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Patti LuPone has recently joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Disney+’s Agatha All Along, where she portrays Lilia Calderu, a 450-year-old Sicilian witch. LuPone enthusiastically describes her character, saying, “Lilia, oh Lilia! Will you be my Lilia? Oh Lilia, the tattooed lady!” Her excitement for the role is palpable as she discusses it during a recent interview.
The accomplished actress, known for her three Tony Awards for Evita, Gypsy, and Company, candidly admits she had “absolutely no knowledge” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe before accepting the role. The cast also features notable talents such as Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and Debra Jo Rupp. LuPone humorously reflects on her experience, saying, “When we were shooting, it felt like we were our own entity at Trilith Studio … isolated from the Marvel universe.”
She recalls a memorable moment from filming in Atlanta that embodies the show’s themes of magic. “Sasheer, Joe, and I experienced something remarkable towards the end of the shoot,” LuPone explains. Her landlady took them to a countryside location, where they were mesmerized by fireflies synchronized in flight. “It was like a beautiful National Geographic moment, right there in the dark of Atlanta,” she adds.
LuPone feels a deep connection to Lilia, largely due to their shared Sicilian heritage. Reflecting on this, she quotes playwright David Mamet: “Everything is as it should be. The universe is unfolding.” She finds parallels between Lilia and her character Kathy Pizazz from American Horror Story: NYC, as both are tarot card readers. She admits, “I’ve always felt a sense of witch-like ability. We all possess something extraordinary that remains unnoticed.”
Lilia’s dramatic ending in Agatha All Along involves a fall through the air, executed using practical effects. LuPone explains, “I was harnessed and held onto a rigged table. When they told me to release, I fell—though not very far.” She commends the dedicated team behind the scenes, expressing her concern over technology like AI and CGI overshadowing human creativity, stating, “These artists are truly exceptional.”
Upon reading the scripts, LuPone initially struggled to grasp her character’s journey through time. “The brilliant Jac Schaeffer crafts a complex narrative, and I wish I had understood it better. The answers to my questions were woven throughout all the episodes, and I often found myself asking many.” She acknowledges her tendency to forget the answers despite her curiosity.
Maintaining secrecy in the Marvel universe proved challenging for LuPone, who admits her tendency to share secrets often leads to trouble. “I keep getting caught,” she laughs. For instance, the rest of the cast had advance knowledge of a significant accolade at the GLAAD Awards but decided to keep it under wraps from her, leading to amusing exchanges with Jac Schaeffer about her reputation for spilling the beans.
Looking back on her experiences filming Agatha All Along, LuPone shares, “This has been one of the best experiences in my career, if not the best.” The cast even maintains a group text thread that likely started during production. If nominated for an Emmy for her role, it would mark her third nomination, after a Primetime Emmy nod for Frasier and a Daytime Emmy nomination for The Song Spinner.
In an exclusive video interview, LuPone also discusses her desire to visit a specific historical period and shares insights about starring alongside Mia Farrow in The Roommate when she faced an unexpected casting change.
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www.goldderby.com