Rappaport To The Rescue

Christie Brinkley has appeared on more than 500 magazine covers worldwide. She is also an artist, writer, photographer, designer, actress, philanthropist & environmentalist. Combining her modeling experience with her artistic talents and diverse interests, Christie's career over the years has been interesting and dynamic and has been photographed in six continents and more than 30 countries. Forty-two years in the beauty industry, including thirty years as a top Ford model, Christie was first discovered by a photographer while studying art in Paris, France. Since then, she has become the first model to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated for three consecutive years, with a fourth Special Issue multi cover and appeared in the publication's annual swimsuit issues and television specials for years to follow including, most recently, Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary Issue and NBC Television Special where she won a Top 5 of all time Covers Award (#4 .)

With her ageless beauty, Christie was recently featured on the cover of People Magazine celebrating her 60th Birthday. Christie Brinkley has been signed to write a book that will offer "a holistic look at diet, fitness, vitality and style. The as-yet untitled book and accompanying audio edition are tentatively due in fall 2015.

Christie will also introduce a line of skin care, "Christie Brinkley Authentic Skincare", early next year. During her extraordinary career, Christie's access to the best doctors and dermatologists worldwide and has learned what works best for her skin. She will share those same benefits with women everywhere. Christie worked very closely with a number of world-renowned experts to develop a comprehensive anti-aging range. The collection will debut with more than a handful of breakthrough products, including a day cream, night cream, eye cream and several treatments.

As a passionate humanitarian, Christie, along with her model daughter, Sailor Brinkley-Cook, traveled to South Africa and Kenya last year, in support of The First Lady of Kenya's "Hands Off Our Elephant" Campaign and Anti- Elephant and Rhino Poaching Campaigns of The United States and South Africa.

Christie Brinkley's new line of fresh and fashionable wigs and hairpieces as part of the Hair2Wear Christie Brinkley Collection was introduced last fall and was inspired by Christie's supermodel beauty expertise and real life leading roles as mom, entrepreneur, and actress, offers a new line of affordable, on-trend hair additions. The Hair2Wear Christie Brinkley Collection lets any woman have the most coveted hair trends in quickly and easily.

Christie Brinkley received critical-acclaim in 2010 when she made her Broadway stage debut as the merry murderess, Roxie Hart, in the Tony Award-winning hit musical "Chicago." She continued her stage success reprising the role in London's prestigious West End for a limited four-week run and again, wowed the sold-out audiences. Christie came back by popular demand to reprised her role on Broadway, and the went on to headline with The National Touring Company of "Chicago" with 182 total performances in cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston and Hartford. Christie's acting and dancing chops has The U-T in Sand Diego stating… "The lady looks amazing and has natural dazzle to spare... Brinkley can carry a tune. Her singing has a husky note that fits the rough-edged glamour gal Roxie...Brinkley brings this merrily morbid story of fame and mayhem in the Windy City a presence like a summer sunbeam ...plus a game-for-anything streak of moxie. Her disarming charm works its way into her acting technique." While Broadway World.com praises… "Brinkley is still beautiful and is a strong presence on stage. She fits the look of Roxie who is a wannabe glamour girl from the chorus. Brinkley brings a charm to the part that makes Roxie seem more ditzy than coldly calculating. She gamely tackles the songs and the tricky choreography...is made up for in enthusiasm. Her voice is nice and has a husky tone to it that fits the character."

In December, Christie made her debut on "Parks & Recreation," The episode featured Brinkley portraying the beautiful wife of "Parks and Rec" character Jerry Gergich, continuing the tradition of beautiful women in Jerry's life, since then, she's had a reoccurring role on the NBC sitcom.

Christie's popularity and sense of humor, was evident on Anderson Cooper recently as she co-hosted "Anderson Live with Anderson Cooper." In this now-famous show, Anderson revealed his temporary blindness. Christie also dazzled DWTS alumni Gilles Marini with her honed "Fosse" moves when they danced together to the delight of the audience.

Christie continues to hone her comedy chops, appearing for the third year in-a-row-on the hit comedy "Celebrity Autobiography" where superstar memoirs are acted out live on stage. Created and developed by Emmy award nominated writer-performer Eugene Pack and Dayle Reyfel, "Celebrity Autobiography" features a first rate comedic ensemble performing from the actual memoirs of a wide range of celebrities. Christie's performances featured both solo and ensemble pieces that include themed mash-ups whereby performers play off of each other's excerpts

Christie has immersed herself as part of the Theatre community she adores and participated in both the 25th and 26th annual Broadway Cares "Easter Bonnet Competition," a memorable spectacle celebrating the incredible generosity and creativity of the theatre community and all Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS supporters. This summer, Christie Brinkley received the prestigious 2012 Broadway Beacon Award. This award represents a not-for-profit Children¹s Theatre Company that brings the joys and advantages of musical theatre to NYC¹s under-served public school students throughout the five boroughs. It is presented annually to individuals in the Theater who have been advocates for increasing the audience for live theater in New York City, particularly in helping to develop new audiences for Broadway. In June, "SOFO Goes SOHO" honored Christie Brinkley for her contributions as a concerned environmentalist, especially for her work on the East End of Long Island, which is her home, at The South Fork Natural History Museum.

In 1976, Christie landed the coveted CoverGirl contract, which launched the start of a 25-year partnership that marks the longest-running cosmetics contract of any model in history. The Total Gym has become the best selling Total body fitness equipment in the world. This year, Christie Brinkley helped launch the " Move it Campaign (Check name)" for active wear company Danskin's "Move For Change" Fall 2011 campaign. Known worldwide for her commitment to health and fitness. Christie wrote and illustrated a health and beauty book, "Christie Brinkley's Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Guide" which topped The New York Times bestseller list.

On the big screen, she made her acting debut in 1983 opposite Chevy Chase as "the girl in the red Ferarri" in the hit feature film National Lampoon's Vacation, which is listed as one of the Top Ten Funniest films of all time.. and its 1997 sequel, Vegas Vacation. And participated in new interviews for the release of the DVD last year? She also famously appeared in Billy Joel's classic music videos "Uptown Girl," "Keeping the Faith" and "All About Soul," as well as painted the Cover of his album "River of Dreams" Mick Jones' music video "Just Wanna Hold. Christie was also featured in the Adam Sandler film, "Jack and Jill."

On television, Christie has appeared on NBC's "Mad About You" and hosted Lifetime Television's "In Style Celebrity Weddings," which became the highest rated special in Lifetime's history. She has also been featured on VH1's "Pop Culture Icons" series. Christie has been the subject of many documentaries including the HBO program "Beautiful Baby, Beautiful," Lifetime's "Intimate Portrait" and "Barbara Walters' Oscar Night Special," and hosted her own series for CNN "Living in the 90's with Christie Brinkley" She has also guest hosted, ABC's The View.

Christie is the recipient of many humanitarian awards including The USO Merit Award for her efforts to entertain our troops from Bosnia to Kosovo. She has also received many honors for her work protecting our health and the environment. She sits on the Board of Directors of The Global Security Institute and Radiation and Public Health Project, whose aim is to promote security thru the elimination of nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. She has spoken on their behalf at both the United Nations, and the U.S. Senate. She wants all kids to get an education and to that end, has created a Scholarship Fund at Ross School in EH, NY. Christie's dedication to charity work includes the American Heart Association, South Hampton Hospital and Max Cure Foundation. Christie was recently awarded the "Positively Beautiful Award" for her work with Smile Train.

She currently lives in New York with her youngest daughter Sailor Lee, a brilliant student and part time model with IMG Models. Her son Jack Paris is a college student at Emerson in Boston. Her eldest daughter Alexa Ray is a singer/songwriter/poet/ artist /and writer living in NYC. Christie is very proud of all three! Christie is on Facebook and Instagram where she shares her passion for photography.

Transcript:

Announcer [00:00:00]:
Pet Life Radio.

Announcer [00:00:02]:
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's Talk Pets.

Jill Rappaport [00:00:23]:
Welcome to Rappaport to the Rescue. I'm Jill Rappaport, and today I'm going to reflect back on my first show on Pet Life Radio, which was way back in June. All those were the good old days. Now, the reason that I'm doing this will lead into my very special relationship that began almost 35 years ago with my guest today. We'll get to that in a moment. But on that very first show, I talked about how I started out in the business, and it wasn't as an animal advocate, which I've been my whole life, but instead it was as an entertainment reporter. I began my career at WCBS with a segment called Center Stage.

