Jamie Lee Curtis on Her Massive Second in ‘The Bear’ Season 4

Jamie Lee Curtis manifested her function on The Bear. She remembers watching the present’s first episode—particularly a scene between Carmen “Carmy” and Natalie, when the chef doesn’t manage to pay for for his restaurant’s meals provide, so his sister brings him his jacket to promote. Earlier than she leaves, she asks him a query. “Have you ever referred to as mother?” He hasn’t. “It is best to,” she tells him. At that second, sitting at residence inside what she calls her “witness safety cabin,” Curtis started envisioning what their mom is likely to be like. “Oh, I feel I’ll be her,” she thought.

It didn’t take lengthy. In “Fishes,” the sixth episode of the second season, she debuted as Donna Berzatto, embodying Carmy and Natalie’s mom whose alcoholism and mania has turned her residence—and huge household gatherings—right into a psychological trauma zone. Although very totally different from her character, Curtis may relate to Donna’s substance abuse points and mothering challenges, and leaned into her most poisonous traits. By the tip of the electrical and overwhelming episode, for which Curtis gained an Emmy, Donna has drunkenly left the Christmas dinner desk and crashed a automotive into her home, successfully fracturing her relationship along with her son.

However in Season 4, Donna will get an opportunity to make amends. About 5 years after the disastrous vacation, she spends the vast majority of the ninth episode, “Tonnato,” sharing her regrets with Carmy inside her residence. Whereas taking a look at previous household photographs collectively, Donna admits she’s been sober a 12 months after which reads an apology letter, acknowledging the ache she’s prompted and explaining the explanations for her poor selections. Carmy ultimately reciprocates, sharing his guilt for leaving the household and expressing his love for her. It’s a strong, emotional alternate that crystallizes the season’s redemptive, therapeutic themes. Then, as an act of reconciliation, Carmy prepares for his mom a rooster dinner that he discovered to make whereas coaching as a chef at The French Laundry.

Right here, Curtis unpacks that emotionally charged sequence as she talks in regards to the expertise of taking part in Donna, and the way her personal life knowledgeable components of the character. 

I’ll be sincere, I get anxiousness each time your character seems on the present—and I feel it is largely as a result of we have solely actually seen you thru Carmy’s perspective.

What was genius from the start was you do not meet Donna for 16 episodes. The anxiousness is constructed up by listening to about her from different folks and the quantity of hysteria Carmen carries. 

She’s designed to create instability. What I discovered lovely is that in episode 10 of Season 2, once they’re opening the restaurant and Donna’s out entrance chain smoking—I stated to [creator Chris Storer], “I feel [Donna] is sober 4 months. She has sufficient self information now to know that she has an impact on folks, notably when she’s consuming. And so the pacing in entrance of the restaurant is the “Do I? Do not I?” push and pull of habit, which, while you’re newly sober, you are very fragile.

You present up in a pair episodes this season, particularly for Episode 9’s dialog with Carmen. How does it really feel so that you can parachute out and in of Donna’s headspace yearly? 

We shot Season 3 and 4 concurrently. So the reality is, I did the scene with Sugar within the hospital, which was a whole episode. And two days later, I did my half on the wedding ceremony. After which the following day, my scene with Jeremy on the home. So it was a variety of Donna, which was not dissimilar to the Christmas episode the place I got here in for like a three-day bombardment after which was gone.

I have been an actress since I used to be 19. I’ve performed a variety of totally different work. A few of it good, a few of it nice, a few of it terrible—a lot of it terrible. All people works in a different way. I additionally did not know the way Chris labored earlier than we met on the Christmas episode. Our complete relationship was a textual content relationship the place he stated, “So excited you are coming!” And I stated, “How would you like her hair to look?” And he despatched me an image of Monica Vitti. After which I stated, “What about her nails?” And he despatched me an image of the determined housewives of New York and that was the whole thing of the background that I bought from him earlier than I walked within the kitchen the day we shot “Fishes.” I bought a way that he understood that I used to be going to point out up fully-loaded able to shoot. That gave me a variety of confidence and a variety of freedom as a result of I knew, having seen the extent of depth, what the present was like.

