Based on the British seriesMirandathat was created byMiranda Hart, the Fox comedy seriesCall Me Katfollows Kat (Mayim Bialik), a woman who lives a happy and fulfilling life as the owner of a cat café, much to the chagrin of her own mother, Sheila (Swoosie Kurtz). Being 39 and still single and independent is something that she’s totally fine with and even celebrates, until she crosses paths again with her former crush Max (Cheyenne Jackson).
During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actor Cheyenne Jackson talked about what most interested him inCall Me Kat, the fun in watching these character relationships grow, the unusual nature of making a multi-cam sitcom without a studio audience, how strange it is to share scenes with a co-star that often talks directly to the camera, and the mishaps that can happen when you have cats as co-stars. He also talked about the experience of collaborating withRyan MurphyonAmerican Horror Story, how much fun he had onJulie and the Phantoms, and the surreal experience of being a part of theSaved by the Bellreboot.
COLLIDER: When this came your way, what were you told about the show and the character? Since you can’t get a full arc for a character when you sign on to do a TV series, what was it that interested you in this?
CHEYENNE JACKSON: All I had was a draft of the pilot, which changed a bit, but the bones of it were there. I knew that it was based on the BBC showMiranda, which I had not seen, and I knew that Mayim Bialik was attached. That’s it. I loved the tone of it. I loved that it was based around a perfectly imperfect heroine. I immediately watched the BBC version and I just thought, “Nobody is Miranda because she is so completely unique. She’s just this incredible stand-up comic, and also a physical comedian. This is perfect because who else could do that? Who else could show all of those colors, pratfalls and spit takes, but also break your heart, in the same thing?” I have been a fan of Mayim sinceBeaches. We are six months, to the day, apart in age. I’ve followed her career and her life from afar, and I just always felt a connection with her. Those were the first things that I knew about the show and that got me excited. And then, I got on a phone call with Darlene Hunt, the creator, and I gave her my take on what I thought about the character of Max. I knew it was gonna be pretty much based on the BBC version, so you see this trajectory of where these two people are gonna end up, but I had specific ideas about where I thought I was gonna go with him. That was prior to any testing or any chemistry readings or auditions, and she seemed to like what I had to say. And then, I had a read with Mayim. I was in New York shooting a film, and she was in L.A., and we had to read via Zoom. There was good chemistry and it seemed great. I had a few tests in L.A., and then we read together, and there was something special between the two of us. That’s how it happened.
Is it ever nerve-wracking to sign onto something like this, since you don’t know if it will turn out as well as you hope it will, and then you could still be doing it for a long time?
JACKSON: Oh, sure. As an artist and as somebody who’s been doing this for almost 10 years now, and I started a little bit late – I’m 45 and I started at 27 – because I started professionally acting as a grown up, if you will, already having life experience and already having experienced loss and death, I have a different perspective on the whole thing. I go into every new project just trying to be in the moment, trying to create as much life as possible into this person, trying to connect as much with my other people, and trying not to get too much in my head. I’ve been a part of things where I thought, “Oh, my gosh, this is a slam dunk. This is it.” And then, it didn’t go anywhere. And I’ve also been part of things where I thought, “This isn’t really working,” but then, it’s a big hit. So, I try not to judge the stuff I’m working on. The experience I’m having when I’m creating something, andCall Me Katis a perfect example, is such a joyful process, especially coming in the middle of this global pandemic. That’s what I wanna convey and get across. As the series goes on in the first season, you’ll definitely see everybody settle in and these people’s relationships really grow. It’s fun to be a part of. I’ve never done a multi-cam before. I guested onWill & Graceonce, but this is the first time I’ve done this and it’s been a wild learning experience.
Multi-cam is a very different approach to shooting. What’s it like to work on a show like that? What have you enjoyed about the experience of shooting a multi-cam show?
JACKSON: Because we’re in the middle of this pandemic, my experience is just so different. I look to Leslie Jordan, who I’ve known for a decade because we worked on [American]Horror Storyand other things together, and Swoosie Kurtz. When you shoot a multi-cam, you normally have a live audience, so you feed off that energy of the live audience giving you that give and take. Here we are, and thankfully we’re working, but while we’re working, we have two masks on and a shield, and we are separated from everyone up until right before action, then we take everything off, we see each other’s faces and mouths for the first time, and then we have to go. There’s nobody there to laugh. It’s just a skeleton crew totally covered up in hazmat suits. We’re really trying to just trust each other and be with each other, and create as much as we can. It’s definitely been a challenging thing, but we’re finding our way. As the episodes go on and our relationships deepen, you’ll see that. As far as the technical aspects of working on a multi-cam, I had a big learning curve. I come from the single-cam world, so I’m not used to five cameras. I’m six foot four, and they give me boots on the show, so I’m six foot five, and my back or my head is always in somebody’s way. I have to be conscious of constantly not blocking shots and being sure that Mayim has to have carte blanche, wherever she’s looking, and if she’s looking at the camera or if she’s gonna fall down the stairs, it’s a fun learning experience. I’m good buddies with Sean Hayes. We did a play together in New York. I watched a lot ofWill & Graceand tried to channel my inner Sean Hayes, in that he just gives himself over to the process so much and he’s so free, physically. As the season goes on, I get to do some fun stuff. Multi-cam is presentational, it’s energetic, and it’s fun. I’m really having a blast.
