LOS ANGELES _ Rachel Brosnahan's appearance backstage in the Emmys press room was short but charming. In her flowing crimson dress and bright red lipstick, she conjured a sense of 1950s glamour consistent with her show, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
"This is very, very new _ I feel like the new kid at the party," she said of her lead actress in a comedy win. She tilted her head to the side, appearing demure and a bit shy.
As to why her Amazon series has resonated with audiences, she said: "The show is equal parts fantasy and reality. It has beautiful clothes and sets. It's aspirational too; it's about a woman reinventing herself ... and it's never too late to do that. And it's funny and filled with joy at its core _ and that's something we need a lot more of right now."
Playing Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a 1950s Jewish housewife who enters the world of stand-up comedy, wasn't anything Brosnahan could have possibly imagined for herself.
"Truthfully, this is a dream I didn't know I had. If you told me [this] five years ago, I would have told you to sit down," she said. "But I've always wanted to play complex and grounded women. And this is an opportunity to do that."
And with that, Brosnahan pivoted and elegantly made her way off the small stage, her red gown trailing behind her.
