Bridget Everett Found Success in Her 40s. Her Dog Is Her Soulmate. She Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way

What does it mean to feel emotionally fulfilled? In most TV shows and movies, the answer is often found in a romantic relationship. But, happily ever after doesn’t look the same to everyone. The HBO series Somebody Somewhere, in which Bridget Everett stars as Sam, intentionally shifts the focus to another kind of soulmate: the best friend.

“I am part of something that I’m really proud of, and before the show started, I probably never would’ve been able to say something like that,” Everett says of the show ahead of its season-three premiere on October 27. “So I’ve learned. I’ve grown, too, not just Sam.” Although this will be its last season, Everett says the story of Sam lives on in her head.

In fact, Bridget Everett, 52, has a great deal in common with her TV persona—including their hometown of Manhattan, Kansas (a.k.a. “The Little Apple”). But anyone who follows the comedian and actor knows that she is one of a kind. In a Glamour exclusive, Everett shares about why she’s happy her success came later in life, choosing herself first, and the value in finding “your people.”

I don’t really have goals in general. I’m not a hustler. Well, I’d love to play Madison Square Garden before I die. That’s one goal. But having my own TV show was never a goal—it kind of fell in my lap, and I made the most of it.

I wanted to be a singer. I was mostly singing in karaoke bars, and people started finding me. I did one show that led to another show that led to another. The goal at the time was to keep going, not to achieve something massive. I’m very happy that success—if you want to call it that—is happening to me now and not in my 20s and 30s. I waited tables for a very long time. I was 40 years old and waiting tables. Now, I have a real appreciation for where I am, even though it often doesn’t feel real.

I’m just glad I never gave up on myself, because I think that’s easy to do. When I was waiting tables, a friend of mine said to me, “At what age are you going to just stop trying?” He wasn’t being mean-spirited, but I was like, “Why would I stop trying?” I love singing. Waiting tables afforded me the opportunity to go sing at [New York theater] Joe’s Pub whenever I wanted. You just keep going and get better and better at what you’re doing. If you stick around long enough and you’ve got some talent, it will happen. What do I know?