Lauren Ash – Superstore

By starrymag | October 27, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

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

A) Aside from “Superstore” (which takes a lot of my time) I have a small role in the upcoming film The Disaster Artist and I am also working on a screenplay based on my horrific dating stories.

Q) How was your character Dina originally described to you?

A) I just looked up the original “Superstore” pilot script I read (I never delete emails…it’s a sickness.  I also currently have 8000 unread emails.  And, yes, my castmates make fun of me about this) and Dina was described as “the strong, militant, occasionally frightening assistant manager.”  As soon as I had read a few of the lines Justin Spitzer had written for her I knew I was going to play this part.

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

A) We improvise a lot on the show and from the very beginning I would throw in little things here and there.  Luckily, Justin is really open to this and welcomes it.  We’ve had a lot of fun improvised bits make it into episodes.

Q) Where do we pick up with “Superstore” this season?

A) Season Two of “Superstore” begins literally minutes after Season One ended.  We see the massive walkout happen in support of Glenn (Mark McKinney) giving Cheyenne (Nichole Bloom) maternity leave and Dina betraying everyone by crossing the picket line.  Season Two introduces district manager Jeff Sutton (played by Michael Bunin) who has come in to the store to try and fix the issues going on.  The good news for Dina fans is that she redeems herself very early in this season by coming to Amy’s (America Ferrera) defense to make sure she keeps her job. Dina isn’t an emotionless sociopath after all!

Q) Will we be getting to see a softer side of Dina this season?

A) Dina’s “softer side” is still pretty tough, but we definitely get to see her have some more thoughtful moments than last season.
Q) Is it hard keeping a straight face while filming and saying Dina’s lines?

A) Sometimes!  But I REALLY love trying to make America and Ben [Feldman] laugh, which makes it easier for me to keep a straight face when saying my own lines.  That said, I have been having a REALLY hard time keeping it together in scenes with Mark this season.  He’s always hilarious but this season he’s been especially so.  I have ruined my fair share of scenes with him this year for sure.

Q) What part of what Dina says is improv and what part is scripted?

A) It varies episode to episode.  We always shoot the scene as scripted, but then they also allow us to improvise.  A large amount of the improv does make it into episodes, which is pretty cool.  It really makes it feel like we are creating something collaboratively which is such an amazing opportunity for me personally as an improviser.

Q) The cast has had such great chemistry. Was it instant when you all began working together?

A) It was pretty instant!  From the first table read we all seemed to immediately gel, both in terms of performance and friendship.  We are a big family who genuinely get along and love spending time together.  We took a cast trip to Vegas after we wrapped last season, we often have “family dinners” together and we have a cast group text chain that’s always running.  I took Nichole to see Drake as a thank you for cat sitting for me. I helped Nico [Santos] carry a rug into his new place a couple of weeks ago. My fellow Canadian Mark brings me ketchup chips back from Toronto when he’s up there. The love is real!

Q) Is there someone you haven’t worked with much or at all that you’d like to work with more or at all?

A) In terms of the cast, I love getting to work with everyone and always get sad when there isn’t an Amy/Dina scene for a while.  And then I get sad that there isn’t a Mateo/Dina scene.  Basically, I want scenes with everyone! In the Halloween episode I got to interrogate all the other cast members, which was a real dream as I got equal time with everyone.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable behind the scenes moments from filming “Superstore?”

A) Every day is memorable! Whether we’re having some sort of singalong between takes or improvising dances (America and I really have a gift for this), there’s truly never a dull moment.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you have been receiving to episodes?

A) I LOVE interacting with fans on social media – even when they all hated Dina after the Season One finale and wanted to tell me just how MUCH they hated me in great detail.  I’m just happy that people are invested in the show.

Q) You have great comedic timing. Is it something that has come naturally for you or have you had to work at it?

A) I think comedic timing is something that is innate within you.  That said, I have an extensive comedy background which has helped hone those natural instincts into something more precise over the years.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure fans know about Dina and this season of “Superstore?”

A) There is some pretty exciting stuff coming up for Dina this season!  The Halloween episode lets the audience see Dina in a whole new way and there is also a romantic interest for her that I think people are really going to love.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would like to genuinely thank everyone who supports me.  It sounds like a cliché, but the truth is that I wouldn’t get to do what I do without the support of fans.  I love interacting with all of you on social media.  I try to write back to everyone who tweets at me on Twitter. So, if you haven’t already, reach out to me on there and say hi at @lauren_ash!