Abbi Jacobson Played a Role That 'Really Scared Her' in Netflix Movie '6 Balloons'
It’s been said that comedy is harder than drama, which helps explain why so many comedians have aced dramatic roles, from Steve Carell to Kristen Wiig. With the indie film 6 Balloons, streaming on Netflix as of April 6, you can add Abbi Jacobson to the list. The co-creator and star of Comedy Central’s Broad City plays a young woman, Katie, desperately trying to keep her backsliding heroin-addicted brother Seth (Dave Franco) from relapsing again. First-time director Marja-Lewis Ryan’s film is a merciless look at the cost of enabling someone you love. “It was challenging to internalize all the emotions Katie has bottled up,” said Jacobson, who gives a revelatory performance, conveying years of entrenched anxiety, often with just body language.
The weirdly sweet Broad City—back for a fifth season in 2018—is loosely based on the joyous, voracious friendship between Jacobson and co-creator Ilana Glazer (they met at Upright Citizens Brigade) as they try and make it in New York City. Like her character, Jacobson is a sometime illustrator, the more level-headed of the two pals and self-deprecating. But as much as she got off on 6 Balloons and playing a role “that really scared me,” Jacobson thinks she’ll stick to comedy for the near future. As long as Donald Trump’s in charge, she said, “I need to escape.”
What attracted you to 6 Balloons?
I thought the script was beautiful, and I related to the character. Not in terms of her specific situation, but I’m from the suburbs of Philly and the town I grew up in was very affected by the opioid epidemic. I know a lot of people who overdosed. But there’s more anger with Katie. She’s like, “We’ve been here before.” It was challenging for me to internalize all the emotions she has bottled up. But that’s what I’m trying to do these days—stuff that really scares me.
Even though it’s a serious role, you bring a lot of comedy to Katie—similar to Abbi’s humor on Broad City.
To be honest, it was something I was concerned about. Because this was my first foray into drama, it was a lot of pressure. I was nervous. I thought, “Oh, well this is drama, I have to be doing drama.” But my favorite dramatic movies have moments of levity. You’re more in the story when you see the full person.
Weirdly, I think Katie is more like me in real life. She is constantly playing this duality—on the one hand, “Everything’s under control!” but there’s anxiety looming. In my day-to-day life, constant chaos is where I’m most comfortable. So that resonated with me. Also, the movie takes place over one night, which I’m used to doing on Broad City [where each episode covers 24 hours].
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What’s the difference between a day of work for 6 Balloons as opposed to Broad City?
I’ve done smaller roles in movies, but this is the biggest thing I've done where I'm just wearing one hat. It's weird for me to sit in a trailer. I'm never waiting around on Broad City. But the biggest difference for me as an actor is that I wasn't very social. I wouldn't eat meals with people. I wanted to stay in the headspace, but I was also very concerned with being prepared for every scene, moreso than on my own projects. And though Dave and I are really tight now, we didn't hang out on set. He was going through this intense physical transformation thing, too.
Can you walk me through that pivotal scene where Seth is falling apart in the passenger seat, his daughter is crying in the back seat and you have to make the decision to buy him heroin? How did Marja direct you through that?
It really helped to have Sam Housman—one of the producers on the film, who the story’s based on—there the whole time. You can die from going through withdrawal. Katie knows that, and Sam knew it. Having [Seth's] daughter just added to the stakes. It was a really, really intense night for her—Sam, I mean. She helped me walk through what she was actually feeling as we shot each moment. I was keeping a graph in my head of where she was at emotionally.
What were those emotions, exactly?
It’s anger and disappointment, wrapped up in still being devastated that this is happening at all. But it’s also almost normal. That’s why I think [the siblings] are able to joke about it. You don't see that in other movies about this topic. That moment where he says, “Next time,” and [Katie] gives him a look that's like, “fuck you”? I haven’t seen that kind of open dialogue about this issue before.
Do you see more drama in your future, after Broad City?
Comedy is my favorite thing to do. This [movie] is an issue that needs to be told, so I was excited to be a part of that. But comedy has always been really essential, but especially right now. I seek out comedy because I need to escape. Sometimes it can be difficult to escape to an even sadder, more intense world than the one we’re already living in.
And yet Season 4 of Broad City gets pretty bleak with all the Trump stuff.
Yes, it does. Sorry. [Laughs.] That season had an underlying awareness of what’s going on, on commenting [on Trump] and the world around us. A couple of episodes really leaned heavily into that because it was inescapable at the time—not that it really is now, but we just felt like, “We have to express ourselves in this way.”
Abbi hit a real low in Season 4. It was sometimes hard to watch.
You know, “Abbi,” in quotes, is known to hit those lows, but highs are coming. We’ve been writing these characters we love, and they’ve been in a state of nongrowth for a couple seasons. Now we’re asking, “What’s changing?” Abbi will start dating someone, career moves are coming—there’s growth in Season 5! And we’re going to shift back to warmer days, which is exciting because shooting in the winter is pretty difficult.
Assuming that Comedy Central keeps renewing the show, do you guys have an idea of how many more seasons you want to do?
Yes, we do. [Laughs.] I’m not going to tell you what it is. But yes, we have an idea.
Does that mean you’re mapping out a potential finale, to wrap up the plot?
Yeah, we’re excited about this plan, though it’s not fully enacted. You know, we’re both fully obsessed with this show, but it’s not a show that should go on for 20 years.
And you have other projects, too, like you have the new animated Netflix series from Matt Groening, Disenchantment.
I have to pinch myself constantly, working with Matt Groening and all these Simpsons original writers. I grew up with The Simpsons. It’s iconic! Every time I go in there I think, “What am I doing here?” I’m afraid they’re going to realize that it’s me in there, and they’re going to kick me out.
I play a princess named Bean who's become disenchanted with her kingdom. There’s this really nuanced, interesting relationship between her and her dad. Basically, she stumbles upon these two creatures and they end up on these adventures together.
You also have a podcast with WYNC studios and the Museum of Modern Art called A Piece of Work.
It's pretty incredible that they let me go behind the scenes of MoMA! I invited friends of mine on the show and then we talked to all these curators at MoMA. Basically, every episode we tackled a genre of work, like minimalism or video. It had been a while since I’d let myself geek out about art, so it was really exciting. We’re talking about doing a second season right now, I’m just trying to figure out scheduling.
Is there more art and illustration in your future, after your illustrated book, Carry This Book?
Yes, at some point I would love to be able to have some time to do some artwork, but that’s a pipe dream right now. I’m a little overwhelmed with the other stuff right now. But I’m actually doing a bunch of long-form writing! I’ve been doing a lot of essays. That’s my next challenge, a compilation. I don’t think I can say exactly what it is right now, but information about it will be out soon.