The star-studded cast of Golden Globe and Emmy winning show, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” walked down the hot pink carpet at the season two premiere on Thursday night.
The premiere was hosted by Amazon at The Paris Theatre on 58th street. We were joined by writers, Dan and Amy Sherman-Palladino, Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Tony Shalhoub, Marin Hinkle, Michael Zegen, Kevin Pollak, Caroline Aaron, Bill Groom, and Donna Zakowska.
We got a chance to speak with a few of the stars about the success of the first season and some insight about the upcoming season:
The Knockturnal: You say that writing is one of your biggest passions. Does it help reading a script as both a writer and actor?
Alex Borstein: I think it does because Iโm aware of what theyโre after or what theyโre trying to do with the scene. So normally a note that you might have as an actor โ youโre just thinking about yourself and your own character and not what has to sustain this whole script. So sometimes it helps make sense of things. You donโt feel itโs right for Suzie but you see why this pushes the story forward. Every scene has to push the story forward. If you just have a scene for the sake of talking, itโs a waste of time and people feel it. So sometimes it might not be pleasing or satisfying to the actor but you see the whole story it is.
The Knockturnal: Would you like to write for yourself or for others?
Alex Borstein: I like both. Usually the things I write โ itโs something that Iโm going to be in or work on. Right now Iโm working on a play and a weird book.
The Knockturnal: What has been most exciting about this process for you?
Caroline Aaron: Because my background, I suppose, started in theatre – the playโs the thing. It always has been, it always will be. So the most exciting thing is the writing. If you have good writing, everything else is good. Iโve done a lot of things where you have to make a mountain out of a molehill. This time you get to climb the mountain.
The Knockturnal: Itโs word for word, right?
Caroline Aaron: Word for word. Sometimes I am so not polite to the person who keeps you in check because youโll be doing these really long takes – a couple pages of dialogue and I see her walking over and Iโm just like โWhat? What? What did I say wrong?โ And then sheโll tell me. But itโs worth it.
The Knockturnal: Speaking of the theatre โ do you have any passion to go back?
Caroline Aaron: You betcha. Always will.
The Knockturnal: Any dream plays? Dream women to play?
Caroline Aaron: Lots of dream plays, dream women plays. Iโm also writing plays. For women. Because you know what happens? You start looking around and go โWhereโs that part?โ And I go itโs not there – I guess I have to write it. And I thatโs why Amy did the same thing. Believe me, I worship at her altar.
The Knockturnal: This whole production is so detailed, so meticulous. What was the biggest challenge for you, working on this production?
Bill Groom: Well you mentioned the word detail and thatโs it. To keep all of that in mind with every choice that we make. Making sure that itโs true to the period and true to the lives and personalities of the characters as well.
The Knockturnal: You say that your job is not so scientific as it is artistic โ
Bill Groom: I like to say that – and art is messy. Thereโs not really science to it. A lot of it is intuition, is a lot of collaboration with other departments and other people and thatโs sort of the fun of it.
The Knockturnal: Is it ever surprising when you step back and you watch the footage?
Bill Groom: Sometimes. Sometimes things happen with meaning to the show that you donโt really expect and youโre just making a choice and moving forward and then you see it. And also after youโve done a whole season of something like this โ itโs true of movies as well โ you come to a premiere, you sit there and you look at it, having been away from it for a while and you just think โhow did we do all of that?โ But itโs one step at a time โ we start, keep our heads down and do the work and hope that weโre successful.
The Knockturnal: As an accomplished actor, what keeps you motivated โ aside from the new storylines โ in between projects?
Kevin Pollak: I created a mantra about ten years ago which is if youโre not creating youโre waiting. As an actor, you wait for the phone to ring. Either your agent telling you about an opportunity or someone โ like in the case of the Palladinoโs who called and said do you want to do this show. So I just got tired ten years ago, waiting, and I realized I had been creating already. So Iโm now focused more on the creating and not depend on the waiting. And I think itโs true in life as well – instead of waiting for life to happen, why not create some life.
Season two premieres this Wednesday, December 5th!
