Kelly Macdonald’s Boardwalk Empire Legacy Sets Stage for DC’s Lanterns Role
Before stepping into the DC Universe as Sheriff Kerry Kane on HBO’s upcoming Lanterns series, Kelly Macdonald delivered one of television’s most nuanced performances on Boardwalk Empire. The Prohibition-era drama, which aired from 2010 to 2014, showcased Macdonald as Margaret Thompson (née Schroeder), an Irish immigrant navigating power, morality, and survival in Atlantic City’s criminal underworld.
From Widow to Businesswoman: Margaret Thompson’s Complex Arc
Macdonald joined the main cast in her first major television role, working alongside Steve Buscemi’s Nucky Thompson — a corrupt politician building an empire on illegal bootlegging. Their relationship begins under dark circumstances: Nucky arranges the death of Margaret’s abusive husband, a fact concealed from her. The two eventually marry, but their union fractures as Nucky’s criminal enterprises escalate and Margaret confronts the moral cost of their lifestyle.
The character’s evolution spans five seasons, transforming from a vulnerable widow into a calculating businesswoman who ultimately secures financial independence at an investment firm. This layered portrayal earned Macdonald an Emmy nomination in 2011, while the series itself collected 20 Emmy wins during its run.
Macdonald on Margaret’s Moral Ambiguity
Reflecting on the character’s contradictions in a 2012 Rolling Stone interview, Macdonald articulated what made Margaret so compelling:
“She’s just got this streak of goodness in her, and she wants to help where she can,” the Scottish actress said, “and sometimes though, it’s helping her more than it’s helping others, so there is that side to her as well. She can be quite … devious and unpleasant in order to get what she wants.”
The quote captures the duality that defined Margaret’s journey — charitable impulses intertwined with ruthless self-preservation, a dynamic that made her one of the series’ most unpredictable figures.
HBO Reunion with Green Lantern Series
Macdonald’s casting in Lanterns marks a return to HBO, now under the DC Studios banner. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire launched her television career; Lanterns positions her within a new franchise framework. For viewers discovering Macdonald through her DC debut, Boardwalk Empire remains essential viewing — a masterclass in character development across five seasons of prestige drama.
