Who plays Bree’s mom Mary on ‘Tell Me Lies’? Why Emily Meade looks so familiar
A new season of Tell Me Lies means new cast members, and more than halfway through the latest chapter of Hulu‘s hit series, viewers are still meeting fresh faces.
The first half of Season 3 introduced crucial new characters like Alex (Costa D’Angelo) and Amanda (Iris Apatow). And in Season 3, Episode 5 we meet a new freshman named Tegan (Bianca Nugara) along with Bree’s biological mom, Mary (Emily Meade).
Tell Me Lies Season 3, Episode 5 premiere spoilers ahead.
So who is Mary on Tell Me Lies? Who plays Bree’s mom on Tell Me Lies? And why does Tell Me Lies Season 3 star Emily Meade look so familiar? We’ve got answers.
Here’s everything to know about Bree’s mom Mary, Emily Meade’s career and past projects, and casting info from Tell Me Lies creator and showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer.
Who Is Mary On Tell Me Lies? Who Is Bree’s Mom On Tell Me Lies?
Throughout Tell Me Lies‘ first two seasons, viewers heard bits and pieces of Bree’s backstory, but in Season 3 with the arrival of her foster brother Alex and the introduction of her birth mom, we learn a lot more about Bree’s pre-Baird life.
During her bus stop heart-to-heart with Wrigley in Episode 1, Bree told him that her mom was 14 when she had her and that all she knew about her dad was “he was way too old to have sex with a 14-year-old.” In Episode 2, Alex asked how Bree’s mom was doing and she said they hadn’t seen each other in a few years, since she was in high school. So by Episode 5, Bree decided to take a chance and seek her mother out in hopes of learning more about her past. And who better to accompany her on a road trip to New Jersey than Wrigley, who has his own family drama and understands where she’s coming from?
When Bree went to her mother’s door, Mary’s boyfriend answered and told Bree where to find her. She headed to the brunch spot where Mary was dining with her friends, and when Bree arrived her mom was all smiles and so pleasantly surprised to see her. The two hugged, and Mary invited her to catch up over bottomless mimosas, despite struggling with alcohol. As the two bonded over relationships and the past, Bree shared some info on her “messy” romance with an older guy and learned that her mother wasn’t as present in her childhood as she thought. While the chat was primarily positive, Emily Meade’s nuanced performance of a woman who feels a slew of different emotions towards the estranged daughter she wasn’t able to care for is incredibly affecting — and Missal keeps right up with her.
After a successful chat, Wrigley drove Mary back home and bragged about Bree’s upcoming photography exhibit. Bree invited her mom to the show at Baird, and Mary invited Bree to her shore house for the summer. Before Bree and Wrigley left, Bree asked if she could take her mom’s photo, and Mary faced her camera shyness to get in front of her daughter’s lens. “You’re beautiful, mom,” a beaming Bree told her. While the actors play mother and daughter on-screen, they’re not related in real life, which is worth repeating, since they bear such a striking resemblance — a testament to perfect Tell Me Lies casting…
Who Plays Bree’s Mom On Tell Me Lies? Why Emily Meade Looks So Familiar
As noted above, Bree’s mom Mary is played by Emily Meade, a 37-year-old actor who’s starred in more than 35 films and television series since she kickstarted her on-screen career in 2006. If Meade looks familiar, you may recognize her from Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Leftovers, Broad City, The Deuce, The Penguin, Nerve, Dead Ringers, and more.
As for landing the role in Tell Me Lies, Oppenheimer told Decider, “Someone pitched her to me and I was really struck by how similar [to Bree] she looks. It was perfect. And then we brought her in, and she just was incredible. She’s such a great actress, and she really feels like someone who has lived a life. Some actors come in and they’re playing these characters that have been through a lot, and you can feel that they haven’t. And with Emily, when she’s on screen, it feels like she’s someone who’s truly been through something. She just brought so much depth. She broke my heart.”
“When she’s on screen, it feels like she’s someone who’s truly been through something. She just brought so much depth. She broke my heart.”
Meaghan Oppenheimer, Tell Me Lies
With Bree’s extended photography exhibit invite, we’re sure to see more of Meade as Mary in Tell Me Lies Season 3. Until then, you can stay up-to-date with Meade on Instagram at @need4meade.
New episodes of Tell Me Lies Season 3 premiere Wednesdays on Hulu.
