Catherine Disher Talks 'Good Witch'

Catherine Disher plays Mayor Martha Tinsdale in the Hallmark Channel series GOOD WITCH, which airs on Saturday nights. She recently took time out to talk about her character and her acting influences:

Q: How do you describe Madame Mayor?

Catherine Disher: Somebody called her comically self-absorbed and that is a pretty good description. She is childish and child-like yet at the core of her being, she is doing what is best for Middleton. She just can’t help herself. She has no impulse control. None! The saving grace with Martha, I always found, by the end of the day she has to redeem herself and it is usually because of Cassie. Cassie makes her want to be a better person.

Q: What are Martha's most endearing qualities?

Catherine Disher: Probably her ability to adapt to the situation. I guess you can say she really does have Middleton’s best interest at heart.

Q: And Martha's least endearing qualities?

Catherine Disher: Probably her inability to self-censor. What is going through her head goes out of her mouth.

Q: Do you like her?

Catherine Disher: Oh yeah. Actors talk all the time, ‘Oh, she’s really apart of me.’ I don’t think of it that way. I enjoy playing her. You do get to play the complete child and I enjoy finding the layers and I enjoy that wriggling and I enjoy props and trying to make something funny. I am fond of her. I do enjoy her way with words, or her lack. She thinks she has a way with words. I don’t know if they kept it in, but I was trying to persuade Stephanie that a java shop was coming in and they have chai tea lattes and I made it into tai chi. It just came out of my mouth and I didn’t realize it came out of my mouth. Usually I will go and ask first.

Q: Is she fun to play?

Catherine Disher: Really fun. The other actors come into Martha’s domain and they seem to have a lot of fun, too. It is a bit looser and we are looking for the humor and playing with props.

Q: Martha can seem, shall we say, a little power mad and crazy, yet there is something loveable about her, what is it?

Catherine Disher: She is ultimately kind of a vulnerable person and that’s why you can’t hate her. I hope people can’t hate her; I hope they don’t.

Q: How would you like to see Madame Mayor evolve?

Catherine Disher: I only got elected mayor in the seventh movie. I never got to do much mayoral stuff. I don’t want to price myself out of the series and say she wants to be governor, OK off you go.

Q: When was your first time ever on stage and what were you?

Catherine Disher: We did ‘Pygmalion.’ I was a man with a Hungarian accent and a mustache. It was grade six or seven. I was the man because I went to an all girls’ school. My mother didn’t recognize me.

Q: When did you know you wanted to be an actress?

Catherine Disher: Around grade six or seven. I used to do impromptu debates and when doing impromptu debates it is better if you are funny.

Q: Did you consider any other careers?

Catherine Disher: I thought I would be a zoologist for a long time. I was with a company out of Earthwatch. You can teach dolphins phonetics in Hawaii. You pay your way and it is tax-deductible and you work with scientists on researching projects.

I went to Borneo. I absolutely loved it and I had just graduated from theater school. They offered me a job and if I hadn’t been cast in Toronto's hottest new play I would have stayed. I always thought I would be a good lawyer too. Now I am a little late.

Q: What actors influence you?

Catherine Disher: ICa remember seeing Kenneth Branagh in Henry V and he was amazing. I am not sure if there is an actor I can point to that influences me. There are actors I admire, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep. I appreciate bold choices.

Q: What are your hobbies?

Catherine Disher: I have two dogs. I love to walk my dogs and I read and I have been a single mum. My son just moved out; he is in university. And I do read a lot and I like to walk. I go to the theater.

Q: What would be the perfect day?

Catherine Disher: Right now it would involve a beach.