Transcript

Maria Shriver | SmartLess

From SmartLess · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 54 min · 10,549 words · 72 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Maria Shriver | SmartLess", an episode of SmartLess published April 7, 2025 (54 min, about 10,549 words). It mentions 42 people, works and ideas, including Women's health, Poetry, Emotional sobriety, I Am Maria, Peace Corps.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Toronto, London
  2. – 10:00: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  3. – 15:00: Emotional sobriety, Women's health, Chris Pratt, Contemplatives in Action
  4. – 20:00: Women's health, Emotional sobriety, I Am Maria, Poetry
  5. – 25:00: Poetry
  6. – 30:00: I Am Maria
  7. – 40:00: Peace Corps, Foster Grandparents, Head Start, Job Corps
  8. – 45:00: Big Citizenship, The Sunday Paper, John Bridgeland, Peace Corps
  9. – 50:00: Poetry, I Am Maria
  10. – 54:20: Alexander Francis, SmartLess, Vatican

Notable quotes from "Maria Shriver | SmartLess"

  • No, I'm not. I can't. I go to London tomorrow. Oh, you're going to London tomorrow? You start tomorrow. No, no, that the No, but I mean you start your journey, your process. Do you have.
    about London · at
  • Not the plane. But I remember vividly we were taxing out leaving Toronto and just as we start to as we start to increase speed, I go I'm going to need my bag.
    about Toronto · at
  • Time. about 10 years ago, I was doing re-shoots on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I was like I woke up one morning and I started throwing and going. It was a two-part affair. everything was happening at once and then we were like.
    about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles · at
  • How is this going to put my own ball down the court I work on Alzheimer's research a lot I work on women's health and so I try to kind of focus on those things and I try not to…
    about Women's health · at
  • Again. I'm a big believer in exploring yourself. That's kind of why I wrote this new book on poetry and reflection.
    about Poetry · at
  • Thank you, Sean. You're welcome. That's but I admired that. That's how she created the Special Olympics. That's how she created change in the field of people with intellectual…
    about Special Olympics · at
  • Watched my mother as I said do things outside of politics and create change and my dad as well started the Peace Corps, the war on poverty, Head Start, you know foster…
    about Peace Corps · at
  • You know newsletters and I have a newsletter that goes out every Sunday called the Sunday paper and we actually published yesterday this op-ed from these two friends of mine…
    about The Sunday Paper · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Chris Pratt — Person · 1 mention · first at
    So for my sister, my sister, that's Chris Pratt. My sister who doesn't we adore Chris. We love him. We play golf with him sometimes. We like to hang out with him. He's the funniest.
  • John Bridgeland — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Called the Sunday paper and we actually published yesterday this op-ed from these two friends of mine John Bridgeland Alan Kazy about called big citizenship and the idea about…
  • Alexander Francis — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Dinner for the pope. Let me talk about that. I'll I'll move everything around for the Pope. Francis. Yeah. He's my man. I feel like you can make that happen. All right. I'm…
  • Alan Khazei — Person · 1 mention
  • Andrew Dice Clay — Person · 1 mention
  • Bobby Shriver — Person · 1 mention
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver — Person · 1 mention
  • Father Richard Rohr — Person · 1 mention
  • John O'Donohue — Person · 1 mention
  • Maria Shriver — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

Companies & orgs

  • Peace Corps — Company · 3 mentions · first at
  • Special Olympics — Company · 2 mentions · first at
  • The Sunday Paper — Company · 2 mentions · first at
  • Head Start — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Outside of politics and create change and my dad as well started the Peace Corps, the war on poverty, Head Start, you know foster grandparents, Job Corps, the list goes on and…
  • Foster Grandparents — Company · 1 mention · first at
    And my dad as well started the Peace Corps, the war on poverty, Head Start, you know foster grandparents, Job Corps, the list goes on and I watched how they changed the world…
  • Job Corps — Company · 1 mention · first at
    And my dad as well started the Peace Corps, the war on poverty, Head Start, you know foster grandparents, Job Corps, the list goes on and I watched how they changed the world…
  • Teach For America — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Service to their country for one or two years And you could be in Americaore, you could be in Teach for America, you could be in the Peace Corps. And actually when Arnold was…
  • Washington Post — Company · 1 mention · first at
    I thought it was an intriguing op-ed that these guys wrote originally for the Washington Post last week and then we repurposed it in the Sunday paper on Sunday. I want that…
  • AmeriCorps — Company · 1 mention
  • California Volunteers — Company · 1 mention
  • Environmental Corps (California Conservation Corps) — Company · 1 mention
  • Hammacher Schlemmer — Company · 1 mention
  • The Hoffman Process — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Product · 2 mentions · first at
  • SmartLess — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Smartless is 100% organic and artisally handcrafted by Rob Armjarf, Bennett Barbco, and Michael Grant Terry. Smart less.

Concepts & topics

  • Women's health — Concept · 4 mentions · first at
  • Poetry — Concept · 4 mentions · first at
  • Emotional sobriety — Concept · 3 mentions · first at
    Have a spiritual practice that helps me in the morning stay focused and I try to talk about my own emotional sobriety and I try to think about okay how is this going to put my…
  • Big Citizenship — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Published yesterday this op-ed from these two friends of mine John Bridgeland Alan Kazy about called big citizenship and the idea about you know proposing to this…
  • Contemplatives in Action — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    A great guy named Father Richard Roar who has a school. It's called Contemplatives in Action. And I think that's a really cool concept to be in the world, but to be…
  • War on Poverty — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Outside of politics and create change and my dad as well started the Peace Corps, the war on poverty, Head Start, you know foster grandparents, Job Corps, the list goes on and…
  • Alzheimer's disease — Concept · 1 mention
  • Anam Cara — Concept · 1 mention
  • Kennedy family — Concept · 1 mention
  • Parkinson's disease — Concept · 1 mention
  • White House Initiative on Women's Health Research — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • Toronto — Place · 2 mentions · first at
  • London — Place · 1 mention · first at
  • Vatican — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Let me just say let me just say this, Maria. Maria, let me just say this. If anyone can, the Vatican, okay, so don't worry.
  • Hyannis Port — Place · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

1 2 3 go. Talking on a podcast. Talking on a podcast. Talking on a podcast. Yeah. Welcome to Smart List. Welcome to Smart Podcast. Smartt smart glass. Smart glass. Did you guys um did you guys see each other last night? Did you have a fun day? Yeah, we did. We had a little Grammy watch party. Yes. Oh, you did. You did a full I almost called in. I almost did a call in because I miss everybody. I know. We miss you, too. Well, we you I you know you're When are you back? You're not back for what, two more months? No, I'm coming back tomorrow for a few days, but I'm going to miss this weekend. I know this weekend is a thing up at the place for for a friend and and I can't Yeah, I'm not there yet. I can't go. I'm really bummed. Are you're going to go, right?

