By Michaela Gordoni
Leanne Morgan, a 59-year-old Tennessee native known for her homey sense of humor and southern endearments, hasn’t always had it easy as a comedian, but now she’s sitting pretty with a new sitcom.
It was a long time coming for her sitcom, LEANNE, which is written around her personality.
“I worked with precious people but I’d know in my heart, like, this is not how we are in the south. This is not how church people are,” she told THR. “This is not how my family is.”
“Hollywood people can’t help it. And I don’t blame ’em, they don’t know my world. With this sitcom, at first, they were trying to find their footing, and I was freaked out, but then I thought, ‘I’ve got to give them grace. They’re trying to learn me just like I am them.’”
After a lot of back and forth, Morgan finally was able to review the script every week and make comments about southern accuracy.
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LEANNE is about a recently divorced woman who learns how to cope with the help of her sister, Carol. Part of Movieguide®’s review reads, “The first three episodes have both a moral and a Christian worldview” and “focus on Leanne’s strong family bonds, such as her sister’s and children’s support for her.”
The mom of three says her Hollywood feedback is a lot more rewarding than her stand-up feedback before fame.
“I was raising these children first. I wasn’t out here grinding. I was doing corporate [gigs] for men that make carpet fiber. They probably spent more on the shrimp than they did on me,” she joked.
Her life experiences are what make her comedy unique.
“I was meant to raise my children, and I think it’s the best thing that ever happened. So many more people can relate to me because I did raise these children and I have gone to Weight Watchers and I don’t like my stomach and my husband gets on my nerves,” she said.
Her series isn’t autobiographical, which was co-creator Chuck Lorre’s idea.
“He didn’t want to base it on my real family, and he liked the idea of starting over because it’s a theme that people can relate to,” Leanne said.
“I balked at first, but I think it’s the smartest thing we did because I really would’ve felt protective over my children, my grandchildren and Chuck Morgan. And years ago, I met a showrunner on REBA, and that was based on [Reba McEntire’s] real life, and she got very protective. It wasn’t a good thing.”
The star says she’s just “tickled” with Hollywood.
“I do hope this show gets picked up [for additional seasons]. I’ve texted everybody I know that’s had a TV show, like, ‘What if people don’t like it?’ But Jerry Seinfeld said to me, ‘Honey, get ready to worry the rest of your life. That’s just part of it,’” she said.
She told Tudum, “This is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl, and it was just as exciting as I imagined. Learning a new medium was definitely a challenge — memorizing new scripts every week was totally new for me — but I loved it. As a stand-up, the comedic timing felt natural, and filming in front of a live audience was especially comfortable. By the end of the season, it really felt like home.”
With Morgan’s southern charm and true-to-the-south storyline, it’s bound to feel like home for some viewers, too.
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