SPOILERS: This post contains details about the Cape Fear, Season 1 finale episode “The Executioners”
With another twisty-turny ride down Cape Fear reaching an end, Juliette Lewis was thrilled to have a chance to return to an important title from her youth, from a new perspective.
The Oscar-nominated actress, who plays convicted killer Max Cady’s (Javier Bardem) sister Crystal in the Apple TV series, praised series creator Nick Antosca for giving her “so much to play” as a mentally disturbed figure from the sociopathic character’s past. The role comes 35 years after her breakout performance as public defender Sam Bowden’s (Nick Nolte) daughter Danielle in the Martin Scorsese-helmed 1991 feature adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s 1957 novel The Executioners.
“But that was what was exciting, is that me coming back would be in a character that goes toe-to-toe with Max Cady, with our new Max Cady, and that they have this deep history, where you don’t know who the lion is and who the mouse is at any given time,” Lewis told Deadline. “And that she really gets under his skin and vice versa.”
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Following their work together on Hulu’s 2019 limited series The Act, Antosca came to Lewis with a “three-page backstory” for the character of Crystal Cady, which Lewis said “was so rich with drama,” including the big twist revealed in Friday’s Season 1 finale episode “The Executioners”.
After Max served 17 years for killing his pregnant wife Melissa, whose unborn baby was taken from the scene, his former attorney Anna Bowden (Amy Adams) learns the truth. Crystal (Lewis) escaped from the mental institution where she was committed, killing Melissa and taking the baby to raise as her own.
“It’s so funny, because series work is a little bit different than film,” noted Lewis. “You often take a part, and you don’t know what’s coming, and they often don’t wanna tell you because they’re trying to keep these little nuggets secret from online and outward. But Nick, thank God, was such a good collaborator because he told me [from the beginning].
Lewis added, “I need to know because I like to create what it is I’m not showing, and I like to know where we’re going. And so, I knew all the things. I knew how savage she was from the very beginning, but of course I am who I am. I’m not gonna telegraph that. We wanna really make a real kind of psychopath. It’s like who’s more psychopathic, her or Max Cady? You decide.”
And although the finale sees Max shoot Crystal and Luke (Max Mattern) and throw them into the hull of a burning boat, without realizing the young man is his own son, Lewis thinks a second season could provide another twist to that storyline.
“Well, we will see. I hope to have a second season, because I know a little stuff about the second season,” teased Lewis. “But that’s what’s exciting about Nick, the show creator’s writing. It’s always twists and turns. It’s always to get you going in one direction as an audience and then, jaw-dropping. He really had fun creating that as a noir and a thriller. What’s behind this door? And it’s never what you expect.”
Following her Academy Award-nominated performance in the 1991 movie, which starred Robert De Niro as Max Cady, Lewis has found the experience “so meaningful” for bringing her back to Scorsese, who executive produces the series along with Steven Spielberg.
“It’s a piece of my history and my career. It’s sort of my birthplace. It’s like my creative origin story is Cape Fear,” said Lewis. “And then Scorsese, I consider one of my first and most important teachers. He validated me early on when I was an introvert and I had no articulation of my process, but I had a very strong point of view and instincts, and he knew early on to validate that and give me encouragement where I needed and so that I could be the adventurous, daring performer that I hope people think I am, but that I try to be. And making choices and not playing it safe, that’s because I had a Scorsese early on who gave me encouragement and gave me the floor. I kind of say metaphorically, he gave me the dance floor and the space to create. He didn’t damper these ideas.”
Read on about Juliette Lewis’ return to Cape Fear, all episodes of which are now available to stream on Apple TV+.
DEADLINE: I really enjoyed the character of Crystal Cady and what she adds to the Cape Fear story that has been told multiple times now.
JULIETTE LEWIS: Oh, thanks.
DEADLINE: Tell me about how Nick [Antosca] approached you for the role and how it came full circle from your last time in Cape Fear.
LEWIS: It was really amazing because I had worked with Nick [on Hulu’s The Act]. We wanted to do something together. We had a general meeting and he pitched the idea … “I’m thinking about doing Cape Fear, but as a series. And I have some strong ideas about it.” And I was intrigued. That was pre-pandemic, I think 2019. It went away, and then I saw Amy Adams’ name and Javier Bardem attached. And because Hollywood can sometimes be a brutal place, I thought the ship had sailed without me. And so, I was like, “Oh gosh, should I reach out to Nick to say, hey, you remember the meeting we had, and you actually said you wanted me to be a part of it?” Anyway, two days later, he gave me an offer. He said, “No, I was keeping it a surprise. I was about to offer you this role.” And he had about a three-page backstory. The backstory was so rich with drama, and there was just so much to play. Even if you’re given a sentence, when you have such a strongly written backstory in a series, it makes the creation of a character really easy, because normally in series, you don’t. You just get one script and then some idea, but Nick is so thorough in his character development, and so that’s what’s exciting about working with him. But the short story is, I thought I wasn’t a part of it, and Nick had a part for me all along, and he kept his word. And he’s so smart, because I think people were really excited by my involvement.
