The Sugar Plum Interview: 3 Questions for Danielle Sepulveres

Tonight I’m chatting with Danielle Sepulveres, writer, actor and stand-in extraordinaire. As you’ll see in tonight’s episode, Danielle plays Stella Cross on Dietland. (Danielle wants to start the hashtag #JusticeforStella – so maybe we can get that trending tonight!) Danielle is also Julianna Margulies’s long-time stand-in. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, Racked, Curbed and more, and she is also a screenwriter and is developing TV projects. She is totally funny on social media, and I’ve included her handles below so you can start following her.

SARAI: You worked as Julianna Margulies’s stand-in on Dietland, and you had previously worked with her on The Good Wife. I don’t think many people outside the industry know what a stand-in does. Can you give us the scoop? Also, is it common for a stand-in to work with the same actor from show to show?

DANIELLE: Sure! Ok so a stand-in watches what’s called a marking rehearsal of the scene to see exactly what the actor does and at what part in the dialogue do they do it while a camera assistant marks the standing points with colored tape. Some basic examples are noting how they sit in the scene, where do they move around, do they lean, do they pick up an object and if so with which hand. Then while the actors are getting touched up by hair makeup and wardrobe to be camera ready, the stand in does all the movements for the camera and lighting departments so everything can be set and lit properly for when the actor comes back to set and filming can immediately start. It’s meant for efficiency and to save time. Not everyone works with the same actor show to show, it often depends on the actor’s preference (basically if they like you and you do a good job!). I’ve heard that Jeff Bridges and Will Smith take the same stand in with them on every job and I believe Robin Williams also did it when he was alive. I’m sure there are others who do as well. I loved working all those years with Julianna on TGW and was thrilled to be asked to work with her again.

SARAI: You also play Stella Cross on Dietland. How did that casting come about? What was the experience like?

DANIELLE: That was a huge surprise! I left set one day and casting called to say there had been a production meeting for the next episode and they had discussed me as a possibility to play Stella if I was interested. Having read the book I knew who Stella was and how polarizing the reaction is (and would be) to what happens to her so I was intrigued to play her. I know her death upsets people but Dietland to me always felt like its content is asking hard questions about us as a society and demanding cultural shifts. And one thing I believe needs to shift is how mainstream feminism still shuts out sex workers and Jennifer—as radical as they are in their vigilantism—still fall into that trap. Stella is lumped in with terrible men because of her connection to them. In reality women are often asked to answer for men’s bad behavior or punished for it by being adjacent to it. The experience of shooting it was kind of wild; shooting fake porn is quite a long, exhausting (and very naked) day. The crew made me feel completely comfortable, I never felt unsafe or that I couldn’t speak up or ask questions. I had a blast with the incredible wardrobe department wearing the Stella outfits they had put together for me including all their assistance to make my boobs look far larger than they are. Haha. However, the cemetery scene was SO COLD and trying not to breathe while playing dead when your body is determined to shiver is a skill I’m now putting on my resume.        

SARAI: Your main focus is actually writing, and you’ve written screenplays and developed TV projects that I hope we see on the air one day soon. What kind of material do you write?

DANIELLE: For about five years I have been writing personal and reported essays on ignored aspects of women’s sexual health, relationships, grief and starting over, as well as my experiences working in TV and film. I feel like dark humor with some fun elements of hope is my niche and the show/film ideas I’ve written scripts of reflect that. Like a Jane the Virgin meets Fleabag kind of tone if that makes sense.   

Connect with Danielle on social media:

Twitter: @ellesep

Instagram: @daniellesep

The Sugar Plum Interview: 3 Questions for Jennifer Hoppe-House and Nancy Fichman

Jennifer Hoppe-House and Nancy Fichman are writers and producers on the Dietland series. They wrote tonight’s episode, which is one of my favorites. I got to know them while working as a consultant in the writers’ room, and they are so fun to work with, and such great writers. They are writing partners (more on that below) who’ve worked together for more than 20 years. They started out writing feature films, and have written for television shows including Nurse Jackie, Grace & Frankie, Damages and Get Shorty.

