David Hyde Pierce & Bebe Neuwirth Interview: Julia
Julia, the new 8-part series from HBO Max that premiered this week, dives deep into one year in the life of Julia Child. Almost two decades after her death, she remains beloved for her French cuisine cookbooks, her cooking shows that practically invented the now ubiquitous concept, and her overall sunny disposition. But showrunner Daniel Goldfarb (who also serves as a producer on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) probes a little further than her dishes to celebrate the woman behind the kitchen.
Set at the inception of her public television show The French Chef, the series follows Julia (perfectly embodied by Sarah Lancashire, Happy Valley) and her loving husband Paul (the incomparable David Hyde Pierce) as they navigate the mountains and valleys of her newfound fame. She is also aided in her struggles, whether with work or home, by best friend and constant companion Avis DeVoto (Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth). However, while these two may be pillars in her life, they are often nothing but nuisances to each other.
Related: All HBO Max Original Shows & Movies Releasing In 2022
The actors spoke with Screen Rant about what Julia means to her husband and best friend, how they fit into each other's lives, and how much fun it is to experience the joys of being on a set for the first time through the eyes of their characters.
I really love the friendship between Avis and Julia. There is a book worth of letters to attest to their life together, but what was your way into that character and into that relationship?
Bebe Neuwirth: I relied heavily on the script, really. I trust these writers; they just wrote something really great.
I read some of the letters — I read a bunch of the letters, and I gleaned a few things about her
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