Kathy Searle – My Man Is A Loser

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) My Man Is A Loser comes out July 25th. I’m working on other projects, but that is the baby that we shot two years ago and now it is finally coming out, which is so exciting!

Q) Tell us the premise for your film My Man Is A Loser and about your character.

A) It is sort of a romantic comedy about two husbands that are just kind of not stepping up to the plate as husbands and fathers. We are unhappy wives and we go to Mike (played by John Stamos) who is a love guru. He basically helps better our husbands. He teaches them the art of being better husbands, based on being single and learning from the women he has been involved with. It’s a romantic comedy and it really is a movie about relationships and friendships. The guys in the movie, John, Michael [Rapaport] and Bryan [Callen] have such amazing chemistry. Their friendship is so relevant to the movie and as far as becoming better men and better husbands. It’s really funny and I get to play Lianne, who is married to Marty (Michael) and is an exercise nut. That is kind of filling the void because because the marriage is not where she wants it to be. She is not getting the attention in the bedroom that she wants so she is working out to fill the void.

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

A) When I read the script I remember laughing outloud and feeling like I needed to play her. We’re very, very different women. I’m not married. I’m single and I don’t have kids. I just thought there is something so interesting about her being this exercise-aholic unhappy wife who just wants her husband to show up and be a better man and a better partner to her. It was funny, but also very vulnerable. I thought this could be amazing. She is just a real woman and I kind of felt like I needed to play her. Yes, she is funny, but I also want to see the other side of her and make her come to life. I knew from reading the script I wanted to play her badly, but it was a lead role and I am an “unknown actress.” So, I wondered if it was even possible to get this. I worked with my acting coach and said, “I’m going to get this!” I was so passionate about it.

Q) Was there anything you added to the role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) It was awesome. Mike Young, who was the writer/director (it was his first feature that he wrote and directed), was so open to us improvising and really fleshing everything out and making it all sound natural and real. That, to me, was so amazing because it was such a collaborative process. There are little things here and there that every actor came up with and made their own. Having that on set to go to every day was so awesome because you really did feel like you were going to work and getting to play, which is very rare that you get to do that. But because I think he was so open and really trusted us as actors, we all had such great chemistry together that it was like, “You guys want to play? Let’s do it!” We would do extra takes where we would improv and really get to have fun.

Q) What is your favorite aspect of your character Lianne?

A) I think that she is so comfortable talking about sex. I think that is so awesome  because it is so different than me. I’m a little bit shy in real life when it comes to real life talking about sex. I think the fact that she was so open and no bullshit – I love getting to play characters like that who are so honest that they say whatever is on their mind and they have no qualms about it. There is no sort of “should I have said that.” It was, “Nope, that’s coming out. I said it.” So, I think what comes out of her mouth was something that made me really want to say, “Oo, I’ll play with this this because it is different than me.”

Q) What was your most memorable moment from filming the movie?

A) Well, I talk about the fact that I loved when I auditioned for this movie. The day that I went in I wore workout gear with heals because I thought that is what Lianne would look like. She would have gym clothes on, but like Manolo Blahniks to work the calf muscles while doing exercise. I went into the audition, did the scenes and Mike and the casting director was there. When I finished, Mike said, “That’s it. Thank you.” That was it. I left the room and remember feeling so sad. I remember thinking, “Oh my God! I’m the worst actor. What’s wrong with me? I probably sucked!” A couple of weeks later when I got the offer to do the movie, at the cast dinner, I said to Mike, “What was that moment where you said ‘That’s it. Thank you?'” He said, “Because you did everything I needed! That was it! You did it!” It was this great moment of being an actor and realizing that we really don’t know. What we have to do is go in, do our job and leave and hope for the best. We never really know in the room what they are thinking. When you think you suck, you really nail it. When you think you have the part, they are like “Thanks a lot.” It’s an experience that you never know.

Q) You play Michael Rapaport’s wife. Was there instant chemistry when you began working together?

A) I was such a fan of his and I was so excited that I got to play his wife. I knew he was a big baseball fan so I watched Yankee games and tried to do as much research on baseball as I could. As soon as I got there, I was sort of a bumbling idiot about baseball. We ended up just clicking and talking about our lives. He loves music! He is like a music expert. So, we had so much fun stuff to talk about. So, I left that dinner really excited to play his wife. I thought, “This is going to be really fun! I’m going to get to work with an actor that I admire and love so much.” It was just really cool.

Q) Since you are a part of social media, are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you will receive when people see the movie?

A) I hope people like me! I hope people like me in the movie and like the movie. I’m new to Twitter so I am still trying to figure it out. Once we started doing press for the movie, getting followers was really exciting. The cool thing about social media is all these great new people can be a part of my career, too. I’m excited about that!

Q) Why will people want to take their time to go see the film?

A) I’m hoping that men and women of all ages will go see this movie. While it is considered a romantic comedy, like I said earlier, I think this movie really is about friendships and relationships. It’s not just a “chick flick.” Guys can relate to it because they have made those mistakes. Women can relate to it because they have made those mistakes. I feel like we learn from watching these characters that we relate to so much. I hope that people will feel like they do relate to both the men and women in this movie. Also, that they just want to laugh. My goal with this movie is just for people for an hour and a half be taken away from their every day life, have a good time and laugh at the goofiness of our marriages and our friendships. The fact that you get to look at John Stamos, Tika [Sumpter] and Michael – we have a very beautiful cast! They are very lovely to look at, I have to say! I think the fans will not be disappointed in watching those amazing faces on screen. I just hope they laugh, too. It’s kind of the not-just -for women romantic comedy. It’s genuinely funny.