Iliza Shlesinger Interview: Spenser Confidential (2024)

Spenser Confidential tells the story of an ex-cop who recently got out of prison who links up with his roommate and ex-girlfriend to stop the criminals who killed some of his fellow police officers. The action-comedy debuts on Netflix on March 6 and stars Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke, and Iliza Shlesinger.

Shlesinger shared how her character Cissy evolved during shooting, and what she hoped to add to the story with her performance.

You have a great comedic background. Can you talk to me about how the advent of streaming services has helped writers get their material out?

Iliza Shlesinger: Well, you can define material in many different ways. You can write your stand-up and that begets your material. You can be a creator of original content, you could be a writer who got their material on Netflix and now you have a script on Netflix. So, I guess the question is more how streaming services helped creators to get it out there versus the way it used to be, which is you go to one of the few networks or one of the few cable channels.

It really is that you have more control now as a creator, and there are more audiences being discovered, and audiences have more access to so many more voices. So, the more that's created, the more audiences are finding these creators, and the more demand there is for different voices for different people. Netflix does such a beautiful job of creating content. People fault them for having so much content, but if there weren't people consuming it, they wouldn't be making that content. And one show doesn't service all people, so people are finding themselves in so many different types of shows. I think people seeing a reflection of themselves in media is an important thing.

Usually, we have to go to screenings to watch a film, but luckily, Netflix was able to give it to me in the comfort of my own living room. Can you talk to me about how see cinema and the cinematic experience changing?

Iliza Shlesinger: I think even now the demand for having in-home entertainment, whether it's your food being brought to you or delivering your packages to your house more and more, people want to stay home for various reasons. Especially in LA where the traffic is so bad, you want to be at home with your family, you want to spend less time in your car. So, having things at your fingertips - whether it's your entire socialized world or media or your food or your packages - people wanna spend more time at home.

I think it makes it so much more accessible. Nothing can beat the feel of seeing a movie with a bunch of strangers in the dark on a big screen, but I think people are more inclined to try a new movie when they're comfortable at home. When you can just flip it on; you don't have to buy a ticket; you don't have to go somewhere. The ease with which people consume things, I think, is a big factor. Accessibility is massive.

In Spenser Confidential, what did you want to bring to the character of Cissy that may have not been on the page?

Iliza Shlesinger: Especially as a comedian, as a woman who does comedy, I'm tired of seeing women play different archetypes of woman. I didn't want Cissy to just service the male characters. I didn't want her existence to be contingent upon the fact that she was angry; I didn't want her to be a psycho. At her core, she is a girl that decided not to roll over and shrivel up when the man that she loved not only went to prison, but ultimately didn't come visit her after. So, I think she feels extra slighted. And I think any woman can identify with when you love someone, and they're not giving you what you want.

She's a small business owner, and she's passionate, but there is a softness. I think men think just because a woman is vocal or sees things a certain way, then that means that she's not a lady at the end of the day and doesn't have feelings. So, I really wanted to make sure that we gave her soft moments and quiet moments; moments where she doesn't snap back or moments where she's having soft dialogue. That way it heightens the moments of intensity even more, and women can relate to her more. She's not just a foil.

The great thing about her character, too, is she's one of the stronger voices in the film that really keeps everything kind of grounded.

Iliza Shlesinger: Because she's the loudest.

In the film, you have a dog business. I know you're a dog lover yourself, so was that based in real life or was actually written on the page?

Iliza Shlesinger: It was written eventually. It was not in the first draft, or what we at first shot, and then they added more pages. We did some reshoots, and they added in the additional scenes with me.

We shot this movie, and I was really pleased to hear that they tested it and they added three more scenes with Cissy. The dog scene was all added in later. She was a dog groomer, but they added in the scene. I have pictures of that day, and they dressed that set. There are so many details in the house: dog posters, clipping shears, dog food everywhere. We fleshed her out the more we shot and the longer it went.

