Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Mary Kay Place has done it all mostly.
Today, shes probably best known for her eminent character actress work.
Again, theres little in show business Place hasnt done.
Except, until now, take a starring role in a movie.
Its the sort of mysterious role that just might be worth waiting decades to take.
What its like to play a character like Diane, who has so much going on under the surface?
In a weird way, it just fell into place.
I had never been in a film where I was in every scene before.
Usually you have to gear up, and then you dont work for two days.
And you gear up again …
So there was a flow.
I dove into the inner portion of her and it just evolved.
It was really exciting to play all of those unspoken moments.
Neither you nor co-star Andrea Martin are strangers to comedy.
And Id already established my tone, so to speak, for Diane.
But that never, ever aligned, to overplay it.
Because that was the exact opposite of what this movie would be about.
Its a somber movie, but its not entirely unfunny, either.Thank God.
I didnt know at the beginning.
I was worried there wouldnt be [comedy].
But its inescapable, I guess.
I just saw this as the humanity of families and the universality of families.
We all recognize that irritating or funny thing that happened in our grandparents or our family home.
Theres those moments that I think rang true.
Im happy that they came across.
You bring upRoma: One thing that movie has in common withDianeis an attention to setting.
Kent Jones is from the part of New England where the film is set.
And I think that would have gotten in the way.
It was icy, there was snow everywhere, there were no leaves on the trees.
So the winter aspect of the environment almost became a character in the film.
We see the highway and the town, as she goes from place to place, through the windshield.
I think that was such a strong visual, that really helped give a feeling of Massachusetts.
I was at home being inside these small communities.
People immediately connect that to their own childhood, wherever that might be.
Forgive me if Im wrong, but thisisyour first leading role in a movie, right?It is.
You must have had chances before this?I did have some chances but the screenplays werent exactly …
I didnt connect with them, or like them well enough.
Looking at your career, you seem like someone whos always chosen her projects very carefully.
I mean, its been clear that whenBeing John MalkovichorThe Big ChillorCitizen Ruthcame along that they were no-brainers.
Of course I was doing that.
Theres always been something Ive had to learn.
And I thought, This doesnt hurt the universe, Im just going to experience this.
Negative energy without meaning.
Certain horror films, that didnt offer anything.
You started out as a writer and an actress.
Im decent at it, but Im not in the one percent class of writers.
I would need to spend my entire life writing to get to that place.
Im just not as good as that.
I enjoy adding and contributing to the script.
I think an actor is my true calling.
You have the fairly unusual achievement of having hit songs as a fictional character.
What was that experience like?That was really, really, really fun.
So Im going to jump in and do it.
And it was hard, but it was really fun and exciting.
I made three albums one as Loretta and two regular country, rhythm-and-blues kind of albums.
It was really exciting.
I made a lot of lifelong friends during that period.
Did you have any personal connection to songs in that scene?Absolutely.
I asked Kent if I could do the dancing part to Out in the Woods by Leon Russell.
He had worked on some of my music as well, and were both from Oklahoma.
I love that song.
At this point in your career, youre a leading lady at last?
Do you think youll do any more leads?No.
I dont think thats going to happen.
Theyve already been leads and can get money.
I dont think Im probably a bankable name, but thats okay.
The size of the part is not really important to me.
The thing thats important is the meaning of the part.
How interesting is it?
How fun is it?
Or how complex is it?
Whats the point of the whole piece?
Thats what I care about.
This was a miracle and Im not expecting more than one.
