Lots of updates for A Gentleman in Moscow! First up, I have uploaded over 300 screen captures of Mary’s amazing performance in episode 6! You can view them by clicking on the thumbnails below:
Stills for this Friday’s episode along with the teaser can also be seen…
Finally, some behind the scenes photos have also been released via Showtime and you can view them by clicking the pictures. Behind the scenes videos have also been released:
Back in mid-March, Mary was photographed on the streets of NYC doing a photo shoot and now the pictures along with the accompanying interview have been released, courtesy of the Rose and Ivy Journal. As always, be sure to click the link above to read the full interview and head to the gallery to check out the full set of photos! Below are some highlights from the interview:
ONE OF THE FACETS I HAVE COME TO LEARN ABOUT LEADING A CREATIVE LIFE AND PURSUING YOUR DREAMS IS TAPPING INTO YOUR POTENTIAL. WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU COULD TAP INTO YOUR POTENTIAL TO PURSUE WHAT YOU LOVED?
It was all in stages since I started at such a young age. I was always interested in performing—in ballet, theater, or music—it was always my passion. I saw my older siblings doing it and I just wanted to be a part of it. As soon as I started taking lessons, a light went off. All I ever wanted to do was something in the arts, particularly the performing arts, for as long as I can remember. It’s what came naturally to me and it’s what made me happy. I was lucky I had a family who supported me in that my parents found opportunities to pursue to nurture that in me. I was lucky I had that. I was always in dance, singing, or acting classes.
HOW DID YOU MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM BALLET TO ACTING? DID YOU GET TO THE POINT IN BALLET WHERE IT WAS JUST TOO HARD ON THE BODY?
I was fortunate in the sense that I was always doing a bit of everything. So when I gave up ballet to focus on acting, it didn’t necessarily feel so abrupt. When I was a little girl, I thought I was going to be a ballerina since it was my first love and my focus. I was always the kid with my hair in a bun at school because I had to rush off to a rehearsal or something straight from school. I also loved every part of performing. So when I got to the age where I realized I didn’t want to put my body through that in an ongoing way. I could see the older dancers around me and see what they were going through. I thought, I love so many things about performing and this doesn’t have to be it for me. I can pivot to something else. So that’s when I started focusing on acting. I knew I could put that love and passion into something else.
WHAT HAVE YOU CHERISHED THE MOST AS YOU’VE GROWN IN THE INDUSTRY? HAS THERE BEEN SOMETHING YOU’VE APPRECIATED ABOUT YOURSELF OR AN OPPORTUNITY THAT HELPED YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANTED TO BE?
There have been so many opportunities. It’s been all these small experiences that have added up to leading to this great life, which is the life I had always hoped for. It’s being a professional actor and being able to support myself financially, being able to live my life creatively, and making acting my work was always my dream. It was a slow progression for me. I went from job to job from a young age, and each job led to the next one, and each one was more fulfilling than the last. It’s been this gradual step-by-step process of deepening myself in terms of my abilities and my professionalism and the combination of those two things, that led to more fruitful opportunities. I’ve been lucky in that way.
WHAT’S BEEN ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL ROLES YOU’VE EVER PLAYED? YOUR BREADTH OF WORK IS SO INCREDIBLE.
My usual answer for that is this small film that I did called Smashed. It was pivotal for me in terms of taking things into my own hands. Up until that point, I had been taking whatever jobs came my way, which was great, and I was happy to do them and have the opportunities. But I did reach a point where I thought, what is it that I actually want to do, and, do I have the ability to make that happen for myself? I started beating down doors and saying, I just want a great role in a small movie where people are just trying to make something good. We were not trying to make money, we were just trying to make good work and create. That was the first film that came my way when I started focusing. Before, I had made somewhat of a name for myself, but mostly in genre films. I was known for horror and action films. They were so much fun to do, but I was ready for something a bit deeper. I longed to have a character who I could connect with on a deeper level. I had a meeting with the producer who was doing a bunch of indie films, and he said, I have this script, I don’t know if it’s for you. I read it and I was just like, yes, yes, please! It was just the most amazing experience, and it affected me so much as an actor and a person. It was a pivotal turning point for me in my life as an actor.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT’S COMING UP THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?
