Angela Kinsey talks Tall Girl, Disney+ and new Weekend at Bernie’s film
We all know her from The Office, but comedy star Angela Kinsey shared with Hidden Remote surprises she has in store for fans with Disney+, her new Weekend at Bernie’s film and favorite moments from Tall Girl.
She’ll always be our savagely sharp-tongued Angela Martin from The Office, but Angela Kinsey is a master of comedy in any role she plays, be it the unmerciful and God-fearing Crystal Simmons on The Hotwives of Orlando or Bethany, the devoted and train-wrecked mom of Miranda Sings in Haters Back Off. Now, fans of Kinsey’s hilarity can rejoice over her making new appearances this fall on Disney+ and a new Weekend at Bernie’s film, Keep Hope Alive, staring Kinsey, Tony Cavalero and John Larroquette.
But out of all the roles she’s played, Kinsey says playing the mom is always her favorite. Being a mother of three in her real, everyday life, Kinsey says she finds a unique joy in playing roles like Jodi Kreyman’s mom Helaine in Netflix’s Tall Girl, relishing in that treasured family dynamic.
Hidden Remote sat down to chat with Kinsey in the original HP garage about some of her favorite mom role moments on productions like Tall Girl and Haters Back Off, her family-over-followers motto regarding social media, and how hosting the Disney+ show, Be Our Chef moved her to tears.
Plus, Kinsey also had some inspiring words to share about how a weekend spent at Bernie’s can help put politics in a more comically pleasant light.
Hidden Remote: This year you starred as mom Helaine in Tall Girl and as Mrs. Wallace in Extracurricular Activities. Both of these are very comedic mom roles, and I was curious if that’s a character you really enjoy playing, being a mom yourself?
Angela Kinsey: I love playing the mom. I will play it all day long, as long as they will hire me because it’s so fun and, you know, a little bit of real life can sneak in. But I love it.
Hidden Remote: And what were some things that you enjoyed most about being on those productions this year?
Kinsey: Well, you know, Tall Girl we filmed in New Orleans and I have a lot of family in Louisiana. My sister was able to come spend the weekend with me, so that was really fun. But also I loved the message of Tall Girl. I loved that it was about just being OK with who you are and being accepting of yourself and celebrating what makes you different. So, I thought that was a great message.
Hidden Remote: And what about Extracurricular Activities?
Kinsey: I mean, that was just fun. That was just me getting to be sort of vapid and maybe the mom you don’t really want. But both were really fun projects. And I played the mom in Haters Back Off for Netflix as well, so I’m on a mom roll so keep ’em coming.
Hidden Remote: I actually was going to talk about Haters Back Off next because that TV show has a lot to do with social media and spending time in a digital world and having that be this huge social dynamic for Miranda Sings and I was just curious if you learned a lot about technology and the pros and cons of it from being on that set?
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Kinsey: You know who I learned if from was Colleen Ballinger who created the character Miranda Sings. I mean, I really, really didn’t know much about YouTube. I know, I’m a dinosaur, I know people know about YouTube. But all I really knew about YouTube was what my kids like, which is like cat fails. You know? Basically anything to do with kittens or puppies, ’cause I have younger kids. But it is really interesting, that culture of just YouTube and being a YouTuber.
I really feel like there needs to be a balance between your digital life and real life and it’s something that I do feel passionate about and it’s conversations that I had even with Colleen about how to balance that.
Hidden Remote: You’ve also starred in other productions about technology, media, and even politics like in Swing State, which touches on subjects that aren’t really too far off from what we’re dealing with now in the political world today. How are you as an actor, with your own busy life and among this political spectra of keeping yourself grounded in the real world and keeping your sanity through all of it?
Kinsey: I just, as a mom, my focus really and truly are my children. And, for parents out there, I have an eleven-year-old daughter and I have two step-sons that are eleven and nine and that’s a full-time job. Really, it is. So, any free time I have from work, it’s just about them and that really keeps you grounded and keeps you in the moment, keeps you in the present.
I just want to create fun memories for us and turn off devices, turn off the TV and interact with one another. So, I make that my focus. I crave that time with them. I’ve heard from other parents that, as your kids get older, you’re not the people they want to hang out with anymore. Right now my kids still really want to hang out with us and we’re still cool and fun, so I’m just trying to hang on to all of that while I can.
Hidden Remote: When you’re at your own home you can kind of turn out the world and focus on your kids and your family, but did you learn any tricks on set when you’re with all your co-stars and a bunch of other people and the cameras are rolling?
Kinsey: Well, first of all, as far as technology goes, when you’re on a set, you have to turn everything off anyway. So it’s actually a great vacuum to be in. I remember having a full day on set and being like, “Oh, what happened in the world today?” because your phones are off.
Hidden Remote: So speaking of families, it’s obviously really important to you, not only in your everyday life and staying focused on your kids but also playing all these mom roles and you’re also on the family cooking show Be Our Chef on Disney+, coming this fall.
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Kinsey: Yes! I’m really excited about that. It’s two families and they get to go to Disney World and they do cooking challenges based on Disney themes and I’m the host and I got so attached to all the families. I think I cried almost every week by the end of it because they’re so invested and they’re working so hard together and only one can win, right? …So, I’m excited for that to be out.
Hidden Remote: Was that a really cool chance for you to get to be a part of other people’s families and enjoy that dynamic that you love so much?
Kinsey: Oh yeah. I mean, the kitchen is where we always hang out, right? I feel like our biggest life moments happen in the kitchen. That’s where you share and connect, so it was fun to see that in other people’s families as well. And my family got to fly out to Disney World. We’d never been…so it was a win-win-win.
Hidden Remote: This is a little bit of a segway from everything else, but you’re starring in a Weekend at Bernie’s film, Keep Hope Alive. I’m curious if you had been a fan of the Weekend at Bernie’s films before starring in this?
Kinsey: Yeah, I mean, I grew up during that era of movies and I loved Weekend at Bernie’s. I loved it, so it was fun to be in one.
Hidden Remote: You and another person are trying to put on this rouse that this politician who died is still alive. You know, the typical Weekend at Bernie’s theme, that someone who’s passed on is still with us. So it’s a very comedic take on politics. Do you think this film is something that the world really needs right now, especially with politics being so tense, that this shows the more comedic side of it?
Kinsey: I hope so. I hope we can all just kind of give each other a break and maybe just laugh a little bit together. I mean, that’s definitely the hope, right? Maybe if we’re laughing together, we can all work together.
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