Michelle Williams Insists On Finding Pleasure & Humor Alongside Pain
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What is the premise of the series 'Dying for Sex'?
This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley. You know, sometimes a show reaches out and grabs you by the collar with its honesty. That's what happened after I watched the first episode of the new FX series, Dying for Sex. I knew immediately that I had to watch the rest of it alone. I needed to sit with it, to cry without feeling self-conscious, to laugh without an audience, because the show is so intimate, so distinctly human. Adapted from the Wondery podcast of the same name and based on a true story, Dying for Sex follows a woman named Molly, played by my guest today, Michelle Williams. Molly leaves her marriage after a terminal breast cancer diagnosis and embarks on a sexual adventure. But that doesn't even scratch the surface. Yes, there is sex, sometimes kinky, a little awkward, often hilarious. But the show is really about everything surrounding it. It's about what happens when the fear of dying outweighs the fear of never having truly lived.
How does 'Dying for Sex' explore complex themes like friendship and trauma?
It's about how trauma gets stored in the female body. It's about reclaiming pleasure, even after we've been told that it doesn't belong to us. In this scene that I'm about to play, Molly has just learned that her breast cancer has returned and is now stage four. She begins meeting with a palliative care counselor for support.
I'm too young, and it sucks, okay? I haven't done anything with my life. I actually don't know what I like or what I want. I've never even had an orgasm with another person.
And now I'm going to die.
Good. Molly. Hey. We have something for your list. Orgasm with another person.
Dying for Sex is also a story about friendship. Jenny Slate plays Nikki, Molly's best friend, who becomes her caretaker after Molly leaves her loving but emotionally unavailable husband. And at times, their friendship feels like the real love story. And did I mention that this is a comedy? Michelle Williams has spent her career exploring the complexities and inner lives of women, from her breakout role as Jen Lindley on Dawson's Creek to Gwen Verdon in Fosse Verdon and the role of Mitzi, Steven Spielberg's mother in The Fablemans. She's been nominated five times for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globes and took home an Emmy for her performance in Fosse Verdon. A warning for those who might have children in the room. We will be talking about sex and pleasure during this conversation. Michelle Williams, welcome to Fresh Air. Thank you so much for having me.
I'm really thrilled to be here with you.
I am thrilled to have you. You heard me say I needed to watch this series alone. You know, me and my husband, the wonderful thing about this job is we get previews and we kind of watch it together, kind of like a date night, you know. And after that first episode, I said I have to watch it alone. I watched the whole series by myself. And then, of course, I went to him sobbing, telling him all about it. And I heard you had a similar experience after listening to the podcast that this is based on. I did.
It unraveled me. And I went back to listen to it for a second time to try and figure out why it had this power over me. And then there I was on the floor again with no sense of what had really just happened. And I listened to the podcast in tandem with reading the first, the pilot episode written by Liz Merriweather and Kim Rosenstock. And those companion pieces for me cast such a spell that I immediately, for reasons that I couldn't understand and were beyond me, knew that I wanted to make this. And went to my husband and said, well, you need to take a look at this because this is going to be in our life now.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the premise of the series 'Dying for Sex'?
0:24–1:27
2
How does 'Dying for Sex' explore complex themes like friendship and trauma?
1:27–5:48
3
Why did Michelle Williams choose to participate in 'Dying for Sex'?
5:48–9:18
4
How does Michelle Williams view her friendships and personal life?
9:18–26:42
5
What is Michelle Williams' approach to balancing her career and motherhood?
26:42–35:20
6
How did Michelle Williams' early career shape her understanding of acting?
35:20–46:23
Speakers
5 identifiedMore from Fresh Air
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