Post by Dave on Oct 4, 2007 19:39:04 GMT 1
Quite a good interview.....
www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=entertainment&sc=television&sc2=features&sc3=&id=5472
"Pushing Daisies" With Anna Friel
by Fred Topel
EDGE Boston Contributor
Tuesday Oct 2, 2007
You think you have a hard time meeting people. Imagine if your very touch could kill someone. The main character of ABC’s new series Pushing Daisies has a very complicated problem. He has the power to bring the dead back to life, which makes him very useful to law enforcement. However, a second touch sends them back for good.
When he brings back the love of his life (Anna Friel), he decides not to send her back, but they can never touch. Of course, it wouldn’t be fun if they didn’t at least try. Expect to see Saran Wrap and other creative barriers employed in an attempt to consummate this surreal relationship.
"My main question after watching the pilot was, ’It’s fantastic and it’s wonderful but where are you going to go from here?’" said Friel. "’What are we going to do? They said that it’s going to be a theme every single week. They’re going to find a way of touching. I’ve seen now just outlines for the first six episodes and each time, I’m serious, not just hyping up the program, it’s incredibly inventive every single time. I went, ’Oh my God, they do what? We do what?’ There’s windmills involved and dandelion cars. It’s like opening a big treasure chest of fancy dress clothes and being able to put them on but it’s like that with ideas."
Dealing with life and death on a surreal scale keeps the show from becoming macabre. "[It’s] the most positively uplifting character I’ve ever played. I’ve done a lot of very dramatic roles that involve lots and lots of crying and very serious stuff, so this is very, very new to me. It’s very, very refreshing because I’m the same. I do not like crying. I love [watching] 24, I love The Sopranos and I like to be made to cry and sit on the edge of my seat and feel panicked. But I think it’s what’s called for. There’s a need and a space in the television schedule for something when people get back home from work to be uplifted and to be reminded that there are nice things out there, to be reminded of love and romance. It’s a very funny show. It is a romantic comedy."
Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the Men in Black and Addams Family movies, brings his touch to the show. He tells the actors to perform their lines "fast and flat" to sell the world he has created.
"I love it. It means you’ve got to learn your lines though absolutely back to front. You need to pace it because you haven’t got time to pause. You drop a line for a second, he’s like, ’Right, stop, again, again, again.’ In the pilot, he asked me to do three different versions of the character. He said, ’You’ve got three takes. The first one I want you to do a very naturalistic flat one. The second one, lift it a little bit and then in the last take, I want you to do it very, very big.’ When I watched it all cut together, they’ve gone for the more naturalistic flat approach.
This ultimate star-crossed lovers story inspires the romantic heart in Friel too. "I think the element of surprise is the most romantic. I still like writing letters. I know there’s e-mail but I like letters and I like flowers, of course, like every girl. I can write letters. I’ve been known to. I’m an old fashioned girl. I like to be feminine and I like dresses and I’m a tough girl but I’m feminine. I like the old school way of doing it. Someone said the other day it’s like a Rock Hudson/Doris Day kind of feel. That’s another thing they’re trying to do is bring in that old fashioned feel to the series."
Hailing from England, Friel is playing an all American girl on Pushing Daisies. "When I work, I stay in my American all day. When I drive myself to work, from the minute I’m on set, I speak in an American accent. It’s more because as soon as I went to British with all the crew, I think it makes you singled out. I have a lot of to think about without having to think about my accent. It’s something I love and I think practice makes perfect."
A majority of new shows employ British actors as American characters. Journeyman’s Kevin McKidd, Life’s Damien Lewis and Pushing Daisies costar Lee Pace are only a few examples.
"Well, you guys are all coming over to us. We’re having a big swap. I did Broadway and came over here and then American actors went over to England. I don’t know, it’s good to work on both sides of the pond. I just think you guys, as far as American television, I know we have Prime Suspect and Cracker and the things that are kind of one off serials and that’s all right, which I think we do incredibly well. As far as long term series, I think there’s no one who does it better than the Americans and people know that. The values are very high. The standards are incredibly high and I think what you’re really the best at is creating a hook every single time to make you want to watch again."
