Peter Pan Live!'s Allison Williams on 'Creepily' Studying Christopher Walken, Idolizing Kelli O'Hara & More

Allison Williams is known for her role as uptight Brooklynite Marnie on HBO’s Girls, her famous father (NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams) and her killer Kate Middleton impersonation. Now the poised and self-deprecating star is getting ready to take on the title character in NBC’s Peter Pan Live!, which airs December 4. Williams recently attended a press day for the upcoming broadcast and talked about her lifelong dream of playing Peter Pan and more. Check out the highlights!

On taking the role...
I was so excited. I have found in my very short life thus far that the most important decisions are ones that are not decisions at all—they are completely gut-based. I didn’t think about it for a second. I probably didn’t think about it long enough, but I would have made the same decision if I thought about it for a year or a week or no time at all.

On watching her dad announce her casting…
An inside source tipped me off that it was happening. I knew they had done it last year with Carrie Underwood’s announcement [in The Sound of Music Live!], so I knew it was coming. But I didn’t know I was going to cry really hard when I saw it, which I did.

On being a 'superfan' of five-time Tony nominee Kelli O’Hara…
Every single voice teacher I’ve ever gone to, I’ve said, “The voice I want is Kelli O’Hara’s.” She’s everything to me. I’ve seen her in every Broadway show she’s ever been in. I’m a superfan. I’m trying not to freak her out. 

On why Peter is played by a woman...
I was with [former Peter Pan stars] Cathy Rigby and Sandy Duncan, which is a crazy thing to be able to say. One of the things that we talked about is why is Peter played by a woman? It made me feel better knowing that Cathy has played over 3,000 performances as Peter Pan, and she still can’t exactly distill why it’s a woman. 

On what she wants to ask The Sound of Music Live! star Carrie Underwood...
I still haven’t been able to get in touch with Carrie Underwood but I’m dying to hear what her experience was with [merging stage and camera work]. The mixing of those two things, pulling the levers of your performance, adjusting it for the mediums. I don’t know what it will be like, so we’ll see.

On 'creepily' studying Christopher Walken...
I can’t even begin to express what it feels like to walk down a hallway and see him and be like, “Hey, Chris!” He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever worked with. He cracks me up and cracks himself up. I respect him so much as an actor that I creepily love watching his process: I love watching him rehearse. I love seeing the questions he asks, the things he tries, the different takes on everything. I think his Hook is perfect.

On whether or not her Peter Pan crows...
Of course! I’ve been crowing my whole life.