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Elisha Cuthbert on Going Gay for “One Big Happy” and Making Ellen Laugh

Five years ago, no one really knew how funny Elisha Cuthbert was or could be. Up until her 2011 role on Happy Endings, most of her work on television and film was quite serious-from playing Kim Bauer on 24, to her sexpot parts in The Girl Next Door and Love Actually. But it was on the ABC comedy that the 32-year-old actress flexed her funny as the affable Alex Kerkovich. The hilarious show ended after only three seasons, but perhaps the one positive to come from its too-soon cancellation is that Elisha is now playing a leading lesbian character, Lizzy, on NBC’s One Big Happy.

Lizzy is loosely based on the life of Liz Feldman, the out creator of the show, and the major storyline is about her male best friend (played by Nick Zano), who planned to have a baby with Liz until he met the love of his life (Kelly Brook as Prudence). Elisha talked with us about finding her character, working with executive producer Ellen DeGeneres, and being the mama bear on set.

AfterEllen: I remember talking to you a couple of years ago here for Happy Endings, and we talked about how you‘ve worked with Jamie Babbitt on The Quiet.

Elisha Cuthbert: That’s right, I remember that conversation. We should have Jamie come on and direct one of the episodes if we get to do more. That’s a brilliant idea. And actually, Liz Feldman and I ran into Clea DuVall, who I am a huge fan of, and we’re like, “Please come on and play my girlfriend!” Wouldn’t that be amazing? She’s like “Sitcom? I don’t know if I can do it!” I told her, “You’re such a brilliant actress-I know it’s not normally our format, but it’s so much fun once you do it.” It’s so much fun! And it’s terrifying. But it’s fun!

 

AE: So how do you like doing a show like this compared to Happy Endings? Do you like it better or is it just different?

EC: I don’t want to say I like it better, because I had so much fun on Happy Endings, but I will tell you that the schedule is really incredible. The process of doing the show has been so much fun. It’s been a challenge, but it’s so gratifying when you get to Friday tape night and you get through it and you get to the end and you get to the finish line and you’re like, “Score! I did it!” And you’re so proud of yourself, you know? So it’s a little bit more rewarding because of that instant gratification that happens. On Happy Endings, we were just a bunch of friends, goofing around. I mean obviously working our butts off and trying to be as funny as possible, but we didn’t know how people were reacting until after the fact. I mean we’re still discovering how much people loved it. Whereas on this show, you understand exactly what you’re doing at all times.

 

AE: It‘s definitely different but there‘s a similar kind of humor to it, and you seem to be a family on this show already as well. Does One Big Happy share that kind of vibe, where you and your cast mates are all so close that it comes through on screen?

EC: Yeah, I mean we did a lot of partying [on Happy Endings]. [laughs] Which is, you know- maybe it’s good we only went three years. It’s a new family, it’s a new group, and we do a lot of-we have a lot of fun during the rehearsal of it because when it gets to tape night, it’s down to business, because we’re putting on a show for the audience. We have a little bit of fun after, but our time is Monday through Thursday when we’re hashing it out and no one’s around. We can get it on its feet, so it’s fun. But you know what? We’re having a really good time, and Kelly’s become a really good friend, and Nick and I were close from Happy Endings. It’s almost like I still get a little piece of it.

AE: How involved is Ellen with the show?

EC: She comes on for the behind the scenes stuff. She hasn’t been on the show. I don’t know if she has plans to come in later on, but as of right now, she’s just been giving us advice. I remember clearly, during the pilot, when she came – one time when Nick and I were doing a scene. She said to us, “Just don’t forget that I want to feel how close you guys are and how growing up, you had each other’s backs. That’s always there under all of the scenes that you do together, a friendship that doesn’t get lost.” Which is brilliant, because really, that is the core until Prudence walks in the door, obviously. And Ellen’s so funny, too, because she’ll hide -she has this thing where she just appears. It’s super freaky and bizarre. She’s like an alien. She just magically appears in places and scares the hell out of me. I know at one point I was making an entrance on to set, off camera, I was supposed to meet Kelly and Nick’s characters in the kitchen-they were gone and it was Ellen. I literally hit the ceiling. I was like “What are you doing here?” She was like, “Hi!” I’m like, “Oh my God!” freaking out.

