In some cases, the way to show strength is actually to show mercy.
— Gwendolyn Briggs
”
Gwendolyn Briggs was the campaign manager and press secretary of Governor George Wilburn who organized his initial interest in Lucia State Hospital. Through her work at Lucia, she met and fell in love with Mildred Ratched, eventually becoming caught up in the web of events surrounding Mildred and Edmund Tolleson. She is portrayed by Cynthia Nixon.
Prior to the initial interest in Lucia State Hospital that would change the course of her life, Gwendolyn served in a long-term capacity as the campaign manager and press secretary for California's Governor George Wilburn[1]. In her position, she had the ear of the Governor, and worked to prop up his public appeal and reelection chances. She was good at her job, charming journalists and other government officials alike, and able to speak for the governor when the need arose[2].
Presumably to maintain her career and for social appearances, Gwendolyn hid her sexuality, suggesting a marriage of convenience to lawyer Trevor Briggs, a gay man. They were married around 1945, three years prior to Gwendolyn's visit to Lucia. As part of their arrangement, Gwendolyn spent one weekend a month out of town at women's bars and Trevor pretended not to notice. Likewise, she turned a blind eye to stumbling upon Trevor and a partner mid-coitus[3]. Around the time of the war, she fell in love with a nurse who was deployed, but killed in action[4].
Work at Lucia State Hospital[]
Gwendolyn was introduced to Lucia when Dr. Richard Hanover interrupted Governor Wilburn and herself at a bar. Listening to Hanover speak on Lucia State Hospital and the plans he had for future treatment possibilities, Gwendolyn was intrigued, and convinced the governor to use support of mental health treatment, and the facilities at Lucia in particular, as the cornerstone of Wilburn's reelection bid. This was an ideal pairing, given the media fervor around Edmund Tolleson's murder spree and the fact Lucia was the facility assigned to evaluate his ability to stand trial[1].
Gwendolyn traveled with Wilburn to Lucia after the initial announcement of the governor's monetary support to the hospital in order to tour the facility and speak to the press on the new barn that would be built for patient treatment. While there, she observed the collapse of patient Father Murphy and intervention of Mildred Ratched to save his life. Afterwards, she pressed Dr. Hanover to allow the papers to run the story of saving Father Murphy's life to spin positive press on the hospital's work. Wilburn chose Mildred to pose in the press picture with him, and Gwendolyn observed her openly demanding Wilburn keep his hands at an appropriate level[1].
Later, Gwendolyn returned to the hospital to observe Dr. Hanover's lobotomy procedure along with members of the press and other members of government. She was notably disconcerted by Hanover's assertion of being able to cure lesbianism, as well as the visceral nature of the lobotomy itself, but was distracted by the collapse of Miss Annie Hardcastle during the procedure[2].
On another visit to Lucia, Gwendolyn ran into Mildred in one of the hospital break rooms, formally introducing herself. She asked as to the possible whereabouts of her sack lunch, only to have Mildred tell her Nurse Bucket had almost certainly eaten it. In the ensuing conversation, Gwendolyn asked Mildred if she would be interested in being shown around the Monterey area that afternoon, particularly an oyster bar Gwendolyn had been wanting to try. Mildred eventually agreed to go, and they shared an intimately charged moment as Gwendolyn taught Mildred to eat oysters out of the shell. Briefly discussing the lobotomy procedures they had witnessed, Gwendolyn suggested a nightcap after their food. She drove them to what was ultimately a women's bar, assuming Mildred was similarly interested in women and had been reciprocating her subtle flirtations. Mildred rebuked that idea harshly, insisting on calling a taxi, and leaving Gwendolyn to drive home by herself[2].
Speaking to Governor Wilburn after the publication of the press event at Lucia, Gwendolyn praised the governor's handling of the event and assured him the response was exactly what they were looking for to help the campaign. Wilburn then insisted that he needed to make example out of Edmund Tolleson, and that Hanover would deem him fit to stand trial on Wilburn's order, or the hospital would lose their funding - a decision Gwendolyn tried to argue against, to little effect[5].
That night, Gwendolyn confronted Trevor with her decision to leave their marriage. Trevor was unsurprisingly upset, pointing out how leaving the marriage would destroy both their lives, not just hers. Gwendolyn was insistent, however, that continuing to live their lie would ultimately kill her, and that she had met Mildred, who she had developed intense feelings for. Trevor asked her to take a few days to rethink her decision, which she neither agreed to nor refused[5].
Gwendolyn calls off the relationship with Trevor
The next morning, however, Gwendolyn met Trevor at the door with a packed bag, saying she was leaving for good. She tried to explain that her leaving would be a new start for both of them, and that they stood a chance of finding real love. Trevor tried to block the door and threaten to follow her, but Gwendolyn quickly ordered him to move and left, checking in to the Sealight Inn. While dealing with Louise, she ran into Mildred, unaware she was also staying at the Sealight, and revealed she'd left her marriage. At Mildred's questioning, Gwendolyn explained Trevor had done nothing wrong, but that she'd wanted a chance for a true, full love in her life, unsubtly implying that love was Mildred. Mildred once again balked at Gwendolyn's affections, and left her for work[5].
At the governor's office, Wilburn once again insisted Edmund be able to stand trial in order to be executed, questioning if Dr. Hanover had agreed to his wishes. When Gwendolyn explained Hanover had been difficult to find, Wilburn ordered her to find Hanover and ensure he would find Edmund fit to stand trial[3].
At the Sealight that night, Gwendolyn caught part of a telephone conversation while trying to get ice, and followed Charles Wainwright outside, where she saw him enter Mildred's room rather than his own. After filling her ice bucket, she went back outside, worriedly listening in on Mildred's room, where she heard Mildred and Charles having sex. When Charles left, she confronted Mildred at her door. Mildred coolly dodged Gwendolyn's questions about Charles, aware of how upset Gwendolyn was, given her feelings for Mildred. Eventually Gwendolyn gave Mildred Wilburn's ultimatum - have Edmund deemed fit for trial, or lose funding to the hospital. Mildred agreed to pass on the message, but pointedly added that was all she could do for Gwendolyn[3].
Still unsettled by Mildred's actions, Gwendolyn decided to travel to the hospital, leaving shortly after Mildred and Charles. As she approached the hospital, she caught a glimpse of orderly Huck Finnigan sneaking Lily Cartwright out to a car. Confronting Huck, she asked where he was taking Mrs. Cartwright, to which he replied she was no longer a patient and sped off[3].
Gwendolyn then made her way inside the hospital, traveling to Dr. Hanover's darkened office and discovering Wainwright's still-wet blood on the floor. Seeing an opportunity, she passed Wilburn's ultimatum on to Hanover, emphasizing how important it was while pointedly wiping the blood off her hands. Mildred started to interrupt their conversation before all three were distracted by a gunshot, and quickly moved to find its source. Stumbling onto the body of Wainwright, Gwendolyn was horrified at his burns, and questioned what had happened to him. At Mildred's implication the blame was on her for intruding into the hospital, Gwendolyn insisted on speaking to the police, only to have Mildred turn the tables and question what the governor's press secretary being involved, no matter how accidentally, in a death would do to his reelection campaign. Upset, she left the hospital and returned to Sealight[3].
Mildred later joined her where she was sat smoking in her car, trading barbs with Gwendolyn until she explained she could see Gwendolyn was truly shaken and wanted to offer some comfort. Gwendolyn was surprised when Mildred then asked if she would like to go out again, warily clarifying Mildred knew what she was asking. When Mildred explained they could celebrate her new life without a husband, and that her courage inspired her, Gwendolyn agreed, and walked Mildred to her door before continuing on to her own[3].
At their dinner date later that week, after speaking briefly on the issue of Edmund, Gwendolyn asked Mildred why she had asked her out after rejecting Gwendolyn's advances so strongly. When Mildred explained she did, in fact, reciprocate Gwendolyn's feelings but needed the space to figure things out her own way, Gwendolyn was sympathetic, revealing it had taken her a long time to understand her attraction. Mildred then announced her new position as head nurse, which Gwendolyn was enthusiastically excited about, and wholeheartedly accepted Mildred's invitation to attend the upcoming hospital dance as her date[4].
Unaware of the various machinations at play, Gwendolyn enjoyed herself at the dance, speaking highly of Mildred to Betsy Bucket and claiming she was in attendance with Mildred as a chaperone. During a quiet moment, she lamented to Mildred that they should be out on the floor dancing like any other couple before watching Mildred accept a dance with Huck. After Hanover's outburst at Betsy, she insisted on going after her to make sure she was alright. Finding Betsy in the break room, she watched as Mildred talked Betsy down, and helped get Betsy pulled back together to go back out to the dance. Upon returning to the dance, she found herself facing down Edmund and Dolly, who were trying to make their escape. Attempting to talk Dolly down, she was instead shot in the chest and rushed into surgery[4].
Surviving the surgery, she awoke in time to hear Mildred begin to confess her secret history, but the confession was cut short by Mildred calling for a doctor to attend to her. During her recovery, she failed to notice Mildred's reaction to the puppet show playing on the room's television, and later suggested Mildred help her drive to a work function, with the two of them stopping to attend a marionette show on the way. When Mildred reacted badly to the suggestion, she assumed Mildred was pushing her away and became defensive, accusing Mildred of never letting anyone close to her and plainly stating she was tired of the 'cat-and-mouse' in their relationship and was ready to end things. Mildred confessed having Gwendolyn nearly die had made her feelings clear, and that she was willing to do whatever Gwendolyn wanted to do[6].
At the marionette show, Gwendolyn was excited and grateful for Mildred attending with her, completely unaware of Mildred's growing anxiety over the puppet show due to an association with her troubled past. As the show started, she laughed along with the audience, seeming to enjoy herself, and was shocked and mortified by Mildred's childhood trauma-induced outburst during the show. Following Mildred out of the theater, she confronted Mildred as they drove about what had happened, demanding she stop the car and revealing she knew Mildred was about to confess something to her as she awoke from surgery. She asked who Mildred really was, resulting in Mildred explaining her history and subsequent complicated relationship with Edmund to a shocked and horrified Gwendolyn[6].
Still recovering, but now aware of what Edmund meant to Mildred, she attended the meeting between Governor Wilburn and Dr. Hanover, with Wilburn expressing his disgust at his choice to support Lucia and how poorly the Tolleson case was being handled. She was only able to watch as Wilburn demanded Hanover sign the paperwork to deem Edmund fit to stand trial or lose funding for the hospital, which Hanover ultimately caved to[6].
Leaving with Wilburn, she commented on how she was impressed with the governor's decision to continue funding the hospital. Wilburn then revealed he had lied to Hanover, and that the hospital funding would be pulled despite Hanover signing the paperwork, deriding Gwendolyn's inability to see the lie. Horrified as Wilburn explained Edmund would be executed as soon as possible, she tried to convince Wilburn to hold off on the execution as part of a political move, only to have Wilburn tell her he found her incompetent and annoying and that she was fired, effective immediately[6].
Post-Employment[]
As a result of losing her job, she told Trevor she would be moving to Connecticut to live with her mother, saying if she wanted to stay in politics she would need enough space between herself and Wilburn to prevent him from affecting her career. Trevor lamented her leaving, apologizing for his reaction to their divorce, and saying he had fallen for a man named Andrew thanks to their new freedom outside of their marriage. Gwendolyn expressed her happiness, but seemed distracted and pained as they parted ways[7].
When Mildred arrived at the house a few moments later, she reluctantly let the other woman inside, bluntly explaining she had lost her job and was moving, and accusing Mildred of lying and using her and her position to manipulate events from the beginning of their friendship and into their relationship. In the ensuing argument, Mildred tried to justify her actions, with Gwendolyn refuting her justifications, pointing out how Mildred's lies had cost her everything, and that she could put no trust in Mildred's declaration of love or her own feelings because of her manipulation[7].
As Mildred continued to try and convince her to accept her plans for their future, explaining Dr. Hanover's death and her newfound wealth, Gwendolyn continued to pull away, growing more and more agitated with each reveal. When Mildred demanded to know why she couldn't leave and start a new life with her, Gwendolyn finally revealed her real reason for moving - a follow-up x-ray to check her healing progress the day before had found a lump in her left breast, and the prognosis was terminal. She fought Mildred's insistence they would find a treatment before giving in, reciprocating Mildred's declaration of love and embracing her in a kiss[7].
One month later, Gwendolyn was living with Mildred, having started chemotherapy treatment for her cancer. Gwendolyn pressed Mildred for whatever plan she could tell the other woman had, and Mildred stated that with Edmund executed, she wanted them to travel to Mexico. Gwendolyn praised this idea, imagining herself able to die peacefully next to Mildred, who she was sure would go on to accomplish great things afterwards. Mildred rebuked this notion, however, and Gwendolyn eventually agreed to Mildred's idea of moving to Mexico in order to procure a doctor to treat her[8].
Their plans were put on hold after hearing about the governor's insistence in reverting back to the electric chair for executions, and Gwendolyn arranged for a meeting with Wilburn, slyly bringing Mildred along in order to allow her to appeal for a humane death for Edmund rather than the spectacle the governor wanted. When their attempts to talk him down were rebuffed, she asked Mildred what their next step was, indicating her dedication to help Mildred with Edmund. She attended the meeting with Betsy, supporting Mildred's idea of a humane execution for Edmund in the barn; this plan, however, was foiled by the return of Charlotte Wells and Edmund's escape[8].
By 1950, she and Mildred had since moved to Mexico, living peacefully while Gwendolyn received treatments of mistletoe which had nearly cured her cancer. During Betsy's visit, she playfully commented that two years on Mildred still insisted on watching the newspaper for news of Edmund, but grew serious after reporting a multiple murder in Chicago involving seven nurses[8].
Character Creation & Development[]
Actress Cynthia Nixon had been aware of the Ratched project for some time, and that there were a number of characters she might be considered right for, before ultimately co-creator Ryan Murphy approached her about playing Gwendolyn in late 2018. Hearing that the cast included Amanda Plummer, Judy Davis, Harriet Sansom Harris, and her longtime friend Sarah Paulson, she thought: "That is some company that I would like to be in".[9]. Paulson told Harper's Bazaar: "I was so excited to work with Cynthia. In terms of the way we worked on this relationship, by the time that part of the narrative takes shape, we were deep enough into our characters that we were just operating as Mildred and Gwendolyn. Mildred's fear, trepidation and anxiety is not about confronting her sexuality, but allowing some kind of joy into her life — something that she's had so little of. That made me feel fluttery when doing these scenes. There was one scene where the director said, 'You actually flushed.' With Cynthia, there was a wonderful synergy and alchemy."[10]
According to Nixon, Gwendolyn was originally intended to die at the end of Season One. She told Entertainment Weekly: "I was actually only hired for a year because they were supposed to kill me at the end. I thought it was going to be this really more tragic love story where I was going to die at the end of season 1. Well, that has not happened. They shot me and they gave me cancer but I'm still walking around! I think there were a few of us they were going to kill – I think they were going to kill Judy Davis (Betsy Bucket), too. And I think they were going to kill Finn Wittrock (Edmund). I think they decided they liked having us around. I guess on some level maybe, it's such a trope of queer characters that when they do find love, then somebody up and dies or is killed. So I think Ryan Murphy is very aware of that trope and wanted to offer people something else."[11]
Since Gwendolyn is an original character who did not appear in the original Cuckoo's Nest, Nixon drew inspiration from real-life journalist Laurena Hickok, the female lover of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Nixon had played Roosevelt in Emmy Nominated film Warm Springs, and had researched the relationship between Roosevelt and Hickok extensively when the studio had been trying to pitch a sequel to the movie based on their relationship. She told Harper's Bazaar: "I found so many parallels between Lorena and Gwendolyn that I went back and reread letters and looked at photographs. Because, similar to Gwendolyn, Lorena was a woman who was living in mostly a man’s world. She was kind of hard drinking. She was very ambitious. She was very successful. She had a string of very passionate love affairs with women, many of which turned out badly and left her brokenhearted, not the least of which was her love affair with Eleanor. I thought, She’s a great prototype not just for her personal journey but also in terms of the way she dressed and the way she seems in her dress—if you’re looking carefully like a gay woman—but also is able to very much pass in her professional life."[9]
Like Gwendolyn, Nixon has a passion for politics, running for Governor of New York in 2018.[12] On her character, Nixon explains:
"Gwendolyn thinks of herself as a professional first and foremost. She works in government and wants to run for office someday, even though as a woman at that time, it was a big leap. She has been for so long on her own, trying to fight in the political world, which is a very bruising one. I think Gwendolyn has a very hard time because of the life that she's leading. She's married to a gay man and they have a marriage of convenience that she finds very useful but also very stifling. I think that I, on the other hand, am very lucky because I have three children and I'm happily married. I still live in the place where I grew up and so many of my friends are from school. I think that makes such a difference in life, when it's filled with people that you love and who know you so well."[12]
Representation[]
Nixon is herself a queer actress, having been in a relationship with her wife Christine Marinoni since 2004. As such, Gwendolyn and Mildred are rare examples of queer characters played by queer actresses - something very rare in mainstream productions. Nixon, and Paulson, in her capacity as Executive Producer, recognized the significance of this and thus were able to put some pressure on the production in order to steer it in a more meaningful direction - such as ensuring that Mildred and Gwendolyn were allowed to kiss on-screen. Nixon told Entertainment Weekly: "When you start thinking about how few lesbians there are depicted on screen, and then how many fewer lesbian couples that are depicted on screen and then lesbian couples that are actually played by real-life lesbians, it becomes a very small pool. Even just doing it was major. But there were things that we, particularly when we got into the later episodes (and saw where) they had the romance going, we sat down and said, “We can't have this, we have to have this,” and they listened to us. That was really great. There wasn't even going to be an onscreen kiss. We were like, we've got to have some physical component to this. When you have these two queer characters and have two queer actresses playing them, that kind of speaks for itself. We’re at a point in Hollywood where we're trying to be of greater representation to people who have been left out of the narrative, so I think it's really important that when you're telling people stories that either the writers or the actors actually have that experience. So in this case, they had me and Sarah and we spoke up when things didn't seem genuine to us."[11]
Costuming[]
As the press secretary for the Governor of California, Gwendolyn is often seen surrounded by men. As such, her suits, in muted shades of brown and navy and in plaid patterns, appear more masculine, though both costume designers Rebecca Guzzi and Lou Eyrich say that it wasn’t intentional, but rather just typical of the working clothing of the time. "Clothing, for the most part, in the '40s did have a masculine tone because the suiting for both men and women was so structured and so tailored with those really strong shoulders and accentuated waist for both men and women," Guzzi told Refinery29, noting that Gwendolyn’s looks are softer when she’s not at work. "Ryan (Murphy) had thought of a Carole Lombard, Katharine Hepburn casual inspiration for her when we see her outside work. But when she's at work, she's more of a Rosalind Russell type, or even Double Indemnity."[13]
Gwen drives a navy blue 1946 model Dodge Custom 4-door Sedan with the license plate 1A 43 W7.
While presumably reporting to work at the governor's office in Sacramento, California, her comment to Mildred that the Sealight Inn was the "only motel in town" after needing a place to stay following her decision to leave her marriage, suggests that she and Trevor live in or nearby Lucia, California.[3]
The Briggs' marriage is unusual for its time - not due to being a marriage of convenience, but for being an openly interracial marriage. The state of California wouldn't repeal its anti-miscegenation law until 1948, nearly 3 years after the Briggs' marriage, meaning their marriage and cohabitation was considered illegal for the time.
However, it is possible with Trevor's knowledge of the law and Gwendolyn's connection to politics that they were able to find a legal loophole to allow the union. Likewise, it is possible that Gwendolyn simply never disclosed Trevor's race to her employer or coworkers, and Trevor, possibly working for a Black firm, would have no need to keep such a thing hidden.
This may also account for their home in Lucia as opposed to one in a larger city closer to their places of employment.
Although Mildred and Gwendolyn had not met yet, as Mildred drives towards the Sealight Inn for the first time in Pilot, she passes a car on the Bixby Creek Bridge that is the exact same make, model and distinctive navy color as Gwendolyn's. Lucia has a small population, and Gwendolyn lives in the area, so this is likely to be Gwendolyn's car.
She is shown twice to be drinking a Gibson, indicating a possible preference for the drink[14][4].
In the director's cut of Pilot, the scene in which Gwendolyn meets with Hanover at his home is extended. Hanover serves her a scotch and is surprised that a woman enjoys it, to which she responds: "I enjoy alcohol. I tolerate scotch." However, after tasting it, she tells Hanover that she likes the one he's served.[14] Later, in Angel of Mercy, she is seen drinking scotch at the dinner table, along with her wine; presumably the one Hanover had introduced her to.
She tells Mildred she does not eat extruded meats after Mildred's offer of a bologna sandwich.[2]
