Natalie Zea – The Detour

By starrymag | June 18, 2019

By: Maggie Stankiewicz

 

 

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

 

A) “The Detour!” That’s it. Actually, that’s not true. I worked on a film a few months ago called Happily starring Joel McHale and Kerry Bishe. It’s an ensemble so there’s quite a large cast. There’s about ten principles and it’s a strange, genre-defying film that could be categorized as a thriller or a dark comedy or a metaphysical, philosophical type of indie film. It defies genre and it was a very, very cool experience. I shot it a few months ago and it should be coming out in the Fall. It has Paul Scheer, Natalie Morales…lots of great comedy people. Aside from that, “The Detour” is my main gig.

 

Q) What do you tease is in store for the Parker family in this upcoming season of “The Detour?”

 

A) Last season we left off where our daughter had run away and had been sort of plotting this escape throughout the entirety of season three. Then, we had this sort of Keyser Soze moment at the end of her making this decision very incrementally throughout the season. Now, in season three, the family has been broken up from the core four and we are looking for her. We are traveling the world doing so.

 

Q) “The Detour” ended with a pretty big cliffhanger last season. Will the upcoming premiere pick up where Season 3 left off or will there be a bit of a time jump?

 

A) There’s going to be a time jump. We shot this such a long time ago and we shoot so incredibly out of order. We shoot everything at once so there are days where we are shooting scenes from episode one and episode eleven and seven. So, I’m trying to think of when we open – we’ve already been all around the world. We’ve traveled when we open season four. It’s an around the world, international journey.

 

Q) How was Robin originally described to you?

 

A) She wasn’t really. My manager called and said, “There’s this script and they would like you for this role. I don’t know if it’s right for you or if it’s what we’re looking for.” He hadn’t read it yet, but the way it was pitched it was like Vacation the television show, which isn’t what the show is at all. I wasn’t completely in to that, but we read it to be courteous so we could let them know “no thank you” and move on. We both read it and fell in love with the character. The pilot was the only description I had of her. It was just what happened to her and it was the hook.

 

Q) What continues to challenge you about portraying her?

 

A) This is going to sound awful. I’m not particularly challenged in playing her, which is not a bad thing. The job itself is challenging in its own terms, but playing this character is not one of those challenging aspects. Jason Jones said himself that the lines have completely blurred between who is Robin and who is Natalie. I find my challenges in other ways on this show in that she comes very, very easily to me.

 

Q) Do you share any similarities with Robin? Where do you find the inspiration to fill her shoes?

 

A) I can’t take credit for doing much of anything. So much of the work is done by the writers. When the writing is good, as an actor, I think you have to do a lot less. Your job becomes a lot easier when the writing is good. When the writing is not good, I think that’s when it becomes a challenge and I’ve had to do my hardest work as an actor. I pride myself on being able to come in to a pile of shit and make it decent. I have not had to do that with this job. I would love to take credit for what happens on screen but a lot of it is just given to me.

 

Q) The Parkers are pretty ride or die when it comes to one another. What is it about Nate that keeps Robin sticking around?

 

A) Oh girl! We ask that all the time on set. I think that what you learn in season four is that you are going to be asking that question less and asking more of “Oh, why is HE with her?” Seasons one through three are “what does she see in this guy?” but she starts to show some dysfunction. She also starts to show that she has her own flaws and those flaws compared to his flaws are not all that different in terms of how dysfunctional they are as individuals. Somehow, they just work as a team. But we get it – we’re in on it!

 

Q) Talk about working with Jason Jones.

 

A) He is (this is going to sound like a compliment and it isn’t necessarily) one of the hardest working people I know to the point where he needs to not work so hard. I tell him…We have a joke that’s not a joke and I’ve been telling him since day one that this job is going to kill him. The stakes for him are as high as they can possibly get for him. He is the star, he is the producer, he is a writer, he is the showrunner and he directs an episode every season. And he would direct more but I’ve usurped him on a couple of those. He doesn’t know how to half-ass any of it. And it’s okay to half-ass some things. I’m a real expert at half-assing. But he doesn’t know how to do that and it’s going to kill him! RIP Jason Jones – I don’t know what to tell you. I warned him [laughs].

 

Q) “The Detour” employs a lot of comedic tools – from dialogue delivery to physical comedy. Do you have any comedic influences who help inspire your wide range of performances?

 

A) That’s a great question. No, if anything it’s just that with the physical comedy I tend to try and make my physical comedy gender neutral. I try to not do it like a woman doing funny. I’d rather just have it be situational and surely in the moment, without any kind of dainty or feminine or god-for-fucking-bid sexy touches. It’s just real, ugly, realistic. There’s this scene where I am at a strip club and I am dancing on stage and it is the least sexy thing I may have ever done in my life, which is always fun. It was the one laugh my husband made! He is my toughest critic and it was the one laugh that he gave me, which is good, I guess. I needed that laugh. It was exactly how it was supposed to go.

 

Q) Is there much room for improv when it comes to the dialogue?

 

A) Yes. The scripts change a lot and they tend to change pretty last minute often. So, when you do that, unless you’re a real creep you have to allow for the actors to help themselves along. I think that there is something pretty barbaric and shitty about a showrunner or writer who would change the lines right before action is called and expect you to be word-perfect. I’m sure they’re out there, but I don’t want to work for them. There’s an unspoken agreement that if we’re handed a last-minute change, the writers respect us enough to handle it with respect for the character. Jason is also very trusting of us. Even with the guest stars, if they have a knack for improv, he is more than happy to let them experiment. Of course, with anything there are certain points that need to be expressed and if you don’t hit those marks, he’ll let you know what needs to be hit.

 

Q) If you could play any other character on “The Detour,” who would it be any why?

 

A) Obviously Nate Parker! Who doesn’t want to fucking do that? I mean, he falls down and gets to make out with hot girls. Like, okay, who is going to say no?

 

Q) Can you think of any moment in your own family or life that would make a great plot for an episode of “The Detour?”

 

A) Oh god. The answer is – I’m sure there is, but I can’t think of one. What’s so great about this show is that, while it’s not autobiographical (despite what so much of the press insists) is that he pulls from his personal experience as a dad. I think that the honesty with which he uses that particular tool is what so many people respond to. Yeah, my life as a mom could certainly be used as a “Detour” episode because, again, while none of this actually happened to Jason he is able to take this little anecdotal moment and turn it into this crazy, ridiculous, hyper-real, hilarious half hour TV show.

 

Q) The show has gained much popularity on social media. Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans of the show and your work?

 

A) There are 500 television shows currently in production right now which makes it absolutely impossible to be heard, especially if you’re a basic little cable comedy like us starring two people who don’t have any Oscar nominations to our name. We couldn’t be more appreciative of everyone who loves the show. People who love the show love what we’re trying to say. They get this very specific type of humor that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but is so incredibly relatable to be people that get it.

 

Q) Speaking of social media, do you enjoy the instant fan feedback to the episodes?

 

A) Yes. Of course. Especially when it’s something that is a bit niche. We are not “Game of Thrones,” except a little bit we are. Our viewing audience is similarly as big. [laughs] Yes, sometimes when you’re doing a show that shoots in the summer and airs the following summer it’s easy to feel like you’re in a vacuum and that people have forgotten who you are or have forgotten about the show. When the premiere is announced and people are so lovely and so excited and genuinely pumped about seeing another season it makes a world of difference. I am not the best about being on social media as much as I should for my job, but when I do go on I really enjoy the support and the enthusiasm. It makes my day.

 

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

 

A) I couldn’t be more appreciative. Again, it just makes my day.