“Everybody elevates their bar every year; it makes playing make-believe seamless”: Interviews with the cast of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel on Season 4

Anyone fully taken-in by the last three seasons of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s impeccably put-together The Marvelous Mrs Maisel will be delighted to know the two-year wait is finally over to find out what happens to our favourite 1950s housewife turned taboo-busting comedienne, as season four hits Amazon Prime.

Midge (the incredible Rachel Brosnahan) was last seen at the end of season three, and viewers were left on something of a cliffhanger: after following the amateur stand-up pump blood, sweat and tears into climbing the slippery ladder to fame and fortune atop stages in dive bars, it looked as though she finally had her big break. Her (many) bags were packed with her finest and she was set to hop on a private jet to accompany singer Shy Baldwin on a US-wide tour. But all came crashing down when it emerged she’d gone too far in making her fellow artist the target of an (admittedly very funny) set at the Apollo and had unwittingly outed him in a place he had no desire to be outed, prompting her being dropped from the tour.

So what’s next for Midge? If there’s one thing we’ve learnt about our heroine it’s that tenacity is something she’s not in short supply of, and so, after returning to town with her tail between her legs, her career, self-esteem and finances in disarray, she throws herself straight back into the fray, making her way on the comedy circuit with her righthand woman and manager, Susie (Susie Myerson), venting her anger and lust for revenge with scathing wit in her improvised routines in the hope of one day being a headline act in her own right and navigating life with her neurotic family.

As ever, audiences can expect more of the stunning, illustrious sets and perfectly choreographed scenes that have gained the series such acclaim, and, underneath the surface of endless hats and dresses and ping-pong banter between her and those around her, a genuinely inspiring tale of female empowerment and refusing to be confined by the stereotypes women such as Midge were expected to adhere to in the era – many of which persist to this day.

The Upcoming had the chance to chat to some of the cast ahead of the launch, including Luke Kirby and Michael Zegen (who play comedian Lenny Bruce and Midge’s ex-husband Joel Maisel), who told us about the appeal of being in the show, coming back for another season after a long break and what it was like working with so much incredible female talent.

Caroline Aaron and Marin Hinkle spoke about their roles as Midge’s ex-mother-in-law and mother, Shirley Maisel and Rose Weissman, what it’s like being involved with such a large-scale production and the themes that emerge from the series in terms of expectations of women both then and now.

Tony Shalhoub and Kevin Pollak then shared their reflections on their characters of Moishe Maisel and Abe Weissman, Midge’s ex-father-in-law and father, how they work on the dialogue to make it so seamless, and what they think it is about the series that has captured people’s imaginations.

Sarah Bradbury

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Season 4 is released on Amazon Prime Video on 18^th February 2022.

Watch the trailer for The Marvelous Mrs Maisel season 4 here: