InsIder’s PoInt of VIew: ActIng for the cAmerA
Hellboy II: The Golden Army What about Kath and Kim? [The upcoming
NBC sitcom in which Selma stars with Molly
Shannon; it’s the American version of the
Australian TV mega hit based on the
dysfunctional relationship between a
mother and daughter. Selma plays the
daughter, Kim.]
Kim has a lot of chinks in her armour. Kim
is really self-absorbed; she’s a bit delusional.
She’s a very juvenile character. She’s a
grown woman, but she’s stuck in this case
of arrested development like a lot of girls
I’ve met in America, with this sense of
entitlement. Stuck in the same clothes that
they looked good in when they were 13;
stuck in the same size when they were 13,
walking around with their midriff showing,
thinking they deserve to be trophy wives.
To have some sort of celebrity. You know,
really bratty. My character has that but, at
the same time, she really loves her mom
and has a certain sense of humour. And there
is something that is kind of endearing
about her.
A lot of the humour in Kath and Kim is
joy. The camaraderie of being at rehearsals Wow. I can see I’m speaking with a real based on the Australian lower class accent.
and going on stage. I never thought I would diva. Someone full of herself... Yeah. We’re not, obviously, Australian.
be a film or TV actress. I never thought I Oh, I have my moments, believe me. I have We’ve adapted it to [speak] regular Florida.
had a shot at that. my moments. I have an ego. At times. There are no discernable accents. The
humour comes more from making fun of
Why is that? How do you choose your roles? how a bit delusional my character is; how
I thought you had to be really attractive, [For Hellboy] I was aware of Guillermo celebrity-obsessed, superficial and how
you know, beautiful. I was afraid of having del Toro’s work from his film The Devil’s American we are in that way—so we’re
the camera look at me. But I became a Backbone, which I loved. I was thrilled making fun of ourselves.
character actress. when he thought of me for the role of Liz
[Sherman]—a pyrokinetic, someone who Tell me about your work in Lori Petty’s The
You’re not exactly chopped liver... can start fires with her mind—setting Poker House.
I do have my moments. It can go either way. herself or something else aflame. Intensely It’s the first time I’m playing a grown
There are all types of roles, and sometimes enough to blow off a vault when she gets a woman. I normally play someone so much
younger than my years, like when I first
“Maybe I need to learn a different approach so
burst on the scene with Cruel Intentions.
That all made sense at the time because I
things won’t be so hit-or-miss.”
was so new to Hollywood and there was
such a rush and such a sense of innocence.
Now I’m finally settling into roles that are
I can, at times, play an attractive girl. little... steamed. I hadn’t heard of Hellboy, closer to my own age [36] and now I’m a
There’s plenty of roles to fill, and I’m happy but I said yes just to work with Guillermo. bit more jaded about things. In this role,
for that. Hopefully, I’ll get back on stage Then I read the script and thought Hellboy I play Lori’s mother—a woman who was
one of these days. But my strong suit is not was such an endearing character; I was so abused and who is very abusive to her
my voice, either, and you need to project happy to get the chance to play Liz. children. She’s drug addicted and alcoholic,
on stage. A whisper can be captured in film with three children. I was worried about
or television because there’s a microphone Why? playing such a dislikeable character, but it
right there. You don’t have that luxury on I loved how damaged she was and that she was a breeze to play her with Lori there
stage. You have to command. And I have had this power of bursting into flames, [directing], because she’s such a great actress,
real limitations. burning people that tried to damage her. she helped me do it so easily. It’s an over-
I really related to that damaged side of her. the-top role, but grounded in such reality.
But the sound—the tonality of the character, I can play people that have something off She’s a really true character.
which is so important… you have a (vocal) about them much better than I can play a
range? kind of relatable, normal girl next door. What about your “deranged” character in
Oh. At times. I don’t even really know how Given those [regular people] parts I kind of Tom Shankland’s WAZ?
to breathe. That’s just a fact. fall flat. I’m really afraid of gore. And this character
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