She-Hulk: Attorney at Law only featured Madisynn, the oversharing, blithely gregarious millennial accidentally sent to a hellish dimension, in a few scenes. But the actor that played her, Patty Guggenheim, turned her one-off guest appearance into a sensation so mesmerizing some fans demanded her own spin-off.
A native of Indianapolis, Guggenheim (no direct relation to those Guggenheims, if you were wondering) has a knack for playing offbeat characters that showcase her comedy chops––talent she honed at The Groundlings and, later, parts on comedies like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Modern Family.
Now Guggenheim — who’s also an in-demand voice actor (Mike Tyson Mysteries, Netflix’s Long Story Short) — is taking her expertise in portraying eccentrics to the next level, starring as the unhinged leader Raven in Peacock’s Twisted Metal. Peacock’s series, now in its second season and based on Playstation's demented demolition derby game, takes place in a post-apocalyptic America where lawless criminals roam outside walled cities. As Raven, Guggenheim governs the walled city of New San Francisco through force and terror, adding some menacing gravitas to Twisted Metal’s blend of comedy, action, insane stunts and over-the-top violence.
The Television Academy caught up with Guggenheim ahead of the second season's premiere to talk about how she found her comedic voice, adjusting to a twisted universe and how playing a villain changed her for the better.
Television Academy: You were lauded as a scene stealer in She-Hulk, and a good deal of what we saw there was reportedly improvised. How did you develop your own sense of comedy? Did it start in childhood?
Patty Guggenheim: The roots for sure are my funny family. It was probably our survival tactic, through anything that was hard, or even things that were just easy and fun, comedy was always the go-to. I was bullied a little [in school] so it was like, “OK, I’ll be the funny one.” Then I really got into SNL. I would recreate all the SNL sketches in my living room with my brother. The majority of my family––my grandparents, my parents––were funny. And encouraging. My dad introduced me to Pee-wee's Playhouse and then Pee-wee's Big Adventure. And I was just like, “Yeah!” That was a beacon to, like, the weirdos — or for the kids that just didn’t want to be like everyone else — and [my parents] really fostered that. My dad was really into the fact that I loved comedy; he would give me Phyllis Diller DVDs and stuff. And when I moved out to L.A., I did The Groundlings. I had all that in me and, [at The Groundlings], I learned how to focus it and use it.
You've been known for your voice work — and I’ve heard that some in that profession either hate hearing themselves, or seeing themselves, or both. I'm just curious, what is your relationship with the sound of your own voice?
I feel like my voice changes so much. Like, do you ever feel like that? When you're talking to somebody, you're like, [in lower register] down here commanding the space. Then I'll hear it sometimes, and I'm wispy up here. So when I hear it, I can kind of tell what's going on with myself at that moment. And it’s always cringe.
Your family is funny; do you borrow certain cadences from them? Or from others in your personal experience?
Yes, and probably more than I am even aware of. I love borrowing and observing people. People-watching is one of my favorite things. We're so lucky in L.A., this is the best place for people watching. I love to go to The Grove; there’s just so many kinds of people [there] and they're just doing their thing or shopping. I love to listen to them and eavesdrop.
Photo credit: ID/Stephanie Nelson
Let’s talk about Raven –– the Big Bad in charge of New San Francisco this season on Twisted Metal. Was playing her fun or challenging for you? Both?
Both. I've never played a character like this, and it was really fun to stretch myself and feel alright with [audiences] hating the character. Before this, I played a lot of characters who are, like, the life of the party –– harmless. I think this is the first time I've gotten to play somebody who's fully harmful. Someone who will go to great lengths to get her way; it was really challenging.
How so?
She's a full badass. She leads with force; she’s a narcissist. She’s very focused, very cunning and aggressive. She is really heart sick; she puts on this really tough exterior and [she] is awful to people because she probably doesn't love herself. I had to really put my blinders on. I have this goal in the show –– she wants to be reunited with her girlfriend, Kelly — and that's her main drive for everything. [The idea of] loving somebody so much that you lost, I dug into some grief and had that fuel me.
The Twisted Metal universe is a very “twisted" one. What was it like inhabiting this strange and crazy world full of mayhem?
It was so surreal. I mean, I played the game when I was a kid. I always played Sweet Tooth, because I thought that was the most fun character to play. I remember, after my first day of shooting, I was like, “I cannot believe I get to be a part of this.” It feels epic. I had auditioned for the first season, and sometimes when somebody else gets [the part], you're like, “I guess I'll watch it.” I watched it and it was such a cool show. The music, the action, the costumes — it’s so fun. I kind of liked that we can play with things that touch on the real world. Like, people not being allowed into certain parts of the country or world, or withholding food, just like these real things that are going on in the world. Because in every real-world situation, there are people who are still going to find the humor in it and are still going to make it through. And you will also have people who [behave] like little rodents trying to figure out how to survive. As an actor or a writer, we’re looking for an escape. So, hopefully, people can watch this and feel like it’s a really creative escape from what we all are dealing with in the real world.
How much stunt work did you do and what was that experience like?
The stunt stuff was physical. My first shot of the first day was –– I know this doesn't sound like a major stunt, but I was running in these crazy John Fleuvog platform shoes. And then the car stuff was really intense and really cool. I was in this pod car, and there's a NASCAR driver on top of the car and he is controlling it. So it looks like I'm driving, but he's up there controlling the vehicle, and it was fast. My whole body was sweating; I could feel my knees sweating. It was really intense, but so much fun.
How would you say Raven evolves by the end of the season?
We see her fully unravel. She's extremely composed at the beginning –– she is in control, in her office, as a cunning leader. But when she gets thrown into the mix with all of these other people, people who also think that their goals are the most important, she has to then deal with some competition that she is not used to. So she unravels and it really gets to her, and she gets pretty insane.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
The second season of Twisted Metal premieres July 31 on Peacock.
