Megan Stevenson: The Bright Light

GA 8 | Get Shorty

 

The Bright Light: The mega-watt beauty @megsteves visited us before she went to shoot Season 3 of “Get Shorty” on Epix and Netflix. We talked about boys and her business. She’s such a pro. She brings the party with intelligence, humor and the perfect amount of silliness.

Listen to the podcast here:

Megan Stevenson: The Bright Light

My Megan came by.

It was so nice to meet her.

Isn’t she so sparkly and effervescent? She comes in and I feel like automatically it’s going to be a good time.

We were so lucky to have her and she was so sweet, fun and open with us.

She’s a phenomenal actress and she makes it look easy. She comes in and she’s ready to talk about anything. She’s ready to tell any story to make a fool of herself or be self-deprecating and goofy. Behind that, you forget what a great storyteller she is because she’s such a good actor.

She looks phenomenal. I wish the audience could see that too.

They can watch Get Shorty on Epix network and season one is also on Netflix. Megan is a great actress. She’s an even better friend and she’s also a fabulous dog mommy. We hope you love this episode with Megan Stevenson.

When I first met Megan several years ago. I was a Bar Method teacher. She was starting to be a Bar Method teacher. She was a teacher for one minute but she trained and was a student. You’d also been a Pilates instructor. She was already a natural teacher and beautiful. Everybody liked her but her career was obviously taking off and you didn’t need to be a Bar Method teacher. I met you at the Bar Method Christmas party. I’m like, “She’s the prettiest person I’ve ever seen.” She’s so much fun and she brought her dog to the party.

It was my first party and I knew no one.

We were walking to the party together. We had parked near each other. Her dog was her date and I was like, “Art, fend for yourself.” My attention was on Megan. I fell in love with her and ever since then, there have been many wine dates, lunches and dinners. You were single at the time and I always used to live vicariously through Megan and hear about boys. They were great dating stories. We won’t go into details but still, my favorite one is the person that you briefly saw for the Burning Man trip.

GA 8 | Get Shorty

 

That was for two weeks. I threw up on the bed and that was before Tom. I hit my lowest low right before Tom. I was crying at dinner at The Tasting Kitchen when Tom came over and was our server.

We have to save the Tom story but I didn’t know that you were relaying the throw up on the bed story.

It was totally two weeks and we met at Burning Man. It’s the stupidest and most quintessential story. I’m like, “This is my guy. He’s my man.” It was two weekends. That’s all it was but in my mind, it was my husband and I was approaching 30. I was 29 and it’s like, “This is it.” We went out to Villa and I was like, “I’m game. I can do tequila shots.” I was doing all the shots. The next thing I remembered was I woke up, this is such a horrific story, in his bed with vomit all down my chest and all on his duvet, all over. I ran into the bathroom, looked to myself, my hair was enormous and I still had all my makeup on and I had vomit. I immediately was like, “How did I not die?” He was downstairs and he didn’t even sleep in the bed with me. He let me sleep in my own vomit all over his comforter. I called Nick in the bathroom and I was like, “I don’t know what happened. I had vomit all over me. I look a mess.” He was like, “Megan, you have to find him and redeem yourself.” I got the duvet cover and I rolled it up into a ball. I was hiding the evidence then I ran down the stairs.

When you are where you’re supposed to be, you get signs. Click To Tweet

I called out his name, he was downstairs in the TV room as far away from me as he could possibly be. He slept on the couch. I was running like a crazy person with a duvet and I went and put it in a trashcan. He was not gracious about it at all. It was clearly like, “You vomited all over.” He was like, “Let’s take you to your car.” I had an extreme hangover and was very dizzy. I don’t feel good and thinking that he was going to be nurturing somehow as my future husband and he wasn’t. He drove me to my car and it had two parking tickets on it. He put me in my car and didn’t even say bye. I was like, “Am I going to see you soon? Are we going to keep dating? I’d never drink that much before,” and he was silent. After that, it was even worse because then I was spiraling. I got home and I was like, “Is that it? Is that the end?” I would tell people and they were all horrified by the story. I was like, “I’m going to buy him a duvet cover and maybe I can write a note.” I totally called him and left a message. He did not pick up and he never called me back. One of my friends stopped me from purchasing a duvet.

That story is so good and we have so much to get through and not that much more time. I am going to say that these were the stories that I lived for and they were my favorite. Megan would tell me her dating stories and we would go for tacos and Sunday brunch. I would hear all these stories and this was one of my favorites because also the way she tells it. The story of how she met her fiancé, who is also one of my most favorite people in the world and one of Art’s. I have a girl crush on Megan and Art is in love with Tom. They have solo dates but then they’re four hours. I’m like, “Where are you?” They met for dinner at 7 PM and it’s 11:00. I want to talk about Tom, your great career that’s exploding and taking off and how you’ve come into your own power-wise in terms of the aspect of your business. We’ll try and get through those things. Tom, how did you meet him?

I was at The Tasting Kitchen and we took our time.

GA 8 | Get Shorty

 

I love your story of how eventually it was time. Megan said to him, “I love our time together.” What did you say? What were the words?

“I’m ready for the next chapter and I’m no longer interested in this phase.”

You were at The Tasting Kitchen with Chris.