No, I'm not. I can't. I I go to London tomorrow. Oh, you're going to London tomorrow? You start tomorrow. No, no, that the No, but I mean you you start your journey, your process. Do you have a complicated character you're playing in this next job, Shnie? Not at all. No. So, no homework, no process, no I mean, yeah, I'm because I'm a nerd. I I do all that stuff still, but it's uh Tell Wait, wait, give us a slight little window into that. What's Well, it's the same. Look, can we say hi to your character? Yeah. Can he make a visit with us? Sure. Let me go ahead and do you have a question for him? Hey, good morning. Uh, how are you today? Morning. Oh, wow. He's a That's it. radio personality. No, he's a game show host. Oh, really? Oh, okay.

And what's his what's his name? His I don't know his name. It's just game show host. Oh, his name is just host. Okay. So, host, uh, how uh how are we doing today? I'm not doing this. It's so icky. I feel I was just shy. I will you get shy. Could you imagine? Wait, quickly. Um, and this is uh Universal. You're going overseas. You're flying. You're taking a night flight. Are you going to eat the meal on the plane? Will you eat on the plane, JB? Will you eat the airline? I got to stay alive. Yeah, I do like the airline food. It's gotten better over the last 50 years. Yeah. I had heard a rumor that they stock it full of stuff to to stop you from pooing.

What? To stop you up, you mean? Yeah. There's there's a binding element to all plain food. Sure. A binding element because they don't want they don't want people taking people like Sean and Scotty, you know, just gorging themselves and all of a sudden like, you know, Will, what will what newsletters are you into lately? I mean, are you like uh where are you getting all this? You know, well, you know, I still subscribe to all my German poop mags, so Remember those air mall magazines that used to be? Oh, I loved them. Yes, they're so popular. Yeah, you got like the hammocker slmer section on it and stuff. You're like, of course I need a a [ __ ] pingpong table that folds up into a trunk. Did you ever buy anything from one of those? I think like a dog door.

Do they Do they still have barf bags in the back of this the seats? I haven't I haven't looked for a while. They do because I chew a lot of gum. But but isn't that interesting? Like a lot of a lot of people don't throw up like they did in the 70s. Now nobody throws up on a plane. Oh, you think that people throw up less? On a plane. On a plane. Like when have you heard seen somebody throw up on a plane? Right. It used to be an every Have you ever thrown up on a plane? Oh, sure I have. I had too much too much kiwi once. Yeah. Jesus. I threw up. I threw up. I got on a plane. I was super hung over. I was about 18. Okay. And I'm not kidding. Well, you threw you threw up from hung over, not the plane. Yeah, not the plane. But but I remember vividly we we were taxing out leaving Toronto and and just as we start to as we start to increase speed, I go I'm going to need my bag.

Somebody had sealed it with a piece of gum. Can I just say it is gross. I filled it. I filled the bag. I had to get another I had to hold it as we took off and like I'm going to fill another bag. Oh. It was a what a dream. Actually, it should be it should be noted I threw up in the airport terminal before I got on the plane. This I was walking in the old Toronto terminal number one. So, it shows you how long it was gone. Long gone. And I remember walking to the gate, I guess, from having checked in and being like, "Oh boy, I got to go."

And I ran and there was a I opened a door. I thought there was a bathroom. There was no bathroom, but there was a a door. And I open it and it's just the stairs, like the raw stairs going, "Oh, that'll do." And there were people coming and I literally go loud and they moved and I threw up down the stairs. Just a big cascade. That projectile. That That is something. Isn't that unreal? It was so gross. Have Have either of you guys thrown up in in in a while? No, not in a long time. Uh about 10 years ago, I was doing re-shoots on on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I was like I woke up one morning and I started throwing and going. It was it was a two-part affair. Uh everything was happening at once and then we were like we were on re-shoots and we had to go and I went and I everybody like most other people on set had gotten this bug was going through and at one point I was I was working uh shooting a scene with

somebody and they go and the director goes okay will okay he's like okay just come out here and you just got to run across the parking lot. Go. Dude, I'm not running anywhere cuz if I if I run one foot one foot, it's all it's all over. Something's going to open. What was the movie? Uh, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Wonderful. Which is a great segue to our guest. I really enjoyed that fear. That's a call back. I love it. My guest today has been a close friend of mine for decades. She Jeez. Get to the good part. He's so far from the stage.

Guys, who who is the guest before I go? [ __ ] [ __ ] me. My god, I'm crying. Me, too. Okay, now listen. We got it. Come on, guys. You know what? I think I truly believe when you when you laugh that deep, you you're killing cancer. I truly believe that. I think you're right. I think you're right. Cut. All right. Well, we have to explain to her what the joke is. So, she's in on it. All right. So, she's a very good friend of mine. She's a Peabody, an Emmy award-winning journalist and producer, as well as a devoted mother, grandmother, and friend to so many.

She's the person I go to for advice about literally anything. She's the author of seven New York Times bestselling books. Seven. I've been trying to get her to read them to me. Born in Chicago just like me, but the former first lady of California, which is only slightly like me. It's the luminescent and brilliant and wonderful friend. Oh, Maria Shriber. Shrivever. I got it. Shrivever. I got it before you said it. Okay. Good morning. You You had to sit through all of that. I can't believe that. I can't be I'm going I'm throwing the blowing. I just am like I feel so at home. I have four brothers.

