Kathie Lee Gifford Says Her Grandchildren Are ‘Such Blessings’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Kathie Lee Gifford is sharing some details about life as a grandmother and her latest project co-starring in THE BAXTERS alongside her daughter.
“‘Bubbe’ is my name,” Gifford said of what the grandkids call her. “It’s Yiddish.”
Her daughter Cassidy joked, “She’s the only one who can say it, though.”
“They all call me ‘Boobie,’” Gifford laughed. “Which is, I guess, fine.”
She explained her nickname further while appearing on the TODAY show shortly after the birth of her first grandchild.
“It means ‘dearest one,’ like ‘cherished one,’” she explained, adding that she thought it would be easier for little kids to say.
“A little kid only goes, ‘Buh, buh, buh, buh, buh,’ anyway. I think it’s going to be easy. Bubbie,” Gifford said.
Gifford is grandmother to her son Cody and his wife, Erika’s two sons — Frank “Frankie” Michael Gifford, 2, and Ford Matthew Gifford, 4 months — and Cassidy and husband Ben’s 9-month-old son Finn.
“They’re such blessings,” the former TODAY host said of her grandkids, adding that she enjoys the “sheer joy of watching my children with their children.”
The mother-daughter duo are currently working together on THE BAXTERS, a new Amazon Prime series based on Karen Kingsbury’s popular novels. Both appear in the series, Gifford as a guest star and Cassidy in a recurring role.
“[I wanted] to be a part of something that would give people hope and that would show the real side of a Christian family and what they go through,” Cassidy told Us Weekly. “I think so often it’s so cookie-cutter and so clichéd when it’s depicted in the media, and you understand why some people don’t even want to go near it. They think it’s just so saccharine and they’re going to feel like they’re judged.”
She called THE BAXTERS a “faith-forward” series but said it is “still raw [and] gritty.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Gifford and Cassidy’s roles in THE BAXTERS:
“I really wanted to be involved because…there’s nothing like it out there right now, and people really are so hungry for it, and they want to find hope in something because there’s so much negative out there,” Cassidy began. “You know, you’re inundated with it, I feel like, from all angles the second you turn your TV on, whether it be the news or even all the scripted series that are out there. People want to feel hope, and they want to feel connected to something, and I think more people out there have faith than we than we actually think.”
Cassidy plays Reagan Decker in the show.
“I think THE BAXTERS gives hope, and I do think that there is an audience for it,” she added.
Kathie Lee, who plays Lillian Ashford, joined the show to support her friend Roma Downy, who stars in THE BAXTERS.
“I did the show not only because Cass was out in as a member of the permanent cast,” Kathy Lee said. “But, Roma is an old friend of mine. And I don’t mean old in that sense, I mean just when she first started on TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. I did several of the early episodes of it and we became fast friends.”
“So, it’s always just a joy to be around Roma whether I’m working with her or just hanging out she’s just she’s an amazing woman,” she revealed.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
