4 Reasons We Can’t Wait to Watch Guilty Party Starring Kate Beckinsale

Guilty Party is a particularly exciting project for Kate Beckinsale, as we’ve seen her act in way more film than TV projects. In Guilty Party, fans get a chance to see the movie star flex her acting chops and really have fun with character development over a longer amount of screen time. Even Beckinsale herself is ready for the change of pace.

“Sometimes you can also take longer to reveal various things rather than having to make it really quick like for a 90-minute movie,” she told Deadline. “I’ve not really done much television, and I’ve certainly never done television during a pandemic in Canada when it was negative 45 degrees.” Talk about dedication.

Beth isn’t exactly the most likable person in the world. She’s a discredited journalist who tends to focus on her own life and problems with little regard for others. However, Toni’s case may be the one area where Beth acts selflessly — though no one else in her life is totally convinced.

Even her editor doesn’t buy it, asking, “So you want to write a story about you saving a Black woman?” We quickly learn that’s not the entire story (though it makes for a hilarious sound bite). In the process of uncovering the truth, Beth’s unwavering faith in Toni fosters an interesting and unlikely friendship between the two women. In fact, creator Rebecca Addelman was keen on focusing the series’ first season on the two main characters, despite their many differences and unprecedented union.

Being able to catch a star before they’ve hit the big time is always fun; it gives you a reason to say, “I knew them when . . .” That certainly will be the case for Latimer. Fans will be able to witness the full breadth of her acting skills as she takes on Toni’s life before and after her sentencing.

“You do get to see Toni’s life, there are flashbacks that happen throughout the season but you also will see her in prison so you’ll also get to know her both ways,” Latimer told Deadline. “She’s into anime, drawing, and tattooing. She has a daughter, and she’s a first-generation immigrant. My scenes with Kate are always my favorite scenes to shoot because that’s where you really get to know Toni and she’s absolutely incredible.”

Though white saviorism has been a trope in pop culture for years, Addelman was adamant that this would not be the case for Guilty Party.

“As a creative team and myself as the creator, it’s something we’ve taken very seriously and have thought a lot about,” she told Deadline. “It was very intentional decision making on the show’s part to go at the idea of white saviorism and to present what may seem like stereotypes initially and take those stereotypes and develop very real and very dimensional characters that evolve to truly unexpected boundary-breaking places.”

Viewers can expect the new series to keep them guessing, playing detective, and rooting for Beth and Toni’s surprisingly emotional and deep friendship. Guilty Party will debut its first two episodes exclusively on Paramount+ on Oct. 14, with new episodes premiering weekly on Thursdays.