Why Grace and Frankie star Brooklyn Decker Cherishes Outdoor Time With Her Family
Brooklyn Decker has bid a fond farewell to her Netflix series Grace & Frankie after seven seasons, but she has held on to the strong connections with her co-stars, who feel like family. As the doting mom of two young children family is clearly what drives the actor and former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.
Decker is best known for her roles on TV’s Chuck and Ugly Betty, as well as the Adam Sandler movie Just Go with It, and her major role in Grace & Frankie.
The fun-loving comedy is about a dysfunctional family centered on former rivals Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin.) Decker plays Grace’s younger daughter, Mallory, and her sparring partner is her real-life best friend, June Diane Raphael, who she texts on a regular basis. The two ex-husbands in the series are played by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterson.
Decker and her tennis champ husband Andy Roddick are the parents of a daughter, Stevie, 4, and a son, Hank, 6, who loves their non-Hollywood life, including dance parties, music, physical exercise, and backyard gatherings with friends and extended family.
As someone who loves doing activities outside with her family, Decker is not willing to give up her outdoor time. Zyrtec® is her go-to as it provides a full, 24-hours of relief from her allergy symptoms, so she can enjoy spring, summer, and the outdoors. She is also an advocate for helping the planet.
The brand is partnering with American Forests on the Zyrtec® ReLEAF Project, a tree-planting initiative to help foster a better, healthier planet for all. Together, Zrytec® and American Forests are helping advance tree equity in historically excluded communities, so more individuals can reap the health and environmental benefits that trees provide.
Working with such legends on her hit comedy is something that Decker does not take for granted. “Jane, Lily, Martin, and Sam are all such pros. They are so technically sound,” Decker tells Medium. “They did such a beautiful job modeling incredible behavior where they were so professional and so generous to their cast and their crew.”
Read on for Decker’s look at family time, learning from her co-stars, and having to say goodbye after the recent Season 7/series finale.
How were the legendary Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda role models to you on this glorious TV show?
I would watch Jane and Lily on calls with candidates in certain states. You watch them on calls with different nonprofits. You watch them marching and getting arrested. You watch them hosting events that are raising money that’s meant to be more inclusive, making the world more inclusive and more welcoming to the LGBTQIA community. They really set the bar very high to the point where I was like, “oh, that’s the level we should be living at, okay, I have no excuse now, there is enough time in the day”. They modeled this behavior that said we’re meant to be global citizens; we’re meant to be looking out for each other.
When were you last on the set of Grace & Frankie?
We wrapped in November [2021]. We were shut down for the pandemic while shooting episode five of a 16-episode series. Then we came back in June or July of 2021 and we wrapped in November.
It must have been hard to say goodbye?
Definitely! I expected it to be emotional and I expected it to be difficult. I didn’t expect it to be that difficult. It was devastating. But at the same time in a weird way, because we were shut down for so long, and really when we walked out of those doors in 2020, we didn’t know if we were coming back. We didn’t know what was going to happen to the industry, we didn’t know what was going to happen to each other.
We really didn’t know if we were going to have an opportunity to finish it. In a weird way the ending, while sad, felt so triumphant and celebratory in a way that I don’t think ending an eight-year series would feel had we not been shut down for so long. It was kind of a gift because we ended on such a high note.
One of the themes that I write about a lot is the importance of role models in our lives. As the mother of two young children do you feel that you can be a positive role model for them and others?
I think something that I’ve learned over the years is that try as we might we can’t really teach or tell our kids to do much. They learn by modeling our behavior, they learn by watching us. I realize that now. I think about all the things my parents taught me and what I learned most; my biggest takeaways are what I learned from watching them move through the world. For my kids of course we talk through things, of course? I try to teach them things, and of course, I try to provide guidance. But I try to foster their own compassion and their own curiosity by acting in a way that is curious and compassionate myself.
Did your character Mallory stay with you?
It’s so funny, that character — I mean, when you work on a show for eight years, I feel like so much of yourself is dropped into a character. But she also — when I would see the writing for her it was so different than any way I would react to things. She was so high-strung and she was such a stressed-out kid. So, no, I’ve kind of shed Mallory. I feel like that was a really fun thing to play, but I kind of shed her when we wrapped. I haven’t seen much of Mallory around these parts.
Do you keep in touch with your co-star and real-life buddy June Diane Raphael, who plays Brianna?
We are dear friends. We were Facetiming last night before bed. I think we’re going to get together for the Fourth of July this summer which is something we’ve done — well, pre-COVID we’ve done it this will be our third Fourth of July together with our kids. Yeah, she isn’t losing me. I’m not losing her. We’re sticking together.