Why did you say yes to this? A lot is happening. A lot is happening to you. You grew up like that. I grew up like that. I still live like that. So, I have four brothers. So, this was not a shock to me at all. I actually really enjoyed it. They're also dingbats just like us. Huh. Forgive us. Forgive us. The barf bag. I've sat next to people like that. So, I have been so jealous of your friendship with Shaunie for so long. I hear you're just the greatest ever. Um, this is the first day of our friendship. I'm very excited. The first day of our friendship. I know. I've been asking Sean to invite me on this show since the very beginning and he wouldn't invite me. He wouldn't invite me. Invite me.

He's the reason he gave me. Wait a minute. Never. He said we have to start with all the famous people. Sean, you said to me, you said you said a friend of mine you said a friend of mine keeps texting me and asking me and I keep telling her no. What was was it Maria? Now is now we're getting close to it. No Maria. No, I said that about me. No. Oh my god. I said to you, what? I said, "Do you want to come on?" You said, "What am I going to talk about? What would I ever talk about?" This was 5 years ago when we started. And now you're like, "Can I come on the show?" I'm like, "Of course you can." I'm like, because people say to me, "Why has Sean never had you on a show? It's so weird." I go, "I know.

It's so weird. So weird." We can talk to you about anything though is what I love about you. You can tackle any issue. Yeah, I can't wait to talk about 10,000. But you said I said what I'm so excited about is the only show I've ever gone on where I haven't prepared at all cuz you told me not to prepare at all. So I didn't brush my hair. I had no makeup because anything we're not filming this. It's just audio. It's a podcast. You know what a podcast? But I didn't prepare. Well, please please don't explain to her what a podcast is. This is Thank you. Well, thank you. I mean the bridge too far. Yeah. Really? Oh my god. It's insulting.

insulting. I can sit here with three men. I don't know what's that. What's that? We're going to talk about that, too. All right. So, three men. Yes. Um, you are Okay. First of all, you're one of the most special people in my life. I love you very much. I've known you for a very long time. How did you guys meet, by the way? How did this start? It started in 2001ish around there. And I used to date somebody that knew Maria, and that's how we enter. All right. Got it. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so my first question, Go ahead. No, you go ahead with your first question. Line it up. No, I was just going to say because you've been because you've been that to me and so many things to me and you're always the person I go to for advice and blah blah blah. Who was that for you?

Good question. Uh, I often go to my kids actually. I have deep conversations with my kids. It depends what I'm looking for advice for. I have four brothers, so I usually go to them. I would say I go to my four brothers. Oh really? Uh depending on the subject matter. Uh but so each brother's a little different. They have a different level of expertise in different areas. But I often go to uh probably my brothers, my kids. Um sometimes my son-in-law now I go to We love your son-in-law. We love him. Yeah. So for my sister, my sister, that's Chris Pratt. My sister who doesn't we adore Chris. We love him. We play golf with him sometimes. We like to hang out with him. He's the funniest.

He's such a naturally funny guy. He imitates you guys playing golf. Does he? Uh oh. It must take a while. It's not pretty. It's not pretty. No, it's not pretty. Throw your ball into the woods. And that's an imitation of me playing golf. Maria, what do you what what area lately do you find yourself reaching out for advice on? What which which what what what what area in this in this crazy ass world is is is is is confusing you most right now? Well, how to how to stay engaged and not be mean in the engagement. How to get above all of the ranker and still stay in uh trying to make the world better. Still uh trying to figure out how Yeah. how to keep your voice measured. Really good word. how to keep um myself focused on what I'm trying to focus on and not get mixed up in what everybody wants to get you mixed up. And sometimes I do that well and sometimes I don't. Um, sometimes I ask my priest actually

depending on what the subject is. But um, well, you know, lately, not to get sorry to to cut you off, but not to get too political, but it does seem that lately but but lat lately there seems to be this um, uh, uh, pressure on one side to kind of take the gloves off and meet the other side where they're at. And I'm wondering if you have a perspective on that. Yes. I don't I try not to do that. Not I try not to do that. I try not to get into that at all. I try to just figure out what do I want to change in the world?

What's my issue? What are the one or two things I want to do? And I try to stay on that and really focus on that. that I have a spiritual practice that helps me in the morning uh stay focused and uh I try to talk about my own emotional sobriety and I try to think about okay how is this going to put my own um ball down the court I work on Alzheimer's research a lot I work on women's health and so I try to kind of focus on those things and I try not to kind of attack people personally which is um always a challenge I I Think I think I I I think that's really smart. I love that. I love you talking about uh um your your your your spiritual practice you do in the morning and your emotional sobriety. I really love that idea. And then and do what you do what you can in in the immediate and be present in your life right here. Yeah. I also try to follow people that uh I admire, who are inspiring, who I respect. And uh there's

a great guy named Father Richard Roar who has a school. It's called Contemplatives in Action. And I think that that's a really cool concept to be in the world, but to be contemplative in it, to bring about change in the world, but how you go about doing it. I think we think all the time we have to be angry and divisive and partisan to bring about any change. And I don't subscribe to that. I think that we can walk into the world and be um determined to be focused, but we don't have to be angry and mean about it. It's kind of like how do you fight, so to speak. And we always think you have to fight rough and tumble and mean. And I think you can fight for an issue um and in a very focused way, but not a mean divisive way. For sure.

For sure. Yeah. So, so you're you're you're so accomplished in so many different areas and and mediums and um how are you you mentioned Alzheimer's um and women's health. Are you uh how how are you how are you pointing all those superpowers of yours right now? What are you where are you where are you enjoying putting all that stuff? We're going to get into that. She's got a wonderful magazine. Yes. I I just I love I last year I um worked with President Biden. We started the very first White House initiative on women's health and research and news that was really big because there had never been believe it or not in this country a white house initiative on women's health and research and there had never been we only spend 10% of the uh NIH budget on women's health and research. So we're so far behind and that's even though they're more than 50% of the population.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And so that was a a really big passion project and we did a lot of great work uh before he left. And so that's something that's still really important to me because uh we're really far behind and for women of all ages and especially if you're you know the thing one of the things I learned from you too is the all of that all of the statistics about women's health and women's Alzheimer's specifically because I've been afflicted with it in my family. you have with your dad and my mom. And so, uh, one of the thing, you know, you always said or the in in your research and your education about it, you've said it's really important to as you get older, learn an instrument, learn a language, uh, force yourself to remain social even when you because you want to be, you want to be more sedentary when you get older. You're just like, I don't want to go out, I don't want to do anything. But it's so important to

challenge your brain as you get older because nobody knows if you're going to get this. Are you thinking about starting? Yeah, I'm gonna think about Sean's like this Broadway play show. I mean, talk about memory. Talk about an instrument. I went there and I talked about cry. We've talked about an adnauseium. Would you, Maria, would you say that like staying and asked and I point this towards my my uh my partners here. Would you think that staying in your house uh 364 days of the year, do you think that that's healthy? No, that's not healthy.

