NetflixEllie Kemper has a surefire way to make sure she snatches up an Emmy nomination for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season two: Get super serious.
Kemper debuted her new temperament on The Late Late Show with James Corden, particularly when she delivered the premise of the show straight-faced, not even cracking a smile. It's dark, guys. "James, the show is about—it's a comedy about a young woman who was kidnapped and held underground in a doomsday cult for 15 years and is giving a new try at life after being released and she's starting over in New York City. That's what the show's about. It's very funny," she said.
It's all for the awards.
"I've been doing a lot of press for the show and a lot of people have been asking me, ‘Are you as cheerful and sunny in real life as the character you play," she said. "And I, like a rube, have been saying, ‘Yes, I am like that in real life.' Now how am I going to win any acting awards if I just say, ‘Oh, I'm playing myself,' so I decided to start acting a little more serious in real life."
But in real life, Kemper is pretty darn cheerful. In fact, in the video below, her costar Tituss Burgess told us she brings a lot of happiness to his life.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season two is now streaming on Netflix.