BY IRVIN RIVERA

Throughout her impressive career and resume of acting, writing and directing credits, LISA EDELSTEIN undeniably commands versatility- from her iconic role as Dr Lisa Cuddy on the Fox series “House” to her star turn as Abby McCarthy in Bravo’s first scripted series “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,”to the risotto-loving Karen on “Seinfeld,” the transsexual Cindy on “Ally McBeal,” and Rhonda Roth, the first out-lesbian on network TV in Jason Katim’s “Relativity,” to starring in the critically acclaimed Netflix series “ The Kominsky Method,” to playing opposite her “West Wing” co-star Rob Lowe in Ryan Murphy's 911: Lone Star. 

Edelstein’s presence creates this safe, creative safe for everyone around her. There’s this infectious, positive energy that lingers around the room- it’s that type of energy that encourages collaboration, playfulness and openness that encourages creativity from everyone in the room.

Lisa Edelstein resides in Los Angeles in a century old home with her husband artist Robert Russell, two step-sons, and several rescue dogs.  She volunteers her time with a variety of charity organizations including Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, The Anti-Defamation League, Planned Parenthood and The Center for Reproductive Rights.

In this exclusive interview, LISA EDELSTEIN shared to us the lessons and the blessings of her acting journey, revisiting the iconic roles she played, creating throughout the pandemic, her incredible life leading to where she is right now as an artist, and to continuously being inspired and creative.

How are you doing so far? How was navigating the pandemic for you?

We’ve been all okay over here. The funny thing is, given the particular personality types in my family, we all found a way to thrive in the silence that came with the lockdown. My husband painted, I wrote and did my drawings, our kids each had a small pod of two or three friends and we spent a lot of time cooking and cleaning and just... being. I mean, I can say all this knowing that we were deeply fortunate to have savings and to not worry about food. I learned how much I appreciated the quiet. Having nowhere to go, nowhere to be, just to be with my people and be creative; it was a welcome relief. The hardest part, really, was worrying about my parents, who were trying to move here in the  middle of several different intense outbreaks. But somehow we made it happen and everyone was safe. Most importantly, it was a massive sigh of relief to be privileged enough to have access to the vaccine. 

How was creating during these crazy times? 

It’s been amazing. We turned my office into a family room and a small guest house we had into my office so I just meander a few feet from the house and I have a lovely space. It’s my writing room and my workout room and my painting studio, all rolled into one. I love bouncing from one form of expression to the next when I get tired or blocked or just need a new way of looking at things. I’ve never really had that. I used to use drawing as a way to fill the time when I wasn’t acting, and the same with writing, but now I’ve somehow given myself permission to let all these things feel as valid a means of expression as the other. In a way, I can’t believe I denied myself this experience for so long. Somewhere along the way I must have learned “you have to pick a lane.” That’s bullshit. If you have the capacity to be in multiple lanes then fuck yes, run in all of them!

Where do you get your inspirations? Do you mind walking us through your creative process? What's your process like, whenever you start a project? 

I get inspired by all kinds of things; old pictures, fashion, interesting environments, beautiful art. Even a great conversation can trigger a new way of looking at the world. The process by which you create a character as an actor or a writer - it’s a lot of discovery. It’s trying to understand why someone behaves the way they do based on what drives them, what they got wrong, what they wish for, what’s in their way.  You always want to make sure that they are coming from an honest place. Good writing will feed you that way, but you’re not always dealing with good writing or a well thought out scene. So lots of times, as an actor, you have to do some serious mental gymnastics to find a logic for the character’s actions that you're tasked with making look honest and earned. It’s challenging, it’s fun, sometimes it’s a horrible failure, too, but it’s always interesting.

With your impressive line of acting credits from Dr Lisa Cuddy to Phoebe of The Kominsky Method, are there or are there any character/s that resonated with you a lot and why?

There are always those jobs that feel more like a paycheck than playtime, but I’ve certainly had my fair share of amazing women to play, too. Each time I get a role that’s richly laid out, it’s a different part of me that gets time in the sun. Playing Cuddy - who was so serious and understated, frequently the butt of the joke and nevertheless holding her own, I loved her sense of self, her personal power, her complete lack of needing to impress. Plus, the writing was so smart, so quick, it was a pleasure to be there. Certainly playing Abby McCarthy on Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce was a dream come true. Unlike Cuddy, Abby was a mess, out of control, and sort of tripping her way into self discovery. I loved that show because I got to run the gamut of the most dramatic scenes to the most ridiculous, always in gorgeous clothes. I don’t think I’ve ever had as much fun in my life, being the lead of that show! And then to dive right into Phoebe on Kominsky… Phoebe, who is a horrible person, total narcissist, selfish, fucked up. What a joy! Playing Phoebe was the perfect chance to really poke fun at some of the worst people I’ve ever known. Plus, working alongside such incredible actors…it was a great experience.

