Emily Osment on gratitude and ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’

Grateful is a word that comes up often when talking with actor Emily Osment. But you’d be mistaken if you thought the word relates only to her hit CBS sitcom, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” the “Young Sheldon” spin-off that premiered in October and is averaging 13.3 million viewers across linear and streaming, according to the network.

But Osment has much more to be grateful for since the recent wildfires hit the Los Angeles native close to home.

“We’re kind of used to wildfires, but the scope of this is something that’s so unimaginable, and it’s extremely traumatic,” she says, wearing a Dodgers ball cap and a “Los Angeles” sweatshirt during this interview. “Unfortunately, my parents lost their home, my brother lost his home, and I’m grateful that I’m able to provide a space where friends and family can feel safe.”

If there’s anything resembling an upside, it’s what the 32-year-old saw in the tragedy’s aftermath.

“I’ve seen so much community the last few weeks with people on the ground doing really good work, trying to donate and provide shelter, food and clothes to everyone that’s been affected. L.A. is really good at that,” she says. “It’s a very vibrant, diverse city, and I love watching our community come together. Unfortunately, it’s under horrible circumstances.”

Vibrant is also applicable for Osment’s career, which began at when she was 5 and includes two “Spy Kids” theatrical films and such TV series as “Hannah Montana” before falling into the Chuck Lorre world by guesting on his CBS series “Two and a Half Men” and “Mom.”

That led to regular roles on Netflix’s “The Kominsky Method” and on “Sheldon,” as the plucky Mandy McAllister — whom she plays on the new 1994-set spin-off.

“I owe a lot to Chuck Lorre,” she says.

Here, in a conversation edited for length and clarity, the actor talks about the journey on her acting career, Thursday’s winter premiere episode of “Georgie & Mandy” and how her personal life has changed.

You come from a family of actors. Was it just a natural thing for you to enter into?

In some ways, yes. I’m grateful that I had the path walked previously before me. My father [Michael Osment] was an actor for a long time, and my brother [Haley Joel Osment, who’s] four years older, was a child actor and is still an actor. And then I became of age, which was 5, and that was the correct time for me to be introduced to it and I loved it. I’ve been a SAG-AFTRA member almost 28 years now.

When did you first think, “This could be what I do with my life?”

That’s a great question. That really set in when I was in college. I did two years at Occidental College in Eagle Rock and was headed toward a theater major but ultimately had to leave college because I got “Young and Hungry” [the Freeform comedy that ran from 2014 to 2018]. You can’t work on a full-time sitcom and also show up for your 8 a.m. music class. I had to make the difficult decision to either finish my college education or decide to put two feet firmly planted in my work. I decided that this is an opportunity I couldn’t give up.

On the outside, it looks like it was a very easy transition from child to adult. How was that for you?

I mean, just being a woman in this industry is so unpredictable and at times very difficult. I’m fortunate for people like Chuck Lorre, who — I did the math this morning — I’ve been working with … for 14 years, and he has wonderful stories for women, and that’s hard to come by. I was 18, and I remember we shot on Friday nights on “Two and a Half Men” and that was the first time working with him. And then “Mom,” “The Kominsky Method,” “Young Sheldon” and now “Georgie & Mandy.”

Was there ever a Plan B if acting didn’t work out?

I’m not sure if there ever was a Plan B. I think sometimes even making a Plan B, the universe kind of laughs at you. It’s got its fingers holding the strings, and it’s just going to turn out the way it’s going to turn out.

Referring to the title, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” what did you think when you first heard it?

I screamed. We were at the Season 7 wrap party for “Young Sheldon” and Steve Holland, one of our executive producers and creators, came out of the elevator and I cornered him. He told me the title and I was like, “Oh, it’s amazing.” I love the potential disaster element that “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” gives you. It’s perfect. I can’t think of a better title.

Was there a shift at all in how you approached playing Mandy from one show to the next?

We have “Big Bang” and then “Young Sheldon” and then “Georgie & Mandy,” and I’m pretty sure it’s one of the first shows in television history to go from multi-cam to single-cam and back to multi-cam. I have experience in single-cam and multi-cam but I think the most jarring thing for us was watching Montana [Jordan, who plays Georgie] on Tuesday nights. He’d never done a live audience show before, but you should see when he walks out to greet the audience. He comes alive. It’s awesome.

In the Jan. 30 episode, “Diet Crap,” Georgie’s doing very well in the tire business. How does Mandy feel about that?

I think Mandy and I share this. We’re both very stubborn, and she sees an opportunity to have autonomy in her career and in her life, and she jumps at it. She convinces Georgie to give her a loan [to sell diet products] but she realizes she doesn’t really know how to talk to people. Georgie walks in with his effervescent Southern charm and within four minutes, he’s selling her product for her but she’s too stubborn to see that that’s wonderful that he can help her. It’s one of my favorite episodes this season.

Guitars are on the wall behind you as we speak. How much is music a part of your life these days? Could we see Mandy sing?

I think we have to have Rachel Bay Jones sing first since she’s got the Tony [for “Dear Evan Hansen”] but we’re a very musical bunch. Last year was a big year. I released three new Bluebiird songs. Bluebiird is my moniker for music. I started on “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.” I got married as well [to Jack Anthony in October 2024] and now I’m separated. It’s been a very long, large year for Emily.

Is that anything you want to talk more about?

I appreciate that. It’s just funny the way life happens. And I think with any big decision in your life, whether it’s relationships or work or whatever it may be, you have to firmly plant both feet in that decision to understand the full scope of that choice you’ve made. And ultimately, the marriage didn’t work out. It’s just the way life happens sometimes. I usually love January in L.A. because it’s sometimes oddly warm and it’s a fresh start. It’s the beginning of the year and coupled with these horrible wildfires, it can only get better, right? It can only get better.