In this exclusive interview with Breaking Bad Greece, Julie Ann Emery, the unanimously accepted as the best guest star of BCS, discusses the show, what it's like working on Fargo, her new project and much more!
Q : How did you end up on Better Call Saul? Did you read only for this part or they had you in mind for others as well?
Julie Ann Emery : The Kettlemans appear in the first episode of Season 1, so Betsy is the only role I read for. Truthfully, I did not think I had much of a shot at booking the role. So when I auditioned, I just hoped to do well enough that they would think of me for something else. I was stunned when I got the call offering me the role.
Q : Breaking Bad was practically a show about a flawed person making decisions he thought were for the best interests of his family. Betsy Kettleman is to a certain degree such a person. What is your take on your character?
JAE : There are two kinds of people in Betsy's world, and only two; those in her inner circle and those outside of it. If you are inside that sphere, there is nothing Betsy will not do to protect you and to better your life the way she sees fit. If you are outside that circle, you should definitely watch your back. Betsy will go to any and all lengths to protect her own, if you are in the way of that, I would say there is nothing she won't do. Also with Betsy, appearances can be deceiving. It is funny, I do not think of her as Walter White, I do think their motivation and ultimately justification of their own actions is the same. The things we will not do in the name of our families.
Q : Breaking Bad had a tendency of bringing back beloved characters. I assume this hasn't changed with Better Call Saul too. Is there any chance of seeing more of the Kettlemans in season 2?
JAE : In the Breaking Bad universe, if a character was not dead, there was a chance of seeing them again. I will hold out hope that is the case with Better Call Saul. If the Kettlemans can further the story of Jimmy McGill becoming Saul Goodman, I would think there is possibility. But it has to serve the greater story in the right way.
Q : I know that your appearance on the show was supposed to be just for one episode. How did you react when they called you and asked you for more?
JAE : There is no greater compliment than being asked back on any show. Being asked back by the writers, producers, and filmmakers that brought us Breaking Bad? That is a thrill all it's own.
Q : Some of the facts I love about your character are that she refuses to accept her fate and that she (almost) never lets her husband speak. Do you have any say on your character, about what you like or don't? Also, is there any room for improvisation or is it everything scripted?
JAE : Frankly, unless I feel something is wildly against character (which I never felt on BCS), I do not want say in where the character is going. I like the place where my work meets the writers work. Where our imaginations collide. I would NEVER have dreamed up The Kettlemans final episode of Season 1. My job is to see the character from the inside out. The writers job is from the bigger picture. More of the outside in. And I love that. Everything on Better Call Saul is scripted. We were even given "pocket dialogue" for the game night scene in episode 7 when Mike is watching us from the back yard. Jeremy Shamos and I did use improv as a tool for ourselves. To get into The Kettleman's head space. It was tricky to live in Betsy's brain. So we would improvise before "Action" and after the scene was over before "Cut". The objective was to help ourselves stay in the Kettle-Hive-Mind. Once in a great while, a little of that improv wound up quietly in the beginning or ending of a scene.
Q : You have also guest-starred on another brilliant show (Fargo) that tackled some of the same issues of Breaking Bad. I am talking about the transition of a good man to "pure evil". What was it like working on that fantastic show? What approach did you like the most (Breaking Bad's or Fargo's)?
JAE : That would be like choosing between two children. Not. Possible. Both shows had so many similarities. Brilliant writing. The best directors on television. Brilliant actors. Full casts that were happy with the writing and showing up to do the best work they could do. Working hard and enjoying it. The differences were in climate (it was 30 below in Calgary for big parts of our shoot on FARGO) and the cast for Fargo was vast. There are people on the show I never met in person during filming because our story lines did not cross over. On BCS, it felt like a little family. I still marvel at what a lucky year I have had working on these two brilliant shows with both sets of overly-talented and kind people.
Q : Do you think Betsy would be able to survive on Breaking Bad?
JAE : Absolutely. Betsy has no problem doing whatever it takes to win. Survival is not a problem for her. She has a dark heart and can run with the best of them.
Q : The Season 1 DVD will feature "Kettle Kommentary". Can you tell us more about that?
JAE : Jeremy Shamos (Mr Kettleman) and I got together in a sound studio in New York and improvised in as The Kettlemans through the entirety of episode 107. It was so much fun and at times really surprising. We commented on characters we had never met (like Mike) and it was so alarming when he broke into our house!! It definitely went to some odd and interesting places. I expected Sony to call back and say..."we need to do these sections again...you can't say that" But they never did! It's all there in glorious DVD commentary goodness.
Q : You have booked a guest appearance on another critically acclaimed show, Masters Of Sex. What can you tell us about your role?
JAE : As a fan, I hate spoilers. So I try not to spoiler my own projects. I will say that my character is in a very unusual relationship, especially for the time period. I wear some pretty fabulous 1960s nighties. And I got to work with some people I have admired for a long long time. There is nothing better than that.
Q : There is a rumour about SONY making a BrB game! That would be cool! Since you are gamer, can you make a comment on that?
JAE : Bring it on. I will play it.
Q : What other projects do you have in store?
JAE : Masters of Sex starts airing July 12 (my episodes are in the first half of the season) and something I'm not supposed to talk about yet.
