This spring and summer, it’s all about home R&R: renewal and redecorating. From girlie one-bedroom apartments to roomy family homes, we’ve tapped the experts on set for their best design secrets. Here’s how to give your space an instant lift—no surgery (or carpentry) required.

AWESOME ACCENTS

The Big Bang Theory

On the set: When decorator Ann Shea took on Penny’s (Kaley Cuoco) apartment, she was faced with the same challenges that Penny herself faces. “She’s a renter, so she can’t paint or remodel,” Shea notes, “and neither could I.” To bring the originally neutral set to life, Shea went the route of colorful furniture and accessories, starting with choosing a fresh-looking palette. Turquoise, orange, purple and lime quickly became the apartment’s pivotal hues, and they’re reflected in everything from rugs and lampshades to pillows, drapes and the living room couch. “Penny is very girlie,” says Shea, who drove that thought home with a bedroom infusion of bubblegum pink, as well as a funky blending of floral patterns.

Upgrade with extras: Pull your space together by including at least one item that incorporates all the colors you plan to use. In Penny’s bedroom the multihued comforter anchors the rest of the room’s mix, explains Shea, who favors Anthropologie’s vintage-looking textiles. And when you can’t change your architecture, let your accessories create drama and movement. Bubble lights immediately alter the feel of a room, as does the simple swap of a lampshade. To create a sense of height where there isn’t any, employ a vibrant drape as a wall hanging, as Shea did with the Pier 1 version alongside Penny’s bed.

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GET LIT
Get festive lighting just about anywhere—no electrical outlet needed— with these Battery Operated Lanterns from Cost Plus World Market. worldmarket.com

ROOMS WITH A HUE

The Big C

On the set: Though it wasn’t meant to inspire awe, the Jamison home is an undeniable eye-catcher thanks to rich, saturated wall colors. According to production designer Mike Shaw, the decorating conceit was that after her diagnosis, Cathy (Laura Linney) changed her worldview: “We wanted the set’s colors to reflect the idea that everything had suddenly become more alive, more intense and more complicated.” Cathy has taste, says Shaw, but it’s taken her years to put the house together and it isn’t totally coordinated. Paint plays a huge part in making its rooms look unified.

Paint to perfection:To choose a hue that’s right for you, amass a selection of cardboard color samples, available at most paint or home remodeling stores. “Don’t think about ‘what will work,’” Shaw urges. “Think about what you respond to emotionally.” Narrow your choices to six colors, hold them against the wall and make your selection from there. Another trick is to zero in on the colors in an object you love—say, a bowl or painting—and use those as your guide. If you’re leery of bold colors, keep your larger rooms neutral and go bold in a hallway or bath. Or try painting just one wall. “Once that taste for color blossoms, it becomes the new normal,” Shaw says. Think outside the “finish” box—instead of going with matte walls and semigloss trim, opt for an eggshell or semigloss wall, and a satin or semigloss ceiling: “You’ll get a little more luster and a lot more durability,” Shaw notes. And dark trim with a high-gloss finish can be extremely dramatic.

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TABLE MANNERS

The richly grained solid sungkai wood of Crate & Barrel’s sturdy Kipling Grey Wash Large Extension Dining Table will host generations—and seats up to 10. crateandbarrel.com

Insider tip: Shaw says that Fine Paints of Europe, Donald Kaufman and Farrow & Ball offer paints so rich in pigmentation, they require just one coat, where mainstream brands will require up to three.

AFFORDABLE ART

Homeland

On the set: “When you design with a character in mind, the first thing you consider is income level,” says set decorator Summer Eubanks. And you can make a strong statement about that through the strategic use of art. “Nick Brody (Damian Lewis) was MIA for eight years and his family was probably living on his pension,” Eubanks explains, “so they wouldn’t have expensive original works.” But that doesn’t mean they’d be short on interesting pieces or pretty prints. With Homeland’s filming taking place in Charlotte, N.C., the decorator relied on local artists and shops to fit that bill, as well as the Library of Congress’ website, where art that predates 1923 can be downloaded and used on TV without legal wrangling. While season two saw Brody become a congressman, life has been tumultuous and only the subtlest upgrades—sheers for the windows, pendant lamps in the kitchen—hint at the dysfunctional family’s enhanced financial status.

Deck your walls:

Another “instant art” trick is to buy a canvas-stretcher and top it with a colorful piece of fabric. “Just affix the fabric with 3M Spray Mount,” Eubanks advises. And don’t forget about that Library of Congress website. Unlike a set decorator, you needn’t fret over your favorite piece’s “date of birth.””The most mediocre piece of art can look spectacular in a great frame,” says Eubanks. “Purchase appealing low-cost frames wherever you spot them.” Flea markets, yard sales and thrift stores are always ripe for the picking, and keep in mind that even an assortment of empty frames can serve an artful purpose. A thoughtfully hung collection will create an almost sculptural feel.

Editor’s pick

OLD GLORY:

Made from recycled pine, Pottery Barn’s rustic Painted American Flag makes a chic patriotic statement. potterybarn.com

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]]> http://cbswatchmagazine.com/blog/2013/06/10/ready-set-refresh/feed/ 0 http://cbswatchmagazine.com/blog/2013/06/07/in-the-stars-6/ http://cbswatchmagazine.com/blog/2013/06/07/in-the-stars-6/#comments Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:17:29 +0000 peter http://cbswatchmagazine.com/?p=24196 Take advantage of your good fortune this month, Gemini

Happy Birthday, JULIANNA!  With her sun in lively Gemini, Julianna Margulies is naturally curious, articulate, witty, social, flexible, versatile and charming. Most alive when learning and performing, she’s a quick study, a natural mimic and a superb storyteller. Her moon (feelings) is in the sign of unconventional Aquarius, which means she has the heart of a rebel and above all must be true to herself. This combination makes her both student and teacher, journalist and philosopher, breezy but clear-headed and serious; a bright bird of youth who is also a wise old soul.

Our lives change dramatically at our Uranus opposition (midlife transition) between ages 40–43 and Julianna is no exception. She married, had a child and began her starring role in The Good Wife. During May and June 2013, dazzling Jupiter brings her more accolades. Midsummer brings her an opportunity to explore a brand-new area, which is like catnip to an inquisitive Gemini.

GEMINI (MAY 21–JUNE 21)

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (June 8)

June is a special month and puts you back on track. The sun, moon, Mars and Jupiter all visit Gemini in early June, giving you renewed energy and optimism. On June 25, prosperous Jupiter enters your financial zone; a surprising new way to make extra cash materializes July 9–20. Don’t worry, it won’t turn you into a Person of Interest.

CANCER (JUNE 22–JULY 22)

Michael Weatherly, NCIS (July 8)

What’s your dream—having your own company, going to the Grammys, or writing a hit show like Hawaii Five-0? On June 25, auspicious Jupiter enters Cancer for an entire year, and teams up with Saturn to bring opportunities and open doors. One caveat: You have to take a risk and go out on a limb for something you want.

LEO (JULY 23–AUG. 22)

Simon Baker, The Mentalist (July 30)

On Undercover Boss, a dedicated manager of a Cinnabon store impressed owner Kat Cole and was rewarded with a franchise. A patron or backer appears July 19, but treat everyone you meet like gold. In early July you shun the spotlight in favor of some needed downtime. Once the sun enters Leo (July 23), you’re primed for action.

