Sarah Paulson refuses to act opposite a CGI Jack Nicholson for future episodes of Ryan Murphy’s Ratched. Penned by Evan Romansky, Ratched is the latest collaboration between Murphy and Paulson, as Paulson has appeared in numerous Murphy helmed-projects, including American Horror Story and Feud: Bette and Joan. Centering on the origin story of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Ratched chronicles Nurse Mildred Ratched’s journey from asylum nurse to a murderous monster. Set against the backdrop of Northern California in 1947, Ratched takes place nearly two decades before the events of the classic film.
Set in 1963, Cuckoo’s Nest stars Nicholson as Randi McMurphy, a new patient at a mental institution who engages in a deadly battle of wills with tyrannical Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Hailed as one of the greatest pieces of filmmaking in cinema history, Cuckoo’s Nest garnered numerous accolades, including Academy Awards for Fletcher and Nicholson’s performances. Following its debut on September 18, Ratched season 1 witnessed Paulson inching closer to the Nurse from Cuckoo’s Nest. Now, Paulson reveals her thoughts on portraying the harsher version of the diabolical Nurse that viewers already know.
Speaking to TheWrap, Paulson reveals that Murphy’s ultimate goal for the series is for Nurse Ratched to end up in the same era as Cuckoo’s Nest. Elaborating on portraying the character in the ‘70s timeline, when Nurse Ratched would be working in the hospital, Paulson states she doesn’t know how Murphy has the events mapped out in his head but refuses to perform opposite a CGI version of Nicholson as McMurphy.
I certainly don’t want to see me acting opposite a computer-generated Jack Nicholson. I mean, I don’t think that sounds like a good idea. So I think if we end up in that era, it would be more about Nurse Ratched’s life when she turned the key in her white uniform, coming back into her house from those days at the hospital with all those events that happened there.
Considered one of Murphy's best series to date, Ratched has already been renewed for season 2. However, it has yet to be revealed when Ratched season 2 will release on Netflix. Of course, if Ratched continues at the pace of the initial season, Paulson’s Mildred Ratched would not encounter Randi McMurphy until season 4. As it stands, Paulson shows no signs of slowing down. Following a brief hiatus from AHS, Paulson will return for season 10 of the anthology series and will tackle the role of Linda Tripp in the upcoming season of American Crime Story.
Over the past decade, Hollywood has witnessed a surge in visual effects to de-age and age actors. However, Paulson has presented a strong opinion on the use of a CGI version of Nicholson. Speaking on her preparation for the role of Nurse Ratched, Paulson mentioned viewing Cuckoo’s Nest over a dozen times, as she was captivated by the brilliance of its powerhouse performances. Paulson has certainly turned Nurse Mildred into her own character, rather than a carbon copy of Fletcher, and an actor other than Nicholson could do the same for Randi McMurphy in the future episodes of Ratched.
Source: TheWrap