Versatile and self-aware, Betty Gilpin moves with ease onscreen and onstage
NEW YORK — Betty Gilpin is not one to complain.
For seven months, she worked in New Mexico to create “American Primeval,” a gruesome western set against the dangerous Utah Territory of 1857. Filming took place under harsh conditions, frequently at night, and with unpredictable co-stars – horses. As the shoot was nearing its end, Hollywood experienced a strike in mid-2023, putting “American Primeval” on hold for months. When production resumed early in 2024, Gilpin found herself six months pregnant with her second child and unable to ride a real horse. In response, the producers provided her with a robotic horse instead.
In my perspective, the production of “American Primeval” wasn’t a walk in the park, it was more like scaling a mountain without a map. Yet, I’m grateful that I had my trusted companions by my side during this challenging journey – my husband, Cosmo Pfeil, and our darling daughter, Mary, who is now four years old.
She remarks, “That was my ultimate balancer,” she says. “I’d spend my days shouting loudly while wearing petticoats on horseback, then return home to bend over in a ‘candy cane’ posture for bath and bedtime routines. Managing as a mother in an Airbnb is significantly tougher than acting atop a ski mountain in sub-zero temperatures.
Television
The Netflix miniseries, headlined by Betty Gilpin and Taylor Kitsch, unfolds amidst the backdrop of a conflict known as the Utah War.
This morning, as rain fell in December, Gilpin found herself at a café nestled within New York City’s Clinton Hill district. Wrapped in a bright red sweater that bore an image of the uterus, she had already managed to fit in a workout at the gym and attend to her daughters – even the youngest one who is now 7 months old.
Motherhood, as she puts it, “grants you an unavoidable connection, regardless of your preference, to a deeper, more grounded aspect of yourself.
In “American Primeval,” she portrays Sara Rowell, a woman with an enigmatic past, who is attempting to establish a fresh beginning on the frontier alongside her son, Devin (Preston Mota). Pursued relentlessly by bounty hunters, Sara enlists the help of a silent traveler named Isaac (Taylor Kitsch) to navigate them towards safety. However, finding safety becomes increasingly challenging in an area where the military, Native Americans, Mormon militia, and other settlers are all embroiled in a fierce struggle for dominance.
The gritty, controversial western epic “American Primeval,” penned by Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant”), directed by Peter Berg (“Lone Survivor”), and produced by Eric Newman (“Narcos”), delves into the bloodsoaked history of westward expansion, with a focus on the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that may stir up debate.
This month, Gilpin is set to make her first appearance on Broadway as Mary Todd Lincoln in “Oh, Mary!”, stepping into the role previously held by Cole Escola. The play, a lively hit, reinterprets the somber first lady as an eccentric hopeful cabaret performer. Interestingly enough, she has just wrapped up filming for Netflix’s “Death by Lightning,” where she plays Lucretia Garfield, the spouse of another ill-fated 19th century president.
But there’s more to Gilpin — much, much more — than bonnets and hoopskirts.
Following her breakout performance as a soap actress transitioning to professional wrestling in the late Netflix series “GLOW,” Alison Gilpin has demonstrated an impressive versatility, shifting seamlessly not just from one role to another, but also within each character she plays. In 2022, she expanded her artistic horizons by publishing a collection of essays titled “All the Women in My Brain and Other Concerns.” She effortlessly navigates various genres and time periods, favoring roles with depth that showcase her adaptability. For instance, she stars as a nun traveling through time to combat an intelligent AI in the innovative sci-fi comedy “Mrs. Davis.” In the recent adaptation of Lisa Taddeo’s book, “Three Women,” Gilpin portrays Lina, a disregarded Indiana housewife wrestling with persistent pain and unfulfilled desire.
Television
The actor plays a nun at odds with a global AI in this comic adventure series on Peacock.
As a film enthusiast, I’ve found myself garnering quite the recognition, something that was evident during my recent visit to the gym. A woman seemed to recognize me from afar, squinting her eyes as if we were old classmates from high school. However, upon closer inspection, she exclaimed, “Ah, I remember you! You’re from that ensemble miniseries!
She remarks that it’s a pleasant environment, implying that she often finds skepticism towards actors expressing contentment in their relative anonymity amusing. With this public interview, does she mean to imply that she’s still uncertain about the situation?
