Plus, how her new show tackles ageism in Hollywood.
Apple’s new series Palm Royale has a lot going for it — including two details American audiences can’t resist: A stacked cast and a grifting main character.
The series, out March 20, centers on Maxine Simmons, played by a blindingly blonde Kristen Wiig, as she attempts to con and country-club-crash her way into Palm Beach high society in 1969. Unlike other imposters we’ve seen on screen lately (Anna Delvey, Paolo Macchiarini, and Elizabeth Holmes, to name a few), this fictional character has some redeeming qualities: Maxine’s desire to be liked, and the faith she has in love make her a somewhat-hapless underdog you’ll find yourself rooting for. Plus, and this is a big plus, her unbelievable claims aren’t always fabricated. But first, you’ll have to get over the fact that she’s stealing from her husband’s ultra-wealthy and revered coma-stricken grandma Norma — played by Carol Burnett. And Laura Dern plays a high society reject-turned-feminist with secrets, whom Maxine befriends. (We said the cast was stacked.)
For anyone stressed about Norma’s fate, don’t worry — she’s seemingly as invincible as the 90-year-old icon embodying her. And while you await her reawakening, the rest of the cast doesn’t disappoint. Allison Janney plays the next in line to the local throne should Norma succumb to the coma. Ricky Martin plays a working-class veteran who’s been dismissed by all of the Palm Springs elite, except for Norma. And Dern’s real-life pa Bruce Dern plays her character’s dad, who’s married to Janney’s Evelyn. It’s a complex web worth untangling for the ensemble cast and the touching messages lying beneath the eye-catching surface of colorful costumes, dreamy locales, blinged-out backstabbing, and palatial estates.
We spoke to Dern — and her co-producer on this project, Jayme Lemons — about portraying strong-willed women and aging in Hollywood. Plus, Dern gushes about working with her dad and shares advice for people witnessing their parents age.
Katie Couric Media: It seems audiences can’t get enough of a grifter story these days. Why did you want to tell this one?
Laura Dern: Well, when we read the book it’s loosely based on [Mr. and Mrs. American Pie], we first fell in love with a world that still seems to be a primary focus culturally — the bubble of the 1 percent. And people wanting to be part of it to give them a sense of identity and self-worth, when the entire world around them is begging them to participate, and many are even blinded to that. That excited us. And then focusing on a protagonist who wants to be part of it not for their own self-serving pocketbook, but for love seemed exciting. It seemed exciting to see something that feels surface and yet someone still — because of a lack of worth or identity — clings to that survival instinct to be part of this club that seems of such value. And we developed the character of Maxine as we were producing it and working on it for four or five years. And then because of my schedule working on other projects, our showrunner Abe Sylvia came up with a character I could play around my schedule, who could represent the other side of the story. That way, we could create that division between these two women that then helped them realize that if they didn’t find sisterhood, everything would fall apart. That was really fun to investigate.
Between this and Big Little Lies, it seems like you’re attracted to stories where women are capable of so much more when they support each other. Do you feel especially drawn to that these days?
LD: I’m definitely drawn to that, because we need all allies — it’s not a gender issue. But within our relationships as women, [allyship is] absolutely a focus. And I’m an actor who for years almost exclusively worked with male actors because there weren’t more than one or two “girlfriend” parts in the movie. So the bliss of creating a space — as Nicole [Kidman] and Reese [Witherspoon] did with Big Little Lies — where a group of women can work together is ecstasy, for sure. But yes, Palm Royale is about sisterhood, but also on a larger level, finding a space where you’re deeply seen, with an ally. My deepest ally is Ricky Martin’s character and I’m the same for him — we accept each other in a way that no one else ever has. And so it’s that theme of found family, despite divisions, that’s really interesting.
The story revolves around a group of women who have full, rich lives and ambitions in middle age. What about that element appealed to you?
Jayme Lemons: I think anytime that people can be seen and see themselves reflected, it’s important. And as Laura is often saying, there’s an audience for that and we’re so happy to serve that audience — but also give opportunities to actors who richly deserve them and who audiences want to see. So we feel a great privilege in being part of cultivating those opportunities.
LD: And as we long for equity and diversity, finding a community of women in a show that spans from Kaia Gerber’s character to Carol Burnett’s character, to look at ageism in Hollywood, was important and exciting to us.
Laura, I love seeing your dad play your dad in this. The scene where the two characters are talking about death, and she’s saying it’s OK to go — and that she’ll be OK — was so touching. What advice do you have for adults who are watching their parents age?
LD: To watch the Secrets of the Blue Zones documentary series — Dan Buettner’s work is incredible — and to remember that purpose is the one common thread in all these areas. I feel privileged to witness my parents’ purpose and love of acting in their 80s, and they’ll never stop working. Whether it’s tending to a garden, taking care of grandchildren or great-grandchildren, being of service in your community, or having a craft that you love, we must continue to inspire our elders and continue learning from them — gaining wisdom, having meals, and sharing their genius and their gifts — because that keeps them going. But American culture hasn’t really understood that, and then we go everywhere else in the world and everybody of every age is in community together. I don’t know how we started this model of separating people when they’re older. I’m learning a lot about that from the Blue Zone series, and it’s really been inspiring. Thank you for mentioning that I get to work with my dad. Out of everything we got to do, that was the dream come true for me.
JL: It was the highlight of my career to be able to see it.
