IGN Interviews Mary Lynn Rajskub

Our exclusive interview with the star of Firewall and 24.

February 7, 2006 - Persistence has paid off for Mary Lynn Rajskub. It wasn't too long ago that she was going from audition to audition, carefully considering any acting gig that came her way. The present, however, is a bit different. She has a steady job on one of TV's best shows, 24, as Chloe, the CTU analyst and confidant to Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer. Considering the cutthroat nature of the show, she didn't think Chloe would survive this long. But she has. And, much to Mary Lynn's surprise, she's developed a fan following. This Friday we get see her in Firewall, which opens in theaters nationwide. In the movie, which represents her first major supporting role, she finds herself helping Harrison Ford battle Paul Bettany and his evil cohorts.

Last week, Mary Lynn took time out from filming 24 (episode 16 of season 5) to talk with us about Chloe, Firewall, and her musical troupe, The Girls Guitar Club.

IGNFF: Did you ever think something like Firewall would happen for you?

MARY LYNN RAJSKUB: No, but I was very happy to get the part.

IGNFF: It's a terrific supporting role. How did that come about?

RAJSKUB: Well, it was a straight audition, and I was told that the director really liked me, but that they were going to try to go older with the character.

IGNFF: I don't know if that would have worked.

RAJSKUB: I wasn't sure what to think, too. And so I thought the part was gone. Then the casting director called me back, she invited me in. And it was just when I started my job again on 24, I had asked the director [Richard Loncraine] if he had seen 24, because I thought maybe that might help me get the job. He said, "No, but my kids have. They watch it. They told me that you were on it."

IGNFF: Perhaps it was his kids that helped change his mind?

RAJSKUB: It was. He said they said, "She's so cool, you have to have her!" That makes me so self conscious to hear that. I mean, I don't see myself as being that cool. It's sort of embarrassing, but girls and people see something like that in Chloe.

IGNFF: Chloe has that. She's very intense, and that's a good thing, but she has an underlying coolness in her character. It's like a cool/nerdy vibe that's also a good thing. I'm told many girls see Chloe as a hero in that way.

RAJSKUB: Yeah, she's that. The writers over the course of the show made me a little bit cool. I think when they started using me as showing favor to Jack, and even though I'm sort of mean to Edgar, they have me as sort of a little window of helping Jack. Or just really working to do the right thing, despite having some arrogance toward other people.

IGNFF: Do you think people see the humor in Chloe's arrogance?

RAJSKUB: They do. Personally, I don't see it immediately, but viewers see it. They see humor between Edgar and I. I think that it's functioned well on the show. It gives things a bit of a break because the show is intense. Sometimes it's unexpected.

IGNFF: So, his kids brought an episode of 24 to him?

RAJSKUB: Yeah, he said they showed it to him. He loved it. I talked with him, and he just really knows a lot about movies. It's great to talk with someone like that.

IGNFF: Acting in scenes with Harrison Fold... is that intimidating, or what? Or would he be intimidated by you?

RAJSKUB: (She laughs) Well, I think there are moments of all that. Certainly with him and Richard Loncraine, he filmed such a lot of the shots with the camera so close to me, these extreme close-ups. The camera is right in your face. I mean, I thought I was comfortable in front of the camera when filming, and I was comfortable with all of the technical stuff and talking about the shot. And they did a lot of that. Harrison Ford was definitely very active in discussing everything about the shots, and dialogue-ing. But I was just... I was like not even knowing what they were talking about. That was intimidating.

IGNFF: That's interesting, because part of being effective as an actor is being comfortable around the camera equipment.

RAJSKUB: That's like a main thing.

IGNFF: As a camera assistant I noticed you could see how it would change actor's performances, because it would throw them off. But if they're comfortable with it, then it just goes. They get acclimated to it over the course of the movie.

RAJSKUB: Yeah, I don't have a problem with it anymore. I have a problem with glamour shots, when I'm doing still photos and the camera is like two inches from my face. That's nerve-wracking! I'm like, ugh!

IGNFF: It's invasive.

RAJSKUB: Absolutely invasive! I have so much more of an understanding about what models have to go through. It's hard! (She laughs) On Firewall that's what was so intimidating. But Harrison makes you feel comfortable. He's a very funny person. He definitely, I think, in a lot of ways tries to make people feel comfortable. He certainly has this ability to be intimidating.