VIRGO (AUG. 23–SEPT. 22)

Alex O’Loughlin, Hawaii Five-0 (Aug. 24)

Romance can feel like a battlefield June 11–15, when Venus, Uranus and Pluto get combative. Don’t overreact like Kalinda’s ex-husband (The Good Wife). A wise Cancer or Pisces friend provides helpful guidance. Altruistic Virgo is associated with service, and thanks to planets in your networking zone during July, you find a cause that brings more meaning into your life.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23–OCT. 23)

Jim Caviezel, Person of Interest (Sept. 26)

Libras are natural diplomats and have a talent for creating rapport with all kinds of people. Once Jupiter enters your career zone beginning June 25, that gift is amplified. You may decide to accept a more public role like Frank Reagan (Blue Bloods), or even run for office. Just don’t take on more than you can handle.

SCORPIO (OCT. 24–NOV. 21)

Sheryl Underwood, The Talk (Oct. 28)

Watch your words June 7–8, when fast-talking Mercury and dark Pluto clash. You could go all pottymouth like Debra Morgan (Dexter) and blurt out something you’ll regret. Your Scorpio intensity and determination pay off handsomely in mid-July and allow you to complete a big project. Be patient and don’t launch anything until Mercury goes direct on July 20.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22–DEC. 21)

AnnaSophia Robb,The Carrie Diaries (Dec. 8)

“Sadges” are similar to Sherlock (Elementary), who values freedom over commitment, but with four planets in your love zone in early June it may be time to take a relationship to the next level. Like Sherlock, you’re learning to be more sensitive to the needs of others. On July 17–19 your boss planet, Jupiter, rules the sky and your confidence soars.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22–JAN. 19)

Kristin Kreuk, Beauty and the Beast (Dec. 30)

Capricorns are coming into their full potential, but with power comes responsibility. Just ask Max and Caroline (2 Broke Girls), now that they’ve gone into business for themselves. It’s not easy but fortunately your ruler, steady Saturn, is strong June 1–3 and July 17–22, helping you transition from the situation you’re leaving to the one that awaits you.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20–FEB. 18)

Garrett Morris, 2 Broke Girls (Feb. 1)

Maybe people can change: Barney (How I Met Your Mother) has gotten married, and Nikita is transforming Division. Planetary aspects June 17–20 inspire you to break an old habit. The July 8 new moon tests your new behavior. You may have to let go of people who don’t meet your needs, but you discover a new source of joy in the process.

ARIES (MARCH 21–APRIL 19)

Alyson Hannigan, How I Met Your Mother (March 24)

The restless Gemini new moon on June 8 has you easily distracted, and as hyper as Abby (NCIS) after too much Caf-Pow. The good news is, you’re buzzing with more creative ideas than Two and a Half Men and Mike & Molly creator Chuck Lorre. A change of scene (plus Saturn’s stabilizing influence) July 17–20 helps you gather your thoughts and focus on one project.

TAURUS (APRIL 20–MAY 20)

Bridget Moynahan, Blue Bloods (April 28)

Taurus bulls can sometimes act like Mike (Mike & Molly)—stubborn and stuck in their ways. June 7–9, clever Mercury and edgy Uranus offer you a radical solution to an ongoing problem. Don’t be afraid to try something new! Early July is chaotic, but spending time with family, friends and community later in the month reminds you how fortunate you really are.

PISCES (FEB. 19–MARCH 20)

William H. Macy, Shameless (Feb. 22)

On June 11 when Venus (the planet of love) tangles with Pluto (the planet of taboo), you may find yourself attracted to someone unusual or strangely compelling, as Catherine is to Vincent (Beauty and the Beast). Pisces are dreamers but when your ruler, inspirational Neptune, teams up with disciplined Saturn and giant Jupiter on July17–19, those dreams become a reality.

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Photography by Mark Mann

Styling by Sarah Nash

Shot on location at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane

I hear her before I see her, a deep throaty laugh that explodes out of the elevator of the Four Seasons Hotel in London’s posh Mayfair area and into the lobby. It’s a voice that makes men swoon and her fans smile: all husky, sexy Southern drawl with remarkable gravelly breaks. In other words, unmistakably Pauley Perrette.

There are millions of people who know and love this voice and the woman to whom it belongs. After playing NCIS forensic scientist Abby Sciuto for the past decade, Perrette has become an international star. As one of the original cast members of TV’s top-rated scripted show, the actress’s likability rating has even matched that of Tom Hanks.

It makes sense: Perrette’s charm is palpable. From the moment she strolls into the hotel’s Amaranto bar, slides into a booth and orders Peronis all around (“No glass, we’ll drink straight from the bottle”), it’s immediately obvious that she is undeniably, inexhaustibly happy. It’s not just the Cheshire cat grin that’s plastered on her face, or the fact that a rather handsome man gazes longingly at her for the duration of our interview (more on that in a minute). It seems to be Perrette’s overall carefree demeanor; she is clearly a woman at ease with herself, and that kind of genuine happiness is contagious, enough to bring a smile even to a stranger’s face.

Our meeting takes place the day after a 12-hour photo shoot for Watch! during which Perrette donned a dozen silk and taffeta gowns, from vintage Vivienne Westwood numbers to corseted cocktail dresses, and posed on a plethora of balconies and rooftops overlooking the green expanse of London’s Hyde Park.

Today, understandably, she has opted for a slightly more casual jeans-and-sneakers combo. “In my real life this is my uniform,” she says, gesturing at her attire. “I look like a scruffy 17-year-old boy because in my other life with my job, I’m in incredible costumes all day, and then I have the charities so I’m always at events doing red carpet stuff. So when I’m not working, it’s jeans and a hoodie.”

Despite having played Abby Sciuto for the past 10 years, there’s no trace of her Goth counterpart’s pigtails, miniskirts and studded dog collars in Perrette’s appearance. “There has to be a separation,” she says, suddenly serious. “Playing Abby never has blurred with my own life—it can’t. She’s this lifesaving drug for me.

“I have gone through unbelievable personal struggles my whole life, especially in the past 10 years. My relief from that is that I get to go and play Abby. When I get the ponytails on and the tattoos and the boots, those aren’t my clothes, that isn’t my life, those aren’t my words; they are Abby’s. When I’m playing Abby, none of my problems exist. So it’s my total escape route. It’s imperative for my survival that my life and Abby’s never blur at any time.”

Now, on to that very handsome man sitting beside her: He’s Thomas Arklie, a former British royal marine and male model. “It’s different from every other relationship I’ve been in,” says Perrette. “It never occurred to me to go out with someone who’s happy and fun. There have been many disasters. We have fun together.”

That much is clear. They canoodle like smitten teenagers, arm in arm, finishing each other’s sentences. “He’s in the restaurant business in L.A., and his place is six blocks away from my house,” says Perrette. “We were under each other’s noses for nine years until one night our eyes met across the crowded bar and it was literally love at first sight.”

Adds Arklie: “I didn’t really know who she was. We’d done a wrap party for NCIS: LOS ANGELES three years previously and Pauley had been there but we didn’t meet then, although I saw her at the party and thought she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on. Then when we met, I told her I remembered she was wearing a blue dress that night. It’s funny how our universes collided after all those years.”

“Tell her the story!” urges Perrette.

“No, you tell her,” says Arklie.

“What story?” I ask.

“OK,” says Perrette, without much coaxing. “So when I went into the restaurant he was standing behind a bar and it was eight inches lower than where I was standing, so I thought he was really short. Cute, but short. I’m really tall—like 5’10″—so I was worried. I get nervous around boys anyway, and then he walked out from around the bar, and I said, ‘Oh my God, you’re really tall.’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘You’re really hot.’ And he said, ‘Thank you.’ I said, ‘Do you want to make out with me?’ and he said, ‘Absolutely,’ and that’s how it started. We made out right there.”

