Known to millions as Gilmore Girls mum Lorelai, Lauren Graham is making her return to the small screen next month in NBC's Parenthood, a one-hour drama series inspired by Ron Howard's 1989 movie. The series - executive produced by Howard - sees Graham playing a cash-strapped single mother with two children who uproots her family to be closer to her parents and siblings in Berkeley. We caught up with the actress to hear her thoughts on the show, how it compares to Gilmore Girls and taking over from Maura Tierney.
What made you decide to come back to television?
"The decision was a very instinctual one. I have been reading scripts for two and half or three years since Gilmore Girls ended. There just wasn't anything I connected to and that's including things that I was developing that maybe didn't exactly get to the place I wanted them to."
How different is it working as part of a big ensemble cast as opposed to carrying a show like you did with Gilmore Girls?
"Well, it's more of a sane life to be part of an ensemble! I find that the work can be more specific too and I have to really make sure I know where I am in the story because I'm not in every scene. I have to think about where I am in terms of the arc of each episode in a deeper way."
How does Parenthood compare to Gilmore Girls?
"The experience of doing the show is so totally different - the tone is so different and they don't remind me of each other at all. This show is less about verbal dexterity and long speeches and more about small moments and real behaviour."
How is Sarah different from Lorelai?
"Sarah's really struggling in her life and she's not in a great place - she hasn't reached her potential in a lot of ways. The feeling of living in your parents' house at 38 doesn't make you feel too great! The character I played in the past was always winning, in a way. This is someone who has much further to go to reach any of her dreams and that was all appealing to me."
Which character do you have more fun playing?
"What I've discovered and what I've really enjoyed about [Parenthood] is that I'm finding the many ways in which this character just continues to feel like a failure. Lorelai Gilmore had a very sunny outlook on things and it's been really interesting for me to play someone who is shouldering a lot of baggage in terms of being disappointed about where she is in life."
You replaced Maura Tierney in the role. Have you watched the original pilot?
"I did not - I didn't watch it, no."
How did it feel to take over from her?
"It felt really difficult in ways and I've put a lot of pressure on myself to really do a great job. I hoped that the actors wouldn't mind doing a scene a second time with me. It didn't so much feel like taking over - it was like we all started anew. This is a very special group of people and there's a great feeling on set - it's a functional and dysfunctional family of its own."
The show is a re-imagining of the movie. Was it difficult stepping into a role which is based on an existing one?
"I didn't feel daunted by the movie. I loved that movie and loved Diane Weist so much. The thing you must really do in television is bring yourself to everything you do - you can't try to be anybody else. You can feel the movie in it, but it doesn't feel like a copy in any way."
Parenthood premieres Tuesday, March 2 at 10pm on NBC.
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