Page 14 - aruba-today-20220210

a14 people & arts
Thursday 10 February 2022
Ally Sheedy savors nuanced TV role in ‘Single Drunk Female’

By LYNN ELBER in TV’s current wave, bene-
AP Television Writer fiting creators and viewers.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ally “There are so many sto-
Sheedy’s career boasts ries that I wouldn’t just say
hit movies including “The need to be told, but are
Breakfast Club” and being asked for from a very
“WarGames,” an award- broad audience,” she said.
wining turn in the indie film Sheedy, who lives in New
“High Art” and a string of York, is putting her experi-
TV roles scattered over the ence to work on screen
years. and in the classroom. She’s
While Sheedy often re- in her fourth year of teach-
turned to television be- ing a film acting class that
tween big-screen projects, she developed for City Col-
she was unaware of how lege of New York’s theater
many innovative shows and speech department.
had joined the ranks of The most-asked questions
the conventional. Then the she gets are unrelated to
2020 pandemic lockdown Hollywood glamor or gos-
arrived. sip.
“I downloaded Hulu and “’How did you figure out
HBO Max and Netflix and what to do on a film set?
all this stuff that I never ac- How did you know how to
tually watched. I suddenly do this, that or the other
got an education on the thing?’” Sheedy recount-
streaming platforms,” she ed. She says they’ll learn
said in an interview. on the job, as she did, but
When the script for Free- This image released by Freeform shows Ally Sheedy in a scene from “Single Drunk Female.” there’s practical as well as
form’s “Single Drunk Fe- Associated Press artistic guidance she can
male” came her way, offer.
Sheedy said, “it felt like is what I love,” Sheedy said (10 p.m. EST Thursday) and drug-addicted photogra- Sheedy also appreciates
of a piece with the kinds during a Q&A with TV crit- on Hulu. Creator Simone pher in a relationship with how much has changed
of shows I had been able ics. “I love Sofia. So, going Finch based it on her expe- a younger woman, earn- since her career began.
to watch....I suddenly un- to work every day was an rience as a young woman. ing an Independent Spirit Virtual classes during COV-
derstood, ‘Oh, I see why absolute joy.” Carol is “a woman of many Award for best female ID required students to rely
a show like this could be Black-D’Elia (“The Night contradictions,” Sheedy lead. on smartphone cameras
made.’” Of,” “Gossip Girl”) de- said. “She wasn’t written as “Yes, as a matter of fact,” instead of the real deal,
In the dark comedy, Sheedy scribed the mother-daugh- any kind of quote-unquote she told The Associated which she realized was a
plays mom Carol to the title ter dynamic as “complicat- mom, or ‘disaster of a Press. “There was a mo- boon for developing skills
character, 20-something, ed and funny and weird mom.’ There were so many ment, maybe extended including lighting and edit-
newly recovering alcoholic and nuanced in a way that complexities and levels to moments (into) the late ing along with acting.
Samantha (Sofia Black- I think any girl with a mother her, and the dynamic with ‘90s, when indie film was “They really do have a kind
D’Elia). There’s no sugar- can understand and relate the daughter....was really developing and fruitful.” of limitless horizon as far
coating, with characters to, and it’s really fun doing interesting and with a lot of The films included “a lot of as what they want to do,”
whose vulnerabilities are it with Ally.” places that it could go.” roles that were written for Sheedy said. “They can
on full display as Samantha The layered approach Does Sheedy see parallels women outside of the box,” write stuff, they can film
is forced to move back in immediately attracted between contemporary TV she said, with writer-direc- stuff, they can post it. They
with her mom. Sheedy to the 10-episode and indie movies such as tor Lisa Cholodenko’s “High can collaborate and cre-
The pair’s relationship is series that’s in its first season 1998’s “High Art”? In that Art” among them. Sheedy ate something and put it
“very fluid and messy, which on cable channel Freeform film, Sheedy played a a sees the same happening out there. This is all new.”q

Michael Jackson film coming from

Bohemian Rhapsody producer

the film, the studio’s chair The Jackson business has law. And a decision in the
Joe Drake said Monday. been on the upswing of estate’s appeal of a $700
The studio said that the film late, including the recently million tax bill was taking
will give, “an in-depth por- launched Broadway musi- years to arrive. Bothaccus-
trayal of the complicated cal “ MJ: The Musical,” fol- ers’ lawsuits were dismissed
man who became the King lowing a series of court vic- and a ruling in the tax case
of Pop” and that it will bring tories that brought an end slashed the bill dramati-
This Feb. 1, 1993 file photo shows Pop superstar Michael Jackson to life his “most iconic per- to serious legal crises. cally.
performing during the halftime show at the Super Bowl in formances as it gives an The 2019 HBO documen- The two men featured in
Pasadena, Calif. informed insight into the tary “ Leaving Neverland “ the documentary are ap-
Associated Press entertainer’s artistic pro- raised child molestation al- pealing the dismissals of
By LINDSEY BAHR Rhapsody” producer Gra- cess and personal life.” legations anew. their lawsuits. HBO has de-
AP Film Writer ham King and “Gladiator” Also producing are John The once-dead lawsuits fended “Leaving Never-
A biopic about Michael screenwriter John Logan. Branca and John McClain, brought by the two men land” as a valid and impor-
Jackson is in the works from Lionsgate will handle the who are co-executors the featured in it had been tant piece of documentary
Oscar-winning “Bohemian worldwide distribution of Michael Jackson estate. revived by changes in the journalism. q