Interview: In ‘genera+ion,’ Martha Plimpton plays against type and embraces it [VIDEO]

I feel like I grew up with Martha Plimpton, probably because I did. Being only a month apart in age, I watched her as a teen in films like The Goonies, The Mosquito Coast, Parenthood and more as a teen myself.

Following her fantastic career that’s navigated feature films, multiple starring and guest roles in television (including three Emmy nominations and one win, for Guest Actress in a Drama Series for The Good Wife), a robust theatre career that includes three Tony Award nominations in a row (2007-2009), one could talk to Plimpton for hours about any one of these elements and mediums of her work.

This year, Plimpton co-stars in HBO Max’s teen dramedy genera+ion as the uptight and homophobic Megan, mother of twins Naomi (Chloe East) and Nathan (Uly Schlesinger), the latter of whom comes out as bi in a wildly public way. Megan, in her conservative enclave of Orange County, rebuffs Nathan’s coming out but also leans on her gay friends for guidance but also presents a “I can’t be homophobic, I have gay friends” shield to defend herself.

Through our interview, Plimpton and I discuss how she managed during the early stages of COVID quarantine, connecting as latch-key kids of the 1970s and 80s, working with a cast of largely Gen Z actors and how she thinks her character Megan would describe herself. Plus a little about her new film Mass, coming out later this year.

The first half of season one of genera+tion can be streamed on HBO Max. Martha Plimpton is Emmy eligible for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The second half of the season kicked off June 17 and will be eligible next year.

Photos: Warrick Page / HBO Max