Photo Credit: Birdie Thompson @birds_eye_photo
We had the pleasure of interviewing actress and voiceover star Karen Strassman. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Karen! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your role as Dr. Slotnick on the hit AMC series “Preacher.” What should the audience expect to see in the new season?
Hey you guys! If you haven’t seen season 3 of Preacher yet, you’re in for a wild, wild ride. Each of the characters has such a rich arc, and not only will you be blown away by all the twists and turns, but your heart will be torn apart by many of these characters who you can’t help but fall in love with or love to hate…
I wish I could share some kind of exciting teaser regarding the upcoming season 4 that they are shooting now, but honestly, I know nothing about it. Some cast members are posting some things from Australia, and are terribly excited about what is happening over there, though.
Tell us about Dr. Slotnick. Who is she? What is her personality like, and what role does Dr. Slotnick play in the series
Dr. Lois Slotnick is a passionate, highly intelligent scientist. Perhaps even a freak of nature. She works for the Grail and is obsessed with creating a DNA cocktail that will help put Genesis, the voice of God that has been residing in Jesse, in it’s “rightful place” in the “real” Messiah. She really wants to please The Allfather.
Was it a challenge to play Dr. Slotnick in the beginning?
One of the things that so struck me when I was watching the series and preparing for my role was that no matter how crazy and “out there” a script might be, and how “charactery” most characters in the show are, all the actors in the show make their characters so very real, human, and grounded. So, you feel they are completely real and get truly involved in their lives. You feel for them and with them. As I was preparing for my episodes, I wanted to create a character that was really intense and out there, but also feel as real, grounded and believable as all the other characters on the show. But it was a cool challenge to have. I hope that I succeeded.
How did you get the role?
Susan Tolar Walters at STW Talent Agency got me the audition. Apparently, they had already seen men for the role, and they were now looking at women instead. The breakdown for the character basically said she was a passionate scientist, with no mention of any accent or nationality, so I did a self-taped audition corresponding to that. But it just didn’t feel quite right, and I said to my friend who was taping me “I don’t know why, but really I have this crazy urge to do it with a German accent. It’s stronger than me. Let’s just try a take like that at least to get this weird idea out of my system…” We had so much more fun with that take, and we liked it so much, we sent it in. Then later that week we heard back from the Casting Director Ryan Glorioso, asking me to tape a callback audition, saying that they actually really liked the German accent, and could I retake it with some adjustments… And there you go. A huge reminder of how important it is to trust one’s instincts
The subject matter of the series is heartfelt. How does the second season’s production bring something new to the story?
After the small town where Jesse was a preacher is completely wiped out at the end of season 1, Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy hit the road. Jesse’s mission during all of season 2 is the plight to find God, who he has been informed is missing from Heaven. Jesse senses God is hiding out in New Orleans and decides to head there. His passionate need to get some answers is also at odds with his relationship with Tulip and wrecks havoc between him and Cassidy as well. As supernatural as this story and the characters are, their deeply human conflict will definitely pull at everyone’s heartstrings.
What is going to surprise people about Dr. Slotnick?
I think her unexpected appearance in season 3 brings an even deeper sense of how evil and messed up the Allfather and his cohorts are. I won’t say much more, and I don’t want to spoil or soil anyone’s experience ahead of time…
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue and why?
“Oh no… I don’t zink so….” was my favorite line, just because it was so much fun to say with the German accent insinuating all kinds of Machiavellian implications…
When looking back on the production, what resonated with you the most and why?
What really pulled me into this series is the combination of incredible, wild, and even offensive risks the creators take all the while delving so deeply and tangibly into the human heart and soul. I actually kind of fell in love with every single main character and tons of the secondary characters because each one is so fascinating. and Even in their comic book conception, they are so deeply human. I find this show way more humanly resonant than a lot of other shows on TV that are supposed to be more ”realistic” and character based. This series and all the characters have a huge soft spot in my heart and I felt so lucky to be a part of it this bold and wildly fun storyline.
In your opinion, what scene in the series is going to blow people away and why?
Wow, that is so hard to say because there are so many… waaaaay too many. There are scenes in Preacher that blow you away because they are so disgusting (like the dismembered hanging anus) or so much fun, like the episode where Cassidy and the Angel do drugs together, or heart-wrenching, or so cool, like the Devils lair, or humanly disturbing when you see the power Grandma has over Jesse… So many…for so many reasons.
