Jenna Rosenow – Firefly Lane

By starrymag | March 8, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for the series “Firefly Lane.”

 

A) “Firefly Lane: is a story about two unlikely friends, Tully (Katherine Heigl) and Kate (Sarah Chalke), that spans over the ups and downs of their decades long friendship. It’s equally a coming-of-age story and a growing old together story that delves into relationships, family issues, first loves, careers, marriage, divorce and everything in between!

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the series?

 

A) Sometimes you’ll read a script and get an instant gut feeling about the show and “Firefly” was one of those for me. When I got the audition, I read the sides and straight away thought, “I want this role. I want to be a part of this show.” The scenes for Kimber were hilarious and I just saw an amazing opportunity to create a really fun character.

 

Q) Where does Kimber fit into Tully and Kate’s tale of friendship?

 

A) Kimber is the Editor of Seattle Digest and Kate’s new boss. She is a young socialite who is trying to make a name for herself in the journalism world, so she’s constantly looking for that next big story that’s going to put her on the map. She’s very preoccupied with herself and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what she needs and she doesn’t care who she has to step on to get things done. So, she causes some big issues for Tully and Kate toward the end of the season.  In the beginning of the season, though, she’s just a nightmare boss for Kate! Getting her to perform menial tasks that are way below what Kate is qualified for.

 

Q) Was there anything you added to this role that wasn’t in the initial breakdown?

 

A) It’s always an interesting job when you’re taking on a role in a show that’s based on a novel. In this case, though, Kimber isn’t actually in the books she was a character that was added for the screen adaption which makes my job a little bit more interesting because it allows me the complete freedom to create the character without worrying that I’m taking it in the wrong direction. Like any role, though, there’s only so much information given in the breakdowns. So, of course, you have to create the rest of their story!

 

Q) What did you find challenging about your portrayal?

 

A) Kimber Watts is definitely a character you’re going to love to hate! And while playing those roles are incredibly fun to create and film, you never quite know how they’re going to be received, and those types of “villain” or “bad guy” roles can easily become one dimensional. No one in life is ever just good or bad, so I think it’s important to find parts of those characters that show those different sides of them.

 

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them?

 

A) Familiar in the sense that I have seen their work before, but I hadn’t met any of them personally!

 

Q) There are some big names attached to the show. Were you looking forward to working with someone in particular?

 

A) I’ve been a big fan of both Sarah and Katie for quite some time, so I was very excited to be working with them. They’re both incredibly talented and just straight up lovely people.

 

Q) What are some standout episodes that are personally special to you?

 

A) Episode 2 is always going to be a standout for me because we were filming with my characters dog and there’s a scene where I’m telling Kate to go and express its anal glands. Sarah and I trying to keep straight faces while improvising different ways to say that line will be forever etched in my memory!

 

Q) What do you think it is about “Firefly Lane” that has made it a fast fan favorite series?

 

A) I think there’s a lot of reasons that it’s been so well received! The novel was incredibly popular and had a fan base already which definitely helps. Kristin Hannah is an incredible author, so fans of hers were already looking forward to the show before it hit Netflix, which is amazing. Aside from the fact that it’s come at a perfect time for a bit of escapism, (because we’re all going through this pandemic and have been for quite some time now) I also think it’s the fact that it’s a love story between two best friends and there are storylines throughout the show that are relatable to a lot of people out there.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. What kind of feedback have you been receiving to the show?

 

A) The response has been amazing! Social media can be an interesting place at times and we all know there are plenty of trolls lurking around, but I’ve only had positive feedback so far personally.

 

Q) What are the other recent projects you have been busy working on?

 

A) I have a couple of things in the pipeline at the moment, but nothing I can talk about just yet!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

 

A) Honestly? I get a little bit lost for words when it comes to this, it can be such a surreal feeling to film something and then you kind of forget how many people are out there in the world that might be watching it! The fact that people have taken the time out of their day to reach out and write to me on Instagram or Twitter means more than you know! So, thank you!!!