The Michele Lee Interview

By Arthur Swift

Michele Lee, who appeared in every episode of the 14-year run of Knots Landing, was not merely the star of the show, not merely the Queen Bee, the Den Mother, the moral center. She was also its number one fan. Ten years after the show’s conclusion, her knowledge of the venerable drama is staggering. She is as eager to discuss theories about why the show sustained its success, as she is quick to praise her fellow actors. Knots Landing is still prominent in her mind, and she guards the legacy well.

Michele Lee is not only Karen Mackenzie. She starred in, wrote, produced and directed Color Me Perfect, a landmark television movie about mental disabilities. She has had a lavish Broadway career, from originating Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to most recently earning a Tony nomination for Tale of the Allergist’s Wife. And she even shared billing with a lovable Volkswagen, Herbie, in The Love Bug. But for those who know the residents of Knots Landing better than their own families, Michele will always be Karen, a model citizen, mother and friend.

It is a pleasure to present Michele Lee in this exclusive interview.

Arthur Swift: Thank you for taking the time with us today. It’s great to speak with you in New York City.

Michele Lee: I’m so glad to be here.

BACK TO THE CUL DE SAC

Tommy Strangie from Miami Beach, Florida asks: “First let me start by saying that I have watched every episode of Knots Landing in fact again in repeats and I always find something new to love in the show and your incredible performance as Karen Mackenzie … this is less a question than a gushy way of saying thank you for 14 years of a wonderful show that I couldn’t wait to see and watch with my family … opening up many discussions on a lot of issues … anyway, Do you have a favorite episode? … PS Congrats on the Tony nomination and the success of “The Tale of the Allergists Wife” … Best Wishes from Your rambling fan – Tommy Strangie.

Michele: I love this kind of rambling. I now have a swollen head and my feet are hurting too. It’s very difficult to answer a question of favorite episode. I have several episodes or storylines that are my favorites. Certainly the Constance McCashin character and how that was written out was one. That was done with great love and time and thought and creativity by David Jacobs in a two-part episode.

Karen’s addiction, at a time when we as a nation were examining our culture and addiction problems. It was powerful because of the knowledge that addiction could come to anyone, including a First Lady and Karen Mackenzie. Lastly but certainly not least, Val’s babies – and the emotional connection with the audience who worried about any peril happening to their children—that was always an important, emotional story for me.

AS: Well, I guess that answers what would have been my next question, from Tatianna in Virginia, who asked during the run of the show which storyline did you most enjoy…

Michele: Yes, it probably did.

AS: So let me ask this then, which storyline did you like most that you were the lead actress in? The stories that revolved around you, I mean.

Michele: Let me answer it from another perspective. The things that I loved about my character – the things I loved with Karen, Mack and Val were when we were able to show our comedic talents as actors. I believe that was inherent in so many of the scenes. Oh! Let me add to that last question by also mentioning the Pollyanna speech as one of my favorite moments as Karen. The Pollyanna speech was a testimony to our writers keeping our fingers on the pulse of what (the audience) was feeling in their own lives. If we were doing the show today I could give the Pollyanna speech and add a few more items. I loved that feistiness in Karen.

Alex Wade from Detroit, MI asks: “A lot has been made of the fact that actors on Knots had input into the storylines. Which storylines did you directly influence or lobby for?”

Michele: I hardly had to lobby for stories but there were times during the course of Knots Landing that things that were happening in my personal life were reflected in Karen by David Jacobs.

AS: Like what for example?

Michele: When I was a single parent in the third or second season, I was a single parent in my personal life. So feelings that were happening in my personal life, things that happened with my girlfriends, they would take pieces of us and you’d see that turn up in an episode.

Let me tell you a story. There was a time when I was with a friend and I was trying on a sweater. Either the sweater had shrunk or I had gained weight because I was having a lot of difficulty getting this sweater on! And my friend asked me if I had gained weight or the sweater had shrunk. “I don’t know,” I said, so she said maybe if you stretched it out the sweater would fit…

AS: I remember that well.

Michele: Yeah, remember that in the scene with Val? That was a small example of how things would turn up in the shows.

AS: And it’s funny that that was a real life example because it fit well with the story it was a part of. You were feeling threatened by Michelle Phillips’ character going after Mack, so you, or Karen, might have been more self-conscious about your appearance.

Michele: That’s right, that’s right. Now I remember that. That’s an example of how great our writers were.

James from London asks: “The comedic toing and froing between you and Kevin Dobson was one of the things that gave Knots Landing its wonderfully unique and ‘knotty’ flavour! How did that aspect of your onscreen partnership develop, and would it be fair to say that Mack brought out a lighter, even zanier side of Karen that wasn’t there during her first marriage?”

Michele: Kevin Dobson and I as actors had something very special. We loved to do this banter as Karen and Mack; we would get together in my dressing room before a scene and rehearse what we were going to do. This brought out the lighter side in the characters and it’s one of my very favorite things in playing Karen.

Frankie from Baltimore, Maryland asks: “What are your feelings when you hear that Karen was looked at as a hero for us Pollyannas out there? Do you think this made her character less assertive since she was looked at as a Pollyanna or do you think that there's a little of Karen in everyone?”

