The Morning Show’s Chris Confession: Nicole Beharie Interview

[This story contains spoilers from season four, episode five of The Morning Show, “Amari.”]

Last season, the Morning Show writers crashed in an episode centered around the overturning of Roe v. Wade, reopening a finished script when news first leaked in May 2022 about the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson decision. The Apple TV series was already prepping production on season three, which then began filming in August.

In that episode, titled “Strict Scrutiny,” most of the TMS anchors were together attending a high-end fashion event in Manhattan when headlines hit about Roe. Rising morning show anchor Chris Hunter, played by Nicole Beharie, ranted to eventgoers that the news would mean “women are going to die of ectopic pregnancies,” “rape victims will be forced to carry their assailants’ child” and “the maternal mortality rate will skyrocket, mostly for women of color.” She then memorably drew on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick, “Abort the Court,” and posted it on her social media with her middle finger.

Flash-forward to the currently airing fourth season that just released its fifth episode, and viewers now understand more about Beharie’s passionate Roe reaction. In “Amari,” athlete-turned-anchor Chris, who will be leading the upcoming Olympics coverage for her network, is accused by a former teammate of doping before winning her gold medal during her own Olympics run in Rio.

In a shock to viewers and everyone who knows Chris, she goes on the network’s podcast, hosted by the Joe Rogan-ish Bro (Boyd Holbrook) and gets outed. The evidence causes Chris to open up about the tragic story behind her steroid use, prompting a riveting monologue from Beharie where Chris reveals she turned to performance-enhancing drugs after losing her unborn son, whom they named Amari, five and a half months into her pregnancy. She found herself broken “like all the way down,” she says of her pain and depression. “My body was just gone.” So she tried the drugs to get back on the track and never told anyone, not even her husband (Alano Miller).

Below, in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Beharie opens up about the powerful episode — which she says she can’t quite bring herself to watch — and how she hopes it makes people feel seen.

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Chris’ admission episode is a tour de force acting hour for you. When you met with showrunner Charlotte Stoudt ahead of this season, what was the arc she laid out for you with Chris?

Charlotte had a naughty kind of laugh because she was like, “Remember how you said you wanted a little more complication and for things to be messy?” And I was like, “Yeah, I want that as an actor. What you got?” I was thinking boardroom nonsense. Then she suggested it might be something along these lines, but didn’t tell me how it resolved; she didn’t tell me all of it.

Then I read it. So I had gotten a little sprinkle, and then once I got in the full shower, I was just drenched. I was like, “This is going to be a doozy and a major departure for Chris, and for what we expect from her and know her to be.” It’s difficult to embody, but a gift as an actor that speaks volumes about what the show and Charlotte and Mimi [Leder, director] are able to do, handling this conversation of legacy and loss and love so delicately. And this also involves Mia [Karen Pittman] in an interesting way. I only came into this show in season three, so being a fan of the show for the last few years, I’ve been rooting for Mia. It was cathartic and rewarding for me to see these two women — one falling from grace and one coming into her own.

What questions did you have for Charlotte after you read and digested this monologue?

We went back and forth about little parts of it, and there were a few iterations. I had to figure out the timeline; even little details like how Chris’ husband, Marcus [Miller], didn’t know any of this, so he’s not implicated. Even her husband, being that close in her life, did not know what she had done in order to get herself back together, so there’s this determination and cost. I also had questions about the blind spots with Chris’ former running mate, Tunde [Ashley Romans], and where she was coming from. You build a bio as an actor, and then the showrunners will introduce things. I built a whole bio last year and then they introduced some new things and I was like, “That wasn’t in my bio!” (Laughs.) So it shifts the trajectory of the character. It grounded her and gave her a little more depth.

The beautiful work Ashley did as Tunde was thoughtful and honest. It revealed something about their dynamic and what it means to have survivor’s remorse and leave people behind. People don’t necessarily know what the cost is of that, and that’s something we also see in Bradley’s [Reese Witherspoon] character this season.

Also, Chris was such a central part of the Roe v. Wade episode last season.

Yes.

Going back to Chris’ reaction in that episode, now knowing what you know, does this fill in more of the character for you?

It did fill that in. I definitely didn’t have that before, but like we said, it’s like you’re this basket and they keep adding new materials that they’re weaving. So her reaction then made more sense when you know now.

That episode packed a powerful punch releasing so soon after Roe’s overturning, and abortion and reproductive rights remain just as urgent now. How do you think this episode will land?

I actually couldn’t watch it. I had to watch some of it for ADR [automated dialogue replacement], but I couldn’t get through the monologue — just because it’s your face yapping the whole time. I don’t watch myself a great deal. So I don’t know [how it will land]. I hope it feels like it was handled with care. That’s the biggest thing for me, because I feel a responsibility. We’re on this show about women in the workplace, and this is a big thing that happens to women — being a mother, loss, sacrifice and what happens to our bodies.

