Étoile Cast Talk Palladino Dialogue Style, Ballet, and Life Imitating Art
Two world-famous ballet companies in New York and Paris are struggling to get audiences into their theaters in Étoile. To save their storied institutions, they pull off the risky idea of swapping their most talented stars. Pop Culture Planet’s Kristen Maldonado spoke with the cast about the new series at their New York premiere at the Museum of Modern Art.
Étoile brings viewers behind-the-scenes of the world of ballet through the lens of brilliant writers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. “That's what was exciting. I've never been involved in anything that really gets into the nitty gritty of a profession and an art form like ballet that people know so little about and how hard they work,” said David Haig. “Then you add to that the Palladino sense of humor and their storytelling, so it was irresistible.”
“I'm a former ballerina and the most challenging thing for me was finding freedom outside of the work because, as a ballet dancer, we find freedom in the work. So when I understood that I needed to let go, I really found freedom and it was really enjoyable,” Taïs Vinolo said. “Ballet is doing better with diversity, but I think, representing the ballet world and the Black community, I feel very proud of that. I really hope that little girls can feel inspired and see that they are included.”
Of course, in any Palladino project you’re bound to see some familiar faces. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Luke Kirby plays Jack, the head of the New York ballet company, while Gilmore Girls’ Yanic Truesdale appears as Raphael, Geneviève’s right hand man at the Paris company. “Their immense talent, their very strong vision, their ability to write incredible dialogue, and a world that I was already familiar with,” Truesdale told me about why this was another great collaboration experience with the Palladinos. “I just love dance. I always have and, to me, the show is a love letter to dance and to the art world. On top of it shot in Paris, I don't know how someone could say no to that.” He called every day that they shot at the Opéra Garnier “very special:” The building, the space is just so insanely beautiful that I had to pinch myself.”
“It was very rewarding. I was very flattered to be asked to come back to work with Amy and Dan, especially in this capacity. I was very enamored with the idea that they pitched to me,” said Kirby about leading Étoile. “I've always been enchanted by dance and ballet from outside of its orbit and I looked forward to exploring it more, so that was really revolutory and offered a lot in terms of an education.”
On top of that, Kirby even got to play opposite the legendary Kelly Bishop, known for her roles in A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, and numerous Palladino projects including Gilmore Girls, Bunheads, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. “To have Kelly Bishop play my mommy, I think that's darn special because she is a treasure for sure and a great talent,” he gushed. “[She] has a shared history with dance that was informative.”
French actress Lou de Laâge is a stand out as the tough and fiery star ballerina Cheyenne. “In reality, she's a really coherent human being. Sometimes she's brutal, she's headstrong, she's passionate, she's too much, but her purpose, her goal is beautiful, so you forgive her and you love her because she's real,” she told me. “I watched many interviews of Sylvie Guillem. She's a very famous French dancer and she was called ‘Mrs No’ because she was always saying no. She was very insolent, so she was a good inspiration for the character.”
Meanwhile, actors like David Alvarez and Ivan du Pontavice found a kindred spirit to their characters in Étoile. “It was all Amy and Dan who understood me better than I understand myself. They put this character together and offered if I was willing to take a leap of faith and do this with them. Obviously, I would never say no to Amy and Dan. They're incredible writers, some of the best in the industry right now. I'm just grateful and fortunate that I'm part of this project with them,” said Alvarez who, like his character Gael, has balanced his love of performance with other interests. He became one of the youngest Tony winners for his role in Billy Elliot the Musical, he trained at the American Ballet Theatre, and even played Bernardo in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, but has also taken breaks to serve in the U.S. Army and studied philosophy at Case Western University.
Alvarez takes great care in choosing his projects. “If I connect to the character, I know I can bring it to life, and people will connect with that character,” he said about what sparks in him to take on a role. “I think as soon as I saw that the character is always trying to run away from the arts and the ballet world and finally has to make a decision to just embrace it ‘cause that's what's meant for him. That's what he should be doing in this life. I feel like I drew a lot of parallels with that with my own life.”
“I was an outsider. I had a very thick French accent. I had to work twice as hard as anyone else I wanted to prove myself. It's very similar to him,” said du Pontavice about the parallels between his character’s journey and his own drama school experience. “On top of it, he's from a working class family. He has a rough background, so he struggles to fit in. His journey is about letting go of himself, learning how to work with other people, trusting authority, trusting people that know better than him in order to become the artist that he's meant to be.”
When it came to what was more challenging, tapping into the signature Palladino dialogue style or ballet, the answer was a resounding both. “Everything was a challenge,” revealed de Laâge, who even had to learn English for the show. “I was happy with that because, when everything is a challenge you want to be scared at first, but it's too much, so you stop [being] scared. You just improve it and make mistakes and you just work.”
“They were both equally as challenging. When you're doing an Amy and Dan Palladino show you have to understand that you have to speak quickly and accurately and just let the words do the rest. They know what they're writing. You don't have to try too hard to bring those words to life. Just say them as quickly as you can and the results are going to be perfect,” said Alvarez, with Haig adding: “Apart from all of their very subtle intellectual notes, there was also the note, ‘Quicker,’ which I responded to. I love it. I love the energy of their dialogue and the way they move stories along so fast.”
“Amy has a dance background, so really, the way you weave the words and the way you behave yourself and the physicality, it's similar to what you have to learn with ballet. It's all about precision [and] trusting the authority and the guidance of the Palladinos. It's demanding because there is a very specific rhythm,” shared du Pontavice. “I have a music background, so it really is just reading sheet music and trying to do your best with your own experience and your own background. They're always so loving and respectful and just beautiful people to work with.”
While there’s already an incredible cameo from Bishop this season (“[It’s] just fantastic, her presence. She created [a role in] Chorus Line so it just makes sense for her to be in there”), the cast shared other actors from the Palladino-verse that they’d love to see appear in the already confirmed second season. “Lauren [Graham] and Melissa [McCarthy], they're my friends, so, of course, I would love to have one of them around me. [We’d] be in Paris together, it’d just be so fun,” said Truesdale about his former Gilmore Girls co-stars, with Alvarez calling out Scott Patterson: “Luke from Gilmore Girls. That's who I'd want to connect with. He should come back [and] work with us.”
“I would love Rachel Brosnahan to make a cameo. That would be amazing ‘cause I think she would fit in so brilliantly in this world as well. I'd love to meet her someday, so it'd be a great opportunity,” gushed du Pontavice, with Vinolo agreeing: “It would be really fun to see Midge Maisel as Midge Maisel in the show.”
Dive into the gritty and glamorous world of Étoile when it hits Prime Video on April 24.
