Fans of the actress's kooky-but-brilliant lawyer, Elsbeth Tascioni, a fave on The Good Wife and its spin-off The Good Fight, now get to watch Carrie Preston sharpen her skills in TNT's delicious new girl-power dramedy, Claws.
OUT: On Claws, you play an identity-thief-turned-manicurist. What sold you on it?
Carrie Preston: It's rare to read a script where you don't think, but feel--This is making my heart race, making me laugh, making me question things. I like to say it's as if Orange Is the New Black had sex with Breaking Bad, but it's also got Florida noir, a little bit of Almodovar, John Waters, and Tennessee Williams on acid. It's heightened, funny, campy. These are things that speak to me.
You're also in To the Bone, a movie dealing with anorexia. Hollywood has history of body-shaming women.
Yes, we're in a visual medium--we're being looked at--and I don't know any woman who hasn't experienced it. I think it's starting to be less of an issue, but only because Amy Schumer, Samantha Bee--people who are outspoken and funny--are bringing it to light in a way that makes others feel they can share their experiences too.
In the queer miniseries When We Rise, you played Sally Gearhart. What'd you learn?
When they asked me to audition, I was like, Uh, is Cherry Jones not available? I'm not really what you think of when you look at this woman. She was this strong Southern intellectual trailblazer. But luckily they gave me the opportunity, because to be telling this important part of our history at this very important time made me feel like what we do as storytellers is extremely valuable.
