"I am from the theatre!" Gayle Rankin mock protests when she's introduced as a film and TV star. Currently co-starring as a grief-stricken mother on HBO's Perry Mason, Rankin's theatre credits are as wide-ranging as they are impressive. She's starred as Fraulein Kost in Cabaret on Broadway, performed in an all-female Taming of the Shrew in Shakespeare in the Park, and played Ophelia opposite Oscar Isaac's Hamlet at The Public. But she first gained attention for her thrilling portrayal of Sheila the She-Wolf on Netflix's GLOW.

Filming had just started on the upcoming fourth (and final) season of the series when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down production, and Rankin herself doesn't even know how the series will end—though she and her castmates spend a lot of time wondering about it on a group text.

Now she's thriving in unhappiness on Perry Mason, a situation she admits makes her very happy. She stopped by Playbill's Stream Stealers July 16 to talk about how Matthew Rhys keeps her laughing between takes, working with Tatiana Maslany, and more on-set stories from the new hit series. You can watch Perry Mason Sunday nights at 9 PM ET.

Hosted by Playbill's editor-in-chief Mark Peikert, Stream Stealers is the twice-weekly talk show where theatre vets talk about their onstage pasts and the film and TV projects they're currently working on. Tune in on Playbill's YouTube Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 PM ET.