Rhea Seehorn needed a moment to collect herself when talking about the phone call that changed her career. The actor, now starring in the hit Apple TV series Pluribus, shared the emotional story of how creator Vince Gilligan told her he wrote the lead role specifically for her.
In an interview, Seehorn recounted the conversation, saying,
“Vince said to me — I’ll try to do it without crying — he said to me that somewhere along the line he was watching me in Saul, and whenever we took a little swerve and it was comedic or it was dark or psychological or dramatic, that there was some point at which he was like, ‘I want to give her these other things to do.’“.
The role is Carol Sturka, a misanthropic romance novelist who becomes one of the few people immune to an alien signal that turns most of humanity into a single, blissful shared consciousness. For Seehorn, landing this part was the culmination of a trusting partnership with Gilligan that began on Better Call Saul and has now made her the face of one of the year’s biggest new shows.
Vince Gilligan’s Shift From Antiheroes To A New Kind of Hero
After spending nearly two decades in the morally complex worlds of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Vince Gilligan felt a strong desire to write a different kind of character. He missed writing clear heroes.
“I like writing heroes again. Carol Sturka is a hero. She’s imperfect. She can be a bit of a noodge or a curmudgeon or what have you, but we root for her,” Gilligan explained. “She wants to do the right thing, and she wants to save the world. And that’s refreshing.“.
Gilligan first had the idea for Pluribus around 2016, imagining a story that started with a world-altering event. He was interested in “a world in which everyone was nice”. Originally, he envisioned the main character as a man. However, while working on Better Call Saul, his perspective changed.
Watching Rhea Seehorn’s performance as Kim Wexler, Gilligan was struck by her range. He realized she was the perfect actor to carry his new story and rewrote the protagonist as a woman specifically for her. He kept the project a secret for a long time, not even telling his wife about it until he had a solid first draft.
“It Was Just Vince”: Seehorn’s Instant Yes To The Mystery Project
For Rhea Seehorn, the decision to join Pluribus required no hesitation, even though Gilligan gave her almost no details at first.
“It literally just was Vince,” Seehorn said. “Even if he didn’t write it for me, Vince just saying, ‘I have a project for you’… I didn’t have any idea. And I said, ‘It’s fine, just yes.’“.
She trusted Gilligan completely, citing his collaborative style and the quality of the creative environment he builds. This trust was built during their years on Better Call Saul, where Seehorn’s role as Kim Wexler grew from a potential love interest into one of the show’s central figures because of her performance.
When she finally received the script while on a family vacation with spotty cell service, she was a “nervous wreck.” She made her husband read it first, watching his face for reactions. What she discovered was a story that allowed her to explore a vast emotional and tonal range, from dark comedy to deep drama.
Carol Sturka: An “Emotional Hot Mess” of a Hero
The character Gilligan created for Seehorn is far from a typical hero. Carol Sturka is a grumpy, grief-stricken writer who finds herself tasked with saving individuality from a happy hive mind. Seehorn describes her as an “emotional hot mess” and “extremely impulsive and extremely reactive.“.
The show begins with Carol losing her wife, Helen, during the global “Joining” event. As one of only thirteen immune people worldwide, she is suddenly the focus of the collective’s attention. They promise her safety and luxury, and will grant any request, but they will not stop trying to absorb her.
Seehorn connects deeply with Carol’s core conflict. “I would absolutely be Team Carol as far as arguing the necessity and the positives of individual thinking,” the actor stated. She believes a world without individual thought would lack surprise and genuine joy.
A Physically and Emotionally Demanding Role
Portraying Carol’s journey has been the most challenging work of Seehorn’s career. The role demanded long periods in emotionally intense states, which did not go unnoticed by her former colleagues.
Bob Odenkirk, her co-star from Better Call Saul, reached out to her after watching the show. “I watch Pluribus and my heart hurts for how long Rhea must have spent in physically and emotionally challenging states,” Odenkirk said.
Seehorn confirmed he called to check on her. To decompress from the heavy material, she turns to creative hobbies like Lego sets, jigsaw puzzles, painting, and crossword puzzles. During filming in Albuquerque, she continued a tradition from her Saul days by living with a crew member, this time the head of the hair department, for companionship and support.
Also Read:
The Successful Result: A Hit Show and Fan Debates
The effort has paid off. Pluribus has become a major success for Apple TV, recently becoming the streamer’s most-watched show. Its unique premise has sparked widespread online discussion, with fans passionately debating whether Carol should simply join the peaceful collective or fight for her self.
The first season ended on a major cliffhanger in its finale on December 26. Without giving away spoilers, Carol’s tense relationship with the hive mind representative Zosia, played by Karolina Wydra, reaches a dramatic breaking point that sets up major questions for the already-confirmed second season.
Seehorn says she has no more idea about what comes next than the viewers do. “I know the same as I did on Better Call Saul – one script at a time,” she said. “I haven’t a clue what happens next season.“. The writers are currently developing the new season, but no release date has been announced.
Also Read: Heated Rivalry Finale Explained: Connor Storrie Opens Up on Shane and Ilya’s Happy Ending
