Margot Bingham – The Family

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) Other than “The Family,” I’m in the movie Barbershop: The Next Cut, which will be released April 15^th. We’re also hoping for “The Family” to return for a second season. Fingers crossed!

Q) How did you come to be a part the series “The Family?”

A) Originally, I found out about the show and the character through pilot season last year. It was one the many pilots I went in for and it was one of the best scripts that I had read. The creator (Jenna Bans) was so smart how she worded every character and I really fell in love with this Nina character. Originally, my team had come to me and said they were looking for a name for the role and they weren’t really sure about considering me for the role. That kind of put an ease to the auditioning process in general for me because I kind of knew that it might be unattainable for me to get this. I did anything I wanted with her because I knew there was nothing to lose. I really felt really strong about the character and worked really hard before even going in for the role. I read the script about three times. I was just in love with the whole project. They had me come in again for a test and then called me two days later and offered me the role. I took it because it was a chance of a lifetime.

Q) What was it about the project that really made you want to be a part of it?

A) This pilot was one of the best that I had read and it was so smart. I had never read a character like that and, quite honestly, I had never played a character like that. It was exciting for me, challenging for me. The director of the pilot was such a fantastic director. I knew that being a part of anything of his world would be amazing. ABC was my first network to be on. So, there were many factors including loving the material. Usually, you love one or the other – the network, cast or you love the script. I just so happened to be lucky across the board. It was an unbelieve tornado of people and events that just kind of worked out really well in my favor.

Q) Did the character of Nina change at all from your original audition?

A) She definitely evolved from the first audition and then she changed again when I went out for the pilot. I’ve been sitting on Nina for a very, very long time. When we first started production into the first season I was ready for the world to see her. So, it was very exciting for me to start the season. As far as really creating her throughout the pilot, we filmed it in Vancouver in March 2015. I didn’t really know everybody in the cast and other people were married. They were just doing their own thing so looking back I now really appreciate the isolation. At the time it was really frustrating. I couldn’t go out and explore Vancouver like I wanted to and I do better with communication and people around me. Some actors are different, but that’s how I feed off of characters – by having a life outside of it. I didn’t have that so much so I really got stuck inside to work on Nina a lot. I watched a lot of dark TV shows and documentaries. I read a bunch. I had magazines with articles on past murders and psychopaths. I really just kind of engulfed myself in that dark world, that world that I see Nina being a part of constantly. Also, there is this dark tunnel she fell into ten years ago and where she is now has her trying to justify why she feels she deserves where she is currently in present day. There was a lot of isolation and I don’t regret any of it. I told my family I was going to take a step back from staying in touch. It helped that I was in a different time zone. I talk to my family multiple times a day, especially my mother. I’m not the type of actor, again, that is a method actor that needs to step outside and not talk to their family. So, when I do need that from my family it surprised them a little bit and I feel it hurt their feelings because they didn’t understand. But it was everything that I needed to get to where I needed to go with Nina. The rest of the season the writing got me there. It was always having her in the back of my head. I am kind of grateful we didn’t start production until later in the year because I kept her with me all of that time.

Q) Is there anyone in the cast you wish you had gotten to work with that you didn’t get to film with or wish you had more scenes with?

A) I’m obsessed with Joan [Allen] for many reasons that are obvious to anyone. She is unbelievable and what a class act. She is probably one of the kindest people I’ve met in my life. Not even just because who she is, but just in general. She is truly one of the kindest people I’ve met and also one of the only people that I have had a woman counterpoint that I have acted against. I couldn’t ask for a better partner as far as that goes. Also, one of my very close friends is also on the show and that is Floriana Lima who plays Bridey. We haven’t had any scenes together and our paths haven’t crossed. That would be exciting for me because she is one of my best friends and I think we would have a lot of fun together.

Q) You often seem drawn to more dramatic roles. What continues to interest you in them?

