I can ride my bike to work.
The jobs that you think are really great are far and few between.
Ive been lucky enough to have a couple of them.
Netflix
The world is heavy enough for me.
You made this season a long time ago.
What a wild time.
Its strange that it all became so topical.
The cool thing about Deborah is, she just writes what the best idea is in her head.
I dont think it matters whats happening politically, I think it could work in our favor both ways.
But we dont really talk about that.
Of course I have felt that.
I get enough of it at home from teenage kids.
Its a real thing in this country still.
The way Deborah handles it, its so great.
I never get this vibe from Deborah that she hates men.
And, yes, people have thoughts about her hair and her clothes.
And I love the way I look [in this show].
It is so fun to play this character.
Its a really unusual world that we live in.
It is what it is.
People really care about womens hair.
I mean, are there worse things?
I had given birth to my second kid at home, by the fire.
It was super-idyllic, at Christmastime, all the hippie-dippy things, in the bath…
It was perfect, and she was easy.
I was taking out the trash the next day, it was so easy-breezy.
I realized, Uh-oh, something is very wrong with this giant baby.
And they put a little trench coat on me, and we headed to the hospital.
Are they correct?Well, it is fun!
Whats not fun about that?
Its such good writing.
Its so fun to be a girl and let it rip.
[Kate is] such a dude in the room, which is so fun.
Shes such a fuckin smartypants, bossy, get-shit-done [person], doesnt care what people think.
Just get to the point.
But yeah, its highly enjoyable.Besides the profanity, what else drew you to the role?
I was liking my nice, quiet life of bike rides and taking care of little kids.
Its just, the writing was so good.
Its still so fun.
And everyone knows what that feels like.
Deborahs genius is finding the minutiae or the ridiculous or the funny in very important moments.
This is a political drama and a thriller and a comedy of manners and a rom-com.
Are there parts of the show you particularly enjoy doing?I really love the funny stuff.
I love doing that stuff and trying to make it seem real or embarrassing.
Its amazing to have someone like Allison Janney on our show [now].
That scene of her falling down the stairs inPrimary Colors, Ive watched that so many times.
Thats the kind of stuff that I think is so good when you could pull it off.
Why do you think that is?Who knows?
Its just what people see you as.
Its what comes your way.
Its not all screwball comedy.
The heart of the show to me is the Hal and Kate stuff, and those massive fights.
I think theyre so good and jagged and real and raw.
I keep using the word embarrassing, and theyre so immature and specific and real.
We just get this chance to do this really fun, juicy, light, spicy thing.
If youre dark and serious all the time, its such a bore.
I was also working with Matthew, my guy, who is incredibly funny.
We would just be laughing so much.
It wasnt hard, because I was so in love with Matthew.
We look back on that time and just marvel at it.
That was so cool!
For me, that special recipe is taking really long breaks in between projects.
Thats what saves me and keeps me interested in things.
I think people get bored of actors.
They certainly would get bored of me.
It was so cool, amongst many other amazing things that fans did for us during that show.
They all thought they were going to be fine.
They werent sure about Elizabeth and Paige.
They all had big arguments about that.
Ive thought about this over the years.
Hes like a rock star.
Its like her husband and kids are nothing to her, and shes meeting the Russian Bruce Springsteen.
That was amazing to me.
And you look atthat girl when shes young, and it looks like Elizabeth!
Have you heard from actual diplomats about your current show?A few.
Probably the ones who hate it are like, Fuck off.
Dont ever call us again.
We are such fans.
Samantha Power is my hero.
They are doing the best work, the hardest work, for zero thanks most of the time.
She is beyond cool, so smart, so funny, so fashionable, so easy.
Ive had dinners at the real Winfield [House, the U.S.
Ambassadors residence in London] with her, with Hillary Clinton at the table, Barack Obama.
You watch those people in action, and theres no way I could do what they do.
She knows everyone in the room, everything thats going on.
And she dresses really nice.
And I had, throughThe Americans, met [former U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations] Samantha Power when she was at the White House with Obama.
We go out and have drinks and talk about it.
They let me come just be the clown at the dinner, its so much fun.
Who knew that aMickey Mouse Club, doesnt-have-a-college-degree [person] would get to do such cool stuff?
I just love talking to them.
Theyre so alive, in a way that is unique and intoxicating to be around.
They say, I binged the whole thing in two days.
People usually like to kid Rufus, Oh, youre so bad!
And the wife said, No, hes not.
I think this show is so romantic.
And I thought, They get it!
Yes, its a hot mess, but thats the crux of the whole show.
They have this magic thing, and theyre trying to make it work amidst this chaos.
There are fans who think Kate should run screaming from Hal.
What do you think?
Is she smart or stupid to stay in this marriage?Its tough to know.
Its funny, because I got to meet Gloria Steinem a few years ago, who lovedThe Americans.
Part of me is like, I dont know if shed like this.
Would she judge this and say, Kate!
Get out of there!'
And the great news is, we are deep into Season Three right now, and it evolves.
It will be many, many versions of them.
Kate could be in love with someone [else].
He could be in love with someone [else].
And I guarantee you, they walk in the room and they will have that energy.
That is just who they are.
And part of that is working together, part of that is this mind-meeting that they have.
That will not change.
So I think there are many stories to tell within that world.
How has it been working with Allison Janney?Oh my gosh, shes a dream!
Shes everything you want her to be.
And she and I are flossing to each other in our suits.
Shes just game and up for it, and loves life.
And all the good things.
You know, just girl stuff!
Its kind of cheating, because theyre getting a master class every single day of their lives.
For me, the most fun are the really terrible ones, where you look really bad.
Like that terrible, homely, orange curly-haired nurse, with orange polyester and bad glasses.
