Cat Chat: An Interview with Amy Sedaris

The comedienne undertakes her biggest transformation yet for Puss In Boots.

We who are fans of Amy Sedaris like to think of her as our little secret. Whether she’s making us laugh with after-hours reruns of her short-lived comedy series Strangers with Candy, guesting for the 20th time on The Late Show with David Letterman (clearly we’re not the only ones with a crush) or doing...whatever this is to a bunch of hot dogs, you can count us in. But this weekend when she teams up with Billy Bob Thornton to voice half of the cretinous couple (yes, couple) Jack and Jill in Puss In Boots, it looks like the cat is out of the bag.

GeekChicDaily: In the past you played a princess in Shrek the Third, but here you got a chance to go in the opposite direction. Is it more fun being bad, and is the process any different?
 
Amy Sedaris: I love being bad. This process was different because I got to use more of an accent. You know, I got to use a southern accent, so that was fun. When they first called me and asked me if I wanted to do this, they told me Billy Bob [Thornton] was my husband and I was like [gesturing to her chest] *ping* *ping* yes! He’s great. But then when they sent me a picture of Jill, I was like, “Oh my God, how am I going to do the voice for this refrigerator?” And then I thought “Oh my God I’m not going to be able to do this!” And then I watched that documentary The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia that Johnny Knoxville did. I tried to imitate all of those voices. So it was challenging and I knew that, so I thought well alright, let’s see what Billy Bob is gonna do and I’ll see if I can kinda match that somehow.
 
GCD: When you’re working on a movie for families or kids, do you worry about being too bad or too scary, or is that the director’s problem?

AS: I didn’t think about it. Yeah, that’s the director’s problem. I don’t know kids nowadays, but when we were little we were always scared and terrifying each other.

GCD: That’s a lot of the fun in the design of your character. In this movie, Jack & Jill are frightening to behold. As soon as they step out, they’re scary.

AS: But they’re lovable. It’s the healthiest relationship I’ve ever been in.

GCD: A lot of our readers are big fans of Strangers with Candy. That’s been called a cult hit since it came out, but that’s a bit of a loaded term. Do you think it’d fare better in today’s comedy market?

AS: I like underdogs. Nobody watched our show. We never knew we had an audience until we did [our book] Wigfield and we went on a book tour. That’s when they started coming out of the woods. Like, oh, people actually watch the show! But Stephen [Colbert], Paul [Dinello] and I were kinda like that. We never really had publicists, we didn’t go out there and try to say “Watch our show!” We just were in the woods doing a show together. If you watched it, great. If you didn’t, fine. But when it got canceled we were like “That’s OK.” If they asked us to do ten more, we would’ve been fine with that to. It kinda just worked out. I like shows where people feel they discovered the show. Rather than just pushing it in people’s faces.

(If you haven’t discovered Strangers with Candy yet, do it now!)

GCD: We know this is a movie about cute cats, and you’re an outspoken animal lover, especially rabbits. How is your bunny Dusty doing?

AS: Thanks for asking! She had a very painful gas bubble just a week ago, so she was at the vet’s for three nights and I was convinced she was going to die, because they can die from that. But she’s nine years old and she’s fantastic. She’s got a couple of gray hairs, adorable! I always say I’m going to kill myself when she dies. (Laughs)

GCD: Well, we hope that’s not the case! Behind the scenes, did you try to get a rabbit into this movie?

AS: I try to get a rabbit into everything! I went to Animal Planet and had a meeting with them. I want to do a special on rabbits and they’re up for it. So that would be a fun thing to get off the ground.

GCD: You’re mainly considered an actress and comedienne but you’re also known for your crafting and have written a couple books. Why is it more fulfilling to “do it yourself?”

AS: Or tell people how to do it! Because at three o’clock in the morning I’m like, “What am I gonna do?” And I like to figure it out. If I’m making something, it’s cheating to go to the store to get the part. I have to figure out, what do I have in my house that would be the perfect thing to make that, and try to be creative that way. And my crafts are just crap nobody wants really. A lot of them I learned in girl scouts, they’re really simple.

GCD: Is part of the appeal knowing that you can do it when you set out to, rather than it being so overcomplicated that you won’t even attempt it.

AS: Right, or you make it and then people are like “that’s $25.” And you’re like “Come on man, it took me eight hours to make it!” The craft community has embraced me and I’m very lucky, but man, can they go on and on about their craft making. God dangit!

GCD: The Craft Mafia has approved you?

AS: Yeah. (Laughs) They have, fools!

GCD: Halloween is coming up. Do you have plans to dress up or throw a party, and do you think there will be Jack & Jills walking around in costume, or will Puss get all the attention?

AS: No, I’ll be home by myself watching a scary movie. Maybe transvestites [would dress as Jack & Jill], they’ll be up for it! (Laughs)

GCD: We’ve seen a number of Jerri Blanks walking around.

AS: I have too, people send me pictures. (Laughs)

GCD: There is an aesthetic you’ve created through your books, your crafts and even Strangers with Candy. Now that you’re doing more with kids’ programming, have you ever thought about a Wigfield universe for kids?

AS: No, not for kids. Someone approached us and wanted us to do an animated version of Wigfield for adults because you can get away with more in animation, you know. Which would be fun to do, but Stephen’s too busy. I’ve been trying to do my own hospitality show for a while. I think if I did anything, that’s what I would try to get up.

GCD: When your most recent book Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People came out, you had a series of Youtube videos doing crafts.

AS: Yeah, I did six videos. I liked those videos; I’d never done anything like that so I said “Let’s just do ‘em,” and we shot ‘em in my apartment and it was a lot of fun. The hotdog one, everyone said “Who’s the guy behind you?” He makes all of my dresses.

GCD: That one has the most views. (Watch it here!)

AS: Yeah, I noticed that! (Laughs)

GCD: What’s stopping you from doing more videos and stuff like that?

AS: Well, it cost me I think $5,000 to do six videos, so that’s why financially. I just wanted to do ‘em to see. Just for fun, actually. Just wanted to do ‘em, see what they turned into.

GCD: So what do you have coming up?

AS: Just The Good Wife is the next thing, and then maybe trying to get my own hospitality show up and maybe doing this thing for the Animal Planet. And that’s it.

GCD: Have you considered the web for your hospitality show, exclusively?

AS: I have, but I’m not a big computer person.

GCD: You could ask your co-star Zach Galifianakis (Humpty Dumpty) about how he makes his web show, Between Two Ferns.

AS: I’ve seen it, but then I always think no, for me it’s better to try and take it seriously and do a true half-hour or hour show and do it somewhere like the Food Network, where it’s not expected, and be the weirdo on the block. But they’re all so game-oriented and the lights are on too bright. I just want a small little niche show.

You can find out more about Amy Sedaris’ many projects at her personal website, and catch Puss In Boots in theaters starting this Friday, October 28th.

Forward to a Buddy Invite a Buddy