It’s just how it unfolded.
“We really wanted to nail this episode and show the harmony and the dissonance of this family.”
“That’s not typical for most productions we work on,” Maggie says.
FX
But also the pain underneath all of that.
It was a lot to consider."
Can they be both ugly and heartbreaking?
Gillian Jacobs and Abby Elliot on ‘The Bear’.Everett Collection
Do they have the right level of comedy and gravitas?
That was the most nerve wracking [role to cast]."
“But once Jeannie was like, ‘What about Jamie Lee Curtis?’
Bob Odenkirk joins ‘The Bear’.Everett Collection
It was so obvious.”
“We can have wishful thinking, we can dream.
But we had to be realistic.”
Sarah Paulson and John Mulaney on ‘The Bear’.Everett Collection
They then went to Melanie Griffith next, but she also passed on the role.
“Then it turns out she’s a huge fan of the show,” Jeanie says.
Locking down Curtis as Donna felt like all the stars had aligned.
And their initial instincts paid off when they finally saw her embody the character on set.
“She really clearly understood the dysfunction and addiction and that behavior,” Jeanie says.
“Sarah and Gillian were first because we knew we wanted them,” Jeanie reveals.
“Then it was Jamie Lee, and then Odenkirk,” Maggie adds.
(Yeah, we said it was chaotic!)
We have to have him.
I can’t even even mention another name."
Maggie agrees, adding, “The comedy in our show is a tricky line to walk.
Another aspect that helped Mulaney get the role?
It actually was the best thing that could have happened because I think this was a better role.”
“There was no table read they generally don’t do them,” Jeanie says.
“They shoot their episodes in four days.
There was no diva.
Everyone was just there to do their best work.
He just stood back and was like, ‘Holy crap, this is going to be good.'”
And it couldn’t have happened without the perfect recipe of guest stars.
