The Crowded Room star Emmy Rossum has defended her character in the series, explaining that she is a victim of her circumstances.
Rossum plays Candy Sullivan in the Apple TV+ show, the mother of a young man (played by Tom Holland) who is arrested after a 1979 shooting in New York City.
Throughout the episodes, we follow Danny's life via a series of flashbacks, revealing more about his mental state, family relationships and how they have impacted the crimes he's involved in.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy about her character, Rossum said: "I think on the surface level, mothers who have huge shortcomings can so easily be villainised. And I think that what drew me into these scripts was that mystery that unfolds, not only about Danny, her son, but about Candy, and her life."
Related: The Crowded Room's Tom Holland opens up about the emotional strain of latest role
"We don't know this yet, but she's been a victim of her own circumstances. She's kind of full of hope and yearning and joy, and is so in sync and in love with her son," she continued.
"And we watch over time as the decisions that she makes, and the ways in which she is not strong enough to manage the problems around her, really erode that relationship with her and her son.
"I think the more we learn about her, the more we realise that her method of survival, and Danny’s method of survival, are actually quite similar.
"They are both living in these kind of parallel states of denial for their own survival."
Related: Tom Holland's The Crowded Room gets first reviews with brutal Rotten Tomatoes score
The actress also revealed that she enjoyed being able to play the same character over an extended period of time, as it allowed her to get a better understanding of the character.
"I like playing people not just at one moment but over time," she said.
"You literally watch her sink into a shell of herself, both emotionally and physically, and just get smaller and smaller and smaller... And by the end, she has literally sunken into herself."
The Crowded Room is available to watch on Apple TV+.
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Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career.
Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
