We were joined on the Popternative show by Matilda Lawler who stars as Marge in the prequel horror series, IT: Welcome to Derry, set in the world of Stephen King’s IT universe. The series, which premiered on October 26 on HBO Max, is set in 1962 and expands stories established by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs in the feature films It and It Chapter Two.
Bill Skarsgård reprises his role as the terrifying Pennywise from IT and IT Chapter Two, and the series also stars Taylour Paige (Zola), Jovan Adepo (Fences), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason), James Remar (Dexter), Clara Stack (The Naughty Nine), Stephen Rider (Daredevil), Amanda Christine (Black Box), Madeleine Stow (Revenge), Blake Cameron James (We Grown Now), Rudy Mancuso (Música), Miles Ekhardt (Turtles All the Way Down), Arian S. Cartaya (Juego de mentiras), Mikkal Karim-Fidler (Boy in the Walls), Joshua Odjick (The Long Walk), Kimberly Guerrero (Reservation Dogs), Maya McNair (Clarice), Maya Misaljevic (Seven Veils), Hannah Storey (Thanksgiving), Jack Molloy Legault (Home Sweet Home Alone), and Matilda Legault (Beacon 23).
“She’s very overreactive and that was very fun to play with. And in the script, it said she wore cat eye glasses. So, I found these old glasses from when I was like, seven from Claire’s or somewhere,” Matilda says on preparing to play Marge.
Audiences might not be too keen about Marge’s character, but Matilda gets where she’s coming from:
“It’s been very interesting to see the response to Marge, and I have to say I’m actually not that surprised. I was sort of expecting it. I think Marge represents a part of so many people that we don’t like about ourselves. This insecurity and desire to fit in and change herself to fit in and it can be painful. It can be really hard to empathize with that and obviously she is doing very messed up things. If you look closely into the character, you can see that it’s all coming from this vulnerable place of love and she just wants to be loved, which is the most human thing ever.”
Watch the full conversation with Matilda Lawler below.
A new episode of IT: Welcome to Derry airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max through December 14.
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