Rhea Seehorn Discusses Career Struggles and Success in 'Pluribus'
Rhea Seehorn, known for Better Call Saul, now stars in Apple TV's Pluribus, for which she has won Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards. She spoke at Chapman University about her career, including failed auditions and the concept of likability. She is currently Emmy-nominated for her role in Pluribus.
Seehorn's path to stardom was neither quick nor direct. She spent roughly ten years in Washington, D.C. and New York theater before breaking into television, enduring what she describes as a decade of unsuccessful auditions that ultimately prepared her for the role of Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul. That performance earned her two Emmy nominations and a Television Critics Association Award before Gilligan wrote Pluribus specifically for her, having initially conceived the lead as a male character.
The Apple TV series, which premiered in 2025, centers on a virus that merges most of humanity's consciousness, leaving only 13 people with independent free will. Seehorn's portrayal of romance novelist Carol Sturka has already brought her Golden Globe and Critics Choice wins, plus an Emmy nomination among the show's 18 total nods. She was also named to TIME's 100 most influential people list for 2026.
The recognition Seehorn is receiving for Pluribus could signal a shift in how the industry values performers who sustain long, patient careers rather than achieving overnight fame. Her success may encourage casting directors to look beyond conventional notions of likability and typecasting, potentially opening more complex dramatic roles for actors in mid-career. For audiences, her trajectory offers a counter-narrative to rapid celebrity, suggesting that artistic growth and critical acclaim can emerge gradually, which may influence how emerging performers approach their own professional expectations.