Comedian and potential cult leader Amy Sedaris assures us she is completely fine

Actress and comedian Amy Sedaris answers burning questions ahead of upcoming live tour

Amy Sedaris is an outrageously funny actor, comedian, and writer best known for her wacky characters, distinctive voice, and outrageous delivery. While she rose to fame as the jilted Jerri Blake in the Comedy Central series “Strangers with Candy,” she was a performer long before she had a platform.

Sedaris was raised in North Carolina among a group of siblings known as the “Talent Family,” and he was born with a natural sense of humour. She was never afraid to let her talent shine, whether it was pranking her family members or performing plays in the living room or making fake announcements over the loudspeaker at the local Winn-Dixie. She didn’t always have an audience, but she was always in the spotlight.

Sedaris rose to prominence after moving to Chicago to join the ranks of the legendary comedy troupe Second City, playing quirky TV characters such as Jerri Blake, Princess Carolyn in “BoJack Horseman,” and Mimi Kanassis in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” She was also the creator and Emmy nominee for the TruTV surreal comedy series “At Home with Amy Sedaris.”

Her film and television credits include “Maid in Manhattan,” “School of Rock,” “Elf,” “Shrek the Third,” “Puss in Boots,” “The Lion King,” and others, in addition to comedy series. She was most recently heard as Peli Motto in Disney’s “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett.”

Sedaris, who will be in Santa Rosa (Sept. 21), Livermore (Sept. 22), and Carmel (Nov. 10) this week, took the time to answer some of our burning questions about the tour and other matters.

Q: You’re a big character actress who really shines in the animation process with voices, faces, and body language. How do you physically enter the bodies of your characters?

A: When I’m figuring out a character’s physicality, I first feel it in my spine. Then I try to figure out who they are by looking at them. This is often due to what I’m wearing or if I have something to hide behind, such as a cane or wig. I’ll stand in front of the mirror, look at myself, and say, “Oh, I know this lady!” and physically transform into her. I find the body and then just wait for the director to yell “Action!”

Q: I’ve heard you’re a huge wig fan. Drag queens make up a sizable portion of the wig fan base, particularly in the Bay Area. What would your stage name be if you were a drag performer?

The answer is Lil’ Fudgepot. Not “little,” but “lil” with an apostrophe.

Q: Your voice is one of your distinguishing features. When did you realize you had a distinct voice or one that would be suitable for a performer?

A: I do a lot of voiceovers, but I haven’t given it much thought. I never made a concerted effort to go in that direction, but I was always asked to do them. I didn’t like them at first because, in studios, you go through all these strange steps and don’t really know what’s going on in the scene until you see the animation and see things that would’ve been useful to know during recording.

However, around “Bojack,” I really began to embrace it, and I now enjoy doing them. Personally, I find my voice extremely irritating. I’m not sure why anyone would want to listen to it! I feel like I put too much emphasis on the wrong words, that I speak too quickly, and that my voice is too high pitched. I’m the queen of mispronunciation, but I guess no one likes the sound of their own voice.

Q: You play the off-screen voice of “God” in the play “The Bible says Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” You used to go to the Greek Orthodox church as a kid, but because you couldn’t understand the Greek sermon, you made up your own religion in your head. What would be your first commandment if you had your own religion or cult?

A: Something to do with being nice. You will pay more attention to others and be more present. You’ll be a big tipper! That’s all there is to it. But maybe I’d make a good cult leader. I was in a lot of clubs when I was a kid, and when I’m around young kids now, I’m always trying to motivate them by saying things like, “Come on, let’s start a club!” Let’s make a film! What happened to the script? Let’s put on a performance!”

Q: One thing your characters have in common is that they are frequently eccentric, ridiculous, or downright insane. You play these roles so convincingly that one has to wonder how insane the real Amy Sedaris is.

A: OK, I think I’m usually the most rational person in the room. That’s something I’m always saying to my friends! People think I’m insane, but I’m actually pretty normal. In terms of playing crazy characters, I don’t like to call them that. I don’t say anything about it, and I try not to judge them in that way.

Q: While your characters are mostly comedic, you’ve played a number of roles with darker undertones, including Jerri Blank, Princess Carolyn, and Mimi Kanassis. They exude a sense of sadness or profound loneliness. Why do you think you find yourself in these roles that are part comedy, part hopelessness?

A: I’m not sure; I haven’t given it much thought. Jerri was a drug addict, and I’d never tried heroin. I didn’t have a reference for a junkie, but it just came out of nowhere. Overall, she was a loser, an outcast, and a misfit, and I believe many people can relate to that. Mimi’s relationship with Jane Krakowski’s character is particularly appealing to me. Mimi is just someone for her to (expletive) on, and I believe it’s the same thing as before, where everyone can relate. Perhaps there is a pattern…

Q: Do you ever feel constrained by the outrageous, quirky comedy archetype you frequently play? Would you ever want to play a more subdued, gritty drama role?

A: While I enjoy watching dramas and serious material and finding the humor in it, I don’t believe I have the acting chops to do the real stuff. I’m not interested at all. I’m more inclined to make light of the situation. I enjoy amusing material. I prefer it to be focused on the characters. I enjoy playing minor roles in other people’s shows. I want to come on, laugh, and then leave. I want to be able to do both–catch a big fish every now and then, but then go live my life.

If we weren’t able to answer all of your Amy-related questions, stop by one of her shows and get your answers live and in-person from the source.