Busy Philipps finds the way to stand out is by being herself
NEW YORK — Guys, it’s all happening for Busy Philipps. She’s got a New York Times bestselling book, “This Will Only Hurt a Little,” and her late-night talk show on E! called “Busy Tonight” premières Sunday at 10 p.m.
Philipps often posted photos online of her writing the book. “I didn’t even know that celebrities have other people write their books. Literally no one ever told me that until I was almost finished with mine,” she says. “But one of my characteristics is I do enjoy doing things the hard way.”
It’s that kind of an unfiltered observation that has earned her a large following on Instagram.
Philipps, 39, posts multiple stories there throughout the day, sharing everything from random observations that often begin with “guys,” crying bouts in restaurants, and glimpses into her trampoline workouts.
She says she began turning to Instagram when the acting opportunities weren’t as appealing as in the past. (She’s had regular roles on “Freaks and Geeks,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “ER” and “Cougar Town.”)
“I was at a point creatively where I wasn’t being fulfilled as an actor. Instagram stories provided like a really incredible outlet for me .... ”
As Philipps grew a fan base just by being herself, the opportunities grew. “Busy Tonight,” is executive produced by Tina Fey.
“I respect her so much. I do think I spent a lot of time in my career waiting for approval from people in this industry, waiting for someone to tell me I was doing a good job and that I was killing it, and no one was telling me that. Having the validation from someone like Tina honestly, at the end of the day, is better than any of those bros,” she laughed.