‘Crisis in Six Scenes’ Lead Rachel Brosnahan On Her Character, Woody Allen & Miley Cyrus [Video Exclusive]

Rachel Brosnahan stars in Woody Allen‘s first foray into television – Amazon’s limited series Crisis in Six Scenes.

Rachel Brosnahan Video On ‘Crisis In Six Scenes’

In Crisis in Six Scenes, Brosnahan plays a conservative well-educated young woman named Ellie, who is engaged to John Magaro‘s character Alan. Since Alan is a houseguest of Sidney (Allen) and Kay (Elaine May) for the summer, Ellie finds herself there as well. And, with the help of Miley Cyrus‘s character Lennie, finds some of her conservative beliefs challenged.

Part of playing Ellie required Brosnahan to get a new hairdo, which proved to be a more difficult process that she had expected. “We were trying to find the right hair color for this character, and I had sat in the salon for 11 hours while they lifted the color of my hair and made it this 60s kind of golden blond color, very single toned, and it was almost right, but on camera it looked a little funny,” Brosnahan told uInterview.

In the end, they opted for a wig. Though the crew was concerned about how Allen would feel about it, he was more concerned about Brosnahan’s thoughts.

“I walked in with my makeup done and my hair on and they were like, ‘What do you think?’ and he looked at me and he went, ‘Do you like it?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I like it. Do you like it?’ and the he was like, ‘Well, I just want you to be happy?’” Brosnahan revealed.

Brosnahan has no shortage of good things to say about working with the legendary director on his first TV project.

“I feel like I always become incredibly inarticulate when I try and talk about what this experience was like. Zero chill is a pretty good phrasing,” said Brosnahan, adding, “It was a dream. I mean, I grew up watching Woody Allen movies, my parents love Woody Allen movies. Annie Hall is a favorite of mine, and to be able to work with him is truly a dream I didn’t even know I had. It was never even on my radar.”

Though Brosnahan and Cyrus didn’t have many scenes together, the two got to get to know one another in hair and makeup. During her time with the pop star, Brosnahan developed a deep respect for her work ethic, and believes it’s unfortunate that she’s not thought of as more of a role model.

“She works so hard, she’s extremely passionately committed to everything that she puts her mind to, everything that inspires her, and this was no different. […] I think she’s very talented, and she’s so down to earth,” Brosnahan revealed. “Hearing her talk about the things that are important to her… I mean if she’s talking about sometimes doing her own makeup for her concerts or getting on a plane with zit cream on her face because it’s real and because she’s like, ‘I have a zit so I’m gonna put something on, so I don’t have it anymore,’ and letting her young audience know that it’s important to be themselves.”

With Allen in the director’s chair, Cyrus, Magaro and others rounding out the talented cast, Crisis in Six Scenes proved to be an experience that Brosnahan won’t soon forget.

“[Woody] was genuinely concerned with everybody having a good time, that it was an enjoyable experience — and it was,” Brosnahan told uInterview. “It’s a room full of extraordinary talents, who were so genuinely thrilled to be there. The creativity poured out of the doors of this house we were shooting in and we were home by dinner almost every night. We’ve been spoiled rotten. You don’t get that experience very often. It really was a joy.”