In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo embraces the wacky side of faith and technology with Peacock’s newest series, “Mrs. Davis.” Created by Damon Lindelof (“Lost,” “The Leftovers” HBO’s “Watchmen”) and Tara Hernandez (“The Big Bang Theory,” “Young Sheldon”), the show follows Simone (Betty Gilpin), a nun who has been tasked with tracking down the Holy Grail by an all-knowing and possibly evil artificial intelligence, referred to by many as, “Mrs. Davis.” The truly bonkers, globetrotting adventure series also stars Jake McDorman, Andy McQueen, Chris Diamantopoulos, Elizabeth Marvel, David Arquette, Ben Chaplin, and Margo Martindale.
READ MORE: ‘Mrs. Davis’ Review: Peacock’s Absurd Comedy Is Awash In Magic And Mystery
Returning to Bingeworthy to discuss the show is the series lead Betty Gilpin (“Glow,” “The Hunt”). During the chat, Gilpin shared how the pilot script for “Mrs. Davis” won her over from the very first page.
“The writing is so unique…Even the stage directions – it’s like reading a comic book. It’s like ‘Calvin & Hobbs’ by way of Ernest Hemingway,” Gilpin joked of Damon Lindelof & Tara Hernandez’s script. “It is a barrage. It’s a lot. I think this is the ultimate acting cat toy in that it just changes genre every scene, but I think that is more like life than sticking to one tone for a whole season. I think that, while our show is wacky and twisty and turny, to me, the themes it discusses, and the questions it asks are more relatable to me than any hardboiled detective show that I’ve seen.”
Gilpin also went on to detail how she was drawn to the arc that her character gets to go through in the first season, which is in stark contrast to roles that she and other women are often presented within the industry, even now.
“As an actor, I feel like I usually play or I read either badass women who know the answer before you do and have their arms folded and are tough-talking and sarcastic or are vulnerable with their arms open and hopeful and curious,” Gilpin said. “And, for me, this character, Simone, started out as one, and through faith and kind of against every fiber of her identity, made her a little bit into the latter. And getting to weave between those two characters or traits was really so much fun and felt really true.”
Gilpin, no stranger to fan-casting in superhero roles, has shared in the past that she’s actually auditioned for superpowered parts, to the point where she describes her relationship with Marvel Studios as “pen pals.” During the conversation, Gilpin detailed a semi-recent audition she did for “She-Hulk” where she was attempting to hide something from the casting directors.
“I auditioned for “She-Hulk” while I was like four months pregnant,” Gilpin said. “And I was like, ‘Should I do a take where I incorporate that something’s about to ‘Hulk-Out’ of me?’ Then I was like, ‘No,’ because it was at a point where we didn’t know when the pandemic was over, so I didn’t want to discount myself if they’re like, ‘We’re going to be shooting when you’re giving birth.”
The first four episodes of “Mrs. Davis” premiere on Peacock on April 20, with new episodes arriving every Thursday. You can listen to the full interview with Betty Gilpin below:
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