Jennifer Esposito/SHAPE Mag April Issue

In the April issue of Shape, Jennifer Esposito shares her tips for staying fit and body confident as well as her no-fail workout plan. Her super-speedy routine helps keep the Samantha, Who? star in tip-top shape.

Here is an excerpt from the cover profile:

Growing up in Brooklyn, Jennifer always dreamed of moving across the East River to Manhattan. “When I was 6, I told my mom I wanted to be an actress, live in New York City, and have two dogs,” she recalls. Her mother, who was married and pregnant at 18, encouraged her daughter to follow her heart. “She told me, ‘You go girl! You can do whatever you set your mind to. Don’t settle, and don’t depend on anyone but yourself.’ ” With those words of encouragement, Jennifer enrolled in the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Manhattan, supporting herself as a fitness instructor at a local gym while waiting for her big break. Even now that Jennifer has a successful career, her mom is still her biggest cheerleader. “She called me recently and said, ‘You’re going to win an Oscar for Samantha Who?’ and I had to tell her you don’t win Oscars for TV roles,” Jennifer says, laughing.