Malin Akerman Reveals How Melania Trump Inspired Her Controversial ‘Hunting Wives’ Character originally appeared on Parade.
Between her southern accent and darker locks, you may not have recognized Malin Akerman right away in The Hunting Wives, the scandalous Netflix series that has viewers obsessed.
In the show, her character, socialite Margo Banks, has a very distinct personality — along with plenty of secrets that may threaten the political career of her husband, Jed (played by Dermot Mulroney), in his quest to be elected as Texas’ next governor.
As Akerman revealed in an interview with Vulture this week, her character was actually based on a very famous woman who also happens to be the wife of a politician: First Lady Melania Trump.
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When Akerman first started working on The Hunting Wives, the creative team behind the show told her that Margo is like Melania in that she “came into a marriage to this rich man as one woman” and then, after her husband got into politics, the game changed.
Considering the fact that Melania married Donald Trump more than a decade before he would be elected to his first presidential term, that might actually be an apt comparison.
“Other than that, it’s just high society,” Akerman added. “I’ve mingled with aristocrats and high-society people and seen the games that go into it. For lack of a better word, I wouldn’t say ‘authenticity’ is how those people lead.”
Without revealing any spoilers, it’s safe to say that Margo’s story ultimately takes a very different path from Melania’s… but that’s part of what makes The Hunting Wives such a captivating watch.
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Malin Akerman Reveals How Melania Trump Inspired Her Controversial ‘Hunting Wives’ Character first appeared on Parade on Aug 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