Jill Rappaport [00:01:03]:
All the news you can use in the Hollywood biz. It was the first of its kind in New York City. From there, I landed the coveted job on NBC's Today show as their entertainment reporter. I got to meet true legends, and I don't throw that word around lightly. I mean real legends. I had breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn, dinner at Patsy's with Frank Sinatra, and I got to cuddle, and I mean close cuddle with George Clooney for his very first national interview on the Today show when he was co starring on ER. I bantered with Brad, as in Pitt. The last film I interviewed him for was Spy Game, and his co star on that film is the love of my life, Robert Redford, who I've had the pleasure of interviewing several times.

Jill Rappaport [00:01:52]:
He's even on the cover of my book, people we know, horses they love, which happened to be a New York Times bestseller, not to be a little braggadocious or a lot. And I even got to do air sparring with the one and only Muhammad Ali. I have had such a blessed career and continue to have one, thanks to my work now for animals in need. And I feel so fortunate to have had these opportunities. But perhaps one of the greatest gifts I have received from all of my years on the red carpet is my relationship, the bond I have formed with my guest today, Christie Brinkley, who is one of the most compassionate and sweetest people you'll ever meet, and one smart, savy cookie. And did I also mention that I introduced her to the true love of her life? This one happens to be on four legs. It's her rescue pooch, Chester. We'll hear all about that very special bond and her amazing career when we come back one on one with Christie.

Jill Rappaport [00:02:53]:
Stay tuned.

Announcer [00:02:58]:
Want to know who the latest trendsetters are in Hollywood. How about irish setters? Find out who's been spotted with spot chowing with their chow and shopping for Gucci with their poochie. Get their scoop on all the latest celebrity pet patter right here. Pet Life Radio. Let's Talk Pets. Let's Talk Pets on PetLifeRadio.com.

Jill Rappaport [00:03:18]:
Welcome back to Rappaport to the Rescue. I'm Jill Rappaport, and as you heard in the beginning of the show, my very special guest today happens to be one of my closest friends. And what an incredible career this woman has. She has been in the beauty industry over 45 years, even though she doesn't look a day over 35. She's appeared on over 500 magazine covers. She's been on the big screen and hit movies. Who could forget her role in National Lampoon's vacation? She's been in multiple tv series, music videos, Uptown Girl, Sorry, Billy. She has been on Broadway not once, but twice, starring as Roxy Hart in the Tony award winning musical Chicago.

Jill Rappaport [00:04:10]:
She's a two time New York Times best selling author. And wait, there's more. She's the face of total gym, America's best selling piece of at home fitness equipment. And with her great passion and her love of gardening and her two green thumbs, Christie started a victory garden during the COVID quarantine where she and her family all worked together to raise organic vegetables. She is a true powerhouse businesswoman. And under her brand, Brinkley Beauty. There's more. Christie has an exclusive line of organic prosecco called Belisima from Treviso, Italy.

Jill Rappaport [00:04:48]:
And all this week, Christie will be taking center stage on QVC to promote her Belizeima starting on Wednesday night. The list goes on and on.

Christie Brinkley [00:04:58]:
Is there any time left in the show?

Jill Rappaport [00:05:00]:
Not after ratling off everything you've done. Now, I mentioned in the open how I made the match between you and Chester, your rescue dog. I know that he means the world to you.

Christie Brinkley [00:05:13]:
Actually, you found him during my last divorce and he was meant to be for, and she really, you know, she really needed a little puppy in her life. So he came in looking like, I thought we have to name him Bond because he came in with a red turtleneck sweater on. And remember that little red turtleneck sweater? And he was just so adorable. And he filled his purpose with Sailor and was Sailor's little teeny puppy. And now he's morphed into my protector. He is the most faithful, loyal, and he takes his job very seriously. He really believes he is on this planet to protect me and be there for me. And I got to tell you, every single time I come out of the bathroom.

Christie Brinkley [00:06:12]:
I open up the bathroom door, like, after I've had my shower, and he's sitting there with his back to the bathroom door in a little position, like on alert. And he turns around and gives me the sweetest little look, like, okay, good. You're know. And it just touches my heart every single time. I just think it's so adorable. And nobody has ever looked at me the way Chester does.

