Looking to get to a sense of who I am but think reading is for squares? (You’ve got some nerve, pal.) But let me see what I can put together for you.
My mother taught me truth has value.
Integrity, honesty, and putting the public trust above all else.
My mother’s career as a popular TV anchorwoman brought her to San Diego a year before I was born. The respect she was given in the newsroom, and the admiration she received from the public, instilled in me the belief that truth holds tremendous value, and that communication could be an essential service.
Authenticity was an early character trait.
The first thing they’d always say before rolling film, “Act naturally.”
We grew up in front of film crews. Diaper tests, Christmas toy spotlights, and various other features. Our mother was the first anchorwoman to be pregnant on air. As a result, my young brother and I were treated as celebrities among daytime news-watchers. This taught me that you are safer being authentic than trying to be what you think people want.
I can be charming or larger-than-life, but always center-stage.
Being on camera from infancy, I took to the stage early in my childhood. By the time I was I was a teenager, I had starred in multiple productions, including as Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The comfort and confidence I developed has helped me to express myself without reservation, and engage audiences regardless of the setting.
Young parents grow up more quickly.
No one is ready to be a parent. Particularly when they work and go to school fulltime.
Having Keira was frightening to me, a sudden change I had not expected. But it has given me the ability to meet one of my best friends all the sooner, and reason to balance my work-ambitions with healthy family investment.
I feared open water. So I started snorkeling.
When I was in the second grade, my dad turned on Jaws and left the room.
It had a profound effect on me. In fact, I had a great deal of anxiety about the ocean. I began snorkeling to face my fear. Though I often feel nervous in the open water, it’s a tremendously freeing experience that helps me to feel more connected to myself and to the planet.