- Rhea Seehorn says filming Pluribus was the most challenging and rewarding work of her career.
- After watching the show, Better Call Saul co-star Bob Odenkirk called to check on her.
- Pluribus is Apple TV’s most-watched series and has prompted strong viewer reactions.
- Seehorn used small rituals — including Lego therapy — to cope with the role’s intensity.
Rhea Seehorn on Pluribus: a role that pushed her limits
Rhea Seehorn has spent the year at the centre of Pluribus, Apple TV’s breakout drama about a world grappling with an alien-minded contagion — and one of the few people whose mind remains her own. Seehorn, known to many for her work on Better Call Saul, describes making Pluribus as “the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, and the most rewarding.”
She tells of a performance that required emotional stamina. The show’s uncompromising tone and the moral questions it raises have prompted intense responses from viewers — and from colleagues. After he watched the series, her Better Call Saul co-star Bob Odenkirk called simply to check on her, Seehorn says, a sign of how affecting the work can be even for fellow actors.
Fans, reactions and responsibility
Pluribus’s rise to become Apple TV’s most-watched show has left Seehorn fielding conversations with viewers who say the series brought up complex feelings for them. She values that reaction. “People are coming up to me and they want to talk about what the show is bringing up in them,” she says. “That’s been absolutely beyond satisfying.”
Seehorn admits she’s a “scaredy-cat” about looking online for reviews or social reaction, preferring in-person conversations. Still, the feedback has reinforced how the show’s darker, grumpy lead can spark empathy and debate.
Coping strategies: Lego therapy and rituals on set
To stay grounded while playing a character who’s often sullen and emotionally taxed, Seehorn leaned on small rituals. She mentions what she calls “Lego therapy” — using playful, hands-on building as a calming practice between scenes — and other personal techniques to manage the stress of intense shooting schedules.
Those rituals helped her deliver a performance that balances a caustic exterior with subtle vulnerability, a combination critics and audiences have praised.
From Better Call Saul to a new kind of stardom
While many viewers still associate Seehorn with her acclaimed turn in Better Call Saul, Pluribus has shifted her profile. The role’s difficulty, she says, made the professional payoff all the sweeter: critical acclaim, record viewing numbers for Apple TV, and deep audience engagement.
Seehorn also shared lighter personal notes in conversation — including her ongoing struggle with the Guardian crossword — a reminder that the actor behind the intense lead remains approachable and self-deprecating.
What’s next
Seehorn describes the Pluribus experience as creatively demanding but creatively fulfilling. For now she’s focusing on the aftershocks of the series’ success: connecting with audiences, recovering from the emotional toll of the role, and deciding what projects will follow a year that transformed her public profile.
Image Referance: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/26/rhea-seehorn-interview-making-pluribus
