Marcia Gay Harden Discusses Elizabeth’s Complexities in Margo’s Got Money Problems

It can be hard to be a parent. But what happens when that parent tries to do too much for their child? Margo’s Got Money Problems explores that question through Elizabeth (played by Marcia Gay Harden).

Unlike her son, Mark (played by Michael Angarano), Elizabeth is a cold and pessimistic figure who wants nothing more than control of Margo’s child. However, in the process, she gets into a messy feud with Margo’s mother, Shyanne.

I had the opportunity to speak with Harden about what makes Elizabeth a sympathetic character, her hidden traits, and more.

Even though Elizabeth may seem like a harsh grandparent figure, she shows clear dedication to what’s best for Mark. Harden discussed what she loved about the mother-son dynamic that both characters share throughout Season 1.

“As an actor, what I love about her is that she’s status-conscious and unforgiving in a way,” Harden began. “She’s very controlling with her kid, Mark. I love that about her because it gave a lot of conflict to the show.”

“She’s used to being the provider, and her journey is probably to learn to love her kid as he is. That she just can’t mold him to be as great as she wants him to be because he’s not that person. He’s not capable and she has to learn to love that,” she divulged.

“I think that’s going to be very hard for her to give up trying to change other people.”

Given how differently Elizabeth treats Margo and her family, fans might wonder if there’s anything redeeming about her. However, Harden loved that the character is persistent about her beliefs and keeps Mark in line.

“Does it have to be good?” Harden asked. “Her deal in the first place was about reputation, status, freeing Mark, and saving his family. Now that’s exploded, she can’t do that for him.”

“I think there’s a part of her that infantilizes him because she needs him to be infantilized. She needs to be able to care for him. But now, she’s at court with a broken jaw.”

Harden also believes that Elizabeth has what it takes to be part of Margo’s family, aside from supporting the two financially: “She allowed Cheyenne to apologize. It seems that she does want to be a part of this family unit, even if the family doesn’t look like what she wants it to be. She does not want to be left out. I think that’s what’s clear. She’s going to have to ask herself, in order not to be left out, ‘What do I have to do?’ It is her grandchild.”

“She has that sense of ownership in a way, which is a little scary, but it’s also she has it.”

It should come as no surprise that Harden’s extensive filmography had an impact on how she perceived Elizabeth in Margo’s Got Money Problems. Talking about which previous roles influenced Elizabeth the most, Harden looked back on one particular film.

“I think there’s a little more of a connection to Mona Lisa’s Smile and the sense of the status and propriety,” the actress explained. “What’s interesting in this is that the power is female-driven, and certainly in her case, you don’t even have a husband. She’s the power.”

Harden reaffirmed that Elizabeth is the way she is because she stands her ground.

“I like that in this day and age. The woman can look any kind of way. If she were a man, would people think she was so mean? As a woman, she’s very commanding, very expectant, and rude to her son. But coming from a woman, I think that we judge it more harshly in a way.”

“She says, look, some people will say I’m like a raccoon and [say], ‘Why would she say that?’ She knows she’s vicious when it comes to protecting her family and she’s okay with it.”

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All episodes of Margo’s Got Money Problems Season 1 are now streaming on Apple TV.

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