The 'Saturday Night Live' producer -- who's currently dating Ben Affleck -- opens up to 'Elle' magazine in an interview focusing on her career, and while she doesn't name her famous beau, she does address the attention on her personal life.
Lindsay Shookus is not comfortable in the spotlight.
The Saturday Night Live producer -- who's currently dating Ben Affleck -- opens up to Elle magazine in an interview focusing on her career, and while she doesn't name her famous beau, she does address the attention on her personal life since she began a relationship with the A-lister.
"It’s strange to me," Shookus, 37, says of her newfound notoriety. “My entire career has been behind the camera, and that’s definitely where I’m most comfortable. I’m a producer, I’m a mom, a friend."
"Being considered a public figure honestly makes me laugh," she adds.
On a similar note, she isn't letting all of the tabloid attention get her down.
“Someone thinks about you for one minute and then says, ‘What do I want for lunch?'" she notes.
Shookus, of course, is much more comfortable talking about being one of only two female head producers on the legendary NBC show, and how she arrived at the position. Shookus started as an assistant in the talent department at SNL, then rose through the ranks with plenty of hard work and talent. Shookus is credited with discovering a then-unknown Kristen Wiig, and booking Sam Smith for a memorable performance in 2014 before his debut album even came out in the U.S.
“Auditioning for SNL is a very nerve-racking experience, and Lindsay and I clicked," Wiig tells the magazine about the start of her friendship with the producer. "She kind of talked me down a little bit -- I was very nervous. She was with me through the whole process; I’ll never forget that.”
“Lindsay is fun to get a drink with and is also one of the better dancers I know," Wiig later shares about Shookus.
In a letter to Elle, Dwayne Johnson also sings the producer's praises.
“I give Lindsay a ton of credit because it requires real nuance to make sure that everyone is happy -- that your host and musical guests are happy, and they feel creatively satisfied," Johnson explains.
These days, aside from her busy career, Shookus is focused on raising her 5-year-old daughter and says she's also working on bettering herself. The magazine notes that she has a good relationship with her ex-husband, producer Kevin Miller, and even recently threw him a 40th birthday party.
“I’ve put a lot of time in the past two years into just making myself better internally,” she shares. “Self-love means something. I thought it was all a joke for a long time. It’s really important. Giving yourself a break is really important.”
“I’ve gone through a lot of change recently and I’ve gone through some really hard times, but I believe in who I am more, and I wouldn’t give that up for anything,” she adds.
For more on 45-year-old Affleck and Shookus' relationship, watch the video below:
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