Ames McNamara – The Connors

By starrymag | November 11, 2020

By: Kelly Kearney

 

 

Q) “The Conners” is back and last night was their highly anticipated Halloween episode. The fans love it when this family does Halloween, is it the same for you and the cast? Are they your favorite episodes to film?

 

Ames: Yes, one hundred percent I love the Halloween episodes! They are always my favorite. The costume and the makeup department; they always come up with such amazing costumes with the wigs and makeup. It’s definitely my favorite episode of the year and it’s always a fun atmosphere on set when we’re shooting it.

 

Q) Michael Fishman directed the Halloween episode. How was it acting under the direction of one of your co-stars and was it easier since he is so familiar with the cast and characters?

 

Ames: Yes, I would say yeah. It was nice to see Michael directing and he did a great job. The Halloween episode isn’t the easiest episode to direct, but it was very nice to have him direct.

 

Q) Did Michael give you and the cast more freedom to explore your character or did you mainly stick to the script?

 

Ames: I would say we stuck to the script. He definitely talked with us a lot with working out any issues that we had with blocking or the script, so it was good to have him direct. It was more natural and a relaxed vibe on the set and it was a cool experience to have someone that you know and, everyone knows, directing.

 

Q) The episode found Mark at odds with his classmate over wearing a mask and it eventually led to a fistfight.  How do you think Mark should have handled that?

 

Ames: I thought he should have handled it exactly how he did, which is not fighting, but unfortunately it came to that. But I think Mark has every right to say the facts about wearing a mask.

 

Q) Dan and Darlene had a very timely argument over Mark’s fight and found themselves at odds over how he should have dealt with it. Was Dan right? Is listening and finding common ground with people who have opposing views important, or was Darlene right, and there is no point in trying to talk sense into the senseless?

 

Ames: I would say that I agree more with Dan’s point of view. It’s better to have a calm conversation and, like I said, talk about the facts instead of not trying at all.

 

Q) “The Conners” have always excelled at showcasing what it is like to be a working-class American and now that the country is dealing with a pandemic and all the economic and social downfalls that come with it, they find themselves struggling right along with us. From job loss to evictions, this is American life now and “The Conners” perfectly capture the zeitgeist of this pandemic. Can we expect them to continue on in this direction or will the season move on from the pandemic?

 

Ames: Well, I would say you can expect the Conners to continue in the direction of showcasing what everyone is feeling right now and that’s something that they’ve always done. They have always put their characters in real life situations, especially with Mark too, dealing with remote learning in the world of COVID. So, it’s definitely reflecting how many people feel, but there are other stories to explore besides COVID. That will still be a part of the show because it’s part of our life. Reflecting what we all go through is one of the best parts of this show.

 

Q) We know the challenges the Conners are facing, but what have been some of the challenges you and the cast have faced while trying to film during this time? How is set life different now as opposed to last season?

 

Ames: It definitely feels completely different from last season. For me, personally, I was worried about COVID in general and how the safety protocols would pan out. But I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised. And I felt very comfortable on set, which was really good, but it is hard to act through masks in rehearsal. I just felt safe on set which was really the best possible thing that I could feel. I do miss the studio audience that we usually perform in front of. It’s usually one of my favorite parts of the show because you get so much energy from the audience and it’s nice to hear that instant reaction. It just almost feels like a play, in a sense, so that I am definitely missing this year. But, overall, I think it turned out really, really, well.

Q) You’ve been portraying one of the only gay, non-binary/gender non-conforming young persons on TV for three years now. What have you learned about the community you represent as you walk in Mark Conner’s shoes? 

 

Ames: I would say it’s good to have a person representing that community on television and it’s a very diverse community. I think it’s good for kids to see themselves reflected on TV and I’m more sensitive to those issues and aware of those issues that they face in the world.

 

Q) Last season Mark came out to his family.  Can we expect to see more storylines about how a teenage Mark navigates the non-binary gay life in Lanford?

 

Ames: I would say, probably; I definitely hope so. I think it’s an impactful storyline and it’s interesting to see where that goes in the future.

 

Q) Outside of this season of “The Conners” are you working on any other projects the fans can keep an eye out for?

 

Ames: Not at the moment because between filming for “The Conners”, I need to be back at school and take some time to focus on stuff away from set, but maybe in the future.

Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of you and your work?

 

Ames: I would like to say thank you and I really appreciate everyone tuning in to watch “The Conners.” I definitely feel so much gratitude for all the fans. For not just me, but for all The Conners, too.