Keerthi Eraniyan l Contra Costa Youth Journalism
In an era characterized by constant distraction and digital advancements, Emmy Award-winning actress Christine Baranski believes the greatest performance anyone can give is simply being present.
“In the theater of life, in which we are all players, we must practice the art of being human and present every single day,” Baranski said. “Put down your phone, look away from your screens and just take delight in the present moment.”
Appearing recently before a packed audience at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, Baranski — known for her roles as Diane Lockhart in “The Good Wife,” Tanya Chesham-Leigh in “Mamma Mia!” and Agnes van Rhijn in “The Gilded Age” — was the eighth and final presenter wrapping up the 20th annual Lesher Foundation’s Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series with reflections on her decades-long career in theater and television.
Event moderator and KTVU Fox 2 anchor Heather Holmes kicked off the evening by introducing Baranski and her wide range of accolades, including an induction into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2018.
“But tonight,” Holmes said, “we’re going to learn a little bit more about Christine Baranski, the person.”
Baranski opened by commending the evening’s featured nonprofit, the Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA), which partners with the Lesher Center to help fund performances, arts education programs and community outreach initiatives. Baranski recalled the impact a similar theater program had on her while growing up in Buffalo, New York.
“I started my career on the streets of Buffalo, doing projects like what the DRAA is doing for kids. I applaud the organization for that,” Baranski said. “That’s where a kid’s heart can ignite and set fire to a long career.”
As a theater student, Baranski said she did not get into the Juilliard School the first time she auditioned due to a very slight speech impediment. Her mother, who was widowed at a young age and worked late hours to earn a paycheck for the family, spent what little money they had on a dental procedure to correct the issue so Baranski could reaudition.
“I always say I got into Juilliard by the skin of my teeth,” Baranski joked. “Juilliard was all about picking people apart. You were endlessly doing voice and speech exercises and body work, and they would criticize you and pick you apart.”
While Baranski grew up in Buffalo, she shared that the Bay Area was close to her heart because it was where she had met her late husband, Matthew Cowles, while filming director Louis Malle’s 1984 movie “Crackers” in San Francisco.
“It was a comedy starring Donald Sutherland and a young, relatively unknown actor named Sean Penn. I thought that this would be my big movie break,” Baranski said. “The New York Times review referred to it as a ‘Malle mistake,’ but even though the film was a flop I have fond memories of being in love in the Bay Area.”
The couple married and later had two daughters. Soon afterward, Baranski faced the challenges of balancing her career while caring for her children and her aging mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. Baranski reflected on how hard it is for women to work toward success with all of their responsibilities.
“There’s so much that goes into what is perceived as a successful life, but when you’re living it, you don’t see it that way,” Baranski said. “Mostly, it’s about just getting through the day and the week and meeting the challenge at hand, keeping your balance, making the right decision, especially for those that you love.”
Baranski said life commitments caused her to enter Hollywood in her 40s to better support her family.
“I didn’t really want to work in Los Angeles, but with two daughters and tuition bills to pay, my late husband and I agreed to a life in which I worked in L.A. but kept the family in our rural homestead in Connecticut,” Baranski. “So for three-and-a-half years, I commuted between coasts, and that was certainly an exhausting and stressful time.”
As an actress stepping into Hollywood later in life than most women, Baranski said she viewed aging differently in a world that revolved around stopping aging because she “so often played roles that were meant for slightly older or mature actresses,” which gave her a unique mindset when reflecting on her long career.
“Frankly, I was never afraid of getting older in my profession,” Baranski said. “In acting school at Juilliard, I played some of the great dramatic mother roles for women twice my age.”
Baranski said her role as Diane Lockhart, a formidable law firm partner, was a sign of changing representations of women in Hollywood.
“I always thought, ‘Why don’t we see more women in film or TV that are like the women around us who are running institutions and are highly educated, well dressed and smart and right in there with the men?’ ” Baranski said. “I like to think that Diane was somewhat groundbreaking.”
She condemned the trends of airbrushing photos and extreme plastic surgeries.
“What is captivating is character and detail as well as attitude and the inner life of the person,” she said, “and I fear we are losing faith in the value of our unique human qualities.”
Also on the topic of human qualities, Baranski addressed the rise of AI and technology’s presence in the media industry and in her own life, saying that the mindset that comes with technology use is “very creepy.”
“I’m now in the process of trying to protect myself as an intellectual property, and as with the Internet, it feels like Pandora’s box has been unleashed,” she said. “We’re way behind schedule in terms of how we regulate, legislate and foresee the consequences of this new tech phenomenon.”
Baranski discussed how the rise of AI actors, such as the infamous Tilly Norwood, affects the industry. Despite this, she predicted theater and live events would make a significant comeback.
“Live theater is going to be invaluable and relevant,” Baranski said. “I think we have to really be protective of our humanities, and that’s why I think these programs educating young people to be performers and to be in touch with themselves as performers — be sensitive as human beings — is just absolutely crucial.”
Baranski concluded the event by advising the audience to practice the art of presence and “paying attention” and to “find ways of calming down.”
“We live in a culture of hyperbole. Everything has exclamation points after every sentence, and I think we need to find ways of living in our deeper selves,” Baranski said. “There are ways that we can calm our minds and clear our minds of clutter and just be more available to each other.”
Contra Costa Youth Journalism is a collaborative effort involving educational institutions and professional news organizations dedicated to expanding opportunities for Contra Costa County high school students to inform Contra Costa County residents about relevant local news.