Rebecca Wisocky doesn’t let spirits haunt her because she doesn’t quite believe they’re real. But she plays one on the CBS comedy Ghosts, the American adaptation of the British half-hour sitcom that follows a crew of phantoms stuck in an old mansion in upstate New York. When a young couple move in, the ghosts find a new friend in Samantha (Rose McIver), who is able to see and communicate with them after a near-death accident.
A prolific character actor, Wisocky previously starred in Lifetime’s Devious Maids and appeared in a handful of popular shows such as American Horror Story and Dopesick. On Ghosts she plays Hetty Woodstone, a stern Gilded Age–era woman with much to say about etiquette and cocaine use. Over the last three seasons, Hetty has evolved in her self-discovery — discovering masturbation, for one. “The more I grow with this character, the more I’m enjoying playing the more childlike, inquisitive sides to her,” the actress says. “She’s a great gift of a character to play.” The show recently returned for a fourth season right in time for spooky season, and Wisocky is also set to play a Lydia Tár–inspired character for an arc on Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls later this fall.
Below, the actress discusses whether or not she gets sick of wearing the same costume for every episode, why she hates receiving flowers, and how her rule for meeting famous people backfired on a flight with Tig Notaro that went viral on The Tonight Show.
Do you ever get tired of wearing a uniform like Hetty’s outfit?
Do I tire of wearing it and is it uncomfortable? Of course. But at the same time, I love it. It does so much to help me as an actor. And when we learn how she died, you realize that not only was she in this uncomfortable corset for 130 years, she has also been concealing her own noose around her neck as part of her costume. So it does a lot to inform the work that I bring to the character.
The cast has such great chemistry onscreen, do you have any favorite on-set moments from season four?
We’re all theater nerds so we understand what it means to be in an ensemble and to support the person next to you and keep the ball in the air. It’s one of the best ensembles I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Zany things happen every day! There’s a new character, Patience, played by Mary Holland, who is going to blow everyone’s minds. Lots of surprising scenarios and predicaments ensue from bringing someone who is even more uptight than Hetty Woodstone into the house.
Now for our Rules to Live By questions …
I see why you wanted to do this! It is apropos that a woman from Gilded Age society should be asked about her impressions of etiquette. Mine are very different from Hetty Woodstone’s, though. But yes, go on.
Exactly. What’s your No. 1 rule for a successful dinner party?
Just like the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode: Being a good dinner-party guest is about being a good middle, about being an interlocutor, the one who can keep the conversation afloat and be a connector. I happen to have a lot of friends who are very good middles, and so this makes for good dinner parties.
What’s the last app you downloaded on your phone?
I started playing pickleball. I can’t believe I’m saying those words but I love it, so I have the Playbypoint app that I just downloaded to be able to book court time.
What’s your No. 1 rule for raising a child?
I was an adopted only child, raised by two people who had no natural business knowing how to raise a weirdo, artist kid, and somehow they did, and I’m incredibly grateful and moved by the relationship I have with my parents. They somehow knew how to create an environment in which I could become who I was naturally meant to be.
What’s your No. 1 fashion rule?
Understand your proportions and don’t be afraid to have a uniform. I’m not that risky with fashion. I know what I love, and I feel the most confident and beautiful and sexy in things that make me feel comfortable. I’m a big suit gal, and I’m not gonna apologize for it.
Would you send an Edible Arrangement?
I’m not an Edible Arrangement type of person. An exposed-to-the-air melon ball? That doesn’t appeal. I don’t love receiving flowers, but I like sending flowers. I’m sorry to the Edible Arrangements people.
What’s your beef with receiving flowers?
I don’t enjoy the process of watching something die over the course of the next week in my home. Someone did just send me a lovely orchid which might, over the course of a longer period of time, die in my home, but at least I have the aspiration that I could keep it alive. I feel like sending someone an orchid is just a challenge, though, because who doesn’t kill orchids?
What’s your No. 1 rule for canceling plans?
I try not to accept invitations to places that I know I’m not going to either want or feel trapped and obligated to go to. And I say trapped and obligated because nine times out of ten I’d prefer not going anywhere. So I think very long and hard about whether or not I’m going to accept an invitation someplace.
Do you think it’s okay to ghost after one date?
I think it’s never appropriate to ghost unless you feel that you’re actually in danger in some way of engaging with someone who’s a psychopath. Then, of course, ghost away.
What’s your No. 1 rule for meeting other famous people?
I did a movie in my early 20s and I remember really noticing how differently people treat a movie star and being kind of sad that they had to walk through the world not having an actual authentic interaction. So I attempt to treat them like a normal human being. But I’d be remiss not to add that my approach has backfired. I once sat next to Tig Notaro on a flight … I am a fan but didn’t want to subject her to five hours of chitchat, so I said nothing and politely kept to myself. This interaction somehow turned into two segments on Jimmy Fallon. So my advice should probably not be taken on this matter.
What rules do you have around your phone?
I’m old enough to have been an adult without a cell phone, so I can feel just how profoundly it’s changed the way in which my own brain operates and my attention span. So I try to put it down. At the very least, I’ve added meditation apps to my phone.
It feels like attention spans have gotten worse since the pandemic.
I think we all just kind of gave ourselves permission to just give over. I’d like to wrestle some of that back. I’m consciously trying to read more, like physical books. But I’m an addict just like everyone else.
What is your No. 1 rule on set?
Come prepared and be kind to the crew. They’re there longer and work harder than you ever will in a day. And I’m really proud that the Ghosts set is good at this: Treat every guest star, or anyone who comes to the set, like they’re a guest in your home. It makes the work better, it makes the day sweeter, and it’s just a wonderful example to set about how to operate in our business.
Do you gossip?
Listen … I like to know what’s going on. But I’m also old enough to realize that if someone’s gossiping to you, they’re also very likely gossiping about you. So I try not to participate in anything that seems mean-spirited.
What do you sign your emails with?
“Best.” I don’t know when I picked that up and I’m not even sure I know what it means, but it seems like an appropriate yet business-y kind of sign off. Or I’ll just sign “XOXO.”