SARAI: Episode four covers two of my favorite parts from the book: the makeover that Plum undergoes with Marlowe, and the Jennifer section that unfolds in London. The two of you did such an amazing job on the script, and the episode is brilliant. What were some of the challenges of writing this episode? What were the most fun parts?

JEN AND NANCY: It was fun writing the Marlowe scene that briefly turned into a sitcom. That was an unconventional scene and we enjoyed veering away from a traditional narrative. It was fun, too, breaking Plum down, calibrating her discomfort as we stripped her of hair, squeezed her body into Spanx, her feet into heels, her mind into a corner.

In all the episodes — but even more so in episode 4 — it was a bit of a thrill balancing the humor and the horror of this show. We open with the unsettling image of a child being kidnapped in London. The shot is through a window, and so we’re inside with a chatty British mother who’s on the phone, who’s waving to the boy as he gets off the bus, but as she turns, she misses completely that her kid is snatched because she’s preoccupied with getting to a restaurant safely. Call it terror with a light touch. And it launches us into this new, chaotic world. We get a sense of Jennifer’s danger and reach, which is ominous. We love the convergent tones of violence and comedy; the violence visited upon an innocent child runs parallel to Plum’s story and another kind of violence: the violence meted out by an unforgiving beauty/fashion world.

It’s always fun to write Kitty, especially when she’s wielding power in the boardroom. Every time we write a scene for Julianna Margulies, it’s like stepping onto a playground.

And we loved coming up with ways the world is changing. That scene where Dominic is walking down the street and he feels discomfited by “the female gaze” was cathartic to write.

SARAI: The two of you are writing partners. As a novelist, this concept was foreign to me until I came out to L.A. There are some novelists who work in pairs, but it’s pretty rare. However, in TV and film having a writing partner is much more common. What are the benefits of working with a partner?

JEN AND NANCY: Well, you’re in the trenches together; you have an ally. So, it’s not just an advantage in terms of bouncing ideas around or talking out story points or splitting the workload. You also have someone to talk you down when bone-crushing disappointment happens, as it will in a writer’s life; and you have someone with whom to share your victories. You can check your thinking, too: “Hey, did that sound weird to you?” or  “Hey, do you think I’m being a jerk?” or “Hey, does she hate me?” We’re able to tamp down the typical paranoia that afflicts every writer in television (except for one or two, and they’re terrible writers). Meetings with executives are easier as well. There’s a synergy in conversation that happens right off the bat when you’re a team. If one of us were to go into a meeting alone, an executive could easily think we’re a little kooky, but we kind of vouch for each other’s sanity, which gives us license to have fun. We look at writers who aren’t on a team as “only children”.

SARAI: How was the experience of writing for Dietland different from other shows you’ve worked on?

JEN AND NANCY: Women, women, women (and a couple of men who could be women). You wrote the book, of course, and were frequently with us in the writers’ room, which was mostly women. Marti Noxon and Jackie Hoyt ran the room; Alison Kelly was our indomitable director of photography. And almost every director was a woman. That’s extraordinary. It doesn’t happen. And the cast was mostly comprised of fierce women: Joy Nash, Julianna Margulies, Robin Weigert, Tamara Tunie and Erin Darke are just some of the girls’ names on the call sheet. The heads of post were women, as were most of the editors. It was like that island in Wonder Woman. It was radical by its nature. The writers’ room was happy, the set was happy, and the editing bays were happy. Plus, we always had good food.

You can connect with Jen on Twitter: @Hoppe_House

The Sugar Plum Interview: 3 Questions for Jen Ponton

GIVEAWAY and INTERVIEW

**Leave a comment for Jen for a chance to win a mug. See the end of the interview for details on the prize.**

Jen Ponton plays Rubi on Dietland, and we’re so lucky to have her. Rubi is a kick-ass fat activist in the novel and TV series, and this also describes Jen in her everyday life. If you’re not following Jen on social media, you must. She inspires me every day.

