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In The Leftovers, series creators Tom Perrotta and Damon Lindelof showcase loss at a very interesting level, in an extreme situation. The people of Mapleton all deal with the sudden departure that occurred four years prior in different ways, but each and every one of them can relate to one another due to the disappearance of their respective loved one. That is until we meet Carrie Coon's character, Nora Durst: the woman who had lost everything.
Nora's two children, along with her husband, disappeared in the event, making Nora somewhat of a celebrity in the town - a celebrity of misery, really. We recently spoke with Coon (a stage actress turned scene-stealing featured player on HBO's dark drama) about how she got this role and how she pulls it off so well.
How did you get involved with The Leftovers? What attracted you to your character?
I had read the book. I think Tom Perrotta's prior works have been adapted very effectively to film - Election and Little Children. I am familiar with his history of doing adaptations. I had just finished doing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and my husband [Tracy Letts] and I had just been to the Tony awards where he won best actor, I was nominated for featured actress. We were kind of just in New York, I signed up with this bigger agency, and so I was having access to some bigger projects. One of the casting directors, Ellen Lewis, she used to be a Chicago gal, she's kind of got a little spot in her heart for us Midwesterners. She brought me into The Leftovers and I made a tape. Then they had me come back a few weeks later to meet Damon Lindelof.
When I met Damon, I was really impressed with his passion, how articulate he was, what an interesting process he described, and that the actors working on the material influenced where it goes. It felt more collaborative than my experience with television had been prior to that - which were mostly just guest star spots. So, I was intrigued by Damon and we had a very interesting, thoughtful, and intelligent conversation about the material. I don't want to make television if it's not doing anything. I don't believe that art is just for entertainment. I want to create art that is meaningful in some way. I think if people stick with The Leftovers, it's a very rewarding viewing experience. I wanted to be part of that - and what a great cast we got. I wanted to be one of those actors, in that show!
Nora's progression from the Hero's Day speech to her antics in the second episode and her flirtation with Kevin Garvey ... This is easily the most layered character on the show ...
I think the book said that too. I think the book really captures that. I was very intrigued by Nora when I read it.
What was your approach to such a layered character like that?
Well, you hope nothing you're doing is one-dimensional. I've been primarily a theatre actor, part of the process of the theatre-I did Virginia Woolf for almost two years, when you're working on a character for two years, you have to be working to deepen your relationship to that person every single time you do it to make it seem like you're doing it for the first time every night for two years. That's really hard to do. I think my training in theatre has really helped prepared me to create a really complicated human being. I think that's what the rehearsal process gives you time for. On TV, you don't get rehearsal, but I've had a lot of practice. It's all imagination; it's just the circumstances. I mean, when you're playing someone who lost their whole family, you really don't want a viewer to look at that and it ring hollow. Thankfully it's something that I have not experienced in my life; but there are certain people in the world who have, and I feel a responsibility to not be flippant in any way about what Nora has been through. But also to remember that what defines people sometimes is what happens to them. She occupies this sort of celebrity status of grieving in this town, but there's more to everybody than that. I mean, when we have children and/or get married; suddenly we become wives and mothers or fathers. That becomes the role we take on, so if you've been a wife and mother for years and years and now everybody calls you mom now, and then suddenly that's yanked away from you ... who are you?
I think that's the interesting question about Nora, when your identity is taken from you, then who are you anymore? Now she's the grieving woman, but certainly there's another person in there. It would be an interesting and terrifying struggle to try and get back to who you are if you lost everything and you don't have the power to kill yourself. You know? It's really complicated - it's very complicated. I hope when people watch the show, they get that Nora is complicated.
In episode two, Nora acts out in a way - pushing her coffee mug to the floor, seemingly for no reason. What was going through her mind? Why did she do that?
I hate to say too much about it because I want people to sort of make their own conclusions about what's going on-but if you think about why a celebrity acts out publically, I don't want to name any names, but think of a celebrity who's always in the news for something. Every time they do something, their identity as that public person is reaffirmed. I actually think there's something almost entertaining to Nora for the fact that she can almost get away with anything because no one can say anything bad to her because she is the saddest person in the town. She's a celebrity; she's the woman who lost everything. She can do anything she wants, and people are always going to apologize to her because that's who she is.
I think there's a danger in how we can get addicted to the things that reaffirm to us who we are. For example, Facebook; people who make these Facebook posts about what's happening to them, just so people will chime in and give them positive reinforcement. Those people may be reinforcing something very negative about that person, but those people need that fix. They need people to say, "this is who you are, ok, this is who you are." I think Nora keeps looking for people to reaffirm "hey, this is me. I am not disappearing; I am the saddest woman in the world. So apologize to me. Even though I knocked over a glass, you're going to say sorry." Isn't that funny? I just think there's something about-she's just trying to figure out who she is and her identity is "grieving woman" and all those little moments kind of reinforce that status in that town. What else does she have? She has nothing else besides that right now. Psychologically, it's very weird and complicated-I love it.
Is there anything else we can expect mounting to bigger actions as the series goes on?
Obviously I can't spill what happens, but I can tell you that I look at social media response to our show and people are guessing what happens-they have no idea what's going to happen (laugh). So, I can tell you that there are some things coming for Nora that are going to complicate what I said even more. You couldn't possibly guess what they are. When I read the script, I think my jaw dropped, it's kind of extraordinary.
How would you describe her relationship with her brother, Reverend Matt Jamison?
Like any sibling relationship, it's very complicated. There's always an idea of their power shifting back and forth. They have a very particular relationship because of the circumstances of their family. What you find out in episode three is that our parents are dead. Essentially, Chris's character has raised Nora's character from youth. He's sort of a father figure, but also a very flawed brother; with issues about ideas on religion that Nora does not share. It's a very complicated relationship. She appreciates all the things he did for her to raise her up-but of course like any parent, he's been a flawed figure for her to be emulating. I think they have all the complications of any sibling relationship that anybody can relate to. Especially with the situation of an older kid who's responsible for a younger kid. Eventually, you're both going to be adults, and be peers. Parents always stay older than you, but sibling sort of become adults together, and that complicates that relationship, I think.
Is there's anything you can share about Episode 6?
I think the structure of the series is kind of unique and interesting and I'd hate to give any clues away about it. I think it's a very surprising episode in television. I think the way that The Leftovers is playing with tone is kind of interesting. I don't want anybody to feel like we pigeonholed ourselves because I think it's very surprising where the show will go and can take you. That's all I can really say about it.
Do you have any other projects coming out? Are you going to go back to performing on the stage anytime soon?
Well, I do plan on going back to the stage ... My husband plays Senator Lockhart, the CIA director, on Homeland. They're shooting in Cape Town, South Africa. So with The Leftovers airing, I am going to take a little vacation with my husband! I am going to go to Cape Town and spend time with him. We've been married less than a year. We have our anniversary in August. We got married in a hospital a year ago. We've both been very busy. He was just doing a play on Broadway, and Homeland. We haven't had a lot of time to celebrate our marriage. So I am going to take some time and go away to Africa, and like go surfing, rock-climbing, and read books. Hopefully come back and have some opportunities; maybe some TV/film stuff, or if Leftovers will get picked up for a second season - or certainly get back to the states, which I hope to do for the remainder of my life (laughs).
Carrie Coon was recently nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? This talented actress is set to appear in David Fincher's Gone Girl feature film later this year, opposite Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike
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