LAist Interview: Jenji Kohan, Creator of Weeds

Nancy, the mother character played by Mary-Lousie Parker leads a double life of a pot-dealing suburban mom. How did that idea come to you?

I wanted to do an outlaw show. From there I needed to find an outlaw and a crime. Pot was "in the air" with all the clubs opening in LA after the passage of Prop. 215. It was the perfect vehicle because while it's illegal, no one takes it that seriously. It's the funny drug. Plus there's a pot smoker in every family - it crosses all social, religious, economic, political, racial lines. Nancy just came out on the page.

Why did you want to tell a story about the suburbs?

Oh, I think all the great stories are out there. When your surroundings are so sterile, I think you need to work extra hard to make your life interesting.

All of the characters on the show have secrets and operate on their own moral code. What draws you to these flawed characters?

I identify with them. We're all flawed. I got really sick of black and white, heroes and villains. People are much more complicated than that. We all live in the grey areas.

Mary-Kate Olsen is joining the cast this season. How did that come about?

She came in and auditioned. Really natural. No attitude. Totally sweet and funny. I don't think people will get pulled out of the show thinking, "Oh, there's Mary Kate on the screen." You believe her as this girl. We wouldn't have cast her if she hadn't been right for the part.

You are raising your young children in Los Angeles. How does your experience as a mom affect you career as a writer? And how do you feel about some of the extreme situation that the child characters on the show have to deal with?

I think Los Angeles is a complicated, but wonderful place to raise children. Both my husband and I are LA natives, and we turned out... well, complicated and wonderful. My experience as a mom makes me a very sleepy, frayed, guilty writer, but I wouldn't want to give up either job. I am lucky to have an amazingly supportive husband, great help, and a schedule that is insane, but really truly insane only half the year, so I spend the other half playing catch-up. I've always worked so the kids don't really know any other life besides the one they're leading, and they're awesome kids, so we must be doing something right, or we just got really lucky. Sometimes I feel a little bad about some of the situations that I put the children in on our show, but it's fiction. It's entertainment. And the characters are living under extreme circumstances.

You and your staff seem to know an amazing amount of information about marijuana. Do people assume you are a pot smoker?

We do a great deal of research - guest speakers, on-line research, books... we want to be as accurate as possible. Contrary to popular belief, I am so not a stoner. While I have smoked pot in my lifetime, it's truly not my drug. I'm too much of a control freak. If anything, my vice is food.

What will you tell your kids about drugs?

What will I tell my kids? I'm not in favor of drug use, and stupidity is punishable.

How did you choose the Malvina Reynolds song "Little Boxes" for the theme music? With all of the artists who have covered the song for your show, do you have a favorite?

I just loved the song and when I wrote the pilot, the lyrics to the song were the first thing I copied down. Helped fill a blank page and inspire me. I can't play favorites. The covers have been thrilling.

The music for Weeds showcases a fun mix of artists. Who can we look forward to hearing from this season?

We have Little Boxes covers from Randy Newman, Joan Baez, the Shins, the Decemberists, Billy Bob Thorton, Angelique Kidjo, the Individuals, Kinky and more.

- - -
Bonus Videos:

Elvis Costello, "Little Boxes"

Regina Spektor, "Little Boxes"

Death Cab for Cutie, "Little Boxes"

En Francais, "Little Boxes"

Weeds
Showtime
Season Three starts next Monday, August 13th