Recently I spoke with McNally Sagal about her work on Secrets and Lies and other aspects of her career.
Can you tell us about your character on Secrets & Lies?
I play May Stone who is executive secretary to Michael Ealy’s and Terry
O’Quinn’s characters. She has worked for the family for 25 years and knows
all the ins and outs of the family’s business. It was a fun character to
play as the story unfolded and I usually knew what was going on sometimes
before they did.
How did you prepare for the role?
I thought about my relationships to my husband’s assistants over the
years…and also my Father’s! My Father had the same secretary for 35 years
and she really was a part of our family. If you had a question she likely
knew the answer!
What is it like working with the cast? Any special moments from filming
you can share?
Secrets and Lies, as you know, had a fabulous cast! It all comes down to
Michael Ealy who was in almost every scene. He is so professional and
prepared but also likes to have fun at work! He is quite the prankster and
kept everyone on their toes.
How did you get into acting and what was your big break?
I loved doing all of my high school plays and was pretty surprised when my
parents said that I should major in whatever I wanted. I went to Boston
University and was very worried about how I could possibly make a living
as an actor. I was very fortunate to move to NYC and be cast in the
Broadway production of AMADEUS after a few weeks in town. It was a great
way to start working!
What do you look for when you consider a part?
I absolutely love to work as an actor and feel so fortunate that I can do
it for a living. When auditions come my way, my first thought is…”What can
I bring to this project?” It sounds corny, but I love to contribute to the
project as a whole and when I feel I can do that well…..I am in!
What do you like to do in your free time?
My favorite thing to do is go on long hikes up in the hills where I live.
I mix it up and go with all different groups of people, family, friends,
and new people. I just love to be in nature and catch up with the people I
love while putting one foot in front of the other…the time flies and we
all feel great afterwards.
What other projects do you have coming up?
I am playing a screaming banshee on Teen Wolf that airs in January…lots of
special effects and furious action. I had a blast doing it and I think it
turned out really well. You will also see me starring opposite a cuckoo
clock in new commercial for Gieco. They have really funny spots and I
loved doing it.
Photo By
Birdie Thompson, Glam: Mandy Perez
