“I’ve always been extra, but people haven’t always been kind about my extra-ness,” wrote Busy Philipps in an essay for Glamour Magazine.
Now, the 39-year-old mom of two has found a way to turn her “extra-ness” into a new way to share her voice: a late night talk-show. Philipp’s show, “Busy Tonight,” premieres Sunday, Oct. 28 on E!
You may remember Philipps from her roles in shows like “Dawson’s Creek,” “Freaks and Geeks,” or “Cougar Town.” However, what caught the attention of The New Yorker and eventually Tina Fey’s production company was her Instagram stories. Chrissy Teigen may be the queen of Twitter and DJ Khaled preached his advice through Snapchat, but Philipps gained a following and a liking on Instagram from her real and unfiltered stories.
“People want more authenticity; I can bring that.” Philipps wrote for Glamour. “I use it to develop ideas for the show, ask questions, and see what people are responding to.”
Busy has revealed that her show will be like her: candid and casual. “Actor friends of mine have basically said, ‘I’ll come on, but let’s just talk how we talk when we hang out.'” Busy told Hollywood Reporter. However, her book “This Will Only Hurt A Little” takes a deeper dive into the experiences that have shaped her. In the book she reveals that she was raped at age 14, her marriage wasn’t always perfect, and James Franco was a bully on the set of Freaks and Geeks.
Growing up in the spotlight, Philipps has dealt with challenges not only as a young star, but as a woman. Since the release of her book and her decision to start her own late night show, she has spoken up about her own sexual assault as well as the Kavanaugh hearings. Philipps’ own past has lead her to want to empower women as she herself was constantly told by producers and directors that she wasn’t okay the way she was.
“I landed a TV role and the makeup artist was instructed to cover up the moles on my face, neck and body. I was like wait a minute, my moles are my skin. How is my skin not good enough for you?” says Philipps for Glamour.
These digs made their mark, but when social media became bigger it never even occurred to Philipps to filter herself in any way. She was just herself.
Philipps is starting her show off strong with Mindy Kaling on Sunday, Oct. 28, followed by Vanessa Hudgens on Monday, Oct. 29, Kristen Bell on Tuesday, Oct. 30 and Megan Mullaly on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Stay tuned for appearances from Jimmy Kimmel, Fred Armisen and Andy Cohen throughout the week as well. The show airs every Sunday through Wednesday and will feature several fabulous guests. Stay in and grab your popcorn because your nights are about to get busier!
