Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Interview with Lady Mac
By Gustave | Season 1 | Episode 20 | Aired on 04.13.2002
It's funny. I don't think as much about the black thing when I'm watching. I'm always thinking about how you guys are this political family, in that when you're part of a family that's in the public eye, your actions are being judged on these other levels. On the one hand, Keith did something wrong and there's the private morality of the situation that his parents have to deal with, just like in any other family. On the other hand, he's actually ruining his father's chance at being president, so it's more than Keith simply being "in trouble." He's pulling the family down with him.
In future episodes, how this family acts together will be shown in a very good way. When I say that we're an African-American family, I mean that it's my hope that people who aren't familiar with that will say, "Oh my God, they act like we do." [Laughs.]
Yeah, the kids screw up and Mom tries to hide it from Dad.
Yeah. Or "they do hug their children." That's a good thing, because we don't get that on "regular television." Usually, black families are shown fighting physically or selling drugs. I've been given a wonderful opportunity to show another side of that. I take my hat off the Joel and Robert for making this political family an African-American family and it's not treated like, "Oh my God, they're African-American!" It's something that you see and you go, "Why not?"
It's interesting how race hasn't really emerged as an issue in the plot. I mean, we just had that episode where Palmer realizes that he's not being shot at because he's black, and I was thinking, wow, that never gets discussed.
Well, keep watching and see if we ever talk about that ever again.
Sherry Palmer's nickname on our forums is "Lady MacPalmer."
I've been told that. [Laughs.]
Were you thinking consciously about Lady Macbeth while creating your character?
Not consciously. We did an episode and I said to David Palmer, "I am just as ambitious as you are." While I was filming that, the words came out of my mouth and I literally turned around and said to myself, "It's that Scottish play!" [Laughs.] It was a key, and it's great when you find little keys. You go, "All right!"
She isn't her, but she has her ambition…plus the smarts and intellect of Hillary. Those are the main ingredients of Sherry Palmer. Sherry is becoming more and more exciting and multidimensional. I would not want her to turn into a Lady Macbeth and be just about greed and ambition.