Known for “The Leftovers,” “Money Monster,” “Nerve,” and perhaps most notably, David Simon and George Pelecanos‘ “The Deuce,” Emily Meade has been acting in film and television for nearly 12 years. Self-taught in the craft of acting, Meade was primarily a character actor until her breakout role as prostitute Lori in Simon and Pelecanos’ hit HBO show about sex as a commodity. Meade originally auditioned for the part of Candy, which went to Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Abby, which went to Margarita Levieva and ultimately didn’t have to audition for the part of Lori which she was eventually given. Essentially, Simon sat Meade down and discussed the physical demands of the part. Though initially hesitant given the subject matter, it was always a yes for Meade, it was simply a matter of processing it.
Ahead of episode five of “The Deuce” which airs this Sunday, I had a chance to chat with Meade about her role in season two, working with Simon, Pelecanos, and the cast and crew, her career, and more.
You’ve had the opportunity to act for such great writers. Damon Lindelof, Tom Perrotta, Terence Winter, and now David and George. As an actor, what stands out to you while reading a David Simon script?
What David and George are so good at is sort of depicting this huge universe. Not necessarily a character, or a story even, but a subject overall that they are then really brilliant at creating this overall world and then filling it with characters, stories, but all things that are anchored by basically breaking down a subject. With “The Wire,” they did it with drugs. With “The Deuce,” they’re doing it with porn, and sexuality, and sex as a commodity and commerce and it’s really fascinating to see. It’s something that does take getting used to because [actors], we’re very selfish [laughter]. And it’s been an exciting process to learn to make my own character, my own ego of wanting to tell my story as my character and learn to sew it and weave it into the overall story and the bigger picture of what it’s saying.
Your character, Lori, started out walking the streets of 42nd Street, and now she’s moved into porn as an actress with a little more freedom. Yet, the transition is not as easy, financially. Is she primarily motivated by money or by independence?
She’s motivated mainly by fame and glamour and excitement. But, ultimately, what [driving her] is wanting to be loved. Obviously, she’s someone who’s lacked that, and I think a lot of her drive for fame is, more than anything, about being loved on as wide a scale as possible. Her dichotomy and her problem are that this season, as sick as her relationship with [her pimp is], there is, there’s a lot of love there.
She’s being faced with the options of being loved or adored by far more people, but that would come at the cost of losing the one person— at least how he convinces her or she convinces herself— that loves her in her world right now. It’s a terrifying decision to lose the love she has to possibly gain more.
These next two episodes are significant for you and your character—Candy branches out and begins her new career as a porn producer and filmmaker in. Do you view Candy’s film as Lori’s big coming out, or something that could ultimately do more harm than good with her and C.C.?
It’s a combination for her, and that’s part of what her torment is. She’s beyond excited, and it’s kind of like everything she’s wanted and far more than she even necessarily imagined. She was okay with just being the best hooker on the block, and the idea of being an actual star on a screen, as she sees it, is beyond everything to her.
But there’s always the dark cloud for her realizing that the bigger she gets in porn, the more that she’s going to strain the relationship with C.C. She’s afraid of him, fearful of losing his love but also scared of hurting him. And I think that’s something that’s a massive component of co-dependent relationships— it’s not just that she’s afraid of C.C., she would, sadly, rather suffer than watch him get him hurt.