The following contains spoilers for American Horror Story: Asylum
Last week, on the FX drama American Horror Story: Asylum, we said goodbye to Sister Mary Eunice — an innocent nun possessed and essentially ruined by the devil — played by actress Lily Rabe. In what was one of the most dynamic performances of the season (even when compared to award darling Jessica Lange), Rabe gave us a story of a pure and naive woman who, while overtly controlled by darker forces, was still present; she played this in moments, like the unforgettable exchange between Mary Eunice and the Angel of Death where she cries out for release from her captivity through death.
Her end was ultimately a choice, as both (co-creator and showrunner) Ryan Murphy and Rabe have said. “I know Ryan and I when we talked about it,” Rabe told EW.com last week regarding her character’s death, “it really is a suicide more than it is a murder.”
DarkMedia had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with Lily Rabe today, where she talked about her work on American Horror Story: Asylum, some of her favorite things about her fellow cast members, and the irreconcilable consequences of possession.
On the death of Sister Mary Eunice, and what it was like to play a character possessed by the devil: “Her situation really wasn’t survivable in the sense that, even if they had done some sort of exorcism or something at that point, we sort of felt that whatever might be left of that girl was so damaged and destroyed. And death sort of became her only way out.
I think in the way that she dies, is more of an assisted suicide — a consensual death with the Monsignor. And I think that she’s certainly trying to free herself, and also get this devil that she has become out and away from everyone else. I think it’s her most heroic moment, and sort of her only choice at that point.
Playing that through, once the possession happened, was such a wonderful challenge and a sort of dance, really, to sort of live between both the light and the darkness existing, and that battle — and that losing battle, really.”
On the most difficult part of playing Sister Mary Eunice: “I think some of the murders, in those moments when she’s completely taken over by the devil, and throwing these actors around and slitting their throats and stabbing them ruthlessly…I’ve often played the person who’s getting murdered or abused, and so to actually be murdering and abusing people was a whole different kind of challenge. It’s always those challenges that are the most exiting.”
On the death of Dr. Arden: “I always thought it was the perfect ending for the two of them. It seemed so fitting, and of course we were always talking about, James Cromwell and I, were always sitting around talking about Shakespeare like theatre dorks, and so we felt like Ryan has given us a nice, beautiful Shakespearean ending — a horror story Shakespearean ending. But I think that it seemed sort of, completely, the perfect end to their very, very, very bizarre and complicated and dark love story of sorts. I think, for him, he really had loved her for so long, and so devoted to her, and I can’t speak for , but I feel like it was just the last straw of it, for him.”
On doing Season 3 of American Horror Story: “I would certainly love to be back, that’s for sure. It’s a great job.”
On how she approached the role of a woman possessed by the devil: “The truth is, the way I approached it, really, was to figure out, before we started shooting, the most important thing to me, was to really figure out who Sister Mary Eunice was — and not really worry about the possession or the devil. Because, to me, so much of what that possession is is specific to the person. So, to play the sort of dark side or underbelly of someone, their sort of ‘shadow’ taking over, is really about knowing who that person is before that event has taken place, of this dark thing sort of taking over. So it was more about figuring out who she was, through and through.”
On what it was like working with Joseph Fiennes (Monsignor Timothy Howard): “I had such a wonderful time with Joseph. He’s such a wonderful guy, and so generous…we didn’t have much to do together at the beginning of the season, but we ended up having so much to do in those last few episodes, and I had a great time with him. I think he’s so special.”
On working with Jessica Lange (Sister Jude): “I had an amazing time. She’s an incredible actress, she’s got an amazing work ethic, she’s generous, she’s present, she’s everything you could want in a scene partner. And, also, she’s a really great woman. She’s a lot of fun, and I felt very close to her very quickly; very comfortable with her and safe. When you’re doing difficult things, feeling safe with someone, that’s what I have with Ryan, and it’s what I have with so much of the cast, and to have it with Jessica (especially with what we had to go through together or put each other through), is valuable.”
On the theatre company feel of AHS: “It’s incredibly appealing to work with the same group of people — the same actors, the same crew, the same creators, the same writers — and to be able to have this home that you get to come back to, but then be playing a different character, is really, I have to say, for me, is just an actor’s dream come true. There’s so many ways for it to exist, and it’s really a thrilling sort of company to be a part of. And that is how I think of it, using the model of a rep theatre company, and I think he’s (Ryan Murphy) just such a genius to be doing that on television. I certainly don’t know anything that’s been done like it on television; Ryan seems to constantly be pioneering so many things.”
On taking risks, and if there’s a point when she feels like she’s gone too far: “With the show, if you’re going to do this show, you just kind of jump off the ledge, and you don’t expect you’re going to have any parachute or anything open. You just have to jump and know that that’s part of the thrill of it…because you’re in such good hands. But I think part of the thrill of being on that show is just diving in completely. Things would scare me, and make me really nervous, but nothing ever felt like ‘oh, this is too far’ or ‘this is something I don’t want to do’. I never had that feeling about any of it.”
On her favorite moments this season: “I think my storyline with Jessica was perhaps the most powerful to me, because it’s the most tragic, in a way, because it’s actually the one that involved the most love. Even though Jessica, Jude, is very cold to Eunice in the very beginning, I always believed that cruelty was coming out of a place of love and a place of seeing Mary Eunice, seeing her potential, and knowing she wasn’t living it. And so, in a way, where we started and where we ended up, that to me is probably the most powerful.”
In case you missed it, please check out our interview features with American Horror Story: Asylum stars Zachary Quinto, Jessica Lange, and Dylan McDermott. And stay tuned for our weekly coverage of the show by our very own contributing writer Sarabeth Pollock.
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