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By Suzanne

Interview with Carly Jibson of "The Guest Book" on TBS 10/17/18

I had a great time speaking with Carly. She is very kind and yet speaks her mind. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

When I called her, she was suprised that my phone number said "Tuscaloosa," so I explained that we used to live there, so my phone number still has the same area code. She understood, since hers still has the New York area code. I put the recorder on after that.

Here's the audio of the call. Here's the transcript:

Suzanne: We actually live in Arkansas right now.

Carly: I love Arkansas. Arkansas is beautiful.

Suzanne: Yeah, it is. It's very pretty. We live in a small town, so there's a lot of woods and stuff around here. It's real pretty.

Carly: Oh, nice.

Suzanne: Yeah, where are you originally from?

Carly: I'm kind of, I'm from all over. I was born in the South. I was born in Alabama, in Decatur, and I spent the first six years of my life there. And then when my folks, both my parents grew up in Michigan, so we all ended up going back North, or as I call it, the deep North, because it's still pretty country up there. And yeah, and that's where I spent the majority of my formative years before I moved to New York when I was 17.

Suzanne: Wow.

Carly: 17 when I went to New York, yeah.

Suzanne: Did you go by yourself? Or did you have family to New York?

Carly: I did. I was very fortunate to, I kind of got scouted doing a show between my junior and senior year of high school at a regional theater playhouse, which at the time was very thriving, and it is now gone under, which is unfortunate. But there was a brand new show that the artistic director, Bill Castelleno had written along with Bill Whitefield and Christopher McGovern, and they were all in from New York with this world premiere of this show. And it was basically, it was young kids, it was four boys and four girls, and all aged from like 16 to 21. And it dealt with, I always tell people it was like Rent meets Stomp meets Schoolhouse Rock, because this was about, it was called Classmates and it was basically this place where these kids could go and talk about really difficult issues like homosexuality, and being abused at home, and having sex for the first time, and the Columbine murders, and bullying in school. And this was back in 2001, so it was pretty relevant for its time, and they were looking to take the show to New York. It was looking to transfer. And so, there was an agent, Bill Castelleno's agent came and saw the show, who later became my agent, and saw me. And I just went on about my life. Obviously, the day of it was such a big, we were like, there it is, New York. We're here and we're all getting discovered. And of course, it was the most ridiculous thing. Especially in Arkansas, I mean our town is, it's not like super small, I think it's a little bit bigger now, but growing up it was about 29,000 people, so it's sizable but it's still quite small.

Suzanne: Sure.

Carly: And like I said, it was a really big deal. And then that was it, I met him, he was a lovely man, and nothing happened and he didn't take me to New York with him like I dreamed he would. And then I got a phone call halfway through my senior year of high school just randomly from Brett Adams, saying hey, I saw you in the show over the summer, there's this new show that's coming out, it's called Hairspray, it actually, it hadn't even opened yet, they were doing the workshop of it. He was like, I think you'd be really right for this lead role, would you be interested in coming in to audition? And I was like, yeah. And so basically yeah, I was getting into a little bit of, I was hitting a little bit of a speed bump in my senior year of high school with some absences because I was a rebellious child. And it just wasn't really looking to have enough credits to graduate, and so once I got this phone call I was like, this is it. That was all that I needed to be like, I am meant to do this. Like I didn't have the job or the audition yet, I just, just the phone call. And I threw a fake graduation party and told everyone that I graduated early, and I took that money and I moved to New York City with it.

Suzanne: Wow, did you end up getting the rest of your high school degree?

Carly: I still to this day haven't, and it's funny because I'm like, can they just give me an honorary diploma at this point? Because I've done so much work with that school and I still go back and now teach master classes and whatever, and I'm like, can you all just give me, because I don't want to go take the test.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Carly: Can you all just give me a degree please? But actually it's such a wonderful school and I'm so grateful and indebted to not just the program itself at Mona Shores because they have such a big performing art, they're very arts forward, but also to my mentors Molly and Shawn Lawton, who Shawn ran the choir program and Molly ran the theater part of things and they were husband and wife and they were these wonderful humans who taught me everything I know about comedy and dignity and art. And I love them and I'm still very close to them to this day so I'm still very involved with my hometown and with the school and stuff but no. No diploma for me.

