‘Monarch’: Susan Sarandon Admits Naiveté About Country Music; Says Closest She Got Was “Smoking A Joint With Willie Nelson”
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Susan Sarandon admits that that she knew nothing about country music before beginning work on Monarch, Fox’s upcoming sudser that the producers describe as “Empire meets Succession.”
Sarandon plays Dottie Cantrell Roman, the matriarch of the first family of country music. She’s married to Albie, who is played by Trace Adkins. Her daughter, Nicolette (Anna Friel) is heir to the family throne, but sister Gigi (Beth Ditto) is a talent in her own right.
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“I just go where the fun is, where I haven’t been before,” Sarandon told reporters Wednesday during Fox’s Television Critics Tour virtual panel. As for country music, “I never knew it. I smoked a joint with Willie Nelson. That’s as deep as I go.”
The actress is also cagey about how long she’ll stick around Monarch, which also stars Joshua Sasse as the middle child Luke Roman. At the risk of spoiling a major plot point in the premiere episode, let’s just say Dottie faces a few, ahem, challenges.
“I’m leaving it open! I’m Jiminy Cricket, I’m gonna appear on everyone’s shoulder,” said Sarandon. ‘I’ll be around as long as they’ll have me. I entered on a handshake. The commitment word has been a problem for me. So I talk about fun and being in the moment.”
“Susan is a part of a show, she looms over everyone,” said EP Jon Feldman. “She will appear in multiple episodes and we have great stuff planned for her.”
Real-life country music stars like Shania Twain and Little Big Town are also set to appear in the first season.
Monarch premieres September 11 on Fox.
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