How Finneas Ended Up as One of Stephanie Hsu’s Love Interests in ‘Laid’

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As a seasoned gamer of both movies and real-life adventures, I must say that the upcoming dark comedy series “Laid” on Peacock has piqued my interest. The unique concept of a woman going back through her sex timeline to confront her past, coupled with the star-studded cast including Finneas O’Connell, is certainly intriguing.

In the freshly released dark comedy series by Peacock titled “Laid“, Stephanie Hsu takes on the role of a woman who discovers that her ex-lovers are mysteriously passing away in peculiar manners. To rectify this, she’s compelled to revisit her romantic history by traversing her timeline of intimate relationships and facing her past.

Michael Angarano, John Early, Brandon Perea, and the unexpected screen presence of Finneas O’Connell, the renowned musician and ten-time Grammy award-winning collaborator with Billie Eilish, are some of the romantic interests in her character, as well as Finneas himself.

During the Los Angeles premiere of the show on Monday, Nahnatchka Khan, one of the co-showrunners, shared with The Hollywood Reporter that the concept of having Finneas join the series was proposed by the casting team. This idea came about following the actor’s previous roles in productions such as Glee, Modern Family, and Bad Teacher.

Khan added, “I assumed he was solely a top-notch musician, but they responded, ‘He’s amazing!’ So he took notice and seemed interested. Frankly, we were taken aback – with all those Grammys, one would think he’d be too busy! But surprisingly, he showed interest. He was fantastic to collaborate with.

Hsu, who holds the role as an executive producer on the series, expressed his satisfaction with the casting decisions, stating, “I’m incredibly proud of our choices for the characters. When we received potential candidates for this role, Finneas was among them. Nahnatchka, Sally McKenna, and I were curious if he would be interested in joining us, so we asked him directly. To our delight, he agreed instantly. Upon meeting him, it was clear that he’s eager and enthusiastic.

She mentioned that she found the casting “particularly appealing” since, in her opinion, when it comes to love interests, characters often dive into the realm of acting professionals. However, Finneas helped make her romantic life seem more relatable to everyday people. McKenna concurred, saying, “There were many intriguing options, but he stood out as unexpected. He seldom acts, and we actually met him. During a chemistry test with Steph, he was exceptional.

In discussing the selection of Hsu’s former partners, Khan stated that they aimed to ensure she didn’t have a specific “type” and instead wanted her past relationships to reveal more about her character than merely labeling them as exes.

The author expressed that it was both awkward and challenging, yet essential and sex-affirming – an aspect they were careful not to judge anyone about. However, they desired a somewhat disorganized portrayal to reflect the character’s journey of self-discovery.

In her debut as the main character, Hsu took the time to prepare thoroughly, by spending her Saturdays watching classic romantic comedies during filming.

The actress shared that the series has unexpected, peculiar developments, and she fears it might become overly complex if we forget about the charm and allure of romantic love. She believes that rom-coms possess a unique, sparkling quality which is also present in our production.

Starts Streaming on Peacock from Thursday, featuring Zosia Mamet, Tommy Martinez, and Andre Hyland among its cast.

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2024-12-18 21:55