Joel McHale might have a slight coffee addiction.

“Boy, I drink a lot of coffee,” McHale, 53, revealed exclusively in his My Life in Food feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “That is all day long, no joke. I think I’ve had about 12 shots [of espresso] by now.”

The only thing the Community alum might like more than coffee is pasta, which he tells Us has been a favorite since childhood.

“There’s a reason why pasta has become one of the most popular dishes on the planet, because you can do so much with it,” he told Us while discussing his partnership with Mac-A-Roni, the latest innovation from the makers of Rice-A-Roni. “When they came to me, I was like, ‘Oh, you guys have no idea.’ I grew up eating Rice-A-Roni, and I love pasta. When I eat it, I go for it. And I have two teenage sons, and they can’t get enough of it. So this was as if they had made the product for me and my family.”

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Available in Creamy Cheddar and Creamy White Cheddar flavors, Mac-A-Roni launched this fall with a pop-up event headlined by McHale.

“Cheese and pasta, it really enhances the flavors of your main dish,” McHale tells Us of the versatility of the dish, especially during the holiday season. “That’s, like, scientifically proven, and so I think it’s really true. So when you have turkey Thanksgiving, having a side dish of pasta, you can have your potatoes, and that’s fine. But I’m a pasta man, and I was born in Italy, you know, where macaroni came from.”

Keep scrolling for more of McHale’s fun food-based anecdotes:

What special dinner would your mom or your wife make on your birthday?

Oh, my wife would not be cooking. I would be cooking. If I’m home, I do all the cooking.

When I was growing up, rice and flank steak was one of my favorite meals. And my mom would marinate it in honey, soy sauce, green onions, salt and pepper and ginger, and let that marinate overnight. Then, we’d serve it with Rice-A-Roni. So now, it would be Mac-A-Roni.

My mom used to make — and still does — spaghetti carbonara with bacon and eggs. Those would be my perfect meals.

What did you order on your first date with your wife, Sarah Williams?

We went to a restaurant called the Swingside Cafe, which was a pasta-only restaurant. I think she had a puttanesca, and I think I had bolognese.

What is the snack you are obsessed with?

Boy, I drink a lot of coffee. That is all day long, no joke. I think I’ve had about 12 shots [of espresso] by now.

What would be your last meal on earth?

Probably a bone in ribeye. Look, everyone orders it medium rare, and it’s pretty easy to do, but I would say medium or medium rare.

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What’s the comfort food you eat when no one is watching?

Peanut Brittle. A lot of candy.

What is a recipe you made up?

I like to take a jalapeño pepper and take all the seeds out, put that in a Cuisinart and have nothing else, just insanely fine diced peppers, and use that as a garnish. I put it on top of meat or pasta, and I remove a lot of the heat from the seeds, and it’s just peppers. I know that’s not something that’s innovative, but people are like, “Oh, what did you add?” and I’m like, “Nothing.” It doesn’t have a lot of salt to it. It’s not as much flavor, but, yeah, just peppers.

What food didn’t you like as a kid?

Well, I still can’t really just eat a raw tomato. I have friends that eat them like apples. I love them on anything else, like, burgers with oil and vinegar and all that. I will eat them all day long, but I can’t just have them raw.

With reporting by Sarah Jones

Scream fans were thrilled to hear the news that Ghostbusters actress Mckenna Grace was cast in the latest installment in the franchise, Scream 7 — but it appears the most excited fan of all is Grace herself.

“I’m so jazzed,” Grace, 18, told Us Weekly exclusively at iHeartRadio’s Z100 Jingle Ball in New York City on December 13. “It’s actually crazy. I have a tote bag and it has Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard that I take with me everywhere.”

Along with Ulrich and Lillard, the original Scream cast was rounded out by David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, and the latter two actresses will also be starring in the new film, set to be released in February 2026.

While she was born a whole decade after the 1996 film was released, Grace is highly familiar with the OG cast.

“I work comic cons, and I snuck in one time to one of the photo opps so I could take a picture with the original Scream cast,” she told Us. “I’m a really, really big fan. It’s been, like, the hardest secret to keep from my friends, but I’m very excited.”

Grace’s casting in the slasher film comes after a series of casting shakeups over the last year. In November 2023, news broke that Scream (2022) and Scream 6 (2023) lead Melissa Barrera was fired from the upcoming film after she was vocal about her support for Palestine. That same month, Jenna Ortega exited the project due to scheduling conflicts.

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In March, Campbell announced she would be returning as Sidney Prescott in the upcoming film (after skipping out on Scream VI), and this fall, Scream franchise alums Mason Gooding and Cox confirmed they will also be starring in Scream 7.

One would think entering such a complex and beloved franchise would be intimidating, but Grace has the horror chops to prepare her for the role. The young actress’ horror credits include Amityville: The Awakening, Malignant and the Annabelle film series.

“[Horror] is really where my heart lives,” she told Us. “I love scary movies. It’s what I grew up on with my dad. I was such a weird kid growing up. All of my favorite movies were scary movies. Tim Burton [movies] were my favorite animated films, so I was always very into the creepy stuff and Halloween.”

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She continued: “It’s so crazy to me to be making those kinds of movies that I grew up with, but, like, the sequels. It’s very, very odd. It’s very surreal.”

While Grace played coy about the plot of the upcoming film, she told Us that “all I can say is I’m really excited.”

Anyone who has seen Broad City knows the Comedy Central show is full of laugh-out-loud scenes — but one moment in particular stands out to co-creator and star Ilana Glazer.

“One of my favorite moments from Broad City is the season 1 finale, when Ilana has an allergic reaction to shellfish and Abbi heroically carries her out of the restaurant after accidentally stabbing herself with an EpiPen,” Glazer, 37, reveals exclusively in her 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “We were dying laughing. I remember Amy Poehler, who directed the episode, doing that silent laugh where her shoulders shook up and down.”

In the 2014 episode, titled “The Last Supper,” Abbi and Ilana have dinner at a fancy restaurant — reportedly frequented by Beyoncé and Jay-Z — for Abbi’s birthday. Poehler, who directed the episode, also makes a cameo as the chef at the restaurant.

About halfway through the dinner, Ilana’s face starts to swell up, and she admits that she’s allergic to shellfish, but still wants to eat the seafood meal anyway for the special occasion. As the night goes on, her allergic reaction worsens, culminating in a hilarious scene where an EpiPen-fueled Abby carries Ilana to the hospital.

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Glazer — whose stand-up special, Human Magic, is streaming now on Hulu — and Abbi Jacobson made five seasons of the sitcom, which aired its last episode in 2019.

