Like you said, you previously worked with her on “Casual.” What was it like getting to reconnect for this project?
It was great, and in fact, made the decision to do the show really easy. When they called to ask me about it, they said, “Well, Eliza would be playing your wife.” It’s so hard to align the stars to get a show made, much less a good show, and to have that big component already in place. I was like, “Great.” I knew I loved working with her, and I knew the pilot script was incredible, was funny, and it was emotional. It made that piece of it really easy.
Another interesting thing is there was a bit of an unknown, which is the fun [and challenging] part of it, right? It’s a very different relationship in “Casual.” It’s a very troubled, very heavy… “Casual” was much more of a dramedy than “Pivoting” was. I don’t know if that’s totally fair to say, but [“Casual” is] more dramatic for sure, whereas [“Pivoting” has] lighter, quicker, harder jokes. I had a sense that we’d be able to pull it off, but it was … I’m rambling now, but it was the perfect setup. I know we’ve got the foundation there. I know we work well together. Now, can we translate that into a slightly different kind of show?
If there’s a Season 2 of “Pivoting,” is there anywhere you’d like to see your character go?
I think you’ll see the beginnings of this in the end of Season 2, and it’s something I talked to Liz, the creator, about a fair amount, which is always … just a little bit of cheesy actor talk. You always want your character to be layered and to be revealing new layers and exploring your soul in a certain way. I’ve always thought that Henry’s buoyancy is a little bit of a cover for some deeper, darker stuff. I think that’s where I’d like to see him head, not in any heavy way, but I think Henry needs to do some pivoting of his own. He’s the slightest bit hiding behind this [idea of], “Hey now, I’m just a good guy, and I keep my family together.” I think he has some wants and needs of his own, so I think seeing Henry crack open a little bit will be fun. Seeing Henry under stress and maybe being a little less capable at times would be fun, new territory for him.
