‘Truth Be Told’ Stars Octavia Spencer and Kate Hudson on How Second Season Explores a “More Personal” Story

Kate Hudson joins Octavia Spencer in season two of Truth Be Told on Apple TV+ as Micah, the oldest friend of Spencer’s character Poppy Parnell. The case that Poppy, a journalist turned true-crime podcaster, asked her listeners to “reconsider” in season one of the drama series was incredibly personal to her, as it was the case that helped build her career as a journalist. The two actresses tell The Hollywood Reporter that things hit even closer to home this time around.

“This case is more personal because it involves two close friends,” says Spencer. “Micah experiences a tragic loss and being that she is Poppy’s oldest friend, she asks Poppy to look into the case. And when you’re dealing with anything so closely related to friends and family, if you pick at a thread, sometimes things unravel.”

The stars also opened up about their characters, as well as what it was like working together on the new season.

“They’re survivors, that’s their nature,” says Hudson of Micah and Poppy. “They’ve had to be and so they’re very similar in characteristics, very different in personality. I mean, as an actor, that’s all the good, fun stuff, and we had some scenes together that were just so much fun. Even sometimes we would end the scene and be like, ‘Oh my god, that was so fun!'”

While the pair had their fair share of fun on set, they also revealed how the stakes are raised in season two. “When your family’s threatened, and Micah is a part of Poppy’s family, when people are threatened or the idea that they could be hurt by something that you’ve done, it’s definitely scarier,” says Spencer.

For Hudson, this marks her first lead role in a television series. She revealed what made her want to be a part of the project.

“My soulmate Octavia Spencer who I’ve always been such a huge fan of forever, obviously,” says Hudson. “I think anybody who knows her work is. And, I’m an actor, I’ll do anything that’s good with good people. And sometimes, if I needed to, I’ll do anything, because that’s what actors do just to keep your craft going, you know what I mean?”

While this might be Hudson’s first starring TV role, we’ve seen her in numerous films over the years including Almost Famous (2000), Bride Wars (2009) and the romantic comedy How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days (2003), where, just like Spencer’s Poppy Parnell, she also played a journalist, magazine writer Andie Anderson. So, THR couldn’t help but ask, did she give Spencer any tips on playing a “hard-hitting” journalist?

“There’s a big difference, I was a how-to journalist,” says Hudson with a laugh. “I wanted to do more serious things. If anything I think Andie would’ve gone to Poppy Parnell to be like, ‘How do I get out of this magazine and do more serious journalism?’ I like the connection. Coming up on 20 years of that movie, which is crazy.”

Season two of Truth Be Told premieres on Aug. 20 on Apple TV+.