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The Act (TV series)

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The Act
File:The Act Logo.png
Genre
Created by
Starring
ComposerJeff Russo
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJan Peter Meyboom
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHulu
ReleaseMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20) –
present (present)

The Act is an American true crime anthology drama web television series that premiered on March 20, 2019, on Hulu. The first season is based on the real life of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who was accused of abusing her daughter by fabricating illness and disabilities as a direct consequence of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.[1]

Premise

The series follows the story of Gypsy Blanchard (Joey King), who is confined to her wheelchair due to an illness. Growing up, her relationship with her overprotective mother (Patricia Arquette) begins to sour as she increasingly insists on her independence. She rebels as her mother, who dedicated her life to her care, grows more protective, controlling and abusive, particularly amid her attempt to explore her sexuality.

The relationship turns even more toxic as Gypsy discovers many secrets.[2] She grew up believing she was sick with cancer but discovers that she was not sick at all.[3] Her mother Dee Dee successfully deceived not only Gypsy but also her family, friends, and medical professionals into believing her child was ill.[4] It is suggested that she suffers from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental illness in which a caregiver exaggerates or fakes another person’s illness.[3] The narrative eventually leads to murder after Gypsy manipulates someone else to kill her mother.[5]

Cast and characters

Main

  • Calum Worthy as Nick Godejohn, Gypsy’s boyfriend
  • Chloë Sevigny as Mel, Lacey’s mother who is an original character in the show

Guest

Episodes

No. Titles Directed By Written By Original Air Date
1. La Maison du Bon Reve Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre Nick Antosca & Michelle Dean March 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
Doting mother Dee Dee Blanchard and her sweet daughter Gypsy arrive in a new neighborhood, where Gypsy feels lonely due to a barrage of medical issues, but their new neighbors can be nosy, and Dee Dee and Gypsy have secrets to hide.
2. Teeth Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre Dan Dietz March 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
Doting mother Dee Dee Blanchard and her sweet daughter Gypsy arrive in a new neighborhood, where Gypsy feels lonely due to a barrage of medical issues, but their new neighbors can be nosy, and Dee Dee and Gypsy have secrets to hide.
3. Two Wolverines Adam Arkin Robin Veith March 27, 2019 (2019-03-27)
Dee Dee makes Gypsy play dress-up for a costume convention, where they each attract charming men who could complicate their insular relationship; Gypsy is starting to question the lies her mother tells her -- especially about how old she really is.
4. Stay Inside Christina Choe Michelle Dean April 3, 2019 (2019-04-03)
Gypsy is getting older and Dee Dee is forced to new legal maneuvers to keep control of her "little girl," but Dee Dee is limited by her health problems; Gypsy goes to greater lengths than ever to connect with men and experience a sexual awakening.
5. Plan B Steven Piet Nick Antosca & Lisa Long April 10, 2019 (2019-04-10)
Gypsy and Nick scheme to meet in person and hope to win Dee Dee's approval, but when their plan goes disastrously wrong they'll be pushed to make an extreme choice in order to be together.
6. A Whole New World Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre TBA April 17, 2019 (2019-04-17)
While Gypsy and Nick are on the run, flashbacks to a much younger Dee Dee reveal how trauma with her own mother set her up for conflict with Gypsy.
7. Bonnie & Clyde Hannah Fidell TBA April 24, 2019 (2019-04-24)
Gypsy is excited to start over with Nick in Wisconsin, but their new life doesn't match the happily-ever-after she imagined, and her anxiety worsens as past transgressions begin to catch up with them.
8. Free Steven Piet Lisa Long May 1, 2019 (2019-05-01)
Gypsy fights for her life by defending her actions, while Mel and Lacey realize that behind closed doors things were not always as they seemed.

Production

Development

On July 21, 2017, it was announced that Hulu had put the production into development. The potential series was expected to be written by Michelle Dean and Nick Antosca based on Dean's BuzzFeed article "Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom To Be Murdered." Writ Large, who acquired the screen rights to the article in 2016, was set to produce. Production companies involved with the series include Universal Cable Productions.[7]

On May 18, 2018, it was reported that Hulu had given the production a series order. It was further announced that Dean and Antosca would serve as co-showrunners and executive produce alongside Greg Shephard and Britton Rizzio.[8][9] On August 1, 2018, it was announced that Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre would direct the series' first episode.[10] On December 20, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on March 20, 2019.[11] On March 11, 2019, Jeff Russo was announced to be the show's composer.[12]

Casting

In September 2018, it was announced that Patricia Arquette, Joey King, Chloë Sevigny, and AnnaSophia Robb had been cast in starring roles.[13][14][15] On October 2, 2018, it was reported that Calum Worthy had joined the cast in a starring role.[16]