Follow Julie Ann Emery on Twitter : @julieannemery
What did you think of the interview guys? Sound off on the comments below!
photo credit : Nogen Beck
Julie Ann Emery : The Kettlemans appear in the first episode of Season 1, so Betsy is the only role I read for. Truthfully, I did not think I had much of a shot at booking the role. So when I auditioned, I just hoped to do well enough that they would think of me for something else. I was stunned when I got the call offering me the role.
Q : Breaking Bad was practically a show about a flawed person making decisions he thought were for the best interests of his family. Betsy Kettleman is to a certain degree such a person. What is your take on your character?
JAE : There are two kinds of people in Betsy's world, and only two; those in her inner circle and those outside of it. If you are inside that sphere, there is nothing Betsy will not do to protect you and to better your life the way she sees fit. If you are outside that circle, you should definitely watch your back. Betsy will go to any and all lengths to protect her own, if you are in the way of that, I would say there is nothing she won't do. Also with Betsy, appearances can be deceiving. It is funny, I do not think of her as Walter White, I do think their motivation and ultimately justification of their own actions is the same. The things we will not do in the name of our families.
Q : Breaking Bad had a tendency of bringing back beloved characters. I assume this hasn't changed with Better Call Saul too. Is there any chance of seeing more of the Kettlemans in season 2?
JAE : In the Breaking Bad universe, if a character was not dead, there was a chance of seeing them again. I will hold out hope that is the case with Better Call Saul. If the Kettlemans can further the story of Jimmy McGill becoming Saul Goodman, I would think there is possibility. But it has to serve the greater story in the right way.
Q : I know that your appearance on the show was supposed to be just for one episode. How did you react when they called you and asked you for more?
JAE : There is no greater compliment than being asked back on any show. Being asked back by the writers, producers, and filmmakers that brought us Breaking Bad? That is a thrill all it's own.
Q : Some of the facts I love about your character are that she refuses to accept her fate and that she (almost) never lets her husband speak. Do you have any say on your character, about what you like or don't? Also, is there any room for improvisation or is it everything scripted?
JAE : Frankly, unless I feel something is wildly against character (which I never felt on BCS), I do not want say in where the character is going. I like the place where my work meets the writers work. Where our imaginations collide. I would NEVER have dreamed up The Kettlemans final episode of Season 1. My job is to see the character from the inside out. The writers job is from the bigger picture. More of the outside in. And I love that. Everything on Better Call Saul is scripted. We were even given "pocket dialogue" for the game night scene in episode 7 when Mike is watching us from the back yard. Jeremy Shamos and I did use improv as a tool for ourselves. To get into The Kettleman's head space. It was tricky to live in Betsy's brain. So we would improvise before "Action" and after the scene was over before "Cut". The objective was to help ourselves stay in the Kettle-Hive-Mind. Once in a great while, a little of that improv wound up quietly in the beginning or ending of a scene.
Q : You have also guest-starred on another brilliant show (Fargo) that tackled some of the same issues of Breaking Bad. I am talking about the transition of a good man to "pure evil". What was it like working on that fantastic show? What approach did you like the most (Breaking Bad's or Fargo's)?
JAE : That would be like choosing between two children. Not. Possible. Both shows had so many similarities. Brilliant writing. The best directors on television. Brilliant actors. Full casts that were happy with the writing and showing up to do the best work they could do. Working hard and enjoying it. The differences were in climate (it was 30 below in Calgary for big parts of our shoot on FARGO) and the cast for Fargo was vast. There are people on the show I never met in person during filming because our story lines did not cross over. On BCS, it felt like a little family. I still marvel at what a lucky year I have had working on these two brilliant shows with both sets of overly-talented and kind people.
Q : Do you think Betsy would be able to survive on Breaking Bad?
JAE : Absolutely. Betsy has no problem doing whatever it takes to win. Survival is not a problem for her. She has a dark heart and can run with the best of them.
Q : The Season 1 DVD will feature "Kettle Kommentary". Can you tell us more about that?
JAE : Jeremy Shamos (Mr Kettleman) and I got together in a sound studio in New York and improvised in as The Kettlemans through the entirety of episode 107. It was so much fun and at times really surprising. We commented on characters we had never met (like Mike) and it was so alarming when he broke into our house!! It definitely went to some odd and interesting places. I expected Sony to call back and say..."we need to do these sections again...you can't say that" But they never did! It's all there in glorious DVD commentary goodness.
Q : You have booked a guest appearance on another critically acclaimed show, Masters Of Sex. What can you tell us about your role?
JAE : As a fan, I hate spoilers. So I try not to spoiler my own projects. I will say that my character is in a very unusual relationship, especially for the time period. I wear some pretty fabulous 1960s nighties. And I got to work with some people I have admired for a long long time. There is nothing better than that.
Q : There is a rumour about SONY making a BrB game! That would be cool! Since you are gamer, can you make a comment on that?
JAE : Bring it on. I will play it.
Q : What other projects do you have in store?
JAE : Masters of Sex starts airing July 12 (my episodes are in the first half of the season) and something I'm not supposed to talk about yet.
Follow Julie Ann Emery on Twitter : @julieannemery
What did you think of the interview guys? Sound off on the comments below!
photo credit : Nogen Beck
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