Jill Rappaport [00:06:40]:
Oh, I find that hard to believe.

Christie Brinkley [00:06:43]:
He gives me these looks. And, in fact, it was funny. When he first got here, he'd be bouncing along, walking along beside me, and he never looked where he was going. He always kept his eyes on me. And I'd say, chester, Chester, watch where you're going. One point, he walked right into a wall. I was like, oh, Chester. But I can't tell you.

Christie Brinkley [00:07:00]:
He's the most loving, sweet, amazing little puppy. And, you know, he used to be part of a pair. It was Chester and Maple, right? And then Maple passed away. And Chester now thinks that he has to love us for the both of them.

Jill Rappaport [00:07:18]:
He's the master of the house.

Christie Brinkley [00:07:20]:
He is. He senses everything. He knows. Like, if somebody's sad, he goes right into their lap and curls up. And he's always in the thick of everything, always in the middle of everything. He's just the best puppy you could ever imagine.

Jill Rappaport [00:07:36]:
And especially now, going through this horrific time in quarantine. How has he helped you get through this?

Christie Brinkley [00:07:43]:
He's an entertainment center. He's chester the court jester. Sometimes he just does things that keeps us laughing. I think he's kind of in heaven with everybody here all the time. This is probably his happiest time because we're always here, right?

Jill Rappaport [00:08:03]:
You're usually on the road. You're always traveling, doing something. And now he's got mommy all to himself.

Christie Brinkley [00:08:09]:
He always knows. When the suitcases come out, I see him. You know how they suddenly look, like, smaller. They look like they're sort of matted down. And he looks at the suitcases. He looks at me, and he does everything to make sure that he's going to go with me and the suitcases. And as often as I can, I do bring him with me. But there are those times that he has to wait at home.

Christie Brinkley [00:08:34]:
So. Yes, you're so sweet.

Jill Rappaport [00:08:37]:
You initially saved him from a fate that lord only knows what would have happened to this precious little puppy. Even though he was adorable and he was a puppy, he was abandoned. He didn't have a home.

Christie Brinkley [00:08:48]:
Yes. I always tell people, don't shop adopt. I used all your catchphrases, Jill, and get a heart melter from the shelter. But it's really true. You like to think of the good that you're doing rescuing them. And then they come in your home and they make your house a home. They bring so much unconditional love.

Jill Rappaport [00:09:10]:
I saw just last week where he came running up. You had gone out for like 20 minutes into the garden and he was trembling, literally shaking. He was so excited to see you.

Christie Brinkley [00:09:20]:
Yeah, he definitely makes you feel needed. Loved all of that stuff.

Jill Rappaport [00:09:25]:
And I know that you've involved him in so many of your projects. I mean, everything you're doing within quarantine. And this week you're going to be on QVC. Not once, not twice, but three times.

Christie Brinkley [00:09:38]:
Well, yes, I've got three shows in the 04:00 hour and then the next night at 130 in the morning. That's going to be an interesting show to say.

Jill Rappaport [00:09:49]:
From your home.

Christie Brinkley [00:09:50]:
From my home, yeah. I've been making the appearances like this on Zoom, and it's kind of fun, actually to do it from my home. I design my set, I get my beautiful Bellissima boxes out and I stack them behind me. My bottles, by the way, I happen to have them right here. They just won an award for best design and best tasting on this mark Oldman celebrity wine challenge that he does. And I was with some amazing wines. And we also won best bottle design, which I designed. The bottles.

Christie Brinkley [00:10:32]:
It's pretty, right?

Jill Rappaport [00:10:34]:
It's beautiful. And the fact that you have the only sugar free, how great is that?

Christie Brinkley [00:10:39]:
Yeah, they're starting to catch up with me now. But we were the first sugar free prosecco on the market. We were ahead of the curve. My wines are, first and foremost all made with organic grapes, which I'm really proud of that because in most wines you get, like, approximately 52 chemicals on the grapes. And I'm a big believer. I'm all into health and wellness and avoiding chemicals. I'm a lifelong vegetarian, so I'm really proud. And then I also was unaware, but I may have been drinking wines that were filtered through animal parts, and I was getting trace amounts of animals in my wine.

