Violett Beane – God Friended Me

By starrymag | November 10, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

 

A) As of now “God Friended Me” is keeping me pretty busy. Season 2 will have twenty-two episodes and we are about half way done shooting the season.

 

Q) What can you tease is new this season on “God Friended Me” with your character Cara?

 

A) At the beginning of Season 2, we sort of set up that Cara is in Paris and she’s realizing that she’s not just there to write this book for Simon Hayes (Adam Goldberg). She’s starting to realize that there’s probably a bigger reason that she’s there and we’ve met her friend from her past who realizes that she’s working with Simon Hayes who ruined her career. So, in Episode 2 and Episode 3 we kind of take-off from that thought and we get to dive in deeper into who Annie (Susan Misner) is and Annie actually helps Cara realize what she’s meant to do and why she’s meant to be there. Ultimately, it makes Cara realize that she is meant to be back in New York, which you will just have to watch the rest of the season to see how it plays out.

 

Q) What keeps challenging you about your portrayal?

 

A) Honestly, the fact that I get to keep developing this character week after week is challenging and amazing at the same time. You get such of a short time to grow a character in a film or when you are just recurring on a show.

 

Q) Have you had much of a say in how Cara developed in Season 2?

 

A) What’s pretty amazing about our show and our producers is that they’ve always been really open about these characters. After every table read, Bryan [Wynbrandt] and Steven [Lilien], the co-creators of the show, will call us or text us and ask us if we’re comfortable with everything and how we feel about it. They want to make sure that we know what the intentions are and if something doesn’t feel right, they want to know that. That open communication is something that I’ve never had on anything else that I’ve worked on. So, that’s sort of been a through line since the beginning and I feel very grateful to be able to be heard and understood that way.

 

Q) What are some themes we will see explored this season?

 

A) I feel like we’re sort of breaking a little bit from the mold that we set in Season 1, which is always a little risky. The show will be introducing new recurring characters throughout the season. We recently had a transgender pastor that’s made an appearance and I had some family reached out and be like, “What’s the deal with that?” I think it’s pretty amazing that we are able to showcase real people in real situations. I mean, that storyline is based off of a real person here in New York and a lot of people who live in small cities or something like that, they’re like, “That’s not a thing. You can’t just make up stuff that doesn’t exist.” But the reality is that times are changing and religions are becoming more inclusive. I think it’s important for us and for our show to showcase that.

 

Q) Was there someone(s) you were hoping to share more scenes with this season?

 

A) I would love to work more with Rachel Bay Jones, who plays my mother on the show.

 

Q) What are some upcoming episodes fans should look out for?

 

A) Yes, episode 209! You get you meet my stepfather played by Tom Everett Scott. It’s an intense episode and I can’t wait for viewers to see it.

 

Q) What have been some of your favorite moments from filming “God Friended Me?”

 

A) Honestly, any time the whole core cast is filming together is great. We all truly get along so well, so it is a great energy on set. Also, most of my favorite scenes to shoot have been with Rachel Bay Jones.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the series that has made it such a fan favorite?

 

A) I think it is the fact that the show is so uplifting really resonates with the viewers. From the beginning we have been getting messages from people who say they watch this with their family or their kid is in the hospital and this is the only thing that they can watch that really makes their kid feel uplifted and happy and like everything’s going to be okay. And that’s pretty interesting to be a part of something that can do that for someone. Also, they see characters on a screen who talk about their differences and communicate rather than shut off from each other.