Sam Jaeger of NBCs Parenthood and his wife Amber go green in Los Angeles

By Rachel Sokol

Its no secret that few Hollywood couples really make it meaning their marriage lasts more than a few years, free of public scandals. (Hey, not every Hollywood couple can be Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.) Sam and Amber Jaeger know what its like to raise a family in Los Angeles, and they do so with class and a sense of humor. They also work hard at keeping their marriage alive and spicy, so we couldnt resist inquiring about their secrets to romance, how they make their Hollywood family unit work, and the ways they embrace Mother Earth. Sam Jaeger, who plays Joel Graham on the hit NBC sitcom Parenthood, recently made his directorial debut with the comedy Take Me Home, which he wrote and starred in along with Amber, also an actress. I knew I wanted to be an actress when I did my first and only high school play, and it just clicked for me, says Amber. For me, it was a matinee of Dead Poets Society when I was 13, recalls Sam. I walked out of the Southwyck Mall [Toledo, OH] and announced to my best friend, I'm going to be an actor. Curiously, there's a character in the film who pursues acting only to kill himself in the end. Not sure how I saw that and said, Wow, that's for me! Their midwest dreams came alive at young ages, and Ambers first acting gig was an educational play about two holocaust survivors, performed for middle schools. I learned not to assume how people may or may not connect to the story you're trying to tell, she explains. Sam laughs when recalling his first professional role. I handed a check to Diana Ross and Brandy in the TV movie Double Platinum. I learned that I knew essentially nothing about professional filmmaking, and that I was a terrible waiter. The couple met at Ohios Otterbein College, and Sam spent some time doing theatre in New York before they settled in Los Angeles and had their son. I knew I wanted to marry Sam when we had our Seven Year Itch, jokes Amber, and Sam

agrees there is an element of truth to that. It was perfect timing for us. I feel like we'd already gotten through the struggles that newlyweds go through, he says. Our marriage was more a celebration of what we'd gone through than a hope of things to come. The couple swears that when it comes to their acting careers, theyre not competitive with each other. It's too isolating. Success for one of us is success for the whole family, says Amber. We champion one another, adds Sam. Life is just better when Amber's around. Maintaining acting careersand now writing and directing, in Sams casewhile raising a child can lead to a hectic, long-day schedule, especially since the third season of Parenthood films this summer. But Amber makes sure she and Sam get some quality time together. For me, that spark is always there. Even to wake up and see my husband's face, she says. But we have to prioritize more with a kid in the house. So date night is mandatory. Active in the green movement, the couple recently tore out their lawn and put in a garden of vegetables and native plants. It uses a quarter of the water a regular lawn requires and they love sharing it with their family and neighbors. They also use predominantly cloth diapers for their son, have a clothesline to dry laundry, and drive a hybrid. It certainly takes more time to do it all, but I've found real reward in the doing of simple chores, says Sam. It slows down the frantic pace of modern life. While they both feel settled in California, Sam says that Los Angeles is a wonderful place to be. Now we'll see how long it lasts! When asked about fashion, the couple makes reference to a movie theyve evidentially seen a few times: Nacho Libre. Like Nacho Libre, Id have to say my favorite article of clothing is stretchy pants. Theyre a gift to all of us with jiggly parts. Sam says stretchy pants makes Amber the better dresser between the two, but admits men have an advantage in the fashion world. All a guy has to do is put on a nice jacket!
CONTI NU E D

42 A DISTINCTIVE STYLE . COM