We were curious to know whether or not Kathy had felt an initial spark with Grace Bailey, or if it had been a struggle to get in character. She says that she completely related to Grace, and remembers thinking “this one’s going to hurt, when I don’t get this [role].” She notes that the caliber of writing on Wind was of a much higher level than most of the scripts she would see. Kathy found that the script was simultaneously warm, funny, engaging and complex, and knew that Grace “would be so much fun to play.” She says that she found the idea of this shy character with an inner life very appealing, and feels that Grace’s struggle to reflect her inner self outwardly is a very universal one. She says that playing Grace was a magical time in her career – like living a dream.

Kathy also felt a connection to the other characters on the show, and was drawn into their stories. Echoing a recent question on our Facebook page, we asked Kathy which Wind at My Back character she would prefer to be stuck on a desert island with. “Grace had so many boyfriends!” she exclaims, but she says that she would ultimately choose Toppy. She felt that by the end of the series they had a great, supportive relationship that she really liked. Plus, she couldn’t choose between all of those boyfriends!

Of course, we had to know – when all was said and done, which suitor did Kathy think would have been best for Grace? She says: “I thought she and Jim Flett should have continued. I was a little heartbroken when that didn’t continue. I didn’t think the relationship with Van was going to stick. Her relationship with Del was the most passionate, but I could understand why it wouldn’t work. I wanted Grace to find a real, nice love, to settle down and be with her family. She had her adventures, and I really thought it would be good for her to settle down.”

10 years down the road, we were very curious to know which on-set experiences had stayed with Kathy the most. She says that Ollie’s wedding (in “Life on Mars”) was very memorable, especially the final scene with Grace and Fat. Fat confided in Grace that he was afraid that people would always be leaving him, and Kathy liked the way that the two of them bonded as outcasts. She says that her interaction with Sally Cahill (Marjorie Behan) was also great in that episode.

One of the most hilarious moments, she says, was filming the episode “Grace of Hollywood.” In the episode, Greg Spottiswood plays filmmaker Nathan Sparks, who stops in New Bedford on his way to Callendar, Ontario to do a piece on the Dionne Quintuplets. Spottiswood’s line was that he had to go “shoot the Quints.” Going off-script, Neil Crone (Ollie Jefferson) exclaimed under his breath to Kathy, “but that’s murder!” Kathy says she couldn’t stop laughing, because she would think of it every time they went to reshoot the scene. She says it was “one of the worst days – I couldn’t get it together. Everyone was on overtime, there late, because I kept laughing!”
A similar situation occurred when Ollie asked Grace out on the show. Kathy says there was a wide, beautiful shot of the movie theatre, with the camera sweeping back dramatically. As the couple got up to the movie theatre counter, Neil said to the theatre clerk, “1 please!” Kathy buckled over laughing. She says Neil really knew how to put a spin on a romantic moment, but that she’s “a sitting duck for this kind of stuff.”

Of course, we were also eager to learn more about Kathy’s current work with her comedy troupe Women Fully Clothed. Alongside fellow comedians Jayne Eastwood, Teresa Pavlinek, and Robin Duke she has just embarked on the group’s first American tour. She says that the group came together in a nice, organic way, and has flourished. All of the women had to make the group a priority given that they’re all so busy, but Kathy says that performing together “is like breathing.” She also says that the show is “totally ours – we write it, produce it, perform it.” This tour is two weeks long – the longest that Kathy’s ever been away from her kids. She notes that she made sure to schedule a break for Hallowe’en, so that she could be home for the festivities with her children. Luckily, all 4 women are extremely supportive of each others’ schedules. “We wouldn’t be interested if it wasn’t a blast,” Kathy says.

So what can we expect of the show? Kathy says it’s not an edgy show – “we are so not interested in edge! But there is a lot of depth. It’s really funny and relatable. We dig deep, but we don’t hurt anybody.” She says that the show’s appeal is broad: audiences can range from tweens to seniors, male and female.

Of course, we had to ask the question on everyone’s mind: is there any chance that we’ll see Kathy Greenwood back on the small screen any time soon? She says yes, she would consider it now that her kids are getting older. She avoided TV work for a long time, due to both the grueling hours television requires, and her desire to be with her kids. She considers herself lucky to have had voicework, and her shows with Women Fully Clothed over the past several years, so that she’s had time to be a mom.

Knowing how desperately Wind at My Back fans want a continuation of the show, we asked Kathy if there’s ever been a show she really wanted to see back on the air. Her response came quickly – short-lived high school dramedy Freaks and Geeks. She says it was her all-time favourite show, and that it has the makings of a great reunion – all of the characters were in high school in the original series, so they could easily set it 10 years down the road and see what the characters are up to. She says that Freaks and Geeks is a very different show from Wind at My Back, but that she saw very similar fundamentals, in that both were warm, serious and funny all at once, which is what life is all about.

Kathy is flattered to hear how much fans love Grace Bailey, and she’s happy that the show continues to find new audiences. She thinks that it was a fun show, and she remains very proud to have been a part of it.

If you’d like to catch Kathy and Women Fully Clothed on tour, check out their website here. Their scheduled tour dates are:

Fall
Springfield, Massachusetts (CityStage): November 2, 3, 4, 5, 2011
Annapolis, Maryland (Rams Head): November 9, 2011
Thomaston, Connecticut (Opera House): November 10, 2011
Frederick, Maryland (Weinberg Centre for the Arts): November 12, 2011
Sellersville, Pennsylvania (Sellersville Theatre): November 13, 2011

Winter
Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Broward Centre for Performing Arts): January 19, 2012
Orlando, Florida (The Plaza Theatre): January 20, 2012
Gainesville, Florida (Phillips Centre for Performing Arts): January 21, 2012
Largo, Florida (Largo Cultural Centre): January 23, 2012
Austin, Texas (One World Theatre): February 7, 2012
Richardson, Texas (Eisemann Centre): February 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 2012
Tucson, Arizona (The Fox Theatre): March 17, 2012
Saratoga, California (Montalvo Arts Centre): April 4, 2012
Redding, California (Cascade Theatre): April 21, 2012

You can also check them out on YouTube here.