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Each time the choreographer Kathryn Burns yelled out, Kid!
a child dancer emerged from the base of the throne and Champlin made a face.
The crew members tried very hard not to burst out in laughter.
It was, as the song goes, the Miracle of Birth.
Sometimes time is really tight, so Ill have anxiety about making sure I have the right steps.
The great thing about [Miracle of Birth] is, I just sat in a chair!
Normally on a musical number day, I wont have slept the night before.
I slept like a baby last night.
This morning, I was like, Ah!
Im just going to sit in a chair and sing for some people!
I will say though, lip-syncing for me has been one of the greatest challenges.
Its literally a muscle that I dont even have.
So that in itself, I did have a little anxiety about being so exposed.
Each song has its own challenges, but that song is by far the easiest number Ive ever had.
Sit on a throne!
What more could I ask for?
Are you lip-syncing or singing?I sing.
She said, First thing is, you have to sing every take.
The camera really can tell the difference.
And then she was like, Breath is the next most important thing.
And cut-offs, obviously.
I feel like Ive gotten much more comfortable with it as weve gone.
It takes me a lot less time to prepare now, but I still agonize over it.
Do you watch RuPaulsDrag Race?
I mean, its an art form for them.
How did you react when you saw yourself in full costume for this number?I cried.
That happened to me when I did the princess song too.
I rarely get a full costume change.
Its always really exciting for me when I get the princess number, where its a complete departure.
Every department here is just incredible.
I feel like everything Ive done in my career has led to this moment!
It just doesnt get any better than that!
You know, in the musical theater, that would probably never happen to me.
Thats just not my throw in.
What I really love about it here too is they bend the pop in.
Or as what casting directors dont conventionally see.True.
Even just our guest stars and co-stars are always so fantastic and so right and so … normal-looking!
Its one of the most amazing things that makes this world so special to play in.
Im just ruined for every other show I should ever do, should I ever be so lucky.
I hope that this show and others like it are changing things.I think its already happening.
It took about a year-and-a-half for the wheels to turn.
But a year-and-a-half after that movie, parts for me began appearing that I had never seen before.
Im normally like, Mr. Johnsons here to see you, you want some coffee?
As far as TV goes, that was it.
All of a sudden, theres roles.
You know that role on that amazing episode ofLouiehe did with Sarah Baker?
It was such a good episode.
I auditioned for that too, and I was so bummed that I didnt get it.
When I saw it, I was like, Of course you didnt get it, because shes amazing!
Wasnt she spectacular in that?
There are actors out there of different sizes and different races that have the talent.
I would like to hope the best person gets the job, regardless of jot down.
What was the original description of what they wanted?Im not 100 percent sure.
I do know there was a version where it said, Trying to lose the extra baby weight.
I think thats how it was first approached.
And then I think that description changed a little bit, but that was actually a great description.
A lot of times, for parts Id usually go in for, the descriptions were rather crass.
What do they say?Unattractive.
Im a size 14.
Im a pretty average American size, but in the business, Im fat.
I was just like, What?!
The ladies dont still.
I literally was like, Im too old for this shit.
If I burn a bridge with this, so be it.
This makes me so angry.
What am I afraid of?
This guys not gonna hire me anyway, clearly!
Ive had to deal with this shit, but you know what?
I can get loud so maybe you dont have to.
Dont you feel like thats happening more now?Yes, I do.
I still cant put my finger on as to why and how it is now, but its fascinating.
You just kind of sit there like, Oh?
There was a consequence?
People know about it?
Theres more people backing me up?
So it is a very exciting time.
Its a very, very messy and scary time.
Youve got to clean it out, look at how its infected.
So I think were just treating the wound now.
I think we just had the Band-Aid over it forever.
I was like, Yeah, pretty much.
Do you feel like it is rampant in the industry?Yeah, but its rampant everywhere.
You gain too much weight and dont fit your costume or youre not pretty enough, youre out.
But if youre casting a chorus of character people, I got the job.
You look at1776, its a bunch of old white guys and old white chicks.
You look atHamilton, and its just the faces of America.
Why dont you see this plus-sized person!
Its rarely the artistic people.
Its more the corporate idea.
They look at their spreadsheets and they go, People like thin blonde women, so get that.
We have to answer to the money.
Im just not convinced thats where the money is.[Laughs.]
Shes paid more attention to her family.
Any boundaries that Paula set just completely disappeared.
Everybody had their own not-so-great way of trying to make sense of it and move on and help her.
I said, What would you say specifically brings her back?
They said, She could go to jail.
Paula knows the smart choice is to get off.
As an actor, its a fine line to play some of the dumb shit that she does.
Im always checking in with Aline to be like, Is this delusional?
Or is this just plain stupid?
Do you feel like Paula and Rebecca are the central relationship of the show?I do.
But yeah, the writers have said as much, that Rebecca and Paula are their through line.
Not that I want to write myself out of the fourth season!
Any sort of primal relationship, youve got to be okay with yourself.
Any parent would think, Thats fucking bonkers!
I have to save my child first!
but its that very applicable rationale of, You cant help that child if youre unconscious.
Thats what I always think about when I talk about therapy.
Women are raised to think of others first, and that its selfish to take care of yourself first.
Ill set an alarm and when it goes off, we can play, but Mommy needs a nap.
The difficult thing with mental illness is that theres no one to blame.
You cant blame a person whos mentally ill because they didnt ask for it!
Theres no choice to it.
This season has been very, very difficult for me.
I have absolutely no shame about that at all.
you’re gonna wanna take care of yourself.