 

AE: Had you met her before?

EC: I had done her talk show many, many years ago-I think to promote The Girl Next Door, actually. That’s how long ago it was. And she was great then and she’s great now, and really, to have her be behind me in this endeavor and us doing this together is pretty special.

 

AE: You couldn‘t have a better endorsement.

EC: Exactly, you really couldn’t. I feel like if I was doing the show without her, I would constantly be seeking her approval, so I’m so thankful that she’s already approved and behind me.

AE: Is it nerve-wrecking at all to have the responsibility of playing a character like this? There‘s still a lot of importance put into LGBT characters on TV.

EC: I feel like I have great people around me, like Liz Feldman and Ellen who have embraced me and we’ve created this character as a group, together. I mean definitely with a little bit of Ellen’s humor sprinkled in, and with it being so close to Liz Feldman’s heart and her real life, and a little bit of me, too, you know? I’m very meticulous about my things, I have a lot of the traits that Lizzy possesses. A little uptight, a little mama bear, who wants to protect everyone, wants to take care of everyone. That’s me on set. Ask anybody! I meet actors and I feel like if we don’t have a nurturing environment, we can’t succeed. So I’m very much like her. And I’m very loyal. So there’s a lot about her I can connect to, and I don’t feel as nervous because I know that I have the right people around me helping me through this journey. It’s so much more than just about her sexual preference. The blazers are sweet. The flat shoes are rad. I love my wardrobe.

 

AE: So how much of Liz do you put into your character, since it is loosely based on her?

EC: I find myself talking like her and acting like her. She’s definitely a huge inspiration for me in developing the character. I think there’s a little bit of Bea Arthur in a way, like that kind of being crass, a little uptight, a little shocked by Prudence [played by Kelly Brock] in a way that I imagine Bea Arthur would be if she saw Prudence today. A little bit of that inspiration is there.

 

AE: What do you hope people will take away from the show?

EC: I hope they have fun watching it. I hope they can relate to it. I hope they enjoy the characters, and bottom line, I hope they laugh. You think of all the great sitcoms before us whose success you only dream you can achieve. And it was, at the core of all of them, just about really great relationships that you believed in, and that you enjoyed watching. So I hope we can deliver that. I hope you can believe us. I hope people get us as a group and we make them laugh.

 

AE: Will we see Lizzy having a romance?

EC: Oh yeah. She’s got ex-girlfriends coming back, she’s got dates-we’ve been on dates. I don’t want to spoil it, but she’s funny with her awkwardness in dating situations and getting out there. And then she’s also really uncomfortable with her ex-girlfriend too, which you’ll see coming up. She’s got her relationships that we’ll be seeing.

 

AE: Would you say that she has a type?

EC: Judging by the two women-we’ve only done six episodes-I think she does. I think she’s into brunettes a little bit. Let’s put it this way: Prudence is not her type, as you’ll see for yourself on the show.

AE: Is there one particular scene you enjoyed filming the most?

EC: I think having Ellen there when Prudence is naked. First of all, it was the pilot, so that was kind of magical that we were doing the first of hopefully many. And that she was naked, and she comes in and Ellen’s standing there, and I have to take this naked hug-it was just the most awkward and most memorable thing I will never forget. And I remember Ellen laughing, and that made me feel so great. We’re doing it right-we’re doing it right.

AE: Liz told me earlier that you thought you thought you were being offered the role of Prudence. You just assumed!

EC: I did! I just got so used to not being shocked at the fact that a woman in Hollywood could be typecast in a certain way. I didn’t know that the [Prudence] character was written British, so when I started reading the script and I knew my character’s name was Lizzy, and I’m reading the “British” and “Wait-Lizzy? This is the character? Oh my God, this is fantastic!” I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. I really was floored that they would have so much trust and confidence in me to do this. It’s incredible.

One Big Happy premieres on Tuesday, March 17 at 9:30ET on NBC

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