Showbiz still incredibly complicated for women: Marin Hinkle

By Sugandha Rawal

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" star Marin Hinkle has spent a lot of time on male-dominated sets, wondering 'where are all the girls?', and feels there's a long way to go before gender equality is achieved.

The actress says showbiz still remains an "incredibly complicated" world for females.

"To be blunt with you, I don't think so (much has changed)," Hinkle told IANS when asked how conversations around gender equality and gender pay gap has changed the world in the West.

"The truth is that, for women, it is still incredibly complicated to do what Miriam (the lead character of 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel') is trying to do - to work and be a mother. In terms of parity, equal pay and equal sense of respect for women and men in workplace, I can speak about the situations I have been in and I thank God that Amy Sherman-Palladino has an understanding and respect for that.

"We have female directors, female crew and great characters who are female," said the actress, taking a reference from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" about the lead character Miriam "Midge" Maisel trying to find her identity as a stand-up comedian and a mother of two children.

Hinkle, who essays the role of Rose Weissman in the show, asserts that "there were so many jobs I had where the women roles were one dimensional".

"I would be on the set with 99 per cent of people being men. I used to wonder where are the female directors, or producers or writers. It was perplexing and difficult. I don't know how to answer on how much it has changed, but can say (that it is) not enough," said the actress, who got her first Emmy nomination this year for the role of Rose Weissman in the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series category.

Set in 1950s Manhattan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", available on Amazon Prime Video, tells the story of Maisel who is trying to find her own voice after her husband leaves her. With music and lighter tones, the show by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, puts the spotlight on gender issues, and the disparity. It also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, Tony Shalhoub and Kevin Pollak.

Hinkle attributes the success of the show to the creators and Brosnahan.

"One of the reasons the show is resonating with many is attributable to our extraordinary leadership in Amy and her husband Daniel Palladino. They are remarkable writers and are visionaries. The credit also goes to Rachel... I think the sense of being an inspiration as a young woman is to the T," said Hinkle, who started her journey in the industry in 1994 with "Angie".

Apart from Rose Weissman, many would remember Hinkle as Judith Harper -- the first wife of Alan Harper in "Two and a Half Men". She has also featured in "Once and Again", "Castle", "Homeland", "Speechless" and "Madam Secretary".

Though she is happy with the successful run of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", she acknowledged the fear of maintaining the hit rate. The second season of the show went live on December 5 last year. The third season is expected to go live later this year.

"I'm so thrilled that people are watching, and of course you live with a little bit of fear that if they will still remain interested. The truth is that with this kind of writing we just feel like we are taken care of. They are structuring the amazing world which keeps growing," she said.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)