Escape for a scene stealer

Joan CUSACK likes to describe herself as “normal.” She makes her home in Chicago, a world apart from the show business mainstream. And she’s nothing like the wacky characters she’s played -- the big-haired Staten Island secretary in “Working Girl” or Kevin Kline’s befuddled fiancee in “In & Out,” which led to best supporting actress Oscar nominations.

Still, after memorable performances in films such as “Addams Family Values” and “Broadcast News,” the rubber-faced actress has emerged as one of Hollywood’s leading comedians. A renowned scene stealer who injects humanity into the hilarity, she’ll next be seen Richard Linklater’s “School of Rock,” a Paramount Pictures release due Oct. 3. In it, she plays the uptight principal of a prep school reeling from the effect of a zany rock singer (Jack Black) posing as a substitute teacher to pay the rent.

All five children in your family went into acting -- your brother John is probably the best-known of the bunch.

In our house, humor was a family value, part of how we related. We watched Monty Python, “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and Mel Brooks movies together. In the summer, my father, who was very funny, would show “The Producers” on a big TV in the backyard. We’re competitive. That’s a part of life -- I see that with my two sons. But because we’re looking for different kinds of things, it’s not the destructive kind. Acting with John was an eye-opener, in a way. He’s a hard worker, good at maneuvering and communicating. Social politics, after all, is half of the business.

Your improvisational training [when you were] a child, you’ve said, provided the foundation for your humor.

I was shy, which can be very burdensome. Playing theater games at the Piven Theater Workshop in Evanston, Ill., gave me a new lease on life. I learned to trust my instincts and vocalize them, which helped me develop a voice. By getting out of my head, I shed my self-consciousness -- at least while I was acting.

You had a short, not particularly gratifying stint on “Saturday Night Live” during the mid-1980s.

Landing that show, at 23, was a coup -- but I had trouble getting a handle on the big leagues. Though it was a heady experience, I had to learn a new language. “Saturday Night Live” was “hard” comedy -- jokes, punch lines -- considered to be an easier sell. I’m more comfortable with “soft” comedy, intuitive, organic, character-driven. “Saturday Night Live” was a very competitive environment, and most of the good material went to the men. In the end, I didn’t have the driving edge or confidence to put myself out there. Though I was ambitious and wanted to try stuff, I wasn’t sufficiently driven.

You’ve made your name as the supportive friend, the archetypal “second banana.” Was that a source of frustration?

At one point, yes. But I came to realize that it’s the ordinary things that are extraordinary. Everything doesn’t have to be grand. That’s the message of “School of Rock”: It’s what’s inside that counts. Besides, playing character roles takes away the pressure of carrying a film and permits for a life outside. Lining up meaningful work of any kind is like winning the lottery because there are a million talented people out there.

What brought about that epiphany? As an actor, it’s hard to shelve your ego.

Hollywood values can be distracting and aren’t always the most meaningful. The turning point for me was “My Blue Heaven” [1990]. I had a tough time with the director, Herbert Ross, which shook my sense of self. Trying to get grounded, I approached a channeler and then went into psychotherapy. After a lot of hard work, I came to terms with the fact that I’m never going to be the perfect young ingenue -- and have to work with who I am. I set out to find a husband and, in 1995, married a lawyer, someone not in the business. When I told him I’m an actress, he asked if I did community theater. Now I have a sense of balance. I’m the leading lady in my own life.

-- Elaine Dutka