‘Linoleum’ Interview: Rhea Seehorn Talks New Sci-fi Comedy

What is the plot of ‘’Linoleum?’

‘Linoleum’ stars Jim Gaffigan as Cameron Edwin, a depressed man dwelling a slightly boring life in a small Ohio city together with his spouse Erin (Rhea Seehorn) and daughter Nora (Katelyn Nacon). Cameron hosts a kids’s science tv present in a small market that runs at midnight, however he has at all times wished to be an astronaut and grew up within the shadow of his extra profitable scientist father.

When a part of a rocket falls from orbit and crashes into his yard, he decides to meet his unrealized dream and rebuild it into his personal rocket. However, his spouse, who has began divorce proceedings, thinks he’s having a midlife disaster. As another surreal occasions happen in his life, Cameron not solely feels his mission is justified however he begins to query the character of actuality itself.

Who is within the solid of ‘Linoleum?’

‘Linoleum’ stars Jim Gaffigan (‘Troop Zero’) as Cameron Edwin and Kent Armstrong, Rhea Seehorn (‘Better Call Saul’) as Erin Edwin, Katelyn Nacon (‘The Walking Dead’) as Nora Edwin, Gabriel Rush (‘The Kitchen’) as Marc, Amy Hargreaves (‘Michael Clayton’) as Linda, Michael Ian Black (‘Wet Hot American Summer’) as Tony, and Tony Shalhoub (‘Men in Black’) as Dr. Alvin.

Moviefone lately had the pleasure of talking with Rhea Seehorn about her work on ‘Linoleum,’ how she bought concerned with the venture, the advanced script, her character, working with Jim Gaffigan, and searching again at her time on ‘Better Call Saul.’

Rhea Seehorn as Erin Edwin in Colin West’s ‘Linoleum.’

You can learn the total interview under or click on on the video participant above to look at our interviews with Seehorn and Jim Gaffigan.

Moviefone: To start with, how did you get entangled within the venture and what was your first response to the screenplay?

Rhea Seehorn: Colin despatched the script by means of my reps to me, I learn it and I liked it. The script had notations in it, or I suppose they’re referred to as stage instructions or actions, that made me perceive the place it was stepping into a manner that you just would not in case you weren’t watching it. So it wasn’t a couple of shock aspect, however it was fairly the jigsaw puzzle for me to consider as I used to be studying it. Then I actually liked the characters and I actually liked these huge questions it was asking. But it was Colin’s letter that he despatched together with it, explaining that this was born out of his expertise, going by means of his grandfather’s dementia. He had these enormous philosophical questions that in the end had hopeful solutions.

There was one thing very lovely about the best way he was approaching it and these giant questions he wished to ask with this fairly allegorical magical realism story. Then once I bought on the cellphone with him, I used to be positively offered. He’s a gifted filmmaker and artist. and simply form of very humbly with a light-weight contact, goes about asking very giant questions and he’s not afraid to not provide the solutions.

MF: There is a giant reveal on the finish of the movie. As an actress, how did you method taking part in this character with out taking part in the reveal?

RS: Yeah, it was numerous psychological gymnastics. In each venture, you have got all of the completely different methods and courses and craft issues that I’ve realized and it is a hodgepodge and you take out the items which might be applicable. It’s simply how I work for that movie. Now, numerous them keep the identical, however some change. In this movie, it was actually essential for me to wrap my head round, often with Colin, Jim and generally Caitlin, what is definitely the reality if I, Rhea, watched this movie and determined to put in writing it once more, understanding what I do know, what’s the precise fact of the scene the place I’m giving my daughter recommendation is an effective instance.

Now some individuals may say, “Forget it, I’m just going to play the scene.” But as a result of I already knew, it was essential for me to grasp the place it suits logically as greatest I may after which put that apart and discuss what’s the scene if it was simply merely me giving my recommendation to my daughter. Because in the end my job is to be truthful within the scene. It’s not my job to inform the entire story. Jim and I approached our scenes the identical. Because as we discover out, Erin is in the end form of the narrator by necessity of what you are watching, even when you do not understand it.

Rhea Seehorn as Erin Edwin in Colin West’s ‘Linoleum.’

Related Article: Vince Gilligan Plans New Show After ‘Better Call Saul’

MF: Erin says that she wished to do “something fantastic” together with her life. Can you discuss what she means by that, and will you relate to that concept personally your self?

