|
Going, going … gone! New York Yankees star Nick Swisher and actress Joanna Garcia are off to Florida to get married this weekend after a six-month engagement, the New York Post reports. Swisher, 30, and Garcia, 31, who stars in the ABC sitcom Better with You, will tie the knot Saturday at the Breakers Hotel & Resort in Palm Beach in front of guests including Cameron Diaz, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Lance Bass, the paper says. The couple got engaged in May, and Swisher recently told PEOPLE that he couldn’t wait for the big day. “I know she’s going to look like an angel,” he said, “and I can’t wait to see her.” He added: “My old man told me a long time ago you need to marry your best friend, and I think that’s exactly what I’m doing.” |
|
Joanna Garcia & Nick Swisher discuss their favorite Christmas gifts. Be sure to tune in to the CMA Country Christmas special airing Monday, November 29 at 9:30 | 8:30c on ABC. |
|
I have added some new photos in various sections of the gallery today! Thanks to Colleen and Brianne for the scans! Gallery Links: |
|
I have just uploaded 282 captures of JoAnna Garcia from tonight’s episode of “Better With You” into the gallery! Gallery Links: |
|
JoAnna Garcia knows plenty about rocking a chic baby bump. After all, she donned a preggie pillow not once but twice as knocked-up teen Cheyenne on Reba. Now she’s wearing it yet again as Better With You’s free-spirited Mia, who’s pregnant and engaged to a guy she’s known for just seven weeks. But there’s still one thing making the 31-year-old actress understandably nervous. “You’re gonna put me on TV in a big white wedding dress with a 65-inch waistband? Seriously?” laughs Garcia, who’s pretty relaxed about her own upcoming nuptials to New York Yankee Nick Swisher. “I’m not nearly as much of a concerned bride as I thought I’d be,” she says. “Nick chose virtually everything but my dress. It’s pretty adorable.” Adorable is also the perfect way to describe Mia and fiancé Casey as they navigate the Putney family’s wacky rituals in this week’s Thanksgiving episode. “The holidays can be really tough when someone new comes into the family,” says Garcia. As long as someone’s still cooking up concoctions to satisfy any pregnancy cravings, Mia should be just fine. Better With You airs Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC |
|
If you get déjà vu watching tonight’s Better With You (ABC, 8:30 p.m.), there’s a very good reason for it. The episode reunites JoAnna Garcia with her former TV mom Reba, who plays a wedding planner that threatens to upstage Mia (Garcia) and Casey (Jake Lacy)’s upcoming big day. “They made this role for her. They had a million ideas for her. A lot included her in tight clothing,” laughs Garcia, whose close relationship with Reba was key in instrumenting the guest spot. “They came to me with the idea. They said, ‘We would love to have her on the show. Do you think she would do it?’ I was like, ‘She’s really busy, but I would love it!’ So I called Reba. Her agents – they did the whole business thing. But I was like, ‘No pressure, but it would be awesome!’” Luckily, Reba was not only close with Garcia after six seasons together on Reba, but she was also “a huge fan of the show,” she says. “I loved the concept. It’s totally relatable no matter what age group you are. … It’s just so witty. Such a great concept. I fell in love with the pilot.” It also gave her the chance to return to one of her first passions: Acting. “I’ve been acting all my life,” she says. “In my mind, there was always an invisible camera following me ever since I was a little girl. I don’t why, but that’s the way I always felt about it.” Being able to return to her comedy roots “with an ensemble is the icing on the cake,” she adds. “I love that part.” For Garcia, having Reba on set was like having her parents on set. “It’s nice for me because this is such a new experience and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the experience that I had on Reba and all that I learned, not just as an actress, but as a career woman from Reba,” she says. “It’s exciting to share it with her. It’s kind of like having my mom come share this. When my parents come on set, I’m just as proud. It’s like, ‘Look! Look at what I’m doing here.’” Now, Garcia can show off just how far she’s come. “When I started Reba, I didn’t even know it was in front of a live audience,” she adds. “I walked in. I was talking to my friend on the phone and I was like, ‘There’s stadium seating in here. I wonder why that is.’” |
|
In a pack of weak freshman shows, “Better With You” stood out to me. The show centers around 3 couples — a married one, one who has been together a long time but has made a “valid life choice” not to be married, and a new couple who got engaged very fast. And of course, they are all related. Vicky and Joel are the parents of Mia and Maddie. Mia is newly pregnant and engaged to her not so long-term boyfriend Casey. And Maddie has been with Ben for nine years but they are choosing not to get married. The creator of the show is Shana Goldberg-Meehan, one of the Executive Producers of “Friends,” and this show is definitely reminiscent of one of my favorites. I recently had the chance to visit the set of Better With You, and chat with all the cast. Reba McEntire guest stars in this particular episode as Lorraine Ashley, a sassy wedding planner. Joanna Garcia (Mia), Jake Lacy (Casey) and Reba McEntire discuss the episode as well as the holiday episodes coming up and whether we might see the baby delivered this season. How has it been coming on Better With You? Reba McEntire: It’s been wonderful. I’ve been having a blast. I haven’t gotten do a sitcom since Jo[anna Garcia] and I were together on the “Reba” show about four years ago next month. So, I was very nervous. I didn’t know how my memory chop was going to be. Although I’m singing every night with close to 20 songs a night, it still is a muscle. And you’ve got to keep that thing in shape. And they’re great writers. And when you have great writers, it’s much easier to memorize. And so I’ve been having a wonderful time and falling back into it fairly well. How has it been having Reba on set? Joanna Garcia: Well for me, it’s awesome. One word. Awesome. Jake Lacy: It’s incredible. It’s just amazing. I mean, it’s Reba McEntire! Reba McEntire: They’ve been like my family since the very beginning. They accepted me. I just couldn’t ask for a greater welcoming. It’s so much fun. We have the baby coming up. We’re progressing in real time because we’re celebrating the holidays. Have they discussed how far they are going to take the pregnancy? JG: We’re taking it all the way baby! (laughs) Will we see the delivery this season? JG: I think so. You know, they teased me the other day. Greg Malins [Executive Producer] walked up to me and was like “I have an idea for the delivery, and the wedding. Talk to you later.” I was like “What do you mean?” Is it going to be on a trapeze or something, I don’t know! But whatever which way, this will be the second time that I’ve given birth on television. People are always like “God! Pregnant again!” And I’m like “Yeah, I thought about it. Trust me.” It wasn’t like “Oh I’ll just do it again.” No I thought about it a lot. But it’s fun. |