They’ve been an item ever since. Two years down the line they are engaged, although they have no imminent plans to marry.

“Of course we want to get married,” says Perrette. “But I won’t do that until federal law in America is changed and gay marriage is legal in every state.”

Growing up in the Bible Belt, Perrette grappled with reconciling her religion with civil rights. “From a very young age I was thinking a lot about everything,” she says. “I grew up in the church in a very conservative area and developed a lot of my beliefs about inclusion and justice and civil rights and unconditional love for people, because I came from a certain environment that was the opposite of that. So I knew even then that God doesn’t want us to be bigots and judge people. My political beliefs grew from my spiritual beliefs.”

Fancy hotels and evening gowns aside, this is the real Pauley Perrette, a woman of principle, a defender of causes human and animal. The displaced, the underprivileged, the poor, mistreated… Perrette would speak out for them all if she could. She supports more than 30 charities, and has funded the building of three wells for clean water charity Thirst Project. “I find it hard to say no,” she admits. “It’s endless, but it’s better than going to a club, right? Also I love the people; they’re all there because they want to be doing something good with their time. Those are the people I want to hang out with.”

But the charity work is on hold for a few days to fit in a brief sojourn to London, one of Perrette’s favorite cities. “It’s very cool,” she says. “Definitely one of the few places besides New York and L.A. that I could see myself living.”

Last night Perrette and Arklie ventured over to London’s Soho, dropping in on some of the city’s happening gay bars before riding in a rickshaw back to the hotel, but have politely declined an invitation to a swanky private member’s club this evening.

“I love the little old-fashioned English boozers—I’m a dive-bar type of girl. I don’t like the trendy, cool places. I’m not very trendy. I just like to drink beer.” Cheers to that, Ms. Perrette.

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Set decorator Amy Feldman still recalls the day early in the filming of 2 Broke Girls when Michael Patrick King asked her to remove the contents of the characters’ vintage fridge. “The scene called for somebody to open its door,” Feldman says, “and when they did, there was too much in there.” Two Williamsburg diner waitresses, co-creator and executive producer King insisted, would be too poor to possess such an embarrassment of culinary riches. Another order from on high soon dictated that the pricey snacks originally topping the kitchen worktable be replaced by an assortment of baking ingredients, pans and mixing bowls. In other words, the stuff that two cash-strapped Brooklynites intent on launching a cupcake business would actually consider necessary.

It’s that level of attention to impoverished authenticity, says production designer Glenda Rovello, that’s been the show’s defining credo since before the set was even built: “The apartment’s supposed to have been Max’s originally, and it was really important that we show Max was poor.” As the storyline goes, once-wealthy Caroline, played by Beth Behrs, moves in with Max (Kat Dennings) after her investor dad is jailed for fraud and the family fortune is liquidated to repay his debts.

After brainstorming with King and co-creator Whitney Cummings, Rovello revved her creative engine by gathering hundreds of photos of older Brooklyn apartments—places she describes as “charming but modest.” Though the girls’ place was actually built from brand-new materials, she says, the intention was to make it look as if it had been cobbled together over many decades by a variety of occupants. “Someone put subway tile behind the stove; somebody else put up the kitchen’s 2-by-4 shelving; people put this apartment together, layer by layer.”

And despite the place’s undeniable cuteness, keeping it real, says decorator Feldman, often meant steering clear of authentic—i.e., expensive—vintage accents. “Max,” she says, “is the kind of person who goes Dumpster diving.” The kaleidoscope of color that punctuates the kitchen shelving is just a collection of Mason jars that Feldman bought on eBay and filled with cupcake ingredients. Aside from some graphic posters, the bulk of the apartment’s art consists of napkin- doodles ostensibly left behind by diner patrons or Max’s sweet artist ex-boyfriend. There’s little that’s framed, as Max preserves her treasures inside clipped-shut plastic bags that she can tack up whenever space allows.

On the Broke Girls set, though, standard notions of what a room can hold are always trumped by the idea that lives being lived there are very much in progress. The big, beat-up painting over Max’s bed, for instance, isn’t left to make a statement on its own. Instead it provides a weathered backdrop for whatever new doddle Max feels like taping to it, creating the sense of a funky, evolving collage. “The windows in the apartment probably have 30 coats of paint on them,” Rovelle notes. “The posts and beams are real rough- sawn wood and the walls have been plastered. Nothing’s really colorful but everything has a patina; everything has warmth.”

Yet the space does boast a few color-pops that have nothing to do with cupcake sprinkles- that purple stove, for starts. Caroline sells the last of her jewelry to buy it for Max, thus cementing their unlikely bond. But this very specific item, a custom purple-hued Bluestar range was written into the script long before the show aired, and it had the entire design team scratching their heads. “Michael kept saying, ’It’s real thing,’”Rovello remembers. One tentative call to its Reading, PA.-based manufacturer, and the real thing was delivered to the set the next day. It was a moment that both Rovello and Feldman recall as feeling somewhat magical-though it might now be seen as a simple sign of the real TV magic to come.

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There’s a new crime fighter in Starling CITY —and man, does he look good without his disguise. On The CW’s breakout hit Arrow, Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, a former playboy who after a five-year stint on a desert island shows up to make amends for his past mistakes. Queen’s intentions are good, but it will take a lot to convince his former girlfriend (Katie Cassidy) and others he has hurt that he’s a changed man. Watch! was lucky enough to photograph Amell in Toronto modeling Salvatore Ferragamo’s fantastic spring/summer collection. As these smoldering shots prove, this is one Arrow who’s making his mark.

Photography by Keiron O’Connor

Styling by Christopher Campbell

Clothing by Salvatore Ferragamo

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What happens when you gather five smart, high-powered, funny, self-made women together for lunch at Hotel Bel-Air’s Wolfgang Puck restaurant? You get a lot of laughs and great conversation—especially when the guests in question are the women of CBS’ The Talk. Kate Betts sat down with Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sheryl Underwood, Sharon Osbourne and Aisha Tyler to dish on everything from their greatest achievements to their favorite guests.

Kate Betts: How did the idea for the show come up?

Sara Gilbert: I felt like women needed this sense of connection with girlfriends, which was missing in our culture. The more technological and career-minded people get, it seems like they get further apart. So I wanted the show to serve as a connection for people and feel like we were a group of their girlfriends.

Kate: And then you called Julie?

Sara: It was a dream for me to get Julie involved. With her news background, I knew that she’d be able to be a great leader and moderator on the show, but I also knew that people saw her in a particular way, and it was interesting to see who the person was behind that “Chen-bot.”

Julie Chen: The main thing that appealed to me was, being a new mom, I wanted to talk to other moms about motherhood. That was what the show was supposed to be when Sara first had the idea. Now what appeals to me is this dynamic of having a built-in support system at work where we discuss the fun, dishy things you would talk about with your sister or your best friend. Sharon always says we’re a motley crew, and we are. Who would have guessed to put these five women together? For whatever reason, it works.

Kate: What distinguishes this show from other talk shows?

Sara: We really bring our friendship and our lives to the table, whereas with other shows people talk more about their opinions or their guests’ lives.

Aisha Tyler: There are a lot of representations of women on television where they just aren’t being kind to each other. Female-focused television has become antagonistic—some of the most popular shows are about women competing with each other—and I don’t think there are any shows where the women are as supportive and as kind to each other.

Sharon Osbourne: But we’re also a lot edgier than general-type shows. People tune in to have a good time.

