Considering nearly half of American marriages break up, it’s no wonder that the dark, funny HBO series Divorce—which follows a group of Westchester denizens grappling with the states of their relationships, and which just kicked off its second season—has found a rapt audience.
“At this point, everyone in our culture has been affected by some aspect of divorce,” says series star Talia Balsam, who has herself been married to her former Mad Men costar John Slattery since 1998 (and prior to that she had her own divorce—from George Clooney). “The show is about how you navigate a family falling apart. It’s a universal theme, right? That’s what the appeal is.”
Here, Balsam talks to T&C about her role as Dallas, the divorced psychologist friend to Sarah Jessica Parker’s currently-splitting Frances, and what’s next for the series’ lovesick characters.
Straight away, the title of the series lets you know you’re not in for something easy. What about the show spoke to you and made you want to be part of it?
First of all, Sarah Jessica and the cast. From the get go, thanks to the people involved with it, even when I was just reading for the part, this felt like a fit. I think a lot of people would want to be in a really good show on HBO; it was a no-brainer to me, just a question of how to get it.
At this point, you’ve spent a good chunk of your life with Dallas. What do you most like about portraying her?
When you start a show, you don’t know where your character is going. They’re figuring it out as you are. Sometimes I’d read a script and be so happily surprised because the writers went to places I never would have thought of. The show is so funny and so dark, it’s all just a blast to do. I love to see what they come up with and then it’s up to me, hopefully, to achieve what they want.
How are things different in the new season?
In the first season, you were watching people who were not at their best. These were not their greatest moments. The second season is about people arriving in new places, for themselves and for their lives. It’s about how you move forward and what that’s life for these characters. Who are we now, picking up those pieces?
Do you have people stopping you on the street to talk about their marital woes?
Not too much. You have varying degrees of people saying they didn’t want to watch it or they love it and watch with their spouse, but it really depends on where people are in their lives. The title of the show might make people think one thing, but really it’s another. People relate to this if they’ve been divorced or are children of divorce—or even if they’re still married or single.
Once upon a time, divorce carried a stigma, but is so much more common these days. Still, the name of the series lets you know you’re in for something exciting.
If someone’s 20, are they going to want to watch this show? Yes, but my perception is that divorce not as big a deal now.
Have you learned anything about divorce from the show?
You start getting petty about things you might care about. Letting go can be very heartbreaking, and it’s unique to each individual. The logistics of it all can become very individual. How do you handle raising a child or managing two lives? It’s ongoing.
How do you think Dallas is going to handle the next phases of the process?
I think the interesting thing for the character is what could be next for her. She could be an empty nester, and how will she refocus herself? I like the questions it brings up. She started out funny, but with a lot of rage, and I’d be interested to see where she ends up.
Adam Rathe is Town & Country's Deputy Features Director, covering arts and culture and a range of other subjects.
