‘Actors Love When You Can Play Characters That Provoke Conversation’: Blair Underwood on His ‘Three Women’ Role as Unconventional Husband

Veteran actor Blair Underwood has played many complex characters over his entertainment career of nearly 40 years, but the L.A. Law and Sex and the City star said his latest role in Starz ’s provocative drama Three Women as a husband in an open marriage was among his most challenging.

Based on Lisa Taddeo’s best-selling nonfiction book of the same name, the series, which premieres September 13, follows a reporter who documents the stories of three women from different walks of life seeking to explore their true desires. Underwood’s role as a husband in a polyamorous relationship with his wife, played by DeWanda Wise, was a departure for the 60-year-old actor.

“I had reluctance signing on to this project only because of the intimacy involved,”  said Underwood, who most recently appeared in the theatrical horror film Longlegs.

Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin, Gabrielle Creevy and Fred Savage also star in the 10-episode Starz series.

Underwood spoke to Multichannel News senior content producer, programming R. Thomas Umstead about his initial concerns about joining the project and what ultimately moved him to take the role. A slightly edited version of the interview appears below.

MCN: What drew you to the Three Women project?

Blair Underwood: First, I heard it was a No. 1 best-selling book, so I knew its history and its pedigree. What drew me specifically was the storyline. I loved the fact that mine was a character who was in a relationship that was polyamorous and open to different partners. Just to explore that on screen was intriguing.

MCN: How difficult was it for you to get into your character?

BU: I had some reluctance signing on to this project only because of the intimacy involved. There’s such an internal, interior dynamic that’s going on in all of the [sex] scenes — it’s not just people having sex. You see that and it’s very explicit, and my reservation was to understand the confines of that from a mechanical standpoint. But from an emotional standpoint, I thought it was an interesting exploration to do as long as you’re seeing the emotional and intellectual calisthenics that are going on in the midst of these sexual escapades.

MCN: Has the proliferation of TV distributors like Starz, along with the streaming services, provided opportunities to tell stories like Three Women that didn’t exist before?

BU: I think that’s part of it — all of these platforms, especially streaming services, need content. But I also think it’s just where we are culturally in society. It’s more a part of the conversation. That’s also one of the things that drew me to the project: actors love when you can play characters that provoke conversation.

MCN: Going forward after this role, will you be more open to playing unique and complex characters that you may not have played 10 to 15 years ago?

BU: It’s funny you say that — when I said that there was resistance to come on this, it's because I never played a character that had that explicit sexual dynamic, and it's something I said I would never do. Longlegs, which is out now, is a horror film that I didn’t think I’d ever do. So I’m more open now.