Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Couples Therapy’s Michaela Zannou

Michaela Zannou is the creative mastermind behind the hilarious dramedy Couples Therapy. The film follows a therapist who treats neurotic couples in New York City, but behind closed doors, her own life is hanging by a thread. We caught up with Michaela, fresh off premiering Couples Therapy, for an in-depth conversation.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Michaela: Growing up, I think I always knew I would be an actor. It was calling me from a young age. I wanted to live the lives of the various characters I saw in movies or on the stage and discover different parts of myself through that.

As a teenager, I was mostly focused on surviving high school, but as soon as I graduated, I started taking the first steps to pursue acting. I signed up at my university’s drama club, and after my very first performance with them, I knew I wanted to do this professionally.

I got into the New Hellenic Theatre Drama School while simultaneously working on stage. A month after I graduated I hopped onto a plane and moved to New York. I also always knew I wanted to move to America and pursue acting there. It was in New York that I truly discovered myself as an artist and realized that it’s not just acting that I love but storytelling in general and that my favorite medium for it was the camera.

I took screenwriting classes and started surrounding myself with filmmakers that inspired and motivated me. It felt like home right away, like it’s where I was supposed to be. Even after many years in the industry, I’m always so excited to discover new things about myself as an artist and about the art of storytelling for film and television.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Michaela: Moving to New York from my home country, Greece, definitely changed the trajectory of my career. I know it sounds corny, but I really feel like I blossomed in New York. The city offered the ideal environment for me to cultivate my talents and discover myself as a person and an artist. It was—and still is—a very empowering experience.

I also found my tribe here, which I believe to be crucial for an artist. Finding a group of like-minded artists that share the same passion and work ethic with you is key to surviving and persevering in this industry.

As for people, meeting my filmmaker and actor friend Sonja O’Hara was monumental in my journey as a filmmaker. Her immense talent and unwavering dedication to her craft inspires me to this day and has forever changed my mindset about what is possible for a female filmmaker to accomplish. Sonja also introduced me to my screenwriting mentor, Jason Greiff, whose knowledge, support, and advice have been my lifeline whenever I am developing a new script.

Couples Therapy

PC: Couples Therapy premiered at SeriesFest. Tell us about the project and the inspiration behind the story.
Michaela: Couples Therapy is a provocative dramedy about a couples therapist, Natalia, who treats neurotic New York couples while her own marriage is falling apart and she seems unable to follow her own advice.

The inspiration for the project actually came from my own life and what I was experiencing at the time. I had found myself entangled in a toxic relationship and, like Natalia, I was angry at myself for not being able to protect myself better and for letting my feelings overpower my common sense.

One day I happened to have a conversation with a friend about her going to couples therapy with her ex-husband and whether it was helpful or not. That was when I got the idea about this couples therapist who helps other people with their relationships but can’t do the same for her own marriage.

Writing this story started as a way for me to deal with my heartbreak, but the more I worked on it, the more it got a life of its own, and I realized it gave me a great opportunity to shed a new light on modern relationships and the modern woman. I wanted to give a voice to the many types of relationships and issues—polyamorous couples, power struggles in ambitious couples, homosexual couples’ issues, open relationships, etc.—that are still underrepresented in TV and, of course, portray a genuine female character with all her layers and complexities.

PC: You starred in, produced, and wrote Couples Therapy. How challenging was it to wear so many different hats?
Michaela: Creating and starring in Couples Therapy was the most challenging, scary, and soul-igniting thing I ever had to do in my life. I was dipping my toes into filmmaking for the first time, and there were so many things I needed to learn in a short period of time.

I also had to work harder than I ever had to as an actor and screenwriter. It was three months of script changes, production meetings, casting, location scouting, paperwork, and coordinating about thirty members of cast and crew.

Meanwhile, as an actor, I wanted to make sure that my performance wouldn’t be compromised by the stress of wearing multiple hats. I knew that during filming there would be so many things that could distract me and throw me off, so I prepared more than I had ever prepared for a role before to make sure my performance would be in good shape no matter what happened on set.

Of course, I was also very lucky to have a great team by my side that helped me out and lifted a lot of weight off my shoulders. My amazing collaborators and seasoned filmmakers, Rob Alicea, Angela Petruzziello, Randy Ramos Jr., and Ryan Metcalf, guided me through the whole process with endless support and excitement. I am immensely grateful to have had them with me on this journey.

PC: What did you learn about yourself as a person and as an artist while putting together Couples Therapy? What was the biggest takeaway?
Michaela: Creating and starring in Couples Therapy was a very empowering and eye-opening experience. As an artist, I discovered many talents I never knew I had. I realized that I was actually good at a lot more aspects of filmmaking than the ones I had been limiting myself to.

I learned that it’s important to be flexible and open to suggestions, but at the same time you need to trust your own instincts above everything else. I learned that being an actor and a filmmaker aren’t mutually exclusive. If anything, your experience in one area complements the other. I also saw firsthand how crucial it is to be surrounded by kind people that believe in your vision—people that can set their ego aside and focus on getting the project made in the best way possible.

As a person, I realized I am a lot stronger than I thought I was and that I am capable of juggling a lot more than I ever thought I could. I guess that was the biggest takeaway for me: getting to believe in myself and my artistic voice more than ever before.

PC: What do you hope audiences take away after seeing Couples Therapy?
Michaela: I hope the audience sees that when it comes to matters of the heart, even the smartest person can make the stupidest mistakes, and that’s okay. This is what the show is about: the humanity of making mistakes and trying to heal your wounds in all the wrong ways until you find the right one.

Relationships don’t come with a manual, so you have to follow your instincts. But our instincts are sometimes burdened by our past experiences or trauma and can stir us toward the wrong direction. I hope the audience finds comfort in seeing that they are not alone in this.

I hope they identify with the delightful mess that is Natalia, and I hope they get a good laugh—or cry—out of the outrageous situations that Natalia and her patients find themselves in.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Michaela: The Office. I’m rewatching it for the eighth time.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Michaela: Miss Congeniality

PC: Favorite book?
Michaela: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Michaela: Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Michaela: Natalia Oreiro, an Uruguayan singer that’s huge in Argentina.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Michaela: Kate Winslet

To keep up with Michaela, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit: Lauren Toub