We Were Liars, the bestselling psychological thriller by E. Lockhart, finds its way to Amazon Prime Video on June 18. The series revolves around Cadence Sinclair (played by Emily Alyn Lind), who, after an accident that caused amnesia, returns to her family’s private island to piece together the events of her past and the truth about the accident.
Featuring a rich ensemble of prolific actors, We Were Liars stars Caitlin Fitzgerald, Candice King and Mamie Gummer (who is the daughter of the legendary Meryl Streep) as siblings who are bound together by sisterhood and secrets. On a recent video call, t2 caught up with the trio.
What is it about the script in general and your characters in particular that spoke to you?
Candice King: I had read the book and I was like: ‘When they bring this to screen and if they can do it, I would like to be a part of it.’ I had all faith in Julie (Plec) and Carina (Adly Mackenzie), the showrunners and writers... the twist is just so great. The psychological elements of what you experience in the book, to experience that on screen is such a fun ride. I was really excited to see the creative process of how it would transform from book to screen.
What spoke to me mostly was the dynamic between the sisters (Bess, Carrie and Penny). It was interesting to see where my character Bess fit within this family, how the family vibrates off each other and how they push each other’s buttons. That is what I really enjoyed.
Mamie Gummer: Every family is sort of an island unto itself, they are all marooned on this place and they do all they need to do in order to honestly survive. That is what I like... that Carrie keeps trying, keeps failing, keeps trying again.
Caitlin Fitzgerald: I loved how many secrets there are in this family and on this island. It is really delicious for an actor to come into a scene where we are talking about the weather, but there is all this trauma, darkness and secrecy coded within that conversation. There is a lot under the surface which is fun to play and it means that every interaction is loaded with all kinds of stuff.
What do you think it is about dysfunctional characters — specifically in families, the richer the worse — nursing dark secrets that makes for such compelling viewing?
Mamie: I think it is the dismantling of the power structure that we live under. There is something satisfying in seeing that articulated and seeing every angle of it and the particular hubris of an old White man being challenged.
Candice: We all want to believe that money solves everyone’s problems. It definitely, by all means, makes life much easier. But contrary to belief, it doesn’t mean that everyone with money is happy. In this series, it is fun to see that while money might give this family (the Sinclairs) a beautiful island and perfect clothes, the perfect dogs and the boats... they are still rotten. Just because it is a beautiful landscape doesn’t mean that the food hasn’t been sitting all day rotting in the sun!
Mamie: In the show, as things unfold, people may think: ‘Why don’t they just leave or give it up?!’ But honestly, so much of their identity is about the money they have. Without the money, there is nothing. They weren’t ever allowed to explore being anything else.
Caitlin: There is also the feeling that there are a lot of eyes on them. We have talked about the Kennedys as a comparison. Because of that, there is so much veneer and needing to be perfect all the time. And, of course, that means that when things inevitably fall apart, they do so in an even messier way, which I think is really fun to watch.
Is there anything about your respective characters that felt immensely relatable and one aspect that seemed totally alien?
Candice: What I connected the most with Bess was her love of Sancerre. We both really appreciate a cold glass of Sancerre! (Laughs). What I did not relate to is the way she approaches motherhood. Motherhood is a visceral, feral, beautiful and amazing experience. I think it can bring out the best in most people and sometimes, the worst in some people. It is its own unique experience to each person. Unfortunately, for Bess, it brings out the worst in her. That is where I would like to believe that she and I are very different people.
Caitlin: I hope that I have Penny’s incredibly dry wit, but not her cruelty. In her desire to keep everybody at arm’s length, she can be really unkind and also a pretty mean mom sometimes. I hope that is not my parenting style.
Carrie: I was really interested by the similarities between Carrie and Cadence (Emily Lind). They are foils to each other and the way that they struggle and also challenge the status quo of the family is similar. There is a kind of contrarian in both of them. That was interesting.
You are prolific female actors who have been working for a long time. As we possibly move more towards equality and inclusivity, how have you seen the nature and volume of projects offered to you change over the last few years?
Mamie: There seems to be a long way to go. But I think for the lucky ones — and we are very lucky to have been given these roles — it is slightly easier. There is so much content now and so many more people wanting to be in the business. Everything feels like it has grown exponentially and we are all kind of still playing catch up. But I always felt like I wasn’t going to make sense (of the business) till I was about 40.
Candice: This is the first time ever I was on a set where every director was female. We had a female DoP (director of photography, Sylvaine Dufaux). We had so many women on set. There was literally a day on set where everyone at video village was a woman.
This was the first time I have ever been on a set where I went to the crafty and there was a medical area box there that had feminine products. It was the first time I didn’t feel odd and while it may seem like a small thing, it did make a difference to the women on set.
Mamie: It was an efficient set which was also very nurturing.
Caitlin: What I love so much about the three women we play is that they get to be really messy and wholly human in their nastiness and their love, in their shattering and in their triumphs. There is still much work to do and much room for more female characters like that.
Yes, for far too long, we have expected our women to be overly virtuous and picture-perfect on screen...
Mamie: Yes, but having said that, we all did get spray tans! (Everyone laughs)
Candice: Reese Witherspoon once said in an interview that for far too long women have only been around to be reactionary to what men are doing on screen. Thank God, in We Were Liars, we play these three women who find themselves in very precarious situations and yet they were the ones calling the shots.
Was being on this set empowering in many ways?
Caitlin: The first TV show that I was on for many years, I could count the number of female directors in one hand. But on We Were Liars, to go through a whole season with all female directors felt like we have made big progress. That is exciting to see. There is a feeling of safety — for lack of a better word — and a feeling of being seen in a different
way when there is a woman behind the camera. I have worked with incredible male directors also, but it is nice to see things shifting, for sure.
On a lighter note, in sync with the title of the series, what is that one situation in life in which you will invariably lie to wriggle out of?
Candice: Maybe if I was at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) and I found a ticket number that was ahead of mine, I would be like: ‘This is mine!’ I would also like to try and get on the VIP section of a guestlist. (Laughs)
Mamie: If I was abducted, I don’t think I would give them my correct home address... I would lie. I would give them that of the police station! (Laughs)
