Brooke Elliot: A bit of both

For her performance as Jane Bingum, a brilliant, thoughtful but shy lawyer, with the spirit of Deb Dobson, a vapid, outgoing model wannabe inside her in the beTV hit series Drop Dead Diva, Brooke Elliot has received the 2010 Gracie Award for Female Rising Star in a Comedy Series and been nominated for a 2011 PRISM Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Series.

“Very challenging,” admitted Elliot in a recent tele-conference with Conversations (the only Philippine newspaper participating) together with journalists from three other Asian countries. “How did the two characters get inside one body? Well, through a heavenly mix-up,” added Elliot with a laugh, thankful that the series gives her a chance to showcase her singing talent.

The fourth season of Drop Dead Diva started airing last Monday, Oct. 1. Stay tuned for more exciting surprises. Among the guest stars are Kim Kardashian, singer Ian Gomez (of Cougar Town), singer Brandy Norwood and Serena Williams.

Born on Nov. 16, 1974, in Minnesota, Elliot graduated from Western Michigan University with an AB Fine Arts (in musical theater performance) degree. She has starred in the Broadway musical The Pirate Queen (from the writers of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon) and Taboo (composed by Boy George and produced by Rosie O’Donnel), and was also included in the national tours of Beauty and the Beast and Wicked (original cast).

Before Drop Dead Diva, she was featured in an episode of the TV series Law and Order: Trial by Jury and did a cameo in What Women Want (with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt).

How’s Deb Dobson so far?

Elliot with the cast of Drop Dead Diva: What I love about my role is that she gives a positive message to women out there — you know, that we are smarter than what men think

“She has spent so much time thinking about how to get her old life back and how everything in her new life is pretty unacceptable to her. And we see her through Season 2 and 3, and definitely 4, she really begins to embrace who she is and that life. The only thing that really drags her back a lot is Grayson (Deb’s fiancé played by Jackson Hurst). Other than that, she embraces this new life she’s in and she finds herself beautiful. She finds herself excited about being a lawyer and getting to live this life. It’s fun through the seasons to watch her kind of learn self-acceptance.”

Can you discuss further details of this season particularly about the love angle and the interesting cases that we are to see?

“This season is a lot of fun because there comes a little bit of a love triangle between Grayson and Owen (Jane’s new beau played by Lex Medlin of Southland), the judge and Jane. Jane isn’t aware of any of this. It’s the first time that we’ve seen Grayson pining after Jane, which I think is really fun. We spent three seasons watching Jane come to or pining over Grayson who doesn’t really know that she’s there. So, it’s kind of fun to have Grayson looking at Jane and have Jane not even noticing because she’s with Owen. It causes a lot of drama. There are great court cases as we always have so many great ideas. We have a woman, who eats her fiancé’s ashes — that’s kind of a crazy one but it’s really interesting. I think people are just going to love Season 4 because it’s a lot of fun.”

Is your role in Drop Dead Diva more challenging than the previous ones and which one of the two personalities, the lawyer or the wannabe-model, do you identify with?

“It is more challenging than any other role I’ve played because of how specific it is and how detail-oriented the play of character. The character really played close attention to what would she know, what she doesn’t know, how much is Jane influencing her behavior right now, how much is Deb completely taking over. That is actually my favorite part of playing the role — it’s that challenge involved which I never had that opportunity in my previous job. It’s a lot of fun.

“I guess I would say that I am a little bit of both which is probably helpful in playing the role. There are certain things that I can identify with Deb. I can identify with her girly-side, the make-up and the hair and clothing, that sort of thing. But her shallow and self-involved side, I’m not really identifying with. And then, Jane, I can understand being good in school. I can understand having moments of insecurity. I think we all have moments in our life that we go through that. I can understand both characters and I take that as a blessing because that helps me play the role.”

When you get your scripts, I mean in relation to the lady who eats the ashes of her late husband, are you still surprised by the ideas that come up?

“Certainly, I’m surprised. You know the eating of the ashes, I was shocked like, ‘Oh goodness,’ which I would think that the audience felt the same way because it’s a shocking story. I am sometimes shocked by them and sometimes even moved by them.”

Obviously, you’re such an inspiration to a lot of women out there, have you ever felt pressured to change your work and what drives you to push on to stay the way you are?

“Yeah, I felt pressured. I don’t think you can be a woman in this society without feeling that pressure. If there is someone, I’d love to meet them. I don’t think any of us can escape the magazines, and the pressure and what we’re told we’re supposed to be especially when I was younger. I tribute a lot to my parents; they gave me such a great sense of worth but that doesn’t mean I haven’t struggle with the pressures. It’s that somehow, deep down inside, they have given me a sense of worth and that I’m great the way I am.

