The Diplomat's Allison Janney reveals the importance of playing a female US president
Janney's character Grace Penn became president after a shocking cliffhanger at the end of season 2.
The second season of The Diplomat ended on a major cliffhanger, with President Rayburn dying on the phone while speaking to Hal Wyler, and learning some unsavoury facts about his deputy, vice president Grace Penn.
Now Grace, played by Allison Janney, is the president, which surely cannot mean good things for her self-confessed former rival for the vice presidency, Kate, as played by Keri Russell.
Now, speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Janney has revealed Grace's reaction to Rayburn's death, and how that will play into the first episode of season 3.
She said: "I think she's completely shocked, as I was when I read the script. As I've said before, I threw it across the room, because I couldn't believe… that was such an unbelievably incredible ending. And I think Grace is just catapulted in in the start of season three, we start right there where she doesn't even know, she's like, ‘What's happened, what is going on?’
"And then she learns of Rayburn's death. I think she was very close to him. I think it's devastating. And then realising that she is now the president, and Kate has just accused her of being a terrorist and that she's coming for her job. So it's a really, perfectly written cocktail of stuff going on – betrayal and people's ambitions and political… it's absolutely incredible."
Responding to the question of whether Grace is ready to take on the presidency, Janney said: "I think Grace is more than ready to step into this role. She's VP, after all. So you get elected, you know that people are usually comfortable with the vice president, knowing that they could someday, in a certain situation like this, become president.
"So it's an honour for me to step into a role like this, especially when we haven't been able to elect a female president in these United States. It's a reminder of the political barriers that women still face. So, I'm loving it."
In season 3, we also get to meet Todd Penn, Grace's husband and the new First Gentleman on the US.
Todd is played by Janney's former The West Wing co-star Bradley Whitford, who revealed his own reaction to getting the call to star in the series.
He said: "I heard about it initially – was it the summer before this? I was shooting something in Budapest, and I got a text from Debora [Cahn, showrunner] asking if I would be interested. And I knew it was playing Allison's husband, and it was a show I already loved, and I was absolutely beyond thrilled.
"It's an exquisite privilege to be able to work with Allison anytime, and after all these years, to be able to put all this history we have in this sort of funky, weird relationship is really, really fun."
The Diplomat season 3 will stream on Netflix. Seasons 1-2 are available now – sign up from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