For more fun personal stories from Glazer — including the proudest moment of her career, which also involves Jacobson — keep scrolling:

1. My favorite way to spend the weekend is by making no plans, lying around with my family and cooking.

2. Queen Bey, Beyoncé, was my No. 1 artist on my 2024 Spotify Wrapped.

3. I visit Dumbo [in Brooklyn] with my daughter as though we’re Italian tourists, even though it’s a 15-minute drive from our apartment. It’s exciting, and there’s so much to do, taste and buy!

4. My first car was a Honda Civic stick shift, two-door.

5. My favorite comfort meal is a homemade rice and veggies bowl with a little protein. It’s warm, homey and means I’m taking great care of myself.

6. I met Nicole Kidman at a party and was so starstruck, I imitated her to her. Not chill.

7. My favorite movie is Mrs. Doubtfire, and Robin Williams was the entertainer I looked up to when I was younger. He always offered real feelings. I miss him like I knew him.

8. To get grounded for every one of my 52 shows for my 2024 Human Magic comedy tour, I’d walk around the neighborhood I was performing in and talk to myself for two hours.

9. The proudest moment of my career was when Abbi Jacobson and I honored Julia Louis-Dreyfus at her Kennedy Center Awards with an outrageous dance honoring her physical comedy, [including] Elaine in Seinfeld. To do something crazy with my girl for my hero is really up there in the top moments of my life!

10. My celebrity crush growing up was Freddie Prinze Jr. I kept magazine clippings of him in my Caboodle.

11. My go-to fast-food order is Wendy’s crispy chicken sandwich with extra pickles, french fries and a Frosty. Cuz
I’m classy!

12. My alternate profession would be a therapist. I love going deep.

13. “7 Days” by Craig David brings me back to being a nerdy, horny tween with years ahead of me before I knew what to do with that.

14. My first job was [as a] mother’s helper at 9 years old. Before I could babysit, I babysat while the mom day drank. No judgment.

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15. English was my best subject in school. I always loved writing.

16. To decompress after a hectic day, I take a tiny nibble of a weed gummy and a bath with Epsom salts.

17. One of my favorite moments from Broad City is the season 1 finale, when Ilana has an allergic reaction to shellfish and Abbi heroically carries her out of the restaurant after accidentally stabbing herself with an EpiPen. We were dying laughing. I remember Amy Poehler, who directed the episode, doing that silent laugh where her shoulders shook up and down.

18. The TV show I’m currently binge-watching is Bluey.

19. Viola Davis is my dream collaborator. She once said in an interview that she wants to do something funny, [so] I’d love to write something wild yet mundane for her and play opposite her, stressed about losing her respect.

20. The one item left on my bucket list is riding a horse on the beach in a bikini.

21. My fondest childhood memory is making sketch videos with my brother, Eliot. We were obsessed and have the evidence to prove it.

22. I can play the drums.

23. I collect scraps of paper my daughter writes on.

24. The feature I use the most on my phone is voice memos. My best friend and I leave 20-minute messages to each other and I eat them up.

25. My favorite place to vacation is Marseilles.

Whether you’re seeking to live vicariously through the stars, or are looking for trip recommendations, celebrity vacation hot spots around the world can be exactly the escape you’re looking for — literally or figuratively.

From Ashley Park and Paul Forman’s Mexican couples getaway to Rebel Wilson’s family trip to the Cotswolds in rural England, these celebrity-approved resorts, hotels and destinations are guaranteed to impress.

“Walking into this new season of life, I’m embracing the importance of recharging and finding peace,” Tia Mowry wrote via Instagram of her trip to Jamaica in August 2024, emphasizing the significance of taking time away. “Life is so short — TAKE THE TRIP! Give yourself permission to reset! FILL YOUR OWN CUP!”

Keep scrolling for all of the best celeb-approved vacation spots around the world:

Food plays an important role in Katie Lee Biegel’s work, from cohosting Food Network’s The Kitchen to hosting her podcast, “All On the Table.” But food has also been a critical part of many important moments in the chef’s personal life, from childhood to today.

Katie Lee, 43, still recalls exactly what she ordered on her first date with her husband, Ryan Biegel, and the meal the couple ate when they got engaged in 2018.

“We met when I was filming Beach Bites and he was my producer, so we had a secret romance,” she reveals exclusively in her My Life in Food feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “We went on our first date in Puerto Rico to this little restaurant that was kind of a hole in the wall. And we had whole fried fish that was so delicious. We still talk about it. So a whole fish is always one of our special meals together. If we see it on a menu, we get it.”

Soon enough, Ryan popped the question during a romantic getaway in Paris, and the meal on their table was a Pommes Bearnaise from Chez l’Ami Louis. The duo tied the knot in September 2018, and welcomed daughter Iris two years later.

While she is a chef, a key aspect of the culinary experience for Katie Lee is the spirits — and she even has her own organic wine company, Kind of Wild, to keep good spirits flowing.

“To me, food and wine is like the hip bone connected to the leg bone,” the Kitchen host told Us at an event celebrating the launch of Purvi Padia’s Revelry Holiday Collection. “​​I love comfort food. And I kind of put wine in that category. And to be truly comforted by your food or your wine, you need to know where it comes from, how it was raised, how it got to your plate or glass and how you’re going to leave the environment for the future as well.”

Keep scrolling for more fun food-filled stories from Katie Lee:

Katie Lee Biegel Balances Life as a Chef and Mom With Ease — and Wine

What special dinner would your parents make for you on your birthday?

I love that question. I ask that on my podcast, actually. I love knowing people’s birthday meals when they were kids. When I was a kid I always wanted my grandma to make pot roast and mashed potatoes on my birthday. That was my favorite. And her homemade rolls.

Do you remember what you ordered on your first date with your partner?

We met when I was filming Beach Bites and he was my producer, so we had a secret romance. And we went on our first date in Puerto Rico to this little restaurant that was kind of a hole in the wall. And we had whole fried fish that was so delicious. We still talk about it. So a whole fish is always one of our special meals together. If we see it on a menu, we get it.

Do you have a snack that you’re obsessed with?

I’m obsessed with Top Seedz crackers dipped in Bitchin’ sauce. It’s so good. I can’t stop. They have them at Whole Foods and you can also order them online, but I get, like, several at a time because I go through them so quickly. They’re really good.

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What would your last meal on Earth be?