“I think women receive so much pressure; it makes me want to fight for their right to be who they are even more. I feel like women are up against such a tight thing sometimes. We’re constantly told that we’re just not good enough, we’re not fit enough, we’re not pretty enough, not smart enough or not good enough mothers. It’s constantly that message that’s just being given, and so, what I love playing about this role is that finally I get to be part of a message that is sending positivity to them saying, ‘You are great, you are wonderful, just be happy, live your life and you have every right to do that.’ So, I love that. Hopefully, I am being part of the positive as opposed to the negative.”

For those who haven’t watched the previous season, do you think they would still be able to enjoy this season? What will you say to people asking why they should tune in to this season?

“I think those who haven’t watched the previous season can still enjoy it. We recap what happened in the beginning of every episode. So, you get filled in on the character that I’m playing — a model inside a lawyer. I definitely think that people can jump right in with what’s really great about this show. Hopefully, they would fall in love with the characters as quickly and easily as everyone else. We have such great characters. I think they’d be pulled in with the comedy of it and by how heartwarming it is as well. That’s also why I love the show. We have this beautiful heart-warming moments that will bring you to tears and then we have these great physical comedy moments that people would love.”

‘I think women receive so much pressure; it makes me want to fight for their right to be who they are even more.’

Which of the two characters do you think would men find more attractive — the lawyer or the wannabe-model? And if you ever get mixed up in real life, who would you like the other personality to be and why?

“I hope that men would be attracted to the new Jane. I think she is confident, sexy, beautiful, kind, loving and strong which I think are wonderful qualities. I don’t know if you’re asking about what body types. I’m assuming men would be attracted to different types of body. I think Deb, before she was in Jane’s body, had a lot of unattractive qualities. I think she was quite shallow and close-minded and she never fought for anything because she didn’t have to because everything came quite easily for her. To me, that’s not that attractive, but I don’t know what men would say.

“I think that Deb and Jane’s body is a beautiful woman. I think Jane, before she had Deb in her, just didn’t have the confidence to know that she’s beautiful. Beauty is not just in whatever physical. It’s about how you feel about yourself. It is how you see your own beauty — your physical beauty and inside beauty. I think that’s what makes Jane and Deb’s body so beautiful that she does see how beautiful she is.”

How was working with Kim Kardashian? If Lady Gaga showed up on the set, how would you react?

“Kim was very nice on the set. I didn’t work with her as much because she worked more with April Bowlby (who plays Stacy) but she was very kind and very low maintenance which was lovely. Most of them I know who’s coming. Sometimes I get so in the peak of shooting, I won’t realize that someone is playing a role until that day.

“If Lady Gaga showed up on the set, that would be amazing. She is amazing. I think she is fantastic. I think she is smart and creative and she’s so good at what she does. I would love to have her on our show.”

You were on Broadway before this. Do you have any plans of returning to Broadway?

“I’d love to. We always have our eyes and ears out. You know looking for the right part and the right timing. I am a real believer that things come along exactly when they’re supposed to. I’m just hanging tight until the right project comes along.”

Jane looks so chic and confident. Do you share this same fashion forward sense? What is your own fashion sense? Maybe you could share with us some brands that you know?

“I’m pretty casual, in my own life. I’m like in jeans, a T-shirt and some boots. I love that the winter is coming and the fall. I’m a fall and winter girl. I don’t care for summer wardrobe. I love jeans, boots, a sweater, a T-shirt or little jackets. I love stuff like that. I don’t shop at high-end places that often. I’m a real Target girl — Banana Republic and Gap, even Old Navy. I’m really kind of casual in my own style. I don’t really wear a lot of what Jane wears. She wears a lot of business suits and that’s not quite my style.”

You started singing at the age of three, would you remember the first song you ever sang and who are the musical influences in your life?

“The first song that they had me record is You Light Up My Life. When I was growing up…I’ve said this before…I thought I was going to be Barbra Streisand. I’d love to be Barbra Streisand! I thought I would just grow up to be her. She was a big influence. Even Whitney Houston was. She’s so amazing. I’m attracted to the sound of a big voice — Celine Dion with that big voice. But yes, Barbra Streisand mainly.”

Drop Dead Diva boasts of a talented cast. Who’s the biggest diva among them?

“Oh gosh, I don’t even know how to answer that.” (Laughs)

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