Can you talk to me about your sketch comedy show that's coming up?

Iliza Shlesinger: Sure! It's the Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show. I wanted people to have to say my name. It's out April 1 on Netflix. We shot it early Fall in Brooklyn, and the idea is that you're watching a channel. It's the Iliza channel, so it clicks around and picks shows for you. It's where all media converges, so it's streaming but there's commercials. It's all satirizing the media that we consume. There's no political angle. There's one fake political ad, but regardless of the party that you vote for, you're going to love this show. It's social commentary, and it's irreverent and it's goofy and fun.

Talk to me about some of the talent you've assembled for it.

Iliza Shlesinger: We were able to get a lot of really talented comedians from the New York area. A lot of UCB people, a lot of improvisers. I really wanted to give chances and opportunities everyday working comic actors that would love a part in this. We weren't too precious about it; we were like, "If you're good, you're good." If we found someone who did a good read, we didn't search much further. And then, of course, my friends.

Honestly, those UCB shows are some of the best comedic performances I've ever seen.

Iliza Shlesinger: I've been fortunate enough to do the monologue for a show called ASSSSCAT, which is where a celebrity comes out and gives a monologue, and then the improvisers improvise a scene around it. And I'm always floored. I consider myself pretty quick, and I'm always floored by their talents. So, we have a lot of funny people. I wanted to create chances for my friends. Some friends flew out on their own dollar to be in it, and I put my mom in it as well. She plays herself. And I put my mother-in-law too. Why not?

If you have any advice for any aspiring comedian, especially now, what would that advice be?

Iliza Shlesinger: There's no right answer. There's no wrong answer. When you hear, "That's the way things are done," or "That's the precedent," it's all made up. This is show business, not physics. There are not concrete rules. You stay true to yourself, you don't take any sh*t, you work hard, and you keep your head down. That's it. Just because others don't see it, doesn't mean it's not there. But you have to believe it for yourself, otherwise nobody's going to care.

You're a great writer, as well. When you get a part or a script, do you kind of add to it?

Iliza Shlesinger: I do. I don't want to take anything away from what was written, but I go through and I think to myself, "How would she say this? Would she say this?" And then in a very respectful way, I'll bring it up with the director and say, "Here's a thought."

Usually the director is very open to it, and writers are open to it, because everybody wants it to sound good and at the end of the day, the writer's going to get the credit. But you want to make sure that it's authentic, and that it's true to your character. I've done movies where we do a whole scene and we cut out the whole thing and start over, or I've done movies where they rewrite it day of. Just because you wrote it in the first draft doesn't mean what's happening now applies. So, hopefully you get a director that's open-minded about it, and that's collaborative.

Do you feel like we're seeing a resurgence of sketch shows lately? Because I feel that's where you get to foster a lot of great talent.

Iliza Shlesinger: For me, sketch shows were what influenced me and were my main influence for being a stand-up. It was In Living Color, it was The Kids in the Hall, it was French and Saunders. And later than that, Absolutely Fabulous, which is my personal Bible. For me, it's always been about colorful and unique characters in different situations.

I don't know if we're seeing a resurgence of sketch, though I know Netflix ordered three sketch shows. I think sketch is a very difficult thing to pull off, and good sketch shows are actually very few and far between. At the end of the day, funny is funny. You're not going to get that second season unless enough people are liking it.

In your opinion, what's the hardest part of improv?

Iliza Shlesinger: Paying attention. When I do improv stuff, I zone out. And I'm always impressed at the attention to detail. Comedy is in the details. The hardest part about improv is, I think, long-form improv is so difficult because you need the audience to keep paying attention. Short-form improv is difficult because these are untested jokes, and you're just going on your gut, but you're part of an ensemble. You have to be funny, but you also have to think of how you fit in with the rest of the energy on stage, because it's a team sport. It depends on what kind of a player you are, I guess.

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