We all know Drea de Matteo. Whether from her role as Adriana on The Sopranos, or as Wendy on Sons of Anarchy, Drea has played bad girls in tough situations for years. But that seems to be changing for her. In her new role on Lifetime's Stalkers, she plays a tough detective named Dianne Harkin. The movie, airing on Lifetime this Saturday, was written by Rhonda Saunders, one of the first people to work to pass stalking legistlation in the state of California many years ago.
I had a chance to chat with Drea about parenting, her fears, and her future on television. She's funny, smart, and definitely a Yummy Mummy.
On Stalkers
"I haven't been very gung ho about speaking out against stalkers because of my own situation in the past. It takes one idea and one spark. With our show, the laws that they put into place aren't actually active right now, and I would love to send a message to not live in fear, but the problem is, there isn't always appropriate help."
On her children
"Life has changed so much since I've had babies. I just have to imagine my kids when she needs to do something sad on film."
On teaching her children about scary situations and how this type of work effects her parenting
"Unfortunately, there's not much you can tell a little kid about stalkers, because it's so insidious. A kid will never understand it. Being a parent, honestly, I had never even thought about it, I thought about me being stalked and them being used as a weapon. I don't know what i would do. I don't know that I would even have the strength to figure that out like my character can.
While we were shooting, Sandyhook happened, and my kids were in California, and I was in Vancouver. I couldn't hear about it. It was too much. The fear, the pain, the thought of that happening to one of my children. I couldn't even go there. And I had to keep it in."
On Sons of Anarchy (which she admitted she'll be returning to!) and playing Wendy
"I was really a bad guy there. I shot that just after having my first child. She was 4-5 months old, there, in my trailer, and I'm "shooting up."
I wouldn't even ever put myself in that situation. I know enough about addiction in my own life, and lots of people have battled it. I have sympathy for it, but not that much because you either get your shit together or you don't and it's a choice you make. I understand it, but I don't understand it. I'm sort of torn.
Riding on the heels of the uber-super-duper successful film adaptation of the stage play, Les Miserables is set to return to the Toronto stage this fall as part of the 2013-2014 Mirvish theatre season and they're looking for actors to play Gavroche and Young Cosette. For those of you familiar with the musical, you know these are both some powerhouse vocal performances and integral to the show...so, if you know of a boy or a girl with serious chops, this weekend is your chance!
Auditions are taking place at 958 Broadview Ave in Toronto (Estonian House) and begin at 930am sharp. Auditions will be held until every child is seen that day, as long as they are registered by 930am. First time auditioners — this could mean arriving at 8am and sitting around until 8pm. Be forewarned.
Here are the rest of the details:
Boys — 7-11 years of age, no taller than 4'7", and come prepared with a fiesty musical number or "Little People" from the show (16 bars of either song).
Girls — 7-11 years of age, no taller than 4'5" and come prepared with a powerful ballad or "Castle on a Cloud" from the show (16 bars of either song).
All kids should bring ther own snapshot or headshot, resume if applicable and sheet music to the audition. For those who can't attend, please send snaps and resumes to:
Stephanie Gorin Casting Inc.
Attention: Les Misérables Children’s Casting.
62 Ellerbeck St. Toronto, Ont. M4K 2V1
For those of you new to theatre or auditions with your kids, I highly recommend you read my interview with Cynthia Dale. Even if you aren't new, and looking for some excellent tips to prepare you for Sunday, April 14, this is a great primer post.
Good luck!
Mad Men is set to premiere on AMC this Sunday, April 7th, and around here, we're pretty jazzed. This is the show that started it all for the small cable station that eventually brought us Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. But the network would be nowhere without the story of Don Draper and Sterling (Draper) Cooper (Pryce). Season six is going to carry us right into the swinging 60s complete with the fashion and attitudes of the day. While it's doubtful I can still fit into my Marmalade dresses from my early 20s, I'm really excited to see how Don, Roger, Dale, and the rest handle the changing attitudes both in the office and in America. But how did they get where they are, and what about their histories will effect the course of the future for these Madison Avenue men?
The show started and focused primarily around Don Draper—then creative director of Sterling Cooper—and his relationships, affairs, and familial disasters both in and out of the office. A lot of Don's personal issues seemed to stem directly from the slowly changing mindsets of the day. The promotion of Peggy Olson, Sal's secret life, and Paul's civil rights leanings and romance were all central plots to early seasons. The show has touched on sexism, racism, social norms, and the changing of cultural values through those early years of the 1960s without being heavy handed or too in-your-face-those-were-crap-times.
As the show progressed, characters became more well-rounded. Peggy just wasn't the girl wanting to get to the top; she's become Don's equal in many ways. He respects her as an individual now, whereas you could tell in those early days that he looked at her like any other frumpy secretary. And Joan, while remaining sexy and beautiful, is no longer just the office bombshell. Her marriage to Dr. Holloway, his treatment of her, and her eventual absolute control over the SDCP offices have brought amazing layers to a character that could have easily been seen as just Roger Sterling's romantic tryst.
We're entering season six with Don still married to Megan (his former secretary), Betty still married to Henry, and a whole lot of mess in the middle. With Pryce dead, Roger more miserable than ever, and Joan heading into partner territory (in place of Lane Pryce and under intense and vile circumstances), Mad Men season six looks like it'll be the most intense season yet. And with only one season remaining after this one ends, who knows where Matthew Weiner will take the show as we approach the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
Mad Men seems to be a Perfect Storm of history, character, and very true-to-today critiques of life, love, and work. I'll be watching on Sunday night to see how the attitudes of the late sixties are effecting us now and what Don and crew have to say about it all.
So, spill it! What do you think of Mad Men, and will you be watching on Sunday?
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