Hillary And Chelsea Clinton Show Their ‘Gutsy’ Side In New Series

Hillary Clinton admits that she was afraid of being a clown.

This realization came as she and her daughter Chelsea were working on their new series Gutsy.

The eight-part docuseries features the pair as they embark on a thought-provoking journey, speaking with pioneering female artists, activists, community leaders, and everyday heroes who exemplify what it means to be gutsy.

While the series features Hillary and Chelsea revealing their special mother-daughter bond in the way they approach timely issues, this isn’t simply an interview series; the two actually immerse themselves in various activities to truly understand the unique women they speak with.

This is precisely when Hillary uncovered her fear of being a clown — when she actually goes to clown school in the episode Gutsy Women Have the Last Laugh.

The series was born out of a publication the duo penned in 2019, entitled “The Book of Gutsy Women.” In the book, they wrote profiles of nearly 100 women who had say they inspired them.

“We had such a great time doing it, learning what each of us considered gutsy, and then selecting the women that we profiled. And we were really fortunate after the book came out that a number of people approached us about perhaps turning it into a series,” says the former Presidential candidate about the evolution of the show.

Defining what it means to be a gutsy woman, Hillary explains, “Of course there are characteristics [like] someone who is determined, courageous, and resilient, but not just on behalf of herself. We decided that we wanted women who were gutsy in those ways, but in addition, that were trying to knock down barriers, right injustices, and provide opportunities for others as well.”

Chelsea says that the individuals chosen to be in the series represent a ‘spectrum of women who were being gutsy in so many different ways. Whether you are local firefighters here in New York City, or the amazing Jane Goodall. It was just such a joy that we got to highlight so many women who inspire us.”

The elder Clinton was quite candid when she spoke about the gutsiest thing she’s ever done saying, “Well, I’ve answered this question a couple of two ways. And I will do that once again. The gutsiest decision I ever made in my private life was to stay in my marriage which as everybody knows, was playing out on the global stage and very difficult to deal with in a way that gave me the confidence to make the decision that was right for me and my family. I did that and have no regrets.

“And then my public life running [it was running] for President. I mean, this was a tight rope with no net, and it was really difficult because of all of the unprecedented questions that were raised about a woman being President. Obviously, I’m very proud of our campaign and very proud of getting more votes. I’m very sorry that I didn’t actually win the seat, but it was a very gutsy.”

In making the series, Hillary cites her aforementioned time in clown school as the time that she felt the most nervous. “I was in Paris [and] when we were getting a clown lesson. I mean, I found myself on the stage of the Moulin Rouge, putting on a red nose and thinking, ‘what am I doing here?’ I have to say it was an extraordinary experience.”

This is when she learned an important life lesson about what clowns call ‘the flop.’

“The flop is when you’re out there trying to make people laugh, and they’re not laughing and how do you come back from the flop?” She laughs a little as she adds, “I have to say, in my life in the past, I’ve had a bit of a flop myself and trying to figure out how to come out of it. I didn’t know that the concept was from the flop sweat that you break out in when you’re nervous and trying to overcome what looks to be a disaster, but I thought that was a fascinating concept.”

In addition to learning coping skills from the clowns, mother and daughter expounded on the conversions that had a profound effect on each of them, with Chelsea revealing that the time she spent with a group of female New York City firefighters really moved her.

“I certainly was full of so much gratitude [but] those words feel so insufficient for the gutsiness that they display every day to help keep us safe. Having put on the firefighting gear, having done even just a small bit of what they’re required to do to even qualify as firefighters was so humbling. And so many of their stories have stayed with me.”

For Hillary, she admits that she was deeply moved when she spoke with a woman who had been part of a white supremacy group but now works to deprogram others who have taken that path.

She explains, “That was very touching and inspiring to me, because one of the ways that we characterize that episode is [as] Gutsy Women Refuse Hate, and we also interviewed two women ‑— one white, one black — who had children who’d been killed in hate crimes, So we wanted to show not just these women themselves coming from very different backgrounds, but what they’re now doing to try to help heal these divides and also hold people accountable for some of these very violent, untrue beliefs.”

Having had these conversations, the duo says that they’ve gained some personal knowledge about themselves, with Chelsea saying, “I learned that, thankfully, I am generally up for anything.”

Through this experience, Hillary says she discovered that, “I can keep learning as I get older, and that I’m willing to get outside my comfort zone and do things I never would have even imagined doing a few years ago.”

She adds, “I hope maybe through this series women my age and around this time in their lives will think of things that they continue to do that they can continue to learn in conjunction with the next generation and generations even younger, because I really loved the connectivity that I felt during the filming.”

Now that the series is airing, Chelsea and Hillary are ready for everyone to see it and are hopefully take something away from it that’s applicable to their own lives.

As Chelsea says, “I really hope that there’s even just one story that not only touches someone’s heart but really can help motivate, inspire, and comfort them when needed, because I think we are living in very challenging times. Honestly, I think that the times are going to get more challenging before they get less so, especially for women, so I think we all need that inspiration of gutsiness to help see us through and forward.”

Jumping in, Hillary adds, “I totally agree with that, and I would only add that I hope in addition to maybe finding some inspiration or a model of gutsiness that you can somehow relate to, that for men and boys [this series] will also help open their eyes about the variety of personal experiences that women have dealt with and that maybe this will help to create more of a climate of understanding and respect for those who are apparently different from us. I would also hope that the series would start a lot of conversations in the world about women’s lives, women’s opportunities, women’s rights, and what we all need to be doing to make all of that possible.”

All episodes of ‘Gutsy’ are available for streaming on Apple TV+