Trading stages
A CONVERSATION WITH EVA AMURRI MARTINO, WHO LEFT HOLLYWOOD FOR A VERY DIFFERENT LIFE IN CONNECTICUT
You may recognize Eva Amurri Martino from acting roles in “New Girl” and “The Mindy Project” or movies like “Saved!” and “The Banger Sisters,” in which she starred alongside her famous mother. Martino is the daughter of actress Susan Sarandon and Italian film director/producer Franco Amurri. But these days, Martino has moved away from the Hollywood lights (about 3,000 miles away) and lives in Connecticut with her family — husband Kyle Martino, a former professional soccer player who works as an analyst at NBC Sports in Stamford, and their young son and daughter.
Martino’s lifestyle blog, Happily Eva After, has given her a new direction in her career and life and now, she says, she gets recognized for her Instagram and lifestyle articles even more so than for her acting or her famous family. Martino’s perfectly stylized photos of herself, her kids and her chiclydecorated house have garnered her more than 130K followers on her Instagram, @thehappilyeva. On her site, she gives tips on fashion and style, living in Westport, raising her children and renovating and decorating her new home — and she posted a surprise pregnancy announcement in September.
We caught up with the social media influencer, entrepreneur and new momtobe at her sunny studio in Westport to ask her some questions about her life here in Fairfield County.
Q. How long have you lived in Connecticut?
A. About four years. We moved when I was pregnant with my son who is going to be three. We moved to Weston first, and it took a while to get used to it; it’s a very different vibe [from Los Angeles]…We did it kicking and screaming at first because we were settled, but my husband’s job is here. Moving to Westport was exactly what we needed. Maybe there is a chapter in L.A. in the very deep future, but not soon.
Q. How are you liking Westport so far?
A. We lived in Weston for two years, and it was fine; it was nice, it was just too isolated. We fell in love with the house but didn’t like living in the woods. We need more human connection; I’m from NYC originally. The way we were living was affecting our mood and our connection to other people. We started looking at walkable areas in Westport. This was not a house we could pass up. We always wanted to restore a Victorian and this gave us the opportunity to do that and it was exactly in the area we wanted to be.
Q. What is the main difference between living here and in California?
A. Weather is a big one because you can be outside 365 days a year and that made things a lot easier. The winters here are so long, and it’s just hard being stuck in the house so many consecutive months. Since moving here, there are new shops, but there’s a health culture there (in L.A.) that’s more accessible. Of all towns, I think Westport has a good base for it — progressive health places and organic markets. In the past few years, I’ve seen it become more accessible. It’s definitely a shift.
Q. When did you start your website?
A. A little before moving here. I started it as an investigation into my interests because I had been acting for so long and decided that’s not what I wanted, and I needed a shift. So I went back to documenting the things I love – entertaining and food and style and DIY. Things that are classic lifestyle verticals. My husband suggested starting a blog ... It was a huge learning experience, and I really needed it at that time. I was trying to refigure out who I was again as a young mom, and was trying to figure out how to be a mom and also have a lot of interests. At the time, there weren’t a lot of motherhood/lifestyle sites. It was either mommy blogs or all lifestyle.
Q. So you are done acting?
A. Done with the pursuit of acting. If I were to find something in a more realistic phase of life that I really loved, maybe. Never say never.
Q. Do you get recognized around town?
A. Yes. I think it happens to most bloggers these days, not just in small towns. Social media presence has gotten pervasive and people see you in your bedroom with your kids at night and it’s an intimate look at your life. I like when people come up to me. The part of the business I like the most is the connection aspect. I try to foster a community that is really open minded.
Q. Do people ever recognize you as Susan Sarandon’s daughter?
A. It’s not my mother ever anymore; it used to be when I was acting. Now, being outside the industry we used to share, that has died down. People do recognize me from back in the day, but people forget [I was an actress]. They’ll say “I was watching Mindy Project and someone who looks just like you was on it!” And I’m like, “No, that’s me.”
This [blogging] industry is separate from the idea of celebrity. People want influencers…It’s a different access point, a higher level of intimacy. [If you want to know something about someone] you don’t have to wait for a Vanity Fair article to some out. I always tell people “if you want to know something about me, search it on my blog.”
Q. Are you happier in your new career?
A. Every career has drawbacks. People ask “Is it so hard sharing your life?” And “hard” isn’t the right word. It’s just complicated… People think that if they watch five minutes of you, they know your entire day. But there’s a big part people know nothing about. Social media is a choice. It’s complex, and I definitely make sure that I maintain my limitations, my secrets, my boundaries—hence why I was able to hide a pregnancy. So there’s definitely a side of it that’s strategic.
The connection is the good part. The trolls and mom shaming come as your numbers rise, and that’s the hardest thing. You have to make peace with that, and when [it involves kids], and they’re innocent, precious people, it’s a harder pill to swallow.
Q. A new baby and a new house, that’s a lot of new beginnings.
A. We were not expecting to have a baby when we were renovating the house. I always say in life, when it rains it pours; it’s either everything or nothing, so I’ve gotten used to that pace. This has always been a pattern. There’s something good about that; it makes you focus not too much on one task at hand and spreads your anxieties and energies.
Q. What are your goals for your business?
A. It’s kind of hard to say a shortterm plan. Our longterm plan has always been product. We are in the works with product lines; I’ve tested the waters. I am going to be working on a book, and I’m kind of just trying to stay true to what stays fun and interesting for me in this space. For me, it really depends on where the industry goes. You have to have the ability to pivot.