Four-time Emmy winner Rhea Perlman (“Cheers”) chatted about her latest acting projects, which include guest roles in Fox’s “Accused” and “Poker Face” on Peacock.
‘Accused’ on Fox
On March 7, Perlman will appear in an episode of the Fox crime drama “Accused,” where she plays the role of Joyce Golden. “It’s a really cool story,” she said. “All of the stories of ‘Accused’ are different. Every episode is 100 percent different from the previous one. It’s an anthology where no cast stays the same. My episode is about a celebrity rape accusation. I play a woman who owns a comedy club, so I am friends with all of these comedians, and have been around for a long time.”
“My character’s attitude about what you do, (if someone has been inappropriate with you), is you keep it to yourself. Especially if it’s a part of your career, you don’t bring it up. It’s like the attitude of women that I grew up with when it seemed something always happens to everybody. Every woman has experienced assault of some kind by the opposite sex, and my character likes the pre-#MeToo attitude of ‘suck it up.’ The only thing you can do is leave,” she elaborated.
“It’s a very cool show though it’s not about my character. It’s about Whitney Cummings’ character,” she foreshadowed.
“I hope people watch ‘Accused.’ You might even learn something because they are all different episodes, and they are all about very current topics,” she said.
‘Poker Face’
In addition, on March 9, Perlman will guest star as Beatrix Hasp in the season finale of “Poker Face” on Peacock. “I love that show,” she admitted. “I think Rian Johnson is brilliant, and Natasha Lyonne gets better and better in every show, and she has always been great. I am so happy to be anywhere near this show. All of the actors on there are amazing.”
In “Poker Face,” Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but investigate and solve.
“It is a murder mystery and usually you find out what is going on in the end, because of Charlie’s gift of knowing when someone is telling the truth or not. She uses that to help solve crimes even though she doesn’t work for anybody who is doing that for a living,” Perlman said.
“It’s a brilliant show and I am on the finale episode. I can’t wait for Season 2 whether I am in it or not,” she added.
“I think people are going to have a great time with ‘Poker Face.’ It is different than any other show that is on right now. Rian Johnson is just fantastic, and he is a very giving person, I like him a lot. I think these shows are very accessible and people like them,” she said.
‘Barbie’ movie
Perlman is also looking forward to being a part of the new “Barbie” movie, which was directed by Greta Gerwig, and is slated for release this summer. “I am so excited for ‘Barbie.’ It was so much fun to work on this film. My part in this film is cool,” she hinted.
The synopsis is: To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis, or you’re a Ken. “I love Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, and I loved working with them. Barbie is Barbie. I have two daughters who’ve had everything Barbie. It was fun to be a part of that group and it’s a smart movie,” she said.
‘Marvelous and The Black Hole’
Last year, Perlman was a part of the movie “Marvelous and The Black Hole,” which is a coming-of-age comedy, and she starred opposite Miya Cech. “I love that movie,” she exclaimed. “I love magic, I really do. I like to be fooled, I really like that,” she said with a sweet laugh.
In this film, a teenage delinquent (Miya Cech) befriends a surly magician (Rhea Perlman) who helps her navigate her inner demons and dysfunctional family with sleight of hand magic.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, now with streamers being so prevalent, Perlman said, “It’s great, I love it. TikTok has re-introduced ‘Cheers’ and now people are watching ‘Cheers’ again.”
Speaking of “Cheers,” Perlman is the winner of four Emmy Awards for her acting work as Carla Tortelli on the series. “Each Emmy win was fantastic,” she said. “It was so great, especially to go to the Emmy Awards and to win. I was very happy.”
Advice for hopefuls in acting
For young and aspiring actors, she encouraged them to “keep going” in “any way they can.” “If you love it, do it. Make your own content if nobody is hiring you. Do your own projects, write a lot (if you can write your own material). There are a lot of opportunities these days but there is also a lot of competition because it so much wide open in terms of who can compete. It is worth going for, if that’s what you want to do,” she said.
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Perlman said with a sweet laugh, “Grandma.”
Perlman: The Grandma-to-be
Perlman revealed that she is going to be a grandmother for the first time. “My daughter is due on April 1st, which is the day after my birthday, so who knows,” she said.
“I am just so excited and thrilled about that. It is going to be a girl,” she shared.
If she were to have any superpower, she noted that it would be flight. “I’ve always wanted to fly,” she said. “To fly would be the most fabulous thing in the world. I would love to Zoom around and go with the wind.”
‘Matilda’
She is also known for her portrayal of Zinnia Wormwood in “Matilda.” “That was a fabulous project to work on,” she said. “I had tons of fun playing Mrs. Wormwood.”
“That’s another movie that never loses its legs,” she said. “So many people see it, and they are watching it again with their kids. It’s a multi-generational movie, it really is.”
Success
On her definition of the word success, she jokingly laughed, “Money.” “Success is feeling fulfilled. Knowing that there was something you wanted to do, and you accomplished it. It feels good when people seem to be on your side. There is success in your career and in your family life, that’s the most important success to me. My family is the center of my life,” she said.
To learn more about veteran actress Rhea Perlman, follow her on Instagram, and check out her IMDb page.
