Yahoo News Mulligan says film has no well-written roles for women
Carey Mulligan makes a dynamic return to British TV as Detective Inspector Kip Glaspie in David Hare's gripping political thriller Collateral.
Carey, who's appeared in movies including An Education, The Great Gatsby, Suffragette and Mudbound, admitted that coming back to television was an obvious choice – because that's where all the well-written parts for actresses are.
Criticising films for "providing a lot for men in terms of leading roles" and barely anything at all for women, Mulligan said at a Q&A for her new BBC Two series: "Most of the female actresses I know, it's been about going where the better writing is.
"Films have tended to provide a lot for men in terms of leading roles, and not so much for women."
The 32-year-old star added that she was fed up with playing the doting wife or girlfriend in movies, particularly when TV offers women the chance to play "flawed, complicated, and real people".
Mulligan also referenced the Golden Globe-winning HBO series Big Little Lies, remarking that the series provided five or six "extraordinary roles" for women, compared to a handful of films which could only offer "one or half a one".
"I think [television] is being led by the writing and the opportunities particularly for women, and that's certainly the case for me," she said.
"I want to play the most interesting, complicated, real person, and interesting, complicated, real people in film are really, really rare. And you kind of wait around for them."
The star concluded: "I think essentially following great writing and trying to play real people, and not play the girlfriend, the wife... And I've done that a lot, and it's not fun.
"And this was an opportunity to play a fully rounded, flawed, interesting person."
In Collateral, Mulligan's sympathetic yet determined DI Kip Glaspie is tasked with investigating the fatal shooting of a pizza delivery man. The series also stars John Simm, Billie Piper and Nicola Walker.
Collateral airs on BBC Two in February.
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