‘I’m still trying to get over a cold...it's so boring’ Mamie (pronounced May-meee) reveals over the phone from her New York pad, recovering from a coughing fit. Underneath the croak in her voice, there is something all too familiar sounding in her speech - from the long pauses peppered throughout our interview, thinking carefully about each answer - to her wry humour. Then there’s that face. Being Meryl Streep’s daughter is a tag she’s worn her whole life and, as an actress fresh out of drama school, in the casting room. While Mamie Gummer, 33, has rocked up acting credits in acclaimed films and TV series from The Good Wife to Ricki and the Flash, it’s her role in 1940s-set fashion drama The Collection that’s got everyone excited.
‘I liked the stuff in the bedroom!’ she laughs. ‘I’ve been buying vintage nightgowns since the show ended. Our designer Chattoune [alongside her partner, Fab] is brilliant. She had opinions about everyone’s role and their back story. Having that distilled in the wardrobe department was unusual.’ Much like her character Helen - a wealthy American wife of couture fashion designer Claude Sabine - there is much more than meets the eye. ‘I sense there’s a lot on the line for her.’
Growing up in the Streep household, with the added pressures of fame, didn’t put her off following in her mother’s footsteps. ‘I always loved it [acting],’ she says without a pause. ‘When I was a kid I was definitely a star! [Laughs]... I even had a big star on my bedroom door.’ Although, her upbringing wasn’t all glamour and A-list parties, being raised out of the limelight in a small town in Connecticut with her mum, sculptor father Don Gummer and three siblings.
She talks fondly of her two younger sisters, also in show-business: actress Grace; 30, and IMG model Louisa; 25. ‘Sisters should support one another. Although, when we were kids it wasn’t always fun - y’know 'who stole my sweater?!' and racing to see who sits in the front seat on the way to school…’
And of course, her biggest supporter: her mother. The duo shared the screen in 2015 musical drama Ricki and the Flash, with Mamie playing the daughter of an ageing rock star [Meryl Streep's character]. ‘It was really a special experience and one I’m not likely to ever forget. It was valuable for us to meet each other on a level playing field. Which - I think - [with] every parent/child relationship - there is a moment when that happens. For us it just happened in a public way.’ The best advice you've received from her? ‘Whatever role she takes on she fights for her character. That’s something I’ve always kept in my mind. The need to defend your person.’ She draws similarities between her and Helen: ‘You know - I like putting on the dress, but then I’m never just ornamental.’
Not just a champion for the characters she plays, Mamie is passionate about challenging the gender inequality ‘entrenched’ in Hollywood. ‘I’ve been paid less than a male co-star before. It’s a pretty misogynistic culture,’ she sighs. ‘I can’t get too sore about it [though]...because we [actors] are paid far too much in this business. [But] it’s more a matter of principle and certainly worth addressing.’ Alongside Amy Schumer and Emma Watson, Mamie is critical of those who refuse to identify themselves as feminist. ‘I certainly don’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to stand for basic equality between men and women. That’s all being a feminist means.’
Do you think there’s a double standard for women in politics? ‘Yes, absolutely! We’ve never gotten this far before [with Hillary Clinton running for US presidency], and it’s certainly harder for a woman. If a woman expresses outrage in the way that someone like the horrific Trump has - or any man really - she’s labelled shrill. If she’s too placid - does she have the muscle to stand stress? It’s tough.’
Mamie strikes me as a fighter. Ready to tackle another challenge. Her dream role? ‘I’d love to do a play in London, like Anna Christie, before it’s too late. It’s a mammoth classic.’ Recalling her debut film role at just 20-months-old, appearing with her mother in Heartburn, she says: ‘My screen stage name in the credits for that film I think is Natalie Stern, which I think was chosen because it vaguely translates to ‘The Birth Of A Star.’ They were on to something.
Amazon Prime Video’s Original Series, The Collection, is available now with new episodes weekly