Saying goodbye to “Parenthood” hasn’t been easy for Monica Potter or the show’s fans.
After six seasons, only two new episodes are yet to air of the NBC drama.
“It’s been so hard not to spill the beans because people at like Ralph’s or Trader Joe’s are like, first of all, they’re very upset and we’re all very sad and upset,” she told Kit Hoover and guest co-host Holly Robinson Peete on Access Hollywood Live on Wednesday. “I have to say when I read the last two episodes, I couldn’t turn the pages and I don’t cry that much in real life like Kristina does, but I couldn’t breathe, I was sobbing and people, you know, will be very sad, but there is closure, but life goes on.”
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The lines became blurred between her personal family and work family.
“I watch my kids grow – my three Danny, Liam and Molly grow – with [the kids on set] and you know now we’re all sort of intermingled as a big family and watching them grow together it’s so incredible, it’s so touching,” she said.
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Monica’s also grown attached to the Braverman patriarch played by Craig T. Nelson.
“I love him so much and he’s like my second dad. You know, I just texted him last week. He’s in Hawaii. He’s like, ‘I miss you kiddo,'” she said of her onscreen father-in-law.
The actress has learned a lot from her fictional son Max’s – played by actor Max Burkholder – diagnosis with Asperger’s syndrome.
“He’s ridiculous and he’s the best kid in real life too,” she praised. “He’s just this amazing actor. You know he doesn’t have autism, Asperger’s in real life. But, the way that he can emote and the way that he can act it’s just so touching and so many people have related to the storyline.”
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Monica isn’t leaving the show behind empty handed. Besides memories, she’s taking some keepsakes from the set.
“My whole garage is filled now. I took the knocker, the door knocker, the firefly and it is now on my front door,” she confessed.
Also on Wednesday’s show, the star shared fond memories of working with the late, great actors Robin Williams and Philip Seymour Hoffman from their time together filming 1998’s “Patch Adams.”
“How quiet [Robin] was with us sometimes. He was very introspective. He wasn’t always a showman and just that time working with him and that whole team on ‘Patch Adams.’ We also lost Phil Hoffman in the same year last year,” she recalled. “It’s more about him as a human being than an actor or, you know, someone that makes people laugh. He was a wonderful humanitarian and just a wonderful person.”
Get your tissues ready when “Parenthood” airs on Thursday at 10/9c on NBC.
— Paige Feigenbaum
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