Hallie Shea is a freelance journalist and initially Jim's rival, who tours with him aboard the Romney bus, she eventually becomes his girlfriend.
Character[]
Formerly a writer for the Denver Post, Hallie left because she wanted to have more of a voice on the content of her writing. She managed to collaborate with an investor (Evan) to write for an online publication focusing on the subjects she felt were important.
When Jim Harper temporarily left his role as Senior Producer with News Night to fill in for the reporter they had on the Romney campaign bus who injured himself. Hallie was the one who persuaded one of the campaign staffer to allow Jim on the bus, despite News Night's harsh reporting on Mitt Romney. (First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Lawyers)
Like most of the other journalists on the bus, Hallie was annoyed with Jim's persistence in questioning the ambiguity of Romney's claims and requesting a thirty-minute one-on-one interview with governor Romney. Eventually Jim convinced her to stand beside him in his questioning of the Romney staff's refusal to address Romney's talking points with more detail so the journalists can report on more than just what the campaign asks them to. When Hallie protests the talking points they're given, demanding better answers over Romney's position on women's issues, she, Jim, and fellow journalist Stillman Frank are removed from the bus and forced to continue following the campaign, using their own money to rent a car and a hotel room. (Willie Pete)
When Jim catches Taylor, Romney's press secretary, in an on-the-record moment that he is able to leverage for the interview with Romney he's been seeking. He ultimately asks Taylor to hand the interview off to Hallie after Hallie was berated over speakerphone by her boss Evan for getting kicked off the bus and thus losing access to pre-releases of Romney's speeches.
Hallie, Jim, and Stillman were forced to share a hotel room. As such, when Mac contacted Jim over Skype to discuss his passing off the interview, Hallie overheard and was upset at what she perceived to be Jim trying to help her do her job. In response, Jim told her he simply felt like it was the right thing to do and he made a calculated decision based on the assumption that she would benefit more from the story than News Night would.
She later approached Jim by the hotel pool, having learned that he had been recalled to New York by Mac. She expressed displeasure over his departure and kissed him. (Unintended Consequences)
Trivia[]
- In Unintended Consequences, Hallie mentions twice that she is an alumna from Vassar College. Both Grace Gummer, who portrays Hallie, and Gummer's mother Meryl Streep are alumnae of Vassar College.
Behind the Scenes[]
Hallie Shea is a recurring character in the second and third seasons. She is played by guest star Grace Gummer.
Appearances[]
| Season 2 | ||||
| "First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All the Lawyers" | "The Genoa Tip" | "Willie Pete" | "Unintended Consequences" | "News Night with Will McAvoy" |
| "One Step Too Many" | "Red Team III" | "Election Night, Part I" | "Election Night, Part II" | |
| Season 3 | ||||
| "Boston" | "Run" | "Main Justice" | "Contempt" | "Oh Shenandoah" |
| "What Kind of Day Has It Been" | ||||