I love — it’s actually the restaurant we went to when we got engaged in Paris — Chez l’Ami Louis. Their roast chicken and their potatoes — Pommes Bearnaise — great crispy potato cake with garlic and parsley. And that, to me, is the ultimate comfort meal.

Is there a food you didn’t like as a kid that you do now?

Tomatoes! When I was a kid, if there was a tomato seed on a lettuce leaf, the whole salad had to get thrown out. I could not be anywhere near a tomato. Now, I eat them like crazy.

From Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown to Angelina Jolie’s role as a famed opera singer in Maria, it seems like many actors can shapeshift into musicians for their ever-popular musical biopics. Yet, their secret is simple: vocal coaching.

But what does that process actually look like? Us Weekly reader Dorothy from Philadelphia had the same query, asking Us: “I always hear about stars working with vocal coaches. Just how intense is that?”

Well, Dorothy, it depends on how you define intense. Us took to the foremost expert in the field, Eric Vetro — whose A-list roster of clients includes Chalamet, Jolie, Ariana Grande, Jeremy Allen White, Austin Butler and Sabrina Carpenter — to investigate.

“Quite often we are asked to accomplish a great deal in a very short amount of time,” Vetro, whose BBC Maestro course went live in October, reveals exclusively in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “I always try to keep our sessions relaxed and light with a calm attitude because you can never do your best work if you are feeling tense!”

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Vetro adds: “I try to diffuse the intensity of the situation or the time restrictions with humor while still working diligently to get it all done.”

Depending on the role and the actor’s singing experience, vocal coaching sessions can range greatly. For Grande’s role in Wicked, for example, Vetro worked with her almost every weekday for several months, but he says Grande’s already “spectacular” voice aided in curating a more operatic sound for her character, Glinda.

For Jolie, on the other hand, while she brought immense talent as an actress, she had virtually no singing experience going into her role as Maria Callas, one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of all time.

“[She] even avoided singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in a group initially, [which] made it feel like a daunting task,” Vetro says of Jolie’s journey, adding that they worked together for over two hours at a time, several times a week for seven months. “She is a force of nature in the very best way and throws herself fully into whatever it is she is wanting to achieve, so I had no doubt at all that she would be able to pull it off. She also had developed a great love of opera and a deep respect for Maria Callas, and so I think that helped drive her dedication to getting it right.

Another actor who came in with minimal singing experience was White, who is currently filming Deliver Me From Nowhere, a biopic focused on Bruce Springsteen. Vetro says the process begins with vocal lessons to teach proper technique before moving on to capturing the essence of the singer the actor is portraying.

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“That includes finding out what singers influenced them when they were starting out, what part of the world they are from (which affects not only their pronunciation, but their vocal tone as well), how young they were when they started to sing, what instruments they play, etc.,” Vetro shares. “All of those experiences in their background are the elements that make an artist unique.”

While some of the exercises included in vocal lessons may feel “silly” or “childlike,” that’s par for the course for actors.

“Most actors have performed acting exercises that feel equally as foolish or embarrassing so they understand the value of letting go of their inhibitions to achieve a desired result,” Vetro tells Us. “Remember, actors and musical artists are all extremely creative people, and so they are quite open to trying things that may at the outset feel awkward or absurd!”

Like any class, Vetro’s vocal lessons include homework, of course, which consists of a schedule of which songs to practice when, recordings of vocal exercises and even writing assignments “to help them connect with the lyrics and the emotion of the songs on a deep level.”

So, Dorothy, to answer your question, vocal coaching is definitely intense, but according to Vetro, it’s all worth it in the end.

“It’s a very exciting process to hear the improvement and see their confidence grow each week as they get closer to achieving their objective,” he tells Us.

With 14 studio albums, over 50 singles and several decades in the music industry, Martina McBride’s discography is far-reaching — but the country star says one song stands out in her career.

“The song I’m proudest of is ‘Independence Day,’” McBride, 58, reveals exclusively in her 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “I’ve received so many letters and heard so many personal stories about how that song affected people and changed lives.”

Released in 1994 as the third single from her album The Way That I Am, “Independence Day” is now regarded as McBride’s signature song. The lyrics tell the story from the perspective of a young girl whose mother is suffering domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, and she finally reclaims her independence — on Independence Day — through arson.

“Well she lit up the sky that fourth of July,” McBride sings in the third verse. “By the time that the firemen come / They just put out the flames and took down some names / And sent me to the county home / Now, I ain’t sayin’ it’s right or it’s wrong / But maybe it’s the only way / Talk about your revolution / It’s Independence Day.”

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McBride took home the CMA for Song of the Year in 1995, and 20 years later, the song is certified Platinum.

Keep scrolling for more personal facts from McBride — who stars on Max’s Second Chance Stage, which airs on Thursdays — including her most starstruck moment:

1. I love to take people to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. No matter how many times I’ve been, I always learn or see something new.

2. My mom’s pot roast recipe and mashed potatoes [with] gravy is my go-to comfort meal.

3. The song I’m proudest of is “Independence Day.” I’ve received so many letters and heard so many personal stories about how that song affected people and changed lives.

4. One of my favorite memories with my daughters is riding in the car to my eldest’s wedding while listening to music and laughing.

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5. Growing up on a dairy farm gave me a strong work ethic. I saw my parents and grandparents doing hard work, and as kids, we had chores too.

6. If I go to a picnic, I always bring a good book, my reading glasses and a bottle of my Luna & Finn Rosé wine.

7. My first car was a 1975 Dodge Dart. I bought it from my sister for $250.

8. I’ve always had a thing for Johns: I married a John [McBride], and my celebrity crushes when I was young were John Denver and John Schneider.

9. My alternate profession would be a farmer. I’d love to have a huge garden.

10. The most famous people in my phone are Steven Tyler and Gordon Ramsay.

11. Eighties rock songs always bring back the best memories.

12. English and creative writing were my best subjects.

13. Technically, my first job, besides [making] music, was cleaning offices once a week.

14. Any place by the water is my favorite place to vacation.

15. Linda Ronstadt and Pat Benatar were the musicians I looked up to growing up.

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16. The show I’m binge-watching right now is Shrinking.

17. I want to see the northern lights and take a trip on the Orient Express.

18. My favorite way to spend the weekend is at home, cooking, gardening, reading or just puttering around the house.

19. I’ve performed with Carole King, Don Henley, James Taylor, Bob Seger, George Strait, Wynonna Judd, Peter Frampton and Smokey Robinson. I’m always proud and humbled to be chosen to sing with my heroes.

20. Setting a relaxing mood goes a long way, so I like to build a fire or sit outside on the back porch, pour a glass of wine and light a candle to unwind. Cooking relaxes me too.

