On AMC’s new drama “The Killing,” Michelle Forbes dives into some heavy material as Mitch Larsen, the grieving mother of a murdered teenage girl. Surprisingly, though, the 46-year-old actress finds the role to be one of her easier ones.
“It’s not a pleasant place to go, but it’s actually an easy circumstance to deal with in the sense that it’s so heightened, so emotionally affecting and so horrifying,” she says.
“The Killing” is based on the popular Danish television show “Forbrydelsen,” and although Forbes had the option to watch it before filming the American version, she chose not to.
“You’d never want to poach another actor’s hard work, and you also don’t want to be intimidated by their performance,” she says. “I found it best to just interpret the words as they came at me.”
And she’s able to do so, she says, thanks to the creative liberties that come with a cable show.
“The major networks, they’re having to appeal to a broader audience and so they can’t be as risky with their writing. … I think cable just gives you more freedom.”