As a passionate cinephile, I find Gilpin’s quick-wittedness and knack for crafting vivid, evocative phrases on the spot truly captivating. Her interviews are always lively and quotable. However, she demonstrates more than just charisma; she’s smart and self-aware enough to understand how her words might be interpreted in today’s media landscape, where information is rapidly consumed on phones, and our digital algorithms often serve as a distraction from the harsh realities we encounter, as she so aptly puts it, “We scroll through our phones, witnessing the most harrowing sights, only to have our feeds filled with sweet diversions to distract us from the horrors.
On numerous occasions, I’ve given an interview where I may unintentionally make a joke with a quirky accent while crossing my eyes, only for it to be the main focus of the headline, appearing completely sincere,” she explains. “It’s hard to predict when someone might stumble upon my interview discussing neuroses and vulnerability while casually browsing on their phone, isn’t it?
Gilpin expresses that acting seemed “inevitable” to her since her parents, Jack Gilpin and Ann McDonough, while not widely recognized, have consistently worked in film, television, and theater for many years. (Her father currently portrays Church the Butler on HBO’s “The Gilded Age.”)
Born and brought up in New York and Connecticut, she studied acting at Fordham University. There, she was mentored by Father George Drance, a Jesuit priest, who inspired her to think of acting through symbolic images rather than strict rules. In her own words, “It shifted my focus away from the technicalities, making it an enchanting experience instead of a mathematical problem: ‘Is this correct or incorrect?'” She further explains, “Contemplating it in a more abstract manner helps me dance with flexibility when faced with challenges.
Subsequently, for about a decade, she found herself engaged in various roles off-Broadway and appearing in independent films and television crime dramas, including perhaps the character of a teacher involved in an inappropriate relationship with a student on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”.
A brief appearance on “Nurse Jackie” brought her close to writers Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, eventually leading to the creation of “GLOW.” Her portrayal in the ’80s drama-comedy was marked by its high level of physicality – she executed body-slams with ease – and the character Debbie Eagan, played by Gilpin, expressed her personal turmoil through her wrestling persona, a beloved American icon named Liberty Belle.
Gilpin’s performance garnered him three Emmy nominations and attracted a multitude of new admirers, among them the comedian Matt Rogers.
Awards
Betty Gilpin had a strong desire to secure the part of Debbie Eagan in “GLOW,” the Netflix show that depicts the start of women’s wrestling on TV during the 1980s.
Rogers, co-host of ‘Las Culturistas’ with Bowen Yang, remarked that the performance was so exceptional it was hard to overlook – perhaps one of the best he’s ever witnessed. He admired its incredible range.”
“As a spectator, whether you’re reading her book or watching her on screen, you’ll find yourself well-nourished,” Rogers added. Gilpin, a regular guest on their show, shares with Rogers a common ‘theater kid’ mindset and the challenges of being artists in a commercial field.
In other words, Rogers explains, “You might find success within an industry, yet you grapple with the contrast because you possess the free-spirited nature of an artist, one who prefers to play and perform unconventional theater acts.” Gilpin, a friend now, is described as being in a similar situation. She embodies the role of a delicate leading lady, but she’s actually a powerhouse in the world of theater,” he continues. “She deeply senses this in her instincts.
Work on “GLOW” Season 4 began when COVID-19 interrupted it in March 2020; Netflix eventually decided to end the series later that year. “Three Women,” an uncommon drama focusing on female sexuality, was purchased by Showtime as part of a restructuring at Paramount Global and debuted on Starz in September.
Gilpin as Debbie “Liberty Belle” Eagan in “Glow.” (Erica Parise/Netflix)
Gilpin as Lina in Starz’s “Three Women.” (JOJO WHILDEN/JoJo Whilden/SHOWTIME)
Gilpin may have reasons to complain about how industrial chaos impacted these ventures, yet she typically doesn’t express herself that way. Instead, she expresses a sense of both pride and bewilderment at her fortunes in the business. She emphatically states that she is not shaking her fist over any unexpected setbacks or corporations making decisions beyond her control. This attitude might stem from her theater roots where the focus was solely on the instant when something was being created.
