The Reach Out: Stephanie Allynne
When she isn't acting, writing, directing, or improvising with Wild Horses, comedian Stephanie Allynne likes to run, walk, and play basketball. Does she still have time to be a coach?
Stephanie Allynne is a comedian, actor, writer, and director. She is a part of Wild Horses, an improv group that performs (and streams) live monthly shows from the Dynasty Typewriter Theatre in Los Angeles.
The Wild Horses podcast has featured special guests like Conan O'Brien, Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Coolidge, Tiffany Haddish, Megan Mullalley, and Melanie Lynskey.
Allynne wrote and co-starred in the television series One Mississippi with her wife, Tig Notaro, and has appeared in The L Word, The League, Twin Peaks, The Mindy Project, Happy Endings, 2 Broke Girls, Kroll Show, and Key & Peele.
Her film appearances include In A World, People Places Things, and the documentary The Pistol Shrimps. Allynne is co-writing and producing a Netflix feature film, First Ladies, starring Jennifer Aniston and Notaro.
Allynne and Notaro co-directed the upcoming HBO Max film AM I OK? Allynne also wrote — and will direct — Time and Space, with Judd Apatow producing.
I reached out to Stephanie Allynne to find out how she stays active while juggling a busy career and family life.
As a comedian, writer, actor, director, and mom, is regular exercise a priority for you?
Those things alone keep me pretty active. I have five and a half year-old twins who love sports, so I’m pretty active around the clock. I feel like our house could pass as an athletic training facility.
Did your exercise habits change during the pandemic?
I’m a naturally active person. I wake up daily with an immense amount of energy and actually drink coffee to calm down. So when the pandemic hit, it was a massive adjustment to just stay home. I still wore jeans at home, as I couldn’t bring myself to feel “comfortable” in sweatpants.
If you catch me in sweatpants, just know that I’m probably having medical issues or all my clothes burned in a fire.
I did take a walk every day during lockdown and was able to reconnect with nature in a way that was missing pre-pandemic. Our kids were also home from school for over a year and thus began the Grand Opening of the aforementioned athletic facility. We played baseball, basketball, and football on a daily basis, and this is when I started my new job as coach.
Does being active help you with creativity and coming up with new ideas?
Definitely. It’s amazing the things that hit you while exercising or just moving your body. Before I write a script, I try to think the whole thing out and almost watch the movie in my head before I begin writing. So taking a walk or exercising solo, where my mind is calm and clear, is extremely helpful.
What motivates you to keep active and exercise regularly?
I grew up playing sports and played competitively all through school. I now play on a basketball team in Los Angeles called The Pistol Shrimps, which is one of my favorite things to do. I’m very interested in being in alignment with my body and maintaining a balance of mind, body, and soul. If my body feels off, everything feels off.
Do you wear an Apple watch or FitBit to remind you to step it up?
Well, I don’t have any of those things and I think I would find them annoying. I tend to lean a little more hippy-dippy and go with how I’m feeling, and I listen to my body. But I also probably go more extreme than necessary sometimes, so if I did have one of those gadgets, I’d likely need it to tell me to stop and go watch TV.
When exercising, do you listen to podcasts or music?
When I run, I definitely like to listen to music — and pop music, in particular. If I’m running and listening to music, it’s a very fun, energetic party of one. Aside from running, I prefer silence when I exercise and to just think and be alone with myself. That aloneness always feels very powerful to me.
Is there a sport or fitness activity that you think you might like to try?
I tried to join a sailing club before the pandemic and then everything shut down, so I’m hoping to possibly do so this summer. I have zero interest in going out to sea in the open open waters, but I would love to sail along coastlines where I can still see land. And, you know, be able to swim to safety when the boat capsizes.
Squeezing sailing into her schedule might not be easy, but in her newly anointed position as coach, I believe Stephanie Allynne would be up to the challenge! I also think that there is no better name for a team than The Pistol Shrimps.😄
Thank you, @StephAllynne
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