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.