Amber Midthunder On Playing Ms. D In Mike Flanagan’s ‘Carrie’ Adaptation

Amber Midthunder as Rita Desjardin on “Carrie.”

Prime Video

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Prime Video’s Carrie.

Everyone knows the tragic story of Carrie White, whether vaguely or as a superfan of Stephen King’s debut novel Carrie, which spawned Brian De Palma’s critically acclaimed 1976 horror classic. The iconic image of a teenage Carrie drenched in blood after a cruel prank has been referenced, recreated, and reimagined countless times in pop culture. Which begs the question: Why do we need another Carrie adaptation about a girl who unleashes her telekinetic powers on a small town during prom night?

Enter Mike Flanagan, a filmmaker who knows a thing or two about horror. As a kid, Flanagan idolized King’s stories and later directed adaptations of Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck. With his eight-episode Carrie adaptation for Prime Video, he sets out to answer that question and offer something new while still honoring the original story.

In Flanagan’s modern-day reimagining, Carrie (Summer H. Howell), an isolated, awkward, homeschooled girl who enters high school and quickly becomes the target of a viral cyberbullying scandal spearheaded by mean-spirited Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton). As other students pile on to the cruelty and some adults stand idly by, gym teacher Miss Rita Desjardin (Amber Midthunder) is one of the few people who takes action and holds the girls accountable for humiliating Carrie after she gets her period for the first time.

“It’s very clear that this is a character who is earnestly there to help her students and to be an advocate for these kids and wants to be a resource,” Midthunder says. “Of all the faculty, I think she’s the most of a contemporary to them, and I think that while that’s also a frustrating part of her job, that’s a superpower that she has.”

Unlike previous adaptations, Flanagan’s series gives Rita a backstory and an arc that extends beyond her role as Carrie’s protector. Through a conversation with another character, viewers learn that Rita wasn’t a big fan of school and only went to college to pursue her dream of becoming a superstar runner. When a knee injury ended that goal, she became a high school PE teacher instead.

Midthunder was intrigued by Flanagan’s decision to flesh out Rita — a benefit of expanding the narrative over eight episodes instead of squeezing it into a feature film.

“I think he was pretty intentional with wanting to honor the source material, but really creating something new,” Midthunder says, explaining that Flanagan also gave the actors considerable freedom and agency to shape their characters.

“He was really good about nurturing our ability to come to the table creatively,” she says.

Midthunder frequently uses the word “generous” to describe her experience working with Flanagan. Even before meeting with him, she had all the scripts and knew Rita’s entire story and how she fit into the larger picture. That transparency continued during production. Flanagan gave cast members shot lists and all the information they needed to prepare for their performances, and encouraged them to voice their ideas and concerns. Even when they weren’t needed on set, actors would often stop by to watch or support the rest of the cast and crew.

“I felt very honored to be involved, to have that much say in my character and what she does,” Midthunder says. “So often, you just see a script and you say yes or no to the job, but to really have it shift around you is really special.”

That collaborative approach was particularly meaningful to Midthunder because of Rita’s storyline with fellow teacher Seth Peist (Rahul Kohli).

Rita and Seth’s casual romance begins with what she describes as “chemistry and convenience.” From the start, Rita makes it clear that she’s new to town and doesn’t want anything to jeopardize her credibility at the school. Their relationship eventually grows into something more meaningful, with Seth becoming someone Rita considers a true ally and a person she can lean on at work. But in a dark twist, Rita discovers that Seth has committed suicide after the Chris-run bullying Instagram account publicly accuses him of having sexual relations with an underage student — which turns out to be true.

Midthunder said it was important to show that Rita is “unquestionably” firm in her stance from the onset.

“I wanted to really protect the fact that she is also a victim of this man and not make her complicit or make her ignorant,” she says.

After the scandal rocks the small town, Rita considers quitting Ewen High School. She ultimately changes her mind, choosing to chaperone prom and seemingly planning to return the following school year. But that possibility disappears when Chris and her boyfriend, Billy (Arthur Conti), pull their infamous prank, dumping a bucket of pig’s blood on Carrie immediately after she’s crowned prom queen.

For Midthunder, the circumstances of Rita’s death make the moment even more heartbreaking once the full context of the massacre is revealed. Carrie is being controlled by someone else, while Rita has spent much of the season struggling to find her footing in a new town. Just as she begins to find some direction and peace, it’s taken away from her.

“Ms. D is one of the rare characters who was always in her corner, and it just made it a lot more sad,” she says. “But I love Mike’s ability to infuse that heartbreak into a genre piece.”

That kind of storytelling is exactly what Midthunder looks for in a project.

“I love a grounded story that has characters who are complicated and beautiful,” she says. “I’ve often found that in either the genre space or the action space. I’m really motivated by having a collaborator, like a director, that I’m excited by and having a character that I love or that I feel challenged with.”

Carrie’s story has always been tragic, and while that remains true in Flanagan’s adaptation, the finale departs from the source material and offers a more optimistic conclusion — and a doorway to a potential second season. Carrie survives the night of the fires and escapes town with Emaline, while it’s revealed that a shadow society has been interviewing survivors to understand the incident and get clues about where Carrie is headed next.

If there is another season (Flanagan already told Collider he envisions Carrie as a three-season series), Midthunder’s Rita will certainly not be returning. Still, she says the experience gave her something she will carry into future projects. Beyond shaping Rita, Midthunder particularly valued watching Flanagan assemble the series in the editing room and seeing how the individual pieces of a production came together.

“That was an experience I’ve never had, and will be valuable for the rest of my life,” she says. “I feel I learned exponentially more, whether it’s shots, music, general storytelling, editing, and learning from watching other people’s performances from take to take. That kind of knowledge was truly a masterclass that I just don’t know how to access any other way. And I’m so, so grateful for his generosity and his mentorship.”

Carrie is streaming on Prime Video.