Renee Kay plays Karen in It’s You, Not Me
Photo ©Dana Patrick
Cliché: Tell us about your character in a couple sentences.
Renee Kay: Karen is a hopeless romantic, always falling for musicians, or getting herself into jams. But at the same time, she’s very driven, and is not willing to settle for something that doesn’t feel right.
Have you ever played this role in your own personal dating life?
Haha – yes! Been there, and bought the T-shirt.
What do you like/dislike about your character?
I like that Karen doesn’t give up, and that she remains open to meeting “the one” even though the people she meets are horrible. Somehow, she doesn’t allow herself to be jaded. At the same time, I would love to see her open herself up a little more.
Tell us your most memorable experience while shooting this series.
There were so many fun moments, but the most memorable experience was working with Rick Shapiro. All night long he kept me, and everyone, on their toes, which gave the scenes more energy and more real-life moments.
How did you come to be a part of this project?
I’m the creator.
What was it like working with your long time teacher wearing the director hat?
I took classes from Lauren Patrice Nadler for a long time, and when I started working on the concept for the series, I knew she would be perfect to direct. On set I didn’t have to worry what was going to happen, or what kind of feedback I was going to get, and that helped.
How collaborative or how much freedom did you have to “play” or improvise on the set?
The great part about being one of the writers, and having an improv background, is that I was able to leave room in the script for just that kind of thing. I really wanted the cast to have a chance to show what they can do, and create spontaneous moments.
What was the funnest part of shooting this episode?
The bedroom scene with actor Giovanni Bejarano was a lot of fun. Giovanni is a very giving actor and he gave me a lot to play with.
How has your character grown or evolved from the previous episode, if they did?
Even though she has been on one disaster of a date after another, by the end of episode 6 Karen has really embraced the idea that it is okay if her date didn’t work out, because the next one just might be “the one.”
