Swedish-American actor Malin Akerman has revealed that her character in Netflix’s new drama The Hunting Wives was inspired by First Lady Melania Trump. Akerman stars as Margo, the leader of a clique of wealthy socialite housewives in East Texas who hide deadly secrets.
Speaking to Vulture, Akerman explained that the show’s creative team drew parallels between Margo and Trump, noting that both married wealthy men who later pursued political careers. “That was the only reference, really,” Akerman said, adding that otherwise the character is rooted in high-society archetypes she has encountered.
The series, an adaptation of May Cobb’s 2021 thriller, follows Sophie (Brittany Snow) as she moves from the city and becomes entangled with the group. Since its release last month, The Hunting Wives has climbed to No. 3 on Netflix’s top 10 most-watched series, behind Wednesday and WWE Raw.
Akerman described Margo as a survivor who will do whatever it takes to maintain her status. “If her husband said, ‘We have to go and do satanic rituals in order for you to stay where you need to be,’ she’ll go do that,” Akerman said, noting that Margo’s chameleon-like behaviour is “kind of politics, really.”
The actor also connected her own experiences of leaving home at 16 to Margo’s survival instinct. “Figuring out the world on my own … all of that played into who I became as a person and who Margo became,” she said. “We chose very different paths, but I can understand her from that place.”
