The shows that first caught my interest as a kid: Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley
It's a one-hour block of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Those shows were just — I devoured them, because I thought, “Oh, life is going to be like this when I get older.” They gave me a very unrealistic view of what high school would be like, as a madcap gal living with your best friend in a basement. [Laughs] I thought, “When I get to high school, there will be a malt shop that I go to every day, and I'm going to have a date every night of the week.” And guess what? Nothing is like that, ever.
The shows that were formative for me as a teen: Fame, A Different World
The show Fame, because I was a dancer, and I thought, “Okay, as a teenager, I’ve got to find a school like this that's really going to foster my talents and where I can just pirouette around the cafeteria and through traffic. But I’ve got to get good grades as well.” Oh, and A Different World, which was such a great show. Also, that was not my college experience at all.
A show that has inspired my work as an actor: The Tracey Ullman Show, Tracey Takes On…
The original Tracey Ullman Show is really what lit my fuse. Like, “Look what she's doing. She plays so many characters. Oh, god, I would love to do that.” I always thought being unrecognizable as different characters was the goal. And it's one of the things that made me really excited about taking classes at The Groundlings, which is where I got my big start. I mean, Tracey Takes On… on HBO and the original Tracey Ullman Show, which is what The Simpsons came out of — those were just my touchstones, these shows where you could play different characters. I haven't [had the opportunity to work with Ullman], but I did get the opportunity to [say to] her face at some event, where I was like, “Oh my god, I love you.” And she said something like, “Wow, you Americans are so effusive.” I just think she's a gem.
Shows I consider to be ahead of their time: Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul
I think Breaking Bad was pretty ahead of its time, and it’s one of the shows they should teach in universities, if they're not already. Every single episode of that show was mind-blowing, as was the spinoff, Better Call Saul. They had such fully realized characters, and were about the things people do when they think no one is watching. Not bad people, but people who find themselves in a situation where they’ve really just dug themself into a hole.
Those are shows that will live on in perpetuity and will always be held in the highest regard.
The shows I can watch over and over again: The Golden Girls, Cheers, Seinfeld
I will always stop and watch an episode of The Golden Girls. Also, Cheers and Seinfeld. They're comfort shows. I don't want to sound like a total mental case, but they regulate my nervous system. They calm me down. I watch them when I need to just calm down and remember that life is fun and funny.
Shows I’d like to see brought back for one more season: Peaky Blinders, Deadwood
They're both based on historical events. In fact, you can go online and see original pictures of the Peaky Blinders. Again, I like stories about people who do bad things for good reasons, and that's Peaky Blinders for me. They love their family, and they’d do anything for their family. Sure, many people get killed, but don't go against the family, and it’ll be fine! [Laughs]
Deadwood is about a lawless town during the Gold Rush, and these were not gentle times. Everything was violent. Everything was disgusting. Nobody was bathed. And in this show, they have an absolutely Shakespearean way of speaking, but it's so badass.
The show I’ve watched more than any other show: 30 Rock
I came to the show late, but I just love that show. Jane Krakowski is so damn funny, and Tracy Morgan — I love watching him so much. I got to be in a movie that Tracy Morgan was also in, What Men Want, but I still haven't met him. Our storylines never intersected. I was 10 feet away from him on the red carpet, but I never got to say hi.
Shows I love that may surprise people: Insecure, She’s Gotta Have It
I just love Issa Rae and Insecure. It’s one of my favorites. And Spike Lee's TV version of She's Gotta Have It. Both shows are such love letters to the community, and I love the way they incorporate music into the shows to set the tone, move the story along and give you the vibe. You're like, “Oh, let me go binge that. Let me go immerse myself for two or three days and catch up on this.” They’re both very easily bingeable shows.
St. Denis Medical premieres November 12 on NBC.
