LOS ANGELES.- How do you get comedy legend Carol Burnett onto your TV show when her character spends several episodes in a coma? That was a task for Abe Sylvia, creator and executive producer of the new serie of Apple TV+ Palm Royaleavailable to subscribers of the service streaming, about a woman’s efforts to enter high society.
“Burnett was curious to know where he was going,” revealed Sylvia, who assured him that more things would happen to his character.
Fortunately, Sylvia already had a great cast lined up: Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern (who is also an executive producer), Allison Janney and Leslie Bibb, which impressed Burnett.
“She said, ‘Those are the best ladies in the business. I want to be on set with them. I want to have dinner with them. I’m in.'”
Once she received a yes from Burnett, Sylvia kept her word that the role would be worth it for the actress.
“I went back to the writers’ room. I told them, ‘Now we have Carol Burnett playing this role. We have to make sure it’s Carol Burnett-worthy.'” They added more scenes for her character, with dialogues.
In retrospect, Burnett, who will turn 91 in April, jokes that those coma scenes weren’t so bad. “I fell asleep, so it was perfect, I had been up since 5 a.m. getting ready to get there and then go back to bed,” Burnett said.
The Serie
Palm Royale It is based on the novel Mr. & Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel. The series is set in 1969 and follows Wiig as Maxine Simmons, a woman who will do anything to be accepted into Palm Beach high society. For her, the pinnacle of it is becoming a member of an exclusive club called Palm Royale. In her first scene, Maxine scales a large fence around the property to sit by the pool and order a cocktail.
“It’s complicated,” Wiig said. “You want to support her, even though you wonder what she’s doing? You want her to get there and you want her to succeed, but she keeps getting in her own way.”
Maxine’s entry into Palm Royale and into contact with its members is Burnett’s character, Norma D’ellacourt, whom she believes will inherit her fortune through her husband.
Norma is the queen bee of society, she seems to know everyone’s secrets and her concern for her health is more superficial than sincere. Most would prefer she remain in a coma, which Burnett says is understandable.
“You get to know who she is and she’s not a very nice person,” Burnett said, “She’s actually a lot of fun to play.”
Ricky Martin plays D’ellacourt’s caretaker who also works at the Palm Royale. The series gave the Puerto Rican star the opportunity to do comedy for the first time and try to defend himself in scenes with masters of the genre.
“I love difficult tasks. I’m a Capricorn,” said Martin. “If it’s a challenge, I’m in. It seduces me and I want to be good at it.”
I learned that less is more when it comes to laughing. “I didn’t know that was the key until I was surrounded by this group of people,” he said.
Martin would love to continue working at 90, like Burnett. “He comes on set and makes everyone feel good. Even in a coma, he makes people laugh without opening his mouth.”
Improvisation as a key
Palm Royale It also gave Burnett the opportunity to improvise with Wiig, who has experience in sketch comedy. Wiig is a former representative of Saturday Night Live.
“We did it according to the script, and then the director would say, ‘Okay, do your version now,’ so we could play. It’s a great gift for any actor,” Burnett said.
Janney plays a socialite who is Burnett’s lady-in-waiting. Janney, an Oscar winner, says working with Burnett legitimized her career with her father.
“I’m not kidding. He was so happy. I’ve never seen him get excited about anything I’ve done before,” she said.
Not everyone wants to be part of the upper echelon in Palm Beach. Dern plays Linda Shaw, who has the wealth and family history to be included, but she pokes fun at its superficiality and focuses on social issues like women’s rights.
Dern has already had exciting roles in her own career and wants others to have that opportunity.
“Growing up with an actress mother was a big influence on that desire, as we fought for equity in a variety of ways,” said Dern, Diane Ladd’s daughter. “I don’t think ageism is talked about enough. Creating an opportunity where a cast could include Kaia Gerber and Carol Burnett was really exciting.”
The cast also includes Amber Chardae Robinson, Mindy Cohn and Josh Lucas, who plays Maxine’s husband.
FUENTE: AP