21. The app I use most is Instagram. I’m a little addicted.

22. My fondest childhood memories are riding bikes with my brother, riding the tractor with my dad and making lunch to take to my dad in the field during wheat harvest.

23. As a judge on Second Chance Stage, I was surprised by how inspiring it was to hear the contestants’ stories and the courage it took to put themselves out there.

24. My most starstruck moment was meeting Aretha Franklin. She mentioned my name from the stage, and I burst into tears. Then she asked if I’d come back to her dressing room. I couldn’t believe it.

25. One of my favorite movies
is The Wizard of Oz. I also saw Wicked, the movie, on opening night, and it was amazing!

When singer-songwriter Ashe stepped into the studio with Suki Waterhouse after a months-long hiatus from music and the spotlight, she wasn’t expecting to begin the process of her third studio album — but that’s exactly what happened.

“Suki Waterhouse came to Nashville to play Bonnaroo in 2023 and she asked me to write, and I said I really didn’t want to do it,” Ashe, 31, told Us Weekly while promoting her upcoming The Trilogy Tour. “But I told her, ‘I love you, and I think if you put your bar really low then we’ll have a good time.’”

Noting that she was struggling with insecurity and a lack of confidence after canceling her 2023 world tour for mental health reasons, Ashe told Us that the session with Waterhouse, 32, helped to reignite her love for her craft.

“I got there and the spark was lit again. I was like, ‘Oh man, not only does this bring me so much joy, but I’m good at this,’” she said. “I had that feeling that I’m really meant to make music for the longest time.”

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Flash forward one year and Willson — the final part of the musical trilogy that spells out the singer’s full name, preceded by Ashlyn (her debut, released in 2021) and Rae (2022) — is out for the world to hear, released by Ashe independently. Her collaboration with Waterhouse, the fruit of the magical songwriting session they shared last summer, “Pushing Daisies,” is also available.

Waterhouse is the latest in a line of successful collaborations for the Nashville-based singer-songwriter, including “Moral of the Story” with Niall Horan and “Till Forever Falls Apart” with Finneas. Ashe says the magic of these partnerships is “love and respect” — and it helps to build on a foundation of friendship, which was the case with both Waterhouse and Finneas.

As Ashe gets ready to hit the road once again — headlining for the first time since 2022 — she told Us she’s feeling “very hopeful and excited.”

“I’ve done so much therapy and work and put so much energy and time into becoming a healthy person so that I could do this again. So I’m really, really excited,” she said. “I’m just so grateful that there’s this audience that’s still stuck around and some new fans who are like, ‘Oh, let’s see what this is about.’”

Before taking the stage for The Trilogy Tour, which kicks off in Atlanta in May 2025, Ashe took Us backstage, sharing exclusive details about life on tour:

Pre-Show Ritual

At some point, I did this thing where I’d stand on my head, get all the blood to the top of my head for, like, a minute. And then somewhere along the line I stopped doing that, but I think I should bring that back on the next tour. It might be a little woo woo, but I kind of lost my ritual and I’m excited to start the tour and find them again.

I used to take a shot of tequila right before we went on stage, and now I’m like, “Let’s not do that anymore. Let’s go into this next tour as healthy as possible.”

Ideal Dressing Rooms Vibes

Some good Motown music. Not too loud, but a good vibe. I don’t like to be alone before I go on stage. I like to have my band with me and we all have pre-show handshakes before we go on stage. We each have our own secret handshake with each other.

[I don’t eat] much before a show, because you’re running around on stage for an hour and a half. I used to have pickles in the green room as my pre-show snack. Something about the vinegar is supposed to be good for your vocal cords — I don’t know why. I could be totally wrong but someone told me that at some point.

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Craziest Tour Experience

There was one time when fans were running up to the bus after the show and shaking the bus. That was pretty crazy —it wasn’t mid-concert, but it was pretty nuts. We just let ‘em finish — kind of like a toddler getting their energy out — and then they chilled out and the bus driver was like, “We’ve got to go.”

The only other thing I can think of is multiple times I’ve forgotten my mic before I go on stage and the intro is about to be over. There’s a video somewhere of me running backstage and my tour manager running backstage and we’re trying to find the microphone and we can’t find it. Eventually we found it, the show had started and I’m like, “Hello Detroit,” or whatever city we were in, but I was fully in the green room — the song had started and I had to run from backstage.

But I’m excited to have some new fun tour stories coming up!

Favorite Song to Perform Live

“Running Out of Time” is pretty fun. I’ve only done it once, at the Brooklyn Bowl one night only album release show. It was so fun. It was song one and I ran onto the stage and I was whipping my hair around. I remember thinking, “You’re going at 120 [percent] right now and this is a marathon. You still have an hour and a half.” So I remember halfway through that song dialing it back. So I’m excited to get comfortable with that song.

But there’s just something so special about “Till Forever Falls Apart.” It’s a fan favorite. The whole room is just, kind of, screaming. My audio engineer on that last headline tour said the decibel that we hit as a crowd in the room was as loud as a jet plane taking off. I was like, “That’s pretty powerful. That’s cool.” A room full of voices, and these were no bigger than 1,500 people singing a song as loud as a jet plane.

Ideal Afterparty

If all my friends ever could be there — just all my people that I love so much — that’s an ideal afterparty. [Charli XCX’s] Brat is on in the background.

My ideal afterparty is a scenario where it’s the last show of the tour so I can go all out and yell over the loud music and have a drink in my hand. There’s such a level of elite athleticism you have to step into if you want to be healthy on tour. So my ideal afterparty would be at the very end, where I could just lose my voice and have some drinks with all my friends.

Maybe there’s Christmas decorations everywhere, for no reason. It’s not even Christmas time. I’m such a Christmas goblin. [Ashe’s cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is out now.]

Jennie Garth has rubbed shoulders with many other celebrities in her decades-long acting career — but the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum says the most famous person in her phone actually ended up there by accident.

“The most famous person in my phone is Robert Pattinson,” Garth, 52, reveals exclusively in her 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature in the latest edition of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “Somehow, I ended up with my ex-husband’s [Peter Facinelli] phone contacts from when he was in Twilight.”

Garth was married to Facinelli — who starred as Carlisle Cullen alongside Pattinson in Twilight its subsequent sequels — from 2001 to 2012, and the pair share three daughters: Luca, 27, Lola, 22, and Fiona, 18.

Garth moved on with Dave Abrams, whom she married in 2015.

