Nancy Travis Loves The Challenge Of Doing Double Acting Duty On ‘The Kominsky Method’ And ‘Last Man Standing’

Nancy Travis is one of those actors that has seemingly been around forever, popping up in TV shows and movies with some regularity, and always improving them with her great comedic timing and warm presence. Most of us first saw her in the 1987 smash Three Men and a Baby, leaving her little daughter in the charge of three bachelors played by Ted Danson, Tom Selleck and Steve Guttenberg. Starring roles in movies like So I Married An Axe Murderer and TV shows like Almost Perfect and Becker showed that she had staying power.

Now, Travis is starring in two very different TV comedies. This fall she revived her role as Vanessa Baxter on Tim Allen’s sitcom Last Man Standing, which Fox picked up after ABC canceled the show in 2017. But she also has a prominent role in The Kominsky Method, a single-camera Netflix comedy from sitcom king Chuck Lorre; in it she plays Lisa, a love interest and student of acting teacher Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas), who tries to establish something with her while trying to keep his grieving friend and agent, Norman (Alan Arkin) from losing his mind.

Travis talked to Decider about working with Lorre for the first time, why his words are lyrical, why she thinks that even Oscar winners like Douglas and Arkin are starting over on a project like this, and why it’s sometimes harder to play Vanessa Baxter than a more complex role like Lisa.

Warning: Mild spoilers for Season 1 of The Kominsky Method below.

DECIDER: Is this the first time you’ve worked with Chuck Lorre or had you worked with him before somewhere along the line in your career?

NANCY TRAVIS: No, I had never worked with Chuck Lorre. Interestingly enough, Last Man Standing was canceled and I was back on the street pounding the pavement looking for work. I said, “I wonder what Lorre’s doing? I’d love to work with him.” Then this project flowed into existence. I don’t think they were ready to cast the part of Lisa, but somehow my name was brought up to Chuck Lorre and we had a meeting. Next thing I know, we were working together. It’s been great, really wonderful, and a treat to speak his dialogue and explore relationships he’s created. I had a great time.

Last Man Standing got picked up again and now you have more work than you know what to do with.

Exactly. I never imagined that this would be where I would be at this point in my career. When shows end or when jobs end, you think, “Oh god, how long is this hiatus going to be? Or is this the end? Am I standing at the edge of the cliff?” But yeah, this is fantastic.

One of the things I’ve noticed about your character on The Kominsky Method, Lisa, is that, there’s a lot of backstory for her crammed into a relatively limited number of scenes. You’re a woman of a certain age that’s taking acting classes with a bunch of 20-somethings….

I’m divorced. I’ve got a son that I have a difficult relationship with.

And the main thing is that you’re not putting up with Sandy’s bullshit.

I think Lisa is a person who is very pragmatic. She’s not under any delusions about where she is in life, or she’s not dreaming of some perfect romance. I think she is amused by Sandy Kominsky and certainly likes him, is charmed by him, even though their relationship gets off to a strange and rocky start. But you’re right, she’s not willing to put up with any bullshit. She’s very real, and if anything is trying to get Sandy Kominsky to be real as well. Who knows where that relationship will go.

How much did you appreciate that kind of role?

I love the complexity of it. I love the jagged edges of it, that it’s not so sweet and nice and compliant. She is a bit of a renegade, Lisa, and she’s around, but maybe she doesn’t want to be around. She’s only going to take so much and she’s going to let Sandy know I’m not putting up with it. Either you show up or forget it. I like that she’s straightforward like that.

What do you think at this point Chuck brings to these characters, after having so many shows on the air over the last 20-plus years?  He wrote and directed the first episode, he wrote a lot of the other episodes. 

What I know about Chuck in this show is that it’s a very personal story for him, maybe more so than any of the other shows he’s ever done. It’s what he feels he’s experiencing right now in his life. Aging and looking at your friends and family and their aging, too. You’re experiencing loss, you’re experiencing lack of certain functionality, I don’t know. But he’s able to take all that and put it into comedy form. There’s pathos in the story too, in the show.

But he also directed the first episode, which I think is the first time he’s directed a single camera show. It’s not a multi-cam sitcom with a laugh track and an audience. I don’t want to speak for him but I think in a lot of ways he’s cutting new ground as well. Similarly, for Michael Douglas, I think the last show he was on was Streets of San Francisco. He’s back on TV and he’s doing a comedy. Everyone’s put themselves out there and they’re vulnerable in a way, and I think that that helps us mine some great moments and scenes and perspectives.

