‘August: Osage County’ cast members on their close quarters

The new drama “August: Osage County,” based on the Pulitzer- and Tony-winning Tracy Letts play of the same name, tells the story of a dysfunctional family reuniting in Oklahoma over a fractious few days, during which dark secrets and old grudges are aired.

In spite of the acrid atmosphere, it seems the cast got to feeling quite familial on set. At the Envelope Screening Series, cast members Margo Martindale, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin and Julianne Nicholson talked about what it was like acting and living in close quarters.

Martindale described the experience as congenial. “We got together almost every night and had dinner together,” she recalled. “We lived together in a little community, a little town, hooked to each other. Each house was connected. … And the Oklahoma landscape just was a part of the entire experience, and it was absolutely inspiring to be there all the time.”

VIDEO: Watch the cast and crew discuss ‘August: Osage County’

Cooper found the setting inspiring as well. “I keep saying that the country felt very familiar to me,” he said. “It’s cattle country and oil country, and it felt comfortable.”

Cooper and Martindale also felt at ease with each other, as they’ve been acquainted for 33 years, having met at the Actors Theatre of Louisville.

“We never did any work together on stage,” Cooper said. “This is our first opportunity. And [Margo] was as talented back then as she is today, and it’s just so great to have the opportunity to work with her.

For more from the cast and crew of “August: Osage County,” including Breslin and Nicholson, watch the full video above and check back for daily highlights.

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