Interview (Army Wives): Brigid Brannagh: "I'm a Little Geeky"

From left: Wendy Davis, Brigid Brannagh, Kim Delaney, Sally Pressman, Catherine Bell

Lifetime Television’s record-breaking drama “Army Wives,” will be back March 4th (in a two-hour event) for its sixth (and some speculate, final) season. The years have brought the wives joy and sorrow, happiness and pain, and millions of viewers have been along for the ride. I spoke with series star Brigid Brannagh, who plays Pamela Moran, about her tenure on the show, and about special moments and lifelong friends.

Celebrity Extra: I can’t believe it’s almost time for the sixth season of “Army Wives” to premiere. I can remember the day I received the press screener for pilot, and I knew right away that you had something special there.

Brigid Brannagh: I know, it’s crazy to me. Time flies! It feels like yesterday to me, and it also feels like a million years ago.

CE: Last season was especially heart wrenching, with Frank and Denise losing their son Jeremy. The scenes dealing with that — especially the funeral — must have been torture to film.

BB: Oh my God, we were all like, “Make this episode stop.” It was bad. I’ve been to enough funerals where “Taps” was played and the song is, just hearing it, it just evokes so many things. It’s impossible not to feel completely consumed with melancholy when “Taps” comes on, let alone that it’s playing over and over [for filming the scenes]. We’ve been surrounded by this world, by this military army life, for all of these years that you just think about a soldier that you love being gone, and you know he’s done his best for his country, and he’s gone, and he’s just a boy. It tore all of us up. Watching Terry Serpico (who plays Frank) walk in and trying not to cry.

It was so exhausting that I didn’t watch that episode for a few weeks, because I didn’t feel like crying again. I was like, “Enough.” And we certainly didn’t go light on it. It was kind of relentless to shoot it, but we all really appreciated what it was. It was just a long day of shooting.

CE: Tell me about working with Jeremy Davidson, who plays your husband, Chase.

BB: We work really hard on trying to get things right, working with the writers and trying to really dig into some of the things that have gone on for Pamela and Chase, and the arc of what our characters have done. We’re very much alike; we’re both a little geeky. Everybody has a different way of rehearsing. Some people think that if they work on something too much it takes away spontaneity. I disagree. For me, I think if you work on something so much, it becomes second nature. So, he and I do that together. There are so many things in our story lines that I’m proud of. Right now I’m just thinking of the divorce, which also killed me. That was heart wrenching. But when you’re working with somebody who you work well with, it’s like a dance. It just flies and it’s amazing.

CE: What’s it like on the “Army Wives” set?

BB: Everybody’s a decent person — there’s no drama about trailers or anything like that. Nobody cares about that sort of stuff, which is nice, because I hear horror stories about other shows. Everybody’s a decent person. Just starting with that is a pretty big deal. I spend a lot of time with Sally Pressman (Roxy) on screen, and she and I have a really easy working relationship. And I always feel humor working with Sally. Everything she does has a wink in it. And then Kim (Delaney, who plays Claudia) is really an emoter. Like when you’re doing an emotional scene and you’re watching Kim do her thing first, you’ll start crying just because she’s so good. She just always has that emotion right there at the ready.

Catherine (Bell, who plays Denise), we’re always cracking up, because Catherine has her phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other, and is totally doing her job. It’s very funny. I’m like, “Are you doing a love scene and you’ve got a turkey sandwich in your right hand?” It’s hilarious. And then Sterling (Brown, who plays Roland) is just standing back, kind of looking at everything. He’s such a good and decent person — although he likes to cause a little trouble. We have a good time.

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Q and A: Week of June 20

Q: I love “Army Wives.” This past season was especially phenomenal. I can’t believe Frank and Denise lost their son, Jeremy. It really broke my heart. How did the cast handle shooting those scenes? — Sally D., Columbus, Ohio

A: You can bet those scenes were absolute torture to film. I spoke with Brigid Brannagh, who plays Pamela on the hit series, and she gave me the scoop: “We were all like, ‘Make this episode stop.’ It was so upsetting. And I’ve been to enough funerals where ‘Taps’ was played, and just hearing that song evokes so many things. It’s impossible not to feel completely consumed with melancholy when ‘Taps’ comes on.