What do you enjoy most about your character and role?
I love character work, and Dr. Slotnick really provided me with an opportunity to create a completely different character from anything I’ve ever played. The creators, writer, and director gave so much freedom to create her from the ground up, and since she doesn’t appear in the actual comic books, I could really put my own stamp on her.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the series?
I think the actors in this series are brilliant and also really lovely people. What a pleasure and an honor to get to play in this arena with all the creative talent.
You’re also landed a recurring role as D.D.A Laura Tribe in Amazon Prime’s hit series “Bosch.” Tell us about Laura.
I’m not allowed to reveal anything yet, except that she is tied to an important plot point for Harry’s daughter, Maddie, in her personal struggles to find peace with certain things…
“Bosch” is about to enter its fifth season. That’s amazing! There are so many amazing productions being produced for television and streaming outlets, in your opinion, what makes “Bosch” stand out?
What makes Bosch stand out for me is their complete dedication to making sure everything is entirely realistic. They have real detectives, police and forensic consultants, for example, on set to make sure it’s all completely plausible with how these things could happen in real life. The days I shot they had a real deputy attorney on set and I got to talk to her about how she would handle the situations my character was in and what she would do. Bosch is shot in real local restaurants, stores, coffee shops, and other existing locales, which gives it such a completely authentic, feel and flavor. So much attention to detail in this way, and it is so much fun to be part of.
What is special about D.D.A Laura Tribe?
Again, I can’t reveal too much, but I think this woman represents the people in her field who are working to bring justice to victims, and justice to criminals who wronged them. But like real life, crimes are complex and the people involved in them on both sides present many human and legal challenges… Resolution isn’t always as easy as we wish it could be…
You have played so many amazing roles. Is there a role you haven’t played, yet, that you would love to?
I really find exploring issues like mental illness, drug, and alcoholism, certain physical, emotional or mental handicaps fascinating to explore. And it’s powerful for an audience to watch a character struggle to overcome or deal with such challenges that scare us so. There are many human struggles in this world. I am very compelled to portray these raw and complex parts of the human psyche that people don’t understand. Through storytelling, I want to help people to come to a more visceral connection with so many challenges of our fellow humans so that the walls of negative stigma can fall away, and more space can be created in the human psyche for deeper healing.
When looking back on your career, what resonated with you the most?
Well, when I was younger, I was told or led to believe that I wasn’t pretty enough to be on TV or movies. It was also explained to me that I wasn’t ugly or “interesting looking” to play character roles. So I grew up not thinking there was a place for me in this business. Well, I have spent 30 years of my life making my living as an actress and voice-over artist, doing what I love. And I want to continue to do work that is deeply humanly resonant with people that reaches far beyond stereotypes or preconceptions of success. And I want to inspire people to break through their own glass ceilings to create the lives they yearn to live.
We are looking forward to seeing you as Barbara Dowels in acclaimed horror director Tom Six’s upcoming horror thriller “The Onania Club.” What should we expect to see?
This movie is so boldly disturbing. It will most definitely be highly controversial. But what I can say now is that the content and storylines of this film is nothing compared to what already exists in the world and the disturbing realities created by our fellow humans on this planet. One of Tom Six’s talents is to hold an extremely uncomfortable mirror up to our own darkness, and this movie will be no exception.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about your career?
It takes a village. I am constantly grateful every single day for my mentors, friends, confidants, and advisors, for all the collaboration at every stage of this business. I am grateful for the truly great artists out there who have forged their own paths through their devotion to truth in their own art and their visceral need to tell a story, to tell their truth. These artists help point the way for me back to the heart, gut, and soul of human experience. Even though I’ve had a certain amount of success, I have wasted so much of my life trying to fit into what I think I “should” be or do. In this chapter of my life, I yearn to dive deeper into the uncomfortable truths of humanity and my own imperfect humanness. Truths that make us all laugh and cry because we simply can’t help it. Truths that can bring down barriers in human experience.
Credits:
Photographer: Birdie Thompson @birds_eye_photo.
Hair and Makeup: Allison Noelle @allisonnoellemakeup.
Clothing: Pinup Girl @pinupgirlclothing.
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