Sheryl Underwood: And we’re smart without beating you over the head with it. We’re all really capable women who juggle—but other women who might be doing the same thing can see what we’re going through without it being patronizing.

Kate: Who’s the dream guest?

Sharon: Shirley MacLaine. She’s such a brilliant actress. When you think of the Rat Pack, and all the amazing phases of her career, there aren’t many women who have had a career like hers.

Julie: I would love for Katie Holmes to come on our show. As a woman who’s gone through quite a journey, being able to give us some insight into why she did what she did, and how she feels about it now.

Sheryl: I wish the Obamas would come on as a couple.

Sharon: I just want them to bring the dog.

Kate: What are the challenges of being a woman in the TV business?

Sharon: You still don’t get paid what the men get paid.

Julie: Oprah did, but that’s because she made her own way.

Aisha: I do think women are doing well on television; I just think what they’re doing well at is not always the best representation of who we are. I love guilty pleasures, and I love shows that are naughty, but in daytime and in talk and in reality, the general tempo for women is fighting over men, fighting over clothes, fighting over money, undermining each other.

Julie: Shows like Real Housewives have set the women’s movement back a lot. Because they take these heightened stereotypical characters, and who knows if the producers are telling them to be more this or that?

Sharon: And the majority of these women don’t know how to make a living. They’re not self-made women. And they have this horrible sense of entitlement—“Don’t you know who my husband is?” I don’t care.

Julie: We’re the exact opposite of everything that people are used to seeing, because we’re all self-made women, we do not fight, we respect each other and we’re very secure in who we are. I think not a lot of women on other shows, whether reality series or another format, are secure in who they are, which is why they act up.

Kate: When did you know that television was your career path?

Sheryl: I would say Def Comedy Jam being on HBO.   But this show is really the epitome of what you achieve. Most stand-ups want to be in sitcoms. To me, I’m glad I got this at this time of my life with these women because I can’t act. To be able to state your opinion, get a joke in, hug some very attractive men, eat, and find ou more about yourself and what you can be better at—all of it around this table—that’s when I knew I’d made it.

Sharon: After The Osbournes I got a chat show, which lasted a year, and I thought, “Well, that’s it. I’ll just carry on managing.” And then Simon Cowell called me and asked me to go and do X Factor in England, and four years on that show really was what made me in TV.

Sara: My big break was Roseanne. But I knew before that—I just knew my whole life that I wanted to do this. When I was in elementary school I thought, “They just don’t know I’m famous yet, but this is all happening.” I was so certain that it just had yet to unfold.

Julie: My big break was getting a local news job at WCBS in New York, because it is the number-one market and being there gets you seen by the decision-makers who can propel your career or kill it. It led to my job on The Early Show as the newsreader with Bryant Gumbel.

Aisha: I had a little break and a big break. The little break was Talk Soup, and my big break was Friends. I went from being on a show with a million viewers to being on a show with 25 million viewers. I knew how lucky I was, and I was on the verge of having a mental breakdown for at least the first two weeks I was there.

Kate: What’s your mantra?

Julie: It sounds so hokey, but I do this a couple of times a week: I ask to be a better mother and wife.

Sharon: Mine’s similar. I strive to be a better person and to think before I act and before I say anything.

Aisha: I have two; one is internal and one is external. The internal one is bravery, and I really try to have that govern everything that I do. My external mantra comes from acting. On any show there’s a lot of anxiety right before you walk out on stage. People are flipping out. So I always say to everybody and to myself, “It’s going to go great.” If you believe it’s going to go great, it probably will.

Sheryl: I try to tell people: Be blessed, then go forth and be a blessing to other people. But the biggest thing that has really gotten me further is to ask for forgiveness. It’s easy to say “I’m sorry,” but it takes a big person to say please forgive me.

Kate: What’s the one moment in your career that you’re the most proud of?

Sheryl: The day we took off all our makeup.

Julie: I think the day of my career that I was most proud of started out as the day I originally felt the most ashamed by. My whole career and who I am as a person—you know, my parents are Chinese, so I was trained to not show emotion as a child. And then as a journalist, too. And the day the verdict came down in the Casey Anthony trial, I thought, “Oh, I got this in my back pocket.” This is something I used to do in news all the time. And I broke down on the air, and I felt like a failure. Afterward, my husband told me everyone was coming up to him about what I did. And he said, “I heard it was amazing. You should know that people were glad that you weren’t the Chen-bot; that you showed some emotion.” It taught me to be more human in this job.

Sharon: There’s an award in England that the queen gives out for women, and it’s the best woman in business award. I went to Buckingham Palace, and the queen gave me this award. That was a huge moment for me.

Aisha: I’ve always been an outsider-y kid. And I’ve always felt like an outsider in the business as well. The way that I look and the comedy that I do are kind of incongruous, and I’ve always been told, “You don’t fit in.” This year was such an amazing year because I felt so confident, creatively, and a big part of that was The Talk. But my other show, Archer, won a comedy award this year. The ceremony was in New York; our little show was in the corner, and we all felt like outsiders… and then when I stood up, I realized I knew almost everybody in the room. It was the first time when they felt like peers to me, and not like a club that I was trying to get into.

Sheryl: A proud moment for me is when we got the laugh at the Daytime Emmys. That was hilarious because I think—didn’t you guys rework it?

Julie: We rewrote. Typical us. It was a little irreverent. We went onstage to present and we were so happy to not only get invited to the dance but also be nominated. We decided to address the elephant in the room, and we got up there and said, “We’re a new daytime talk show. We’re called The Talk, but if you haven’t checked it out, let us introduce ourselves. I’m Barbara Walters.” It got a big laugh. And Barbara Walters was sitting there, and she loved it.

Sara: I think mine has to do more with reinvention, because my career started so young. So anytime I do something—it can even be an acting class or be on a show or something—I always feel proud to be doing that. It feels right.

Mother Chen

Years of hard work in hard news earned Julie Chen the chance to relax and enjoy the lighthearted fun of being host of Big Brother and now The Talk.

Julie Chen had just given birth to a son in 2009 when her husband—Leslie Moonves, the president and chief executive officer of CBS—came home one day and asked if she was interested in moving from the Early Show, where she had been an anchor for nearly 10 years, to a daytime talk show.

“I needed a lifestyle change,” Chen says. A decade of setting her alarm for three hours of sleep—once, she admits, she set it for just seven minutes—and covering the war in Iraq and conflicts in Kuwait and Qatar was enough. “After that grueling schedule, everything is a piece of cake,” she says, laughing.

So Chen met Sara Gilbert at the Polo Lounge for an iced tea. They did a few tests to try their onscreen chemistry, then shot a pilot. There was only one daytime slot opening on the network and the competition was fierce—other contenders included an Emeril Lagasse cooking show, a Valerie Bertinelli talk show and a game show—but Chen and Gilbert nabbed it.

It wasn’t an obvious win for either of them. Gilbert thought of herself as more of an actress than a daytime host, and Chen had spent her career reporting news in front of a camera. After graduating from the University of Southern California she landed a desk assistant job at ABC News in Los Angeles, then became a reporter at WDTN-TV Dayton before joining CBS News in New York. While her experience hosting Big Brother took her one step away from hard news, switching to a chatty, personal format was challenging. “I like it,” admits Chen, “but I had to learn how to have more opinions, how to be less of a Chen-bot on air.”

She has also embraced social media. As the host of Big Brother she joined Twitter, and this season began tweeting for The Talk, too. “It’s a powerful thing that can’t be ignored if you’re in this business,” she says. Chen likes reading the comments and learning about her viewers. “We learn a lot; we get different points of view.” Which, naturally, adds to the conversation.

