Meet Cute discusses Meet Cute with Deborah S. Craig
Rom-com-versations is an interview series with people from the entertainment industry discussing all things rom-coms.
Hi Meet Cuties,
This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Deborah S. Craig, who has been in Hart of Dixie, The Blacklist, Better Things, Transparent, Workaholics, and Nora From Queens. More recently, Deborah was in Me Time, starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg, and Meet Cute (the movie), starring Pete Davidson and Kaley Cuoco. She also has a career on Broadway and has received a Drama Desk Award for her role of Marcy Park in William Finn's Tony award winning musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She is paving the way for Asian American actresses and comedians and Iโm so excited to share our conversation with you.
๐ Naomi: What is your favorite rom-com and why?ย
๐ Deborah: Off the top of my head, I would say my favorite rom-com is COMING TO AMERICA. I love the idea that she falls in love with someone thinking he's just a regular guy, and it turns out that he's actually the Prince of Zamunda. I love that there is a whole layer of him that she doesn't know, but falls in love with him for who he is. I think that's a great fantasy to meet someone and then come to find out heโs also super rich! But he's so cool and down to earth. BRIDESMAIDS is also up there for me.
๐ Naomi: Thatโs a great one. I want to talk about how your career started. Walk us through when you knew that you wanted to start acting and what those first few years were like acting on Broadway and on TV.
๐ Deborah: I started off as a classical pianist for 12 years *laugh* classic Asian American instinct. I loved the discipline of it, but I really didn't like being isolated. When I discovered singing and acting at a young age, the community element was so enticing to me. Getting to work and collaborate with people and being in the room with amazing, thoughtful, artistic inspirational people was what drew me in and made me pivot. My first TV job was actually on CLARISSA EXPLAINS IT ALL, which was thrilling. Working my way into New York, I knew I wanted to be on Broadway; I was determined to do that. Even though the outside world didn't have a lot of role models for me to aspire to as an Asian American pop comedic actress, I felt strongly that I could do it because I wanted it so badly. So, I came to New York and I started taking classes at Broadway Dance Center, training in voice lessons, seeing as many shows as possible, and just absorbing the energy in New York City.ย Prior to my Broadway debut in THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, I did a ton of off Broadway and downtown theater that was super cool and weird. I got to play a lot of different characters. A lot of my friends recall fondly the weird off-Broadway shows I did that were some of my favorite. In one show, I played a literal elbow, but it was like the best show I ever did. Moving into TV and film was just a natural progression. I always kind of did all the things at once. During SPELLING BEE, I booked a recurring role on this ABC show called SIX DEGREES, which was really fun, and that led to other TV shows and to where I am today, which is working feature comedies, which is a total dream come true.
๐ Naomi: That is incredible. Yes, you most recently starred in the hit comedy, ME TIME, which I loved, and you're also in the upcoming rom-com MEET CUTE. Specifically for MEET CUTE, what was it like playing June and getting into character? What is your creative process to really get to know a character and prep for the role?ย
๐ Deborah: June was a complex character from the beginning on page. I thought the writer, Noga, did a really great job of writing an interesting character and obstacle/catalyst for the characters in the film, Sheila and Gary. Approaching it, I remember thinking, "I really want to do justice to this Asian American character,โ because we don't get a ton of those in films, especially in comedies. Because she works at a nail salon, I didn't want to play a trope of her. I wanted people to walk into their nail salon in New York City and wonder if their nail lady also might have a tanning bed time machine in the back and to think, "Gosh, am I not looking at this person fully? Maybe I'm missing something and I'm not looking at them deeply enough." That is a big responsibility to have going into roles, knowing that I'm representing Asian Americans and wanting people to look at us differently and more complexly. I was already a big fan of the directorโs work, Alex Lehmann. He's incredible, sensitive, and a super funny guy. We discussed the role extensively and did a lot of prep. He also understood the responsibility of representation and he gave me a lot of room to dig in and find her in the most authentic way. I really feel proud of the fact that she is, I hope, something that people have not seen before.ย
๐ Naomi: I'm very excited about that and I think that not just Asian Americans, but everyone should be excited about that. For too long, people who haven't traditionally been center stage have been cast in these very specific tropes and it's amazing to see how people are breaking out of those tropes now and saying, "Let's do a creative spin on it." Not every Asian person has to be this nerdy straight-A student that people expect them to be. Were there any particularly memorable parts from filming the movie?
๐ Deborah: The hardest part of working on films like these is not laughing because everybody's so funny. It's a great job and problem to have. I would say I had some great improv moments with Pete, who as you know is a fantastic improvisor. We found some pretty funny physical bits together that I was really proud of. The same thing with Kaley, who is a master. It was great to watch her work. She's so incredibly precise, knows where the cameras are at all times, and has a great take every single time. Working with her was awesome, we also found some hilarious moments that I wouldn't have found without that kind of intense collaboration, which I really enjoyed.ย
๐ Naomi: Is there something that you learned from someone else on the cast that you will remember and carry with you in other parts of your career?
