Ana Gasteyer — The Bare Magazine

On her NBC hit comedy “American Auto” Ana Gasteyer plays a CEO of a major American car company—who just isn’t that into cars. It’s the perfect sendup for Ana, who told us she loves “fish out of water” stories. She inhabits the role seamlessly, convincing viewers that she is, indeed, clueless but at the same time completely deserving of a seat at the head of the table. We caught up with Ana shortly after it was announced that the show was renewed for a second season. And in true CEO fashion, she was multitasking and getting her son ready for baseball, speaking to reporters, and nursing her aching feet (more on that in a bit). Behold, Bare’s one-on-one with the brilliant and beautiful Ana Gasteyer.

Bare Magazine: The show was renewed for second season—that’s wonderful, congratulations!

Ana Gasteyer: So exciting. Oh, my goodness!

Bare: What drew you to “American Auto”?
AG: I love ensemble comedies. You know, I come from “SNL.” I'm a sketch performer at heart. So, ensemble workplace comedies always had that kind of symphonic quality that I like. And they're interesting. They have variety—lots of ways to throw the basketball if you will. And I also like fish-out-of-water stories. I like people organically having to be shoehorned into a situation. And I loved that it was a female CEO. So, it just had lots of qualities like that. And then Justin Spitzer, the creator. He’s just a lovely person. It appealed to me to work with a nice human being, frankly. The older we get, the more it matters.

Bare: So true. And why do you think it’s important to have this show out in the world now?
AG: No one has taken down corporate America comedically and really called out its moral lack of certainty. My favorite episodes of the season last year are the ones that tangle up personal ethics and the corporate bottom line. There's an episode we did about making a commercial, and making it politically correct. And it's sort of a disaster—everyone's so busy virtue signaling, they can't really make a commercial. So, it’s funny and relevant stuff.

Bare: What do you have in common with your character?
AG: I’m pretty good at managing situations and people. I'm also pretty good at seeing what needs to be fixed, and what needs to happen, and cutting to the chase. I'm a Taurus, so I'm very blunt; and Katherine can be that way, too. It’s also fun to play her because I think I’m a little vain like she is.

Bare: Would you ever want to be a CEO?
AG: No! It looks horrible, doesn’t it? It's so stressful. But let’s be honest, all working women really are CEOs. They're running a massive organism of a household, and they're aware of 5,000 things happening at the same time. I mean, we joke about it, but it really is true. That’s exactly what CEOs do.

Bare: So true. Shifting lanes slightly, to what do you attribute your longevity in this career?

AG: Well, good fortune obviously. I think getting a show like “SNL,” and getting an education like I did at Northwestern—they were connective tissue organizations. So, I had a lot of people in my orbit who were able to collaborate with me, and suggest things to me. That played a huge part. And the other part is being flexible. I mean, I've had to be on the road a lot and go to where the work is. And lastly, I’ve actively pursued many different kinds of challenges: I've had one-woman shows, I've done clubs, I've done tons of voiceover work. I've done commercial endorsement work. I've done whatever I can do at the time that I've needed to do it to keep things going. I've done public speaking, writing, producing, and acting. I think if I just picked one, it would've been a much quieter life and probably not a success.

Bare: You have such a rich and diverse career when a lot of actors are basically cut off at a certain age—especially female ones. How do you feel about continuing to perform as you mature as an actor and as a woman?
AG: It's challenging. I feel afraid. I would be lying if I said I didn’t, but I also feel grateful that the marketplace is opening up. I mean, the fact that I'm playing this female CEO on a show that definitely five years ago would've been a male CEO is a really great feeling. And I think there are more and more roles that are emerging for women of a certain age. I feel really free. I feel much more relaxed in my own body. I feel less afraid of not being so skinny. And, more than ever, I feel convinced that I don't want to change my face. I feel a certain responsibility to representing an authentic person in their fifties. Sure, I talk to my dermatologist, but I don’t want to freeze up my face, because I'm a comedian and what's good about my face is that it moves. But part two is that my feet hurt. I really do love the way that high heels look, and I like the way my body moves in them, but oh my God, I wore them for the last 24 hours for the upfronts and I literally had to take to my bed.

Bare: Who are some of your career idols?
AG: You know, I have to say my cohorts. I mean, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch. I feel a great amount of inspiration just from literally looking right and left and realizing that we're all still creating and making things. And nobody seems to feel remotely obliged to be looking for assisted living at this point, which is nice. And comedic geniuses, like Lily Tomlin, continue to work, and a lot of those Broadway ladies just keep on going—Patty LuPone, Betty Buckley, and Angela Lansbury of course. These people get better with age. That’s inspiring and uplifting!

Bare: Is there a genre you haven't tried that interests you?
AG: Well, it's funny that you ask that because I'm less and less interested in drama. I love consuming drama, but I’m sort of past the point of wanting to prove to anybody that I could do it. I think I'm better at comedy, and I think it's more fun. Sorry, that’s not the question you asked. I mean, I would like to originate a musical. The dream board includes originating a role as a vocalist. And I'd love to do a real physical farce at some point. I'd love to see big wigs and glasses come back!

Bare: What’s the best advice you’ve received from a fellow actor?
AG: Don't take it personally. I've realized so much about acting is out of your control. David Alan Grier is a really close friend. I remember complaining to him about some role I didn’t get, and he said, “it’s not a democracy. Whoever told you acting was a democracy is a liar.” It's helpful to remember that because as long as you’ve tried the hardest you can, what comes after that is a wash. None of it's in your control, but at least you’ll have your dignity.

Bare: How would you describe your personal style?
AG: Oh God, I'm going to be bad at this answer. I have a pretty basic uniform. Railroad-striped pants, which I buy every season. And a black short-sleeve cashmere T-shirt. But I'm also thrifty. I like to buy everything on sale. So, I'm forever getting my uniform together from the dregs of the J. Crew factory sale.

Bare: And what do you do to stay healthy and keep your energy up? And your skin looking good?
AG: I'm a very sporadic exerciser. I like to bike and do some cardio, you know, if my feet don't hurt. For skincare, again, I’m very thrifty. I love a French drugstore brand, like Embryolisse. And I love those serums by The Ordinary. And I take a ton of supplements, particularly when I'm working. Oh, and part three is that I love coffee. I will never give up coffee. That's why I will never do a cleanse. I get excited the night before about my coffee in the morning.