I was obsessed with this show. Whenever someone asked on social media, “what show would you like to guest star on?” it was always “Veep.” But once I went a step further. I said, “I’d like to play Selena’s college girlfriend, whom Selena now disowns.” My friend Kathleen, the wardrobe designer on the show, reported that Julia Louis-Dreyfus read the post and said to the writer’s room, “that’s not a bad idea.”

I was overjoyed to play Regina Pell, current president of Smith College and Selena’s ex. Another poignancy of this role: my father died the day before, which was not a surprise. I remember thinking I’d pull out of the job, but a few things compelled me to do it. First, Julia had just lost her father, and I knew that she’d understand; Kathleen would be a warm and loving presence (we worked together for years on “Judging Amy”), and finally, my father was a huge fan of the show, and I knew he’d get a kick out of me appearing on it. I love this footage, partly because I know my heart was breaking in between takes, but as always, I create from the place I found myself. Creativity is the way I ground and metabolize the experiences of my life, always. No exception here.