Suzanne: Well I can tell by talking to you that you're really smart, I think you would ace the GED easily, you should get that, because you never know.

Carly: Well I'm always afraid, you know what's really funny, I helped a friend not too long ago study for their citizenship test, and she was like, oh you can probably help me with this, and she's from Mexico. And I was like, oh yeah, I mean, I kind of pride myself on being an intellectual, and very cerebral, like yes, I'm knowledgeable in my country's history, I'm very politically charge, let's go for it. And there was stuff on there that I was like okay, I don't know, I don't know, I'm not sure what this is. It was like, can you name all of the original colonies, I'm like, oh, uh. Virginia?

Suzanne: I heard that, I've heard that about the citizenship test, that probably most citizens wouldn't pass it.

Carly: No, we wouldn't, we wouldn't. We definitely wouldn't.

Suzanne: So let's go back to when you were originally cast for the first season of The Guest Book. How did that come about?

Carly: I got a call from my agent, or my manager Christopher, about this role and we had been really, we were being very particular in choosing the right project, there was a lot of stuff, it's such an interesting time to not just be an actor or an entertainer, but just to be a person in the world right now, because of the way that technology and social media and everything, you have to be more careful now how you brand yourself than ever before.

Suzanne: Sure.

Carly: And I think it's because you're so accessible and things can happen so fast and things can spiral so fast, you actually have to be very careful.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Carly: And my goal was always to do work that had integrity and was challenging for me as an actor, but wasn't necessarily relying on just being, I had no interest in just being the funny, fat best friend. And there are girls who have cornered the market on that and they've made their money, and I don't hate their household, they have their homes in Malibu and good for them. But that's just not my gig. And I always loved this old Marilyn Monroe quote where she says, I like making jokes but I don't want to be one. And I've always kind of lived my life that way where I love making people laugh but I think that it's a test, and it's a real test to Greg Garcia as well, it takes a real comedian and a writer to be able to not go for the low hanging fruit, to not just rely on the lowest common denominator of comedy and sort of go for the aesthetic joke. So when this came up and I read this script and there was zero mention, there was no commentary, there was no apologizing, there was no self deprecation, there as no crying on top of a scale while eating ice cream bullshit. And I just thought, here's a woman who's very powerful, she knows what she wants, she's provocative and unapologetic and she's funny and she's crass, and she's kind of crazy, but she has this really sort of sweet heart, and she's not damaged or whatever. She just wants what everyone wants which is to be loved, right? That's the common denominator, so that's the equalizer for all of that, and I just fell in love with that. I fell in love with that idea outside of the fact that I had already been a preexisting Greg Garcia fan, I don't know many people who aren't. But when it came up I was like, I got to fight for this, I have to fight for this. And originally it was, I wasn't even right for it type wise, because originally in the breakdown they were looking to cast a black or latino girl. And I was like, shit, I'm not going to get this, but I want to fight for it. And so the casting, to their credit, they threw me in as a wild card just to see, because I had gone in for Colin and Brett on a couple different things and they were champions of mine, and so they were like, we're just going to push you in for this and see, and I was like, I mean, I want it. And then it happened and it was insane. It was truly insane. it was just, it was a dream come true. I felt very fortunate to be working on a project that's something that I can stand behind, something that I know that even if I wasn't on this show, I would watch it. I loved the concept of it, the fact that it was an anthology, the fact that we had new guest stars that came in every week. It was different, it was great. So that's how that came about.

Suzanne: So what do you like best about working on the show besides what you already said?