I don't think you do that. Well, it depends on what you're doing inside that house, you know. What are you doing inside that house? Go, you go first. Me? Well, listen. When you talk about an instrument, does a remote control count? You got to learn how to manipulate that. I can't do that. I have to call my son all the time. And he's like, "I've shown you this before, mommy." I said, "I know, but I can't remember. Could you show it again?" I was at your house for dinner on last Thursday and this big thing. We're watching TV and this big thing comes on the screen and we're like Maria, how do you get rid of this? She's like, "It'll go away. It'll just go away. Turn it off. It's not going away.

Just leave it alone. It'll go away. It'll go away." And did it go away? Did it go away? It actually did. Okay. It went away. It went away. It said, "Update now. Update later. Press here." And Sean's like, "Move it. Move it." So I could watch the three of you. That's what it kept. He's like, "I want to mirror the three of us." I'm like, "Just wait a minute. We'll watch the three of you." He goes, "Do you want to watch one version of us or do you want to watch 10 different clips of us?" I say, "Oh, I want to watch 10 different clips."

That's all I want to do tonight. You're you're hijacked. Yeah. Is watch the three of you. And we will be right back. And now back to the show. Wait, go back to this. I've never heard you say emotional uh soiety. Yeah. Can you explain to these guys and anybody who listens that um you go you I don't remember what it's called but you go to a place every August is it or something where or you used to at least where you where you go off the grid and you what is that it was like a spirituality place or something? No actually no that's totally wrong. We're done. Thank you.

Way to listen. What a good I go I go to the last I go to a place where my emotional sobriety is challenged and that's I go home to Hyannesport where all my cousins are where I need to practice. Oh, are we not You don't want to talk about that place? That other thing you do? What other thing I do? That thing that you used to go to where you had to put your cell phone down and you didn't have to. It was like a retreat. I went to Yeah, I've been to a lot of retreats. That's Hoffman. That's what it is. I want to go I want to go there so badly. I keep hearing about that place. What is it? So, I went I went there and you're not equipped, JB.

You can't do it. No, I can't do it. Actually, I'm going back for a tuneup again. I'm a big believer in exploring yourself. That's kind of why I wrote this new book on poetry and reflection. And I'm a big So, I am Maria. Yes, I am. And that's there's a long story behind that. But um anyway, I'm a big believer in trying to understand uh why you may feel dissatisfied, why you may feel stuck, why you may feel angry, why do you erupt here, there, and everywhere, why what is going on inside of you? You erupt. Sorry. Sorry. That just came out of nowhere.

These are the bits, you know. I feel like I'm at home. I feel like I'm so at home. Oh my god. I've asked Sean to bring you guys to dinner one day. Oh, we'd love to Sean about the invite. Never relay that. No, this is I'm not kidding. He's never said that. Sean, you said remember I said when we did those questions that lovers do, marriage couples do. And so I asked Sean to do it with me. And one of the things was, you know, you had to go through what do we like about each other? How do we want the other person to grow? He had done it with Scotty. So I said, can you do it with me? Right. And then one of the things I said to you at the end is I want you to invite me. Yeah. To meet your friends. Okay. All right. I'm going to make it happen. I'm never mentioned it. He's never mentioned it. I know.

Here's here's the thing, and I might I might be divulging this. This might be too much information, but I've recently uh uh been uh made aware of the term uh of being or the idea of uh being intimate with yourself. Yes. Uh and that's not what you think, JB. So, uh, uh, it's I thought we were going to hear some technique. No, no, no, no. It's it's it's it's this idea about learning how to be intimate with yourself is something is a process that I've been sort of going through recently and it's been really um, revealing and really tough to do.

It's a new a new practice for me. How do you do that? Um, well, it's it's about uh well, it's, you know, it's it's a form of therapy that I'm sort of going through. It's part of the therapy that I've been experiencing of late. And it's about um, you know, uh, going back and being honest with myself about things and about where I've been and about allowing myself to feel certain things that I was potentially avoiding for a long time, etc., etc., etc. Yeah. And it's good for men to do that. And you can't and and the idea Yes. It's good for men. And the idea is that you can't have real intimacy with somebody else if you cannot be intimate with yourself. That's interesting. Yeah. Which I was like, oh, all right.

You know, I love that. I love that you're doing that because I think it's um I do that through writing and sometimes I've done it through therapy but I find that when I write and I if I write early in the morning and I write when it's quiet and that's what this book kind of is a lot of poetry it's kind of almost stream of consciousness just allowing stuff to come up and you find you know there's a whole other person living in there or whole other voice uh that wants to speak which is really fascinating. Yeah, it's it's been it's been interesting and and also I was thinking about when you said JB I think you as one of you did uh uh who who are the people that you go to Maria to talk to about things and and what are the conversations and there is somebody we have a we have a mutual friend uh who I go to who's other than these guys who I talk to about a lot of these things who is our uh my buddy Clay whom I think you

know I go to Clay too and Clay's my guy and he is my he's one of my best friends and he is my he's my brother. I I love him. Uh and he's been incredible to me on so many level. Oh, I love that. That's so beautiful. My brother now goes to Clay too for um he Clay uh is um really great at reminding you who you are. Yeah. at telling you what he sees and reassuring you that that voice that's telling you you're, you know, all those other things is wrong and that what he sees is what other people see. And I think we all need a friend like that. Actually, Sean, you're like that with me, right? You tell me what you see, you remind me when I go down a hole. Uh they often in lyrical sometimes people call that an anamara. There's a book about that. that John O' Donahghue the poet wrote called the anamara which is means soul friend it's gaic right it means soul friend and it's somebody who is very intimate friend um it can be a

sexual person but it can often very not be at all and it's just someone who sees you who reflects back to you who you are who tells you um who's honest with you who tells you what they see um and reassures you that you're on the path and also is honest honest enough to tell you when you've fallen off of it and can remind you that you can get back up. That's really And yeah, Sean, you hear that it's an intimate friend, right? It can be sexual and it's g that's a it's a gaick. Yeah. Um so it's like a salt lick but it's a but actually I think I met You know what, Marie? I met your brother at Clay's birthday. You met me at Clay's birthday. I we had met before though.

