Second Act

In this episode Bonnie talks with one time America's Next Top Model contestant, author, MTV host, restauranteur, Wall Street bad ass, and long time friend, Kim Stolz. Their parents worked together at Goldman Sachs for 30 years, and Bonnie has watched Kim grow up and seen her many acts - always inspiring, uniquely and unapologetically herself, Kim has done more in her life before 40 than most will ever do. A true example of how anything is possible and you never know what your next chapter will be. But believing in yourself and following your heart is how she lives her life - and how we all should.

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In this episode, Bonnie hosts her former TV stepdad and dear friend, Tom Arnold. Fresh off of his recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, they get together for a no-holds-barred discussion about everything from loss, love, divorce, sobriety, kids, comedy and then some.

One of the most honest, kind, generous humans on the planet - and always there when anyone needs him, literally - Tom is the reason Bonnie started hosting charity events and being an auctioneer (long and crazy story).

The personification of never giving up, he’s had a million acts: Writer. Comedian. Producer. Father. Advocate. And now, on the new show, Queen of Meth – his story about growing up in Iowa, working in a meatpacking plant, surviving abuse, and watching his sister become one of the biggest drug traffickers in America.

Tom talks about how life doesn’t start or end when anyone else, or the world, says so. It’s up to you. You tell your own story. Overcome your mistakes, and live without regrets (well, except when he talks about how he regrets that he never hooked up with Bonnie, but other than that).

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In this episode, Bonnie talks to one of her comedy heroines, actress Michaela Watkins. From her beginnings with The Groundlings to Saturday Night Live (Bonnie still quotes Michaela’s iconic Angie Tempura character) to her current role on the hit CBS show, The Unicorn, Michaela has been through it all. She’s had leading roles, supporting roles, created her own characters and her own shows. And along the way, she has experienced great successes, as well as a few disappointments – all of which she’s handled with honesty, humor and pure heart. Michaela is one of Bonnie’s favorite people, and absolute must-follow voice on Twitter. Hear how Michaela got started, how she’s repeatedly picked herself up after the setbacks, and stayed strong through it all. This is a unique and refreshing talk with a truly exceptional woman.

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In this episode Bonnie talks to her long time friend, award winning hair and makeup artist, photographer and producer, Darrell Redleaf. Darrell has worked with everyone in the biz from Faye Dunaway to Oscar award winner Helen Hunt to Joss Stone to even Bonnie herself. Recently, he did the reboot of “Saved by the Bell” for NBC/Peacock, “Mixed-ish” on ABC, and “Blindspotting” on STARZ, and has several new projects in the pipeline as Executive Producer at Studio77. As a Locoda/Hidatsa oracle and “spirit”, Darrell’s journey is a very unique one, starting on Native American lands before ultimately winding its way to Hollywood. He’s a true master of his craft and has been through it all – managing to do it with honesty, humor, and truly being himself no matter what. You don’t want to miss this one!

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In this episode Bonnie talks to singer/songwriter, Thad Cockrell, who after years of being a professional musician touring and playing with some of the best in music, found himself being "discovered" again recently by talk show host Jimmy Fallon. Jimmyheard Thad's song "Swingin'" at a hardware store during the COVID-19 pandemic, and used Shazam to find the track, and was so drawn to it that he invited Thad to perform on the show. On January 28, 2021, he appeared on The Today Show. On the same day, the single hit Number 1 on iTunes songs charts, and the album “If In Case You Feel The Same” hit Number 2 on the album charts after already being out for over a year. A true artist who has lived and stood by his beliefs, this is a real Second Act story, and shows that you never know what can happen if you believe in yourself and don't give up. You never know what’s around the corner. And if you’re gonna go down - you better go down Swingin'!

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In this episode Bonnie talks with her friend, writer / director / producer – and recent Golden Globe nominee – Andrew Fleming. Back in 1998, Andrew directed the pilot for Grosse Pointe, Bonnie’s very first TV pilot and series, and was a central figure in the crazy story of how Bonnie ended up on the show. Since his one-in-a-million start to his career (he sold his first script while he was still in NYU film school), he’s been through it all in this business. With successes in film (The Craft, Dick, Threesome) and TV (Emily In Paris, Younger, Insatiable), Andrew has enough stories to fill a dozen podcasts. Truly an inspiring episode about being yourself, no matter what and listening to your intuition with a big dose of self exploration, humility and a relentless sense of humor.

Presented by eBay, the world’s best destination for discovering great value and unique selection.

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In this episode, Bonnie catches up with the one and only Cagney to her Lacey, the amazingly talented Jacqueline Obradors. That’s right, NYPD Blue fans, Detectives Ortiz and Murphy partner up again for an emotional, hilarious, no-holds barred conversation. Jacqueline shares her stories about how a “nobody” (her word, not ours) ended up in a huge movie very early in her career opposite Harrison Ford, her experience acting in Palm Springs, the record holder for biggest sale of a film at Sundance, and wrapping up her amazing run on the highly acclaimed Amazon series, Bosch. In her decades-long career, Jacqueline and Bonnie have both seen all the highs and the lows that Hollywood has to offer, and they get into all of it. This is a don’t-miss episode featuring a true artist and one of Bonnie’s best friends.

