Q&A: Calista Flockhart

It's been 12 years since Calista Flockhart started dancing with an imaginary baby, and now, Ally McBeal is finally back—on DVD. Flockhart spoke to Ramin Setoodeh.

It took seven long years from the time Ally McBeal   ended to when it was released on DVD. Why?
Very good question. I think it had to do with music rights. There were a lot of amazing artists who were on the show, and it was all tangled up in that.

How did you end up getting the part?
I got a call from a girlfriend in L.A. She was also an actress, doing what they refer to as "pilot season." She had read the script and she called me about it, and then I called my agent and he said, "Oh, yeah, I saw that and I passed." [Beat] And I said, "Oh, well maybe we should revisit it." So I did. I eventually flew out and screen-tested, and I got the part.

Did you ever think that the dancing baby was ridiculous?
No, honestly, I was quite intrigued by it. I thought it was smart! Obviously, it was symbolic of Ally's biological clock ticking away, and I thought, what a great way to do that. I loved the fantasy sequences; I loved that we got to see her imagination come to life.

After you were done with the show, you took a break from acting, correct? Were people associating you too much with Ally?
I don't think I ever felt that way. As an actress, you want to play many different parts, and you want to explore different sides of yourself. So in that way, yes, but never in a negative way. I took a break to be a full-time mom.

What made you decide to come back and do Brothers & Sisters ?
Personally, it was a good time for me to get back to work—my son started kindergarten, and he was gone for eight hours a day. So it felt like the right time for my family. I liked the material, and they put together an amazing cast. And I liked the political aspect.

Kitty has cancer this season.
I was intimidated when they told me. I thought, how can you do this justice? It's been done so many times, how can we make it unique? And now that I'm in it, I wouldn't say it's enjoyable. It's a dark place to go. Kitty is suddenly confronted by the possibility that she might die. I think it's an important story to tell. I think it touches everybody at some point, unfortunately.

Do you ever watch yourself on TV?
For me it's mostly about the process, and once you shoot an episode, there's something anticlimactic about watching. I watched some of Ally. Sometimes I thought they were great and sometimes I couldn't bear watching myself. I have to watch it at the right time of day. I certainly can't watch a show I'm in before I go to bed. It would drive me crazy.

Has Harrison [Ford] seen Ally with you?
No.

What about Brothers & Sisters ?
He watches Brothers & Sisters. By himself, usually.

Why by himself?
Because I'm doing other things. We get the DVDs, and he watches it during the day, and I'm never around.

Will he watch Ally on DVD?
I'm not sure. He may have watched it before I met him.

© 2009