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For more personal facts from Garth — who hosts the “I Choose Me With Jennie Garth” podcast, available now on iHeartRadio — keep scrolling:

1. My favorite comfort meal is always vegan mac and cheese.

2. My secret talent is that I cut and groom my dogs’ hair.

3. My favorite movie is The Proposal.

4. Kelly Taylor’s babydoll dress and combat boots look in “A Song of Myself” [season 3, episode 7] will forever be my favorite outfit from Beverly Hills, 90210. It speaks for itself!

5. My first car was a convertible VW Rabbit in the color of “baby poop brown.”

6. The most famous person in my phone is Robert Pattinson. Somehow, I ended up with my ex-husband’s [Peter Facinelli] phone contacts from 10 years ago when he was in Twilight.

7. I met John Ritter backstage once and he did a pratfall for me. I’ve never been more starstruck.

8. I’m hosting my first “I Choose Me” women’s empowerment event on January 11, 2025, in Los Angeles and can’t wait for the opportunity to provide a welcoming and informative space for women to connect with each other about the topics we all care about.

9. My favorite book is The Four Agreements. It offers a simple framework for a peaceful and fulfilling life.

10. I love seeing my daughters wearing trends that I used to love. The ‘90s were the best. I love the iconic ‘90s slip dresses because of their versatility — they made you feel really dressed up, but then you could pair them with combat boots so you didn’t have to wear painful heels! I also loved choker necklaces. Let’s bring those back, they were so bold! The velvet or plastic chokers were a staple in the ‘90s. I love them. They were edgy somehow.

11. Klymaxx’s “Meeting in the Ladies Room” brings back the best memories.

12. My best subject in school was home economics because it felt like a natural extension of what I enjoyed doing at home. I loved to crochet and learned how to fix our own clothes when I was younger, so using a sewing machine in class was rewarding. I also loved baking and cooking with my mom, which made the cooking lessons in class so fun. It was great to have a class where I could build on the skills I already enjoyed and felt confident in!

13. Growing up, I looked up to Jessica Lange, who I loved in Tootsie. She can do it all, from dramatic to comedia, TV to film and theater.

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14. My proudest career moment was when I made the decision to pivot at the age of 50 and pursue the passions that I’ve always had.

15. My first job was teaching little girls how to tap dance.

16. Luke Perry was, and always will be, my celebrity crush.

17. I can’t leave the house without Perricone MD Lip Oil, my emotional support water bottle and snacks.

18. I’m currently binge-watching Breaking Bad — and this is my second time watching it! I’m also very into Love Is Blind right now.

19. I decompress by taking a very hot bath.

20. My fondest childhood memory is picking flowers with my dad in the woods.

21. The app I use the most is the calculator. Remember, my favorite subject in school was Home Ec!

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22. My favorite way to spend the weekend is at home with my husband and dogs and watering my garden.

23. I have to switch up my workouts constantly to stay motivated, but lately, I’ve been loving anything with lunges.

24. The one thing I learned this year that I’ll take into 2025 is to believe in and choose myself.

25. St. Lucia is my favorite vacation spot and I recently went with my family. It’s the perfect blend of stunning natural beauty, with lush rainforests. They have a vibrant culture and are so welcoming.

Darren Criss plays a robot in his new Broadway show, Maybe Happy Ending, but don’t be fooled: IRL he’s a real human being with nerves, excitement and a ton of stories from his experiences on stage throughout the years.

“There’s too many to count!” Criss, 37, reveals exclusively when asked what his craziest live show experience was in his Backstage Pass feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “Live theater is live theater. There’s so many things that have happened that I couldn’t possibly keep tabs on every single one.”

The Glee alum’s latest show, Maybe Happy Ending, opened on Broadway earlier this year following his successful runs in shows like Little Shop of Horrors, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. While anything can happen in a live production, Criss revealed that his craziest live show experience occurred during Little Shop.

“There was a heavy rainfall and there was a flood in the middle of the building and they had to evacuate within, like, 15 minutes of starting,” the Emmy winner recalled. “And we didn’t get to finish the show, and I was so upset for the people that came. So that was kind of a wild experience.”

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Keep scrolling for more behind-the-scenes stories from Criss, including how he calms his preshow nerves before he takes the stage at the Belasco Theatre for Maybe Happy Ending, which is now on Broadway:

Dressing Room Ritual

Honestly, I’m not really good at those. If anything, I just try not to eat close to [my] performance. That’s kind of a basic thing. There’s no real rituals. My dressing rooms are always pretty spartan. I don’t decorate it. I’m just there to do the work and celebrate a story.

I am trying to get better about warming up. The best actors do that and I’m a bad student. I really gotta get better at that. So, I aspirationally want to be somebody with a dressing room ritual.

Craziest Live Show Experience

There’s too many to count! Live theater is live theater. There’s so many things that have happened that I couldn’t possibly keep tabs on every single one.

I did have one experience when I was doing Little Shop of Horrors and there was a flood in the middle. There was a heavy rainfall and there was a flood in the middle of the building and they had to evacuate within, like, 15 minutes of starting. And we didn’t get to finish the show, and I was so upset for the people that came. So that was kind of a wild experience.

On Preshow Nerves

I think someone told me once that being nervous means you care. So that’s always good. I’m nervous, but not for the reasons you would think. It’s for the desire to really nail things.

Performers tend to make these arbitrary goalposts that you have to hit in order to feel good about a performance, but it’s a complete delusion. Those aren’t real. You know, every show, as long as you can hit 75 percent of the things you want to hit, usually that’s gonna be 100 percent of an experience for the audience.

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How to Calm Preshow Nerves

Do the show. You do the damn thing. There’s no such thing as being brave. It’s just doing the s— that you are nervous about. That is the act of being. You don’t become brave, you just do it. I think doing the art frees you of the nervousness of worrying about what the art’s gonna be.

Ideal Afterparty

A live band. I’ll probably go up and play with them whether they’d like me to or not. Good whiskey, fun people, late hours and a bit of jazz.

With reporting by Lexi Carson

Since Kelly Clarkson launched her “Kellyoke” segment of The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2019, fans and celebrities alike have begun to take notice of her ability to sing flawlessly in any genre.

A multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning artist, Clarkson brings her musical chops to her NBC talk show, opening up each episode with a rousing cover. From modern radio hits to timeless classics, Clarkson has already covered hundreds of songs on the show.

The covers have taken on a life of their own on social media, with Clarkson’s performance of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” racking up over 27 million views on TikTok and fan comments flooding cover videos with what they have dubbed “The Kelly Clarkson Effect”: when Clarkson performs a version of a song that is better than the original.

