Laurie Metcalf has just raised the bar on television, becoming the record-setting talent to be the most nominated actress in acting categories in a single year for The Emmys on television. But, that’s just a mere pittance compared to what Metcalf has done for TV. Already a three time Emmy winner, and nominated eleven times in total, Metcalf raised the bar for the industry and every actor in it long ago when she starred on Roseanne, blending genres as she helped to create what audiences would learn to know as “the dramedy.”
For nine years, Roseanne and everyone involved with it brought nothing short of brilliance to TV and changed the scope of the small screen, paving the way toward the golden age of television which we are in today. Without Roseanne, there would be no Shameless. There would be no Weeds. There would be no Nurse Jackie. With its provocative and innovative storytelling, brash humor and rule-breaking format, Roseanne defied the expected conventions of what a sitcom should be and managed to not only bring in the most riotous laughs that still hold up today- but pertinent subjects that moved along in brilliant dramatic arcs which were always performed sublimely, and every powerful dramedy and antihero that has graced TV since owes its life to the show. Genius was all abound on Roseanne, and of course, one of those key members proved to be none other than Laurie Metcalf.
Without any exaggeration, Metcalf proved early on in her career to be equivalent to the likes of Meryl Streep in her performance as she managed to do things on the small screen that simply had never been done before. She took bold risks in both comedy and drama and put herself out there to the boldest depths of both genres, showing she could often maneuver both in the widest range better than any actor out there in well under a minute. She brought never-ending realism and intensity to her character as she faced everything from loneliness, to abuse, to alcoholism, while still being one of the funniest comedic actresses to ever be on television. In short- Laurie Metcalf changed what an actress should be on TV.
Is it any wonder why she is nominated for three awards this Emmy season?
On The Big Bang Theory, Metcalf proves once again to still be one of the most riot-inducing women to ever be on television as she reunites with Roseanne alumni Johnny Galecki and Chuck Lorre. On the scientific sitcom, Metcalf guest stars as the mother of Jim Parson’s wonderfully weird Sheldon Cooper and consistently matches the actor note for note in a way that only the prestigious actress could, ping-ponging off of him perfectly.
And Metcalf definitely wasn’t short on good acting partners this year. On Horace And Pete, Metcalf was once again in esteemed company as she got to stretch her dramatic chops, getting to play show creator Louis C.K.’s character’s ex-wife. The piece, done in sophisticated long takes, is hard on an actor as it reads more like theater- but it’s the perfect showcase for true talent, and naturally, Metcalf shines.
And finally, on Getting On, the actress got to take on something that she actually hadn’t done yet- she got to enter herself as lead actress. Having usually played supporting roles in the past, playing Jenna James offered Metcalf’s talents full spotlight- and she never failed to miss a beat. Having helped be a part of the invention of the dramedy format from its conception, Metcalf got to see the fruit of the rewards with her complicated, complex and fully fleshed out character that offered level after level for the actress to creatively peel away from. The best part about watching Metcalf play this role is her love of Jenna James. Along with brilliant women like Roseanne Barr, Metcalf worked hard for women like this to exist on television- and if any actress deserves to play them and get recognized for it, it’s her.
With a strong background in theater as a founding member of the highly acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the brilliantly gifted actress has proven time and time again to be the real deal and able to do anything that comes her way, whether it be on stage or screen, and in comedy, drama or anything in between, and any actor who gets to work alongside her knows that is the best award any performer can get.
With three knock-out performances getting oodles of recognition this Emmy season, it was extremely exciting to sit and hear the actress talk about her process, her projects, her time on Roseanne and what roles she looks for in the future!
This is a truly impressive year for you as you are not only nominated so many times, but really these roles show the broad range of what you can do as you are nominated in both drama and comedy. You have The Big Bang Theory, which is more of your traditional comedy, Horace and Pete, a drama, and Getting On which is more of a dark comedy, and you very much originated the dramedy landscape with your role as Jackie on Roseanne, which was very funny but still always covered extremely serious issues. Talk about that a bit, and about lending a hand toward really reshaping television. Which do you prefer, comedy or drama?
I like to switch back and forth between comedy and drama, which I’ve been fortunate to do. Getting On was a show that really combined both so beautifully. And I’ve been so lucky, even going back to Roseanne- which was my first role that was in the public eye, because before that I had done just theater. But, the projects I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with, again, starting with Roseanne, have been so beautifully written, well conceived, surrounded by great casts and with such strong production values. Whether it be in animation; like Pixar, Or in Multi-camera; like Roseanne, or the theater company that I was privileged enough to create; Steppenwolf, Louis C.K.’s Horace And Pete, the movies I’ve been involved in- everything down the line has been of the best quality. Look at The Big Bang Theory- I’m working with people who are at the top of their game, and it’s so creatively fulfilling and magical. That’s how I thought of all three seasons of Getting On. I was also just fortunate enough to go up to Portland and do a stint on Portlandia and work with those amazing people- and again- they’re all at the top of their game, so it’s so fun to create alongside these amazing people.
