The Unconventional Madchen Amick

Posted on 08. Nov, 2008 by Administrator in Fashion, Profiles

photos by Robert Todd Williamson

Mädchen Amick gets bored easily and she has no problem admitting it. So it has to be a good thing that the actress was recently juggling not one, not two, but three series. A series regular on My Own Worst Enemy, Amick has also just wrapped stints on both Gossip Girl and Californication. Let’s also throw in for good measure that these shows are shot on opposite coasts. “Literally, when I was shooting Gossip Girl I was shooting Californication at the same time. My Own Worst Enemy is primarily based in New York too. Sometimes I would shoot a scene for Californication in the morning, hop on a plane, and shoot a scene in New York for Gossip Girl that same night. It was insane.” Amick has always gone the unconventional route; how could she not when her first big television series was none other than the cult fave Twin Peaks?

h: What’s the big difference for you in working on something like Californication vs. My Own Worst Enemy?

Mädchen Amick: I absolutely loved working on Californication. The writing and the dialogue is just unbelievable. They really focus on the characters themselves. In the Christian [Slater] show, I’m the wife – I have the home life and not the action side. Of course, the show itself has a large cinematic side to it with the action side of it. It’s so exciting for me, because I’m constantly looking to be challenged – I always get really bored in the middle of doing something. (laughs) If I’m doing a comedy I’m dying to do a drama, and the other way around. But it’s a steady job and I know where I’m going to be for the next few months, which is great.

h: On Gossip Girl you played the married ‘older’ woman Catherine for the first few episodes of Season 2 and had a lot of opportunities to roll around with that hottie Chace Crawford.

MA: It’s funny, when you look at my character (on that show), she’s married to an older man, and she’s a duchess as well - very rich. And she’s having an affair with a high school student. She really mixes it up, that duchess.

h: What’s your story on Californication?

MA: My storyline is Hank Moody (David Duchovny) is writing a biography on a famous rock producer/musician, and he wants to get the real story of what makes this guy tick; what’s the story behind the façade. The character has this long lost love – which would be me. And so Hank basically starts stalking me (laughs) and then he and I develop a sort of a relationship that becomes a love triangle – or a four corner love triangle – between me, Hank, Karen (Natascha McElhone) and the rock producer. Everybody is so talented on that show, it’s a great thing to be a part of.

h: Let’s talk about the other guy in your filmic life right now – Christian Slater. You’re the housewife to his split personality action character. Is she going to cross over too?

MA: The great thing about My Own Worst Enemy is it creates an environment where you don’t know who’s on what side, who’s working for the government – so the possibilities are endless. As far as I know now, I’m just a housewife in a loving relationship, but I can only imagine she’s going to figure something out.

h: I love the fact in the first episode you discover that his office pal is Mr. Undercover himself.

MA: On this show, you never know who’s real, who’s got an agenda, and who’s going to do a 180. It could end up being me. It’s got elements of Bourne Identity and James Bond – if you enjoy those types of films, you won’t be bored with this one. It’s like Twin Peaks – which was weird and quirky and had this whole cult following that literally changed the face of television. So when people say ‘Will Mr. and Mrs. Middle America understand this?’ (My Own Worst Enemy) I think we underestimate the American audience sometimes, and I think they can appreciate something that is intelligently done, or they just turn the channel.

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The Unconventional Madchen Amick

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