Christie Brinkley [00:11:24]:
I had no idea. So my wines are vegan. We don't filter them through any animal parts. I'm very proud to say I really am enjoying this end of the business because, let's face it, I think that life, it's so stressful right now in so many different ways. And I know people are out there are struggling with the economy and people are struggling with just the pressures of dealing with COVID and their jobs, and there's a million stressors. And so, more than ever, we've got to take the time to find ways, even in the strictest quarantine, and take a moment to just unwind and enjoy and find something. My philosophy has always been to just be grateful about what is going well.

Jill Rappaport [00:12:22]:
Having known you for over three decades and seeing everything that you've gone through in your life. I've been there when your children were born. I've been through divorce with both of us. We've been through loss of parents. We've been through so much together. And I can honestly say that if anyone has always been able to maintain a smile, to look on the bright side of things, to look at and find the light at the end of the tunnel, it's always been you.

Christie Brinkley [00:12:52]:
Well, you know, there is a lot of power in a smile. They have literally proven that when you put your lips in a smiling position, it releases endorphins in your body, and that makes you feel good. That's why I'm so proud to be a smile train ambassador. And smile train has given over a million children a smile. And a smile is our way of, without ever saying a word, letting somebody know, I come in peace. I want to be your friend. I believe in the power of a smile in our own lives. I tell my kids all the time, just do me a favor.

Christie Brinkley [00:13:37]:
Just put your lips in the smiling position. Just do it. It even makes a little crackling noise when you do it. That always makes me laugh. When you count your blessings and you go through your list of what you can be grateful for, no matter how horrible it is, what you're going through, it gives you some perspective. That makes it a lot easier.

Jill Rappaport [00:13:59]:
And I'll tell you what makes me smile is watching you with your kids. All three of your children, Alexa, Joel, Jack, and Sailor, are very gifted, but very different and talented in very different ways. What have you always tried to teach them?

Christie Brinkley [00:14:14]:
I mean, I think the two things I want for my kids is for them to be happy and healthy, and I want them to discover. I always said to them, try and find a job that you love doing, and then it's not work, it's your joy. And so I said, and experiment and try different things and don't be afraid. And failure is great. You're at your most unique. Usually when you make a mistake because it hasn't been done before, look at that and see how you can grow from there and just keep moving forward, keep on trying things until you find.

Jill Rappaport [00:14:47]:
That thing that you love most. Parents, the kids move out, they move on, and they rarely see them. Your kids are with you all the time, and it doesn't seem like they ever want to leave you.

Christie Brinkley [00:14:58]:
Moms on Instagram say to me all the time, I wish that I saw my kids as often as you see yours. And I always say it's all about the real estate, really. It's like they want to come to the Hamptons. They want to be near the beach.

Jill Rappaport [00:15:17]:
But they also love being near mom.

Christie Brinkley [00:15:20]:
Well, I am realistic enough to know that. Also that. But I feel so lucky. I remember when Sailor was getting ready to go to college in New York City, even though it was just New York City. It was like the whole thing, like, okay, I'm going to miss you. She was back that weekend with, like, eight new friends. It was really funny, too, because we did the whole moving out thing on Instagram and all the packing and loading her into the apartment, and then farewell. Bye.

Christie Brinkley [00:15:53]:
I'm going to miss you.

Jill Rappaport [00:15:54]:
Two weeks later.

Christie Brinkley [00:15:56]:
Hello. It was three days later. I think they had a half a week. And in she comes with, like, five new friends, all to stay the weekend, and it's never let know. And I thought I was an empty nester for three days.

Jill Rappaport [00:16:10]:
And, you know, when I talk to her friends, they all say the same thing. No one calls you Miss Sprinkley. You're one of the gang. They call you Christie. You're definitely the coolest mom. That must make you feel so good, because it's the place people want to be.

Christie Brinkley [00:16:25]:
Yeah, everybody wants. You know, I'm in quarantine with my three kids and their significant others, and I love it.

Jill Rappaport [00:16:35]:
And your significant other, your dog, Chester.

Christie Brinkley [00:16:38]:
Yeah. And it's so wonderful. It's been amazing. We cook together. I had this vision. I came out here, I think it was like, sometime in February, I came out here to be in quarantine. And I have this hill in my garden that I had tried to garden once, but all the plants tipped over because it was too steep.

Jill Rappaport [00:17:01]:
Right.

