‘The Undoing’ Episode 3: Who is Haley Fitzgerald and can she save Jonathan from being convicted as the killer?
A deadly crime is not easy to solve, especially when the suspicion hangs on so many heads. HBO's ‘The Undoing’ sees a major case as Jonathan Fraser (Hugh Grant) is charged for murdering Elena Alves (Matilda De Angelis). Dicey whether or not her husband committed the crime, Grace Fraser (Nicole Kidman) goes to see Haley Fitzerald.
A high-powered defense attorney, Haley doesn’t let her skepticism get in the way of her job. Played by Noma Dumezweni, her character is introduced in Episode 3 ‘Do No Harm’. When Grace approaches her, Haley is straightforward. “I understand you are a very good therapist and you have fixed many marriages,” she says, first complimenting Grace. Then she focuses on the real picture, saying, “People hire me to create muck. Muck up the State's case... That's what I can give you and your husband. Muck.”
Who is Haley Fitzerald and will she help Grace and Jonathan? Shedding light on her role, the 51-year-old actress told Digital Spy, “Hayley is in a different world. Literally you've got a Black woman playing Hayley and it could have gone to any actor, so I'm very grateful as an actor for getting the part.”
The actress, who starred in ‘Normal People’, ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ and ‘Mary Poppins Returns’, added, “And then by having me as a Black woman, you add other layers to it. But that's why I love you saying expensive [referencing one of our comments] because you know that law firm isn't cheap. So there's something for me as an actor looking at Hayley's character going, ‘How did she get there?’ Because that world is absolutely possible.”
Dominating scenes with her powerful delivery, did you know the British actress won an Olivier Award for her role in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ and starred as Hermione Granger in the original West End and Broadway runs of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’. For that role, she clinched her second Laurence Olivier Award and a Tony Award nomination.
Talking about representation in television, she added, “But let's think about where we are now, to where we were last year. It's a totally different world, and how we look at the world through broadened and veil-lifted eyes. In this day and age, we have to see possibilities. And that's why we all teach our children – it's that thing of: ‘if you can't see yourself in the world, you don't know what's possible’.” Now, whether or not, she can pull Grace and Jonathan out of the court case is something we must wait and watch out for.
‘The Undoing’ premiered on HBO on October 25 and more episodes in the six-episodic series will air every Sunday from 9 pm ET to 10 pm ET. Catch the third episode ‘Do No Harm’ on November 8.