Yeah, but we we talked there. We talked there but I didn't want to say that we met there because you don't remember the first time we met. I do. We had met at Sean years ago. Sean Sean, let's you and I take a quick five. I didn't want to put you on the spot. Tell me where did we meet the first time? Years ago at Sean's house. And Sean, this is this is over 20 years ago. Sean had a card game. Had a big poker night at his house. Do you remember that? It was like It was so long ago. It was over. Is that another thing that I wasn't at that you guys?

No, you were there actually. You were you you had switched numbers. You had changed phone numbers. No, I No, this was like 25 years ago. Yeah, it was a long time ago. Yeah, we were still friends then. It's cool. We'll double back on this after we sign off. Anyway, Anyway, yeah, you're right. But it is great having those kind of people in your life and and I like these guys. We have the same thing. They It's not holding your feet to the fire, but it's the ability to go, "Hey, this is what's going on." and being unafraid to say, "Hey, have you thought about this?" in a way that's kind and and constructive.

Yes. And and that in that exercise that Maria was talking about where we wrote each other like, you know, good things, things to work on, whatever, blah blah blah, I said to her, you remember mine, my the big one to you, was um hey, do you think you could introduce me to people when I come over your house? because because she for your whole life has been so huge filled with so many people constantly 24/7 in your house out of your it's like a revolving door of all these people that come in and out and I'll see these people and you'll be like yeah that's Martha so anyway come over and I'm like who is like who is that and I'll be sitting next like having a hamburger next to somebody and I'm like I have no idea who this person is and you just assume that I know them.

And are you bringing your own hamburgers? Are you bringing the burgers with you? He does bring his own dessert though. He does bring his He does bring his own dessert. He sure does. He does. Is it any wonder why his husband is a diabetic? Sean's got a trunk full of treats. No, I bring my own desserts because as wonderful as you are to feed me. A lot of the times the desserts are gluten-free, sugar free, blah blah free. Why are you doing a funny voice? I'm doing that. I'm doing that because of Scotty. Oh, I didn't know that. Out of respect, Sean. Out of respect. Unlike you, she's not trying to kill your husband right?

I love his husband. He's so calm. So, he's the best. We love Scott. We love Scotty. Scotty is the best. Maria, you you touched on going back to your going back home and and visiting your family and needing to sort of arm yourself if if you will with this spiritual program. The idea of growing up with that kind of and continued sort of being part of a family that is under that kind of scrutiny, what does that do? Cuz every we all have Tracy like the So your mom your dad is Sergeant the great Sergeant Shrivever your mom is Ununice Kennedy who is the sister of JFK and you're the niece and blah blah blah. Okay. I am Maria. I am Maria. Right. And that's what I wanted.

I am Maria. And that's what I wanted to talk about. You can find it on in paperback or I am Maria. I am Maria. the niece, the cousin, the this and the that that you're like, I'm real. But that's what I want to talk about about the about the Hoffman's place is a guy came out. Remember this conversation was like Do I talk to you or do I talk to I mean or will Will ask me a question or do I go to you? Thank you, Maria. I just don't know where do I go. I like to deal with smart because I'm your guest or should I go to you? It has to do with Will. What Will's about to say. Okay.

So, so my the reason why I brought up the Hoffman thing is because you had shared with me that part of the pro part of your journey at the at Hoffman was a guy came up to you and immediately started asking you about your lineage, right? And you're like, hang on. And it upset you because you're like, wait, my name is Maria Shrivever. I am my own person. I have my own accomplishments. I have a family. I'm all these things that you are without the Kennedys, right? And then you had an epiphany that you shared with me like wait but part of me is that and to shun it is wrong right and so and then I know that has that's kind of a prep to what Will's probably going about to ask you what was it like I had already asked her what is it do you feel but yes sure that's that's adjacent to what I'm saying which is yeah that's a I'm right here Jason adjacent abatement adjacent abatement yeah my new mold

removal company yeah Yeah. Yeah. I think it's going to do well. I think it will. Yeah. That's funny. But but talk about that. It's a lot. It's a lot actually. But I I find after doing a lot of work, I I find myself now in a really good place about it. Well, well, because and the reason I what's interesting is, you know, you hear people who are who have uh made names of themselves as a whatever it is, name name the discipline. But but and then people say and if they say, well, it's tough being in this position, the critics say, well, [ __ ] it. That's the price you pay for being famous. And they say that, right?

So, you can't complain. In a lot of ways, even though you've had so many great accomplishments that you've forged on your own, you were born into it. You didn't have a choice is the truth. Right. Right. Yeah. But I think we all have a a a choice about how we want to conduct ourselves in that uh experience. Right. And I think what I tried to do was outwork my lineage, which was a mistake. And I thought like, oh, if I, you know, get accomplished, if I do all these things, then you won't be introducing me by whose daughter I am, whose cousin I am, whose niece I am, and won't be talking to me only about those things. And that uh was a driver uh certainly, but I think it was unrealistic because I came to understand like I'm never going to outwork that.

I'm never going to outperform that. I'm never going to out that, right? So to speak. So getting to a place where like okay wait a minute let me figure out how to accept that how to be happy when uh people come up and that's all they want to talk to me about and then just try to understand that I have my own practice I have friends who understand who I am who love me for me and that I can't change everybody's opinion like I go through the um airport or I sit down and that's what all people want to talk to me about I just go okay now I understand that I just let that be and I don't get mad at them. Yeah. Yeah. But it's so funny like like growing up in in my generation and seeing you on TV all the time, I would never ever think of talking to you about that. I because I grew up seeing you as Maria Shrivever only. Yeah, exactly.

