While we wait for her movies to come out, we can see Rachael Harris every week on ABC's new comedy Notes from the Underbelly. The hour-long comedy, shot single camera like Arrested Development and My Name is Earl, centers on the trials and tribulations of pregnancy. Harris plays the mom-to-be's best friend, Cooper, sharing her snarky observations along the way.
On the show, not everyone can do sarcasm and be likeable. How do you keep it in the realm where it’s cute?
“You know, I don’t really know. Except for I try to have all of my characters, they don’t think they’re bad people. They’re just doing what they have to do to get along. My character in particular is a divorce attorney and she’s seen so many divorces that she really believes it’s horrible. People live in loveless marriages and I really think, ‘You guys are lucky, but it will end soon.’ She’s really just being honest and she’s a bit jaded because she’s seen it all.”
Are you like the character, do you wrestle with children?
“I do. Honestly I do wrestle with [the issue]. This show actually is very good because my husband and I are completely in a position where we can have children. My mother, being from Ohio, is breathing down our necks to have children. We really are seriously considering it because it’s the ultimate risk and it’s the ultimate commitment, and we love our life. We love our life and we love our friends and we love to eat, just running out to the Alcove [Café & Bakery].”
What drew you to Notes from the Underbelly?
“Well, I love the character. That was the first thing. And then I love Barry Sonnenfeld. Barry is the best. The first time I met him, I went to visit my friend Cheryl Hines working on RV. But I think he thought I was like the nanny with her because I just was carrying her child and hanging out, and we didn’t talk about myself. So when I went in to audition for him, he said, ‘Oh, that’s right, you’re Cheryl’s friend.’ And I said yeah and he said, ‘That’s right, you have that weird voice.’ And I knew instantly, I was like, ‘Oh, I love him,’ because he’s so direct and so honest, and I knew I have a weird voice. I have an interesting voice and I just loved how candid and honest and open he is, so that was super fun for me. And then the script was very real and funny. The dialogue wasn’t stilted. I could relate to it because many of my friends have babies and children. I just liked that these were real people. …We couldn’t get away with the realness if we had done a multi-camera of this show. I think single camera was the only way you could pull it off and make it look really believable and funny and take the pauses, the awkward pauses, that it needs.”
Do you prefer improv or a scripted role like this?
“I don't know. I like them both. It’s sort of comparing apples and oranges. Improv is one thing where you get to just being the moment and say whatever comes out. That’s great, but there’s a lot of pressure. You go home feeling like, ‘Ugh, I should have said this or I should have said that.’ What’s great about this show is that it’s so well written and Barry [Sonnenfeld’s] such a great director that he allows us to do a little bit of both. Like we’ll do everything word for word, and then Barry will say, ‘Rachel, just go for it and have fun and make it your own.’ So it’s tough. I like them both. I really honestly would have to say I like them equally. It’s just if I’ve done a lot of scripted stuff, then I start yearning for improv and if I’ve done a ton of improv, then I want to do more scripted.”
What makes you so funny?
“My hideous upbringing. No, I’m kidding. I don't know. I think it’s being real. I think it’s really being honest and not being afraid to put yourself in a situation that’s not really flattering.”
Did the T-Mobile ads help you get this?
“Yes, I get tons of… Many people, like the greatest thing was Stephen Bochco, he brought me in for his pilot. He was like, ‘I love that T-Mobile commercial.’ Commercials have been good for me. I’ve been very blessed.”
What’s your favorite character you’ve played?
“Cooper’s pretty good. It’s such a departure for me because I’m usually playing the Tupperware carrying kind of [character].”
How did you become a regular on the VH1 show?
“That, I completely fell into. They called and said, ‘Would you like to try it?’ The first time I did it, I thought, ‘I’m going to be completely cut out of this. I’m not funny.’ And then I realized my earnest answers were hysterical. I don't know if that was a good or bad thing.”
When they get to I Love the 2000s, what will you say about T-Mobile?
“I’m not going to have anything to say about it because I have made this decision that I’m an actor, and I’ve been doing these sort of commenting things. So I just moved a little bit away from doing them. Now, if it’s about a situation, that’s great. If it’s talking about individual people and stuff, I’m not really doing that anymore.”
When did you know you were funny?
“Probably when I was in college. I started out, I was going to be a serious actress and I went to New York to do drama. And it was like, my professor in college was so funny because he said, ‘I seriously think you need to do some comedy.’ And I said, ‘I don't know.’ So here he was right.”
Is comedy more difficult?
“I think it’s much harder to do comedy because the timing. You also need to know are you playing it straight. Is it earnest? Is it over the top? There are so many different [angles].”