Trevor Noah even made light of the phenomenon at the 2024 Grammys, joking that if acceptance speeches were not kept short, “We’re gonna get Kelly Clarkson to cover one of your songs better than you ever could.”

Nevertheless, many artists have expressed their gratitude to Clarkson — or their fear of her talent — after she has put her own spin on their songs. Keep scrolling for some of the biggest stars’ best reactions to Clarkson covering their songs:

Between her new docuseries, her haircare brand, her acting career and being a mom to two kids, Tia Mowry has plenty keeping her busy — but the multihyphenate is ready to put everything on pause this holiday season to focus on family.

“We all live busy, hectic lives, but this is what I love most about the holidays. It’s a time where we all just stop and focus on what really matters, which is spending quality time with your loved ones,” Mowry, 46, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of Thanksgiving. “This is one of my favorite times of the year because it gives us time to be able to stop the grind and just get to spend time with people.”

The Tia Mowry: My Next Act star shared that she and her kids, Cree, 13, and Cairo, 6, will be spending the holiday with her brother, Tavior, and his family in Nashville.

“This is the first time we’re doing this,” she told Us. “Usually they all come to me. But this year I’m excited to be going to them.”

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Since she’s hitting the road this holiday season, Mowry has plenty of tips for other holiday travelers — especially those with children in tow.

“I like to think ahead,” Mowry said of her packing strategy. “Especially when you have kids, pack some stuff in case they get sick. [Pack] some Tylenol, just some medicine that you can have on hand. … It’s just part of having little kids around. So, think outside the box.”

Mowry also recommends utilizing packing cubes, noting that “the more organized you are, the better, especially when you’re traveling as a single mom or a mom in general.”

In addition to just-in-case medicine, Mowry makes sure she has everything she needs to keep her kids fed and entertained while traveling.

“Another tip would be making sure that the kids’ tablets are fully charged. Download all of their favorite movies so that when they’re on the plane, it can be an enjoyable experience,” she told Us. “[Also], pack their favorite snacks.”

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While she isn’t hosting this year, Mowry’s top tip for those entertaining this season is to take advantage of dishes that can be prepared ahead of time, like her No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake Bars, which she created in partnership with Karo Corn Syrup.

“For me, holidays are all about traditions, and it’s all about creating memories and experiences and passing traditions down,” Mowry shared. “I grew up drinking eggnog during the holidays … so to be able to pass down this tradition and put it into something such as these no-bake cheesecake bars that the kids can enjoy was really fulfilling and purposeful for me.”

Calling the bars practical, festive and fun, Mowry noted that the infusion of nutmeg “reminds me of family and laughter and warmth and Thanksgiving.”

Keep scrolling for her full recipe:

Tia Mowry’s No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

Gingersnap Crust

• 2½ cups gingersnap cookie crumbs, about 30 crushed cookies
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Karo Light Corn Syrup

Filling

• (1) 0.25 oz envelope unflavored gelatin
• ¼ cup cold water
• 2 (8 oz package) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup Karo Light Corn Syrup (plus 2 tablespoons for whipped cream topping)
• 1½ cup homemade eggnog (see recipe below or use store bought)
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups whipping cream

Homemade Eggnog

• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ¼ cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
• 1 cup whole milk, heated to almost boiling temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

For the Crust & Filling

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, dissolve the gelatin with ¼ cup cold water. Whisk until it begins to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the gingersnap crumbs, butter and Karo Light Corn Syrup. Mixture should be like coarse sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the 9×13-inch baking dish. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
3. By hand or with a stand mixer, whisk the cream cheese until smooth. Add granulated sugar, ½ cup Karo Light Corn Syrup, cooled gelatin, eggnog, rum extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix together until well combined with the mixer. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, add the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons Karo Light Corn Syrup; whisk until stiff peaks form. Reserve 1 cup of whipped cream for topping and fold in remaining whipped cream into the cream-cheese mixture.
5. Evenly spread the cheesecake filling over the top of the chilled crust. Cover and chill the cheesecake for at least 4–6 hours or overnight.
6. Cut into square bars, pipe fresh whipped cream on top of each bar and sprinkle with more nutmeg. Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5–7 days.

For the Homemade Eggnog

1. Add eggs and Karo Light Corn Syrup to a high-speed blender. Blend on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Slowly pour in ½ cup of hot milk and continue blending for 30 seconds.
2. Add remaining whole milk, heavy cream, extract and spices and blend for 30 seconds.
3. Pour into a container and place in the refrigerator to chill. Keep in an airtight container for 7 days in the refrigerator.

When Dance Moms alum Nia Sioux’s boyfriend sat her down for a serious conversation at the beginning of their relationship, the last thing she was expecting was to hear that he was a fan of the show. Yet, that’s exactly what Gabriel Hawkins, a student at UCLA at the time alongside Sioux, 23, had to get off his chest.

“It was so funny because we hadn’t made things official yet,” Sioux told Us Weekly exclusively on Tuesday, November 19. “He sat me down and he was like, ‘OK, I have to tell you something.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ That can go a million ways. And he was like, ‘I just need to let you know I know who you are. I grew up watching you.’”

She continued: “He said that he and his mom actually watched the show, and that was their guilty pleasure when he was growing up. And he said that my mom was his favorite on the show, and I was his favorite girl. And he had a crush on me growing up.”

Hawkins’ confession didn’t scare her away, though: the pair are both college alums now and are nearing their third anniversary. Sioux said that Hawkins, also 23, jokes that he gets to date his “celebrity crush,” which she finds “so cute.”

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“To be able to date someone who knew who I was and knows my upbringing and background and isn’t a weirdo, it’s really sweet,” Sioux shared. “I don’t really have to explain anything to him because he knows what I went through.”

Sioux appeared on Dance Moms — a Lifetime reality TV series that followed the tumultuous relationships between young dancers, their notoriously strict teacher Abby Lee Miller and their mothers — alongside her mom, Dr. Holly Hatcher-Frazier, from 2011 to 2017.

What Sioux finds the most funny is that Hawkins was more nervous to meet her mom than he was to meet her.

“He was so nervous,” she recalled. “But now they’re besties. Seriously. He calls her all the time. She checks in on him. We all go to Disney all the time together and it’s really, really sweet.”

Following her time on Dance Moms, Sioux enrolled in college at UCLA to study American Literature and Culture — “It makes me well-rounded, and I’m a learner. I love taking classes. I love improving myself.… Knowledge is power,” she said of her decision to get her degree — which is where she met Hawkins.

