Thats a big deal.
Thats lightning in a bottle.
I think Nicole and I frequently text each other and say, Can you believe this is happening?
Jennifer Clasen/HBO
Ive never seen that on screen.
That makes me happy.
Ive not seen that kind of strangely unique, woman-in-a-cardigan, wielding those verbal swords.
Jennifer Clasen/HBO
It was sort of delicious.
Weve always said this show needs to be delicious.
And hopefully it will still culturally penetrate.
All of that is very complicated.
Did we succeed or fail?
Reese and I always say, Hey, we are always going keep trying.
I think she did beautiful work.
There is the same vocabulary cinematically but the performances are mined differently and you really feel that.
She did beautiful work.
We obviously had Meryl playing this uniquely strange character.
All the performances this season were mined by Andrea.
The performances are in a different place this season.
Whether we go for another season and where the performances end up, is up to whoever directs it.
Because thats definitely the magic that Andrea brought to us, the mining of those performances.
WITHERSPOON:Andreas wonderful.
I feel like she was incredible.
Its a collaborative medium; it is very much different, driven by writers.
Ive seen this more and more as I have done more TV shows since.
Its also this great opportunity for Nicole and myself to have a large creative voice in a process.
It was one of the most creatively collaborative experiences in my whole career.
Everything was discussed as a creative group and entity.
For Nicole and I, we were involved in every single conversation.
KIDMAN:Not every.Almost every [laughs].
There was definitely the relationship between each actress and Andrea, and then each actress and David.
They were very much involved in the arcs of their characters and how to make their characters shape.
Its seven hours and most of these situations, you dont have one person directing all seven hours.
We have one both seasons now.
Thats an enormous task.
That was the unbelievable collaboration of these artists.
We are lucky to work with these great artists who are willing to intertwine their talents.
So the idea that creative control was taken from the director, its just a false premise.
Is that true?KIDMAN:He said it beautifully.
Thats why we had Casey handle it.
Obviously, hes the head of HBO.
He really said it beautifully.
WITHERSPOON:In our minds, there is no controversy.
We just love the show.
We had such a great time doing it.
There was a lot of misinformation and no credited sources on any of the information.
Im over here in Australia and the reaction was so, so strong and thats a lovely thing.
As Reese and I said, this didnt fall flat on its face, which it could have.
We kind of jumped off the cliff not realizing how much pressure it was going to be.
And somehow we are here, celebrating something as women, together again.
Its probably better to allow just a little mystery.
I know the voracious appetite for knowledge and to leave no stone unturned.
WITHERSPOON:I totally agree!
Is it as good as season 1 and 2?
Does the audience still have questions?
Do we have answers?
Casey left it in your laps.
So is season 3 up to you now?KIDMAN:Its a collaboration.
We work as a group.
We are incredibly tight; we talk to each other, and we are on each others side.
So, we will decide as a group.
We listen to the way in which people react because so much of TV is a very immediate medium.
Every single person who has made this has said this show is bigger than any single one of us.
