Rondi Reed Takes 5 With The U
Mike & Molly's Rondi Reed stopped by You & Me last week, and we had the chance to Take 5 with her on everything from Mike & Molly's last season, to joining the cast of Steppenwolf Theatre's "Visiting Edna," and the Chicago Cubs.
The U: As we’re in the final episodes of Mike & Molly, what are you going to miss most about your character, Peggy?
RR: I’m going to miss her unfiltered speech that comes out, though, I think she’s kind of seeped into my own personality -- which is very scary.
The U: Being a mom in a sitcom for six seasons, what has been the most memorable moment with the cast?
RR: Oh, good question. There are a lot of them. We had a scene where we all had a family food fight, which was pretty fun, and we could only shoot it once. We rehearsed it, and rehearsed it, and rehearsed it, and we did it all in one take and it was fabulous. That was a great memory. And then also working with Kathy Bates, who played my childhood friend, which was really fun.
The U: Growing up in Dixon, Illinois, could you imagine the setting of Mike & Molly anywhere else?
RR: I think it’s pretty great that it’s set in Chicago because it covers all the bases with Mike and his partner, Carl, being Chicago cops, and Molly being a school teacher. And just the whole ambiance of Chicago and the kind of, you know, blue-collar-cut-to-the-chase kind of thing. I think it’s the perfect environment for it.
The U: Congratulations on joining Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s "Visiting Edna." What are you most excited for with this world premiere production?
RR: I’m really excited to do "Visiting Edna" because it’s a brand new play by David Rabe, who’s a fabulous American playwright, and he’s having a second resurgence of a really wonderful career that he already had. I’m excited to work on a new play, excited to work with Anna Shapiro, who directed me in August: Osage County, and excited to be back at Steppenwolf after ten years.
The U: You’ve been a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 1979. What has been the best part of performing with the same theatre for over 30 years?
RR: I think the best part is having the support of our subscribers over the years. I’ll be in Evanston at the grocery store and somebody will say, “Oh my god, I’ve been a subscriber,” or people will recognize me at the dog beach or different places like that, so it’s the community of Chicago and the city of Chicago that makes you really proud to be from here.
The U: What is your favorite Broadway in Chicago show you’ve ever seen?
RR: Chicago or Broadway Show? Well, I was in Wicked for five years so that’s my favorite, I think. My most favorite Broadway show I recently saw was Hamilton, which is going to be coming to Chicago next year. Very exciting.
The U: When you have time off from rehearsal, what is one thing you want to do in Chicago this summer?
RR: I must go back to see the Cubs. I must, because I think they might do it this year.
See Rondi Reed in "Visiting Edna" at the Steppenwolf Theatre this September, and watch Mike & Molly, every night at 6pm and 6:30 on The U!
