HOLLYWOOD INSIDER

Dr. Tess of 'All in the Family' talks of Season 4, special guest Paula Abdul

LOS ANGELES — If there's one person who is everywhere, it is Dr. Tess Mauricio.

Dubbed as "America's Favorite Dermatologist," you may see her on television in the "Dr. Tess" show, her reality TV show "All in the Family with Dr. Tess," busy at her M Beauty Clinics in San Diego and Beverly Hills, a guest in various TV shows, doing lectures and speeches everywhere, or attending Filipino events and supporting various causes.

The indefatigable and charming doctor, who is turning 50 this November, is a graduate of Stanford University Medical School, a summa cum laude alum from UC San Diego and a past president of the San Diego Society of Dermatological Surgery. She is also the inventor of the popular Time Machine Procedure and the author of the book, "California Total Beauty."

But what is admirable about Dr. Tess is how she has kept her family her number one priority despite her busy schedule. A mother to two, Dr. Tess always manages to spend quality time with her family. Together with her husband, Dr. James Lee, also a Stanford graduate, they have co-founded Liveli nutritional supplements.

We were able to talk to Dr. Tess about Season 4 of "All in the Family with Dr. Tess" and below are excerpts of our conversation, where she also shares about her friendship with singer-choreographer-actress Paula Abdul.

What do you think is the secret of the success of "All in the Family with Dr. Tess?"

There is something relatable in the show. It shows an immigrant family who came to the US. It follows the stories of different generations—my parents, my siblings, their spouses who are not Filipinos, mixed kids—and it follows the lives of different generations that are uniquely Filipino-American.

What do you think were the lessons you learned from Season 1 and what were the challenges you encountered?

There was COVID-19 in the middle of the filming and it was challenging to produce quality content during that time and now we are back together and we share moments of being together and the challenges when we were separated. We showed our daughter Jana going to college in Stanford, starting medical school and watching all my family grow and progress and the different things that are milestones in my family that the audiences will find interesting.

How do you prepare the family before the shoot?

We try to make it as spontaneous as possible and it really follows us and the milestones happening in our lives. Nothing is staged. These moments really happen in our lives and we bring them to the audiences. There are no major dramas, no controversies, just different things happening in our family. I think our kids are now used to having a camera following them. It's a busy new season and we are always happy that we were able to do it at the end.

Do you have family members who do not want to be involved because they are shy?

That would be my mom. She is shy. But the interesting thing is that GMA Pinoy TV wanted my mom's perspective in the beginning of the season because most of the audiences would be women who were my mom's age. My mom is very camera shy and so I don't know how she produced kids and grandkids like us. She may not be seen or heard but she has a lot to say behind the scenes, that is for sure.

"All in the Family" now in Season 4 is getting to be more exciting. Tell us what audiences may expect this Season 4.

We have a special guest and we are completely blown away by the generosity of Paula Abdul who is a pop icon, a multi-platinum Grammy award winner. I grew up listening to her music. And she has been my patient for the last five years. Our friendship has grown and she has helped me launch my podcast. We filmed in her house to reflect our true friendship and to make it look different from all the million of TV interviews that she has done. We will broadcast that and reveal our friendship.

Talk about how your friendship with Paula Abdul started.

It started with (actress and TV personality) Marla Maples getting ready for "Dancing with the Stars." She invited me to the premiere episode on the set and I happen to be seated beside a friend of Paula Abdul's who asked me if I were Marla's dermatologist. Paula's friend told me that Paula thinks Marla looks incredible and that she wanted to see me. She asked for my card. Then one day, Paula just shows up in my Beverly Hills clinic and we all tried to compose our excitement. And that was the beginning of our beautiful friendship.

What do you admire most about Paula Abdul as a person?

Paula is one of the most resilient persons I know. She has gone through so much and she has been in the business for so long but she does not give up. She keeps trying. All of us goes through hardships in life but her experiences are magnified because she is a celebrity. How hard she works and how determined she is are very inspiring to me. I thought to myself, if Paula can do that and my hardships are just a fraction of what she has gone through, then I can do the same.

What are your similarities?

We have the same body size and clothes' size. I am actually Paula's body size. She has an incredible style and fashion sense. We have the same style. She gives me a lot of clothes that were chosen for her and most of them, she has not even worn yet. A lot of the clothes that I wear that are memorable on social media are really Paula's.

When do you expect Season 4 to air?

"All in the Family" will air on November 6. I am excited personally because I turn 50 in November so this is my gift to all the Filipinos around the world. I have been with GMA Pinoy TV for almost 10 years now with "The Dr. Tess" show and now "All in the Family." Audiences have seen me grow, age gracefully, the kids grow up, the family transform and evolve. It is an honor to continue to share our lives with them.

You are a busy woman. You are a doctor, a TV personality, a speaker/lecturer, a mom and a wife. How do you juggle all these things?

Great question! My family has a lot to do with it. If audiences have to take anything from "All in the Family," it is the love and support of the family. We, as Filipinos, are really unique. We value the support and love of our family. Having Jana while I was in medical school was tough and I will not be here today without the love and support of my family. We are together through ups and downs. I know God has a plan for everything. And God has blessed me so much. And that part of giving back is important to me, so I try to be a blessing to others. And hopefully, the show is a blessing also to others.

—MGP, GMA News