Episode 6 of Agatha All Along provided us with key insights into Teen/Billy's identity and motivations. It also introduced us to Billy's loving and supportive parents, Rebecca Kaplan (Maria Dizzia) and Jeff Kaplan (Paul Adelstein). I had the opportunity to interview Maria Dizzia and discuss some of the pivotal scenes.
Now that you're able to talk about this role, how does it feel? Was it hard to keep this secret for like more than two years?
Yes, it was really hard to keep it a secret because I had so much fun filming it. It was such a beautiful experience meeting Joe and creating that family with him and Paul, who played his father. It meant a lot to me to be part of it, so it was really difficult not to talk about it.
It feels like the cast and crew of Agatha All Along became a family... It is a labor of love.
Yeah, I think very much like family... and like there's so much love within every aspect of it. I was really surprised [that] the creator, Jac [Schaeffer], was so embracing to us when we got on set.
I felt that the part of Rebecca is an important part of the story because there is an aspect of mothers in the story. The Scarlet Witch is a mother who's mourning her children and Agatha is mourning a child, so I know that thread is important in the story. But, at the same time I was like, Rebecca Kaplan is such a small part of it that I was actually really surprised how much care and attention Jac gave to us and it really meant a lot to me. It’s not often the case that when you do a smaller role like that in a story that people take such care of the character and are so willing to have conversations with you. It really was a labor of love and that really got into all of the corners of the story, it was really great.
Have you seen WandaVision?
Yes! One of the things that was so amazing about WandaVision was that we all kind of discovered it together because it came out during COVID. You weren't necessarily like out and about looking at Billboards or hearing about it. It was just something that I feel like a lot of us just uncovered on our own, being like, "oh, I've watched all this other stuff and I fell in love with it."
I think one of the things that struck me, aside from the originality of the concept and the fantastic performances—like, obviously, Kathryn Hahn and Elizabeth Olsen—was how ambitious it was.
You and Elizabeth Olsen are now kind of the mothers of the same character...
Yeah, I know! I was actually excited about that because Elizabeth and I have worked together before. So there was something that felt so nice like a little string, another little connection to her...
You’re also playing Aubrey Plaza’s character's mother in My Old Ass, right?
That was great, and we actually filmed those scenes in the same calendar year. I knew I was on set shooting my scenes before Aubrey arrived, but I knew she would be doing that part. I hadn’t shot my Marvel scenes yet, but I knew I was going to, and she was part of that too. It was so fun to have that connection with her.
How do you think Rebecca would view Wanda Maximoff as a mother?
I think, well, you know, since Rebecca's a therapist, I feel like she would believe that Wanda maybe has the best intentions and could somehow be rehabilitated as a mother. But yeah, I think she might still have some criticisms.
Did you do any specific research for the role of Rebecca Kaplan? There are comics and some material about her out there. Have you checked any of that out before?
I did. I looked things up online. I didn’t read a full story, but I looked at different artwork of her to get inspiration about who she is. There’s one frame in a comic where Billy comes home and introduces his parents to his boyfriend. Rebecca grabs him in a bear hug, saying, 'We’re so happy for you and happy to meet you.' That frame was really helpful to me and probably the most inspiring because you could tell from it that she was giving all of herself to her son, and she was so full of love. I liked the combination in that particular artist’s depiction of her with those strict rectangular glasses, which gave her a formal appearance. I think Daniel [Selon] also reflected that in the dress he chose for me first, at the bar mitzvah, but toward her son, she’s really effusive.
You have beautifully captured Rebecca Kaplan's sweetness and loving nature as a mother. Was there any specific energy you channeled for that?
Well, I had come to set thinking about those things already, but once I met Joe, I just concentrated on him. He’s a beautiful person and was carrying so much of the show on his shoulders. He’s so warm and playful with everyone, and I thought it was extraordinary for someone so young to be a part of this enormous story. I felt very protective and loving towards him, and once we were on set, it was all about how I felt about Joe.
That really came together beautifully. Many fans loved your portrayal of Rebecca. Would you be interested in returning to the role, or have you been told about any future appearances?
I wasn't told about any future appearances, but I definitely had my fingers crossed that I would get the chance to appear again. Especially because, as I mentioned earlier, the theme of motherhood is so important to the story. I thought maybe there could be an opportunity for the mothers to meet in some way—maybe even have a standoff, threaten each other, or come to some kind of understanding. I was really excited about the possibilities of that.
I think everyone would be thrilled to see you on the big screen or TV again. It feels like it could happen—people are really rooting for it.
I hope so, too!
Was it challenging to portray the intense emotions after the car accident, especially as a loving mother who feels like she’s lost her son, but not entirely, since he’s still there but has amnesia? That feeling of having him, yet him not being himself?
Yes, it was hard. I think the immediate aftermath, especially when we were working on the crash, was really challenging. I’m a mother myself, so there’s something terrifying about letting yourself imagine being in that situation, especially because my character was driving. The sense of responsibility she must have felt—it really is a parent’s nightmare in so many ways. Our director was really focused on capturing that feeling.
I think all kinds of loss are challenging. Losing someone completely is devastating, but what you're describing is being in a liminal space—where your mind tells you, "I still have them, so I shouldn’t mourn." You feel like you need to get to know who they are now because they've changed. But at the same time, there’s this sense of guilt for missing the person they used to be.
Also, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the accident happens after Billy’s bar mitzvah. I feel like that part of Billy’s story is a metaphor for losing your adolescence and becoming an adult—the way parents mourn the child you were but also learn to support the adult you're becoming. For the Kaplans, this transformation happens all in one afternoon, but in life, it usually happens gradually. I thought a lot about that.
I feel like I need to watch it again with everything you’ve said in mind—it’ll definitely give me a new perspective.
Oh, that’s so nice! Thank you.
Okay, my last question: How was your experience filming, especially with the scale of a Marvel project? And how was it sharing the screen with Joe [Locke] and Paul [Adelstein]?
It was wonderful working with Joe and Paul—both of them. Paul and I had worked together before on another project, an independent film where we played husband and wife, so it was nice to already have that comfort level with each other. Our characters were very different in that film, but we knew each other as actors, which helped.
Joe was immediately endearing, so it was so much fun to be on set with him. I was definitely intimidated at first, walking onto such a huge set. Jac’s vision is incredibly ambitious, so you get on set and it’s enormous. There’s the dance floor with lights and cues, smoke, and the room transformed into this otherworldly bar mitzvah. You just hope you’re not the one holding up production because there are so many moving parts. But once we started working, it was really exciting.
Another fun part was that most of the special effects were practical. For example, during the car crash scene, instead of using CGI, they rigged up a car that was spinning in the mud. As an actor, it’s easier to react to something real happening around you instead of having to imagine stimuli. But it was also just fun to be part of something so dynamic.
Yeah, I imagine that for an actor, it would be a dream come true, with everything coming together like the sets, costumes, and makeup.
It really did feel like you were playing in this supernatural world. That’s the kind of experience everyone wants to have, and it was truly exciting.
Agatha All Along is now streaming on Disney Plus.
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
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