Web series are all the craze, but just because many exist right now doesn’t mean all are good. Luckily we do get some that are just plain charming. Like Jenna Laurenzo’s “Parker & Maggie“. The show is about an odd paired couple that moves in together and quickly ends up going to couples therapy. Wanting to “create something and work in a collaborative environment”, actress/writer Laurenzo brings a sense of authenticity to Parker and Maggie, doing their best to get by as a couple that creates their own kind of normal. Read on for an interview with Jenna and a few “Parker & Maggie” episodes!
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Serial Optimist: Tell us about yourself. You’re from NYC correct? At what point did you realize you wanted to be an actress?
Jenna Laurenzo: I’m actually from Ramsey, New Jersey. I didn’t grow up wanting to be an actress. Although, I’ve recently watched home videos of myself and see a camera shoved in my face for years and years and years. It should be no surprise. I grew up playing sports. The Ramsey Rams. When my basketball coach told me I wasn’t allowed to participate in the school play, I immediately auditioned. I was cast as a snarky lawyer, and the seed was planted. Interest in acting grew from there…
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SO: What things influenced you to create a web series? Did you have any writing experience under your belt before “Parker & Maggie”?
Jenna: A web series seemed like a good way to create something and work in a collaborative environment. I’m currently in pre-production for a feature I wrote, but wanted to test the waters and produce something else while that project moved forward.
Despite majoring in creative writing, I didn’t fall in love with it until after school and now I literally can’t stop writing. I find people so interesting, and find myself in a lot of awkward situations. I don’t know whether I seek awkward or awkward finds me, but I have a lot of material. More than I care to admit about Parker & Maggie comes from real life situations. In the 10th episode (spoiler alert), a neighbor tries to break into the apartment to give Maggie cake. This really happened to me.
SO: How did the premise for “Parker & Maggie” come about?
Jenna: What does it mean to be a “healthy couple?” In the trailer the therapist asks Maggie (Me) what she meant by “normal.” People walk around with ideas of what “normal” and “healthy” entail in a relationship, but the weight of those words hits everyone differently. So, I jammed two unlikely people to be in a relationship and put them in the tight space of a new apartment. What would “normal” look like for Parker and Maggie?
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SO: When did you meet Parker, and what made you decide he was the perfect person to play opposite Maggie?
Jenna: Parker and I played boyfriend and girlfriend in a feature that shot over a year ago. I had the pilot script written already. Parker walked in looking like Jesus with tats, seriously, with a quirky vernacular that occasionally required decoding, and my mind screamed HIM! Plus, he keeps me laughing. I like to laugh. My ex once called me a laughter slut.
Our energies are very different, but somehow it works. I think that’s a key point to any “healthy relationship,” so I wanted to explore it and throw our characters into situations and see how’d they’d react and interact. Throw in a few more unlikely relationships and a questionable therapist and who knows what’s going to happen?
SO: How do you feel about the first seven episodes so far? What things have been the most challenging, and how many more episodes can we look forward to?
Jenna: There are ten episodes in total, so you can look forward to another three. After watching the seven, I see what we did well and I see what could have been done better. The most challenging part of the process? Filtering the opinions as episodes go online. I’ve offended at least three relatives. During the filming? Keeping a straight face. Also, we shot all ten episodes in about 6 days, smack in the middle of summer heat. AND we did not have a make-up person. We were all hot, sweaty, messes.
Shooting that threesome episode, I was so sweaty I offended myself. Shooting everything in 6 days was ambitious, but it happened. I have to admit, I was spoiled by my first producing endeavor. Literally everyone, cast and crew, surpassed my expectations.
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SO: When you create a web series, what’s the ultimate goal?
Jenna: I wanted to execute something from start to finish, definitely, and be able to use something to showcase my writing, along with a pool of funny and talented performers. Ideally I’d like to turn the web series into a 30-minute pilot and have it bought and turned into a TV show. That would be fantastic! For now, I’ll settle for exposure, an online audience, and making a handful of people laugh. It makes me happy when my friends tell me they laughed out loud and then quote the show. Even happier when it comes from total strangers and long lost acquaintances.
SO: Describe to us your perfect NYC day.
Jenna: I’d have the day off from all part time jobs. It would be 70 degrees and sunny and begin with a coffee shop meeting at B Cup in the East Village. The conversation would leave me so inspired it’d be followed by a caffeine high writing session. I’d break for lunch, watch a little Arrested Development on Netflix, and then take a stroll. I’d wander just for the sake of wandering. At some point I’d end up at Jivamukti for a yoga class. After some deep breathing and a solid asana practice, I’d head over to set. Of course I’d be filming something. I’d just so happen to be playing the love interest. Somewhere in the text I’d get to use the word “magical” and the word “ambiguous,” giving me an idea for a new script. I’d think about this on my way to meet my Ramsey girls for a few drinks. We’d stay out laughing and dancing and then I’d sneak off so they couldn’t convince me to stay out all night.
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SO Note: For all of Parker & Maggie, visit here.