ARDEN MYRIN ON FREE BERT, CHOOSING JOY, AND STEPPING INTO HER MOMENT
With Netflix’s Free Bert, she’s stepping into a moment defined not by arrival, but by alignment, shaped by patience, humor, and heart.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELISABETH CAREN
“IT WAS A GIFT. ALL OF THE LOSS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PEOPLE PLEASE ANYMORE. MY BODY WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO GO AGAINST MYSELF.”
ARDEN MYRIN, ACTRESS AND COMEDIAN
Arden Myrin didn’t arrive here by accident. She arrived by listening. To her instincts. To her humor. To the quiet voice that said life could be lighter, even after grief, even after disappointment, even after years of waiting for your turn.
For a long time, Arden was the woman you recognized everywhere. A scene-stealer. A familiar face. The friend, the sister, the character who made you laugh and then lingered in your mind longer than expected. She worked steadily, joyfully, and honestly through Friends, Grey’s Anatomy, Shameless, Insecure, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, MADtv, and more, building a career not on shortcuts, but on showing up as herself again and again.
Now, with Netflix’s Free Bert, Arden steps into her first true leading-lady role, starring opposite Bert Kreischer as his wife. It’s a milestone, yes. Second on the call sheet and front and center. But more than that, it reflects something deeper. This isn’t a breakout moment. It’s a claiming moment. A woman finally standing where she always belonged, without apology or performance. What makes Arden’s rise resonate isn’t just timing. It’s intention. She has lived enough life to know that success without joy is hollow, and laughter without truth doesn’t last. She has written about grief. She has spoken openly about loss. She has chosen to enjoy her life on purpose. To build a home that delights her. To stop ghosting herself. To let pleasure, honesty, and ease take up space.
In a world that rushes women or quietly sidelines them, Arden Myrin offers something radical. Permission. Permission to take your time. Permission to be funny and deep. Permission to choose joy without needing to justify it. Her comedy isn’t an escape from life. It’s a way back to it.
We believe luxury isn’t about excess. It’s about alignment. About living with intention. About choosing yourself again and again. Arden’s story lives at that intersection, where laughter meets healing, where timing meets trust, and where a woman stops waiting for the moment and realizes she is the moment. She sits with us to talk about comedy, grief, joy, choosing yourself, and what it really means to live a life that feels good from the inside out.
“I BELIEVE AS A DIRECT RESULT OF ALL OF THE LOSS I HAD, I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER OR MORE WELL BALANCED. MY LIFE RIGHT NOW IS BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS.”
In the intro to this moment of your life, we talk about listening. When did you first learn to trust that quiet voice inside you, especially when the outside world was louder?
I really believe it just takes one person who believes in you to help launch you as a child. It does not have to be a family member. I am lucky that my person happened to be my mother, JJ. She always told me to “protect my magic.” In other words, if someone did not understand me, I would just cross to the other side of the street. My father was quite the opposite of her and was very dismissive. As an adult, some of his cruel words stayed with me. Both of them died right before the pandemic, and then my marriage ended right at the start of the pandemic. I think having so much loss, I was at a crossroads — I just thought my mom didn’t raise me to just go to bed forever and throw the towel in on myself. It was a gift — all of the loss made it impossible for me to people-please anymore. My body would not allow me to go against myself. So I just started listening to the small whispers and the gut feeling of what felt good, right, interesting, joyful, safe, and fun. I had a friend who said to me, “What if all of this is happening for you and not against you? What if this is for your greater good?” I believe as a direct result of all of the loss I had, I have never been happier or more well-balanced. My life right now is beyond my wildest dreams.
With Free Bert, you’re stepping into a leading-lady role for the first time. What about this project made it feel like the right moment to say yes?
I feel very strong, grounded, and joyful to be ready to hold my own. I am playing the fictional version of Bert’s real-life wife, Leeann, whom I had never met but grew to love so much. She reminds me so much of my own mom. My family was unconventional — my parents married on a dare and stayed married for 50 years until the end. I just felt like if you were in love with Bert, you would love everything about him and be delighted by him, not try to rein him in. So throughout the audition process and filming, I always just tried to be on his side as his wife and not try to control him or scold him. I watched a lot of my favorite leading ladies prepare for their roles — Teri Garr in Tootsie, Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham, and Holly Hunter in Broadcast News. All things Laura Dern! I always try to lead with humanity, softness, and strength.
This isn’t your first time being seen, but it is a new level of visibility. How does it feel to step into that now, at this stage of your life and career?
It’s about time! She’s ready! What the heck took so long? Hahaha. I don’t know if it is because I have a high voice or because I can be a little quirky, but that’s who I am. I never knew what was so different about me that I wasn’t considered for these parts, BUT I am so, so, soooooo excited and thankful to be given the chance now! Feels like a dream! I am super grateful!
