Had to Ask: Jenn Colella on Suffs, Come From Away, Motherhood, and Choosing Kindness

Jenn Colella (@jenncolella) has built a remarkable Broadway career by leading with kindness, courage, and an unwavering commitment to telling stories that change hearts and minds.

In this episode of Had to Ask, Jenn joins Melanie Sutrathada (@melaniesutra) for a thoughtful, funny, and deeply moving conversation about her journey from Urban Cowboy to Come From Away and Suffs.

Together, they discuss the responsibility of performing live, what it means to originate roles on Broadway, letting go of the need to be liked, motherhood, teaching, service, and why so much of life comes down to choosing fear or love.

Plus: the Naked Fight Call, internet love, dream roles, end-of-life doulas, and what it means to feel at the fulcrum of your power at 51.

Chapters:

• 03:26 — Why the “Prayer” scene in Come From Away means so much to her
• 06:34 — Dream roles and the joy of originating characters on Broadway
• 09:27 — The legendary “Naked Fight Call” story from Urban Cowboy
• 11:28 — Why performing still makes her nervous
• 14:07 — Motherhood and “happy”
• 15:52 — Letting go of being liked and embracing complexity
• 21:51 — Changing hearts and minds through storytelling
• 25:28 — Why she’d want to become an end-of-life doula
• 31:18 — Feeling at the “fulcrum of power” at age 51
• 40:13 — The legacy she hopes to leave her daughter

Follow Jenn Colella (@jenncolella) and Had to Ask (@hadtoaskpod) for more bold, unfiltered conversations — hosted by Melanie Sutrathada.

Co-produced and edited by Joseph Loper.

Special thanks to Thompson Central Park New York for being the perfect space for this conversation with Had to Ask.

⭐️ Loved the episode? Leave a review and share it with someone who needs the reminder that kindness is powerful, complicated women are worth celebrating, and choosing love is always worth it.