Katharine McPhee Never Thought Her Dogs Would Be Famous

By Helin Jung
Wednesday May 23, 2012 03:50 PM EDT


Katharine McPhee has had a big year – starring in a hit show and adjusting to life in New York City.

The Smash star's two dogs, Chihuahuas Larry and Nena, have been along for the ride. "My little dogs are doing great," McPhee told PEOPLE in an e-mail. "They are wonderful companions and I love them to pieces. I never thought they would become so famous!"

Not only do they get the attention of paparazzi, Larry and Nena are part of McPhee's entourage on the Smash set.

"They are very polite on set and everyone loves them," she said. "Larry is affectionate and needy and Nena is just as chill as they come. But both are very sweet."

One person who definitely loves them is Bernadette Peters, who guest-starred in the show's first season. "She loves my dogs and all dogs, for that matter," McPhee said. "My dog Nena would sit on her lap while she was getting her hair and makeup done."

McPhee's latest project is her partnership with Tide for "My Story. Our Flag," which celebrates American patriotism leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games.

"I am incredibly grateful that I am able to wake up every morning and go to a job that I love to do," she said. "When I look at our flag I think of opportunity and freedom."

What does the red, white and blue mean to you? Go to Tide's Facebook page to share your story.

Katharine McPhee
Getty Images (2)

Season 5, 2nd place
Then: Struggling actress
Now: Marilyn Monroe
McPhee’s debut album sold a respectable 380,000 copies, and she went on to record two others. But in recent years, she’s been focusing more on acting, with her comedic performances in The House Bunny and Community. On Smash, her Karen Cartwright went from a Broadway understudy to the star—playing Marilyn Monroe.
On acting: “I have gone through a lot of agents in the last five years,” McPhee told The Daily Beast, earlier this year. “Just build my resume. Just get me a freakin’ job. It was really frustrating. I would be up for some big movie, not a huge part, but a decent part, and when it would come down to it, [they’d say] she’s great, but she doesn’t have experience. I can’t tell you how often that happens … Even if I didn’t have Idol, I’d have some other challenge that someone would want to pigeonhole me into—‘Oh, she came from a TV show, when TV wasn’t acceptable to become a movie star.’ It’s like, Jennifer Hudson will never be a movie star, and she’s proven them wrong.”
By Jace Lacob

Dear friend,



This spring, our team had the privilege of bringing the star of NBC’s Smash and Columbia recording artist, Katharine McPhee, to Ghana and Burkina Faso to experience firsthand the incredible work being done to combat malaria. During Katharine’s trip, she distributed mosquito nets at the preschool she helped build a few years ago. After Katharine got word that the preschool students and its principal were missing days of school due to malaria, she partnered with MNM to help change the fate of her school and its future leaders.

In honor of Katharine's trip, mosquito net manufacturer Vestergaard Frandsen is matching up to $50,000 in donations through July 31th! Your donation of $10 becomes $20, $50 becomes $100, $100 becomes $200, and so on.

As an added bonus, donate $100 or more HERE by July 31st, and Katharine will send you a signed photograph like the one included with this note!

Please join Katharine in supporting MNM now and make twice the impact in the fight against malaria.

Sincerely,

The Malaria No More Team


P.S – Watch a video recap of Katharine’s trip by clicking on the below.

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