Morton and Driver face off as Catherine de Medici and Elizabeth I in season 2 of the Starz drama.
Minnie DriverandSamantha Mortonhave both earned the title of Queen.
“It is different.
Samantha Morton and Minnie Driver at ‘The Serpent Queen’ screening.Todd Williamson/Shutterstock
“I was never seen as beautiful,” she reflected.
“And I was never invited to be on the cover ofVanity Fair.
I was just a character actress, and so I continue to work.
Samantha Morton and Minnie Drive at ‘The Serpent Queen’ season 2 screening.Todd Williamson/Shutterstock
What’s hard for American actresses or Hollywood is you’re always judged by beauty.
I think we’re out of those times now.
We have come full circle.
Samantha Morton and Minnie Driver on ‘The Serpent Queen’.STARZ
We are still working; we are still here.”
Part of those changes come via the opportunities to play women like these two fierce historical figures.
“You have to fight for that.
And particularly ‘Hey, let’s double down when you are a woman.’
There’s a level of danger in this instant pivoting.
You never know when you’re gonna have to kill someone or who you will have to trade.
I like that threat.”
Driver added, “[Creator] Justin [Haythe] wrote something incredibly playful, but extremely dangerous.
He writes proper women.
Growing up in films and television, I was always improving on a vastly underwritten character.
You’re always expanding; you’re always filling in the spaces.
What I felt when I read his script was that he was just serving the most amazing women.
You feel that service and that interest that he has.
I knew it was gonna be a great battle.”
Season 2 ofThe Serpent Queenpremieres July 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Starz.