Imagine giving birth, life, all of these things and not having time off maternally. This is the closest we get into that [topic on the show]. This is a huge deal, and I think there’s a huge responsibility because we talk about so many aspects of being a woman in the workplace. So I hope it is well received and that people see themselves or feel seen, and that we treated it with dignity and integrity. It’s a privilege to get to act something like that. We combed through to make sure the language was sensitive. We thought about all of those things, and how you can feel seen or it could even be a little bit triggering.

What was it like when filming the scene on Bro’s podcast set?

Everyone was in the control room. Nobody was filmed later. So in real time, this is happening with Karen [Pittman] and William [Jackson Harper] and Amber [Friendly] on the other side. Other people were in the corner. Every time we got going, everyone was present, so it felt real. We delivered the whole take. There wasn’t a lot of stopping and starting the way [director] Millicent Shelton shot it. It felt as real as it could feel, shooting a show. Sometimes you get close-ups and moments by yourself, and it wasn’t like that. The pressure was on.

Boyd is playing this Bro character who is in the manosphere and going to be the least understanding. He’s ready to pin Chris against the wall and he does. Boyd is a terrific guy, amazing actor, super sweet. But it was tough playing with him. He poked at me a little bit. We did some improvisation that didn’t make it in the final cut that helped us find a playful banter.

I read in a prior interview that you have a big place in your heart for working moms. That’s a throughline with Chris’ storyline. What resonated with you most?

Just look at someone like Reese [Witherspoon] and all she does — she’s so successful, creates all these opportunities for us, blows our minds with entertainment. When we were talking [about working mothers], she was like, “Mom guilt never goes away.” There’s a lot of investment in all of these things that make so many people happy, but then somewhere in the back of your mind, you’re like, “I could be somewhere else.” I was raised by a single mom and I source her all the time. She’s nothing like Chris! She’s a very different woman. But the strength and resourcefulness that I saw growing up, there’s nothing like a mama bear lioness, and there are so many out there. I did a film called Miss Juneteenth. I like [playing] moms who remain unsung. Maybe it does culminate here, but I’m not done yet. I’m writing other things. I love mommies, teachers, musicians.

What kind of prep did you do for Chris’ storylines this season?

At the beginning of this season, Chris is really living her dream. This episode, she gets knocked off. But the beginning of the season is the culmination of her life. She was an athlete who now gets to host the Olympics. Simultaneously, I was watching the Olympics and so many of these documentaries where I became really invested in athletes and dancers, in particular. We see these amazing bodies move through space and collaborate and take on a lot of coaching, but we don’t see the blistered feet and icing of the joints, and the crying and the painkillers.

And that’s parallel with mom life. You can’t be walking around crying. You have to take care of the kids and do all the things. Chris is all of that, so that was a huge gift for me because if it weren’t for the Olympics, I wouldn’t have been so inundated in that world. Runner Allyson Felix has an amazing organization. She’s an Olympic athlete, top of the class, and she has gotten some legislation within the Olympic community to have a room for moms and kids so that you can have space with your children as you’re competing and time to heal and all of these things that were just unfathomable.

What happens to Chris’ career after this episode?

In the car, when Chris and Mia are deciding what to do next, Mia says, “People will love you more if you are authentic and speak your truth. They don’t hate you for making a mistake.” It’s about coming clean, and Chris benefits from that in some capacity. People probably understand and relate. We’ve all done things. We have secrets, shadows, dark sides and this is the first time we’re getting to see that from this particular woman. People relate and it shifts her career, also because of the people she’s surrounded herself with.

When you talk about a badass woman, that’s one of the things I’ve learned being on this show. Not only the people we’re playing, but the people I’m working with surround themselves with an amazing community of people; people who can execute things. That’s something Chris has. Her husband, Marcus, who is also her manager, and Mia. They’re going to Kris Jenner it! They’re going to make an empire.

Speaking of your co-stars, what energy did Marion Cotillard bring to set when joining this powerhouse female cast?

I don’t have any scenes with her, so I’m pissed about that! But I love her. La Vie en Rose is one of my favorite movies. We had a moment in the trailer. I was like, “You know, I love you, right?” She’s so classy and cool. It seems like she was always in this Morning Show world, like she was just overseas and flew in, and was waiting for season four. She definitely brings something wonderful to the show, as do William and Boyd and Aaron [Pierre]. There are so many wonderful additions. But I am mad I don’t have scenes with Marion! We discussed it.

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The Morning Show releases new season four episodes Wednesdays on Apple TV.