RAGE IN BLOOM

FOR MORE THAN 130 YEARS, THE CASE OF LIZZIE BORDEN HAS LINGERED IN THE PUBLIC IMAGINATION — A MYSTERY SHAPED AS MUCH BY SPECULATION AS BY FACT. IN 1892, BORDEN WAS ACCUSED OF MURDERING HER FATHER AND STEPMOTHER WITH AN AXE, A CRIME THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO ONE OF THE ERA’S MOST SENSATIONAL TRIALS. NOW, RYAN MURPHY TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST INFAMOUS WOMEN IN MONSTER: THE LIZZIE BORDEN STORY, THE FIRST FEMALE-LED CHAPTER IN THE ANTHOLOGY FOLLOWING PREVIOUS SEASONS CENTRED ON FIGURES SUCH AS JEFFREY DAHMER AND THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS. AT ITS HEART IS ELLA BEATTY, WHO STEPS INTO A ROLE BURDENED BY HISTORY, MYTH AND ENDLESS DEBATE WITH GUMPTION. DAYS BEFORE THE SEASON'S PREMIERE, WE SPOKE TO THE ACTRESS ABOUT EMPATHY, RAGE, EPHEMERAL CO-STARS, AND FINDING FREEDOM IN A DUSTY DOVECOTE.

Lizzie Borden and the crime she has been accused of committing have been sparking a debate for more than a century. How did you approach playing someone whose story has been so dissected and debated? What did you find most helpful beyond the script?

I had a certain amount of awareness of her going into the project, and I was immediately very excited and voracious in trying to absorb every piece of material that there was about her out there.

However, what I felt very quickly was that my job was to bring to life the character and the material that Ian [Brennan] and Ryan [Murphy] had written on the page. The book that I read, The Trial of Lizzie Borden, was also very helpful for me. There was a lot of really interesting stuff about her – what she liked to wear, her personality, and what the people who knew her said about her. So I explored that research, and then I also worked a little bit with the movement coach in trying to create a person that we don't have any video or audio footage of.

Left Full look **Givenchy by Sarah Burton** & shoes **Celine**
Right Full look **Emporio Armani**

One thing that really impressed me is how the show moves between gore, humour and the grotesque. There's a real wildness to it, for example in that post-oyster-feast scene. How do you maintain that cohesiveness when you're going on such a crazy ride?

I think for me, it was about every day dropping into the circumstances of Lizzie's inner life at that time, which I think over the course of the show, we watch her inner psychology and life really change – or that's what I felt about the scripts.

Part of what was so interesting to me about what they had written was that you were watching an evolution of a person's brain. So I think for me, I tried to get really specific about charting where she was in her self-perception at that moment, and where she would be mentally each day.

Left Full look **Issey Miyake**
Right Full look **Chanel**

Rebecca Hall's character, Lizzie’s stepmother, is one of the most vile characters I've seen in years! And then there's Charlie Hunnam, who was the lead of the previous season of Monster as Ed Gein. What was it like acting opposite them, and did Charlie give you any advice about being at the forefront of this season?

This entire cast was truly an abundance of riches. Rebecca is one of the most extraordinary actresses that I have ever known. She also has a truly incredible ability to play the conviction of a person without judging them. She created such a fabulous portrayal of a person with that character, and I found acting with her to be so much fun.

Charlie is an incredibly humble person who, you know, looks like how Charlie Hunnam looks – incredibly handsome – and his facility as an actor is massive, but he has so much humility. His presence is very grounding. I found him to be very open, and he was ready to give me any advice if I had any questions, but I think he also wanted to allow me to have my experience.

Left Full look **Dior**
Right Full look **Prada**

You also have a very special relationship with Vicky Krieps, who plays Bridget. How did you approach that love story and the fascination that these two characters have with each other?

I know that I'm bragging about everybody so much, but it's really how I feel. I have never met anybody like Vicky before. She is incredibly ephemeral and magical, but also very dedicated to the truth-telling of the story. None of her magic and her artistry ever compromises the dedication to making sure that every single thing we do makes sense. She has a very staunch commitment to the audience, and I learned so much from getting to act with her.

The love story that blossoms between our characters, I found it to be a very nourishing texture to the story. I found their connection to be a huge puzzle piece in understanding who these women were.

…

READ MORE IN THE FW26 LOST PARADISE Issue

(Fall release)