Carly: It's got to be, it's a process between first just getting to do what makes me the most happy in the whole wide world. I cannot believe to the day that people pay me to play dress up for a living. It goes against everything my grandma told me when I was young, like, you better get a real job because that's not going to pay the bills. She didn't live to see this unfortunately but I just, I can't stress enough how every single day that I'm at work is the best day of my life. I can't believe when I drive on to the lot every single day, I mean, I hope that feeling never goes away and I really don't think that it will. I think I've had a long enough career at this point, and I've had ups and downs and I can know when to really appreciate something. And then the other part of it is Greg. Greg creates such a warm and fun and free environment to work in, that you feel just from answer artistic place, like you feel incredibly free to bring your ideas to the table, there's no ego, there's no, it's just fun, and we laugh. I mean, that's the thing, I think you can't take this shit too seriously and he doesn't. It's like, we are not curing cancer you guys, we are making a TV show, it's not that deep. You know what I mean? So that's, it's him.

Suzanne: That's good.

Carly: And it starts from the top and every single person that works for him respects him so much because of that. It's just the best environment.

Suzanne: That's great.

Carly: It's awesome.

Suzanne: Yeah, that's good when you have a job that you not only like, but everybody's nice and you get along really well, that's rare too.

Carly: Yeah, not a bad egg in the whole bunch. I mean, it is, and we only film for ten weeks, we film ten episodes in ten weeks and it goes by too fast, and I try to like fight back the tears, because it's like, you feel like you're leaving summer camp.

Suzanne: Sure.

Carly: You're like, I don't want to go home to my real life.

Suzanne: So how was it different for you working on season two?

Carly: Season one and season two were very, so season one was my very first TV show. I think I was apprehensive, I was nervous, I was excited, I was just trying not to get fired, you know what I mean? It was just like, oh god, let me stay here. I think season two, I felt more comfortable, I feel like I've really caught my stride and Greg and I have gotten closer and we collaborated a lot on this season. The big difference character wise was it was really fun to play sort of this juxtaposition, season one she's very scathing and manipulative and calculating and diabolical, and this season she's trying a new, fresh approach. She's going to try a new, fresh start, and so it's so funny to sort of look at through the lens of what does a good girl look like to a stripper? You know what I mean? So it was like a lot of pastels and plastic jewelry. And just big curls, because it's like, what does this look like to her as she's trying this on? She's trying this on for size, and I think she genuinely wants to leave all of that in the past but she battles it internally because innately, she is the type of person who will go for what she wants at any cost, and I think that always ends up being her big downfall. So playing the juxtaposition between good Vivy and in Pickles, that's kind of what we call it, Vivian and Pickles, was so much fun this year, and then of course, all shenanigans prevail. Pickles definitely returns in the very end, and it was just such a blast to sort of play her as like a pressure cooker all year, just trying to, she just wants to get love and she's trying to go about it the right way for the first time in her life, and the more it just isn't happening, the more frustrated she gets before she explodes. And that was really, really fun to play.

Suzanne: So it would be safe to say she's the type of person who is a little bit self destructive, she gets in her own way?

Carly: Absolutely.

Suzanne: Alright. Sorry, I skipped ahead. Who are some of your favorite guest stars if you can say on the show?

Carly: I can't pick anybody, but Martha Plimpton for me is like a big one, I grew up loving her. I hate to say that because it makes it sound like she's so old, we're actually not that far apart in age, but I did. She's been around in the industry for so long, I grew up watching her in everything from The Goonies to ParentHood, I mean I loved her. And she doesn't know this, but sometimes I stare at her and just think, man. Because she was a part of the Hollywood that I wish I was around for, that sort of like '80s when it was the Viper Room and the Sunset Strip was still a thing and Johnny Depp and all that, when Hollywood was grungy and sort of not Disney and corporate the way that it all is now. It was sort of the last of those days and so sometimes I would stare at her and be like man, the stories she must have, I bet she's seen some shit in her day. It's cool, it's cool to stand in the presence of somebody like that and watch them work, so I would say she's a big one. Heather Donahue was so much fun. This season we had a blast with her. Will Arnett obviously is hilarious, Michael Rappaport comes back this season and does, it will shock people I think.

