EXCLUSIVE | Filthy Rich's Aubrey Dollar teases twists, says her character Rose will finally stand up to Margaret
Since 'Filthy Rich' has aired three episodes so far, we can tell you that we're definitely buckling in for the ride. The series is a Southern Gothic drama that chronicles the seemingly tight-knit Monreaux family but since the death of their patriarch Eugene Monreaux (Gerald McRaney) — he's not really dead, but his family doesn't know that yet — his wife Margaret Monreaux (Kim Cattrall) takes over the reins of their televangelist empire. As founders of Christian broadcaster the Sunshine Network, Margaret wasn't too happy to find out that her husband had fathered three illegitimate children outside their marriage.
After his "death", she isn't just letting these children get away with cash that Eugene had seemingly left behind for them too. Besides those three children, Margaret shares two children of her own with Eugene — Eric Monreaux (Corey Cott) and Rose Monreaux (Aubrey Dollar) — whom she loves dearly but is a tad bit dismissive of. Lucky for us, in an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Dollar speaks on what it was like playing Rose and working alongside legend Kim Cattrall. She also spoke about her character arc with her newly-found sister Ginger Sweet (Melia Kreiling) and brother, the faux-Jason Conley (Mark L Young).
If you've watched the episodes so far, you may get the idea that Rose and her mother are not the same. At some points, we would assume due to Eugene's discretions, Rose seems to be the only one who really misses her father. We asked Dollar what's different between Rose and her mother. "I think what separates Rose and Margaret most is probably the idea of keeping up appearances. It's a very southern notion, and I can say that as I'm from the South, this idea that even if you're falling apart things must appear as if you're happy and fine and proper and have it all together," revealed Dollar.
The actress said that while Rose is more "emotional and impulsive and rebellious" there are possibly more similarities with the mother-daughter duo "in many ways than either of them would like to admit". As for the dead (really, missing) Eugene, Dollar says that he was the "the glue holding the family together" and "valued Rose's creativity and saw her for who she was". This, fans were able to see in the first episode when Rose's mother refused to credit her designs on the screen. Margaret tells her daughter, "confidence is silence" while Eugene supports Rose. We also did get a bit of a teaser from Dollar, who said that it's obvious that Eugene has demons as well and "that things are not as they seem in terms of what Rose believes her dad to be".
"So often in television, these days roles for women are the thankless mom or wife or girlfriend roles while the men get to be actual characters and go off on grand adventures and have compelling emotional journeys," the actress said. Dollar admitted that she was thrilled that she got "to be an actual character in this story" describing Rose as "complex and unpredictable and kind and weird and misunderstood by her family". Dollar grew up in North Carolina and hence loves playing Southern women, and we have to say, she nailed this role without a doubt.
Another interesting storyline when it comes to Rose is her weakness for her brother Jason. In Episode 2 'John 3:3', Rose finds out that the man who had come to New Orleans wasn't actually her brother Jason. Jason was in a coma in the hospital, and his brother Mark had posed as him so as to get the money to help pay Jason's bills. We wondered why Rose fell so inclined when it came to Mark aka the faux-Jason? If Jason's true identity is outed, would that affect Rose's dynamic with him, considering she knew the truth?
Calling the initial sibling attraction "quite troubling" (the duo had kissed in the pilot episode when Rose really thought Mark was Jason), Dollar says she thinks that it started as a "physical attraction". Describing faux-Jason, Dollar said, "He is who he is, he has a very dry sense of humor like Rose. She can just fully be herself around him and he doesn't ask anything of her and I don't think she's used to that." But in Episode 3 'Pslam 25:3', Margaret ends up putting faux-Jason on TV, exposing him and leaving her daughter pissed at her. Although, Dollar said, "I think Rose enjoys the secrecy of the relationship, but people, of course, start to catch on which is a great catalyst for some high drama," which of course we're ready for.
Rose also seems to connect with her new sister Ginger, and their arc has half-sisters who are different but similar in their determined way to dismantle the patriarchal norms of their business. We asked Dollar what she wished audiences would take away from this sisterly bond. "I think that Rose and Ginger see the vulnerabilities in each other and they extend one another a kindness because of that. They're both very alone and want to be seen and loved for who they are. They have different ways of going about it, of course, and Rose has been afforded so many privileges in life while Ginger has had to fight for everything she's gotten," revealed Dollar.
