S4E06: Andy Tennant – When You Finally Meet Yourself

Andy Tennant, screenwriter, actor, and film and television director, experienced a profound rebirth during his week at the Hoffman Process. Listen in as Andy speaks with Drew about his Process and working in Hollywood as a director and writer.

Everyone who does the Process works with their relationship with their parents. From the start of his Process, it was clear that a part of Andy’s Process would also be to work with his relationship with his sister.

Andy calls his week at the Process “revelatory.” He shares with us the power of the expressive, cathartic work of the Process. For Andy, the opportunity to express what had long been stored in his body was a great gift. He felt so much relief from releasing the grief, shame, anger, and more. Andy was able to forgive his father – something he never thought he would be able to do.

Andy offers that the Process is like “going back into the womb.” He shares that his healing wasn’t like a lightning bolt but rather more like a soufflé in its lightness. As Andy talks about his life post-Process, he says he is more open to embracing his mortality and feels lucky and lighter.

More about Andy Tennant:

A native of Chicago, Andy studied theatre at USC. His first job in the business was as a dancer named Artie in the blockbuster musical, “Grease.” He followed that by directing hit television shows, “The Wonder Years” and “Sliders.”

Andy has directed some of the most successful romantic comedies of all time. These include “Hitch,” starring Will Smith and Kevin James; “Sweet Home Alabama,” starring Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas. Prior to that, he co-wrote and directed the romantic fable “Ever After,” with Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston. He then directed the epic drama “Anna and the King,” starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat.

Andy’s last two action comedies, “Fool’s Gold,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, which he co-wrote, and “The Bounty Hunter,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, brought his total worldwide box office to over a billion dollars. His latest feature, ‘The Secret,’ based on Rhonda Byrne’s international best-seller, starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas, began streaming on Amazon Prime in July 2020. For the last three years, Tennant has been directing and producing Chuck Lorre’s hit Netflix comedy, ‘The Kominsky Method,’ starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin.

Andy lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children, three of whom are triplets.

As mentioned in this episode:

The Uses of Enchantment: Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, by Bruno Bettelheim

Preston Sturges: American playwright, screenwriter, and film director who wrote Sullivan’s Travels and other Great Depression Comedies.

Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey

The Berlin Film Festival & Hitch

Daily Gratitude and Appreciation Practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram

The death of Andy’s friend, Bob Saget