The 'Imperfect Women' Cast Wants You to Rethink What "Truth" Means
At an intimate panel with 'Marie Claire,' the show's cast and creator unpacked its layered take on truth and motherhood.
Based on the title alone, it's clear that Apple TV's new murder-mystery series Imperfect Women is an examination of the impossible expectations placed on women. But the drama, adapted from Araminta Hall's novel of the same name, is also about perspective.
Valuing different points of view and experiences was a throughline for Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, and Kate Mara, along with showrunner Annie Weisman, during a conversation with Editor-in-Chief Nikki Ogunnaike at a Marie Claire screening and panel ahead of the show’s March 18 premiere.
At the event, held in N.Y.C.'s Crosby Hotel, the cast explained that the show’s shifting, multi-perspective structure drew them to the material and also sparked important conversations behind the scenes.
Imperfect Women showrunner Annie Weisman, Elisabeth Moss, Nikki Ogunnaike, Kerry Washington, and Kate Mara.
Ogunnaike pointed out that each character in the show—which unpacks the secrets and entanglements within a friend group, leading to one of their murders—has "their own version of the truth" and understanding of the world.
Star and executive producer Kerry Washington noted: "I think this is one of the beautiful exercises of the show. I think we are living in a time when it's really important to pause and understand that taking into account someone else's point of view may enhance your understanding of what truth is."
The Imperfect Women cast speaks at a Marie Claire panel.
Washington also revealed that her character, Eleanor, was not originally written for the show as a Black woman. So when she took on the role, it was essential for her that it feel like Eleanor's "identity as a Black woman informed how she participated in the story."
"In my career, a lot of times if I had been cast in a role that wasn't written for a Black woman. It's like, 'Well, just play it as if you're not Black. Just the fact that you're Black is enough.' And so to be able to bring that cultural context and what it means to not just be Black, but to be from an old money, generational wealth Black family, those details were really important," she said.
Showrunner Weisman pointed out that Washington also ensured half of the writers on the show were Black, to which Washington added, "One Black writer in the room, all you get to be is Black. But when there are three Black writers in the room, you get to be human and bring your Black experience."
For Moss, who also served as an executive producer on the title, her character Mary's experiences as a mother were what grounded her decisions.
"Her heroism lies in making this perfect snack for her child," Moss said. "And to me, that's heroism that I want to celebrate: the heroism of parents and caretakers everywhere who know how to make the right snack."
Mara added that viewers may walk away with different interpretations of the series, but above all, hopes they enjoy the twists. "I kind of like not having any expectations of what someone is going to feel or take away," she said. "I like just going, hopefully it's a fun ride."
Ogunnaike spoke to all those nuances by bringing it back to the show's title. "Imperfect Women is such a beautiful, quiet rebellion against the way that women are often expected to present themselves," the Marie Claire editor said.
The cast—and nearly 100 guests in the audience who cheered enthusiastically throughout the conversation—couldn't have agreed more.
The first two episodes of Imperfect Women are streaming now on Apple TV.
