Actress Ali Wentworth dishes on life, love and aging

Actress and author Ali Wentworth has been surrounded by politics all her life, which has led to some interesting encounters.

While growing up as the child of a political journalist during the Watergate years (Eric Wentworth of the Washington Post),  her family’s telephone lines were tapped. Wentworth saw it as an opportunity to occasionally yell into the receiver. As an adult, she attempted to give a gift to then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld by throwing it over his fence. She was quickly surrounded by his security guards.

Wentworth, 53, shared these stories and more as the final speaker of this year’s Ringling College Library Association Town Hall Lecture Series at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on April 9.

Wentworth made her television debut as a cast member on the sketch comedy series "In Living Color.” In movies, Wentworth has played roles in "Jerry Maguire" and "Office Space." Most recently, she created and stars in the comedy TV series "Nightcap." Wentworth is also a best-selling author and her most recent memoir, “Go Ask Ali,” will be released on April 24.

“The book is based on mistakes I’ve made,” said Wentworth. “I have a lot of advice to give and I feel like I learn more from my girlfriends than from Google or Deepak. When my friends and I share our experiences, we learn from each other.”

During her talk, she amused the audience with anecdotes about growing up in Washington, D.C., her marriage to "Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos and the struggles of raising teenage daughters in the age of social media.

Although Wentworth rose to fame as a young actress during the 1990s, she said she doesn’t believe in age or that anyone is irrelevant. “I’m just getting started,” she said. “I think we’re in such a youth-oriented world and I’m trying to break that barrier. You’re relevant at every age.”

Wentworth, whose mother lives in Sarasota, said she visits the area often and almost bought a home on Longboat Key with her husband before convincing him they were too busy to buy a vacation home they don't have time for.

“If my mom lived in Siberia, we probably wouldn't visit her often," she said. "But we love to come here. We like to go to the farmer’s market and the beach. I think it’s so beautiful.”