The Agency's Posts

'Breaking Dawn review: Vampire tale is lifeless: Sure, the wedding's great, but the latest installment of the 'Twilight' saga fails to address major....
Read More>

Audition Workshops for Actors: OFFERING AUDITION WORKSHOP FOR ACTORS After years of full-service casting, we have seen....
Read More>

'Tower Heist's' Ferrari: Inspired by Nicolas Cage's living room: Twenty-five years ago, Matthew Broderick took a spin in a vintage red Ferrari and ran into....
Read More>

Brad Pitt says he plans to quit acting in three years: For anyone holding out hope for "Ocean's 14," your hopes are probably dashed.Brad....
Read More>

WEEGEE'S NAKED HOLLYWOOD: Weegee, a.k.a. photojournalist Arthur Fellig, derived his moniker from the phonic adaptation of....
Read More>

Private Coaching With J&R Creative!: Private Coaching for Talent with J&R Creative (Jennifer Peralta-Ajemian and Robin Carus -....
Read More>

Box Office: Sandler, DiCaprio can't beat No. 1 Immortals': "Immortals" fought off the competition at the box office this weekend, emerging....
Read More>

'The First Grader' seeks Oscar attention: Producers of 'The First Grader' believe their film is Oscar worthy. So they are mounting a....
Read More>

Oscars not lacking for excitement: With the Brett Ratner and Eddie Murphy turmoil and unusual best picture contenders ('The Artist,'....
Read More>

Eddie Murphy out as host of the Oscars: Less than 24 hours after Brett Ratner resigned as producer of the 2012 Oscars after making an....
Read More>

'Rock of Ages': Tom Cruise tries something really scary: singing: Tom Cruiserisked life and limb filmingaction sequences at the top of the world's tallest....
Read More>

Box Office: Surprisingly strong 'Puss in Boots' claws 'Tower Heist': The animated 3-D film debuted in the top spot last weekend, and was expected to fall behind....
Read More>
Lizzy Caplan: The restless mind of a Sundance star
Posted on: 02/01/12
Share/Save/Bookmark
 

As life problems go, you could find yourself in worse pickles than deciding which Sundance house to stay in while you premiere a pair of movies at the country’s preeminent film gathering.

But don't douse the comedic actress Lizzy Caplan in too much hater-ade -- not even as she describes how she was forced to choose between the Park City, Utah, condo hosting the group from the grown-sibling dramedy "Save the Date," in which she plays a commitment-phobe sister, and the crash pad for the raunchy femme romp "Bachelorette," in which she plays a coke-fried bridesmaid opposite Kirsten Dunst and Isla Fisher.

"I spent one night [with the 'Save the Date' crew] and then realized it was too much to go back and forth, so I stayed with the 'Bachelorette' [people]'" Caplan said at the festival last week, describing her temporary housing situation.

At 29, after years of promising but false starts on sputtering television shows, the occasional part in a hit such as "Cloverfield" and very small roles in critically acclaimed movies (quick, who did she play in "127 Hours"?), the Los Angeles-raised actress is again on the cusp of wider fame. Needless to say, it's a position she's found herself in before.

"I did a show called 'The Class' where they took us on a private plane, the creators of the show and Jimmy Burrows, the epic sitcom director," Caplan recalled. "They brought us to Vegas and took us to dinner and took us gambling and gave us a big speech that it's the last time we're going to be able to go out in public. And everybody was like 'Oh my God.' So I said to Jimmy, 'Well, what's your batting average?'" And he said he was right almost every time. He was wrong only one time." She paused. "I was kind of honored to be the second time."

Ebullient and unguarded, Caplan, who is perhaps best known for the cult Starz television comedy "Party Down," has no shortage of fears about fame -- and few compunctions about revealing them. In an era when most actors put on a stoic front about how lucky they feel, Caplan is surprisingly open about the drawbacks and insecurities of a life in front of the camera.

It's two days after the Sundance world premiere of "Bachelorette" and Caplan, propped on a Main Street cafe couch sipping a soft drink, spoke of the self-consciousness that comes with watching your own movie.

"It's so stressful. You're like, 'Why is no one laughing anymore?" she said, recalling scenes late in the film when the story gets a little more serious. Told that it could be because the jokes had ratcheted down at that point, she said, "I hope that that's the case, then added, "I wish I could skip that part of it [premieres] sometimes."

Watching it in a more controlled environment has its downside too, she said. "When you see a movie just with the cast, it's a totally different vibe. Everybody is so stressed about their own performance. My reaction is always: 'Everybody else is so awesome, and I'm the weirdest-looking, worst actor ever.' It's only starting to get a little better. Just a little."

Caplan's honesty offers a rare window into the humanity of even talented actors. It’s a trait that will strike some as a refreshingly self-aware and others as off-puttingly self-involved.

Shooting films, Caplan said, is what keeps her happiest. But though she ticks off the obligatory list of projects on which she's had fun, she also allows that she often feels a certain shyness. "I'm trying to get off set most of the time," she said, when asked if she's the kind to push a director for more screen time. "There's obviously more safety in an ensemble, and the less you have to do, the less you can [screw] up."

It's fitting, perhaps, that her most famous role came as part of the large acting-cum-catering crew in "Party Down"; it's also apt, for an actress perpetually on the cusp, that the show didn't really get popular until after it was off the air.

Sundance isn't likely to be a game changer -- a couple of small films will rarely vault anyone to the A-list. But it could fix Caplan's position a little firmer on the young-Hollywood map. "Bachelorette" in particular is likely to get at least a niche theatrical release, and could attract the actress notice both for her capacity for broad comedy and because the film reunites her with Adam Scott, the burgeoning television star who, as he did in "Party Down," plays her love interest.

Caplan said she's ready and even hoping for more attention -- sort of. "I like that fans feel they discovered me, as opposed to having half the people out there hate you just because you're famous," she said. 

"And it's not like getting really famous cures anything," she added. "You don't think Tom Cruise sits at home and worries that Will Smith is getting all the big parts? Of course he does."

 
COMMENTS
Be the first to post a comment!


Post A Comment:




  • It's 2020! Start booking roles in commercials, fashion, films, theater and more with The Agency Online!

  • NEW WORKSHOP with Barbara Barna & Sean De Simone!

    Hi Everyone and Happy Summer! Sean at Sean De Simone casting and Barbara Barna are teaming up for a super informative and fun Hosting for Home Shopping workshop. A great opportunity for established or experienced TV Hosts and Experts interested in learning how to get noticed and how to get in....
  • MASTERCLASS W. Robin Carus & David John Madore

    A Special Offer for the Agency Community, from one of our favorite NYC Casting Directors! EMAIL FacetheMusicWithUs@gmail.com Or Eventbrite To Sign Up! Class Size is Limited.
  • Don't Fall Into The Comparison Trap

    Hi Everyone! As the second installment in an ongoing series of features by the Agency's amazing community, here's some sage advice from our own Regina Rockensies; a humble (& awesome)veteran we've had the pleasure of working with for a long time. Have an excellent week! : ) - The Agency....
  • One Model's Agreement

    Hi Everyone! As the first piece in an ongoing series of original articles by the Agency community, here's a short reflection on some of the values of professional acting & modeling that we can all keep in mind for our next casting. Good luck on your castings &shoots this week! : ) -....




 
home       castings&news       privacy policy       terms and conditions      contact us      browser tips
Official PayPal Seal