We’ve met all these soldiers, heard stories and met people who have lost soldiers,” she said. “We’ve been so surrounded by this world, by this military Army life for all of these years, that you just think about a soldier that you love gone, and he’s just a boy. It tore all of us up. Watching Terry Serpico (who plays Jeremy’s father) walk in and trying not to cry — oh my God, it was terrible. It was just heart wrenching all the time. But we all really appreciated what it was. It was just a long day shoot.”



Q: My sister and I want to know what happened to our favorite show, “Bleep My Dad Says.” Will it be back, and if so, when? — Linda P., via e-mail


Q: What happened to “Human Target”? It just disappeared from TV. — Carol S., via e-mail


Q: Is it true that “Brothers and Sisters” and “Off the Map” are both being canceled next season? I hope not, as I am a big fan of both of them. — Sharon M. in California


Q: Have you heard if another network has picked up “Detroit 1-8-7″ or “Body of Proof”? They both were both fabulous. — Lee K., via e-mail

A: To answer all of your questions in one fell swoop, ABC has renewed the Dana Delany medical drama “Body of Proof.” However, the other shows mentioned weren’t so lucky and have been canceled. You can get a full rundown of which shows are returning, along with which new shows have been picked up at www.celebrityextraonline.com.

Q: What is my favorite dancer, Derek Hough, doing? Why wasn’t he on this spring’s season of “Dancing With the Stars”? — Marilyn S., via e-mail

A: Derek, 26, took a break from the hit dancing show to focus on his acting and singing career, much like sister Julianne. He guest-starred on an episode of “Better With You” and is slated to star in the movie “Cobu 3D.” He also is in a band with fellow “DWTS” dancer Mark Ballas, called the Ballas Hough Band, which released its first record in March 2009. Fun fact: He played the uncredited role, Hogwarts schoolboy, in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

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Interview: Brigid Brannagh Has A Crush on You

Brigid Brannagh took a break from being an Army wife and developed a crush on Sean Patrick Flanery in the Hallmark original movie “A Crush on You,” which premieres June 11 at 9/8c. Brigid plays Charley, an overworked single mom who soon develops a flirtatious email exchange with a “secret admirer.” This admirer (Flanery), as it turns out, meant for the email to reach Charley’s co-worker, Chloe, who herself is a slightly vacuous yet gorgeous man-eater. I spoke with Brigid recently about the experience of playing someone other than her “Army Wives” character, Pamela.

Celebrity Extra: What was it about this movie and the role of Charley that made you want to be a part of it?

Brigid Brannagh: One of the things that I really liked about it is that she’s really sort of forgotten herself; she’s in the background of her own life in a way. It actually happens to a lot of women, a lot of mothers, I should say. I also liked that there was the opportunity to kind of be really natural, messy. I think it’s one of the things I’m willing to do that a lot of people aren’t. I like playing people who are a little undone and honest. I have a harder time with people who are so together it’s impossible. In fact, I don’t even know how to play them.

CE: Charley really is the “everywoman” — in her professional life and her personal life.

BB: I really like the everywoman roles, because there are just so many roles that have nothing to do with what women really are. Most women, a big part of their lives is being a daughter, a wife, a girlfriend, a best friend and a mother, and I think that women tend to associate ourselves by the people we surround ourselves with. Our work ethic, our loyalty and all that are intertwined.

CE: What was it like to work with Sean Patrick Flanery?

BB: He is a joker, very playful. I can be kind of nerdy; I don’t want to mess up. I’ve done this for 25 years, and still, my heart will palpitate if I am not sure that I really have a handle on what I am shooting or that I might mess up. I’m so super focused, and I can get a little OCD like that. But not Sean. He’s more casual in terms of like, let’s just work a little with this line; let’s make it work. He’s joking around, and I’m like: “OK, time to go. What are you doing?”

You’d be amazed at how much people try to make me laugh and it’s not going to happen. I’m terrible. I’m never on a gag reel, because I’ll joke before and I’ll joke after. The money’s being spent. I’m one of nine Irish kids, so I have that work ethic. I’m not wasting a dime.

CE: You also got to work with Michael Clarke Duncan …

BB: Oh, he was a lovely man. What a delightful human being. Literally, he is. He is a very grateful, sweet, bright human being.

CE: What message do you hope viewers take away after watching this movie?

BB: I hope that people realize that yeah, I count too. I can have things; I can have joy, and I can remember that I’m special. I hope it just kind of nudges people a little bit, especially women, to realize that there’s a lot more there. And it’s literally right there in front of you.

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