Heart and Soul

Sheryl Underwood makes ’em laugh with her trademark blend of humor and humility

It’s a typical morning in The Talk’s green room, and Sheryl Underwood is rushing around looking for the wardrobe assistant to help her find a better bra—preferably one that can hold a BLT. Underwood, a stand-up comedian as well as a host, is working on a joke for today’s episode. The news that bacon might be rationed has inspired a gag that will have Sheryl hoarding a huge plate of the stuff. As Julie Chen recounts a childhood memory about her love of BLTs, Underwood will whip a sandwich out of her bra and offer it to her.

“Usually we will talk about ideas with the producers at the 8 a.m. meeting,” Underwood explains. “They’ll come up with a concept and then I’ll beat out the comedy.” It’s a process Underwood has been refining her whole life. “My dad could tell the best stories. If you couldn’t get a good laugh, you couldn’t survive in our house.” Underwood put her comedic talent to work in college, when she began padding her term papers with humor. Her professors would give her a better grade simply because she made them laugh. “‘This really deserves a D,’ they’d say,” Underwood recalls, “‘but I’ll give you a C.’”

When she joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1981, Underwood used humor to get her through. The experience, in turn, gave her the kind of focus and perseverance necessary to survive in show business. “I learned how to take direction without taking offense,” she says.

Underwood, who grew up in a Midwestern inner city, draws on her urban Southern background for her work. Her first big break came in college, when she drove from Los Angeles to New York to try out for HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, but missed the audition and ended up landing a gig at the Uptown Comedy Club. She eventually broke into Def Comedy and hosted her own show, Comic View, and created and produced the talk show Holla for BET. In addition to The Talk, Underwood is a weekly contributor to the Steve Harvey Morning Show and hosts The Sheryl Underwood Show on Jamie Foxx’s The Foxxhole on SiriusXM radio. She has appeared in films like Bulworth, I Got the Hook-Up and Beauty Shop.

After a 25-year career in comedy, Underwood says it’s her co-hosting spot on The Talk that has given her the courage to really push her comedic skills. She recalls the no-makeup episode (“Never let Sara [Gilbert] come up with an idea!”) and the time she allowed Dr. Oz to weigh her on the show. “These ladies make me secure enough to take risks,” she says. “In comedy you can hide behind the jokes, but here I have pushed myself to conquer my fears.”

Gilbert Grows Up

Sara Gilbert realized daytime TV was missing a forum for women like her. The answer? The Talk.

When Sara Gilbert had her second child five years ago, she felt so isolated and overwhelmed by motherhood that she founded a “mommy group” where she could meet with friends and talk about mom issues. From chat about diapers, naps and preschool applications, Gilbert had a brainstorm, an idea for a daytime talk show focusing on the personal issues and emotional topics that often arise at impromptu gatherings on the playground.

“I’ve said it so many times,” says Gilbert, who is perhaps best known for her role as Darlene Conner in the hit series Roseanne. “It was almost too easy—everything just fell into place after I realized that what people needed was a place to sit and connect to other people.” The first host Gilbert reached out to was former Early Show anchor and Big Brother host Julie Chen—also a new mother at the time. After Chen signed on to the show, the rest of the casting fell into place.

The Talk has evolved into more than just kid-friendly stuff, of course, but the emotional bent of the talk show remains.

“It’s always personal,” says Gilbert. “What’s exciting about live television is that you never know what is going to happen each day.” She was surprised that all five hosts agreed to appear on a recent episode without professional hair or makeup and wearing just a towel or a bathrobe. “I’ve always wanted to strip the show down and show people who we really are,” she says, “but I wasn’t sure my co-hosts would agree to do it. That’s what is so amazing about them.”

Although Gilbert’s résumé boasts an endless list of television, feature film and stage credits, including guest-starring roles on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, a starring role in Twins, and recurring roles in The Class and ER, she still finds the talk show format the most challenging. “The hardest part about it is that you want to do a good job, but if you’re not in the mood, you have to really work through that. It’s a skill and I’m getting better at it. I don’t think anybody would think of me as a host.” Now they do.

Tyler File

Choosing laughs over the law? Aisha Tyler is guilty as charged

On a recent episode of The Talk, co-host Aisha Tyler found herself inside a plastic booth. The statuesque Tyler, dressed in an apron and jeans, frantically grabbed at dollar bills fluttering around in the manufactured wind, trying to stuff them into her pockets. She was competing against the show’s guest, Joshua Morrow of The Young and the Restless, to see how much money she could win for a lucky viewer. “I could see how someone might have a psychotic break doing that,” Tyler laughs.

Very little seems to faze Tyler, an award-winning actress and stand-up comic, who joined the show as a co-host last year. In fact, her career has been built on taking risks. After graduating from Dartmouth in 1992, she planned to study law, but the prospect of becoming an attorney felt deeply unfulfilling. So one night Tyler ventured over to open-mike night at Holy City Zoo, a famous club in her hometown of San Francisco.

“I didn’t think I was good. But one laugh and it’s like a drug—you’re hooked,” she remembers. She’s been doing stand-up ever since, traveling on weekends for gigs at clubs and theaters around the country.

Tyler’s big break in television came in 2001, when she was hired to host Talk Soup on the E! network, She then moved into movies and TV series—appearing on Friends, co-starring with Jennifer Love Hewitt in the CBS hit Ghost Whisperer, and landing roles on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and 24. In 2009 she went back to comedy with a one-hour Comedy Central special, Aisha Tyler Is Lit: Live at the Fillmore. In addition to her Talk gig, Tyler voices the character of Lana Kane on the animated series Archer.

During last year’s hiatus, Tyler created her own podcast, Girl on Guy, where she interviews artists, athletes and writers about everything from video games, comic books and small-batch booze. “It’s really fun, so unfettered,” Tyler says. “I wanted to do something for myself. I get to create an experience for my fans.” And her fans have responded: Girl on Guy is the No. 2 comedy podcast on iTunes.

In her upcoming book, Self-Inflicted Wounds, Tyler explores the benefits of failure in a series of essays. “I wanted to address this idea of failure and how you should fail,” she says. “That’s how you succeed.” Judging from Tyler’s résumé, success is something she knows a lot about.

The Osbourne Identity

As The Talk’s grande dame of dish, Sharon Osbourne brings years of experience and excitement to the table

Nine years ago when Sharon Osbourne’s daytime talk show was canceled, she thought she was done with television for good. “It’s so hard to do,” she says now, reflecting from the green room of CBS’ daytime series The Talk. “It’s a huge load to carry a talk show on your own, so when I was approached to do this one, I thought it would be really great.”

In many ways, being a part of a group has given her greater freedom than she had on her own. As the wild card on The Talk, Osbourne keeps the producers—and her co-hosts—on their toes with her often brutally honest repartee. Last summer she broke down on the air, sobbing while she talked about her son’s diagnosis with multiple sclerosis. More recently, she elicited hysterical laughter from the audience when she asked Mentalist actor Simon Baker if she could lick him. “For me, the conversation has to be organic,” she says. “I’m not really good at the tennis game. I can’t look at notes.”

This may come as a surprise, considering Osbourne’s long career in television. She was a judge on America’s Got Talent from 2007 to 2012, and was also on the original British version of The X Factor with Simon Cowell. Her big television break came when she created the smash hit reality show The Osbournes, an idea she had after watching her husband and kids on MTV Cribs. “When it became the most requested show of the year I just said, ‘Let’s do a long version of Cribs,’ ” Osbourne remembers. The Osbournes went on to win an Emmy for best reality show in 2002.