Michele: I think Karen was very assertive in that statement. I hope there’s a Pollyanna in all of us and that part doesn’t ever die. I still have that part in me. I think what was interesting about that speech was that we weren’t used to hearing our characters that impassioned. Karen showed the frustrations we were having with our society. There are two things to consider with that speech – the issue of Karen being called a Pollyanna and whether Karen actually was a Pollyanna. Karen wanted to be a Pollyanna and wasn’t ashamed of that.

Remember in our society, maybe people don’t remember, but remember when we could go over to other people’s houses and come in through an open back door? I remember when I was a little girl and my mother and father would have people over and they’d walk into an unlocked door in our house. Maybe apropos Knots Landing would have been Val opening the back door and Karen saying (simulates Karen calling from another room), “Hi Val, come on in!” That would never happen now.

Alex Wade from Detroit also asks, “Much in this forum has been made of Karen's little explored dark side. For instance, she's never been voted (s)mother of the year, as her kids appeared the most messed up (Diana and Eric both married sociopaths and Michael had that weird incest hang-up). Looking back, does she wish that Knots had explored Karen's dark side more?”

Michele: (Laughing) First let me say “incest” wasn’t exactly incest. But if you take apart Karen’s kids and looked at them, you’d have to say at some point what the hell happened to those kids? I don’t think she had a dark side and I think she did a very good job of raising kids --- what I think happened is that they ran out storylines (Laughs more). It’s true! That family was supposed to be the solid family, the Rock of Gibraltar, but how do you keep it interesting? You have a kid marrying a sociopath, that’s how. So I don’t know if I’d want to see Karen’s dark side explored more … maybe her lukewarm side, how’s that? But I have to say that I think a lot of people would have liked to have had Karen as a mother. It’s a good question, though. Good question.

Collin from Los Angeles asks: “Can you talk a little about the excellent writing/producing team of Bernard Lechowick and Lynn Marie Latham, who kept Knots extremely strong for several seasons as the show grew older? Their scripts and storylines for the series were particularly strong.”

Michele: I agree. I think they had a wonderful knack for writing character. (Loud, prolonged noise occurs in the background). What was that? Hold on … (Noise continues). I’m looking outside my window because the war is beginning any minute. (Laughs). Let me look at another window … Can you hear that?

AS: Sounds like a dump truck.

Michele: That’s pretty loud. I’ve got my TV on and who knows what’s going to happen. (Noise continues, louder than before)

AS: Maybe it’s a motorcycle.

Michele: Motorcycle, yeah maybe … I don’t know, weird. Where was I?

AS: “I think they had a wonderful knack for writing character.”

Michele: Oh yeah. They understood the voice of the character and had a great sense of humor. And you’re right; they did it later in the series when most other shows start to fade.

AS: They were my favorite writers.

Michele: Mine too.

Allison from Sanford, FL asks: “Was there any co-star that was more challenging to work with than others? Also, who was your favorite to work with, and why? Thanks.”

Michele: That’s a difficult question to answer. Bill Devane, who I love, let me say that right from the beginning, had a very interesting approach to work. He kind of used his persona to dictate how his character would be seen. So sometimes that would result in his scenes being rewritten on the spot. The reason I say I love him is because 99, or 99.9 percent of the time he was right. But it did make it difficult to rearrange things at the last minute. He liked to bully people but he didn’t really bully, if that makes sense. I liked working with him but I’m sure most people were frightened of him. (Laughs wildly).

As for who I liked to work with most, it may not be new to say but we had no actor who “acted” as a star. That is hard to find in personalities. I loved working with Kevin – we were husband and wife (on the show) and we acted as husband and wife in real life. Joan Van Ark and Val … when we ever send notes or gift cards or any messages to each other we still always refer to each other as Karen and Val.

There was a time in the second season I believe when Karen was worried that her husband was going to cheat on her (of course that would never happen) and she was with Val and they just look at each other and say “Pizza?” Remember that?

AS: Sure do.

Michele: So pizza, that’s a phrase that has stuck with us for many years. Sometimes when Joan and I are together we will look at each other after something has happened and just say, “Pizza?”

Pamela Newstead from the United Kingdom asks: “Do you still keep in touch with all the old Knots Cast, i.e. Joan Van Ark, Ted Shackelford, Donna Mills and your screen husband Kevin?”

Michele: Not as much as I would like to. I was invited to go to Donna Mills’ home for a party recently and I couldn’t make it because I was out of town. They all came to see me in my Broadway play “Tale of the Allergists Wife.” Ted Shackelford is in another country and doing something else so it’s difficult to see him. Bill Devane is in Palm Springs so he’s out of the way.

AS (blurting out): I went to his restaurant out there, Devane’s. Have you been?

Michele: Yes I did.

AS: Sorry I cut you off.

Michele: It’s OK. I did recently go to Michael Filerman’s home for a party for the tenth anniversary of Knots Landing going off the air. He only had a small group of people associated with the show.

AS: Really. What did you talk about at the party?

Michele: How bad TV is today. (Laughs)

AS: What does he do now?

Michele: He produces. He’s producing a few Broadway shows and is very