Gina Gershon Survives The San Fernando Valley

Gina Gershon Survives The San Fernando Valley

From The (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? by Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos

May 1, 2026 · 39 min · Season 15 · Episode 15

About this episode

Gina Gershon discusses her memoir and experiences growing up in the San Fernando Valley during the '80s.

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley meant something very different depending on who you ask. For Holly and Dave, it's a place of warm memories and deep roots. For Gina Gershon? It was somewhere she couldn't wait to leave, and leaving turned out to be the best thing she ever did.Gina joins us to talk about her memoir, AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs, a candid and wildly entertaining look at coming of age in the '80s, finding her voice, and building a career on her own terms. We get into standing up for yourself, the art of the strategic fib when auditioning, and the moment her real story began; the moment she escaped.And yes, there are rock and roll stories. Bob Dylan. Lou Reed. Prince. You'll want to hear these.We sit down with Gina Gershon for a conversation that's equal parts nostalgia, survival story, and Hollywood memoir gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Holly Cantos, Dave Sloan

Guest: Gina Gershon

Topics covered

  • memoir
  • 80s nostalgia
  • Hollywood
  • coming of age
  • survival story
  • auditioning

Keywords

  • Gina Gershon
  • San Fernando Valley
  • memoir
  • 80s
  • Hollywood
  • auditioning
  • survival

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs

Places: San Fernando Valley

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