Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Big City Greens’ Marieve Herington
Marieve Herington is an actress, singer, writer, and all-around consummate performer. She’s starred in hit programs like How I Met Your Mother, Good Luck Charlie, and
Big City Greens Questions
PC: For readers who may not be familiar with the series, tell us about Big City Greens, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Marieve: I play Tilly Green on Big City Greens, a comedy-adventure show about a family from the country (The Greens!) who move to a big city (called Big City!). Tilly is the oddball older sister of Cricket, the lead. She marches to the beat of her own drum and is a bit of an old soul, which is what really drew me to her in the first place. In the audition sides, it was listed that she loved 1920’s mustachioed strong men, and along with the quirky art and hilarious script, I knew there was something delightfully weird about this show and character.
PC: The second season airs this fall. What should fans expect? What can you tease about Tilly’s storyline?
Marieve: Yes! We’re so thrilled the show is back so soon! So, in this upcoming season, storylines keep getting wackier. For Tilly specifically, she gets into a fight with a football mascot, makes a YouTube video with her dad (or “papa” as Tilly calls him) and she dreams of becoming a talk show host.
PC: If you could write a storyline for Tilly, what would it be and why?
Marieve: Oh man, that’s tough because we’ve explored so many funny Tilly storylines and the writers keep coming up with new stuff that surprises me each week. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking…what if Tilly won the lottery? In this universe, a kid can win a massive cash prize, don’t worry about it. [laughs] It would be hilarious to see what kind of stuff Tilly would buy. She would surely purchase some kind of old house, perhaps a haunted mansion? She would definitely get her own butler, host daily high tea with Saxon and all her actual people friends. Perhaps she would go on a river cruise with a bunch of fancy folk and produce her own jazz concert!
PC: What’s been the biggest lesson Tilly’s taught you?
Marieve: To be yourself and realize that that’s enough. Tilly’s superpower is being exactly who she is—not trying to be cool to fit in. I wish I could have the self-assuredness that she does! I just appreciate that she’s a role model for kids to be fearlessly passionate about whatever it is they’re passionate about. She’s also got a very vivid imagination, which I admire.
Career Questions
PC: How did you discover your passion for acting, singing, and writing? Is there one that you naturally gravitate towards?
Marieve: I did a school musical when I was eight-years-old and it was a magical thing. On stage that day, I realized that performing was what I had to do with my life. I’ve been pursuing it ever since, acting and singing on TV, in movies, and on the stage.
Writing is a newer part of my creative story. It allows me to have a new outlet of creative expression, something I can control, that I can work on each day because you don’t always have an acting or singing gig. I think actors often start writing because we read so many scripts that we pick up some writing skills by osmosis. Now I’m learning a ton about structure and my own process for story development…there’s a lot to learn!
PC: Tell us about Pleasant Events. What inspired the series?
Marieve: Pleasant Events is an eight-episode web series I co-created with Beth Curry. A fellow actor and writer, she had also worked in the world of weddings like I had—I used to sing at weddings. We had met so many nutty wedding planners and witnessed first-hand how the pressure to have the perfect day creates a ton of drama. So, naturally, we produced a comedy series about it. The show centers on a former celebrity wedding planner, Brenda Bleasant, who was big in the ’90s, disappears for over 25 years, then re-emerges to reclaim her throne. There’s one small hitch: she’s stuck in a small town and has no sense of reality. Think Parks and Rec. in the wedding world.
PC: How did you get into voice acting? Is the creative process different than the traditional acting you’ve done?
Marieve: Honestly, my journey began accidentally. To be clear, the work I’ve put in over the years certainly was very much not accidental. I’ve been honing my craft like crazy for so many years, but I initially started because my agent in Toronto when I was a kid just started sending me out on voiceover auditions. I’ve studied music since I was four, and there’s a certain musicality about voiceover, so I think that’s one of the reasons I started booking. Oh, and yeah, I have a weird voice, so I suppose that helps, too.
The creative process doesn’t differ that much from on-camera acting, I feel. At the end of the day, funny is funny: you have to know how to break down a script, understand the arc of scenes, decipher where jokes are. It’s just that with voice acting you have to make sure to vocalize everything your character thinks. Is she unsure? Stammer a little. Is she excited? Talk a mile a minute! You just can’t depend on your face to tell the story, but ultimately, like the camera, if you think it, the mic will pick it up.
Pop Culturalist Speed Round
PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Marieve: Real Housewives. Ugh, I know!
PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Marieve: Father of the Bride. Not so much guilty, so much as just nostalgic!
PC: Favorite book?
Marieve: Right now, Sapiens. It’s super science-y and will blow your mind.
PC: Favorite play or musical?
Marieve: Evita
PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Marieve: I just made a Spice Girls Pandora station and it’s changing my life.
PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Marieve: Ramy
PC: Hidden talent?
Marieve: Flower arranging!
To keep up with Marieve, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and stream Big City Greens on Disney.
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