| Extra,
Extra! - Exclusive Interview with Leeza Gibbons
By Linda Silbertsen
When Leeza and I met for the first time,
it was to commiserate. Our husbands had been out of the country
for over a month, acting together in a series for NBC. Even
before we met, we felt the bond of women with small children
who yearned for their fathers. Missing my husband, I turned
on her talk show one day, hoping she had something to say
about their shoot. Only the week before, Leeza’s husband,
Steve, had sent home a joke video of scantily clad women surrounding
him on a tropical beach catering to his every whim, which
Leeza aired. This particular day, however, the show had a
different tone.
Leeza was sharing with America her longing to see her husband.
She spoke emotionally about something close to my heart: my
three year-old son was angry and distressed at the loss of
his daily playmate, and no amount of explaining helped. Leeza
spoke of her daughter Lexi’s nightmares, a result of
Steve’s absence. Location jobs are the most challenging
for children left at home. I called Leeza at the studio and
we arranged a meeting.
Eight years have now passed since our hilarious dinner, where
my toddler decided to throw his first public tantrum in a
crowded Beverly Hills eatery. Leeza’s small children
were spellbound by his antics, and in spite of their amusement,
we took our meals to her home rather than give them any further
ideas. Thankfully, my son’s rebellion subsided, but
the friendship, forged on that night, remains constant.
Throughout the years, Leeza has been a mentor, creative collaborator
and girlfriend. The more time I spend with her, the more impressed
I become. She is fun, happy, loyal, honest, energetic, gorgeous,
brilliant, spiritual and balanced. I’m still not sure
how she does it, but I’ve seldom found a more fascinating
or worthy subject.America fell in love with Leeza sixteen
years ago when she joined the anchor team of Entertainment
Tonight. The unabashed enthusiasm she displayed for her work
was refreshing in the 1980s, a decade characterized by attitude.
It wasn’t long before Leeza was ranked one of Hollywood’s
most popular journalists.
Our interview takes place at Leeza’s Mediterranean
home in the Hollywood Hills. As usual, the woman I see before
me in jeans looks as refreshed after a long day as she does
on television, but it would never occur to her to think of
herself as others see her. There in lies her charm. It’s
why we trust her; we know she’s real, just a woman struggling
to get her kids to school on time with their hair brushed
like the rest of us. So what if her “extras” are
prettier than ours? The juggling she does to keep it all in
balance is universal.
I loved turning the tables on the woman normally asking the
questions. Leeza, I know that quitting your talk show and
hosting Extra has brought ease into your life. What do you
love most about your new job? She replies, “Oh, that’s
easy! With the Leeza Show, I wasn’t able to be available
for as many plays, performances and games with my kids. That
was the hardest part. I love my job because it gives me great
flexibility to be a mom and a businesswoman. I can take my
kids to school and be present for all those priceless moments.
I’m so grateful my employers respect my need to be a
hands-on mom. Like with most women, I’ll give so much
more if I can make sure my children get what they need from
me first.”
I then asked her about always being upbeat and does she have
a personal philosophy or a way of looking at life? She responded
with, “My philosophy is found in Eleanor Roosevelt’s
words: "When you cease to make a contribution, you begin
to die". A sense of service is very important to me.
I’ve always had it. Even as a little girl, I wanted
to help many people through television.” She has her
challenges too. “The desire to serve is a more deeply
personal one now that I am fighting an enemy called Alzheimer’s.
You have to pick your battles and the foe I’m up against
is a powerful, cruel and random adversary that has claimed
my beautiful mom. It’s clear to me that all of the abundance
I have is on loan for this lifetime. So, it is up to me to
share it with others, passing it on before I go. Service has
always brought great purpose to my life, but means even more
now that it’s my mother’s eyes staring back at
me.”
As we continued our discussion, I wanted to know how the
terrorist attacks changed her approach to work and family?
“Our collective consciousness has gone through a seismic
shift. From a quiet, warm bed at night to an active pursuit
of happiness during the day, Americans had begun to feel entitled
to this glorious life we have come to know. I have slowed
down. I hold my kids tighter. I worry less about a new wrinkle
and I pray more. I am reaching out even more to others because
I know that if we close ourselves off from humanity, we block
God’s path to us and through us. Recognizing the fragile
nature of life makes me embrace the truth, that we can recreate
our lives at any point. What we think and feel at any moment
is up to us. Perhaps the best way to show patriotism is by
loving our families, praying for peace and being willing to
pay the price to have our freedom, while believing that we
can and will make this world a more fair and beautiful place.
My two older kids planted a tree outside their bedroom windows
so they will remember that good things grow from tragedy;
things like hope, faith andcompassion. They placed a rock
at the base of the tree, which reads: Never forget 9-11-01.
Trying to explain something incomprehensible to them has forced
me to test my own views.”
I asked how with all of her obligations, does she stay balanced
and sane? “Life is so painfully, unbearably and ridiculously
short, so I try and keep focused on what matters most. I’m
not saying that I don’t get stressed and worried and
rushed, but I wake up with a smile on my face because I love
my life. I’m grateful. I just believe that life is a
gift. One thing that definitely keeps me balanced is learning
from the mistakes of others. Since I will never live long
enough to make them all on my own, I might as well keep my
eyes open! I admire the successes and victories of others
and, as you know, I am never shy about asking people how they
achieved their dreams".
She continues, "One more thing, on being balanced, come
on, let’s be real, some days I’m running on empty
from lack of sleep. Some days, I give in to whining from the
back seat. Some days it's all I can do to make it to school
in time for a parent-teacher conference, much less make a
difference in the world. But as I clumsily navigate my way
through this thing called life, I realize whether it's my
role, as wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, or employee,
there will be many days when I just don’t get it right.
That’s cool as long as I get another chance to try again.”
What do you find most fulfilling , I asked? “I love
a chance to get intimately involved with real people facing
challenges and striving to make a difference. Every time I
conduct an interview, I learn something more about the power
of words, the resilience of the human spirit and the complexities
of our lives that we think are so unique and yet for the most
part, are so similar. We all want and need to be connected
to others. The people we choose to join us on our path and
those we meet along the way all affect the way we leave our
mark here on Earth.”
Leeza is always looking for that something extra. She gives
that something extra to the people that touch her life.In
a nutshell that may be the “secret” to Leeza’s
balanced life. She gives and receives with an open heart and
an inquisitive mind enriching countless lives along the way.
Leeza Gibbons will host the “Kaleidoscope of Color”
Charity Gala at DCOTA on February 2, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. Marvin
I. Danto, founder, CEO and COB of Danto Investment Company,
Michigan Design Center and DCOTA, has generously contributed
$100,000 to this black-tie gala that will honor and benefit
eight South Florida children’s charities. One hundred
percent of the proceeds from ticket sales and silent auction
items go back to the charities directly. For more information
call Mary Giuseffi at (561) 477-8222.
Linda Sivertsen is a freelance writer and the award-winning
author of "Lives Charmed: Intimate Conversations with
Extraordinary People". Linda has been featured on CNN,
Leeza, Extra, E, the Star and New York Post. She is a speaker,
editor and book proposal coach. She can be reached online
at:
www.livescharmed.com
© 2002 Balance Magazine
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