by William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are partners in life, so it’s no surprise that they’re collaborating professionally on a new project — and this one is personal.
The actors play the leading role in the new audio drama Supreme: The Battle of Roea scripted podcast series about the landmark’s true story Roe against Wade case. Macy and Huffman tell Yahoo Entertainment they wanted to do the project for “our daughters” after the US Supreme Court last year overturned the constitutional right to abortion and reversed the five-decade-old decision.
“I told myself it wouldn’t be a fire hazard… but I think it’s ridiculous that the government would decide something like that for us. What part of America don’t they understand?” Macy explains. And I’m enraged that Republicans keep saying, ‘Smaller government, states’ rights, blah, blah, blah.’ I know they use states’ rights as an excuse to pass all these restrictions or bans, but the secret is out of the bag – now they’re trying to make it a federal law. I don’t understand how they say ‘Get the government off us’ and still want them in our ovaries.”
Huffman and Macy are the parents of Sophia, 22, and Georgia, 21. The Desperate housewives star says she was also inspired to do supremean iHeartPodcast, because of their kids.
“Our daughters have fewer rights and less autonomy over their bodies than I do,” Huffman explains. “And I don’t think people know the story of Roe against Wade – I didn’t know the story.”
The nine-part series follows the journey of Sarah Weddington (voiced by Maya Hawke), the youngest woman ever to plead a case in the Supreme Court, representing Jane Roe. Weddington was only 26 and had never filed a lawsuit before successfully arguing what would eventually legalize abortion in the US. At the same time, the podcast tells the story of Judge Harry Blackmun, played by Macy, who was the author of the historic decision. Huffman plays his wife, Dottie Blackmun.
Macy says he learned “tons” while preparing to play Blackmun, particularly how justice used the 14th Amendment in the majority opinion, which held that a woman’s right to an abortion is implicit in the right to privacy being protected by the constitution.
“I think the drafters of the Constitution wanted to include in the document the idea that we should limit our rights as American citizens as little as possible… Shameless says rigidly, stunned how ‘a committee’ now determines ‘whether a woman gets an abortion’.
“It’s her choice,” says the Oscar-nominated actor. “You can’t let the legislature tell you what to do.”
Huffman also says making the project was “eye-opening.”
“I learned a lot. Plus, while you listen to the podcast, you get sucked into the story,” notes the actress, who resumed her career earlier this year after a brief sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal . “I think [director Rachel Winter] did a great job. It’s sort of an old fashioned radio, which is pretty awesome. You could sit back a bit or go for a walk and you’re taken into a story and you fall in love with the characters. I fell in love with Blackmun – even though I’m married to the guy who played him – I just love that guy.”
The consequences of Roethe reversal continues. Late Tuesday night, Republicans in Iowa passed a bill to ban most abortions after six weeks. It was challenged in court by reproductive rights groups on Wednesday in what is sure to be a protracted battle.
“It doesn’t surprise me that it becomes science fiction so quickly for me…something that is incomprehensible,” Huffman says of the news. “But I will say, just personally, it just makes me really sad. It really makes me sad.”
Huffman continues, “And I get that both sides are so strong about it. I think what the podcast does really well is it’s about the right to choose. It’s about the right to choose! And this country was founded on the right to choose, basically about everything. You know, you can’t raise taxes without representation. We have to have a voice. You have to be able to choose.”
supreme is available on the iHeartRadio app and all major podcast listening platforms with new episodes available weekly on Wednesdays.