What’s the best part about playing her character? What could the audience expect from her this season?

Honestly, my favorite episode for Phoebe in season three is the very first episode of the season. It pretty much sets the tone for her til the end, as a selfish, self-centered, completely unconscious narcissist who thinks she’s the bees knees. 

How was it to reunite with your West Wing paramour Rob Lowe in 911: Lone Star?

It was super fun, of course. I think we should make it a tradition! Perhaps in another 20-years Rob and I can have a third reunion as sexy seniors. And why not? Let’s break some sexy glass ceilings!

What do you enjoy the most in playing your character Gwyneth?

Lonestar is just a fun show. Absolutely absurd. Catastrophe porn. So, I’m just enjoying the journey with them. I’m like “Rob Lowe? Sure! Pregnancy? HAHAHA sure! Enzo? Sure!” Bring it on.

You wrote, directed and starred in the short film “UNZIPPING” based on the short story by Etgar Keret. Tell us more about it and how was it like?

It was amazing. I had just come off of Girlfriends’ Guide where I’d been able to start directing and writing so I didn’t want the journey to end with the show. Etgar is such an interesting writer, he manages to tell so much story in so little time. Getting the chance to turn it into visual storytelling was really exciting. The film is almost completely without dialogue, just a few lines here and there, plus an amazing song in two versions, composed by my friend Daron Murphey. Both versions still crack me up. If you ever get to see it, please take the time to hear them because they’re amazing. I just had such a blast creating it. We shot it at my house, which I love, although I wouldn’t recommend shooting anything at one’s house having experienced it. But my house deserved to be in a movie because it’s so pretty, so I went for it. My parents also have a cameo, which they are very proud of. My father still brags that he can sleep on cue, and I stand by that, he really can. It was a labor of love with good friends pitching in, including the incredibly talented James LeGros (my love interest on Ally McBeal) plus a whole crew of people I was happy to employ. I felt like I was putting myself through film school!

Throughout your career, what are the major challenges and the highs that you experienced? How did you manage to rise above the challenges?

The highs are easy, it’s every job I’ve ever been given. Granted, there were a few I regretted the minute I was on set (that’s another story), but for the most part, having this career is every bit the dream I had when I was a little girl. I still get excited going onto a lot, having a trailer, seeing people in half-costumes in golf carts going from set to set. I love making a living at being creative, at using my imagination and intelligence, at playing dress-up. The lows are easy, too. It’s every job I almost got but didn’t, every time my life was about to change but didn’t…I don’t think there is a success story around that doesn’t include those moments of sadness, of darkness. It’s those moments that you discover your capacity for success because of your unwillingness to settle for the lack of it. For that reason, I wouldn’t call those moments failures, they are the impetus, the dark wombs from which success is born. They make the fire burn brighter and the need grow stronger.

How did acting start for you? Was it something that you’ve always wanted from a young age?

I told my parents I was going to be an actress when I was about three years old. They figured I’d grow out of it and become a lawyer. For the record, I don’t even like playing lawyers on TV, let alone becoming one. So they were terrified to learn I wasn’t kidding when I went off into the world after high school. Not that they weren’t supportive. I was in every play and every dance recital I could find growing up. And they were there to watch me. As for the beginning of my career, it was a strange path, as most paths are. I went to college at NYU, but ended up becoming known as a part of the underground club scene of downtown Manhattan. It’s too long a story to tell here, but it culminated in an article in The New York Times Magazine called ‘Lisa In Wonderland,’ by Maureen Dowd. She was kind to me, I really thank her for that, because I was quite vulnerable and young and she could have ruined my life. But the article came with a kind of celebrity I was unprepared for, along with many stalkers both creepy and scary, and it changed me. I wanted to find a way to follow my dreams with more meaning. It came in the form of a musical that I wrote about the then horrifying AIDS crisis we were living through. So many friends were dying so quickly and the world had yet to catch up to what was happening. Because of Maureen’s article, I had enough celebrity to be taken seriously at a wonderful theater called La Mama. They gave me a chance to do a workshop of my play. Then they gave me a full production. That was when my career as a creative person really began.

Aside from acting, what else keeps you busy? 

I try to keep creating. I’ve made a large number of drawings and paintings in the last year, several of them now living in homes of collectors, which is super weird and cool. And I’ve been writing a lot. I sold a pilot a while back, as well as a feature, but these things do a dance in the world of development that is hard to fathom from the outside. But it’s all good, I just get better at it and I really appreciate the ability to keep my brain active and creative everyday. I never realized how much it meant for my mental health, it’s truly a gift whether it’s for money, pleasure, or both.

What’s a valuable lesson that you’ve learned from your career that you think is still universally relevant?

You are unique. Live the life that feeds you. 

If you were a book, what book would you be and why? 

It would be called “FUCK YES!” I just think that’s a cool title.