Beloved actress Margo Martindale, 73, won an Emmy playing a marijuana queen in Justifiedtwo more for playing a KGB spy in The Americansand was deliciously expressed in BoJack RiderAnd now, thanks to a phone call from Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Martindale takes on another unique role: a maple syrup producer who turns to crime in The tightsthe new Amazon Prime Video series which will debut on December 6. It is inspired by the true story of the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, in which it was revealed in 2012 that thieves had stolen more than $18 million (CAD) worth of product. syrup from the Quebec national reserve.

Martindale offers more details from that phone call, reveals why she’s following her “dear friend” June Squibb’s retirement plan, and tells us more about which wheels are at the top of her to-do list.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The last time we spoke was in April 2020, in the middle of the COVID lockdown. You told me you were “walking those country roads.” Did anything positive come out of that time?

What it left me with… was that I felt the stillness and the sound of the birds was so incredible. And a nature that seemed to come to life without all that (noise). I thought, there is something to that – on the environment. That really struck me. Did that change anything? Yeah, I’m more aware, that’s for sure. It was as if God had said, “Let’s stop for a moment and consider this.” »

Have you made any life decisions for “after”?

Yes, and did I do it? I don’t think so. But everyone came closer – all the friends, checking on people, calling people. I always have, but it seems to be more so now.

It hasn’t slowed down your work. What are you looking for when you say “yes” to a role?

Something I’ve never done before. And sometimes something I’ve already done. But this particular show (The tights), I have never done anything like this. So much fun. And the people were just amazing – all the French and all the Canadians and my two (co-actors), Guillaume Cyr and Chris Diamantopoulos. I love them both so much, along with all the other characters and writers I adore. We remained a very, very, very tight group, (writers and showrunners) Ed Herro and Brian Donovan and the three of us, because we had to see through the (writers’) strike and through the lull to get this thing. out.

Margo Martindale stars in “The Sticky,” based on the true story of the infamous Canadian maple syrup heist.

Jan Thijs/Amazon Prime

I hope you like maple syrup!

Oh, I love it. And through the making process, I learned a lot of things I didn’t know. Driving from Montreal to Quebec or any of the cities, look along the roads and say, Wow, there’s tubing. There are tubes everywhere here. From one tree to another. Would I have ever been aware of that? Never. So it was a remarkable and wonderful experience.

Had you worked with Jamie Lee Curtis before?

No, I never did, but she was so mad when she called me that she said, “Margo, it’s Jamie Lee Curtis.” Hi. Listen, I have this project… and I’ve been thinking about you. And I thought In what world!? Very, very, very flattered, and (I) read it and I loved it. That was all.