You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Girl.

Hi, everyone, welcome back to I Choose Me.

Garrie Preston's career has ebbed and flowed on her own terms, including how she has chosen to age in front of the world.

So let's jump back into our conversation.

So, working in this industry, as we both have for decades, means evolving aka aging in front of all the cameras.

Yes, how do you protect your sense of self as those expectations that we talked about were earlier in your career are still there.

They seem to continually hover and shift.

They do, they do, And you know, social media is not helping anybody.

But I am, you know, in the same way that I spoke about that.

Time when I got that note.

I do try to keep it in perspective.

I try to, you know, for me, I try to take care of my body and the best way I know how.

I try to eat well.

I try to, you know, get my sleep.

I do.

I try to exercise, meditate.

We're doing all the things.

I try to do all the things.

Yeah, and you know, I'm I'm lucky enough right now to be playing a character that doesn't need to or doesn't feel the need to, you know, present herself in a certain way, and so I feel lucky, you know.

I try to look.

Good and then I just play the character and hope that that's going to be enough and that you know, that will lead to other things.

And I look at people who I admire, you know, like Meryl Street, Frances McDorman, Alison Janney, and I see, you know, those careers and what they've done and how they've grown, and that's what I endeavor to do in the way I, you know, choose to age and also the way I choose to be creative, and so I draw inspiration from them.

Yes, that's good having those I always was so in love with Jessica Lang.

Yeah, Jessica Lang, same yeah.

And just watching how she aged so beautifully and gracefully and same yeah.

And I just love that.

I want that for myself, and I want that for the characters that I play.

Yeah.

I haven't done botox, haven't done anything.

I want to be able to, you know, express myself with my face.

Yeah, that's sort of a part of your job.

Yeah, it's sort of gotten me where I am.

As far as the types of characters that I play, you know, and so.

I like doing that, but I also feel like, oh, well, I'm going to age pastor than some of the people that are, you know, preserving their faces in a different way.

And okay, that's okay with me.

I think I'm going to be able to you know, somebody is going to need to play the grandmother, you know, so.

Oh my gosh.

Yes, we're not going to have any fluffy or plus size actresses anymore.

And we're not gonna have anybody with wrinkles.

I know.

It's interesting, right, There's gonna.

Be a lot of work for certain types.

So yeah, I think you're doing You're on the right track and also very just admirable to you know, want to age gracefully and naturally, and yeah, be true to you.

And I want people who watch my show to go, oh yeah, that's that's This is a mature woman, you know, who's having a who's reinventing herself and you know, she's she's found this new job and that's the love of her life is this work, and you know, and she continues to find delight and joy and everything that she comes across.

That's you know, at this point in her life.

Yes, that fire inside of her is so inspiring, and that doesn't that fire doesn't really depend on what she looks like or how she's aging, which is so cool.

Right.

I don't think she thinks of her age much at all.

Right, you know, I guess maybe we shouldn't.

We shouldn't, I go, we shouldn't.

I know, but we're you know, we're in such an age obsessed world in our country.

For sure, you advocate for causes that are close to your heart.

I know you work with lgbt Q I A plus.

Yeah.

Do you think that choosing to help others is also a form of self care or choosing yourself ultimately?

Oh?

Yeah, I think so for sure.

I mean, you know, when I was contemplating what I would say to the question that, you know what, what's the last thing that you use yourself?

And I was like, gosh, I.

Feel like I feel like I choose myself just by being generous, Like how isn't that the same?

Is that the same?

I think it is.

You know, I try to be generous of part of spirit, of money, of love, of creativity, you know, and all of that, and that just feeds you know me.

I mean, I love that I want to create an environment on at work that people are happy to come to, that people feel joy about.

You know.

I try to.

Approach this job as the lead of a show, as an ensemble player.

I don't set myself apart.

I don't want anyone to think of me as anything different than anyone else.

Who's part of this crew.

There are three hundred people who make this show that happens to be named after one character.

There are three hundred people and more that make it.

I want everybody to feel ownership of that and part of that, you know.

I want that LGBT community to see stories that represent them and their lives, and I want to support any stories that do that.

And you know, especially now, there's just a lot of bad.

Othering that's going on in the world, and I, you know, I just don't think that's the way to make the world a better place, you know, So I like supporting those those causes and those types of artists.

It's so important, Yeah, who are telling those stories, right.

