I think my only problem with the lovely NBC ensemble drama “Parenthood” is that, before it existed, I had gotten through several years of life without shouting “I LOVE THIS FAMILY” or “CRAIG T. NELSON, DON’T GO IN THERE!” at a television set.

Alas, I am now so invested in the Braverman family that I text my sister and best friend (also huge fans) after sad episodes just to “make sure” they’re “OK.”

If you aren’t already a “Parenthood” superfan, go watch an episode right now. It’s a really generous, well-done representation of a family — there’s lots of good drama but it’s always grounded in humor and warmth and Mae Whitman’s incredible rotating cast of amazing haircuts. Am I gushing? Yes. Which is why I totally dorked out when I found out I was going to be able to talk to Erika Christensen, who is what I will dorkily call “the coolest.”

I’ve been a fan of Erika’s since her early starring roles in “Traffic” and “Swimf@n” (which I still, incidentally, use as a verb to describe clingy white people). She’s been acting since she was about yea big, and I love her very complex portrayal of Julia, a sweet, funny, type-A working mother with a hot househusband (even though I feel bad that since she’s a lawyer on the show she constantly has to wear office-wear while Bonnie Bedelia gets to roll in caftans and Lauren Graham gets to wear chill hipster bartender outfits).

We asked the lovely Erika the same five questions we always ask, and as a result, I am now going to download some “skrillex” and buy Vitamin E.

XOJane: What is the grossest (or weirdest) thing in your purse?

Erika: Oh, my god, I actually have a good answer for this one. Yes! I’m so excited. OK, either me or my boyfriend found this — it’s a carrot butt. You know, like you’ve eaten the whole carrot except for the end? That was in my bag.

Whaaaaat? Those are biodegradable!

No! I was impressed with myself. I will recycle anything. I think it’s because if somebody has something that can’t be thrown out, I’m the one who just puts it in my bag.

Your commitment to the environment is laudable. I mean, a carrot butt. Whats the closest you’ve come to being arrested?

Mmmmm. OK… I don’t know if you know this? But if you get around 25 miles an hour above the speed limit? They arrest you and confiscate your car. I was doing like… 95? A long time ago, on a very straight, tempting, beautiful stretch of highway. And the cop was so nice about it. I remember he asked me, “Excuse me, miss may I see your pilot’s license?”

Ha! I love funny cops. Obviously I have to ask you what your whip was at the time.

I was about 17, so it would have been my mom’s car, so I think a Saturn?

I love that you were burning rubber in a SATURN. You made that cop’s day. OK — what pills do you take every day?

I’m a huge vitamin person. I take… let’s say a lot of different vitamins. But I suppose kind of the staples are Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Vitamin C is the magic cure-all though.

And wait, Vitamin E is for… Skin? Eyes?

Oh yeah, and your brain, and for hormones… Basically if you consume any kind of fat — which you should, your body needs it and it’s a good thing — you should take Vitamin E, because you need that to use the fat for everything else. It keeps you running.

What’s the weirdest thing you do when you’re alone?

Oh, definitely solo dance party.

Yes. So, not weird at all.

Well, I mean, come on, I’m a human being. I either go into some real hiphop — real hip hop being like Dead Prez or something or… OK, dub step is not “my world,” but there are a couple that my brothers have turned me onto that are just… Like skrillex, and oh, please let me remember the title of this one, it’s so good. Ahhh. OH! I remember! I remember! (Laughs for several minutes.) “Woo Boost.”

WHAT?

Like, W-O-O space B-O-O-S-T.

Oh my God. I have to download that immediately. WOO BOOST. Okay, somewhat related: have you ever faked an orgasm? (Julieanne Note: inevitably after asking this question is an ominous pause and I start Catholic-ly sweating and freaking out.)

I’m sure I have and I’m sure I didn’t think of it that way at the time? I honestly want to go into wayyyy more detail here, so I’ll just leave it there.

Who is on your “celebs to make out with” list?

Oh boy. Hm. I do get to make out with [her hot "Parenthood" husband] Sam Jaeger every week.

AND FOR THIS YOU ARE LUCKY. He is unbelievably hot. I just watched an episode with my sister and he would just like, make a face and we’d shout “JOEL!” Like teenagers.

