“For me, it has always felt better to be alone than to be in a partnership where I feel lonely. But that’s the thing that I think is remarkable is that we change so much as humans that hopefully we get to find ourselves in relationships where we get to change inside of them. And we are changed by them.”
In her latest cinematic endeavor, the brilliant Tessa Thompson tackles the notoriously turbulent character of Hedda Gabler. This new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s timeless play, titled “Hedda” and hitting select theaters on October 22nd, features Thompson as a 1950s housewife trapped in a suffocating marriage, feeling neglected by a past flame. Hedda’s desperate solution involves inflicting pain upon those who’ve wronged her, culminating in her own tragic demise.
On a special episode of the “Modern Love” podcast, Thompson delves into her personal connection with complex female roles like Hedda, exploring the universal yearning to shape one’s life and define love on one’s own terms. During the episode, she also shares a poignant “Modern Love” essay, recounting a story of an unfulfilling marriage that ultimately led the author to a profound journey of self-discovery.