The Hunting Wives’ Malin Akerman Reveals That Melania Trump Inspired Her Controversial Character

Malin Akerman’s character in The Hunting Wives, Margo Banks, was partly inspired by a real person.

In an interview with Vulture, Akerman, 47, said the Netflix show’s creative team compared Margo to First Lady Melania Trump. In the series, Margo is a glamorous socialite with dark secrets. Her husband, Jed (played by Dermot Mulroney), is running for governor of Texas.

Akerman explained that, like Melania — wife of President Donald Trump — Margo entered her marriage as one kind of person, but had to take on new roles and expectations when her husband began his political career. “That was the only real reference,” Akerman said. “The rest was just based on high-society life. I’ve met wealthy, elite people and seen the games they play. Authenticity isn’t usually their strong suit.”

In the first season, viewers learn Margo is the leader of a group of wealthy, gun-loving friends called the Hunting Wives. She has an affair with a high school student, Brad (George Ferrier), and gets pregnant. She has an abortion, but when Brad’s girlfriend Abby (Madison Wolfe) threatens to expose her, Margo kills Abby and frames her friend-turned-lover Sophie (Brittany Snow) for the crime.

As the show continues, more of Margo’s past comes out. She grew up poor and met Jed while in a threesome with his first wife. Jed eventually left his wife for Margo. They have an open marriage where both can be with other women, but Margo is not allowed to be with other men. Her fling with Brad breaks that rule.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Akerman said Margo seems like just a “trophy wife” at first, but the truth is more complicated. “If she loses Jed, she loses everything,” Akerman said. “For her, it’s life or death.”

A key moment for Margo comes when she tries to give Jed political advice, and he rejects her ideas. She realizes she has to stay playful and sexy to keep her position, so she becomes skilled at manipulating people. Akerman enjoyed exploring this dynamic with Mulroney, calling him “a great acting partner.”

When Akerman first read the script, she was hooked. “I loved Margo right away,” she said. “She’s manipulative, vibrant, and sexy — a really meaty role.”

The Hunting Wives is now streaming on Netflix.