Christie Brinkley [00:17:02]:
I said, I'm going to terrace this hill. I'm going to make a victory garden. Because if we're going into quarantine and this know, like, reading about the other pandemics in the thought, you know, people will be out of work, people will need food. The food pantries will need food. I'm going to grow a victory garden for the food pantries. And so we got out there, Jack. We rented a tractor. Jack got on that tractor at one point, he was going steep, and it catapulted him out over it.

Christie Brinkley [00:17:37]:
Another time, it sort of rolled over, and then we got rid of the tractor, and then we did a lot by hand. We've got chickens now. We've got our own eggs. It has been such a great family. Just project. That feels so good, and that's been a great thing to do together.

Jill Rappaport [00:17:56]:
Yeah. During such a horrific time, you've turned it into such a positive bonding experience for you and your family.

Christie Brinkley [00:18:03]:
Well, I always recommend if you have problems, you forget your problem the second you start helping someone else. And right now, since we can't physically help someone else because of the distance, being able to grow plants and see that progress, actually see the seed or the bulb start to blossom and grow, it's so empowering, and it just makes you feel so good. So I had visions of my old red truck. I had visions of loading my whole flatbed full of vegetables and stuff and bringing it to the food pantry. I was only able to bring baskets of stuff and bring it to the pantry. And it really made me feel good to know that we were able to just deliver fresh, organic produce. Really great.

Jill Rappaport [00:18:57]:
You really are in euphoria when you are knee deep in the dirt. This is my nightmare, and it's your heaven, but you're knee deep in dirt. You've got a hoe, and I mean that as a tool, and you're just planting away nature.

Christie Brinkley [00:19:14]:
Anytime I'm in nature, it is like, I feel like this magical enchantment pass over me, whether it's down at the shoreline or I love diving underwater. I love snorkeling. And I just am underneath there just like, wow, this is amazing. I'm flying. Look at all this. Or taking a walk in the woods and all the things that. Various kinds of mushrooms, various kinds of creepy things and snakes. I'm fascinated by it all.

Christie Brinkley [00:19:51]:
And I try and capture that and put it on my instagram a lot because I hope people that don't have the opportunity to get out there and see that maybe I can share that with them through my lens and they can develop the same love for Mother nature and therefore want to help protect her as well, which is so necessary at this mean. You know, watching what's happening in our country right now due to just climate change that's gone unchecked is really terrifying. To see these wildfires that are completely out of control with no end in sight. The superstorms, the flooding that they create, the wind damage, the erosion along the shores, and the mass migrations right here in Long island, we see the erosion on our beaches, and we've got to take this. And, hey, coronavirus. Over 20 years ago, when the Department of Defense did the first major study on climate change, they called it, they said, we're going to be seeing these crazy global pandemics and infestations of beetles in trees, deforesting places where we need the forest to eat up the carbon. So it's something that we really need to take seriously. My job has taken me all over the world, and it's not just a little thing from our neighborhood.

Christie Brinkley [00:21:25]:
I see it everywhere I go.

Jill Rappaport [00:21:26]:
In your career, since you've done so many things not only to help the environment, what is left on this Brinkley bucket list that you would love to achieve?

Christie Brinkley [00:21:36]:
I'm still very interested in getting into, because a lot of women say to me, well, what do you eat? Do you take vitamins? Do you take any kind of supplements or whatever? I would love to expand into that area because as a lifelong vegetarian, I do know a lot about nutrition and food, and there are superfoods, and there are things that can help prolong your energy and your youthfulness. Know all those things that we always want to know about. So that is an area of interest for me.

Jill Rappaport [00:22:09]:
Yes. Everyone refers to you as the fountain of youth. They say you're Dorian Gray. You never age.

Christie Brinkley [00:22:14]:
You're my fountain of youth. Bellissima, my prosecco. I honestly do believe that youthfulness comes from an attitude. And an attitude precedes you. When you walk into a room, the way you enter a room, you give off a vibe. So if you're happy, you're making time to hang out with friends like Jilly, who keeps us all laughing in our house. You guys have no idea how funny she is. I mean, maybe you do if you listen to this radio show, but she's hilarious and she keeps us laughing all day long.

Jill Rappaport [00:22:49]:
Oh, Christie, my mother's going to love this. This has been such a joy for me. It's so exciting to get you on because you live by the three words that my father lived. Love. Laugh.

