Tracey Ullman’s new HBO sketch-comedy show, “Tracey Ullman’s Show,” is a master class in impersonation, and so is the woman herself.
During a recent conversation with writer Patty Marx at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, she reeled off over 20 impersonations in the course of a solid hour. At age 56, it is clear that Ullman is in no way slowing down, and she insisted that she will be doing this for years to come — well into her 80s.
Ullman is no stranger to TV. Her first sketch series, “The Tracey Ullman Show,” debuted on Fox in 1987. Over the next three decades, she created a string of successful programs in the genre, including “Tracey Takes On…” (HBO, 1996–99) and “Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union” (Showtime, 2008–10). She also helped launch a little show called “The Simpsons.” She has won seven Emmys, a Golden Globe, a SAG award, 12 American Comedy Awards, and countless other honors. She also had a successful, but short-lived music career in the ’80s.
In “Tracey Ullman’s Show,” which originally aired on the BBC in the UK earlier this year, Ullman mimics numerous British celebrity personalities such as Dame Maggie Smith auditioning for sci-fi movies, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall taking care of grandchildren, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a gossip-obsessed sex bomb, as well as many quirky commoners. It’s her first British TV series since 1985’s “Girls on Top” with Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, and Ruby Wax and her biggest project since the death of her husband of 30 years, Allan McKeown, in 2014. In a sense, she is returning to her roots.
Asked about Dame Judi Dench’s thoughts on Ullman’s eerily perfect portrayal of her as a kleptomaniac despite her position as the UK’s national treasure, Ullman said she holds no grudges. “She accepted an award recently and said ‘I’m Tracey Ullman,’” she said. “Then she left a couple of meetings and pretended to steal stuff. She’s been fantastic about it.” On playing Merkel: “I really admire her as a politician. They put my portrayal of her on the German news, so I know she’s seen it, which is so strange.”
About impersonations, Ullman says she’s been doing them forever. She used to impersonate everyone in the English village she grew up in. “All my characters have endearing qualities. I love being anyone but me,” the 56-year old said. “I love transforming.” She studies people and feels she can play anyone but thinks that Kate McKinnon is doing a more phenomenal job interpreting Hillary Clinton than she could possibly do.
On being a woman in Hollywood, Ullman admits that television is her favorite medium. “It’s for gals particularly. It’s where we have more control. Girls are having a great time of it. I really appreciate Tina Fey and Amy Poehler,” she told the audience. Her main influences come from TV — Gilda Radner, Lily Tomlin, and Carol Burnett.
“When I first come to America, James Brooks told me I must learn about TV,” she recalled. “So I went to the wonderful American Television Museum on 5th Avenue. I was pregnant with Mabel and just sat and watched everything with my snacks. I realize what we stole from you and you stole from us. We didn’t have as many great women on TV as you did. A woman hadn’t even read the news on TV yet.”
“Tracey Ullman’s Show” will have a six-episode run and premieres Friday, October 28 at 11pm EST on HBO.
