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Actor and entrepreneur Beth Behrs first fell in love on the set of “2 Broke Girls.” With a horse, of course.
“I grew up reading all the classic horse girl books and being obsessed with all things horses, but didn’t really fall in love until I met Chestnut [her character Caroline’s steed],” she tells Alexa. “I noticed when he was around I was so much calmer and my anxiety was less. Kat Dennings and I used to ride him and his friend around the WB lot on our lunch breaks. I was hooked, and rescued my mare Belle a couple years into the show.”
Now starring in hit sitcom “The Neighborhood,” which will air its eighth and final season this spring, Behr still rides — and rescues horses — on the regular. Her real-life equine family has expanded to include Tru Blue (a dressage Arab-Quarter Horse cross) and Rosie, another rescue mare who belongs to her husband, actor Michael Gladis (of “Mad Men” and “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” fame). The couple also share a 3-year-old daughter, Emma George, as well as a 14-pound rescue pup named Ollie.
Behrs is such an animal fan that she even rode a horse — “who looked like Black Beauty!” — on her wedding day in 2016 near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “There’s nothing like the American West on horseback,” she reflects.
It’s a trail that led her to her latest endeavor: a Western boot collaboration with Range Revolution that uses regenerative leather from California ranches and supports the non-profit Women in Ranching.
“These boots aren’t just fashion for me. It’s about honoring the women doing the quiet, hard, unseen work that actually sustains our world,” Behrs notes.
As for the design process? “It was emotional, honestly,” she says. “I didn’t want ‘celebrity boots.’ I wanted real working, beautiful, heirloom boots — the kind you build a life in. We obsessed over feel, shape, comfort, durability and soul. Using regenerative leather was non-negotiable.”
The star is also embracing a range of emotions as “The Neighborhood” nears its end.
“Eight seasons is a lifetime in television,” she says. “I’m very aware that the version of me walking off that set is not the same woman who walked onto it. The cast and crew are my family and will forever be a part of my life. I feel deeply grateful and also strangely excited. Endings create space.”
As for what will fill that space? Behrs has a new children’s picture book about — guess what? horses! — coming in 2017. The UCLA grad and classically trained singer is also ready to return to the stage. “I’d love to do ‘Sound of Music’ on Broadway … or well, pretty much anything on Broadway now that I’m available!”
In the meantime, she will be cherishing her family this Valentine’s Day, helping her daughter make homemade Valentines for her classmates for the first time and going to the new “Wuthering Heights” movie with her husband. “I loved the book and Emerald Fennell is my dream director to work with, so I told him that’s all I want for Valentine’s Day.”
Read on for the other treats on Behrs’ heart day list — for herself and her horses.
“When the fires hit California last winter, the first things I grabbed were my custom Havstad Hat Co. hats, one of which I built with my own two hands over two days with the maker and my business partner in boots Cate Havstad.”
“I love this because it scrunches up and fits easily into any bag for travel, horse shows, etc.”
“I love to wear my Coltranes to the barn, then throw on a boho dress with them right after for brunch, while the Chestnuts are perfect under denim. We chose regenerative leather because it isn’t just about sourcing materials — it’s about restoring the land and honoring the animals whose hides become these boots. These are hides from ranches practicing regenerative agriculture, meaning soils get healthier, ecosystems thrive, and waste is reduced. It’s fashion that gives back to the earth instead of taking from it.”
“This is what I’ll be wearing on my Valentine’s date to the movies!”
“I love to bake and I love cast iron. This one is especially adorable for February!”
“I love the size — so chic for a dinner date — and good for the earth. I love the color of this suede.”
“This perfume, crafted by a horsewoman, legit makes me feel like I’m at the barn when I smell it on set — there are notes of saddle and hay. I love it so much.”
“A perfect barn coat that also looks amazing out and about — the barn-to-normal-life musts!”
“I love fashion for my horses more than I love fashion for myself, honestly. Love to give them ‘outfits’ based on their moods and mine!”
“My friend [actor and screenwriter] Nikki Reed and I are soul sisters — we share a similar mission in life to heal ourselves through healing the Earth. Her Western jewelry collection is my favorite of all time.”
“Any and every scent that reminds me of horses or the barn is a must in my dressing room.”
“One of my favorite things to do — other than ride horses — is read. I also love to collect special editions of my favorite books like this one.”
“I have pretty much all the colors of PS of Sweden saddle pads, they are so gorgeous. I share my collection with all my barn girls and their horses!”
“I need this for my mare so she’ll look like a Barbie doll out on the trail!”
