They plot, they scheme, they seduce, and so they drink. They’re the loud, lewd, and sometimes deadly girls who make up the higher crust of Texas excessive society in The Looking Wives, the brand new Netflix present based mostly on the guide by Might Cobb. On the floor, they’re the crown jewels of their Christian neighborhood, however beneath that idyllic facade lies a world of obsession, betrayal, and lethal secrets and techniques. And a complete lot of chardonnay.
On the middle of all of it sits Margo, performed by Malin Åkerman, whose gravitational pull retains the others in her orbit and at bay. Beautiful and charismatic, she is the rich spouse of Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney), a strong and impressive man whose aspirations threaten Margo’s extracurricular actions.
Watching from the wings is Sophie O’Neal (performed by Brittany Snow), a current transplant from the East Coast whose current trauma has dimmed her once-bright spark. She’s drawn to Margo as if by an unseen tether, torn between eager to be her and easily being close to her. Collectively, the 2 feed off one another, blurring the strains between admiration and friendship with obsession and want.
TV Insider sat down with Malin Åkerman and Brittany Snow to speak about wine, girls, and incorrect, Netflix’s The Looking Wives.
In a method, the 2 characters feed off one another. Sophie’s had her spark dimmed on account of a current tragedy, whereas Margo is in a self-imposed exile and is pressured to uninteresting her shine on account of her husband’s ambitions. What do you suppose they take from one another on this unusual relationship?
Malin Åkerman: There’s one thing about them coming collectively that brings out the authenticity of who they’re as a result of they’re each sporting sure veneers once we meet them — protecting layers, if you wish to say a lot. Margo is certainly a survivor and is defending rather a lot from her previous. However I feel the fantastic thing about these two coming collectively is that they begin to open one another up, typically for higher, typically for worse.
I additionally suppose that Margo is somebody that you need to watch out with until you’ve one thing you could dangle over her head and say, “Should you do that, I’ll expose you.” So I simply suppose that you just’ve bought to watch out once you play with fireplace. And I feel Sophie finally ends up determining fairly shortly what that’s.
Brittany Snow: I do suppose that each of those girls are survivors, however in utterly alternative ways. And I feel that Sophie, via the tragedies which have occurred to her and the traumas and the issues that she’s pushed apart, has kind of created confines round her by which she’s surviving very inward and in a security mechanism, nearly. And he or she meets Margo, who’s residing so outward and so brash and boldly. I feel that’s actually engaging to Sophie, not just for her as somebody that she’s occupied with, but additionally as a girl and who she needs to be, who she aspires to be. And I feel that that’s what they study from one another is that there’s no proper or incorrect method typically to outlive. They’re very completely different in that. And I feel as soon as Sophie begins studying that not the whole lot is what it appears, I feel she actually comes again to her personal self and begins to grasp that she at all times ought to have trusted her personal survival abilities and never another person’s.
What do you suppose The Looking Wives says about feminine friendship — or the phantasm of it?
Malin Åkerman: It’s an phantasm in some components. I definitely don’t acknowledge this group of ladies within the group of ladies that I’ve in my actual life. We’re far more genuine and supportive. This group jogs my memory of a kind of cliquey sorority… It’s not very genuine. It’s a really small city, and gossipy and undoubtedly damaging. However I feel we’d like that for this present as a result of that’s what makes it juicy. Folks like to observe prepare wrecks. They love to observe actuality TV. If it was simply regular ladies simply complimenting one another and holding one another up, then we’d not wish to watch it as a lot.
Brittany Snow: I do suppose that there’s loads of duality on this present, and there’s loads of grey, and nothing’s actually black and white. And I feel that’s what’s so nice about this present, is that none of those characters are seemingly all good or all unhealthy. And I do suppose that can be with feminine friendships as effectively. There are moments with Margo and Sophie which are genuine and supportive. After which there are different moments that there aren’t, and that goes with just about all the ladies on the present. And I feel these nuances make for a extra attention-grabbing present than it simply being all good friendships on a regular basis.