The daughter of music manager and concert promoter Don Arden, Osbourne got her start in the music business managing some of rock’s most famous bands, including Black Sabbath, Electric Light Orchestra and The Smashing Pumpkins. Multitalented, she has also created and produced Ozzfest, the biggest hard rock festival in America, and is author of two best-sellers, Revenge and Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography. After battling colon cancer, she founded the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation.

Needless to say, balance is a topic that comes up often around the table at The Talk and Osbourne, like many other working women, finds it a daunting subject. “Something always suffers,” she says, referring to the “having it all” axiom. “What suffered for me was my family. I never make a dinner. My social life suffers, too. I can’t remember the last time I met friends. What the hell am I doing living to work?”

With that, Osbourne makes a vow to spend more time with her friends and family. “I’m not a young aspiring actress,” she says with a wink. “I’ve got to get balance right.”

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He’s always in the front row—the runways are where Neiman Marcus fashion director Ken Downing does his best work. He has an eye for sexy silhouettes that sell and continues to stock the stylish store with flattering looks women can’t resist. While sipping a caffe latte, the trim and gregarious Downing gave Watch! the dish on spring’s trendiest threads, designers who dazzle, and much more.

Watch!: Which spring trends are you suggesting for your customers?
Ken Downing: There’s this bold, Fauvist-inspired, clashing, bombastic approach to color that will be important for spring. Just think of color as a good neutral base to build a wardrobe around. In particular, very hot orange—almost like the kind of orange you’d see on a safety cone on the highway—is really great, especially when it’s played against other bright colors like shocking pink, phosphorescent ultraviolet or the sun-faded cottage sort of colors like aqua, pale pink or lilac. Prints and patterns will also be everywhere for spring, including florals, butterflies, birds and dots.

Watch!: If someone can only buy one item for spring, what should it be?
Ken: The dress is important because it’s so easy—and it’s a great way to show off a pair of fantastic shoes. The jacket will also be a pivotal item as we transition from fall to spring. It goes over a dress, a skirt or pants, so if you find one that works for you, buy it!

Watch!: Are there some trends that will be around for a while?
Ken: Some things just refuse to die. The platform shoe isn’t going anywhere, because women like having the extra height. But the platforms we’re seeing for spring are less aggressive. I cannot explain women’s love of shoes, but I’m glad they are obsessed. [Laughs.] Also, you can’t kill the denim trend. It keeps changing because of the technology of fabrics, so waxed denim that looks like leather and flocked denim that looks like Baroque brocade will be big for spring.

Watch!: You do a lot of personal appearances in Neiman Marcus stores. What types of clothes are women looking for?
Ken: I do about 30 to 40 events a year and I’m very hands-on in the old school, fashion show kind of way. I spend a fair amount of time in dressing rooms and I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t want to look pretty. If she says the opposite, she’s probably not telling the truth. People want clothes that are flattering, that celebrate all of their curves.

Watch!: Do you have a fashion motto?
Ken: It depends on the season. [Laughs.] To tell you the truth, my motto is often “less is a bore.” The one thing that the [tough] economy has taught us is that people want things that look special. Just go for it—pile it on!

Watch!: Which designers have a great eye for what real women want in their wardrobes?
Ken: Certainly, Marc Jacobs is pivotal. His designs always influence so much of what we see going forward.Miuccia Prada is a force. What she envisions, her colors and her ability to embrace technology, is very influential. Jason Wu, the guys at Proenza Schouler, Raf Simons at Dior, Joseph Altuzarra and Christopher Kane are all on fire now.

Watch!: How does regionalism affect your job?
Ken: It doesn’t, really. Women don’t look so wildly different city to city, but when we’re putting a buy together, we adjust for weather in fabric weights or different color patterns. Women everywhere want clothes that feel good against their skin and are flattering.

Watch!: What is your opinion of “fast fashion,” and how does Neiman Marcus address mixing high-low dressing?
Ken: I love that so many designers are doing capsule collections with other retailers. How great is it that you can go to Target, H&M or Zara and find beautifully designed clothes? People don’t wear designer clothes head-to-toe anymore, they mix the amazing high-designed pieces with fast fashion. It all comes down to swagger and the attitude you wear it with. And honestly, fast fashion whets the appetite for those aspirational customers and brings them into our stores.

Watch!: You’re a blogger for Neiman’s. How have e-commerce and social media changed the way you do your job?
Ken: I remember the days when people couldn’t pronounce Gianni Versace’s name! Now, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have made everyone amateur fashionistas. I don’t think it matters if you’re 17 or 77; we’re all kind of 25 in this new world.

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PSST! NEVER TELL EDIE FALCO THAT she’s “beloved.” “Oh, my God, all of a sudden, I feel nauseated,” says the four-time Emmy winner, 20-years-and-counting sober role model, breast cancer survivor, and mother of two, when I begin to gush. “It’s embarrassing to accept compliments like that, because it’s huge. Huge.”

It’s also the truth: Since the Long Island-raised actress became an icon as The Sopranos’ mesmerically complex mob wife, Carmela, and followed up by triumphantly playing pill-popping RN Jackie Peyton in Nurse Jackie, Falco has left us weak in the knees. It’s all about the mad chops and homespun humanity. Read on and let the crush grow.

Watch!: Mercy me. Back in scrubs for a fifth season, Jackie is one serious mother—oops, we can’t print that.
Edie Falco: (Laughs.) Yep, she’s a hardass who calls it like it is, does what she’s gotta do and doesn’t spend a lot of time kowtowing. I love and respect the good and the bad of that.

Watch!: Your characters are famously tough. Is Edie as almighty?
Edie: Not really. Maybe that’s why I like playing it. I mean, I’m that tough in some ways, but I’m also deeply vulnerable and a little in awe of women who know how to take care of themselves. Although, there are things they give up as a result.

Watch!: Like what?
Edie: Friends! (Laughs.) Like, I don’t know how popular Jackie is; she’s not concerned with social graces and I am. I think they’re important.

Watch!: When we last left her, Jackie had gotten sober, but was also served divorce papers. Where is she when the season kicks off?
Edie: In a brave new world, because she’s gotta learn how to function without a place to hide: no pills, no drinking, no nothin’. She’s a raw nerve.

Watch!: Good times! Though you’re long sober, do you have any frisky addictions?
Edie: Popcorn. And I’m not even sort of kidding. (Laughs.) If I’m in a stage where I’m eating a lot of popcorn, the day revolves around it. I’ll go see movies just to eat the popcorn.

Watch!: Suddenly, I have this image of you taking the subway, all incognito, to the movies and—
Edie: I have a minor phobia about being underground, so I never took the subway, even when I first got to New York and was waitressing. I Rollerbladed everywhere. I also chain-smoked. So, for 10 years, if you saw someone on Rollerblades chain-smoking without a helmet or kneepads, that was me.

Watch!: Jackie would so approve. At 49, are you still blading away?
Edie: Nah, now I’m using the single smartest, coolest thing ever: a FlyKly electric bike. I’m not ruining the environment and it gets me and my kids around faster than anything ever.

Watch!: Speaking of your young’uns, Anderson is 8 and Macy is 5. You once told me that you’re a huge Joni Mitchell freak, so I’m wondering if—
Edie: Oh, yeah, Joni is attached to my soul in a way that she has no idea or cares about. She’s the soundtrack for my whole life. I have an address for her managers and have always had this fantasy of writing her. But I don’t know what I’d say. ’Cause she’s the whole thing for me. Even just one song—like, say, “Hejira,” can feed me over years and years and mean different things depending on where I’m at.

