Liz Torres – Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life

By starrymag | December 6, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

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

A) I did a short film with Valerie Harper about Alzheimer’s that has been getting rave reviews and prizes at film festivals. I’m just grateful to be in it. I have worked with her on and off for years and we’re friends. I feel with her like I feel with Sally Struthers – like Abbot & Costello – as though we have been working together forever (which we have). It’s called My Mom and The Girl. It’s a film about Alzheimer’s that is funny, but heartbreaking yet uplifting. That’s my favorite project right now that I’ve done. I’m on my way now to Alaska in December for a film festival. Then, I’m scheduled to do a film in Puerto Rico where I play a Dickensian character like Mrs. Havisham, but nice. So, I’m really gearing up for that and looking forward to doing it.

Q) What was your reaction to being asked back for “Gilmore Girls: A Day In The Life?”

A) I couldn’t believe it! I had mourned Ms. Patty and I had mourned “The Gilmore Girls” for these eight years. When I’m finally accepting that I’m not going to be Ms. Patty anymore (because I loved the character and it was so much fun) all of a sudden [like Al Pacino] “they bring me back in…” They brought me back for two episodes and I was so happy to be on that set. The first time for the first episode they shot for Winter I was trepidatious about going on the set and mostly everybody was there. They hired the same people all the way to hair, wardrobe and makeup. I walked on set and the first person I saw was Dan Palladino and I fell off my cane! [laughs] I was so happy to see him and I had such a good time with him. Then, I saw Sally [Struthers] was there and we are like Martin and Lewis/Abbott and Costello – the old time vaudevillians. I had such a good time with her. Then, the next episode I did was directed by Amy [Sherman-Palladino] and it was thrilling to be on set with her – Ms. Patty’s creator.

Q) How was Ms. Patty originally described to you?

A) She was a dance teacher in this small town. I went in and read for Amy. I had done a project with her before with Annie Potts and Tim Curry that Amy had written and produced about a hotel. Steve Carrell was in it, too. It was a wonderful cast and I was so thrilled to be working with this group of people. It didn’t go and Annie and Tim were heartbroken because we loved he project and each other so much. Everything was in place, but they cancelled us after very few shows. By the next time I saw Amy for this audition I had gained so much weight and I was very portly. I thought there was no way they were going to hire me to play a dance teacher and I went up to audition anyway because I loved Amy and I wanted to see her. I did the best I could and she would say, “Do it this way” and “Do it that way.” I left thinking it was nice to see her and how wonderful it was she brought me in. I was so grateful and I knew that I was fat so I figured that was that. I thought I’d never see her again until they needed a fat person on something else. Well, the phone rang and I had gotten the part. I could not believe it! I could not believe I had gotten this wonderful, wonderful part. And we shot in Vancouver (one of my favorite places). I loved being there and I couldn’t believe I had gotten the part. Then, the first time I went to Amy’s house (she owned Joan Crawford’s house with Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) it is a palace. It is my favorite house in all of LA and it is beautiful! I asked if I could go upstairs because I just wanted to roam around. She told me to be her guest so I went upstairs and all of the bedrooms have a walk-in closet. There are no closets, just a series of doors that I knew led to a closet). And on one of the closet door knobs were hanging ballet shoes. I went downstairs and asked Amy if she had studied dance. She said her mother was a dancer so I went right over to her and I said, “Oh my God! You’re a dancer!” She said yes, so I realized that was a world that Amy had been a part of. Her father was a standup comic, which I was. I did all of the talk shows like Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas. I was a standup comic and a dancer and I sang and played piano. So, her father was a comic and every party she had I would look for her parents and run to them. I loved them! I went back to Amy and said, “Your ballet shoes, who did you study with?” It turns out she had studied with Parone, who I had danced with on “The Ben Vereen Show.” So, that was the connection. I was floored! Parone is one of the best ballet dancers. I called her “no bones Parone” because when she danced she looked like she had no bones.

Q) Was there something you added to Ms. Patty? Maybe her epic love life?

