Interview: Anna Gunn on GRACEPOINT's Balancing Act

You met her in DEADWOOD. You fought with her (or maybe against her) in BREAKING BAD. Now, you're solving mysteries alongside her in GRACEPOINT. Anna Gunn's got good taste, and she has the Emmys to prove it! Recently, I got the (ridiculously incredible) chance to participate in a question and answer session about GRACEPOINT. Her latest project pairs her up alongside fan favorite David Tennant and follows the pair of detectives as they investigate the murder of a young local boy that has shaken the very foundation of the small coastal village of Gracepoint.

The fourth of ten episodes in the mini-series airs this Thursday, October 23, at 9:00 PM ET on FOX. Last week, Gunn's character Ellie Miller was forced into an almost impossible position when her personal and professional lives collided at full force. Ellie's son, Tom, was questioned by Tennant's Detective Carver as part of the ongoing murder investigation. "When he insists on talking to her son," Gunn explains, "it's just that motherly instinct that any mother would feel. It's a protective sort of impulse, and she feels like her son has already experienced such trauma, because this was his best friend, after all."

That protective impulse is just the tip of the iceberg of differences between Ellie and her new boss, Carver. As Gunn explains, Ellie "really, I think believes in the innocence of people until they prove otherwise." Carver, on the other hand, has a much more cynical view of...well, pretty much everyone. In his eyes, everyone's a suspect, everyone has secrets, and no one can be trusted. What does that mean for their relationship, then, when Carver brings in Ellie's son for questioning? Surely he can't think that Tom knows anything. He's just a kid, after all. "It certainly does ramp up the tension between them," says Gunn. "She does not understand his way of approaching things and he doesn't agree with her way of approaching things, but at the same time, he's her boss and she is in a slightly subordinate position to him."

The push-pull relationship between Ellie and Carver adds to the drama already established by the murder, and at times it seems like there's no hope that these two will ever get along. It's very much like a brother-sister relationship in that way. But, as in life (and in all well-written dramas), people in GRACEPOINT change, and characters grow. We know that Carver's got some secrets hidden up his sleeve (what's with that botched investigation with the little girls? And what about his heart problem?!), but what about Ellie? Does she have any surprises for audiences? Tell us, Gunn, I need to know! "I think what surprises her - and also surprised me - was that she very slowly has to change almost her worldview."

We got a peek last week at one of those events that forces Ellie to think differently about things in GRACEPOINT when Mark Solano, the father of the boy who was murdered, is caught having an affair with the owner of the local inn. Some people (cough Carver cough) wouldn't have an issue accepting Mark's adultery. Ellie, though, feels betrayed. "Going through that process changes a human being," states Gunn. "It was a very interesting thing as an actor to investigate and to go through because it's almost like, in a way, she goes through a loss of innocence. You find her going from a person who feels tremendous empathy and does not want to look at anybody in her town with a suspicious eye, and then as they go along, ...they're trying to solve this case and they have such a deep burning desire to make sure that it's done, and they keep meeting with obstacles."

It makes perfect sense. You want to trust people, but you also want to solve the case based on evidence and facts. Now I've never been a cop (please, try to contain your surprise), but that sounds pretty realistic and valid to me. Gunn attributes that realness to the policewomen, some of who are also mothers, that she met with when preparing for the role. "They were so helpful to me because they talked about having to sometimes witness really harrowing awful things, gruesome things, during the day at their job, and then having to drive home and try to shed that and walk in the door and be a happy present mother and make dinner for your kids, and I just found that so interesting."

Just like Ellie (and, in a way, Gunn herself), these real-life detectives must balance being a loving, nurturing mother with their job of being (or in Gunn's case, playing) a detective. But what about seeing a young boy lying dead on a beach? Wouldn't the first thing that pops into your mind be your own child? How do these women keep the two worlds separated? This is where Gunn's preparation comes in handy. "They said one of the first rules is you never cry in front of your coworkers; if you feel like you're going to break, you go into the locker room and you let it out there, but you don't do it on the job." Gunn can relate. "It was very interesting to me, because I found that there would be times when the story would really get to me and I would think, 'but you have to continue-you have to go along, and you have to do your job.'" Kudos to you, police officers. You taught Anna Gunn well.

But what about BROADCHURCH? Unlike Tennant, Gunn wasn't in any way, shape, or form involved with the UK inspiration for GRACEPOINT. Did it help or hinder her in preparing to take on the role of Ellie Miller? "It helped enormously because I was in a theater company in LA when I first moved here and every part was double cast."

Aah, once again we see the theater training coming in for the kill. "What I learned through that was that it was actually very valuable as an actor to rehearse a scene and then hop off stage and watch somebody else get up and do the scene. You had to learn to put your ego aside because actors, it's an instinct to want to sort of own your role."

This can be hard for actors, but as Gunn explains, it can be an insanely valuable tool in understanding the ins and outs of a character. "If you really embrace the opportunity to step back and watch somebody else's interpretation of the role, and also get to have a really broad view of the story and where your character fits into the storytelling, it's really actually a great opportunity for an actor. So, I watched BROADCHURCH with that kind of viewpoint, and I just really wanted to learn where Ellie's character fit into the arc of the story, what was most important about various things in the storytelling, and also just the essence of who she is."

If you ask me, that mentality has paid off tremendously. She fits in seamlessly with David Tennant, who had the luxury of already knowing his character before he came on to the show. Clearly, Gunn has the chops to pull off a serious drama with the best of the best.

But what's next for Anna Gunn? Another TV show? More drama? Maybe something a little different, perhaps? "I actually would love to do more comedy." In fact, Gunn just recently filmed a guest spot on indie favorite PORTLANDIA. "We did a run take that was 40 minutes and it felt like 5 minutes because I was having so much fun, and when we cut and they said that was a 40 minute take, I thought that's impossible." And to those naysayers who say comedy is easier than drama, you best listen to the queen of dramatic television: "I find that comedy is actually harder than drama sometimes because you can't be trying to be funny, you have to actually still play the truth of the situation and allow the writing to carry you along."

You're forgetting one thing, Anna: the silver screen. "I go wherever the good writing is, and I go for characters that really interest me or challenge me or take me on a journey that's a different journey than I've ever been on."

Wait...does this mean that something's in the works film-wise?!

"Film is definitely something that we're looking at right now. So, hopefully, that will-I'll be able to announce something soon."

Consider me excited.

It's safe to say that whatever Anna Gunn decides to do next, be it theater, movies, or another television show, it's going to be a hit. You don't win that many Emmys with bad choices and no talent.

Bonus Anna Gunn Fun Fact: THE SHINING is her favorite scary movie...or at least, it's the scary movie she's most petrified of. "I remember very distinctly watching THE SHINING when I was about 15, and I was at home alone and I just thought, 'Ooh, Jack Nicholson, I'll watch this,' and it scared me so much and I'll never forget the experience. I kept going around and locking all the doors and thinking, 'Am I safe here?' because it was such a psychologically disturbing film. That, to me, is the all-time. I don't think any movie scares me as much as The Shining."

Has Ellie surprised you at all yet this season? What do you want Anna Gunn to take on next? Tell us in the comments below or find me on Twitter @CourtHenley!

GRACEPOINT photo courtesy of FOX.
THE SHINING photo courtesy of IMDb.

To post a comment, you must register and login.