Comedy Actress Roundtable: Selena Gomez, Quinta Brunson, Tracee Ellis Ross, & More
Amy Schumer (Life & Beth), Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere), Molly Shannon (I Love That for You), Quinta Brunson (Abbot Elementary), Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building), and Tracee Ellis Ross (Blackish) joined The Hollywood Reporter to talk about their respective projects.
“I took control of the narrative of my life once I started becoming older because, growing up in it [entertainment industry], I didn’t really have a choice, I wanted to be there…so now I just know that there are certain boundaries I need to set for myself.”
The interviewer, Lacey Rose, begins by asking each guest actress if there is something they’d never do for a laugh. Tracee believes the decision is heavily dependent on the context and the relationship of the comedy performance. Molly briefly discusses why she doesn’t do much physical comedy, with reasons surrounding her age and having a family.
Focusing on Bridget, Lacey inquires about her show Somebody Somewhere. She suggests to Bridget that when the show first came out, many people considered the version of Bridget on the show was a whole different side of her not yet seen by others. If that’s true, Tracee questions whether Bridget had any reservations about being more herself or was it a liberating experience. Bridget felt her time on Somebody Somewhere was freeing because it was the first time she felt completely present on set with no reservations; it was more her than a persona to be played.
“I’m just not really interested in playing somebody who is only a person in a relationship to somebody else.”
Following Bridget’s statement of living out a persona on-stage, Lacey asks each guest if there is a sort of navigation between their on-screen/on-stage persona and who they are. Amy is the first to answer. Amy feels she is getting closer to who she is on and off stage, claiming that she used to be fully committed to a persona, but now is moving away from that and trying to be more honest with herself. It has been a gradual process for Amy that included educating herself and seeing the harm some jokes can cause.
Selena feels that she has been successful in removing herself from her personas due to her being honest of her imperfections. While she loves and respects many individuals, Selena realizes she needs to do what is best for her. When mentioning her role as an actor and producer for her show Only Murders in the Building, she states she has more say in what she will or won’t do and enjoyed working with Steve Martin and Martin Short. Selena recounts how both comedians have specific takes on their roles while constantly performing comedy bits off-screen before running them by Selena. Selena believes she has learned much from two comedians by watching them in their element.
“We know culture influences policy, but it also expands how we see ourselves and how others see us. And there’s so many unconscious messages about who we are as women, particularly Black women.”
Moving on to Tracee, Lacey asks her what was important to her for her roles whether it be due what she has seen or if there’s something she doesn’t want to replicate. Tracee claims she isn’t interested in playing a role whose purpose is to be an accessory for another character. This is particularly true for Blackish because the story is not told through her character but, instead, through actor Anthony Anderson’s character Dre. She believes her and every woman knows who they are and don’t need anyone to provide clarity to their point of view, nor do they solely exist to set up a husband’s or significant other’s joke. Going back to living a persona, Tracee claims it’s imperative for her to have a sense of who she is off screen and to look at things not in terms of the character, but in the larger canon of television of how a woman is seen on television.
“In my positions, I’m a writer on my show and creator of it. It’s easier to go in having my female characters just completely fleshed out. If anything, we had to go in and work on our male characters.”
Referencing Tracee’s mention of considering how women are seen on television, Quinta believes she is working in the opposite of traditional Hollywood due to her writers being predominantly Black women. Apparently, as of this interview, Abbott Elementary only has three male writers. This decision in staffing has resulted in very fleshed-out female leads, which is appropriate considering most of the lead characters on the show are women.
In her workplace, Quinta makes it a point to make actresses feel comfortable on the show and not get the sense that they must fight for a role. Quinta believes the work done by her predecessors provided her and her writers a sense of being given more space to create a more solid foundation for their characters. She now feels that others like her can build on the next steps of inclusion in the entertainment industry.
Tracey goes off topic for a bit to ask Quinta about her first meeting with actor Paul Rudd. Even though Quinta claims that Paul has no recollection of this occurrence, for her, it was the biggest thing in the world because Paul was a nice guy who genuinely wanted to support her. Quinta reveals that she first met Paul Rudd in a movie theater in Philadelphia, and the film they watched was Inglourious Basterds. Apparently, Paul was in the city shooting a movie with Steve Carrell called Dinner for Schmucks, and he coincidentally decided to watch a film in his off time. Their meeting initiated when Quinta tapped on Paul’s shoulder and introduced herself despite being on a date at the time. When Paul became receptive to her, Quinta confided in him her interest in doing comedy and her plans to join the Second City comedy group. Paul praised her goals and advised Quinta to pursue comedy of she loves it; there’s nothing that should stop someone or get in the way of their dream.
“I came from, like, the sort of downtown world where it’s like everybody’s scratching and crawling and trying to get ahead. But what really happens when you have the most success is when you’re sort of cheering on those around you.”
Lacey then asks the group if there have been passing comments somebody made that changed their trajectory. For Amy, it was Steve Carrell. She claims they first met when she was cast in his film Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Amy explains that one morning after a long shoot, Steve approached her and commented that her improv of the lines was very funny and expressed his desire to encourage her.
For Tracee, it was the negative things she heard that knocked her into choosing whether to do comedy. She came to the point where she had to consider comedy regardless of being told she could or couldn’t do it. Tracee describes a time when a former agent of hers dropped her. This event shook her and led to days of depression. After recovering, Tracee hardened her resolve and continued to work in comedy with a higher sense of dedication. Since then, Tracee has lived by the notion that someone is not only one thing and adheres to her own belief of what she can be.
“I definitely feel that having this responsibility and this platform that I’ve been given…It was kind of trained in me to understand that I had a responsibility. But why else be here? I want to be remembered for the things I’m doing.”
Addressing the outspoken history of some of the guests’ speaking on current issues, Lacey asks the group if they ever get nervous about the repercussions of vocalizing their opinions and if such actions came at a cost. Amy claims speaking out comes at a financial cost, but she also believes not saying anything is worse. Amy wishes to do everything she can think of to try and help those around her. Bridget believes in living by example by choosing who she keeps around her and contemplating her decisions on what shows she does.
Selena ponders the point of having a platform if she can’t speak her truth. When unable to say her truth on her own, Selena gave her platform for other people to speak. She realizes there are certain things she can’t speak on, so she finds the more appropriately qualified people to say what she believes is proper. Quinta reveals that she used to be more vocal about social concerns but is now more focused on preserving her show and staff by not drawing in negative reactions. Quinta feels tired of being expected, as a Black woman, to give an activist opinion on everything; “it’s not my job.”
Tracee believes that as a Black woman, societally speaking, she and other Black women are often utilized but not centered. She claims she has never lost jobs or caused issues with her teams by being outspoken in sharing her point of view. However, Tracee acknowledged that at the moment, speaking up isn’t always that hard part; it’s sometimes the aftermath.
“My mission in life is to make the world a place where people can be safe to be themselves.”
Tracey ends the interview by asking every actress about actions they wish to take as part of their professional bucket list. Tracee, Quinta, Amy, and Bridget all expressed their desire to be hosts of Saturday Night Live. Selena wishes to speak at the White House, and while Molly didn’t mention any plans, she did mention a recent highlight in her life was being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.