Cristin Milioti on Creating the Space for Improv with The Resort

We sat down with Cristin Milioti to talk about her role in The Resort on Peacock and her process of creating the specifics in her backstory and status. According to Cristin, they did many versions of the first episode, including takes in silence, as a way of exploring the dynamic between the characters. It was important for Cristin to figure out everything that’s bubbling underneath and what her character needed to cope while trying to capture very human behavior. For her, it was about recapturing the joy of her old self but also, she emphasized, a form of escape for her character.

Cristin also delved into why she love's Andy Siara's writing and how she feels at home in his language and world, with the process being collaborative and open. She especially wanted to highlight the episodes directed by Ben Sinclair from High Maintenance and the openness to find time for improv in a difficult schedule. Cristin described the joy of being directed by a fellow actor and the attempts to create texture in the relationship that comes from having the space to improv and not being afraid to go too big or small.

Describing the story as a twist on different genres, Cristin talks about her dynamic with William Jackson Harper as an actor and her admiration for his work. Having played a dysfunctional couple with him previously on stage, they created trust in their partnership on screen before even stepping on set. Having gone to an uncomfortable place together before, they were both comfortable with each other’s silence while still being able to push the boundaries when they need to.

Watch the full conversation below.

Q&A on the Peacock series The Resort with actor Cristin Milioti. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company.

An anniversary trip puts a marriage to the test when a couple finds themselves embroiled in one of Yucatan's most bizarre unsolved mysteries from 15 years prior involving the disappearance of two young adults, a murder and a once in a century hurricane; with everything connected, solving the crime requires unraveling some of life's biggest questions.