HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Actors Reese Witherspoon (L) and Nicole Kidman attend the premiere of HBO's "Big Little Lies" at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 7, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Big Little Lies is back. The HBO series returns for its second season tonight, and there are sure to be plenty of twists and turns that come with it. We will discuss spoilers and hints at the upcoming episodes, but be warned that we will be discussing the events of season one in detail, so steer clear if you haven’t yet caught up!
The biggest question heading into season two is whether or not Perry Wright will return. The husband of Nicole Kidman’s character, Celeste, seemingly died during the finale, but TV Line confirmed that the actor who plays him, Alexander Skarsgard, will be back. There’s been speculation that the actor could be playing Wright in flashbacks or dream sequences, or perhaps something as shocking as a twin.
Celeste’s Husband Perry Wright Will Return In a Smaller Role
Skarsgard furthered the speculation when he told People Magazine that he didn’t know the future of the character either. “I don’t even know if I’m really dead or not,” he revealed. “I feel OK right now, but we’ll see.” Kidman also addressed Perry Wright’s presence during a recent interview. When asked about working with Skarsgard, she told Digital Spy, “He was the most incredible acting partner, and then he came back for season 2.” Kidman’s co-star Reese Witherspoon tried to get her to stop talking, and the former tried to walk back her previous statement.
“He has a little bit of a part in the sense of … the basis of … okay, I’ll be quiet. He didn’t abandon us,” she explained. “We’ll put it that way.” It’s likely that the character of Perry Wright will be present via flashbacks throughout the season. Skarsgard scored an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for his performance during season one, and he referred to the character as the “greatest experience of my career” during an acceptance speech. Meryl Streep will join the season two cast as Perry’s mother, Mary Louise Wright.
Meryl Streep Is Joining the Cast as Perry’s Mother, Mary Louise Wright
Deadline revealed additional plot points for the rest of the cast. Celeste is “adrift” and “reeling from her husband Perry’s death,” but is determined to fight for her family and reclaim her confidence as a matriarch. Mary Louise will come into town looking for answers regarding her son’s death, and based on production photos, she will bump heads with Witherspoon’s character, Madeline. The latter will also have to deal with Perry’s death, while “coming to terms with her own marriage and traditional notions of family.”
Perry’s death will also impact Jane Chapman and Bonnie Carlson, who are played by Shailene Woodley and Zoe Kravitz, respectively. The former will be trying to move on and start a life with Ziggy, while the latter will have to face the demons of her past and reconnect with her parents. There was some speculation that the parents would be played Kravitz’s real-life parents, Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, but the roles have since been cast with Martin Donovan and Crystal Fox.