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The whole thing becomes even worse when you begin the sentence with When I was in high-school theater …
Anyway, I am going to do both right now.
2 in the 2004 Highland Park High School production ofSTUNTS.
(I regret to inform you that this is an acronym for Student Theatre Under No Teacher Supervision.)
I was, of course, Slutty Secretary No.
Long time, no chat!I know, its been a minute.
It was a very interesting experience.
Ive never done that before.
Kind of horrifying.[Laughs.]
Full plaster?Full plaster, full silicone.
I had little holes for my nose and eyes.
It was really claustrophobic.
I would absolutely never be able to do that.
By the way, congrats on the Emmy nom!
Where were you when you found out?I was at the dog park, walking the dog.
I spend a good deal of my time there.
The dogs were not amused.
Since youve already won, does it still feel like a big deal?
Have you seen my category?
Im still a weirdo about it.
But its also icing on the cake.
Weve had a really great run, and hopefully this means well get to do it a bit longer.
What a hilarious thing.Urinetown,right?
No, it was the student-written play!STUNTS.Oh, I thought we were inUrinetowntogether.
So did I, actually.
We were typecast.Yeah, whats up with that?
Lets talk aboutthat.But how amazing that we went to a high school that had a program like that?
What do you remember from it?
I remember my name was Gertrude, and I think you had a similar name.I think thats right.
I have this vivid memory of us standing backstage, waiting to go on in these nightgowns.
We had to wear, like, sheer nightgowns onstage.Oh my God, yes, I do remember that.
And I think I was a junior and you were a freshman, right?Yeah!
That was my firstSTUNTS.That was so overwhelming because I couldnt believe I was in it.
I remember my callback for it.
I had to sing Defying Gravity and obviously could not.
It did not go well.
But I was just relieved to be in it.
Even as a slutty secretary.
How do you draw on your experience as Slutty Secretary No.
2 in your current role?[Laughs.
]I would no longer use the termslutty secretary,I have to say.
Very full circle.Very full circle.[Laughs.
To be totally honest, now I have a much different relationship to that word.
Weve grown a lot since we were calling ourselves and all of our friends casual sluts.
Such a terrible word that I could never use now.
I mean, the whole thing is a relic.I know!
Its so screwed up!
I wasnt inBeauty and the Beast.
I started wrestling instead because I didnt make the musical.
Ive told this story before, but I feel like youre the first one who can relate to it.
I was trying to figure out what to do with that season, that winter.
So I joined the wrestling team.
And then I was inThe Scarlet PimpernelandCatsandUrinetown,where I played the other slutty secretary.
And mostly I was in the ensemble.
I cant really sing or dance, so I dont know that I should have had a different role.
My senior year, though, I was inThe Diary of Anne Frankas Margot Frank.
That led me to seek additional training outside of school.
I took a class in downtown Chicago and went to drama school.
And I was like,Well, that wont be a problem![Laughs.]
But I still feel like I learned so much because our high-school theater program was so well funded.
We had great teachers, great productions, and they took real risks.
I cant remember what happened either …But I appreciate that they fought for it!
We received a really decent theater training in high school.
When I went on to become an actor, Id learned so much in high school already.
We were really lucky.
But I really hope to one day.
I remember reading that your parents didnt want you to be an actor.
Its such an uncertain profession, signing up for a lifetime of rejection and uncertainty.
No parent wants that for their child.
They werent the biggest fan of that idea, but theyve always been really supportive.
]That was the first time he really believed I was doing okay.
Its not 100 percent reality at all times.
But I think shes far from perfect, personally.
Shes not a perfect comedian, a perfect friend, a perfect mother or daughter or sister.
Those are the things Im most interested in as I work to bring her to life.
The picture-perfect image of her world and herself is being constantly challenged.
Which part of Midge is based on me?
[Laughs loudly.]
I definitely borrowed some things from people, specifically from one of my good friends mothers growing up.
Im not sure you have that same level of Jewish education in other parts of the country.
But there are so many things about Midge that are really different from me.
Shes a stand-up comedian.
All of these things are so different from who I am.
And I want to be able to play them truthfully and authentically.
It was so unbelievably far from me, so thats where I focused most of my efforts and research.
The Jewishness of our town means we all went to 800 Bat Mitzvahs.
Were not making the effort.It was a little bit strange and directionless.
I went to one with a Russian pop star.What?
I did not have anything that crazy.
All of mine were like Skateboarding.
Or Under the Sea.
Theyre really, really comfortable.
Whats it like for you to go back home now?
Are people hounding you in Port Clinton Square?I dont make it home very often, unfortunately.
I usually meet up with my family in New York.
Its changed a lot.
I hardly recognize downtown Highland Park.
Im just relievedMichaelsis still there.
Whats been the most surprising part of fame for you?That people become objects.
Sometimes on set, people throw phones up in our faces like were not real people.
And sometimes they dont even say anything at all; they just throw a camera in your face.
Were both doing something we love, and we started from a similar place.
Im so proud to be talking to you right now.
Its really cool that youre a working journalist.
How do you feel?
Im just happy were both famous actors.
I love to tell people about our shared theater past.
You give me some street cred.[Laughs.
]Im happy to be of service.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