No way! That’s great. I’m going to do some press with him in a few hours. I’m telling him you said that.

I hope you do! JOELLLLL!

Oh. But wait… I just thought of like, a whole list of celeb make outs, but it’s bad…

My mom talks about how she wants to make love to Philip Seymour Hoffman, I am basically unshakable at this point.

Yes, but, your mom is probably not going to run into Philip Seymour Hoffman some day. OK, I will probably run into these people, but my top three are Sean Penn, Mark Ruffalo, Sam Rockwell.

You have such a type.

Do you think so?

Toussled haired do-gooders. Well, I mean, I don’t know if Sam Rockwell is a do gooder.

You don’t know if he… “does good”?

I will have to research that. Thank you. I will continue to squeal over your TV husband. I really, really love the show.

Thanks! It’s been fun.

“Parenthood” airs Tuesdays at 10 PM EST on NBC, and is extra great.

XOJane.com

Between time on Twitter and checking in online with her skateboarding buds, the ‘Parenthood’ star plays catch-up with ‘The Wire’ and ‘Breaking Bad’

What’s the first information you consume in the morning?
I suppose it’s a tie among text messages, emails and Twitter. I use Twitter for everything. When there’s breaking news, it doesn’t matter who you follow, you’re going to find out about it.

What do you read or watch or listen to at the breakfast table?
I had a big New York Times crossword puzzle phase. And there’s a book that I’ve been meaning to read that’s sitting on my breakfast table—it’s called Stiff, and it’s about the journey of your body if you donate it to science after you die. A friend recommended it. My boyfriend keeps asking, “Can you get this off the table?” because the cover is a cadaver’s bare feet.

What occupies your mind in the car, on the subway, train or bus?
I’ll get in trouble if I say Twitter! I’m an NPR and KCRW person.

Are you a TV junkie or on an airtime-restricted diet?
Probably more of the latter—I’m on a fairly restricted TV intake.

If you’re a couch potato, what do you watch, and how: TV, laptop or tablet?
I’m a latecomer to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but now I’m really into it, and I just watched this last season of Breaking Bad and am hooked. I’m also making my way through the third season of The Wire on DVD. It’s definitely a saga. I watch everything on my TV.

Before bed, do you bite into a novel, graze on Twitter or fast until morning?
I tend to be on Twitter. I’m also reading scripts for the show, and I’ll read magazines. I subscribe to Elle and VeloNews.

Which is more nutritious: print or Web?
Print, probably, because the choices have been made for you, although I choose the Web because I like to make my own choices.

Give us the skinny on your favorite app.
My favorites are AccuWeather, Yelp, and Words With Friends. But I generally use my iPad to read scripts.

What’s your biggest digital indulgence?
Fashion blogs and food blogs! I like Net-a-Porter’s online magazine, and I was just on Joy the Baker’s blog. I’ve also spent many hours on TheBerrics.com. It’s a skateboarding website with all kinds of short films and content, and it’s all my buddies. If being a skateboarder were a personality type and not actually an athletic activity, then I’d say I’m a skateboarder. But I don’t ride one. I’m a bicycle person.

With such a bloated media universe, how do you cut out the fat?
Discipline, of course! There comes a time where you say, “It’s time for bed,” and that’s the end. I can be a binger when it comes to information, but most of the time I’m pretty good and I try to focus on my own life and personal communication.

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Erika Christensen and Sam Jaeger to chat about the adoption process their characters are going through.

“I don’t know how aware of it she is,” says “Parenthood” star Erika Christensen of her character, Julia Braverman-Graham, “but her motherly instincts really start to come out in this season, which is really cool.”

On Monday (Sept. 12), we caught up with Christensen when she stopped by the KTLA Morning Show to talk about the upcoming third season of the NBC show. Christensen’s character is a mom of one who hopes to adopt a second child along with husband Joel (Sam Jaeger).

“You’re starting to see some of the frustration that is setting in with the long adoption process,” says Christensen. “It’s been nearly nine months and she doesn’t have a child yet that she’s going through the process with.”

