Meet Briga Heelan, Star of NBC's Great News
NBC's upcoming comedy Great News has a lot going for it. Besides more than a few celebs (Nicole Richie and John Michael Higgins) in the cast, Tina Fey is an executive producer on the show, so we're expecting comedic genius. The sitcom, set in a New Jersey newsroom, hinges on the challenges of a mother-daughter relationship (played by Andrea Martin and Briga Heelan respectively), when said mother begins an internship at said daughter's news channel. To get the scoop ahead of the April 26th premiere, T&C chatted with Briga (Cougar Town, Undateable) on everything from cast dynamic to the show's timeliness.
After reading the pilot script, were you sold on the show?
Well my initial reaction to the pilot was that the jokes were just so funny. And when I knew Andrea Martin was playing Carol, I thought, this is going to be golden. But I didn’t really relate to Katie [my character] a lot, so I don’t think I was locked in until the chemistry read with Adam Campbell.
Is there anything about your character that drew you to her?
I really loved how the character wants to be confident, but she’s not actually there yet. And after the chemistry read, I just thought about how much fun that would be to play.
What was it like working with Andrea Martin?
We actually met on the first shoot. She’s just so funny in real life. We're so fortunate because our dynamic just locked in, and she’s such a good, truly generous person. She's also so self-deprecating.
Does the show have any similarities to your relationship with your real-life mom?
Yes, definitely. It took me a while to realize the layers of it. It's similar because my character is around my age, and wants to be independent from her mother, but at the same time, she'll still call her mom for the stupid stuff.
With all of these comedic people in the room, what was the dynamic like on set?
Well, I’ve been so lucky, working on television in general, but getting these sweet, kind, generous people who make you laugh is, hands down, the best experience I’ve ever had. It’s funny because who would have ever put this group of people together - it’s so random! Everybody just did their homework, and when we had downtime, we would talk about other stuff. Our favorite thing was making each other laugh.
Who made you laugh the most?
Oh, I can’t say that!
This was Nicole Richie's first comedy; but she seemed like a natural. Did she need any help learning the ropes?
No, Nicole is so funny. She didn’t need to be introduced at all. Her sense of humor is so utterly unique, especially when she would deadpan after a joke.
With everything going on in the news (fake news, alternative facts, etc.), do you think this show is particularly timely?
News is the background to the show, but it’s not necessarily on the content of the current landscape. What I do think is cool is that it addresses the way the news is portrayed - old age versus new age ways.
Speaking of new age, congratulations on your pregnancy!
Thank you! Physically, the process has been pretty smooth, but I would LOVE to not have to pee, like, 30 times a day.
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