What do you appreciate about the two sisters in this show?
I think what I loved about them is that you don’t see sisters on TV much anymore really. There were so many scenes this season where we’d get into a physical fight and I remember on set they were asking, would two grown women get into a physical fight? Both June and I looked at each other and said, “Yes, this is what siblings do.” The love runs so deep that you are the rawest version of yourself. It’s so funny and it’s so childish. Those dynamics evolve and I think you don’t necessarily get into fistfights as you age. But, it’s just messy and funny, and working with June has been one of the privileges of a lifetime.
So why stay with Zyrtec personally and professionally?
I didn’t get allergies until I was an adult. I just thought I was sick for a long time. I was living in Austin at the time where it’s notorious for the terrible allergies and cedar fever and all that. I went in to see my doctor he recommended Zyrtec. And it just worked really well for me.
And so, Zyrtec and I did a partnership last year and it was a lovely time working with them. I love the product. My kids use it and it works for our family. I also love the partnerships. This brand sees it as its responsibility to have a giveback component. They’re all about relief from allergies and I appreciate that they’re also about relief for cities and historically excluded communities.
There is a socially conscious component to working with this brand.
Yes. They have the Zyrtec Relief Project, where they partnered with American Forest to both fund research and tree planting in cities that need it most. I think it’s always nice when you can partner with a brand that you love and use, and also that they take a huge initiative to give back.
Do you feel that because your allergies are under control, and your kids are as well, you’re able to go outdoors more?
My allergies never stopped me from going outdoors because very little can stop me from going outdoors, but they got in the way of me enjoying the outdoors as much. Especially when I’m working it’s difficult. You talked about your symptoms earlier, I would get these watery, itchy, red eyes and a runny nose and when you have to keep makeup on camera it’s a professional liability to have allergies.
Again, my allergies didn’t stop me from living my life but they definitely got in the way of me living it to the fullest. So, Zyrtec just provided the relief so that instead of being annoyed by what literally looks like tornadoes of cedar in Austin and the pollen all over the car in North Carolina I was able to be outside and not suffer. When I first had them, my doctor told me that eventually if you live in certain areas long enough, you’re going to get allergies.
What did Mother’s Day look like in your home?
During Mother’s Day, I got to take a long nap. My husband took the kids, I slept during the day. We had breakfast together. My parents live with us and so we were celebrating with my mom during Mother’s Day, as well. We kind of did nothing. My mom and I were going to go out for a little girls’ dinner, just the two of us. By the end of the day we said, you know what? Let’s have a glass of wine and go to bed early. All we wanted to do was just rest and nest and be at home with each other. It was perfect and quiet.
Father’s Day is coming soon. How does Andy like to spend it?
I was actually just buying his Father’s Day gift online. We’re very lucky that my best friend and his best friend are married. And so, we are going to the mountains in North Carolina with our kids to hang out, play golf and have fun. My best friend, Jen, and I will not worry about bedtime routines, making meals, or cleaning up. Everyone is going to get to put their feet up and just relax for a weekend.
What life lessons do you have for Stevie and Hank as you get older that you learned from your mom or just from your own life?
I’ve learned very recently because I don’t want to get political but the last couple of years have been difficult and I have been angry over a lot of things that have happened over the last few years. Coming out of COVID, not that we’re out of COVID but coming into whatever the new post-COVID world looks like I realize I’m just sitting in this anger. No one else is feeling it, I’m just feeling angry and it’s stopping me from enjoying my life. I mean not completely but it’s a hindrance.
What are you doing next now that Grace & Frankie is over? You had mentioned writing?
Yes, I am currently pitching a series that actually June, who plays Brianna, and I have been working on together. Hopefully, it sells. It was a productive way to channel feelings during the pandemic, so we’re working on that now. It’s a dark comedy.
If my readers haven’t seen the new season (or the previous ones) of Grace and Frankie, why should they just do that?
Now more than ever I feel like the world needs a big hug — a cozy blanket of escape. We are in a golden age of television where it is dark and it’s smart and it’s fast-paced and it’s compelling and I love it. However, we still want to feel good and we still want to put on cozy jammies and maybe have a glass of wine and gather with friends and family and watch something that makes us laugh and cry and enjoy each other. That’s what our show does.
It’s a throwback in that way. That’s high-level why you should watch it. Then I would say on a more granular level I think what it’s doing, what it speaks to about aging, and how you can have a fresh start at any age and phase of life and your losses, your circumstances, your age, your challenges don’t slow you down. I think those are all lessons that we could all learn from.
Seasons 1–7 of Grace & Frankie are streaming on Netflix.
