Molly Bernard (L) in a still from Younger (Ali Paige/Goldstein/TV Land)
Actress Molly Bernard is currently spicing things up on TV Land's Younger, playing the pansexual publicist having a steamy relationship with Debi Mazar's character. The star, starring Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, and Nico Tortorella, provides many a water-cooler moment ... or would, if offices still had those.
(Image courtesy of TV Land)
Next up, she'll be seen in Sully, the biopic about pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) directed by Clint Eastwood.
Check out my interview with the multi-talented actress after the jump ...
Boy Culture: Your Younger character is a colorful publicist created by Darren Star—big Manolos to fill when you think of Samantha from Sex and the City. What about the character excited you when you first read for the part?
Molly Bernard: Definitley big Manolos, indeed! I loved how bold and brave Lauren was. She says things that no one else does. She’s smart and wild and operates by her own set of rules. I need a friend like Lauren. Though I basically have one in Nico Tortorella. <3
BC: Does playing a fashion publicist mean you have to always step up your game at events?
MB: In a way ,it does! Though now that I have been through my first big press tour with the second season of Younger, I think I’m getting the hang of how I like to dress at events. I like to take risks, though I also love really clean, classic lines—in my daily life, I tend to dress a little offbeat, so to bring some of my own quirky vibes to events is also important to me.
BC: How is the character getting under your skin, or are you able to play your part and leave her at work?
MB: I think Lauren and I are subtly and slowly becoming closer. I am certainly getting more comfortable at work, so more of me tends to come out in Lauren. In the first season, I was so nervous, and the fact that she and I were so different was a really important tool to rely on. While filming the second season, I got a little more brave and more comfortable on set, and I was consequently able to take different kinds of risks.
Bernard & Mazar (Image courtesy of TV Land)
BC: Tell me anything and everything about Debi Mazar, who I love. (And talk about a lipstick lesbian to use an antiquated term—she's always got perfect makeup!)
MB: HA! She is just the coolest. She is such an old-school Hollywood actress, and a classic actress and beauty. I have learned so much from her over the past two years. I adore her. Whenever Debi and I have a kissing scene, the first thing we discuss is lipstick. She is a makeup artist and always looks impeccable, so the aesthetics are important! She’s an inspiration! We always plan how we’re going to kiss. Except in scenes when we really have to go for it. In those cases, we love that we get to be no-holds-barred.
BC: It used to be that actors steered clear of playing gay characters—now, we're moving into an era where your character is pansexual and not causing any ruffled feathers. Do you get positive feedback from viewers, especially those who ID as pansexual?
MB: YES! And it’s one of my favorite parts about playing Lauren. I love that she is so unique, so confident about her sexuality, and that she lets her freak flag fly. She takes herself very seriously, while understanding that life is an adventure. I think fans love that, and love that a character like Lauren is on TV. I get so much positive feedback from fans and viewers, and I LOVE it. I’m brand-new to Twitter, but I love corresponding with fans on that platform. I’m still kind of learning Instagram, and I really enjoy when fans post about their love of Lauren’s sexuality. She’s a unicorn!
BC: What's it like working with Hilary Duff? I knew her and covered her when I was a teen-mag editor and she was the teen It girl. Do you have people of a certain age (20s, I would guess) accosting you for info about her?
MB: Hilary is a dream. She’s become one of my best friends. She is extremely down to earth, and yes, people ask me all the time about her, and I have no choice but to sing her praises. I always say how real she is, what a good friend she is, and how smart she is—because it’s true. It’s easy to be taken with her. She truly is one of the loveliest people I know.
BC: The show is purely entertaining, yet it also has a message or two, especially considering its title and the premise of passing as younger. What do you think is its main message on aging and how we perceive women who are no longer 25?
MB: I definitely think it’s problematic that Liza has to pretend to be a hot young twentysomething to have a good job, but I think that is the message of the show—the show highlights this very problem with every episode. The writers and creative team are constantly exploring how to navigate that issue situation by situation. I feel we live in an age-obsessed world where people, but women especially, are all too often validated based solely on their external appearance and age—and I think it’s important to expose the absurdity of that value system. I think Younger does a fantastic job illuminating this issue. It’s never too heady, and it’s always done in a good-spirited fashion. I do love that Empirical is an office filled with mostly women! And bad-ass women at that!
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