Suzanne: Oh yeah?

Carly: Into seeing what he's going to do this year. I think the biggest thing that people, sorry, I don't mean to skip ahead and answer a question that maybe you were going to ask me.

Suzanne: That's fine.

Carly: I just wanted to say, I think the biggest thing that people can really, might not expect this season but might be pleasantly surprised to discover, is that this season has a ton of heart. There were definitely moments especially we shot screening a couple of weeks ago, and I was like clutching my pearls. I couldn't believe that there were, it was like Greg really, really had something to say this year. We live in a time right now where people are so polarized, family members aren't talking to each other, people, it's just hot pressure all the time. People need to laugh, and people need to find a way to have a dialogue about difficult subject matters that make people uncomfortable, but in a palatable way. And I think that Greg has such a knack for that, such a genius way to talk about things that are hard to talk about in a way that just seems a little safe, a little protected.

Suzanne: Sure.

Carly: And so I think people are going to find that this year, that it's not just a blue, those blue jokes and this sort of the old dick and fart joke kind of comedy or whatever. It's really got a lot of heart and soul this year, and I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised by that, I'm really excited, I'm really excited.

Suzanne: Yeah, I think with comedy it's sometimes easier to approach difficult subjects, makes people a little more comfortable.

Carly: Absolutely. Absolutely. And we have to, this is the thing, I think comedy is getting a little, it's a little under fire these days because people are afraid to say anything anymore. It's funny, we ask these questions so many times, like oh, is this going to offend people? Is this going to offend people? Is this going to offend people? And at the end of the day, everything is going to, anything is going to offend somebody.

Suzanne: Yeah, yeah.

Carly: So you just can't approach it from that angle.

Suzanne: Right.

Carly: Somebody's going to find, you could find somebody who could find something wrong with literally anything. So you have to just make the art that you want to make and do it for you and then if other people enjoy it then even better.

Suzanne: Exactly.

Carly: I think you have to make it for yourself first and I feel like Greg really did that this year. I can't wait for people to see these episodes.

Suzanne: Good, yeah, it's great if you do something that you believe in and then you do your best, and then if it connects with other people, even better, right?

Carly: Exactly, that's exactly right.

Suzanne: So what can you tell us, can you tell us anything that's coming up with your character besides what you've already mentioned?

Carly: I don't know if I can give anything more away other than basically just like the duality like I was talking about of playing those two characters and sort of watching Pickles try to figure her way through a new life, trying to play by the rules this time. But I will tell people that they can expect, don't count her out, they can expect Pickles to come, she'll come back.

Suzanne: Okay.

Carly: She's going to be Vivian for like a hot minute but Pickles is never too far away.

Suzanne: Okay, and although you were on Broadway quite a lot, you haven't done too many TV shows or movies yet, what have you learned about working in TV in the past few years, what's some of the things you've learned?

Carly: Well I'll tell you what I love, I love the aspect of the ever changing, just the constant challenge. With theater, I love a rehearsal process, I love creating. But then once the show is set, I'm kind of like oh, well now I've got to do this for like a year? I love that aspect of it. But I will say that theater gave me a sense of discipline that you can't put a price on. There's a sense of method working, and I don't mean method like, method acting, not that I'm shitting on it, not that I don't believe in it, that's just not my gig, but I mean method in terms of just always showing up on time and being off book, knowing all your stuff, which is, you would be like, well aren't those just basic things? Yeah, they are, but you'd be surprised, you'd be very surprised to see how many people don't do those things.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Carly: And so I'm very grateful to my background in theater for that, for that training and that discipline that it gave me. I think the thing that I've learned from at least the last couple of years and just the last couple of shows that I've done is really watching other people and just picking up all the best things you can, I mean it's really just being like a thief. You pick up the best of everybody that's around you, and I think that I've learned to trust myself more. Especially in a theater background, you're told what to do a lot in theater, you're told where to stand, you're told what props to hold, you've got to hold it a certain way because the lights there, you've got to stay there for that cue. You're so micromanaged in your artistry and because it all has to fit like a puzzle, because it's a moving piece, it's an enigma, and constantly moving and so everything has to be so precise in order for it to work. But there's so much more freedom here and you get to bring so much more to it and that was something I wasn't really prepared for at the beginning. At the first day of shooting last season, and I showed up, and I was kind of waiting for the director to come over and we were going to have a big talk about the scene, and talk through this moment. And I was ready for it and whatever, and it just never happened. They were like okay, we're going to shoot, and I was like, whoa. We're not going to talk about any of this? And it was like, well it's yours now. This is yours. And that was both terrifying and liberating at the same time.

