Miriam Shor
Already an over-achiever as far as acting is concerned, the hilarious and commanding Miriam Shor manages to bring a salacious charm to the role of the nightmare boss she plays on Younger, making her not only extremely likable and scene-stealing, but also surprisingly the boss that everyone would die to work for. Combining pieces of Kim Cattrall's legendary Samantha Jones from Sex And The City with Meryl Streep's prolific Miranda Priestley from The Devil Wears Prada, while always managing to make the role entirely her own, Shor enraptures her audience as she gives them exactly what they're looking for when it comes to familiarity and iconography, while always taking them into the future as she offers up a whole new character for them to fall in love with.
The delightful blend of these classics no doubt also pays huge tribute to the company that the talented actress is surrounded by. The creator of Younger, Darren Star, is famously known for creating Sex And The City- a series that Shor recognizes as a pioneer for putting quality stories for women over thirty front and center, a gift to media she couldn't be more grateful for. And, Younger also reunites Star with former costumer from the show Patricia Field- whose talents was also utilized for the fabulous wardrobe Meryl Streep wore in The Devil Wears Prada. The gifted actress lists Field as an essential collaborator in creating her powerhouse character, Diana Trout, as the New York City staple is a major part in creating the designer looks that she wears to the office every day- a second skin the character would feel lost without. A proud New Yorker herself, Shor is overjoyed to be able to work with someone who she feels breathed so much life into her city.
And now, the Big Apple lover shows off her devotion to the big city even more as she gets further entrenched in its theater scene. Performing in SWEAT at New York's classic theater, The Public, Shor shows phenomenal range as she makes a huge departure from her emotionally guarded and power-driven Younger role, taking on an entirely new character as she offers tremendous gravitas to topical issues such as the failing economy and the suffering job market- particularly in major factories. And the same as with Younger, Shor has been outrageously hailed for her performance, showing that she can clearly do it all from comedy to drama- and do it well- while still always commanding attention.
With the season of Younger coming up on its exciting finale, and her must-see play now open for audiences, the talented performer sat down to answer some questions about everything she's been doing, what she would like to do in the future, what it's like working with her amazing cast, and why it's important that quality content is put out there for women over thirty. Read on to see what she had to say!
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Let's talk a little bit about this season of “Younger.” Seeing Diana let loose with Kelsey a little bit was a nice treat. Will we continue to see more of her interacting with the girls in a friendly way outside of work?
That was a fun moment. We really got to see more of Diana's private life out of the office this season, which was great. We get to see her in her apartment and her natural habitat, as well as explore some of her personal relationships. I like that we really get to see that she's not just a heartless "boss"- or another word that starts with a B. [Laughs] It shows that these women that she works with really do affect her, and resonate with her.
“Younger” really isn't for any age demographic- and that's pretty impressive for a series. It's managed to really reach an audience that has spread from teens to fans who are in their 50s, 60s and beyond, which probably has to do with the nature of the show. Can you talk about that a bit?
The main reason why it was able to do that is because of the writers. There's a lot of diversity behind the scenes- their ages vary, and their experiences vary. They are really good writers and it makes a difference. There's also this strange alchemy that happens when a TV show works and you just don't really know why. It's just this amazing chemistry. There is no formula for why people respond. And I really think that no matter what your age, there's a sense that people don't want to be defined by some construct. They want to be defined by who they are as a person. We can all relate to someone who is doing that for herself. And I love that fans can watch the show and there is this laugh-out-loud slapstick comedy, and then peppered in there we also have these excellent literary references. There's something for everyone. And the character development is just so rich so that you really want to spend time with these people.
Diana obviously capitalizes on the opposite end of the spectrum here when discussing the generation gap. Do you think that alienates her from the rest of the cast at all? She's sort of the only one who isn't searching for her identity, or trying to find her way. Is that a front, or is that she is truly that secure and she really is more of a mentor?
What I love about playing Diana, and what I admire about her, is that she is truly unapologetically powerful. I feel, often times, women in power are expected to apologize for their power and be demure rather than really take it by the reigns and ride it, so I love the fact that she is 100% secure in her abilities at work. But, it is fun to see that challenged and to watch her feathers get ruffled- especially by a younger character, like you see this season. And I think it's even more interesting when you this happen in her personal life and her relationships, because she's always worked so hard and expects that of other people. She has extremely high expectations for everyone around her, but sometimes she does need to take her foot off the pedal and relax. She definitely has insecurities- and I think that's also fun to see, and fun to play. I think where insecurity meets power is where you get the most complex characters, so she certainly has her moments where she struggles with morality, but I hope that a lot of humor comes out of that as well- and I think it does.
