Here, Take This, I Love You: Chapter 8
Kicking off the new year with a signed Joan of Arcadia script.
Darklings,
In the early 2000s, I was cast as the title character in a CBS drama called Joan of Arcadia. It was the first major role I was cast in after spending many years on a soap opera as a kid, and it would change the rest of my life. The show centers around sixteen-year-old Joan Girardi who one day meets someone who calls himself God, a shape-shifting deity that shows up in the form of different people from episode to episode, always with a task for Joan to perform—a task that always yields some life-changing lesson.
While the show was canceled after only two seasons, it was a huge critical success thanks to creator Barbara Hall’s non-denominational, razor-sharp writing, touching on themes of spirituality, grief, loss, and humanity. It was also a huge success because of its cast—Mary Steenburgen played my mother and Joe Mantegna, my father; my brothers were played by Jason Ritter and Michael Welch, and the cast was rounded out by amazing supporting actors like Becky Wahlstrom, Chris Marquette, Mageina Tovah, and many more.
The role of Joan would earn me a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for Best Actress, and even though the show was canceled prematurely, it remains a cherished cult classic for many. Twenty years after it originally aired, people still come up to me to tell me about the personal significance of the series: how they watched it with their grandmother who has since passed away and how it reminds them of her, or how they’ve used it to teach their child a big life lesson or broach a tough topic. Fans of Joan of Arcadia seem to appreciate the show beyond its sheer entertainment value; they so often look at how a storyline impacted their own lives and beyond, like a ripple effect that left the screen and went out into the world to maybe make it a better place. (Speaking of ripple effects, that was the theme of one of my personal favorite episodes from season one, “Jump.”)
This month’s HTTILY giveaway is a signed copy of the Joan of Arcadia pilot script, complete with signatures from Mary, Joe, Jason, Michael, and me. I’ll even personalize it for whoever our lucky HTTILY winner is.
Do you have a favorite Joan of Arcadia episode? Let me know in the comments!
NOTE: Please review the full eligibility details, rules, and info below. All Paid, Founding, and Gift subscription recipients that have subscribed anytime before Friday, Jan. 19, 2024 at 5pm ET will be automatically entered into the Chapter 8 giveaway.
