Angela Kinsey Gets The Family Together Again For Tall Girl 2 - Exclusive Interview

Many will remember Angela Kinsey from her time playing Angela on the incredibly popular NBC sitcom "The Office." Since the series ended, the actress has been in several other shows like "New Girl," "Fresh off the Boat," "Never Have I Ever," and in 2019, she was in the Netflix original film "Tall Girl." Starting today, you can see Kinsey rejoining Ava Michelle, Sabrina Carpenter, Steve Zahn, and other "Tall Girl" cast members in the sequel, "Tall Girl 2." In both movies, Kinsey plays Helaine, the mother of the main character, Jodi (Ava Michelle).

Before the film's release, the actress had an exclusive interview with The List to discuss "Tall Girl 2." During her interview, Kinsey shared her thoughts on the film's message and what she thinks about her character Helaine's parenting style. She also gave her pitch for "Tall Girl 3" and a spin-off with her and Steve Zahn, who plays her husband, Richie, in both movies.

Were you excited to rejoin [the cast] for "Tall Girl 2"?

I really was. It's such a nice group of people, and I was happy to see them again and pick up and see what was next for Jodi and this family. I was thrilled.

Do you feel like you have anything in common with your character, Helaine, in the movie?

Helaine is a bit much, but she has great taste in wallpaper. At the end of the day, she loves her girls, and her family means everything to her. I would say that's what we have in common.

Do you feel like you have any differences with her that are noticeable?

Yes. A lot. I'm put together here today, but it's because other people helped me. They're here. I'm a jeans and a sweatshirt kind of gal, and Helaine is a bit fancy. That's not me in real life.

What did you think about her relationship with her daughters throughout the movie?

I felt like, in the first movie, Helaine sometimes didn't get it. She was caught up in herself and reliving her glory days, her pageant years, but in "Tall Girl 2," she really was there when her daughter needed her the most. I was happy that I saw Helaine have a little bit of growth in her character arc.

What did you think about the advice that she gave Jodi throughout the movie, particularly the relationship advice she had for her?

Well, the relationship advice was not great. Helaine is that girlfriend that tells you to play games, and you're like, "Why don't you just be honest and be in the moment and don't play games?" Ultimately, with Helaine, her heart's in the right place.

If your character, Angela from "The Office," had been in this movie in that situation, what do you think her advice to her daughters would've been?

You're not dating, period. There are no boys because you're not dating.

If you [as yourself] were in the movie, what words of wisdom would you have for Jodi as she's dealing with all her insecurities and things like that?

I would want her to know that who she is, exactly who she is, is enough. That's wonderful, and she doesn't have to try to be anything she's not. She doesn't have to compare herself to standards that aren't realistic, and to know that you're wonderful just the way you are and to believe in yourself because the rest of us all think you're amazing. We want you to see you the way we see you.

Do you feel like that was the overall message you hope comes across in the movie?

I think there are a few. One of the messages I thought was really important is that we all beat ourselves up. We all have things that we feel insecure about that can eat at us, and no one can tear you down the way you can tear yourself down. [We should] know that it's okay to have anxiety. It's okay to get anxious — take a minute, take a breath, because you'll get through it.

That's part of life, questioning yourself and then taking a moment and being still and know that you can do it, and then believing in yourself and then moving through it. It's the movement through it that is the biggest teacher of all — knowing that you can get to the other side and that you're okay.

Your character had a fun comedic dynamic with Steve Zahn throughout the movie. What was that like behind the scenes?

I want a spin-off. I want to do a spin-off with Helaine and Richie because I love them so much. Can we do a Netflix family movie where they just travel and we see them interacting? Maybe they get an RV, but Helaine tricks it out and bedazzles it. 

I love everything about Steve Zahn. He's so funny, and we had really good chemistry and a lot of fun. I feel like I've known him my whole life, truly, and I can't wait to do more things with him. Netflix, please.

Do you have any favorite memories from behind the scenes with him or with the rest of the cast?

We were shooting one night, and it was late. It was a night shoot. We were shooting at the family house, and New Orleans is such a magical place. A whole bunch of people rode by on bicycles, and they were all lit up in every color you could imagine — pink, neon, and yellow. In this driveway, they had a guy making gumbo for us. I was like, "This is such a cool experience." [We're] filming in New Orleans with this great group of people, and we're sitting on a porch with all these lit-up bicycles going by, eating gumbo. It was really special.

Did you get to try a lot of the food there?

Well, I was born in Louisiana, and I have family in Lafayette. My nephew came up to visit me while I was there, and I love all the food there so much. I grew up with it.

You were saying you would want a spin-off with Steve Zahn. If there was a "Tall Girl 3," what journey would you want?

"Tall Girl 3," here's my pitch. Richie and Helaine take their daughters to Sweden to meet the whole family there. Maybe they finally talk to Ingvar Krueger, meet him. I think the family goes to Sweden.

Do they take all the friends with them and everything?

Oh, yeah. Dunkers, everybody. We're going to go, and we're going to meet the Swedes. We'll all be really short, and they'll all be really tall.

Other than Jodi. She's the only one who fits in.

Yeah, exactly.

A lot of ["Tall Girl 2"] is about a school play. Were you in theater throughout high school or college like that?

Oh, yeah. I did "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds." I did that play for one act. I was in the musical, "The Music Man." I was Amaryllis. I loved theater. I did as much as I could. We moved around a lot, but whenever I could, [I would] jump on stage. I loved improv. Even at a young age, I was doing improv classes. I loved it. I was a theater kid, for sure.

If you were to give your pitch to anyone, why they should go on Netflix and stream "Tall Girl 2" as soon as it comes out, what would it be?

It's a good family movie. It's people of all ages really can relate to trying to find your way and trying to find your voice and feeling good in your own skin. It's all of that. I can't wait for my daughter to see it. I got to see it, but she hasn't seen it yet, and I can't wait to watch it with her.

Are you two going to watch it together?

For sure!

Will you just be at home watching it, like everyone else, or are you going to premiere somewhere?

I think because of COVID protocols, there won't be one, which we're really bummed about because we went to the first one together as a family, and that was so fun. We'll watch it at home, and if Isabel wants to get dressed up, we'll get dressed up. Whatever she wants, we'll be watching it together.

You can see Angela Kinsey in "Tall Girl 2," which is now available for streaming on Netflix.