Big Love

[Janice]

3 Actresses Share Life on 'Big Love'


(AP) In this undated publicity photo released by HBO, actresses, from left, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jeanne...Full Image

NEW YORK (AP) - There was something about playing the three wives on "Big Love," HBO's polygamy drama, that made three fine actresses answer: "I do,""I do,""I do."

"I was really shocked at myself for signing on without knowing where it was gonna go, or much of anything else," says Chloe Sevigny, who co-stars with Jeanne Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin in this unconventionally devout series (following "The Sopranos" at 10 p.m. EDT Sundays).

"But after reading the pilot, I was so moved by it," she continues during a recent communal interview. "And I was fascinated by my character" - Nicki, the sulky middle wife of Salt Lake City merchant and father of seven Bill Henrickson, played by Bill Paxton.

"I got the call about the show when I was in my car," says Sevigny (whose films include "Shattered Glass,""Boys Don't Cry" and "Kids"). "I went and picked up the script at the agency and read it in the parking lot. I had the meeting the same day and we pretty much signed the deal."

"I had months of auditioning," recalls Goodwin (seen in such films as "Walk the Line" and "Mona Lisa Smile," as well as on TV's "Ed"), who was vying for the role of the excitable, childish third wife, Margene. "They gave me a love scene to do as my screen test. I went into a conference room with, like, 25 execs and a camcorder, and Bill and I were seated in two armchairs.

"I thought, 'How on Earth am I gonna do a love scene? I'm going to have to sit with him!' So I crawled over, and I kinda feel like we made out. Then, afterward, I had to leave the room to gather myself. Out in the hall, I thought, 'What was I DOING?!'

"I was pulling out of the driveway on the phone with my agent, saying, 'I blew it. I made out with a stranger, and I think I must have upset him.'"
Then another call came in: "Welcome to 'Big Love'!"

"I'd really been wanting to do a television series," says Tripplehorn (whose film credits include "The Firm,""Mickey Blue Eyes" and "Waterworld," and who appeared in "Three Sisters" on Broadway). "But I don't like legal dramas. I don't like medical dramas. I was looking for a comedy."

Before accepting the part of Barb - Henrickson's wife of 17 years and the matriarchal focus for the whole family - she initially wavered.

"I went through all sorts of emotions: 'I don't think I'm right.' 'Everyone is really nice.'" But she trusted the script. "The family situation was handled with such dignity and intelligence and class."

"Polygamy is just the backdrop," explains Goodwin, noting the Henricksons' overwhelmingly righteous lifestyle in their three adjoining suburban tract homes. The fact is, "Big Love" seldom turns out to be what you expect.

"I think it's funny how there are a thousand shows out there, and a thousand movies, that are glorifying (extramarital) affairs, while this man is being completely honest with his wives," says Goodwin. (Well, not quite honest: Spicing up his round-robin bedroom regimen, he and Barb have been sneaking around on the others.) "And all his wives love each other."

"We're all married to each other," Tripplehorn agrees. "But I did have a problem in the very beginning with Barb, with bringing dimension to her, because she is so generous in spirit. As we went along, I found subtleties - Barb is selfish in her own way - but at first I felt like she was so saint-like and boring, while Margene and Nicki were so beautifully defined."

"Margene is 23 going on, like, 10," Goodwin says. "She has a way of creating utter chaos, and still finds a way of making none of it her fault.
"But I can only define her now that I have some distance. When we were shooting, I felt messy, while, watching you," she says to Tripplehorn, "I felt like YOU were so specific."

The show was in production from last April through September, "and by the end," says Sevigny, "I was so sick of being a bitch! I thought, 'Audiences are gonna hate this character.'"

True, Nicki is a snoop, a shopaholic and often a sourpuss. "But I think she is a very sympathetic character," Sevigny declares. "I fell SO in love with her! It's the greatest part I've ever had."

"I was always telling Chloe how much I wanted that role," says Tripplehorn with a smile.

"When we were shooting one of the final episodes," Sevigny reminds her, "Barb was still a saint and Nicki was still a bitch, and I was sort of freaking out. I said, 'We should trade. Just once.'"

Tripplehorn laughs. "I really wanted us ALL to gang up on Bill."

"Oh, good call!" cackles Goodwin.

"We SHOULD have," Sevigny says slyly, "in a big way. Really get him on something!"

They mean the character Bill Henrickson, who, by God's grace, has maintained a mediating, loving grip on his trio of mates.

In playing him, veteran actor Bill Paxton exhibits similar finesse, the three women report with amusement.

"When I shoot a scene with Bill," says Tripplehorn, "he just talks to me and makes me feel like I'm the MOST important person. About halfway through, I say, 'Bill, I KNOW you say that to the other actresses, too.'"

"He stays really relaxed," says Sevigny. And apparently has a knack for keeping everybody else relaxed, too.

"I don't know if he picked up on the fact that I was nervous about our love scenes," says Goodwin, "but sometimes, beforehand, he would dance around for the whole crew in his underwear."

Just chalk it up as more evidence that, often, the most surprising thing about "Big Love" is what you don't see.

[Janice]

Is anyone watching this new HBO Original Series? I realize that the subject matter turns off some viewers; however, it's done very well.

The actors and actresses are top notch. Bill Paxton has always been a favorite of mine, and the actresses who play his wives are terrific and gorgeous.

The show does not condone polygamy. On the contrary, it illustrates how difficult the lifestyle is for all involved.

The storylines with Bill's parents and his father-in-law are interesting.

[Mr. Television]

Great news Janice.


By Andrew Wallenstein
Thu Apr 20, 7:26 AM ET



LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Big Love" just got bigger.

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HBO has ordered a second season of its drama series about a polygamist family, the network said Wednesday, just halfway into its rookie year.

"We all just felt the show was really solid and only getting better," HBO president of entertainment Carolyn Strauss said. "It's gathering momentum with subscribers and critics."

"Big Love" will go back into production in August in anticipation of returning to the air sometime next year. The number of episodes has yet to be determined; the opening order was 12.

The second-season order was not exactly guaranteed given that "Love" has not been a big ratings draw for HBO. Airing opposite stiff competition like ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," "Love" has averaged fewer than 4 million total viewers for its Sunday 10 p.m. premieres, hanging on to less than half of the audience from its lead-in, "The Sopranos."

Still, a closer examination of "Love's" ratings indicates it is far from a lost cause. An additional 3 million viewers catch "Love" in multiple repeat broadcasts throughout the week.

The cumulative audience also has been kind to "Sopranos," which averages 8.8 million viewers in its premiere airing. That haul climbs to 12.8 million when repeats are added. Additional viewers come in via HBO On Demand, though the network does not yet have measurement of viewership on that platform.

However, "Sopranos" is still feeling the pain of its competitive premiere time slot; Sunday saw its smallest audience in more than five years.

Strauss indicated it is unlikely "Sopranos" and "Love" will be paired again, with "Love" likely to return in the latter half of the year; "Sopranos" will commence its final eight episodes in January. She also suggested that "Love" might be a better fit with a 9 p.m. slot given that its themes -- family, marriage, relationships -- might resonate earlier in the evening.

"I think we'd be comfortable putting the show on at 9 o'clock," Strauss said. "It feels like a solid 9 o'clock show in terms of story line, subject matter."

The cast and production team from the original season are expected back. Bill Paxton stars as the busy husband of Chloe Sevigny, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Also at HBO, the network began production on a second season of "Rome" at Rome's Cinecitta Studios. A co-production of HBO and the BBC, "Rome" also will return to air sometime next year after completing production in October.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

[Storywriter]

I watch Big Love and I really like this show.