Jennifer Morrison Opens Up About Following Her Passions (Exclusive)

When asked what’s been her favorite television role, Jennifer Morrison has a hard time choosing one.

“It’s impossible to pick between House, Once Upon a Time, How I Met Your Mother and This Is Us,” she tells Closer. “I love them all so much for different reasons.”

With so many popular television shows on her résumé, it’s an understatement to say that Jennifer, 45, is in demand. In addition to her appearance on Tracker, which reunited her with her This Is Us co-star Justin Hartley, she’s directing an episode in the third season of Yellowjackets.

“It’s such a unique, one-of-a-kind show,” Jennifer says. “It’s the kind of show that every director dreams of having a chance to work on.”

This Is Us fans were thrilled to see you with Justin on Tracker. How did that happen?

I think it was Justin’s idea. We had a great time working on This Is Us. We just got along so great. What I’m constantly looking for in this industry is to spend time on set with people I really care about, respect and admire. Justin is one of those people.

Will we see more of you on the show?

I think my character is going to come back this season. They also invited me to direct.

Have you always been drawn to directing as well as acting?

I actually kind of had two careers burgeoning at the same time. I directed some community theater near where I grew up. When I came out to Los Angeles, I directed some theater in these tiny black box theaters and I really loved it. Then I got cast in House, so my life became that show.

How were you cast on House?

One of the things that I always remember from House is how I got cast. I read for the part of Cameron and my hair was dark because I was in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. When I left the room, Bryan Singer, who was part of casting, said, “That’s the girl.” He also watched my tapes and he’s like, ‘I also like this blonde girl. Let’s test her.’ And they were like, “Bryan, that’s also Jennifer!” So it was me versus me for that job, which was pretty hilarious.

Working on Once Upon a Time looked like fun. Do you have a favorite memory you can share?

The season that really stands out for me is when we did the Peter Pan story. It was the first half of Season 3, and they actually built Neverland on a stage. It was a really fun season because the storyline had a lot of us together. It was like going to work with your best friends and creating this beautiful story with them.

How about How I Met Your Mother?

I was such a fan of that show that when I got to set, I was like, “Can I just sit in the booth?” And they were like, “What booth?” And I was like, “THE booth [at MacLaren’s Pub where the characters hang out].”

I had come from a very serious show on a very serious set, so to go to work every day and have it be your job to make people laugh and smile was such a joy.

You became a part of This Is Us in season 3. What was that like?

My first scenes were the stuff in Afghanistan. We shot somewhere in the desert outside of Los Angeles. It was so hot, and the gear was so heavy. It was a very intense yet satisfying way to start that show. I just dove in head first.

It seems like such a nice cast.

One of the memories that stands out for me the most was being at Kate’s second wedding, because it was the first time I got to be with the whole cast. It was one of the first times I had gotten to be around Mandy [Moore], and there was a scene where she sings a song. She goes up as aged Rebecca and starts singing and it was so stunning. I couldn’t stop crying! It just all hit me.

Have you made a lot of sacrifices for your career?

I think the joy and the beauty of what I do every day so outweighs what we might call sacrifices. But you don’t have that 9-to-5 schedule where you know you can be at home for dinner with your family or your kids. It’s tricky trying to figure out how to be a good parent, a good sister, a good wife, a good anything, when 12 to 14 hours a day are [spent] doing your job, which you want to be good at. I think all of us have made some sort of sacrifice trying to balance.

You suffered from headaches until you changed your diet. Can you tell us about that?

I get ocular migraines. They’re not as painful as migraines that last for days, but I can’t focus my eyes properly for about 20 to 25 minutes. The first time it happened, I thought I was having a stroke or something. It was very scary until I was able to get a proper diagnosis. I realized that my ocular migraines started being way less frequent after I changed my eating.

You’re a co-founder of Amia, a line of trigger-free snack bars. Tell us about it.

Honestly, these Amia bars feel like they fell from the sky. I don’t have to worry about reading the label or them having 18 things in them that will trigger my migraine. I always keep them in my bag.

You have a daughter. Do you think she’ll follow in your showbiz footsteps?

I think she’s way too young for me to know where any of that is going yet. Our goal as parents is to support her interests whatever they are and help guide her as she’s making those decisions.

What are you proudest of in your life?

I feel really proud to come from the family that I come from, honestly. I’m proud that my parents are my parents and my siblings are my siblings. I’ve seen so many people struggle who haven’t necessarily had the same love and support in their families that I’ve had. In being proud of the family that I come from, I’m trying very hard to be that family for my child and my possible future children.

What do you still hope to accomplish?

I’m writing a project that I hope is the next feature I direct. I’ve never directed something that I’ve written, so that would be huge. I don’t know what the future of movies entirely looks like, but I know I have stories that I’m excited to tell.