Newsweek - USA (2021-02-19)

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Culture

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clarice starling from the silence of the lambs is one of cinema’s most

iconic heroines, made famous by Jodie Foster’s Oscar-winning perfor-

mance. 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.”

Rebecca Breeds

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 outɿts are ama]ing. 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. —H. Alan Scott

“ The movie

wasn’t long

enough

to really

delve into

who this

character is.”

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