You’ve said before that joy is a choice. What does choosing joy actually look like for you on an ordinary day, not a highlight moment?
That is a good question. I almost feel like it is an act of defiance right now to choose joy. There are so many hard, scary, sad things in the world. My mom died suddenly while making breakfast, and I remember thinking, “This may not be my best year ever, but I don’t need to make it my worst.” It’s not being Pollyanna about the realities of life, but it is allowing that life can be many things at once. So for me that may be going for a walk, calling a friend, playing a fun song in the car, taking a nap, cancelling an outing that I am not up for, watching TV, reading, making something, calling someone to see how they are doing, writing my day out in advance with a positive outcome, allowing for my anxiety but not being stunted by it.
Grief has been part of your story, and you’ve spoken about it with honesty. How has grief changed the way you move through life, relationships, or even comedy?
Grief has been the most wonderful gift in my life that I would not wish on anyone. I have more balance, I am nicer to myself, and I don’t people-please as much anymore. I learned to do this by listening to my body. Right after each parent passed, I could not make myself show up for outings that I was doing out of fear of hurting the other person’s feelings. It was clear to me who was safe for me, what activities left me felt enhanced vs what I was doing only out of habit or obligation. Listening to my body has allowed me to have only people and hobbies in my life that feel safe and expansive, and I try to do this in the area of my career as well. I take more time to socialize, I have hobbies, I volunteer, and I try to show up for people. Grief made me feel free. I realized that my biggest fear had happened, and worrying about it in advance did not stop it from happening; it did not spare me when it happened, and that I could survive it and still be myself.
“PROTECT YOUR DREAMS. NO ONE KNEW I WAS WRITING A MUSICAL UNTIL IT WAS ALMOST DONE. PROTECT YOUR MAGIC!”
Your humor often feels comforting rather than cutting. Where does that instinct come from to make people feel seen while still making them laugh?
I would never tear someone down for a laugh. My father was so cruel that I would never do that intentionally to someone else. I do believe that most people are doing the best that they can, and I try to understand or get to know someone’s heart, even if I may not agree with them on everything. It is complicated to be a human. I try to be inclusive.
There was a moment when you decided to stop ghosting yourself. What changed when you started showing up for your own life in a real way?
I feel less anxious. I have more privacy. I take more healthy risks, I have more fun and more adventures, and I travel more. I am writing a lot! Taking ownership of my voice — I just finished a rock comedy musical that we are planning an Off-Broadway run this Fall, that I will also star in, called Space Cowgirl. I wrote the book for it, and also co-wrote all of the music and lyrics with my friend Avery Pearson.
You’ve built your career slowly and intentionally, one role at a time. Looking back, what did that season teach you about patience and staying connected to yourself?
I do know that you can’t control whether something is a hit, so the whole point is, did you do your best? Did you have fun with it? Were you connected to the work? Did you try to show up early and, with no chaos, an elevate? After that, it is truly out of your hands. I just can not attach my worth to my IMDB ranking — but there is no “there there”. By that I mean, the idea that “one day when X, Y, or Z has happened, and then I will feel good! Because you can get those things and still feel like an imposter. The goal post is always moving. I try to judge myself based on whether I have been a good person, maintained a balance in my life and community, and been of service in some way.
This industry can rush women or quietly move past them. How do you protect your own sense of timing without feeling pressured to keep up with someone else’s clock?
I remember when I turned 40, a dear male friend said to me, “Well, it’s over for you now.” And I just SHUT THAT DOWN. No, sir, it does not apply. I am just getting started. I think I had so many terrible things said to me on a daily basis growing up from my father that I learning a long time ago that it’s about him and not me. And I say that to the town. Life is long. I am not going to hate myself or apologize for being over 35. I have never felt stronger, softer, younger, sexier, smarter, braver, more relaxed, or more curious. I am glad it took until now. I am ready! And as time goes on, give me a Betty White run!
If a woman reading this is in a season of waiting, doubting, or quietly becoming, what would you want her to know?
Baby steps. Baby steps. Grow where you are planted. Start the journey, read the book, listen to the podcast, sign up for the class, watch the documentary, and get a buddy to be accountable with. It’s totally OK to have a day job — life is expensive. Make a mess! Make some mistakes! Use the Pomodoro method for writing! You don’t need to tell people what you are doing — protect your dreams. No one knew I was writing a musical until it was almost done. Protect your magic!
*Look it up if you don’t know it! It really helped me.
Think of this as the next chapter. Arden brings the same honesty, humor, and heart to her podcast, Will You Accept This Rose? a space for creativity, joy, and becoming, one conversation at a time.
