Emmy Rossum portrays Candy in The Crowded Room. All episodes are officially streaming on Apple TV+ and this conversation will contain major spoilers.

“The Crowded Room” stars Tom Holland as Danny Sullivan, a man who is arrested following his involvement in a shooting in New York City in 1979.  A captivating thriller told through a series of interviews with curious interrogator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried), Danny’s life story unfolds, revealing elements of the mysterious past that shaped him, and the twists and turns that will lead him to a life-altering revelation. 

“I mean, what’s revealed in that scene is not only that Candy and Danny have both made kind of recoveries from the violence that was committed against them, but also that Candy acknowledges to Danny that the monster in their life was not the first to hurt either one of them, and the ways in which she had tried to protect him from that truth and protect herself from those truths actually ultimately hurt both of them more,” she shared with me, reflecting on Candy’s visit to her son. “But, I think, this show takes place in 1979 and even for Candy, somebody who’s a nurse and in the medical field, our understanding and acceptance of mental health was much more limited than it is now.”

I spoke with the actress about her character’s mindset during the trial and the significance of that mother-son reunion in the finale.

Watch my interview here:

Please note: this interview was done prior to the SAG-AFTRA Strike. In support of the strike, please donate to the Entertainment Community Fund.