They met backstage at an NSYNC concert twenty-five years ago and stayed up until 5am laughing. They’ve been showing up for each other ever since.

In this live conversation from the Waking Up with Ryan launch in Venice, actresses Jenna Dewan and Emmanuelle Chriqui get honest about what it actually takes to keep a friendship alive for a quarter century, especially two women in the same industry, often up for the same roles.

They talk about the “ugly stuff” nobody admits to: the early envy and competitiveness, and how they learned to turn it into admiration. They talk about protecting their bond when outside forces tried to drive a wedge between them. And they go somewhere deeper, into what it means to show up for someone in real pain: not rushing to fix it, but knowing where the hurt lives in the other person and loving them there.

Jenna opens up about the guilt of juggling a career, a partner, and three kids. Emmanuelle shares what it meant to have Jenna show up with real presence through some of the hardest personal and family moments of her life. This one is about friendship. The kind that carries you.

New episodes of Waking Up with Ryan every weekday morning, with longer conversations like this one every other week.

You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.

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