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Elle Fanning has been producing her own projects since her Hulu days The Greatbut its time Margo has financial problems It changed everything. Fanning, who stars in the Apple TV series and also produced it under the Lewellen Pictures banner (along with her sister Dakota), said she was able to provide feedback with a level of confidence she had never felt before, and she credits the lead character for that. “When I played Margot, I had this confidence, and it was the freest I felt on set. I wasn’t cocky,” she says. “I didn’t feel like I was looking outside of myself and thinking, ‘What do I look like, or what are people going to think about this?’
Margo has financial problems is an adaptation of Rufi Thorpe’s best-selling novel about a college student turned single mother who launches an OnlyFans account to pay the bills; The bidding war for screen rights began long before the 2024 release hit shelves. The series, which was just renewed for a second season, called on Fanning to do everything from breastfeed to perform choreographed dances. “I also ate more than ever before,” she says. “I don’t mean eating like a body, I mean literally. In every scene, I’m eating new food. The supply of Harvest Cheddar Sun-Chip in the US has been reduced because of me.”
Here, Fanning talks about what season one was like and where she’d like to see the story go.
Whose idea was it to have the (then unreleased) song from Robyn’s new album for the intro credits of the show?
We were originally talking about wanting an artist to write a song for the intro, so we were thinking about who would be good. Our music consultants knew Robyn had an album coming out, and I love her—I sang “Dancing on My Own” in one of the movies[[Teenage spirit]before. I saw her at the party. Someone had a connection and reached out to us and let us use that song. I just love this whole intro. We were all suggesting small animated items, like a pregnancy test and a donut. You can discover all the Easter eggs.
How competitive do you feel featuring author Rovi Thorpe on this show? I know a lot of people were concerned about rights.
I knew a lot of people had the manuscript and were talking about it, so I knew we had to bring our A game. But then I heard she was a huge fan The GreatSo I felt really comfortable walking in. Our first conversation was on Zoom, between A24, David E. Kelley, and the Nicole team. It’s nice to have a team like this behind you. We showered her with praise and hoped for the best.
You’ve been working on another adaptation of Kristin Hannah Nightingale For a long time. I’m curious which battle is harder?
I’m shooting Nightingale Now, we’re about halfway done. But that was different because it was actually set up with TriStar. This was 10 years ago. And then six years ago, when we were going to shoot it for the first time, [Dakota and I] We won’t be productive on it. My grandmother read the book, and she was the first to put it on my sister and I’s radar a long time ago. We were too young to be in it, but she was like, if they’re making this into a movie, you need to know the book. We told our manager about it, she did some detective work, and the rights were actually purchased. Margo It was very smooth even though it was competitive – after we got the rights, we found Apple and it all came together.
It was also bringing the actors together. As an actress, I knew I wanted to play Margot. Nicole was a real hero because she wanted to produce the movie and be in it, and then David actually created her character. It’s not in the book, but there’s an intermediary, so it’s kind of based on that, and David has expanded on it to write a really fun role for her to play. I think her being a former professional wrestler decided it for her.
What are the discussions about dropping the romantic storyline of the book?
We definitely explored it. That was a big “what if.” I think we always knew it was a bit crowded, but we tried. Hopefully for a second season, it seemed like something to save for later. You want to give Margo her time, because you have to introduce everyone in the first season and you want the viewers to fall in love with the characters. There was a lot of what Margo was going through, and we were putting a lot of obstacles on her. We had to give it all the right time.
A lot of people compare Margo to trance. Do you see that?
I think we’re different because our show is more about family. It’s heartwarming. The companies we talked about were Little Miss Sunshine and shameless, Because of this village of outcasts and a broken family. But there’s an element of fantasy and weirdness, and Margo is definitely Gen Z.
Was there a learning curve in working with child actors?
We had River and Graham. They slept on me between takes. I want kids, and I love kids, so I really enjoyed that. But also, I have to get them back to their parents at the end of the day. I was very aware of how important the motherhood dynamic was to the core of the show, and how I needed to achieve that authentically. I was always asking questions. If Buddy was having colic, I thought to myself, “What would that entail?” We had a lactation consultant on set, and a lot of moms who were always telling me that I didn’t look like I was in enough pain. She also struggled to have children in the shoots as much as possible. Obviously there’s a time limit when you’re working with kids, but they add a lot of texture to the scene and to the way we as actors respond to them. It’s much better than using those scary dolls.
Also, the studio teacher I had when I was a kid, now also works with the kids as an additional guardian to help the parents. She was the studio teacher to River and Graham. She was so sweet, and was thrilled by the fact that she had been watching me as a kid, and now she was watching “my kids.” But I approached all of them. In fact, River had her first birthday party after the party, so she went to the park afterward. I’m sending a direct message to their parents too.
Ruffy Thorpe talked about all the research she did, speaking to OnlyFans content creators; Have you done your own addition?
Lindsay Normington, who plays Rose and worked as a stripper, was a huge help and provided a great perspective. We created an entire scene based on something she said. When Rose talks about Margot’s internalized phobia of prostitution, it’s straight from Lindsay. Margo was in denial, and she thought, “Well, I’m not making porn. I’m making art.” But it’s all art. And I’m glad Lindsay was on set to help with that perspective — and that I got to watch her pole dance, and she taught me a few things.
Do you still have any of the choreography from the show?
I’m trying to think if I can remember any of the Hungry Ghost’s dances. The amazing thing about being a producer is getting all the people together on set. I had one of my friends from my childhood ballet class, Sadie Wilking, who is now a choreographer, come and choreograph the TikTok dance. And this is a Rico Nasty song called “IPHONE,” and they allowed us to use it on the show.
At the end of the season, we’ll likely see something between Jinx and Cheyenne. Where do you think they are going?
I mean, Jinx is complicated. There is definitely darkness to him. He also has that other family. He has children. But it’s also interesting because I don’t think Cheyenne and Kenny are right for each other in the end, but Greg [Kinnear] He made Kenny so likable. It’s complicated, and I think David writes that so beautifully. You are very quick to judge, but eventually your perspective changes. Even with Mark, who is pathetic, but I can sympathize with him.
Do you have tik tok?
I do, and it’s weird. It’s nothing special, but I did one with my friend a long time ago when it came out and I didn’t really know what it was. There was a funny video that went viral of a blonde girl with braces turning around and making a face and it was like “Are you digging?” So I did that, and I kept my username as all these numbers, not my name. But people were finding it and it’s still there. But I do scroll on TikTok.
What is the Your algorithm at the moment?
It’s a lot of video podcast clips. But it can definitely get weird. For a while, it was these videos where you’re in prison and you’re given food and you have to make a choice. Like, eat a million burgers or a giant milkshake?
Have you been to an Applebee’s before, and if not, what is your favorite restaurant?
We shot the engagement scene at a real Applebee’s, I did. But I like Red Lobster because of the Cheddar Bay biscuits, and their chili’s are good too. I had planned to go when they came out with their viral mozzarella sticks, but they’re probably out of date now.
