April 2, 2024 • 55 mins
Nancy Robertson takes us through her acting journey, highlighting her initial struggles leading up to her iconic role in Corner Gas. She delves into the show's unique chemistry and her own personal development in a conversation filled with nostalgia and laughs, hosted by Aaron Pete.
Nancy Robertson, celebrated for her role as Wanda in "Corner Gas," Canada's most-watched sitcom, has earned a Gemini Award, Canadian Comedy Award nominations, and Leo Awards for her versatile performances across TV, film, and stage, including a gender-transforming role in "Alice" and critical acclaim for "The Delicate Art of Parking." Recently, she shone as Billie in AMC's "Lucky Hank," adding to her impressive legacy and recognition as one of MORE Magazine's "Most Compelling Women."
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Aaron Pete (00:00):
Welcome back to another episode of the Bigger
than Me podcast.
Here is your host, aaron.
As many of you know, I am ahuge fan of corner gas.
I've spoken with Brent Butt,lauren Cardinal and now I'm
speaking with the comedic geniuswho played Wanda.
We explore her background,passion for acting, the journey
onto the set of corner gas andthe impact that it had.
(00:22):
My guest today is NancyRobertson.
Nancy, I've been lookingforward to this interview.
I have watched corner gas somany times.
I am such a huge fan of theshow.
It had such a big impact on megrowing up.
Would you mind brieflyintroducing yourself for
listeners who might not beacquainted with your amazing
work?
Nancy Robertson (00:43):
Oh, my name is Nancy Robertson.
I played Wanda on corner gasfor six seasons and do other
shows and just abroad.
Aaron Pete (01:06):
Just abroad, fantastic.
Would you mind telling me whatgot you interested or passionate
about acting?
Nancy Robertson (01:16):
It just kind of always Sorry, I'm drinking tea
it was just something I alwayswanted to do.
I was always horsing around.
Growing up, I grew up with avery my older sister and brother
were really funny, or are, andmy dad was a riot.
We were just always makingplays and doing things.
(01:38):
I could not think of anythingelse I wanted to do, but it just
seemed like it was impossibleto do.
But when I graduated high schoolI thought all right, so I went
to secretary class.
I went nope, this isn't goingto do, I'm not going to do this,
and not that there's anythingwrong with that.
I just knew I wanted to make myown way.
(02:01):
So it just took a while.
And then I went to theaterschool and just finally took a
leap.
I worked for the cable companyfor a while and then I said,
nope, can't do this.
And I left and just jumped inand got really fortunate that I
(02:23):
started landing work, becauseit's such a hard business to do
that and there's always peopleway more talented that are
beside you, ahead of you, behindyou, and so sometimes there's
no rhyme or reason why somethingworks out and I'm just grateful
that.
So far, so good.
Aaron Pete (02:44):
Where do you think the authentic, passionate energy
comes from for you?
Because that seems to be a veryunique trait for you, that you
bring this great energy.
Nancy Robertson (02:53):
Oh well, that's nice.
I don't know.
That's hard for me to say Idon't know, Because when it's
something that I say that'sattributed to yourself, you
don't know anything different.
So I don't know.
Aaron Pete (03:14):
You must have met people over the years who are
very bland, very vanilla, verycheck the box.
Life is so-so and you don'tbring that energy to your work
professionally but just inconversations.
You just don't have that typeof energy.
You seem high spirited andpositive.
Nancy Robertson (03:30):
I am.
I'm kind of extreme.
I can be very up and positiveand full of energy when called
for, but I can also be prettylow key and reserved at the same
(03:55):
time too.
So I think it's like everybody,just like if you meet people
that you may think are kind ofbland or whatever, they're
probably not.
It's just the circumstances,maybe that you meet somebody in
and maybe in their own privateworld they're a blast.
(04:16):
So I don't know, I'm justsaying I don't know a lot.
Aaron Pete (04:22):
It's a very thoughtful.
I don't know, though.
There's a lot of informationtied in with it.
When did you start to find yourpath?
When did you start to realizehow you were going to make your
way in acting?
Nancy Robertson (04:31):
I don't think I ever knew how I was going to
make my way.
The only thing that I knew wasthat if I didn't keep moving at
it, it wasn't going to happen.
There were lots of times whereyou're thinking well, I got to
give it up, I've sold my bike,I've done all these kind of
things, trying to make my wayand feed myself while doing this
(04:53):
.
It's kind of the same old story, but it's true.
It's feast or famine in thisindustry, and most of it is
famine.
So there's a lot of times youjust feel like this just isn't
going to happen, I'm not goingto get this.
And it's tough and, like I said, the most incredible actors and
(05:17):
performers are ones that we'llnever know, and because it's
just so difficult but I justknew that I just couldn't think
of anything else I would do, andI think that's one of the key
things.
Aaron Pete (05:32):
Was there a moment that?
Nancy Robertson (05:33):
clicked that, I got work, or.
Aaron Pete (05:40):
Anything where you realize that this is it and
there's nothing else for you.
Was there a moment when youwere on stage or anything?
Nancy Robertson (05:45):
Oh yeah, yeah, I think it started when I
started, when I was going totheater school and we would do I
don't know what they called it.
We would have plays andshowcases in the theater and
(06:06):
they went really well.
I had a lot of fun with themand I thought, okay, maybe I can
get by on this.
So it was a little bit of asmattering of approval that came
about and that made me feelthat maybe I was headed in the
right direction.
But you see, the thing is, toois that you're never going to be
(06:27):
everybody's taste.
But I knew from the response inthe audience, from the first
showcases and stuff, that I haddone, that it felt really great
and I got some approval fromthat and that I think that
(06:50):
probably sealed it.
You know, I didn't know what Iwould do without it.
I honestly didn't know what Iwould do with my life.
Aaron Pete (06:58):
That's really good to hear, because I think some
people can feel lost and thenother people seem to find
exactly where they're supposedto be and exactly what they're
supposed to be doing.
Nancy Robertson (07:07):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I think so because the
only way I can kind of it's notnecessarily based on my ability,
but I've been able to feedmyself, and that's a big deal in
this thing, so I haven't had togo elsewhere for sustenance and
(07:32):
that's, yeah, it's.
I'm just really, reallyfortunate, and I know that.
Aaron Pete (07:38):
Is there a type of character that you enjoyed
playing in those early days?
A dark character?
A happy character?
Is there something that stoodout to you about the people that
you were playing?
Nancy Robertson (07:47):
I kind of like Greetings".
I always like a little bit ofdark in a comedy, in a way that
there's something kind ofunderlying a little bit.
And then when I did the seriesHiccups years ago, she was such
(08:07):
a I played such a happycharacter where she basically I
always figured if she was one ofthose people like my dad that
he woke up with this, you know,a great expectation for the day,
and happy and whistling andalls it took was somebody just
to put a damper on it.
That would just ruin it.
So but your first place to jumpoff is happy and so it was fun
(08:29):
playing somebody like that too.
So but when she, you know, whensomebody made her unhappy, she
would go dark as well.
So I like a little bit ofeverything I'm I can.
You know I like dark as much asI like light.
I don't know whether I you know,it's just I don't know.
I kind of go I don't go toointrospective into it either,
(08:50):
because sometimes it's just youdon't even know where you're
going with something and it justkind of takes you, you know,
depending on your, who you'reacting opposite from and and
who's directing and the writingand and and then just out of
splash of what you bring to it.
It's important that you dothat's our job to bring in our
own flavor.
Aaron Pete (09:12):
Yeah, you have a long history with Fred.
Nancy Robertson (09:15):
You and Chuck Would you mind taking us all the
way back to the beginning.
Aaron Pete (09:18):
Did you mind taking us all the way back to the art
of parking?
Nancy Robertson (09:20):
Oh yeah, absolutely, Um, I did I first he
.
I used to do Vancouver theatersports and he knew a lot of
people that that I would beperforming with and so I'd heard
of him.
And when we had the first readthrough for delicate art of
parking, he was there, obviouslybecause he was the lead.
(09:42):
And, um, we didn't have.
I don't think we had any scenestogether.
Actually, fred and I I'm tryingto think, um, but we got to
know each other, like at the rapparty, at the read through and
everything.
And then I'm a director that wehad mutually worked with doing a
(10:03):
short film asked if I wouldcome and do a part on this film
and Fred was on it, and so wehadn't seen each other since the
premiere of delicate art ofparking.
And uh, uh, it was kind offunny because we were just
sitting there in between takesand he just said, uh, you know
what are you up to?
And I said, oh, you know notmuch.
(10:24):
I said I'm on hold for some TVshow.
I don't know whether I'm goingto get it or not, but they've
got me on hold.
And he said, yeah, me too.
And then we just kind of took abeat and he said what show are
you on hold for?
I said it's called corner gasand he went I am on hold for
that too.
So lo and behold, you know, afew weeks later we both got it
and he flew out, I think a fewdays ahead of me, and when I
(10:47):
flew in I didn't know anybodyexcept him.
And he came and met me at theRegina airport and uh and, uh,
yeah.
And then from then on, and he'smy buddy.
Aaron Pete (11:02):
Fascinating.
Would you mind walking us morespecifically through that?
I had Brent recount the castingfor it, the process that they
went through, and then hementioned that you were infamous
for improv that you were.
You were well known for beingso funny and so likable and that
you were one of their topchoices when they were going in
for auditions.
Would you mind recounting yourown experience getting that
(11:24):
offer to come and audition forthis, for this opportunity?
Nancy Robertson (11:28):
Well, when I, when I got the you know the
agent, my agent called, my agentat that time called and said um
, you know, you want to read forthis?
Um, I think they were lookingolder, not not too old, but a
little bit older.
Um and um, and so the castingdirector had mentioned to um,
(11:50):
the network people and and to um, brent and David and Virginia,
the um, uh, executive producers,about bringing in Nancy
Robertson.
And, uh, so I came in, I did it, uh, I improv this little tag
at the end of it.
Um, cause you want to becareful not to overdo it.
(12:10):
It's just something that justkind of fell out naturally at
the end of it and I laughed, Ididn't think anything about it.
What is the tag story?
Um, it was something about.
It was in, obviously it was inthe first season, but it wasn't
the first episode, I don't thinkit was.
Oh, I was ants.
(12:33):
I was asking if it was.
I don't know whether it was theuh garbage person, the
recycling person or the techperson or something I can't
remember, but somebody, aregular service person, that
would come into the gas stationand I said which one is it?
Is it the one with?
I think something with a moleon his neck or something, I
(12:54):
don't know.
I don't remember what I said,um, but it was something about,
um, uh, a handsome one, and I Idon't remember what it was.
It's rash Wednesday or somethinglike that, something like that,
and I and, and that was the endof the scene.
