The critically acclaimed new HBO series The Gilded Age airs its season finale tonight, and the show that was originally created a few years ago was not the same as what you ended up seeing, at least when it comes to Denèe Benton‘s character in the series.
Benton plays Peggy Scott, an upper-middle-class African-American woman, and a character she had a lot of input in shaping. She tells ABC Audio she pushed really hard to make sure Peggy wasn’t the typical screen representation of Black America in the late 1800s, and that wasn’t easy.
“I was definitely in inboxes and asking for meetings and conversations,” she recalls. “And the thing that I will commend everyone on is that they kept showing up to the conversation. And so, yeah, it was terrifying. I was clenching my butt cheeks with the all-white male creative team being like, this thing needs to change.”
The 30-year-old actress believes we’ve been “bamboozled into thinking Black people and Black women didn’t exist,” when in fact they’ve “existed at every level of society for all time.
She adds, “I am so excited to be a part of continuing to shatter that delusion of white supremacy.”
Benton thinks the whole show has benefited from Peggy being a secretary for the New York Globe and “getting to have these scenes with her mom in a Black café.” She says it “adds nuance [and] specificity, [which] is what storytelling is about.”
“I’m happy that we all showed up to take in that opportunity,” she adds.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
Music Notes: Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and more
May 14, 2024
Ed Sheeran continues to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his breakthrough album X (Multiply) by…
Joan Vassos announced as first Golden Bachelorette
May 14, 2024
Disney/Ramona RosalesJoan Vassos will search for love on the debut season of The Golden…
Selena Gomez provides Loneliness Check-In for her mental health platform, Wondermind
May 14, 2024
Disney/Randy HolmesMay is Mental Health Awareness Month, and two things that can impact a person's…
Spotify hosting listening party for Billie Eilish’s new album
May 14, 2024
Darkroom/InterscopeWhat could be better than listening to Billie Eilish's new album, HIT ME HARD…
Andrew McCarthy’s Brat Pack documentary ‘Brats’ to debut on Hulu
May 14, 2024
HuluABC News Studios and independent film studio NEON announced on Monday that Andrew McCarthy's…
HBO teases photo of Jessica Lange in ‘The Great Lillian Hall’
May 14, 2024
HBO/Tina RowdenHBO has released photos of two-time Oscar winner Jessica Lange in the title role of…
Jelly Roll visits the high school he was told he’d never be allowed to return to
May 14, 2024
Disney/Scott KirklandJelly Roll's troubled past resulted in him being told he'd never be allowed to…
ABC releases 2024-25 schedule, revealing Ryan Murphy’s ‘Doctor Odyssey’ and more
May 14, 2024
Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, May 14, ABC revealed its fall 2024 schedule, revealing some new faces to…