Ayla Ruby
Everything is shiny in Apple TV+’s Palm Royale, at least if you believe the Shiny Sheet. The world created by Abe Sylvia and starring Kristin Wiig is a heightened and colorful tale of high society in Palm Beach, Florida in the 60s. The period comedy where Wiig’s Maxine Simmons is likable and charming despite her brazen scheming and social climbing is full of heavy acting hitters, including Alison Janney, Laura Dern, Josh Lucas, Bruce Dern, Leslie Bibb and oh, little-known talent Carol Burnett.
Stephanie Laing is a director probably best known for her work on the original aerobic comedy Physical, about a housewife (Rose Byrne) in the 80s who finds agency and power through the unlikely cut-throat world of aerobics. Laing has an impressive way of bringing comedy to life on screen, and when I found out that she had two episodes of Palm Royale, a series I already loved, I was even more excited to chat with her.
Laing directs episodes five and six of the series. Palm Royale is already filled with absurd and jaw-dropping humor, but Laing’s direction magnifies it all. She brings her unique touch (and even an alligator!) to every moment on screen. I chatted with Laing about how she got the ‘OK’ to play in the sunny Palm Royale sandbox and embrace the shiny dream. She shared what it was like working with legends Carol Burnett and Bruce Dern. Read ahead for that and so much more, but please be warned, there are spoilers about some big moments in Palm Royale. (You can listen to our complete conversation at the bottom of the page.)
Ayla Ruby: Again, it’s very nice to meet you. I just finished watching your episodes again-
Stephanie Laing: Well, thanks.
Ayla Ruby: I’m excited to chat.
Stephanie Laing: Me too. Thank you.
Ayla Ruby: I’d love to talk a little bit about how you came on board to this project. It’s a really cool show.
Stephanie Laing: First of all, I had so much fun on the show, and, I mean, what an amazing sandbox that Abe [Sylvia] has created for all of us to play in. He is an incredible collaborator and so trusting. And I came into it because I’ve worked previously with a producer, Jesse [Sternbaum], who called me out of the blue and was like, “Oh, I have this project.” And then Abe and I talked, and Tate [Taylor] and I talked. And we just all realized we’re very like-minded people with very similar sensibilities about comedy and drama and how they mix together.
Then Abe asked me to do two episodes. I did not know which ones they would be. And even when I showed up my first prep day, I had no idea that Bruce Dern was playing her father until my first prep day.
Ayla Ruby: What about Carol Burnett? Did you know that she was-
Stephanie Laing: I knew Carol was in it. I knew all the other cast were in it, but I did not know about Bruce Dern.
Ayla Ruby: And episodes five and six … They have a lot … I think it … Does he first appear in five? Or is that four? They’ve got a lot more of him in it.
Stephanie Laing: I think four. I think there’s a scene with him and Allison Janney in four. I think there might be a piece with … I can’t remember if Laura’s in that, but …
Ayla Ruby: There’s so much with him in these two episodes. That just had to be really, really cool.
Stephanie Laing: I mean, legends, right? I mean, obviously working with this cast is incredible, and it’s almost unbelievable. You’re just … It’s so and so. And then it’s Ricky Martin. And then it’s Leslie Bibb. And you’re just, “Oh, my God.” This is, again, such a fun sandbox. And then when they say it’s Bruce Dern, and he’s going to be acting with his daughter, you’re like, “Well, wait. What?” That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
Ayla Ruby: Well, not only acting just with his daughter. Playing a father and daughter on the show. That’s such an amazing thing to happen.
Stephanie Laing: Exactly. And something so important to get right. And I can’t say enough about how amazing that experience was with Laura, with Bruce, everybody. I mean, it is such an incredible film family to be part of. I feel really, really lucky or, in some ways, privileged to have been able to … And to be trusted with that is a really big deal.
Ayla Ruby: Even before showing up with your prep days, did you get to … I’m hoping, obviously, you got to see the scripts beforehand-
Stephanie Laing: Of course.
