The last time Kathryn Erbe performed at Steppenwolf, Clinton was only a year into his second term, and The Spice Girls ruled the charts. She was playing Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire as part of an impressive cast that included Gary Sinise and John C. Reilly. Erbe remains an ensemble member, but her day job keeps her away: Since 2001, she has played Detective Alexandra Eames on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, a kind of Watson to Vincent D’Onofrio’s Holmes. Although D’Onofrio gets most of the attention—after he was hospitalized for exhaustion, producers revamped the show to give the cast more time off—Erbe’s grounded style is CI’s secret weapon. Being underrated has long been part of her career, from films to her recurring role on HBO series Oz. But Erbe prefers it that way. She recently spoke to The A.V. Club about murder, parenthood, and horn-tooting.
The A.V. Club: Has TV kept you away from the stage?
Kathryn Erbe: Yeah, and having my daughter. When Maeve was a year-and-a-half was the last time that I worked [at Steppenwolf], doing Streetcar. It was just too hard to think about being away from her for all those bedtimes. At that time, that seemed like a difficult schedule. Now it’s like I’d give anything for that schedule on a regular basis. [Laughs.] I wish I could go back—I’m dying to be there.
AVC: How are the acting muscles different for stage and TV?
KE: Oh, it’s totally different. I actually did two 10-minute plays at Atlantic here this summer, just for five performances to open their 99-seat theater. It’s their 20th season, and I’m a member of that theater as well. I forgot how scary plays are. The audience is so much a part of the night—I know that a lot of it is trying to shut that out and just do your own thing. I mean Stella, that was such an epic, epic play, and I got completely sucked in to that life. I really wanted to go and be living in 1940s New Orleans, and I completely rationalized all the abusive aspects of the relationship. [Laughs.] It really scared me because I think when you’re doing a play, it just seeps in, particularly in Steppenwolf.
AVC: Does Detective Eames seep into your life?
KE: She’s become my fantasy of how I’d like to be in terms of on top of things and thick-skinned. But I really don’t let the murders or any of that stuff into my head. After Oz, I’ve learned how to check out and not let that stuff get in.
AVC: You consider yourself a blue-collar actor. Is that something you’ve always felt, or did it become part of your career?