August 12, 2019
Press Releases

In Emmy Magazine "Carol's Second Act" Actress Patricia Heaton Talks Putting Wisdom of Her Years to Work

After more than two decades as a television wife and mother on two iconic television comedies, Patricia Heaton has taken on a new challenge in the role of a woman pursuing the career of her dreams. The Emmy-winning actress talks with emmy about her personal connection to her character in the new CBS series Carol's Second Act, premiering in September.

The award-winning official publication of the Television Academy hits newsstands Aug. 9.

Following a nine-season run on the ABC comedy The Middle — on the back of nine years on CBS's Everybody Loves Raymond — Heaton felt strongly that she "just couldn't do another mom." An empty nester with four sons now out in the world, the actress asked herself the timeless questions, "What is my identity? What's my purpose in life?" That search led her to try painting, take up golf and volunteer for the humanitarian aid organization World Vision.

It was ultimately the role of Carol Kenney, a 50-year-old divorced mother who follows her dream of becoming a doctor in Carol's Second Act, that brought her back to acting. It was the perfect fit for what Heaton was experiencing in her own life. "What we're talking about is: What's that thing you're going to do when you've done the things you were supposed to do?" says Heaton. "You got married. You had a career. You had kids. But what's the next thing?"

In emmy cover story "Look at Her Now," Heaton shares her deep connection to the new role: "I feel like, at age 61, I have more opportunities now than I've ever had." Costar Kyle MacLachlan says, "It feels like she's very invested in this. She seems to be part of what the character is. She believes in who she is but is not without insecurities."
 
Heaton believes the show will resonate with viewers and the character offers a platform "...to give older people encouragement that their wisdom and experience are valuable and that they can be contributing to their community." The actress says that she has never regretted taking chances in her own life. "I'd rather have been unsuccessful but still trying, rather than just grabbing on to some kind of security — because in the end I knew there was no security."

Additional feature highlights from the new issue include:

  • In "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," emmy talks with five-time Emmy-winning documentarian Ken Burns about the unique challenges in capturing the history of country music and the time and depth it took to tell its story.
  • The Netflix series Peaky Blinders has grown in popularity, attracting such celebrated fans as Julia Roberts and Snoop Dogg, and such big-name costars as Tom Hardy. In "Tip o' the Cap," emmy explores the story behind the British crime drama's success.
  • Students at Chapman University in Southern California were tasked with the challenge of writing a spec script for the spy thriller Killing Eve. In "The Writing Life," emmy shares some of the creative results and talks about the professor who inspired them.


About emmy
Emmy, the official publication of the Television Academy, goes behind the scenes of the industry for a unique insider's view. It showcases the scope of television and profiles the people who make TV happen, from the stars of top shows to the pros behind the cameras, covering programming trends and advances in technology. Honored consistently for excellence, emmy is a six-time Maggie Award winner as Best Trade Publication in Communications or the Arts and has collected 52 Maggies from the Western Publishing Association. Emmy is available on selected newsstands and at TelevisionAcademy.com for single print and digital copies as well as subscriptions.

Download the press release here.

For issue/coverage contacts:
Carla Schalman
carla@breakwhitelight.com
310.827.3169

Stephanie Goodell
stephanie@breakwhitelight.com
818.462.1150

breakwhitelight for the Television Academy

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