When Erin Robinson auditioned for Delilah on the thriller Your Friends & Neighbors from Apple TV+, she knew nothing about the part. According to her, this mystery worked perfectly to create magic.
“The initial audition was very vague. I had a few notes about the character, and with the context clues of the script, I kind of already started making her the way she is in the show,” Robinson said during an interview on The Wayne Ayers Podcast.
Delilah is an unusual character; although she seems very guarded, there is also hidden warmth inside of her. This character isn’t simply a mean girl.
“She’s just really guarded. I just wouldn’t want anyone to take her in the mean girl way. Obviously, she has a little bit of edge to her, and she might not be the warmest to everyone, but Delilah is not just a mean girl,” Robinson continued.
Many of Delilah’s secrets lie in her relationship with her father, Owen, played by James Marsden. The character has attended boarding school and traveled around the world before moving to the central community depicted in the series. The actress played up this aspect while developing Delilah.
“She’s been moved around by her father, and she doesn’t really feel like she has anyone in her life. I wanted her to come off very mature and well-traveled,” Robinson said.
The actress also thinks that it would’ve been great to have scenes with Owen to show some of their fights.
“I feel like there could have been a really good emotional scene that brought some father-daughter fighting out,” Robinson commented. “If we could really dive into the fighting between the two of them, that could have been really fun.”
Despite on-screen tension with her co-star, James Marsden was very easygoing off-set.
“One time he was reading the script, and he was like, ‘Gosh, I’m an awful dad,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, you are,'” Robinson recalled.
To Erin Robinson, the whole process of working on Your Friends & Neighbors was like being in an acting master class.
“I explained it to everyone as if it was an acting master class. How is this considered work for me?” Robinson laughed. One of the main sources of inspiration was another actress, her co-star and friend, Lena Hall (Ally).
“She’s not scared to make any crazy character choices. Lena really showed me: give it your all. If they don’t want that version, they say, “Do it a different way.” Just trust your gut,” the actress said.
Jon Hamm, the actor and producer of Your Friends & Neighbors, became Robinson’s idol as well.
“It was so empowering to see that we all start from somewhere, and this is where he’s at. Hopefully it’s a possibility for me later in my career,” she commented.
The actress was surprised to learn how much people talk about her role, especially on social media, where many theories about Delilah’s background circulate.
“I just love reading all of them. Get you guys in the writer’s room,” Robinson said. For instance, there is a strange fan theory that claims that Delilah is, in fact, 40 years old.
“I wanted Delilah to seem very mature. I didn’t think I was going to get conspiracies that I was 40 years old. I think I do a good job with my skincare, so I’m a little offended, but thank you,” she joked.
Robinson earned an associate degree in film, with a particular love for screenwriting, which helps her understand characters better. The actress cites Black Swan as one of her formative works and enjoys dark and psychological roles.
“There’s something so cool to me about those storylines and those character arcs,” she added. Her dream collaboration would be Sofia Coppola as a director and Jessica Lange as an actress. Erin Robinson admits she wrote a screenplay for one of her classes.
“I wrote a script in one of my screenwriting classes. I’ve never wanted to share it with anyone, but I’ve always envisioned myself in the lead,” the actress concluded.
What she hopes to evoke in people while watching her performance is empathy.
“I want audiences to sympathize with her. She does have a good heart deep down. She’s just been through a lot of stuff.”
Your Friends & Neighbors is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
