Interview: Tony Nominee Tammy Blanchard Takes Dramatic Turn in New Film TALLULAH

Tony nominee Tammy Blanchard (HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING) takes a dramatic turn in the new Netflix original movie TALLULAH. The edgy film follows a wayward young woman (Ellen Page), a troubled and negligent mother (Blanchard) and a bitter divorcee (Allison Janney), all at a crossroads in their lives. Zachary Quinto, John Benjamin Hickey and Uzo Aduba also star. The film debuts on July 29th in all territories where Netflix is available.

Today, Blanchard speaks exclusively with BWW about the upcoming film and shares, "I want to get back on Broadway really soon!"

Following your wonderful comedic work on stage, you are really switching gears, taking on this very dramatic role in Netflix's TALLULAH. Do you have a preference between the two genres, or do they both present their own unique challenges?

They're very different. I feel like comedy is definitely more fun. It's so great to have people laugh at what you're doing while you're performing, especially on a stage. But drama has its benefits too because I just did this movie "Warning Shot" in Texas, and the cameraman was crying, so the after effect of doing something dramatic to have someone say, 'you changed my point of view' or 'you changed the way I feel about something' - that's very special.

Can you talk about your character, Carolyn and the transformation she undergoes over the course of the film?

Yes, I think Carolyn is a character who has never had true support in her life. She's basically relied on her looks and her sexuality, because I don't think she's ever been told she's smart or she's courageous in life. So she's learned to depend on men. But she comes to a point in her marriage where she's not receiving what she has always gotten from her husband, so she gets pregnant, thinking maybe that will keep him, which we know many women do. But that doesn't keep him and now she's basically a child having to raise a child. Throughout the course of the film, a tragedy happens to her and it changes her perspective and sort of forces her to grow up and makes her realize what she has in life. And she becomes a better person because of it.

The film does hint at her background, but did you try to come up with your own

backstory in order to help you better understand her?

You know, it's so amazing, when you have such a great script, you really don't have to think that much because it's in a little line here and there. For example, the line where she tells Margo that her mother told her to marry her husband because she can't do any better. It's like that one line gives you basically everything you need to know about the character. So I don't do the background work which some actors do, I just try to know where I am emotionally while I'm filming and rely completely on the director to make sure I stay on the map. And also, on this film we have Allison Janney and Ellen Page and Uzo Aduba, we have such great actors, that I knew that I would connect with everyone and everyone would be great. And so it's complete trust and easy work on this job.

Yes, I was going to ask you what it was like to work with this stellar cast.

It was so easy! You get to a point after twenty years of acting where, when someone asks, 'what was it like?' the answer is either going to be, it was either hard or it was easy. So because of these great actors and the great writing and direction, it was easy in this case. And we had really strong female power on this movie too. Our cinematographer was a woman, our director, our producer, the story was based on motherhood, it was all very professional and fair and strong and comforting. It was just brilliant.

The story really is a study in the relationship between mother and child. Did you bring your own personal relationships to your portrayal?

Well I have a daughter, Ava, she's eight years old, so I am a mother. So a lot of the connection was really easy for me. There's times where some decisions that I've made as a mother, I just felt maybe were wrong, or maybe I wasn't doing the right thing for her, and the guilt and shame that comes along with those moments where you don't know if you're being the best mother you can be, I brought a lot of that to the role. And I just love characters who, at the beginning of the film, you just want to hate her, she's a villain, and she's such a mess, but the arc is there in the writing to bring an audience to really feel compassion and mercy for this wreck of a person. And I feel that that's what motherhood is sometimes. You see mothers who want to rip their hair out, yet they want to be nurturing. It's a testament to what it means to be a mother, it's not easy, it's hard and people just need to have a lot more mercy for mothers!

So you really did feel sympathy for Carolyn.

I did - I loved her! You know I grew up in a big family, my mother had 13 Brothers and Sisters, so there was a lot going on, as you can imagine, with all those kids. Not everyone was going to be alike, different levels of education, some were poor, so there were a lot of people who I grew up with that I had to have a lot of mercy for and I had to not judge, and I managed to do that. And what it's created in my life is pure love for people and understanding and it will take me a long time before I will judge someone. And that's the beauty of this character. I can teach people not to judge a book by its cover, even though it may look bad, you don't know what a person is going through. And if you take the time, you might find that you have compassion for them.

What exciting projects are in the works for you?

Well I have that upcoming film which I mentioned, "Warning Shot." It was directed by Dustin

Fairbanks and David Spade is in it, Guillermo Díaz, Bruce Dern, James Earl Jones, there are just so many great actors in this film and hopefully it will come out at the beginning of next year.

And I want to get back out on Broadway, let me just put that out there! I want to get back on Broadway really soon. I miss the stage, I miss the audience, I miss the lights, I can't wait.

In a musical I assume, or not necessarily?

I don't really care - just get me on that stage! There's nothing like theater. Oh my gosh I just can't wait - I gotta get back on the Broadway stage!

Well we miss you just as much so hopefully that happens very soon!

TALLULAH debuts Friday, July 29th on Netflix. Watch the trailer below:

Tammy Blanchard made her professional debut in the soap opera Guiding Light. For her first stage appearance, she played the role of Louise/Gypsy in the 2003 Broadway revival of the musical GYPSY, for which she earned both a Tony Award nomination and a Theatre World Award.

She received the Emmy Award for her portrayal of a teenage Judy Garland in the television movie Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. She also appeared as Hedy LaRue in the 2011 Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and was nominated for a 2011 Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical for the role.

Blanchard starred in Disney's live-action big screen adaptation of INTO THE WOODSPast film credits include Moneyball, Rabbit Hole, Deadline, The Good Shepherd and more. She has appeared in the TV series The Big C, The Good Wife and Guiding Light.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

How to Succeed photo credit: Ari Mintz

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