Aya Cash (We Are Men, The Newsroom) stars in the comedy series You’re the Worst, a new half-hour series from FX. The first episode, which airs on July 17, 2014 at 10:30pm ET/PT, introduces us to the dysfunctional couple Jimmy and Gretchen, played by Chris Geere and Aya Cash. Their roller-coaster relationship’s ups and downs provide plenty to laugh at, and even a few relatable relationship moments, over the show’s 10-episode season one run.
The Plot: “You’re the Worst is a comedic love story about what happens when two toxic, self-destructive people fall in love despite themselves and attempt the impossible—a relationship.”
In support of the series’ premiere, Aya Cash talked about her character, the comedy, and what viewers can expect from this FX series:
How do you keep Gretchen sarcastic but still endearing?
Aya Cash: “I think the writing does that for me. I think she’s got a very dry sense of humor, but I think she’s very playful and has a lot of fun, and I think the audience is going to respond to that. So, I just trust the writers. It’s not my job to make someone palatable, and I just hope for the best.”
And she’s not quite as sarcastic as Jimmy.
Aya Cash: “No, I think the major difference between Jimmy and Gretchen is that Jimmy is honest at all costs and Gretchen is actually a people-pleaser, even though she often says the wrong thing. She’s a little less harsh, but I think they mash up well.”
Since Jimmy has a foot fetish, did you have to audition your feet?
Aya Cash: [Laughing] “I did not have to audition my feet. But I do get my toes done every couple of weeks to make sure they always look good because I never know when they’re going to be on camera. I want to make sure that they’re pretty and up to Jimmy’s standards. The boys on this show – Chris [Geere] and Desmin [Borges] – I wouldn’t say are foot fetishists, but they appreciate a nice foot. I have a pretty foot, so they lucked out with that.”
What’s in store for Jimmy and Gretchen this season?
Aya Cash: “You can expect from this season a lot of togetherness and a lot of fear of togetherness. There’s a lot of back and forth of them spending a lot of time and then not wanting to spend time to together and trying to decide if they should be in a relationship – and then trying to get out of a relationship. I think you can definitely expect that. We also have some amazing guest stars.
Thomas Middleditch did an episode, he’s on Silicon Valley and he’s absolutely hilarious. You’ll also see a lot more of an expansion of the Lindsay (played by Kether Donohue) and Edgar (played by Borges) roles. I think it starts very centered on Jimmy and Gretchen and really expands to include the other two and really becomes more of an ensemble show, which is really fun because we all love each other. My favorite times on set are when we all get to be together. There’s fun stuff coming up.”
How did you feel about shooting the sex scene for the pilot episode?
Aya Cash: “I was terrified. I did a show for Fox a few years ago called Traffic Light where there was a naked episode, but of course it was a network show so I was wearing a body suit most of the time and then one time they had my come out in pasties. But this has come a long way, but it was an incredibly respectful set and we had phone conversations about what it would be and what we were comfortable with. I think they can show butts on FX but I said, ‘I’d rather you not show mine. You can show the side and maybe show the stomach,’ so there were some negotiations that way.
But really everyone just wanted to make it realistic, sexy, and hilarious. We were all on the same page. We joked that we were going to do shots before we shot it and then Chris and I were so comfortable that we forgot. We had a great time. I think it helped that we’re both happily married people and respectful and all on the same page. It was actually less traumatic than I thought.”
Do you improvise a lot on You’re the Worst?
Aya Cash: “I think in comedy right now the idea is whatever’s funny is what’s best. I love to improv and I’ve had a great time improv’ing on almost everything I’ve ever done. But this show is pretty tightly scripted. There’s once in a while where they’ll be, ‘Hey, can you throw out a line to kind of get us into a scene?’ Or, with Thomas Middleditch, he came in and the director and him are old friends and Stephen [Falk, the writer] was on board to let him play and expand that role a little bit.
Normally, we stick pretty close to script. It’s not as much as I did on The Newsroom and with that if you miss a comma, you better fix it. It’s not that strict, but it’s been fun. An actor once said to me, ‘It’s the writer’s job to write the words. It’s my job to make it look like they didn’t,’ and that’s how I feel about this show. I believe so much in the writing that I don’t feel the need to make a joke.”
