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Andrea Savage on being lesbian adjacent and her new “Episodes” romance

You probably know by now that Andrea Savage is currently playing Helen Basch, the network president sleeping with her number two, Carol Rance, on this season of Episodes. What you may not know is that Savage is more than an actress with a cool last name, getting paid to grab boobs. (Which, frankly, is enough in my book.) She’s also a writer, a director and all-around hilarious, smart lady.

Savage has appeared in Step Brothers, Dinner for Schmucks, the upcoming, Sleeping with Other People opposite Jason Sudeikis, and my personal favorite, as the not-quite British Veronica Von Vandervon, on the Hulu’s hilarious Real Housewives send-up, The Hotwives of Orlando.

Andrea spent some time with us to talk about playing Helen, with a slightly spoiler-ish hint of what’s to come, being lesbian-adjacent, and why Republicans cannot go unanswered.

AfterEllen.com: On this season of Episodes, you’re bringing the gay.

Andrea Savage: Bringing the gay, everybody.

AE: How much fun was it playing Helen Basch?

AS: It was, honestly, kind of a dream job. Kathleen [Rose Perkins] and I hit it off right away. We had so much fun!

AE: She told me they brought in actresses for chemistry reads, and the minute she saw you, she knew you were the one. Kind of like love at first sight.

AS: [laughs] We did! We had immediate chemistry. And, we’re good friends now, which doesn’t always happen. Usually, with someone you’re like, “OK, I like you. But I don’t need to go to dinner with you.” But we get together, we hang out. It’s really nice.

AE: What happens at a chemistry read, exactly? How is it different from a regular audition?

AS: I’ve had all different kinds. Basically, they want to see what you look like on camera [together.] And also, what your energy is, how you work off each other, and if you believe that they would have a relationship.

AE: Sounds like a first date. Is this the first time you’ve played a lesbian?

AS: I think it is. I know I played bisexual on House of Lies. And then, other things before, but I think this is the first time that I’ve played a lesbian.

AE: Did you do any kind of research to prepare for the role?

AS: Not really. I have a lot of lesbian friends. I have lesbians in my family.

AE: Sounds like you’re very lesbian adjacent.

AS: I’m very lesbian adjacent, I will say that. Yes, very much. But a lesbian is a person. I didn’t feel like I really had to delve into anything much deeper than that to play a lesbian, to play a person.

AE: Everyone knows that Carol’s biggest flaw is that she sleeps with all her bosses. How is Helen any better? She’s sleeping with a subordinate.

AS: Yeah, no. That would definitely be frowned upon but Helen doesn’t play by the rules all the time. I think she knows what she wants and goes for it.

Helen, “going for it.”

AE: In this week’s episode, Helen reveals a little bit of anger, a hint at a vengeful side. I immediately thought, “Red flag!” I’m worried she and carol aren’t going to work out. Which totally sucks.

AS: This show, Episodes, is where nothing ever really works out. I would say it’s something to be mindful of, yeah.

AE: Uh oh. I knew it!

AS: I’m not saying… let’s just say it was not an accident.

AE: Crap. I don’t want to think about it right now. Let’s go back to the start. I’m not the only one who sensed something was happening between Helen and Carol because of Helen’s blazers. Some of my friends said that the minute you showed up, they thought, “Oh, yes. I know where this is going to go.” One of them actually clapped!

AS: [laughs] I don’t know if we can say that’s foreshadowing. But maybe that’s why I’m lesbian adjacent—because I will rock a blazer.

AE: Can you tell me if anything happens in this season that leaves Helen open to return in Season 5?

AS: It could go either way, I think.

AE: OK, OK. So, the show is shot in London, but it takes place in LA. Wouldn’t it be easier to just shoot it here?

AS: I don’t know the official answer to that. I’m just happy they do because it was really fun. I got to bring my family.

AE: Did you get a chance to use your Veronica Van Vandervon accent while you were there?

AS: [laughs] No. My accent is so terrible with that—it’s supposed to be terrible, But I was like, “Oh, why couldn’t I have lived before, so my accent could’ve been better?” Yeah, I should’ve thrown a little Veronica out there.

AE: It’s so terrible, Veronica’s probably not even British.

AS: Yup. That’s what the reveal was. She was just from Orlando. But when you’re rich and white, that’s how you start talking.

AE: Like Madonna.

AS: Exactly.

AE: Hilarious. You have some serious comedy acting credits. Stepbrothers, Dog Bites Man, Hotwives of Orlando. But you’re also a writer, and I recently found out you majored in political science. Your “Republicans, Get In My Vagina” is one of my favorite funny or die videos. What else can you do when GOP men are claiming to know what’s best for women’s bodies, except fight back with sarcasm?

AS: Thank you. I’m very proud of that. That was the first time I read politicians had made the claim that women’s bodies know when they’re being raped, and know not to get pregnant from that. I was getting so furious. Why were we not hearing from Republican women on this issue? And I’m thinking, “I guess they just agree with this? This is insane! I cannot sit back and do nothing. I have to do something!”

AE: It was so ludicrous, it kind of writes itself.

AS: It’s so ridiculous. So, to be able to get out the message, and still be funny is tricky. It’s a tricky thing. That was my first time directing. I directed it, wrote it, and I was in it.

AE: I love when comedy calls out reality that needs calling out. How close do you think Episodes is to reality? The entertainment industry is notoriously weird. And not in a good way.

AS: Sadly, I think it’s not too far off. Not that you can’t have good experiences, too, but I think every single thing that has happened on the show has happened in real life. I don’t think there’s one thing that has not actually happen.

AE: That’s what I love so much about Episodes. It’s true! And even if you don’t know Hollywood, the show has some of the best writing I’ve ever seen.

AS: The writing on Episodes is one of the, if not the best, writing in comedy television. It’s incredible. We sit down to a nine-hour table read before the season. We read all [nine episodes] in one day.

AE: Wait, what?

AS: Yeah. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before. They have them all done, and we all get together in a big room, and we read them all day. When I tell you every single script works and is so funny and tight? It was mind-boggling and one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen.

AE: I have never heard of a show that does a read-through of the entire season in one shot. You can’t. They’re not even done.

AS: I’ve never heard of it either. It can’t happen in network. They don’t work like that. It’s pretty amazing. Jeffrey [Klarik] and David [Crane] are incredible writers. They’re so meticulous. And, there’s no improvisation on the show, which is my background. We are saying their lines, word-for-word.

AE: I read somewhere that the show utilizes block shooting, which means you shoot all the kitchen scene at the same time, all the hiking scenes at the same time, et cetera. So, you’re jumping around—episode four, then six, then back to two—all in the same day or week?

AS: Well, it’s a different kind of skill. Kathleen and I shot every single office scene in two weeks.

AE: Wow. Your continuity person must be on Xanax!

AS: Oh my God, yeah.

Look for Andrea as Jason Sudeikis‘ wife in the new feature film, Sleeping with Other People, and tune into Showtime every Sunday night to watch her on Episodes having chemistry with Kathleen Rose Perkins. Go team #bance!

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