Suzanne: Wow, yeah.

Carly: Because it was like, oh my god, I have to trust me. And not that directors don't direct you, but it's different, like here in television, they give you a chance to blow it basically. They give you like one free chance to be like, we'll see if you got it or not. And then they'll come in and they'll correct and they'll whatever, but they've hired you. You know what I mean? When you're doing theater essentially, you're playing a role, like a person that already exists and you've got to portray that, as opposed to you've created this person, you know how she walks, you know. So it's given me an opportunity to really, like I said, trust myself more and explore that. It's been pretty awesome actually.

Suzanne: That does sound exciting.

Carly: It is, it really is. And when you're lucky enough to have people like Greg, and Tig Notaro how I worked with on One Mississippi, who just let you play. And let you be, and let you be free, I was not used to that. I come from a strict, disciplined, snap, you better snatch it up off that line in theater. And I was like oh my goodness, I felt like a real grown up for the first time in my life.

Suzanne: Well I wonder if that's way in all TV shows, like in network TV, or if it's a little different.

Carly: Well, I certainly hope so because I know that I've been a little spoiled here with both Greg and Tig, both of them wonderful humans, just outstanding, exemplary humans. And I've heard horror stories of other people on different shows who haven't had my experience, so I'm like well, then I'll just stay where I am if everyone's okay with that.

Suzanne: So what is the toughest thing that you've had to face so far as an actress?

Carly: I would honestly have to say it's just balancing, I mean I want to say it's negative comments and things of that nature, but honestly, a lot of it, it doesn't even matter. It's funny, those things get to you, internet trolls and people coming for you and saying rude things on the internet and whatever, and it's like but you know what, at the end of the day, I don't quantify who I am by what I do, you can't, or you'd lose your mind.

Suzanne: Right.

Carly: And so, I think a lot of times it's really, the difficult part is remembering, having to remind yourself constantly who you are and what really matters in the world. And I'd be lying to say that those things aren't hurtful and they don't make me like huh, well that didn't feel good, nobody wants to be called a land whale on the internet.

Suzanne: That's terrible.

Carly: But at the end of the day, this is how I feel about it. People taking issue with the way that I look or even dress truly speaks more about them than it does about me.

Suzanne: Exactly, I mean, they're just jealous.

Carly: I've found in my life, I have found in my life that people tend to take, they tend to have, they project their own frustrations onto people who are able to live their lives unapologetically because they themselves cannot. And I just decided a long time ago that one weight I will not carry are the insecurities of other people. So that was a cathartic moment for me, to sort of realize, you know what? That's okay, it's okay that you feel that way. And it's even okay that you felt compelled to write it on the internet, but at the end of the day, I know who I am, and the bottom line is the only message, I'm not here to glorify an unhealthy lifestyle or to romanticize obesity, that's not my thing. I'm just saying that wherever you are in the journey of your life, you are allowed to celebrate yourself and you are absolutely 100% allowed to fucking love yourself. And that is the strongest message that I just really want to get out there. It doesn't matter where you are and whatever goal that you have, but you don't have to hit or reach any level to all of a sudden then decide you're allowed to love yourself, that's nuts. And so that's really what it comes down to for me, I might not be at the goal I want to be right now, but I'm still allowed to be comfortable in my skin and leave my house and enjoy my day, you know what I mean? I'm not going to hide in my house and apologize because some fucking strange dude in Germany took issue with me on Instagram and called me a land whale. Like good luck with your projects bro, I don't know what to tell you.

