ACTRESS MAKES IT HARD NOT TO LAUGH
NEW YORK — More than four decades into a prolific career in film, TV and theater, Andrea Martin is having a major career moment.
Currently in production on the third season of the caustic Hulu comedy “Difficult People,” the actress, 70 and fabulous, can also be seen in “Great News,” which recently premiered on NBC. In the sitcom, from executive producer Tina Fey, she plays Carol, an overbearing mom in her 60s who gets an internship at the news show where her grown daughter is a producer.
For someone who won a Tony four years ago for fearlessly flying on a trapeze in “Pippin,” off-stage Martin is endearingly self-effacing and excitable. Over eggs and coffee at a cafe on the Upper West Side, where she’s rented the same apartment since the early 1970s, Martin discussed her love of the circus and the possibility of an “SCTV” reunion.
What’s exciting for you about playing Carol?
What a great role model Carol is! Working for the first time at 60 — good God. You have to really be uniquely open to life. It’s inspiring, I think. Carol has no filter and she’s certainly not politically correct. There’s something very refreshing about being like that. She just is such an open book and so enthusiastic. It forces me to be in the moment. There’s no secondguessing with her. I’m really acting when I play it. There’s a lot second-guessing that goes on in this head.
Are you a hands-on parent?
I understand what it’s like to want to hang out with your kids more than any other people you know. Fortunately for my kids they live in L.A. I have two sons, 33 and 35. My oldest son has a child and I have done everything within the willpower that I have as a human being not to say anything about the way they’re raising their child. And by the way, I don’t need to. They’re doing an amazing job. But the instinct as a mom is to say something.
Speaking of professional challenges, you learned the trapeze for “Pippin” despite a fear of heights. What was that like?
During the shooting of “Club Paradise” with Harold Ramis, bless his soul, and Robin Williams, bless his soul, I did my own stunts in it because I wanted to show off, basically. I did parasailing and the rope broke. I came down eventually but I was traumatized. But it’s always been a dream of mine to be in the circus. I’ve always been an admirer of Fellini and Giulietta Masina, who starred in “La Strada.” So this opportunity came along and I said I’m going to forget all my fears and I’m going to throw myself into this character. The only time I allowed myself fear was every night we’d rehearse before the show. I was just me as myself, and it was harder to hold on to the fantasy.
You also studied mime when you were younger. What led you to do that?
I studied at the Sorbonne in college and I loved it so much I went back to study mime with Jacques Lecoq. I would never joke about mimes, but I guess they’ve gotten bad press. I hate everybody now! People should go back and look at Emmett Kelly, JeanLouis Barrault, Buster Keaton. Hello, Charlie Chaplin? Mime is like physical comedy. There aren’t many people who can do it well.
It’s interesting you say Carol is inspiring. I think a lot of people would say the same of your career. What are some of your influences?
Two books have been kind of transformative for me. “Younger Next Year,” which is all about how there is no reason medically, psychologically why you can’t stay healthy and fit if you work out six days a week, which I do anyway. And “When Breath Becomes Air,” which is the most beautiful, life-affirming and yet sobering look at mortality. It’s really changed my outlook on life. Why spend the next 20, 30 years worrying? First of all it doesn’t do anything, but you’re addicted to it if that’s all you’ve done all your life. (Laughs.) I’m going to come across as Marianne Williamson.
Do you see the influence of “SCTV” on today’s comedy?
The thing about “SCTV” is we did it in a vacuum, so we weren’t aware that it had any impact until many years afterwards. Tina (Fey) and Amy (Poehler, executive producer of “Difficult People”) — they worked at Second City. That generation of brilliant comedians, there are so many fans — Judd Apatow, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Hader. It’s been 40 years since it’s been on the air. We’re in the process of talking about a reunion show. And Martin Scorsese has talked to us about directing it. I was just at a brainstorming meeting in L.A. with Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara, Marty (Short), Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas and two of our original writers. We’re seeing whether we want to have a reunion, or do we want to leave well enough alone.