Video: Patti LuPone Says Starring in Aram Rappaport’s THE ARTIST Was a ‘Gift’

For Patti LuPone, starring in The Artist was more than just another acting job: it was entering an entirely new world. "I was gobsmacked when I walked in the door, and because I am obsessed with the real Gilded Age... I went, 'Oh my God, I'm living it. I get to live in it.'"

Created, written, and directed by Aram Rappaport, The Artist is a new murder mystery series set during this period of economic and social change in the late 1800s. The plot itself follows fictional tycoon and art appreciator Norman Henry, played by Mandy Patinkin.

In the show, he and his wife, Marian (Janet McTeer), host a gathering of eclectic celebrities and personalities at their country home, played by an all-star cast including Hank Azaria, Danny Huston, Zachary Quinto, Katharine McPhee, and Clark Gregg. 

LuPone appears as a guest star in the second half of the series, starring as Marion’s sister Rosie Morsch. A three-time Tony winner, she filmed her performance while on Broadway in The Roommate, and Rappaport believes her stage background was a huge asset to her performance. 

"I think what surprised me was the preparation. I think anyone who's in theater, like Patti, comes to set and is incredibly prepared," Rappaport told BroadwayWorld during a paired interview with LuPone. "Every take that Patti would do was different and idiosyncratic... It was like she was just channeling something and living this with Janet McTeer in a way that was... bonkers, and it was still truthful."

LuPone was likewise grateful for Rappaport's ability to create a playful environment and a sense of trust while filming. "He comes onto the set with this great generosity of spirit and embraces the actor... When a director loves an actor, the actor can breathe a sigh of relief," she explained. "I was given a gift by Aram and I was given another gift by his dialogue and the part. And so what do you do, but you honor that gift?"

Watch the full interview now, where LuPone and Rappaport speak more about filming the series in a farmhouse in Connecticut, the star-studded ensemble, and more. Part 2 of The Artist will arrive on December 25.