IN CONVERSATION WITH ARI GRAYNOR

interview by JANA LETONJA

Actress Ari Graynor can currently be seen starring in Netflix and Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’, which immediately became #1 on Netflix and passed over 2 billion viewing minutes in the second week of its debut. Ari previously starred in Showtime’s ‘I’m Dying Up Here’, Hulu/FX’s ‘Mrs. America,’ MAX’s ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’, Apple TV+’s ‘Surface’, ‘The Sopranos,’ the indie hit ‘Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist,’ ‘Whip It’, ‘For a Good Time, Call...’ and ‘The Disaster Artist,’ amongst others. With her dynamic range and commitment to her craft, Ari Graynor continues to be a standout force in film, television and theater.

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Most recently, you portrayed the legendary criminal defense attorney, Leslie Abramson In ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’. What drew you to this character, and what was your approach to bringing her story to life?

Well first, there is Ryan Murphy. If he, metaphorically, calls, you answer. The worlds he builds and the characters he creates, are singular and specific and with such strong points of view, which was so clear from the first two scenes I saw for my audition for Leslie, the scene in the adoption agency and the first time Leslie meets Erik. She leapt off the page immediately. Also, I grew up in the 80s and 90s. I watched a lot of Baby Boom, Big Business, and Working Girl, and there was a kind of archetypal woman. Powerful, ambitious, but with heart. A specific kind of femininity of the times, earing great suits. I always wanted to play a woman like that. With Leslie, I very much wanted to honor her ferocity and strength, and also her love and nurturing and passion. The more I got to know her, and her childhood and life’s story, the more I understood how innate her sense of fairness was. It was a very holistic approach to bringing her to life.

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What was your research process like for the role, especially considering the real-life events surrounding the Menendez brothers and their trial?

I watched everything, I read everything. From the trials and all the media coverage, but also Leslie’s  book called ‘The Defense is Ready’, which she did the audiobook for. I would fall asleep to her voice. I knew the show wasn’t going to be wholly focused on the trial, and that our incredible writers would guide the story we were telling, but I wanted to know as much as possible so that I could always be rooted in her emotional journey. Knowing where the smallest and biggest actions came from, in a deeper psychological sense for her.

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The show became a massive success, immediately hitting #1 on Netflix. How did it feel being part of this highly anticipated and successful show?

It felt and feels amazing. I’ve been working a long time and joke it’s nice to finally be in something people are watching. Often times it’s been like “I can’t wait to see your show. When does it come out?” And my reply was “Six months ago.” To be a part of the cultural conversation is incredible, and what you hope for. It’s also sometimes been a little like trying to touch a rainbow. You feel all this big energy, but it’s not a tangible place you can visit or touch. I haven’t been recognized once out in the world from this, so it’s funny. The wig is a great disguise.

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Ryan Murphy is known for his bold and daring storytelling. What was it like working with him on such a high-stakes project, and how did he help shape your portrayal of Leslie Abramson?

I’ve wanted to work with him forever. He is incredibly prolific and so many of the people around him, from the writers to the crew, to the actors, have been working with him for a long time. To me, a great leader is one with a strong vision who trusts those around them to do their best work. And there was an incredible amount of trust, which was a huge gift.

You’ve had an impressive career across television and film, from ‘The Sopranos’ to ‘The Disaster Artist.’ How do you navigate the shift between comedic and dramatic roles? What’s the most challenging part of that versatility?

What’s funny is often rooted in how seriously something is being taken, and in the most dramatic moments, there is almost always something ridiculous to make you laugh. The two are much closer than we sometimes think. So, in the work of it, moving between comedy and drama feels natural and fluid to me. I think the challenge comes more from a career perspective of fighting against being put in one box. I was doing more comedic work for a while, which I love, but had a greater hunger to express more, and it definitely was a concerted effort to get people to think of me for more dramatic work.