A) No, I’m Hispanic and was very sheltered. I was busy when I was younger, but I’ve had two husbands. So, that was accurate. I was a standup comic, but I wasn’t as open about my private life as much as Ms. Patty is. She is all over the place! I learned from Lucille Ball who said to me, “The writers are your betters. They are better educated. They were English majors. They have studied all the poets. They are writers so they suffer over every comma and every period and every character. Your job is to make it fit your mouth and to work it and to bring it to life. That is your job and you don’t change a comma or a word. You just do it and bring it to life. You do everything you can.” With Amy, it was effortless because it was so well written and everything you wanted to know about the character was there. I had absolutely on questions about anything that she ever wrote. I just made it fit my mouth because English is my third language. So, I just had to make it fit and that was it.

Q) Talk about your relationship with your costar Sally Struthers.

A) We were on “All in The Family” together. I was a semi-regular for a year and we’ve known each other since then. We have lived through husbands and boyfriends. Sally had a beautiful little girl. So, we’ve known each other for a number of years. We hadn’t seen each other for a very long time, but as soon as she walked on the set it was like we picked up right where we had left off. I think we finished the sentence we started thirty years ago. And it was so beautifully written for us that it was like we were doing a comedy routine. We had so much fun!

Q) Where were you during the filming of the musical?

A) I don’t know! I am surprised! She and I are all musical comedy people though.

Q) You have great comedic timing. Is it something that has always been a natural ability of yours or did you have to work at it?

A) I never worked at it! I was a very serious pianist. I went to Manhattan School of Music. I was pre-Julliard. I ended up wanting to act so I went to NYU instead. I was very serious about anything until an old Vaudeville styled comic named Phil Foster who was on the “Tonight Show” all the time ran into me at a party. He said, “You’re very funny. You should do standup!” I thought he was nuts. I said, “No, my English is not strong.” He said, “You’re very funny. I’ll teach you how to write.” So, he taught me how write comedy. I wrote a little night club act and he worked on it with me and took me to Improvisation in New York, which was a little nightclub. I got up and had my first laugh and I became a laugh whore. I don’t’ know if it is my lack of the English language, but because I was so conscious of it I can get a laugh out of a line that is not funny. I’m just a laugh whore. I look for laughs that don’t exist or I create them. A lot of people don’t like that and say, “Don’t do that.” They want the laugh where they want the laugh and they don’t want anything taken away from the star. If the star is not up to par with the part…I have worked with some very serious actors who have no sense of comedy and comedic timing. If you do something out of whack it throws them off – like getting a laugh. So, it’s a gift and a curse at the same time.

Q) We’re just glad to have you back on “Gilmore Girls.” Would you be interested in doing more episodes?

A) Oh my God! I would sign up in a second! I love it! It’s one of the my most favorite projects that I’ve ever done. I’m sixty-nine years old and I have been doing this since I was fourteen years old. It’s one of my favorite, favorite projects.

Q) What kind of feedback have you been getting to the show’s return?

A) There was a “Gilmore Girls” convention in Austin, Texas, which was so well attended! There were lines around the block trying to get to the theater. It had a very nerdy component to the audience and the questions were very smart! I was on stage and I was praying they wouldn’t ask me anything because I’m computer illiterate. I was praying not to be asked about computers. Then, there was a Fan Fest in Connecticut recently that was very, very well attended. The town that Stars Hollow is based on in Washington, Connecticut. The reaction from the fanbase of “Gilmore Girls” is enormous and loyal! In Connecticut it was mothers, girls and children that came. It was different and it was wonderful. I’m just blown away every time I go to one of these things at how loyal the fans are to the show. It’s amazing! My friend started the USA Art Laughs looked up the reaction to the “Gilmore Girls” and said it was enormous and so positive. I’m so happy that it is.

Q) Have you kept in touch with any of your costars?

A) I had lunch with Yanic Truesdale and I see Sally every once and a while. We’ll have dinner together. I run into people different places, but you can’t be tight when you do a show and then go on with your lives.

Q) What are some of your most cherished memories from filming the series?

A) I think the snow scenes and Christmas. I’m a sucker for Christmas and when they made it snow in Burbank, California it was so awesome! I didn’t want to leave the set. I just wanted to play in the fake snow. It was so wonderful. I loved the Christmas shows! They were my favorite.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure fans know about the return of “Gilmore Girls?”

A) I’m so grateful to the fans for bringing the show back. I think the fanbase had a lot to do with it. I think the internet had a lot to do with it. The reaction on the internet is quite wonderful. I’m hoping and praying that Netflix takes notice of it and brings the show back. That’s my dream – that they bring the show back! It would be unusual, but I harbor hope.

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

A) God bless them all! Every one!