Marilu Henner Recalls How She Became Consultant Sylvania
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DENNINGS: YU TSAI/CBS; HENNER: MARK DAVIS/CBS FY-Eye SUSPICIOUS MINDS The buzz on all your favorite Person of Interest’s executive producers shows and stars, hot off the press say fi ction isn’t much stranger than truth Watch! goes behind the scenes of one of TV’s hottest GOING FOR BROKE dramas to fi nd out the inspiration for all of the intrigue. She commanded our attention in such hip fi lms as The JONATHAN NOLAN: I’ve been getting progressively concerned with 40 Year-Old Virgin and Nick and Norah’s Infi nite Playlist. Now, the spread of information technology and social networks and surveil- as 2 Broke Girls waitress Max Black, Kat Dennings proves that lance. My wife thinks I’m a bit of a paranoid nut, and suggested to me playing strong, funny characters is her house specialty. that rather than boring her with more wild theories, that I channel that sentiment into a TV show. Greg said we’d be doing this show right if dur- — Jim Colucci ing the commercials, people were looking at their cellphones and eyeing them with suspicion. I think we all have a sense that the government WATCH!: Can you identify with in some way, as they were in our has granted itself access to our phones and emails, but it’s kind of the Max’s sarcastic nature? pilot. But in the way they’re both elephant in the room. KAT DENNINGS: In real brought together makes them life, I don’t try to put names equals, and it works. And I think GREG PLAGEMAN: And we’ve to my moods, but maybe my they’re both exactly what the all traded this idea of privacy defense mechanism does other needs. for security. Or perhaps even have a sarcastic tinge to WATCH!: What is your rela- convenience, which is even more it. I think everyone has tionship like with your co-star twisted. With the advent of social that side. Beth Behrs off-screen? media, there’s barely a kid who WATCH!: KAT: The day I met can walk into a job interview without them knowing everything What do you Beth, I had been in Dennings with co-star Beth Behrs about him from his Facebook and Max have Orlando, fi lming for [an in common? 2 BROKE upcoming fi lm] Renee. I KAT: We’re GIRLS fl ew to Los Angeles for half both really hard a day and read with her. airs Mondays AN UNFORGETTABLE CAREER workers. I’m from at 8:30 p.m. We were already texting the woods in Penn- ET/PT on CBS. while I was at the airport Taxi ’s Marilu Henner recalls how she became consultant sylvania. My mom to fl y back. From the to new CBS drama−and recalls everything else, too is a speech thera- second we met, I knew, pist and my dad is a scientist. “This is a person I want to see he stars of Taxi fondly remember the nights when When I moved to Los Ange- every day.” the classic comedy took home its three Emmy les, I did terrible jobs for WATCH!: Do you think Max Awards. But only Marilu Henner, who played no money, and clawed my will ever realize her dream cabbie Elaine Nardo, can tell you what each cast way up. I’ve defi nitely been of opening her cupcake member was wearing at the time. broke. bakery? TNow Henner, 61, is putting her powers of memory to work, as WATCH!: Were you ever KAT: As the cliché a consultant to CBS’ freshman drama Unforgettable. Like that a waitress? goes, it’s not the show’s heroine Carrie Wells, Henner has been identifi ed as one KAT: No, but I’m fi nd- destination but of the few people worldwide to have highly superior autobio- ing on the show that I’m the journey, graphical memory (HSAM). “I can go all the way back to 4 days a natural. and that’s old,” the actress says, adding that her memories—of any given WATCH!: Do you exactly day’s events, weather and meals—“really come in strong think a Max and a what the at age 6, and then every day since I was 12.” Caroline would ever show is In 2010 Henner got a call from her friend, really be friends? about. In the Marilu Henner 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl, asking her KAT: Not meantime, I to be tested in the show’s segment about the newly unless they were feel great holding named HSAM phenomenon. When Stahl’s report thrown together a cupcake. aired in December 2010, Henner was reintroduced Kat Dennings to 19.2 million viewers as an HSAM prodigy. 