Suzanne: That's a very healthy attitude you have, more people should feel that way, definitely.

Carly: Well I just think that we need to have more representation of people talking like that in media, and in forums that people can see that, and oh, my headphones got snagged on the thingy, they yanked me backwards, that's the worst feeling. But yeah, I just think it's important that this narrative is pushed and out there and we don't talk enough I think about self love. And what it means to really take care of yourself, and what it means to have a relationship with yourself. This whole, the ideology of our society is compare ourselves with another person and only then are we deemed lovable or good enough when we find somebody else to love us. But the relationship that you have with yourself is the most important relationship you will nurture your entire life. You came in alone and you're going to go out alone.

Suzanne: Yeah, that's true. It seems like nowadays, that's the great thing about having so many great TV shows is that you have, there is a lot more representation of all kinds including people who don't fit the standard skinny blonde girl or whatever, you know?

Carly: Right, yeah.

Suzanne: I mean, you see a lot more-

Carly: Oh, and that's just the thing, is those people need to see themselves on TV too. And not in a way that is made to be like, oh here, let me make a joke about myself, and call myself fat Amy so that everybody laughs with me and not at me.

Suzanne: Yeah, I think that's probably one of the reasons at least that This is Us is so popular because it does have a very diverse cast, it has people who are overweight, and people, just people of all different types on there and everybody is represented. And shows like Modern Family.

Carly: Absolutely.

Suzanne: Modern Family's another good one like that. I don't find Modern Family funny, but I like the characters.

Carly: Oh you don't?

Suzanne: I like the characters and I can see why people would want to watch it, because you find yourself in these shows.

Carly: Yup.

Suzanne: It's not just oh, another white guy in a cop show.

Carly: Right, exactly. Oh I got another call coming through.

Suzanne: Okay. Well I can wrap this up.

Carly: Sorry I don't want to cut you short.

Suzanne: No, that's fine. I've only got a few more questions, it's not a big deal, I usually have more questions than I have time for anyway.

Carly: Are you sure? Because I mean, I can try to see if, hold on, let me see if they'll call me back in ten minutes.

Suzanne: Okay.

Carly: Hold on, let me switch. Hello?

Suzanne: Hello.

Carly: Okay, alright, I got ten minutes, he's going to call me back in ten minutes

Suzanne: Okay, great. So my next question is, let's say it's 2038, 20 years from now, and you win an Oscar. So besides the people from the movie, who else are you thanking?

Carly: Oh, I mean it has, what a great question by the way.

Suzanne: Thank you.

Carly: That's a great question because that's something that if people don't ever get that opportunity they do get to talk about it. You know, it's funny, obviously first of all casting. Nobody ever thinks of casting which is like, how do you think you got here?

Suzanne: Right.

Carly: I think there's been too many people to name by individual government document name that have been instrumental in my getting here. This has definitely been a village sort of situation. I named my mentors earlier, and my mother who passed five years ago was my biggest cheerleader and the reason I'm able to live as sort of fearlessly as I am is because of her and what she gave me. She had, we were very poor, she worked three jobs to give us everything that we had, and even so, we didn't go without. I say that, I don't mean to paint, we ever went hungry. We were always fed, she always made sure that we were taken care of. Sorry I'm just pouring some water for my doggy, I just realized she had no water. Yeah, thirsty huh? It was just she, she had such a joie de vivre, and a real grasp on what was important in life. And she instilled that in us, and it makes everything that I do in my life filled with so much more joy because I'm able to appreciate all of it. There's always like a tinge of sadness in anything exciting or wonderful that happens in my life because she isn't here to share it with me, but I know that it literally is all because of her. So I think that would obviously be a big one for me. And then I think the biggest thing is like just talking to the kids who, or I can't call them kids, they're all grown ass adults, but people who are still struggling to get there. It is a journey, not a destination. And everybody needs to remember, the most important thing in this industry is that you have to run your own race, like a race horse. You have to put the blinders on and you can't be looking from a linear standpoint of like what's going on next to you and who's doing what, your peers, and they're getting stuff that you're not getting. You are only in competition with yourself.

