Which role is Gabby Hoffman playing in Netflix's Eric? Actor revives her Hollywood career after ages

On May 30, 2024, the audiences were introduced to the offbeat and emotional world of Netflix's Eric, a psychological thriller miniseries starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch plays the role of Vincent Anderson, a renowned puppeteer in 1980s New York, whose son Edgar suddenly goes missing.

Gaby Hoffmann's character supports Cumberbatch's impeccable onscreen presence in Netflix's Eric. Hoffman plays the role of Cassie Anderson, Vincent's wife and Edgar's mother.

The six-part miniseries is one of the actor's biggest roles in a long time. This is because Hoffman has always prioritized work-life balance and maintained that having a life of her own is of utmost importance to her. Hence, after appearing in a few commercial movies in her youth, Hoffman has mostly maintained a distance from showbiz.

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Gabby Hoffman plays Cassie Anderson in Netflix's Eric

In what can be considered Gabby Hoffman's second run in Hollywood, the talented actor plays Cassie Anderson in Benedict Cumberbatch's Vincent Anderson in Eric.

Coming from a privileged background, Cassie fell in love with Vincent at a very young age when the two studied together in art college. Over the years, as Cassie's interests started merging with those of her husband and later their child, she started moving away from her own. This resulted in severe resentment towards her husband, whose nature became extremely capricious over time.

Talking about Cassie's life's trajectory over time, Hoffman told Netflix's Tudum:

"Where I understand Cassie to be when we first meet her is somebody who has let herself become trapped in a life that is ultimately not serving her because she thinks it’s what’s best for her son. It’s terrifying to leave a marriage and a nuclear family life, but she is screaming to get out of it.”

With the disappearance of her son, Edgar, Cassie faces a newer set of problems as she tries to deal with the absence of Edgar and Vincent's worrying reaction to the incident. Speaking to Netflix's Tudum, Hoffman said of her character in Netflix's Eric:

"She’s in a moment of real confusion, desperation, and searching. Cassie is not being true to herself and that is very disruptive. Also, as we see and as is always true, the child absorbs it all, so what is a very beautiful family needs to transform into a different iteration. Through this event [Edgar’s disappearance], that’s what happens.”

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What had Gabby Hoffman been up to before Netflix's Eric

Before Netflix's Eric came her way, Gabby Hoffman had been mostly associated with indie projects, usually low-budget movies targeted toward a niche audience. One of her most recent projects includes the 2013 Sundance film release Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus opposite Michael Cera.

The actor also appeared in the Amazon series Transparent and the HBO series Girls. She earned critical acclaim for both.

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What is Netflix's Eric about?

Spanning six episodes of approximately 52 minutes each, Netflix's Eric chronicles the life of a 20th-century New York puppeteer whose life is shaken by the sudden disappearance of his son. Vincent Anderson and Cassie Anderson's son Edgar Anderson suddenly goes missing one day while en route to his school.

Vincent and Cassie, who already share a strained relationship, develop newer problems after their son's disappearance. To make things worse, Vincent develops a drug issue and a growing obsession with his son's paintings of monsters. Eric, a monster his son drew, particularly fascinates him, which he believes will help him bring his son back home.

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All six episodes of Eric are currently streaming on Netflix.