Published on March 18th, 2016 | by Jameelah "Just Jay" Wilkerson

Actress Joanna Going talks Digital Revolution

Photo Credit: Benjo Arwas

Joanna Going is an actress on DirecTV’s Kingdom. Early on, Going appeared in soap opera roles in the late 1980s, most notably as Lisa Grady on Another World from 1987 to 1989. She went on to portray lead character Victoria Winters on the 1991 primetime series Dark Shadows. Going later starred in short-lived television series Going to Extremes and guest-starred on Columbo, Spin City, The Outer Limits, and Law & Order.

Going made her film debut in Wyatt Earp (1994) as Josephine Marcus, and later had major roles in Eden, Keys to Tulsa, Inventing the Abbotts, and Still Breathing. Her biggest role may be in the 1998 film version of Phantoms. In the 2000s, she starred in several television films and guest-starred on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds, and Mad Men. She also appeared opposite Sean Penn in the 2011 film The Tree of Life, her first role in a major motion picture since 2003’s Runaway Jury. In 2014, Going also starred as First Lady Tricia Walker in the second season of Netflix political series House of Cards.

Joanna weighed in on the digital revolution and how it has impacted her professional and personal life:

Technology “must haves” for your professional and personal life?

iPhone
IPad
Mac laptop
Wi-Fi

Apps such as: Waze, Rehearsal 2, Dropbox, Uber, DocScan, Task Rabbit,
Streaming services such as: DirecTV, Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO
Instagram
Twitter

How has digital technology affected your productivity, creativity, and even lifestyle?

It is an enormous advantage in my work, as an actress, to have a wealth of information at my fingertips via the Internet. Whether it is the basics I need to know for an audition in a matter of hours, or the in-depth research I like to do for a role, my devices and digital technology give me quick access to so much valuable material. I found YouTube particularly helpful in researching my role as ‘Christina Kulina’ on KINGDOM, as I was able to study documentaries on heroin use and prostitution, and incredible videos made by drug users — especially people documenting their detox and rehab. Being able to look up anything on my iPhone or iPad at the drop of a hat, wherever I am, whenever the thought arises, is an astounding luxury to me.

As someone who started out in the business at a time when you saved your quarters to check your answering machine on a pay phone for messages from your agent, or traveled across town at 10 pm to pick up audition scripts from a box outside your agency door, the advent of digital technology has added an incredible, and sometimes unsettling, speed to the nuts and bolts business of being an actor. These days, scripts and audition materials are sent to me by email, which not only saves time, but huge amounts of paper. I put my sides and scripts into an app called Rehearsal 2, which allows me to work on them in every way I need, including highlighting lines, making notes, and even making recordings of scenes. In keeping with my general theme — I love being able to carry all of this work with me and access it at any time.

Actors are often asked to “put yourself on tape” for an audition, which means filming yourself doing the scenes. I use my iPhone, and send the video to the casting directors via the secure Dropbox app. I was cast in HOUSE OF CARDS from a self-tape audition shot in my friend’s living room.

I’ve only recently delved into the world of social media, but Instagram, Twitter and other outlets function on varying levels for me — whether that be a ‘magazine’ I am flipping through to kill time, a field for self-expression, a news source, a means to support a cause, or necessary PR tools in the entertainment industry. With my iPhone and these platforms in hand, I am much more involved, on a daily basis, in the promotion of my projects and my own career. When you work on a TV show, “live-tweeting” episodes offers an in-the-moment interaction with the audience that is both terrifying and wonderful, and very moving when the recognition of a moment you had on film is reflected back at you.

Whether posting or perusing my feed, Instagram is my favorite outlet — for the visuals, the beauty, the humor, the community. It feels creative and personal and public at the same time. For a photography buff, the riches are endless.

As for my lifestyle, I must confess, my daughter and I spend a lot more time in front of our screens than we probably ought to, but our devices do enhance our lives. As a busy, working, single-mom, I rarely manage to see films when they are playing in the theater and I am very glad I can watch movies at my leisure on my iPad or home television. That also goes for my favorite ‘mature content’ tv shows, which I watch when my daughter is not around.

I have been a big reader and book collector all my life, and love to live in rooms filled with well-laden bookshelves; but after moving house several times in the last five years, and having many boxes of books just sit in storage, I had to learn to let go and whittle my collection down to my precious favorites. Now I do most of my reading on my iPad and I love it. Carrying around a library of hundreds of books in my handbag is nothing short of astounding.

My daughter LOVES her Mac laptop computer. She also has an iPad Mini, and received an iPhone for her 12th birthday this year (my old 5 when I upgraded to 6; I do have some restraint.) She is obsessed with Minecraft, Sims and other games and tells me she wants to be a YouTuber. I am secretly hoping she will learn to write code, become a brilliant girl game maker, and maybe skip out on the family business of acting.

After a test run of proper use and responsibility on the iPad Mini, I finally gave my girl the coveted iPhone, much to her joy, and for my peace of mind. I have an irregular schedule of long hours, and she has a busy school and social life, and it feels necessary for us to be able to be in touch via calls or text. We also make use of synced calendars to better organize our lives.

My daughter attends a very economically diverse middle and high school that gives each student an iPad of their own for the school year. The iPad is exclusively for school-oriented usage, and it is a marvelous tool for both students and teachers, who can communicate with each other through in-house email. Students use the Internet for research, create with amazing apps, and learn their way around all wonders that technology has to offer. Many assignments are completed and turned in digitally, eliminating paper waste, and reducing the amount of materials a student must lug around in a backpack.

Any particular favorite gadgets?

Clearly, I love Apple products, and I was very happy to receive a gift of Apple TV for Christmas. I have a couple of portable Bluetooth audio speakers, and my daughter has a Canon Powershot digital camera, but other than what I’ve mentioned, I am not much of a gadget girl. Despite all the devices, I have a fondness for old-school, and I try to keep a good balance of high and low tech in my home.

Twitter: @joannagoing1

Interview by Jerry Doby

@realjdobypr

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