Hannah Hart’s road to YouTube stardom may have been catapulted by a simple concept, getting drunk and cooking, but the public figure takes her role in pop culture, media, and food much more seriously than that.
She just released Season Two of her Barilla series “While the Water Boils,” she’s finishing a press circuit for her second movie with the Holy Trinity of YouTube (including Grace Helbig, Mamrie Hart, and herself), and has her second book, Buffering, coming out in October.
To put it mildly, she’s busy. After exchanging a traditional Cal “Go Bears!” we got a few minutes to sit down and chat with Hannah about her projects, favorite snacks, and her advice for college students.
Spoon: You have this new show with Barilla about passions — what it is about food that makes you so fired up?
HH: I would say that food has been my passion because it brings people together. That’s one of the greatest things about pasta. You make a big batch for your friends and family, everyone’s always happy about it.
Spoon: It can be really easy for a show like this to feel canned, but I love that it’s so insightful and so like you. What are things that you bring to the show to have that authenticity?
HH: Thank you so much for saying that. I try and maintain and bring myself and maintain a level of authenticity in all the work that I do. Barilla has allowed me to have a lot of creative say and we’ve been heavily involved in production and post-production together with the series. I’m really proud of it as a series just on its own.
Spoon: What’s something you’ve learned from doing the show?
HH: I learned that we are all motivated by different things and there are a lot of different things that fuel us. It’s finding a balance between intake and export, finding a way to apply your passions to your life.
Spoon: “My Drunk Kitchen” wasn’t born out of you wanting to be a YouTube star. What’s it been like to take a video you made for a friend into this sensational launch to your career?
HH: It’s been like a daydream. It’s been like living in a daydream. I feel so grateful and so blessed to have this life and have these doors open to me. It’s a great responsibility and privilege to be a public figure and I take it really seriously. I hope to be a good role model and the best version of myself because so many people have given me all this trust and energy. You know what I mean?
Spoon: Yeah. You have these strong personal and professional relationships. How does having that group around you change the type of content you’re creating and push you?
HH: I think it helps you stay fresh and interested. When you’re constantly creating content it can be exhausting to only have one voice you’re talking to or talking through. It helps having friends that you respect and make you laugh so you can bounce ideas off them.
Spoon: What’s the hardest thing about doing this? When you have a career that’s on all the time, what’s the thing to look out for and how do you take care of yourself?
HH: I’m learning that. Learning how to create what my manager calls “white space,” which is just making sure there’s time in the schedule where there’s nothing for you to do. It’s not only learning how to zone out but zone in.
Spoon: You’ve mentioned that your new book is more introspective and personal, what made you comfortable sharing that side of yourself with the world?
HH: I am ready to move on. I’m ready to enter into a new chapter in my life, I’m about to turn 30 and we have this movie “Dirty 30” coming out so with ‘Buffering’ it’s like, I’m ready to move into the adult version of myself instead of the adolescent one.
Spoon: What are you the most proud of? In your career or otherwise.
HH: I guess I’m really trying to challenge myself and I’m trying to work hard. To be honest, I worked really, really hard on ‘Buffering,’ so I think that’s one of them. I’m a little nervous about it coming out.
Spoon: I can’t imagine why.
HH: Exactly, right? Oh man. I’m just happy to be here.
Spoon: What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing the 12 million things you’re doing right now?
HH: I’d probably still be in translation or a proofreader. Maybe move into education. Being a teacher would be a wonderful thing as well.
Spoon: What would you tell your freshman self going into college vs. your senior self graduating?
HH: Freshman self… I’d be like, you’re gay. ‘Cause I was still in the closet. Senior self… I’d tell myself don’t worry so much. Try not to stress out so much and try to enjoy it.
Spoon: What are some things that you think can get you through mistakes in college?
HH: I think the best thing you can do after you make a mistake is forgive yourself and forgive yourself. When you make a mistake, there’s a lesson to be learned from it. I think the first step in that is accepting the mistake and forgiving yourself.
Spoon: What did you eat in college as a midnight snack?
HH: Honestly, I was big into grilled cheese! Or pasta of any kind because it was easy to make a lot and then share with friends.
Spoon: Have you ever almost burned down your house/apartment filming “My Drunk Kitchen?” Any close calls/fire situations?
HH: Haha! Nope. Thank goodness.
Spoon: What advice do you have for college students cooking and eating on their own?
HH: Cooking is a great way to save money and a great activity to do with friends. Give yourself a budget and make sure you only eat out a couple times a week! It’ll save you a ton of money and you won’t have to cramp your social life.
Spoon: One last fun question… What’s your favorite alcoholic beverage?
HH: I’m really a big fan of scotch! I love a good scotch. I also love wine.
Cheers, Hannah! You can all check out her series, “While the Water Boils,” with Barilla on YouTube, and check out the rest of the cool shit she’s doing on Instagram.