Ayla Ruby: … and what were your reactions to … You might not have known the cast, but what jumped out at you in these episodes that you’re like, “I can’t wait to do this,”?
Stephanie Laing: I think it’s just Abe’s writing. It’s all the writers. There’s a specificity to it. There’s an absurdness to it. It’s real. It’s a part of our history. It’s heightened, and then it’s rounded, and it’s so character driven, and it’s just so fun and delicious, really. In every page you turn … I mean, episode five … It’s an aerial unit before the titles. And I remember the producer saying, “Do you want an aerial unit?” And I was like, “Well, yes. Am I allowed to have that?” And not only is it an aerial unit. It’s an aerial unit that flew from Van Nuys to Bakersfield to fuel up to go fly out further to be a bigger aerial unit with a 1949 biplane that you’re just like, “This is crazy and amazing.”
I read the scripts and then read episode five in the golf course. And I think Cleta [Elaine], who’s the first AD with me … I think the two of us went to that golf course at least five times to map out how to do this. Everybody on golf carts. I remember there being one day that we were there and Jon Carlos, the production designer … We got off the cart to scout and a big golf ball … We were like, “Wait, there’s people on the green.” Just kept going back to just get it right. And I think that’s one of the things that makes it so special is because you have this script, these multiple scripts, and then you have this cast. And you’re like, “Okay, I’m going to come in and try to elevate my part and be additive to the situation where there’s already so many things and then just collaborate.” And I think Abe’s done such a great job of just putting together this really trusting environment. It was really wonderful.
Ayla Ruby: Now, I want to ask a lot about the cast too, but you mentioned that the aerial unit in episode six … There’s also something that’s kind of very different than the rest of the show. You’ve got this space simulator, and the East Coast was very spacey today. I feel like that’s very appropriate to talk about today.
Stephanie Laing: It’s a really appropriate thing, episode, to come out this week after …
Ayla Ruby: How did you pull that off because that’s … It’s filming … It seemed like close quarters. There seems like a lot of stuff there.
Stephanie Laing: We really parted the scenes out. We did have a space simulator that we brought in. We could shoot through some windows. It was extremely claustrophobic and really hard to get in. And then we shot some stuff on blue screen. We took the seats out and put it onto blue screen and did a lot of the acid trip on blue screen. And then, to set the mood, we played Moonshot. We played the song.
Ayla Ruby: That’s awesome.
Stephanie Laing: Whole thing. And so, that’s one of the things, I mean, I like to do as a director is to play music, but that song was scripted, and we just went for it.
Ayla Ruby: Was there a song in episode six … The song theme, I guess, of the episode was “Moonshot”. Was there one in five too? Or is there …
Stephanie Laing: No, it really became all about … It was really about the golf which is … Honestly, episode five was golf and an alligator. I mean, I did add the alligator. That wasn’t scripted, and it was just a funny addition to me. And then added … I mean, I love character pieces. Episode five, Ricky spits in their drinks, but I feel like he earned it at that point.
Ayla Ruby: He’s beyond earned it.
Stephanie Laing: And then Josh Lucas … He’s such a revelation. It was very funny.
Ayla Ruby: When I heard he was in it, I was very excited because Sweet Home Alabama, and that’s how I initially knew him. No, this character is very different than Sweet Home Alabama. That was fun. You mentioned Bruce Dern, and we talked a little bit about Carol Burnett. What was it like directing these just legends because they’re the pillars of television history, basically?
Stephanie Laing: No, I mean, I’m pretty sure Carol might be the only person I’ve met and cried when meeting her. It’s Carol Burnett. And again, she’s so giving and trusting and fearless and not afraid to try anything and felt really like I love that I have the episode where she walked for the first time, starts to kind of speak, but her physicality and her choices … I mean, she’s a legend, and so I don’t think she could do anything wrong.
Ayla Ruby: Was there anything … And with these episodes too, you mentioned that she got to walk. She got so much more in these episodes instead of just being in the bed in the not quite nursing home as the previous episodes. That was really fun.