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In this episode of Second Act, Bonnie talks with Lochlyn Munro, actor, musician, and former hockey phenom. Before an amazing run as Hal Cooper on Riverdale, you’d probably seen him on… well, It’s probably quicker to list the shows he hasn’t been on rather than the ones he has. Bonnie talks with him about transitioning from music to acting (a background she shares), and his time before that as an aspiring star hockey player (a background she does not share). Lochlyn has a million anecdotes from decades in the business, including: What he thought when he met Johnny Depp on his first show, trying to get the drop on Clint Eastwood, and who is the best hockey player in Hollywood.

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Welcome back to Second Act! We’re starting the new year off with Bonnie’s fellow Brooklyn native and high school alumni, and Editor-In-Chief of Town & Country magazine (America’s longest running magazine still in print), Stellene Volandes. They talk about their days at Poly Prep in Bay Ridge, what they did after high school, and everything that’s happened since then. Stellene has had many acts over an incredible career – in the editorial magazine world, as a published author with an amazing new book called “Jewels That Made History: 101 Stones, Myths, and Legends”, and even as a public school teacher at LaGuardia, a.k.a. the “Fame” school (which Bonnie wasn’t accepted to!). It’s a great conversation about life, careers, Brooklyn accents, and their shared love of history and jewelry (Stellene is a jewelry expert – you’ll probably pick up on Bonnie’s envy). Hope you enjoy it, and Happy New Year, everyone!

Follow Stellene Volandes:

Instagram: @stellenevolandes

Follow Second Act with Bonnie Somerville:

Instagram: @Second_Act_Podcast

** Note the new Instagram handle!! **

Send Bonnie your questions for her to answer on a future Second Act episode via DM @Second_Act_Podcast on Instagram.

And follow Bonnie's personal accounts:

Instagram: @BonzSomerville

Twitter: @BonSomerville

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Bonnie talks with one of her best and oldest friends, actress Lindsay Sloane. They met on Bonnie’s very first show, the ahead-ot-its-time Grosse Pointe, created by Darren Star. What happened to get that job is the beginning of an intimate and brutally honest conversation about acting, growing up in this business, navigating multiple upsets, firings, breakups, close calls and how hard it is to find your voice when you start so young. Hilariously funny, raw, and real, Lindsay shares what she’s learned as an actress, a woman, and now a mom. This is an intimate talk between two friends who have been through it all together, and aren’t afraid to tell the real stuff behind the scenes – even if it hurts (and some of it does)!

Follow Lindsay Sloane:

Instagram: @LindsaySloaneYup

Follow Second Act with Bonnie Somerville:

Instagram: @SecondAct_Pod

Twitter: @SecondAct_Pod

Send Bonnie your questions for her to answer on a future Second Act episode via DM @SecondAct_Pod on Instagram.

And follow Bonnie's personal accounts:

Instagram: @BonzSomerville

Twitter: @BonSomerville

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Bonnie talks with her longtime friend, Whitney Leigh Morris, a multi-talented designer, small space living expert, author, mother, photographer, influencer - almost every title you can think of.

Whitney’s passion is the belief that you don’t have to “live large” to live beautifully. She applied this idea to her own personal life, and turned that lifestyle into a thriving business and social media presence. Always one to practice what she preaches, she runs her business from the Tiny Canal Cottage – her 400 square foot home in the historic Venice Canals. This small-but-stylish home is her business headquarters as well as being home for her, her husband, her son, and their two beagles (yes, really).

Friends for almost a decade now with a very interesting “how they met” story - these two inspiring, strong, successful women discuss everything from career changes to life, moves, love, and how to live with style in this modern world while taking care of Mother Earth for our future generations.

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In this episode Bonnie talks with her old friend, actor, musician, writer, director, author, and former frozen yogurt store proprietor, Greg Grunberg. You know Greg from Heroes, Alias, Lost, A Star Is Born, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars; Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, and countless other TV shows and films. They talk about Greg's incredible career and how he has reinvented himself and found opportunities to be creative over and over. They also have a laugh about their time performing together with Band From TV, the all-star celebrity band that Greg founded to raise money for charitable causes – and more specifically, Bonnie's accidentally epic departure from the band.

Follow Greg Grunberg:

Twitter: @GregGrunberg

YouTube: Greg Grunberg Channel

Instagram: @GreagGrunberg

And find Greg's books, Nightmare Escape (Dream Jumper book 1) and Curse of the Harvester (Dream Jumper book 2) on Amazon.

Follow Second Act with Bonnie Somerville:

Instagram: @SecondAct_Pod

Twitter: @SecondAct_Pod

Send Bonnie your questions for her to answer on a future Second Act episode via DM @SecondAct_Pod on Instagram.

