By the end of Veep’s fifth season, it seemed clear that Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) was going to be out of the Oval Office, and was set to resume her role as vice president under her running mate-turned-replacement, Tom James (Hugh Laurie). [Some spoilers ahead.] Then, during the Senate vote, the show’s sitting vice president, Andrew Doyle (Phil Reeves), surprised everyone by voting for New Mexico Senator Laura Montez, played by Andrea Savage, and the season ended with Montez’s presidential inauguration.
Savage’s own profile has been on the ascent of late, too. Her first role was Renata Vargas on Sweet Valley High. After working with the Groundlings Theater troupe in L.A., she had bit parts in films like Step Brothers and Dinner For Schmucks, as well as supporting roles on shows like The League and Modern Family. She’s also one of the stars of Hulu’s Real Housewives parody series, The Hotwives. Behind the scenes, she’s written for Funny or Die and the cult TV series Dog Bites Man, as well as her upcoming pilot, I’m Sorry, in which she also stars.
We spoke with Savage about playing a small but pivotal role on the HBO political comedy, as well as becoming the villain in the new season of iZombie, and how she plans on breaking the mold for sitcom moms in I’m Sorry.
You appeared briefly early on in Veep this season before the big surprise. Did you know your character would have such a huge impact by the end of the season?
Well, the way it was done, we shot those little things from earlier [in the season] after the fact. Those were put in retroactively, I guess is what it’s called, because they didn’t cast my role until the end of their finale. Then they had to go back and shoot a couple things to get it so I was a presence a little bit in the season before that. All those little things where I’m standing and listening to the speeches were all shot during the same time we’re shooting the finale. When I went in originally and read with Julia I didn’t know. They had fake signs, [but] they didn’t tell me what it was going to be. It wasn’t until after I got the role that they told me what it was. It was very, very secretive.
So they had you read for a bit part on the show, but once you landed the role, you found out you’d end the season as the president-elect?
Yes. Basically, I was a senator who maybe isn’t as pathetic as she’s made out to be. I went in, and then read the script, and Julia was like, “Why don’t we just improvise some stuff?” Then they gave me a speech to kind of cold read, which I was like, “That’s weird. Why would I need this? Why would I need to do a whole speech?” Little did I know what they were going for. So, it was just sort of loose, and I was just a senator from New Mexico. I had no idea what it meant in the show, or anything.
How was it being able to do some improv with a cast like that?
It’s pretty cool. I have a big improv background so it’s fun to come on a show like that. It’s interesting because they improvise a lot in rehearsals and then find the script. By the time you’re on set there’s some improv, but not a ton, at least for my stuff. Well, that’s not true. It was a bit of a mix, it depends on the scene I guess. I love stuff like that where there’s new lines being thrown out on the set to you. There’s an energy to it which is fun.
Did your improv background help keep you from laughing and ruining takes?
I don’t know why, but I have a very strong no-laugh ability through improv like this. Somehow I’m okay getting through those, and then when they yell “cut” I burst out hysterically laughing. I’m able to kind of contain it throughout, then let it all out after, which is good.
Do you have any idea what kind of role your character is going to play in the next season?
I literally don’t think anyone knows that answer. I believe the writers room for next season is starting around now. I have no idea.
Let’s talk about where you are with I’m Sorry, your pilot for TruTV.
It’s kind of based on my real life, in the vein of Louie or Master of None. There really hasn’t been a show like that for a 40-year-old woman before, ever. I’m a mom, but I also do comedy. I’m married, and I feel like women of TV, especially as soon as they’re moms, get portrayed in very specific ways and they’re not portrayed realistically as flawed and funny and dirty… You know, sexual and all the things that everybody in reality are. As soon as someone’s a mom, they’re taking care of their third child and husband and they’re hairy and tired, and they can never make a mistake, and they’re sort of asexual, or they’re a terrible mother. You know, like Selina Meyer, where the comedy comes from them being just horrible.
[But] I have a lot of very funny, weird stories that are generally a little more extreme than other people’s, but very relatable in what they symbolize. It’s really just my life. It’s that kind of show. Like Louie, but my story.
What made you go with TruTV?
Well it’s definitely cable because it’s edgy and a little dirty, that took out broadcast networks. We shopped it to all the places and TruTV, I will say, came in with a good sell of really wanting to be supportive of the writer-performer and letting you sort of take your vision, beginning to end. [They were] also really supportive of this voice, and recognizing that this voice hasn’t been put on television yet. They really came in strong. It was just a good match. They’re trying to figure out who they are right now, which is nice to be sort-of in the beginning with an effort like that.
Do you have trouble sharing details from your life for a project like this, or are you able to just sort of write everything into the scripts and be okay with it?
No. It’s, like, a constant battle in my head. I could be super private, but at the same time I’m like, “But these are the the stories I’m wanting to share” So, no, it doesn’t come easily, but I’m working through it.
Where are you in terms of the production?
We just finished. We wrapped last Friday, so I start editing now and then we’ll find out if they’re going to do the series.
Can you tell us anything about The House, the Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler comedy that’s coming out next year?
I can say that I’ve heard it is absolutely hilarious, like from many people who have seen it now. Amy and Will are… I feel like they’re similar, like they’re just people you just love and they can get away with like crazy stuff, horrible stuff, because they’re just so lovable. It was a really fun movie. There is a scene with Lennon Parham and I, which I think will be quite memorable, that I am very excited about, but I can’t say much about. The cast in general is incredible. I mean it’s Amy and Will, Nick Kroll, Rob Huebel, me, Lennon Parham, Allison Tolman, Cedric Yarbrough, it goes on and on, like every person in it is so comedy legit. I’m really excited for it. Super excited for it.
What’s next on your calendar?
We just finished shooting a season of Episodes a couple weeks ago. Then I head back to iZombie the end of July, where I play the new villain on the show, which started in the last season. I‘ll have those two shows coming out.
How’s playing a zombie in a more semi-comedic context?
It’s really unique and specific. I actually hadn’t seen it before they asked if I wanted to be involved, then I watched it and I was like, “Oh, this is a really good show.” I mean, you know, Veronica Mars was a great show, great people. It’s just a very cool show. The last scene of their season was me eating Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20’s brain, I’ve got blood all over me. It’s fun! It’s really fun. I’ve never done anything in this genre at all so it’s super fun.
Do you see yourself mining any elements from the comedy/horror genre into the kind of stuff you normally work on?
We will see, I guess, after this season. So far I’ve just been a military contractor, so I shoot a lot of guns, and I’m really aggro, and I eat brains. I’m not really sure it can translate over, but we’ll see what happens.
