Acclaimed for her Emmy-winning portrayal of Susie Myerson, the title character’s tough-talking manager in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Alex Borstein has taken on a new role as executive producer of the documentary “Bombardier Blood.”
It’s the extraordinary and inspiring story of intrepid mountaineer Chris Bombardier, the first person with the bleeding disorder hemophilia to climb to the top of Mount Everest and scale the seven tallest mountains in the world. The film, directed by Patrick James Lynch, follows Bombardier as he prepares for his historic climb, while raising awareness about hemophilia through the global nonprofit Save One Life, where Bombardier now serves as executive director.
Borstein is the granddaughter, daughter and mother of a hemophilia carrier. Her uncle recently died from the disorder, her brother is a sufferer and she is a carrier. Consequently, Borstein has been involved with the hemophilia community for many years and wanted to help bring attention to the disorder and “as many eyeballs as possible” to Bombardier’s story.
“What I love about this is it’s not about a victim. It’s not a pity party,” Borstein told the Journal. “It’s an incredible man trying to do something that seems unachievable despite his obstacles and the odds. The characters in this film are Chris, his wife and that mountain. It’s a beautiful story and I absolutely wanted to be part of it. It’s also an incredible lesson for what we’re all going through right now, when things seem insurmountable. It’s a really good lesson in perseverance and strength and deciding you can do something even if you’re not sure you can.”
Borstein explained that hemophilia is a very rare genetic disorder that travels through families on the X chromosome, but also appears as a spontaneous mutation. “A lot of families are completely surprised by it and come to it with no understanding of what it means. That’s why it’s great for people to see this film and learn what it is,” she said. “Not that many people in the world are affected by it so there’s not that much awareness. You have to be twice as loud.”
Borstein revealed that her maternal grandmother, a Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivor and “one of the major forces in my life, was a carrier at a time when no one really knew what it was. She fought like hell to get her son treated so he would survive when most people of that generation did not,” she said. “She came to this country and made her way and against all odds, climbed her own mountain.”
“What I love about this is it’s not about a victim. It’s not a pity party. It’s an incredible man trying to do something that seems unachievable despite his obstacles and the odds.” — Alex Borstein
When she won the Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy series in 2019, Borstein spoke memorably about her grandmother’s courage to “step out of line” at a Nazi murder pit, saving herself. As the virtual Emmy ceremony approaches on Sept. 20, Borstein spoke about being nominated again in a very different year.
She said she was participating in a Zoom cooking class with family members from her home in Barcelona, Spain, when she found out about the nod. “My father was kvelling, so excited. My favorite thing about it was seeing him happy,” she said. Her reaction to the honor, one of 20 the Amazon series received? “It feels good. It’s about the work, but it’s a wonderful added little gift, like the diamond in an engagement ring — a nice, shiny thing to look at.”
On the other hand, “With the state of the world right now, it seems strange to be worried or excited about an award competition,” she said. Although she’ll miss celebrating in person, she won’t miss running the red carpet gantlet. “But it’s a nice distraction for a lot of people and myself, my parents, and I’m happy to not have to fly in. It’ll be two or three in the morning for me so we’ll see if I’m even up.”
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The divorced mother of son Barnaby and daughter Henrietta, whose father, actor Jackson Douglas, also lives in Barcelona, Borstein has been struggling with home schooling during the pandemic. She doesn’t know when shooting on “Maisel’s” fourth season will commence or how it will proceed under COVID-19 restrictions, but she’s eager to return to work.
“People love the show because it’s escapism. It’s another era, different world problems,” she said. “It’s so theatrical. The wardrobe, the lighting, everything is lush and takes you away. It’s intergenerational so there’s something for everyone.” Then there’s the Midge-Susie relationship, the two “holding each other up,” she added. “It’s them against the world.”
Going forward, she thinks viewers will learn a bit more about Susie’s history and what makes her tick. “One of the things I like about her the most is that she will not stop trying, to take care of Midge, to push that rock up the hill,” Borstein said.
She compared Susie to Bombardier in that both “were told certain things would not be possible, that they couldn’t or shouldn’t do or aim for, and no matter how insane it seemed to people around them they pushed and pushed to get to the top of something and make something happen in their lives. They don’t take no for an answer.”
Although Borstein has previously earned an executive producer title by investing time and money in projects, including a documentary on a favorite writer, the late Ursula K. LeGuin, she doesn’t see herself “pitching seven things to seven studios and making deals,” she said. “It has to be a passion project for me to want to take the time away from my kids or my creative endeavors.”
For the voiceover veteran of “Family Guy” and “Robot Chicken,” the latter includes the animated movie “Extinct,” scheduled for release in 2021.
“Bombardier Blood” is now available on Video on Demand.
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