Once Upon A Time’s Jennifer Morrison 

Actress Jennifer Morrison is a great example of all things balance. While she works out six days a week, she also doesn’t do a 

 dinner without some sort of pasta. We caught up with the 

Once Upon a Time Actress at Danny Meyer’s new spot, Porchlight, for workout routines, red carpet mainstays and the Instagram accounts she can’t live without…

From start to finish, what would be your ideal food day? 

An ideal healthy food day would be yogurt for breakfast, fruits and vegetables with a salad for lunch, and then fish and veggies for dinner. Although, if I didn’t have to eat healthy, and ideal day of food would be pasta and pizza.

I try to be sure to take time to myself to read and write, and go on little creative adventures. I do a lot of hot yoga, and I am also very careful to take good care of my body. I eat healthy, drink tons of water, and I work out six days a week. I rotates between Barry’s Bootcamp, hot yoga, running and cycling. For me, it’s about just doing something everyday!

What are your morning and nightly beauty routines? 

I guess as an actor, it is a very lucky thing that it is someone else’s job to put me together in the morning. At night, I wash my face with KohGenDo face wash, and then I use Fenix moisturizer. I often take a salt bath before bed as well. I don’t overdo it with products. My skin responds better to less is more.

How do you always start your day? What do you eat?  

I wake up about two hours before I need to be anywhere. I walk my dog, and have some coffee. I sit down to more coffee and some yogurt and I write for about thirty to forty-five minutes. Then I usually run or do yoga, and then I shower and start my day.

There are so many memorable and wonderful moments. I would definitely say working with Barbara Hershey was a highlight. She has always been an actor that I have looked up to and admired.

Something we don’t know about a few of your cast members…

Well, that’s what secrets are for, right?  Honestly, it is a wonderful cast. Everyone is very open. What you see is what you get.

It’s hard to say that I have go to designers. I feel like I love so many of them. I love Valentino and Chanel, but those are rare to get to wear. I love ETRO, Oscar de la Renta, Avion (as of late), The Row, Frank Ka, Kate Spade, Alexander McQueen, Alice and Olivia, Carven, Emilia Wickstead, Giambatista Valli, Reem Acra and Philip Lim.

Sunday is usually my cheat meal, so some sort of pasta. Spaghetti Bolognese is always a favorite.

What do you always put out when hosting a dinner party? What do you always bring to one as a guest? 

I always bring red wine as a guest, and my house parties always have this dip I have been making since college. It is so simple but people love it, and guests always ask for it if I don’t happen to put it out. I put a thin layer of cream cheese spread across the whole bottom of a dish and then pour salsa over the top. I put Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips with that and people are addicted for life.

3. A Chanel purse (I have made a deal with myself that I cannot get one until I pay off my LA house!)

Advice you’d give your younger self…

Don’t take life too seriously. Have more fun.

@nakedplanet, @drawbertson (inspired me to get into water colors), and @jamiejchung (Always great fashion ideas…I love her style).

What are your favorite cities for food? What restaurants do you go to in each? 

New York City is hands down my favorite city for food. I could never name all of my favorites, but several constants are: ABC Kitchen, Supper, The Smile, Cookshop, Craft, Gemma, Gramercy Tavern, Cipriani, and Babbo.

In the same vein as what is the new black in fashion, what’s the new potato right now?

Aggressively trying something new every year. Last year it was learning guitar. I am still pretty bad at it, but I love it.  This year I am determined to learn to horseback ride in Vancouver. So my theoretical new potato is horseback riding.  I’ll keep you posted on that.

*Jennifer Morrison, photographed at Porchlight in New York, NY by Danielle Kosann. Jennifer wears a Reem Acra dress.

If you liked reading about Jennifer, read these interviews with Gillian Jacobs, Rose McIver and Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt. 

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Wow, smart, beautiful and so down to earth. Always wondered how she keeps that amazing body. Now we know how hard she works at it!

Jen, we want to see your horseback ride photos on Instagram!

Amazing and very inspirational to get by with a healthier carefree lifestyle, going to try the tortilla chip cream cheese dip…

Jennifer is extremely pretty, i love her character on ouat

she’s so bloody gorgeous, definitely my girl crush, been for years. smart and nice.

Jennifer Morrison is my biggiest idols and I love her so much. This interview was amazing.

Actual goddess. Anyone who says a bad word about this woman is a liar or has never had the pleasure of meeting her.

well she is a lovely lady and a fantastic actress, but that was an incredibly blend interview. What kind of meaningless pointless questions were those? What do you bring to a dinner party? Could you get anymore superficial than that? I mean, I guess you can’t get too deep in a little thousand word interview. I actually was interested in learning something about her, but maybe I’m just not familiar with “the new potato”. I’ll leave future readings for people that like their potatos tasteless. Jennifer, I hope they at least bought you lunch after wasting your time.

So many reasons to love her! She’s beautiful on the inside as well as the outside! A true role mode. We love you, Jen!

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