Calista Flockhart Talks Brothers & Sisters
20 October 2009
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The successful career of Calista Flockhart has seen the accomplished actress appear in a string of hit movies and Broadway plays. However, it was her small screen portrayal of the neurotic lawyer Ally McBeal that skyrocketed Flockhart to the big time.
The recently-engaged fiancee of Hollywood actor Harrison Ford successfully returned to television in 2006 when she signed on to appear as Kitty Walker in the award-winning drama Brothers & Sisters. Here, the fan favorite gives us an insight into her work on the popular show…
How does your experience on Brothers & Sisters compare with your time on Ally McBeal?
Brothers & Sisters is a very different experience to Ally McBeal. I’m much more low-key now. It was a crazy time when Ally McBeal exploded, but this is not like that at all.
In what way is it different?
One example is the way I used to have a lot of paparazzi following me everywhere I went when I was on Ally McBeal. I never left the house without paparazzi following me, but now that doesn’t happen. Well, it happens occasionally, but it’s not like it used to be.
Do you miss all of the attention?
Not at all. Attention is nice if it’s positive attention, but I wasn’t after all of the attention back then. I didn’t want it. It was negative.
Is that why you decided to take a break from acting when Ally McBeal finished?
I took five years off, but I wasn’t taking a break from work. The time off was purely to raise my son. I wanted to be home with him. I felt really fortunate that I could do that. I didn’t have to work, so I took full advantage of everything.
Have your priorities changed now?
Definitely. I was single when I started work on Ally McBeal and I didn’t have a child. Now I have a child and I’m not single. I have a very different life.
Are you more comfortable with this new level of fame?
I think so. It’s so much more manageable now. Back then, it was pretty crazy. There would be six paparazzi cars following me everywhere and that can be frightening. It’s much better now.
Do you find it easier to balance your home life with work now?
It’s still challenging, but I make it work the best I can. I work a little bit and then I try to spend time with the family. It’s all about making the right choices for yourself.
Do you still have to compromise?
Yes, I do. Finding the right balance is about compromise and making the right choices. For me, it’s very important to spend time with my family and to be home for my son, so I have to make compromises. I chose to be on a television show that was an ensemble that kept me in LA so that I can do what I love to do and still be a mom. I think I’ve been very lucky.
Does work on an ensemble show make it easier to have a family?
It’s a lot easier to spend time with your family if you’re part of an ensemble because you don’t have to work all day, every day. Sometimes there’s a heavier episode, which makes it a bit more challenging – but usually my workload is pretty balanced. There are a lot of characters in Brothers & Sisters, so I’m not carrying the show on my own. You have more leeway and you have more time off because of that.
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