"Who knew that a barrel of maple syrup is worth more than a barrel of oil?"
"Who knew that a barrel of maple syrup is worth more than a barrel of oil?" Margo Martindale does, after starring in The Sticky (December 6, Prime Video). The Emmy-winning actor plays Ruth Landry, a Canadian syrup farmer who resorts to crime after the government threatens to take away her livelihood. "It's very different, very fun and what an incredible subject." Inspired by a true story and produced by Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Martindale's Ruth adds to a resume of unsuspecting yet extraordinary women. "The difference in this woman is that she starts at her most desperate. And that's fun." And while "she does have her feet on the ground," she's pushed to the limit and decides "to steal some maple syrup. It's so logical to me." [laughs] Even though Martindale has mostly "taken the supporting role" over the course of her long and lauded career, The Sticky marks her first major starring role. But for her, it's about the work. "When I sit a long time, I go, 'Why aren't my agents calling me? What's going on? Is something happening?' It never fails."
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Editor's Note: This conversation has been edited and condensed for publication.
What was your reaction when you first got the script and heard the story?
Jamie Lee [Curtis, producer] called me, that's how I first heard of it. And she says, "Jamie Lee Curtis here." And I said, "Well, hello." She said, "I have a project for you. And you're gonna do it." I said, "Well, I really got to read it." And she said, "But you're going to do it." I said, "Okay, okay, but let's read it first." She said, "Okay, but I know you're going to do it." I read it, and I said, "Yeah, I'm going to do it." It's very different, very fun, totally in my world of fantasy fun and what an incredible subject.
Who knew maple syrup could be this insane?
Who knew that a barrel of maple syrup is worth more than a barrel of oil?
This story is loosely inspired by a true story. So how did you respond to your character?
Well, I knew that what I was most attracted to was the desperation of this woman. I mean, we meet her where she's hitting the wall and she has to do something. So you start high, and it goes higher, and she is furious with the government. She's furious with the association, because they cap the amount of syrup you can sell, and they put it somewhere in a warehouse and that pissed [her] off. And then there was [her] husband, and they were going to take all of [their] benefits away and [they] had no more money. And [she] knew that if he left the house that he would die, so [she] had to do something, and [she] just decided to steal some maple syrup. It's so logical to me.
How do you find your way to making sense of someone who makes nonsensical decisions?
There's so much real about her, and she does have her feet on the ground. She is a logical thinker. She does have great love, and I can relate to all of that. I can relate to how much she loves her husband. And also she has a bit of guilt about that, too, about her husband, because he was hurt by, I think a tree falling? I can't remember. Maybe fell out of a tree? I can't remember. Anyway, start there. Start with what's real. And hopefully the stakes make it funny, the stakes being so desperate and high, it makes it a black comedy.
You have such a gift for taking characters who are outwardly unsuspecting, and then they go on to do extraordinary things. Are you drawn to these type of characters?
Of course. I am. I remember the first scene I shot in The Americans was like a very quiet, normal woman in a diner eating, looking at people and eating. You would never know where she goes from there. I love that. And on Justified, same thing, you wouldn't know that she'd be hammering her son's fingers.
It's exactly the same with this character. You look at this woman and you might think she's gonna make you pancakes, but you don't think she's gonna do what she does with the maple syrup.
Yes, that's exactly right. That's exactly right. But the difference in this woman is that she starts at her most desperate. And that's fun, because it can only spin higher.
With Guillaume Cyr, Chris Diamantopoulos and an incredible guest appearance from Jamie Lee Curtis, what was it like working with this crazy good team?
Well, my two cohorts, Guillaume Cyr and Chris Diamantopoulos, it was instant chemistry for us. Instant chemistry so that basically we were a trio, a trio of stooges. Me being the brains, Chris being the brawn, and Guillaume being the heart and soul, and it kind of worked as a unit. I have my own other things, and so did they, but when we were together, it was instant chemistry. And all of the other mostly French Canadian actors, just all incredibly talented, and they're speaking English, so they're doing double-duty. I'm just talking English with that Southern accent, but I was very impressed with all of those people. And they're all stars in that whole world of Montreal.
As someone who has followed your career for a long time, to be at this place you're at now, where Jamie Lee Curtis is personally asking you to do this. How does it feel to be number one on the call sheet?
It's only happened to me once, and that was in Paris, Je T'aime with Alexander Payne. He said, "Now, Margo, remember you're number one on the call," because it's just me. [laughs] But this is my first time in a series [as the lead], and it's a responsibility to be kind and welcoming to everyone and to set a tone. And the great people that I've worked with taught me that, and the people that were jerks have taught me what not to do.
Also, how you as an actor have entered the pop culture realm, from Hannah Montana to playing a version of yourself on BoJack Horseman to a slew of memes, how does that feel?
Isn't that silly?
No, I love it. I'm one of those people making those memes.
It's kind of an honor, that's all I can say. It's an honor. I love it when a group of little girls are just whispering when I walk by and go, "Are you Hannah Montana's grandma?" "Yes I am, and I can pop it, lock it, polka dot it." [laughs] And then there's the other set that's about 40, and they go, "I know you from Practical Magic." They always quote, "Come on ladies, let's clean house." And I say, "You know who wrote that line? My husband."
Oh, really? I didn't know that.
Griffin Dunne [who directed Practical Magic] called me and he said, "We have to do a reshoot of something. Could you come up with a line?" And my husband, Bill, did. It's the one that everybody quotes.
I spoke with Kathy Bates a while back about that dance she does between supporting roles and sometimes getting in there with a lead. What is it like doing that dance between supporting and lead?
Well, mostly I've taken the supporting role, so I'm comfortable there. But being part of a big group that's an ensemble, I mean, I think August, Osage County, I felt very equal to everyone else. And in other shows, I mean, Sneaky Pete, I felt like I was up there with Giovanni [Ribisi] and Peter [Gerety] and all that, we were all together. The Americans, of course, I loved being Claudia and Matthew [Rhys] and Keri [Russell] are dear, dear, dear friends of mine. And we went on to do Cocaine Bear together.
Speaking of Kathy Bates, you two have a shared history, working theater together in Kentucky, right?
Kathy started in Kentucky in, I think 1980? She went there and did the Humana Festival, and she did Crimes of the Heart, I believe. and Night Mother, I think she just did it there [with Susan Kingsley]. But then she left to do a Broadway show, Goodbye Fidel. And John Joy had met me in New York, and he called me and said, "I'd like you come and meet Susan Kingsley and see if you get on, and I'd like you to come and slip into this part of Bates," whatever she had been doing. And so that's what I did. And then I was there four years doing all new plays. And we took all these plays all over the world. We premiered the three monologues from Talking With... in Dublin, and then we came back and did it at the Humana Festival. [The play] Rodeo was written for me and then Kathy did my part in Rodeo on television and directed Talking With... And I also replaced Kathy in Curse of the Starving Class in New York. I think only once or twice did I come before her. But mostly I followed her.
I feel strongly we need to see the two of you in something together.
I've thought of that forever. I thought doing Arsenic and Old Lace or something like that. Two old women killing people, which would just be so much fun.
How does it feel to be so in demand right now at this point in your career?
Great. Makes me happy. When I sit a long time I go, "Why aren't my agents calling me? What's going on? Is something happening?" It never fails.
You're never not a starving actor.
That's exactly right. You're never not.
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