Julianne Nicholson on How Her ‘Paradise’ Co-Stars Reacted to Seeing Her Play Dance Mom on ‘Hacks’
Julianne Nicholson was about 7 when her parents, who lived outside of Boston, divorced. She and her sister moved with their mom and new stepdad to a cabin in western Massachusetts, where there was no electricity or running water (it was the late 1970s, and the commune-inspired values of living a simple life were still a thing). They relied on a wood stove to stay warm, kerosene lamps to see in the evening and pumped well water to drink. And, several hours a week, they’d hook up a tiny TV to the car battery to watch their favorite shows. The future entertainer’s No. 1 choice was The Muppets, but she also loved her stepdad’s favorite series, Magnum, P.I.
Nicholson’s learned adaptability as a child has served her well in adulthood. The 54-year-old actress is up for two Emmys this year for wildly different roles. One is for best guest appearance in a comedy series for her portrayal of an energetic social media influencer who goes by the name of Dance Mom in Hacks, the HBO original created by Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs. The second is for best supporting actress in a drama series for her performance in Dan Fogelman’s dystopian Hulu thriller Paradise, in which she plays a wealthy self-made billionaire by the name of Sinatra who rules a city-like underground bunker.
Hacks was a breath of fresh air for Nicholson after appearing in a slew of dramas, including Mare of Easttown, for which she won the Emmy for best supporting role in a limited series or anthology in 2021. The actress, who these days lives in London with her husband, British actor Jonathan Cake, and their two children, spoke with THR about the many twists and turns her life has taken, hiring a dance coach to help her prep for Hacks and how she feels when people scream “Dance Mom” when they see her.
You’ve built your reputation on being a dramatic actress in projects like August: Osage County. How did Hacks come to be?
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Jen, Paul and Lucia thought it would be fun to turn people’s ideas of what I do on its head. Dance Mom was just so unexpected.
Did you ever imagine you would play a role like that?
No! Who could imagine Dance Mom even existing? That came totally out of left field. Paul and Jen and Lucia had gotten in touch with me for a different role in an earlier season, but I wasn’t able to do it. Then they tried again. I am a huge fan of the show, and I think it gets better every season as they go deeper into their characters. I was so excited when I got another call before a subsequent role saying it would just be three episodes, and that they could condense all of my shooting days into the span of a week. They told me about the character’s story and sent me a link to a couple of different people who served as inspiration for the type of dancing they wanted. So, I mean, her name is Dance Mom! Sign me up!
There’s a lingering question of whether Dance Mom was a fraud from the beginning or if she gets corrupted as a result of becoming famous overnight as a regular guest on Late Night. Where does the truth lie?
It’s twofold. She was already sort of pulling the wool over people’s eyes by not being a real mom. But I do think that when she had that bigger audience, it just flipped a switch in her, and she went further off the rails.
Things get hairy for Dance Mom when her manager, Jimmy, played by Downs, almost has to blow cocaine up her ass, or “boof” her. How did you react when you first read that scene?
I just love how far those writers can go and have it still be grounded in the real world. I love the absurdity. I laugh out loud at almost every line that comes out of Kayla’s [Megan Stalter] and Jimmy’s mouths. I love how they push boundaries. One of the favorite articles, or headlines, I’ve ever read about myself was that I might get an Emmy for begging — and I mean begging — to have cocaine blown up my ass. I never could have predicted that.
What was it like working with Jean Smart again?
We worked together on Mare of Easttown, so we already had a relationship. When I would look over at her, she was just beaming and just cheering me on as Dance Mom. It was pure joy. I would follow her to the ends of the earth.
What was the biggest challenge of the role?
Learning the dances. I had a choreographer, Corey Baker, my new bestie. He already had a lot of the Katy Perry dances down, and then we added moves together.
Has Hacks resulted in different scripts coming your way?
Not so far. Even when I won an Emmy for Mare of Easttown, it didn’t change things right away. But I’m good. I’m years-deep into my career, and it is a career. Each new role is another thing you’re adding to the pile. Earlier in my career, I thought there was somewhere I had to get, and then I was going to be fine. Now I realize that’s not true. I can just keep going.
What was it like going back to the set of Paradise after Hacks?
Everyone sort of looked at me with wide eyes and big smiles. Dance Mom was very unexpected after seeing me as Sinatra.
Is there one Emmy you want more than the other?
I was shocked to my core about the Paradise nomination, since that show aired earlier in the year and I thought people had moved on. Maybe I have a shot at [winning for] Dance Mom, but that category is also stacked to the nines. The reaction to the role has been pure joy. People literally shout, “Dance Mom, Dance Mom” out of their car windows when they see me. It was the cherry on the top of this whole experience.
Are you going to dance onstage if you win for Hacks?
One hundred percent no. Even if I have the impulse, my hands are going to be in my pockets. It’s not happening.
This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.