Watch!: Word. So are you schooling your kids in great music like that?
Edie: Of course! So many parents—and to each his own—go out and buy Raffi CDs for the kids to play in the car. But my parents never listened to my music, I listened to theirs. So my kids know Joni, Prince and Frank Sinatra. There’s plenty of time for them to listen to their own music—when we’re together, we listen to my stuff.

Watch!: Go, girl. Let’s wrap: I know this makes you cringe, but you really are one of the greats of your generation. What’s it like when all of your professional dreams, finally, come true?
Edie: You go, “Oh, crap! Now what do I do?” (Laughs.) I’m ridiculously lucky.

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Consider them the original Mafia, dressed so much more beautifully than the Sopranos ever were. Showtime’s Golden Globe-winning show The Borgias, starring Jeremy Irons as the morally questionable Pope Alexander VI, profiles the dynasty’s claw to power in 15th-century Rome. Dressing the characters in period-inspired finery has earned costume designer Gabriella Pescuccian Emmy nomination for her scene-stealing, sumptuous creations. Here, she shares the original sketches of two dresses that audiences will see adorning characters Giulia Farnese (Lotte Verbeek) and Lucrezia Borgia (Holliday Grainger) in the show’s third season.

Giulia

“For Giulia, I chose warm colors—red and orange,” says Pescucci. “It’s a scene that is shot outside in the garden, and is a happy moment in the episode. I made the sleeves bigger to feature her more prominently.”

Lucrezia

“The color of the costume is darker because Lucrezia now has become a woman,” Pescucci explains. “I chose dark yellow and dark gold because they are the colors of the Neapolitan court. I added the cape and the ‘torcolo,’ or headpiece, to differentiate her from the other women. Lucrezia is wearing a style that was used at the papal court in Rome.”

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Chris O’Donnell was only a teenager when he became a Hollywood A-lister, thanks to critically acclaimed roles in School Ties, Fried Green Tomatoes, Circle of Friends and Scent of a Woman, a movie that won Al Pacino an Oscar and made everyone want to dance the the tango.

But even with a scene-chewing co-star, you couldn’t deny the obvious: O’Donnell was a natural, that rare breed of talent who could hold his own against the biggest Hollywood heavyweights and shine just as brightly.

Twenty years later, he’s all grown up but still at it on the high-octane CBS series NCIS: LOS ANGELES, where a buff, scruffy, hotter-than-ever O’Donnell is chasing bad guys with co-star LL COOL J, and taking part in more stunts, action and explosions than all of his films combined. Now married with five children, the actor has avoided many of the pratfalls of other teenage stars and gone on to make his series one of the most seen in the world, with a record 18 million viewers watching last winter. O’Donnell’s all-American charm juxtaposed against the mysterious intensity of his alter ago, G. Callen, has made his character one of the most layered on television, and the show one of its highest rated.

“I’m very impressed with how O’Donnell has transformed himself,” says Jay Bobbin of Tribune Media Services. “As NCIS: LOS ANGELES goes along, he’s constantly reshaping and building upon what we already know of Callen—a tribute to O’Donnell as a performer, and to the show’s writers as well.”

Not that there were many other options.

“You know you’ve got the perfect actor when you can’t imagine anyone else being able to play that character,” says Shane Brennan, the show’s executive producer and creator. “He is word-perfect from the first take. He’s a regular guy who loves his job and the people he works with”—most notably his co-star, a former rap artist who himself segued gracefully onto a hit TV series.

It’s that chemistry between the two stars that critics say gives the show its bite. “They’re both lovable characters, but they can still shake off the aw-shucks appeal to play heavies when it’s needed,” says Entertainment Weekly’s West Coast news editor, Lynette Rice.

Thankfully, O’Donnell was all spirits when Watch! caught up with him this fall, several months after accompanying him to County Mayo, Ireland, for a cover shoot at the storied Ashford Castle.

Watch!: Do you want to sit upstairs? They said we could get a quiet table.
Chris O’Donnell: [Scrunches up face.] I don’t love quiet. Do you mind if we sit down here?

Watch!: At the bar?
Chris: Yeah. I haven’t eaten all day. I’m starving. [Orders a cheeseburger, fries and a Stella Artois.] Is this going to be one of those interviews talking about how I’m eating a cheeseburger and having a beer?

Watch!: Yep.
Chris: [Laughs.] Nice.

Watch!: So your Ireland trip looked pretty awesome. Ashford Castle, where you stayed, was built in 1228. They filmed John Wayne’s The Quiet Man there in 1951.
Chris: I know! I heard that. The coolest thing is that my grandfather owned a movie house, and he had that John Wayne movie poster restored and hanging up.

Watch!: What was the best part of your trip? Please tell me you consumed your body weight in beer.
Chris: Not exactly. But every bar in Ireland is so great, because you can just start a random conversation with someone, and everyone is so friendly and interesting. I did some golfing. … We had a great time.

Watch!: You were also awarded the Certificate of Irish Heritage.
Chris: Yeah, pretty cool. My mom is from a small town in Kentucky, and her side of the family is German. My dad’s is obviously Irish. I actually first came to this bar [P.J. O’Rourke’s] with my dad when I was 17 years old, and I was in town auditioning for a movie. It’s been one of my favorite places in the city ever since.

Watch!: So I dug up your first commercial—a McDonald’s ad with Michael Jordan. Want to watch it?
Chris: Oh, God. OK. [Watches it on phone.]

Watch!: What do you remember about that day?
Chris: I remember we were running about eight hours behind, and when I say “eight hours behind” I mean Michael Jordan showed up about eight hours late. [Laughs.] Then I put on the polyester suit and served him breakfast.

Watch!: What were you, like 13 at the time?
Chris: Thirteen? I drove there!

Watch!: No way—you were 16?
Chris: Maybe 17. I know, I looked young. I’d been working for a few years at that point. God—13, really?

Watch!: Sorry. So, back when you started, TV was a step down from movies.
Chris: Yeah, when I started out, you either did film or you did TV—you didn’t do both. And the business has really changed. There’s a handful of stars still making tentpole movies, but very few. And then a lot of these tentpole movies are just big marketing machines with no-name stars that make huge money. Then the rest of it is indie film, but they’re not paying anybody anything. So everyone who wants to work and make money is doing TV.

Watch!: No stigma at all anymore.
Chris: No. When I was young and single, the gypsy lifestyle of filmmaking was fun. I loved setting up camp all over the world. But that doesn’t work when you’ve got five kids [Lily, Chip, Christopher, Finley and Maeve, with wife of 15 years, Caroline Fentress]. I work really long hours, but at least I’m seeing my kids when I get home. They may not be awake, but I’m seeing them. [Laughs.]

Watch!: In 1993, you were on location with Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland for The Three Musketeers. That must have been bananas.
Chris: It was insane. Charlie is one of the most charming guys I’ve ever met. He’s just got some issues, and you knew it back then. It was like taking your wildest buddy from college and giving him millions and millions of dollars to see what he does. I thought I was a pretty worldly guy, having come out of college and doing some films, but this was a whole different world. It was fun to kind of dip my toe in the water with him a little bit, but I was not fully engaging in their, uh, activities.

