Pictured: (l-r) AnnaSophia Robb as Alice and Nancy Travis as Patty in “Grosse Pointe Garden … More
“I really haven’t played a character like this, maybe ever, somebody who can be so diabolical and yet is so recognizable,” says Nancy Travis of her role as Patty on Grosse Point Garden Society.
In the series, Patty’s son Doug is married to Alice, a young woman who Patty clearly doesn’t favor. Not one to shy away from saying what she thinks, Patty is not above making her feelings for Alice known to everyone, including Alice. And, she’s also not above going to extreme lengths to ensure Doug’s happiness, or what she perceives as his happiness.
Grosse Point Garden Society follows four members of a suburban garden club, which includes Alice, who find their lives intertwined by scandal, mischief and a shared secret – a murder no one wants to talk about.
Along with Travis, the cast includes AnnaSophia Robb as Alice, as well as Melissa Fumero, Aja Naomi King, Ben Rappaport, Matthew Davis, Alexander Hodge, and Felix Wolfe.
Expanding on her thoughts about Patty, Travis says, “For me, at her very worst, she’s probably a helicopter parent, but she really wants to be a somebody. She came to Grosse Pointe, and she’s worked really hard to to climb the ladder in society. She has this only son, and she cares very deeply about him, she’s trying to help him launch his career, and she is the kind of person who will really go to any lengths to make sure that happens.”
Patty’s conflict with her daughter-in-law only grows as the series progresses, says Travis. “Yeah, when Alice basically tells Patty to back off, or that she’s crossed a line, Patty takes that as a challenge and essentially escalates her efforts. So those two just keep butting heads more and more and more.”
However, she insists, that Patty doesn’t consider herself to be evil, explaining, “She doesn’t operate from a place of malice, she operates from a place of love, and I love being able to portray all of the emotions that go with that, because I don’t think anybody is purely diabolical or just purely sweet. So it’s just trying to find the balance of those qualities and what drives somebody to do the things that they do.”
Travis, who has starred on sit-coms Last Man Standing, The Kominsky Method, and Becker, drama series Ride and Mr. Mercedes, as well as in feature films including Three Men and a Baby and So I Married an Axe Murderer, points out that this is her first ‘dramedy.’
This combo is an aspect of the series that Travis says she loves. “I love that it’s both dark and light. There are moments that feel so shady and then moments where it’s just so funny. That unique tone, in my opinion, is what makes this show so good.”
To get into Patty’s mindset, Travis reveals that, “I have to justify her choices emotionally and make them relatable. I’m trying to find those things in Patty so that people can watch this show and say, ‘Gosh, I don’t know if I agree with her actions, but I could see doing that, or I strangely feel sorry for her, and I don’t know why.’”
Given her past experiences in a variety of projects in comparison to her role as Patty, Travis admits that, “Honestly, in a lot of ways, I feel like the burden of being the leading lady or the woman who’s trying to charm the man, well, I don’t have to do that anymore, which means I can bring all the ugliness I want to a character and just find characters who are motivated by things other than just supporting the man. That’s not to say that all my roles have been that, but I feel like for me, a lot of them have been kind of being the sidekick for the guy character. And in a large way, I’m stepping into my own place and I really like that.”
She adds, “And I know for me, Nancy Travis, I feel like I have found a voice to speak up for myself in ways that I hadn’t in the past. Before, I just went along with everyone, and now I do feel empowered to be able to say to the creators, ‘gosh, I want to bring this to it or this is how I see it or this is what I’d like to play,’ and I do that and it’s ok.”
For those who haven’t yet tuned into Grosse Pointe Garden Society, or are maybe reluctant to tackle watching another series, Travis says, “It’s such delightful escapism that is completely relatable, even in this outlandish kind of setting, that I believe it’s a treat, like a flavorful dessert. And it’s very addictive, for a lot of reasons, but mainly because there’s this murder element to it.”
She goes on to say, “And it’s really sort of an allegory for our time. I mean, not to sound too lofty, but in this show you have this beautiful world, with these luscious gardens in a town that is stunning, and everything is glistening and perfect, but underneath is all of this rot. And that is what is funny and dark and really, really interesting, and maybe some might feel, a little timely too.”
Now that Travis has finished filming Grose Pointe she’s settled into working on her memoir and, she hopes, trying to concoct in the next great series. “We’ve been watching all of these [British] crime dramas, and they’re fantastic. I would love to write something like that. They’re usually just a story with people talking and solving something without all the bells and whistles. So, for me, it’s not about, running from enemy gunfire or flying through space, although I wouldn’t turn that down, but I really just want to be in projects that are about relationships and real human connection.”
She surmises, “I did sitcoms and that was great, because that kept me at home, but now that my kids are grown, I can go anywhere. I have wanderlust and in a lot of ways, being an actress satisfies my sense of adventure because I get to walk in another person’s shoes in another place.”
Circling back to Grosse Pointe, Travis says that she truly believes that, “In a lot of ways, I almost feel like the whole story of my career has brought me to this point, and in a lot of ways, maybe I’m doing some of my best work. It seems cumulative in that everything I’ve learned, everything that is just a part of me, I’m unloading into this, and there’s something that feels really lovely about being able to do that. So, I hope people will watch and take it all in. That would mean a lot to me.”
Then she laughs as she says, “If that doesn’t draw you in, then you should watch the show because these people can’t even plant a flower without it being dramatic, traumatic, and ultimately, very funny.”
‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society’ airs Fridays at 8pm e/p on NBC, and is available for streaming on Peacock.
