Prime Video In deference to her laugh-aloud episodes that took place in the Catskills in Season 2, Susie pretended to be a plumber at the resort in order to help Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s comedy career and walked the grounds toting a toilet plunger. These memorable classic comedy moments have had a lingering effect on Borstein, who has won two Emmy Awards for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and made her mark as a voice actor in Family Guy. She was recently nominated for another Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, one of 12 recent Emmy noms for the series. “When I do stand up I would see people show up with plungers for me to sign,” Borstein exclusively tells Parade.com. “I would always ask, ‘Is that new? I hope that that is not a used plunger you brought to my show?’ Nine times out of 10 they were new.” Season 5, the upcoming and final season of Mrs. Maisel, returned to production in early February and Prime Video has not announced its release date. Although fans are impatiently waiting, Borstein says some things—like creativity and artistry—cannot be rushed. “I would much rather have an incredible meal with a perfect morsel of steak than a 20-pound side of beef that sucks,” Borstein explains. “In my opinion, what [creator-writer-director] Amy Sherman-Palladino is delivering is a perfect filet, I prefer quality over quantity and you need to take as long as you need to get it right. Why rush?” Read on for Borstein’s favorite aspects of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, thoughts on saying goodbye to Susie and the cast and crew after Season 5, and why she would follow show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino anywhere.
As Season 5 is being created, everybody has this theory about what they want their favorite characters to do and be. What are your ideas about the lovable curmudgeon, Susie Myerson, the devoted manager of Mrs. Maisel, who is played by Rachel Brosnahan?
Alex Borstein: I’m torn about Susie. I want her to find success in a lot of ways, but I also like when she’s desperate. She’s so much fun when she’s desperate and scared. That’s kind of my favorite. Maybe that’s just my favorite thing to perform. But, yes, I want to see her have success, but I don’t want to see her get lazy or too comfortable.
Is success changing her now that she has these other clients and she’s not as dependent on Midge?
I think it’s changing her, but she’s also scattered, and she has a hard time sometimes handling it all. She doesn’t really know what she’s doing. She’s bitten off a little bit more than she can chew and is just scrambling constantly.
Please tell readers who wanted more than eight episodes, who want it tomorrow instead of later this year or in 2023, why they should be patient or watch Season 4 again?
I’ll tell them what I tell my kids: “You get what you get and you don’t get upset.”
From a pivotal moment in Season 4, don’t you think that Midge could have opened for Tony Bennett? How do you turn down Tony Bennett?
Right? Well, I’ve said before that it’s a huge mistake in some ways. But in other ways for Midge as a performer and as a woman in that time to have the wherewithal, the presence, and the confidence to say no is kind of remarkable. It’s kind of a testament to who she is. What would an opening for Tony Bennett have been? She would have been recognizable in name and that would have lifted her up, but I don’t think it would have led to her headlining. I’m not sure that it would have done exactly what Susie thought it would have done, so maybe Midge was right.
I thought maybe something could get rid of the bad taste for Shy Baldwin’s thwarted tour. I think we were all devastated when Susie and Midge were left on that tarmac at the end of Season 3.
Yes, but it may have relegated her to being a token, kind of like maybe every performer now wants the funny, dirty girl to open for them and that’s all she may have become. Who knows?
Overall, how is Season 5 different or the same so far?
It’s different in the sense that Susie’s expanding her clientele. Her confidence is getting greater, but her mistakes are also getting bigger. Everything gets a little bigger. Both of our waistlines as actresses! Other than that? I think we have to exist in separate plains now, too, quite a bit. As Midge achieves some new opportunities Susie can’t be there by her side all the time holding her hand.
Does that put tension in the Lucy-Ethel buddy-ness of their dynamic?
There are definitely differences. There are new people and new characters that come into both of our lives that we then have some great scenes with and great opportunities to have new chemistries. But, no, of course, Midge and Susie are always going to have that Mary-Rhoda or Lucy-Ethel thing.
Do you and Rachel Brosnahan ever get down time to have a cup of coffee or lunch? Or chit-chat?
This season we have had exactly one night out for drinks and a nice meal. That’s it. Both of us, if you have a 6 a.m. pickup time and you finish at 8 p.m. the night before you can’t really do much. But we have so much time on the set. Between scenes, we’re hanging out, chit-chatting and gossiping.
You and Rachel grew up very near each other in the Chicago suburbs. Do you think you two would have ever met there?
Well, I’m about three times her age. But, other than that yes, we probably would have been in the same circles in some way. Yeah, Highland Park is the hospital I was born and raised in Deerfield. I think she was from Highland Park. So, we probably would have ended up in the same world, I imagine. I started at a private Jewish day school there, so it probably would have been junior high and high school. Maybe we would have crossed paths in the drama department as theater nerds. It was kind of bizarre when we found that out. I thought it was a strange connection.
Do you think about the ending, that it’s going to be over after Season 5, whenever it streams?
Yes, it’s hard to imagine. You think you understand it and know what’s coming, but I know it will be somewhat devastating when it actually happens to not see all of these people again. I’m dying to know what happens with the characters and the story. I don’t know anything. People are always like, “I know you can’t tell me spoilers.” No, I can’t tell you because I don’t know much of anything. Prime Video
If there was a Maisel sequel, movie, or something else, would you do it?
