Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Donna Lynne Champlin Talks Paula Proctor and ‘Middle-Aged Woman Rage’ [Exclusive Interview]

Donna Lynne Champlin is no stranger to entertainment.

As an award-winning trained actress who studied at Carnegie Mellon, she’s performed on countless New York stages in shows such as Sweeney Todd, Billy Elliot, The Qualms, and Hollywood Arms.

You may have seen her on screen as a guest star for hit shows like Younger or The Good Wife, to name just a few.

She’s even recorded an album, Old Friends, which is available here on iTunes.

This season, Champlin caught the attention of fans and critics alike for her outstanding performance as Rebecca’s best gal-pal, Paula Proctor, on The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

We caught up with Champlin to talk about Paula, her upcoming book, and what she calls, “middle-aged woman rage.”

Tell-Tale TV: I want to start by saying congratulations on the success of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Donna Lynne Champlin: Thank you!

Tell-Tale TV: The show is, by far, one of my personal favorites, and it’s been wonderful to see such an amazing critical and fan response to it. What drew you to that script initially?

Champlin: Well, I think what was most fascinating to me about the script was that the way Paula spoke and sort of looked at the world was so eerily similar to the way I speak and look at the world that I told my husband I suspected our apartment had been bugged.

Also, while prepping for my audition, I googled both Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna and I realized I was already a big fan of both of them. I had seen many of Rachel’s YouTube videos from them just popping up on my Facebook feed over the years and had never even realized that she was the same woman in all of them.

And now she’d written a really funny, smart and unique pilot for a TV show while still in her twenties?! I was incredibly impressed and even more excited to just have the chance to work with these incredibly talented women.

Tell-Tale TV: Paula and Rebecca, to me, are the real foundational relationship on the show. Did you and Rachel Bloom have that chemistry immediately, or was it something that you worked toward? 

Champlin: Professionally, I was lucky that for my final audition in NYC, Rachel was there in person and we were able to read together. And yes! We had an instant rapport, both when we were on script and then when we both organically decided to go off script in the middle of a read.

It was clear to me that she was just a super generous, beautiful soul and we had an immediate connection with each other, absolutely. Maybe one of the fastest and strongest I’ve ever experienced, especially after just 5 minutes of meeting someone.

Personally, Rachel and I used to joke on set that for about the first 5 or 6 episodes that “Paula” and “Rebecca” had more of a short hand understanding of each other than Rachel and I did as real people. Our characters instantly had an intimacy that we had to cultivate more gradually in “real” life, which makes total sense; one relationship is based in fantasy, and the other is not.

But now, of course, with a full season of shooting (and PR events and holidays) behind us, and many hours chatting on set and in hair and makeup – we are wonderful friends. We absolutely adore each other and I think we both wish that our personal schedules allowed us more time to hang out together away from work.

I like to say we’re both “working moms”; me with a 4 ½ year old son, and her with 350+ people collectively called “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” We did manage to schedule a lovely lunch with Carol Burnett (and Aline) a few weeks ago though, and I hope come Season 2 we’ll both be able to find more time to spend with each other off set.

Tell-Tale TV: Your character starts the series as a bit of an antagonist to Rebecca. In your opinion of the character, what would you say makes Paula change her mind about Rebecca, leading her to suddenly being an ally? 

Champlin: Paula is a big romantic, and I also think she’s a very lonely person who lives with a lot of regret. If she could get into a time machine and go back to when she was Rebecca’s age, she would definitely do a lot of things differently. She would be braver and pursue her own happiness more if given a second chance. So when she finally uncovers Rebecca’s “true love plan,” she sees in her not only a kindred spirit, but a potential protégé in a way. Which then slowly morphs into a surrogate daughter dynamic as Season One goes along.

So when she sees Rebecca doing the things that she was afraid to do when she was in her 20s, she develops an instant respect for (and a need to protect) her that surprises everyone, including herself. And selfishly…subconsciously, Paula feels like if she can help Rebecca not lose courage in the pursuit of happiness and true love (like she did), she can somehow make sense and even give purpose to what I imagine is a long list of painful missed opportunities and fear based choices in her own past.

Tell-Tale TV: The music on the show is just incredible. What is the biggest challenge in balancing traditional filming, along with dance rehearsals, and recording songs? 

Champlin: Well, coming from the Broadway world, the biggest challenge for me “musical number wise” is the fast pace of TV versus the much more relaxed and extensive rehearsal process of the theatre. While we might dedicate weeks of rehearsal to one musical number in the theatre, in TV we’re lucky if we get a few hours. That’s not to say that theatre people aren’t used to moving quickly and making changes on dime, we are, and obviously those skills have come in very handy.

But it still blows my mind that it can take years to get a Broadway musical up on its feet and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is basically doing it every 7 days. And I say that as a complete and monumental tribute to the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend writers, composers, producers and crew. How they do it, I swear to God…I don’t know. But they do, and it’s absolutely thrilling to witness and be a part of.

Another purely logistical difference is that in the theatre we generally play on a proscenium type stage, which is basically “straight on” with us on a stage and the audience right in front. Your energy as a performer is very focused, directed and “out” of the front of your body in a slightly presentational way.

But in TV (at least in the numbers I’ve done on the show), it’s more of a feeling of doing a musical number in the round. So your energy is coming from everywhere in your body (including your back). So instead shooting your energy ‘out front’ it’s a 360 ‘emanating’ kind of thing. Because there will be shots from every angle and then maybe even have a steady cam just whirling around you at one point.

