Constance Zimmer sat down with The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk in the latest episode of “At Home With The Creative Coalition,” a podcast featuring unplugged and uncensored conversations with today’s biggest stars. In the newest episode, Zimmer opens up about her super secret first break, why a job on “Seinfeld” made her stop doing commercials, why she disliked “Entourage” so much before she was on the show, why she originally turned down her role on “UnREAL” and later took the job without even reading the script, and more. Highlights below.
“At Home With The Creative Coalition” is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud, and more.
Listen now at:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/constance-zimmer-you-are-enough/id1521900273?i=1000527973073
For planned coverage, please link to:
http://thecreativecoalition.org/podcast
Highlights from “At Home With The Creative Coalition” featuring Constance Zimmer —
On her strong dislike for ‘Entourage’ before she was on the show and how she was actually forced to audition:
“‘Entourage’ had been on for a year. I was not a fan of the show. I did not like the show. I thought it was incredibly male chauvinistic and I thought the women on it were treated horribly, were portrayed horribly, and I really didn’t like the show. So when the audition came in, it’s one of the only auditions that my agents actually forced me to go on. I didn’t want to go. And they were both like, ‘This show is going to be a cult hit. They’re changing, they’re adding stronger women. They’re changing the narrative on women, and it’s only three episodes. Just go in and, if you don’t get it because you’re not the right part, then great. But we’re not going to let you not go in.’ And so I said, ‘Okay, fine.’”
On her ‘Entourage’ audition:
“The audition itself only had like three lines. And most of it was on the phone with Jeremy Piven’s character, Ari, so the first thing I did when I walked in the room was I said, ‘Okay, this first scene is two lines and it’s on the phone. I don’t think it makes sense to do this scene, but I’ll do it. But I’m not going to hold my hand up to my face. And I’m not gonna pretend I’m on the phone. I’m just gonna make it on speaker phone. Is that okay?’”
On why she originally turned down her role on ‘UnREAL’ and later took the job without even reading the script:
“I never got a script before I agreed to do the show. It’s a crazy story. I had been asked to audition for the pilot. I had just come off of doing ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Newsroom.’ And I right away was like, ‘I’m not going and doing a show on Lifetime. Sorry.’ Never read the script. And just flat out turned it down without even reading a script. It was shooting in Atlanta, I didn’t want to go to Atlanta. I had a new baby and I was like, ‘No.’ They shot the pilot and then I was at a school fundraiser and this woman walked up to me. And she said, ‘I need to talk to you.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ And it was Nina Lederman, who at the time was the head of development at Lifetime. And she said, ‘You don’t know me. I know you. I’m in charge of this show that I know you’ve already turned down, but we shot a pilot. We’re picking the show up for 10 episodes. We’re shooting it in Vancouver so it would be on the west coast. You’re the only person that can play this part. I need you to come in and meet with the creators… I really think you just need to give us a chance. You need to come in and understand that we’re changing. We’re trying to change, and with this show and with you as a part of it, I think we can do it.’ I was like, ‘Okay’ … I read the script on the plane going to Vancouver, was when I was given a script. So I had already done my deal, I was in. I read the script and I about shit my pants because I read it, that first episode, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I have no idea how I’m going to do this.’ I was so scared. I was terrified.”
On her first “break” and why she couldn’t tell anyone she was part of it:
“As an artist, you sometimes think your first break is when you make enough money to not stress. You don’t have to do another job, all you’re doing is making money from acting… It was a national commercial, and I did it for two years. And I only ever worked five days total per year, and we shot five commercials. And then I didn’t have to work. [In] national commercials you make so much money, back in the day. But you couldn’t see my face because I was in full prosthetics. It was a Duracel commercial… I did that job, and then I didn’t have to do anything else. It was insane. So that felt, to me, like a big break except nobody knew it was me. And you couldn’t tell anyone that it was you. Nobody was allowed to reveal that they were those characters because they didn’t want anyone to know what the people inside the suits looked like.”
On why a job on ‘Seinfeld’ made her stop doing commercials:
“When I was on ‘Seinfeld,’ I remember somebody said, ‘Wait, are you the Triscuit girl?’ That’s when I thought, ‘Oh, I might need to stop doing commercials.’”
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More about “At Home With The Creative Coalition”
Hosted by The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk, “At Home With The Creative Coalition” brings listeners intimate portraits, key moments of discovery, and “art and soul” conversations with iconic entertainment industry personalities from the big screen to the boardroom, from L.A. to D.C. Listen now at http://thecreativecoalition.org/podcast.
Upcoming guests include Griffin Dunne (“This Is Us,” “Dallas Buyers Club”), Willie Garson (“Hawaii Five-0,” “White Collar”), New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Isaacs (“Compromising Positions,” “Takes One to Know One”), Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace,” “Travelers”), Haley Joel Osment (“Future Man,” “Entourage”), Yolonda Ross (“The Chi,” “How to Get Away with Murder”), Reid Scott (“Why Women Kill,” “Veep”), and Matt Walsh (“Veep,” “UCB Comedy Originals”).
Previous guests include Jason Alexander (“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Harley Quinn,” “Saturday Night Seder”), David Alan Basche (“The Exes,” “United 93”), Asante Blackk (“This Is Us,” “When They See Us”), Carly Chaikin (“Mr. Robot”), Wilson Cruz (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “My So-Called Life”), Alan Cumming (“Briarpatch,” “Instinct,” “The Good Wife”), The Creative Coalition President and actor Tim Daly (“Madam Secretary”), Lea DeLaria (“Orange Is the New Black”), Jim Gaffigan (“Tesla,” “The Jim Gaffigan Show”), Judy Gold (“The Other F Word,” “Nightcap”), Clark Gregg (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “The Avengers”), Jason Isaacs (“The OA,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Harry Potter”), Richard Kind (“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Big Mouth,” “Gotham”), Chad Lowe (“Supergirl,” “Life in Pieces,” “Pretty Little Liars”), AnnaLynne McCord (“Nip/Tuck,” “90210”), Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs,” “Reno 911!”), Katherine McNamara (“Shadowhunters,” “Arrow”), Rob Morrow (“Billions,” “The Fosters”), Kathy Najimy (“Hocus Pocus,” “Sister Act”), Bill Prady (“The Big Bang Theory,” “Young Sheldon,” “The Muppets”), Jessica Queller (“Supergirl,” “Gossip Girl”), Anthony Rapp (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “Rent”), Julie Taymor (“The Lion King,” “Frida,” “The Glorias”), and Alfre Woodard (“Clemency,” “Luke Cage”).
More about The Creative Coalition
The Creative Coalition is the premier nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating its members on issues of public importance. Actor Tim Daly serves as the organization’s President. The Creative Coalition also creates award-winning public service campaigns including #RightToBearArts to promote the efficacy of the arts. For more information, visit https://thecreativecoalition.org.
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