IGNFF: I kind of sense that. He's really laid back, but he does have this aura about him where you might think, "I wouldn't want to get him upset or something." Maybe it's just because he's so into doing the best work he can do.

RAJSKUB: He's kind of really that way with the way he works. You can tell he cares a lot. He does over-think stuff, but that isn't all bad. He has a sense of humor towards it, and I like that a lot. I can relate to that.

IGNFF: Richard called you and you got the part. Was that just out-of-the blue, or did you have a good sense it would happen?

RAJSKUB: I had a feeling it might happen. I mean, when I first auditioned for it, I just thought it was kind of a good match. I was thinking, "Of course I should be in that part!"

IGNFF: It's right. I think if they had the part as someone older it would have taken something away from it.

RAJSKUB: Richard said the same thing. That's not off, because he said that I have an indie quality or something.

IGNFF: I think so.

RAJSKUB: Well, that kind of made me laugh when I heard it. I was like, "I don't really know what you're talking about." (She laughs)

IGNFF: It's like, for example, when Ford's character goes to your apartment to insist on your help, he has to convince you something really weird is going on. Your apartment said a lot about your character, you know, where you live and the music you're playing. It's an I'm-trying-to-make-it-in-the-city kind of thing, that's right for your character, not an older character. It makes him a fish out of water, absolutely in the wrong environment.

RAJSKUB: That's what Richard, I think, realized he wanted. He could use me that way.

IGNFF: I was impressed with the music you were playing.

RAJSKUB: I don't know what it was. We weren't playing anything when we filmed it. I hope they chose something good. (She laughs) I haven't seen the finished movie yet.

IGNFF: I don't think it was anything like the Girls Guitar Club though. I'll bet there's a number of Chloe fans who aren't aware that you had a band for a while. Can you tell us about the Girls Guitar Club?

RAJSKUB: Have you seen the short film?

IGNFF: I tried to watch it online, but I couldn't access it.

RAJSKUB: It's really funny. The Girls Guitar Club was our band. It's an act that I no longer do. I did it with my friend. We were both doing stand-up comedy and she taught me how to play guitar. And this one night we decided to go to this open mic night, and we played. We did a song and I was so nervous to play it that we kept on talking and describing the different chords, and people thought it was really funny. It turned into this sort of club for girls who shouldn't be afraid to just "play it." So, we taught each other how to do it.

IGNFF: My first thought was it was like a female Tenacious D, or something like that.

RAJSKUB: It isn't that dissimilar. I mean, it's the same concept except were two girls picking guitars. But I guess the different is we had a lot more banter back and for. We did original songs. We did a lot of covers, like folk covers.

IGNFF: It's cool you were able to progress to that point from not being able to play.

RAJSKUB: Yeah, it was kind of cool, because it got to the point where it was like, "Wow! We actually sound pretty good!" We covered things like Patty Griffin songs.

IGNFF: Who are you listening to right now? Do you have a Top Five that's in heavy rotation on your CD player?

RAJSKUB: Well, I have kind of a problem. I'm a bit behind with music. If this is going to be printed, I'll say, if anyone out there wants to make me a mix, go for it. (She laughs) I can't promise that I'll listen to it, but I actually am interested in discovering new stuff. But I'm also behind. I've missed the train on some stuff. Sometimes it takes me a while to discover that some things are really good.

IGNFF: If you're embarrassed to say who you're listening to, you don't have to.

RAJSKUB: (She laughs) I just... well, OK. I don't really know what the kids are listening to,.

IGNFF: Probably not a good thing to check out Billboard's top ten.

RAJSKUB: I know! It's like what is that? I have really no connection to that. Maybe it's because I'm too old.

IGNFF: No, I think it's been that way for a while. Billboard's top ten... it's just wrong.

RAJSKUB: I don't see it. I just don't even want to go there because I think, "Well, these kids must know something that I don't." So I don't even take the time to listen to that stuff.

IGNFFF: But if you, you know, Chloe, you're listening to and following something out of the past, they'll think, I've got to get back to that.

RAJSKUB: Well, I'm starting to listen to Neil Young again. Why not? I mean, the guy has his great records. I'm also really into Snoop Dogg now. He's got great old stuff.

- By Steve Head