Nev Schulman is an American producer, actor, photographer, and TV host. He is best known for the 2010 documentary film Catfish and the follow up TV series Catfish: The TV Show on MTV of which he is the host and executive producer. Born and raised in New York City, Nev has spent the majority of his adult life participating and supporting the arts from ballet to photography and film. Nev and his wife Laura Perlongo are parents to two adorable children Cleo and newborn Beau. They are the coolest parents with some great tips and use their platforms to offer “badvice” to the world. Their extremely popular Facebook show We Need to Talk has received millions of views and has a new season premiering in February. Nev just wrapped the new season of Catfish and is already gearing up for the next. They just welcomed their son Beau into the world making them a family of four. The two were married at his father’s East Hampton home summer 2016.
Congrats on expecting your second child! What's most exciting about becoming a family of four?
NEV SCHULMAN/LAURA PERLONGO: More Love! More fun! We can finally play bridge!
How do you manage work life balance?
NS: My job affords me a very specific ‘on/off’ time. When I’m working, I’m gone and can focus on work and when I’m home, I’m home and get to fully immerse myself in my kids lives. I feel very lucky.
LP: I think I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t like to work more, but the reality is I want to raise my own kids which is a full-time job when they’re this young. So many women work double days (that is work a full-time job AND are full-time moms) and I feel lucky I get to choose between the two. It’s an issue so many women face and emotionally challenging no matter what you do. The best I can do is remember that balance isn’t necessarily day to day or week to week but over the course of a lifetime. Did you make time for yourself and your family and your work when you needed to?
We heard you just moved into a new home in Brooklyn! How do you guys like raising your family in the city?
NS: No two days are the same! Truly! Cleo has school which is a new constant, but other than that we keep it pretty varied. New York City Ballet with Pop Pop. Walking the high line. The Whitney. Sweets and matcha at our art café MAMACHA on the Bowery. A lot of times just hanging out on random stoops in Brooklyn. We try to keep our days full of friends and laughter. There’s always so much to absorb. And so much to see again through our kids’ eyes. We love it here.
Any Millennial friendly parenting tips?
NS: Yes. Start a share folder instead of an Instagram for your kid. Share folders are way more fun to flood with images. You can post 40 at a time, 100, 1000. Then the people who really love you and your kids can share in your obsessive joy and you don’t have to caption everything and annoy your friends (who probably only follow your kid’s Instagram to be nice).
What is the most exciting thing about the new season of Catfish?
NS: As the internet and online dating continues to evolve, the realities of finding love in the digital age never cease to amaze me. There are so many great things happening this season, but I’d have to say working with all my new co hosts is what I find most exciting. The different energy and experience that each of them bring to the show really makes for so many raw and surprising moments.
What are you most excited about for 2019?
LP: Finally settling into our lives. Our new apartment. Our growing family. Stability at home which gives us the energy to take on more exciting things outside of it. It’s a good year to be in love.
Photography by: Photography Courtesy of Nev Schulman