What drew every of you to your respective roles? Was there a particular scene?
Malin Åkerman: I really like the whole lot about Margo Banks. I really like that she is so multi-dimensional. As we go all through the course of this sequence, we study a lot about her, and he or she actually will get to go to completely different locations. I feel the factor that attracted me most to her is the truth that she doesn’t function throughout the boundaries of what’s regular life and that she is such a free chook, and to have the ability to dwell vicariously via her was such a pleasure.
Brittany Snow: I might say that for Sophie, I actually, actually appreciated and liked the transformation she goes via. I don’t at all times play the lady with the large eyes, the fish out of water. That’s undoubtedly Sophie firstly of the present. I don’t wish to give something away, however she doesn’t essentially find yourself in that very same place as a result of a lot occurs to her. And as an actor, that’s all you may hope for once you learn a script is that you just’re not taking part in the identical beat for eight episodes. And so this present actually runs the gamut of all completely different aspects of those characters, but additionally in how we get to play them, what we get to do, the stunts we get to tug, and the scenes we get to strive. There’s rather a lot that we get to do.
Was there a second on set that was pure pleasure to shoot?
Malin Åkerman: I’m gonna give two scenes that I liked filming, which had been the jet ski scene with Brit the place we get to take off on a jet ski, which is a lot enjoyable, and going to Coyote Joe‘s and dancing. I imply, having dance companions and dancing all day lengthy. Which, by the way in which, you need to go to Charlotte and go to Coyote Joe’s as a result of it’s such a blast. We’d go on the weekends and go dancing as a result of we simply liked it a lot.
Brittany Snow: There are issues that I get to do on the present that nobody lets me do usually in my profession. And so I felt very seen, that they trusted me sufficient to do these issues and to tug them off. I liked the scenes with all the ladies. I do know, it looks as if feminine friendships weren’t on the forefront of the story, however off-screen, it was simply hanging out along with your greatest associates all day, gossiping, and speaking about what’s occurring in our lives. I actually simply had probably the most enjoyable on these days once we had been all collectively. I bear in mind wanting on the name sheet and being like, “Yay! The Looking Wives! Yay!”
Have been you acquainted with the guide?
Malin Åkerman: I hadn’t learn the guide earlier than studying the scripts. Fortunately sufficient, we bought despatched all eight episodes, which is kind of uncommon. With TV, you get simply the primary episode, and also you sort of must do a guessing recreation as to the place your character may go. So it was actually pretty to get all eight episodes, and I fell in love with Rebecca Cutter’s writing. It was simply such a page-turner. I used to be so excited. My husband was jealous as a result of I wasn’t giving him any consideration. We had been on trip. He’s like, “What are you studying?” So I let him learn [it], after which I couldn’t get him to cease studying. I simply thought it is a telltale signal that that is going to be a very binge-worthy present… It’s simply the way in which that she writes, it’s actually titillating, and it takes you on this journey. So I really feel like this marriage between Rebecca Cutter and Might Cobb was perfection. They actually did an unbelievable job.
Brittany Snow: Identical with me. It undoubtedly was a page-turner. However I feel the factor that basically spoke to me probably the most was the intelligence that Rebecca Cutter had when it comes to her writing. It was disguised and wrapped up in a bow as a soapy, salacious seashore learn present, however beneath these layers was social commentary, political commentary, satire… there have been all these little markings of all these deeper issues, if you’re paying consideration, you may actually dive into. I really like that, as a result of you may watch it and never see any of these issues, and simply benefit from the experience and have enjoyable. And it was one thing that I needed to be part of as a result of I assumed it was carried out in a very sensible method. And I liked the characters.
How would you describe the present in a single phrase?
Malin Åkerman: I might say the present is saucy, yeah, saucy is an effective.
Brittany Snow: I’m gonna say this present is attractive.
The Looking Wives, Season 1, Monday, July 21, Netflix