Abigail Spencer’s take on the typical femme fatale is here to shake things up.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did you get involved inReprisal, and what was your first impression of the script?
I was like, “I can’t take the lead of another show.
Fred Norris/Hulu
This is good; I’m going to want to do it.”
But I was just so tired.
I was technically available Timelesswas hanging in the balance.
Then I woke up to an offer and they wanted to meet with me that day.
For me, I was looking for a departure from anything I’d done before.
I felt like it was an important project for the moment, for the time.
I felt like it was important that 10 years ago this part would’ve been written for a man.
I keep saying, “A vote for Doris is a vote for all women!”
That’s the deeper goal.
Was that something you brought to the character?
It’s so interesting because we never talked about it.
I just kind of started doing it.
A few things go into it.
She’s also trying to hide because she doesn’t want anyone to know she survived.
So it was thinking about what would that do to her voice?
I don’t even know if I ever talked about it.
I was already several episodes in, so I was like, “We’re doing this now!
We’re committed.”
Was it also fun to play with her suppressed rage?
That was not scripted.
In some takes, she’d really snap and then pull it back.
For the first three episodes she keeps getting interrupted, actually.
If she could just get a word out!
I felt for her because she couldn’t finish a sentence and no one would listen to her.
I walked away from season 1 being like, “Well, it’s all there.”
Is there one particular moment or episode you’re excited for people to see?
There’s so many moments.
I think personally for me, the beginning of episode 8.
I actually dance as Katherine.
There’s a whole burlesque dance that I helped co-choreograph with our incredible choreographer, Dany [Lofgren].
Our costume designer made me a couture burlesque bunny suit.
Nicole Kidman, eat your heart out!
It was so gorgeous.
The hair and the makeup!
All I’ll say is look out for “Dammit Janet,” fromRocky Horror Picture Show.