It’s very surreal. I remember when I shot the finale musical number “After Everything I’ve Done For You” it was a REAL mind bender because my set was very much like a stage and yet when I looked out “into the house” I couldn’t find an Exit sign to use as my point of focus. It was exhilarating but also disorienting… like I’d come home, but someone had moved around all my furniture around while I was away. 

Tell-Tale TV: You’ve had so many phenomenal performances this season, ‘Face Your Fears,’ ‘His Status is Preferred,’ ‘Paula’s Turn,’ and some great group numbers. Which was your favorite?  

Champlin: Oooh. That’s a real tough call. I love all of them. They’re all so different. I’d have to say “After Everything I’ve Done For You” is my favorite Paula song from Season One.

First of all, I just think Rachel did an absolutely stunning job composing this “Paula’s Turn.” It’s based on a very famous song from the musical GYPSY and not only did she manage to capture the essence of the song, she managed to condense it into half the time. The original “Rose’s Turn” is about 5+ minutes long, divided into 6 distinct melodic sections. She somehow managed to incorporate all of the above in under 3 minutes. The difficulty and musical mastery of that can never be praised enough, in my opinion.

Second of all, it was just a thrill for me to incorporate musically what Aline Brosh McKenna (our show runner and the director of this finale episode) calls “Middle Aged Woman Rage.” It’s a very real thing that is rarely shown on TV because three-dimensional middle-aged woman characters in general, are rarely even seen on TV, let alone allowed to feel a full range of human emotion. We all made the choice to ‘go to 11’ on it and let the chips fall where they may as far as how people would respond to it.

And it’s fascinating to me that while the response to that song was overwhelmingly positive as a musical number? A large percentage of viewers interpreted it ultimately as a “crazy villain” song and not as an earned “ultimatum” song. Which just shows how far we need to go as a society in allowing women past the age of 35 to be angry without labeling them as “insane” or “evil,” rather than justifiably misunderstood and frustrated. I believe there’s a lack of empathy and an unspoken rule out there that “women over 35 must be seen and not heard” and I’m happy to be a small part in breaking it, if I can. 

Tell-Tale TV: We know Paula’s answer, but I would be remiss if I didn’t ask which team Donna Lynne Champlin falls on. Team Josh, Team Greg, or Team Rebecca Should Be Alone Because Neither Is Right?

Champlin: I’m definitely “Team Rebecca Should Be Alone Because Neither Is Right.”

My personal dating history was fraught for decades with lots of drama from both sides and it wasn’t until I had intensive therapy for many years that I was finally mentally and emotionally well enough to attract and maintain a truly healthy relationship (which luckily for me is with my husband, actor Andrew Arrow).

AND part of my actual therapy was to stop dating completely for 18 months which was difficult, because I was in my late 30’s and feeling… not even the pressure of my own biological clock? But the INTENSE pressure from society that there was something fundamentally unworthy and unlovable about any woman not married by the age of 35.

And then, after that year and half “off,” part of my therapy was to jump back into the dating pool, which was even harder! Because I’d really come to love my quiet, calm, uncomplicated single life for the first time, and I just didn’t think there was any man out there who could make me happier than I was being on my own. But then I met my husband (via Match.com, btw) and it was game over; but in the best way.

So I think Rebecca should double and triple up on weekly sessions with Dr. Akopian, give up on ANY guys right now and just learn to love being on her own. And as much as Paula believes she is doing the most loving thing for her friend by steering her constantly to Josh? I think the healthiest advice is for her to go “Team Single” for a year at least.

Tell-Tale TV: You’re currently filming “Downsizing,” which has an unbelievable star-studded cast with Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Kristen Wiig, and Neil Patrick Harris, just to name a few. What can we expect to see from you in that?

Champlin: Well…as la-di-da as it sounds, I am legally not allowed to discuss Downsizing as I signed a confidentiality agreement. But I can say that I am done with my principal photography and Ms. Wiig, Mr. Damon and Mr Payne could not have been more amazing to work with. They were uncommonly kind to me and Downsizing is a fantastic project that I am ridiculously proud to be a part of.

Tell-Tale TV: I understand that you’re also working on a book inspired by your (mis)adventures in theater, which excites me so much as a self-proclaimed Broadway nerd.  You’re an actress, singer, dancer, and now author…you’re truly a Donna-of-all-trades! What inspired you to share your story with the world in this book?

Champlin: Well, I’m Irish so…it’s in my DNA to always be telling stories. About 10 years ago I wrote a one-woman show where I combined a lot of my theatrical stories with songs and music into sort of a stand-up/cabaret hybrid called FINISHING THE HAT. Much to my surprise, it was a big hit. Then I started recording my shows so I could transcribe the stories into essays more easily afterwards. It’s still in the works as free time for me (especially in the last 5 years as a new mom) has been scarce, and of course every job I do I collect more and more stories. But I do hope to finish it soon.

But an even bigger impetus for me to write the book, is that as someone in the arts (who’s basically freelance and more often than not, at the mercy of other people to “give” me a job), always having a creative outlet that I have 100% control over during “downtime” gives me authority over my own artistic output, regardless of the opportunities that come from the outside.

I mean, creating my own vocal debut album OLD FRIENDS from start to finish was one of the most creatively satisfying things I’ve ever done. And when I’m talking to young artists and students I always tell them to make their own work during hiatus. Whether it’s a book, an album, a video on YouTube, etc. there’s no better feeling artistically, than bringing something to fruition from tip to tail, without having to answer to anyone but yourself.

Tell-Tale TV: Thank you so much for chatting! We can’t wait to see what’s next on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and everything else you have coming down the line!

Champlin: Thank you so much for asking me! What great questions! And thank you for being such a big fan and supporter of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. We all can’t wait to get started on Season 2!