In the Original Movie Recipe for a Perfect Christmas, Christine Baranski plays Lee, a zany, diva mom with a knack for adding a little spice to the holiday season. In real life, this spirited actress and mom knows how to dance up a storm, handle holiday mishaps and whip up a traditional Polish feast for the family!
Lifetime: Are there any similarities between you and your character Lee in this film?
Baranski: I thought she was very close to my own personality. Usually I play women who are more cold and sophisticated. Playing Lee, I got to release my own sense of humor and show more of my warmth and a feeling of sexiness. It was really liberating and fun!
Lifetime: In the movie, you’re a former dancer. How’s your footwork in real life?
Baranski: I studied ballet for years when I was a kid. I also did tap and modern dance, but stopped when I went to drama school at Juilliard. The funny thing is, I wanted to get back into ballroom dancing and then I got “Recipe for a Perfect Christmas,” where I had to quickly learn salsa. This was also great training because I’m preparing to do a musical in the spring at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Lifetime: What was the most fun about making this movie?
Baranski: This role came at a good time in my life. I had just sent my youngest daughter off to college the week before I started shooting. The mother-daughter story was very close to my heart. Also, the dynamic of my character’s complicated relationship with her child was really interesting to explore.
Lifetime: How do you keep from getting crazy during the holidays?
Baranski: Christmas is always stressful. I think it’s rather like preparing for a Broadway show–there’s something of a production about it. But over the years my family has gotten smaller and now I keep it really simple. I concentrate on Christmas Eve and just try to make it cozy for my kids and family.
Lifetime: Any special festive recipes that you look forward to eating?
Baranski: We have a very traditional Christmas feast. The Polish mushroom soup is the big thing. My mother always made that; it was very special for her. She even showed me how to make it, and I taught my daughters as well.
Lifetime: What is the funniest holiday disaster you’ve ever experienced?
Baranski: A few years ago my mother made her famous soup for Christmas. When she took it out of the refrigerator, she ended up spilling most of it on the floor. So we scraped it up, put it back in the pot and Mom said, “Just don’t tell anybody.” We just ate that soup like nothing had ever happened.
Lifetime: What projects do you have coming up?
Baranski: I just finished doing a really wonderful independent feature, with Jessica Lange,Kathy Bates and Joan Allen, called Bonneville. And I also have a recurring role on the TV show Ghost Whisperer.
Related Links:
A Girl’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays
Carly Pope Dishes About Her Recipe for the Perfect Holiday.
