Betty Gilpin and Lisa Taddeo, stars of 'Three Women', discuss and analyse Lina's sex scene

It wasn’t the sex scenes Emmy-nominated actress Betty Gilpin was most nervous about capturing within the book-to-screen adaptation of Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women. Instead, Gilpin needed to embrace one other type of inhibition shedding: dancing like no person's watching. “To think about being in a group of friends of friends and standing up, being like, ‘I'm going to dance by myself at this P.F. Chang’s when no one else is dancing, I mean, I feel my throat closing thinking about that scenario,” Gilpin tells Marie Claire.

Nearly three years have handed since Gilpin filmed this scene as her character Lina Parish, however the flicker of dread is seen whereas she describes this second to me over Zoom in early September. “To train for that moment alone was like Kill Bill-level mental training for me, but it was also a great acting exercise because [Lina’s] incapable of subtext. It's all on the surface,” Gilpin says. The scene within the second episode isn’t foreplay per se however speaks to the central crux of Three Women: ladies harnessing their very own liberations; to really feel seen and much less alone—even when the one one that ultimately joins Lina on the makeshift dance flooring is a sympathetic waiter.

Based on Taddeo’s best-selling non-fiction book which set the literary world alight in 2019, the supply materials and Starz miniseries adaptation, which premiered on September 13, is a taboo-breaking depiction of feminine need.

betty gilpin poses in a black blazer — Betty Gilpin poses in a *Three Women* promotional shot.

Shailene Woodley performs Gia, a fictionalized model of Taddeo, who meets and tells the story of three wildly totally different ladies’s sex lives. Sloane Ford and Maggie Wilkin, performed by DeWanda Wise and Gabrielle Creevy respectively, and Gilpin as Lina, a homemaker from suburban Indiana who reconnects along with her nice highschool love after Lina’s husband (Sean Meehan) says kissing her provides him “the heebie-jeebies.” Lina needs to stay a romance novel relationship, however her actuality is an intimacy-starved marriage. Reaching out to highschool boyfriend Aidan (Austin Stowell) on Facebook opens these pleasure doorways, and the second episode (which airs on Starz on September 20) depicts the steamy outcomes through interval sex and prosthetic erect penises, echoing the candid nature of the supply materials. Gilpin is equally frank in speaking concerning the “creatively liberating” experiences of engaged on the collection after having had her first child.

“I've never quite fallen in love with a character like that who was so far from myself, but once we got going, it felt very easy to be her, “ says Gilpin, who is best known for her performance in the canceled-too-soon wrestling dramedy GLOW.

Taddeo also shared why it was important for her to take the reins on adapting her own work for TV despite it generating a lot of buzz even before it hit shelves.“Prior to the book coming out, people had been asking about [an adaptation] because it had gotten some attention from people like Gwyneth Paltrow, Dave Eggers, and Elizabeth Gilbert,” Taddeo tells Marie Claire. By writing the TV script, Taddeo might be certain that scenes like Lina’s reunion with Aidan wouldn’t lose the revelatory particulars that set her work aside. (Despite the preliminary curiosity, the journey from web page to display was lengthy for the Three Women inventive staff, which started manufacturing three years in the past with showrunner Laura Eason on the helm. A couple of months after Showtime dropped the finished collection (because it did with Ripley), Starz grew to become its new residence.)

Gilpin and Taddeo spoke with Marie Claire about their collaboration, the present’s sex scenes, and extra.

Gilpin says she's “never quite fallen in love with a character” fairly like her function as Lina in Three Women.

(Image credit score: Photographer: Emily Soto / Stylist: Erica Cloud / Makeup: Misha Shahzada / Hair: Clara Leonard)

Marie Claire: Betty, why had been you so wanting to play Lina?

Betty Gilpin: I used to be fairly obsessive about the e book and felt so linked to this particular person—to this character—once I learn it, as 1000's and 1000's of ladies did. When I noticed that they had been making a TV present, regardless that I used to be foaming on the mouth as an actor, as a reader, I assumed, I marvel if the success of the e book is as a result of it isn't a visible medium. You are capable of put your self as all three ladies, fan solid your self in all three components, and you develop into these folks. I assumed, Gosh, I really feel nervous for a way they will inform these tales as a result of I'm wondering if placing literal faces to those names dissipates that magic.

