What was the most surprising development of the season for you?
Glenn Kessler: “The first season ends with an understanding that Patty has put a hit on Ellen. We had this notion of whether we could actually get to a place toward the end of the second season where Ellen has figured that out and wants Patty to admit it. It’s pretty risky because in a way, how does the show continue when one character has admitted to the fact that she tried to kill the other character? How does that relationship continue? Ultimately, I was very pleasantly surprised… It actually in a surprising and odd way deepens the relationship between the two women.”
FX
Close, Byrne, William Hurt, and Ted Danson are nominated for acting Emmys. What was it about this season specifically that offered so many memorable performances?
Daniel Zelman: “People are starting to look to our show for great performances in general. So that helps. We won the Emmy for casting last year and we’re nominated for casting again this year. It’s also a tribute to the performers as well. We’re proud to give them juicy material but at the same time we’re talking about actors like Glenn Close, William Hurt, Ted Danson, and Rose Byrne; those are the four nominees this year and they are incredibly experienced, professional, creative performers who just take our words and our stories and just elevate them.”
Andrew McPherson / Sony Pictures Television
You have an ensemble cast, but it is Glenn Close and Damages
that seem to be linked in people’s minds.
Zelman: “She is just an iconic American actor. She has been doing such extremely high-quality work, really since The World According to Garp close to [three] decades ago. Her track record, her performances, are such that I think whatever she would do—an actress of her caliber—she would stamp herself on any show. But I also think it was a kind of perfect synergistic coming together of actress and role, which we were very fortunate for.”
Andrew McPherson / Sony Pictures Television
What is it about Rose Byrne’s performance that makes Ellen so engaging, whether she’s being light or dark?
Todd A. Kessler: “One of the things that really intrigues us about Rose is her presence and her ability to communicate just by the way that she looks and the way that she uses her face and her demeanor., So for us, it’s something that really pulls us into the character of Ellen. Typically, network television shows look for types to play the ingénue and in Rose we have someone who in the roles that she is attracted to, her energy, and her look, there can be a sadness around her, a sadness in her eyes, a world-weariness in her presence and that’s something that’s very appealing to us as storytellers.”
Andrew McPherson / Sony Pictures Television
Ted Danson’s Arthur Frobisher wasn’t central to the Season 2 narrative, unlike Season 1.
Todd A. Kessler: “We are thrilled with Ted’s performance as Frobisher and it’s really inspired us to write more and more for that character. He’s going to be appearing in the third season as well. In the second season, Frobisher was trying to change his life after being shot at the end of the first season and he’s spending time with this spiritual guide. He’s kind of the classic American narcissist. He’s not fully formed as a person so he’s being pulled in different directions. He’s trying to latch onto a belief system that’s spiritual-based but when push comes to shove he goes back to where he was in the first season.”
Craig Blankenhorn / Sony Pictures Television
But people latched on to Danson’s performance anyway, and he was nominated in the supporting category.
Todd A. Kessler: “For Ted to be recognized for that performance, if anything it’s extremely gratifying. Everyone on this show is working for far below their typical rates, financially, so to get these Emmy nominations for actors that we are thrilled to be working with and inspired by is very gratifying because we hope that it also feeds the actors.”
Craig Blankenhorn / Sony Pictures Television
You already have Campbell Scott coming on board for Season 3. Do you create parts with specific actors in mind, or do you create the role and then try to cast the best possible actor?
Todd A. Kessler: “It kind of goes both ways. I think it kind of starts with attempting to create a great role and then when the actor is cast we end up tailoring it to the actor and continue to tailor it throughout the season as we work more and more with the actor… The roles themselves begin with our story and what characters fit in that story, but by the end of the season that starting point is probably almost forgotten and [each character] is creation of actor and writer.”
Andrew McPherson / Sony Pictures Television
What are you most looking forward to about attending the Emmys?
Daniel Zelman: “It’s being able to celebrate with our cast… When you do a show like this it just takes up a huge part of your life. So to have a day that’s carved out to sit back, have some pride and satisfaction, and be able to share it is really what I look forward to most.”
Todd A. Kessler: “I’m looking forward to seeing if Ricky Gervais can top himself from last year because he was the highlight of the actual presenters last year.”
Andrew McPherson / Sony Pictures Television