Even more famous than any of sort of any Kennedy lineage could could could put on someone. Like you you you were extremely successful in carving your own name, your own position, your own profile. Um Yeah. But people want to talk to me about the other. Right. Right. Yeah. Well, yeah. Exactly. And so I think it's just getting to a place uh of understanding that that that's part of you and not fighting it and then just trying to figure out, okay, what do I want to do? Which brings me back, you know, what are the issues that I care about? And not feeling like I'm not performing if I'm not running for president. That's kind of how I grew up.

Like if you're not going to, you know, run for that, like get out of the way, you know? to go to the back of the room. So I had to go like okay you know and my mother was also a total force of nature and she also was not interested in hearing any complaint about anything. So I wanted to ask you about that because because the few lunches I had with her and you I would be sitting she scared the [ __ ] out of me. I'd be sitting there having lunch and we had a couple good laughs like you funny. Yeah, she's funny, but you're right.

She's very guarded or whatever, however you want to describe it. And you are one of the best mothers I've ever witnessed. Like the the rules that you put in place and the boundaries and the love and all of those things as a mother was incredible to witness, but did you recognize that in your mom that she is this kind of like you said, force of nature in in an emotional way? Did you find that? Okay. Well, like all of us, we got to take the good stuff from our parents and the stuff that maybe we don't want to take. And how did you find that balance? And were you aware of of how she was? Well, I was aware she terrified everybody and she terrified me, too. So, I mean, I uh so I was aware of that. I uh was aware that she was formidable and um you know, I uh stood up as I said every time she walked in the room till the day she died. Right. I uh both my parents I was raised that way. My grandparents, my parents, you

know, like they're in charge. They're they're running the roost and they had really high expectations and I was uh and my brothers, so they were very clear about their expectations. So um and if you were not doing them, well, you just did not do them. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How how did that and then how did that transfer into your style of parenting? I I I like my dad was super duper strict and I found that I kind of went the other direction to a certain extent. Like I wanted my kids to feel a little bit more of a friendship with me than I had with my dad. But then I also recognized that that I had this big authority figure, this this disciplinarian in front of me was very good for me and gave me a lot of structure. Um, and so I thought, oh, maybe I'm doing a disservice to my kids, so I kind of tried to tack back. Like, how did you find a balance there? Well, I tried to kind of take a lot of the

things both my parents instilled uh in me, but I tried to be softer in that I tried to say I love you. I tried to touch them and hold them and nurture them. uh and you know really I guess really touched you know hold them and uh you know I think my but I also have and through Hoffman and other work understood that my mother you know asking my mother to give me something that wasn't given to her was unfair so u and so she didn't grow up being held like that she didn't grow up being um she was loved in a different way and I felt loved but not like how I would look at other people's mothers, right? It wasn't the same thing, you know.

We'll be right back. And now back to the show. Was that a big moment for you uh when you started I remember certain things about about not forgiving your parents, but when you have an understanding and appreciation of what it is, what their limitations are because of how they were brought up, etc. What was first of all it happens later in life than you wished. You wished it would happen when you were 18. Right. You know. Right. Right. When you What was that like for you? Was that was that a sort of a watershed moment in your life? Yeah. And and I it continued to be in multiple ways and even after my mother passed away. It was um I continued to learn about her and continued to uh change my um relationship with her in death as well. and um trying to understand how she was raised, what she was up against.

Um you know, my mother uh she dressed in men's pants, she carried a briefcase, she smoked cigars, she only hung out with men. Uh she'd have, you know, like our table was filled with men. And when like they would bring their wives and maybe wives would go into one corner, she'd always go with the men. She had her cigar out. She'd have her, you know, pencils in her hair and she was like on it. She was like not messing around at all. So I was like, "Okay, is that a woman?" It's like I was like, "Is that the way you're supposed to do it?" You know, I don't know. Uh she was very competitive, hyper competitive, tried to beat all her children, beat everybody who came around. And so she was and challenging, not physically. Very challenging. Physically beating be competitively beat.

Thank you, Sean. You're welcome. That's um but I I admired that. That's how she created the Special Olympics. That's how she created um change in the field of people with intellectual disability. She willed it into action and she stomped the halls of Capitol Hill and she forced her brother when he was president and her other brothers when they were in the Senate to change laws and uh she was relentless and that created tremendous change. So, I I kind of watched that and I tried to figure out, okay, how do I do that out of the house but not in the house? Now, I'm sure you've answered this a thousand times. I apologize for not knowing the answer, but uh what what was the main thing that kept you from ever really formally going into uh a political position and and and the feeling that you could you could affect change a little bit more from the um private sector? Well, my experience with politics was um

assassination and um I also my dad ran uh for vice president 72 and lost and it was a big that was a huge watershed moment uh for me. Yeah. And um I also watched people come over to our home who were involved in politics who were one way in our house in a different way um on television and outside. And I I didn't like that. I I so for me it was just it felt you know I felt and I watched my mother as I said do things outside of politics and create change and my dad as well started the Peace Corps, the war on poverty, Head Start, um you know foster grandparents, uh Job Corps, the list goes on and I watched how they uh changed the world outside of running for office. And so I thought, you know, that was a good model uh to emulate. What incredible examples of like and using their time and their position. And Jay, how many days a week did you play golf last week? Oh boy. Uh I I can tell you first of all, let me

say I was very peaceful while I did it. The core of what I was doing. No, I don't think that's what the peace core means. Yeah, they put a P on the end of it for some weird reason. Um, the uh I was actually talking to my my 18-year-old uh yesterday about Oh, no, it was the 12-year-old, can't remember, one of the daughters yesterday about about about uh service right after school and how some countries um you know, make that a requirement and and where where do you sit on that? I I feel like it'd be such a great thing for someone was talking about it on TV the other day about how it would would foster this this great healthy sense of um shared uh military service? No. Uh it could it could take any form. Yeah. In some countries it's military, in other countries it's it's just serving the greater good. Some sort of civil uh situ Peace Corps came to mind when I was talking to her. That's what made me think of of it when you

were talking about it. Um where's your where do you stand on that? What John? You did up with people for two years. I did. I did down with people. I think it's a great idea. I think it's a great idea. Uh we actually in this uh weekly I heard you asking about um uh you know uh newsletters and I have a newsletter that goes out every Sunday called the Sunday paper and we actually published yesterday this op-ed from these two friends of mine John Bridgeland Alan Kazy about called big citizenship and the idea about you know proposing to this administration about what we actually need is a big service corps where everybody could be of service to their country uh for one or two years And you could be in Americaore, you could be in Teach for America, you could be in the Peace Corps. And actually uh when Arnold was governor and I was first lady, we tried to do that. We started a California core uh of people volunteering uh for