Jen has appeared in many TV shows and movies. Besides working for the amazing Tina Fey, Jen has – in her own words – “had the pleasure of playing some really fabulous characters of size: the unflappable romantic Franny in the indie Love on the Run; the ribald ghost of Duchess Beatrix on Hulu’s Deadbeat; and the earnestly enthusiastic Charlie in Free the Nipple (much like Dietland, a production/movement).” Jen is also a writer who has written four television pilots, all of which feature fat positive women. 

Here we go!

Sarai: I know many women named Jennifer who complain about having a name that’s so popular, and it certainly has an “everywoman” quality to it. But as a Jen yourself, do you think, as in Dietland, that being a Jennifer can have a subversive kind of power?

Jen: Absolutely! Dietland has totally infused me with newfound pride to be a Jennifer. Growing up as a child of the '80s, I was one of, like, 5 Jennifers in my class (and of course, I was 'Jen P.,' which was real fun for the fat weirdo outcast). I often wished that I could be something closer to a Skyler or a Moon Unit. There's something about Jennifers, Jessicas, all the 'J' girls of the era, that had the implied qualities of popularity, friendliness, beauty; social butterflies. If we could share that assumed sisterhood...why couldn't we share a more dangerous one? One that felt like just as much of a birthright? It feels like power in numbers. It feels like redefining femininity. Badass.

Sarai: You’ve been a guest star on shows including 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Law & Order: SVU, and Orange Is the New Black. What’s it like to step onto the set of an iconic show for a guest-starring role?

Jen: The teams of all these shows have always been immensely warm and welcoming towards me, so it's always fun to step into something that already has its own wonderful energy and get to share in that for a week or so. I've had the incredible honor of working with some amazing directors, badass female showrunners who inspire me (including Marti's sister-in-law, Jenji Kohan), and working with kind, generous, playful actors. That said, there's something about putting show together from the get-go that feels much more theatrical, much more ultimately collaborative, and I love that. It makes it all the easier because of all the incredible women making it hum so beautifully. 

Sarai: I follow you on Instagram and I regularly see photos of you in fabulous outfits. You seem to love fashion, and you have a real flair for it. You’re also well known in fat positivity. Why do you think fashion has become such an important part of fat activism for many women?

Jen: Thank you! I really do. I feel like I'm making up for lost time--it's something that was denied to me (and I'm sure a lot of fat women) for much of my life. I remember before my sophomore prom, my straight-size mother and I went to every store we could find in search of a dress for me. It took all day--right up until 9pm, when I collapsed in tears in a Macy's, having to settle for a dress that only just barely could zip up. My chest looked like a pancake, and thank God I went with my two best friends, because they were the only thing that could keep me from my self-loathing that night. All that to say--I couldn't figure out how to dress my body, or where to dress my body, and I lived in old t-shirts and windpants for a really, really long time. When I finally found the Fatosphere and got 'dematrixed,' I finally got the courage to celebrate my body through clothing that had felt denied to me my whole life. The combination of fat acceptance along with the incredible resources that a community can provide led me to finally figuring out how to dress myself in a way that felt fun, exciting and finally resonant with who I truly am. Like you show us in the book: fashion is a world that is reserved for 'deserving bodies.' Ours are deserving. We should be able to wear the shapes, lines, colors, patterns, pieces that excite us--not the ones that hide us from the world. 

Connect with Jen!

Her website: jenponton.com.

Twitter and Instagram are both @JenPonton

Go to my Facebook page to leave a comment for Jen, or a general comment about episode 3, and you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win a mug.

The Sugar Plum Interview: 3 Questions for Bethany Kay

GIVEAWAY

**Leave a comment for Bethany for a chance to win a tote bag. See the end of the interview for details.**

Tonight you’ll see Bethany Kay as Janice on Dietland (known as Janine in the novel), who crashes Plum’s Waist Watchers meeting and makes an unforgettable impression. I predict that Bethany as Janice – GODDESS!! -- is going to become a meme, and rightfully so!

