Gina Gershon on Accents and Playing a Sociopath in 'Ann Rule's Everything She Ever Wanted'

Over her nearly 25 years in the business, Gina Gershon has worn many hats.

Recently, she's been trying out her comedic chops with appearances on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' 'Ugly Betty' and 'Eastbound & Down.'

But this weekend, she'll take on quite a different role as the lead in the Liftetime two-part movie event, 'Ann Rule's Everything She Ever Wanted.' Gershon plays Pat Allanson, a privileged southern charmer who has a taste for the finer things in life -- and will stop at nothing to get them.

AOL TV recently spoke with Gershon about the miniseries, premiering Sun., Nov. 14 at 8PM.Over her nearly 25 years in the business, Gina Gershon has worn many hats.

Recently, she's been trying out her comedic chops with appearances on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' 'Ugly Betty' and 'Eastbound & Down.'

But this weekend, she'll take on quite a different role as the lead in the Liftetime two-part movie event, 'Ann Rule's Everything She Ever Wanted.' Gershon plays Pat Allanson, a privileged southern charmer who has a taste for the finer things in life -- and will stop at nothing to get them.

AOL TV recently spoke with Gershon about the miniseries, premiering Sun., Nov. 14 at 8PM.

You've been so busy these days. How did you manage to sneak this lead role in?
You gotta love Lifetime. Most projects, you just wait around forever, while the money is coming in. It was a week to prepare it and the whole thing took 29 days, for 12-hour days. We were doing 13 scenes a day and it was the most insane schedule I've ever done. So, it was a little crazy, especially when I saw the part.

You're constantly doing different styles of shows and films; how did this come to you?
I was trying to decide if I was going to [do] 'Bye, Bye Birdie.' I had just finished 'Boeing, Boeing' on Broadway and I was exhausted at the end. It just kicks your ass; everything else pales in comparison. So when they offered that to me, I said I couldn't do it, unless something out of the blue falls from the sky that I could do and get paid for it. And this literally fell out of the sky. I was in the British Virgin Islands, at a friend's wedding, having fun and my agents said come home now. As soon as I read it, they had me at the 'Gone With the Wind' wedding.

You're always good with accents, and in this movie you have a southern accent. Are accents easy for you to pull off?
Accents are easy for me; and I actually prefer them. I kind of hate doing this play right now without an accent. Southern was easy. I didn't have a lot of time. But I was raised by two southern women, one from Mississippi and one from Texas. I worked with someone quickly on it for more of a North Carolinian sound. But I love accents. I think they help me with the character.

Well, you have that manipulative draw down in this.
It's funny. Because I think there was so little time, they said you don't have to use an accent. But I said, "You can't do this part without an accent," because she's so seductive, and charming and sweet. And there's nothing more charming than a southern accent.

When someone is being accused of murder, it's harder to think that a sweet, little southern belle could be the culprit.
Well, you know what they say: the most charming are the most dangerous. But it's true. When someone is really super charming like this, you got to keep your eye out. I think she's an interesting character, because she's a sociopath. I think she views herself as a martyr. She doesn't think to herself "I'm going to go kill this person." She thinks she's a good person and never got that what she was doing was bad. I really wanted to play her that way. In the book, they talked about how much her mother spoiled her, that she got basically everything she wanted. She grew up with this entitlement. It comes across in my performance, but there's no information about that. But I had fun playing her; it's fun playing a sociopath. The rules are very specific. I've never played anyone like her.

It's wild how she gets out of jail in the end.
She's crazy-smart, this woman. She just covers her tracks. I tried to be really big in the end. I wanted to be in a fat suit, but they wouldn't let me. She was really hot when she was younger. But seven years later in prison, you couldn't believe it was the same person. She's definitely a trippy woman.

Do you think she would ever see this?
I wanted to meet her. But they wouldn't let me, and I couldn't get the access. I'm sure she would be like "it's all bulls***" if she saw it. And I'm sure she has her own version of what happened, and I'm sure some of it it's accurate. But I wanted her to be bigger. I liked the idea of her being excessive.