Watch!: Have you ever seen the video of Kiefer Sutherland tackling the Christmas tree in a bar?
Chris: No, no. Was he just totally out of it? Well, [Charlie and Kiefer] get different when they’ve been cocktailing. Kiefer will get real emotional and real sincere, and then all of a sudden he gets a little loopy. And when he’s hung over, he gets kind of angry. Then it starts over again. But he’s a sweet guy. A great actor. That was … an adventure 

[A woman comes up to the bar]: Hi, you’re from Winnetka, right?
Chris: Uh-huh.
Woman: My daughter’s husband is a dentist, and he has your picture in his office.
Chris: Who’s that, Dr. Ford?
Woman: Yes!
Chris: There you go. So funny. It’s me and Ann-Margret.

Watch!: Do you get recognized a lot?
Chris: That woman was a plant. I had her waiting back there. There are a couple more coming, too. [Laughs.]

Watch!: So let’s go back in time a bit. One of my favorite movies of yours is Mad Love.
Chris: Are you serious?

Watch!: Yes! I love that movie.
Chris: I can’t tell if people are serious or if they’re screwing with me when they say that. I’ve never seen it.

Watch!: What? Never?
Chris: I saw half of it with Drew [Barrymore] and my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time. It was a screening just for us, and I’m [watching myself] rolling around the hay with Drew, and it was just like, this is awkward! I have to tell you, historically, I didn’t love watching myself on film.

Watch!: At the time, Drew called you the brother she never had.
Chris: There are lot of people I’ve worked with who, I feel awkward, like they won’t remember me, so I don’t go up to them. But Drew is someone who to this day I could go up and yell something out that we used to say on the set, and she’d pick up immediately and we’d give each other a big hug. I remember on my first film, I loved everyone, and I was like, “This is so amazing, we’ll always be great friends,” and one guy said, “Don’t get too attached, buddy. You’re not going to see most of us ever again.” I was like, “Whoa, what do you mean? We’ll always be close!”

Watch!: Brutal. Did it crush you?
Chris: Yeah! It’s the strange nature of the business. There’s maybe one person from each project—a production assistant, a director, a producer—that you might stay in touch with over time, but it’s hard. I mean, we were recently living in a rental house in the Pacific Palisades, and I was thinking that Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and I all lived within a half-mile of each other. Who would have thought 20 years ago we’d be living in the same neighborhood, with kids around the same ages? Bizarre.

Watch!: You came up with those guys in the early to mid-’90s. And around that time the following terms were used to describe you: “Buff and manly.” “A mini Tom Cruise.” And “warm and lovable but very, very sexy.” Which would you say is the most accurate?
Chris: Well, the Scientology thing is probably what sums me up the most. [Laughs.] Um, I don’t know how buff I’m going to be after inhaling this burger and beer. What was the other one?

Watch!: “Warm and lovable but very, very sexy.” Two verys.
Chris: Ah, I can’t even take that seriously.

Watch!: In all seriousness, your performances were described as “not forced.”
Chris: Well, that’s because of my background—I wasn’t a trained actor. To me, it had to feel natural and real for it to work. Which is good and bad. It helped me to give very natural performances, but at the same time, because I hadn’t been trained, I was afraid of what my limits were. There were times when films would come by that I didn’t pursue, even though I knew they were very interested in me, because in the back of my head I thought, “I’m not sure if I can do that.” I was thinking, “I’ve worked with some of the best actors and directors in the world, but I’m a fraud.”

Watch!: You did an Arthur Miller play [2001’s The Man Who Had All the Luck] during a down point.
Chris: Yeah, and it was a good thing. I’d had a major lull in my career. It was a very emotional play, and I used to have to torture myself to do the scenes. When I first started out, I was shot out of a cannon. I’d only had success. And so, people say, “He hasn’t paid his dues.” But it’s like, “Oh, I’ve paid my dues.”

Watch!: Having been shot out of a cannon, do you ever look back at something you did and think, “Well, that was stupid”?
Chris: No, and that’s something I’m very proud of. I never did that, partially because my dad was hardcore about being true to yourself. He said, “If you get caught up in success, when that goes away you’re going to be devastated.” Looking back, one thing I would’ve changed is what I call paralysis by overanalysis. A script would come along, and my gut instinct would be “That sounds cool,” and then I’d start breaking it down, talking to agents and managers and being like, “Should I?” I was so green I didn’t realize I was the green-light element. I could’ve been more proactive and said, “Let’s get these people.” I was so young. I didn’t know what I was doing.

Watch!: You were in college.
Chris: Yeah. And I didn’t want to work as much because I was at Boston College having a blast. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Watch!: They almost made a Robin spinoff movie after you graduated. How would your career have changed?
Chris: If it had been a success,that would’ve been great. But they rushed Batman & Robin. People didn’t have the appetite for it, and the script wasn’t finished. It just wasn’t the right tone, it was too cute and campy, and it ended up being a disaster.

Watch!: Was there ever a point where you had to make a crappy film because you needed the money?
Chris: I wasn’t that thrilled with The Sisters. I liked the actors I was working with—Tony Goldwyn, Mary Stuart Masterson. I wasn’t working at the time, and I just wanted to do something. I’m not an idiot with my money, so I didn’t put myself in a position where I had to do really dumb roles.

Watch!: That’s rare.
Chris: Yeah, although when you look back at some of my movies, you’re probably thinking, “You must have thought that was a piece of—.” [Laughs.] But honestly I went into everything with the best intentions.

Watch!: If one element is off, the whole thing could tank.
Chris: Exactly. And the TV show we’re doing now—it’s a huge success. But it’s like, why is this one special? What is it?

Watch!: What do you think it is?
Chris: I don’t know. I mean, it’s something about the chemistry with LL COOL J and me. And the brand, obviously. But if it were that easy, every show would just continue to spin things off.

Watch!: Do your kids want to act?
Chris: One wants to get on [NCIS: LOS ANGELES] because he wants residuals. Lily’s 13, and if she wants to do this, fine, but only if she goes to college.

Watch!: Didn’t you faint when she was born?
Chris: I did. We were in New Zealand, and I hadn’t eaten for a day and a half. The doctor was late and they were like, “We’ve got to go!” So they hoist my wife’s leg over my shoulder, and I see this head coming out, and I’m like, “There’s no way that’s going to work!” Faint.

Watch!: Rookie move—you have to stay up near the head.
Chris: I learned my lesson. For the rest of the babies, I rubbed her shoulder and had a cold beer.

Watch!: Have you been injured on set?
Chris: Nothing crazy. We’re very cautious.

Watch!: Which scenes do you like the best?
Chris: I love the scenes where LL COOL J and I are giving each other a hard time. As fun as it is to run around and shoot guns, that doesn’t blow me away, excitement-wise.

Watch!: Do you have that same relationship off-camera, as well?
Chris: We do impersonations of each other. And I give him a hard time that he didn’t really grow up in Queens, he grew up in some country club. Every time he’s on the phone—which is a lot—I’ll be like, “Who’s that, Snoop? Who you got, Flav?”

Watch!: That story about LL’s home invasion was crazy. He beat up the guy who broke into his house!
Chris: That was insane.

Watch!: Have you gotten into any dust-ups with him?
Chris: I’ll kid around with him, but he can literally grab me by the arm and I’m on the ground. He’s the strongest human being I’ve ever been around. He’s a force of nature.

Watch!: I read about the LL thing on Twitter. You’re on there, but you barely tweet.
Chris: Twitter can be really dangerous. I signed up in case I want to promote stuff for the show. But I don’t want to put something on record that I don’t have to. What if you have a few too many cocktails? I don’t need to be doing that.

Watch!: What about a memoir? I know you’ve got some crazy stories in that vault.
Chris: Yeah, but how much do you want to put on paper, and how much do you want to tell your buddies on the golf course?

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