The course of was so the alternative of dissipation of magic. I had a common assembly with Lisa Taddeo through Zoom, and it was in the course of the pandemic, and I spotted, ‘Oh my god, she's at her house in Connecticut,’ which is 5 minutes from my childhood residence the place I used to be Zooming from. I used to be like, I'm wondering if I drive to her home, maintain a stereo over my head, à la Say Anything, and beg for the half of Lina. I believe a 12 months glided by— I simply possibly made a rogue tape—then I met with Lisa, [director] Louise Friedberg, and [showrunner] Laura Eason, and tried to play it cool. But maybe my Lina-ness got here out in my incapability to be cool in gushing and begging.

Lina (Gilpin) dances like nobody is watching at a birthday dinner.

(Image credit score: Starz)

MC: Lisa, why did you select to inform Lina’s story first within the collection?

Lisa Taddeo: Lina was the primary girl I met, so chronologically, it is sensible for the trajectory of the present. I've mentioned one million instances I actually genuinely noticed myself in all three ladies and hoped that everyone would or have one [woman who] possibly was most relatable however see themselves in all of them. It was nearly extra like Lina was the epitome of need; in a way, she was this strolling, respiration avatar for need. In addition to her being chronologically the primary particular person I met and the natural starting of the piece, she was additionally this stand-in for unmet wants.

MC: Three Women breaks many taboos on the web page and display. In phrases of the variation, notably in episode 2, had been there sure components that you simply had been like, ‘We have to have this, I don't care what the television boundaries are?’

LT: one hundred pc. With Lina—particularly in phrases of preventing for stuff [to show]—we see an erect penis. It's prosthetic, nevertheless it's nonetheless an erect penis, and we do not usually see these. I grew up watching HBO too younger as a child, and my understanding of sexuality was knowledgeable by a lot feminine nudity and by no means having seen male nudity—to the purpose that I believe it frames issues for you, and it will get in there and wires stuff in your mind.

With Lina's story and the concept of displaying a penis, she had by no means had a relationship with a person or anybody's sex components—together with, actually, her personal—in a means that was releasing for her. So this was the primary time she was going to get to take a look at a penis as a result of of her husband's Catholic tendencies of not wanting that to be an element of their intimate life. There's a second the place she’s kneeling earlier than it. It's not the almighty dick; I do not really feel that means, nor would I wish to painting it that means. But it is the almighty factor for Lina—this man, this particular person. She's dropping her virginity for the primary actual time to herself. The particulars had been essential, not even as a result of they had been stunning; they had been essential as a result of they had been half of that have and I wished to honor that.

Lina (Betty Gilpin) speaks in her ladies's group, attended by Gia (Shailene Woodley).

(Image credit score: Starz)

MC: Lina’s intimate sex scene additionally exhibits menstrual blood. Betty, what was it wish to shoot a sex scene that feels so thrilling and daring?

BG: I, as an actor, have finished many sex scenes earlier than, and I would not say I used to be skipping to work that day, however I wasn't dragged there. Because of the character of Lisa's e book, all of us acknowledge that these had been maybe crucial scenes within the present. It wasn't simply racy, flashy ‘trailer food’ for the trailer to entice folks. It was actual pivotal moments in these ladies's lives, notably Lina's life, the place she is so attention-, love-, and touch-starved after we meet her. And then lastly, the circumstances of her life meet the style that she has at all times felt inside. We all knew, ‘Okay, this has to be the greatest moment of Lina's life, but also have it stay within the world of our show.’ So, be nonetheless Lina in her postpartum, menstruating physique, and have these issues make it surprisingly all of the extra stunning for Lina.

It was one of my most favourite days on set I've ever had, and I do not imply that in an elbow-jokey, ‘It was awesome to get to make out with Austin Stowell’ [way], which of course it was. But it was a very profound day at work. We all felt it, and it felt so kind of holy, in a means. It felt like everybody was shaking and quiet in a respectful however not unusual means. Sometimes it might probably really feel like [when shooting] sex scenes you are kind of handled like a bat that is flown into the room. The second, ‘cut,’ is yelled, a girl with a tarp comes over and is like, ‘The tarp of shame!’ [and] covers you. You're like, ‘Sorry, sorry, I did that. Sorry, I was naked.’ Everyone's like, ‘It's okay. It's something we have to do for this piece. It's over now; just don't look, look at the ground.’ It felt so the alternative. It felt like group vulnerability in a beautiful communal means.

Lisa Taddeo says Gilpin appeared like she had met the true Lina when she noticed her audition, regardless of the 2 by no means interacting.

(Image credit score: Starz)

MC: Lisa, how essential was it to have an intimacy coordinator on this manufacturing and are you able to speak about that collaboration with Claire Warden?

LT: It was past essential. Claire’s additionally a struggle scene coordinator, in order that was sensational as properly as a result of she had such an understanding of the best way our bodies ought to transfer, the way it appeared on a display, and the way it felt in actuality. I would not have felt snug asking folks to carry out the scenes that had been written within the scripts with out Claire being there.

