Caitlin FitzGerald: Hollywood's New Power Player

Hollywood's New Power Player: Caitlin FitzGerald

The reality about Hollywood "newcomers"? A lot of these people aren't new to the scene at all — many clock upwards of 10 years of experience before gaining any recognition. Case in point: Caitlin FitzGerald. The striking blonde has shared the screen with everyone from Blake Lively to Ed Burns and the one and only Meryl Streep. Yet, it wasn’t until booking her current gig, playing Libby Masters on Masters of Sex, wife of the titular Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen), that she started to become a household name.

So, what does FitzGerald consider to be her big break? “Every job I’ve had has definitely paved the way for the next,” she said. “Everyone likes to think of actors as being these overnight sensations, but even Jennifer Lawrence has been acting since she was 12. It’s really just about sticking with it.” This perseverance has definitely paid off for the actress — and, judging from the fervor and affection with which she discusses the job, it’s going to continue to do so. Newcomer or not, this is one girl you’d be a fool to bet against.

Has being on Masters of Sex altered the way you view relationships in your personal life?
“Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s made me more aware that these cultural assumptions — that are such a big part of the show — are still completely alive. I wasn’t prepared for that at all. In a lot of ways, yes, we’re much more liberated and sexually free than we were back then — but, in many ways we still have the same issues as we did back then."

What's one of the issues that you still see existing today?
“Well, what’s interesting for me about [my character] Libby is that she believes this fairy tale — and that fairy tale still totally exists for some people. Like, if I find the right guy, and I get the perfect house, and I have all the right clothes, and the right hairdo, I’ll be happy; the fairy tale will come true. And, I definitely have friends that bought into that mythology, too. And, now, as we get older, those friends are totally shocked and thrown that it’s more complicated than that.”

In what ways do you relate to Libby?
“I think Libby leads from her heart a lot. And, I think I do, too — for better or for worse. I think that’s what has led me to be an actor and pursue this insanity. She feels things really deeply, and things affect her on a very personal level. I remember an acting teacher once told me, ‘Your greatest strength as an actor will be your sensitivity — but that will also be your greatest weakness.’ And, I think that’s really true for Libby, too.”

If you had to travel back in time to the '50s, what's one thing you know would be a huge struggle for you?
“I don’t know how I would be able to keep my mouth shut with all the blatant misogyny."

What advice do you wish you were given when you were first starting out?
“That it’s all just a game of holding out, and it definitely just takes a long time to get there. And, that’s been true for every actor I know.”

What's the worst audition you’ve ever had?
“The worst? Oh yeah, I’ve got a good one. I auditioned for a play right out of college that Alan Rickman was directing. I got a callback, and I really wanted it, and I felt like he and I had a real connection. Anyway, I didn’t get the part. Then, like three months later, I’m waitressing at this horrible restaurant, and I’m informed that the opening-night party for the play that I didn’t get is happening that night at the very restaurant that I was a waitress at. So, I got really drunk in the back room since I was so horrified and stressed, and I proceeded to go right up to Alan Rickman and tell him how much I loved the play and how sorry I was that he hadn’t cast me. All the while, I’m holding a tray of crab balls. And, he looks at me, and has absolutely no idea who I am or what I'm saying. It was awful. And, I was holding crab balls!"

You’re on a show that’s insanely sexual. But, you might be the only actor on it who doesn’t have to worry about their family seeing them naked.
“Yes! I was literally the only cast member this season who didn’t have to get naked. Literally, the only one! I was very grateful of that, and slightly offended [laughing]. But, no, seriously, my father and my three brothers were definitely quite pleased with that.”