Carrie Preston (Arlene Fowler) has been in the business for a while and it seems like whenever we turn on the TV she is on a new show either having a recurring role or a guest appearance. And just recently she won a Emmy for her role on the CBS show ‘The Good Wife‘.
Bryan Gibson of WOUB was able to catch up with the ‘True Blood‘ actress to talk about the new movie she is working on, and her other projects that is going on for her.
The new movie that Carrie is working on she is not an actress but is directing on the film. If you remember this isn’t the first time she is in the chair that says director. Her debut film as a director was on the movie called ‘That’s What She Said‘. So was directing always hoer career goal or is it just a natural transition from acting?
“I started my own theater company when I was in 7th grade, so I guess you could say I was always comfortable taking a leadership role in things! I like to have my hand in all of the aspects of filmmaking, and I feel like the acting enhances the directing and vice-versa. When you’re acting, you are responsible for getting inside the skin of one character. But when you’re directing, you have to get inside the skin of all of the characters. Either way, film is a collaborative art form, and that’s what I love most about it.”
Like it was mentioned previously the directing debut for her was a movie called ‘That’s What She Said‘. That movie was actually based off of a play called ‘Girl Talk‘ which was written by Kellie Overbey. So what type of involvement did Carrie have with the play and what was the transition like from play to film?
“Kellie is an actor and writer. She and I met in New Haven, Conn., at the Long Wharf Theater where we were playing sisters in a production of a play written and directed by James Lapine–Mia Farrow played our mother. In the production with us was Marcia DeBonis, a wonderful actor. Kellie had written a play called Girl Talk, and I fell in love with it on the first page. I said, “Kellie, you have got to let me direct this play, and we need to get Marcia to play Bebe.” And that’s exactly what we did, producing it off-off-Broadway in New York City. It went so well that I thought the story should find a “broad”er audience. So I encouraged Kellie to adapt it into a screenplay, and then I went about the long journey of getting it onto the screen. It took almost eight years, off and on.”
‘That’s What She Said‘ was filmed in New York. So why was that location picked to film there? Also was there any issues that came up when filming on location there?
“New York is a character in the film. It’s sometimes such a battle even getting out the door in New York, so I wanted the city to be very present in the characters’ lives. I took great pains to make sure the footage of the city was accurate as they traveled from the East Village to the Upper West Side and back down to Chinatown. Kellie, Marcia and I are all based there, so there was no question of where we would film. The challenge of shooting in New York is trying to find affordable locations and dealing with the logistics of having a crew up and running in tight quarters indoors and the concrete jungle outdoors. You could say that at times, we were battling the city as much as the characters were. But for the most part, we made it work by being extremely prepared for anything.”
It seems like everyday her IMDB page keeps growing. So how is she able to keep straight her schedule?
“My schedule can be a logistical nightmare at times. But I am actually one of those people who is most happy when I’m doing a million things at once. I love being busy. It makes me feel alive and gives me a sense of purpose.”
It’s always interesting to see what the actors and actresses of our favorite show are working on besides the show. It’s also interesting to see how they go from in front of the camera to behind it. What are your thoughts on Carrie’s new projects and her directing? Tell us below.
Source: Woub.org – “That’s What She Said: A Talk With “The Good Wife’s” Carrie Preston”
Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