And we did another scene in thein the show, but I don't
(13:16):
remember what it was, but I knowit was just kind of a tag and
um, uh, and then I was told thatI was being considered and they
would like me to come back inum, uh and do uh a call back.
Um, and I had come in, uh,cause everybody kind of went in
(13:40):
looking really shabby and theyasked they said you know it,
these people aren't shabby,they're just.
They just live in a smallertown.
And so they said, just comeback up, basically clean up a
little bit and then come in andreread.
And the um had of CTB at thattime had before I had read, he
(14:06):
had um, another actress that hadworked on one of their shows in
mind, and uh for Wanda, and sheapparently looked very similar
to uh Gabe who played Lacey.
And they said that it's too,you know, and um, and they were,
you know, like I think they didfor all of us.
(14:29):
They just they were.
The executive producers werereally really great about
sticking with who they reallywanted and um, so I came in and
read it again and waited aboutanother 10 days didn't hear a
thing.
And uh, then I got it and Ithink I think it was basically
10 days later.
I'm on a plane to Regina.
Aaron Pete (14:50):
What did you think of the character when you first
started preparing?
Nancy Robertson (14:56):
Um, kind of.
I kind of took it literally atfirst.
I took her to be kind of like.
Originally I kind of had her asum, she was smart and, um, more
normal than I, and then I thinkI kind of started moving her to
(15:19):
be, you know, juvenile in aarrogant way.
That makes sense.
Um, making her her.
You know her brain's a littleuh, obnoxious and um and
juvenile responses to Hank anduh and everybody.
(15:39):
And then the thing is too iswhen you start a series, the
beauty of it and it's such aprivilege.
As you get to, you grow, the,the, the actors and the writers
grow together because we all see, we see what we're given, as
you know, from the writing room,and they see what we're giving
you know the actors are giving,and then we grow, the characters
(15:59):
grow together and it's, it'sreally cool and it's uh, that's
the real blessing of a, you know, of a series, because you can
help grow and you can helpchange and everything, like if
it's a film or if you're just onas a guest star and stuff like
that, you've got one shot to.
You know, you know to to comeup with a character.
But with a series you can.
(16:20):
You can make the the charactergrow, so yeah, it was just a
really good time.
Aaron Pete (16:26):
I've I've spoken to Lauren and I've spoken to Brent,
and one of my question was didyou ever see it going the
direction it did when you've didthe first read, when you're
flying out to Regina?
Did you ever have any clue?
Nancy Robertson (16:39):
No, none at all .
Um, I know that we had a reallygood first table read through
with uh, with everybody.
Um, when everybody got outthere and we were all settled
into Regina and we had the bigread through and there was kind
of like a little bit of asilence after we read the the
first uh, first script, becauseyou normally read two scripts at
(17:00):
a time because we're shootingtwo at a time.
But after we read the first onethere was kind of like a oh,
this was fun and uh, andeverybody was enjoying each
other and uh, what they were,you know the read and and what
was coming out.
So that was really kind of nice.
And then I think I can'tremember how many episodes we
(17:21):
shot back then Um, I think itwas 10, and uh, and we were told
, um, by one of the executiveproducers, um, with a network
that you're going to have to get, you know, 500,000 viewers for
it to stay, and back then inCanadian television that was
(17:43):
pretty much unheard of, andwe're like whoa, uh-oh, and so
we didn't think of any, wedidn't think about it.
And then the, then the reviewsstarted coming out and they were
, they were really great.
And oh, I know, when I thoughtit might be good was when we saw
the promos and whoever did thepromos, and I forget they looked
different back then.
(18:03):
They were sharper, the imageswere sharper, it was, um, it
just kind of grabbed yourinterest and the and the twangy,
um background music that wentwith it.
It was like, oh, this lookslike a good show.
And then when we got the numbersfrom the first night that it
aired, we were like oh my God.
And then the next ones came inand, and at that point I mean we
(18:27):
never sunk below a millionviewers in the whole six season
and in fact, you know, it goteven bigger and um, and that
just wasn't happening.
We actually were, um, see, Ishouldn't have had tea, because
now I'm hyper.
The Big Bang Theory when thatcame out, um, they bumped us
(18:49):
behind it because it was a brandnew big US show and the ratings
weren't great for the Big BangTheater theory theory originally
.
So they put us back as a leadin to the Big Bang Theory and
then, of course, the Big BangTheory just blew everything up
literally and, um, their numberswere, were great.
So we were really lucky that wehad the audience that we did
(19:10):
back then, really really luckyand just so, and how they've
kind of kept with us, it's justbeen fantastic.
I don't, I don't know whatthat's about, but we'll take it.
Aaron Pete (19:21):
There's real loyalty there.
Yeah, when did you and Brentstart to work together?
When did you start to haveconversations?
When did the spark take place?
Nancy Robertson (19:29):
Oh, I'm not going to go into too much detail
about that.
But, um, by the end of theseason, and you know, at that
point you're thinking, well,this'll never go.
Anyways, We've all been.
You know, most things don't goagain, and especially if it's a
Canadian show, it doesn't.
You know, it's hard.
And so, um, we just clicked.
(19:52):
We liked the same things, weliked the same humor, uh, uh,
like the same films, Um, and itwas just the perfect time in our
our life to, to, to meet.
And when we wrapped, um, theseason one, uh, we, uh, we
(20:15):
started dating.
And, uh, I'm here in his garageright now, Years later so
Brilliant?
Aaron Pete (20:25):
And what were the next steps?
Were you guys excited, goinginto the future, of of what
things were going to take place?
Were you confident in seasontwo?
One season one wrapped.
Nancy Robertson (20:34):
Um, yeah, you know I I I don't remember
feeling confident, but I alsodon't remember feeling nervous
about this.
I think I was.
I think we were all reallyexcited to get back at it and so
thrilled we got.
You know that we're going backfor season two, um, with such
nice ratings and and uh, reviewsand everything, and um, and I
(20:58):
think you know there's always atrepidation because everything
gets measured from the first,and so, you know, I think once
we wrapped season two we werelike, oh, I hope it's people
enjoyed as much as he did seasonone.
Um, and there's been growth todifferent characters Um, suzanne
Boyce, who's so wonderful, shewas one of the heads of uh, uh
(21:23):
CTV and she called and me onetime at season one and she was
looking at some of the dailiesand she said that, uh, if
there's a season two, um, Iwould like to see more of your
character and I would like tosee more of uh, davis and Karen
the cops, and I thought, well,that would be lovely, but you
(21:46):
know it's a big cast.
So we all started to get to growa little bit and, uh, and that
was exciting, there was, youknow, more to do and um, yeah,
it just uh, it was fun, but Idon't re, I think, just always
being grateful that I was never.
I didn't really think about notgetting picked up when we went
(22:09):
into the second season becauseit was just all so much gravy
that, even if it didn't, what ariot we had, you know we broke
some rating records and uh, butthen we ended up going for six.
Aaron Pete (22:22):
That's such a healthy mindset and Brent shared
the same kind of sentimentsthat, like everything after that
, was kind of like just begrateful that you had this
opportunity and not setting toomuch expectations on things, and
maybe we get stuck as people inthe expectations to where are
we going rather than enjoyingthe ride.
Nancy Robertson (22:39):
Yeah, that's it , you know, and that's so true,
and it was kind of that becausewe really were enjoying the ride
and um and uh, and you know,you and, and as the seasons went
on, you had to kind of, youknow, by the time we got to like
, say, season five, it's kind oflike well, season four and five
, it was kind of like well, thisis the norm.
(23:00):
And that's where you got to becareful, because it's not the
norm, it can be taken away atany moment.
And um, so you, just, you know,as, the longer we were in it,
the more we just had to kind oflet go hey, we're really lucky.
I wouldn't say lucky, we're.
I'm just very grateful, youknow, I, I kind of don't know
(23:23):
about luck.
I think I think things happen,you know, um, that are meant to
happen, and I, uh, but um, justvery grateful because, like I
said, there's so many amazinglytalented people out there behind
and in front of the camera thatyou're just like, wow, you know
, why aren't you a bajillionaireand in everything?
Aaron Pete (23:48):
Oh, do you think that?
Do you think that there wassomething about all of you
having fun in the process?
That it wasn't just checking abox, it wasn't just doing a
scene?
It seemed like there wasgenuine chemistry there of
enjoying the process.
Nancy Robertson (24:01):
I think so.
I mean, in my opinion, I thinkwe all felt that.
I think that there waschemistry and there and there
was something to be said aboutbeing planted in Regina, um,
together.
You know, we lived in the samecondo building, we were driven
in the same vans to set.
For the first couple of years.
It was like you you that, Ithink, really assisted in it and
(24:23):
um and uh, and also the the themore popular it got, the more
we traveled together.
Because we were going to, youknow, we would be meeting in
Toronto for press, we'd be doingthings.
We went down to New York whenthe show was nominated for an
international Emmy.
So we were in New York togetherand you know, we've just spent
so much time together and, likeI said, living in the same condo
(24:46):
.
We're going out for dinner,we're going out to a Hanlon's
pub in Regina.
When we wrap on a Friday it'suh, it's pretty hard not to get
to.
You know, to feel really,really comfortable around your
classmates and like a family youknow, did you have a favorite?
Aaron Pete (25:05):
A favorite like moment has wanded.
Did you have a time where you,where it stood out to you?
Nancy Robertson (25:13):
Yeah, I think I really liked season five for
Wanda and I'm speaking selfishly, like for my character.
I felt that I I mean I had funwith her all seasons and we were
just blessed with these amazingwriters.
You know, brenton is crew andeverything, and but five.
(25:33):
I really liked it because shehad the contagious fortune, the
pink eye episode, buzz driverwhen Oscar is driving the bus
and Wanda is getting all woundup on the haywire juice and
there's another one I forgetwhere she's the bartender and
(25:55):
she ends up tearing Davis andKaren apart.
Yeah, I just thought that was areally good, you know, a really
good season for her.
And I have to say I think,shooting the, I can't pick a
favorite I I have a hard timewatching myself now and I don't
(26:15):
necessarily watch it when I goby.
I spend like maybe a minute onit because I'm so much younger.
Aaron Pete (26:24):
My favorite, I think is is buzz driver and for that
exact reason because I think asa young person, like we all,
have that experience where we'vehad way too much energy drink
and that was like such anaccurate representation of how
you feel when you're on it andto see some of the dramatic
moments was just kind of pulledeverything together.
Nancy Robertson (26:43):
Oh yeah, and it was fun because you know they
had me up on the roof of the gasstation and flipping down, you
know, below.
I was terrified of that.
It wasn't that high but I stillwasn't thrilled about it.
So I had, you know, I had Roger, I think, one of our crew,
holding onto my ankles, so Ididn't, you know, I didn't fall
off when I flipped down there,but it was no, it was, it was
(27:06):
fun.