What was your preliminary impression while you learn this scene between Donna and Carmy, and the way did you need to method it?

Folks neglect that she hasn’t seen Carmen since Christmas 5 years earlier. It is not like there is a chyron that is underneath the display screen that reminds the viewers on the wedding ceremony. And clearly she has seen the remainder of the household. She attended the beginning of her granddaughter. She goes to household birthdays. She sees Lee. She sees Jimmy. So there’s a sign that she is part of this fascinating melting pot household, however she hasn’t seen Carmen. In order that second when she sees him on the wedding ceremony—and the best way all his associates come round him and are like, “Hey, they want you within the kitchen proper now.” Donna is aware of what is going on on. She’s very sensible so she understands that it is a huge second for each of them. After which she has that pretty scene with Sydney after which she will get the f-ck out, as a result of she understands. In restoration, there is a phrase, “We swimsuit up and present up.” So Donna is suiting up and exhibiting up. And naturally who does she run into? Michelle.

And Michelle says, “Are you good?” And everyone knows that query is Donna’s hearth starter.

Proper. That’s the hearth starter, a type of clicking flame issues that all of us have in our homes to mild matches. It is that click on. And her response, which is, “I am good.” After which get the f-ck out. I am not going to play Michelle. I’ll go. And so we have teed it up superbly. 

Yep.

I am sober. I have been sober a very long time. I discuss to a variety of sober folks. A part of being sober is acknowledging the previous. There’s a course of inside being a sober alcoholic or sober drug addict that with the intention to transfer freely into the longer term, you must acknowledge the previous. I do not assume Donna wished to acknowledge it with him for a very long time. I feel she’s been engaged on that for the higher a part of a 12 months. She’s had that little piece of paper in her desk drawer, and when he comes over, I feel the intention was to see him and maintain it mild and well mannered—one other phrase we use in restoration. And I feel that was her plan till she began going by the images and noticed Mikey.

Yeah, I questioning for those who wrote that letter your self.

It was from the script, however in fact I did! 

Was {that a} cathartic expertise—serious about what that symbolizes usually for a mom to a son, however then additionally particularly for Donna to Carmy?

Very a lot cathartic. We each knew what we’re doing. The script is gorgeous. I discovered that having a child who you do not know find out how to assist is among the most powerless experiences as a mother or father. I personally have a baby with particular wants. I’ve a baby who has a studying distinction. And the powerlessness you are feeling when you may’t truly assist them—yow will discover individuals who will help them, however you cannot. So the a part of that scene that will get me each time is when she talks about Mike. As a result of clearly Mike had that downside since he was slightly boy. And being a mother or father and never having the ability to assist your child and never figuring out what to do to assist them—and discovering that alcohol simply made all of it extra palatable and straightforward—to play a lady who has struggled with that, after which to have the gorgeous writing that articulates that actual powerlessness and turmoil, and ensuing disgrace and self-hatred, after which the habit on prime of it—I simply thought it was a superbly constructed.

The road that hits me the toughest all through your interaction is while you inform Carmy, “I do not know you, and you do not know me, and I did that.” Was there a line or a second on this dialog that impacted you essentially the most?

Oh yeah—what I simply stated about Mike. I did that as a press release of truth. I’ve to dwell with that. She additionally says it to Sugar within the hospital when Sugar says, “You scared me and I do not need my child to really feel scared.” I stated, “I scared you?” Listening to that you’ve that impact on a human being’s life is highly effective. And so I can completely settle for that we’re working as strangers on this household. That’s when she actually is exhibiting the ache and struggling of her personal childhood, her marriage, her being a mom to 3. That’s when Carmen actually softens and says, “I am sorry, I wasn’t there for you.” What does Leonard Cohen say? “There needs to be cracks as a result of that is the place the sunshine is available in.” That is the second while you perceive that Carmen is now understanding the multitude of Donna and what she has struggled with.

What was it like working with Jeremy that day?

