Archive

Anna Camp on how she ends up on the gayest shows ever

When we found out NBC was prepping a sitcom about a lesbian couple last year, we were pretty excited. Then when Anna Camp was cast to play one half of the couple, we couldn’t be more thrilled. I Hate That I Love You was penned by Will and Grace scribe Jhoni Marchinko, so it was in the best of hands.

Unfortunately, NBC passed on the show and Anna had to move on. But she has had no trouble in finding parts on shows we love. From playing Fellowship of the Sun matriarch Sarah Newlin on True Blood to rising lawyer-turned-housewife Caitlin on The Good Wife, Anna has been a mainstay on our TV screens. Her new role on Fox’s The Mindy Project will be no different, as women of all orientations will likely tune in to see how Mindy Kaling does with her show about finding love and how Anna, who plays her married best friend, helps in the pursuit.

We talked with Anna Camp at the TCA Fox party in West Hollywood, where she told us about playing gay and how she’s willing to do anything that scares her.

AfterEllen.com: How do you end up on the gayest shows ever?
Anna Camp:
I am making out with girls, I’m having the best time!

AE: I was hoping you’d be gay on your new show, but then I watched the pilot.
AC:
I know, I’m totally married. Totally married to a dude.

AE: But we did get to see you get it on in the bathroom stall with another woman on House of Lies this year.
AC:
I actually auditioned for Kristen Bell‘s part and I didn’t get the part but I had read the script and I said “You know who I want to play? I want to play the girl who makes out with the other girl in the bathroom.” So I didn’t audition – they just offered it to me. Steven Hopkins the director was amazing. Yeah, it was great! A little nerve-wracking, but I played another lesbian I Hate That I Love You that same year. So I was telling my parents “Yeah, it’s great. I’m having a great time. I’m making out with this beautiful girl one day and I’m making out with this beautiful girl another day.” My husband was happy, everybody was happy. It was great. I love being an actor!

AE: Some actors used to worry that playing a lesbian would typecast them.
AC:
I’m up for anything and everything always in my career and I think that if it’s something that scares you, you have to do it.

AE: I was so sad to see you leave The Good Wife. Do you miss it?
AC:
I was actually very, very sad. I thought maybe something was going to happen with me and Josh Charles and it never quite went that way. They were like “You’re pregnant and getting married” and I’m like “To who?” I was like “Who is he?” But I think the way it all ended with Julianna walking through her house and talking about home and motherhood versus career and everything. I thought it ended up very nicely.

AE: So you didn’t know from the beginning it would end that way?
AC:
No! I don’t think they knew. [The writers] don’t really know either week to week what they’re going to do. But I’m not dead. I’m not dead on any of these shows!

AE: Right, you’re not dead on True Blood! And now your husband’s back.
AC:
He’s back and gay and trying to get it on with Jason Stackhouse. That would be so bizarre but so True Blood, am I right? I’m hoping one of these days I get to come back and Sarah gets to make her presence known. I would be happy if she came back with a little baby.

AE: What do you think Sarah is doing right now?
AC:
I think that she’s written some books. Like how to live with a crazy gay guy and how to deal with your religion versus feeling your sexual demons – things like that. I think she’s writing a lot of self-help books and she needs to get out there and do some talk shows and sell them.

AE: What do you think lesbians will like about The Mindy Project?
AC:
I think that anybody can identify with falling in love and looking for love. She’s a woman in her 30s, she’s looking for love and making mistakes and everybody does. It’s humorous along the way, it’s heartbreaking. Anybody and everybody can identify with looking for Mr. or Mrs. right, whoever they may be.

AE: We were so excited about I Hate That I Love You and bummed it didn’t get picked up. What can you tell us about why you think it didn’t get a season order?
AC:
I don’t know if they were thinking that they weren’t ready – it was an interracial couple and a lesbian couple and I don’t know if that was too much or whatever – or maybe just not the right timing. I don’t know! I saw the pilot and I was very proud of it and very pleased. It was really funny and very touching and Jhoni Marchinko, who wrote it, is phenomenal. We were very surprised it didn’t go. Hopefully I’ll get to work with them again and hopefully we’ll get more shows that are progressive on TV.

See Anna Camp playing it straight on The Mindy Project when it premieres online on August 27 or when it makes its television debut on Fox September 25.

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button