I liked, yeah, there was somuch fun and you kind of
sometimes you forget it becauseyou know they're long hours and
and the weather, you know it'seither really really hot and and
so we're kind of you get, kindof, I know you can you got to
(27:27):
have to check yourself everyonce in a while and go.
You know there's other jobsthat you could be doing that
aren't so great, and this isreally great.
Aaron Pete (27:37):
So was that at all strange to be brought out to the
middle of nowhere to do some ofthese shots, in comparison to
being in Vancouver or doing someof the shots.
Nancy Robertson (27:47):
Um, yeah, I mean it, it was my first
location.
Uh, shoot, and it was kind ofodd and uh, because I'm used to
the water, being born and raisedin Vancouver, that to go out
somewhere where there's no water, you can't see it was a little
claustrophobic and uh, and thenI, you know, and I'd never been
(28:09):
there before, and um, and Iremember saying to somebody I
went I just know nothing about,you know Saskatchewan in general
, I don't have any connection toit, and then I had to stop and
go.
Yeah, I do.
My dad was born in Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, and then brought
when he was a young boy intoVancouver.
And uh, and my dad and mom andolder sister, I had to go out
(28:32):
before I was born because dadgot a job just outside in Regina
and my brother was born inRegina before I was born.
So I realized, yeah, so all themen in my life are from
Saskatchewan my brother, my dad,my husband.
Aaron Pete (28:49):
Is there a standout moment with the live show?
It's Stephen Harper, uh likethe morning news one.
Was there a standout moment toyou of the whole show?
That was somewhat unique.
Nancy Robertson (29:03):
Well, it was unique having, um, uh, stephen
Harper and Paul Martin and Paul,uh, I didn't.
I wasn't on set with PaulMartin, but I met him later that
evening and he was lovely andum, but when we were shooting,
um, uh, the one with, uh, uh,stephen Harper, we're pulling up
(29:24):
into this little dirt trianglethat was the, the corner gas set
, like it literally is in themiddle of nowhere and, um, and
it's just this gas station builtto, you know, to shoot in and
outside of.
But there was black limos allthe way down the dirt road,
security limos.
And that's just bizarre.
When you're pulling in at youknow six in the morning and you
(29:47):
still sleep, and then there'sall these limos there and then
standing outside, um, uh, mytrailer was a secret security uh
guy and he wouldn't look at me,and, uh, because he has to keep
his eye out.
So I remember going up to mytrailer, I said, oh, you know,
um, excuse me, but I actuallyhave to get in behind you.
(30:09):
This is my trailer.
And he said, all right, andthen I just leaned into him and
I went what are you looking at?
And he said pie shape, ma'am,pie shape.
And I said what do you mean hegoes.
We all take.
Every secret service persontakes their vision into a pie
shape and they're responsiblefor that piece of pie.
So if anything happens on theirwatch and that slice of pie
(30:32):
it's on them.
And uh, and so I went, oh, cool, so I went in and I got into my
wardrobe heading to, and I wasgetting out of my trailer and I
was just standing outsidetalking to somebody I don't know
who, and it was on my way tohair and makeup and I hear this
big tap on my back and I turnaround and it's just big hand
coming at me, going StephenHarper.
I went, oh hello, and I seethese piercing, um wolf-like
(30:57):
eyes.
And so that was, and that was,uh, that was my introduction to
Stephen Harper.
Aaron Pete (31:05):
And was that your favorite one?
Or, like Brent mentioned thetragically hip performing for
you guys almost privately.
Nancy Robertson (31:11):
Oh, that's, that's my favorite, and I think
it was.
I mean, we had everybody.
He probably told you thateverybody that wasn't working
that day just happened to turnup first thing in the morning.
So we shot part of that in thestudio in Regina and then we had
to go out and drive to Rolo todo the exterior, where we're
coming into the garage, and todo the turnaround, and uh, and
(31:37):
while we're all hanging out inthe studio waiting for things to
get going, they're just playing, they're just playing the
guitars, singing, just doingwhat they do, I guess, to make
themselves comfortable.
And they were all so great andso funny, and uh, and when we
were, we were separated into twovans, of course, the tragically
(31:57):
hip kind of one band, and thenBrent and, uh, I think it was
just maybe Fred and I in the vanheading out to where we're
doing the next shot for theexteriors with them, and I just
started talking to them on theradio, back and forth from one
band to the other, and uh,pretending that they couldn't
(32:19):
hear me and just saying, oh myGod, they're dreaming, oh the
stuff, so they're laughing.
And so they were great, theywere wonderful, it was, uh, it
was just so surreal because Iused to.
I had their CDs when CDs werethe thing.
I also had the CDs of the odds.
Like Craig Norley, he does allthe music, so it was just so
(32:39):
cool to meet these people andwork with them.
Um, if I you know who wouldhave thought when I was
listening to their CDs in mybeatbox that I'd be working with
them?
Aaron Pete (32:52):
Was it hard for season six to come and for that
chapter to come to a close?
Nancy Robertson (32:58):
Harder than I thought it was going to be.
Yeah, I think, um, uh, in insome ways it was time.
I think you know it was a longtime for a lot of people that
had families that were away,because, you know, we were gone
four and a half months at least,and I mean, as the series went
(33:21):
on, we got lots of flights homefor the weekends or whenever we
had days off during the shoot.
Uh, we would, you know, a lotof us would fly home, but a lot
of the people can't like a lotof the.
Um, the writers couldn't flyhome, uh, brent could never fly
home.
Um and um, it was just, it was.
(33:44):
I think it was the right time,you know, I mean there's a
financial end of it.
You know you think, oh well,you know, more money wouldn't
have been such a bad thing, butthat's not why you, you do it,
cause then it just gets all.
If that's what it's all about,then it's the charm and
everything goes.
So I think, I think it, I knowit ended when it should have
(34:06):
ended, but it still didn't makeit any easier when it was
happening and I think the but itdidn't really hit until we were
shooting the very last episodeand we shot it as the very last
episode because sometimes youdon't run them in sequence and
we did, and it was.
The Reader was pretty tough,the rap when you finished your
(34:31):
final scene, because all of uswere wrapped at a different
depending what scene you're in,we're at a different time.
Fred and I were wrappedtogether and yeah, it was.
It was very emotional, but itwas nice.
Aaron Pete (34:45):
Nice of the movie come back yeah.
Nancy Robertson (34:49):
I mean, I, I was surprised that that was even
going to be happening, like Ididn't know what I thought about
that.
I thought, oh, what's thisgoing to be like?
And back then five years seemedlike a long, long time.
But now, and I look back at it,it doesn't seem that it was
(35:10):
that far between wrapping theseries and the film, but I guess
it was.
It was timed pretty well, isthat, you know?
Not that I had anything to dowith that, but yeah it was.
Yeah, it was great and it wasso weird because we went back to
the same places where we usedto stay at the condo and it's
like we had never left and itwas bizarre.
(35:32):
It was like there wasn't a,there wasn't a beat, you know.
So that's kind of nice too,that it just all fell in
completely naturally.
It was fan home in a way.
Aaron Pete (35:44):
What was the big difference between the live show
and the animated show for you A?
Nancy Robertson (35:48):
big difference I.
The scripts were differentbecause you could go wider and
bigger.
Do you know what I mean?
So I felt that there was whichwas good, because we were, our
characters were different thanit, to a certain degree, a
(36:08):
little bit different than theywere on the live action, because
here we were animated and wecould get away with more things
and it was far less work for us,the actors.
I mean, we're so used toworking together that we would
(36:28):
just go in and record and out wewent, and so that was a
positive and a negative.
I missed being physically a partof it.
I felt that it was hard not to.
I mean, we would move ourbodies almost like we normally.
Would you know if we were doingthe live action?
(36:51):
But it's just, it's different,it's a whole different way of
acting.
So I found that, I found itmore convenient and I enjoyed it
, but I did miss the physicalpart of it of actually being
(37:12):
able to contribute, even thoughthey did copy our mannerisms
from the live action.
So it was, it was, it was agreat new experience.
I loved it.
I could have done we could havedone more of those, for sure,
but that, if I had to say.
There was one thing that wasstrange to me is that it's just
not being fully body-wanda.
Aaron Pete (37:36):
And that chemistry, I guess, would have lacked a
little bit more in that regardtoo, right.
Nancy Robertson (37:39):
Well, yeah, because we were separated a lot
of times because the in thesense that if you weren't in
some scenes you didn't come inat the same time.
So it's not as if we're hangingout in the makeup trailer and
we're seeing each other on setor anything before we're going
on the scenes and stuff likethat.
And then when the pandemic hit,we were all in different rooms
because we couldn't record inthe same room and so we're not
(38:03):
beside each other.
But our history together madethat a lot easier.
We're thankful for that,because we knew the beats and
the timing of all the othercharacters and everything and
it's.
And we didn't have Janet.
So that was different too,because we'd lost Janet and but
(38:25):
Kareen came in and she wasamazing.
But so those were differentthings.
You know it was, but it was funto do.
And we had great actors that doanimation, I think for the most
part, and they're so off-scaledand they were great.
Who played the townspeople,they were amazing.
Aaron Pete (38:45):
Lauren had talked about how one of his experiences
from like the impact of theshow that he got to see was that
he had spoken to some veteranswho were over in Afghanistan
that were getting rocketattacked and they had come to
him and said we were watchingcorner gas during a time where
we were scared for our lives andwe were just bunkered down.
Brent had talked about how heheard a lot that it was a
(39:06):
generational show wheredifferent people could watch it.
They could watch it with theirkids.
What were your big takeawaysfrom hearing from the public?
What was the response you gotin terms of the impact of corner
gas?
Nancy Robertson (39:18):
Just kindness, just genuine kindness, like it's
not.
You know, sometimes if you dosomething and somebody comes up
and goes, oh I saw you in thisgood job, or something like that
, and it's just kind of likeit's nice but it's not, you know
, it's just a nice comment, butthe one slip of the corner gas,
it was basically, I think, whenthey would see us.
(39:42):
I think we felt a bit like hometo them, because they always
said that they watched it withtheir family because they could,
and we had every demographic Imean, you can't get those
numbers without having everydemographic watching and, yeah,
it was just a kindness and awarmness.
I was never it never anythingnegative or sarcastic.
(40:05):
It was just you just felt.
You just felt really lucky tobe a part of something that is
part of these people's lives.
That brought them, you know,and still to this day brings
them comfort and and joy andeverything like how fortunate
are we to be in something likethat?
Because we weren't nice to eachother, the characters weren't
nice to each other.
(40:26):
It wasn't as if this was assweet as I think people think it
is.
It's just that the charactersbecause that's all they're, all
they had, it would basicallynobody else can make fun of you,
but we can.
We weren't a sucky group ofpeople Like do you know what I
mean?
We weren't.
It was just, I think, a nicestory about people knowing each
(40:48):
other too well in a small townexisting and nothing more than
that.