Christie Brinkley [00:23:01]:
Yeah, obviously, you know, I know there's a lot of people are like, yeah, well, I do need to pay my bills right now. And I know, but it is true that when it comes down to it, laughter is the greatest medicine. It seems to cure everything and nothing like good friends and taking time to enjoy them. So thank you for making us laugh for the past 30 something years, Jill.

Jill Rappaport [00:23:27]:
And for all of us animal lovers, which is what this network is all about. We truly are so grateful to you for taking in an animal, for giving him a life, and in return, giving you such a joyful life. So thank you for that.

Christie Brinkley [00:23:40]:
Oh, well, thank you for finding my little Chester.

Jill Rappaport [00:23:44]:
Oh, Christie, I love you. And great interview, as always. Thank you. Now coming up on Rappaport to the Rescue. Bill Berloni will be joining us and telling us about his experience on a tv show where he's actually taking pit bulls and training them to be tv stars. Stay tuned.

Announcer [00:24:05]:
We wear fur and we're damn proud of it.

Announcer [00:24:08]:
What?

Announcer [00:24:08]:
And our four legs and our tail and we go to the bathroom outside. Well, we may not be too proud of that. Sniff around, then mark your spot right here. Pet Life Radio. Let's Talk Pets. Let's Talk Pets.

Announcer [00:24:24]:
Let's Talk Pets on Pet Life Radio. Pet Life Radio.

Jill Rappaport [00:24:27]:
Welcome back to Rappaport to the Rescue. I am joined now by Bill Berloni. And Bill, what a coincidence. I just turned my riding ring again into a drive in movie theater. This time, her stars power book two ghost, 50 Cent was here. Christie Brinkley, who was just our guest, what a great interview she was. Her daughter Alexa. We had incredible people here, and I call you and I'm filling you in on all the Glam.

Jill Rappaport [00:25:06]:
And what do you tell me? You're on the set of the show training dogs.

Bill Berloni [00:25:10]:
That's correct, Jill. Our world collides so often, but it's so interesting that, yes, we both have a connection again with animals in show business. I've been working on Power since 2014, and I've worked on not only the ghost spin off, but I've also worked on the next one, raising Canaan. A really great show to work on.

Jill Rappaport [00:25:29]:
Because we're living in these very stressful times. You didn't think you were going to go back to work on a set, and here you are now working again. What exactly do you do with these shows and these animals?

Bill Berloni [00:25:41]:
When we get scripts for a tv show or a know, I have to first find the dog that visually, the director will approve of and then also a dog that can do the behaviors. And in addition to my trained dogs, I represent a lot of other trainers who I've screened, and I know they train humanely and their dogs are great. And so for the power series, we use a lot of dogs that I don't own, but they are just as good as mine.

Jill Rappaport [00:26:03]:
But you're still responsible for the training. And the power series is rough and tough and gritty. How are you training these dogs and what are you training them to do.

Bill Berloni [00:26:13]:
Oftentimes the dogs are already trained, as I said, but they may not have the behavior that the script wants. So I'll meet with the trainer. I'll show them how to train the dog to either pick something up or bark at somebody or pull a lot, and then they'll continue to work with that. And we show up on set, I guide the scene and it looks great on tv.

Jill Rappaport [00:26:32]:
So basically, Bill, you're training these dogs to be suitable for this show. These dogs are not up for adoption, but yet you are teaching them things that really are a little tough and not exactly pleasant. Is that good for the animal?

Bill Berloni [00:26:47]:
It's always good because as I say to directors, dogs don't act. So when you need a dog to act aggressively, we have to find a very kind dog and get it to play really hard so it looks like it's aggressive or if it's the dog character, have to be sad. We can't really make them sad, so we teach them to put their heads down or we teach them to roll over. So the training involves getting them to do other things to represent the emotions that are needed for the story.

Jill Rappaport [00:27:11]:
It's amazing everything you do. First and foremost, taking these animals that need a home, providing the love and the shelter, but also making them stars. And now working with these other animals to have a second career, not just be a dog, but to be a super dog on a series. It really must be so enjoyable for you. And I know you and I talked about this, the whole reason for this podcast in the beginning of the summer, you were scared, Bill. You really thought everything was going to dry up and you didn't know how you were going to feed your own animals.

