Five Things to Know About The Event's Lisa Vidal

On NBC's The Event, actress Lisa Vidal plays the first-ever Latin American first lady, a role that brings her a lot of pride. But it's her off-screen role — that of mom to Scott, 17, Max, 12, and Olivia, 7 — that fulfills her most.

On NBC’s The Event, actress Lisa Vidal plays the first-ever Latin American first lady, a role that brings her a lot of pride.

But it’s her off-screen role — that of mom to Scott, 17, Max, 12, and Olivia, 7 — that fulfills her most.

“When I’m home, I’m just mom,” the 45-year-old tells PEOPLE Moms & Babies.

“We’re a normal, regular family doing normal, regular types of things.” So what types of things does she do?

1. She’s a total soccer mom

“All three of my kids play soccer,” she shares. “Each one of them started from the time they were about 5 or 6, and we just love it. Every weekend we break out our chairs and umbrellas and travel [to the games].” Her husband, Jay Cohen, coaches Max’s team, too.

2. She’s not sad about seeing her son off to college — yet

“I’m really excited for him,” she says of college-bound Scott. “I remember when I went to college, and just sort of feeling like I was starting this new chapter in my life, and I feel that way for him.”

So will she shed a few tears when they say goodbye next fall? “I’m not sad just yet,” she shares. “But just wait, when I leave him I’ll be crying!”

3. Pal Blair Underwood helped her land her latest role

“We’d been looking for something to work together on — he’s been a theater friend for 14 years,” Vidal explains. (The two starred together on High Incident in the late ’90s, as well.)

“After Blair signed on, he called me and said the script was amazing. I read it and agreed, my agents got me in for a meeting,” and the rest was history, she says.

4. She began acting at a young age

Vidal says she always knew she wanted to be an actress. “I was the entertainer in the house, always singing, dancing, telling jokes,” she says. The budding starlet attended a performing arts high school, and landed her first role — on the PBS show Oye Willie! — when she was just 14 years old. “I’ve been working ever since,” she says.

5. She used to run a children’s store, too

Even though she was busy with motherhood and acting, Vidal opened a children’s clothing store, called Oodles, in Studio City, Calif., several years ago. “It was a pet project, I’d always wanted to have a shop,” she explains.

But after her mom, who ran the store, moved back to her hometown of New York City, Vidal scrapped the project. “I decided to let it go, at least for a bit. Maybe one day I’ll try again and do it somewhere else.”

Someone who’d appreciate that? Olivia! “My daughter’s closet was ridiculous,” she says, laughing. “I did all the buying [for the store], and whenever I bought anything I ordered an extra size for her.”

— Kate Hogan