‘DON’T Eat The Lasagna!’ Jann Arden Details All The Things She Has Learned Heading Into Season 2 of Her Hit Sitcom JANN

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede It’s well understood by now that legendary Canadian singer-songwriter and actress Jann Arden plays a heightened, comedic, fictionalized version of herself in the hit sitcom JANN. So with Season 2 debuting Monday at 8 p.m. ET on CTV, a two-pronged question was put to Arden: What has “fake Jann” learned? And what has “real Jann” learned? “Fake Jann has learned diddly-squat,” Arden said bluntly. “Fake Jann is still very much in her own world. I think she wants to go back to the glory days, and just has no idea how to get there. It’s kind of sad, but you know, she’s still making some money – kind of, barely. We’re all trying to figure out how we’re relevant as we get older. And she’s in complete denial that the years are ticking past. Like, some of the jokes they’ve written for me … ” For example? “At one point I say to Cale (fake Jann’s ambitious young manager, played by Elena Juatco), “Why are you even working with a woman in her early 40s?’ It f—— makes me laugh every time,” Arden said. “I remember when (director) Ron Murphy yelled ‘cut’ and that scene was done, the whole crew burst out laughing. And I know it was mainly because of that line.” So what about real Jann? What has she learned about making a TV show? “I can’t even process all the things,” Arden said. “There’s all the lingo, all the different camera shots. And also how to pace myself. When I have scenes where I’m eating, I just about killed myself last year. You know, if I had a plate of lasagna, I was thinking, ‘Oh, you just eat the f—— lasagna.’ No, you DON’T eat the lasagna. A seasoned actor would know all these things. If there’s a Coke in the scene, don’t drink it. Just pretend to drink it. But I was just committing.” It’s Arden’s commitment and willingness to make fun of herself that sets the inviting comedic tone on JANN. Evidence of that is the impressive array of guest stars lined up for Season 2, including Sarah McLachlan (who appears in the first episode), k.d. Lang, Elisha Cuthbert, Keshia Chanté, Miguel Rivas, Cynthia Loyst, and more. “(McLachlan) was supposed to be in the first season, and the scheduling just didn’t work, because obviously you’ve seen that she was my nemesis all through the first season,” Arden said. “But she was able to come and do it for Season 2, and she was such a good sport. She wanted it to be physical. She wanted it to be the antithesis of what her branding is. She didn’t want to be the serious chanteuse. People are willing to be self-deprecating and to be cartoonish versions of themselves, because they know that with this world they’re walking into, there are so many blurred lines that it’s a fun show to do.” Sure, it’s all in good fun, but Arden had to be physically careful in Season 2. A mere 10 days before shooting began in Calgary, she had to have her gallbladder removed. “Two months of pre-production, millions of dollars, it had all been set up, we were ready to shoot,” Arden recalled. “I phoned everybody, and everyone was so upset, I could just hear it in the producers’ voices. But I said, ‘I’m going to be there, we’ll need a body-double for some of the physical things, but we’ll figure out how to shoot it.’ And they were like, ‘Okay, well, your health means everything.’ I knew they were just being brave – what they were REALLY saying was, ‘just make sure you’re here.’ But we managed it. The pain was manageable.” As Season 2 begins, fake Jann is dealing with the ramifications of her decision to ignore some complex family issues and join McLachlan’s tour. But it was suggested to Arden that fake Jann is being treated somewhat unfairly by her sister Max (Zoie Palmer) and husband Dave (Patrick Gilmore). Aren’t their expectations unrealistic? Don’t they know fake Jann by now? “Thank you!” Arden agreed enthusiastically. “I’m an artist. I’m very sensitive. I’m an empath. If anyone’s a narcissist, it’s Max! Fake Jann has a career, but they don’t give a s—. In fact, they would think a plumber would be much more useful to their family, rather than, you know, an entertainer who clearly needs to hang up her spurs. I think that’s what makes it so funny. Fake Jann is likeable – she has to be – but she does get it from all sides. I am so glad that I’m not her, every single day of my life.”   billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv