If Gossip Girl and The White Lotus had a baby, the likely result would be Palm Royale, the classy, sun-kissed period comedy on Apple TV Plus.
Boasting a stellar ensemble cast headed up by Bridesmaid’s Kristen Wiig, The West Wing’s Allison Janney and Jurassic Park’s Laura Dern, the 10-part series is based on Juliet McDaniel’s 2018 novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie.
The show follows the (mis)fortunes of ambitious outsider Maxine Simmons (Wiig), as she attempts to break into Palm Beach high society in 1969 by infiltrating the inner circle of its most exclusive club, the Palm Royale.
But what will Maxine be willing to sacrifice to get to the top?
"Palm Royale explores an era of attractive people, doing attractive things in attractive places. That's exactly what this show, on the outside, is about," says Allison, who portrays Maxine’s nemesis Evelyn Rollins, ‘Queen Bee’ of Palm Royale, which also stars Leslie Bibb (Iron Man), Josh Lucas (Yellowstone), Kaia Gerber (American Horror Story) and popstar Ricky Martin, alongside living legend Carol Burnett (Annie) and Laura’s famous father, Bruce Dern (Old Dads).
Billed as the 'ultimate underdog story', Allison and Laura (who’s also co-executive producer) tell us more…
Laura, as both an actor and producer on the show, how did you approach Palm Royale?
Laura: "We developed the project over five years focusing on Maxine and the amazing characters in this incredible world that exploded off the pages of Juliet McDaniel’s novel, Mr and Mrs American Pie. It was then about creating the antithesis of that world, so I then worked with showrunner Abe Sylvia to explore my character, Linda. So I was a producer first in helping build this world - being an actor and being part of the fun was the icing on the cake!"
What more can you tell us about your characters?
Allison: "Evelyn is perceived to be the doyenne of Palm Beach society. On the surface, Evelyn exudes power and competence but we soon discover she’s vulnerable underneath - she’s desperate to hold onto her position and she’s afraid she’ll be ‘bumped out’ of it. So there's definitely a fragility and fear there. Carol plays the original doyenne, Norma, but she's been sidelined… for reasons you’ll have to watch the show to find out!"
Laura: "While these women are trying so hard to belong, Linda’s desperate to be outside this community, particularly in 1969 in the US, against the fever pitch of the civil rights movement, Woodstock and hippie culture. She’s searching for radical change and believes it’s her job to clean up the mess America has made. We soon learn why this matters for Linda, what her challenges are, and how she confronts the world of Palm Royale that she actually has a deep connection to. It’s been delicious to explore that."
What was it like working with Kristen, who plays Maxine?
Allison: "I had not really met Kristen before. She told me how she was a fan of mine before she became an actor and described how she saw me at a restaurant and her friend urged her to come and say, ‘Hi!’ Thank God I was nice to her!"
Palm Royale is set in the 1960s - what makes the story relevant to today’s audiences?
Allison: "I guess it’s the idea these women have of not wanting to move into the future, holding on to the past and holding on to the way they want the world to be. In 2024, there are a lot of countries that want to hold on to the past instead of moving into the future. It's a theme that runs through our lives, currently, and in this show, for sure."
Laura: "It's an interesting conversation for a young audience because this is a generation of connection and community that none of us really ever had. A generation who are constantly seeing everything happening everywhere, on the internet, and there's no escaping the rest of the world. This show reminds us all to step outside and see what’s happening around us."
The show also asks how much of themselves people are willing to sacrifice to get what they want…
Allison: "The sacrifice my character Evelyn has made is not wanting to own who she really is; the woman she is on the outside is the woman she wants to be. Career-wise, I've had to sacrifice things; boyfriends, friendships and lots of other things so I could pursue acting."
Laura: "What we learn through these characters is not how much we're willing to sacrifice but, more, what’s that one thing you won't let go of and that you'll fight for? For the beautiful character of Robert, a waiter at the Palm Royale, played by Ricky Martin, you learn that being in your truth, despite the world's lack of acceptance, is a requirement for living. All the characters in this show dance around that very theme."
Ricky’s known for being a popstar - famous for such hits as Livin’ La Vida Loca - what was it like working with him as an actor?
Laura: "What I particularly loved was watching anyone who's achieved fame at a very young age, and their own iconic status, be in a room with screen icons like Carol, or my father, Bruce. Ricky enters a room with such complete humility, grateful for the opportunity to learn from others, it’s a gorgeous quality. He brings such humanity to his character and his whole heart to the job."
What special moments can you recall from filming?
Allison: "I have so many good memories from working with all these great women. One of my favourites was at the initial table read. I was sitting next to Carol, on one side, and Kristen Wiig on the other plus all the other amazing women in the cast. I looked around me and thought: ‘This is a pretty spectacular moment’."
Laura: "There’s nothing more fun than getting to see Carol and my own father, Bruce, be at play, alongside our amazing cast and incredible production designer, costume designer, makeup and hair. Helping to create this massive spectacle of a period piece has been an incredible joy."
The first episode of Palm Royale is available on Apple TV Plus now. Episodes will stream weekly on Wednesdays until Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