Aaron Pete (40:55):
I think one of my favorite parts about the show is
it reminds you to find beautyin the small moments, that small
, small things are really thebig things.
When we talk about wanting togo on a vacation to Mexico,
that's a week of your year ormaybe two weeks of your year,
but the reality is you want tofind beauty in the 365 days and
(41:15):
you want to find fun and joy andhumor and connection and you
want to be able to joke aroundwith people and not take things
too seriously and not getoffended by things and just have
fun around each other.
Nancy Robertson (41:27):
Yeah, and that's a safety If you're around
people that you're safe with,like these characters were safe
because where were they going togo?
And they found safety inknowing how, knowing each other
characters so well that nothingreally shocked them and nothing.
There was no damage doneBecause, like I said, they're in
the small town.
(41:48):
Where are they going to go?
If you disliked everybody thenyou wouldn't go out.
So, yeah, and I think there wasjust comfort in that, in over
familiarity, and we all have it,we all have it in our families,
we have it no matter where welive, where you work, and, yeah,
(42:14):
I think it was a nice littleslice of life and nothing
disastrous happened.
It was big problems made out oflittle things.
Aaron Pete (42:26):
One of my favorite things about how you portrayed
the character and, I think, yourgenuine energy is that you can
be serious, you can beintelligent, but you don't have
to be boring.
And as somebody who's gone tolaw school, who's gotten the
degrees, I find that people whogo to law school want to come
across intelligence, so much sothat I think they sacrifice
(42:47):
parts of their personality inorder to be perceived as the
profession.
And I never want to become that.
I always want to do my best tobe intelligent or think things
through, but to be fun andlighthearted, but still to be
lighthearted and not to takemyself too seriously, and I
found that, wanda, and how youportray yourself is so
thoughtful to that.
(43:08):
You can be smart, you can thinkthings through, but you can
also be fun and silly, and thatdoesn't take away from who you
are.
It actually enriches who youare.
Nancy Robertson (43:17):
Well, that's lovely to say.
Yeah, I wanted her to have aweakness and in not having power
with her, that her power, herintelligence or the intelligence
that she thought she had,wasn't the power she thinks it
(43:39):
is.
And you could always get her.
Hank could always get her, andI think I'm not sure, I think
the first time Wanda jumps overthe counter I'm not so sure, but
I think that was improvised andchased him out of the gas
(44:00):
station and because he just getsto her and like a sibling, and
so we were given opportunity todo things and I mean, well, it's
your job, it's actually it's asmart thing to do and I think
that's what you is to.
We helped mold what they wereby dropping little things in,
(44:28):
and then the writers were sogreat, then they'd pop a little,
pop a little bit more onto itand then you take it and it's
like it's such a greatcollaboration.
So, yeah, I, I like playingWanda.
Aaron Pete (44:44):
We have to get down to the crux of the issue, though
You're one of the only people Iknow who can cut somebody's
hair and blow up so much onYouTube.
Would you mind telling me aboutcutting Brent's hair and how
viral that video went for for areason I didn't?
Nancy Robertson (45:02):
want to do it.
I said, no, I'm not.
First of all, hey, I'm notcutting your hair and B, I don't
want to do it, I don't want todo this.
But he talked me into it and Ididn't know it was that popular,
to tell you the truth.
So that's interesting.
Aaron Pete (45:21):
But I, no, no, no.
I think it's got like over20,000 views at least.
Nancy Robertson (45:26):
Yeah, oh really , oh, that's so funny.
No, I don't I, but it was funand and I did cut his hair and I
didn't do a good job, and but Itold him that was probably
what's going to happen.
So, but you know, it was such aweird time as COVID, wasn't it?
And it's like you, just it was,you know, maybe one of the
(45:50):
reasons I did it.
You know that we did it is justsome way to be creative and
perform when we can't, you know.
So it was such a weird time,you know, I don't, I don't know
if we've ever still fullyrecovered from it while it's
still going on, but, yeah, weird.
Aaron Pete (46:12):
Have you thought about what next steps you want
for your career?
I do find that you and Brentwatching that video is so funny
that you guys still have adynamic.
Do you have any plans in thefuture?
Nancy Robertson (46:24):
No, I mean not at this point, no, I think.
I mean I like to do, we bothlike to do separate things, and
because that's kind of what wedo.
You know so.
(46:48):
But I mean who knows?
I mean there's certainlynothing in the plans right now,
but I mean never see, never, Idon't know.
I don't know what my next gigis at any point in time, you
know so, which is maybe it'sgood and bad.
You know, it's always feast orfamine.
Aaron Pete (47:10):
Do you have any advice for young creators on how
to get their message out andhow to stay authentic in a time
where I do see so many peopletrying to figure out how to fit
into niches and into otherpeople's boxes, how to stay
authentic and continue to sharetheir gifts?
Nancy Robertson (47:28):
You mean in the industry or just in life?
Just in life, well, I don'tknow.
You see, because it's hard tosay that, because I think it
also depends on what age you'reat.
I think at certain ages, whenyou're younger, I mean that's
part of the thing is wanting tofit in, but when you get older,
you look back at it and you go,well, that's not necessarily the
(47:48):
coolest place to be.
You know, like being who youare is the best you can be, and
because who you are is great,and I think when you try really
hard to be something else, thatyou're not, you're not happy.
And I think sometimes, maybethat brings out behavior in
(48:13):
people that stops them fromgoing forward and stops them
from finding their people.
But you don't know until youget older and you know that's a
good thing.
Well, there's lots of goodthings about getting older, but
I, yeah, I mean who you are,there's only one of you.
(48:36):
There's only one of you.
So, just by that math, you'reincredible and you're unique and
you know.
Yes, you pick up things just byyour environment, but I think
you're also born a certain wayand there's all these things,
there's these chemicals, there'sthese genes, these experiences,
(48:58):
everything that everybody goesthrough is solely their own, so
you're all you got.
Have some fun with yourself.
That doesn't sound right, butyou know what I mean.
Just enjoy yourself as you are.
And I know that that's hard,because it's hard, I mean, we're
(49:18):
all tough on ourselves.
But if you can step back andlook at it, I think, yeah,
you're great just as you are,because you you're you and
nobody is like you.
Aaron Pete (49:28):
That is an apt observation, I don't know about
that.
Thank you, that was really wellsaid.
Nancy, I want to thank you fordoing this.
I watched Corner Gas as a kid.
I used to use it to go to sleepat night I would have it on the
background and so I am astudent of the work that you all
put into that show.
I am so grateful for all of theinsights you shared and, again,
(49:52):
for me, I always look at thatshow and go.
It's okay to be silly, it's okayto be serious, but it's okay to
be fun and easygoing and make ajoke of yourself at times.
You don't have to take yourselftoo seriously.
You're not defined by thesilliest thing you did.
You're not defined by the mostprofessional thing you did.
You're a dynamic person andyou're going to have different
vibes and different moments, andyou should share all of
(50:12):
yourself with the world, becausethat's what's going to lift
others up to allow them to dothe same.
Corner Gas is a reflection ofthat.
So thank you for being willingto do this interview and share
your journey.
Nancy Robertson (50:22):
Well, it's such an honor to have you, you know,
to have to have been a part ofyour life, and that's so
wonderful.
And look how wonderful youturned out, see.
I don't know about all that,yeah no, and this is, and so I'm
honored to be a part of yourpodcast.
This is so great.
Thank you so much.
Aaron Pete (50:37):
Brilliant Tim.
How did we do Fabulous?
I'm just listening and smilingear to ear.
It's been great.
Nancy Robertson (50:47):
Well, thank you so much and I'm so sorry about
the other day.
I am the worst.
My agent is just gets sucked.
I frustrate him to no end.
I frustrate all my friends fromno end because I am so
forgetful.
I'm just yeah and I apologizeso much, so I'm so sorry about
(51:11):
that.
Aaron Pete (51:11):
You were very much worth the wait.
This was a fantastic interviewand, as I said, you bring such
an authentic energy to theconversation that it feels I
don't know breezy it feels easygoing.
Sometimes people are reallyserious when they're on the
other side of the camera andthis was just so much fun.
Nancy Robertson (51:26):
Oh good, I had.
I enjoyed myself too.
So have you got Fred on yet?
Aaron Pete (51:32):
I haven't got Fred on and I haven't had my
apologies, oscar, on either.
Nancy Robertson (51:37):
Oh, Eric.
Aaron Pete (51:38):
Yes, eric.
Well, both of those guys, youknow they're fantastic, they're
all, they're all everybody'sfantastic You're all so sneaky
on social media though, liketrying to find like I tried to
find you on Instagram, twitter,and then I reached out.
I figured out how to reach outto your agent and then I reached
out through that means, butit's hard to find some people on
(52:00):
how to contact them.
Nancy Robertson (52:02):
Yeah, cause.
Yeah, what is Fred's?
Aaron Pete (52:06):
Fred doesn't do a lot of social media, but no,
that's not true, I think it'slike you can have social media,
but you can also have it turnedoff, so people can't contact you
.
Nancy Robertson (52:20):
Oh, I don't know that he does that.
I don't I.
I don't.
I just don't remember what hishis tag is, but he does have.
He is on Instagram.
He went off Twitter andInstagram for a long time and
then came back on it.
Eric is not on any of it, Iknow he's not, but I know he's
(52:43):
with characters in.
I think he's with characters inToronto and Fred is with I
think he's with Murray at RedTalent.
I'm pretty sure.
But but I'm sure Fred, I'm sureboth of them would be very
(53:10):
happy to do this Brilliant.
So I'm just trying to think,yeah, I wish I, if I had my
phone here, I could give you hisyou know what.
Maybe see if I can find it Nowthat I've got your email, I'll
see if I can get there.
I can get Fred's for you Likehis.
Instagram or whatever.
Yeah.
So and then for Eric.
(53:33):
I think characters in inToronto.
Aaron Pete (53:37):
That would be fantastic.
Again, thank you so much forbeing willing to do this.
I really appreciate it.
It sounds like it was a littlebit of work getting the studio
all prepared, but I appreciateit.
Nancy Robertson (53:44):
This is because I'm a leadite.
I'm just useless.
I just I'm horrible at thisstuff and I get I had to do my
taxes this this week and all Iwas just miserable because it
all on the computer, everythingI'm I don't, yeah, I yeah.
I hope there's not anapocalypse because I wouldn't do
very well.
Aaron Pete (54:06):
It sounds like everything would go back to
normal for you.
Yeah that's right.
That's right.
There wouldn't be anyelectronics, so you'd be good to
go.
Nancy Robertson (54:13):
I would be good .
Hey, that's who you follow onthe apocalypse, then Be me
Exactly.
Aaron Pete (54:19):
Yeah.
