Video: Janet McTeer on Honoring Women’s Stories in THE ARTIST

Janet McTeer is back on screens everywhere in The Artist, a new Gilded Age-era murder mystery that debuted this Thanksgiving on The Network streaming service. 

The Broadway alum stars as Marian Henry, the wife of fictional tycoon Norman (played by fellow Tony winner Mandy Patinkin). In the show, the couple hosts a gathering of eclectic celebrities at their country home, with esteemed guests that include real-life artists Thomas Edison, Edgar Degas, and Evelyn Nesbit. 

Created by Aram Rappaport, the limited series brings together an all-star cast, including Hank Azaria, Danny Huston, Zachary Quinto, Clark Gregg, and Katharine McPhee. During an interview with BroadwayWorld, McTeer spoke about her first reactions to the script and her desire to work with Rappaport. "The script is very witty and very kind of clever, and quite hidden in a way. And so is he: very funny, very clever, and you can see that there's all this stuff going on behind the eyes... His brain is wicked, wicked quick. I remember thinking, 'If that’s the way the script is going to go and it comes from his brain… then it’s going to be a carousel ride.”

McTeer also spoke about how playing this character allowed her to look back and pay tribute to women throughout history, including those who faced repression in domesticated environments. "I think it makes me feel like I’m attempting to honor other women who worked so hard and gave so much for women of my generation and the women afterwards to have the kinds of freedoms that we have now."

Watch the full interview now, where McTeer shares more about the collaborative environment on set. "It was just such a glorious collaboration... it was allowed to mold and meld as we went along." Part 2 of The Artist will arrive on December 25.