“We actually met in a [Communications] class and he was a Comm major,” Sioux told Us. “We were friends at first, and then a little while after, we started dating, and he’s been my best friend ever since.”

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While she said she “wasn’t looking for a relationship” in college, deciding to focus on herself instead, “it felt really natural and it felt right.”

As for her relationship with dance, Sioux joined a dance team at UCLA that allowed her to embrace the art form for fun, which she called “healing.” While she’s grateful for her time on the show, she chose to opt out of the recent Dance Moms reunion in May 2024.

“It didn’t feel like the right thing for me at that time,” Sioux told Us of her decision. “I love the girls that I grew up with. My O.G. girls, they’re the best. And I think the world of them. So nothing against them or anything personally, it was a little too much for me to do. And it was something that I just didn’t feel like I needed to be there.”

She continued: “I’m really happy that the girls who went were able to have their closure and talk on their terms, and I hope that that was healing for them.”

After decades in Los Angeles, comedian Tom Green traded in the glitz and glamour of the city for farm life in Canada, where he grew up — and he’s happier than ever.

“After a hectic day, I decompress by being outside in nature with my dog, or riding my mule, Fanny,” Green, 53, revealed exclusively in his 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “Lately, I have been cutting trails in the forest on my property to ride deeper into the wilderness. I love the peace and quiet of being alone in nature.”

Hanging out with Fanny provides a good workout too, according to the Tom Green Show alum.

“Riding my mule, Fanny, has been a great source of exercise,” he shared. “She is a big mule, a very large and majestic mare!”

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Green details his life on the land on his YouTube channel, where he makes short films from the farm.

Things won’t stay quiet for Green for too long, though, as the next few months hold exciting new ventures, including his This Is the Tom Green Documentary, his Tom Green I Got A Mule! comedy special taped at The National Arts Centre in Ottawa and Tom Green Country, his four-part docuseries, all of which premiere on Prime Video in January 2025.

Keep scrolling for more fun stories from Green, including his favorite moment from The Tom Green Show:

1. My first car was a Ford LTD that belonged to my parents. It would stall at every stop sign unless I shifted into neutral and kept my foot on the gas.

2. Miss Piggy from The Muppet Show was my celebrity crush growing up.

3. I’ve been writing and recording country songs. I’ve always had a passion for music, but over the last few years, I also started to work on my guitar and piano playing as well as writing some new songs.

4. The proudest moments of my career were when I guest-hosted Late Show With David Letterman and hosted Saturday Night Live. I always dreamt of being on both of those shows.

5. Jaws is my favorite movie.

6. My go-to karaoke song is “Space Oddity” by David Bowie. Ground control to Major Tom!

7. My first job was working at Dairy Queen. I make the best peanut butter parfaits — the trick is extra fudge!

8. One of my favorite places in the world is beautiful Costa Rica.

9. The TV series I’m binge-watching right now are Prime Video’s The Tragically Hip docuseries and my new show — Tom Green Country — coming in January!

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10. My fondest childhood memory is when I caught two five-pound largemouth bass while fishing with my dad.

11. A Big Mac, McChicken, fries and a Coke is my typical fast-food order.

12. My favorite meal to cook is barbecued steak, made on the charcoal grill.

13. The app I use the most is YouTube. I’ve been enjoying making short films from the farm for my YouTube channel.

14. My favorite moment from The Tom Green Show was when I pranked my parents by painting their house and their car. It was before social media and prank television took over. People watching the stunts back in the ’90s — before the show premiered on MTV — couldn’t believe what they were seeing. We had some laughs!

15. My favorite item in my wardrobe is my boots.

16. Lately, I’ve been cutting trails in the forest on my property to ride deeper into the wilderness. I love the peace and quiet of being alone in nature.

17. Riding my mule, Fanny, has been a great source of exercise. She’s a majestic mare.

18. Three items I can’t leave the house without are my phone, wallet and pants.

19. In school, I always did well in the public speaking competitions in English class. However, math was not fun for me. Don’t ask me to do long division — it won’t be pretty.

20. I collect old coins and I don’t know why.

21. Norm Macdonald was always my favorite stand-up comedian. I discovered him live in the comedy club when he was young and before he was famous. He was the greatest thing I had ever seen and made me want to become a stand-up comedian.

22. Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” brings back the best memories. I feel fortunate to have grown up listening to great Canadian music, like Bryan Adams, The Tragically Hip, Neil Young and Rush.

23. I love photography, and if I could do that full-time in another life, I would.

24. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is my favorite book.

25. Going to the pyramids, discovering
a lost civilization in Antarctica and performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City are on my bucket list.

From Waitress to The Notebook and even Mean Girls — whose screen-to-stage adaptation was then adapted into a movie musical earlier this year — Broadway is no stranger to drawing on iconic films for stage productions.

Elf: The Musical is the latest in this long line of silver screen-to-Broadway adaptations. While the show shares characters, a story arc and even dialogue with the 2003 holiday movie that stars Will Ferrell — as much as he looks and sounds like the comedian, Buddy the Elf is, in fact, played by Mean Girls alum Grey Henson in the show — the new musical differs from the film in a few key ways.

“It’s really important to remember that the mediums are very different for a reason,” Sara Bareilles — who scored the Broadway adaptation of Waitress, which premiered on stage in 2015 — told Us Weekly exclusively while supporting the opening night of Elf: The Musical at the Marquis Theatre on November 17, 2024. “One of the things we discovered in adapting Waitress was that things that we had to not be precious. You have to give some breathing room from exactly what happened in the movie in order to make it work on stage.”

The most prominent difference between the Broadway show and the film is that it’s a musical, featuring a score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin. The story also differs with a few key elements: most notably, that the show is narrated by Santa Claus (played by Sean Astin) rather than Papa Elf.

‘Elf’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Below, the cast of Elf: The Musical — on Broadway now until January 4, 2025 — tells Us how they drew from the film’s characters in their performances and how they think the musical’s story differs from the original beloved holiday classic:

Grey Henson as Buddy the Elf

With a tall, stocky frame reaching over 6 feet, curly, ginger-tinted hair and a childlike charm suited perfectly for Buddy the Elf, Henson, 34, certainly bears a strong resemblance to his character’s film counterpart, Ferrell.

“Someone told me 10 years ago that I would be the perfect Buddy the Elf in a musical, so it’s always been in the back of my mind,” Henson told Us on opening night. “This might be the best and only role I should ever play.”