What do you think shows like Kominsky can do to remind audiences about, not just actors but characters that are in their 50s through 80s, that they can still be the subject of hit shows and shows that people are going to want to watch?

The interesting thing about this show is I don’t think … I hope it’s not the case, that the audience is just for an older demographic. I think people of any age will enjoy this show. It’s multilayered and it’s very human and very relatable, regardless of their age. I lost track of the rest of the question.

Oh, that’s the answer I was looking for. Basically what does the show do to remind people that stars of a show can be the age of Michael and Alan and still be a show that’s relevant?

Exactly. I think that’s what I was trying to say, is that it’s not necessarily the literalness of the age; it’s the depth of the stories. Frankly, as in all good TV, it’s the writing. It really is the writing. Certainly for an actor, if the writing isn’t there, there’s not much that one can bring to it. I think that Chuck is really at the top of his game and I hope we get another season and we can really mine more of what’s going on with these characters and continue on a journey with them.

Why do you think Chuck has been able to attract such top actors to his shows?

Honestly I think there’s a musicality to his writing that … maybe there’s a rhythm, for lack of a better word. There’s a humanity. It’s not just jokes for the sake of jokes. There is a real underlying emotional thread to what he’s writing. Even when it’s just slapstick and funny, there’s something really relatable about what he’s trying to convey. That has been, I think the draw for a lot of audiences.

And also, his success. Top actors want to work with somebody that has a good quotient of success. It’s just fun to dive in and know that you have support. You know that no matter what, the writing is going to be top-notch. To a certain extent he’s also collaborative. Especially in this, we’re able to come in and say, “You know what? I just don’t know; this doesn’t seem right to me.” He’d be open to talking about it and figuring out how to make it right.

“I’m thankful to even be offered something like this. Normally, this part would have gone to somebody maybe 35, 40 years old. The fact that I can play a woman who is a real person, someone who is still sexual and adventurous and intelligent and not just a one-dimensional person is great. I hope it’s a trend.”

Was there an example of that with Lisa?

I think just a shaping of what her attitude is about being in this class where her attitudes were about Sandy Kominsky, and where the bar was for her about what she would tolerate from this man; what shenanigans she would tolerate and at what point she would say, “You know what? This is not okay. It’s just not okay to be treated like this.” That was a great dialogue.

I absolutely love how you deal with Sandy, especially in the last episode, where you choose him as an acting teacher over being a friend with benefits.

She’s totally screwing with him. That is one of my favorite scenes actually in the whole piece, because I think the writing is just so on the mark, with two people having slept together and then the guy getting scared and pulling out and now it’s, how should we handle this, and [she] just manages it so well. That was great. Just messing with him and at the same time says, “You know what? We’re done here. We’re done. If you don’t get this, then we’re done.”

What can you, as a veteran actor, learn from actors like Michael and Alan that maybe you didn’t know before or maybe you had to refresh your memory about?

Well, it’s an interesting question. I think the obviously answer would be, they’re so experienced that you just watch in awe. But what I find is we are all starting over with every job. It’s the best actors I find are actors that are willing to acknowledge that and be available to learn from everybody. I found that with both of them, they were very open to collaborating and open to listening and just working together and not just isolating one self and saying, “Okay, you follow me.” That was really refreshing to see.

Do you find Lisa to be one of your more unique characters? It’s someone who is independent and sexy and holds her own with the men. Or do you think this is a trend for experienced actresses?

I hope it’s a trend; I really do. I’m thankful to even be offered something like this because, normally, this part would have gone to somebody maybe 35, 40 years old. The fact that I can play a woman who is a real person, someone who is still sexual and adventurous and intelligent not just a one-dimensional person is great. I hope it’s a trend. I think culturally, societally, it’s something that is not really talked about, and hopefully entertainment is opening that door, and we’re seeing it.

Your character in Last Man Standing, Vanessa Baxter, isn’t your stereotypical wet blanket sitcom wife, a role that we’ve seen over and over in the last God-knows-how-many years. Do you think people misunderstand that role?

