Holly Hunter suits up as US prosecutor in ‘Comey Rule’
LOSANGELES— Holly Hunter has been entrusted with playing an array of real-worldwomen, from tennis great Billie Jean King to a cheerleading momgone astray to her latest role, a federal prosecutor caught in the mawof politics.
In Showtime’s “The Comey Rule,” the Oscarwinning actor (“The Piano”) was cast as Sally Yates, whose decadeslong career imploded along with that of FBI director James Comey and others serving in the Trump administration.
ForHunter, the project’s main drawwas playing Yates, “who has enormous integrity, and brought an incredible positive, ethical energy and intellect to the Justice Department,” she said.
The two-part drama debuted Sept. 27 and 28.
In Yates’ 2017 congressional testimony on Russian election interference, she came across as poised and exacting, befitting a lawyer who reached the level of deputyU.S. attorney general (and, for 10 days, acting attorney general, until shewas fired after refusing to enforce a travel ban onMuslims).
AsHunter became more versed in Yates’ role in events surrounding the 2016 presidential campaign and the election of Donald Trump, her respect grew— even more so after meeting her fellownative Georgian.
“She’s got a great sense of humor. She’s very, very real, very down-to-earth,” Hunter said. “She’s an enormously optimistic woman. I think that there are a lot of people in government who are incredibly optimistic and have real hopes, real dreams about things that theywant to accomplish.”
Comey, played by Jeff Daniels, and Brendan Gleeson’s Trump occupy center stage in the drama fromwriter-director-producer Billy Ray, an Oscarnominated screenwriter for “Captain Phillips” and “Shattered Glass.” Ray adapted Comey’s book, “A Higher Loyalty,” supplemented by interviews.
Yates, who is briefly mentioned in Comey’s account, gets her say here. In one scene, she recalls herwork on a lawsuit in which an all-white jury found for an older Black woman whose landwas at risk of being taken.
“I had never tried a case before. I didn’t even know where to stand. But that jury did right,” Yates tells a young aide. “You remember that, next time somebody tells you this country can’t be its best self or the lawdoesn’t matter.”
Actors can become attached to the fictional characters they play, but Hunter has developed bonds with some of the real-life ones. That includes King, whomshe portrayed in the 2001 TV movie “When Billie Beat Bobby.”
Hunter received an Emmy nod for the role and won the trophy for a pair of other TV movies.
Hunter said she can’t predict how“The Comey Rule” might be received in these polarized times.
She’s a Democrat who calls herself “defiantly antiTrump,” but isn’t politically active and said she prefers to keep a lowprofile in every regard.
“I think it’smy profession. I like being an actress and being somewhat of a blank slate,” she said. “I have never, ever talked aboutmy personal life. It’s just notmy thing.”