California. And I always felt that that would be something that people would bring people from all walks of life uh together. And I worked for a while on a national service corps proposal which never got off the ground. But um you know it's a financial I think it's more of a financial uh issue for the federal government. I think there's tremendous desire there that people really want and would uh whether it's a gap year um and that there's so many ways to be you could have an environmental core. They have that in California environmental corps you could I tried to do that try because we need so many more caregivers for people with Alzheimer's and dementia Parkinson's and all this sort of stuff.

If people went, you know, could they get free tuition if they went to a state school if they gave two years to be a caregiver? A great idea. Yeah. JB, didn't didn't JB when they canceled Hogan Family, didn't you have a gap year? Oh, yeah. Yeah. A lot. It was more of a decade. Um, he doesn't remember it. But um yeah, it would be, you know, not to be too cynical, but it does seem like the the the the the miracle of it all or the the the big the big thing that would get it moving would be what is the carrot on the other side for for the person who's volunteering, quote unquote, like is it is it free tuition?

Is it a more favored um consideration on your application going into a state school? What like what what what in it for them aside from the good feeling you would have? Well, that would be big to get, you know, tuition um lessened. You know, that's uh I think that's a huge carrot for why not just wave it or or just a higher consideration, a different list that you're on when in consideration for a state school because I know, you know, my 18-year-old that's that's so much anxiety for kids like getting into a school, have I done enough extracurricular, blah blah blah.

if that was something that like, oh, you go right to the top of the list in consideration for these UC schools. Um, that would be that would be big and it wouldn't cost I don't think it would cost the state anything, you know. No, we we tried to do something like that. Um, I was chairing a task force for the governor here on Alzheimer's and that was one of our uh recommendations uh about that. So, it didn't hadn't happened yet, but I think there are ideas like that around which I think are great. And I think that young people would really like that. Um, service core, you know, there's um there are some programs around like that, but I think the question always is, you know, they don't pay well, obviously, right?

Uh, but but you're at an age where you you've you don't you don't need the money just yet. like you might still potentially be under uh your parents' wing, you know, just right after high school and before college and maybe the parents would be okay given one more year of support while you're off uh helping the country or the state. Yeah. Well, yeah, a lot of people do need the money. So, it's like looking at so that it's a diverse workforce that it's um you know, it depend different states have different needs, right? Different states have different needs. And so, I think it it's a great idea. it. There are a lot of people who've been pushing it for a long time. It has not happened.

Um I I thought it was an intriguing op-ed that these guys wrote um originally for the Washington Post last week and then we repurposed it uh in the Sunday paper on Sunday. I want that newsletter. Big citizenship. I like that idea. Big citizenship. Yeah. You know, it's funny. I mean, we sit here, we talk about it, and it's, you know, we're in a unique position. We get to sort of talk about these ideas, etc. And they make a lot of sense. And how funny or how unfortunate is it that as you say there's met resistance it it never happened it going to go through and it really does make you wonder why yeah why that's what I was wondering like why don't people want to do it why don't people why isn't there a sense that we should you know uh do something for the greater good and people go well we don't want to yeah or or a couple of people well there's a lot going on actually you know like I look at Special Olympics all

the time which is one one of the largest volunteer programs in the world, right? And people are, you know, from both parties, from all different age groups go out and volunteer. And I think because they're asked, they're asked like this program won't succeed in your neighborhood or your community or your state unless you volunteer. And I think sometimes people uh it depends who's doing the asking, right? You even see that in our own homes, you know, sometimes like who's asking you to clear the table? who's asking you to do the chore and then what figure is asking you to be of service and I think we young people aren't volunteering for military court because sometimes they look and see like well how does that person get taken care of when they come back who's doing the asking what is the life like on the other end versus you know many years ago right so I think it's um I I believe that you know if the right

person raises it up puts it front and mentor uh makes it inspiring, calls young people up and tells them, "We need you in order to rebuild the country, in order to, you know, put our values front and center, in order that you can have a country um that's going to be the country you want to live in with the values you want to live in." So, I'm calling everybody up. I mean, I think it's nobody's called people up like that, right? It's great. One of the one of the pieces of advice I've actually shared with these guys before uh uh outside of this podcast is anytime um there'd be an issue come up issue that came up politically or socially or whatever it was and I would complain about it to you and you would say I know isn't that awful. So what are you doing about it? Yeah. Exactly. And I'm like oh and it completely disarms people cuz you're right. It's like to everything you're saying you have to be the leader

of that. You can't instead of sitting and waiting for somebody to ask you. Well, I think kids would listen to you if you just ask them to serve. Me? You think they'd listen to me? I think they would. Yeah. Um, so Maria, I I love that. I mean, I think Jason, you should take that on. I I think like my kids, if you ask my kids, they pay attention. They be like, "Did you hear God? He asked us to go be of service." Or I think Will has a better voice. Will Will makes a lot of money with his voice. A lot of timber to it. I'll set him up with a big phone bank. I think we'll send a car. We'll send a car to get you out of the house. Well, I think you're uniquely suited for this. You This is You got a whisper booth there.