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When fans saw Parenthood last, Julia (Erika Christensen) Julia had just decided she wanted to adopt a baby, and Kristina (Monica Potter) had just learned she was pregnant. Eight months later, Kristina is about to pop, but Julia’s daughter Sydney is still an only child. However, someone is about to enter Julia’s life who could easily change all that.

“There’s a turn of events which seems like it might be fate, and Julia has to decide whether or not she wants to be extremely inappropriate in the workplace to follow her gut and heart and her desire,” Christensen tells TVGuide.com. “She’ll put up a really good fight on getting what she wants and having a bigger family.”

The event in question is someone at Julia’s office who suddenly becomes pregnant and plans to give up her baby. After months of failed attempts to adopt with Joel (Sam Jaeger), Julia will slowly begin an interesting relationship with the young woman, Zoe. “She finds more of her maternal instincts throughout this whole thing, which is both wonderful and also makes the whole thing more painful because she really does have the desire to have another child,” Christensen says. “[Zoe] is a little prickly. She’s a smart, young thing with her guard up. I don’t think that Julia sees it going that way, but she does end up feeling maternal feelings towards her.”

In Julia’s mind, asking if she can adopt Zoe’s baby is only logical. Unfortunately, her husband doesn’t see it that way. “Joel thinks she’s thinks being completely irrational when she first brings it up and that’s a bit of a contentious point between them, but they will resolve it,” Christensen says. “Their marriage is surviving fairly well, but I think it’s just on the verge. If something doesn’t give soon, they probably will be quite frustrated by it.”

One thing Julia won’t have to worry about is getting daughter Sydney (Savannah Rae) on board with the idea of expanding the family. “It’s going to be interesting to see how Sydney deals with it. Right now she’s excited, she wants a little brother — they want a boy,” she says. “She may discover that she doesn’t want a little brother once she gets one, but at this point, she’s open to the idea.”

Outside of the Braverman-Graham household, Julia’s struggle to adopt will bring her closer to her older sister, Sarah (Lauren Graham), a duo that has yet to be deeply explored in the large ensemble cast. “Julia and Sarah have been brought a little bit closer in their adulthood by each of their troubles. They do seem to be able to confide in each other a little bit, which I think is new for them, and I like that a lot,” Christensen says. “They’re there for each other.”

Julia will also be getting an earful (as per usual) from Braverman family patriarch Zeek (Craig T. Nelson), who’s more than happy to share his thoughts on Julia and Joel’s life-changing decision, for better and for worse. “He’s not always the most considerate, but he’s got such a good heart and it comes from a really good place when he tells you you’re being an idiot so he’s sometimes scary to tell things to because you don’t want to go through whatever his opinion might be on it,” Christensen says. “He has an insight, but it can be rough.”

Out of everyone in the extended Braverman clan, the biggest question is how Julia and Kristina’s friendship will fare in the wake of Julia’s inability to get pregnant and Kristina’s unexpected pregnancy. Christensen says Julia won’t hold anything against her sister-in-law, but says there will be moments of hurt feelings. “There’s that longing, that wistful feeling of, ‘Wow, this is really happening for this person and I want it to be me,’” she says. “The last scene we shot was everybody meeting the baby after she’s born and Julia is the first person to ask if she can hold the baby. The baby and Julia connect.”

But considering how timely and costly and complicated adoptions can be, have Julia and Joel braced themselves for the possibility that it may not happen for them? Christensen admits she would be intrigued to see Julia cope with another detour in her road to motherhood the second time around. “Julia is an extremely tenacious person so I think she will come up with a Plan B or a Plan C if things don’t work out,” she says. “What will be interesting for me is if she finally decides to abandon that pursuit and do something else entirely.”

Parenthood returns on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 10/9c on NBC.

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race yourself, Parenthood fans. The Braverman clan is about to expand. Twice.

In the second season finale, Julia (Erika Christensen) and Joel (Sam Jaeger) set their sights on adoption just as Kristina (Monica Potter) and Adam (Peter Krause) got the surprising news about baby No. 3.

The two new additions are certainly cause for celebration, but after Julia and Joel tried unsuccessfully for months to have a child of their own, Kristina’s unplanned pregnancy will be a tough pill to swallow.

