Monica Potter

0:00So I guess let's just start into it right with the character. Because in the spring you said you wanted her to loosen up. Now that I assume you've started shooting or maybe seen scripts for this season, does Christina loosen up at all? So, you know, that's funny. You should say that. I came into this season talking to our director and producers. Like I just want Christina to have more fun and smile more because my kids are always saying how much I don't smile and they're like you're more, you joke a lot more at home and whatever. So they wrote Christina this year,

0:45just to simply off of it again. I'm not going to be smiling a whole lot. But I'm going to try and find, you know, situations as to where I can. That's where she has a little bit of fun. She's diagnosed with breast cancer. Right, so there's not so much fun to be had with that. There's not, but I have some friends that have gone through it and they say that you have to find the light in it. And so I'm going to try to do that with, you know, and just as long as it's honest, I think it'll be OK. Absolutely. That must be tough to play because you do, like you said, you have friends that went through it and were upbeat and you try and be positive through it. But at the same time you want to bring the seriousness of breast cancer to the show. So how do you play that as a character,

1:32trying to be light about it, but also know that there's a gravity behind it? I don't know yet because we're only on week three of shooting. I think that those, you know, those scenes will come into play when we start to shoot, you know, going through chemo and all of that stuff. So our writer and director, producer of Life actually had breast cancer. So I am going through a lie heavily on her as well for some guidance, you know, because they don't want it to be jokey joke or, you know, chustered. There has to be a balance, I think, like everything in life. Absolutely. You mentioned the writers there. Do they write a lot from your personal experiences?

2:17Do you bring stuff in? And because he said he's, or this one's writing from his wife's perspective, right? Yeah. We use everything, honestly. We use things that, you know, some things that are storyline will bring into the storyline like, oh, this happens to me or, oh, I can elaborate on this. And then we just sort of go from there, you know. And they listen. They do listen to what's going on in our lives and to what's happening in our lives. And it's like, you know, it's like a group effort a lot of the time. But the writers are brain. So whatever they have to say, we sort of follow. Although here and there last year, we sort of would go off book a lot and just sort of do our own thing.

3:03And I think this year they're going to be a little stricter with us. What was it like, I thought, I heard you did that. The big scene with Peter, the big emotional jealousy scene, that was kind of ad hoc a little bit. That one was, you know, we looked at it a few times and talked to Larry, our director, writer who did that scene. And he just said, throw the pages away. So we had to pull from, you know, three scenes or three episodes, sorry, three seasons. I'm going on lack of sleep here. I'm sorry. Three seasons. And just make it real. Make it a real fight about, you know, real things and make it messy and make it real and make it head home. And I think that we did that. It was really scary.

3:49We did two takes, we had three cameras up and it felt like a reality show. I, you know, camera guys were tripping over camera. It was like crazy, but it was so fun and so exhilarating that I was just like, this is like, this is so fun. It was just the best. It was really cool because the crew guys got into everyone was so happy about it. It was just a fun scene. Do you come from the background? Are you an improv? Are you used to that? I love improv. I'm took some classes, but, you know, not, you know, I'm not, I'm not from second city or anything. Right, right. That's cool though. Yeah, it's so much fun. You know what I found out while doing a little research for this, and I'm talking to Erica next week as well, is that Max doesn't actually have

4:36Asperger's in real life. No. So he, how is he not nominated for an Emmy yet? Because that is unbelievable. I don't know. I don't know. He is just so good. He's just so good. And like everybody on our castor, it's like, you know, the whole anything. We don't, everyone's like, your show should have got nominated and good, it's a lot of people. Right. I don't even mean that. I just mean more recognition because that kid's doing an amazing job as something I think a lot of people. You know he's old. Right? Yeah, yeah. He's just more recognition, more. I think it has to come from the powers that be too. You know, I think that is our show. We have a lot of followers and we have a lot of people that really love the show.