30 DECEMBER 2011 / WATCH! FdCW1211_030-032_POP_FYEye_BuzzPages_V3.indd 30 10/21/11 1:52 PM DENNINGS: YU TSAI/CBS; HENNER: MARK DAVIS/CBS SUSPICIOUS MINDS Person of Interest’s executive producers say fi ction isn’t much stranger than truth Person of Interest star Jim Caviezel, left, and Watch! goes behind the scenes of one of TV’s hottest executive producer dramas to fi nd out the inspiration for all of the intrigue. Jonathan Nolan JONATHAN NOLAN: I’ve been getting progressively concerned with the spread of information technology and social networks and surveil- page. We’re in a strange era of the Patriot Act where people say, “I know lance. My wife thinks I’m a bit of a paranoid nut, and suggested to me they have GPS on my smartphone, they can turn on my phone remotely, that rather than boring her with more wild theories, that I channel that but it doesn’t really bother me, as long as they keep the bad guys at bay.” sentiment into a TV show. Greg said we’d be doing this show right if dur- Is that something everyone should be comfortable with? We think that’s a ing the commercials, people were looking at their cellphones and eyeing really interesting question to be asking people, not just in this country but them with suspicion. I think we all have a sense that the government around the world. has granted itself access to our phones and emails, but it’s kind of the elephant in the room. JONATHAN: Greg found a report that an organization had counted all the [surveillance] cameras in Manhattan. They started in 2005 and GREG PLAGEMAN: And we’ve counted 5,000 cameras. They went again in 2010, all traded this idea of privacy and the offi cial number they came back with was for security. Or perhaps even “uncountable.” There are lots of great shows out there PERSON OF convenience, which is even more about the mysterious things that may be happening twisted. With the advent of social that we have no idea about. This show is about the INTEREST media, there’s barely a kid who stuff that’s hiding in plain sight. When I pitched this, it airs Thursdays can walk into a job interview felt like fi ve minutes into the future. By the time we at 9 p.m. without them knowing everything were done shooting the pilot, it felt a little more like ET/PT on CBS. Dennings with co-star Beth Behrs about him from his Facebook just about right now. AN UNFORGETTABLE CAREER UNFORGETTABLE Taxi ’s Marilu Henner recalls how she became consultant airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. to new CBS drama−and recalls everything else, too ET/PT on CBS. he stars of Taxi fondly remember the nights when The actress was excited when she heard about the pilot for the classic comedy took home its three Emmy Unforgettable. “Unforgettable [gives] HSAM a stamp of cred- Awards. But only Marilu Henner, who played ibility,” she says, “that it’s not just some weird, crazy thing.” cabbie Elaine Nardo, can tell you what each cast Henner helps Unforgettable’s writers understand what it’s like member was wearing at the time. to have a lifetime of events—and their concurrent emotions— TNow Henner, 61, is putting her powers of memory to work, as always at the ready. She has also become the show’s de facto a consultant to CBS’ freshman drama Unforgettable. Like that fact checker. For example, after she was given a few early pilot show’s heroine Carrie Wells, Henner has been identifi ed as one scenes to watch, Henner immediately caught a mistake: a date of the few people worldwide to have highly superior autobio- Carrie cited as a Tuesday—March 27, 1998—wasn’t. “I remem- graphical memory (HSAM). “I can go all the way back to 4 days bered it was a Friday,” Henner says. “I had lunch at Picholine old,” the actress says, adding that her memories—of any given and had the white peppercorn soup. So I texted the producers: day’s events, weather and meals—“really come in strong ‘You have the wrong date!’ ” at age 6, and then every day since I was 12.” In February, Simon & Schuster is releasing her In 2010 Henner got a call from her friend, latest book, Total Memory Makeover, in which 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl, asking her she shares lessons on channeling your own to be tested in the show’s segment about the newly inner Carrie. “Everything you’ve ever done is named HSAM phenomenon. When Stahl’s report on your hard drive, but you just don’t know Marilu Henner aired in December 2010, Henner was reintroduced how to access it,” she says.