Carla Gugino on Every Day, Sucker Punch and Fond Memories of ALF

Here's the thing about Carla Gugino: If you're not paying close attention to the actress in this role or that character, there's a chance that you may not even realize that it's her. The same Gugino who portrays a free-spirited, needy television writer in the new release Every Day also plays the tough-as-nails, no-nonsense Amanda Daniels on Entourage. And that's not even mentioning her following in the realm of fanboys for her roles as Sally Jupiter in Watchmen and her upcoming role as Madam Gorski in Zack Snyder's March release, Sucker Punch. Not surprisingly, the sultry star likes it that way.

In Every Day, Gugino plays Robin, a temptress of sorts teamed with her fellow TV writer Ned (Liev Schreiber) on a sensational long-running medical drama. Ned, who is having marriage issues due to a number of lingering problems at home, looks to Robin as an escape -- and Robin is eager to comply. Movieline spoke to Gugino about Every Day and her character's definition of "changing into something more comfortable," looking forward to Sucker Punch with what she learned from Watchmen, and if she remembers the set of ALF being as bad as what we've heard.

My favorite scene in the film is when Liev is visiting your apartment and you change into your "something more comfortable."

Right! [Laughs].

OK, I know you're jumping to conclusions, but I say that because it's the funniest scene in the film. That's a very bold definition of comfortable?

Especially because nobody, including me, is comfortable in that. Except for Robin, I guess -- because as Robin, I was. As me? No.

How do you describe this character? Despite her immoral -- if that's the word -- actions with Ned, she's still very likable.

I think that was actually important for us to convey -- actual, genuine fun. And the feeling that the reason, obviously, people have affairs or do "immoral" things is because there is a payoff to some extent. Do you know what I mean? Generally it's just not out of evilness or lack of regard for the other person. It's trying to escape something, or trying to find something, or trying to experience something. And I think that it obviously you can look at it in a very black-and-white way like "this is good" or "this is bad." But I think, also, what was important, in some ways he kind of does need to be shaken up. And he kind of does need to be loosened up a little bit. Even in order to have an honest look at his life and realize he really wants to commit to his marriage. But it was kind of fun to play a character actually who I don't think [is] one of those people who is, like, "I am going to take this man away from his marriage," or something. I think it's very much more like, "Live in the moment, let's see what happens, we will deal with the consequences later." Which, by the way, is a really refreshing kind of take on things. It's just, unfortunately, life doesn't really work that way.

I never felt your character was malicious about anything.

Exactly! No, and I appreciate that because, interestingly enough, I've been asked today several times, "How manipulative was she?" And I was like, "That's interesting. No, maybe slightly self-serving?" Or more like a kid in that she's more in the moment.

You've been on a lot of television shows. In this film you sit in a weekly drama writer's pitch meeting. How far off were the outlandish pitches in the film compared to what you've seen in real life?

Well, you know, it's funny because I know that [director] Richard [Levine] sort of exaggerated to some extent, but I don't think it's a huge amount. You know, especially when you're getting to the later seasons of shows, and you run out of all of the ideas, and you're like, "Oh my God, well, which one haven't we seen yet? How can we get them to actually talk about our show?" Or whatever.

Right. At some point a writer on Happy Days said, "Why don't we bring in a space alien named Mork so he can meet the Fonz."

Yes! Yes! Totally. Exactly, I think that the interesting thing. This story is so personal to Richard, and I think that there's no doubt that I think there was sort of a Robin figure and I know there were things that he took creative license, but I do think that what actually makes the movie work, as opposed to being just sort of a story about every day people living an every day life -- why do I need to go to the movies to see that? -- I think it's actually so specific and so personal that it becomes universal and very entertaining. Because you either relate on a level of pain, in certain elements of it, but also on very humorous levels of it. Like, "Oh my God, I recognize that in myself" -- right down to the writer's rooms in those shows.

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