William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are partners in life, so it’s no surprise they’ve teamed up for a new project professionally — and this one’s personal.
The actors star in the new audio drama Supreme: The Battle for Roe, a scripted podcast series about the true story of the landmark Roe v. Wade case. Macy and Huffman tell Yahoo Entertainment they wanted to do the project for “our daughters” after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion last year, reversing the five-decade-old decision.
“I told myself it wouldn’t be incendiary… but I think it’s ludicrous the government would decide something like that for us. What part of America don’t they understand?” Macy declares. “And I find it enraging that Republicans keep saying, ‘Smaller government, states’ rights, blah, blah, blah.’ I know they’re using states’ rights as an excuse to pass all these restrictions or bans, but the secret’s out of the bag — now they’re trying to make it a federal law. I don’t understand how they say, ‘Get government off our backs,’ and yet, want them in our ovaries.”
Huffman and Macy are parents to Sophia, 22, and Georgia, 21. The Desperate Housewives star says she was also inspired to do Supreme, an iHeartPodcast, because of their children.
“Our daughters have less rights and less autonomy over their body than I did,” Huffman explains. “And I don’t think people know the story of Roe v. Wade — I didn’t know the story.”
The nine-part series follows the journey of Sarah Weddington (voiced by Maya Hawke), the youngest woman ever to argue a case in the Supreme Court, who represented Jane Roe. Weddington was only 26 and had never tried a legal case before successfully arguing what would ultimately legalize abortion in the U.S. In tandem, the podcast tells the story of Justice Harry Blackmun, portrayed by Macy, who was the author of the historic decision. Huffman plays his wife, Dottie Blackmun.
Macy says he learned “tons” preparing to play Blackmun, specifically, how the justice used the 14th Amendment in the majority opinion, which held that a woman’s right to an abortion is implicit in the right to privacy protected under the constitution.
“I think that the framers of the constitution wanted to put into the document the notion that we should restrict our rights as U.S. citizens as little as possible… and let people decide for themselves as much as possible,” the Shameless star says, baffled how “a committee” now determines “whether a woman gets an abortion.”
“It’s her choice,” the Oscar-nominated actor believes. “You can’t have the legislature telling you what to do.”
Huffman also says making the project “was eye-opening.”
“I learned a lot. And in addition to that, while you’re listening to the podcast, you get caught up in the story,” notes the actress, who resumed her career earlier this year following a brief sentence for her role in the college-admissions scandal. “I think [director Rachel Winter] did a wonderful job. It’s kind of old timey radio, which is sort of wonderful. You could sort of sit back, or take a walk and you’re taken along on a story and you fall in love with the characters. I fell in love with Blackmun — even though I’m married to the guy that played him — I just, I love that guy.”
The repercussions of Roe‘s reversal continue. Late Tuesday night, Iowa Republicans passed a bill to ban most abortions after six weeks. It was challenged in court on Wednesday by reproductive rights groups, setting up what’s sure to be a lengthy battle.
“I’m not surprised in that it’s so quickly becoming science fiction for me… something that’s incomprehensible,” Huffman says of the news. “But I will say, just personally, it just makes me really sad. It makes me really sad.”
Huffman continues, “And I understand that both sides feel so strongly about it. I think what the podcast does really well is it’s about the right to choose. It’s about the right to choose! And this country was founded on the right to choose, basically, about everything. You know, you can’t have taxation without representation. We have to have a voice. You have to be able to choose.”
Supreme is available on the iHeartRadio app and all major podcast listening platforms with new episodes available weekly on Wednesdays.
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