‘Righteous Gemstones’: Cassidy Freeman on Her Secret Pregnancy, Sweating in Charleston Mansions and Never Being Serious

variety.com:

Mónica Marie Zorrilla Cassidy Freeman has only just given birth when she hops on the phone with Variety to talk about HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones.” The actor, known for her roles on “Longmire” and “Smallville” before portraying Amber Gemstone, a televangelist housewife with killer aim and a fierce disposition, doesn’t know what these moms are complaining about.“It’s really easy!… Said with a perfect amount of sarcasm,” Freeman quips.Unbeknownst to the majority of her cast members on the megachurch-focused dark comedy “The Righteous Gemstones,” created by Southern native Danny McBride (“Eastbound & Down,” “Hot Rod,” “Tropic Thunder,”) Freeman was pregnant during the majority of Season 2’s filming. “Well, no one knew minus my roommate and my bestie, Edi [Patterson],” Freeman says.

Hot, mosquito-ridden days on-location in South Carolina, COVID-19 protocols, and some stunts here and there didn’t slow down Freeman, she adds. “Someone was looking down on me and gave me a really easy, easy time… And no morning sickness,” Freeman says.Now that Season 2 of “The Righteous Gemstones” — featuring McBride, Adam DeVine, Tony Cavalero, Skyler Gisondo, Gregalan Williams, Tim Baltz, Dermot Mulroney and Jennifer Nettles — has dropped all of its episodes on HBO and HBO Max, Freeman spoke with Variety about Amber’s evolution from Stepford Wife to intimidating ride-or-die, how she missed out on “Vice Principals,” how creativity was always championed over seriousness and potential girl-power team-ups in Season 3.I think all of us were just so grateful to be working, especially during a time when so many were out of work or were underemployed, and we were given so many privileges like having these incredible nurses administer tests to use.