EXCLUSIVE | 'Filthy Rich' star Olivia Macklin says show is for everyone, 'religious or not, spiritual or not'
Spoilers for FOX's 'Filthy Rich'
FOX's new Southern gothic drama recently aired its second episode and we're all here for the crazy that is the Monreaux family. From unloyal marriages and illegitimate children to the breakdown of a will and manipulation of power and wealth, this series has given us enough in two episodes to say that the Monreaux's are not part of TV's favorite families. One of our favorite characters, that we hope to see more of would be Becky Monreaux, played by the incredible Olivia Macklin. Many may remember Macklin from hits such as 'Radium Girls', 'The Young Pope', 'Dead To Me', and of course, FOX's 'LA to Vegas'. In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) Macklin speaks on how her character progresses, how the series stands out as a dramedy and a crazy story about how she shared the "twin phenomenon" with co-star Corey Cott.
Calling the booking of her role as Becky as an "exciting whirlwind," Macklin explained how she landed the role of Eric Monreaux's (Corey Cott) wife. "I was at a different audition during pilot season and right when I finished I got a call from my manager saying that there was a part in Filthy Rich that was originally a recurring guest star that was going to be expanded into a series regular," explained the actress. "I had to rush over to our casting director Kerry Barden's office to read for Becky who, at that time, didn’t have much material to work with so it felt more like a character development session than an actual audition which was so unique and exciting. I found out I got the job later that day and took an overnight flight to New Orleans to be there for the table read the next morning at 8 am." A whirlwind indeed.
Macklin explained that she was drawn to the role of Becky because she was aware that it was created by Tate Taylor and Abe Sylvia. The actress revealed that she has admired Taylor for "a long time" and had also previously worked with Sylvia on the hit 'Dead to Me'. "They both have such enticing ideas for characters like Becky so I knew I was in good hands," said Macklin. From the series, we can see that Eric, Becky's husband seems to be scrambling for the attention of his mother Margaret Monreaux played by Kim Cattrall and we wondered if Becky thinks her husband doesn't fit in with Margaret's expectations of the Monreaux family. To this Macklin revealed that although Eric's mother believes that her son "falls short" of becoming his father's successor, Eric's wife, "sees so much potential and malleability in Eric. He may need some shaping but she believes he can be something great."
Becky's character is a feisty one, we think and while we hope to really see her emerge as a strong character as the series moves forward in its first season, we see Becky seem to push her husband Eric to move forward in the family business. We asked Macklin if we were going to see Becky working or having a part in the business that is Monreaux Unlimited to which the actress revealed that "Becky is definitely the neck that turns the head at the beginning of the series. She’s not exactly looking to get too involved in the day to day at Monreaux Unlimited but she does have a very clear plan as to how to reap the success of the business for herself and for her budding family." The actresses considers her role as Becky "fun to play" and we couldn't agree more on how Becky's comedic intensity shines through her interactions with the family and her husband. If you don't know what we mean, stay tuned for next week's episode - you'll catch our drift.
Since Macklin has come from working on series such as 'The Young Pope' and 'Dead to Me', we asked her how it was to prepare for the role of Becky. If you follow the actress's accomplishments, comedic roles seem to be her thing, apart from her role in 'The Young Pope' - it's her "favorite place to be." The actress explains her love for comedy saying, "I have always been drawn to classic comedies and sitcoms and did improv growing up so it has become such a part of me. Becky takes herself so seriously which is natural comedy. The more serious she is, the more ridiculous she seems and she’s such an easy target for the other characters."
If you're a fan of dramedies like us, you would know that 'Filthy Rich' with its flare for the most joins many other dramedies on the small screen. Macklin explained how she thinks the Southern gothic dramedy stands out on a pedestal as its own unique production. "The show is so different from anything else on TV," said the actress explaining that the series has the ability to create "unlikely combinations of people and forces them to interact in a way that can result in a lot of laughs or a lot of drama but is also deeply thought-provoking." This we have to say, is very true, even from just the two episodes that have graced our small screens. "It is refreshing to look at what happens when we are forced to face the people we would rather not interact with ever and what it means to try to understand them," said Macklin.
The series seems to have a high limit when it comes to themes such as sexual fantasies, religion, manipulation and much more but we have to say that the fact that Monreaux Unlimited is run by a family that speaks on religious ministries, we wondered if fiction mirrors reality - how does the series speak for those that are part of religious ministries? To this bold question, Macklin said, "This show is for everyone. Religious or not, spiritual or not, and we have characters across that whole spectrum. The show is not making a mockery of any specific “type” but it is shedding a light on all of them."
The actress revealed that she herself is very "outspoken" about her values, revealing that she "checks" herself when she feels like she's "preaching to the choir too much." Explaining what she thinks that audiences should take away from the series, Macklin said, "This show really tackles what it is like to have to communicate with someone who is on the other side of a belief in an open and respectful way. We are so polarized as a country right now so to see opposites finding common ground or common respect is really beautiful." According to Macklin her favorite parts of filming Becky was the upcoming "big shift" we see in her character - "The episode where she starts to make that transition was one of my favorites," revealed the actress. "She [Becky] confronts many of her insecurities and fears in both an extremely public way and in an extremely private way. Filming that large contrast was so special...you’ll see what I mean!" Oh, we're definitely waiting to watch.
As we expected, with such an incredible and talented cast, Macklin had nothing but compliments for her castmates, calling them "just the best." The actress explained how "the twin phenomenon" had occurred between her and Cott during filming - "The twin phenomenon, where one twin feels pain and the other twin starts feeling the same pain, occurred. I had a horrible stye on my eye for part of filming that made me look like The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was awful. But one day Corey Cott showed up to a scene we had together and he had a horrible pink eye. Knowing we weren’t the only one with an ugly eye made us both feel better in a strange and terrible way. Luckily the scene we filmed was outside so they threw sunglasses on both of us and the day was saved!" said the actress.
The actress, as sweet as she can possibly be, revealed that while the country is going through a "dark and difficult time" she's excited to watch as the cast of 'Filthy Rich' is able to bring some much-needed excitement and joy to its audiences "I’ve already gotten so many DMs since the premiere from people saying this is exactly what they need right now which is a huge honor. I am going to ride that wave for a little while and watch the hard work of this amazing cast and crew pay off!" said Macklin.
Episode 3 airs Monday, October 5, 2020, from 9-10 pm ET on FOX.