In Susanna Fogel's "Life Partners", Greer Grammer plays Mia, an energetic girl who tries to win Sasha's (Leighton Meester) heart. Even though she's in just a few scenes, Grammer lights up the screen and makes you wish you could see more of Mia. Beautifully combining the effortless charm of a young Meg Ryan and the every woman-ness qualities of actresses like Julia Roberts, Grammer seems poised to having a bright future in romantic comedies.
She currently plays Lissa in MTV's "Awkward" which is now wrapping up its fourth season and is available online. We spoke to Grammer who talked about her favorite Disney movies, sharing her name with one of the greatest actresses of all time and the best advice her father Kelsey gave her.
Lissa is a character with very strong Christian beliefs, but sometimes she uses them to her convenience. How hard/easy is it for you to play this part without offending people’s beliefs or being condescending to your character?
I love Lissa, I think everyone does now too cause she is nicer than she was in the first season. Playing her I try not to make a joke about it, she’s not always the smartest person and she doesn’t always do the right thing, but regardless of how over the top she can be, I believe there must be truth to how you play her. If there wasn’t, then she’d just be “too much”. When it comes to her beliefs I’m a Catholic, I understand religion, and again, you just have to be grounded.
“Awkward” deals with teenage sex in a frank manner, what do you think is the importance of touching these topics on television?
I remember when the pilot first came out, there was a backlash about how Jenna (Ashley Rickards) loses her virginity in a not-dreamlike manner, but I mean, when I was in high school kids were having sex all the time, they probably shouldn’t have, but they were and they still are, it’s happening. What I think is great about our show is that we go beyond this and see the different levels in each of the characters.
In “Life Partners” you have a supporting part as one of Leighton Meester’s love interests. How was working with her?
It was so much fun, everyone on set was cool, but Leighton especially was so easy to work with. In the movie she and I are dating and I’d never played that sort of part before - in a way this character is the opposite of Lissa - so I was nervous and kept wondering “am I doing this right?”. But there is something great in the dynamic between my character and Leighton’s and it’s that in a way it reflected us as well. I was the youngest person on set and everyone was engaged or married, which helped me play this part better, because Mia is someone who still has so many things to experience.
As an actress would you say you’re more interested in doing movies, television or theater?
I absolutely want to do everything! I would love to do theater in New York, I’d like to spend some time doing that in New York because I’m obsessed, but I honestly really, really like TV. I like keeping busy which you get to do when you’re doing a TV show, with movies you shoot for month and then you’re off until you land your next role. I like TV because it gives you more space for character growth, but honestly I’m happy to just work.
You were named after Greer Garson, who was one of the greatest actresses of classic Hollywood. Have you caught up with her filmography, do you have any favorites?
Anytime there’s a Greer Garson movie on TCM, I’ll watch it. I feel connected to her, beyond more than the fact that I was named after her, but because she was a really talented actress. I feel like a lot of people don’t know her the way they do other actresses of the era. Greer was beautiful, I love her in “Mrs. Miniver” and “Pride and Prejudice”. My mom made me watch so many of her movies growing up and I’m nothing but thankful for it.
You’re obsessed with Disney, what were some of your favorite Disney movies growing up?
I am, yes. But wait, just growing up? What about the recent ones (Laughs). As a kid I loved “Alice in Wonderland”, “The Little Mermaid” and anything with princesses really. But I have so many great memories involving Disney movies. I remember my grandma taking me to see “Hercules” in the movie theater or being Mulan for Halloween when I was in the first grade. My mom used some sort of mousse to make my hair dark.
You’re very active on Twitter. How important it is for you to know what your fans think/say about you?
When I was younger (laughs), I remember going to Britney Spears’ website and you could send her fan mail, but you never knew if you’d get a response, but nowadays celebrities reply to you on Twitter. I think it’s important because it lets you connect to your fans and get to know them. Just yesterday someone tweeted something about Rapunzel to me cause they know I love Disney and I’m at Disneyland all the time. It’s great to also let your fans know who you are.
What’s the single best piece of advice your dad gave you about acting?
He gives me a lot of advice but the best was one time he told me to make sure that I act because I love it. He said “act for the right reasons”. One time we had a lengthy conversation where he was honest with me and talked to me about how unfair and cruel Hollywood can be to women, he said “don’t let it get to you”. I still get emotional when I think about it.