Friel’s first time in America was her Broadway debut 10 years ago. "I did Broadway for six months. I did a play called Closer when I was 21. I just turned 31. I know you’re not meant to say your age but I don’t mind. Then I worked on something called The Jury with Barry Levinson and I was there for six months, and I did a movie in LA when I was about 22 but most of my work has all been in Europe and England."
America is not totally new to Friel, but Hollywood is. "I moved here. LA is newer to me. New York I know very, very well. I moved here and I have a two year old daughter so that’s been a bit of the biggest thing has been having to uproot and move her life to America."
The grind of an hour long TV series does not leave time for many nights at home with the family, but Friel has always balanced work and motherhood. "I did a movie up until I was 26 weeks pregnant and then I started shooting when she was six weeks old. I was in Prague last year for about seven months. She was on the set with me. I think sometimes, if you want to be a working mom, I just didn’t allow it to be come a big deal. I had a baby, many, many women do and I just didn’t complain. I got exhausted and had sleep deprivation for about seven days at one stage and thought, ’What have I done? I’m an idiot. Take time off.’ But she’s a very well adapted child and she went to three countries in her first year of life."
Los Angeles provides an entirely new lifestyle than her previous homes, so Friel is still exploring. "It’s so easy to be healthy here. That’s what I can’t believe. Whole Foods, I’m just the hugest fan of. I go in there and spend $500. I’ve now taken to drinking this green sludge every day. In England I never would have. So being ultra-healthy. The beach. If you take it for what it is, I mean you’re working here and you’ve got a group of friends. I think my past experiences I haven’t been as happy because I didn’t know anyone. There are just so many English here, so I have a group of people. You can go to the mountains and you can go to the beach. I think there’s something for everybody. I’m really enjoying my time here this time."
When it comes time to watch TV in her time off, Friel turns to her native snacks. "Do you have oat cakes here? I like oat cakes and marmite. They’re too English things. It’s called marmite. You either love it or you hate it. I have that."
Pushing Daisies airs Wednesdays at 8pm on ABC.
www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=entertainment&sc=television&sc2=features&sc3=&id=5472
"Pushing Daisies" With Anna Friel
by Fred Topel
EDGE Boston Contributor
Tuesday Oct 2, 2007
You think you have a hard time meeting people. Imagine if your very touch could kill someone. The main character of ABC’s new series Pushing Daisies has a very complicated problem. He has the power to bring the dead back to life, which makes him very useful to law enforcement. However, a second touch sends them back for good.
When he brings back the love of his life (Anna Friel), he decides not to send her back, but they can never touch. Of course, it wouldn’t be fun if they didn’t at least try. Expect to see Saran Wrap and other creative barriers employed in an attempt to consummate this surreal relationship.
"My main question after watching the pilot was, ’It’s fantastic and it’s wonderful but where are you going to go from here?’" said Friel. "’What are we going to do? They said that it’s going to be a theme every single week. They’re going to find a way of touching. I’ve seen now just outlines for the first six episodes and each time, I’m serious, not just hyping up the program, it’s incredibly inventive every single time. I went, ’Oh my God, they do what? We do what?’ There’s windmills involved and dandelion cars. It’s like opening a big treasure chest of fancy dress clothes and being able to put them on but it’s like that with ideas."
Dealing with life and death on a surreal scale keeps the show from becoming macabre. "[It’s] the most positively uplifting character I’ve ever played. I’ve done a lot of very dramatic roles that involve lots and lots of crying and very serious stuff, so this is very, very new to me. It’s very, very refreshing because I’m the same. I do not like crying. I love [watching] 24, I love The Sopranos and I like to be made to cry and sit on the edge of my seat and feel panicked. But I think it’s what’s called for. There’s a need and a space in the television schedule for something when people get back home from work to be uplifted and to be reminded that there are nice things out there, to be reminded of love and romance. It’s a very funny show. It is a romantic comedy."
Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the Men in Black and Addams Family movies, brings his touch to the show. He tells the actors to perform their lines "fast and flat" to sell the world he has created.
