Louise Lasser

In her two-hour interview, Louise Lasser talks about her early years, and her early interest in performing, which led her to study acting with Sanford Meisner. She describes working with Woody Allen, to whom she was married, on several projects including a pilot called The Laugh Makers and several feature films. She discusses early guest appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show, as well as appearing in the Ingmar Bergman scripted made-for-television movie The Lie. She speaks of how she came to be cast as the title character in her most famous role on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and details her time on that show working with producer Norman Lear and director Joan Darling. Lasser recalls various aspects of the show, including the cast, memorable storylines, and how she had trouble distinguishing her own persona from the show’s character when the show ended. She talks about a stint hosting Saturday Night Live, as well as guest appearances on Taxi and Girls. She concludes by recalling career achievements and regrets, and sharing how she’d like to be remembered. Adrienne Faillace conducted the interview on May 16, 2017 in New York, NY.