5:23We just need to do more publicity maybe and have him get, you know, a little bit more out there and recognize for his work. So who knows? I'm just so proud of him. I've watched him grow up in the past four years and I'm best friends with his mom. And it's really cool. It's really, really an awesome thing. What kind of prep work did you know going into it, knowing that you'd have a child with Asperger's on the show? Did you research? Did you meet with kids? How did you find Christina? I did nothing. Because I honestly, because I wanted it to be real to me. Because we were going into this not knowing what was wrong with our funds. Right. So as we progress in the scenes in the episodes,

6:12I found out different things by doing research just like Christina did. So I didn't want to know anything. I wanted it to feel fresh and like we were on these uncharted waters. And Peter and I, you know, we sort of did the same thing and just sort of tried to figure it out along the way. Now I know so much about it, which is really great. This show has helped bring to light this epidemic within, you know, with the kids and everything. Because years ago, nobody really knew what this was. And now it's like so prevalent. And so, you know, the subject matters so timely.

6:58And I think it's going to help a lot of people, you know, diagnose their kid when they just thought they were, you know, something was wrong with them. Now there's a name for it and a face for it. Absolutely. It's interesting that you're doing the healthy, and I don't know if you're going to want to answer this or not. I'm just throwing this out at you because I know you do the healthy eating campaign thing. And I'm big into trying to figure out what is causing all these kids to have ADHD and Asperger's. All this stuff is very prevalent. Do you think it has to do something with what we're eating as a society? You don't have thoughts on that. That's just something I think about. No, I know I'm so open to talking about this because I'm actually like, you know, studying about what we're eating and the environment and our cleaning supplies.

7:44I'm embarking on making my, I love to clean and I love to like, I know it sounds funny, but all of the stuff that we have in our homes and what we're doing with the environment, what we're eating, everything. So I think about, you know, the wires that are hanging over our houses, you know what I'm saying? Like, what's going on with that? Are we checking on all of this? Is there, you know, it's so interesting to me because I feel like, you know, it's on the rise. And I feel like it has to be something with, with what we're doing as a society, as a nation.

8:30I was reading an article this morning, I was mixing some of my own cleaning solvent. And, you know, back in the day they used to use coconut oil based soap for everything. And now they use, because they wanted it to be cheaper. Now they cut it and they're using like warmth bleach and blah, blah, blah and all this stuff. And since then there's been a rise in like cancer and all this stuff. So I think that there's this great movement going on right now to build, you know, healthier environments within our homes, within our schools, within our place, everything. So I think that, no, your question is really important.

9:17I think people really need to become aware of what's going on, how we're eating, you know, like the fleas that we're eating on, the lead, all of it. Yes, it's a tough thing. I don't know how we get that, you know, I guess you just keep throwing it in people's face and hopefully they start to think and you can really only hope for that. Well, yeah, I'm just bringing awareness to it. Like our show is very involved with autism speaks and we, you know, do a lot with them and just so that people are, are interested and just because your kid doesn't have it, they're somehow affected by it. You know what I mean? Like it's scary. My husband and I talk about, well, do we want to have another baby? And it's like I'm 41 now and, you know, as you get older, I'm like, I have three kids already.

10:09I don't know. It's scary. You know what I'm saying? And how weird is it to think like that? Yeah. But yeah, across the line, I'm 29 and we're talking about starting to and it's, you think about it, it hasn't it because it's funny. I know we don't have much time. I'm going to say this anyway. I wonder what was it? When I was a kid. No, it's fine. When I was a kid, I used to watch these commercials about the future and you see people wearing gas masks and all this stuff and you're like, oh, that's never going to happen. Our air is fine. But now it's starting to like, oh, wait a second. Maybe we're going towards that point. Yeah. But anyway, I think that it's so true. And especially living in this town. Right. You're living in LA. It's like, oh. Yeah, some else. But anyway, let's talk, we don't know much time.

10:54Let's talk about the show. We should be doing that. So. Don't do it in whatever. Hattie's moving away to Cornell this year. Your daughter on the show is moving away. You have a son who's in his early 20s as far as I know. So did he move away? Did that prepare you for what you need to bring to Christina in that terms? I think it was like it wasn't, it was sort of, he was so independent anyway when I took him to the airport, it was sad, but it was sort of like, I had this feeling that he'd be back. He was going away. He went to Colorado and then he actually moved from Colorado to Wyoming, University of Wyoming to play football. Nice. And he's new. I had a feeling that he'd be back just because I knew how much he loves California.

