‘The Bondsman’ Star Jolene Purdy on the Secret to Going Toe-to-Toe With Kevin Bacon: ‘I Am in Control’
Kevin Bacon may star as demon hunter Hub Halloran in the Prime Video drama “The Bondsman,” but the real power lies with his boss, Midge Kusatsu. Jolene Purdy inhabits the role of a no-nonsense bureaucrat whose existence is shattered when she learns about a conspiracy from the depths of hell.
Below, Purdy breaks down just how she gets into the mindset of Midge, from bossing around Bacon to harnessing her character’s grief during a tragic late-series reveal.
“My daughter and I jam out in the car all the time, and she knows I have certain songs I sing to make sure that I can keep my range. Also, I still go to a vocal coach once in a while to make sure that I’m growing with my voice, as it changes as you grow.”
“If I’m on set and it’s a hard day or I’m having a hard time, I listen to Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).’ That’s my shake-it-off song if I’m in a negative headspace, either about my work or the day itself. It gets me to a point where I can throw myself away and fully immerse myself into the character.”
“When I’m in a scene, I don’t want to get in the headspace ahead of time. If I know it’s going to be a hard day, we’re fine playing music in the makeup trailer. But as soon as I put the costume on, I am very much like, ‘Let’s get in the headspace for the show. My child is dying from cancer, and I don’t have the finances to keep him alive. How am I dealing with this?’ In not being sad for a long duration, it’s easier to tap into that because I haven’t exhausted it.”
“I need a caffeinated beverage after lunch on set just to make sure that I’m coming back in with the same energy I left with.”
“We all know Kevin’s work, so I knew exactly what they wanted me to do. They wanted me to be able to go toe-to-toe with him, but I thought it was so fascinating to do it in a soft manner, as opposed to, ‘I’m going to take control.’ No, I am in control.”
“I prepare the character thoroughly. I have 20 different choices for whichever way. I love being directed and manipulating the character and making wrong choices, because then sometimes you find the right choice in taking a chance, making a mistake. Your greatest tool is being able to make a mistake.”
“I put on stretchy pants, flat shoes and take off the makeup. I usually order some takeout and don’t talk to anybody and just sit in quiet for a moment, and then I readjust and come back to life as myself because it was a long day.”
“I remember reading Uta Hagen’s ‘Respect for Acting’ and being awakened by it as a whole. It was a seasoned actor who handed it to me as a secret Santa gift. I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a rhyme and reason to it.’”
“People watching is my greatest acting tool, because you’re putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. If you’re not living life and having experiences, how do you have depth to bring to these characters?”
Below, Purdy breaks down just how she gets into the mindset of Midge, from bossing around Bacon to harnessing her character’s grief during a tragic late-series reveal.
“My daughter and I jam out in the car all the time, and she knows I have certain songs I sing to make sure that I can keep my range. Also, I still go to a vocal coach once in a while to make sure that I’m growing with my voice, as it changes as you grow.”
“If I’m on set and it’s a hard day or I’m having a hard time, I listen to Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).’ That’s my shake-it-off song if I’m in a negative headspace, either about my work or the day itself. It gets me to a point where I can throw myself away and fully immerse myself into the character.”
“When I’m in a scene, I don’t want to get in the headspace ahead of time. If I know it’s going to be a hard day, we’re fine playing music in the makeup trailer. But as soon as I put the costume on, I am very much like, ‘Let’s get in the headspace for the show. My child is dying from cancer, and I don’t have the finances to keep him alive. How am I dealing with this?’ In not being sad for a long duration, it’s easier to tap into that because I haven’t exhausted it.”
“I need a caffeinated beverage after lunch on set just to make sure that I’m coming back in with the same energy I left with.”
“We all know Kevin’s work, so I knew exactly what they wanted me to do. They wanted me to be able to go toe-to-toe with him, but I thought it was so fascinating to do it in a soft manner, as opposed to, ‘I’m going to take control.’ No, I am in control.”
“I prepare the character thoroughly. I have 20 different choices for whichever way. I love being directed and manipulating the character and making wrong choices, because then sometimes you find the right choice in taking a chance, making a mistake. Your greatest tool is being able to make a mistake.”
“I put on stretchy pants, flat shoes and take off the makeup. I usually order some takeout and don’t talk to anybody and just sit in quiet for a moment, and then I readjust and come back to life as myself because it was a long day.”
“I remember reading Uta Hagen’s ‘Respect for Acting’ and being awakened by it as a whole. It was a seasoned actor who handed it to me as a secret Santa gift. I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a rhyme and reason to it.’”
“People watching is my greatest acting tool, because you’re putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. If you’re not living life and having experiences, how do you have depth to bring to these characters?”