E!: When you read the script, did you have an inkling as to who did it?
LR: You know, as she says, “It’s always the f–king husband!” And of course she’s talking about a different husband at that point, but I think in Sylvia’s book husbands are guilty until proven innocent—just as a rule.
When he comes to her and she finds out, she’s not thinking, “Oh, and I bet he’s also killed someone.” But I do think then as the penny starts to drop she’s like, “Oh, I do know there’s a lie.” I think it’s a real heartbreak for her too. There’s a moment in the courtroom early on where I am reporting back to Grace over the phone about how it’s going, and there was a look that happened between Sylvia and Jonathan that was heartbreaking because it was saying both, “Listen, I’m watching you and I know that you lied.”
But it’s also, “Please let this not be true, please let this not be true. I have loved you too.” And I don’t mean romantically. Theorists who think we slept together, we didn’t. But, “I’ve loved you because you’re extended family and please, please don’t be one of the horrible ones.” And then he’s the worst of the worst.
E!: Everyone wanted to know whether Sylvia and Jonathan slept together. Viewers felt so passionately about that.
LR: I understand why. Also, female friendship is so complicated and clearly a lot of people have their eye on their best friend, maybe it’s from personal experience of being betrayed. But I want to honor the fact that the truth of their relationship is the flip of that coin, which is the beautiful part of female friendship, when there is no one who will look out for you or be by your side more. And that is ultimately what this is.