Bethany has an MFA in Acting from the New School for Drama. She has performed for numerous special events at the long-running Off-Broadway phenomenon Sleep No More, and she’s an opera singer, model, and improviser. She’s going to be in BLITHE SPIRIT at the Shakespeare Theatre of NJ this August.

Here we go!

SARAI: Janice has a small part in the show, but she makes such a big splash. At a recent screening I attended, she got the biggest laughs. How did you approach playing this role? 

BETHANY: Well thanks, you! So much of Janice was right there on the page from the get-go in both your novel and in what Marti and her team wrote... this vibrant woman being told she was quite literally too big for that room (and the world) is something that I sure as hell relate to. 

Let’s be honest, it hurts to be outed as “other” every single day. And I wanted to make sure in that scene that you see her trying to remind all of those women (and Karen specifically) that the amount of space they take up is not only valid but beautiful. ...But don’t be fooled, Janice is very much reminding herself that too. But she chooses to bring herself back up by empowering the women around her and calling out another woman who is cutting them all down...THAT is badass.

SARAI: I loved writing Janice/Janine in the book because she's so confident, bold, stylish and kick-ass. I aspire to have her fashion sense, but I admit I often hesitate to wear outfits that draw a lot of attention. Like Janice, you have a fabulous sense of style. Do you have any advice for those of us plus-size ladies who lack your flair and confidence? 

BETHANY: That’s so interesting that you ask that question because ever since reading DIETLAND my New York uniform of all-black pencil skirts and Bardot tops has taken on SO much more color. Because why shouldn’t we wear our bright and bold larger than life hearts on the outside too, ya know?

My advice? Take it one step at a time. I dressed rather conservatively through my mid-20s and then happened into a Bold Lip Moment...quite literally picked up some red lipstick and made that my signature. Then came a face-defining headband, a nice wide “look at my waist!” belt, a neon shoe... these were my steps but you find whatever screams LIFE to you and layer it in. If you feel good you’ll look good.

SARAI: You describe yourself on Twitter as a "curvy gal." Do you think there are more opportunities nowadays for actresses who are plus-sized?

BETHANY: No doubt. No doubt at ALL that the opportunities are changing. I don’t know that I’d say “more” opportunities, but I’d say different ones, ones that allow us to bring more nuance and full-bodied life to roles that for a long time were generally more two-dimensional.

I made a decision very early in my career to be discerning with what jobs I’d take on. I have been clear all along that I did not want my size to make me the butt of the joke on camera: we all know those roles, don’t we? I never wanted to have to go there but of course the career opportunity temptation was there. 

But I’ll never forget watching Cynthia Ettinger on the FANTASTIC but short-lived HBO Show Carnivale: she created this vibrantly sexy maternal figure that wasn’t attractive in spite of her curves but because of them; she was just effortlessly confident and able to be vulnerable within that. Her work signaled to early 20s me that there was a place for me to hold onto my dignity in this industry. And actresses like Ashlie Atkinson and Christina Hendricks and America Ferrera along with our very own Joy Nash continue to prove what a viable entertainment industry force we curvy gals can be when writers like you keep on sharing our stories. I mean...I get to call myself a Goddess on television with absolutely no hesitation at all: THAT is a gift.

Connect with Bethany:

Website: www.BethanyKayActor.com

Instagram: BethanyKayNYC

Twitter: @BethanyKayActor

Go to my FB author page or Instagram feed (see links in bottom right corner) to leave a comment for Bethany. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing for a Loving Your Body Is a Radical Act tote bag. This contest is open to anyone in any country. There is one tote bag available in total, and the deadline to post a comment is 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time on June 5th, 2018.

Merry TV Eve

Crosspost from social media: Today is Dietland’s last day as just a book. From tomorrow it’ll always be a book and a TV series. I recently did a small makeover of my website, and decided to celebrate Dietland the book by including some of its American and international covers on the homepage. In a weird way it’s hard to say goodbye to Dietland as something that is just mine, but I’m thrilled about all that’s happening, and that so many more people will get to experience the story and meet the characters. This book has taken me on the ride of my life. Good luck tomorrow my baby girl 💕