When American Idol alum Katharine McPhee landed the lead in NBC's new musical drama, Smash, it meant she could combine her two loves: singing and acting. It also means that every day is jam-packed. McPhee, 27, dishes on what her typical day of taping and rehearsing is like, what she'd do on a fantasy day, and the details of her turbocharged do-it-all workout, which combines strength training and cardio for incredible—and incredibly fast—energy boosting, slimming and toning.
5:05 a.m.: Rise and Shine
MY TYPICAL DAY I wake up raring to go! My husband, Nick, doesn't get up with me at this obscene hour, but my Chihuahuas do. I moved to New York City in August with an air mattress and a set of sheets and towels. But now I have new furniture, and my place is comfortable. Plus, there's a great view.
MY DREAM DAY I'd sleep in—ideally until 9 a.m. Then I'd lounge on the couch with my animals and read the paper.
5:08 a.m.: Check the Mirror
MY TYPICAL DAY My skin is sensitive, so when I look in the mirror, I usually think, Man, I shouldn't have picked that zit! Now there's a mark that will take forever to heal.
MY DREAM DAY I'd look at myself and think, You're looking younger every day. Those fine lines have gotten finer!
5:10 a.m.: Scrub a Dub
MY TYPICAL DAY My NYC shower is so small, I feel as if I'm back in college. So I take a quick one. I never blow-dry. Some days, I shower at night, so I can roll out of bed in the morning and just pull on my clothes, grab my coffee and head to the set. I try to wear something cute because it's fun, like a big sweater with jeans and boots—something I couldn't wear in Los Angeles's heat.
MY DREAM DAY I'd take an amazing, luxurious shower in a giant, glassed-in bathtub. I'd carefully scrub my face with a Clairisonic, do my hair and feel good about how I look.
5:30 a.m.: Commute!
MY TYPICAL DAY Smash has a set in Brooklyn, and on my first day of work, I said, "I'm going to be a real New Yorker, get there on my own and not spend $30 on a cab." But I went the wrong way on the subway, and when I asked for directions, the person in the booth was mean to me. So I ended up crying and in a cab anyway. Now the show sends a van for me.
MY DREAM DAY I'd like to see the butterfly exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. But then I'd still go to work. I love it.
6 a.m.: Arrive on Set
MY TYPICAL DAY I go right to hair and makeup. That's when I eat: oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, and crispy turkey bacon.
MY DREAM DAY I wouldn't wear makeup in the morning! I'd have breakfast at Todd English's Ça Va. I'd order the four-cheese omelet, crispy turkey bacon, fresh OJ and wheat toast with butter and jam. It sounds sinful, but it really is balanced.
7:30 a.m.: Start Shooting
MY TYPICAL DAY Megan Hilty, Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston, my costars, are amazing. Debra has an infectious laugh, and Nena, my dog, likes to sit on Anjelica's lap. It would be good press if we hated each other, but we don't. Megan and I joke that we should make a fight up. We'd be on the cover of Us Weekly.
MY DREAM DAY I try not to be a geek about it, but I have moments when I'm just watching all the moving pieces on-set, thinking Wow, this is so cool! I dreamed about this and now, because I had those dreams—and the drive—I'm actually here.
1 p.m.: Time for Lunch
MY TYPICAL DAY Usually, I have chicken and brussels sprouts or cauliflower, then I'll have something sweet afterward, like a cookie or a chocolate or a handful of Skittles.
MY DREAM DAY I'd head to Barneys and have crab cakes and fries, very crispy—the perfect pairing. Then I'd walk around the amazing shoe department and buy myself a new pair.
1:45 p.m.: TCB (Taking Care of Business)
MY TYPICAL DAY Between lunch and dance rehearsal, I check email and return calls. I feel like a different person than I was after Idol. I get the celebrity game now—you can go from being hot to fighting to be seen. You have to be aware of how superficial it is and that people who have written you off do eventually come back.
MY DREAM DAY I'd press a button, and beeep! My mom would show up.
2 p.m.: My 1-Hour Wonder
MY TYPICAL DAY I do a five-hour dance rehearsal. I feel it in my thighs and calves, but it's so stop-and-go, I miss my real workout.
MY DREAM DAY I'd do a one-hour kick-ass cardio program with my trainer, Oscar Smith. He says the key is mixing cardio bursts with strength moves to confuse the muscles. Here's the routine:
• 5-minute warm-up run on the treadmill at 6 mph
• Total-body stretches to loosen up
• 10 jumping jacks; 10 push-ups
• Upper-body circuit: Using 5-pound weights, perform 10 one-arm rows; 10 lateral side raises; 10 front raises; 10 biceps curls to an overhead press.
• 5 push-ups; 5 burpees
• 30 seconds of alternating jump lunges
• Run up and down a flight of stairs; repeat twice.
• Pedal on a stationary bike for 5 minutes at resistance 10 or 15.
• 10 jumping jacks; 10 push-ups
• Abs circuit: 10 crunches; 15 crunches with hands under tailbone, curling knees to chest; 15 crunches with legs extended; 15 full sit-ups with feet planted; 30 seconds straight-leg flutter kicks; 30 seconds of leg scissors; hold plank for 15 seconds
• 3-minute run on treadmill at 7 mph
• Repeat abs circuit.
• 10 jumping jacks; 10 push-ups
• Assisted pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
• 3 minutes jumping rope
• Repeat upper-body circuit.
• 3 minutes jumping rope
• 30 seconds hold plank
• Repeat stair run.
• Pull-ups, 3 sets of 6
• 3 minutes on bike at resistance 10
• 10 push-ups
• 3 minutes jumping rope
7:30 p.m.: Home Again
MY TYPICAL DAY If I'm not too exhausted, my husband and I go out for a nice neighborhood dinner. Or we do leftovers, maybe lentils and turkey burgers, then Pinkberry for peanut butter yogurt.
MY DREAM DAY I'd go to Eataly, Mario Batali's Italian market, and buy fresh ingredients. Then I'd make pasta, chicken with artichokes and roasted potatoes. I'd invite friends, we'd drink red wine, and they'd say, "Katharine, you're such a great cook!" Then I'd kick everybody out because I'd be falling asleep.
9:30 p.m.: Bedtime!
MY TYPICAL DAY I have some mint tea with raw honey on the couch with the dogs.
MY DREAM DAY Going to bed feeling grateful to have a job on a show I'm so proud of. This is the hardest I've worked physically, but getting here was really the hardest part.
Via Self
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