In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo falls for Netflix’s final Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “Doctor Sleep”) collaboration, “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The series follows two wealthy and powerful Pharmaceutical magnates whose family dynasty begins to wash away as their heirs start to meet horrifying ends. The series can be streamed in its entirety on Netflix and stars Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Henry Thomas, Rahul Kohli, Willa Fitzgerald, Zach Gilford and more.
READ MORE: ‘The Fall Of The House Of Usher’ Review: Mike Flanagan’s Gothic ‘Succession’ Is A Horror Tale Of Pharma Greed & Sackler Family Retribution
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the series is one of the stars, actress Carla Gugino (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “Watchmen,” “Gerald’s Game”). During the chat, Gugino, a longtime collaborator with writer/director Mike Flanagan, described jumping on board the project almost instantly.
“I think it was probably a year or so before ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ came to fruition, maybe even more. And [Mike Flanagan] just said, ‘I’m going to do an Edgar Allen Poe-inspired show, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ And I would love you to play the Raven,’ and the answer was yes, immediately. And then it was a long time before I had any more details about it. But you know, I was just in right away.” 
Gugino continued to discuss her role of Verna, a mysterious character that appears and disappears in the show like smoke, and the collaboration with Flanagan to bring it to the screen. 
“Mike is always available to have conversations. And yet, I think he is so specific in his writing that, for me, most of it kind of sings in a way that I understand,” Gugino shared of their relationship. “In this particular case, a couple of things that were really important to me were, there was an element in the script—but I felt like it was really important that we get specific and explore it as much as we could within the context of the scenes—is that Verna remains extremely curious because there would have been a version of her where she’s been there, done that. She has a certain kind of judgment or expectation of human beings. And it would have been a bit of a fait accompli. And I think that it would not have been as fun to play, but also it would have just felt like, in order to keep the mystery going and keep people engaged because we are seeing each death scene, every time.”
“She does have a belief in humanity, and she does hope—maybe it’s only 2% of the time that a person will actually, in the end, with a real moment of choice, change their ways,” she continued. “It may be very rare, but I think she’s always waiting for it to happen. And so that was something that these conversations that she’s having with these people are the most honest conversations that they will ever have. There is a sense of freedom that she’s offering them. They have to die because that’s part of the deal, and she’s executing the deal. You know, she’s also an employee to some extent extent doing her job.”
READ MORE: ‘Hill House’ Filmmaker Mike Flanagan Wants To Make A ‘Star Wars’ Horror Film
But the journey to getting “The Fall of the House of Usher” to the screen wasn’t always an easy one filled with collaboration. Viewers universally have been quick to praise Bruce Greenwood’s portrayal of Roderick Usher, but Frank Langella was the actor originally hired and had shot about 50% of the series before being fired for misconduct allegations on-set. Greenwood jumped in with little preparation to reshoot and save the series. Gugino shared how the reshoots surely affected the final product.
“We reshot a lot. Virtually everything with him (Roderick),” Gugino said. “And it did affect me, absolutely. Because obviously, different actors are so profoundly different energetically. I think it was probably even more of that for different actors who play his family because they had so much of a familial relationship. And Verna already is the Raven perched on the branch in a way. And so, she’s engaged but has a bird’s eye view on things.”
Gugino’s performance has earned the actress her first Critics Choice Awards nomination, an achievement many would say is long overdue. When the subject arose, Gugino took the opportunity to reflect on her career, awards, and what projects are acknowledged. 
“In about a year, it’ll have been about 40 years that I’ve been doing this. So, it’s a long time,” Gugino said. “It’s my whole life, pretty much. And so it’s really wonderful. It’s something that, when you start out young, as young as I did, as an early teenager, you think about all those things. You want to be awarded. You want all the things, those dreams that you have. And I think, over time, for me, the focus has always been the work, and the work is what feeds me, ultimately. And so that stuff ends up sort of being a secondary thing. But I will say that being acknowledged in that way is much more fun than not being acknowledged in that way. So, I’ll take it, and I’m so appreciative. I also just feel like I really want us to stop having this [bias]. We’ve made so much progress, but I still feel like there’s this thing about, ‘Well, this genre shouldn’t be awarded, or this genre isn’t considered for that.’ And I do find that to be such an outdated statement.
“Yet I think it really does have an effect. I’m shocked that Mike Flanagan has not been nominated for his shows as a director,” she admitted. “He’s doing work that is of such a high caliber. And so I do feel that these shows on performance levels and certainly for him are things that I wish had been able to [be recognized]. And, I feel like with Ryan Murphy, there are certain places in which that world has been able to be opened up. So, for all those reasons, I feel just as one of the nominees, including Mary McDonnell and Willa Fitzgerald, who are so brilliant in the show that, if we can help to allow that stigma that I thought was broken, but I think isn’t yet, to be [broken], that would be great.” 
With Gugino’s long history with Flanagan, one might wonder if she’ll be jumping over to Prime Video for the filmmaker’s long-gestating adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower.” Judging by our interview, the odds are very good.
“There has been a conversation about ‘The Dark Tower,’ but I don’t have any intel I could share other than that,” Gugino teased. “I do hope that it all comes together. And I know that’s something he’s incredibly passionate about. I mean, I do think he is great, just as a Stephen King interpreter. And yet, he also has such a strong voice of his own that somehow is beautiful, you know? ‘Gerald’s Game’ is so true to the book, even to the point where the end, which I think is actually imperative, was a part of it that people really responded to or didn’t. And Mike was so clear about, ‘Well, that’s that’s what it is, though.’ And yet, I thought he did it so seamlessly.”
Never one to take too long of a break, Gugino can next be seen in the upcoming horror-teen comedy collaboration between director Zelda Williams and Diablo Cody (“Juno,” “Jennifer’s Body,” “Young Adult”), “Lisa Frankenstein.”
WATCH: New’ Lisa Frankenstein’ Trailer: Kathryn Newton Stars In Diablo Cody’s Return To Genre Fare On February 9
“Yeah, it’s just a wild and crazy movie. I really wanted to support Zelda [Williams] as a filmmaker because I think she’s really talented, and I think this was her first feature. We didn’t know each other before, but when I spoke to her – for me to go in and just play, I very rarely get the opportunity to play just an outright comedic role. And so that was fun. And I’m a big fan of Diablo Cody. So, for all of those reasons, it was fun to be a part of it. And I think Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse are really so fun in it. I think that it’s sort of the flip of ‘Weird Science.’ And then, of course, some early Tim Burton – ‘Edward Scissorhands’ and such – thrown in there. There’s definitely a little ‘Heathers.’ And I think, as a twisted Valentine’s movie, people will have a lot of fun.”
“The Fall of the House of Usher” is now streaming on Netflix. Listen to the full interview with Carla Gugino below:
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