Fans of Wendie Malick may not recognize the actress as Augusta “Gus” in the Hallrmark+ series, Chicken Sisters. Malick is widely known for her many glammed-up, full-of-attitude TV characters, like Young Sheldon, Shrinking, Hot in Cleveland, Fraser and Just Shoot Me!, but not this time. On Chicken Sisters, Malick is going in a completely opposite direction, and in this exclusive interview for First for Women, she reveals she welcomes the change with open arms.
Chicken Sisters is an eight-part series based on the eponymous book by KJ Dell’Antonia, centering on two families who own competing fried chicken restaurants. They take their rivalry to another level when a popular reality series comes to their small Southern town. Malick’s portrayal of Gus is a competitive and family-oriented woman who expresses her love through food.
Chicken Sisters isn’t the only project Malick has on her plate. First for Women got the scoop on the program’s season finale on October 24th, her television romance with Harrison Ford and why Malick is going to court in November.
FIRST for Women (FFW): Your character on Chicken Sisters is so different from some of your other famous roles…
Wendie Malick: When I read the script, I said Agusta has to have long gray hair, and she needs to wear old men’s clothes. I see her as an old bohemian who is just misunderstood.
FFW: Gus is definitely not like Nina from Just Shoot Me
WM: I am a good clothes hog so there is nothing to take here. Getting dressed up is always a lot of fun, but this is so freeing in so many ways. I get to wear overalls; a wig and I don’t have to wear any make-up. It’s great!
FFW: Are you anything like Gus?
WM: She is probably the closest to me out of all the characters I have played. I live on a ranch, so I am around horse poop, a donkey and a dog every day.
I am more down-to-earth than people realize. That’s the beauty of make-believe and acting. You get to crawl into these different characters and what’s so funny is we all have a little bit of these characters in us, and we have the ability to tap into that less dominant part of ourselves to work out a lot of our issues. Being able to portray so many different people has saved me a fortune in therapy.
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FFW: What drew you to Chicken Sisters?
WM: I love that it was created by and pretty much run by women. That was a unique aspect of Hot in Cleveland. It centered on four women of a certain age. They were in their 50’s, 60’s, and 90’s. With Chicken Sisters, there was something about the writing that centered on a sisterhood that’s sort of a mess right now because of what’s going on in this town and I wanted to explore that more.
I also loved that they had gotten a hold of Lea (Thompson). I worked with her once before and I just adore her. Annie Mebane is the executive producer, and she was also a Producer on Shrinking. Chicken Sisters also has other writers that have really good credits, so I felt I was in really good hands.
FFW: Do you like to cook in real life?
WM: Not terribly. (laughs) I love to entertain but I don’t cook that much. My friends know that when I am hosting a dinner party the first question is, “What should I bring?” Often, I say I’ll buy the fish, and then a friend grills it. Everyone who shows up brings a side dish. As for me, I make a mean salad. I can also stir-fry vegetables and make a few pasta dishes. I am not a very adventurous cook, but I can do the basics.
FFW: The big finale is coming up on October 24th. What can we expect to see as season one come to a close?
WM: It is throwing together these women for various reasons who have been alienated from each other over time. A lot of it is men’s fault, which you will find out over the course of this series. As for my character, who is Agusta, she has been betrayed by men her entire lifetime and suffered a great loss when she was young.
She ended up taking her sadness and loneliness out on collecting stuff and became a hoarder. As we approach the finale, she realizes that if she wants to have a fresh start and reconnect with her daughters who she was unable to mother in a proper way, she needs to do something radical such as taking her life down to the studs and rebuilding it from scratch.
FFW: You touched upon how grateful you were to star on Hot in Cleveland because the show centered on four women over the age of 50. Why do you think Hollywood overlooks this demographic and doesn’t write more parts for these gifted actors?
WM: The powers that be are foolish to overlook this segment of our population because there are an awful lot of us out there. People do like to see themselves reflected in the things that they watch and so many of the streaming services are getting hip to that. Shrinking (on Apple TV+) is a great example of that.
