Although Alex Forrest, Lizzy Caplan’s character in the Paramount+ series, commits crimes worse than those committed by Glenn Close in the 1987 film, Caplan does not see Alex as a villain.
TheWrap spoke to actress and series showrunner, Alexandra Cunningham, about how she – and the series itself – view Alex more sympathetically despite the “unforgivable things, villainous things” she attributes to their brief relationship by lawyer Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson). does after finishing. , Video of the interview can be seen above.
As told by Glenn Close New York Times in 2017,” she is now regarded as one of the greatest villains of all time. This is a mistake for me. I never thought of him as the villain, just the damsel in distress.
TheWrap: Glenn Close said he didn’t think of Alex as a villain. Would you agree with that?
Lizzy Caplan: I don’t think he’s a complete villain. No, I think she’s someone who’s really struggling. She does some terrible things in the movie and of course in our series. Unforgivable things, villainous things. But I hope that the viewers of our show can also find some degree of compassion for him.
Alexandra Cunningham: No, Alex is like all of us. She has written a story for herself based on genetics and neurology and what she has experienced and been told about herself. all the things that have influenced who she thinks she is and why she does what she does [those] things.
Not all of us struggle with our mental health. But we are all trying to tell the story that we feel is our own story with everything we do. And she’s doing so within the framework of high-level storytelling.
That’s why I don’t think there is any villain. To be honest, I don’t believe in evil. I think it’s actually a concept invented by the justice system, to make it possible to decide and move on [if] evil of that person. I believe that inspiration is in everything one does.
In the series, Alex is a victim’s advocate, which puts her close to Dan as they work on some cases together. And it also means that we get to see a softer side of him.
Caplan: Yes, I love that little touch. Because I believe that a lot of this could have been avoided if someone had been advocating for Alex or seeing him as a victim at different points in his life. I love seeing her doing what she subconsciously wants someone else to do for her.
‘Fatal Attraction’ is now streaming on Paramount+. New episodes premiere on the streamer on Sunday.