"I love it. It means you’ve got to learn your lines though absolutely back to front. You need to pace it because you haven’t got time to pause. You drop a line for a second, he’s like, ’Right, stop, again, again, again.’ In the pilot, he asked me to do three different versions of the character. He said, ’You’ve got three takes. The first one I want you to do a very naturalistic flat one. The second one, lift it a little bit and then in the last take, I want you to do it very, very big.’ When I watched it all cut together, they’ve gone for the more naturalistic flat approach.
This ultimate star-crossed lovers story inspires the romantic heart in Friel too. "I think the element of surprise is the most romantic. I still like writing letters. I know there’s e-mail but I like letters and I like flowers, of course, like every girl. I can write letters. I’ve been known to. I’m an old fashioned girl. I like to be feminine and I like dresses and I’m a tough girl but I’m feminine. I like the old school way of doing it. Someone said the other day it’s like a Rock Hudson/Doris Day kind of feel. That’s another thing they’re trying to do is bring in that old fashioned feel to the series."
Hailing from England, Friel is playing an all American girl on Pushing Daisies. "When I work, I stay in my American all day. When I drive myself to work, from the minute I’m on set, I speak in an American accent. It’s more because as soon as I went to British with all the crew, I think it makes you singled out. I have a lot of to think about without having to think about my accent. It’s something I love and I think practice makes perfect."
A majority of new shows employ British actors as American characters. Journeyman’s Kevin McKidd, Life’s Damien Lewis and Pushing Daisies costar Lee Pace are only a few examples.
"Well, you guys are all coming over to us. We’re having a big swap. I did Broadway and came over here and then American actors went over to England. I don’t know, it’s good to work on both sides of the pond. I just think you guys, as far as American television, I know we have Prime Suspect and Cracker and the things that are kind of one off serials and that’s all right, which I think we do incredibly well. As far as long term series, I think there’s no one who does it better than the Americans and people know that. The values are very high. The standards are incredibly high and I think what you’re really the best at is creating a hook every single time to make you want to watch again."
Friel’s first time in America was her Broadway debut 10 years ago. "I did Broadway for six months. I did a play called Closer when I was 21. I just turned 31. I know you’re not meant to say your age but I don’t mind. Then I worked on something called The Jury with Barry Levinson and I was there for six months, and I did a movie in LA when I was about 22 but most of my work has all been in Europe and England."
America is not totally new to Friel, but Hollywood is. "I moved here. LA is newer to me. New York I know very, very well. I moved here and I have a two year old daughter so that’s been a bit of the biggest thing has been having to uproot and move her life to America."
The grind of an hour long TV series does not leave time for many nights at home with the family, but Friel has always balanced work and motherhood. "I did a movie up until I was 26 weeks pregnant and then I started shooting when she was six weeks old. I was in Prague last year for about seven months. She was on the set with me. I think sometimes, if you want to be a working mom, I just didn’t allow it to be come a big deal. I had a baby, many, many women do and I just didn’t complain. I got exhausted and had sleep deprivation for about seven days at one stage and thought, ’What have I done? I’m an idiot. Take time off.’ But she’s a very well adapted child and she went to three countries in her first year of life."
Los Angeles provides an entirely new lifestyle than her previous homes, so Friel is still exploring. "It’s so easy to be healthy here. That’s what I can’t believe. Whole Foods, I’m just the hugest fan of. I go in there and spend $500. I’ve now taken to drinking this green sludge every day. In England I never would have. So being ultra-healthy. The beach. If you take it for what it is, I mean you’re working here and you’ve got a group of friends. I think my past experiences I haven’t been as happy because I didn’t know anyone. There are just so many English here, so I have a group of people. You can go to the mountains and you can go to the beach. I think there’s something for everybody. I’m really enjoying my time here this time."
When it comes time to watch TV in her time off, Friel turns to her native snacks. "Do you have oat cakes here? I like oat cakes and marmite. They’re too English things. It’s called marmite. You either love it or you hate it. I have that."
Pushing Daisies airs Wednesdays at 8pm on ABC.
