The incredibly talented Rachel Brosnahan is currently taking on the iconic role of Lois Lane in the new Superman film, and reviews have said she “makes this role entirely her own.” Adding to her exciting and busy schedule is the fact that she’s also been cast in the highly-anticipated Season 2 of Apple TV+’s drama Presumed Innocent. It makes sense that Brosnahan’s career is taking off after starring in projects such as Manhattan and Netflix’s House of Cards (for which she landed her first Emmy nomination in 2015). However, there’s one performance that truly put Brosnahan on the map and proved that she’s one of the best actors working: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Follows a Female Comic in the 1950s
In 2017, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel premiered on Prime Video. The colorful dramedy with a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (who is also responsible for popular shows such as Gilmore Girls, Bunheads, and the cancelled-too-soon Étoile). The series tells the story of a 1950’s housewife named Miriam “Midge” Maisel (Brosnahan), who’s living in New York City with her husband, Joel (Michael Zegen), and their two small children. Her parents, Rose (Marin Hinkle) and Abe Weissman (Tony Shalhoub), live in the same apartment building, where they’re free to nag Midge. Midge’s life soon gets turned upside down when Joel announces out of the blue that he’s leaving her.
This wasn’t a time when divorce was super common or acceptable, so Midge’s world seemed to be imploding. Midge somehow finds herself — drunk and in her nightgown — onstage at The Gaslight Café, with a microphone in her hand. She starts venting about her disaster of a life when she discovers that she’s actually got the audience in the palm of her hand. Before Midge knows it, she’s been bitten by the stand-up comedy bug. Unfortunately, she does get arrested for indecent exposure that same night, but Midge now finds herself on a new, uncharted path.
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“The world is full of disappointments, and sometimes people let you down. You can’t just run away.”
Midge quickly makes her first fan in fellow comic, Lenny Bruce (played by Luke Kirby and inspired by the real-life comedian), and lands herself an irascible manager named Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein). Susie is somehow able to see the star burning bright with potential that Midge appears to be (even when no one else wants to book a female comic). Susie respects how Midge gets to the heart of important issues in her act (which is key to a successful stand-up comic), and how she can play up her self-deprecating humor with jokes that make her relatable and also brutally honest.
Susie and Midge form a tight bond (although they spend most of their friendship bickering), and they set out to make Midge a star. Of course, in this time period, there were very few female comics, and they faced a steep uphill battle in getting Midge the spotlight she deserves. For every break she receives, there are just as many humiliating defeats. But Midge never gives up, and it’s this unstoppable passion that makes every episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel so entertaining.
Rachel Brosnahan Brings the Fast-Talking Mrs. Maisel To Life Brilliantly
Midge is a fast-talking funny girl (with the absolute best taste in clothes), and few actors could pull off this comedic rhythm as successfully as Brosnahan does. The actor ensures that she never misses a beat, whether she’s throwing back barbs at Susie or nailing her act in the comedy clubs. Brosnahan also infuses so much heart into her performance, making it easy to want Midge to succeed almost as she does. It’s true that Midge is giving up her life as a housewife at a time when most women didn’t work outside the home, and there are occasions when it’s clear that Midge is a tad neglectful towards her children, but Brosnahan also makes it evident that Midge simply wants a more fulfilling life.
She’s willing to chase her dreams during a time when even acknowledging that women had goals was outside the norm. The actor perfectly lands the balance between quippy sarcasm and the deep yearning that Midge feels to obtain success. Brosnahan was praised for pulling off Sherman-Palladino’s “fast-paced, chatter-filled dialogue with often hilarious aplomb.” Brosnahan was rewarded for her ability to play Midge with five Emmy nominations and a win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2018.
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Boasts an Incredible Supporting Cast and Many Emmys
One of the reasons that Brosnahan is able to shine so brightly in this role is because The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel also has such an impressive supporting cast. Without Susie, there would be no Midge, and it’s easy to see why Borstein won two consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2018 and 2019. Midge and Susie’s opposites-attract friendship is simply one of the best ever portrayed on television. Hinkle and Shalhoub are also perfectly cast as Midge’s parents (with Shalhoub taking home an Emmy for his portrayal of the grumpy Abe in 2019).
Kirby won an Emmy in 2019 as well, but he’s far from the only guest actor who knocked it out of the park during the show’s run. Jane Lynch is a stand-out as Sophie Lennon, a fellow comedienne who uses a fat suit and a gimmicky persona to win over audiences. Sterling K. Brown, Stephanie Hsu, Jason Alexander, and Wanda Sykes also all play meaningful roles in Midge’s world. Plus, Sherman-Palladino recruited many actors from her previous shows to make appearances, including Kelly Bishop, Liza Weil, and Milo Ventimiglia. Along with the colorful cinematography and costumes, New York City as a secondary character, and the historically accurate sets, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel offers fun and escapism from start to finish.
The series ran for five seasons, and thankfully, Sherman-Palladino was able to end on her own terms. Midge’s story comes to a satisfying end (as do all of the other characters’ stories as well) in the final episode. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel won an astounding 22 Emmys (with 80 nominations!), including one for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2018. But one of its biggest contributions is that it was the perfect showcase for Brosnahan’s whipsmart comedic timing and her ability to portray both funny and dramatic storylines. We’ll likely see many more great things from this actor going forward, but she’ll forever be remembered for this heartfelt, tour de force performance.