So, let’s start with Getting On. Jenna must be an extremely fun character to play because she allows you to really go places most people would never openly go in real life. Talk about that a bit, and is there any chance HBO might bring Getting On back with the extra attention it’s getting due to the Emmy nod?
Well, that would be a dream come true if it were to get another life. I know the writers Mark [V. Olsen] and Will [Sheffer] would be prepared for that, as would the whole cast, because it was just so much fun and we all loved it so much. Everyone connected to it- we just knew the moment we started shooting it how unique it was, and how smart and funny and tragic it was. So, that would be an absolute dream if it were to come back- but I could only hope. I have my fingers crossed. It was off the radar for so long, but I guess it managed to squeak through and qualify- so I’m so proud that the show is recognized and back in the limelight again in any way. But, Jenna James? What a creature. I guess I’ve heard a lot of comments about people not liking her, which I don’t really get because I’m very protective of her [laughs.] Of course she has a lot of faults, but how could you fault somebody who cares just so much about what they do? Cares to the point where nothing else matters- to call her a workaholic is obvious, and to say that she has zero bedside manner is also true, but I think in her heart she really cares, and to a fault where she will burn a lot of bridges on her path to righteousness. It’s been very fun to play a character that is so flawed, and so driven and so unaware of what she is leaving in her path. I don’t know how writers do what they do- I’m just in awe of being handed material that lets my imagination run wild with it, and that’s really what my year was filled with- that kind of material.
Then there is The Big Bang Theory, where you are not only playing the very esteemed Jim Parson’s character’s mother, but, you are also reunited with your Roseanne co-star Johnny Galecki and former Roseanne writer Chuck Lorre. Talk a little about the great company you’re in on that show and how this part came into your lap. Did Johnny Galecki or Chuck Lorre call you for the role? Have you kept in touch with many of your other former Roseanne co-stars?
I’m on The Big Bang Theory totally due to Johnny, so I believe! The whole Roseanne acting gang was very tight and we spent so many years together that I just think when an age-appropriate role came up, Johnny must have been like; “Oh, bring her in!” [Laughs.] And Chuck was on the first season at least, before he went off to create other huge shows. And Roseanne was always a show that was just so well run, and written and imagined, and different for the time period that it popped up in- and it still holds up. That writing still really holds up to this day. And Roseanne [Barr] was always willing to have everybody around her get laughs, and then also knew that she was willing to sacrifice laughs during any episode to go for the heart or truth of the matter- whatever the family was going through that was real or grounded at the time. She broke a lot of barriers on that show, and she really lead it, the whole nine seasons. I stumbled into that wonderful part and those nine years taught me a lot. I went in completely blind, as I said, I had never done TV- just theater, and I learned so much. That whole decade was amazing- it was really a high point in my career. And The Big Bang Theory cast is so amazing, and I love going to that set at Warner Brothers, because everybody on it and in the show is so professional- and the show has been going for a long time, and sometimes you’ll see things can creep in where you’re not as invested as you could be, or should be, but that whole gang is so professional and there to work. I just love them- nobody wastes any time and it’s a real joy to be around people who are there for the creative process- that’s totally what they are there for.
Then there’s Horace and Pete, where you play the ex-wife of Louis C.K’s character. Needless to say this cast is one of the most impressive casts that Hollywood could offer as it has both you and Louis C.K, Steve Buscemi, Jessica Lange, Edie Falco and Alan Alda on board. Fans say that the show feels more like staged theater rather than television, and many of you come from theater backgrounds. Touch on that a bit and how the theater element might have been a draw for you, as well as the astounding cast.