๐ Deborah: What I learned from the most actually was a technical aspect of watching Kaley watch the rehearsals. We were in a really closed setting, so by the time we got to actually do the shot, we had to already know what we were doing and where the cameras were. I learned a lot from watching how meticulous she is about working with the camera. I also learned how to have fun and be in the moment from Pete. I also gained confidence in myself that I can really bring justice to characters that are written as Asian American and bring light and life into them in a way that I think pushes the needle forward and opens a window to people looking at us differently. I feel empowered from this experience knowing I can tell this story and it can be told in a way that is empowering and creates a wider perspective of who we are as immigrants in America. Finally, Alex showed me what itโs like to be a leader. He really gets to know you before you work with him. He did a lot to get me prepared. I thought it was generous and kind, but I realize it's his secret sauce because you get on set and he already knows you. You can't actually give a bullshit take because he knows if you're putting something on or you're not really telling the most honest story you can from that point of view. That's something I took with me into my other projects. That was an awesome growth experience for me.ย ย
๐ Naomi: I love that. The last couple things that you've done have been comedies and you obviously are just so funny. So how do you think differently about comedy versus drama roles? Does the way that you prepare for your character change depending on what genre the movie is?
๐ Deborah: I've done both drama and comedy, but I really enjoy making people laugh. I think it's important for people to see Asian American women as funny. Not funny because we are the joke, but funny because we're creating the joke. I love feeling like my artistry is my advocacy and my activism. I feel strongly about being a comedic voice. I like drama, but often in dramatic roles I find for AAPIs, a lot of the characters are kind of sterile or overly intellectual. I don't have any desire to play the character that just provides exposition. If it was a dramatic role that had interesting dimensions, an inner life, and a backstory, I would jump into it much easier. A lot of times we just get the name "Dr. X" and we don't know anything about their family or their point of view. That kind of work just doesn't speak to me or light me up the way that comedy does. In terms of genre, I definitely prepare differently for different genres. It's the most exciting thing about TV, film, and theater, but TV and film specifically. There's so many platforms, studios, and ways of making entertainment now, so I think it's crucial to study who you're working for, what they're known for creating, and what kind of world they ask you to live in. Aspiring actors will ask me what my best advice for them is and I tell them to study. Believe it or not, this job is really academic.
๐ Naomi: You truly have to immerse yourself not just in the genre, but into the characters, their back stories, their voice, all of that. That's incredible advice. I want to circle back to something that you've brought up a couple times, which was this theme of Asian American representation on screen. You obviously have an incredible and passionate perspective on this. What movies or shows do you think are doing a good job of bringing Asian American representation on screens?
๐ Deborah: First of all, can you call my mom and tell her all those things that you've mentioned as my accomplishments? She still really wants me to get a real job. I actually think NORA FROM QUEENS is doing a fantastic job. In addition to having that amazing star on that show, I'm such a fan and so wildly entertained by all the characters on it, the storylines, and love that they hired Asian American writers and directors. It's such an awesome representation. I also love NEVER HAVE I EVER. They're absolutely crushing it with a look at South Asians that we've never seen before with the community emphasis and the coming of age trope. I just think it's hilarious and I fall in love with every character. When there is a story that is with Asian American families, we get to step out of it and see ourselves in it. It's not just one character who's Asian and concentrating on that person's journey, but it's the whole community. We get to be in a world where people are Asian and we get to experience their inner lives and journeys without it being specifically about race, but also learning things about racial constructs that we all experience in different ways. INSECURE, I think is also the greatest show ever. They aren't Asian American, but they also do a great job with representation.
๐ Naomi: If you were going to star as the main character of a movie based on a story that you want to tell, what would that movie be about?
๐ Deborah: I really want to star in a remake of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. I really want to do Sally and I already told Andrew Santino, from ME TIME, I wanted him to be Harry because he is a slightly obnoxious but lovable comedian. If not that, I'm always dying for a role in the next CRAZY RICH ASIANS. I would love to star in a rom-com and be the likely love interest who's quirky but fun and hasn't given up on love.ย
๐ Naomi: I have one last question for you: are there any other projects that you're working on that you can give us a sneak peek into so our followers can follow along with you?ย
๐ Deborah: I am excited about recording THE TIGERโS APPRENTICE. That won't come out for another year, but I think it's an awesome cast. I'm not actually sure what's on the horizon. There's a couple things in the pipeline; there's a four-hander romantic thriller that I've been attached to that's supposed to shoot in the fall. It has an all star cast and hilarious writing. The rest is sort of open. I'm going to see what comes my way. I'm thinking as our representation grows and as people notice that we too can bring in the same box office numbers and audience, they will be more excited to have Asian American faces and bodies in their work.
I hope you enjoyed this rom-com-versation! Be sure to check out MEET CUTE streaming now on Peacock!
Stay tuned for my next Rom-com-versation.
xx,
Naomi