Fresh Air Weekend: Maggie Gyllenhaal; Breaking Free From The Purity Movement

Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as a sex worker who gets off the streets by becoming an actress in — and then a director of — porn films in HBO's The Deuce. She's also a producer on the series.
Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as a sex worker who gets off the streets by becoming an actress in — and then a director of — porn films in HBO's The Deuce. She's also a producer on the series. Paul Schiraldi / HBO

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Maggie Gyllenhaal Takes On The Power Imbalance Of Sex Work In 'The Deuce': When the creators of HBO's The Deuce approached Gyllenhaal about starring as a sex worker on the show, she accepted the role — but only if she could produce as well as act.

The Tough Wild West — Now With Feelings — In 'The Sisters Brothers': Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly play a brotherly pair of assassins-for-hire in Jacques Audiard's latest film. Critic Justin Chang calls The Sisters Brothers a "funny, stirring, brutal story."

Memoirist: Evangelical Purity Movement Sees Women's Bodies As A 'Threat': In Pure, Linda Kay Klein reflects on the "deep, long-lasting shame" caused by churches that claim women and girls are responsible for the sexual desires of men.

You can listen to the original interviews here:

Maggie Gyllenhaal Takes On The Power Imbalance Of Sex Work In 'The Deuce'

The Tough Wild West — Now With Feelings — In 'The Sisters Brothers'

Memoirist: Evangelical Purity Movement Sees Women's Bodies As A 'Threat'

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