I was with Chris and it was raining. My hair was all frizzy. I was in a blue and white striped baggy shirt. I totally remember my outfit because I did not dress up. At this moment I was like, “I’m turning 30 and I lost my husband because I threw up on his bed and it’s never going to happen for me.” This was the dinner date. We went to a super expensive restaurant and Tasting Kitchen have hot waiters. I’m insecure about their staff and I clearly wasn’t feeling on my A-game. Tom came over and took our order. I was like, “Here’s a hot waiter. Way to rub it in my face. I’m never going to end up with anyone.” This is true, I never went for hot guys. I would always go for brown-haired, tattooed, skinny nerds, the hipster type.

Tom is blonde, blue-eyed and he looks like me. I wasn’t registering him as that and I assumed he was dating a model because that’s who he would be paired up with. I didn’t think like that and was annoyed that I had a hot waiter. I was wearing a baggy shirt and my hair was frizzy. I was crying at the dinner and I did have tears running down my face multiple times when he came over. Halfway through, Chris was the one that was like, “Should we see what’s up with this guy?” He kept giving us free wine and gave us free dessert, which I’ve come to find out that was Tom’s move because that’s how he got a better tip. We, of course, were like, “He’s into one of us.” I also thought he could be gay. I went to the bathroom and when I came back from the bathroom, Tom was at our table sitting there.

I sat down because clearly, Chris had talked to him. He said, “Your friend said that you think I’m cute and you’re wondering if I’m single.” Straight right to me. I shot Chris a death stare. I was like, “That’s not true at all.” I sunk a little bit in my chair. He said, “You were wondering if I’m single and that’s why he called me over to your table. I am, would you like to go out to dinner?” I was like, “Whatever. Sure.” I gave him my number and then he texted me to say, “It was nice to meet you,” or something then he called me and he set up a Sunday night dinner three nights later. Probably fifteen minutes into the dinner, I immediately put it out in my head that it was going to be a romantic connection because I was so myself. I had never been my goofy, weird, completely Megan self, there was always like a front, I thought, “We’re friends. It’s a friend thing,” and then he kissed me at the end of the night. There were extreme butterflies and I was like, “This isn’t a friend thing.” I was shocked.

GA 8 | Get Shorty

 

It’s a good love story and I love that I got to be there. At least hear the stories about the beginning. Let’s talk about you. When I met you, you were trying and you were auditioning a lot. You were making some money as a fit model because you’re blessed with perfect genes. When you’re a size zero I feel like you might have to suck it up and be a fit model then you got guest stars in some cool shows. You got a few great commercials that were helpful over the years. She was working as an actor. Before you got this show, you had left a manager or an agent?

I left my manager but that was brought on through them because my agent and manager got into a fight over another client. I was in Italy with my parents. I got a call in the middle of the night and they were both like, “We have decided that we can no longer work together. You have to choose.”

Who did you choose?

I chose the agent because I had been with that agent longer. I was like, “I don’t even want to make this choice but I’ll go with you.” That was amicable.

You were with that agent and you booked Get Shorty. You had a series before but it had been awhile.

The Comedy Central Show was before Get Shorty.

GA 8 | Get Shorty

 

There had been the Pilot and then the Comedy Central Show and then you got Get Shorty.

I got Get Shorty as I was going into summer and I had gotten a notice that State Farm had released the contract. It’s so much money and then the Comedy Central Show, it was the third season and our last season. Everything that I had completely went away and it was like back to back notifications.

You’re at the dermatologist getting your mole checks and you found out you got a starring role.

It’s a friend thing until you kiss at the end of the night and there are butterflies. Click To Tweet

I wasn’t expecting to hear because after you test, they have five days or something to let you know. That was the only day I wasn’t thinking about it. I was completely naked with the sleeve on getting my moles checked and I saw my phone. It was the agent and I thought, “No way.” Your stomach drops because it’s either one thing or the other. It’s like you don’t want to get the phone call but you also do. I waited and I had to pay my medical copay, getting the longest elevator ride ever, go down and then went out. I called them when I was standing on the side of the street in Beverly Hills. They were joking at first. It was hysterical but they conference called.

When I met you as a young actress, it always felt like you were at the mercy of all these other people. I feel like having this show and coming into your own has given you the confidence and the power to be like, “This is what I want with my career with the teams that I’m working with.”

It’s therapy. It’s like you get signs that you are where you’re supposed to be because at a certain point if you’re not booking jobs, you’ve got to be looking in the mirror and be like, “Maybe this is the industry telling me my barometer is not right.” That all was happening and I knew I was where I was supposed to be but it’s definitely therapy.

GA 8 | Get Shorty

 

I feel like Megan has stepped into it right into your confidence and power and it’s so good.

You’re a CEO but no one tells you how to do it.

At first, they make you think like you should be grateful that we’re getting into this room and we got you this job. I feel mad and sad because we’re out of time. I want you to come back because we didn’t even cover the dogs and everybody should watch Get Shorty, which only the first season so far is on Netflix. It’s on Epix network. I love you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thanks, Megan.

Thank you.

Important Links:

About Megan Stevenson

GA 8 | Get ShortyMegan Stevenson, originally from San Diego, spent the first 19 years of her life studying ballet and was a part of the California Ballet Company. She graduated from Fordham University in NYC with a major in Communications and a year later she signed with a talent agency and began her acting career. Megan remained in NYC for 7 years performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade and in Off-Broadway shows.

In 2009 she booked a TV pilot that brought her out to Los Angeles where she continues to work steadily as an actress.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!
Join the Greatness Adjacent Community today: