Terence Winter

In the book Boardwalk Empire, Nelson Johnson fictionalized a meeting between the real Nucky and a woman from the neighborhood who came to ask to get her husband a job. And he said, this is the kind of thing Nucky would do. You know, people worked in the hotel business in the summer months. It was great. But during the winter, people were out of work.

In the book Boardwalk Empire, Nelson Johnson fictionalized a meeting between the real Nucky and a woman from the neighborhood who came to ask to get her husband a job. And he said, this is the kind of thing Nucky would do. You know, people worked in the hotel business in the summer months. It was great. But during the winter, people were out of work.

And if your husband, you know, drank and didn't have money, you know, you were going without food. So He talked about a little fictional encounter between a neighborhood woman, Nucky, and Nucky would give her $50 to tide her over for the month, whatever. And I said, that's interesting. That's an interesting relationship. I wonder who that is. Who is that woman?

And if your husband, you know, drank and didn't have money, you know, you were going without food. So He talked about a little fictional encounter between a neighborhood woman, Nucky, and Nucky would give her $50 to tide her over for the month, whatever. And I said, that's interesting. That's an interesting relationship. I wonder who that is. Who is that woman?

And then I, you know, I just took it from there. Like, OK, what if what if he's interested romantically and what if her husband is a creep and he beats her up and Nucky gets rid of him? And where does that go? So that became Margaret. Jillian Darmody just came. You know, I knew Jimmy Darmody was coming home from World War One.

And then I, you know, I just took it from there. Like, OK, what if what if he's interested romantically and what if her husband is a creep and he beats her up and Nucky gets rid of him? And where does that go? So that became Margaret. Jillian Darmody just came. You know, I knew Jimmy Darmody was coming home from World War One.

And this was, again, one of those happy or not happy accidents of prohibition. World War I ended and you had a lot of disenfranchised soldiers coming home after horrific experiences overseas. And I think most Americans, even to this day, have no idea how incredibly brutal World War I was. Trench warfare and just absolutely just horrific. Guys,

And this was, again, one of those happy or not happy accidents of prohibition. World War I ended and you had a lot of disenfranchised soldiers coming home after horrific experiences overseas. And I think most Americans, even to this day, have no idea how incredibly brutal World War I was. Trench warfare and just absolutely just horrific. Guys,

living up to their up to their waist in filth and rat infested water and, you know, just shooting at each other. And for no they didn't know why they were there, but it was really horrible. So a lot of these guys came home and chemical warfare. Oh, chemical. Yeah, absolutely.

living up to their up to their waist in filth and rat infested water and, you know, just shooting at each other. And for no they didn't know why they were there, but it was really horrible. So a lot of these guys came home and chemical warfare. Oh, chemical. Yeah, absolutely.

And, you know, and a lot of guys came home in our character on the show, Richard Harrow, who is the guy with the half face and the mask, you know, played by Jack Houston. And That was the first time that, you know, battlefield medicine got to the point where you could keep people alive. And well, because it was trench warfare, there were so many then inordinate amount of facial injuries.

And, you know, and a lot of guys came home in our character on the show, Richard Harrow, who is the guy with the half face and the mask, you know, played by Jack Houston. And That was the first time that, you know, battlefield medicine got to the point where you could keep people alive. And well, because it was trench warfare, there were so many then inordinate amount of facial injuries.

Guys would poke their heads up from a trench and boom, get half of their face blown off. Normally, you know, 20 years earlier, you're dead. But now battlefield medicine got to the point where you could keep those people alive. So those guys are coming home alive. So thousands of guys are coming home with facial injuries, literally like half their face blown off or your jaw blown off.

Guys would poke their heads up from a trench and boom, get half of their face blown off. Normally, you know, 20 years earlier, you're dead. But now battlefield medicine got to the point where you could keep those people alive. So those guys are coming home alive. So thousands of guys are coming home with facial injuries, literally like half their face blown off or your jaw blown off.

And then they had to get into society. So there was an artist in New England, a woman who was a sculptor, who thought, I wonder if I could do like a half mask to match their face. So these guys could at least go out in public, go out at night and just go. And that's where that character came from. But again, it was just these little details in the research.

And then they had to get into society. So there was an artist in New England, a woman who was a sculptor, who thought, I wonder if I could do like a half mask to match their face. So these guys could at least go out in public, go out at night and just go. And that's where that character came from. But again, it was just these little details in the research.

Yeah. Yeah. Who fascinating character.

Yeah. Yeah. Who fascinating character.

Yeah. I mean, the one thing I loved is that when Prohibition ended, she went to work for a wine company. It's like and even like she wasn't averse to having a drink herself. But it's like once she became like, OK, you know, I'm doing this. She was really staunchly trying to enforce those laws. And of course, her bosses were just unbelievably corrupt.

Yeah. I mean, the one thing I loved is that when Prohibition ended, she went to work for a wine company. It's like and even like she wasn't averse to having a drink herself. But it's like once she became like, OK, you know, I'm doing this. She was really staunchly trying to enforce those laws. And of course, her bosses were just unbelievably corrupt.