EMPATHY AND ADVOCACY: CARLA GUGINO

BY CLARA SEELY-KATZ

Carla Gugino is one of those multi-talented, chameleon-like actresses that everyone knows from somewhere. Whether it be from one of the fun-filled family movies she's starred in, her range of television roles, or even in the theater, Gugino shines in every project she joins. Her most recent project, "Gunpowder Milkshake," now streaming on Netflix, is a pulpy action movie full of violence, female empowerment, and family bonds. It is a movie that shows how Hollywood is moving in the right direction, as violent movies where women are allowed to express themselves in big and messy ways haven't historically been met with open arms in the industry. Although it is an action movie, "Gunpowder Milkshake" is just as fun (if not more fun) than the name suggests while still being centered around heartwarming values of friendship and family.

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Gugino is a healer, an explorer, and an actress. Her desire for connection and collaboration in conjunction with her love for the film and television industry became more and more apparent to me with each question she answered. Gugino is not an actress in it for just the fame or the recognition, but for the art and the ability to express herself in a wild way while still being in a controlled environment. To her core, she is an artist, and it only takes viewing one of her performances to see that.

Read on to learn more about Gugino's introduction to the world of acting, why she has stuck with it all of these years, what she has been up to over the past year-and-a-half, and where we can all expect to see her go.

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Starting off, can you tell me how your 2020/2021 experience has been? I know it has been a challenging time for everyone in different ways.

It's been, for all of us who are alive on this planet, an unprecedented situation to live through. I think it has been intense on a few levels. That being said, it's also been filled with some beautiful discoveries. I've been acting since I was thirteen, I've pretty much always been on the acting train, and oftentimes I've found myself doing three jobs at the same time and flying across the country to do those jobs. Even though that's something that I've really loved because acting is the love of my life and something I still feel so incredibly passionate about, it also means I haven't had a real moment of rest. And so there was something really interesting to me about when the pandemic started, and we were all forced to be still. I realized that there's value in that, and it allowed me to reassess how much I want to be working and how I spend my time. At this point in my life, I really want to take on projects where I get to do things with people that I enjoy collaborating with. I'm prioritizing jobs that give back to me as much as I give to them. This past year also made me realize how much I am defined by what I do and how much my self-worth is wrapped up in being an actress. Objectively it makes sense since it's been the majority of my life that that's been the case, but now I know there is more. I'm always looking for a silver lining in things. It's in my nature, so that is at least the silver lining of what I think has been just such a, as you said, a challenging time for everyone.

Do you think you really had a fundamental change in your outlook on life?

Yeah, for sure. Everything is so distracting today, with phones and social media, and so many other outlets. Taking the time to do just one thing one-hundred percent is rare. So I found it really liberating when we were all asked to pause for a moment. I realized I might as well try to use the time because it probably was not going to happen again for the rest of our lives. I'm definitely going to take what I learned from that experience going forward.

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During that time, were you able to get any work done or start on any new projects?

Sebastian Gutierrez and I, who make a lot of things together and also live together and are partners in crime on a number of levels, actually ended up making a short film during that time, which was really interesting. Celine Ratray, a producer, came to us and several other couples who are in this business and creative and were quarantining together, and we created a film together. It's part of an anthology called "With/In," and a bunch of fantastic people were involved, like Julianne Moore and Don Cheadle. That was a cool creative experiment during COVID. And then, on a larger scale, we actually went down to the Dominican Republic and filmed a limited series during COVID with a twenty-person cast and crew. We were tested three times a week, and we were on a two-thousand-acre piece of property of jungle and beach. Nobody left for two and a half months. It was actually a really radical experiment that went well even though it could have been a disaster. But it was actually really incredible for everybody involved. And we have something we're really proud of from it, but also just the experience itself was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sure.

You are one of those actors who has been in everything. I feel like I've seen you in every genre, from guest starring in New Girl to being in San Andreas to even doing Broadway plays. What is your favorite genre, or overall setting, to work in?