"Younger" must be such a refreshing show to work on as an actress because not only does it address the obsession with youth in today's society, but we also get a window into that from Hollywood as well- and this is particularly rough on actresses. Can you talk about how unfairly actresses over a certain age in Hollywood are treated, and how great shows like “Younger” are in that they offer quality content for women over thirty in Hollywood?
Darren Star is iconic for that. whatever your opinion on it, Sex And The City was undeniably a show that told stories where the main focus was on women and not on men. In Hollywood, way too often the goal for actresses is to get cast in roles as the wife, or the mother, or a relationship that somehow orbits around the man, whereas Sex And The City had these characters where the women had their own independent stories. And not only that, they were women in their 30's and 40's- and that was unfortunately revolutionary. And that seemed to set a spark, and thanks to that show we are seeing this happen more and more, and we see older actresses take on better characters and have their own storylines. So, Darren was very much instrumental in pioneering that movement, and his storytelling was really strong and featured very fully fleshed out characters, which of course makes it a joy to work with him. He's a great storyteller, and he creates great characters for women and it can be a struggle for women over thirty to get quality stories such as these.
Darren Star is legendary, as is amazing costume designer Patricia Field. Can you also talk about working with her, as well as the rest of your fantastic cast?
I'm a New Yorker. I've lived in New York for over twenty-five years. I used to go and hang out at Patricia Field's store when it was on 8th street before it moved downtown. Amanda Lepore would be there, and I would be obsessed with the shoes, and the make-up- everything. I just knew it was a creative place that I wanted to be around. So, the fact that I did that when I was first in New York City, and now I get to collaborate with such an icon, who I can now call a friend, it's so wonderful. I feel so incredibly lucky and it makes the experience of shooting in New York even more genuine and special. But, this is all such a love-fest. We really love one another. We make each other laugh so hard. It's like working with a group of friends. I've known Sutton [Foster] for many years because I went to college with her brother. She is such a kind, genuine, generous human being. She is such a fantastic person. Then you have Hilary Duff, who was a child star and should by all accounts be a mess [Talks through the laughter she incites], but she is absolutely delight. I mean, how did that work out? She is such a wonderful person, and so secure in herself and such a normal human being. It's a miracle. She came out splendidly. It's amazing. And Debi Mazar is the person everyone wants to be! Molly Bernard is so fantastic- she was only supposed to be in the show for a short period of time but she was so wonderful they knew that they had to keep her in the show forever. And then Nico [Tortorella] and Peter [Hermann], who beyond being the best looking men on the planet- which is just true, they are also incredible people. So, I can't tell you how lucky I am- because I know this isn't always the case. We have to spend a lot of time together, and I really hit the jackpot with this bunch.
You also just worked on HBOs "High Maintenance." Talk about that a bit, and what other roles are you looking to play, and who else would you love to work with?
I've been a fan of High Maintenance since it was on Vimeo. My husband and I were obsessed with it. It's one of the best things ever made- period. It's a completely unique perspective. I thought the creators Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair were so creative, so I basically stalked them until they would have a meeting with me and put me in their show. [Laughs] It's creepy, but true. I was so in love with that show, it's like a beautifully written short story- and it's the most genuinely New York show I've ever seen, so I had to at least meet them, and when they asked if I could do an episode I was simply over the moon. They like to bring people back into the story, so fingers crossed that I pop up again. They were actually the two people that I wanted to work with, and that was the role I wanted to play, so I was lucky enough to get to fulfill that dream!
And of course, you are now performing in the critically acclaimed play “SWEAT” at The Public Theater! What can you tell fans about that?
It's a really intense concept, and this is a really intense play. It's written by Lynn Nottage, and she won a Pulitzer for her last play, so she's no slouch. And when she puts her mind to telling a story and exploring something, it's incredibly effective, moving and important. And I really wanted to work with the director, Kate Whoriskey, for a while, and I also had really been wanting to do a play at The Public, which is really such an iconic New York theater. So, when all of those things came together and I was able to do it, I was really excited and jumped at the chance. And even more exciting is the fact that this is a completely different character than Diana- she couldn't be further from who Diana is. It's about these people who live in Pennsylvania and work in a factory and are dealing with the loss of their jobs- a problem that so many people are dealing with in this country. The effect that this has on these people on such a personal level is so compelling, and this is such a beautiful play. So, it truly is very intense and especially during this election cycle- it really resonates.
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And if anyone knows how to wake people up and make sure they are paying attention, it's definitely this talented actress. And while some actresses might find it hard to resonate with audiences and sneak their way into fans hearts, for Shor, it's no SWEAT. After all, she's already done it for three years on Younger.
Younger continues its third season Wednesday nights on TV Land at 10/9c.
SWEAT can be seen at The Public Theater. For tickets and more information, head on over to; http://www.broadway.com/shows/sweat/