You said that there’s no live audience, but do you at least have a designated person there to laugh?
JACKSON: We’ve got a couple of our executive producer/writers, and one in particular who’s the main laugher. His name is David [Holden] and he just has a very distinct, big laugh. Our run-throughs are just a live feed that the network and studio watches through one camera. It’s a tricky thing. But when David’s around, we know that we’ll at least have a sense that something is funny or working because he has this big, giant laugh. It’s great.
You have such an incredible ensemble onCall Me Kat, and Leslie Jordan is just the most hilarious. Is it ever hard to get through scenes with him without cracking up? When you do a show like this, with a whole bunch of funny people, how do you hold it together?
JACKSON: Leslie can make words sound funny, but not in a forced way. He’s just naturally funny, as we’ve all seen him explode on Instagram this last year — what a wonderful medium for him, with these one minute long snippets of his stories. I’m somebody who’s known him for years and I have a very good friendship with him. We’re both sober people and we both know each other in different parts of our lives as well. I just enjoy my time with him. Sometimes it’s hard to get through a take because he has a spin of a line. He has such a technical, innate way to make things funny. Swoosie is the same. Especially later in the season, she gets really amazing stuff to do. I was watching this one scene with her and I just thought, “Oh, my God, that is two-time Tony winner Swoosie Kurtz.” It’s pretty amazing. It’s pretty awesome to be able to learn from these iconic actors and now to call them my friends too.
Is it ever strange to have scenes with a co-star who spends a fair amount of time breaking the fourth wall and talking to camera when your character is not supposed to be hearing that stuff?
JACKSON: Yeah, for sure. It took me a hot second, I’m not gonna lie. There was definitely a learning curve for how much it would be used and to which camera. Mayim is so proficient at all of that. But being on the other end of it is tricky because you’re not really frozen, but you’re not listening to what’s happening. You have to just be on pause, if you will. They will come in and give her all kinds of crazy alts, like a new funny line at the last second, and I have to not laugh because I can’t laugh at what she’s saying. It definitely took a second. I love that in a great homage to theMirandaBBC show, and Miranda is one of our producers, we all break the fourth wall and do a classic sitcom curtain call. That’s been one of my favorite things. One of our challenges is that we try, with every episode, to come up with a different way to do it and we’re getting pretty creative. There’s some crazy stuff. It’s just fun. It’s joy. It’s not cynical. The show is just unabashedly not cynical. That’s where I wanna be right now, especially this year.
You’ve spent a bit of time onAmerican Horror Story, which is obviously pretty heavy and dark material, and a very different tone thanCall Me Kat. What has your time working with Ryan Murphy been like? Everybody talks about how he really brings things out in his actors that they may never have seen themselves doing, so what does that teach you about yourself as an actor?
JACKSON: That’s a really good way to put that. Matt Bomer used to say that, and I really hadn’t thought of it, but it’s a really good way to sum up that experience. I call it throwing my hat over the wall. If you throw your hat over a big giant wall, you’ve gotta go get your hat somehow. You’ve gotta find a way to get up that wall because that’s your favorite hat. What he does is that he’ll put you in situations where your hat is really far over that wall and you’re like, “I don’t know how I’m gonna get there.” As I’m climbing up the wall, there’s Kathy Bates and Sarah Paulson, and these incredible, iconic actors. The first season ofAmerican Horror Story, to be quite honest, I was petrified. I felt really like a fish out of water. I thought, “How am I gonna do this?” You have to find the wherewithal within yourself to believe that you’re able to do it. It’s a matter of faking it until you make it. It took me a hot second to get used to the tone and the incredible situations. I’d never been tortured by Kathy Bates before. It’s like playing the most outrageous and expensive game of make believe, ever. You get to do things you never thought you’d do. I’m really thankful for that experience because it stretched me and it put me in situations and I’ve worked with people that I never thought I would get to. I’ve made wonderful friendships. Many of us are all lifelong friends now because those kinds of experiences bond you. I was talking to Leslie Grossman yesterday, and I talked to Sarah a few weeks ago. It’s a wonderful group of people.
You also made quite a splash onJulie and the Phantoms. How much fun is it to play a character like that, that’s big and flashy and showy and that you get to just perform with?
