Cherry Jones Talks the Importance of the Black Lives Matter Movement, Her Role on SUCCESSION, and More on Backstage LIVE With Richard Ridge

Nothing can stop BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge from bringing you interviews with your favorite Broadway stars! Yesterday, August 12, he chatted with stage and screen star Cherry Jones!

Cherry talked about how she is currently in Switzerland, after doing a bit of traveling with family. She talked about what the pandemic is like in Switzerland.

"It had begun three weeks before New York," she said. "They shut everything down. They didn't mandate masks for the longest time, which was interesting. They've gotten very low now but they're starting to creep back up because people are behaving as though there's not still this virus running around."

Cherry went on to express her frustration about systemic racism, the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, and how divided the country is.

"I've got to make sure I do everything I can to change it," she said. She talked about how she went to a rally after the death of George Floyd, told some stories about some of the people who attended, and what it was like.

Then, Cherry discussed her recent Emmy nomination for her role in Succession. She talked about what being on the show has been like, and working with other actors who she's known for a long time.

"They make it so fun, and they're such a tight unit but they make it welcome for everyone," she said of the cast of Succession. "Everything about it feels like a repertory theater."

Throughout the rest of the interview, Cherry talked about some of the highlights of her stage career, and told stories from some of the productions she has worked on.

Watch the full interview here!

Cherry Jones is a Tony and Emmy-winning American actress best known for her work in theatre and television. Most recently, she appeared on Broadway in THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT opposite Daniel Radcliffe and Bobby Cannavale. She made her West End debut in the triumphant revival of Tennessee Williams' THE GLASS MENAGERIE, which garnered seven Olivier Award nominations, including a nomination for Cherry for Best Actress. She is a five-time Tony Award nominee for her work on Broadway, winning the Award for the 1995 revival of THE HEIRESS and for the 2005 original production of DOUBT, for which she also won the Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and Obie Awards. Cherry is a founding member of the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Cherry is currently nominated for an Emmy for her role in SUCCESSION. She has received Emmy awards for her portrayal of 'Holly Maddox' in THE HANDMAID'S TALE and for playing 'U.S. President Allison Taylor' on the Fox series 24. More recently, she has had a recurring role on the Primetime Emmy Award-winning Amazon comedy-drama series TRANSPARENT, for which she was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series in 2015. She can also be seen in Channel 4's CHIMERICA opposite F. Murray Abraham and DEFENDING JACOB opposite Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery.

Cherry's film appearances include THE HORSE WHISPERER, ERIN BROCKOVICH, SIGNS, OCEAN'S TWELVE and most recently I SAW THE LIGHT opposite Tom Hiddleston, Tina Fey's WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT, Sally Potter's black comedy THE PARTY, Amy Poehler's WINE COUNTRY, BOY ERASED alongside Lucas Hedges, Woody Allen's A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK, and MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN opposite Edward Norton.