11:41And I had a feeling he'd want to go to film school. So sure enough, he's back. He's in film school. So I can compare the two on the son's work really heartbreaking to see her go. With her, it was really, really heartbreaking because I love her. And I, you know, as a person, Sarah, and as a, as my daughter on the show, I also just was really, you know, I don't know. I just really felt like she was leaving. We were in the airport and we was really sad. And I don't get to see her, you know, because she's in the skyline. She's at Cornell. So I don't see her every day like I did last season. And I missed her. It's just, it's stuck.

12:30Well, you guys, you live in the same town. You can hang up sometime. I know, but then, you know, I come home from work and then she's doing her own thing. And then I'm doing my own thing and just, yeah. And I need to make it a point, right? You know, I kind of text and they call her and send her flowers for a birthday. So I'm like, well, you can use my little kids. What's Rima Nolik? Have you had a chance to work with him yet this season? Or is that more other people's storylines? That's other people's feelings. I met him the first day we were doing a sitting together. Well, not together. He had a sitting. Right. Well, like, you know, he's really nice. He's a really nice, really nice laid-back guy.

13:18He's just like, whatever. He's just cool. What about you? Are you that way? Or are you more not so much? Um, I can be. Okay. It depends on the day and my hormones. I am, I can be really, really hypernorotic in the other days. Like this week, I've just been kind of like out of it, kind of whatever. And, you know, kind of laid back. But I am normally very hyper aware of everything and, you know, always, you know, probing and thinking and doing. And it's like, I just, and then there are other syndromes, kind of like whatever laid back and, you know, not trying to fix everything at once.

14:04Okay. Yes, it gets a little daunting at times. It does when you think about everything, but you got to let go, you know. Just like you want your character to do. That's very fitting. Right. Exactly. Well, I don't know. We'll see what happens, but hoping to, you know, hoping the season won't be all crying. Right. There'll be some happiness. What, what if this is the last season? What do you want to do? What do you want to do next? Do you want to stay on TV? Because you had that little Boston legal stint for a while too? I did. I did the show called Trust Me for a Minute. It was on for one season. Oh, yeah, really? It was formed. Yeah. You know, I would like to stay in television. Not necessarily hour-long drama.

14:49I'd really like to develop a half hour. Comedy or dramedy or what do you want to do? Comedy. Oh, yeah. Okay. Kind of like the office and everybody says that, but I really think the best love comedy. I studied it and I just think that I just haven't done it because people only see me cry. Right. My friends are like, what is going on with you? You just got like stuck in this cry mode and I'm like, well, I don't know. Well, you're not at it. You got to reflect those talents. Yeah. So we'll see. You know, it's all good.

15:36Do you find comedic acting harder? I've heard a lot of people say comedy is harder even though it might, to an outsider seem easier. I feel like it's, I feel like it depends on what kind of comedy, like if it's like, I don't know, I kind of feel it's not harder. Oh, that's a personal thing. That might be for you. Okay. Yeah, maybe for me it comes easier to you. That's totally valid. Or just different maybe, just a little different. I think it might be more of the, it's the, actually I'm trying to think of who I've spoken about this. I think it was a comedian who told me that the comedy acting was harder because

16:23the timing is different when there's cameras around. I can't remember what he said. Never mind. It would have been a lot of remember. I can remember the quote, but. I think, I think it's, I think it's, well, maybe we're talking about two different times. Types was comedy. Is it, it's, I find the funny things coming from a place of reality. You know what I mean? Like, I think, I think not like, um, product startup Joe, but that's, I think that's hard. I think it's easier if things come from tragedy and you can just, and just so pathetic. And I liked our comedy. Maybe that's what I like. Okay. No, no, no, that makes sense. I get you. Um, let's see what else did I have on here. Oh, five questions. We do something called five questions, five quick questions. One more answer is an I'll let you go and you can get back to your day.

17:09Okay. Spielberg or Scorsese. Leonard McCartney. The other two. Kubrick or Hitchcock? Oh, no, finish. Go for it. Go for it. Say what you're gonna say. I, I, I love this song. It's my favorite song. Here comes the sun. Oh, okay. Oh, Harrison. I have to say it's Harrison. Yeah, I have to say it's Harrison. Cool. Kubrick or Hitchcock?

17:54Hitchcock. Hitchcock. Roll your most proud of. Parenthood.