BWW Interviews: Carol Kane Talks OFFER AND COMPROMISE, GOTHAM, and More!

If there's an actress beloved by every area of entertainment, it's Carol Kane. She's adored by theatre fans for her Madame Morrible in WICKED, a part uniquely hers though she didn't originate it. Movie lovers know her from everything from her first work, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, through her Academy Award nomination in HESTER STREET and her part in ANNIE HALL, among other notable moments on film. And television fans remember her from her Emmy-winning turn in TAXI as Latka's wife Simka. A new generation of genre television fans is meeting her in GOTHAM as future Penguin Oswald Cobblepot's mother, Gertrude. Recently in New York, she spoke with us about her various star turns past and current (including the wonderful Gertrude, which she's confirmed to us will be a recurring role) and her preparing to take the part of Alison Joy in the upcoming independent film, OFFER AND COMPROMISE, for which Christopher McDonald has previously spoken with us.

"I have a week off and I'm luxuriating in it. This profession has no rhythm to it - you're either busy enough to fall down or nothing's happening!" Kane has a great deal happening at the moment, it turns out - a recurring part in GOTHAM is one project; work on Tina Fey's upcoming sitcom is another. And then there's OFFER AND COMPROMISE, currently being crowdfunded on Indiegogo and closing in on its November 10 deadline. (The campaign can be found here.)

"The director, Valerie [Landsburg], is a colleague of mine from way back. We did ALL IS FORGIVEN together. And this script is about people rather than about an event. There's a new employee, Travis, at THE COLLECTION agency where my character works, who's able to change both a collection client's life and his own. I love that story and felt it was an important tale in this world, where everything is computers and corporations without humanity. He doesn't stick to the rules or to a script, and he cares.

"My character's name is Alison Joy; I'm one of the toughened-up characters at the agency. She hates her job and she's always ready to quit. Travis, who's new, comes to her and she gives him advice. His heart opens up her heart."

The cast for this production is stellar: Kane, McDonald, Frances Fisher, Tom Cavanagh, Constance Zimmer, and Lee Meriwether are among those assembled for it. "I haven't worked with any of the other actors before, but I've known Frances [Fisher] for a long time. I really admire Tom and the others. Valerie's the only one I've worked with. This script has drawn a lot of people. It's really hooked us in, and it's not because of the money - it's the closeness we feel to this material."

Kane reminisces on the career that's brought her here: "I've been lucky in my career. I've worked with some of the greatest filmmakers and actors around. I'm so proud of some of my work. HESTER STREET was my most completer character study, but ANNIE HALL and THE LAST DETAIL were also great. I couldn't pick out one greatest thing I've done. CARNAL KNOWLEDGE was my first film, and I worked with Mike Nichols and Jack Nicholson. I've loved working on all these great movies. Just to be selected to be part of the teams making them is incredible." Has any role to date changed her life in any way? "All of my films have changed my life. I've met so many people, and broadened my world view. I did an unsuccessful film back when with Diane Keaton, which was where I first met her, before ANNIE HALL, and she's so important to me. There's nothing I've done where I haven't learned something or expanded my brain listening to other people."

Does that include her cult classic horror-comedy turn, TRANSYLVANIA 6-500? She laughs delightedly at the question. "Even that! Jeff Goldblum and I laughed so much, and it was indescribable freezing our toes in the mountains of Yugoslavia. It was a wonderful cast - Geena Davis, Joe Mantegna, Michael Richards from SEINFELD. We were in Zagreb. It was so cold, and we were making this strange, strange film - we bonded from that."

Unlike most of her previous work, OFFER AND COMPROMISE is an independent film. We note that more and more well-known actors are branching into independent filmmaking. Is it the stories? Is it a lack of substantial women's roles in Hollywood? "The attraction to independent film varies with the actors. Women have limited role choices, even younger ones, and fewer roles in major films. I find something kind of great in that the range of parts I can play as an older performer is so much broader, but I wouldn't say I can just pick small, worthwhile parts and not care about money at all - though we're not making this film for the money! It's a personal thing. It's probably harder when you're younger. Forty is the year, though, in which you become completely invisible in Hollywood, so there's a tendency to look beyond that. But at my age, I'm no longer in that competition. I'm a character actor. When you're older, there's such a real diversity of parts. At forty you're still competing with your own youth. That's a painful transitional time for women. Not so for men - Robert Redford is a prime example. At seventy he's still a leading man. It's different in Europe - older women can still be leads there."

We discuss her television career. Her work in TAXI has been covered many times, but she's excited about current work. "I'm on GOTHAM now. It's wonderful. Full of the most amazing cast of real character actors. Everyone in it is such a unique character. And the way it looks is so great. I love my character; she's eastern European." We mention to her that there's a wonderful, warped resemblance between Gertrude and the Dowager Duchess on DOWNTON ABBEY. "I'm not intentionally looking like Maggie Smith, but it's a great comparison. Gertrude and the Dowager Duchess both came from the European manners of an earlier era that you don't see now. Gertrude's standard of living has certainly dropped, but manners don't have to do with money. I'll be a recurring character. And it's great to follow the way that Oswald loves his mother." We laugh - the relationship between Oswald and Gertrude is one of the great fan debates of the show to date.

"I'm also working on a half-hour comedy written by Tina Fey, where I'll be playing a Harlem landlady. It's a show called THE UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT. [The show is scheduled upcoming for NBC.] We've filmed ten episodes so far."

But we can't go without asking about WICKED. "Wicked is the thing I've done in theatre that the most people have seen. I've just finished directing an Off-Broadway piece, but the attention and audiences can't be compared. And the audience has embraced WICKED like no other show. I've played Morrible in many places at many times, and she's such a juicy character. It's such great fun to play a villain. She's such a clear, boo-and-hiss villain! I WISH audiences would boo and hiss at her. My Off-Broadway play was called BELFAST BLUES, and starred Geraldine Hughes. It's about growing up during what they call The Troubles. I love directing, too."

Is she up for OFFER AND COMPROMISE to start filming? "This is an unusually busy time for me, but yes. I'm so happy about everything going on, though I have no delusions that a schedule like this can last!"

She and director Landsburg are waiting to hear the results of the Indiegogo campaign, which has so far brought in over $68,000.00 of the $150,000.00 goal. A link to THE CAMPAIGN can be found at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/offer-compromise. Kane notes that for a contribution of less than $200, she will record a personal voicemail message for your phone, along with other contributor perks.

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