Melissa
The whole market for letters by famous writers seems very sketchy. Lee
MCCARTHY
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committed felonies, but did you view her crimes as worthy of jail time? Me? I’d let Lee walk in a minute. In terms of all the terrible, hurtful things you can do in the world, I don’t think this even gets put on the list. I do realize it was wrong, but I still think, god, those letters were good. I’m
Tapping into her criminal side with Marielle Heller’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? BY MIKE FLEMING JR.
a little biased because I kind of fell in love with Lee along the way. I wouldn’t have even put her on house arrest. But maybe it’s good that they did, because she probably wrote more because of it. Did you get any of her forgeries? I’m still trying, still looking for one. I want one really badly. I’m still trying to figure out how I find one and where are they and who
M
ELISSA MCCARTHY LANDED AN OSCAR NOMINATION for her breakout turn in Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids, which started a string a comedy blockbusters for the pair. Now she’s back in the conversation with Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which may be considered one of her first dramatic turns, but only to those who have failed to catch the deftness of her talent on display even in the most outrageous comedies. She plays Lee Israel, a respected biographer struggling to pay the bills who turns to a new form of writing: meticulously forging letters from famous writers like Hemingway, Dorothy Parker and Noel Coward.
has them. I’d love to have one. I haven’t been able to figure out yet who actually has them, and then just as a point of interest, I’m also so curious to know what they’re worth. Wouldn’t Lee get a kick out of this, if her Dorothy Parker is perhaps worth more than a real Dorothy Parker? I just wonder. Didn’t this character—the felon who’s flawed—used to be played by men? Maybe I’m generalizing. I think you’re right. I’ve been lucky. I’ve played challenging women in ways that people are not used to seeing. You’re
You play Lee Israel as an ornery, hard-
She died in 2014. Were you able to
supposed to be cleaned up and perfect
to-like woman with a total lack of van-
find out what drove her?
and pleasant and I don’t really know how
ity. But you make it hard to walk way
I could only conjure what I thought it was
to play pleasant. If they say, “Play blonde,”
without some sympathy for her.
for her. Being so talented, and wanting
I can change my hair color, but I don’t
Well, I just loved her. From probably 20-
to just let her writing stand for her. She
understand the rest. Identity Thief, the
some pages into the script, when I didn’t
didn’t want to become this show pony, a
role was originally written for a man. I was
even exactly have a tangible reason for
celebrity writer.
always reading scripts going, “Well, I don’t
why I liked her so much, I saw myself
know how to play the female part, she has
rooting for her. I realize she hasn’t really
How did you find her?
done anything that I should be rooting
I started by reading everything I could, but
for. It didn’t make things easier for her at
while Lee was a great biography writer
I get asked, “Why are they always so ag-
all, being caustic and tricky, but I thought
who could live through other people, she
gressive or unlikeable?” or whatever the
especially in today’s world where every-
didn’t put herself into her book. She didn’t
adjective may be and I think, well that’s
body needs so much validation from other
want people to know about her. I got very
what real people are. I have no interest
people on social media, I just loved the
lucky with two of our producers, David
in playing beige. It’s not fun to play and
thought of Lee being like, “I don’t need
Yarnell and Anne Carey. Anne knew Lee
I don’t think it’s very fun to watch. If you
you to like me, I don’t even really want
very well for 10 years, and David knew her
want to tell a good story you’ve got to love
you to like me.” It’s an amazing way to go
for 40 years. He’s the big reason she finally
the character at one moment. Sometimes
through the world. And I thought she was
wrote her autobiography. Listening to their
you’re going to hate them, sometimes you
so talented. There were turns of phrase
stories about Lee was incredibly helpful to
root for them. All those complicated things
she would use in some of the letters that I
me. And there was a wonderful character
that make it worthwhile.
just thought, god she’s good and yet she’s
written into that script. Between all of that,
being told she was obsolete, and, we don’t
I felt like I certainly knew how I wanted to
by inch. We’re certainly not over the hump,
need you to do what you do best anymore.
play her and how she cocooned herself, I
but more women are demanding, “Give me
What would any of us do in that situation,
suppose, to protect herself. Which it really
more character, give me something relat-
if you can’t survive?
didn’t; it made her life much more difficult.
able to play.” ★
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D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E
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no point of view. But this part...” It’s why I write a lot of my own stuff.
But you’re right. And it is changing, inch
PHOTOGRAPH BY
Chris Chapman
11/23/18 12:07 PM