It seems like we’re going to be doing another season of Ahsoka, which is really exciting. We are waiting to get more information about it but the scripts are being written and the second season is being developed. And then, who knows? I’m waiting to see what sparks, and in the meantime, I’m at home being a mommy and enjoying life.
Some lovely new photos of Mary having a little date night and attending a special screening of A Gentleman in Moscow for the LA Times have been published and I have uploaded them into the gallery. Pictures 3-5 come courtesy of Mary’s makeup artist and hair stylist.
Full video of the Q&A can be viewed below:
Hello, all! I’ve added screencaps of Mary’s scenes in episode 4 of ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’, which aired last week on April 19th. Episode 5 will air this Friday. In the meantime, be sure to check out the gallery for the latest pics including new stills from the upcoming episode!
![](https://www.maryewinstead.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/thumb_152~21.png")
A promo for the upcoming ep was also released:
Finally, Mary did a behind the scenes video with Showtime where she talked about why she enjoys playing Anna and the process of getting ready as her character!
Going behind the scenes with Mary Elizabeth Winstead on #AGentlemanInMoscow as she transforms into her character Anna Urbanova. pic.twitter.com/cFvL36nkRV
— Mary E. Winstead Net (@MaryWinsteadNet) April 23, 2024
A brand new photo shoot with Mary has been released for Contents Magazine! Along with the gorgeous new photos, Mary also did an interview & I have posted some highlights from it below. Be sure to head to the gallery to check out the beautiful new photos in high quality!
Are there any particular narratives that you find yourself gravitating towards?
I always need to be able to feel an emotional pull towards a story, and to understand it on some sort of deeper level than might appear on the surface. It always changes depending on where I am at in my life. As I get older, universal themes resonate with me like love, loss and parenthood- A Gentleman in Moscow is a perfect example of that. It’s this sweeping epic but ultimately it’s about the simplest of connections and how much they mean in our lives.
You act alongside your husband in A Gentleman in Moscow. What has it been like to work with your partner?
It’s truly a joy in every way. He is my favorite actor, and the person I love to be around the most. Having the opportunity to become the Count and Anna together felt like a real privilege- to be acting together and in roles that lit us both up as artists; there’s really nothing better.
How do you think the historical costuming in the show contributes to its broader themes?
Our costume designer Sam Perry did such an incredible job. The attention to detail is stunning and adds so much to the authenticity of every moment. I could not have felt like Anna without Anna’s clothes- it was integral to everything. When I put them on, I felt the history of the garments in a way that aided me so much in bringing her to life.
Has the historical costuming influenced or inspired your own style in any ways?
I definitely took a few of the pieces home with me, and I honestly wish I could dress like that every day. Modern life doesn’t quite allow for it from a practical standpoint though, which is unfortunate.
You play an actress in the show. Has any of your own personal experience informed how you approach the character?
There are definitely moments in the show where we focus on Anna’s career and the affects on her emotionally as she goes through various ups and downs. It was all incredibly relatable. The stakes for Anna are so much higher than I could ever imagine, as being in or out of favor could have such dire ramifications for her. Somehow Sam and Ben managed to keep those stakes but also make her journey feel very current and relevant to so many of the conversations around women in the industry now. It resonated with me so much, and I was thrilled to explore that in the show.
When Mary was in Toronto last month, she stopped by The Good Stuff with Mary Berg talk show to about ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’, ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ and her favorite spots in Toronto! You can watch the full interview below:
Below are three newly released interviews Mary recently did. The first one is one with The Independent where she talked about her career shift and if she’d ever return as Huntress.
Be sure to click the link to read the entire article!
