Aubrey Dollar – Filthy Rich

By starrymag | October 12, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for “Filthy Rich.”

 

A) “Filthy Rich” centers around a wealthy family that runs a successful Christian TV network. The patriarch of the family dies in a plane crash and (much to our surprise!) he has included three illegitimate children by three different women into his will. I play Rose Monreaux, one of the “legitimate” children, and these new siblings come into our lives and shake up the little bubble we’ve been living in in many ways.

 

Q) How was your character Rose Monreaux originally described to you?

 

A) Rose was described as off-beat and a little different from the famous family she grew up in. She’s creative and wild but still struggles with the pressure to fit into the role that society and especially her mother expect of her.

Q) Was there anything you added to the role that wasn’t in her initial breakdown?

 

A) I mean, I think naturally as you play a character throughout a season of a show things evolve and change – parts of who you are and people you’ve known bleed into it. I grew up in the South going to church, so it’s a world I know well and it was fun to revisit and play in.

 

Q) Did it take slipping into those fabulous clothes for you to find Rose and become the character?

 

A) You know, I personally would not describe myself as a fashionable person. It’s just not something that I’ve ever understood how to do and I’m more function over form in that department, I guess. I loved working with our wardrobe designer Carol Cutshall to bring that part of Rose to life as it is how she expresses her creativity and such a central part of what makes her unique and authentic. Carol approached things so creatively and we had fun with it, so learning to be comfortable in outlandish things and think of wearing them as a form of self-expression was a lot of fun for me.

 

Q) What was your first day like on set?

 

A) My first day on set we shot the scene at the country club where Ginger (Melia Kreiling) shows up in a classic Southern hoop skirt to make fun of Margaret (Kim Cattrall). I loved working with both Kim and Melia and things just felt very easy, fun and natural. The writing on the show is so smart and the female characters especially are layered, grounded and complex, so we had a lot to play with that day. I was also in gold platform shoes that were about two sizes too small and my feet fell asleep, but I’m not complaining.

 

Q) Talk about working with iconic actors Kim Cattrall and Gerald McRaney.

 

A) Sure. I worked with Kim a lot more than Gerald for storyline purposes, but I will say that Mac (as we called him) is a consummate professional and very low on the ego quotient, which is my favorite way to work. He’s just a great actor. He’s always early, he knows what he’s doing and he’s there to do it well. Kim is the same. She comes from a theater background and just brings it every take. I adore and admire her, both personally and professionally. Margaret and Rose have a complicated relationship, as do many mothers and daughters, and getting to go head to head with her was a blast.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite episodes that fans should look out for?

 

A) I’m excited for people to see the finale especially. I think this show will be really exciting to watch. It’s plot heavy, it moves quickly and there are twists and turns every episode you will not see coming. But the ending is bananas. We were trying to guess where it was going for a lot of the series, as certain actors were told secrets about their characters, they weren’t allowed to share with the rest of us and it drove me mad. I think Corey [Cott] and I figured out a pivotal point on a night shoot on our sixteenth cup of coffee and lost our minds.

 

Q) How did you shake off those intense days on set?

 

A) I have a three-year-old son and my mom was kind enough to come along to New Orleans where we shot to help watch him. So, on particularly intense days it was some combination of the joy of getting to play with and be around him because I missed him a ton working so much, my mom letting me sleep in and a big glass of wine at the end of the day.

 

Q) What do you think it is about “Filthy Rich” that will make it a new fast fan favorite?

 

A) This has been a very hard year for most everyone in ways we haven’t experienced before. I think people are yearning for a little escapism and fun and “Filthy Rich” most definitely brings that. We were allowed to screen the first three episodes and I watched with my family. We were all tired and thought we would watch one that night and finish the rest the next day, but ended up watching all three and wanted more. It’s that kind of show. It’s grounded but also a little insane, it’s funny but deals with serious issues, you will never be bored, the acting and writing is solid. It’s a good 2020 watch, I think.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll receive to episodes and do you plan to live tweet episodes?

 

A) Oh gosh, I’m horrible at social media. I sometimes feel like I’m just old enough that I missed some cultural moment where everyone learned how to navigate all of that without feeling like an ass hole or a narcissist. But then so many people I know and love use it beautifully and make me laugh and I care about seeing what they’re doing, so I don’t know. As far as instant feedback from fans goes, I’m not sure! I’d be naive to assume that it will all be nice, but also, I have thick skin. I think.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

 

A) I do think people will connect with this show. I’m very proud of it and excited for it to be out into the world, and I’m grateful to those who want to give it a chance and watch!