Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘Leanne,’ the titular character starts a second innings of her life after her husband, Bill, cheats on her and leaves her, citing unhappiness in their decades-long marriage. A heartbroken Leanne is encouraged to pursue this new chapter of life with verve and focus on things that she hadn’t before. As she enthusiastically picks up new things, including a romantic love interest, all of her moves are keenly observed by her neighbour, Mary. Initially, she appears to be someone who likes to trade gossip and wants to know everyone’s business. But later, more empathetic parts of her reveal the depth of her character. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Mary Evolves from a Nosy Neighbour to a Good Friend
Mary is Leanne’s neighbour who lives right across the street from her. She is a widow who lost her husband to premature death about seven years ago and has been single since. However, she has occupied herself with all sorts of things, from aerobics classes to keeping an eye on her neighbours to know exactly what is going on with them. She has a nose for sniffing out trouble, and no matter how much Leanne wants to keep certain things to herself, Mary somehow always seems to find out about it.
For the most part, Mary remains on the sidelines, but in the second half of the show, she gains a more prominent character arc. The episode that truly delves into her psyche is when she comes knocking at Leanne’s door to talk about how she has been lonely and touch-starved since her husband’s death, and how Carol’s impromptu kiss awakened the desire to be loved inside her. Her opening up to Leanne is also a show of her solidarity for her neighbour, since, due to her spying, she knows that Leanne didn’t take things further with Andrew and broke it off. Later, when Leanne sends her son, Tyler, to drop Mary off at her house, she ends up kissing Tyler.
Despite all her nosiness, Mary also remains a rather naive person. She makes a huge deal out of kissing Tyler because she is worried that it reflects badly on her, even though he assures her that it didn’t mean anything. She also inadvertently reveals this secret to Carol, who then uses it to make Mary clean her house and do other chores. At her heart, however, Mary remains a good person who is deeply rooted in community and is always there for her friends and loved ones, even though her desire to know all gossip may make her seem otherwise.
Mary’s Quirkiness is Brought to Life by Jayma Mays
The role of Mary in ‘Leanne’ is played by Jayma Mays. She is best known for her role in Fox’s musical comedy-drama series, ‘Glee,’ as Emma Pillsbury. She portrayed diverse characters across several genres in shows like, the sci-fi series ‘Heroes,’ the legal sitcom ‘Trial and Error,’ the romantic sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ the black comedy ‘Six Feet Under,’ the supernatural show ‘Ghost Whisperer,’ and comedy drama series, ‘Ugly Betty.’ Additionally, she has also worked extensively in films, like ‘Red Eye,’ ‘The Smurfs,’ ‘Paul Blart: Mall Cop,’ and ‘American Made,’ to name a few. Her more recent appearances include the CBS sitcom, ‘United States of Al,’ and Disney+’s ‘Disenchanted.’ She is also set to appear in Trilby Glover’s comedy film, ‘All That Glisters,’ and the comedy series, ‘Rust Belt News.’
Apart from the TV shows and movies, she has also dabbled in theatre. Outside of her professional life, she remains involved with philanthropic endeavours as well. Women’s empowerment is an issue close to her heart, and she credits her mother for it. “[My mother] made me feel like I was a strong person who could do whatever I wanted. She was always playing up the advantages of being a woman. I feel like I grew up with the idea of believing in myself, that if I set my mind to something, I can do it,” she said. Mays brings this powerful touch to her characters as well, presenting them as three-dimensional people who are much more than meets the eye.
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