Edwina Findley didn’t cut corners when it came to her role on The Residence.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Findley, 44, explained how she kept track of the show’s flashback scenes, alternative moments and different timelines for her character, Sheila.
“That was extremely complicated to do. That took an incredible amount of technique for me. Literally, I created over 100 pages of research of preparation specifically for Sheila,” Findley recalled. “Then there was probably another 20 pages or maybe 30 of just untangling the timelines and what happens when and in what version.”
Having “multiple versions of the story” meant Findley had to be one top of each one.
“It’s untangling what part of this is the truth and what part of this is a lie. Then what are the alternate endings of these various stories? So that definitely was a marathon for me as an actor to put it all together,” she shared. “I started going to AA meetings. I started reading the whole big book of AA. I started watching documentaries — and it was very important to me to get it right.”
Findley specifically pointed out the way Sheila’s alcohol consumption played out on screen, adding, “If she had one sip at 9 p.m. and then a whole bottle at 3 a.m. then what’s happening in her body? What’s happening in her mind? What is she seeing? What is she hearing? How is it affecting her relationship with the truth? That’s already a tenuous relationship to begin with.”
Inspired by The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower, the eight-part Netflix series premiered in March and followed renowned detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) as she was tasked with finding out who was responsible for the Chief Usher A.B. Wynter’s (Giancarlo Esposito) death at the White House.
Findley’s character, Sheila, was one of the suspects but was ultimately exonerated. The major evidence that stacked up against Sheila was her dependency on alcohol.
“That was extremely important for me because as an actor [to portray properly]. It’s really your job to take your character’s side. It’s your job to represent your character with authenticity and truth and compassion,” the actress told Us. “It was extremely important to create a multidimensional and authentic human being. And a part of that was leaning into creating a backstory around that. So I loved that the show created these beautiful vulnerable monologues for her. You see the big Sheila and you see her being the star of her own story.”
Findley continued: “And in the privacy of her own mind, she thinks she is the heir apparent to the First lady. But she’s struggling because there are protocols and there’s a way that you’re supposed to do things in the White House. Obviously she butts up against all of that because a part of her spirit is trying to be free.”
While reflecting on the role, Findley called the opportunity a “full circle manifestation moment” after her own connection to the White House.
“I have been very passionate about telling the stories of real people in Washington D.C to the point where I was creating my own whole show around it,” she revealed. “Suddenly to get this script from Shondaland set around the White House and depicting very real characters — maids and butlers and housekeepers and ushers and florists — where it wasn’t really about the president, it was about all these regular people. That upstairs, downstairs dynamic was really exciting and it was just an honor to be able to tell that story.”
It was also a huge accomplishment for Findley because of her love for creator Shonda Rhimes‘ TV universe.
“I remember I used to live tweet with the cast during Scandal,” she recalled. “Those monologues were just such a dream. Just hearing the words and letting them wash over me. And so to be a part of The Residence now, sign me up. This is an actor’s dream.”
Findley is holding out hope that The Residence is the first of many collaborations with Rhimes, 55, saying, “Let’s just put that out there. I would still love to do Bridgeton!”
The Residence is currently streaming on Netflix.
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