Nancy Robertson (54:21):
Well, thank you both so much and and I'll see
if I can get his Instagram notto you Find out, because I don't
remember what his label is.
Aaron Pete (54:30):
Sounds good.
I will go looking for it and Ican follow up with you.
Thank you so much again.
Nancy Robertson (54:34):
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, bye, bye.
Oh, now I got to do this, gotit?
Nope, you're back.
Aaron Pete (54:56):
It was fun, that was fun.
Welcome back to another episode of the Bigger
than Me podcast.
Here is your host, aaron.
As many of you know, I am ahuge fan of corner gas.
I've spoken with Brent Butt,lauren Cardinal and now I'm
speaking with the comedic geniuswho played Wanda.
We explore her background,passion for acting, the journey
onto the set of corner gas andthe impact that it had.
(00:22):
My guest today is NancyRobertson.
Nancy, I've been lookingforward to this interview.
I have watched corner gas somany times.
I am such a huge fan of theshow.
It had such a big impact on megrowing up.
Would you mind brieflyintroducing yourself for
listeners who might not beacquainted with your amazing
work?
Nancy Robertson (00:43):
Oh, my name is Nancy Robertson.
I played Wanda on corner gasfor six seasons and do other
shows and just abroad.
Aaron Pete (01:06):
Just abroad, fantastic.
Would you mind telling me whatgot you interested or passionate
about acting?
Nancy Robertson (01:16):
It just kind of always Sorry, I'm drinking tea
it was just something I alwayswanted to do.
I was always horsing around.
Growing up, I grew up with avery my older sister and brother
were really funny, or are, andmy dad was a riot.
We were just always makingplays and doing things.
(01:38):
I could not think of anythingelse I wanted to do, but it just
seemed like it was impossibleto do.
But when I graduated high schoolI thought all right, so I went
to secretary class.
I went nope, this isn't goingto do, I'm not going to do this,
and not that there's anythingwrong with that.
I just knew I wanted to make myown way.
(02:01):
So it just took a while.
And then I went to theaterschool and just finally took a
leap.
I worked for the cable companyfor a while and then I said,
nope, can't do this.
And I left and just jumped inand got really fortunate that I
(02:23):
started landing work, becauseit's such a hard business to do
that and there's always peopleway more talented that are
beside you, ahead of you, behindyou, and so sometimes there's
no rhyme or reason why somethingworks out and I'm just grateful
that.
So far, so good.
Aaron Pete (02:44):
Where do you think the authentic, passionate energy
comes from for you?
Because that seems to be a veryunique trait for you, that you
bring this great energy.
Nancy Robertson (02:53):
Oh well, that's nice.
I don't know.
That's hard for me to say Idon't know, Because when it's
something that I say that'sattributed to yourself, you
don't know anything different.
So I don't know.
Aaron Pete (03:14):
You must have met people over the years who are
very bland, very vanilla, verycheck the box.
Life is so-so and you don'tbring that energy to your work
professionally but just inconversations.
You just don't have that typeof energy.
You seem high spirited andpositive.
Nancy Robertson (03:30):
I am.
I'm kind of extreme.
I can be very up and positiveand full of energy when called
for, but I can also be prettylow key and reserved at the same
(03:55):
time too.
So I think it's like everybody,just like if you meet people
that you may think are kind ofbland or whatever, they're
probably not.
It's just the circumstances,maybe that you meet somebody in
and maybe in their own privateworld they're a blast.
(04:16):
So I don't know, I'm justsaying I don't know a lot.
Aaron Pete (04:22):
It's a very thoughtful.
I don't know, though.
There's a lot of informationtied in with it.
When did you start to find yourpath?
When did you start to realizehow you were going to make your
way in acting?
Nancy Robertson (04:31):
I don't think I ever knew how I was going to
make my way.
The only thing that I knew wasthat if I didn't keep moving at
it, it wasn't going to happen.
There were lots of times whereyou're thinking well, I got to
give it up, I've sold my bike,I've done all these kind of
things, trying to make my wayand feed myself while doing this
(04:53):
.
It's kind of the same old story, but it's true.
It's feast or famine in thisindustry, and most of it is
famine.
So there's a lot of times youjust feel like this just isn't
going to happen, I'm not goingto get this.
And it's tough and, like I said, the most incredible actors and
(05:17):
performers are ones that we'llnever know, and because it's
just so difficult but I justknew that I just couldn't think
of anything else I would do, andI think that's one of the key
things.
Aaron Pete (05:32):
Was there a moment that?
Nancy Robertson (05:33):
clicked that, I got work, or.
Aaron Pete (05:40):
Anything where you realize that this is it and
there's nothing else for you.
Was there a moment when youwere on stage or anything?
Nancy Robertson (05:45):
Oh yeah, yeah, I think it started when I
started, when I was going totheater school and we would do I
don't know what they called it.
We would have plays andshowcases in the theater and
(06:06):
they went really well.
I had a lot of fun with themand I thought, okay, maybe I can
get by on this.
So it was a little bit of asmattering of approval that came
about and that made me feelthat maybe I was headed in the
right direction.
But you see, the thing is, toois that you're never going to be
(06:27):
everybody's taste.
But I knew from the response inthe audience, from the first
showcases and stuff, that I haddone, that it felt really great
and I got some approval fromthat and that I think that
(06:50):
probably sealed it.
You know, I didn't know what Iwould do without it.
I honestly didn't know what Iwould do with my life.
Aaron Pete (06:58):
That's really good to hear, because I think some
people can feel lost and thenother people seem to find
exactly where they're supposedto be and exactly what they're
supposed to be doing.
Nancy Robertson (07:07):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I think so because the
only way I can kind of it's notnecessarily based on my ability,
but I've been able to feedmyself, and that's a big deal in
this thing, so I haven't had togo elsewhere for sustenance and
(07:32):
that's, yeah, it's.
I'm just really, reallyfortunate, and I know that.
Aaron Pete (07:38):
Is there a type of character that you enjoyed
playing in those early days?
A dark character?
A happy character?
Is there something that stoodout to you about the people that
you were playing?
Nancy Robertson (07:47):
I kind of like Greetings".
I always like a little bit ofdark in a comedy, in a way that
there's something kind ofunderlying a little bit.
And then when I did the seriesHiccups years ago, she was such
(08:07):
a I played such a happycharacter where she basically I
always figured if she was one ofthose people like my dad that
he woke up with this, you know,a great expectation for the day,
and happy and whistling andalls it took was somebody just
to put a damper on it.
That would just ruin it.
So but your first place to jumpoff is happy and so it was fun
(08:29):
playing somebody like that too.
So but when she, you know, whensomebody made her unhappy, she
would go dark as well.
So I like a little bit ofeverything I'm I can.
You know I like dark as much asI like light.
I don't know whether I you know,it's just I don't know.
I kind of go I don't go toointrospective into it either,
(08:50):
because sometimes it's just youdon't even know where you're
going with something and it justkind of takes you, you know,
depending on your, who you'reacting opposite from and and
who's directing and the writingand and and then just out of
splash of what you bring to it.
It's important that you dothat's our job to bring in our
own flavor.
Aaron Pete (09:12):
Yeah, you have a long history with Fred.
Nancy Robertson (09:15):
You and Chuck Would you mind taking us all the
way back to the beginning.
Aaron Pete (09:18):
Did you mind taking us all the way back to the art
of parking?
Nancy Robertson (09:20):
Oh yeah, absolutely, Um, I did I first he
.
I used to do Vancouver theatersports and he knew a lot of
people that that I would beperforming with and so I'd heard
of him.
And when we had the first readthrough for delicate art of
parking, he was there, obviouslybecause he was the lead.
(09:42):
And, um, we didn't have.
I don't think we had any scenestogether.
Actually, fred and I I'm tryingto think, um, but we got to
know each other, like at the rapparty, at the read through and
everything.
And then I'm a director that wehad mutually worked with doing a
(10:03):
short film asked if I wouldcome and do a part on this film
and Fred was on it, and so wehadn't seen each other since the
premiere of delicate art ofparking.
And uh, uh, it was kind offunny because we were just
sitting there in between takesand he just said, uh, you know
what are you up to?
And I said, oh, you know notmuch.
(10:24):
I said I'm on hold for some TVshow.
I don't know whether I'm goingto get it or not, but they've
got me on hold.
And he said, yeah, me too.
And then we just kind of took abeat and he said what show are
you on hold for?
I said it's called corner gasand he went I am on hold for
that too.
So lo and behold, you know, afew weeks later we both got it
and he flew out, I think a fewdays ahead of me, and when I
(10:47):
flew in I didn't know anybodyexcept him.
And he came and met me at theRegina airport and uh and, uh,
yeah.
And then from then on, and he'smy buddy.
Aaron Pete (11:02):
Fascinating.
Would you mind walking us morespecifically through that?
I had Brent recount the castingfor it, the process that they
went through, and then hementioned that you were infamous
for improv that you were.
You were well known for beingso funny and so likable and that
you were one of their topchoices when they were going in
for auditions.
Would you mind recounting yourown experience getting that
(11:24):
offer to come and audition forthis, for this opportunity?
Nancy Robertson (11:28):
Well, when I, when I got the you know the
agent, my agent called, my agentat that time called and said um
, you know, you want to read forthis?
Um, I think they were lookingolder, not not too old, but a
little bit older.
Um and um, and so the castingdirector had mentioned to um,
(11:50):
the network people and and to um, brent and David and Virginia,
the um, uh, executive producers,about bringing in Nancy
Robertson.
And, uh, so I came in, I did it, uh, I improv this little tag
at the end of it.
Um, cause you want to becareful not to overdo it.
(12:10):
It's just something that justkind of fell out naturally at
the end of it and I laughed, Ididn't think anything about it.
What is the tag story?
Um, it was something about.
It was in, obviously it was inthe first season, but it wasn't
the first episode, I don't thinkit was.
Oh, I was ants.
(12:33):
I was asking if it was.
I don't know whether it was theuh garbage person, the
recycling person or the techperson or something I can't
remember, but somebody, aregular service person, that
would come into the gas stationand I said which one is it?
Is it the one with?
I think something with a moleon his neck or something, I
(12:54):
don't know.
I don't remember what I said,um, but it was something about,
um, uh, a handsome one, and I Idon't remember what it was.
It's rash Wednesday or somethinglike that, something like that,
and I and, and that was the endof the scene.
And we did another scene in thein the show, but I don't
(13:16):
remember what it was, but I knowit was just kind of a tag and
um, uh, and then I was told thatI was being considered and they
would like me to come back inum, uh and do uh a call back.
Um, and I had come in, uh,cause everybody kind of went in
(13:40):
looking really shabby and theyasked they said you know it,
these people aren't shabby,they're just.
They just live in a smallertown.
And so they said, just comeback up, basically clean up a
little bit and then come in andreread.
And the um had of CTB at thattime had before I had read, he
(14:06):
had um, another actress that hadworked on one of their shows in
mind, and uh for Wanda, and sheapparently looked very similar
to uh Gabe who played Lacey.
And they said that it's too,you know, and um, and they were,
you know, like I think they didfor all of us.
(14:29):
They just they were.
The executive producers werereally really great about
sticking with who they reallywanted and um, so I came in and
read it again and waited aboutanother 10 days didn't hear a
thing.
And uh, then I got it and Ithink I think it was basically
10 days later.
I'm on a plane to Regina.
Aaron Pete (14:50):
What did you think of the character when you first
started preparing?
Nancy Robertson (14:56):
Um, kind of.
I kind of took it literally atfirst.
I took her to be kind of like.
Originally I kind of had her asum, she was smart and, um, more
normal than I, and then I thinkI kind of started moving her to
(15:19):
be, you know, juvenile in aarrogant way.
That makes sense.
Um, making her her.
You know her brain's a littleuh, obnoxious and um and
juvenile responses to Hank anduh and everybody.
(15:39):
And then the thing is too iswhen you start a series, the
beauty of it and it's such aprivilege.
As you get to, you grow, the,the, the actors and the writers
grow together because we all see, we see what we're given, as
you know, from the writing room,and they see what we're giving
you know the actors are giving,and then we grow, the characters
(15:59):
grow together and it's, it'sreally cool and it's uh, that's
the real blessing of a, you know, of a series, because you can
help grow and you can helpchange and everything, like if
it's a film or if you're just onas a guest star and stuff like
that, you've got one shot to.
You know, you know to to comeup with a character.
But with a series you can.
(16:20):
You can make the the charactergrow, so yeah, it was just a
really good time.
Aaron Pete (16:26):
I've I've spoken to Lauren and I've spoken to Brent,
and one of my question was didyou ever see it going the
direction it did when you've didthe first read, when you're
flying out to Regina?
Did you ever have any clue?
Nancy Robertson (16:39):
No, none at all .
Um, I know that we had a reallygood first table read through
with uh, with everybody.
Um, when everybody got outthere and we were all settled
into Regina and we had the bigread through and there was kind
of like a little bit of asilence after we read the the
first uh, first script, becauseyou normally read two scripts at
(17:00):
a time because we're shootingtwo at a time.
But after we read the first onethere was kind of like a oh,
this was fun and uh, andeverybody was enjoying each
other and uh, what they were,you know the read and and what
was coming out.
So that was really kind of nice.
And then I think I can'tremember how many episodes we
(17:21):
shot back then Um, I think itwas 10, and uh, and we were told
, um, by one of the executiveproducers, um, with a network
that you're going to have to get, you know, 500,000 viewers for
it to stay, and back then inCanadian television that was
(17:43):
pretty much unheard of, andwe're like whoa, uh-oh, and so
we didn't think of any, wedidn't think about it.
And then the, then the reviewsstarted coming out and they were
, they were really great.
And oh, I know, when I thoughtit might be good was when we saw
the promos and whoever did thepromos, and I forget they looked
different back then.
(18:03):
They were sharper, the imageswere sharper, it was, um, it
just kind of grabbed yourinterest and the and the twangy,
um background music that wentwith it.
It was like, oh, this lookslike a good show.
And then when we got the numbersfrom the first night that it
aired, we were like oh my God.
And then the next ones came inand, and at that point I mean we
(18:27):
never sunk below a millionviewers in the whole six season
and in fact, you know, it goteven bigger and um, and that
just wasn't happening.
We actually were, um, see, Ishouldn't have had tea, because
now I'm hyper.
The Big Bang Theory when thatcame out, um, they bumped us
(18:49):
behind it because it was a brandnew big US show and the ratings
weren't great for the Big BangTheater theory theory originally
.
So they put us back as a leadin to the Big Bang Theory and
then, of course, the Big BangTheory just blew everything up
literally and, um, their numberswere, were great.
So we were really lucky that wehad the audience that we did
(19:10):
back then, really really luckyand just so, and how they've
kind of kept with us, it's justbeen fantastic.
I don't, I don't know whatthat's about, but we'll take it.
Aaron Pete (19:21):
There's real loyalty there.
Yeah, when did you and Brentstart to work together?
When did you start to haveconversations?
When did the spark take place?
Nancy Robertson (19:29):
Oh, I'm not going to go into too much detail
about that.
But, um, by the end of theseason, and you know, at that
point you're thinking, well,this'll never go.
Anyways, We've all been.
You know, most things don't goagain, and especially if it's a
Canadian show, it doesn't.
You know, it's hard.
And so, um, we just clicked.
(19:52):
We liked the same things, weliked the same humor, uh, uh,
like the same films, Um, and itwas just the perfect time in our
our life to, to, to meet.
And when we wrapped, um, theseason one, uh, we, uh, we
(20:15):
started dating.
And, uh, I'm here in his garageright now, Years later so
Brilliant?
Aaron Pete (20:25):
And what were the next steps?
Were you guys excited, goinginto the future, of of what
things were going to take place?
Were you confident in seasontwo?
One season one wrapped.
Nancy Robertson (20:34):
Um, yeah, you know I I I don't remember
feeling confident, but I alsodon't remember feeling nervous
about this.
I think I was.
I think we were all reallyexcited to get back at it and so
thrilled we got.
You know that we're going backfor season two, um, with such
nice ratings and and uh, reviewsand everything, and um, and I
(20:58):
think you know there's always atrepidation because everything
gets measured from the first,and so, you know, I think once
we wrapped season two we werelike, oh, I hope it's people
enjoyed as much as he did seasonone.
Um, and there's been growth todifferent characters Um, suzanne
Boyce, who's so wonderful, shewas one of the heads of uh, uh
(21:23):
CTV and she called and me onetime at season one and she was
looking at some of the dailiesand she said that, uh, if
there's a season two, um, Iwould like to see more of your
character and I would like tosee more of uh, davis and Karen
the cops, and I thought, well,that would be lovely, but you
(21:46):
know it's a big cast.
So we all started to get to growa little bit and, uh, and that
was exciting, there was, youknow, more to do and um, yeah,
it just uh, it was fun, but Idon't re, I think, just always
being grateful that I was never.
I didn't really think about notgetting picked up when we went
(22:09):
into the second season becauseit was just all so much gravy
that, even if it didn't, what ariot we had, you know we broke
some rating records and uh, butthen we ended up going for six.
Aaron Pete (22:22):
That's such a healthy mindset and Brent shared
the same kind of sentimentsthat, like everything after that
, was kind of like just begrateful that you had this
opportunity and not setting toomuch expectations on things, and
maybe we get stuck as people inthe expectations to where are
we going rather than enjoyingthe ride.
Nancy Robertson (22:39):
Yeah, that's it , you know, and that's so true,
and it was kind of that becausewe really were enjoying the ride
and um and uh, and you know,you and, and as the seasons went
on, you had to kind of, youknow, by the time we got to like
, say, season five, it's kind oflike well, season four and five
, it was kind of like well, thisis the norm.
(23:00):
And that's where you got to becareful, because it's not the
norm, it can be taken away atany moment.
And um, so you, just, you know,as, the longer we were in it,
the more we just had to kind oflet go hey, we're really lucky.
I wouldn't say lucky, we're.
I'm just very grateful, youknow, I, I kind of don't know
(23:23):
about luck.
I think I think things happen,you know, um, that are meant to
happen, and I, uh, but um, justvery grateful because, like I
said, there's so many amazinglytalented people out there behind
and in front of the camera thatyou're just like, wow, you know
, why aren't you a bajillionaireand in everything?
Aaron Pete (23:48):
Oh, do you think that?
Do you think that there wassomething about all of you
having fun in the process?
That it wasn't just checking abox, it wasn't just doing a
scene?
It seemed like there wasgenuine chemistry there of
enjoying the process.
Nancy Robertson (24:01):
I think so.
I mean, in my opinion, I thinkwe all felt that.
I think that there waschemistry and there and there
was something to be said aboutbeing planted in Regina, um,
together.
You know, we lived in the samecondo building, we were driven
in the same vans to set.
For the first couple of years.
It was like you you that, Ithink, really assisted in it and
(24:23):
um and uh, and also the the themore popular it got, the more
we traveled together.
Because we were going to, youknow, we would be meeting in
Toronto for press, we'd be doingthings.
We went down to New York whenthe show was nominated for an
international Emmy.
So we were in New York togetherand you know, we've just spent
so much time together and, likeI said, living in the same condo
(24:46):
.
We're going out for dinner,we're going out to a Hanlon's
pub in Regina.
When we wrap on a Friday it'suh, it's pretty hard not to get
to.
You know, to feel really,really comfortable around your
classmates and like a family youknow, did you have a favorite?
Aaron Pete (25:05):
A favorite like moment has wanded.
Did you have a time where you,where it stood out to you?
Nancy Robertson (25:13):
Yeah, I think I really liked season five for
Wanda and I'm speaking selfishly, like for my character.
I felt that I I mean I had funwith her all seasons and we were
just blessed with these amazingwriters.
You know, brenton is crew andeverything, and but five.
(25:33):
I really liked it because shehad the contagious fortune, the
pink eye episode, buzz driverwhen Oscar is driving the bus
and Wanda is getting all woundup on the haywire juice and
there's another one I forgetwhere she's the bartender and
(25:55):
she ends up tearing Davis andKaren apart.
Yeah, I just thought that was areally good, you know, a really
good season for her.
And I have to say I think,shooting the, I can't pick a
favorite I I have a hard timewatching myself now and I don't
(26:15):
necessarily watch it when I goby.
I spend like maybe a minute onit because I'm so much younger.
Aaron Pete (26:24):
My favorite, I think is is buzz driver and for that
exact reason because I think asa young person, like we all,
have that experience where we'vehad way too much energy drink
and that was like such anaccurate representation of how
you feel when you're on it andto see some of the dramatic
moments was just kind of pulledeverything together.
Nancy Robertson (26:43):
Oh yeah, and it was fun because you know they
had me up on the roof of the gasstation and flipping down, you
know, below.
I was terrified of that.
It wasn't that high but I stillwasn't thrilled about it.
So I had, you know, I had Roger, I think, one of our crew,
holding onto my ankles, so Ididn't, you know, I didn't fall
off when I flipped down there,but it was no, it was, it was
(27:06):
fun.
I liked, yeah, there was somuch fun and you kind of
sometimes you forget it becauseyou know they're long hours and
and the weather, you know it'seither really really hot and and
so we're kind of you get, kindof, I know you can you got to
(27:27):
have to check yourself everyonce in a while and go.
You know there's other jobsthat you could be doing that
aren't so great, and this isreally great.
Aaron Pete (27:37):
So was that at all strange to be brought out to the
middle of nowhere to do some ofthese shots, in comparison to
being in Vancouver or doing someof the shots.
