Interview: Elle Fanning on Inhabiting Whimsy and Resilience in ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’

Margo may have money troubles, but Elle Fanning still brings the whimsy.

Margot’s Got Money Troubles, based on Rufi Thorpe‘s beloved novel, follows Margot Millet (Fanning), a young woman navigating single motherhood, financial chaos, and a larger-than-life cast of characters orbiting her life. At the center of it all is Fanning, delivering a performance full of warmth, humor, and resilience. Alongside her is Michelle Pfeiffer as Shyanne Millet, Margot’s mother, whose complicated, but loving dynamic with her daughter gives the series much of its emotional core.

What makes Fanning’s performance feel so lived-in may have something to do with a rather unconventional path into the role. Before cameras ever rolled, she narrated the audiobook which was an experience she had never done for an adapted role before.

“I’d never done an audiobook for a character that I was going to play before,” she says. “It was really helpful, especially in the way that Rufi writes and the way that Margot is written.” The process allowed her to absorb Margot’s rhythms, voice, and personality before stepping onto set.

When she stepped onto set, she had an incredible supporting cast around her. “Michelle [Pfeiffer] and I are really, really close,” Fanning says of her co-star. “We bonded so much deeper, bonded for life. She is family.” That bond translates directly onto screen. Of the Margot-Shyanne relationship, Fanning doesn’t underestimate its importance to the whole series “The Margot-Shyanne dynamic is to me the core. It’s the heart of the series in a lot of ways.” The two often switch between being mother figures to one another at different turns.

The world they inhabit is no less striking. The series has a fantastical visual quality (and a particularly striking intro sequence) that comes from a talented creative team. “There’s so much whimsy in the series and craftsmanship,” Fanning says. “The hair and makeup and costumes that we had on set, it was just the top notch, most imaginative work from amazing human beings.” From the TikTok sets to the details on Margot’s costumes, every corner of the show’s world rewards a closer look.

But underneath all the visual magic is a character whose spirit keeps drawing Fanning back to why she wanted to do this in the first place.“I was drawn to Margot’s resilience and fight and her ability to be optimistic in really tough situations,” she says. “I’m not a mother myself, but I think I was particularly trying to capture what I think all mothers probably feel.” 

Margot’s Got Money Troubles is streaming now on Apple TV+. You can watch our full interview with Elle Fanning below.