For Winstead herself, it wasn’t until her early thirties that she was able to, in her words, “say screw it”. She credits Smashed with transforming her career, and helping her let go of the anxiety drilled into her as a young actor. “In those days, we were all looking at box office numbers and only doing films and not TV or streaming,” she says. “It feels like the power of that has been taken away now. It was a very lonely and confusing time to be young and starting out in this industry,” she says. “I had many instances of going into a meeting and if I wasn’t smiley enough or coyly flirting enough – they’d say I was cold. There was that undercurrent of, ‘She didn’t flirt with me, so I didn’t like her.’ That happened all throughout my twenties.”
On playing Helena Bertinelli/Huntress in Birds of Prey:
“I love that film, even if it’s polarising. It’s got people who love it, and people who didn’t love it so much. And it wasn’t a flop by any means, but I think it also wasn’t quite enough of a success to keep on with it.” She was under contract to play Huntress in multiple sequels, but she doesn’t think any will now be made. “Which is unfortunate, because I loved playing her. But I was really thankful that I got to do something left of centre in the superhero world. We got to be a bit weird. But that also sort of explains why my movies don’t make money, because I tend to choose the weird ones.”
On her latest role in A Gentleman in Moscow playing Anna Urbanova:
“I’ve always loved playing characters like her, who are thinking about what to do, how to get to the next day, how to keep the job and stay afloat and sometimes literally stay alive.”
She breaks into a smile, satisfied.
“I’m inspired by the survivor in her.”
In another interview with S Magazine, Mary delved more into her career and how she relates to her character Anna:
I love your versatility as an actor—be it Scott Pilgrim, Die Hard, Final Destination or Kate. As an artist, what is it that you are looking for in your career when this project came along?
“Gosh, I think that this project was just one of those rare dream projects that brought everything together for me. First and foremost, it’s an incredible story. The novel is absolutely beautiful, funny and epic. The show really captures all of those emotions that the book really kind of lays out in this saga. And then to get to do such juicy, fun, and complex role alongside my husband—I just couldn’t really imagine anything better.”
It feels like you’re having a lot of fun with the character, especially when we start off and then we go into it. Can you talk a bit about that?
“I did. I had so much fun being a diva. I mean, she’s like the ultimate diva of her time and to get to really luxuriate in that and embrace it, and really stand firm in that kind of confidence, it’s a rare thing; you don’t really get to behave like that in real life. So I love getting to do that on screen. It’s great.”
You said the script really captured what it feels to be an actress. How so?
“I think there were certain elements that were explored on the show, in particular, how Anna has to navigate her relationships with men in how it relates to her career, her roles, and whether or not she’s going to get them and all those things. I think in terms of looking at my career, when I started out, and when I was a bit younger, I think I read these scenes and went, ‘Oh, wow, they really kind of nailed what that feels like to be a young actress kind of worrying about saying and doing the right thing, or making a misstep, and basically having your career mostly being in the hands of men and how that feels.’ So I was really impressed with how Ben and Sam were able to kind of create those scenes that weren’t really in the book, and bring them to life in a way that felt very current and resonated quite a bit.”
I have added some new photos of Mary from late last month when she was in Canada doing a press stop for ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’. During her 2 day trip to Canada, Mary did 16 interviews in five different locations, plus a special screening event and celebratory party at The Paradise on Bloor. Head to the gallery to see the new photos!
Additionally, while Mary was there, she also did a great new podcast interview which you can listen to by clicking HERE.
Below, I have added the newest round of interviews with Mary that has been released.
Mary also did an interview with The Globe and Mail while she was in Toronto promoting the show which you can read in full by clicking the link.
On another note, a new promo for episode 2 has been released and the new ep will be out this Friday.
I have added some new stills of Mary from A Gentleman in Moscow and they can be viewed in the gallery!
I have also added below a new interview Mary and Ewan did with The Wrap talking about the show:
Finally, Showtime has added a new video with what we can expect with the upcoming episodes of A Gentleman in Moscow. Since Mary is only shown in quick glimpses throughout, I will begin screen capping her appearances when she arrives in episode 2. 🙂