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The women of HBO’s Westworld talk female empowerment at SXSW

By Ariba Bhuvad

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Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton discuss their empowering roles in HBO’s Westworld at the SXSW Festival.

HBO’s Westworld had a large presence this year at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Along with an immersive fan experience, the cast came together to discuss the upcoming second season of the critically-acclaimed series. Given the current atmosphere of Hollywood, Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton discussed how Westworld has given them a platform for female empowerment.

While the series is extremely male-centric, Newton and Wood stand out as badass female characters that shine bright and are the epitome of everything amazing about Westworld.

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Given that the male to female ratio in Westworld is awfully skewed, Newton and Wood do not want the series to be viewed as a show primarily centered on males. During the SXSW panel in Austin, the two were asked to talk about how they feel about playing two strong female characters in the series. Newton shared her enthusiasm with the crowd:

"“Normal! It felt normal. Sigourney Weaver in ‘Alien,’ that was ages ago. I named my kid Ripley because that’s a woman I recognize.”"

Wood also shared what the first season felt like for her and stated she didn’t “feel confined” and did not have to dumb herself down while playing Dolores. Her character is a host within Westworld and slowly gains awareness of her reality over the course of the first season.

Wood has been an active and strong voice in the quest for female empowerment within the series, as well as in her outside life. She brings this voice to Dolores who gradually becomes a force to be reckoned with in the first season. It is inspiring and encouraging to see Wood take on a role that represents so many angles of a complex female character.

She shared this sentiment during the SXSW panel:

"“I’ve always said playing this role completely changed my life and transformed me, and it’s hard not to go through the same evolutionary shifts as the characters because you’re on the journey with them. And you don’t get to know what happens to them, and you don’t get to mentally prepare, and the existential crisis there is very real.”"

Newton shared that the men of the show had a pivotal role in providing a platform for the female characters to be front and center in the series.

"“I just want to play truth, and very often the truth of the characters I play as a woman is that she’s powerful, she’s intelligent, and she’s able to multitask. So I want to give it up massively to the f–ing men on our show to have the generosity of spirit, to have the sophistication, the progressiveness to put a platform up for women.”"

Given the perplexing, male-heavy storyline of Westworld, fans and non-fans alike can find inspiration in the series’ female characters who are a strong voice in the show.

Next: Creator of HBO's Silicon Valley talks about TJ Miller exit

Despite the fact Newton and Wood’s characters play android hosts in this world, anyone can find a level of relatability to their struggles and fears–and the impending doom of oppression that lurks at every corner.

Season two of Westworld premieres on April 22nd on HBO.

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