RS: This is one among lots of the themes and massive questions that Colin was asking, which is why I believe having this little little bit of sci-fi magical realism is an excellent method to go about it. That line, “I wanted to do something fantastic” is repeated by a number of characters, utilized in other ways, stated in inspirational methods and likewise stated in mocking methods, that it is someway petty and infantile. I believe for Erin, she had huge desires too and, by means of no fault of her personal, bought assigned the pragmatic bill-paying position. She’s the one one being accountable and he or she did not ask for this job, and it is a actually heavy sack to hold round. She’s asking to not be alone in that. “Can we share this burden so that we can both be dreamers?”

But Erin has misplaced contact together with her spark and being fascinated by science and area has diminished on the similar time that the spark has diminished of their marriage. I believe lots of people that I’ve spoken to say that half resonates with them, whenever you’re simply too exhausted to be the most effective you in a relationship and in life. But I believe in the end, there’s this love story on the core of the entire thing the place, from my viewpoint, in the end Erin is making an attempt to let her husband know that loving somebody unconditionally and being in a partnership is doing one thing implausible. They have accomplished one thing implausible, and that form of frees her to start out being a dreamer once more, and to let it go, which dovetails into the second a part of your query.

You can obsessively give attention to, “Oh, I’ll finally believe in myself and think that I have done something fantastic when it’s this thing and when it’s that thing.” You maintain shifting that goalpost for your self. When actually, attending to do what you like for a dwelling in any respect is such a small proportion of the inhabitants interval. What a present to be afforded that luxurious, as a result of not everybody will get to do one thing they love. That is implausible. Now at this stage in my life, having a fiancé and two boys which might be my stepsons, it is such as you actually do begin to take inventory. I believe Erin, whenever you first see her, if she appears round her, there’s an entire lot that is implausible.

(L to R) Jim Gaffigan as Cameron Edwin and Rhea Seehorn as Erin Edwin in Colin West’s ‘Linoleum.’

MF: Can you discuss Erin and Cameron’s marriage, and dealing on that relationship with Jim Gaffigan?

RS: I liked working with Jim. He’s so nice. I’m so glad that so many individuals will see the breadth of his work as a result of I knew him as a stand-up, though he advised me that he began in dramatic roles. That’s what he thought was going to be in his profession earlier than he ever was a stand-up. He’s such a gifted comic. But you understand what? So is Bob Odenkirk. So is Michael McKean. I believe comedians are damaged individuals and that is why they will do drama so effectively. I used to be often known as a sitcom actress earlier than I bought ‘Better Call Saul.’ It’s a humorous factor, however Jim is extremely deft at actually nuanced assaults on a scene. We had such a superb time discovering that as a result of the connection needed to be actual.

It would not matter if we’re standing in the course of a twister or no matter, we knew these are two people who love one another. Depending on which scene you are taking a look at, one among them has fallen within the ditch and the opposite one is making an attempt to tug them up. No matter how misplaced or how dangerous the miscommunication is, they should need one thing from one another always in any room that they are in collectively. Even whenever you’re seeing them not talking, like in that great bed room scene, it does not imply they do not need one thing. Erin I believe is simply desperately saying, “Can you please come back to me because I am doing this alone and I can’t do it anymore.” That has a double that means by the point you get to the tip, realizing what she’s been by means of and why she does really feel alone.

MF: Finally, now that ‘Better Call Saul’ is over, what was that have like for you as an actress to be part of?

RS: It’s not attainable to overstate what a present that present was to me, the household of individuals which might be very shut pals of mine, the present of that writing and course, and the present of getting individuals like Peter Gould, Tom Schnauz, Michelle MacLaren, my total solid, and Vince Gilligan.

The expertise was doing one thing in your profession the place you are like, “Wow, am I capable of that? Because that looks really hard, but I want to be that good.” Then you have got all the individuals that you just thought have been the most effective at their jobs saying, “No, you can do it. You are capable of this and you’re going to soar.” That is what they gave me every day on the set. You go home a better actor every single day and it’s joyful.

(L to R) Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut and Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman / Gene Takavic in AMC’s ‘Better Call Saul.’

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‘Linoleum’ is produced by Brain Scratch Productions, Storm City Films, and Sub_Sequential Pictures, and is scheduled for launch on February twenty fourth.