FFW: So, women should look forward to their years after 40?
WM: People should not feel like they have to hide under a rock when they turn 40. It is the beginning of a really interesting time in your life, as can 60. I was around Betty White and look what she did with 90. Betty had a whole renaissance after hosting Saturday Night Live and starring in a Snickers commercial.
I looked at her when I turned 60 and remember thinking, I too can have a third act. It gave me so much hope and made me feel less stressed after hitting zero after the six. I am forever grateful to her for that, and I hope I can pass that on to my younger friends.
FFW: Speaking of Shrinking, I read a story that you have a tight friendship with co-star Harrison Ford. Tell me about that?
WM: I do. He is so terrific. He picks me up in a golf cart, takes me to lunch and he was so welcoming. When you have to play lovers and have chemistry it does help when they are gorgeous, nice and lovely. He is all of the above and more.
FFW: What’s your secret for looking so good?
WM: I work at it, but I do have to thank my parents for giving me really good genes. My dad was half Egyptian, and I think I got his skin, which I am so grateful for. My mother had the best attitude about life. She was all about the power of laughter, making the most of every day, being kind, generous, smiling, enjoying your age no matter what number you are and putting good into the world. I am going to give my body the best chance to thrive as long as it can.
FFW: One thing you don’t do, is slow down. You went right from Young Sheldon to Shrinking and then Chicken Sisters.
WM: Yes, and I was just added to season three of Night Court. I start in November, and I will play the Senior Prosecutor. Last season I was a criminally insane person that John Larroquette sent to prison but now I am returning to NBC as a lawyer. Ah, the power of magic in television is so special.
FFW: Have you always been funny and have impeccable timing?
WM: I come from a very funny family. My grandmother was hilarious, and I used to mimic my mother and her friends all the time. Most of my characters have a little Gigi Malick (her mother) in them. She was delightful, very funny and somewhat drool with a little bit of mischievous too. I adored her so I know I stole a lot of stuff from her.
FFW: Reboots are popular right now. If you could bring back a television series, you starred in what would it be and why?
WM: Just Shoot Me because it was such a happy group. Although it would be hard to do without George Segal. Reboots are tricky because when you had something that has its life and every show knows when it is time to say goodbye and leave while the party is still fun. It is rare to be able to bring it back from its original form and like I said, I don’t think we can do it without George. But I do adore those people, and we get together regularly. That is a family I still hold into.
FFW: You have worked with so many people in Hollywood. Who would you say taught you the greatest lesson?
WM: Definitely Betty White who I just told you about. She taught me so many things. Like someone would come up to her and say, “Ya know what I hate?” and Betty would reply, “No and I don’t really care to.” You gotta love her.
FFW: Like Betty, you too are a big advocate for animals.
WM: In recent years I have been much more involved with Return to Freedom, Wildhorse Conservation which is a horse sanctuary in Lompoc, California. There are lots of wild horses and mustangs that roam free in a safe environment. I have one of the mustangs here and I have served as their spokeswoman. I also have three horses, a miniature donkey and a dog. These animals are my dearest friends and keep me sane.
FFW: Animals are known to play a big role in lessening our stress and anxiety levels. Do you agree with that statement?
WM: Yes. When I come home from work, this is where I re-boot and re-charge. Spending a lot of time with my friends who don’t talk helps me be more in touch without yacking, which I do a lot during the day for my job. There is something about being around nature and wildlife that is soothing to my soul, and it helps me get centered and feel gratitude in my life.
FFW: Earlier you spoke about embracing age. Why does it keep getting better for you?
WM: Gratitude. As we get older, we hear about things happening to our friends or we get those unwanted phone calls with bad news about people we love. None of us know when our number is going to be called but as we get older our odds become greater.
Feeling gratitude helps you to be more present and in the moment. Every day is a gift, and you should start out every day with a gratitude list of everything that remains good. For me, I still get to do the thing I love, and I remind myself of that every morning when I am walking my dog.
