Image: Lionsgate TV
We not too long ago sat down with Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman, the celebs of the click pricing drama, The Hunting Wives, which is heading to Netflix completely for a 12 months within the US on July twenty first. In our interview, they preview the sequence, talk about their characters, and share their experiences.
Primarily based on the best-selling novel by Could Cobb, The Looking Wives makes for a darkly addictive, massively provocative sequence, filled with thriller and intrigue. This fashionable, twist-filled drama is ideal for followers of Netflix sequence like Useless to Me, Behind Her Eyes, and What/If.
The sequence follows Sophie O’Neil (Brittany Snow), who strikes from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Maple Brooks, Texas, together with her household, comprised of husband Graham (Evan Jonigkeit) and their son. At their new dwelling, they goal for a contemporary begin to their lives, leaving Sophie’s mysterious, traumatic previous behind.
Nonetheless, when the household arrives in deep crimson Texas, it’s the final word tradition shock, particularly for Sophie, who meets Margo (Malin Akerman) — an enthralling, hedonistic, and outgoing socialite — who steadily makes Sophie come out of her shell. As Sophie mixes with Margo and the Looking Wives, she succumbs to their irresistible attraction. Earlier than lengthy, her former vices resurface… and issues, slowly however absolutely, get lethal.
Our interview with stars Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman is under. Test it out!
What’s On Netflix: What initially drew you to your roles on the present? What stood out to you?
Malin Akerman: How are you not drawn to Margo Banks? She is such a enjoyable character, wild and free. She actually has lots to do on this present. I believe her arc is huge and wild. And I used to be very excited to play somebody so multidimensional. I received actually fortunate as a result of all eight episodes had been despatched to me. And a variety of instances, you simply get the primary episode, and it’s a guessing sport as to the place the character may go. However having all eight episodes to learn and watch her undergo what she goes by, there was no approach I used to be not going to do that function. It was simply too good to go on.
Brittany Snow: I felt the identical. Studying all of the episodes, I received to see the complete transition of Sophie’s persona and character and the way she actually got here again to herself in a approach and the way on the very starting she form of begins off a sure approach and also you don’t suspect her to have a lot energy. However she earns that energy and he or she will get that energy all through the present.
And I simply love taking part in characters that kind of are the eyes of the viewers in a approach as a result of it’s an excellent alternative to be curious and and to indicate the world as finest as I can. I believe that Sophie is a good way into this loopy salacious world as a result of she’s studying as she goes and so is the viewers. They’re simply actually nuanced characters which can be each good and dangerous, black and white, all the pieces in between. And that’s one thing you search for whenever you’re eager to do a task.
WoN: Did both of you understand concerning the guide earlier than taking the function? Did you learn it beforehand — and in case you did, what did you be taught concerning the character from the guide?
Malin: I didn’t know concerning the guide earlier than the script got here in. And now I’m an enormous fan of Could Cobb. My first impression was the script by Rebecca Cutter and he or she’s additionally an impressive author.
So, hopping from one to the following, as quickly as I completed the scripts, I went on to the guide, which explores totally different kinds of writing. Nonetheless, on the identical time, they complement one another so effectively, and actually, it’s only a jumping-off level. And it’s actually enjoyable to learn Could Cobb’s descriptions, and he or she’s so descriptive and titillating the best way she writes. So it was nice.
I all the time love when there’s some IP that goes with a script you could dive in and actually get. It’s good to have that for character growth as effectively, just a bit further piece. I received to find Could Cobb by searching my scripts.
Brittany: I hadn’t been conscious of the guide, though it’s very unusual that I hadn’t as a result of that’s very a lot my style. I really like something homicide thriller associated. That’s my go-to.
However I learn the scripts first as effectively after which I learn the guide afterwards. And I’m actually glad I did it in that order as a result of we truly do take some liberties by which the unique readers of the guide will likely be stunned as a result of we use the guide as a blueprint, however we additionally form of make it our personal in a approach. But it surely was very useful additionally to learn the guide and discover out extra about Sophie and what made her tick and form of fill in these gaps that I used to be not sure of when creating the character.
It was so useful to have a guide. It’s all the time useful to have the ability to do one thing like that.
WoN: Malin, your character Margo is seductive, mysterious, and manipulative. How do you put together to convey that complexity into life?
