Howard's involvement with Parenthood goes way back. He directed the original 1989 film starring Steve Martin, a tender and funny exploration of family ties.
The following year, he executive-produced the TV spinoff, starring Ed Begley Jr. (and a young Leonardo DiCaprio). And Howard serves in the same supervisory capacity on this remake, which debuted in March and has already been renewed for a second season.
As struggling single mom Sarah Braverman, Graham is part of a remarkably rich and deep cast, including Peter Krause, Bonnie Bedelia, Craig T. Nelson, Erika Christensen, and Monica Potter. Even the youngsters in this witty generational saga, such as Mae Whitman and Savannah Paige Rae, are scene stealers.
Graham was a late addition to the ensemble, replacing Maura Tierney, who withdrew from the show after shooting the pilot in order to deal with health issues.
The new Sarah hasn't watched a frame of that pilot, nor has she seen any of the previous Parenthood iterations.
"Some people would do all the research. I'm too sensitive," she says. "As an actor it would never be helpful to me to see what another actor did with a part."
From her first scene, Graham, 43, has been making the role her own.
"Lauren, in addition to everything else, has great comedic chops," says executive producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights). "Over time, the character has evolved in that direction. It's what typically will happen in a TV series: You see what an actor brings to the role and you start writing for that. Lauren has really done an incredible job of finding unexpected moments of humor that weren't in the script."
On the face of it, Sarah's life is no picnic.
