Rachel Brosnahan Rob Latour/Shutterstock
More important than God! The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan opened up about the relationship between Midge and Lenny — and revealed what she loves most about the fan favorite pairing.
“That relationship has evolved in ways, that as fans will know, I never could have expected. And in fact, I was told was never gonna happen,” Brosnahan, 32, exclusively told Us Weekly on the 2023 PaleyFest red carpet. “But it did. I mean, I do love their relationship. Because when Midge first meets him, he’s, like, a god. He’s someone — he’s like a prophet. He’s a fairy godfather throughout the series. And as the show goes on, as she rises and as she begins to find her way, they’re closer. They’re just such a great match.”
For four seasons, the hit comedy teased fans with the chemistry between Midge (Brosnahan) and fellow comedian Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby). The pair become fast friends after meeting in the back of a cop car during the series premiere. As the show went on, their dynamic continued to flourish as they crossed paths at various gigs. While season 3 hinted that the duo may become something more one day, they kept their distance, never crossing the line into romance.
However, the season 4 finale saw the couple finally give in to their desires and spend a night together in a hotel room. While Brosnahan told Collider in April 2022 that she was initially hesitant to see Midge and Lenny become anything more than just friends, the House of Cards alum admitted that it ultimately benefited their character development.
“I love that they get together as equals and completely on their own terms, and I love that it’s funny and lovely,” Brosnahan gushed to the outlet of the hotel scene. “If they were ever gonna get together, despite initially being adamantly against it, I couldn’t be more happy that that’s the way they chose to do it. I should never have been surprised that they would have nailed the landing. It was so fun.”
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel and Luke Kirby as Lenny Bruce in ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’ Philippe Antonello/Prime Video
Meanwhile, Kirby, 44, exclusively told Us in February 2022 that he hoped the twosome would get together at some point.
“I’m always a sucker for people going for it,” the Gossip Girl alum said ahead of the season 4 premiere. “You know, what’s the point of saying goodbye? We’re all gonna have to say goodbye eventually [so] spend the night together.”
Finding the balance between taking the pair’s flirtation to the next level while still honoring Bruce’s real-life history was something creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and husband Dan Palladino took seriously — starting with making sure all of Lenny’s comedy routines were “recreations.” (The real-life Lenny Bruce died of a drug overdose in 1966.)
“There were certain rules with Lenny,” Amy exclusively told Us at PaleyFest. “We never wrote comedy for him. All of his stand-up was [real] Lenny Bruce standup. Because who’s gonna write Lenny Bruce stand-up? That was a big rule.”
Despite their undeniable sparks, Lenny’s role in Midge’s life also goes far beyond romantic intentions for the co-showrunners. “Lenny served as a muse for her for a long time,” Amy explained to Us, to which Dan added, “And a guardian angel.”
“And then, even when that shifted, it immediately snapped back because he was, again, the person saying, ‘Eye on the prize. What are you doing? Eye on the prize. I see you and I can see you f—king this up. You’re gonna f—k this up.’ So, like, having laid all that groundwork and having that sort of relationship, it helped us get to that moment,” the Gilmore Girls creator shared.
