The former intern-turned-activist moderated a panel with the stars before Tuesday’s finale on FX.
(Though Feldstein likes to remind everyone that she was only four when it all happened).
Lewinsky did preface some of her questions with her own thoughts and observations.
The real Monica Lewinsky and Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky in ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’.Emma McIntyre /VF20/Getty Images; Kurt Iswarienko/FX
She also revealed that she was on set when Ashford recreated Paula Jones' infamousPenthouse photo shoot.
“It was a very moving scene,” reflected Lewinsky.
Because I came from an upper-middle-class family, I was able to say no.
Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones in ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’.Kurt Iswarienko/FX
It was an eye-opening moment for me.
Sometimes, there are sex-positive decisions that are made.
That’s not this.
Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp and Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky in ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’.Tina Thorpe/FX
Someone was worried about paying the rent, so this was their only option."
“That was our meet-cute!”
“It was an imperative piece of her story.
I think there’s… empathy that we have for her now that we didn’t then.
“I didn’t want to think about humanizing her,” Paulson continued.
There is a lot to dislike about her personality.
It’s challenging for people to sit with a person who is unhappy.
I think it was important to not take a stab at engender goodwill and feeling with the audience.
We were trying to honor the truth of what happened.
There was a real betrayal in what happened.
Linda tried to move around the reality of what she was doing.”
In the end, both Feldstein and Paulson said they had become very close to Lewinsky.
“You are never going to get rid of me,” said Feldstein.
Added Paulson, “I’ll never do to you what she [Tripp] did to you.
I can promise you that.”
The finale ofImpeachmentairs Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.
