Carla Gugino is the antiheroine we all needed in 'JETT', the HBO series
JETT is a new action-crime series on HBO, and if you're a fan of Pulp
Fiction-style crime stories, we're sure you won't be able to stop watching
it.
At ActitudFem we had the opportunity to
interview Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Hill House), executive producer of
the series, who also plays the protagonist, Daisy 'Jett' Kowalski, a clever
and elusive former thief.
In this talk, Carla Gugino spoke to us about
how the way of representing female characters on television has gradually
changed and why 'Jett' is the antiheroine that we all needed.
AttitudeFem (AF): It must be very satisfying to be
able to work with a character as complicated and multifaceted as Jett.
Carla Gugino (CG): Yes, it is. As an actress
you are usually asked to give emotional complexity or give a human touch to
the story, while the male characters only exist.
I realized that on the show. That's why Jett
can just exist and that was extremely liberating and weird. Watching actors
like Lee Marvin in Point Blank, or Clint Eastwood, I was drawn to their
characters even if I didn't like them at first.
We're used to that with male characters, but we
haven't had many women who are allowed to do that without needing an excuse
as to why they don't align with social norms.
AF: Directors always ask actresses to "fall in love with
their characters." Do you think that is finally changing?
CG: I think so. There is a greater appetite
on television to explore different types of women in recent years. Women who
no longer exist only in reference to a man.
Don't get me wrong, of course I love a good
love story. But I'm excited that we can finally explore more layers than
that.
In fact, when we were starting out there
was a time when several songwriters sent proposals for the Jett theme and
many were talking about the revival, about battered women seeking revenge...
and that's not the story at all.
Jett is not a wounded woman. She is not Kill
Bill. She is a woman who is excellent at what she does, she is very
pragmatic and a bit of a loner. She goes at her own pace and she has her own
moral standards but her life doesn't revolve around revenge.
AF: Jett is not afraid or apologetic about using her
sexuality to get what she wants. How do you feel about it?
CG: Jett is very comfortable with her
sexuality, she genuinely enjoys it and yes, sometimes she is useful to him.
It's so refreshing to play a character who doesn't give a sh*t what people
think.
AF: Along with this knowing how to use her
sexuality, Jett is also caring and supportive of other women. Did that catch
your attention of the character?
CG: Yes, totally. I love having a sorority and
collaborators, and Sebastian (director and writer of the series) was raised
by women. I think that's why he writes such great characters.
The secret behind this story is this tribe of
women who have gradually become a family. If the show has a future after
this season, I'm sure these roles will have a greater relevance.
AF: Do you think Jett has a 'moral compass'? And if yes, where do you
think she is pointing her?
CG: I can personally
say that, for more years than I care to admit, my sense of self worth was
determined by how others perceived me, or believed others did.
I think that's how they raise us as women and
as actresses, from a very young age. You do something very personal and
private that becomes public; and everyone gives their opinion on it while
you keep trying to figure out who you are.
Jett looks at the world the other way around, from the
inside out. There is no doubt that if she lets you into her world, she will
protect you forever, but she will be by her rules.
In the show when she has to get rid of a
person, she considers it an unfortunate decision, she doesn't get any
enjoyment or fun from the pain.
Jett is only one step ahead of the others and
she removes the obstacles in her way... It's simple survival.
JETT
is now available on HBO, and here we leave you the trailer so you can finish
up the courage to see it.
