Showtime
Uguide interview
On the run
with homeland's Emmy® Nominee,
MORENA BACCARIN
As fans of the hit SHOWTIME® series Homeland
already know, television’s most mind-bending
thrill ride is packed with so many shocking
twists and turns, you never know what’s
coming next. And as it turns out, neither
does the cast.
We sat down with Morena Baccarin,
who plays Jessica Brody, to talk
about her character, what goes into
the making of such an intense
thriller, and what we might look
forward to in Season 3.
interview, go behind the
scenes with Buzz Channel,
and get a sneak peek at
Season 3!
Homeland
Catch past episodes now on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND and on Uverse.com with your
U-verse credentials.
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Interview
- The character: Who is Jessica Brody? Uguide: How would you describe your character of Jessica Brody?
- The challenge: a demanding role Uguide: What would you say is the most challenging part of the role?
- The Research: Military Wives Uguide: Did you do anything in particular to prepare for the role in terms of research? Uguide: What was the most inspiring thing you learned?
It’s tough because she’s sort of in an impossible situation. She’s a woman who has been dealt a crappy hand in life. Everything is going fine and according to plan, and then he gets shipped off to Iraq for what they think will be a two-year thing and then he gets captured and doesn’t come home. So she’s got to deal with that.
She’s a very strong, supportive woman, and simple in many ways. She’s about taking care of her family and loyalty. And now she’s dealt this blow of dealing with a terrorist, the separation of her marriage, bringing up two kids, having people in her community hate and blame her. I think she’s incredibly strong and at the same time, clueless. This is not the kind of thing that you’re trained for as a mother or as a person, how to deal with these circumstances. Which I think is what makes the show so compelling — watching normal people facing extraordinary things and just trying to get by day to day.
I think having to constantly be in this dark place, but not letting that drag the story down or being a victim. I think it would be a real trap to play Jessica as a victim. First, it’s boring to watch. It’s just not an intriguing story to see a person who gives up. So it’s a constant challenge to be faced with these crazy things that keep happening to her, to constantly find a way to fight back and stay positive, and to have the energy to not be brought down by everything.
I did a lot of research online and joined a lot of chat rooms and blogs and things for military wives. I wanted to get a sense of what their journey was like when the man was away, when the man was at war — and also when he got back, what that adjustment period was like.
I was really taken by how supportive and selfless they were, how hard it was for them, obviously, to hold down their own fort at home and keep the faith. Some of them have children and they are on their own, and they don’t allow themselves to doubt that their partner is coming home. Most of them don’t entertain that idea unless it becomes a reality. They keep everything in the house as similar as possible to when the guy left because they don’t want the men to come home and feel like they’ve missed out on so much of the lives of their children. I thought that was really fascinating.
- The writing Uguide: What is the process like in filming the show? Is the whole season mapped out from day one, or are the episodes written as the filming progresses?
- The Story Arc Uguide: It’s been said that originally Brody was supposed to be killed off in the first couple of seasons, and he is still around. Is there a complete show arc in mind, or are they just juggling things as long as they can?
-
The friendship
Uguide: Is it true that you and Claire Danes actually grew up together?
Uguide: Do you two have fun on
the show together?
I think that they break down the story and kind of figure out where the general direction of the season is going, but they certainly change things a lot at the last minute, and we don’t get a ton of information. I have a general arc of where I think my character is going for the season, and then as we get the scripts, we get specifics of how and what’s happening and when.
It’s really thrilling week by week to discover your new path and new journey. At this point, we are all very familiar with our characters, so it’s really fun to have it go in all these different directions and places. It’s pretty last minute, I would say. I’m fairly impressed that these scripts come in so concise and interesting and thrilling, given that they are changing a lot of things last minute and writing the stuff as we are reading it.
I don’t get a sense that there is a show arc, which is again what fascinates me about these writers and how they are doing their jobs. It’s incredible. Every season they go into the writers’ room and come up with that season then and there and then make it all cohesive. Every time an episode ends, I think, Oh my God, the show’s over. There is nowhere to go from here. And they find a way. They are masters of painting themselves into and out of corners.
We did. We were both in New York together, and we went to the same junior high for a bit. So it was really fun to reconnect with her.
We do, and she’s a real saving grace for me and vice versa. I think it’s nice to have a partner in crime and have a friend around. We shoot on location, so we’re often away from our families and friends, and those late-night wine sessions really help us process.
- Picking up the pieces Uguide: I understand you are in the middle of filming Season 3 right now. What can you tell us so far? Where can Jessica and Nick Brody go from here?
- Jessica’s Future Uguide: Some fans are worried about you and your character, considering what seems to be the breakup of the Brody marriage. Is there any danger of you leaving the picture?
- New Twists Uguide: What would you say is the most exciting or compelling twist thus far, in terms of the story and the filming, that you can share? Uguide: But you don’t know what it is yet?
We just started. We’re shooting episodes 1 and 2 at the same time, so we’re about halfway through that.
To be honest, that’s a storyline that we haven’t delved into yet, but it is crazy. As far as the family is concerned, he’s a terrorist. We’ve had a lot of death threats and we’ve had angry people throw a brick through our window and the family is coping with the repercussions of that at the start of Season 3.
I can’t believe how they found a way to bring everybody back into the story for Season 3, but they have and it’s really compelling. Brody is in a tough spot and Carrie is in a tough spot. Everybody is just sort of trying to pick up the remains of their lives and put themselves back together.
As far as I know, there is no danger of me not being on the show right now, but the Brody family is definitely not back together right now. Who knows what is going to happen by the end of Season 3, but Nick’s not in the picture because it would be kind of impossible.
In the telling of the story, you will see where that family ends up. It’s one of the interesting aspects: what will be revealed and what will we find out that may or may not clear his name or get the family at least talking to each other again.
Well, thus far there hasn’t been too much. We’re basically just laying the groundwork for something really big that’s going to happen, I think, around episode 4 or 5. I can feel it.
I really don’t, honestly. There is a tension in the air and there is something boiling to the breaking point. I don’t know which direction it’s going to go in, but every character in the show who remains is in an impossible situation and having to put themselves back together. It will be interesting to see which direction it goes.