Katie Holmes was on a mission to get some real like intel about what it was like to grow up as a president’s daughter. She had gotten the role in the 2004 film “First Daughter,” so she knew exactly who to talk to.
Holmes went right to TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager, and she talked about that encounter during a visit to TODAY with Hoda & Jenna on April 12.
“Jenna so happened to be a first daughter during this time,” Hoda Kotb said of when “First Daughter” was in the works. “And Katie, in your research, did you ever reach out to a young lady named Jenna Bush, and try to get a little intel info?”
“I believe I did,” Holmes said with a huge grin.
Jenna is the daughter of former President George W. Bush, she remembered exactly where she was and what she was doing when she heard Holmes’ message.
“I was with my college roommates, we were watching ‘Dawson’s Creek’ — I’m not joking — we turned it off and I’m like, ‘Who called me from LA?’ Listened to the message and it was Katie and I was too embarrassed,” Jenna recalled.
“I mean, also, had you come and done research, you would have been like, ‘Wow. This is quite boring,'” Jenna continued.
“First Daughter” shows the daughter of the president as she moves away for college. She has to deal with a group of Secret Service agents, and she resents that she can’t act like a normal student.
The real secret of the movie is that her father, the president, has secretly assigned an undercover agent to pose as a student, who she falls in love with.
When the movie was being played, Jenna attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2004. Her home base was the White House where she lived while her father was president from 2001 to 2009.
Jenna said she never fell in love with a Secret Service agent.
“But I did have a friend make out with one,” she added.
“I’m sure you did,” Holmes replied while the whole room giggled. “That seems like the job of a friend.”
Holmes went on to say, “I just felt like, ‘What is that like, to carry that?’ and you’ve carried it so beautifully,” Holmes said.
“I’m going to cry,” Jenna squeaked out.
“We’re having a moment,” Hoda noted.
“It’s a girl party,” Holmes agreed.
