Interview with Sherri Shepherd

Sherri Shepherd seems to juggle the roles of mother, wife, actress and TV personality seamlessly. She's also working on a new project with Oral-B to help motivate others to improve their oral heath.

How does she accomplish so much? TheCelebrityCafe.com's Melissa Goldstein spoke with The View's co-host about her secrets to having it all.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Congratulations on your recent marriage. Can you share some of the best things about married life with your new husband?

Sherri Shepherd: Well, first of all, my husband is about 6'6, 280 lbs. So let me tell you something, all I have to do is hold his hand and if there's a big crowd of people he can get us through in about two seconds or less. [Laughs]

Secondly, he can change a light bulb, he can kill flies, he's like a handy man except that I get to have sex with him. That's great.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: With such a busy schedule, how did you find time to plan a wedding?

Sherri Shepherd: It was a lot of fun. It was his [Sal] first time getting married so he really wanted to shout out to the world that he was marrying the girl of his dreams. That's what he told me. So it was really fun planning it with him and we got to do a bridal party dance with my entire bridal party. We had a choreographed dance and that was fun. I mean, every aspect of it was perfect.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: How has your family life changed now that there are three of you again?

Sherri Shepherd: Girl, I'm cooking for another person. I feel like it's changed in a good way. I'm really with a person who's my best friend and we laugh a lot. My son adores him. So I told him, "It feels like we're still dating."

TheCelebrityCafe.com: So what's been the biggest change then?

Sherri Shepherd: The biggest change from being single to being married is, I think, it's that I have to answer to somebody now. Before, I could do whatever I wanted. It was my money and I could buy as many pair of shoes as I wanted, and now I have to answer to somebody.

I don't get to flirt as much either on The View. That's a bummer.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: What are your behind-the-scenes relationships like with your co-stars on The View?

Sherri Shepherd: I have to say honestly that this is one of the best jobs I've ever had because I get to go in in the morning and I get to laugh every single day. I get to be challenged by the women every single day. I've got so much support. The first year I got on The View, I was going through a really messy divorce and custody battle of my son and I had shoulders to cry on every single day.

When you're on The View, you're out there without a net, so every day we make a mistake and we say something that gets us in trouble. There's always four other women there who pick up the slack and who support you. So it truly is like being with family.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: It's like having your best friends there.

Sherri Shepherd: It really is. You know we don't agree on everything and we're quite passionate about what we believe in but we respect each other, so it spills over into every area.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: What are some of the most important lessons your mother taught you, and how have they helped you become a better mother to your son?

Sherri Shepherd: I think some of the important lessons she taught me are you gotta take care of yourself, because if you don't take care of yourself you're not any good for anybody else. So I try to practice that in my life. I know that I gotta take care of Sherri because otherwise I'm not a good mother, a good wife, friend or co-worker.

My mother taught me not to be afraid to say "no." It's okay to say "no" and you can always turn a no into a yes.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: What do you think some of your most defining experiences have been and how have they shaped your life?

Sherri Shepherd: One of the most defining experiences in my life was when I delivered my son at 5 ½ months. He weighed 1lb. 10 ounces. He had a hole in his intestine, a hole in the artery near his heart. He had two severe brain bleeds. He had three blood transfusions. They predicted he would have severe mental challenges, severe cerebral palsy, paralysis, he almost died. And right now he's a walking testimony to the power of God. He's a fighter. That changed my life because I thought when I almost lost my son that I would never smile again. So, that little boy, when he runs to the door - when people told me he was going to be in a wheel chair - and now he runs to the door and goes "Mommy I love you," that means the world to me.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: You are so open about the importance of your faith. How has your spirituality helped you overcome difficult times or obstacles you've encountered?

Sherri Shepherd: We talk about this all the time at The View, about faith. And I feel like, I told Joy, "If you don't have faith, how do you make it through the day?" Faith to me is that light at the end of the tunnel that tells me it's gonna get better. That what you're going through right now, it is gonna get better. And like I said when I first started The View, I didn't have custody of my son for an entire year. So people don't know I was at the table smiling, but I'm crying back in the green room because I didn't have custody of my son.

And faith, when people said, "You weren't going to get custody, you will not win this battle." Faith said, "yes you will." Faith said, "There was a light at the end of the tunnel, I would have my son back."

So spirituality in my life, we can't exist without each other. It helps me move on; it helps me not be overwhelmed.

My faith helps me not look at other people's successes because I know what I'm doing has nothing to do with anybody else, and what they're doing has nothing to do with me and my journey.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: You have had recurring roles on so many hit TV shows. Are there any current shows that you would like to do?

Sherri Shepherd: I'm itching for Modern Family. Oh my gosh, I love that show.

I would love to do a drama. I haven't done a drama, a TV drama. I did Precious the movie and that was a drama. But I've never done a drama on TV. And I would love to do another dramatic film.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: And what type of role would you like to play?

Sherri Shepherd: Girl, I don't know. Something meaty. Something where I get to cry, where I get to go crazy. I want to do a love scene. Somebody please put me in bed with Gerard Butler, Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba, and oh my gosh. I'm trying to think of a sexy woman that just I love and can act. She'll come up.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Can you tell us more about your "power moment" and your work with Oral-B?

Sherri Shepherd: I don't work with too many people, and when I do, I have to be passionate about it and I'm so excited that I'm partnering up with Oral-B because I want to inspire other people to take control of their oral health. And I just feel like if you don't have your oral health together it affects so many areas in your life: your health, your relationships, your self-esteem. Because if you don't feel like you can smile because of the condition of your teeth or your mouth, it's hard for you to form relationships. And it's hard for you to even be who you are supposed to be.

I'm just hoping that I can encourage people to get on the power toothbrush train. I started using a power toothbrush and that was my powerful moment of truth. I started using a power toothbrush and, girl, I don't know why I waited so long. They are absolutely amazing. You know I would see it because I would use my manual toothbrush and I was like oh whatever, you know what is the big deal about using a power toothbrush or a manual toothbrush?

First of all, it's easier. Second of all, it does a better job than a manual toothbrush. You turn that baby on; it almost blew me out of the bathroom just the power. It's like being in the dentist office. And I started brushing my teeth and it's so much easier.

And also, it has helped me teach my son whose 6 years old, how to brush his teeth and how to make it fun. He loves using the power toothbrush. Oh my goodness, so it's a game with us. He likes turning it on and using it, and he likes the vibrating sensation on his mouth. So I've been having a lot of fun with this power toothbrush. My dentist even noticed the difference.

Sherri invites everyone to go to the Oral-B website where she uploaded a video testimony of her "powerful moment of truth" that made her switch to the power toothbrush and also requests that viewers upload their own video of how using a power toothbrush changed their life.