I did not want to make [Christine] silly, says ‘Baskets’ actor Louie Anderson

Louie Anderson on how his late mother influenced his Emmy-winning role in FX’s ‘Baskets’

Louie Anderson

After winning an Emmy for his role of Christine Baskets in Baskets in 2016, Louie Anderson said, “Every little thing your mother does, you will find yourself doing it too at some point in your life.”

66 year-old Anderson reproduced his mother’s (Ora Zella Anderson) little idiosyncrasies to lend authenticity to Christine Baskets, a mother of twins, Chip and Dale (both played by Zach Galifianakis, who is also one of the creators of the show). As the fourth season is underway, Anderson, who is also a popular stand-up comedian, talks at length about how memories of his mother helped him play Christine.

Excerpts:

What made you take up the role of Christine Baskets?

First of all, for Zach Galifianakis, who is such a wonderful actor. It was also a funny script. I thought, ‘Well, they have offered me this. They must have thought I could do it. So, how can I make it interesting?’

Sometimes, when a man plays a woman on screen, the character comes off as a caricature. How did you play the role?

I did not want to make the character silly. I wanted it to be real. Not so much of a man playing a woman, not trying to overcompensate for me being a man. I tried to be as natural as I could. It helped that I grew up with my mother and five sisters. So, I got to have a reference for the character. I did not change my voice too much and did not try to make it look clownish. I kept asking ‘Would my mom do this? Would my sisters do it?’

Louie Anderson and Zach Galifianakis in a scene of FX’s ‘Baskets’

What changes did you make — physically and mentally?

I picked clothes from the wardrobe that my mother and sisters would wear. I did not put on too much make-up. I just tried to accentuate the feminine characteristics of my face.

I asked myself, ‘If I were a woman, what would be natural to me?’ Then, I tried to be motherly, like my mother was. She was a big influence in my life and a funny person. I got to use a lot of her for the character.

What made you think that channelising your mother would make this character work?

With 11 children, it was overwhelming for my mother but she was very nurturing. As a child, you would remember things she would say and do. So, I would try to repeat the little things that she did. All of these made it easier for me to portray this character.

Louie Anderson and Zach Galifianakis in a scene of FX’s ‘Baskets’

You do stand up, too. A lot of your jokes are drawn from your personal life. Does that make you feel vulnerable?

I feel vulnerable till I get the laughs. When I get the laughs, I feel the audience is with me. But when you stand up on stage, you feel almost naked as people can see the little things you are doing. So, you have to embrace yourself. I try to do the same thing with the characters I play — embrace them and not be embarrassed by them.

(The fourth season of Baskets is available to stream on Hotstar)