Alfie Fuller joined The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in season 4, and during season 5, her character, Dinah Rutledge, was introduced as a series regular. In the last — and final season — of the Amazon Prime series, the actress is excited for viewers to see Dinah “step into more of her power and responsibilities,” the star exclusively tells GRAZIA USA.
In the show — which focuses on Miriam “Midge” Maisel (played by Rachel Brosnahan) as she dives into the stand-up comedy world — Dinah is Susie’s (played by Alex Borstein) vivacious and chipper receptionist. “We get to see Dinah take the reins, and it’s really cool. I enjoyed watching it. We filmed it so long ago, so when I watched it recently, I said, ‘This is incredible!'”
“It’s been a dream, and it’s still so surreal. Even though we wrapped, it’s been a huge honor to be part of this monumental show. To be part of an ensemble that is stacked with icons and legends is incredible,” she adds of the series, which features Tony Shalhoub, Kevin Pollak, Marin Hinkle and more.
One of Fuller’s favorite parts was getting to be transformed back in time — the show takes place in the late ’50s — with her hair and makeup. “But I am also working with creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino — and Alex and Rachel,” she notes. “But what was challenging for me was fixing my accent since I am from the south. I talk really slowly, so being on set with Amy and Dan, every word has to be perfect. It was definitely a learning curve since they talk so fast.”
Fuller has been a fan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel since the first season came out, so she understood the talking pace between characters. “Amy and Dan worked with me and would be like, ‘Faster. You missed this word. Do it again faster. You missed that word.’ They really prepped me so that I was ready,” she notes, adding that she has the gift of memorizing lines rather quickly. “I had all the tools in my toolbox to help me step into this role seamlessly.”
The dramedy is chock full of strong, driven, powerful, funny characters — something Fuller doesn’t take for granted. “Everybody took a lot of cues from the women we grew up with who were around during that time period,” she says. “I am glad Maisel is one of the few shows that show women in this way. I am a big fan of musicals, and this was unlike anything I had ever seen on TV. I knew this was the place I had to be.”
Originally, Fuller got an audition for a day player, meaning they would only have a couple of lines for one episode of Maisel. “I grabbed it because I was like, ‘I’ve been wanting to be on this show forever.’ But then my agent told me to pass. I was like, ‘This isn’t going to come around again,’ and she was like, ‘Trust me.’ I trusted her, but it hurt so bad. But two weeks later, she sent me the audition for Dinah, and said, ‘I told you to trust me!'” she recalls.
Fuller never believed she would be such an important figure on the show — and she gets to work alongside Borstein and Brosnahan, who are also powerhouses in their own right. “Rachel was the first person to walk up to me at the first table read and introduce herself. She said, ‘Thank you for being here. We’re so glad you’re part of the family.’ I walked away thinking, ‘That’s a star. I am going to learn a lot here.’ Alex welcomed me in her own way, but I never felt like a stranger or an outsider. To watch Rachel and Alex — and all the others — was like a masterclass,” she gushes. “Each time I got on set with Alex, it got easier and easier for me. It was wonderful.”
Ultimately, Fuller hopes the viewers are “proud of the story we told and how we wrapped it up.”
“We can’t please everyone, and when you’re a fan of the show, you hold it close. You’re very protective of the story and these characters. I hope fans are satisfied about how this all wraps up. Maisel has left its mark after being on TV for seven years,” she says. “That’s a beautiful thing. It’s this lightning in a bottle kind of thing that you cannot recreate, so I think it’s going to last for eons.”
As for if Fuller is happy with the ending herself, she says, “I’m biased, but I really was! They took the story where you never thought it would go.”
Growing up, Fuller always knew she was destined to be a star. “My grandmother saw it very early on. She saw I could read and memorize really well. She was like, ‘Here’s this person with energy and personality,’ let’s put it to use and get her on the stage!'”
From there, Fuller has fallen in love with theater. “I’ll always go back to it when the opportunity arises, but I really like TV. I’ve always wanted to do it but never thought it would happen,” she states.
“I want to continue appearing on TV and step into directing a bit. I don’t know the first thing about it, but I’ve worked with a lot of directors. I already asked Amy if I can shadow her when she’s in New York filming their next show. I am so excited to just be alive! I want to try everything — throw me in a musical, action movie or horror drama. I want to do it all and see how I can challenge myself. I feel unstoppable after Maisel.”
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