A) I just think that it fascinates me. People fascinate me – the reason why people do what they do. People are molded by circumstances that happen or something that changes their journey or path. It’s the people that they come in contact with in their life or a parent that changes their way. Something always changes the way we view the world or go about things. I think that a lot of these dramatic parts that I am given, from the outside looking in, are someone disturbing or dark. There are so many layers that are all inclusive of what the outcome of the person is present day. The dramatic characters that I have been lucky enough to play, there are so many layers to them is what fascinates me. It’s not the drama because as the character I don’t see myself as being dramatic. I see it as just her life. That is kind of the circumstances of what she has had to deal with, where she is present day and dealing with her past to where she is now and having to deal with the present. That’s what fascinates me, when people, projects and writers can give me a character that I know has layers, having the freedom to build those layers and having people really trust me with it is just one of the best things an actor can ask for and look for.

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching “The Family?”

A) I hope that people enjoy it. It’s pretty hard not to enjoy it once you put it on. I’m not just saying that because I’m biased. I know because we are that good as far as writing and as cast you can’t match us. So, I hope people enjoy it. The writers have done such a great job of looking at the perspective of each of the characters and that will continue throughout the season. So, you’ll really get a chance to view from their eyes how they see the family or what is going on or their judgement compared to what is going on. I think that is an interesting perspective having that glance from their eyes. I think that is pretty cool and that allows viewers to pick and see what characters they can relate mostly with. I think there is a character for every viewer who watches. Every viewer can walk out of this with an opinion, which is exciting. To have an opinion means to have a conversation and I want nothing more than for people to talk about this show because it is such a conversation piece. I think that it is fascinating where people see it is going.

Q) You are a part of social media. Have you been enjoying the instant fan feedback you have been receiving to the episodes?

A) I have! I think it is really cool. I’ve never live tweeted before and I’ve also never seen these episodes so I’m watching with everyone in real time. The only episode I saw was the pilot so everything else I’m seeing for the first time along with the rest of the viewers of the world. So, it’s pretty cool to be watching with the viewers who are also seeing it for the first time. It’s an interesting perspective to see what they catch onto first and they can tweet me in live time. All of these things that really surprised me reading the script are sparking up again for a second time around and it’s just as refreshing as the first.

Q) You were a part of the iconic show “Boardwalk Empire.” Who do you keep in touch with from the cast?

A) I ran into Jeffery Wright over the summer and we still keep in contact. He is such an incredible person and, needless to say, such an incredible actor. Michael Kenneth Williams and I still keep in touch. Actually, Maggie Steele who played Billy on the season before me became friends with me because of the premiere and the events we did. She’s a girlfriend of mine and we see each other when we are in LA together or she is in New York. She’s really sweet and doing really well. I actually just saw Wrenn Schmidt the other day at an event. She was kind of catching me up on what she was doing. Every so often it is the kind of a family that you will continue to run into people and it will be like no time has ever lost. Jack Houston is still a very good friend of mine and we are represented by the same people. I keep up with him, his babies and his wife. So, it’s really fun to see how people are evolving and the different projects they move on to. The amazing thing about my job is I get to play dress-up for a living and put someone else on for a couple of weeks or a few months at a time. I think it is very cool to see what people choose and the projects they take and the characters they embark on. These are new pieces of people that I’m friends with that I have never gotten to see them be. So, that’s equally exciting for me to see their success as I hope it is for them to see mine.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would have to say thank you, first of all. It’s definitely been a journey. This is not “Boardwalk Empire” and people that watched that show got really into it. It was a moment and people really believed in that world. I’m so thankful for Terry Winters and all of the HBO crew for making it such a world. People really lived in it and they loved it. He put me on as Daughter and a lot of people don’t want to hear me sing pop, soul or modern day music because they believe that I am Daughter. So, switching over to the role of Nina Meyer and playing a detective is a little different, but it is modern day. So, it is a little bit of a leap for fans of the show. But I do have to say that people and the fans that I have are so supportive and have jumped with me. They adapted with me and that’s incredible. That’s asking someone to go outside of their comfort zone of what they were happy seeing me as and now I’m asking them to trust me on something else. It’s pretty awesome to see some of the same people following me along the way and being with me on the journey. I have all them to thank for it because, obviously, my success is only as good as my fans. So, it’s just a big thank you!