Dianne Wiest has an impressionable filmography, one that perfectly displays her talent and range as an actress. Mayor of Kingstown happens to be only one of those many impressive films and shows she has worked in. However, that doesn’t mean in the slightest that she didn’t give anything and everything for the role.
In a show that has already been given the blood, sweat, and tears of some of the most talented people, another one added to the list is only a positive development. Seeing the response of the second season, it would come as no surprise as to how much dedication Wiest actually put in for the role.
Needless to say, Hugh Dillon, the creator of the series, has nothing but deserving praise for the actress.
Dianne Wiest Went Above and Beyond for Miriam
In an interview with Screen Rant, Hugh Dillon elaborated on the amount of research and effort Dianne Wiest put into her role as Miriam in the Mayor of Kingstown. As an actress, research helps in understanding one’s character better. Wiest left no stone unturned for the same.
“She’s so invested in every part of the show. We want to explore this informal economy of drugs and crime, and what the industrial prison complex is doing to us personally, mentally, and emotionally. Dianne would go out and picket at Rikers Island in New York. She’s invested, and her take is both interesting and heartfelt.”
Wiest visited Rikers Island in New York to better understand the system from the inside. She went deep into the system to gather the ins and outs of the reality that the show wanted to portray. The crime world isn’t made for everybody and Wiest understood that.
She dedicated everything to her role as Miriam and that came with the risk of visiting a prison to perfect her role. To put in her best efforts like everyone else, Wiest did everything for her character.
Hugh Dillon Wanted to Base Miriam on His Mother
When asked about what inspired him to create Dianne Wiest’s character in the Mayor of Kingstown, Hugh Dillon admitted that a lot of it came from his own mother. While not wanting to go into heavy detail, he stated that the struggles that he saw growing up, especially through his mother, were what inspired him to make the character of Miriam.
“It comes from my mom. She was a teacher, and she embodies that spirit. I don’t want to get too far into it, but my family had struggles, and we’re from that town. My mom is such a good person; she wants the best for people, and to watch them make wrong decisions over and over again is heartbreaking.”
The constant hunger to do good while being faced with a conflicted society at the same time made a character so complex that it fascinated the audience completely.
Dillon wanted to incorporate all of her best qualities by also highlighting the truth of an otherwise conflicted system.
