WandaVision: Debra Jo Rupp Explains How the Set Was Similar to Sitcoms

WandaVision finally premiered on Disney+ this month and the first three episodes each pay homage to different eras of television. Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) get up to many sitcom-inspired shenanigans while living in the suburban town of Westview, including hosting a dinner for Vision’s boss, Mr. Hart (Fred Melamed), and his wife Mrs. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp). In honor of WandaVision, ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with Rupp about the show, and she explained how the set was similar – and different – to a regular sitcom set.

“Well, there were a lot more visual effects, I must say. I mean, that whole kitchen thing was awesome. It was also, this is the first black and white I’ve done. So that was different. The makeup is really different, I feel like it’s much heavier. The clothing, I happen to look good in ’50s clothing, unlike ‘the 70s, so that was awesome for me. But other than that, very similar, I have to say. You know, the live audience was there. You know, the intro is at the top there, it was very similar. Very similar. They didn’t get to see the dining room table scene. The audience saw it but from afar. So they didn’t really understand what was happening there, which was really interesting to me. I was like, ‘Oh, wait till you see this on camera.’”

We mentioned how the dinner scene was the perfect blend of comedy and horror and Rupp agreed, expanding on how fun it was to film. “I know, I know, it was so cool,” she replied. “It was one of the funnest things I have ever done. It was so fun. It was just, I got to be a little over the top, I got to be dramatic. Oh, it was just fun. It was just really fun.”

Rupp continued, “We had the luxury of a week of rehearsal, which is actually how sitcoms are done. I mean, we did everything, it was the way it was done. We did that. So we had a week of rehearsal before we shot.”

Speaking of sitcoms, we obviously had to ask Rupp about her time playing Kitty Forman on That ’70s Show and how she felt about missing out on the ’70s episode of WandaVision.

“That clothing, there is nothing attractive about that clothing. And I also lived in the ’70s. It never looked good on me. It’s just like a whole decade that could go away in ‘clothes land.’ Oh, I think if I had been a part of the ’70s episode, it would have taken you out of it. I think it was okay in the ’50s, but I think it would have… It’s a really good story and there’s lots of clues and that would have taken away from it. If I were directing, I would have done exactly the same thing.”

The first three episodes of WandaVision are now streaming on Disney+. If you haven’t signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

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