Review Fix Exclusive: Molly Gyllenhaal Talks ‘Canaan’ and ‘Stalled’

February 9, 2015 Patrick Hickey Jr. Theatre 0

Review Fix chats with actress Molly Gyllenhaal who discusses her two appearances in this year’s Midwinter Madness Festival, “CANAAN,” appearing as a Jewish woman married to a Muslim man (appearing in its premiere last year) and Melissa in the comedy, “STALLED.”

Gyllenhaal also discusses her involvement with the Genesis Repertory and her goals for the future. Gyllenhaal, the latest member of the famed Hollywood family to make a splash on stage, is a Shining Star Scholarship winner as well as a classically trainer performer.

Review Fix: How does it feel to be a part of the festival?

Molly Gyllenhaal: For me, any chance to act is a blessing. I love auditions for exactly that reason. To be a part of TWO shows is amazing especially since such talented people surround me. All involved bring such passion and I love that.

Review Fix: How did you feel the first time you read the script for “Canaan”?

Gyllenhaal: I told Mo (Mohammed Saad Ali, the writer) immediately how relevant it was. He beautifully captures the struggles of young people with limited options. I played Dinah in Canaan at Manhattan Rep.’s November Event so I was already very familiar with the script. But now that we have more time to dig deeper and with me playing Rachel the play has taken on a whole new meaning.

Review Fix: What about “Stalled”?

Gyllenhaal: I laughed out loud so many times. I thought “This guy (Chris, the writer) has DEFINITELY been to my restaurant during a rush and listened to all of us yell at each other!” It’s witty and fast paced. I’m working with two really talented people, FP Harne and Joe Conway. Their comedic timing is something to behold.

Review Fix: How would you describe yourself as an actor? What’s your style?

Gyllenhaal: I love the word Smorgasbord. Not only when it relates to eating but also to acting. I like to pick a little from here and scoop a little from there. I love to play. I love to watch people. I love to listen. I think all of these things make up an actor.

Review Fix: Is it tough being a part of an acting family?

Gyllenhaal: Not at all. Our family is big and loving. Almost all of us are involved in the arts some way or another. It’s amazing to see someone you know have known your whole life change into someone completely different for a movie, TV, or play.

Review Fix: What have you learned from them?

Gyllenhaal: I have learned that it takes a strong, dedicated, and motivated person to go into this profession. You have to really want it. And, like any profession, there is a business side that you must to be ready to tackle with the same passion.

Review Fix: Did you always want to get involved in theatre?

Gyllenhaal: I have loved playing pretend since I could understand what playing pretend was. And when I found out that people did that for a living? Forget about it. I was hooked. I saw a lot of plays as a child and I think that really sparked a love for performing.

Review Fix: What are your goals?

Gyllenhaal: My goals are to do what I love and to love what I do.

Review Fix: What’s next for you?

Gyllenhaal: I am working with Genesis Rep and Mohammed Saad Ali on the MEDITATIONS project and auditioning around NYC. I also take classes at T. Schreiber Studio: a great, loving place for actors to stretch their acting muscles.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14316 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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