Marsha Mason: The Goodbye Girl Says Hello and Shares Her Story

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EPISODE SUMMARY:

With four Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globes, and a career full of memorable and iconic roles, Marsha Mason is a woman whose talent and drive has given her a permanent place in Hollywood. In today’s episode, we sat down with Marsha to discuss her extensive career in both acting as well as farming and race car driving. We first asked Marsha about her current endeavors, which involve streaming during the pandemic. Marsha explained to us that she started doing virtual theater as a way to fuel her creativity during quarantine, and that learning all the “lingo” was a worthwhile challenge. We then asked about Marsha’s experience on the Netflix series Grace and Frankie. She told us that, while the last season has yet to start filming due to the pandemic, her experience on set has been wonderful. She said that Lily and Jane create a positive and welcoming environment and that she enjoyed all the times she was working there.

Marsha shared her journey from theater to film and how initially she’d started in theater and loved it. When the industry began changing in the 80s, Marsha began working more on films, though she still worked in the theater. When asked whether she prefers film or theater, she said she loves both, but that theater holds a special place in her heart due to the interesting roles provided. Marsha then told us how she first fell in love with acting during high school, when her school would put on shows. She was cast to play a jack-in-the-box for one show, and after popping up and seeing children laughing in the audience, she knew she had to keep pursuing acting. When asked about the pressure of awards, she explained that she didn’t feel that much pressure winning awards during her rise to fame in the 70s. However, she did tell us that she was unprepared for the sudden attention she got after she got nominated for an Academy Award for her film Goodbye Girl. We asked about Marsha’s marriages, and she told us she and her first husband met her first day in New York. They stayed friends even after splitting up, and unfortunately, he has since passed away.

For her marriage to Neil Simon, Marsha told us that working with her husband was easier than some people may have thought. They both respected each other’s talents and had a great professional relationship. Even after divorcing, Marsha performed in one of Neil’s plays. She then spoke to us about the film Goodbye Girl, and how originally, it was roughly based on Dustin Hoffman’s breakthrough in his career. However, after filming started, Neil Simon realized that viewers did not want to watch successful people but rather to root the underdog, and he created Goodbye Girl. For Marsha’s move to starting organic farm, she spoke about how the choice first came about when a friend found a house for her in New Mexico. After moving and seeing the land, Marsha bought 250 acres and began learning about farming. She started by growing medicinal herbs, and after coming up with herbal remedies for herself, began selling those remedies and starting a company called Resting in the River”. She sold the land in 2014 and it is still being used as farmland.

When asked about her race car driving career, Marsha told a story of how she first got the idea on a flight from New York to LA. She saw Paul Newman on the flight, and he told her he was racing in LA. She followed him to the tracks, and after that, started traveling for racing when she wasn’t working. She raced for seven years and even went to school for racing before retiring. We then asked Marsha knew when to follow or change paths, and she told us that her choices come from a practical perspective. For her, she considers finances, age, and what catches her interest. For her acting career, she told us about how the industry changed when she returned. Compared to the 70s, the industry is now run by corporations rather than studios and there are a lot more technological advances with many projects being digitalized. Marsha then told us about her current acting classes. They’re available on zoom, and she has students from all over the world attending. Finally, we asked about Marsha’s next chapter, and she talked about a play she’s working on that’s based on an Australian movie. When the topic of characters that are swimmers being portrayed on stage came up, Bridgett spoke about a person she knew who had starred on Broadway. Funny enough, Marsha had seen the Broadway show, and praised Bridgett’s friend’s performance.

Marsha Mason

Marsha Mason has received four Academy Award nominations for her roles in the films The Goodbye Girl, Cinderella Liberty, Only When I Laugh and Chapter Two. She has been the recipient of two Golden Globe Awards for her film roles and an Emmy Award nomination for her role on “Frasier.” Her other TV credits include “The Middle,” “Grace & Frankie”, “Madam Secretary” and “The Good Wife”.Broadway roles include Impressionism with Jeremy Irons, Steel Magnolias, The Night of the Iguana, The Good Doctor, King Richard III, and Cactus Flower. Off-Broadway she co-starred in the world premiere of Terrence McNally’s Fire and Air at Classic Stage. Regionally she has starred in All’s Well That Ends Well at Shakespeare in Washington, DC, A Doll’s House at ACT in San Francisco, Arms and the Man at Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and Watch on the Rhine at Arena Stage in Washington, DC. She has directed Chapter Two and Steel Magnolias at the Bucks County Playhouse, the first female An Act of God with Paige Davis at the Arizona Theatre Company and the world premiere of Tennessee Williams’s Talisman Roses starring Amanda Plummer at the Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown. Marsha was Associate Director with Jack O’Brien for the Roundabout Theater’s production of All My Sons on Broadway. She supports many environmental causes and animal rescue operations. Marsha has also been a professional race car driver and resided in New Mexico as an organic farmer distributing an organic line of beauty products. Marsha currently resides in Connecticut with her dog, Tootsie.

Marsha’s IMDb Acting Credits:

Grace and Frankie (TV Series)
- Arlene
The Middle (TV Series)
- Pat Spence
Madam Secretary (TV Series)
The Good Wife (TV Series)
- Judge Louisa Page
Untitled Bounty Hunter Project (TV Movie)
- Lucille Ryan
Across Grace Alley (Short)
- Grandmother
Army Wives (TV Series)
- Charlotte Meade
Lipstick Jungle (TV Series)
- Lorraine Lipman
Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (TV Mini-Series)
- Aunt Trudy
Bereft
- Helen
Bride & Prejudice
- Catherine Darcy