Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Interview with Lady Mac
By Gustave | Season 1 | Episode 20 | Aired on 04.13.2002
I'm enjoying the real time, because as an acting task it's very exciting. Minutes are passing, and now that we're at the umpteenth hour, hours are passing. Relationships are changing from hour to hour instead of day to day or year to year.
Technically, what's the difference between acting in a real-time format, as opposed to shooting a scene and then shooting another scene that's supposed to take place, say, two weeks later?
It's real continuity. When we're shooting, we always come to the table to discuss where we left off five minutes ago…ten minutes ago…twenty minutes ago. Were we fighting? Were we lovey-dovey? We have to constantly examine where we were. I mean, in acting you always have to examine where you were a few minutes ago -- whether it's real time or not. But here it's especially true. You can't skim on the cream of that acting style. We have sharp people around us to remind us. And hopefully we do our jobs, which make it easier to do their jobs.
And you have to keep wearing the same outfit.
[Laughs.] But I've managed to change a few times.
Right. You had the robe, and then the other robe, and then the suit with the sleeveless top underneath…
And who knows? I may have to change again?
And you had that towel over your head for an episode.
After seeing the pilot and seeing where we were headed, I wanted more of a First-Lady hairstyle. You know, straightening and stuff. So I felt that putting the towel on was a good way to go for that. I was thinking, you know she's going to put some curlers in that. Those are the tricks that you're always thinking about as an actor. Also [laughs] you come on the set every day and you're always wearing the same thing. You're like, "Didn't you have that on yesterday?" But it's good to be on your toes where continuity is concerned. How do you have that outfit on? Jacket on? Jacket off?
You seem to be putting your shoes off and putting them back on.
That's because when I come into my home, I don't wear shoes. It's a threefold thing for me. First there's how I behave in public as part of this campaign. Then there's how I am in this suite with all of these people around who are familiar to me. And then there are the truly private moments with my family.
And even then, it's not like we're this totally open happy family. Let's face it. We're an African-American family. [Laughs.] There are certain cultural differences and I don't want to ignore those things.