Everything is all ready. Um whisper booth. Uh so, Maria, before we leave you, uh you leaving? Yeah. You're already into overtime. I'm going to go tell the leaf blower. He can go back, right? Yes. But wait, I have one last thing. One last thing. You've super successful. You've seen it all. You've met everyone. You've had more experiences than anyone I know. What is it there? What is that you haven't done or want to accomplish that that that speaks to your values? How about that? Oh, that's a really deep question. Wow. Yeah. Should have gave her that at the beginning and give her a chance to come up with an answer. I don't know if I'm going to tell you the answer. I know the answer, but I'm not on this. Yeah. Come on, Maria. No. No.

No. Not going to say it. Keep on going. I'm going to keep on going. right down here. I totally am always thinking of like you're pointed in the right direction. I'm pointing in the right direction. I'm moving forward. I think and I always tell you I think like who do I want at my 70th birthday? Who do I want at my funeral? And I work on those relationships. Now, I love that those are two different lists. I love it. I love it. And I'm now going to include you to the other boys now at my funeral and my birthday party. I just I just grew my list. I'd love to say a few I'd love to say a few words if that'd be okay. I hope so. I hope you'll bring a poem because I've got this book of poetry. So, that's mainly when people use poems, right? They stand up at a funeral. They stand up at a wedding. I I I asked to get the copy of the book and it's not ready yet, but I can't wait to read I am Maria and the poems. And then

a poem. Do you have a poem in your life that's was like important? Nothing. No. Roses are red, violets are blue. Nothing. How about you other guys? No. No poems. you know, poetry. I got to work on that. Sure. I mean, I could cite like, you know, RIA or somebody like that. You know what I mean? Jeez. I mean, what are we going to do where poetry is uh, you know, is useful in in times of celebration, in times of heartbreak, you know? So, you don't want So, you don't want to you don't want to answer the one thing that you haven't done that you want to accomplish. Well, but you made it specifically to her values. Now, she could she could you could say something something a little bit more trivial like uh it was a a place you'd like to go or a person you've yet to meet. Yeah. How about that? Um Oh, yeah. I have a person I'd yet to meet. I really want to meet sit and have uh a meal with the Pope.

I really want to meet the Pope. I want to be I want to move in with the Pope. I want to hang with the Pope. He's pretty jammed. I'm looking right now. He's Yeah, he's I mean, how's your April? How's your April looking? It's I I'll I'll change I'll even give up my Sunday dinner for the pope. Let me talk about that. I'll I'll move everything around for the Pope. Francis. Yeah. He's my man. I feel like you can make that happen. All right. I'm going to work on that for you. Will you work on that for me? Yeah. Just put me in your luggage, take me there to Rome. I think if I could just get in and sit down at the table. You're not allowed. My brother went there and you're not if he you see him eating there, you're not allowed to go over and talk. And so my brother said, "Well, you you would break that role, Maria." I said, "Oh, for sure."

Let me just say let me just say this, Maria. Maria, let me just say this. If anyone can, the Vatican, okay, so don't worry. You're funny. Maria, we love you. I can't wait for your book. Yes. So much. One of the most important people in my life is you, as well as these two fellas. So, I'm all in one show is makes me very, very happy to meet. Really nice to meet you for having me. Thank you for Thank you, Maria. I want to come over and clear the table. Invite me. I'll be a good guest. Yeah. Okay. You don't have to ask him. He'll just do it. He'll do it. I love it. A good example for my boys. All right, honey. Love you. Okay. Bye. Now I go.

Thank you. You tell you slam it. Yeah. Slam it shut. Yeah. Right. She feel better. Emotal emotional. She's I've met her a couple times with you, but so briefly and I never really got a a sense of like how I mean I a little bit. She's obviously super smart and stuff, but like she's amazing. But and and 10 I mean there's 10,000 other things that she's started or or programs or I mean we didn't get into any of it, but um she's endless. Every single day she wakes up thinking about how she can serve. I know we talked about that before with other people, but how can you sell yourself short? You told me the other day you started season 4 the the mentalist. Uh that's true. You you and you and Scotty the mental. How do you have that at the ready? The mental.

Anyway, Maria. Maria. Maria. I love Sean. I love that. I I know you've talked so fondly about her and her family and how important they are to you and your life. Yeah. Right. It just like Well, because he doesn't like does not like to cook. That that is why. No, but like real Jen's on Sunday, Maria's on Thursday. Yeah. Real rocks. Real rocks for you. Like really real. Right. Thanks, honey. Like a real steadiness. Yeah. Yeah. Add it to your life. Yeah, she she is. Yeah. As are you guys, by the way. Um but yeah, but um yeah, she's done so much for so many groups, hearing her talk and and it's just incredible. Anyway, thanks for indulging and I'm glad you enjoyed her as much as I did. She She seems like she would be absolutely my favorite person in the world. Well, why don't we do we'll do a We'll do a den. Yeah. Make it happen. We'll do a We'll do a den. Yeah, that's short for dinner. You know, this guy's a hip guy.

He's a He's got Riz. Uh uh Sean, anything on the uh in the buy folder? Oh, there we go. He's got the buyer. pull up the buy folder and we put on your bif focals and anything there. Um, you know, we watched Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Oh, here we go. This is a madeup story. Oh, you know, we watched a show last night and Oh, I used this one before. Um, you know, I like to if I'm driving around and I'm hungry and it's a Sunday and she's Maria's having family dinner, I like to stop by for a quick bi. All right, bite. Quick bite and bye everybody.

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Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Maria Shriver | SmartLess"?

In order: 0:00 Toronto, London; 5:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; 10:00 Emotional sobriety, Women's health, Chris Pratt, Contemplatives in Action; 15:00 Women's health, Emotional sobriety, I Am Maria, Poetry; 20:00 Poetry; 25:00 I Am Maria; 35:00 Peace Corps, Foster Grandparents, Head Start, Job Corps; 40:00 Big Citizenship, The Sunday Paper, John Bridgeland, Peace Corps; 45:00 Poetry, I Am Maria; 50:00 Alexander Francis, SmartLess, Vatican.

What is mentioned in this SmartLess episode?

42 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Women's health, Poetry, Emotional sobriety, I Am Maria, Peace Corps, Toronto. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Maria Shriver | SmartLess"?

The episode runs 54 min; the transcript is about 10,549 words in 72 timestamped sections.

More from SmartLess

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated November 19, 2025.