The Part Before the Part

I took the job 'cause I needed the paycheck and those health insurance weeks.It was a small role, recurring, if the audience didn't hate me. I was playing an agent. Not my agent, which would've been kinda funny, but someone else's

This role lets you say "I'm working" when your mom calls but still gives you enough downtime on set to go on about whether you peaked in community theater.

I hadn't seen Poker Face. Not really. I knew it existed. Knew it was one of those shows people got weirdly obsessed about on Twitter. A throwback mystery thing? Something with murder mystery. Honestly, the only thing I knew about Natasha Lyonne was she'd popped up in every showbiz rumor I half read online.

So when casting told me I'd be in scenes with her, I didn't freak out. I just Googled a couple clips, watched her talk a mile a minute, and thought, Huh. That's a lot of voice. Then I memorized my lines and reminded myself not to psych myself out over someone who probably wouldn't remember my name after wrap. 

She wasn't on set yet. I heard she flew in late, after some editing or filming, who knows. The crew talked about her like she was a walking contradiction. "Genius, but not precious," one of the PAs said. "Talks like a noir detective possessed by a stand up comic," said someone else.  I didn't really know what that meant.  But I was about to find out.