I think so. I have to tell you, it’s a fine line that I walk because it’s very easy to write cliches for Vanessa. Certainly in some episodes I feel like that’s what the writers are hanging their hat on. But at the same time, I think, in an effort to really create a whole person in a real relationship between, she and [Tim Allen’s character] Mike Baxter, her husband, we’re just constantly pushing and saying, “What would a couple, what would they really have to say? What would Vanessa Baxter really have to say here? It should be more than just exposition to move on to the next scene. What would really happen here? Maybe this would be something that Vanessa would do.” It’s not all Mike Baxter. It’s constantly pushing to make her a full person. It is very easy to box Vanessa in. As I said, I think in some ways she’s a harder character to play.

Harder in what way?

She has more limitations, and more that sitcom-wife box I’m constantly trying to fight my way out of.

It seems like Tim does give Vanessa a lot more leeway to be funny and to be their own person to make mistakes, just like he did with Patricia Richardson in Home Improvement.

He does. I have to say, Tim’s also a producer on Last Man Standing and he really wants the other characters to be fleshed out. When an episode has a Vanessa Baxter story, he is more normal than Vanessa Baxter. He really is the voice to stepping up and supporting the character. Patricia’s been on the show and I think she felt the same. It’s a good thing. When the women are strong, the men are strong.

How happy are you that the show’s back? When Fox said they’re bringing it back, what was your initial reaction besides the fact you’re getting work and everybody you know is back at work as well?

At first, I was disbelieving and a little surprised, and a little bit unsure because we were so stunned when the show was canceled and literally went through a grieving process. And then went through “Oh my God, I got to get back out there after six years and try to get work and go into humiliation of being rejected for good parts.” When the return of the show became a reality and we actually came on the set, it was pretty exciting because we all just slipped right back into it. It’s been good, really good. I’m surprised the episodes we’re making after seven years. It’s pretty amazing.

It’s done pretty well for Fox this season.

Very well for Fox. It’s winning Friday night and it’s doing better than a lot of shows that are on during the week. It’s doing really well for Fox.

Do you think people misunderstand the show?

I think people that don’t watch the show completely misunderstand the show. People that have seen the show understand it perfectly and are surprised when people characterize it as a conservative, one point of view, right wing show. I think people have no idea what the show is.

What would you tell them the show is?

I’d tell them the show is about a family. It’s about a family in the middle of the country who love each other, have different opinions about things; not just politics but raising children, marriage, anything. It’s topical in the sense, in the same way that families are topical. Hopefully we can have a lively conversation on the show and without proselytizing and still be really funny and silly.

I think people that don’t watch Last Man Standing completely misunderstand the show. People that have seen the show are surprised when people characterize it as a conservative, right wing show. I think people have no idea what the show is.

If Netflix picks up Komisky for another season, are you ready to be going back and forth between two series year round at this point?

Yes I am. The funny thing is, people will say, “Oh my gosh, aren’t you tired?” The thing with acting is you never turn down work. You just don’t do it because the day will come when there won’t be any in the offering. I’ll just clone myself but be in two places at the same time and be talking out both sides of my mouth. I’m ready.

How weird is it to go back and forth between multi-cam and single-cam, or is it exercised the same acting muscles?

I think it exercises pretty much the same acting muscles. Maybe single-cam is more intimate in the sense of the cameras are that much closer, but it’s exactly the same acting muscle.

When you were a starting out as an actor, back 30 years ago when we saw you in Three Men And A Baby …

Way back.

Way back. Where did you think your acting career was going to go and how’s it compare to where it is now?

Let’s see … I had it all plotted out. I was going to make three movies a year and be married and have children and just travel the world and go location to location and blah, blah, blah. The way my career has turned out, I have been able to have both, a life and a career in a very sane way. For an actor, it’s not necessarily about how high the bar is; it’s the length of the bar. How long can you keep doing it? The other thing that I’ve always wanted is to just be able to keep working until I can’t. That’s the goal.

What are we going to see you in besides these two shows or this is plenty for now?

It’s plenty for now but you can believe that I’m champing at the bit for something else to do in my hiatus.

Listen, as a journalist and a writer, I’m always doing the same thing; I’m always looking for something to do. I don’t blame you.

Look, it’s all freelance. Really, at the end of the day there’s no corporate plan. Everything’s freelance. It just keeping it coming.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, VanityFair.com, Playboy.com, Fast Company’s Co.Create and elsewhere.

Watch The Kominsky Method on Netflix