Ellen Rapoport’s Minx is set in Los Angeles (LA) in 1970 and pits earnest feminist Joyce, against Jake Johnson, a publisher of adult magazines. The unlikely pair started the first erotic magazine for women, Minx. Ophelia Lovibond, who plays Joyce, describes her character as being incredibly passionate.
“That can be both a strength and a weakness,” says Ophelia over a video call from LA. “She gets so enthused by something that she thinks is right that she can’t see any other point of view until she messes up (laughs). She’s thoughtful and wants to improve things for other people, but again, she can often get tunnel vision.”
In season two, Ophelia says, Joyce becomes quite selfish. “She is just so seduced by the attention, money, and notoriety that she loses her way a little bit.” Describing herself as a feminist, the 37-year-old says her way into Minx was “refreshingly” straightforward. “I read the pilot script, absolutely loved it, auditioned and got the role.”
Deep dive
Ophelia Lovibond in ‘Minx’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The research involved reading several Playgirl magazines, Ophelia says with a laugh. “It was entertaining. I researched anything mentioned in the script, whether it was a location, a restaurant, a local parade, or even the kind of ink that Joyce was using in her typewriter. I used every single reference to understand her world. She went to Vassar (College), so I did loads of research about the history of Vassar. I read a lot of other works by the same authors that Joyce references. It was an attempt to locate her environment, to understand how she came to be,” says the actor.
Getting information, the Elementary actor says, was quite easy. “There is so much stuff out there. You can do deep dives and I enjoyed it. One of my favorite processes of starting a new job is building the character and giving them a whole backstory, an internal life for myself as the actor. The audience is not going to know that I know what people dressed like at Vassar in 1952, but I do, and it helped me understand why Joyce wore pussybow blouses.”
Fashion wonderland
The blouses bring us to the gorgeous clothes in Minx. “I love the wide flared suits with their big, huge lapels. In season two, there is this brown suede Gucci waistcoat with a matching skirt. I loved it. It was in perfect condition.”
Costume, Ophelia says, is a big part of helping one get into character. “The cars and the attention to detail that goes into the set design right down to the brand of cereal that you have on the shelf behind you in a scene all helps build that world.”
Back in time
The challenge in a period drama, she says is finding enough costumes that are in good enough condition to last through the shoot. “You are doing long hours. It’s not like getting it out, dry cleaning it, wearing it to a single event, and then putting it back in its little cupboard. You are doing long days in these outfits and you need to find enough for all of the supporting artists. Equally, it’s beautiful to see all these people walking around that makes you feel like you’re in the 70s.”
Ophelia Lovibond in ‘Minx’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The actor adds how her choice of role is always led by the material. “The quality of the writing and if I feel an affinity with the character are factors. Sometimes you might read something that is well-written but you just don’t quite connect to it, you can’t find a way into it. I choose my roles if I feel a response to them. The additional appeal of Minx is the fact it is set in the 70s and it is exploring feminism but within a workplace comedy. It ticked a lot of boxes.”
Minx Season 2 drops on Lionsgate Play on October 6, 2023
