From stand-up comedian,
model, columnist (Cosmopolitan) talk
show host (E!'s Chelsea Lately) to
bestselling author (Are You There, Vodka?)
Chelsea Handler has now set her sights on conquering primetime TV by starring
in her own sitcom, Are You There,
Chelsea? Based on her bestselling books written by the late night
phenomenon, each week, Are You There,
Chelsea? follows the exploits of 20-something Chelsea, an opinionated and
unapologetic young woman who lives her life to the fullest.
Handler is portrayed by That 70's Show, Laura Prepon, but in a
comedic twist, Handler herself plays the
recurring role of her own big sister, Sloane. Earlier this month, Handler and Prepon
recently sat down to discuss the show, their characters and the fine art of
mixing vodka.
Chelsea, do you really have a sister Sloane?
CHELSEA: I have a sister,
period. No, I have a sister. Her name isn't Sloane. We had to change her name
for legal reasons so that my own family can't sue me.
So what is it like to play
your sister and not yourself?
CHELSEA: First of all, it's a dream come true to have
someone else portray me, because I've been living this life for a long time,
and I'm over myself, and it's a pleasure to play my sister because everything
I've been accusing her of my whole life, I can now re-enact before her eyes.
She's thrilled, surprisingly. It's a lot
more fun for me to play her than it would be to play myself.
Did you want to be in the
show but not in every scene like Laura is?
CHELSEA: Well, I mean, it's Laura's show,
ultimately, and the show's based on me, so I wanted her to have as much time
without me as possible. But it ended up being a really fun character, and we
all really had a good time together.
There have been quite a few
changes made since the pilot was originally announced, including the title. Was
that a network decision to take the word "vodka" out of the your book
title, Are You There, Vodka?
LAURA: Well, some people like tequila, you know. Some people like beer. Not
everybody likes vodka.
CHELSEA: We don't want to
discriminate.
LAURA: Of course not.
That wasn't the real
reason, was it?
CHELSEA: No. It was --
actually was the real reason. Not everybody likes vodka, unbeknownst to me. I
just found that out. We just thought Are
You There, Chelsea? is a really kind of play on 'Am I there? What am I
thinking?' There was all these little kind of different meanings to it.
LAURA: Because we're a
mid-season show, we were able to have that time to really fine tune the show.
There was some recasting, and when you have the time, you're really able to
look at it and make sure we could put out the most amazing products we can, and
we've done that because this group is incredible.
Chelsea, when you see the
character now as it's portrayed now, do you think, "Boy, that's me,"
or do you think, "Boy, that was me?"
CHELSEA: Yeah. To a degree, absolutely. I was probably
angrier than she is in the show, which we thought wasn't as palatable. I went
through my 20s in a way that not a lot of people do. I kind of barreled through
them with no rhyme or reason or no repercussions for anything. And so there's
definitely an essence of that. She's not gonna be a caricature of me. We all
wanted to give Laura license to make the character as great as she could, and
she has. I like myself much better as her. (laughs)
And, Laura, how are you
playing the character as half male, half female?
LAURA: I have a really deep voice, which is good.
Honestly, I think it's the look. In my real life, I hang out with a ton of
guys. Growing up, I've played poker. I love doing things that guys like to do.
And I think people would call me a tomboy. I do wear heels, guys. Honestly, I
try to put some of myself into the role as well, and I think it's just Chelsea
and I both, we're not just those kind of girly girls.
CHELSEA: I'm not into UFC, by the way.
LAURA: I'll bring you to a fight and you'll fall in
love with that.
CHELSEA: Thank you for the opportunity.
LAURA: The fighters are cute.
What's best to mix with
vodka?
LAURA: Club soda and two limes.
CHELSEA: I mix my vodka just with lemon, club soda for
me. And the best cure for your hangover is two Excedrin.
LAURA: And some buffalo
wings. Or another drink the next day.
____
By: Earl Dittman
Tune in to Are You There Chelsea, Wednesdays at 9.00 et/pt