The Emmy-nominated actress talks about her challenging role as a Holocaust survivor in Guy Nattiv’s new film, the shortage of leading roles for women in Hollywood and working alongside her husband, Tracy Letts.
Carrie Coon is taking on one of the most demanding roles of her career in The Liberation, Guy Nattiv’s 1980s-set drama in which she plays Rita, a Holocaust survivor struggling with trauma who becomes drawn into a cult led by a charismatic figure portrayed by Lily James.
Known for her performances in television productions including The White Lotus, The Gilded Age and The Leftovers, Coon has also built a strong film career with roles in The Nest and His Three Daughters. In an interview on IndieWire’s Screen Talk podcast, she discussed the new film, her career and the challenges facing actresses in Hollywood.
Coon described landing the lead role in The Liberation as a particularly welcome opportunity, noting that the industry continues to offer a limited number of leading parts for women.
She joked about being at the “top of the B list”, explaining that a small group of established actresses tends to receive most of the leading roles in films.
Coon said that while those actresses were highly talented and deserved their opportunities, the limited number of female-led productions left fewer chances for others. She also recalled how her performance in Sean Durkin’s The Nest failed to generate the career momentum she had hoped for after the film was released during the Covid-19 pandemic and attracted a limited audience.
The actress said receiving the script for The Liberation was therefore particularly flattering, as it offered her the chance to lead a mainstream film and explore a more vulnerable character.
The film also brings Coon together with her real-life husband, actor and playwright Tracy Letts, who plays her character’s husband. The couple’s collaboration was among the subjects discussed during the podcast, alongside their family’s film-watching habits.
Coon also spoke about Letts’ extensive physical media collection and how his passion for films has influenced the viewing choices of their two children.
The interview comes as Coon continues to build on the visibility she gained through The White Lotus, with The Liberation potentially providing a new opportunity to expand her presence on the big screen.
Be First to Comment