Breaking Down the Scene

by Julie Warner (Andrea Schillo)

My character, Andrea Schillo, is a woman who has devoted the last 16 years of her life to Seth Blanchard’s company, completely committed to one man and his vision. Andrea graduated from Harvard Business School and Seth handpicked her from a group of applicants. Although Seth and I have never been romantically involved, he has shared the intimate details of his life with me. I am totally loyal to him and would do anything to protect him and his wife Maggie, as long as I believe that I am doing the right thing. A highly intelligent, take-no-prisoners kind of woman. 

All characters have a heroic side, and have to fight for something they believe in passionately. It may look like a character is quiet at times, but for me, in every scene I play, there is something that I want from that scene and some sort of obstacle to overcome. I believe that all characters, like all people, are complex, not two-dimensional. Andrea Schillo is brilliant and brave. She can be tough (read: “bitchy”), or very funny. She is also vulnerable and loving, and wants to make a positive difference in the lives of the people she loves.  

It’s always easier to memorize lines when you track the emotional arc of a scene. I read and reread the scene, speaking my lines to get them into my brain. I work very hard on breaking down the emotional beats of a scene, on what I want from the other person or people in the scene, and then I close my eyes and test myself on the lines. It’s really important to have the lines down cold so that when I am on the set, with the other actors, props, and blocking, I can be free to play and react and create each moment without the feeling that I am reciting dialogue. Some actors are natural improvisers and the writers may encourage that actor to play with the dialogue, but that’s not how I am approaching Andrea Schillo. She’s a by-the-book kinda gal. 

Shooting the scenes is the best part. The worst part is waiting and sometimes very long hours and high heels that hurt! 

The actors I work most with on “Crash,” Eric Roberts (Seth Blanchard) and Ross McCall (Kenny Battaglia), are hilarious men as well as brilliant actors, and they love to have fun on set. Like with all men, there are fart jokes, and that’s all I’m saying about that. Linda Park (Maggie Blanchard) has been a joy to work with, too. She is very centered and has a lovely energy about her. She and I are hopeless gigglers when the men get silly.

The role of Andrea is an interesting role because there is a lot of room for me to be creative with my interpretation of who she is. Over the past two decades I’ve played several “corporate” kinds of women, and it’s always a challenge to bring their humanity to the businesslike demeanor these characters inherently demand. But I do love a challenge. I also really like the different relationships that Andrea has with Seth, Kenny, and Maggie. The writing has been great in helping me to make those dynamics distinct. I love being part of the team, and I hope the work I do is strong and has the right tone for the show as a whole.