That's an interesting question because I end up gravitating towards exactly the opposite of what I've just done. I don't think I have a favorite. I will say that I started in film and television, because I started in Los Angeles, and I had done some theater in school, but really, my dreams were made from film. Then when I was in my early thirties, I got my first role on Broadway, which was as Maggie in Arthur Miller's "After the Fall." That role was a significant turning point for me because I didn't have a lot of experience on the stage, and I realized how different stage and film acting are. I didn't know all the lore about theater that I knew about film from being on film sets from such a young age. I used that "ignorance" to my advantage, because the role Maggie is based on Marilyn Monroe, and Arthur Miller's relationship with Marilyn, and she had this really unusual duality, this total innocence, and then this huge just a considerable amount of anger, and pain. All of these things really sort of came out in their relationship. My “theater naivety” worked well for that. That role definitely changed my career in terms of doing a lot more theater because I genuinely believe acting in the theater makes you a better actor in every medium.

So, to answer your question, I really can't choose - I do love them all. And the truth is, I never really set out to do "genre-specific parts," but I have had some of the best roles by delving into radically different genres. I loved doing "Gerald's Game" and "The Haunting of Hill House." It's funny because I have many fans who know me from "Spy Kids" or "Night at the Museum," those kinds of movies that I've done. I'm grateful for the variation I have in my career, even though I think it was confusing for a long time. Hopefully, it will now be recognized as a body of work at this point. I'm just going to keep trying to confuse people, or at least keep challenging myself and trying different things.

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That is totally valid! And you really are fantastic in every genre you explore. I also noticed that you have producing credits as well. Have you ever thought about taking more roles behind the camera as well?

Of course, I consider it. But more producing than directing at this point. Maybe it's because I also live with a really great director, writer, director, so I don't have to. Or, maybe it is because I think I've always been really interested in being the interpreter or just being able to sort of take a piece of writing and elevate them, or take it to a place that even the writer might not know that's what they wanted. But I love producing, and I think I have the skills needed to gather the right people together to make something happen. One of the things that I love the most about film, photoshoots, or anything creative is collaboration. It is a fact that we all make each other better, and if you have the right group of people, the ultimate results will be so much more powerful because of that collaboration. I also prefer acting because I realized on the stage that theater is an actor's medium. By the end, it is only you on a stage with your audience. Television is a different beast. They say a film is made three times. First, there is the script, then the actual filming process, and then post-production and editing. After giving your performance, you have to accept that editing will do with it what they will. And there's a great sense of freedom in that. But there's also a lack of control. So I like producing because it's nice to have a say in the creation and ultimate execution of the piece.

You mentioned that interpersonal connection is something that you believe makes better outcomes and is vital to creativity. This is something that I really believe in, so I want to know, even though you started acting at a young age, did this aspect of the industry make you want to get into acting?

Actually, one thing I did know, even at thirteen, is that art can teach empathy. Since I started so young, I grew up seeing the world through different character's eyes and thinking, wow, I didn't understand what that person might have gone through. But now I feel that I do. I think so much racism, sexism, and bigotry is just a lack of knowledge and understanding of somebody else's life that might be very different from your own. Once you gain an understanding of others, you will realize we all really share very similar desires to be loved and to live a happy life. As an actor, the worst thing you could do is judge your character, so you have to analyze and empathize. I always think to myself, how did this person turn out this way? And how can I look at this from the inside out? What is their experience of the world, even if it's very different from my own.

I was a really controlling kid; I was very much a straight-A student, and I had a lot of tumult in my life in terms of moving a lot. So though I had a lot of love from my parents, there was a lot of inconsistency, and I feel like I am more of a kid now than I was then. The first acting class that I took in Los Angeles when I was a kid changed my life. I realized there was a place where I could lose control in a controlled environment and have that be my job. I think it was a way for me to process through a lot of my own psyche and explore that, and heal through that on some level as well. And from that came my love, always for people and collaboration. You create such a family in movies. You really do and, and it's an interesting one because it's an intimate process when you're making the film. Then it can become such a public thing with millions of people watching it, but the process itself is very intimate.

If you weren’t acting right now, what would you be doing instead?

When I became an actor, that is all I focused on for so long, and I kind of regret that now when I see people who are really multifaceted while acting and then also painting and doing photography, etc. I would say that for me, I haven't honed a lot of other skills. But I do love holistic medicine, and I'm often nicknamed Dr. Gugino. Health has always really interested me way before it was "the moment." I think that I would be doing something in the healing profession, and probably something to do with travel. I sort of love to curate experiences. When friends of mine are going to shoot on location somewhere, and they know I've been there, they will write to me and ask me to give them all the best restaurants, hotels, and who's the best massage therapist. That's always been very fun for me. So yeah, I think it would have to do with travel and wellness on some level.

