Holland Taylor Plays Former Texas Governor Ann Richards on PBS

TV audiences have known Holland Taylor for years thanks to Bosom Buddies, The Practice and Two and a Half Men, to name a few of her signature roles.

The Emmy-winning actress, who has been quarantining at home with actress girlfriend Sarah Paulson, is back on TV this week — starring as legendary Texas Governor Ann Richards in Great Performances: Ann, premiering at 9 p.m. ET Friday, June 19, on PBS.

AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Join Now

What would Ann Richards say about the social unrest going on across the country?

I got to know her so well through pretty ardent and fervent research that I could think about what she would say in many situations. But in a situation like this, I wouldn’t. It’s too serious. But I’ll tell you one thing, she believed in moving forward and progress.

Would she be disappointed that we still don’t have a female president?

Profoundly. I know she expected to have one in her lifetime and her life was cut off short by any standard [she died in 2006 at 73]. I think actually had she been 50 when she left office, she would have been our first female president because she unquestionably had all the big qualities that would be necessary for a captivating leader.

How do you prepare to be Ann Richards?

I’m not terribly woo-woo about acting. It is an illusion. I know her well because I studied her in many different ways: both her written words and speeches. But also, I got to know about 80 people who were connected to her and some of them very well. So I had firsthand accounts of what she was like and I must have 250 hours of film of her from the archive. If you watch a person closely, you can sort of get into their space. I don’t ever lose myself as an actor. I’m not that kind of actor. I emotionally and creatively get into a place where my craft allows me to behave in a way to seem to be a person. It’s always a created effort. It’s not a psychological trick.