15 best TV actresses of 2018
By Reed Gaudens
Maggie Gyllenhaal as Eileen Merrell in The Deuce
The Role: In Season 2 of The Deuce, Gyllenhaal’s character Eileen sheds her street persona “Candy” to become one of the first female directors working in pornography in the 1970s. Eileen’s personal experience with pay-to-play sensual pleasure and a visceral understanding of both male and female sexual desire put her in a unique position to create X-rated art that didn’t pander to its audience.
Eileen’s first film, Red Hot, focuses on narrative foreplay just as much as the XXX act itself. Her bold, risky, and knowing choices elevate the feature to instant fame, giving her everything she ever wanted professionally. Yet, her personal life is a tragic casualty of this success, causing Eileen’s emotional world to crash down around her just when she finds her voice.
Why She’s One of 2018’s Best: Gyllenhaal embodies Eileen as a true survivor of a world that so frequently seeks to dismiss and disenfranchise women. She fights for everything she wants with quiet passion and determined zeal, often communicating complex intentions and emotions all without saying a single word.
There are myriad moments in this season of The Deuce in which Gyllenhaal goes beyond the written page and taps into something more. She often brings Eileen’s inner thoughts to vibrant life in seconds by deploying a series of miniscule but telling facial expressions that flit across her face and belie her most intimate thoughts. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Gyllenhaal excels at revealing encyclopedias of character development in mere moments of nuanced performance.
—Erin Qualey, Hidden Remote Staff Writer