In less than a week, Laurie Metcalf accepted two prizes live on stage in New York: one, a Gotham TV Award for her hilarious turn in Dan Levy’s Big Mistakes, his TV follow-up to Schitt’s Creek; the other, a Tony for her devastating portrayal of Linda Loman in the new Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman. She’s still giving that performance at the Winter Garden Theatre eight times a week, between all of the attention and accolades.
“I forgot what it’s like doing a show during Tony season,” she says over Zoom with a wide grin that indicates she’s definitely not complaining.
It’s an exciting time for the 70-year-old Illinois native, who’s emerged over the past decade as one of her generation’s most decorated stage actors — she’s taken home three Tonys in nine years — while continuing to break new ground on screen. Having emerged with her Emmy-winning work on Roseanne, she’s since won another trophy from the TV Academy for Hacks, HBO Max’s character-driven comedy which just brought Metcalf back for a surprise appearance in its final season. She also recently took on one of the darkest roles of her career in the divisive new season of Monster, centered on Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam), as the suspected serial killer’s fanatically religious and abusive mother.
