Introducing Charly Clive, the rising star of HBO's Rooster, with a passion for vintage shopping.

Introducing Charly Clive, the rising star of HBO's Rooster, with a passion for vintage shopping.

      English actress and comedian Charly Clive almost stepped back from acting when she received the opportunity of a lifetime: a leading role alongside her comedy idol Steve Carell in the new HBO series Rooster. "It was good timing," she chuckles. That's an understatement. Within its first few days of streaming, Rooster became HBO's highest-rated comedy series debut in over ten years. Created by Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso and Shrinking) and Matt Tarses, Rooster focuses on the complex relationship between a successful novelist and his art history professor daughter. When Greg Russo (Carell) visits Ludlow College to see his daughter Katie (Clive), he discovers that her life has been turned upside down after her husband, Archie (Phil Dunster), leaves her for a younger woman. With Greg still healing from his own marital troubles, he sees a chance to stay and help each other get back on track. This delightful Sunday-night comedy is filled with laughs, heart, and outstanding performances, particularly from the rising star Clive. Clive grew up in the UK before relocating to New York City to pursue acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor at 23, she and her comedy writing partner Ellen Robertson turned their experiences into a successful comedy stage show titled Britney. Rooster, however, is Clive's most significant U.S. screen role to date. With Carell's endorsement, she triumphed over several other actresses to land the sought-after role of Katie. And it couldn't have come at a better time. We caught up with Clive, a self-proclaimed vintage lover, to discuss meeting her idols, acting alongside Carell, and her choice to wear exclusively secondhand outfits for her press tour.

      Can you share the story of how you got this role? It seems quite remarkable. I hadn't worked for a couple of years, and I was experiencing a bit of a dry spell. The pandemic and the industry's slow recovery afterward had an impact. In January 2024, I told my agent, "I love acting. It's my greatest passion. But I'm also a writer and a comedian. I have other interests. I'm not sure how many more rejections I can handle; I might need a break from auditioning." She suggested we wait a year, and by December 2024, I had booked Rooster. It was truly perfect timing. I received a request to send in a tape for what was initially called "Untitled Steve Carell Project." Since Steve is my hero, I wanted to be part of it, even though I didn’t expect anyone would watch my tape. A month later, I received a call from Bill Lawrence, inviting me to do a Zoom audition with Steve. I agreed, and he asked if I could be ready in a few hours. After that, we had four more Zoom meetings, culminating in a final chemistry read during my friend's rehearsal dinner. I was supposed to give a speech but explained, "I’m really sorry, I have an important job interview." She made everyone whisper so I wouldn't be interrupted.

      How do you prepare for a call with Steve Carell with such short notice? My first instinct was to tidy my room, as I was conscious of how my background would appear on Zoom. I felt unprepared at the thought of meeting him. When such an opportunity arises (even if it's just the chance to act alongside Steve), I said yes before he finished his sentence. I thought, If there's any chance he could change his mind, I don't want to risk that. Just before the Zoom, my heart was racing as I wondered what it would be like. After our call, I closed my laptop, took a deep breath, and thought, If nothing else, I acted with Steve Carell. That might be enough. The process continued, and I started daring to hope. A few months later, I received the call that I was going to L.A. to do the show, which was probably the best call of my life.

      Where were you when you received that call? I was at a Vampire Weekend concert in London. My phone rang with a California number, so I rushed outside to answer it. It was Matt Tarses, who said, "Hey, Charly. I’m really sorry." I immediately started to cry, thinking I hadn’t gotten the job. But then he continued, "I'm really sorry for the delay, but we'd love to have you on the show." I replied, "Matt, you're terrible at this." It felt like I was on a reality show getting a dramatic reaction at a concert. I went back inside, and my friends gave me thumbs up or thumbs down, and I signaled thumbs up, leading to a great night.

      You’re working with legends like Steve Carell and Connie Britton as your on-screen parents. What did that mean for you and young Charly? I love this

Introducing Charly Clive, the rising star of HBO's Rooster, with a passion for vintage shopping. Introducing Charly Clive, the rising star of HBO's Rooster, with a passion for vintage shopping. Introducing Charly Clive, the rising star of HBO's Rooster, with a passion for vintage shopping.

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Introducing Charly Clive, the rising star of HBO's Rooster, with a passion for vintage shopping.

In this conversation with Rooster actress Charly Clive, we discuss the rising star's encounters with her Hollywood idols, her experiences of competing alongside Carell, and her decision to exclusively wear secondhand outfits for her press tour appearances.