Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, Seven) executive produces The Gray House, which follows the true story of four women who spy for the Union. Freeman sat down with Variety to discuss the series.
Variety reports that one of the elements of the series Freeman touched on was the broad swath of characters. “It’s so wide-ranging,” he said. “There are so many people in the series, because we are acknowledging they were there. If you can do that, if you are given space to do that, bravo. It didn’t just happen to one group of people. [With a story like this] you are encouraged to dig. And if you are going to dig, you are going to come up with something.”
According to Variety, Freeman produces alongside Lori McCreary (Invictus, 5 Flights Up), who discussed the show’s tell-all-nature. “We are not white-washing, we are not sugar-coating the fact that African Americans were enslaved. They weren’t treated as a full person. When you come out of watching these eight hours, maybe you will look at someone who looks like Morgan or me differently. You will understand their experience, their ancestors’ experience and you will be able to relate.”
The show stars Daisy Head (Guilt, Wrong Turn) as the wealthy socialite Elizabeth Van Lew, Mary-Louise Parker (Fried Greed Tomatoes, Red) stars as her mother and Amethyst Davis (Kindred) stars as former slave Mary Jane Richards. As Variety notes, an aspect of the show McCreary appreciates is its portrayal of important women. “When I watch something and it’s an authentic portrayal of women, I am engaged,” she said. “And many times, I feel like those I can relate to are in the background. The more people like Morgan and I can tell our own stories – because nobody else will – the more we’ll understand that women are everything. We are housewives, mothers and scientists. And spies!”
According to Variety, McCreary was most excited to follow the story of Mary Jane Richards, with her also stating, “She had a photographic memory. She volunteered herself to be gifted to the ‘Gray House’ [the White House of the Confederacy] and pretended to be a slave. She was serving tea and looking at all the maps. I didn’t know there was someone who risked her entire life like that. There should be chapters in history books dedicated to her. I don’t know why she was overlooked.”
The series opened at the Monte-Carlo Film Festival on Friday. The full interview can be read here.