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Spoilers ahead for Four Minutes, the series finale ofThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The tits were up and the dick was down inThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisels conclusion to Midges comedic odyssey.
Folks, he declares, I knew this lady was funny, but I didnt realizehowfunny.
Gordon, portrayed by Reid Scott, was aMaiselregular throughout this final season.
And, quite unsurprisingly, hell take a stab at take credit for where she goes in life.
You had the difficult task of becoming the shows new heartthrob due to Luke Kirbys reduced involvement this season.
Do you feel like you stepped up to the challenge?You started off easy, huh?
I had to.I like it.
I didnt approach the character thinking he was going to be a heartthrob.
I knew what he represented.
I love that side of Gordon the cad he is and the romantic he is.
It was certainly fun to play.
I had a great time.
Ill leave it up to the audience if they think Im a heartthrob.
I hope I served them.
I was a huge fan of the show.
That scared me more than anything: parachuting in and getting up to speed with this incredible cast.
They made it easy for me.
What did Gordon come to represent for you?I talked to Amy and Dan in the beginning.
Its all up to you.
He was supposed to represent the last test for Midge before she goes on to her superstardom.
It was sort of like the relationship between Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.
Gordon is a product of his time.
Hes a product of his environment.
Hes a good man, but hes got that 1960s slightly misogynistic outlook baked in.
Thats what he represents.
After this journey, they go on from being friends and would-be lovers to compatriots and adversaries.
He finally sees her for who she is.
He sees talent, and he wants to mine her for her talent because it benefits the show.
He tries to keep her down, which ultimately bolsters her resolve.
She would credit Susie, and Gordon would credit himself.
Thats the kind of guy he is.
But I think hes truly thrilled for her.
She represents something new; hes always been trying to find something new.
I think Gordon fancies himself that kind of guy.
He presents to the world this beautiful, talented, powerful, and marvelous woman.
Hes over the moon that it happened on his watch.
Gordon seems to be scornful of the fact that hes not the boss in all of his decisions.
So he gave him his big shot.
Thats why there was always this impliedI owe youbetween the two of them.
It was purposely vague.Theres something beyond their unusual relationship that Gordon owes her.
She and her family called in a favor.
Lets talk about that grand talk-show finale segment.
In those four minutes, Gordon goes from being visibly annoyed to laughing along with the audience.
But before that, he impedes Midge from trying to perform.
Whats at the root of his issues here?Hes childish in a lot of ways.
He doesnt like being told what to do, which I can relate with, by the way.
Thats one of the things I loved about the character.
If you told me to do something, I was going to do the opposite purely out of spite.
Gordon has that element of spite.
Hell technically allow this favor to be called in, but hes going to do it his way.
He knows Midge and her manager somehow got to his wife and are pulling a fast one on him.
Im going to put you in your place.
ItsThe Gordon Ford Show,for Christs sake he shouldnt be taking orders from anyone.
Hes resentful and loves chewing on this moment ofNobody can tell me what to do on my show.
Hes almost willing to sabotage his own show while on air.
He wants to go to a commercial, but they dont have a commercial to go to.
Hes cutting off his own nose to spite his own face.
In spite of himself, shes just so goddamned funny and talented.
Thats what I tried to play it as.
Something inside of him is like,Oh shit, I let one laugh slip.
Hes enjoying it as an audience member.
She rekindled something in him that he had lost for a while.
Dance Im giving you your shot!This is something else.
When she dazzles him the way she does, hes astounded.
It was a choice that Gordon was overcome with how funny the set was.
He was proud and moved.
For the first time, he was able to sit back and enjoy a set.
He couldve been dazzled and agape by the whole thing or a little more flustered.
Or is it genuine?
Ultimately, it had to be genuine.
I think Gordon was genuinely moved.
They knew what the end moment of this entire series was from the pilot.
Until then, shes just Mrs. Maisel.
Getting to bestow that moniker on her was a very emotional moment to act.
It was a satisfying moment for me, and it felt right.
Collectively, I could couple those minutes together.
My mentors and teachers were mostly women.
Getting to work with Laura Linney onThe Big Cwas huge for me I adored her as an actress.
More than anything, that sparked a hell of a lot of confidence in me.
I felt accepted by her and filled with confidence.
That sort of thing fills you with confidence.
As an actor, youre always changing.
Your instincts and approaches to things are changing.
Confidence is a huge part of that.
