TV: Real Busy

After two decades of sticking to Hollywoods rules, Busy Philipps threw it all away and started playing her greatest roleyet: herself.

- Lauren Sams

The thing you have to understand about Busy Philipps is this: she should be an award-winning, name-up-in-lights star. It’s not like she hasn’t put in the work. Over 20 years, she’s auditioned for pretty much everything. She’s nailed a few leading roles, but mostly she’s been the fabulous support act (see: Dawson’s Creek, Freaks And Geeks, Cougar Town). She knows everyone. She campaigned for Hillary Clinton. She’s best friends with Michelle Williams. She’s written a hit movie (more on this later). She’s not quite the household name she should be. But that’s about to change.

Ironically, it’s Philipps’ Instagram account, followed by 1.1 million people, that has turned her into the kind of bona fide breakout star she was always meant to be. To her followers, Philipps is an everyday enigma – relatable but glamorous. In short daily videos, she shares snippets of her life – from her workouts, to sheet masking, to that time she got locked out of her house after attending the Golden Globes with Williams. It’s these funny, insider-y stories that have landed Philipps both a book deal, for her memoir This Will Only Hurt A Bit, and the role of a lifetime: host of her very own talk show, Busy Tonight. After 20 years of hustling, Busy Philipps has arrived. “Yeah,” she says, laughing. “It’s been a very exciting minute.”