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Both of those jobs involve a lot of community and connection, so that makes sense! Just recently, your latest movie came out on Netflix, "Gunpowder Milkshake." It is such a fun and exciting film, but I loved it because it allowed women to express anger and feelings in significant and violent ways that aren't often seen on screen. Can you tell me about how you got involved with this movie initially?

Well, first, I heard that the director (Navot Papushadov) wanted to meet with me via Zoom because I was in New York, and he was in Tel Aviv. When I first heard the title, I thought, this is really intriguing; I kind of already love it. And then we had a really wonderful conversation, and he was so passionate. Immediately it felt like we knew each other. He also was very influenced by Robert Rodriguez, who I've done many movies with, and Quentin Tarantino, who I have known over the years, so I sort of had a sense of his aesthetic. There was also something interesting about this being kind of a love letter to Hollywood, on some level, because it is so heightened, pulpy, and saturated. While you're watching, you are really aware it is not the real world.

Also, I just love how the story is about these librarians who were assassins, but it is also about the notion of this found family. Additionally, it's a movie that is women-centric, yet, age is never mentioned, which shouldn't be noticeable, but it is noticeable because so rarely are men's ages mentioned. Still, for women, it always seems to be a defining characteristic. I have no problem with any age. It's just strange that needs to be the context. So I appreciated that. And I also really love that the movie explores how parenting is so hard, and there is no rulebook for it, and your kids inevitably are going to be disappointed with you for at least a period. By the end of the movie, it is all really about family and how this family has found each other again, they've reunited with the librarians, and they're all together, and they are stronger for it. And they're in a phase in their lives where they can all sort of have grace and empathy for each other more than they ever have, and maybe take down the system while they're at it. Also, I signed onto this project because it was such a rad group of women, (and Paul Giamatti, who is so awesome, too), all who I had admired for a long time and really appreciated their work. And I think all of us felt that way about each other. And yet, none of us had worked together before, which was kind of amazing.

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As you mentioned, even though "Gunpowder Milkshake" is a big action movie, it really does have a heart. Do you think you are looking to take similar roles in the future, or are you going to try to do something completely opposite?

I do love action; I think it's really fun! But I'm never looking to do an action movie per se. I really love my character in "Gunpowder Milkshake," Madeline. I love that she has this reverence for the library and books and knowledge and that once a child is involved, she will stop at nothing to protect that child. My sense was that she had sworn off of violence, and now her fierce mother cub comes back full force. But when I saw the one-arm Tomahawk fight sequence she does, I thought this would be fun. And I mean, two days into rehearsing, I literally could not lift my right arm. Thankfully, it returned to me - the use of my arm. So although I loved that experience, I am never looking for just one type of role. It's always got to be something where the character draws me in. And the filmmaker or director draws me in. I guess storytellers draw me in more so than genre, although I love a great period piece.

And just by virtue of being a successful actress, one tends to amass an audience. Since you have countless fans, do you feel any pressure to act or present yourself in a certain way?

It is a complex thing, fame, or being recognizable to some extent. Obviously, it's something that, because I've been doing it for a long time, I'm used to, to some extent. At the same time, there's also a part of me that always feels like I'm anonymous in the world. And I'm struck when I suddenly see a paparazzi picture that I had no idea was being taken. Those are the moments that are bizarre. But I think when you choose this profession, you have to know that it will become public. And also, fans appreciating work is something that I never take for granted; that is such a beautiful thing because I could decide to go to a regional theater in a small town and be creative and not have that fan relationship, but having a reach and being able to share what I want to say and share what matters to me is important. In terms of social media, I'm not interested in being a spokesperson for anything other than love. I know that sounds very "hippie" of me, but I think we get in trouble when we can't express opinions or really be ourselves and feel/share the love. I am aware that people listen to what I say, and I have more of an impact because of the profession that I chose, so I try to navigate that as best I can. And I don't have the answers. I just continue to try to see what feels right to me and keep the conversation open.

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And our last question for today is: If you were a book, what book would you be and why? It can be an actual book, or you can make up a title that you think captures you/your life.

Wow, that's tough. My book title would be "The Best is Yet to Come."

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GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE is currently streaming on NETFLIX