It’s been a year and a half since we said goodbye to Parenthood, but that doesn’t mean we have to say goodbye to the stars of the show. Monica Potter, who you remember as Kristina Braverman, is headed back to television later this year.
The 44-year-old is going back to her roots and will be renovating her childhood home in Ohio (with the help of her mother and sister) for HGTV.
“We start filming on May 2 and I think the biggest thing that I’m excited about is being able to work with my family,” Potter said. “It’s not just going to be about knocking down walls or painting. It’s about experiencing the heart of the home and the history.”
In addition to giving back to her hometown, the actress is also a spokesperson for Viva paper towels. She teamed up with the brand and the Boys and Girls Club of America to do some good in the Ventura, Calif., Community.
We caught up with Potter and got the scoop on her upcoming home renovation project for HGTV and planning her return to scripted television.
HGTV fans are almost obsessive in their love of favorite shows like Property Brothers and Fixer Upper. What’s your favorite HGTV show?
“I like House Hunters a lot. And I do like the Property Brothers. I would say those are my two favorites. I watch House Hunters with my daughter and House Hunters International. I like that they give a little bit of history with the places. And we always guess right!”
I joke with my husband that that’s my secret power: being able to figure out which house they pick on House Hunters.
“Do you know what the trick is?”
They like the house, but they find arbitrary things to complain about.
“Yeah, I think so too. It’s interesting to watch, because when I watch with my husband, he’s always wrong [laughs].”
Last year you opened a home goods store. What are some of your favorite decor pieces to decorate with?
“I love collecting antique pieces and restoring them. And I love the color white. White is a great backdrop, if you have a white foundation, you can add different colors and textures to the palette when you’re decorating. And I love things that are a little bit eclectic and things that have history.”
When cleaning the house what are some of the things you find hardest to throw out?
“Oh gosh.. Everything? I’m not a hoarder; everything is very organized. I’m big on organizing because I find that if you can pack everything and store it away, you tend to buy more things. I tend to hold on to things because they’re very sentimental. I think the hardest thing to give away or let go of are kid’s clothes, which I know I should, but I have a tendency to hold onto things longer than I should.”
It’s been over a year since Parenthood went off air. What do you miss most about that show?
“I miss everything about it, especially the cast and the crew. We were like a family. I’m looking for something like that in the scripted world because I think it’s important. That show was so timely and it’s lacking on television. There’s not really much on television that you can watch with the whole family that’s not on the Disney channel. And I like the Disney channel, but I feel like there’s a big hole on television right now.”
Fans are of course wondering about your next projects. What might you be working on next after the renovation?
“I don’t know. Right now producing the [HGTV] show is a lot and I’m flying back and forth to Ohio a lot to work on the home line and expand that. That takes up every single moment of my day. I’m just looking for the right vehicle, I guess. And it’s really tough to compare things to a show that I was on for a long time. I have a pretty high standard now. I’m going to look for work that has a lot of heart.”