With Lina's story and the concept of displaying a penis, she had by no means had a relationship with a person or anybody's sex components—together with, actually, her personal—in a means that was releasing for her.
Lisa Taddeo

MC: Lina’s sex scene contains an erect prosthetic penis. Was that prosthetic factor one thing you've got handled earlier than, or was that new?

BG: Completely new. It's humorous: For all of the sex scenes I've finished, loads of them have felt there is a sure degree of fantasy and smoke and mirrors that nearly tip it over into being unsexy or sterile and unusual. In your mind, it makes you go, ‘I forget what sex looks like. I forget what's real. It's as if I've never had sex in my real life. I know now they've said, ‘Action,’ I'm presupposed to do what sex is, and truthfully, I do not keep in mind.’ Because it looks like the primary purpose is to kind of make the viewers imagine I'm a 12 on the misogyny one to 10 scale of how ladies ought to look. I'm presupposed to look and appear and sound like I'm this excellent attractive creature that does not exist in nature who—spoiler alert—in all probability is dangerous at sex since you're identical to a cartoon made by bro AI. [In Three Women], the existence of issues like interval blood and pretend penises, I used to be like, ‘Oh, these are familiar figures to me. I can simulate real sex instead of sterile, unsexy computer sex.’

Woodley performs a stand-in for Taddeo named Gia.

(Image credit score: Starz)

MC: Lisa, what was that have like collaborating with Betty, an incredible writer herself, to create a girl you already know and have written about and then seeing her on-screen by way of Betty's efficiency?

LT: I felt like Betty had met Lina once I noticed the audition. But she hadn't. It was completely eviscerating. It's a mind-blowing efficiency, a lot of it actually does not really feel like a efficiency. I believe it is a testomony to Betty's expertise as an actor, however I believe as a reader and author. It's additionally that she was capable of really really feel and get the phrases that I wrote; as a result of she is so tuned into phrases, the phrases actually landed and she felt who she was.

MC: Lina’s episode additionally displays on her adolescence, and whereas a lot of it's about her trauma, there’s additionally this second of freedom within the automotive. Was there something particular that you simply had been tapping into throughout these scenes?

BG: The half I cried the toughest once I watched episode 2 was the place it cuts from grownup Lina driving to younger Lina driving like that; I used to be choking on sobs. A automotive is that this little personal cell on wheels the place you get to have the higher model of the dialog, the place, in actual life, you tripped over your phrases, however within the automotive you mentioned it completely, otherwise you sing like Adele. Especially for Lina, it is this little fantasy world the place she does not have anyone round her telling her her ache is not actual, or she's being too loud or an excessive amount of, or her garments are too shiny or too low minimize. It's the moments between daycare and church and the physician that she will faux to be the Princess Buttercup in her personal life. And God, definitely I used to be desirous about me at 16; there was much more Camel Lights and carried out distress and carried out cragginess. But positively being within the automotive was these moments of fantasy and solace for me as a 16-year-old and stays that means as a 38-year-old every time I'm behind the wheel.

Betty Gilpin stars as Lina in Three Women.

(Image credit score: Starz)

MC: Betty, what is going to you're taking out of your expertise engaged on Three Women?

BG: It was my first huge half after having had a child, and definitely my first intimacy scenes after having had a child. Everyone's postpartum journey is totally different, however I positively felt that there have been simply issues that had been totally different about me bodily; my pores and skin was a multitude, and my hormones had been going loopy. I believe notably for intimate scenes, however simply basically, all through my 20s, it felt like, aesthetically, I used to be the particular person whose job it was to deliver medication to the celebration for no matter challenge I used to be engaged on—if the best way I appeared was just like the medication of the piece. This was the primary time that it felt like, ‘What if, instead of cocaine, I brought a newspaper?’ I used to be going to verify totally different containers this time and not the one which I promised I at all times would in a present about sex, and it felt nervous-making to me like, ‘Am I allowed to look like myself?’ Then once I started working, ‘Oh, we're including stretch marks in make-up. We're including a C-section scar. We're purposefully lighting the scene the place I'm trimming my pubic hair in such a means the place my tits look worse. It felt like, Oh, we're all leaning into what actual ladies really feel and appear to be. It felt so creatively liberating, and I believe that setting is the explanation I used to be capable of play the character as totally as I wished, as a result of I did not really feel like, first and foremost, I used to be there to deliver aesthetic cocaine. First and foremost, I used to be there to be this particular person.

This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.