The Cast of GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY on Playing Characters with Hidden Agendas

Although things can appear to be one way, everything is not what it seems. In the world of GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY, everyone is seemingly hiding secrets. However, if you pay attention close enough to detail, you just might not miss it. Each character’s development is essential when analyzing the differences in color grading, house environment setups with personality types, camera direction, and more between the intricate details of the characters.

As we follow the wealthy and privileged lives of four members of the local garden club within their private suburbia, a murder is unveiled that throws everyone into the spotlight. As this dark secret threatens status and reputation, the reality of their imperfect flowers has no choice but to unravel. 

The exquisite cast of GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY consists of Melissa Fumero, Aja Naomi King, Ben Rappaport, AnnaSophia Robb, Matthew Davis, Alexander Hodge, Nancy Travis, and Felix Wolfe. I had the pleasure of attending a set visit of GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY where an insightful and short scene was observed as a preview.

Furthermore, I had the opportunity to speak with the production team and cast regarding their perspectives, experiences, and excitement surrounding their latest project that’s airing on NBC. As the actors took breaks from their production schedules for their interviews, they each expressed with admiration their appreciation for the overall team in contributing to this new release. Not only are they looking forward to audience reactions, but they’re also interested in watching the series at the same time as fans with each new episode. 

Melissa Fumero, who played Birdie, reflects on how empowering it is to play a character that doesn’t take any nonsense. King hopes that women can relate to her character and admits that it was initially intimidating when transforming into this character because of her strong nature. However, she appreciates any opportunity for a challenge as an actress to evolve.

“I think the first few weeks of playing her, it’s a little intimidating. You know?” Fumero said. “You have to be your most confident from the get because that’s how she approaches everything. She walks in and is like everyone should be looking at me,” she laughed. “It was kind of a mental gymnastics of pushing out any doubt or anything, it was just like I got to live in this space where I’m so confident and sure of myself. And what I’m going to do to exude that energy she has.”  

AnnaSophia Robb, who played Alice, expresses that it’s crucial for a script to evoke emotion and interest while she’s reviewing the overall project. Robb was incredibly intrigued by the freshness of the GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY script and couldn’t seem to put it down once she was invested. 

“I just stayed locked in with the script. You know our phones are dinging, the phone call or email you gotta get back to, and I was locked in,” Robb said. “And I think that’s a really telling sign for me, that I wanted to keep reading; especially an episodic. Do I want to know what happens? Not only with my character but the whole world. I very much felt that way with this show. And it was a process of meeting the showrunners, who are telling this story and creating this story, I only got to read the pilot … Jenna and Bill are phenomenal. They are so passionate and kind; such good people … I trusted them and everyone said so many amazing things about them,” Robb admired. 

Aja Naomi King, who played Catherine, analyzes the mirroring aspect techniques that she creates in a sense of a ‘road map’ when deliberating what direction she wants to take her character in. King loves her process of becoming one with the roles that she plays and expressing the true aura and essence of that individual. 

“After we shot the pilot, I had a fairly clear idea of how she should exist in the world. And what her thought process would be around certain things,” King voiced. “I know some people journal and for various things, I’ve used music to kind of help me step into a character. Or it becomes a vocal posture of where that character lives in their body and I know for me, Catherine, there’s something very upright about her. She’s always going to keep her head up because that’s how she’s been raised. She doesn’t bow down to anyone, that’s very important. So then in those scenes and moments where you see her kind of release, she’s softening herself up to be more vulnerable and show more. It’s just little touches of things that people may pick up on or maybe they don’t, but what keeps me inside of her,” she conveyed. 

Grosse Pointe Garden Society is now available on streaming services and the newest episode will premiere on March 2nd.