“House of Cards” actress and Emmy nominee Rachel Brosnahan stopped by Cheddar to talk about her buzzy new Amazon show, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” But she also chimed in on the deluge of sexual harassment controversies coming out of Hollywood.
The actress played call girl Rachel Posner in more than two seasons of “House of Cards,” the acclaimed Netflix series starring Kevin Spacey. Spacey, of course, was recently fired from the show following a flood of sexual harassment accusations against him.
Many cast and crew members have shared their experiences, but Brosnahan cleared the air and stated that while she was on the show for three years, she never had a scene with Spacey, thus was never exposed to any of his alleged predatory behavior.
But she did have some thoughts on the current flood of allegations rocking Hollywood.
“As far as the industry as a whole, I’m in awe of the courageous women who have and continue to come forward,” she said.
“I hope that we keep talking about it, and I hope that we don’t just talk about it, but that we continue to hold each other accountable to make lasting and long overdue change in this industry.”
While the harassment scandals rocked Hollywood first, what initially started as a Harvey Weinstein scandal, has now ricocheted into the technology and government sectors, among others.
Brosnahan, who was named one of Vanity Fair’s 2016 top ten actresses to watch, does have lighter news to discuss.
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” premieres Wednesday, and Brosnahan plays a woman who goes from being a 1960s housewife to a stand-up comic. She says the story made switching from her usual dramatic roles to a comedic one all the more exciting.
“It was a story I was immediately drawn into, it was a character I was passionate about, and it’s been a dream I didn’t even know I had,” she told Cheddar.
The Amazon series comes as wars among video streaming services and network television heat up. Brosnahan explains why "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is a great fit for streaming, in particular.
“This is a show that our creator Amy [Sherman-Palladino] keeps saying that networks wouldn’t have been interested in,” she said. “They have said yes to her, and that's fantastic, she’s able to execute her vision to its fullest extent.”