'She was fragile': Blythe Danner says she met with Ruth Madoff before playing wife of infamous Ponzi fraudster Bernie in new ABC miniseries

Blythe Danner has revealed she met Ruth Madoff before playing her in an upcoming miniseries.

The actress told People she met with the wife of disgraced Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff before playing her in ABC's new miniseries Madoff, which also stars Richard Dreyfuss, 68.

The 72-year-old said Ruth 'wasn't thrilled' that the miniseries is forcing her to relive the scandal.

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New miniseries: Blythe Danner attended the premiere of ABC's miniseries Madoff in New York on Wednesday. The actress plays Ruth Madoff, the wife of infamous financial fraudster Bernie Madoff

'It was really interesting because I felt she was fragile,' Blythe told People. 'And how could she not be having gone through all of that?' 

The actress wore a sharp pinstripe suit as she and costar Richard attended the premiere of the miniseries in New York on Wednesday. 

In 2008, Ruth's husband, New York financier Bernie Madoff was revealed to have masterminded the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, defrauding investors out of $65 billion.

Blythe met with Ruth only once while researching the part, and said she found the fraud hard to understand.

Complex part: Blythe, left, plays Ruth Madoff, seen right in 2009 after visiting her husband in prison

Ponzi scheme: Blythe posed with costar Richard Dreyfuss, who plays Bernie in the two-part miniseries about the biggest financial fraud in history

Historic scam: Actor Richard Dreyfuss, left, stars as Bernie Madoff, right. Bernie was arrested in 2008 over a $65 billion financial fraud and is currently serving 150 years in prison

'I couldn't get over the depths of the tragedy of it and how many people were affected and the boys,' said Blythe, who is the mother of actress Gwyneth Paltrow of her research into the part.

'It was hard to comprehend.'

The 73-year-old said Ruth was 'lovely and composed,' and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren these days. 

After the historic fraud was revealed, Ruth's two sons - who worked for their father's securities business - also met with tragedy.

Research: The 73-year-old said Ruth Madoff seemed 'fragile' when they met to discuss the role

Real life drama: Blythe as Ruth in new miniseries Madoff, which airs on Feb 3 and 4 on ABC

Eldest son Mark committed suicide in 2010, on the two-year anniversary of Bernie's arrest, and son Andrew later died of cancer in 2014. 

Ruth, 74, who also worked for Madoff's financial fund, has always claimed she knew nothing of the scheme and was never charged.

After the scandal, she was forced to give up a $80 million fortune and four homes, as well as deal with the shame of becoming one of the most-hated women in New York. However, Ruth was allowed to keep $2.5 million after a settlement with the Justice Department.

Knew nothing? Ruth Madoff told 60 Minutes that she 'trusted' her husband. 'Why would I ever think anything sinister was going on?' she said in a rare 2011 interview

'I can't explain it. I mean I trusted him,' Ruth said of her husband's massive fraud in a rare interview with 60 Minutes in 2011.

'Why would it ever occur to me that it wasn't legal? The business was, his reputation was almost legendary. Why would I ever think that there was something sinister going on?' she said. 

These days, Ruth lives a far more modest life in Connecticut, living in a condo and driving a Prius. In October, she was spotted shopping at IKEA.

New life: Ruth Madoff was seen taking photos while browsing at IKEA near her Connecticut home in October

On screen partners: Blythe wore a sharp pinstripe suit as she caught up with costar Richard at the premiere

The new miniseries Madoff airs on ABC on February 3 and 4.

Bernie is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence, the maximum for his crimes. 

There is also another movie about the fraudster in the works at HBO. The Wizard of Lies stars Robert De Niro as Bernie and Michelle Pffeifer plays Ruth.

Financial scandal: Bernie Madoff leaving federal court in Manhattan after a bail hearing in 2009