I mean?

And also being the star of the show.

I mean, even though you like to think of it as an ensemble, which it definitely is, because without everybody else, there would be no show.

There would be no Elsbeth.

So, but you do have that sort of like in the back of your mind, that responsibility to this whole group of people, these crew members who are working to pay their bills, and these actors that are getting their first break or maybe background actors that are so excited to be on the set.

You know, you're really setting the tone for that environment, and it sounds like you really hold space to make that pleasant for everyone.

I do endeavor to do that.

Yes, that's one of my main goals.

And you know, I'm proud to say that we're we have a reputation of it being a wonderful place to come and work.

And our crew, you know, they keep coming back.

Our crew comes back every year, and you know, actors want to be on the show.

People are asking can I be on the show, And that's just that.

I feel very proud of all of us that we've come up with that together and that you know, people want to come and play with us.

Yes, creating that culture so.

Feel safe there and feel welcomed.

Yeah, it's so important.

My husband's in the hospitality business, so he like that, right, So it's so important that people come to your place, Yeah, and feel comfortable and seeing and represented and.

Yeah all that.

Yeah, I love that you take that seriously.

I think it's like almost my number one thing.

I mean, my number one thing I guess is you know, learn the lines and standard your mark.

But you know, alongside.

That's it's that, it's it's working to make so that we have a cohesive so that everybody is there with one common goal, which is to tell this particular story and to do it on time and on budget and to delight people.

And you know, yeah, what's better than that, what's.

Better than that?

You said it?

You're living the dream.

I do feel very you know, blessed.

You're blessed, but you've also worked really hard, right, Yeah, and so I want to make sure that I, you know, I don't take.

It for granted and that it's not so it really is.

Not lost on me, you know this this moment, because it's it can go away tomorrow.

We have a crazy business.

You know, the industry is really volatile really, so you know.

I really want to enjoy it now.

I'm I'm enjoying it for you, Like this is so good for you.

I love it.

You've had such a long and steady career without disappearing or imploding, which happens a lot, but this is very rare to have someone like you.

What what do you What do you think is the one choice that you make quietly that keeps you sane and working all these years.

I think as far as work goes, I guess it's about uh, releasing.

There's a lot of releasing, the need.

To get the job, to be told you're the best to to you know, all of that has you have to come to a kind of place, a zen place about it.

You know, a good friend of mine who's an acting coach, he's also an actor, Jack Plotnik.

He gave me this mantra once that I hold on to and it goes, this or something greater for my highest good and the highest good of all concerned, Meaning you go in, you do your best if you're auditioning for something, or even if you're doing a job, and if it's not for you, it's meant for someone else and that's for the highest good.

And so it kind of releases the pressure that you put on yourself.

Yeah, yeah, perfect too.

You know, you can only do what you can do with what you have at that moment, with that material, with those people, in that room, and then it's up to you know, something higher, right.

I mean, it's a lot of surrender to it.

Right for sure.

And that's applies to not just you know, auditioning, and it's just being human, having a human experience day to day, moment to moment.

It sort of feels like releasing something I loved to think about as releasing the attachments that I put on the importance I put onto things like being the best or getting the thing or you know, making everybody happy.

I mean, you know, the Buddhists say that the two two things that make up human condition condition or attachment and aversion.

So you're attached to.

Something or you're pushing something away and that you know, that's suffering being in the moment, and that makes you suffer.

And so you know, it's it's a lesson that you spend a lifetime trying to learn.

You know, every day you go back to that, Oh boy.

I'm you know, I'm attached to this, or I you know, boy, I really got hijacked by that, or wow, you know, there's a lot of observing about what is going on with you?

Why am I reacting this way?

Oh boy?

There was no space.

Between that stimulus and that response.

Wow, gotta work on that, you know.

So you know, I'm constantly trying to you know, I try to assess, like.

What do I need to work on?

What?

What?

How can I improve myself without being too hard on myself?

So that's that's the balance, Yeah, because that can be hard on myself too.

It's really hard.

I say, stop pointing the finger and start pulling the thumb so that you are in a space where you can be you know, self aware and sort of conscious of what you're creating around you.

Yep.

And but yeah, I think it's so so good, such good advice for everybody listening.

This has been such an incredible conversation.

Thank you for coming on the show.

It was so nice to talk to you, and thanks for having me of course.

Bye.