JACKSON: Oh, it’s the best. Kenny Ortega is bigger than life. He is somebody who has been in the industry forever and is such an icon, but he has the heart of a child, and I mean that in the best way. He is just all about the creation and the possibility and the wonder of, “What are we gonna make today?” It’s like Willy Wonka. Anything he ever asks me to do, I will say yes because it’s just such a joyful experience. At my age, and with my kids being the age that they are, I don’t want to spend any time away from them. So, if I’m going to leave for a job, it has to be something that’s worth my time and something that’s gonna make me happy. Working with Kenny makes me happy. He always gives me a chance to do crazy stuff. ForJulie and the Phantoms, he said, “You’ll be playing a 1930s movie star magician ghost who flies and you get to sing jazz.” I was like, “You had me at flies.” There are just no rules. And it’s fun to play the bad guy. It’s fun to play the villain. It’s fun to play the antagonist. I’ve played a lot of those in the last four years or so. That’s whyCall Me Katis particularly sweet. Max is so open and he sees people for who they really are. He looks on the bright side of things. I haven’t played a lot of people like that. It’s possibly closer to who I really am than anything else I’ve ever done. It feels like a nice fit right now.
What was your reaction to learning about the big cliffhanger at the end of the season forJulie and the Phantoms?
JACKSON: I said, “Kenny, this is just genius because now you have to have a Season 2 and you have to have me back.” I believe all of that is in the works. I’m assuming. I haven’t heard anything announced, but from what I’ve heard behind the scenes, they’re planning on that. So, I’m hoping that all happens. I thought that was a great, fun way to leave people wanting more.
You were also a part of theSaved by the Bellreboot. What’s it like to have an experience like that, where you’re a fan of the original series, and then you show up on set and you’re playing the husband of one of the actors who’s back as her original character?
JACKSON: It is wild. I’ve only had one other time like that, and that was when I was onWill & Grace. That show meant everything to me, as a young queer teenager in Idaho. And then, to be on that show with all of the same people, that’s the only other time that it’s happened. I grew up watchingSaved by the Bell. I met Elizabeth [Berkley] about 10 years ago in New York. We did a quick play together that was a benefit thing, and we just clicked. She’s just the sweetest, kindest lady that you’ve ever met, and we remained friends over the years. And then, about a year ago, she was like, “Could you play my husband onSaved by the Bell?,” and I said yes. I didn’t even know what kind of character it would be, and then she said he was really annoying. I was like, “Oh, yeah, that’s even more fun.” It was really fun. It’s what you hope for, to grow up watching a show, and then there you are with all of the original people. My life as an actor, I’ve had experiences that I just never thought I would have, and I continue to. I got advice, early on, from a mentor, Tony Roberts, a great character actor. We did a play in New York and he said, “Chey, say yes to everything.” And that’s why I try to do, if at all possible. Even if I don’t necessarily see myself in that part, you’re able to find things inside of you to make it work. It makes it so fun to really just mix it up all the time.
You get to do some wild stuff on this show, with things like duelling piano karaoke and flying on wires in front of a green screen. Are you surprised at the things that you can actually do and get away with? Could you have imagined that you would be doing those things on this show?
JACKSON: Never. When I was cast, after Mayim and I tested, it was a whole to-do that’s always dramatic and nerve-wracking, I was so excited. I’d been trying to get on a great multi-cam, but I didn’t even know there was a musical component. So Darlene, the creator, sent me a text after we read the first episode and she said, “I have a surprise for you.” And then, she sent me the second episode and I got to sing in it. I was onGleeand I didn’t get to sing. I’ve been dying to sing on TV. There have been so many things that I’ve gotten to do on this season already, stuff that hasn’t aired and stuff that I haven’t shot yet. It’s a dream, let’s be real. Also, I get to be home in time for dinner and to put my kids to bed, and I’ve never been able to do that because of the schedule. It’s just great.
It’s fun to watch a show where you don’t know what to expect.
JACKSON: That’s the magic of this show and I think it’s gonna catch on even more. I think people that were cynical about it from the beginning are gonna come around. I believe in it, I believe in the creators of it, and Mayim is such a positive force in this world, but also as a boss and as a person. We’ve become great friends. She said recently that this is the closest to herself that she’s ever played, and she gets to do some stuff, later in the season, that I think is gonna knock people’s socks off, like in Episodes 7 and 8. I’m very excited.
What is it like to have cats around on set? When you have scenes in the cat café, are there ever any mishaps with the cats?
JACKSON: Oh, yeah, all the time. You can’t really train a cat. They kind of stay on their mark, but oftentimes they’re meowing or moving, but surprisingly, it’s pretty great. It adds a sense of being alive. You don’t know what’s gonna happen. Sometimes Mayim has to improvise. She’s supposed to be holding a cat, and then the cat freaks out, so she just decides to put it down and do something else. I thought it would be a trickier situation, but it actually isn’t. They’re usually just hanging out up there. The other day, one of them threw up in the middle of the season, so we had to stop, but it adds an authenticity. And I don’t think anybody is allergic.