Suzanne: Right.

Carly: Nobody is holding your feet to the fire and keeping you on some sort of time clock or whatever, you just have to stay the path and just be, that's part of what this industry is. And that's part of what makes the victory that much more sweet, when you busted your ass for it, you really will appreciate it. And everybody just has to remember that everything happens when it's supposed to happen, if every role I ever really, really, really, really, really, wanted I had gotten, I would have not, it wouldn't have led me to The Guest Book. It wouldn't have led me to One Mississippi, hindsight is always 20/20, but I couldn't know then what it was preparing me for. But that's what true faith is, you just have to believe that everything is happening the way it is supposed to be happening, because every little nudge, and they're not no's, I call them nudges, anytime I go out for a job or whatever and I don't get it, it's not a no, I got a nudge. And that's what we call it with my manager, he's like, it's a nudge.

Suzanne: That's good.

Carly: Because I know I'm being nudged in the direction I'm supposed to be going.

Suzanne: So two things you just mentioned, I love your dog, I saw the pictures on Instagram.

Carly: Oh she's the best.

Suzanne: Is it a he?

Carly: It's a she. It's a Brooklyn dog.

Suzanne: She's adorable. I have a dog, but I wanted a little white fluffy dog like that, but I got, like you say, it's what's meant to be right? She picked us out so, we went to the shelter and we're looking at all these dogs, I wanted a little dog, but the only ones they had, they had a little pit bull puppy, which I didn't want a pit bull, and they had this little thing which is corgi mixed with basset hound or something, they don't really know, and she was following us around while we were looking at all the cages of the other dogs, so she picked us out. And she likes to think she's a tiny little dog that can crawl in my lap, but she's a little too big for that. But I just love seeing the pictures.

Carly: Oh yeah, oh god, they always do.

Suzanne: Yeah, I love seeing the pictures on your Instagram. Now the one that, is that your husband or boyfriend or whatever looking down there?

Carly: That's my boyfriend.

Suzanne: Oh okay, yeah. I didn't mean to cut you off, I just wanted to remember to say that.

Carly: No, no, no, yes, that's my little family, that's my little family.

Suzanne: Yeah, it looked adorable. Well you'd have to thank your boyfriend too, win an Oscar. You don't want to be one of those actors that after they're off the stage they go oh god, I forgot to thank my husband.

Carly: Oh yeah, after the fact.

Suzanne: That happens so many times.

Carly: I blacked out, I'm sorry, I forgot about the person that puts up with me every single day.

Suzanne: Right? And the other thing you mentioned about faith, you're from Alabama, are you religious?

Carly: I'm not, I'm not religious. I'm still figuring out my journey of what, I'm not a big, I'll tell you, I'm not a big fan of organized religion in general, but I do know that I innately, I talk to someone, I'm just not sure who I'm talking to.

Suzanne: Right.

Carly: And I'm not into the nomenclatures, I think that's where we, the labels that we put on things, I think that's where we get into a lot of trouble in society. We're arguing about the wrong thing, we're all saying the same shit we're just arguing about semantics and logistics which I think is ridiculous. So I am a person, I believe very strongly in the balance of the universe, and I believe in miracles, I've seen them. I have my own weird sort of view on what my spirituality is and I kind of hate that word because it's become so over popularized.

Suzanne: Yeah, but no you're right, it is, you're spiritual.

Carly: Yeah, but I-

Suzanne: You believe in something.

