The Good Fight star Charmaine Bingwa on what's in store for Carmen in season 6: 'She dates people'
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How does one say goodbye to a character when we're only just getting to know the really juicy parts about them? That's the question Charmaine Bingwa had before returning to The Good Fight for its sixth and final season, after only having joined the series in season 5.
"We found out halfway through filming of season 5, which I think is perfect because I think it can be depressing if it's going to end when you start," Bingwa tells EW over a Zoom conversation. "I think it was lucky for all of us because we got to say goodbye. And I think, especially towards the end of the series, they really do justice to Carmen's arc."
Bingwa's character, Carmen Moyo, made a splash upon joining Reddick & Associates. Carmen's an ambitious, whipsmart attorney with very little to say about herself — but a whole lot to say when it comes to defending her clients, which quickly earned her a name among the who's who of crime bosses in Chicago. It's a role that in a world full of unique and strong female characters, she comes in like a gust of chilly Chicago wind, quickly letting you know who's boss here.
Below, Bingwa reflects on the final season and tells EW what we can expect from Carmen in season 6.
Elizabeth Fisher/Paramount+
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How was it coming back to a final season when you only, as an actress, started to learn the inner workings of your character?
CHARMAINE BINGWA: I know it's been hard for everyone to say goodbye to the show and it's been different for everyone, but yeah. I think that's the special element of why it's such a hard goodbye to me, because I feel like I've just fallen in love with that character and there's so much we seem to like. She's got such a mystery to her — there's so much to know about her, but they do give her a great treatment in the final season. I think they do justice to who she is, what drives her, but it's hard because I think she's a super interesting character.
In the premiere episode, I saw a lot of mirroring between Carmen and Marissa (Sarah Steele) of Diane and Liz's relationship. It really mimics what Black women and other women of color have experienced in the workplace. Did you feel that as well? Was that something you took in reflection of your character, especially in scenes with Marissa?
I think it's a really interesting dynamic. I'm not going to spoil too much, but a little tension creeps into the relationship between Carmen and Marissa. I think the kind of unspoken thing that [series creators Michelle and Robert King] addressed so brilliantly is privilege and how it affects the way we react — is there a sense of entitlement around things? I think it's a really valid conversation for things today. We're seeing an awful lot of privilege and entitlement from both sides of the political fence, but I think they so cleverly write that in there to question, why should you get to feel so privileged in this situation? It's a beautiful thing to see two really strong Black women trying to restate their claim in the best way they can.
An interesting thing, I think, is that you're from Australia and Zimbabwe born, but this series is heavily set in American politics. What was it like to participate in a show that's so heavy in American politics? The unique experience of America through a TV series?
Well, it's funny because fortunately or unfortunately, American politics is world politics. I remember we're so influenced by the events that happen over there and it feels like they're happening to everyone in the world at the same time because America is such a superpower. But I had a chat with the Kings after my audition, the day after [the January 6 insurrection], and I was like, "So, how's everything going over there? You okay?"
They said that the writers room had to have a break because they were like, "This is just too bananas. We need to go home and watch the news and process it." And it was very interesting as an Australian talking to them. I was really hoping I got the job because I wanted to be able to look at those issues and it's one of the few shows on television that actually processes real world events in a way that's not cheesy or too on the nose.
When Carmen joined the firm, there was a lot of mystery around her — especially after she started representing the crime boss, Oscar Rivi (Tony Plana). Will we get to uncover some of the layers behind Carmen before we say goodbye?
I think you definitely do in this season, because she is so shrouded in mystery, but I think so. We learn more about where she's from, how she grew up, and it explains why she's the way she is — it's very satisfying. I remember when I picked up that script I was like, "Oh my gosh, snap! I didn't see that coming." Because Robert and Michelle, the way they write, it's so clever. So yes, some of the mystery is pulled back and we get to understand her and understand what her final choice in the series is as well.
Elizabeth Fisher/Paramount
I love the show for another reason, that it usually brings out a different side of an actor that we know. Like Christine Baranski, she's funny, and hello — Mamma Mia! But here, she's a killer lawyer. She's vicious. Same with Audra McDonald. We know her as the Tony award-winning Broadway icon, and here she's an amazing lawyer, a strong leader. So what do you think this brought out of you that you haven't shown yet?
I feel very blessed that I've been able to play a range of characters, but often they're on the more tender side of things. So it brought out, and it's very fun to play, someone who's super strategic and borderline manipulative. She doesn't come across so loudly, but runs the world of that law firm and she runs her own world. Playing someone with that much faculty and control is so much fun and playing someone who isn't always clear about their intentions is just mind-blowingly fun. I just love that I got to get in there and be this quiet, super manipulator.
It's a role that, particularly for a women of color and for Black women, isn't typically given to us. Those roles have largely been written or given to white actors, largely white male actors. Yet the way the Kings have written her, she is... intriguing. Not awful or tragic, she's just someone you want to know more about.
Exactly. I even remember I was talking to Robert at the wrap party about her and he was telling me about the audition process. He was like, "Thank you for giving your interpretation of her. You really played her in a way that stood out for the rest." And I said to him, "Did everyone play her as super annoying and super manipulative in the audition?" He was like, "Yeah, completely." I think that's a very stereotypical way to play her. But I think she plays from the top of her intelligence, which is why she's so gratifying to play.
And as a Black queer woman yourself, how does it feel to get to represent a character just existing in the world where her identity is not an arc or issue, but her smarts are?
It's so refreshing and I can't really rattle off a bunch of examples of where that happens, because usually it is identity first, but it's so great. I think what I love about her is she's so empowered while it's just about her. And, here's a spoiler for you, she dates people in this season! Yes, she may or not fly the flag but I just think that she's so self-possessed. You often don't see minorities portrayed in that way, just really owning their life, powerful, and they're not marginalized and they're not victims. I really like the way that they just position her in her power. And even though she does face challenges that minorities face, she's not really affected by them. I just think that's such a beautiful thing to put on screen.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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