Why Simone From Mrs. Davis Looks So Familiar

Damon Lindelof is a television showrunner who is fearless in taking narrative risks for the sake of provocative storytelling. As a co-creator of both "Lost" and "The Leftovers," the visionary producer consistently explores beguiling subject matter with unique aesthetics. Along with co-showrunner Tara Hernandez, Lindelof will again expand the sci-fi boundaries for the Peacock network.

"Mrs. Davis" will be released on the streaming service on April 23. The series will blend science fiction and drama as it tells the story of a nun obsessed with fighting against artificial intelligence and the saturation of technology in society. It marks Lindelof's first television production since HBO's limited series "Watchmen" in 2019.

The show features a dynamic and diverse cast, including Jake McDorman (Wiley), Margo Martindale (Mother Superior), Ben Chaplin, and David Arquette. The actor playing the lead role of Simone likely looks familiar to you, thanks to a prolific career in both television and movies. Here is where you may have seen Betty Gilpin before.

Betty Gilpin has performed in film and television since the mid-2000s. The actor scored numerous guest appearances in such series as "Law & Order: Criminal Intent, "Fringe," and "The Good Wife" before landing a recurring role as Dr. Carrie Roman in the last three seasons of the Showtime dark comedy "Nurse Jackie." Dr. Roman's wicked sense of humor and overall cluelessness allowed for much-needed comedy relief in the intense closing chapters of the show.

Discussing her experience on the dramedy for Variety in 2022, Gilpin observed, "I came on in Season 5, where the showrunners had switched from women to men, and the men were really smart guys and I liked them a lot, but it sort of changed the tone of the show," before adding that the showrunner's introduced Carrie to provide sex appeal to the series.

Although she was taken aback by some of the provocative writing leveled at Dr. Roman, the actor did share how it was a memorable experience. She also praised the show's writing team. Her next role would be a stark departure from the frivolity of Carrie Roman.

From 2017 to 2019, Betty Gilpin played Debbie Eagan in "GLOW," which stands for "Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling," an all-female professional wrestling organization in the 1980s. Her character, Debbie Eagan, is the former best friend of the series protagonist Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), and their dynamic is complicated and nuanced thanks to the program's perceptive writing. Although "GLOW" only ran for three seasons before its shocking cancellation, it helped to shine a light on an often-forgotten aspect of '80s pro-wrestling culture.

Gilpin earned three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role. When asked by Gold Derby in 2020 how it felt to receive those nominations, she said, "It's the most insane... I think that I, unlike Debbie, just had my sights set so low in order to protect myself. I was thinking recently that four years ago I tested for a pilot called "Y'all in the Family" and when I didn't get that part, I was in a coma of tears." 

Gilpin's next acting endeavors would take her to the big screen for the first time in leading roles.

Before she played Simone on "Mrs. Davis," Betty Gilpin worked with Damon Lindelof on the 2020 horror film "The Hunt." Co-produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions, the movie tells the satirical story of a group of upper-class citizens who kidnap workers to humiliate them. The feature's gore and the intense subject matter received a mixed critical reception and a lackluster box office reception thanks to its theatrical opening at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even if the film left many viewers cold, the actor's measured and calculating character was enough to keep some engaged. Katie Walsh of Tribune News Service singled out Gilpin's performance and stated, "The only thing worth discussing about "The Hunt" is the genius of Betty Gilpin. The story is too pat, and flat, to invite any real discussion with, or about it, but Gilpin offers up a performance that you won't be able to shake." 

Gilpin's next project would continue her acting streak of appearing in genre movies with mixed reception.

In 2021, Betty Gilpin played Emmy Forester, the wife of Dan Forester Jr. (Chris Pratt), in the sci-fi action film "The Tomorrow War." The part was less intense than her role in "The Hunt," but just as compelling as her character copes with her husband's departure for a futuristic, intergalactic war and her profession as a therapist for war-torn soldiers returning to Earth.

In a 2021 interview with Slashfilm, Gilpin was asked about her comedic chemistry with co-star Chriss Pratt. She replied, "It's funny because a lot of the stuff that we shot was so dramatic and so emotional, and then we would do one funny take, and the funny takes all made it in. I watched it at first and was like wow, this is way funnier than I remember. I remember doing a lot of sobbing. We improv'd a lot and yeah, we had such a good time."

The actor then concluded by sharing how Pratt was so inclusive and collaborative on set, which surprised her since he is a massive movie star. For her next prominent performance, Gilpin would return to the small screen for another period piece.

"Gaslit" is a limited series that follows the trials and tribulations of several characters involved with or affected by the Watergate Scandal in Washington, D.C. in the early 1970s. Based on a podcast called "Slow Burn" from Slate Magazine, the political thriller upends the traditional docudrama approach. It focuses less on President Richard Nixon (Danny Winn) and more on players such as John N. (Sean Penn) and Marth Mitchell (Julia Roberts).

Betty Gilpin stars as Mo Dean, an activist aligned with the political left and at frequent odds with her husband John Dean (Dan Stevens), Nixon's White House Counsel and a co-conspirator in the scandal. The actor discussed her role with W Magazine in 2022 and said of Mo Dean, "She's not some doormat girl-boss seizing the reins and taking over. She doesn't become the president in episode eight. She has to use the resources available to her, and that is convincing her husband to do the right thing."

She then shared how she was anxious about acting next to Julia Roberts in the one scene they shared. With her acting range and impressive resume, it is not hard to imagine an up-and-coming actor one day sharing a similar story about performing alongside Gilpin.