With “The Affair” set to kick off its fifth and final season, the journey of Ruth Wilson’s character has already ended with the death of her character following her decision to leave the show.
Wilson’s exit from “The Affair” has been shrouded in mystery, with the actress giving an interview last year to the New York Times, in which she disputed reports that she left over a salary dispute.
“It isn’t about pay parity, and it wasn’t about other jobs,” Wilson said, “but I’m not really allowed to talk about it.”
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, “The Affair” star Maura Tierney addresses Wilson’s departure, and implies that the “demanding” role had taken its toll on her.
“People have different tolerances for different things,” she tells VF. “The work was certainly very demanding for her… [her character, Alison] was just suffering all the time.”
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Adds Tierney: “This show is very specific. And it’s very demanding. And sometimes people have a shelf life for it.”
Meanwhile, Tierney also teases what fans of the show can expect from its swan song season.
“I think it’s as intense as it’s ever been,” she says of the new season. “That second episode in particular is very emotional. But it’s been that way since the very beginning, so real that — as someone who is married — it’s actually nerve-wracking to watch.”
The final season of “The Affair” debuts on Sunday, August 25.
