Check out the new promo video as series creator Aaron Sorkin and executive producer Alan Poul describe the roles played by Rebecca Halliday, Hamish Linklater, Grace Gummer and Constance Zimmer.
- Jul 10, 2013
AceShowbiz - Less than a week shy of its return, "The Newsroom" introduces new characters in upcoming season 2 via a featurette. The video features series creator Aaron Sorkin and executive producer/director Alan Poul as well as the new cast members giving commentaries on the new additions to the storyline.
Among them is Marcia Gay Harden's Rebecca Halliday, a First Amendment lawyer who has to make sure that none of the characters will say the wrong thing during a deposition or cross examination. "She's super, super, super, super smart," Harden describes her character.
Hamish Linklater plays Jerry Dantana, a veteran of ACN's DC Bureau who comes up to replace Jim (John Gallagher Jr.) while he's away covering the Romney campaign in New Hampshire. He is determined to score a huge story but when he gets one, things will go "terribly wrong."
In the beginning of the second episode, Grace Gummer will make her debut as Hallie Shea, a fellow reporter embedded on the bus with Jim on the road and resents him being there. "She's a very ambitious and strong young woman," the actress says of her character.
Last but not least, there's Taylor Warren played by Constance Zimmer. She's a Romney campaign spokesperson, which causes her and Jim to spar throughout the season. She has nothing against Jim personally, but hating the press is part of her job, so EP Poul says.
"The Newsroom" season 2 will premiere Sunday, July 14 at 10 P.M. ET on HBO. The story will find fictional news anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) landing in hot water over his controversial statement about the Tea Party.
In reality, the show was recently criticized by "The Five" hosts over its depiction of the Tea Party. Addressing this issue, Daniels said, "Then you get into the attack on the Tea Party from a guy who's a moderate Republican, by the way, in Will McAvoy. But they don't hear that. All they hear is that it's just a 'liberal fantasy' ... or so says Fox News."
"But if they really look at the show, and if they stick around for the end of Season 2, they're going to find Will is really saying, 'Get in the room and do your jobs. Don't come out until you have a deal, Congress. And White House. And Republicans. And Democrats. Govern. Work it out.' And we don't have that country or those politics right now. That's what this show is screaming about, at least politically."