DEADLINE: Tell me about reuniting with Martin Scorsese as the executive producer now. Did that bring up any memories from working on the movie?
LEWIS: The whole thing is so meaningful for me because it’s a piece of my history and my career. It’s sort of my birthplace. It’s like my creative origin story is Cape Fear. When I became worldwide, people knew of me in this way on a global scale. You know, luck of the draw, I had no idea that that’s the impact it would have. And then Scorsese, I consider one of my first and most important teachers. He validated me early on when I was an introvert and I had no articulation of my process, but I had a very strong point of view and instincts, and he knew early on to validate that and give me encouragement where I needed and so that I could be the adventurous, daring performer that I hope people think I am, but that I try to be. And making choices and not playing it safe, that’s because I had a Scorsese early on who gave me encouragement and gave me the floor. I kind of say metaphorically, he gave me the dance floor and the space to create. He didn’t damper these ideas, because a lot of times early on, some people you work with, they just want a robot. And I was fortunate enough to work with the auteurs of American cinema who really validated my voice. And so, I always come to the table, trying to bring it something fully realized. But anyway, the short story is to say, gosh, it’s so important that that Scorsese gave it his blessing. I wasn’t on the table read, because I came in a few episodes later, but I’ll be seeing him shortly. I’ve seen him over the years.
DEADLINE: Like you said, Crystal is just such a well fleshed-out character, and she’s really so fun to watch and kind of unsettling. Tell me about her dynamic with Max, that weird sibling dynamic and the effect she has over him. What it was like working with Javier on that?
LEWIS: I’m so glad that reads. I haven’t seen the series, so I don’t know ever what edit they use and stuff. I’ve only heard about it, so people are telling me what we intended happened. But that was what was exciting, is that me coming back would be in a character that goes toe-to-toe with Max Cady, with our new Max Cady, and that they have this deep history, where you don’t know who the lion is and who the mouse is at any given time. And that she really gets under his skin and vice versa. And then also just on a pathology point, I was intrigued by playing a stalker, like stalker energy, obsession, obsessiveness—but they don’t know. They think they’re justified in everything they’re doing. She would never think she’s a stalker or somebody who’s obsessed. She’s just doing what she thinks is right and what is necessary. People don’t speak about acting this way, but I speak of it that it’s energy work, like I’m an energy worker, and what I mean by that is I’m conjuring energy. So that’s why some of my roles, I want people to feel it on a visceral level. But even when she comes in the first scene and she shows up at the bar where [Max] is sitting, and then they go in the cigar room, he brings her there. But even to show up, I wanted to have such a strong energy that’s so intimidating, but it’s veiled by, “I wouldn’t hurt anybody. I’m so sweet.” You know, sweetness and light. So, I love that dichotomy. I love the friction of the contradiction of what you show and what you conceal. It’s really exciting in character work for me.
DEADLINE: Yeah, it was really fun to watch as well.
Apple TV
LEWIS: But just to experience Javier as Max Cady—my first scene with him was when I saw him on the sidewalk, and I’m in the green coat. And He was just so exciting. He’s all the things. He’s all the things you want from a Max Cady, seductive, charismatic, dangerous and enticing.
DEADLINE: Yeah, he’s always fun to watch as a bad guy, but he seems very sweet and charming in real life.
LEWIS: Well, that’s the thing is, he really has a gift. Because I was in scenes, one inch apart, and when he puts that veil over his eyes, a veil of darkness, it’s something to behold. It’s really powerful, and so it was really exciting for me to work with him. We both respect each other so much, and we could just dance, metaphorically speaking. The couple scenes we have that are super intimate, almost face to face, just a half inch apart, it’s pretty electric. I hope it came off exciting.
DEADLINE: Oh yeah, absolutely. And one part that I was really struck by was the reveal that Crystal killed Melissa and stole the baby. What was your reaction to first reading that?
LEWIS: It’s so funny, because series work is a little bit different than film. You often take a part, and you don’t know what’s coming, and they often don’t wanna tell you because they’re trying to keep these little nuggets secret from online and outward. But Nick, thank God, was such a good collaborator because he told me. I need to know because I like to create what it is I’m not showing, and I like to know where we’re going. And so, I knew all the things. I knew how savage she was from the very beginning, but of course I am who I am. I’m not gonna telegraph that. We wanna really make a real kind of psychopath. It’s like who’s more psychopathic, her or Max Cady? You decide.
DEADLINE: Yeah, and it was also just tragic finding out that he killed Adam after he was so heartbroken that he had lost him in the first place.
LEWIS: Well, we will see. I hope to have a second season, because I know a little stuff about the second season. But that’s what’s exciting about Nick, the show creator’s writing. It’s always twists and turns. It’s always to get you going in one direction as an audience and then, jaw dropping. He really had fun creating that as a noir and a thriller. What’s behind this door? And it’s never what you expect.
DEADLINE: Well, that’s exciting to hear because honestly, when Max threw them down below the boat, I could tell they weren’t totally dead yet, so they could have gotten out of that fire.
LEWIS: Yeah, exactly.