In Lina, the discontented housewife who explores a passionate romance with her high school sweetheart in “Three Women,” Gilpin found an exceptional level of connection. He describes this experience as being unusually clear-cut throughout the entire process. Gilpin attributes this intimacy to Taddeo’s writing style, which zeroes in on moments we rarely discuss – experiences that might be excluded from our personal journals if we knew they were going to be read by others. These seemingly private experiences, such as yearnings for forbidden desires or the inability to comprehend certain losses, are actually shared aspects of our humanity that bind us together.
Shailene Woodley, who portrays author Gia in “Three Women” (representing Taddeo), was struck by how Betty Gilpin portrayed Lina with a sense of self-determination rather than passivity. Woodley noted that many actors might have chosen to play Lina with intense vulnerability, but Gilpin infused her character with an electric spark of hope and resilience. She added that while others would likely have taken a predictable path, Gilpin instead discovered nuances and depths that others might overlook.
In “American Primeval,” she compares the character, Sara, to a Brontë heroine who finds herself playing a grueling game of rugby in the underworld. This character, much like Sara, introduces equally surprising shades.
This show is quite intense, but it resonated deeply with me, particularly since I became a mother for the first time in 2020. I found myself often overwhelmed by catastrophic thoughts and living in constant fear,” she explains.
Berg, known for directing action-packed films such as “Deepwater Horizon” (set on an oil rig), describes “American Primeval” as the “toughest project I’ve ever undertaken.” Upon learning that actress Betty Gilpin was pregnant during a strike and would return six months later to continue her role, he initially considered major revisions for the series. However, as Gilpin bravely navigated the mountainous terrain while expecting with a cheerful demeanor, Berg exclaims, “Betty Gilpin is a true American icon,” using a hint of exaggeration.
The director, known for promoting spontaneity during filming, notes that Gilpin managed to infuse the somber content with humor and a touch of sweetness.
Occasionally, she’d glance at me and remark, “You realize, we don’t have to take everything so seriously with this program. It can’t just be about violence, animal attacks, and deaths. There should be some light-hearted moments and feelings of affection too,” Berg remembers. “She managed to discover both.
Gilpin impressively ad-libbed a heartwarming scene where Sara playfully jabs at Isaac for having a noticeable heartbeat. “I won’t tell,” she teases. Gilpin is admired as an intuitive actress, her thorough preparation – which involves collaboration with a dramaturg who provides a study guide to help delve into the character’s mindset – allowing her to effortlessly relax and disregard potential mishaps or consequences. She freely performs, as he puts it, “she just swings.” Gilpin consistently showed dedication, always eager for the task at hand and striving to make each day the best it could be.
Currently, Gilpin is working on embodying Lincoln’s youthful curls and making the role that brought Escola fame on Broadway her own. She confesses to having moments of self-doubt, saying “I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, questioning ‘What am I doing?'” These spells of anxiety are usually interrupted by her 4-year-old, who’s been waking up twice as often recently.
In an email, Escola expresses their initial strong impression of Gilpin in “GLOW.” They mention that Gilpin possesses a unique blend of toughness and vulnerability reminiscent of classic Hollywood actresses. Additionally, they are drawn to a character Gilpin sometimes posts on her private Instagram account, which they describe as a delusional, out-of-touch regional theater actress.
As Escola considered potential replacements, Gilpin seemed like the obvious choice: “Betty is a talented and distinctive artist with her own artistic style. I’m not sure how the character will evolve yet, but it will. She has a good grasp of comedy and genuinely cares about the character’s emotional depth, which is all that truly matters.
Television
Cole Escola is eagerly sought after for a TV show, as Amy Sedaris puts it. He truly deserves this opportunity.
Indeed, Mary, as Gilpin puts it, we’re all extraordinary geniuses mixed with ordinary mediocrity. I suppose my performance in this production will embody a blend of those traits.
Gilpin takes solace in the fact that, by chance, both her dear friend Cristin Milioti and her father had their first Broadway performances on the same stage where she is set to make hers. Recently, she visited the theater for a fitting, and the vivid sensory impressions – the rustle of the speakers behind the scenes, the sound of hangers being moved along a costume rack – stirred emotions within her, causing her to shed tears.
She expresses it as if she’s back to the purpose for which she exists, genuinely speaking, she adds, “to avoid coming off as overly detached from reality.
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2025-01-09 14:33