Interview: Heléne Yorke Talks Season 2 of The Other Two

Heléne Yorke is kind, irreverent, and incapable of not creating something new, subversive, and funny. A Broadway favorite thanks to her performances in Bullets Over Broadway and American Psycho, she has brought her impeccable comedic timing and magnetism to The Other Two, a TV series about two siblings who must deal with the younger brother’s overnight fame.

Ahead of its second season premiere on August 26 on HBO Max, TheaterMania chatted with the multi-hyphenate about her character arc this season, the showbiz industrial complex, and captivating people with her humor.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Was there any scene you improvised that you were particularly happy with how it turned out?
I’d love to say that we improvise a lot, but we don’t. There are fun moments and the freedom within the work is what I have the most fun with. I think it’s episode 6, and I don’t want to put too much out there, but my character is on a fancy panel she feels she doesn’t belong on, and I think that’s some of the most fun I had creating that moment.

Do you remember a time when it clicked for you when you were like, “Actually, I’m pretty funny?”
I didn’t realize it so much until I started my career. I was doing Wicked [Yorke played Glinda] on tour and we were in Birmingham, Alabama. I’d settled into the show at that point, and I was messing up, but I could feel the whole audience buckling over laughing so hard.

What went wrong?
It’s the moment where Glinda’s wand doesn’t work. I was cleaning it on my skirt, and then the wand went into my crotch, and I said, “Well, it’s gonna work now.” Birmingham, Alabama lost it!

We see your character Brooke scouting talent online and at a children’s birthday party at the beginning of the season. Can you tell me about the type of people you gravitated toward when you first joined social media?
I’m obsessed with lifestyle pages! My whole feed is beautiful furniture, dishes, tablescapes, and drag queens. I want a steady stream of it!

On a similar note, if you were a talent manager, what advice would you give to artists looking to break into the entertainment industry?
Keep it simple. Fame isn’t the thing to aim for. I’d also advise doing what speaks to your heart work-wise and if it’s not fun anymore, stop. I think this business is fun, and people should have fun while they’re in it.

Who do you think are the funniest women on Broadway right now?
Marin Mazzie was the funniest! My dear friend Annaleigh Ashford is one of the true greats. Beth Leavel, Jackie Hoffman…I think the hardest I’ve ever laughed was when I saw Brooks Ashmanskas in The Prom, and Christopher Fitzgerald is so funny too.” Also, Audra McDonald and Kelli O’Hara are so funny as people. Oh, and Leslie Kritzer and Lesli Margherita!