Malin: I simply convey myself, actually. That’s simply who I’m [laughs]. No, it’s a crew effort.
It’s conversations with Rebecca and Could and the producers initially simply to form of get a way of what they’re in search of and vice versa, what they see in me that they hope that I can convey to it. However I believe in the end, for me, it’s a lot concerning the intention of the character inside scenes and what they want. And so having all the pieces ready, like we’ve the Texan accent, we’ve the wig, we’ve the costumes, we’ve the world, is so enjoyable to step into.
However then, in the end, attending to the underside of what this lady wants? What does she need? The place is she going? The place is she coming from? And the way do you convey that in every scene in order that we hold it grounded they usually don’t turn into caricatures of themselves? I all the time discover that’s actually vital as a result of that’s one thing that I’m actually drawn to after I watch tv or movie, is you could be as wild and as loopy, but when it’s not primarily based in one thing actual, you then lose me slightly bit.
So I hope that I used to be in a position to floor her in sure ways in which I used to be making an attempt to in order that we really feel the need and the survival in her and the way vital a few of these scenes actually are to her.
WoN: Brittany, your character will get pulled into this world of secrets and techniques and social video games. What was essentially the most difficult or shocking a part of entering into that world?
Brittany: I believe it’s all the time slightly little bit of a problem to form of play that duality of curiosity and naivety that form of makes it fascinating and but not dumb. I believe that it’s actually difficult to be an actor that’s open and nonjudgmental, but additionally you’re eager to go on the experience with them as a result of it could be a very totally different present if Sophie was only a bumbling woman who didn’t have an opinion about something and kind of simply went alongside and wasn’t kind of taking within the info in an clever approach, and but isn’t a complete naive woman and being swept in beneath false pretences.
I believe she will get slightly bit extra of her footing afterward within the present, and that was a problem at first to play anyone that you simply need to hold watching this journey with, since you’ve received to root for her. You’ve received to root for her journey and for her to make higher selections as she goes alongside.
WoN: What do you assume Sophie actually desires from this group of Looking Wives? Is it belonging, escape, or one thing totally different?
Brittany: I believe she’s actually misplaced herself as to who she is as a lady. I believe, as you be taught all through the present, you form of be taught increasingly about issues that occurred to her that kind of stripped away her identification as a lady and who she wished to be as a lady in society, but additionally inside herself.
These ladies, when she sees them, are so daring of their selections and free in a approach, and I believe that she’s actually enticed by that and needs to regain possession of herself, each sexually and emotionally. I believe that’s what attracts her in.
WoN: The dynamic between Sophie and Margot is simply unbelievable. It’s intense, it’s electrical. How do you two work collectively to construct that pressure on display screen?
Malin: We don’t get to decide on who we’re going to behave with. It’s a extremely huge journey for these two. I really feel so fortunate that I received Brittany as a associate as a result of we hit it off. We had been quick mates. We’re nonetheless mates to at the present time. We like to hang around collectively, and that was the identical on set.
When you like your associate, in case you get pleasure from the person who they’re off display screen and also you respect them because the actor that they’re, which I actually do. I believe that Brittany is an distinctive actress, your job simply turns into straightforward since you’re in it collectively. We had a lot enjoyable. We had been preparing for sure scenes, and we had been within the lavatory collectively and simply form of guffawing. It was like two schoolgirls simply on the brink of go on their first date or one thing. We had a variety of enjoyable, and I couldn’t have imagined doing it with anyone else.
All these scenes, this journey that they needed to go on. I hope that there was this charisma between them and that it jumps off the display screen as a result of we positively felt it as scene companions.
WoN: What was it like working in that ambiance? Clearly, your accents, the tradition. What was it like leaping into that Texas world?
Malin: The accent was a variety of enjoyable. I really feel like that all the time brings one other aspect. It helps get you into character.
It steps you away from your self just a bit bit extra, and we had an exquisite dialect coach who helped us out. I believe Texas is enjoyable so far as one other character within the present. It’s huge, it’s unapologetic, and I believe that basically works for these characters. To have Brittany’s character step into that world, it’s a bit daunting at first. Like she stated, we get to look at it by her eyes, and he or she warms as much as it as a result of it may be very enjoyable.
We thank Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow for his or her time. All eight episodes of The Looking Wives drop on Netflix within the US on July twenty first.