Watching Studio60

At the Television Critics Association press tour, Kristin Chenoweth answered some questions on seeing herself depicted as Harriet Hayes on Studio 60, and on the status of her relationship with Aaron Sorkin. Here’s what she had to say, from Joel Keller at TV Squad:

“Did she recognize pieces of their her and Sorkin’s relationship in the relationship between Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson)? ‘Recognize? Yeah!’ she laughed. Then, in her light Southern drawl, she explained the genesis of the character. ‘He asked me if it would be ok to have a character based on me.’ She agreed to it because she figured it would be only loosely based on her. ‘A lot of it was very loose, and some of it wasn’t.’

“When the show was on the air and struggling to find an audience, Sorkin always skirted claims by critics that the show was a kind of roman à clef that paralleled their relationship, even though he’s admitted that Hayes was based on Chenoweth. ‘I don’t know why he did that,’ Chenoweth said. ‘I can’t speak about that. I just know that some of the things that happened in my life were on the show, and I do a really good Nancy Grace (an impression Harriet did), and I sing a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan, and I did do the PTL show. So, if you watch Studio 60, you can make your own (conclusion).

“‘It wasn’t a bone of contention at all,’ she continued. ‘It might appear that way, but not at all. What was frustrating was that it was taken from my life, but not exactly. For example, (Harriet) was kind of iffy on gay rights,’ something Cheoweth was not. ‘I’d have to go on my website, because people were like, “Ban her concerts!”, and say “But that’s not me! At all!”‘

“The week before, Sorkin accompanied Chenoweth to the ABC all-star party, setting the surrounding crowds abuzz with speculation that they were back together. One reporter noted to Chenoweth that Sorkin was a complete gentleman during the party. ‘He’s precious,’ she said in a semi-serious manner. When I asked her if the two of them were back together, she refused to say, upping the chirpy Southernness to say, ‘I don’t talk about my private life!’ She would say that Sorkin ‘acted like a really good friend that night, like he was just proud of me. It was really cool.’”

Read the rest of the TV Squad post to learn what song Chenoweth wants to sing on Pushing Daisies next season, and her story about dating Jeff Probst (the kind of thing Matt would have teased Harriet about no end).

Studio 60, Kristin Chenoweth, Harriet Hayes, Aaron Sorkin