Kirsten Nelson – Psych 2: Lassie Come Home

By starrymag | July 22, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

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

A) I wish I had more to report! Here and there you might hear me voicing commercials on TV and the radio. That side of the industry has continued in a limited capacity with new modifications since the shutdown began and I’m fully embracing new opportunities there.

As far as on-camera projects, I was in the process of auditioning for roles in future shows when our industry was shuttered in mid-March, bringing so many opportunities to an indefinite standstill. Returning to work safely is key to our industry reopening again, especially since on-camera actors are one of the professions who, unless written accordingly in a script, cannot wear a mask when filming resumes. But in the midst of so much uncertainty I do have hope that there’s something new around the corner!

 

Q) Please tease the premise for Psych 2: Lassie Come Home.

A) After one of their own is wounded, the team reunites to solve his case, stop a murder and get Lassiter back on his feet again! And do we hear baby bells??

 

Q) What continues to bring you back to this beloved franchise?

A) Getting the chance to work with these actors and writers and crew will always keep me clearing my schedule and coming back for more! It’s not often when everything clicks on a job. These characters, the antics, the relationships are so fun to revisit that I’ve appreciated watching them grow and yet still remain the same. The sheer joy that Shawn and Gus bring to the screen really has captured lightening in a bottle and to be a part of that story is rewarding.

 

Q) Where do we pick up with Chief Vick in the movie?

A) Vick is still Chief of Police in San Francisco, rocking some sweet new suits, but now she is being considered for Police Commissioner, a huge but ultimately political promotion. V-e-r-y tempting… [wink]

 

Q) What continues to challenge you about portraying this beloved character?

A) Staying true to who this mother-figure is for the other characters and trying to stay distant from them at the same time can be a challenge. I have to keep reminding myself as Chief NOT to enjoy the hilarious ravings of “the boys” as Kirsten might want to! But, ultimately, she’s very much a part of who I am already. I just really need to button up my suit, slide into whatever fabulous heels wardrobe found this time around and remember to keep a stern straight face. Or at least TRY…

 

Q) Going into the movie, were you hoping to share a scene(s) with someone in particular?

A) The shooting schedule was really wonky for this movie and I missed seeing and hanging out with some favorite friends. SPOILER: I really wanted to share the screen with Tim Omundson, but we obviously couldn’t story-wise this time around! We had to settle for texting each other words of encouragement and excitement during those days to keep the support going. Pretty sure “The Chiefs” not sharing a scene with one another gives an automatic green light to PSYCH 3…

 

Q) How much room for improv is there when it comes to shooting? 

A) There is SO room for improv on our sets! The comedy keeps us on our toes and it makes the entire cast truly feel more invested in the episode that we’re creating! Giving us the freedom to try new things to heighten the comedy in the moment has always been encouraged – even with our guest stars. But our writers are wonderfully talented. Often times they are the ones pitching new ideas and takes during the shooting process. But we promise to give them a few takes of performing the scene verbatim, as we initially read it on the page, to honor the words they wrote for our characters!

 

Q) Who seems to have the most trouble keeping it together during scenes?

A) You’d be surprised how much Dulé [Hill] laughs on set, but we’ve all been on that boat more than once – especially when you have to share a scene with Kurt Fuller! I guess “Woody” has the most freedom to break and laugh his way through a scene due to the fact that he’s such a wacky guy to begin with. But there’s the badge of honor in getting James [Roday Rodriguez] to break. His concentration and mind is so focused and can move so fast during shooting that when he’s given a creative curveball and caught by surprise, it really is joyful to see him laugh.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to film for this particular “Psych” iteration? 

A) Meeting up with Juliet (Maggie Lawson) in the police station was a good day. It was my first day back on set, the first day seeing many on the crew again, the first day hugging many of my friends again after a two-year absence. We also have a tradition of singing “Happy Birthday” when we welcome or say goodbye to a character. Being in the middle of that harmonic chorale was a perfect moment to kick back into this series. Also, the extended sequence at the end of movie where we catch the bad guy was a long day full of fun. It was great to shoot those scenes in the IceBar Chalet – an odd old Swiss hunting lodge in the forest outside Vancouver – and to just perform and hangout with old friends again. We were edgy, we were funny, we were concerned, we were overjoyed our little group was expanding! They were just good days.

 

Q) What have been some of your favorite episodes of all time?

A) “Last Night Gus” remains one of my favorite overall episodes of the series. It’s just so tight from start to finish and I’ve always loved how it incorporates all of our characters. “The Polar Express” is just so odd that it’s beautifully weird and my god, who wouldn’t want to revisit the Frau again?!? And, personally, for me “1967: A Psych Odyssey” will always hold a special place in my heart. A goodbye episode of new beginnings as our series began the trek to our finale.

 

Q) What makes now the right time to return to “Psych?”

A) I think “PSYCH” has always done best as a summer show and fitting that scheduling and kismet landed us here in 2020. But, honestly, we had to wait about fifteen months for the fans to see this love letter of a movie and we certainly didn’t know this was the endgame when we were filming it in April of 2019. After the first movie, we always knew we were going to reunite for another one – one that focused and celebrated Lassiter. It was just a matter of when all of our schedules would allow it and when Tim would be ready to come back to work. And whenever he was ready, we were ready. I think premiering the movie now as we help launch a new platform is a bit of timing we could have never foreseen. The world is so fractured right now – a global pandemic and quarantining away from family and friends and restrictions on movement and events – that having an opportunity to virtually come together again and laugh and reminisce and share in the recovery and lifting up of a beloved character can be healing. I think we’re all just honored to be a small part of this moment by offering up a lighthearted salve in these trying and uncertain times. Fate sometimes chooses the right moment for you.

 

 

Q) What have you personally taken away from your time working on this special series?

A) Working on this series offered me opportunities to open doors that I only hoped for. Playing a strong female character, beginning with all her pregnant glory, was fulfilling and I was given the chance to match wits with some of the most talented actors around. They also encouraged me to push my comfort zones as I launched into the director’s chair on multiple occasions. I wish I could say that we always appreciated what we had but sometimes you need to step away to recognize the gift that is “PSYCH.”