Julianna Margulies defends playing gay character on The Morning Show
"We're making assumptions"
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Apple TV+
Julianna Margulies has defended playing a lesbian news anchor on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, saying critics are “making assumptions” about her past.
The actor, who is married to Keith Lieberthal, with whom she has a 13-year-old son, plays Laura Peterson on the hit show.
The Good Wife star discussed the casting on CBS Mornings this week.
“When it comes to race and gender, that’s a whole different story”
“I can understand that [criticism],” she said. “My response would also be: We’re all making assumptions as to who I am, and what my past is and what all of our pasts are.”
“I understand, 100 percent, that I can’t play a different race,” she continued. “But I am an actress and I am supposed to embody another character.
“Whatever their sexuality is doesn’t matter to me, the same way watching a gay person play a straight person.
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“Are you telling me that because I’m a mother that I can never play a woman who has never had a child? Or, if you’ve never been married that you can’t play a married woman?”
She added: “You have to be careful on where you’re drawing the line there. We’re actors. We’re supposed to embody a character regardless of their sexuality. When it comes to race and gender, that’s a whole different story and I 100 percent agree with that.”
The Morning Show, which stars Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, launched on Apple’s content platform in 2019, scoring positive reviews.
It recently returned for its second season.