Winona Ryder

THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA

NEW TUESDAY / SKY ATLANTIC / 9PM & 10.10PM / EPS 1-2 of 6 / DRAMA through the eyes of Herman Levin (Homeland star Morgan Spector) – a Jewish insurance agent – and his family as they watch Lindbergh’s dramatic rise to power.

Here, actor Winona Ryder,

48 – who plays Herman’s sisterin-law Evelyn – explains why the show’s story is one that feels more important than ever...

Evelyn becomes involved with a rabbi loyal to the Lindbergh administration, causing a rift with her family. Tell us more...

Evelyn is captivated by Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf [played by John Turturro] and feels that this is definitely the way to go. It’s about going places, meeting people and rubbing shoulders. She’s not a malicious person. She was really in love. I saw it almost as her eyes are opening, but they are also closing, if that makes sense? But, by the end, she’s beyond

shame.

Did you read the novel before filming the series?

I’m a huge Philip Roth fanatic and read the book in one go when it came out in 2004. I did lose relatives in World War Two, including my grandfather, who fought the Nazis, and others in the concentration camps. So while this might be an alternate history, it’s hard not to feel moved by the tale.

Was there anything else that made you want to be involved?

It’s so incredibly timely. Obviously a lot has been weighing on all of our minds. The whole fear of ‘the other’ in the eyes of fascism, what’s been going on in America, all of that is so outrageous and I think the last few years have been such a mind-boggling nightmare in many ways. When I think about this project, it makes me want to speak out and do whatever I can, and the way to do that right now is to vote!

What was it like working with John Turturro?

I was a bit worried about the role until I got on set and saw that

John was going full throttle, fully believing every word he was saying. He was so convincing, I feared he was going to make sense!