You know, I feel like I kinda was part of the cast even though I didn’t even meet anybody else! [Cracks up.] But, I do think of that show as a big, long play. I could not believe I was offered episode three- it was a very big surprising gift, and I can’t believe I was entrusted to bring that thing to life. I worked really hard on it, because I had a feeling that since it was just the two of us sitting together that Louis would want to do it in a single take, if possible- although it had a built in intermission in it. So, I worked my ass off backwards and forwards so we could just sit and speak it together. And that’s what we did on the day- we didn’t do very many takes. And he gave great notes- he is also an excellent director, and those can be very few and far between, so I have found. And talk about professional- the whole crew and set up on that show- it was seamless. It seemed like they were working together for a decade. And it was one of the most well-written things I’ve ever been able to interpret- because that’s really all that I do. I can’t write, and I have the highest of esteem for writers in every medium- I don’t know how they do it. So, what I do know how to do is interpret. And when I got handed that piece and it just went on and on, and it would turn so many corners, and then I realized I would be sitting opposite him, I couldn’t wait to do it because I love his acting as well. It was just a super-early Christmas present that I can’t believe I got to get!
Speaking of theater, you aren’t just one of the most acclaimed actresses on television, but you are truly one of the most praised actresses of the stage as well, and you’re a member of the extremely elite Steppenwolf Theatre Company, among the likes of John Malkovich, Joan Allen, Gary Cole and Gary Sinise to name a few. Would you like to talk a little bit about Steppenwolf and your work with them?
Well, I owe my whole career to Steppenwolf. We started it right out of college, and it’s in its 40th year- unbelievably, and I would not have been an actor had I not grown up with that group. I wouldn’t have had a thick enough skin to face rejection after a bunch of auditions, even if I had the nerve to go on them! So because we did it as a group initially, it was a good place where I could learn my bearings, and learn everything that I could about stage acting and then apply it over the years to television and film. We were young and had a lot of energy, and just wanted to create and amuse each other the best we could. So to make each other laugh- or cry- was really what we were in it for, and the byproduct was that we just got better and better because we gave ourselves roles that we just really wanted to do, and because we were charging three dollars in a church basement. We would have some people trickle in to see us, but because we kept attacking roles and plays that no one else would have given to us- no one in their right minds- we got better. And as some of us began to branch out into television and film, that made us better also. We would go out and meet people on one of those projects, and then come back and rejuvenate at the theater again. It’s always been a wonderful home base to have, and I go back as often as I can to do a play. Chicago audiences are great, and that was my learning ground, and that’s why I’m always attracted to theater right off the bat because it’s what I know best and I’ve never lost the passion for it, so I’ll always be looking for the next good theater project.
In your more recent stage works, you acted alongside the fabulous Jeff Goldblum in Domesticated, and got nominated just last year for a Tony in your performance of Misery alongside the wonderful Bruce Willis. Would you like to touch on those performances, and those amazing co-stars?
I had a blast with both those guys! Jeff Goldblum is...[stops to laugh warmly] so present on stage, and such a wonderful acting-tennis partner. He never misses a beat. He comes in totally off-book, he’s ready to work- he is in the moment. He is like an acting animal! So, Domesticated by Bruce Norris was wicked fun, I have to say. And then being able to switch gears and go out and basically do a two-hander with Bruce Willis was just spectacular. We developed a real- in the best sense- co-dependency, because it was mainly just the two of us up there, and I felt we were truly supporting one another out there. We would both come to the theater early, check in with one another, get ready to go on that “misery-go-round” for an hour and a half and have a blast, then check in on each other after to make sure neither of us had gotten hurt- which would happen quite a bit [laughs.] And for a show that was as dark as Misery was, we had so many laughs. We laughed all the way through rehearsals and we laughed off-stage all the time. I miss hangin’ out with Bruce, because it was so much fun getting to know him as a person, and then getting to know him as an actor also.
You’ve been nominated so many times now for The Emmys- particularly for your amazing guest starring gigs. Is there any show you would love to guest star on? You’ve worked with practically everyone and played pretty much every part- is there any part you dream of playing, or anyone in particular you dream of working with, or working with again?
My God, that’s a hard one, because I’m not really caught up on all the shows- so I don’t know if I’m really qualified to answer that one! There’s never been a part that I read that I didn’t start salivating over- because there’s something in everything I’ve read, some place in it, where I just feel hooked in and where I can identify- and that immediately gets my creative juices flowing in that I want to start on it right away. I can’t turn my mind off, I start the imagination process- and it’s so fun just to daydream about what you would do with any given role. And there are millions of people I would love to work with, I can’t even narrow it down, because really, no matter what it is- I’m always the person that seems to say; “Ooh! Let me! Let me! Let me try my hand at that one!” So, there’s millions of roles out there that I would love to play- I can say that I would love to be on any show there is.
One can only hope that means that Metcalf will get her wish and be on every show- because who could ever have enough of her? Knowing her, if that were the case, she would easily wind up being nominated five times over in every category. Hey, if anyone could do it? It’s Laurie Metcalf.
The 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 18th on ABC.