“Adoption can be quite a process, and then at the same time, Kristina having gotten pregnant, that’s heartbreaking for me to think about Julia finding out,” Christensen told TVGuide.com at a Parenthood screening hosted by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “I’m really interested to see how she finds out, how she deals with that and how it affects Julia and Kristina’s relationship and the two families.”

Christensen’s on-screen husband is already bracing for a rough patch between the two families. “Julia really wanted a baby so badly. I think it may be a little hard for her to adjust to suddenly the other Bravermans getting a chance,” Jaeger said. “I have a feeling we’ll see some feelings of envy.”

Learning to accept Kristina and Adam’s stroke of luck is just one of the obstacles Julia and Joel will have to overcome in the months ahead. There’s also breaking the news to the family about their own baby plans. “It’s going to be one of those situations where everyone is invested and ultimately supportive of this whole process,” Jaeger said. “But I’m interested to see because I’m sure there will be some hang-ups in the Braverman family about keeping it Braverman.”

The most important Braverman family member Julia and Joel will have to win over is their own 6-year-old daughter, Sydney (Savannah Rae). “I think the jump from one kid to two kids is pretty astronomical. And if that’s a kid that isn’t blood-related, it’s a lot of conversations with our daughter, I think, and trying to understand what that means to her,” Jaeger said. “She is extremely bright and extremely strong, like her mother, so I have a feeling she won’t take to the new baby all that well.”

Over at Kristina and Adam’s house, the new baby’s arrival comes just as their eldest daughter is getting ready to graduate high school and leave for college. Potter, who has three children of her own, says she can relate to that odd timing. “It’s hard. It’s very strange to let one go and then let another in, but it will also be very sweet to see them together,” Potter says of Haddie (Sarah Ramos) and the new baby. “It will also be very interesting to see Max with the baby because he’s always been the baby and Kristina is very protective of him.”

Although Max is used to being the youngest, Max Burkholder says his on-screen alter ego will revel in getting less attention. “Max really likes to be alone sometimes, with his book, doing his own thing,” he said. “I think — and I hope — he’s going to get really excited about [the baby].”

Max’s Asperger’s Syndrome and Haddie’s college plans combined with the baby’s impending arrival, will also put more pressure on Adam to find a new job after he was let go in the season finale. “Adam’s got to figure out something else that he’s going to do for a career and I think that’s an interesting thing to explore,” executive producer Jason Katims said. “He’s a guy who’s not necessarily coming in for an entry-level position. He’s expecting something that is not that easy to find in this period of time. He really has to be creative to figure that out.”

Lucky for Adam, help may be on the way in the form of a visit from some of Kristina’s relatives. “I like the idea of, at some point, a story where her family comes out, or somebody from her family comes out to help,” Katims said. “Then we get to see — in this very Braverman-centric world — what is Kristina’s family like?”

Parenthood returns for Season 3 this fall on NBC.

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Esquire’s December issue has a hostess: Erika Christensen, whom you can see in various poses throughout the magazine’s pages (and above). We spoke with the twenty-eight-year-old Seattle native (and star of NBC’s Parenthood) about her holiday spirit — and how to stretch before giving a gift.

ESQUIRE: Were you honored to be our holiday elf?

ERIKA CHRISTENSEN: It’s flattering, of course, but it’s kind of ironic because my character on Parenthood is such a feminist. I realized that as I was getting dressed.

ESQ: What would she say to you if she found out?

EC: Probably something like, “Women’s suffrage was a long journey, don’t throw it all away.” She would go off.

ESQ: What’s the biggest challenge of being an elf?

EC: I was focused on making sure [people can tell] I was having a very good time. My theory is, if you force yourself to smile enough, then you start to feel it. Which comes in handy all the time.

ESQ: For all the aspiring elves out there, what tip would you give them? Aside from smiling, of course.

EC: Definitely stretch out those quads and hamstrings. And study your Varga girls. That’s really the ultimate.

ESQ: So what do you want for Christmas?

EC: I keep a running list. It has everything on it from home property to all the seasons of The Wire on DVD.

ESQ: What’s the worst gift you’ve ever gotten?

