After working as a lawyer trying to save Saul Goodman in Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould’s “Better Call Saul,” it’s now Rhea Seehorn’s turn to save the world in Apple TV’s new sci-fi drama, *Pluribus*.
In *Pluribus*, Seehorn plays Carol Sturka, an author who must save the world from happiness after an unexplained virus is unleashed. Having previously collaborated with Gilligan for seven years on *Better Call Saul*, Seehorn was approached with the opportunity to be the lead in *Pluribus*. Interestingly, the role was originally written for a male lead but was quickly changed to fit Seehorn.
“Vince [Gilligan] is always trying to write without preaching an answer. He does not tell the audience what to think, and he trusts the intelligence of fans,” Seehorn told *Variety* at the *Pluribus* premiere in Los Angeles.
She added, “I feel like for me as a woman specifically playing this role, one thing that I got really interested in was that a woman’s anger is seen as a detriment and having dire consequences. But then, it’s this special quality that makes her different. That was very interesting to me as somebody that suppresses my anger, and I really loved exploring somebody that is impulsive and reactive, and then dealing with the obstacle of being told there are dire consequences.”
Gilligan revealed on the red carpet, “I created *Pluribus* for Rhea Seehorn and because I wanted to work with her again. I was very selfish. I knew that she is such a wonderful actor that people would snap her right up and put her in a movie or a TV show, and I wouldn’t get to work with her for a while.”
During production, Gilligan reunited with previous writers, directors, cinematographers, and other crew members who worked on *Breaking Bad* to help bring the world of *Pluribus* to life.
“I like working with people I worked with before, and I like working with my crew behind the camera too,” he said. “I’ve worked with some of these people for almost 20 years, going back to the beginning of *Breaking Bad,* and they’re just a great bunch of people. To me, it’s like working with a family that you really get along well with.”
Actress Karolina Wydra, who plays Zosia in *Pluribus*, hopes that audiences will identify with and relate to her character as well as to Carol as they navigate a new world based on optimism.
“With Carol, she’s such a strong female character that is a reluctant hero, but she’s a hero who fights for something that she truly believes in. There’s an empowerment in that,” Wydra explained. “For Zosia, her kindness and her sereneness has something inside that is so stunning and beautiful.”
The first two episodes of *Pluribus* are now available to stream on Apple TV.
https://variety.com/2025/scene/news/pluribus-rhea-seehorn-vince-gilligan-apple-tv-1236570933/