Tim, you had a running joke on set that no matter how much blood you put on Drew Barrymore, she always manages to remain adorable. Can you talk a bit about that?
What makes Shiela different from other zombies, which operate purely on instinct?
DB: I could tell from reading the script that I wasn’t going to be the drooling, dragging-myleg sort of zombie, which is good, as I probably wouldn’t want to do that every day. But I liked it as I saw the undead as a metaphor for waking up. Maybe her life was a little dead before and she was just going through the motions. And how do you, as a woman, give yourself a great wakeup call in your 40s, and reclaim your dreams? Figuring out what the second half of your life is going to be. So that’s what really spoke to me. These aren’t just things I’ve been wanting to do with my own life right now, but I can parallel the character.
Personal grooming is something that is supposed to empower you and make you more beautiful, but who really has the time for it? You’re running around, you’re working, you have kids, it’s a busy life. Even things like just starting to exercise more, and reclaiming yourself as an individual human being within the confines of your family and work life or whatever. I get that. I can relate to that, and what woman can’t relate to that. It’s about picking yourself up and dusting yourself off, which is exactly how I felt when I met Shiela. So the roll has actually been very good for my real human life as well.
You talked about how hard it was for you to step out of your break from acting. Now that there are platforms such as Netflix creating so much exciting and original content, are you excited to get to do more?
DB: Going back to that other question, I really was just being a mom, wearing my sweatpants and kind of letting myself go and putting the kids first, and that was so great for five years. When you have kids you don’t know who you are anymore, and you can’t be the person you were, and you don’t know where you’re going necessarily and you’re thinking about other people all the time. I guess just realised again that I am an actress, maybe I should go back to the thing I know and love doing before. Maybe it might work again. I was having a hard time picturing it in my life with my kids, but going back has been really positive for me. Sometimes as a mom, it’s good to have your own life and step away, and you come back so much fuller. But I didn’t believe I was capable of that. So I was glad to go back to something I knew and loved, and yet feel nervous and excited again as I haven’t been doing it for a while. And Netflix is the best boss in the world. TO: I don’t know how she does it. But there’s something just inherently kind of sweet and vulnerable about her, and her willingness to do anything. There’s really no separation from when camera roles and who she is as a person, which is quite a gift.
I also think the fact that she remains adorable no matter how much blood you put on her is essential the show. If Sheila isn’t played by someone who brings that then you don’t really have a story worth telling.
DB: A, thank you, and B, great segue into one of the big reasons I wanted to do this. I also think this show doesn’t work either if there’s not a man in this who’s kind of holding it all together. I think you need to be someone who’s a fundamentally good guy, and a good person. And he’s easy on the eyes. And he’s a great comedian. If it was someone too goofy, or too serious, or was clearly arrogant, it wouldn’t work. And with Victor and Tim, I knew I was going in with the perfect tone, and it’s not an easy tone to pull off. It could easily go one way or the other.
Drew, you’ve directed movies of your own before in the past. Would you consider taking the director’s chair for a couple episodes of your own show?
DB: Honestly, I would never want to direct this show, as I love just focusing on being Shiela. So I love that I can just trust that to someone else. However, I would love to go back to directing at some point. I would love to direct commercials. I love movies, but those are two years of your life gone, where you have troubles maintaining relationships. I’d rather direct short term projects like a Netflix film or commercials, and it’s something I’m definitely looking to get back into it once my kids are a little more mature and don’t have to rely on me as much.
I liked it as I saw the undead as a metaphor for waking up. Maybe her life was a little dead before. DREW BARRYMORE