Stephanie Laing: We talked about it. The first step on the moon kind of thing. Appropriate to the space theme. How we played it.
Ayla Ruby: Obviously, this is a super, super-duper period show. It’s ’60s. There’s nothing modern. And you’ve also worked on … You made Physical, which is the ’80s.
Are you drawn to the period stuff? Or is it just …
Stephanie Laing: I mean, I am. I’m drawn to … First, it’s character stuff. I really am drawn to things that are character driven that are sometimes a tricky tone that kind of ride the balance between comedy and drama and all of a sudden have you feeling something maybe slightly emotional that surprises you. I think that happens in episode six where you’re like, “Oh, I’m a little tearful here,” but I am very drawn to character stuff.
Stephanie Laing: And then I do appreciate a good period show. It’s very fun. And I think, between Physical and also Palm Royale, we didn’t play anything as a joke. That’s how it existed. It’s a little heightened in Palm Beach, but nothing is a character of what it was. It’s just this is real to these people and real to the life that they live.
Ayla Ruby: It feels totally … It helps so much, just as an audience member, feel like you’re in that world. You’re kind of viewing it. I love how the production designers, everyone, brings that to life with that world.
Stephanie Laing: I mean, such beautiful costumes and design. So much care went into the color palette for every character, but every episode kind of had its own color palette in a way fit into the beautiful sets that Jon Carlos designed. I mean, as elaborate detail, I mean, there was a series of puppets in Norma’s Mansion that I just became obsessed with. It was just … I was a kid in a candy story. How can there be so many things that I just want to film in here? And he thought about everything and just what would be a good shot, where to put it. I just can’t … What incredible talented department heads they have, including, by the way, the picture car coordinator. The bar cart is a really big feature in episode five. And I don’t know where they flew it in from, but it was flown in from somewhere remote, and Cyril [O’Neil], who put the bar cart together … So much attention paid to the detail like I’ve never seen before.
Ayla Ruby: See, I never would’ve thought of that. I’m going to have to go back and look at that again.
Stephanie Laing: I mean, vintage golf carts. The cars. I mean, it’s such a big part of the show.
Ayla Ruby: That’s awesome. Again, I have to ask about Physical a little bit. And as I was watching this, I was kind of thinking about … Are there any parallels between Sheila and Maxine besides the fact that both of the actresses were bridesmaids?
Stephanie Laing: I think they’re very different shows, right? I mean, Sheila’s on a path of somewhat destruction because of a disordered eating and finding female friendships and sort of finding yourself. And then, in Palm Royale, Maxine is really on a … She’s kind of fish out of water. She wants something … In the beginning, in the first few episodes, you think it’s just about high society. It is. It’s about the shiny sheet. But by episode five, you’re like, “She does want something real,” and you start to really see that side of her character. I would say they’re very different. They’re very different shows but both completely supported by Apple TV Plus which has been amazing. They’re amazing.
Ayla Ruby: I could go into a whole thing about that. I love everything coming out from … For All Mankind. I’m blown away by all of it.
Back to Palm Royale, was there anything super, super challenging or, I guess, maybe really gratifying as a director and a professional to pull off with these two episodes?
Stephanie Laing: I think I just can’t say enough good things about Kristen Wiig and how she’s so good at riding the line between comedy and drama. And just for me, giving her … Abe giving us a sandbox, me giving her a sandbox, and then all of us collaborating together, she’s fearless and so fantastic. And I could go on about almost every cast member. I mean, Laura Dern and Leslie Bibb. I mean, everyone was terrific. And Ricky Martin is so fantastic in a way you’ve never seen him before. I think that obviously doing episode six with Bruce and Laura was a very big moment for me and one that I just wanted to treat with care and get right. And I think we did. And I’m so proud of it. And just to be genuine about it and just kind of approach things from a real place.
