Actress Caroline Aaron plays Shirley Maisel, a recurring character on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” (Image via Amazon Prime Video)
Caroline Aaron plays an eccentric New Yorker on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” but she’s a “Richmond gal” at heart. She’s the daughter of Nina Abady, a civil rights activist and a college professor at Virginia Union University, who also founded the well-known city events the Second Street Festival and Friday Cheers. Aaron attended Douglas Freeman High School and remembers her time in the River City fondly. The SAG award winner talks about her Jewish heritage; playing Shirley Maisel, the titular character's former mother-in-law; and the new season of the show, which debuts this week.
Richmond magazine: You’ve had quite a break from playing Shirley Maisel. Was it hard stepping back into the role after three years?
Caroline Aaron: I did feel like the Tin Man, like somebody had to oil me. But all of the artists on the show like the production and costume designers take you on a ride into this magical show, so they dump you into it. And the whole cast really enjoys and likes each other, so it felt like a family coming back together. But before shooting I was thinking, “How are we going to shoot this show?” because the show has such scope and a large way of storytelling. I thought it was going to be like other shows [shot during the pandemic] where two characters are talking alone in the kitchen. Amy and Dan, the creators of the show, said, “Absolutely not,” and the show is just as huge in season four as it’s ever been.
RM: Season three concluded on a shocking cliffhanger, quite the opposite of what viewers are used to. Is the show going in a darker direction than what we have seen in the past?
Aaron: The show is almost like a fable, it’s like in the “Wizard of Oz,” when they go from black and white into color. I always think of “Maisel” as the show that went into color, because it’s so wonderful to look at. So that’s all in place, but there is something about it that’s darker than the first three seasons.
RM: Season four of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” takes place in the 1960s. How did it feel stepping back in time?
Aaron: One of the most extraordinary things about “Maisel” was the wardrobe, and people used to dress up all the time. Nobody dresses up anymore. I remember getting dressed for one scene, and I said to the dresser, “Do I have to wear the bra? It’s so uncomfortable.” The underwear back then was so uncomfortable. Garter belts, girdles, and these cotton pointy bras and slips. I come along with my own layers, so to add layer upon layer upon layer, I’m always trying to get out of it. Everything is so authentic, and every time I walk onto the set, it’s like walking into my mother’s life.
RM: Do you think wearing the clothes made you feel closer to your mother?
Aaron: Yes. There is no question. I did a red carpet event the other night, and I wore a pair of gloves that were hers. One of the things the show has taught me is to cherish the artifacts of different times.
RM: How does it feel to be on a show that celebrates Jewish culture?
Aaron: We never thought it would be a hit when we first got the script. We thought, “New Yorkers will like it, and Jews will like it, that’s about it.” Turns out people all over the world adore this show. When I grew up in Richmond, there was a very tiny Jewish community. When I was in school one year, class elections were held on Yom Kippur, [a] very important Jewish holiday. My mother marched down to the school board saying, “You can’t hold class elections when it’s a Jewish holiday,” and they said, “Well, there’s three Jews in this school." But my mother made sure that never happened again. Any way that this show shines a glorious light on Jewish culture — I’m all for it.
The first two episodes of season four of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” drop Friday, Feb. 18, on Amazon Prime Video.
