Mark Hildreth – Escaping The Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story

By starrymag | January 31, 2019

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

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

A) Last year I had the pleasure of working with Jeff Daniels, Peter Sarsgaard and Alec Baldwin on Hulu’s “The Looming Tower.” At the moment I’m in the middle of recording for the Season Two of “The Hollow,” an animated series for Netflix! But folks can see me right now in Escaping The Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story on Lifetime starring Christina Ricci.

 

Q) We recently saw you in Escaping The Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story. What made you want to be a part of the film?

A) Nellie Bly, a strong female character played by Christina Ricci, is based on the real-life reporter who infiltrated and exposed abuses at the Blackwell Island Women’s Asylum in New York near the turn of the 20th century. Her story is remarkable. She became one of the first female undercover reporters in US history and her work helped change the nature of journalism and mental health care in America.

 

Q) How was your character Bartholemew Driscoll originally described to you?

A) Bartholemew “Bats” Driscoll was described to me as the love of Nellie’s life, a strong support for and partner to Nellie Bly. He is a guy who is ahead of his time, a highly principled member of a powerful New York family who loves his fiancé deeply. Bartholemew is someone who respects and loves Nellie for her tenacity, drive and self-reliance.

 

Q) What kind of research did you do on this historical heroine and the role you play in her life?

A) Learning about Nellie Bly’s work and her contribution to journalism was a big part of why I signed on to this project. She was willing to go to great lengths to do what she believed was right, often to no fanfare and sometimes in the face of intense criticism. To have done what she did in the age that she did it is truly amazing. Nellie Bly’s story is heroic.

 

Q) What did you find most challenging about your portrayal?

A) As a period piece, Nellie Bly demanded some interesting dialogue work and to become immersed in behavior and mannerisms that would have been normal during the time. I wanted the character of Bartholemew to be ahead of his time – a man who respects, loves and looks up to his daring, independent wife. And at the same time, to have the intelligence and gravitas to be a believable New York business leader and entrepreneur who matches wits with the likes of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Sometimes, bringing the emotional thunder while maintaining a prim and proper appearance and manner of speaking were tough to do at the same time!

 

Q) Talk about working with co-star Christina Ricci.

A) Christina Ricci, who also produced the movie, was a consummate professional and is excellent at her job. It was an honor to work with her on a project that is so close to her heart.

 

Q) What advice did director Karen Moncrieff offer that you took to heart while shooting?

A) Director Karen Moncrieff and I spoke at length about the type of person who could be a partner to Nellie and be able to match Nellie’s courage. I tried to follow Karen’s lead because she is someone who knows exactly what she is shooting and has a strong vision for the story. We didn’t want Bartholemew to just be the type of man who swoops in to save the damsel in distress. So, we fleshed out the character to try to show different sides of his personality and make the love he and Nellie share strong and lasting.

 

Q) What were some of your most memorable moment from filming the movie?

A) Playing the antagonist to Nellie and the headmistress at Blackwell Island is Judith Light, a consummate performer and multi award-winning actor. Watching her work was such a privilege. She and I both come from the world of theater and we had great conversations about that. Viewers will be in for a real treat seeing her bring this despicable character to life with great heart and wisdom.

 

Q) Did you enjoy the instant fan feedback you received to the project?

A) The response to Nellie Bly has been overwhelmingly positive. People love the movie. We are all so flattered by the response.

 

Q) What did you personally take away from your time working on Escaping the Madhouse?

A) Nellie Bly proves that strong female characters make for an excellent movie.

 

Q) Your career is a great mix of on-camera and voice work. Do you have a preference between the two?

A) I’ve been lucky to get to do a lot of voice-over work in my career like animated series like “Dragonball Z,” “Transformers,” “X-Men,” “Barbie,” “Gundam Wing” and “Voltron” along with a variety of other projects too. I love both on-camera and voice-over acting and have been incredibly fortunate to be invited to work in each!

 

Q) What have been some of your favorite projects to work on?

A) I had a great time in Dublin working on Showtime’s “The Tudors” and loved making “Resurrection” on ABC. I also had a wonderful experience doing the remake of the sci-fi series “V.” But my favorite experience was playing Shakespeare’s Hamlet on stage.

 

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

A) Being an actor has been my first love ever since I was five years old. I am so deeply appreciative of it and humbled by the support of those who enjoy my work.