Toni Collette on series ‘The Power’: It entertains idea of gender equality

New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) Actor Toni Collette says she agreed to be a part of Prime Video series “The Power” as the show promotes the idea of gender equality both on and off screen.

The show is based on author Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel about teenage girls suddenly developing the power to electrocute people.

The Australian actor, known for her movies such as “The Sixth Sense”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Hereditary” and “Knives Out”, plays the role of Margot Cleary-Lopez, the mayor of Seattle whose daughter is among the girls who acquire the superpower.

“I found it really exciting that there was a premise that entertained the idea of gender equality. And to be able to kind of look at it from so many different angles and so many different women’s perspectives,” Collette told PTI in a virtual roundtable interview.

The actor said she boarded the show quite late but had a great time with her co-stars, which included John Leguizamo, who plays her on-screen husband Rob.

“There was a lot to do in a very short period of time. It was quite a bit of pressure. But also there was a thrill to play someone like Margot, to play someone so strong and so idealistic, who wears so many different hats and has so many different responsibilities.

“I got to work with amazing women. I loved working with John because he’s just so open, completely present and listens and is so generous. And that’s all you want from an acting partner. So it just made the work so easy and allowed it to flow. When it’s like that stuff can come out of it naturally that you don’t even have to pre-plan.”

After playing the role of a politician, Collette said she understood how frequently women in power have are judged by the society.

“I think it’s really hard to juggle all of those things and Margot is absolutely doing her best. Everyone is objectifying her and watching her and judging her motives. I actually think her intentions as a politician are so pure and so good. I think it’s really rare to find a politician who actually wants the best for the people she represents.

“So, that was really exciting to be able to play someone who is truly good, but at the same time, people, including her husband, are starting to question her motives and assume that she’s enjoying this new sense of notoriety and power.”

Though Collette has collaborated with female directors in the past, it was unique for her to work with a team where women were in majority.

“I’ve worked with a lot of female directors. But behind the scenes to have so many women in positions of creativity and decision making was exciting… We are all born into a patriarchal world. We live in a society that upheld male power for so long.

“And this show, it’s made by a company called SISTER… It embraces the idea that we are equal and that’s what the show is about. And that’s what we need in reality.”

She added that the series is “aligned with where we’re at as humans and where we’re at in terms of our evolution and how we need to exist moving forward”.

Produced by Amazon Studios and SISTER, “The Power” also stars Auli’i Cravalho, Toheeb Jimoh, Josh Charles, Eddie Marsan, Ria Zmitrowicz, Zrinka Cvitesic and Halle Bush.

The first three episodes of the series premiered on Prime Video on March 31, with new episodes available each Friday, leading up to the season finale on May 12.