EC: There was a strapless, short dress that was chiffon with a slit. This probably sounds good to you, but it was different strips of different colors. It kind of looked like a Little Mermaid costume. Maybe I should have kept it, and I could have been the Little Mermaid for Halloween.

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Erika Christensen was interviewed by KXAN in Austin about the second season of “Parenthood” – you can watch it below.

NBC’s new fall season officially starts next Monday, but it’s getting a bit of a jump start this week.

The breakout hit from last year called “Parenthood” returns for season two Tuesday night, following the finale of “America’s Got Talent”.

Stars Erika Christensen and Monica Potter think it’s the real life aspects of the show that make it popular.

“It’s not necessarily about the professions that these characters hold it’s just about their family lives,” said Erika Christensen who plays Julia.

This season their family lives take a twist as Billy Baldwin is added to the mix as the boss to Peter Krause’s character Adam.

Single mom Sarah Braverman played by Lauren Graham could also see a little romance. But for Christensen, who plays a working mom with a stay at home husband, she says she feels bad when people say they relate to her character.

“There are people like her and people say oh my wife is exactly like your character and then I’m like I’m so sorry I just called your wife uptight on TV then I’m sorry,” said Christensen.

Still the stars say they always hear from fans that they can relate to the Braverman’s in some way.

“I think for the most part everyone in America can gravitate towards one or two of them and go I get that,” said Monica Potter.

Parenthood premieres Tuesday night at 9 o’clock on KXAN.

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Monica Potter and Erika Christensen were up late last night shooting scenes for their show, Parenthood on NBC—but they were still chipper enough to complete a slough of interviews this morning. I chatted with them for a few minutes about next season, which begins on Tuesday, September 14 at 10 p.m.

What’s coming up for Kristina (Potter) and Julia (Christensen)?
Monica: For me, it’s just an extension of what was happening last year. We’re still dealing with Max (Max Burkholder) and trying to figure out how to work on our marriage. And our daughter, Haddie (Sarah Ramos), is having her own difficulties in life, and we’re trying to help her out as well while working on ourselves.
Erika: My character is all of a sudden deciding that she wants a second child, which is new territory. I don’t know if it’s the greatest timing or not! She has to convince her husband that it is good timing.
Monica: And we have scenes with our characters that will further their relationship, that we didn’t do last season, so that’s exciting.

Which other members of the cast do you hope to work with more this season?
Erika: Her! I hope, her.
Monica: Yeah! We’ve had a couple of scenes together. And Craig [T. Nelson], and Bonnie [Bedelia]! We all have such chemistry together, especially working last night so late with all of us cackling and laughing. It’s unfortunate because it’s such a big group so we sometimes miss each other but I think they’re working on having a lot of our own scenes together, and exploring those little relationships in the family.
Erika: I would like to work with Bonnie and Craig more, and with my nieces and nephews!
Monica: I agree. That would be cool.

What about the relationship between Julia and her older sister, Sarah (Lauren Graham)? Will we see that develop?
Erika: Definitely! …I think all of those relationships are going to be explored more. And it’s funny, the setup from last season is that they don’t have the closest relationship. There’s a bit of a sibling rivalry there.
Monica: That’s right, I forgot about that! And Kristina and Sarah don’t particularly get along very well, either. You’ll see that again this season. It’s kind of funny. She’s jealous because—I don’t know? [Sarah is] spending time with Adam (Peter Krause)? I’m trying to figure that out. It’s funny.

Will you get a chance to shoot on location in the Bay Area at all?
Monica: I hope we get to go up there more, I don’t know! We shot the pilot there and loved it! I heard we were supposed to go back and forth to do exteriors here and there, so hopefully that’s true.
Erika: Yeah, that would be fun. We’ve been shooting in LA and the sets here are amazing, but we’d love to take a trip up to the Bay Area, so we’ll see!

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At last night’s NBC press tour bash, my favorite Parenthood couple, Erika Christensen and Sam Jaeger, confirmed reports that season 2 will find Julia and Joel contemplating [spoiler alert]. Jaeger also spilled the beans about his emotionally-charged confrontation with [spoiler alert] on the [spoiler alert] in the premiere. The spoilerific two-part interview is below – please watch only if you want to know spoilers!

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