Henson shared that while he didn’t directly study Ferrell’s performance to inform his own interpretation of Buddy, the comedian’s influence was inevitable.

“[Will’s] performance is so deeply injected into my veins because I know the movie so well, as we all do, so I don’t even have to think of the performance to let it inspire what I do with it,” he shared. “But what’s so special about doing adaptations of shows is that it’s inevitable that you’re going to do it differently because I’m a different person. … You can’t escape being authentic.”

Kayla Davion as Jovie

Jovie, Buddy’s romantic interest in the story, was first played by Zooey Deschanel in the film — which leaves some big shoes to fill. But Kayla Davion was up for the challenge — and ready to infuse her own personality into the role.

“What drove me to this project was the text. It doesn’t give a classical musical theater vibe. There’s nuance to it. It’s elevated,” she told Us at the opening. “I knew that I would be able to play Jovie as myself, which is the most important to me, especially as a Black woman stepping into the role that you haven’t seen typically as a Black woman. So, I wanted to make sure that the text would actually fit me. And it does! I love it.”

While the two Jovies certainly differ, Davion said that the heart of the performance staying the same is all that matters.

“It’s understanding that the foundation is built on love and it’s about finding love and what that means to you,” she said. “In terms of myself, I have different comedic timing than [Zooey] does. Which is beautiful. I love being able to step into the role and use my comedic timing, knowing that that’s OK.”

While she has never met Deschanel in person, Davion said it “would be so amazing” if she did: “Tell her I say, ‘Hit me up’ please!”

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Michael Hayden as Walter Hobbs

As the grumpy, work-obsessed father who learns to believe in Christmas spirit, Walter Hobbs is a big part of the heart of the story. While Michael Hayden, who takes on the role in the musical, acknowledges that some aspects of his character had to be changed for the stage, he still took inspiration from the late James Caan’s performance in the film.

“James Caan performs him very well in the film, but this is a stage musical, so there has to be a bit more scope to the character,” Hayden told Us. “I think they’ve done that, but they haven’t lost the essential humanness and that edgy, frustrated [man] who comes kicking and screaming to his heart opening up at the end, and that’s a lot of fun to do.”

Ashley Brown as Emily Hobbs

“There’s definitely the essence of the movie that everybody knows and loves, and I think that’s what makes it special is that everybody is getting what they want,” Ashley Brown, who plays Emily Hobbs, a role originated by Mary Steenburgen in the film, told Us. “They want to see the story they know, but the lines they’ve added [and] the music just puts even more heart into it.”

She continued: “Of course, it’s silly and funny and we all love it so much, but I think the music and all of the dancing and everything adds more heart.”

Kalen Allen as Store Manager

With a Christmas album (Christmas Memories), a Netflix Christmas movie (Meet Me Next Christmas) and now, Elf: The Musical, Kalen Allen might be the biggest Christmas fan in the cast. While the iconic Central Park scene in the movie — where Santa’s sleigh is finally able to fly thanks to Christmas spirit — can’t be replicated in the exact same way for the stage, Allen thinks the musical’s interpretation of that scene is just as magical.

“It does not matter how many times I’ve watched that movie, at the end, when the sleigh flies over them, I burst into tears,” Allen, who takes on the role as the Macy’s store manager in the musical, told Us on opening night. “In our show, there’s a moment very similar at the end, and I watch the kids react and even the adults and see so much wonder in their faces. There’s nothing like it.”

Two decades ago, Sean Astin ran into legendary filmmaker Jon Favreau — who costarred with him in Rudy — on a plane. At the time, Favreau, 58, was shooting what would become one of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time: Elf. Flash forward 21 years, and Astin, 53, is making his Broadway debut in the musical based on that movie.

“He looked tired on the plane. I remember saying, ‘How are you doing?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, I’m doing this thing, Elf,’ and I was like, ‘OK,’” Astin told Us Weekly exclusively at the opening night of Elf: The Musical at the Marquis Theatre on Sunday, November 17. “Then, 10 seconds later, it is an absolute staple in our house and in everyone’s house. We watch it twice a year.”

The musical originally opened on Broadway in 2010 with a brief revival from 2012 through 2013. After a highly successful run in the West End, Elf: The Musical returned to Broadway with Mean Girls alum Grey Henson at the helm, playing Buddy the Elf. In addition to Astin as Santa Claus, Kayla Davion holds a supporting role as Jovie, along with Ashley Brown as Emily, Kalen Allen as Store Manager and Michael Hayden as Walter.

His fated run-in with Favreau was not Astin’s only full-circle moment when it comes to the classic Christmas comedy.

“I feel like I was made for Christmas… my schmaltzy, hyper-emotional, family man vibe,” he added, noting that while he plays Santa in the musical he sees similarities between himself and the protagonist, Buddy the Elf.

‘Elf’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

“I live my life with my heart on my sleeve. I don’t know how not to be like that. I think that’s what Christmas is. And that’s what Buddy is. His joy is bursting out of his skin,” Astin told Us. “I’ve, several times, said that, ‘This is actually my story. I am Buddy. I behave like Buddy.’”

The Lord of the Rings star added that he resonates with Buddy’s journey to find his biological father, as Astin himself learned at age 14 that while he had grown up calling John Astin “dad,” his biological father was actually Michael Tell.

“It’s magical. This place is magical,” Astin added about finding his way to Elf: The Musical.

As Astin embarks on this new chapter on Broadway, one of his other iconic projects, Stranger Things, is coming to a close.

Astin portrayed Bob Newby, a love interest of Winona Ryder’s Joyce Byers, in season 2 of the Netflix series — until his character’s untimely death at the end of the season.

“I was only supposed to last, like, two or three episodes,” Astin revealed. “When we started shooting it, the very first scene I’m in, Will and his brother are sitting on the bed, and he’s feeling like everyone is treating him badly, and I walk in. The audience doesn’t know anything about a stepdad in their life or anything, and the brothers say, ‘Do you want to be Billy Idol or do you want to be Kenny Rogers?’ and I walk in and I go, ‘Kenny Rogers? I love Kenny Rogers!’”

He continued: “When I said that, something went through me and it went through them… It was like, ‘Oh my gosh. [He’s] that spirit who can make Joyce happy.’”

David Harbour Calls Stranger Things' Season 5 Finale the Show's 'Best Episode'

While his character’s arc concluded at the end of season 2, Stranger Things released a total of four seasons, with the fifth and final season expected next year.

“I’m proud of them. Good for them,” Astin said of the series concluding. “I think the kids are all grown ups now. It’s gonna be on Broadway!”