Carly: I do know that, yeah, I do believe in something, I just know that I don't know what that is. And it's the certainty that people have I think that bothers me.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Carly: People are like, yeah well I know that this happened, I'm like, well good for you, I don't mean to say you don't, but I'm not going to argue with you about what you think and feel. I just know that I don't know and I'm still on that journey in my life, it might, who knows? Who knows? I feel differently about it every year actually and I think the older I get and the more beauty I see in the world, the more I believe that this just can't all just be coincidence.

Suzanne: Okay, and my last question is, do you have any other projects that you have coming out or that you're going to be working on?

Carly: I do but I can't talk about it right now unfortunately, it's an NDA situation, so I will have something fun coming out in the spring that is going to bring out the old retirement, bring out my dancing feet from retirement, that's all I can say.

Suzanne: Oh okay, is it a movie or a TV show? Can you say that?

Carly: It's a TV show.

Suzanne: Oh, it's not Rent is it? Can you say?

Carly: No it's not Rent.

Suzanne: Because I saw that they were doing Rent on TV.

Carly: Yeah, they are doing that.

Suzanne: Okay well great. It's been wonderful talking to you, it's always nice-

Carly: You too darlin', I sure do appreciate you.

Suzanne: Yeah it's nice, it's always nice to interview somebody who can talk and who likes to talk and who is intelligent and has ideas and firm beliefs.

Carly: Well thank you very much, I appreciate you saying that. That's very kind of you.

Suzanne: Oh well, it's true. And I will let you know when it's up, it should just be a few days.

Carly: Alright, perfect.

Suzanne: And I'm looking forward to the show returning.

Carly: Alright, alright, I got to hop on this call, thank you.

MORE INFORMATION:

Multi-talented stage and television actress and musician, Carly Jibson, best known as 'Tracy Turnblad' in the eight-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical Hairspray, returns to TBS this October as the spicy local strip club owner looking for a fresh start, 'Vivian,' in the hit comedy series "The Guest Book" created by Greg Garcia ("My Name is Earl"). Premiering Tuesday, October 23rd, "The Guest Book" centers around the lives of the employees and the new guests that bring their special brand of crazy to each episode. For a tiny cottage in a tiny town, this place is going to see a lot of baggage.

 

"The Guest Book" Season Two Trailer

 

Born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan, Carly began her entertainment career in her home town when she was discovered at 16 years old in the world premiere of Crash Nation at Cherry County Playhouse. She moved to New York City at the end of her senior year and immediately landed the iconic lead role of 'Tracy Turnblad' in the first National Tour of Hairspray, which she originated opposite six-time Emmy winner Bruce Vilanch, and a few months later re-opened the Broadway version in New York City with Emmy winner Peter Scolari and Michael McKean ("Laverne & Shirley"). Carly originated the role of 'Baby Manicotti' in the world premiere of Andrew Lippa's Asphalt Beach in Chicago, the role of 'Pepper Walker' in Cry Baby on

 

Broadway, and world premiere of Johnny Baseball directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus in Boston. Carly premiered "Not A Bitch, Not Yet A Woman," an emotional autobiographical show centering on her life and career to a sold out audience in New York City. If that wasn't enough, Carly released an original album entitled "Best of Me" on iTunes and created, produced and starred in an original concert series HEADLINERS opposite Tony Award winner Lena Hall.

 

In addition to "The Guest Book," Carly also stars opposite "Modern Family's" Sarah Hyland in the Unauthorized Musical Parody of Scream every Friday and Saturday night at The Rockwell. When she isn't working on her craft she enjoys working with Hope of the Valley in an effort to assist meeting the needs of every hungry and homeless man, woman and child in the greater Los Angeles area, and empower them with the knowledge, resources and skills to lead a life of wholeness and self-sufficiency. Carly is also an advocate for mental health and helping to break down the ideologies of beauty giving people the confidence to know they are allowed to love themselves at every stage in life.

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Page updated 10/18/18