Poster: Vinni_Rattolle
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Nancy McKeon (left) talks to reporters about STYLE & SUBSTANCE, the new comedy series on CBS that she stars in with Jean Smart (right). In the center is the show's Executive Producer, Peter Tolan.
Photo cr: Tony Esparza/CBS
Virtual Press Tour Exclusive: Interview with Jean Smart, Chelsea Stevens in Style & Substance
Q: How did you first become involved with Style & Substance?
A: I was sent a copy of the original pilot and I passed on it because I was not interested in returning to episodic television. Then they re-approached me a year ago. I had just finished a play in New York and decided that it was too difficult for my son to be yanked out of school to travel with me on various acting projects. I had always loved the script and was a huge fan of Executive Producer Peter Tolan and his work on "The Larry Sanders Show," but I was still hesitant. After Disney sent a big basket of Disney toys to my son, I couldn't resist.
Q: What do you look for in a character? How do you decide whether to accept a role or turn it
down?
A: In sitcoms, you first have to determine if the writers are talented, and you can usually tell that immediately. I thought Peter Tolan and his writing staff had a unique sense of humor, with some wit and subtlety and intelligence. I also thought Chelsea Stevens would be such a hoot to play - I mean she's such a nut. And so passive-aggressive... in a charming way! For a sitcom, the script has got to be screamingly funny; it's got to make me howl out loud when I read it.
Q: How did Nancy McKeon become involved in Style & Substance?
You two have a lot of comic chemistry together. What's it like working with her?
A: I have always been a fan of Nancy's work, especially for her dramatic work. Also, I heard she was a really good egg -- just a very friendly, down-to-earth person. She flew out to Seattle and we read together. We really got along on a personal level, and as you say the chemistry was great between us in terms of the characters. I was very pleased when she was cast as Jane Sokol, Chelsea's producer. Nancy and I both have equal levels of seriousness and goofiness, so we work very well together. But I do think there's great contrast in our styles. Mine tends to be more frenetic with the character of Chelsea Stevens. We really feel we have great chemistry, so to hear that this really comes across to the audience is very encouraging.
Q: Are you as skilled an entertainer, cook and domestic goddess as Chelsea Stevens? Are you as persnickety as she is about home decorating?
A: Oh, no, I could definitely do with a lot more "persnick." I'm not a very good cook, and my decorating skills are certainly limited. I'm all good intentions but don't get much done. I love to look at the home decorating magazines and the books, but that's about as far as it goes. Once, I got a hot-glue and made clothes-pin reindeer for my son's school carnival. The intent proved nobler than the execution. When the goofy-looking reindeer didn't sell, the teachers let me take them home.
Q: How do you make a self-centered and demanding character such as Chelsea seems appealingly vulnerable without losing her somewhat nasty edge?
A: It's a fine line to walk with the audience -- making Chelsea both egotistical and embraceable, but I've always believed that you can get away with a lot if you make people laugh. You can make nasty cracks if you're funny. Chelsea is so screwed up in her personal life and so clueless socially, but she always ends up being well-intentioned in her narrow-mindedness. And because she feels and hurts occasionally, like everyone else... the audience forgives her.
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