Kari Lizer

By Elisa Ast All

Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

It's not every day you get a famous actress to play you on TV, but that's exactly what's happened to Hollywood producer/writer Kari Lizer, a single mother of three children living in Los Angeles. Lizer, executive producer and creator of The New Adventures of Old Christine, starring Seinfeld alum Julia Louis-Dreyfus, created the show based on experiences she was having as a divorced working mom.

"Initially, I liked the idea of writing about the 'good divorce' – a functional, non-nuclear family," Lizer says. "I also wanted to tell the story of a woman who was a great mom, but more than that."

A former actress, Lizer, who was co-executive producer and writer of the hit comedy Will & Grace, where she shared in four Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, drew upon her comedic nature for inspiration. "Christine's circumstances are loosely based on my own, with wild exaggerations and details added to make me look good," Lizer says.

On casting Louis-Dreyfus in the title role of Christine, Lizer notes that the choice could not have been more appropriate. "I didn't actually write the role of Christine for Julia," Lizer says. "I'm a huge fan, and like everyone else, addicted to Seinfeld, but didn't have a great sense of Julia outside of that role. After meeting her, and now working with her, I couldn't imagine anyone else doing it. She's such a mom. That was the biggest surprise for me."

But Lizer notes that perhaps the biggest benefit of having someone play you on TV is that they make you look better. "It's great," she says. "Especially when you can cast someone to play you that's prettier, funnier and with a flatter stomach."

Like many families, life is chaotic in the Lizer household. The family is made up of 10-year-old twins (a boy and a girl), an 8-year-old boy, two dogs, two cats, two rats and a rabbit. As such, Lizer has learned to make fast decisions.

"I'm as organized as humanly possible," Lizer says. "I have a lot of people helping me. I'm also lucky to be able to include my kids in my work. They come to show nights, do their homework at the office, etc. I also take the time I need to be with them. I'm old enough to know that the two hours away from work I spend at the holiday concert aren't going to matter in the scheme of things."

Lizer does her best to balance work and motherhood, though she admits it can be tough to do that in Hollywood. "Sometimes it's hard to teach my kids about balance," she says. "There's an awful lot of people in Hollywood with an awful lot of stuff, but I do the best I can to keep their feet on the ground."

In the end, Lizer is just a mom who cherishes her kids. "I just can't imagine what I'd be doing with my life without them," she says. "I guess I'd see more movies, my hair would look better, I'd sleep occasionally, exercise, read, have a cooler car, a cleaner house. It would suck."

Want to see more?

• Courtney Campbell: December 2005's Mom of the Month
• Stacy Denney: November 2005's Mom of the Month
• Jenny Potter: October 2005's Mom of the Month
• Talk about it!