Jayne Atkinson Interview

Jayne Atkinson
How and at what age did you start acting?
I started at 10 years old when I did a short play by A.A. Miles and I got into acting because my parents did community theater.

Did you ever attended an acting school or some sort?
Yes I went to North Western University for acting and then I went to Yale’s school of drama.

Has your family always been supportive?
Yes 100%

I know you were in numerous plays is it a big transition from broadway to Hollywood?
No because once I got out of Yale I went back and forth from stage to film pretty much since 1985

I know you have worked with such great actors and actresses like Chris Meloni ,Paul Newman, Jane Curtain how is it any different working with Kiefer because everyone says he sets the bar but you have always been around such great actors and actresses do you think the bar has been set for you already?
He is a good actor he is prepared and always ready to go so that set the tone for good acting and good scenes and a great final project.

How has it been working on T.V. and movie sets for a portion of your life?
I love everything about acting especially this show.

What advice would you give to actors and actresses who haven’t made it big yet?
Don’t be worried about making it big just it is day by day and you have to commit to your work. Just keep your eye on the prize at all time and you will be on the right path to your success and the number one thing is you have to be happy.

What is a typical day like for you?
I get there in the morning pretty early I have a cup of coffee, I do hair and makeup while looking at my lines and then we go into rehearsal. We rehearse the scene, talk about it, run through it and sometimes rewrite it and then after we lock it we bring in the camera crew with everything, get some final makeup and then we shoot it from every angle conceivable and its alot of fun.

How do you feel being in the spotlight all the time?
You know I really don’t at least I haven’t yet. I can tell when people recognize me but I look really different in real life than I do on T.V. and you might have noticed that when you saw me. You would have to be a pretty huge fan to know that it was me.

What is the hardest for you to do in the show?
Well when I started it was traveling back and forth because I was living in Connecticut. That was the hardest because I would be in LA for up to three weeks at a time shooting and then go home. So that was very hard on my family.

How does it feel when a veteran actors character is killed off (like Carlos Bernard(Tony) and Louis Lombardi(Edgar)) and they leave the show?
Honestly people are sad because were a big family but everyone is ready for it and everything just carries on.

What is your reaction when people come up to you on the street? How do you feel?
They say that they love the show and that they don’t want to know what is happening next.

How much of you is in Karen Hayes?
A lot of me is in Karen because I am a mother and I run a home and I try to use those qualities in her.
Last season Karen bent the rules to help Jack do you think that will carry into this season?
Chances are she will not. I think because of the circumstances in season six Jack Bauer is unfortunetly always brought into question and you would think by now everyone would listen to him but part of the deal is we question Jack Bauer.

How do you think all the shows secrets are kept unreveled?
I think some of it does, and I think some of it wont but its mostly the people who don’t have to make the commitment like the actors or crew leak some plotlines.

How does it feel being in the spotlight all the time?
I don’t know yet I think once we get into the season again the spotlight will be on but after we won the Emmy it was great and then it was back to work.

After filming scenes do they turn out different than you would have expected?
Yes because the actors don’t choose what takes they choose its all up to the director and the editors so they might choose a take I didn’t think was my best take.

How patient do you have to be to endure all of the takes?
You do have to be patient but you can think of it as a chance to do it again and make it better. I guess it doest get frustrating if you feel that you had a great take but they didn’t get it because of a technical difficulty and if it’s an intense scene but its nothing horrible.

What is it like working with such a great cast and crew?
It has been great but most of the casts and crews in my career have had wonderful people.

How did the cast and crew make you feel when you first came on set?
Very welcome and without the cast and crew I was thrilled to be there because I loved the show. I was just so excited to be part of it.

What type of training or shadowing did you do for your role?
I watched previous seasons so I felt very prepared.

19.Do you have a favorite season or moment?
I have a favorite moment it is in season one when Jack was trying to get to his wife and child who are being held hostage and he takes this waitress and asks for help and explains to her that he has been going all day and he falls asleep for one second and it’s a brilliant scene because you see that Jack is vulnerable.

20. Do you watch the end product of 24 before it comes out or when its on the air?
I am one of the only people who wait to watch it with everyone else.

21. What was your 24 audition like?
I didn’t audition for Karens role I auditioned for the presidents wife. Because I am older it was more of a meeting than an audition it was basically to see if I could work with the show.

22.What’s your favorite T.V. show apart from 24?
Yes Greys Anatomy.
23. Do you see any cast member outside of work?
Yes James Morrison who plays Bill Buchanan who has a son the same age as my son so we got them to have a playdate.

24. Is there anything not revealing to the plot that you can say about next season?
Just that the stakes are much much higher and its almost if you look at the situation were in now and look into the future if things didn’t go well. So we have big choices to make.