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You served as an executive producer on ‘For a Good Time, Call…’ and ‘Bad Teacher.’ How did this experience shape your understanding of the industry behind the scenes?

Actors are shielded from so much in the process of making something.  But being on the other side, and also trying to make a film of mine for several years, has been hugely influential in seeing and understanding the whole picture. It’s a miracle anything gets made. Also in terms of casting, to see how much isn’t personal, even when it feels deeply personal as an actor. Whether it’s the incredibly frustrating parts of financing and “needing a name”, or watching different people read for the same part. As an actor, you have to believe each part is yours, it’s how you invest. When you don’t get something, you can think “What did I do wrong? If they want something different, tell me. I can be different.” But it was really helpful and oddly comforting to see it’s not a matter of someone being “better.”. It’s just an ineffable what makes someone right for a particular part in the particular story being told. There’s something very freeing about seeing that first-hand.

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Your theater career, including your Broadway debut in ‘Brooklyn Boy’ and roles in ‘The Little Dog Laughed’ and ‘Relatively Speaking’, shows a deep commitment to the stage. How does performing live in theater differ from working in film and TV for you?

This is the longest I’ve gone without doing a play and I miss it desperately. I started doing local theater when I was 6, so it runs deep. The biggest difference for me is space. Space to breathe and live as the character, space to play and rehearse and try things, space in performance to play with rhythm and energy and timing between everyone. On stage, everyone there, including the audience, is creating the moment together. It’s a symbiotic relationship. So much in film and TV in terms of a final product comes down to editing. Ultimately, I most value the experience of making something, but it can still be a shock to see the difference between what ends up on screen versus what happened on the day.

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With such a strong theater background, how do you bring that same energy and presence to your screen roles, especially in the more intimate environments of television and film? Did your theater background impact the way you approached the 30+ minute, one-take scene for Episode 5, ‘The Hurtman’ with Cooper Koch?

Definitely. We always said episode 5 was a play. The script was written a year before we shot it, and it never changed which is very rare. And that one single shot push in was written on the page. For that episode, and I think in all my work, my approach is the same. To be alive and present and in the moment, and it’s a little bit none of my business where the camera is. But to get to play with Cooper like that, and have that space I was talking about in theater, to fully create a moment together without interruption, was an incredible gift. I will remember it for the rest of my life.

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You’ve been working closely with iconic stylists Wayman & Micah and have had some great fashion moments this year. What’s your relationship with fashion and what do you like the most about it?

Well, they are the coolest and so smart and thoughtful and inventive, and have the incredible talent of using fashion as a storytelling and as a way of letting each person shine in their own unique way. I live in Upstate New York, so my day to day I’m in whatever clothes can get dirty outside. I’m basically dressed as a toddler. But I love to dress up, to shape shift. I love what it brings out in me, how much clothes elevate different parts of myself. Using it as another mode of expression to bring out the sensual, the power, the confidence. I look very forward to my future relationship with fashion and hope to play and experiment as much as possible. I dream of the day I am on the red carpet in a Schiaparelli gown.

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You’ve consistently chosen compelling and varied roles across different genres. What are you excited for in the future and are there roles you’re drawn towards?

I’m definitely drawn to characters that want something, that have a strong point of view, that are struggling with something internally. I’m interested in the tension between the internal and external. And that can look a lot of different ways. I am dying to work with great filmmakers, to fall down the rabbit hole of their vision. There’s a million people I’d love to work with, like for example Paul Thomas Anderson, Tarantino, Greta Gerwig, Emerald Fennel, Andrew Haigh, Halina Reijn, Martin McDonagh. I could go on forever, but I’ll spare you. I want to sing, I want to play a villain, I want to play a goddess, I want to fall in love. I want and hope to play it all.

TEAM CREDITS:
talent ARI GRAYNOR
photography PHIL CHESTER and SARA BYRNE
styling JAMIE DANESI
makeup RACHEL GOODWIN
hair RICHARD COLLINS
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director & interview JANA LETONJA