Mike Flanagan's reimagining of Stephen King's classic horror tale, Carrie, features Samantha Sloyan in the pivotal role of Margaret White, Carrie's mother. Sloyan, a frequent collaborator with Flanagan, known for her performances in "Midnight Mass," "The Midnight Club," and "The Haunting of Hill House," steps into a role that aims for greater complexity than previous interpretations.
Flanagan described Sloyan as "one of the best actors I’ve ever met," emphasizing her ability to bring a nuanced perspective to Margaret. The showrunner's approach to "Carrie" involved deconstructing the original story and rebuilding it with a fundamental change: a loving mother-daughter relationship between Margaret and Carrie. This redefinition places Margaret's character at the forefront, offering a more central role while still portraying her as a tragic figure.
Sloyan views Margaret as a mother who "fails her daughter in a lot of ways" but is "loving her in the wrong way." She elaborated that for Carrie to have an interest in the world, her home life could not be entirely monstrous. The series depicts a mother and daughter relationship that, while colored by fear and emotional abuse, contains genuine love.
One significant alteration from the source material is the modern adaptation of Carrie's bullying. In this version, Chris Hargensen employs an anonymous Instagram account, "Carrie Red," to spread rumors. Margaret's response is to embrace social media herself, launching a movement to expose the cyberbully. However, this leads Margaret to become enamored with the attention and power of online influence, inadvertently escalating an anti-bullying campaign into something violent.
Flanagan noted that Margaret's actions are driven by love, albeit a misguided and ultimately frightening love. Sloyan echoed this, stating that while Margaret's decisions are aggressive and aimed at isolating Carrie, they stem from a desire to protect her daughter. Sloyan does not view Margaret as the villain, but rather as someone who is "wrong" in her approach.
Sloyan's approach to playing complex characters, including villains, centers on empathy. She avoids labeling characters as villains, instead focusing on understanding their perspective. Flanagan highlighted this ability, stating that Sloyan's own kindness and egoless nature allow her to empathize with antagonists, seeing them as the heroes or victims of their own narratives. This approach made her portrayal of Bev Keane in "Midnight Mass" particularly effective, as she was able to find a relatable element even in an irredeemable character.
Flanagan contrasted Sloyan's work as Margaret in "Carrie" with her performance as Bev Keane. While Bev was a religious fundamentalist driven by a desperate need for personal validation and power, Margaret's actions, though extreme, are rooted in a flawed maternal love. This focus on empathy allows Sloyan to imbue Margaret with a humanity that makes her character's tragic trajectory all the more compelling.