Anything Amy does and asks me to do I would do. I think she’s brilliant. I think, first of all, she’s wonderful to work with. She’s extremely loyal. She has an absolute vision of what she wants from beginning to end. As soon as the pen hits paper she knows how it’s going to be shot and she knows the music she wants playing when it’s shot. It’s just the complete deal, she’s truly an artist. I trust her!
Tell me about your recent charitable efforts?
Definitely. It’s all about empowering women in hope and security through work. The new nonprofit is called Mission Ukrainian Moms. A friend of mine, Marina, is of Russian-Ukrainian descent and has been in Barcelona forever. She started seeing the influx of women coming into the city with children and having absolutely no idea what the next step would be for them. She’s a headhunter by profession who immediately started finding out who can speak English, who can speak Spanish, and how she can help them with job opportunities. She started realizing that many of these women are artists who create amazing things. There are painters, textile makers, and glass makers—their work is truly beautiful. These are not hobbyists, but incredibly talented artists.
What was the next step?
We started fundraising to help get these women the materials they need to start creating their art and selling their art. The way they make these pieces is extraordinary. We have table linens, stamped bags, and clothing, and we realized these are trainable skills. One artist can train other artists. So, we are starting little workshops, where these women can learn this trade, work, earn a living, and then during lunchtimes start learning English or Spanish. These women don’t want handouts; they want a livelihood. They want to be able to take care of themselves and their kids. We are a very small group, which is I think why it works because we’re hands-on and one-by-one are able to get these women working.
Are you still involved in raising awareness for hemophilia?
Yes, I am involved in the National Hemophilia Foundation, and I am hoping we’re going to do a nice tie-in with Mission Ukrainian Moms.
Did you move back to New York from Spain?
Yes. You know, COVID created all-new paths. We made ourselves okay with whatever. I wanted to be closer to my parents and they were back in the States so we decided let’s come back. At the time when we were going to start shooting this Maisel business again, I was afraid if I left the country, what was going to happen? So, it just made sense to get back to the States and see what happens.
I remember you made a lot of pancakes during the pandemic lockdown.
I did. What I make well is chocolate chip pancakes. I don’t cook much. I do matzah ball soup, chocolate chip pancakes and a jar of Nutella, and a spoon. I’m really good with that.
How do you think Mrs. Maisel changed your career trajectory and personal life?
I really started noticing when I got to New York in February to start filming that the recognition on the streets was a lot more than it had been before this.
Do the fans call you Susie or Alex?
There’s just a lot of people walking by double-takes, but you know what just happened and it’s like, “Why are they looking?” And I remember, “Oh, right.” The masks were also helpful for a long time, so you didn’t get recognized.
Are they surprised when you’re dressed up?
As a female? Yes. It’s fun to go to some of our events and get to the press line and they’re like, “I’m sorry, who are you?” I’m on the show. It’s kind of fun. Rachel and I tend to swap. She does a lot of suits and likes to have her hair slicked back, and I end up usually vintage girly things. I think everyone wants a break from what they’re doing all week.
Susie gets to say what everybody’s kind of thinking in the show. They give her that license. Like when Midge is sobbing over her ex-father-in-law dying and Susie says, “He’s your ex-father-in-law, we have to put this in perspective.”
I think in that way I’m similar to Susie. For a long time, I haven’t had a good edit button, I just say way too much. My mother is the same way and my grandmother was the same way. They saw honesty as the number one virtue and they saw it as being helpful. I’m learning, slowly, but, yes, that was something that was very easy for me to do as Susie.
What did this show teach you about life, acting, or anything else?
I think it taught me the same way we talked about why only eight or nine episodes a season, less can be more. The amount of focus it takes. I think it taught me a lot about focus, and how much you have to really, really focus to get something right. There are a lot of things that I had before done not half-assed but just not really – this show’s forced me to be so much stricter with myself.
Do you know what you want to do when Maisel’s over? Besides sleeping in?
Sleep! Yes. I have a feature that I’ve written. I’m trying to put it together to be able to get made and direct it. I’ve got this little book project that I’m very far behind on. There’s a little animated thing. There’s lots of stuff, but who knows what your readers will ever see the way this business works. I’m lucky; I feel like Maisel has afforded me the opportunity to even try these things. Prime Video
I feel like one of the reasons the show resonates is that you’re following people who are finding their voice at a time when women didn’t have voices or opinions or in Season 4 couldn’t get credit to buy milk for the kids. So what does that mean to you?
I think it’s maybe more accurate that it’s about these two not finding their voice but figuring out how to use it to get what they want. I think these two women have always had a pretty distinct voice. That’s why Midge is special; that’s what Susie initially saw. She had a voice and Susie had to figure out how to amplify it. I think just roles be damned, they didn’t fit into what the normal box was and miraculously they found each other. Really that’s the central love story of the show, is that these two women found each other, these misfits. Even though Midge appeared to fit in and fit the role perfectly she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She couldn’t, she didn’t. That has been my favorite part of doing this show and doing this part, is not being a typical anything, ever.
I believe that people who watch the show who have dreams and who might think outside the box are saying, “Wow, this is validating for me. It’s okay to fail, it’s okay to have a misstep but I can go back and try, try again.” It’s really about role models, too.
Yes, and the mistakes become your material. Especially in the world of comedy, the mistakes sometimes help create what you’re going to become known for. It’s about not finding your voice but carving out space for yourself and taking the space you deserve. Seasons 1-4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel stream on Prime Video. Next, for more check out 19 of the best quotes from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel about life, love and being a woman.