In April 2019, Kristy Blanchard, stepmother of Gypsy Blanchard, stated that she was unhappy with how Aleah Woodmansee was portrayed in the show. While Woddmansee's name isn't mentioned, Robb's character Lacey originates from her. Blanchard stated that there was a scene in the second episode where Lacey gave Gypsy a cigarette, which in reality, didn't happen. In an interview with Vulture, Blanchard stated: "She is the total opposite of that. It hurts Aleah because she lives in Springfield, and people are going to look at her differently and she’s scared that it affects her job and reputation."[17]

Filming

Principal photography for the series took place from October 2018 to February 2019 in Effingham County, Georgia.[18]

Controversy

On April 4, 2019, Gypsy Blanchard stated that she will be taking legal action towards The Act and its creator Dean. While Blanchard isn't able to watch the show in prison, she's not particularly happy with its existence. Blanchard stated: "I feel it is very unfair and unprofessional that producers and co-producer Michelle Dean has used my actual name and story without my consent, and the life rights to do so".[19] Kristy Blanchard, and screenwriter Franchesca Marcelli, however, stated that it was from her own place of anger and disappointment and frustration, referring to how no one is taking action. Marcelli stated that they will be looking into the legal rights for their actions, either cancelling the show or making its storyline right.[20][21]

Reception

Critical response

The first season has received widespread acclaim with critics praising the writing, directing, the dark atmosphere, and the performances of the entire cast (particularly Arquette and King). On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 91% based on 33 reviews, with an average rating of 7.22/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Disturbingly nuanced performances from Patricia Arquette and Joey King make The Act a convincing case for the ongoing dramatization of true crime stories." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

References

  1. ^ "The Trailer for Hulu's Gypsy Blanchard Series The Act Will Leave You Shook". eonline. March 4, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  2. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Andreeva, Nellie (2018-09-06). "'The Act': Joey King To Star In Hulu True-Crime Anthology Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  3. ^ a b Elliott, Megan; Articles, More; February 17, 2019 (2019-02-17). "'The Act': Hulu's New True Crime Drama Is Based on a Shocking Real-Life Story". The Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2019-04-08. {{cite web}}: |first3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Patricia Arquette's Kids Didn't Want Her to Star in Hulu's True Crime Story The Act | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  5. ^ Turchiano, Danielle; Turchiano, Danielle (2019-03-13). "'The Act' Team on Diving Into the Psychology of Gypsy Rose Blanchard 'Coming of Age'". Variety. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  6. ^ Jones, Alexis (April 4, 2019). "What Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Stepmom Says Hulu's "The Act" Got Wrong". Marie Claire. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  7. ^ Petski, Denise (July 21, 2017). "True-Crime Anthology Series From Nick Antosca & Michelle Dean In Works At Hulu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  8. ^ Petski, Denise (May 18, 2018). "Hulu Orders 'The Act' True-Crime Anthology Series From Nick Antosca & Michelle Dean". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  9. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 18, 2018). "True Crime Anthology Series 'The Act' Set at Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  10. ^ Holloway, Daniel (August 1, 2018). "Universal Cable Productions Sets Four Female Pilot Directors (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  11. ^ Schwartz, Dana (December 20, 2018). "Patricia Arquette is an obsessed mother in true-crime anthology 'The Act': First look". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  12. ^ "Jeff Russo Scoring Hulu's 'The Act'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 5, 2018). "Patricia Arquette To Star In Hulu True-Crime Anthology Series 'The Act'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 6, 2018). "'The Act': Joey King To Star In Hulu True-Crime Anthology Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (September 12, 2018). "'The Act': Chloë Sevigny & AnnaSophia Robb To Star In Hulu True-Crime Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  16. ^ Pedersen, Erik (October 2, 2018). "'The Act': Calum Worthy To Star In Hulu's True-Crime Anthology Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  17. ^ Jones, Alexis (April 4, 2019). "What Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Stepmom Says Hulu's "The Act" Got Wrong". Marie Claire. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  18. ^ Rigsby, G.G. (November 27, 2018). "Filming of Hulu true crime series may prompt ordinance". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  19. ^ Jones, Alexis (April 4, 2019). "Did Gypsy Rose Blanchard Make Money From 'The Act'?". Marie Claire. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  20. ^ Jones, Alexis (April 4, 2019). "Did Gypsy Rose Blanchard Make Money From 'The Act'?". Marie Claire. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  21. ^ Jones, Alexis (April 4, 2019). "What Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Stepmom Says Hulu's "The Act" Got Wrong". Marie Claire. Retrieved April 5, 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyright_violations

External links

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