimson Goes Blue, an organization dedicated to preserving and strengthening democracy in America. In 2016, she was part of the amicus brief for the Supreme Court case Whole Women’s v. Hellerstedt and received the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from The Feminist Majority for her ongoing commitment to reproductive rights. She is married to writer/director Brad Silberling and has two children, Charlotte and Bodhi.
Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen
Join Jay Kogen, former stand-up actor and award-winning comedy writer, as he shares his great stories from his decades in show business on his podcast, "Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen." With a mission to fight disconnection in modern life, Jay invites funny, smart, and interesting guests to tackle life issues he's dealing with. From stand-ups to actors, writers to artists, Jay's guests are always entertaining. Tune in to Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere you get your podcasts to listen to "Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen" and be prepared for some awkward but nice conversations.
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