And I think my approach to directing is character driven. It’s character and tone and story but letting it play real. And sometimes when you come into a show, as I did in episodes five and six, you have to be prepped, and you do need to know what they were doing before you got there. And so, I am one of those directors. I watched a lot of dailies. I mean, cuts weren’t ready for me to see, but I really was watching for performance stuff and how to track certain things with certain characters and certain shots of certain episodes. Did I want to throw back to something in particular? Or was Kristen doing something with her character that I was like, “Oh, I saw in episode two you did this thing,” and she would scream … A couple of times she screamed in those episodes. I don’t know if they … I can’t remember if they made the cut, but I was like, “I think you’ve earned a scream to camera here.” Episode five is not …
Episode five is obviously something. Episode six is … She’s just getting attacked at every corner. Every time she turns around, she’s got something that she’s having to deal with. Anyway, that’s me rambling, just saying how important prep is and understanding where the character is. And thankfully you have someone like Abe steering the ship. And just how collaborating that is and how refreshing it is to just be so trusted to come in and be part of this crazy world.
Ayla Ruby: It feels very seamless moving from all the other episodes to these episodes. Kudos to you for achieving that because it totally flows.
Stephanie Laing: Thank you. I had a terrific cinematographer, Todd McMullen. And as gaffer and his key grip, I’ve worked with a lot Russell [Ayer] and Paul [V. Perkins]. It does really take a lot of people. And Russell’s lighting is gorgeous. It’s just everyone being in sync together and understanding the tone. And I think it goes back to your first question of, when I was first brought on, I just in some ways felt a mind meld with Abe.
Ayla Ruby: Now, you talked about the importance of prep. Besides watching the dailies, besides watching for performances and stuff, was there anything that you did to kind of get into this ’60s Palm Beach mindset?
Stephanie Laing: I listened to their playlist. Abe and his music team put together a very extensive playlist because I tend to sometimes hear things before I see them, and I think it was getting into the groove, as it were, is a really important thing to do. And it’s an incredible playlist. I still have it and still listen to it.
Ayla Ruby: That’s awesome. And I know we’re starting to get close on time, so I’ll start to wrap it up because I want to be respectful of your time. There are 10 episodes of this season. Would you ever come back for Palm Royale season two? I don’t know if there’s going to be one. Just-
Stephanie Laing: I don’t know if there’s going to be one. I would love to do more. I hope that there’s a season two. I hope I get to play with these people again. It was really … It was so much fun that I did not want to leave when it was over.
Ayla Ruby: That’s awesome. I have to ask a little bit about Tow. It’s early. You just had a really big announcement in all the trade presses just a couple days ago. What can you tell us about this movie? I saw there’s a Physical reunion in there with Rose Byrne, Annie Weisman.
Stephanie Laing: We are very proud that we got to end Physical the way that we wanted to, but we love our team, and Annie and Rose and I have been together for three and a half years. I directed 24 of 30 episodes. And so, I just adore Annie. I think her writing is incredible. Obviously, Rose is Rose. And so, I read the script about a year ago, and I just immediately pictured Rose as a lead. And Annie did a rewrite. And we started to cast it. And so, not much more I can say except the cast announcement you read, but we’re on day two.
Ayla Ruby: Wow. Well, I’m excited for when it comes out. Is there anything you want people to know otherwise about Palm Royale? About Tow? About anything? Any of the work you’ve done? A lasting message, maybe?
Stephanie Laing: No, I hope that people tune in to Palm Royale and just live in the town with these people and just appreciate all the ins and outs and all the characters and just really hope that they’re loving them, that they’re watching them as much as I love directing them.
Ayla Ruby: Well, thank you so much. And again, thank you for chatting. I really appreciate it.
Stephanie Laing: Thank you so much. It’s lovely chatting. Nice to meet you.
Ayla Ruby: It’s wonderful to meet you.
Stephanie Laing: All right.
You can see Stephanie Laing’s work on Apple TV+, both on Palm Royale which is currently in the middle of its first season and on all three seasons of Physical.
LISTEN TO MY FULL INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE LAING (BELOW)
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