PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: 3C and "Veep" Star Anna Chlumsky

By Matthew Blank
03 Jul 2012

Anna Chlumsky
Anna Chlumsky

Anna Chlumsky, currently back onstage in the world premiere of David Adjmi's comedy 3C, fills out Playbill.com's questionnaire of random facts, backstage trivia and pop-culture tidbits.

Chlumsky has appeared onstage in such productions as Measure for Measure, Darwin in Malibu, Half Life, The Butcherhouse Chronicles, The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero and Unconditional.

Her screen work includes the lead role in "My Girl" and "My Girl 2," "Uncle Buck," "Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain," "Cupid", "Law & Order" and "30 Rock."

She currently plays chief of staff Amy on HBO's "Veep."



 Continued...

Full given name: Anna Mary Chlumsky
Where you were born/where you were raised: Broadview, IL
Zodiac Sign:Sagittarius
What your parents did/do for a living:Mom: Public school music teacher
Dad: Chef/Culinary instructor
Siblings:1 half-brother. He rocks. :)
Special skills: Needlepoint and crochet
Something you're REALLY bad at: Video games
First Broadway show you ever saw: The Secret Garden
If you could go back in time and catch any show, what would it be? The original Into the Woods or Sweeney Todd
Did you have any particular mentors or inspirations as a young actor? Inspirations: Vivien Leigh, Bernadette Peters, Bette Davis, Ann Miller.

Also, as a kid, I had this choreographer named Brenda Didier. I loved everything about her. I would wear warm-up clothes to school - jazz shoes, legwarmers and all - because I was so into her.
Current show you have been recommending to friends: One Man, Two Guvnors and Once
Favorite showtunes of all time: "Cabaret"
"Broadway Baby"
"Adelaide's Lament"
"I Am What I Am"
"The Impossible Dream"
Some favorite musicals: A Little Night Music
Into the Woods
Show Boat
Anything Goes
La Cage aux Folles
Some favorite modern plays: Pillowman
The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?
La Bête
Ruined
Some favorite modern playwrights: Edward Albee, John Guare, Nicky Silver, Rebecca Gilman, Amy Herzog
Stage or screen stars of the past you would most have loved to perform with: Jimmy Durante, Eddie Cantor, Gene Kelly, Marjorie Main
The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: My family and I saw the revival tour of Show Boat at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. At the finale, the full company performed "Old Man River," and I get chills just thinking about it.
Music that makes you cry, any genre: Mahler, Tchaikovsky and Bernstein can all really get to me. Also, when PBS airs the clip of Zero Mostel performing "If I Were a Rich Man," I'm a mess.
You personal acting idols: Bette Davis, Karl Malden, Vivien Leigh, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore, I could go on...
MAC or PC? MAC
Most-visited websites: art.sy, shopstyle.com, goodreads.com
Most played song on your iPod: Lately the most-played is "Déjame Entrar" by Carlos Vives.
Last book you read: "Devil in the White City"
Must-see TV show(s): "Veep" (duh!), "Girls," "Game of Thrones," "Downton Abbey," "Nurse Jackie," "Justified," "So You Think You Can Dance."

And a good dose of "RuPaul's Drag Race" can't hurt. ;)

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