And follow Bonnie's personal accounts:

Instagram: @BonzSomerville

Twitter: @BonSomerville

Second Act with Bonnie Somerville on the Bleav Podcast Network - Stories of success and redemption from people for whom everything was going great... right up until the moment that it wasn't.

Download and subscribe wherever you get podcasts, and leave Bonnie a 5-star review!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode Bonnie talks with her first TV husband and long time friend, actor and comedian, Elon Gold. Elon’s show, The In-Laws, came right after Bonnie's run as Mona on Friends, and was her first leading role on a sitcom. These two native New Yorkers discuss it all and don’t hold back - from Hollywood, marriage, faith, failure, comedy, Second Acts, and how to survive when your dream gigs fall apart, or get rewritten altogether. They get into hilarious detail about creating and selling a show, and then watching helplessly as that show gets taken over by others. Elon Gold is a true comedy veteran who has done it all - Except make out with a girl other than his wife - even on screen, no matter how hard Bonnie tried. No, really.

Follow Elon Gold:

Instagram: @ElonGold

Twitter: @ElonGold

Follow Second Act with Bonnie Somerville:

Instagram: @SecondAct_Pod

Twitter: @SecondAct_Pod

Send Bonnie your questions for her to answer on a future Second Act episode via DM @SecondAct_Pod on Instagram.

And follow Bonnie's personal accounts:

Instagram: @BonzSomerville

Twitter: @BonSomerville

Second Act with Bonnie Somerville on the Bleav Podcast Network - Stories of success and redemption from people for whom everything was going great... right up until the moment that it wasn't.

Download and subscribe wherever you get podcasts, and leave Bonnie a 5-star review!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What do you do for a Second Act when your first act was one of the biggest and most acclaimed shows in TV history? In this episode, Bonnie talks with director, longtime friend, and one-time boss, Jesse Bochco about life, love, legacies, and how you keep going when you're only as good as your last job or your last name. They also trade anecdotes about who was more freaked out on Jesse’s first day executive producing and Bonnie’s first day on the cast of NYPD Blue.

Follow Jesse Bochco:

Instagram: @JesseBochco

Follow Second Act with Bonnie Somerville:

Instagram: @SecondAct_Pod

Twitter: @SecondAct_Pod

Send Bonnie your questions for her to answer on a future Second Act episode via DM @SecondAct_Pod on Instagram.

And follow Bonnie's personal accounts:

Instagram: @BonzSomerville

Twitter: @BonSomerville

Second Act with Bonnie Somerville on the Bleav Podcast Network - Stories of success and redemption from people for whom everything was going great... right up until the moment that it wasn't.

Download and subscribe wherever you get podcasts, and leave Bonnie a 5-star review!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the inaugural episode of Second Act, Bonnie brings it full circle by interviewing her long time friend, Kristian Harloff, Creator of the Schmoedown Entertainment Network (#SEN) and Chairman of the Movie Trivia Schmoedown. They talk about how long they've known each other, their journeys from New York to LA, and whether or not Bonnie will ever learn the rules of The Schmoedown.

This is the first of many stories Bonnie and her friends will bring you about finding a Second Act and thriving - even if that Second Act requires creating something that didn't even exist yet.

Follow Kristian Harloff:

Schmoedown Entertainment Network on YouTube at Schmoedown Entertainment Network

Follow Second Act with Bonnie Somerville:

Instagram: @SecondAct_Pod

Twitter: @SecondAct_Pod

Send Bonnie your questions for her to answer on a future Second Act episode via DM @SecondAct_Pod on Instagram.

And follow Bonnie's personal accounts:

Instagram: @BonzSomerville

Twitter: @BonSomerville

Second Act with Bonnie Somerville on the Bleav Podcast Network - Stories of success and redemption from people for whom everything was going great... right up until the moment that it wasn't.

Download and subscribe wherever you get podcasts, and leave Bonnie a 5-star review!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Everything was going great... right up until the moment that it wasn't."

Bonnie Somerville achieved great success quickly and with relative ease as an international model, singer/songwriter/Grammy-winning recording artist (Garden State soundtrack), and most notably, an actress who found herself working non-stop, including on a few of the biggest shows in TV history. For years, she was living the dream.

But after a few setbacks, both professionally and personally, she found herself having to start over. She had to find her Second Act.

It's that ongoing journey that led her to this podcast. Here on Second Act, Bonnie will talk with amazing people from all walks of life: actors, musicians, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, directors, business leaders, athletes, and more – all of whom, after hitting their own obstacles, challenges, or tragedies, have gone on to achieve incredible Second Acts.

Funny, honest, open, inspiring, occasionally shocking, and always entertaining, join Bonnie to hear these amazing stories from the people who lived them. If you've ever found yourself in need of finding your own personal Second Act, this is the podcast for you.

Follow Bonnie:

Instagram: @BonzSomerville

Twitter: @BonSomerville

Follow Second Act with Bonnie Somerville:

Instagram: @SecondAct_Pod

Twitter: @SecondAct_Pod

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.