Meet The Actresses Ripping Up The Red-Carpet Rulebook

As we begin the march toward awards season, Net-A-Porter’s The Edit salutes the Hollywood actresses who are integral to the TV shows we love. Morena Baccarin (Homeland), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), and Jessica Paré (Mad Men) took time out of their busy schedules to model red-carpet worthy looks by Jason Wu, Roland Mouret, Dolce & Gabbana and many more. We want that job.

The Edit chatted with these actresses about their roles — and each offered deep insight into their incredible characters and shared personal stories about the ups and downs of the business. We gathered a few of our favorite sound bites below.

Breaking Bad's Skylar Anna Gunn revealed that filming the final season was just as tough as it was to watch. “It was eviscerating at times. We knew the show wasn’t going to end happily and, towards the end, we were all affected by the story lines the characters were going through and saying goodbye to the show. Those feelings were really intertwined.”

Morena Baccarin who plays Jessica, Brody's estranged wife on Homeland had to contend with pregnancy and the show’s dramatic plotlines. “Jessica is always under duress. At first I was worried I would be crying all the time while I was pregnant. But in fact, it made it somewhat easier because it was crystal clear what was me and what was my character.”

As for GoT's Lena Headey, it's motherhood that has made her embrace her character’s distinctly villainous qualities. “You know that side of you that’s a hedonist? I can no longer do those things, so Cersei’s a good channel for me. It’s fun to play a morally questionable person. Cersei has no empathy for anybody.”

Jessica Paré depended on her family to keep her grounded during her early days in the business. “My mom took me to a model agent in Montreal when I was 16, and she said to come back after I lost 20 pounds. We walked out and I said, ‘Maybe I should diet?’ Mom said, ‘Maybe we should go for cheeseburgers?’”

Click through to read the rest of the feature on the The Edit and let us know in the comments section below which star is your favorite leading lady?