I really feel very motherly towards all three of those children. I’ve stayed slightly in touch with them in essentially the most cursory manner. I am not pretending we’re buddies, however I additionally attain out sometimes. So he and I’ve that. Once more, not with any supposition that it is greater than it’s. He is only a lovely performer. We use the time period scene accomplice lots in actor discuss, however he is a scene accomplice. We do not rehearse it. We do not speak about it. We keep away from one another till it begins, after which it begins. And he has lovely eyes, and they’re expressive and soulful and sorrowful and really alive at instances and really emotional at instances. And I feel you see all of that on this complete season, however in that scene specifically. After which the coup de grace, which is him cooking for her.

I actually love that he goes again to his time at French Laundry the place he discovered to make roast rooster. Do you are feeling like a meal is among the kindest items you may give someone?

For certain. I am not a foodie. I used to be raised by a really skinny girl. Meals was not a buddy in a technology of ladies in her trade who starved themselves underneath the tutelage of the studio system. My mom was extremely lovely and she or he held it throughout her life. Whereas lots of her different associates succumbed to center age, she starved it away. So I used to be raised round cereal and a grilled cheese sandwich, which might be like gold for me. However apparently I make actually good penne with butter, garlic salt and slightly parmesan cheese and my elder daughter, Annie, was speaking along with her associates about reminiscences of their highschool years of getting me make that penne. Listening to that that may be a reminiscence for my daughter is one thing comforting.

I am form of embarrassed by it as a result of it isn’t a French Laundry rooster. And but the act of constructing it and the act of receiving it as one thing particular could be very transferring to me. In fact Carmy goes to truss and baste and bake and broil a good looking rooster for his mom. It is a wordless second and, for sure, very transferring. It is very clear that there is a path ahead by that act that’s him mainly saying, “I am sorry that I did not form of meet you, that I stayed away from you and that I did not face this.” It’s fairly highly effective to finish a collection on a full-circle second.

He additionally tells you to not wash rooster within the sink. 

Yeah, as a result of, in fact! What he is saying is that the salmonella goes everywhere. You assume it is simply taking place the drain, however in reality, you are polluting your sink.

This season felt very redemptive and therapeutic in a variety of methods. What it was wish to have a second of reconciliation with Donna, versus taking part in such a vicious antagonist? 

I am the kid of alcoholics. I am a sober drug addict and alcoholic. I’ve misplaced so many associates to alcoholism and drug habit. My child brother died at 21 of an unintended heroin overdose. We’re additionally residing in a world that does not really feel redemptive. Whenever you speak about an antagonist, it looks like there are antagonists working the world proper now. So from a religious place, if we’re not therapeutic, we’re dying. And I did not know if Donna was going to heal or get an opportunity to. I noticed it in Season 3, however as I stated to you, I already knew that Season 4 was coming. I do not know the origin tales essentially, but when we’re not therapeutic, what are we doing? And so I am past grateful that Chris gave everyone a second of grace—each single individual’s story! 

The tip of Season 3, Carmen says that in his imaginative and prescient for the restaurant, “to make it good, you must filter out the dangerous.” And I feel this complete season was according to that mission assertion. 

It is simply beautiful work. The grace be aware on the finish—you recognize these sandwich retailers are going to achieve success. We all know what the numbers are going to be. They are going to blow the place up. However Carmen additionally is aware of he has to step away from this and let these folks do it. And the truth that that is the present that he is giving everyone, and that he’ll now go work out who Carmen is.

And he’ll be capable to do it with a mom in his life now. 

Yeah, and Donna is sober now. Can Donna keep sober? I hope so. I’ve stayed sober. What was wack to me—the identical day that this season of the present dropped, I wakened within the morning and a buddy of mine in Los Angeles despatched me an image of a billboard on Sundown Boulevard. It is the Basis for a Higher Life, a program they run referred to as “Go It On.” Inspirational folks and concepts. And there is a billboard with my image that claims, “My Bravest Factor? Getting Sober. Restoration. Go it On.” And for Jamie and Donna, who had totally different tales however the identical illness, to have that occur concurrently was form of one other grace be aware.