Parting Shot

Rebecca Breeds

Clarice Starling from The Silence of The lambs is one of Cinema’s most iconic heroines, made famous by Jodie Foster’s Oscar-winning performance. You might think taking on that role would be intimidating, but not for Rebecca Breeds, who will put her own spin on the character in the CBS drama Clarice, premiering February 11. Breeds calls it an “honor...she’s one of the most well-written characters in history—not just female[s].” The series picks up where the film left off, diving deep into Clarice’s complicated world after her encounters with Hannibal Lecter and the terrifying discovery in Buffalo Bill’s basement. “The movie wasn’t long enough to really delve into who this character is.” Breeds is excited to show more of the complexities of Clarice’s life as one of the few female agents in the 1990s FBI. “Don’t be fooled by Clarice being this beacon of light, she is absolutely shrouded by the darkness.” But it’s the darkness of both Clarice’s life and the serial killers she’s hunting that make the show so exciting for Breeds. “The show is very dark and very juicy. So if you like that, you will not be disappointed.”

Was it intimidating taking on such an iconic role?

It’s not something that freaks me out as much as I feel charged with an honor in a very positive way.

How does the show reveal what happened to Clarice after her encounters with Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill?

Going into the basement of Buffalo Bill’s physical house kind of forced her to go into the basement of her own trauma. She’s got a lot of her own monsters in her closet that I think is part of what makes her good at her job.

Will the series focus on the complexities of Clarice working in a ’90s era male-dominated FBI?

It’s a big part of our series. Clarice is in her early 20s. So to come into this world of men that was the FBI, you just want to be taken seriously. You don’t want to be the skirt. As you walk with her in the series, you can see it more from her point of view.

The series is set in 1993. How do the ’90’s play into the story?

My favorite thing is I have a beeper. And the outfits are amazing. A lot of boxy suits for women. It’s so fun to just be long enough out in time that we’re looking back with nostalgia and love.

What about the true-crime genre makes it so popular?

We want to make it make sense. We want to know that there’s some kind of justice in this world.

“The movie wasn’t long enough to really delve into who this character is.”