Bill Berloni [00:27:43]:
It's very true. Here in the New York area. They started filming September 1 and many shows are coming back. And I'm so grateful to power and to ghost for including me back in the series. They could have very easily cut the animals out of the script. So slowly but surely our world is coming back, and that means it's going to get better for the animals.

Jill Rappaport [00:28:02]:
And that's all that matters, all that counts with us, right, Bill? Yep. Thank you so much. And before we end today, I would like to highlight a very special event that happens on the third Thursday of every September. This is year eight for this incredible, inspiring event called Remember me Thursday. It was started by an amazing man by the name of Mike Arms. He is the president and CEO of the Helen Woodward Animal center and a very good friend of mine. He started this to raise awareness for orphan pets. So that people around the world could understand the importance of pet adoption and shine a light on all of these orphan pets waiting in shelters and rescues.

Jill Rappaport [00:28:49]:
So do not forget to pay homage. Light a candle this Thursday. Remember me, Thursday. And thank you so much for tuning in today. This was a great show. And remember, always stay positive.

Announcer [00:29:03]:
Let's Talk Pets every week on demand, only on PetLifeRadio.com.

Timestamped overview:

00:00 Blessed career, love for animals, special bond.
05:13 Puppy named Bond becomes loyal protector.
09:50 Appearing on Zoom from home, discussing award-winning wine.
11:24 Proudly vegan wines offer stress relief. Gratitude.
14:14 Desire for kids: happiness, health, discovery. Encourage exploration.
19:51 Sharing nature's beauty, advocating for environmental protection.
22:14 Youth comes from attitude, friends, laughter vibe.
28:02 Highlighting Remember Me Thursday, an inspiring pet adoption event.
28:49 Light a candle, pay homage, stay positive.

Key topics and bullets:

**Pet Life Radio Podcast Episode Overview: Unconditional Love from Christie Brinkley**
1. **Introduction to Jill Rappaport's Career Shift**
- Jill's reflection on transitioning from entertainment reporting to animal advocacy.
2. **Christie Brinkley's Introduction**
- Overview of Christie's accomplishments in beauty, acting, and business.
3. **Christie Brinkley's Rescue Dog: Chester**
- The emotional bond between Christie and her rescue dog.
- Chester’s characteristics: loyalty, love, and entertainment value.
- The impact of Chester on Christie's life during quarantine.
- Christie's experience with traveling with Chester.
- The story of Chester's abandonment and assimilation into Christie's family.
4. **Christie Brinkley's Quarantine Victory Garden**
- The creation and purpose of her victory garden.
- Her family's involvement and use of a tractor and manual labor.
- Raising chickens for eggs.
- The psychological benefits of gardening for Christie.
5. **Christie Brinkley's Eco-conscious Lifestyle**
- Christie sharing her love for nature on social media.
- Her commitment to environmental protection.
- Upcoming endeavors in nutrition and superfoods.
- Christie's approach to youthfulness and well-being.
6. **Importance of Laughter and Friendship**
- Christie's belief in maintaining a youthful spirit through attitude.
- The value of spending time with friends and enjoying life.
7. **Guest Appearances and Animal Advocacy**
- Acknowledgment of Christie's animal rescue efforts.
- Tease for future guests on the podcast.
8. **Bill Berloni's Role in Training Show Animals**
- The process of selecting and training animals for television.
- Methodologies for teaching animals specific behaviors for TV scripts.
- Challenges of resuming work on set with animals during the pandemic.
- Bill Berloni's appreciation for the continued inclusion of animals in TV shows.
9. **Promotion of Pet Adoption**
- Remember Me Thursday event to advocate for orphan pet adoption.
- Christie's endorsement for adopting pets.
10. **Christie Brinkley's Health and Wellness Projects**
- Christie's appearance on QVC.
- Her venture into launching a sugar-free prosecco with organic ingredients.
- Commitment to health, wellness, and chemical-free vegan products.
11. **Christie's Role as a Smile Train Ambassador and Parenting Philosophy**
- Encouraging children to enjoy their careers and embrace failure.
- Christie's close-knit family relationships and shared activities.
12. **Quarantine Life with Christie Brinkley**
- Spending time with children, their significant others, and her dog.
- Family bonding over cooking and gardening during the quarantine.