Nancy Robertson (27:47):
Um, yeah, I mean it, it was my first
location.
Uh, shoot, and it was kind ofodd and uh, because I'm used to
the water, being born and raisedin Vancouver, that to go out
somewhere where there's no water, you can't see it was a little
claustrophobic and uh, and thenI, you know, and I'd never been
(28:09):
there before, and um, and Iremember saying to somebody I
went I just know nothing about,you know Saskatchewan in general
, I don't have any connection toit, and then I had to stop and
go.
Yeah, I do.
My dad was born in Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, and then brought
when he was a young boy intoVancouver.
And uh, and my dad and mom andolder sister, I had to go out
(28:32):
before I was born because dadgot a job just outside in Regina
and my brother was born inRegina before I was born.
So I realized, yeah, so all themen in my life are from
Saskatchewan my brother, my dad,my husband.
Aaron Pete (28:49):
Is there a standout moment with the live show?
It's Stephen Harper, uh likethe morning news one.
Was there a standout moment toyou of the whole show?
That was somewhat unique.
Nancy Robertson (29:03):
Well, it was unique having, um, uh, stephen
Harper and Paul Martin and Paul,uh, I didn't.
I wasn't on set with PaulMartin, but I met him later that
evening and he was lovely andum, but when we were shooting,
um, uh, the one with, uh, uh,stephen Harper, we're pulling up
(29:24):
into this little dirt trianglethat was the, the corner gas set
, like it literally is in themiddle of nowhere and, um, and
it's just this gas station builtto, you know, to shoot in and
outside of.
But there was black limos allthe way down the dirt road,
security limos.
And that's just bizarre.
When you're pulling in at youknow six in the morning and you
(29:47):
still sleep, and then there'sall these limos there and then
standing outside, um, uh, mytrailer was a secret security uh
guy and he wouldn't look at me,and, uh, because he has to keep
his eye out.
So I remember going up to mytrailer, I said, oh, you know,
um, excuse me, but I actuallyhave to get in behind you.
(30:09):
This is my trailer.
And he said, all right, andthen I just leaned into him and
I went what are you looking at?
And he said pie shape, ma'am,pie shape.
And I said what do you mean hegoes.
We all take.
Every secret service persontakes their vision into a pie
shape and they're responsiblefor that piece of pie.
So if anything happens on theirwatch and that slice of pie
(30:32):
it's on them.
And uh, and so I went, oh, cool, so I went in and I got into my
wardrobe heading to, and I wasgetting out of my trailer and I
was just standing outsidetalking to somebody I don't know
who, and it was on my way tohair and makeup and I hear this
big tap on my back and I turnaround and it's just big hand
coming at me, going StephenHarper.
I went, oh hello, and I seethese piercing, um wolf-like
(30:57):
eyes.
And so that was, and that was,uh, that was my introduction to
Stephen Harper.
Aaron Pete (31:05):
And was that your favorite one?
Or, like Brent mentioned thetragically hip performing for
you guys almost privately.
Nancy Robertson (31:11):
Oh, that's, that's my favorite, and I think
it was.
I mean, we had everybody.
He probably told you thateverybody that wasn't working
that day just happened to turnup first thing in the morning.
So we shot part of that in thestudio in Regina and then we had
to go out and drive to Rolo todo the exterior, where we're
coming into the garage, and todo the turnaround, and uh, and
(31:37):
while we're all hanging out inthe studio waiting for things to
get going, they're just playing, they're just playing the
guitars, singing, just doingwhat they do, I guess, to make
themselves comfortable.
And they were all so great andso funny, and uh, and when we
were, we were separated into twovans, of course, the tragically
(31:57):
hip kind of one band, and thenBrent and, uh, I think it was
just maybe Fred and I in the vanheading out to where we're
doing the next shot for theexteriors with them, and I just
started talking to them on theradio, back and forth from one
band to the other, and uh,pretending that they couldn't
(32:19):
hear me and just saying, oh myGod, they're dreaming, oh the
stuff, so they're laughing.
And so they were great, theywere wonderful, it was, uh, it
was just so surreal because Iused to.
I had their CDs when CDs werethe thing.
I also had the CDs of the odds.
Like Craig Norley, he does allthe music, so it was just so
(32:39):
cool to meet these people andwork with them.
Um, if I you know who wouldhave thought when I was
listening to their CDs in mybeatbox that I'd be working with
them?
Aaron Pete (32:52):
Was it hard for season six to come and for that
chapter to come to a close?
Nancy Robertson (32:58):
Harder than I thought it was going to be.
Yeah, I think, um, uh, in insome ways it was time.
I think you know it was a longtime for a lot of people that
had families that were away,because, you know, we were gone
four and a half months at least,and I mean, as the series went
(33:21):
on, we got lots of flights homefor the weekends or whenever we
had days off during the shoot.
Uh, we would, you know, a lotof us would fly home, but a lot
of the people can't like a lotof the.
Um, the writers couldn't flyhome, uh, brent could never fly
home.
Um and um, it was just, it was.
(33:44):
I think it was the right time,you know, I mean there's a
financial end of it.
You know you think, oh well,you know, more money wouldn't
have been such a bad thing, butthat's not why you, you do it,
cause then it just gets all.
If that's what it's all about,then it's the charm and
everything goes.
So I think, I think it, I knowit ended when it should have
(34:06):
ended, but it still didn't makeit any easier when it was
happening and I think the but itdidn't really hit until we were
shooting the very last episodeand we shot it as the very last
episode because sometimes youdon't run them in sequence and
we did, and it was.
The Reader was pretty tough,the rap when you finished your
(34:31):
final scene, because all of uswere wrapped at a different
depending what scene you're in,we're at a different time.
Fred and I were wrappedtogether and yeah, it was.
It was very emotional, but itwas nice.
Aaron Pete (34:45):
Nice of the movie come back yeah.
Nancy Robertson (34:49):
I mean, I, I was surprised that that was even
going to be happening, like Ididn't know what I thought about
that.
I thought, oh, what's thisgoing to be like?
And back then five years seemedlike a long, long time.
But now, and I look back at it,it doesn't seem that it was
(35:10):
that far between wrapping theseries and the film, but I guess
it was.
It was timed pretty well, isthat, you know?
Not that I had anything to dowith that, but yeah it was.
Yeah, it was great and it wasso weird because we went back to
the same places where we usedto stay at the condo and it's
like we had never left and itwas bizarre.
(35:32):
It was like there wasn't a,there wasn't a beat, you know.
So that's kind of nice too,that it just all fell in
completely naturally.
It was fan home in a way.
Aaron Pete (35:44):
What was the big difference between the live show
and the animated show for you A?
Nancy Robertson (35:48):
big difference I.
The scripts were differentbecause you could go wider and
bigger.
Do you know what I mean?
So I felt that there was whichwas good, because we were, our
characters were different thanit, to a certain degree, a
(36:08):
little bit different than theywere on the live action, because
here we were animated and wecould get away with more things
and it was far less work for us,the actors.
I mean, we're so used toworking together that we would
(36:28):
just go in and record and out wewent, and so that was a
positive and a negative.
I missed being physically a partof it.
I felt that it was hard not to.
I mean, we would move ourbodies almost like we normally.
Would you know if we were doingthe live action?
(36:51):
But it's just, it's different,it's a whole different way of
acting.
So I found that, I found itmore convenient and I enjoyed it
, but I did miss the physicalpart of it of actually being
(37:12):
able to contribute, even thoughthey did copy our mannerisms
from the live action.
So it was, it was, it was agreat new experience.
I loved it.
I could have done we could havedone more of those, for sure,
but that, if I had to say.
There was one thing that wasstrange to me is that it's just
not being fully body-wanda.
Aaron Pete (37:36):
And that chemistry, I guess, would have lacked a
little bit more in that regardtoo, right.
Nancy Robertson (37:39):
Well, yeah, because we were separated a lot
of times because the in thesense that if you weren't in
some scenes you didn't come inat the same time.
So it's not as if we're hangingout in the makeup trailer and
we're seeing each other on setor anything before we're going
on the scenes and stuff likethat.
And then when the pandemic hit,we were all in different rooms
because we couldn't record inthe same room and so we're not
(38:03):
beside each other.
But our history together madethat a lot easier.
We're thankful for that,because we knew the beats and
the timing of all the othercharacters and everything and
it's.
And we didn't have Janet.
So that was different too,because we'd lost Janet and but
(38:25):
Kareen came in and she wasamazing.
But so those were differentthings.
You know it was, but it was funto do.
And we had great actors that doanimation, I think for the most
part, and they're so off-scaledand they were great.
Who played the townspeople,they were amazing.
Aaron Pete (38:45):
Lauren had talked about how one of his experiences
from like the impact of theshow that he got to see was that
he had spoken to some veteranswho were over in Afghanistan
that were getting rocketattacked and they had come to
him and said we were watchingcorner gas during a time where
we were scared for our lives andwe were just bunkered down.
Brent had talked about how heheard a lot that it was a
(39:06):
generational show wheredifferent people could watch it.
They could watch it with theirkids.
What were your big takeawaysfrom hearing from the public?
What was the response you gotin terms of the impact of corner
gas?
Nancy Robertson (39:18):
Just kindness, just genuine kindness, like it's
not.
You know, sometimes if you dosomething and somebody comes up
and goes, oh I saw you in thisgood job, or something like that
, and it's just kind of likeit's nice but it's not, you know
, it's just a nice comment, butthe one slip of the corner gas,
it was basically, I think, whenthey would see us.
(39:42):
I think we felt a bit like hometo them, because they always
said that they watched it withtheir family because they could,
and we had every demographic Imean, you can't get those
numbers without having everydemographic watching and, yeah,
it was just a kindness and awarmness.
I was never it never anythingnegative or sarcastic.
(40:05):
It was just you just felt.
You just felt really lucky tobe a part of something that is
part of these people's lives.
That brought them, you know,and still to this day brings
them comfort and and joy andeverything like how fortunate
are we to be in something likethat?
Because we weren't nice to eachother, the characters weren't
nice to each other.
(40:26):
It wasn't as if this was assweet as I think people think it
is.
It's just that the charactersbecause that's all they're, all
they had, it would basicallynobody else can make fun of you,
but we can.
We weren't a sucky group ofpeople Like do you know what I
mean?
We weren't.
It was just, I think, a nicestory about people knowing each
(40:48):
other too well in a small townexisting and nothing more than
that.
Aaron Pete (40:55):
I think one of my favorite parts about the show is
it reminds you to find beautyin the small moments, that small
, small things are really thebig things.
When we talk about wanting togo on a vacation to Mexico,
that's a week of your year ormaybe two weeks of your year,
but the reality is you want tofind beauty in the 365 days and
(41:15):
you want to find fun and joy andhumor and connection and you
want to be able to joke aroundwith people and not take things
too seriously and not getoffended by things and just have
fun around each other.
