‘Speechless’ Star Minnie Driver On Capturing The Show’s Unique Tone

As fans know by now, ABC’s “Speechless” isn’t a typical comedy series. Because while it can be unapologetically silly, it can also be unapologetically sincere at the same time. And according to series star Minnie Driver, capturing that unique tone of the show is not easy.

“Well, I’ve got to say, it’s terrificly challenging, but that was I like about it,” Driver told the Los Angeles Times when asked how she navigates the series’ comedic and dramatic waters. “You are moving from being a clown into being deeply sincere. You’re making a turn that is very very quick, and sometimes that is hard.”

“That’s what so amazing about this show,” continued Driver, who plays Maya DiMeo on the show. “When it’s absurd, it’s absurd … and then it suddenly goes like ‘Terms of Endearment.’ … You have to switch it really quickly, and that can be hard as an actor. But it’s also your job. I like flexing those muscles because it’s hard.

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When asked if there’s a particular episode that illustrates that challenge for her, the British actress started referring to the show’s Season 1, episode 20, which is slated to air later this month.

Driver said that here’s this “brilliantly meta storyline” in the episode where Maya help JJ (Micah Fowler) run away from her after he heard the whole family discussing his future at the end of Season 1, episode 19.

“He’s so enraged [about what he heard],” Driver said of JJ who has cerebral palsy. “All he wants to do is get away from this woman. And she’s so … furious that he can’t get to experience [it]. If he were any other 8 year old, he would just run away from home. So she helps him run away.”

According to Driver, because Maya can’t really leave JJ on his own, she tells him that he’s the boss for a day, and they will go wherever he likes. For some reasons, the mother and son end up in a casino where the rollercoaster of emotions begins.

“There’s a scene in the casino where it goes from really funny to being really sad and really truthful very quickly,” she teased. “It is a big scene for Micah and a big scene for me. I haven’t seen it. I don’t know how it comes out. It’s really challenging but ultimately very rewarding.”

Also in episode 20, as revealed in the synopsis for the episode, Jimmy (John Ross Bowie) struggles to have hard talks with the kids without Maya, and Dylan (Kyla Kenedy) tries to get Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough) to revive his glory days as a high school sports star.”

“Speechless” Season 1, episode 20, titled “R-U-N—RUNAWAY,” airs on Wednesday, April 26 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.