revealed she developed blisters from the fake breasts she had to wear to transform into titular blonde bombshell Angelyne for Peacock’s upcoming limited series.
The 35-year-old Shameless star plays the 1980s pinup, who became famous after featuring on a series of iconic billboards in LA.
She revealed she underwent between four and five hours in makeup every morning before most of her co-stars had arrived on set, and suffered tear duct issues from wearing two pairs of contact lenses – as well as from all the heavy eye makeup worn during filming.
‘The physicality of the character was challenging,’ Emmy told . ‘The body is heavy, yet it has to feel light and effervescent. But I just kept focusing on how lucky I felt. This opportunity is really every actor’s dream. You raise your hand and you say, “Hey, I’d like to play this, and this is how I envision the story”.
‘I found it to be completely liberating to look in the mirror and not see myself at all. At first, it’s unnerving.
‘But feeling lost gives way to this real liberation – from myself and the hang-ups that can impede a performance.’
Emmy’s husband and collaborator Sam Esmail, who co-produced the series with his wife, admitted to the publication that he sometimes didn’t even recognise her on set.
‘When I say that there are times where I did not recognise her because she was lost in this person, I really mean it,’ he said. ‘This is my wife I’m talking about. It’s kind of eerie.’
The drama is based on the Hollywood Reporter’s investigative article about the enigmatic Angelyne.
Angelyne, 71, was going to contribute to the series after meeting with Emmy and director Lucy Tcherniak, but pulled out after delays caused by the pandemic.
The series also stars Girls actor Alex Karpovsky, The White Lotus actor Lukas Gage, and Scan**l’s Antjuan Tobias.
Meanwhile, Emmy also briefly addressed the controversy following reports in new series The Crowded Room, despite there only being 10 years between them.
Emmy takes on the role of Candy, the mother of Tom’s character Danny, in the Apple TV+ series, during which she will appear in flashback scenes.
‘I understand the response, but when people see the way in which the role functions — I’m ageing backwards and forwards — it’ll make sense,’ she added.
The thriller, which Tom, 25, is also serving as an executive producer on, will follow inspirational stories of people who have successfully learned to live with mental illness.
Angelyne will be available to stream on Peacock on May 19.
