‘Glee’ guru Ryan Murphy along with Ali Adler also from ‘Glee‘ and ‘Chuck’, and ex-partner of Sara Gilbert with whom she shares two kids, have a new show “The New Normal” on NBC.
Cast includes esteemed actress Ellen Barkin, , from her start in ‘Diner’ to the sexy ‘The Big Easy’ opposite Dennis Quaid, ‘The Fan’ with Robert DeNiro, ‘Sea of Love‘ with Al Pacino, ‘Bad Company‘ with Laurence Fishburne and ‘Oceans 13′ with Clooney and Pitt, just to name a few, she always brings it.
Constantly exciting, she won a Tony in ‘The Normal Heart’ and an Emmy in the TV Movie ‘Before Women Had Wings’. This will be her first ever TV series.
“This is such an important show” said Barkin on a conference call with us media.
Why?
“For me personally as an actor, when I read the pilot-script, aside from thinking it should be like sent out as an example for how to write a pilot, I just thought Ryan Murphy with his big beautiful brain along with Ali have come up with a way to reach out to a very divisive country about some very, very important issues.”
How did you get the role?
Said confidently “Ryan offered me the role. I read the script, I met with Ryan and yes I was in.”
Of course Murphy offered her the role. As one of the most sort after actresses in the biz, people love her for her outspokenness and strong opinions . She’s Bronx born, very tough, has got that street smart edge, and surely a role model for women. And she always speaks her mind. We love her for that.
Can you talk a little about that?
“Thank you. Look, you know actors say it but you know sometimes we actually mean it. I don’t mean to be a role model for anyone. If I am in a good way I’ll take it with pride. I am an opinionated woman and I’m as educated as an average person would be. I’m not a politician so I don’t know the ins and outs of every bill and I haven’t read the budget plans entirely but you know I just think that just by nature I speak my mind when given a forum. And it’s hard for me not to quite frankly. “
Recently, Ellen started a fire on Twitter when she blasted Utah KSL TV station for deciding not to air the “New” show.
The show revolves around an L.A. couple (Justin Bartha & Andrew Ranells), who have it all. Successful careers and a committed loving partnership but one thing is missing: a baby. A mid-western waitress with a checkered past (Georgia King) looking to escape her dead-end life and small minded grandmother, becomes their surrogate.
When asked about it at the beginning of the call by one of the reporters she got a little snippy and said,
“I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot but this is such an important show and there are so many important questions that I really don’t want to lead off with my Twitter account.”
Later she addressed it a bit..
“I don’t understand why a show that I love ‘Law and Order: SVU’ is not in family viewing time. Like, that’s what they kept talking about. Why that show that I hope nobody is allowing a 10 year old to watch is acceptable but a show about a very loving committed same sex couple wanting to raise a child, why that is explicit and offensive and rape, murder, child slavery, in very graphic detail is not”.
Ellen’s character Jane has been compared to the Archie Bunker character type, very outspoken, controversial and not politically correct.
“I think any actor who wouldn’t be interested in bringing Archie Bunker types back into the conversation at this point in our history would need to have their head examined. She’s coming from the heart and she’s very passionate and very articulate So, the appeal was great.
So, this isn’t a stereotypical liberals version of you know what someone who doesn’t agree with their positions, whatever they are, anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-any ethnic etc. She is not that. She’s informed, and she’s passionate. And I would just, like Ryan Murphy did, beg people not to judge this character until they get to know her because they are going to be very surprised.”
And no stranger to success, before ‘Glee’, Murphy was behind ‘Nip Tuck’ and ‘American Horror Story.’
“Ryan Murphy had me at ‘Nip Tuck’ ”. I hate horror movies and I had never in my life seen a horror movie until about four years ago and I mean I never saw ‘Jaws.’ I never saw the ‘Exorcist’. I’m terrified of horror movies and I became addicted to ‘American Horror Story’.”
Hoping this show makes a really big stink in showing how families come in all forms, Ellen continued, “I hope that everyone starts maybe opening up a tiny bit and are able to redefine what normal is.”
In the first episode Gwyneth Paltrow makes a cameo appearance.
Who’s Ellen’s dream guest?
‘Id love my best friend Julianne Moore to do a cameo.” So would we.
Also garnering attention is the outspoken break-out star of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’, NeNe Leakes who’s a series regular.
And what about NeNe Leakes?
“I love Nene.” Incidentally, Ellen is a big Bravo Real Housewife fan and has appeared on her friend Andy Cohen’s show ‘Watch What happens’. “Yeah. I’m in love with that woman. Flat out. She’s fantastic.”
Why is that?
She’s a real life force. She’s a very strong presence. She’s a very hard worker. She’s there to work and to learn.”
Takes one to know one. Ellen Barkin is such a pro.
‘The New Normal’ premieres Tuesday, September 11 from 9:30-10pm.