Allison Munn Talks ‘The Big Show Show,’ the Importance of Family Sitcoms, and the Secret She Kept From the ‘One Tree Hill’ Cast [Exclusive Interview]

Motherhood is full of messy moments lately, but if anyone would be able to handle the changes it’s The Big Show Show‘s matriarch, Cassy. “We’re similar in a lot of ways but she just handles life a lot more smoothly,” said Allison Munn who plays the mom, stepmom, wife, and real estate agent on the Netflix sitcom. 

The Big Show Show follows WWE superstar Paul “The Big Show” Wight’s fictional family through a transitional period when his oldest daughter Lola (Reylynn Caster) comes to live with her dad to spend more time with him in retirement.

It’s not easy guiding your own spirited daughters through changes while working, keeping track of your husband’s mischief, and bonding with your stepdaughter. Somehow, Cassy does it all…until her world unravels. 

I got to talk to Munn about what sets her character apart from other sitcom moms and why starring in a comedy matters in a time of crisis. She even spilled some behind-the-scenes secrets about filming the cult classic North Carolinian drama One Tree Hill. 

“I can relate to her on her downward spiral,” she said, as we chatted from opposite coasts, both admittedly in sweatpants. If the responses she’s been getting since the show premiered are any indication, so can the rest of the world. 

“I’ve been getting so many messages on social media and they really, they have warmed my heart so much because they all kind of revolve around the same idea that [people are] all stuck at home right now because of the Coronavirus pandemic, and they’re losing their minds, or they’re worried about what’s going on in the world,” Munn said.

“They’ve sat down with their families, and they’ve watched this show, and it’s given them so much levity as a family to sit and laugh together during this crazy time. It makes me almost tear up when I get those messages because that’s important. That feels important to give families a break during this time that’s pretty scary.”

The show might be named for her TV husband’s professional alter-ego, but Munn stands out as Cassy because she doesn’t just exist to support her husband and daughters’ stories. 

“Yes, she’s a great wife and mother, but she also has an entire life outside the home and this whole storyline and this arc over the season where she’s trying to sell this house and she starts her new business. And typically with a mom on a sitcom, you don’t get to see her [professional life].” 

Netflix sitcoms also stand out because when someone’s spirit needs a makeover, it’s easy to call in one of Queer Eye’s experts.

That’s exactly what The Big Show does for Cassy to get her out of a slump. Working with fashion designer Tan France is a standout moment for Munn because, when it comes to admiring the Fab Five, she’s just like the rest of us. 

“I already had high expectations for him, and he exceeded them. He is lovely. He is so sweet and kind and giving and funny, and he feels like a friend immediately,” she gushed. “Sometimes you can get disappointed when you meet your heroes, but he’s everything he’s advertised to be and even more.” 

If you need more comfort when The Big Show Show is over, grab a pint of ice cream and curl up on the couch to watch Munn as Jamie Scott’s teacher Miss Lauren on The CW’s cult classic One Tree Hill. 

Lauren escaped North Carolina largely untraumatized compared to her peers, though she gets tangled in more than one love shape (one is too complicated to be called a triangle). 

I had to ask Munn to share some memories about the show that will always have a piece of my heart, happy to hear it still has a piece of hers, too. 

“We were always at the beach or at the movies or hanging out at one of their houses. It was just a really, really fun time in my life. I look back on that time with so much fondness and I miss it so much.” 

She got to shoot an episode on location in Puerto Rico with the ladies in the cast and shared a unique case of life imitating art.

On the episode, Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) discovers Brooke (Sophia Bush) is hiding a pregnancy. But Munn was keeping a secret of her own — she was expecting her first child with her husband Scott Holroyd, who plays Quinn’s ex-husband David on One Tree Hill. 

“That poor guy had to drink so much wine that trip,” Munn laughed, recalling how she would order wine to keep the cast from being suspicious, and sneakily pass the glass it to Holroyd.

“They were all always in the hot tub, and I had to come up with a reason why I couldn’t be in the hot tub, they went horseback riding, I couldn’t go horseback riding. So, keeping up the lies for that whole trip was actually pretty stressful.”

A few episodes later, Lauren is back in Tree Hill very pregnant with David’s baby, and they live happily ever after. 

No matter if you watch Munn on The Big Show Show or One Tree Hill for comfort, she sticks to one common principle to keep her performances relatable. “You have to make sure that you are being truthful with every line whether it’s a comedy or it is a drama.” 

Though Munn holds on to sweet memories from Tree Hill, working on comedies, particularly The Big Show Show, has taught her something about her purpose.

“I do feel like comedy is where my sensibilities lie. I love going to work and making people laugh and laughing all day.” 

The Big Show Show is Munn’s first time working on a streaming original, and the experience has been eye-opening for her, to say the least. She’s getting a lot of love for helping fans escape their reality for a while.

“It’s made me feel like the world is a little less large, you know? It’s been kind of an overwhelming experience for me and it’s filled my heart with so much joy.”

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You can stream The Big Show Show Season 1 on Netflix right now!

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