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Despite its heavy subject matter, there is a reason why Hulu’s Furious doesn’t show Marshall physically abusing Alice in graphic detail.
“So much of the violence that Marshall has inflicted upon Alice is spoken about but not seen,” Jake Lacy exclusively tells Us. “I honestly think it’s maybe more impactful in that way because you certainly, as a reader, for me — or as a viewer — can imagine that visceral experience and then see the guy who’s done it is shocking.”
The actor, 40, says the show benefits from having Marshall try to make amends, adding, “If we just show you all of it, then we’ve defined it for you and you don’t get to participate. It’s always more interesting when it lives in your mind.”
Though the moments of abuse don’t make it on screen, Lacy clarifies that there are no questions about Marshall’s behavior.
“There are scenes where you see him explode and I don’t feel one way or the other about it,” he continues. “I’m just trying to fulfill what’s on the page and this character, so that hopefully, if my piece is as real as it can be, then it plays into the rest of this wonderful story that Liz has written.”
Pulling inspiration from the 1987 film Black Widow, creator Elizabeth Meriwether explores dark themes of abuse and human trafficking in Furious through the eyes of several complex — and often imperfect — characters.
Furious, which airs Mondays, follows FBI agent Alice (Emmy Rossum) as she hunts for a mysterious and calculating female serial killer, played by Lola Petticrew, who targets men who prey on girls.
Alice’s relationship with ex Marshall (Lacy), who was physically abusive to her in the past, is also a central focus.
“I was really fortunate [in] the first 10 years of my career to play good guys and good boyfriends, and often that was to complete someone else’s arc,” Lacy shares. “And I really liked The Talented Mr. Ripley where with Matt Damon, you understand him and know where he’s coming from and see his pain or desire. But also, then he does these terrible things.”
Lacy appreciates having the chance to push himself as an actor.
“I just wanted the opportunity to do that,” he tells Us. “So I’ve gotten what I wished for. And now people are like, ‘You’re just playing guys where you’re not a safe person to be around.’ So we’ll see. We’ll see if it swings back — but working on good material is always the goal.”
The crime drama, which also stars Scoot McNairy and Quincy Tyler Bernstine, relies on twists and turns that even the characters don’t see coming. Petticrew, 30, specifically, had their work cut out for them while exploring a murderous character who seeks revenge after years of sexual abuse.
For the actor, that meant finding the balance between fact and fiction.
“You have to toe the line between doing the research that you need to do without exploiting people who’ve been through what our characters have been through,” they explain to Us. “So it was really delicate work.”
Petticrew also made an effort not to bring work home, adding, “You have to be able to go in and do your best work and you can’t do that if you let the work eat away at you. Our cast [was] so phenomenal and we kept each other’s spirits up. Our crew is also just absolutely phenomenal.”
Before jumping into the role, Petticrew did the necessary research.
“Liz pointed me in the direction of a lot of amazing things to read and videos to watch. You have to toe the line between doing the research that you need to do without exploiting people who’ve been through what our characters have been through,” they continue. “So it was really delicate work. But I am also lucky enough that a lot of this stuff is already there in the page because Liz Meriwether is so incredibly talented.”
Furious airs Mondays on Hulu.
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