Picture Credit: Netflix
If a show is going to enlist an actor to liven up its second season, Patricia Clarkson is an exceptional choice. She brings plenty of charm to the latest season of Ransom Canyon from creator April Blair.
The Academy Award-, Emmy-, and Tony-nominated actress plays Claire O’Grady, the mother of Quinn (Minka Kelly). She’s introduced as a fun-loving presence in season two of the hit drama. It’s a role Clarkson seems to enjoy as much as O’Grady enjoys a good glass of wine.
Clarkson – who was stellar in The Station Agent, Pieces of April, Shutter Island, and The Pledge, to name just a few of her great films – recently spoke with What’s on Netflix about joining Ransom Canyon and her whiskey of choice.
You’re doing a busy day of press, so thanks for making the time. You seem like someone who enjoys talking about acting.
Well, I like it because I like what I’ve been involved in, and I had such a beautiful experience doing Ransom Canyon. I loved April. I loved all the directors. The reason I did it is I was a fan of Minka and Josh [Duhamel], and now I’m a fan of Lauren Glazier, who’s my other daughter, and Ben Robson, because who doesn’t like Ben Robson?
It was a good job.
Yeah, it was a great job.
Picture Credit: Netflix
I’ve heard you say April Blair “wrote the heck out of this part.” So on the page, what were you immediately responding to?
And that’s what I’ve said repeatedly. She just wrote the heck out of this part. I just had to show up, and thank God I did, because I didn’t have all of those scenes when I read it, but I trusted her that this is going to be swinging. I went because I really admire Minka and Josh, and they didn’t disappoint. They’re so good at these characters. They were kind of born to play these characters.
How is it joining a show that’s already found its footing, knows its characters and world?
Well, I did that on House of Cards. I’ve done it before. I try to think of it as, well, it’s a new season. I am coming into an established group, but it’s an established show that’s still got a new look. I felt very at home. People were incredibly welcoming and kind to me. I was welcomed with open arms, so it was very nice.
Picture Credit: Netflix
What did you appreciate about Claire O’Grady? What qualities really appealed to you?
I love that she’s been married five times. I’m a woman who never married. I love her fierceness. I mean, she deeply loves her daughters. She’s fierce and opinionated, but she’s heartbreaking too, which is what really is able to kind of bring her around, bring her full circle. Do you know what I mean? To a really profound place in her life. But she’s fun too. It was challenging. This character challenged me, and that’s what I want to do at this point. I don’t need to keep acting unless I’ve been challenged.
What were some of the challenges for you here?
I’m doing these brutal emotional scenes with Minka. You got to trust that you’re going to go there and that we’re going to be in sync. I adored her off camera too. Minka is a beautiful person, so it was lovely to do that because you can only fake so much. You have to have a real connection to someone when you’re doing that level of scene. When you’re going to come at somebody in a scene or break in half, you have to know someone.
Have you always looked for roles that have a challenge to them?
Yeah. I mean, no. Sometimes early on I was working because I had to work, but now I really got to look closely at something and decide if I want to do it. But this just seemed fun and exciting and sexy and thrilling.
When you play a character, you’ve said you want to know their angels and their devils.
They’re devils and her angels. Claire definitely has some devils and definitely has some angels. So you have to know both. Yes. It’s very important.
For you, what were some of the angels here?
Well, the love of her children and her passion and her sexiness. The woman is taking care of herself and still really wants to be present in the sexy world.
And the demons? The devils?
Oh, the devils are… she’s a little conniving. She’s troubling. It has led to her downfall at times.
You got to shoot in Albuquerque, which is so beautiful.
Gorgeous, gorgeous. I went to Santa Fe. I went to Las Vegas, New Mexico, which I fell badly in love with. No, I loved where we were shooting. It was glorious. And then I’d have these big emotional scenes, and then we’d laugh and I’d have some bourbon at the end of it. Take off my cowboy boots and have some bourbon.
What’s your go-to bourbon?
Oh, well, probably Woodford. But there’s a new one I love called Whitman’s.
How is that?
It’s gorgeous. Gorgeous. It’s my new thing. It’s sold on the corner and I’ve never had it before. I’d never seen it, but when I was down in New Orleans, my nephew was like, “I have that. I have that bourbon.” But it’s very good. But I love Woodford. I really love Woodford.
So a day of acting and bourbon – that sounds like a good life.
That’s life. You work for it. You work for the bourbon. You work for it.
You look for challenges, but at this point in your career, how important is a pleasurable set?
Yes, of course. I didn’t take everything that I was up for, but it made me very happy when I was offered really high-end things. I’m very thankful. But it was tough. Just tough starting out as an actor. It’s tough. But I was lucky. I had a great agent. I had a support system.
Very tough, but also, you have a great debut film [The Untouchables] as your credit.
Yes. It’s a very good first credit. Yes, it is, darling.
Picture Credit: Netflix
What filming locations have really spoken to you over the years?
God, I shot in London. I love that. I’ve shot in Prague. I love Prague. I love Toronto and Vancouver. I like shooting in Canada. My dream is to shoot in Venice.
A thriller or romance?
I want to do a love story in Venice and ride through the canals on a cigarette boat with a man making out with me.
[Laughs] I’d see this movie.
Oh, good.
For our readers, a romance of yours they should see: Cairo Time.
Let me tell you, I loved Cairo Time with my heart and soul. I was there for two months, and when people stop me, when someone says, “I really love Cairo Time,” it just melts my heart. I loved shooting the film.
