Katey Sagal was on a Television Critics Association panel this summer for “Sons of Anarchy.” The bulk of the central cast was there to promote the upcoming sixth season of the FX drama. After the panel I approached Sagal with other reporters to slip in a few “Futurama” questions. “Futurama” airs its final episode this week, but fans may be encouraged by her thoughts on the end.
CraveOnline: The first time “Futurama” was cancelled, you were very upset. Now that it’s ending again, are you more at peace with this ending of “Futurama?”
Katey Sagal: Not really. I’m hopeful that it will rise again. It’s such a fun show to do, all the people are great, it has a huge fan base. It makes no sense to me that they would cancel it, but I don’t know the powers that be.
How did you like Leela as a one-eyed Daphne from “Scooby-Doo?”
Oh, I like Leela as a one-eyed anything so I liked all of that.
Have you thought about the last episode of “Sons?”
Oh no, we’re in season six so I won’t think about it. I don’t really want to. You know it’s funny, I don’t even really know what’s going to happen this season. I’m sort of on board with everybody else. I get scripts as they come out. I read them as they come out.
Do you feel we’re dealing with the execution of what was set in motion by Jax finding the manifesto in the first place?
You know, we haven’t dealt with the manifesto that much right now and I don’t know if more of that will leak in. That’s sort of the mythology that everything is based on. It might leak back in. I don’t really know. You’d have to ask Kurt. [Note: I do ask Kurt Sutter in a one on one later!]
Have you enjoyed playing Gemma in happy times?
It’s interesting to play, but I like her a little more aggressive. I like her when she knows what she wants, she gets to it and she cuts through all the crap. You’ll see more of that in season six. She starts out very happy, sort of zen like, some stuff’s going to happen so she gets to it. That’s really fun to play.
She seems three steps ahead of everyone else.
I think she’s used to living in this world where you sort of have to be a little bit on guard, so she’s naturally suspicious and naturally looking for the meaning behind what you’re saying. So in a weird way, yeah, she is kind of a step ahead.
When Kurt does his wild tweets and blog posts, what do you think of all that?
I get so embarrassed. It’s like any marriage, you have to pick and choose what you’re going to engage in. Sometimes nice denial is the best way to deal. Sometimes he just shocks me unbelievably. Like I would never… But I’ve learned to let it roll. It amuses him. The other night we were tweeting together. I walked in and he was answering his tweets so he wanted me to sign off these outrageous things. I said, “No, I’m not saying that.”
Do you ever say, “Just don’t respond to them?”
Yes, don’t push send.
What’s the biggest difference between the Gemma we met in season one and the Gemma we see in season six?
Well, the Gemma we’re going to see in season six, she’s in sort of a new family situation, but it never really strays far from her. Her intention is always to keep her family together. It always has been, and I’d like to say that she is somewhat wiser. That’s what I would like to say in that she’s been, I’m not going say “manipulated,” but she was by her son at the end of season five in terms of maneuvering that piece with Clay, which I think that she ultimately felt needed to be done for the good of the all.
You know, her whole thing is about the good of the whole. So I think that that piece, having been moved at the end of season five has now left her in a more, I want to say “gentle” is a very hard word to use for her but I would say she’s in a wiser and gentler place. I don’t know if that answers your question from the beginning of the series to now, but that’s where she is now.
