By Shyla Nambiar
LOS ANGELES, Calif. | Every year, hundreds of people flock to Los Angeles to pursue acting careers. A few, with talent, determination, and luck, succeed. Monica Padman, a Gwinnett County native, is one who beat the odds to become a success. She is co-host of a popular podcast, Armchair Expert, hosted by Hollywood actor Dax Shepherd, husband of actress Kristin Bell.
Padman
Padman hails from Duluth and is a graduate of Duluth High School, where among other activities, she was a cheerleader for the Duluth Wildcats.
Padman became enthralled by acting in the ninth grade. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a theater degree and moved to the Los Angeles area in 2011. She landed commercials with Clairol Herbal Essences, Volkswagen, Amazon, and Progressive. While in LA, Padman became acquainted with the actress Kristin Bell. The relationship progressed after she secured a role in the Showtime comedy, House of Lies. Padman ended up working for Kristin as her assistant.
The concept of the podcast originated with Bell’s husband, Shepherd, who had hosted previous podcasts and was interested in creating another one. Padman started assisting, and Shepherd eventually told her, “I think you should be a voice on the podcast as well.” Armchair Expert began in 2018.
Padman co-hosts, produces, and edits the podcast. Currently, they have aired 400 episodes and have an audience of approximately one million listeners. Guests have included celebrities like Bradley Cooper and Ellen DeGeneres, and illustrious personalities like Prince Harry, former President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Padman found President Obama to be “so cool” and “so real,” characterizing him as someone “authentic to himself.” The most unexpected guest was Dog the Bounty Hunter, who did not conform to his tough image. He contradicted her expectations by being “tender and nice and lovely.”
Padman’s found the expert guests to be the most enlightening. They have interviewed psychologist Paul Blum, an expert on empathy, and author Brene Brown, who she remembers making an unusual observation that “the most compassionate people are the ones with the most boundaries.”
Padman was also on We are Supported By, a podcast which has interviewed Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg, and activist Malala Yousufzai. She has also co-hosted a dating podcast called Monica and Jess Love Boys. Padman has been featured in articles in Vanity Fair magazine and online publications and has acted in a few movie roles. She has 402,000 followers on Instagram.
Currently, Padman is taking her success one day at a time. While Padman misses her home state of Georgia, she enjoys life in California. Padman marvels, though, at how much things have changed in Duluth. She and her friends used to congregate in Duluth Town Green, on Main Street, at a soda shop. Now, when she visits, she’s noticed the massive development taking place in Duluth and how much Gwinnett is growing.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Follow Us