Nancy Robertson (41:27):
Yeah, and that's a safety If you're around
people that you're safe with,like these characters were safe
because where were they going togo?
And they found safety inknowing how, knowing each other
characters so well that nothingreally shocked them and nothing.
There was no damage doneBecause, like I said, they're in
the small town.
(41:48):
Where are they going to go?
If you disliked everybody thenyou wouldn't go out.
So, yeah, and I think there wasjust comfort in that, in over
familiarity, and we all have it,we all have it in our families,
we have it no matter where welive, where you work, and, yeah,
(42:14):
I think it was a nice littleslice of life and nothing
disastrous happened.
It was big problems made out oflittle things.
Aaron Pete (42:26):
One of my favorite things about how you portrayed
the character and, I think, yourgenuine energy is that you can
be serious, you can beintelligent, but you don't have
to be boring.
And as somebody who's gone tolaw school, who's gotten the
degrees, I find that people whogo to law school want to come
across intelligence, so much sothat I think they sacrifice
(42:47):
parts of their personality inorder to be perceived as the
profession.
And I never want to become that.
I always want to do my best tobe intelligent or think things
through, but to be fun andlighthearted, but still to be
lighthearted and not to takemyself too seriously, and I
found that, wanda, and how youportray yourself is so
thoughtful to that.
(43:08):
You can be smart, you can thinkthings through, but you can
also be fun and silly, and thatdoesn't take away from who you
are.
It actually enriches who youare.
Nancy Robertson (43:17):
Well, that's lovely to say.
Yeah, I wanted her to have aweakness and in not having power
with her, that her power, herintelligence or the intelligence
that she thought she had,wasn't the power she thinks it
(43:39):
is.
And you could always get her.
Hank could always get her, andI think I'm not sure, I think
the first time Wanda jumps overthe counter I'm not so sure, but
I think that was improvised andchased him out of the gas
(44:00):
station and because he just getsto her and like a sibling, and
so we were given opportunity todo things and I mean, well, it's
your job, it's actually it's asmart thing to do and I think
that's what you is to.
We helped mold what they wereby dropping little things in,
(44:28):
and then the writers were sogreat, then they'd pop a little,
pop a little bit more onto itand then you take it and it's
like it's such a greatcollaboration.
So, yeah, I, I like playingWanda.
Aaron Pete (44:44):
We have to get down to the crux of the issue, though
You're one of the only people Iknow who can cut somebody's
hair and blow up so much onYouTube.
Would you mind telling me aboutcutting Brent's hair and how
viral that video went for for areason I didn't?
Nancy Robertson (45:02):
want to do it.
I said, no, I'm not.
First of all, hey, I'm notcutting your hair and B, I don't
want to do it, I don't want todo this.
But he talked me into it and Ididn't know it was that popular,
to tell you the truth.
So that's interesting.
Aaron Pete (45:21):
But I, no, no, no.
I think it's got like over20,000 views at least.
Nancy Robertson (45:26):
Yeah, oh really , oh, that's so funny.
No, I don't I, but it was funand and I did cut his hair and I
didn't do a good job, and but Itold him that was probably
what's going to happen.
So, but you know, it was such aweird time as COVID, wasn't it?
And it's like you, just it was,you know, maybe one of the
(45:50):
reasons I did it.
You know that we did it is justsome way to be creative and
perform when we can't, you know.
So it was such a weird time,you know, I don't, I don't know
if we've ever still fullyrecovered from it while it's
still going on, but, yeah, weird.
Aaron Pete (46:12):
Have you thought about what next steps you want
for your career?
I do find that you and Brentwatching that video is so funny
that you guys still have adynamic.
Do you have any plans in thefuture?
Nancy Robertson (46:24):
No, I mean not at this point, no, I think.
I mean I like to do, we bothlike to do separate things, and
because that's kind of what wedo.
You know so.
(46:48):
But I mean who knows?
I mean there's certainlynothing in the plans right now,
but I mean never see, never, Idon't know.
I don't know what my next gigis at any point in time, you
know so, which is maybe it'sgood and bad.
You know, it's always feast orfamine.
Aaron Pete (47:10):
Do you have any advice for young creators on how
to get their message out andhow to stay authentic in a time
where I do see so many peopletrying to figure out how to fit
into niches and into otherpeople's boxes, how to stay
authentic and continue to sharetheir gifts?
Nancy Robertson (47:28):
You mean in the industry or just in life?
Just in life, well, I don'tknow.
You see, because it's hard tosay that, because I think it
also depends on what age you'reat.
I think at certain ages, whenyou're younger, I mean that's
part of the thing is wanting tofit in, but when you get older,
you look back at it and you go,well, that's not necessarily the
(47:48):
coolest place to be.
You know, like being who youare is the best you can be, and
because who you are is great,and I think when you try really
hard to be something else, thatyou're not, you're not happy.
And I think sometimes, maybethat brings out behavior in
(48:13):
people that stops them fromgoing forward and stops them
from finding their people.
But you don't know until youget older and you know that's a
good thing.
Well, there's lots of goodthings about getting older, but
I, yeah, I mean who you are,there's only one of you.
(48:36):
There's only one of you.
So, just by that math, you'reincredible and you're unique and
you know.
Yes, you pick up things just byyour environment, but I think
you're also born a certain wayand there's all these things,
there's these chemicals, there'sthese genes, these experiences,
(48:58):
everything that everybody goesthrough is solely their own, so
you're all you got.
Have some fun with yourself.
That doesn't sound right, butyou know what I mean.
Just enjoy yourself as you are.
And I know that that's hard,because it's hard, I mean, we're
(49:18):
all tough on ourselves.
But if you can step back andlook at it, I think, yeah,
you're great just as you are,because you you're you and
nobody is like you.
Aaron Pete (49:28):
That is an apt observation, I don't know about
that.
Thank you, that was really wellsaid.
Nancy, I want to thank you fordoing this.
I watched Corner Gas as a kid.
I used to use it to go to sleepat night I would have it on the
background and so I am astudent of the work that you all
put into that show.
I am so grateful for all of theinsights you shared and, again,
(49:52):
for me, I always look at thatshow and go.
It's okay to be silly, it's okayto be serious, but it's okay to
be fun and easygoing and make ajoke of yourself at times.
You don't have to take yourselftoo seriously.
You're not defined by thesilliest thing you did.
You're not defined by the mostprofessional thing you did.
You're a dynamic person andyou're going to have different
vibes and different moments, andyou should share all of
(50:12):
yourself with the world, becausethat's what's going to lift
others up to allow them to dothe same.
Corner Gas is a reflection ofthat.
So thank you for being willingto do this interview and share
your journey.
Nancy Robertson (50:22):
Well, it's such an honor to have you, you know,
to have to have been a part ofyour life, and that's so
wonderful.
And look how wonderful youturned out, see.
I don't know about all that,yeah no, and this is, and so I'm
honored to be a part of yourpodcast.
This is so great.
Thank you so much.
Aaron Pete (50:37):
Brilliant Tim.
How did we do Fabulous?
I'm just listening and smilingear to ear.
It's been great.
Nancy Robertson (50:47):
Well, thank you so much and I'm so sorry about
the other day.
I am the worst.
My agent is just gets sucked.
I frustrate him to no end.
I frustrate all my friends fromno end because I am so
forgetful.
I'm just yeah and I apologizeso much, so I'm so sorry about
(51:11):
that.
Aaron Pete (51:11):
You were very much worth the wait.
This was a fantastic interviewand, as I said, you bring such
an authentic energy to theconversation that it feels I
don't know breezy it feels easygoing.
Sometimes people are reallyserious when they're on the
other side of the camera andthis was just so much fun.
Nancy Robertson (51:26):
Oh good, I had.
I enjoyed myself too.
So have you got Fred on yet?
Aaron Pete (51:32):
I haven't got Fred on and I haven't had my
apologies, oscar, on either.
Nancy Robertson (51:37):
Oh, Eric.
Aaron Pete (51:38):
Yes, eric.
Well, both of those guys, youknow they're fantastic, they're
all, they're all everybody'sfantastic You're all so sneaky
on social media though, liketrying to find like I tried to
find you on Instagram, twitter,and then I reached out.
I figured out how to reach outto your agent and then I reached
out through that means, butit's hard to find some people on
(52:00):
how to contact them.
Nancy Robertson (52:02):
Yeah, cause.
Yeah, what is Fred's?
Aaron Pete (52:06):
Fred doesn't do a lot of social media, but no,
that's not true, I think it'slike you can have social media,
but you can also have it turnedoff, so people can't contact you
.
Nancy Robertson (52:20):
Oh, I don't know that he does that.
I don't I.
I don't.
I just don't remember what hishis tag is, but he does have.
He is on Instagram.
He went off Twitter andInstagram for a long time and
then came back on it.
Eric is not on any of it, Iknow he's not, but I know he's
(52:43):
with characters in.
I think he's with characters inToronto and Fred is with I
think he's with Murray at RedTalent.
I'm pretty sure.
But but I'm sure Fred, I'm sureboth of them would be very
(53:10):
happy to do this Brilliant.
So I'm just trying to think,yeah, I wish I, if I had my
phone here, I could give you hisyou know what.
Maybe see if I can find it Nowthat I've got your email, I'll
see if I can get there.
I can get Fred's for you Likehis.
Instagram or whatever.
Yeah.
So and then for Eric.
(53:33):
I think characters in inToronto.
Aaron Pete (53:37):
That would be fantastic.
Again, thank you so much forbeing willing to do this.
I really appreciate it.
It sounds like it was a littlebit of work getting the studio
all prepared, but I appreciateit.
Nancy Robertson (53:44):
This is because I'm a leadite.
I'm just useless.
I just I'm horrible at thisstuff and I get I had to do my
taxes this this week and all Iwas just miserable because it
all on the computer, everythingI'm I don't, yeah, I yeah.
I hope there's not anapocalypse because I wouldn't do
very well.
Aaron Pete (54:06):
It sounds like everything would go back to
normal for you.
Yeah that's right.
That's right.
There wouldn't be anyelectronics, so you'd be good to
go.
Nancy Robertson (54:13):
I would be good .
Hey, that's who you follow onthe apocalypse, then Be me
Exactly.
Aaron Pete (54:19):
Yeah.
Nancy Robertson (54:21):
Well, thank you both so much and and I'll see
if I can get his Instagram notto you Find out, because I don't
remember what his label is.
Aaron Pete (54:30):
Sounds good.
I will go looking for it and Ican follow up with you.
Thank you so much again.
Nancy Robertson (54:34):
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, bye, bye.
Oh, now I got to do this, gotit?
Nope, you're back.
Aaron Pete (54:56):
It was fun, that was fun.
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