Summer 2018
BY BRANDON KYLE GOCO
Early morning on the set of Grace and Frankie, UPM Joan Van Horn goes straight into her routine.
"I arrive a half-hour before the crew call and kind of walk around and have conversations," says Van Horn. "Just a half-hour of socializing with every department always seems to help our day or even the next episode."
Filming its fifth season, the Jane Fonda/Lily Tomlin comedy is one of Van Horn's career highlights. "The family you make with a crew you've been with for four years," she beams. "This is a forever show."
After her walk, Van Horn settles in to watch rehearsals. "I see how long it's going to take to light and how that coincides with how long it's going to take for our actors to be in makeup," says Van Horn.
If there's one piece of advice Van Horn offers, it's to listen. "You can often get people to work harder when they're your friend," she suggests. "And when you need a favor, it sure helps when they like you."
Van Horn then returns to her office—her wall filled with photographs of friends she's made in her career. "I might sound like a Pollyanna, but I couldn't love what I do more."