The Lifespan of a Fact's Cherry Jones on Her 'Delicious' Co-Stars, Her Sex Symbol Status & More on Show People

Cherry Jones is playing a no-nonsense editor alongside stage and screen favorites Daniel Radcliffe and Bobby Cannavale in The Lifespan of a Fact. On stage, the trio lands laughs and makes audiences ponder the necessity of truth versus a greta story as they over perfecting an important essay with a fast-approaching deadline. Off stage, Jones and her co-stars gush about working together during the run, which is scheduled to play at Studio 54 through January 13. The comedy marks two-time Tony winner Jones' 14th (15th if you count Angels in America's two plays) Broadway production. She recently stopped by Show People with Paul Wontorek to discuss her illustrious career, becoming a sex symbol and much more. 

1. SHE HAD A MEMORABLE ENTRANCE IN ANGELS IN AMERICA
“I was the Angel. I never quite had enough rehearsal time: I ended up upside down one night and couldn’t get up. I had fallen, and I couldn’t get up! You had to do these flips, and I did the flip down, but I didn’t do it with enough gusto to get back up. I was fortunately playing the angry Angel at that point. I sort of looked like a big bat for awhile there.”

2. IT'S A TOTAL LOVEFEST BACKSTAGE AT LIFESPAN
"Mr. Cannavale—the women SCREAM when he appears on stage. From the moment we started emailing each other right before we started rehearsal, it was clear that we were of the same world. Those boys are delicious."

3. SHE CAN'T BELIEVE HER LESBIAN SEX SYMBOL STATUS
"That certainly isn’t how I would characterize myself, but it is amazing how straight women have responded to [my character] Leslie Mackinaw on Transparent. I did blush my way through the entire two seasons that I was on that show. I always thought I was a tomboy lesbian and what was required for that role was something other. It was the last role I would have ever expected to get in my sixties."

Other must-read highlights:

ON FACT-CHECKING HER OWN LIFE
“I was on Fresh Air once with the great Terry Gross. She asked me what it was like working with my wife on plays. This was 100 years ago. I said, ‘Well, I’m not married, Terry.' She said, ‘Aren’t you and Paula Vogel married?’ [I said,] ‘No! As a matter of fact, we’re friends. I adore her, but we are not a couple.’ Of course, she got it off the internet somewhere.”

ON HER LOVE OF THE CREW
“Getting to be in close proximity to the crew just sets our hearts on fire. Dan and Bobby feel the same way. With a film crew, you’re four-five feet away at all times making something together. On film, that just blows my mind. There will be 200 people. You’ll be rolling, and it’s quiet. No movement and everyone focused on this one three-second bit that’ll maybe make it into the film. There’s something kind of magical about that. It’s the same with the crew backstage at Studio 54.”

ON "OUT" KIDS TODAY
“I was in Paris, Tennessee, and I spoke to some ninth graders. In fact—every ninth grader in my county! All 300 of them. At the end of my time with them, this ragtag little band of misfits came up. They were all about 13-14 years old. Clearly, the little gay ones wanted to know when I’d come out, and I told them I came out to my parents when I was 25. I was out with everyone else all my life. I asked these children—there were about seven of them— ‘Are any of you out?’ ‘We all are!’ they said! Thirteen years old! Fourteen! I said, ‘Tell me, how it is possible in Paris, Tennessee that you are in ninth grade, and you are out?’ The little toughie spokesperson for them all said, ‘I can tell you in one word: Glee.’”

ON WHAT'S NEXT
"This sounds pretentious, but I miss getting to do off-Broadway work. I hope to get a job off-Broadway soon because I love small theaters. I just love that contact with the audience, and I love what small theaters do. I’m hoping to be allowed back downtown at some point. I take it as it comes. And it’s a great gift to be in that position. There were certainly years when I didn’t think anything at all was going to come. As long as I can keep my health and keep my brain cells, I hope I can keep being surprised. It doesn’t take much, just good people, good work and getting to hang out with the crew."

ON AGING
"Life moves at a clip, and you just have to keep up. What is age? I kind of like being older. I really like it. Aging is fantastic until it’s not."

Watch the full episode of Show People with Paul Wontorek below!

Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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