From Polygon · Jake Kleinman · · 1m 40s
Samantha Sloyan's Margaret White in Carrie
Samantha Sloyan reimagines Stephen King's Carrie as a mother-daughter love story with social media activism.
In brief
Samantha Sloyan reimagines Stephen King's Carrie as a mother-daughter love story with social media activism. Samantha Sloyan portrays Margaret White, a complex mother in Mike Flanagan's modern Carrie reimagining, who uses social media to fight bullying but becomes entangled in its violence. Originally reported by…
Samantha Sloyan's Role in Flanagan's Carrie
Samantha Sloyan plays Margaret White, Carrie's mother in Mike Flanagan's modern reimagining of Stephen King's Carrie.
“Samantha Sloyan has played various roles across the Mike Flanagan horror universe, both empathetic and extremely hateable.”
Margaret White's Complex Role
Flanagan's Margaret White is far more complex than the 1976 film or Stephen King's original novella, with a tragic love for her daughter.
“I think she fails her daughter in a lot of ways, she's loving her in the wrong way.”
Flanagan's Reimagining Approach
Flanagan reimagined Carrie by focusing on Margaret and Carrie's relationship as a loving mother-daughter bond, fundamentally changing the story.
“Mike's point of view for this, of “why carrie ?”, was to bring everything down really to its foundation and then rebuild it as a different structure in a lot of ways.”
Margaret and Social Media
Margaret uses social media to expose the bullying account Carrie Red, creating an anti-bullying movement that becomes violent.
“She drank the kool-aid and is excited by the attention.”
Sloyan's Empathy Approach
Sloyan approaches villainous roles with deep empathy, understanding the character's perspective without judging them.
“Sam's one of the kindest, most egoless people i've ever encountered.”
Margaret's Motivation
Margaret's goal is to protect her daughter by keeping her in their home, despite the violent consequences of her actions.
“We'll get back to normal soon enough.”
Sloyan's Previous Role
Sloyan previously played Bev Keane in Midnight Mass, an irredeemable villain who refused to admit culpability until the end.
“She believed so intensely that she was right, to the point where she was unwilling to see that this is not an angel.”
Flanagan's Praise
Flanagan calls Sloyan 'one of the best actors I've ever met' for her ability to portray complex characters with empathy.
“She's honestly one of the best actors i've ever met.”
Margaret's Tragic Choice
Margaret's love for her daughter leads her to make choices that harm her, creating a cycle of violence and emotional abuse.
“If i love my daughter, i'm willing to do absolutely anything to protect her.”
Sloyan's Acting Philosophy
Sloyan focuses on understanding the character's perspective before making decisions, avoiding villainous stereotypes.
“When i play characters, i don't really come at it from a point of view of them being a villain because it really colors how you connect to the choices.”
Here's the gist
Samantha Sloyan portrays Margaret White, a complex mother in Mike Flanagan's modern Carrie reimagining, who uses social media to fight bullying but becomes entangled in its violence.