Speaking on patriarchy and women's friendships, the actress added, "One of the things I value so much in my own female friendships is this ability women have to just see each other and sit with that in an honest way. Men have an (often well-intentioned) tendency to want to 'fix' everything, but women have this amazing ability to hold space for someone else's truth without judgment. I value that so much the older I get."
As for a bit of teaser when it comes to Rose's character arc in the debut season, Dollar said that she can say "that every character on this show takes a huge journey this season in their own way". She added that her character arc is "largely about coming into herself and kind of cracking open and separating the parts of her that are what her mother wants her to be from the parts that are who she really is at her core". Since Dollar's character is one of our favorites, we can't help but get excited to see how her journey plays out. "She learns to stand up to Margaret which is huge for her," said Dollar. Boy, aren't we all waiting for that moment?
Even though Season 1 has only released three episodes so far, it has garnered quite a fan base and we along with Dollar are hoping there's a second season. "There better be a second season. I would be devastated if we don't get to do this again," said Dollar. Giving us a bit on what to expect at the end of the debut season, the actress added hilariously, "The ending, in particular, is so juicy and fun and insane and complex that we have to see where it goes. I speculate about it all the time. If there's not a second season I'm going to have to start writing fan fiction as a form of therapy to answer some questions for myself."
Interestingly enough, we see Rose in the series has piqued interest in starting her own business. As for those plans materializing, Dollar said that while we see some of that it isn't "linear and simple". "I think Ginger's influence helps give Rose the confidence to start trying to find herself and go her own way whether Margaret supports it or not," revealed the actress.
So, what was it like playing this character? Were there any similarities between Aubrey and Rose? Saying that she and her character are "similar in many ways," Dollar explained that she had grown up feeling like she "didn't quite fit in" much like Rose. "It wasn't until I started doing plays that I felt like I could actually be myself," said Dollar. "I didn't fit in with the country club set in NC, I didn't know how to talk to the guys I was supposed to want to date. I think Rose is similarly uncomfortable and it's why she's stayed mostly single for as long as she has. I (obviously) did not grow up with the kind of money the Monreaux family has. In my town rich meant you could shop at J Crew. So I did have to remind myself of how isolating that kind of wealth can be and how you are naive to so many things that normal families deal with on a daily basis," revealed the actress.
Of course, we had to ask Dollar what it was like to work alongside Cattrall. Like many of us, she too was a fan of 'Sex and the City' where Cattrall played the legendary role of Samantha Jones. Calling her co-star a professional, an excellent actor and scene partner, Dollar said that while Cattrall has so much material in the show, "she shows up and approaches scenes thoughtfully and stands up for what she feels is right".
"She's there with you every single take. It doesn't seem to matter how tired she is or how many scenes she's done that day or whether it's her coverage. I just adored working with her. And she was very kind and real with me and made me feel comfortable from the start," continued Dollar.
Since we're all still in lockdown, we asked Dollar how the pandemic experience has been for her. "I have a three-year-old son, we live across the country from family and preschool has been closed so it has been very intense. In many ways I'm grateful for the joy and purpose he brings to everyday life, I'm certainly never bored," said the actress who also added that, at times, she longed for the quarantine experience her friends without children have been having. "I want to lay around and read books and do puzzles and binge TV shows in bed all day," she added.
"That said, we are incredibly lucky in that we're healthy and have food and jobs. This is just one of those years you suck it up and do what you have to do to get through," the actress added. "There's so much devastation and suffering that being stir crazy with a toddler doesn't feel like such a bad thing. We bake all the time and bought a bouncy house I set up in the living room and I let him watch as much Blue's Clues as he can handle. There are moments of so much joy every day and moments where I feel like I'm completely losing my mind, and I'm sure I'm not unique in that."
As for how 'Filthy Rich' continues to progress, Dollar says that it "really takes off" with the plot getting "heavy" with "twists and turns ahead you will not see coming". "I've never worked on a show where we were as excited to get the next script. We'd all be in the makeup trailer just screaming out in shock. It is so fun and I think a perfect show to watch in the 2020 hellscape," said Dollar.
Episode 4 airs on Monday, October 19, 2020, from 9-10 pm ET on FOX.