Minnie Driver Weighs The Riches' Pros and Cons
Minnie Driver, The Riches
As Louisiana fireball Dahlia Malloy,
Minnie Driver offers a beguiling mix of grace, grit and good old-fashioned star power to FX's
The Riches (Mondays at 10 pm/ET). The native Brit chatted with us recently about the show.
TV Guide: How does Dahlia juggle it all, being a wife, mother, con artist, addict?
Minnie Driver: I don't think it's a conscious thing. Dahlia doesn't want to go back to jail and that's the best incentive that she has. That's what she brings to her day, a desire to stay out of jail, to stay alive and to stay with her family.
TV Guide: Do you think you'd make a good con artist?
Driver: No, no. I'm a horrible liar.
TV Guide: For a Brit, you do a terrific Dixie accent. How did you learn it?
Driver: I had a couple of sessions with a dialect coach, and then, being in New Orleans [for filming], I really just picked it up.
TV Guide: How did you research the Travelers?
Driver: You can't. It's a very closed society. [What] you can research involves a massive criminal element, because that's been reported. I went back to the gypsies in Ireland and those traditions. It's part of my own heritage, so it's something I knew about. There's a lot of imagination in what we do and there's a lot that's accurate as well, but it's very difficult to research.
TV Guide: Do you sympathize with them?
Driver: I sympathize with anyone who feels like they have to live on the outside — but I don't pity them. It's a total choice.
TV Guide: What is it like working with Eddie Izzard?
Driver: There's something very immediate about him. He's incredibly committed and a very nice person.
TV Guide: Given Eddie's stint as a transvestite comic, does he ever get jealous about how good you look in a gown?
Driver: I don't know if he gets jealous, but he's very forthright when I ask him if this looks good or if it does not look good. He's got a great eye.
TV Guide: What TV do you watch?
Driver: I'm a huge 30 Rock fan. I jumped up and down when I heard that show was coming back. I absolutely love it. I [want] to be on it.
Let our new Online Video Guide round up some clips from The Riches for you.
Send your comments on this Q&A to letters@tvguide.com.
