»Anna Konkle Discusses Upcoming “Pen15” Seasons And Hulu’s “The Drop” More is to be said«
Anna Konkle joined the cast of The Drop, a Hulu comedy in which her character drops a baby on concrete, three months after becoming a mother.
“I was accustomed to seeing the more saccharine side of motherhood,” Konkle recently told Decider. “After pregnancy, delivery, and becoming a new mother, I yearned for something that discussed things that we’re taught not to laugh at.”
Don’t worry, the infant is healthy. The group of millennials gathered in Mexico to celebrate the wedding of the baby’s mothers, Mia (played by Aparna Nancherla) and Peggy (Jennifer Lafleur), is not so wonderful. Relationships, notably the one between Konkle’s character, a flighty woman named Lex, and her family-oriented husband Mani, begin to unravel as tension mounts (Jermaine Fowler). Lex and Mani have been attempting to produce a child, but the “dropping the infant on the concrete” scenario raises questions.
For Konkle, who brought her three-month-old daughter Essie to Sayulita, Mexico for filming, the film was difficult for more than one reason. Konkle, 35, had just completed three years of the Emmy-nominated Hulu series she co-created with Maya Erksine, Pen15, which required her to go from playing a prepubescent adolescent to a sexual, adult woman contemplating motherhood. And then there was the additional burden of being a mother on a film set. “Between takes, I was pumping in the jungle,” Konkle added with a chuckle.
But, Konkle said, she wanted to know that it was possible—that a new mother could accept a job and receive the necessary workplace assistance. Konkle spoke with Decider about receiving support from director Sarah Adina Smith (who was eight months pregnant at the time), why she was attracted to this darkly humorous take on parenthood, how she tackled the film’s sex scenes, and her desire to return to Pen15 in the future.
Decider: I roared with laughter when I read the logline for this film. What was your initial reaction upon hearing the pitch?
Anna Konkle: Same! I roared with laughter as I read the logline. Then I read the outline, which served as a guide for improvisation while we created the film. At the time, I was three months postpartum and accustomed to seeing the more sugary side of motherhood. It was fascinating to read an R-rated comedy about motherhood. After pregnancy, childbirth, and becoming a new mother, I yearned for something that discussed things we’re conditioned not to laugh at—things we don’t give the deep complexity we give other things.
When you agreed to star in the film, did you anticipate that you would be in this early phase of motherhood?
Indeed, it was quite bizarre. A week and a half before [the shoot], I got employed. The remaining cast members were set. It was a period of extreme chaos. I reflect on the past and wonder, “What was I thinking?” To accept as a new mother! I was breastfeeding between takes in the bush. Angel was the assistant responsible for transporting breastmilk from the candle-lit tent to Essie, [Konkle’s daughter]. But I was intrigued to see if this was feasible, because it should be feasible. This production sought a new mother. This required me to stop every three hours to breastfeed. This is an extremely uncommon occurrence that needs to occur more often. That increased my confidence in my decision to undertake something so reckless.
How did you and director Sarah Adina Smith collaborate to create a set that allowed you to be a new mother?
Sarah was really supportive from the beginning. My initial response [to the job offer] was, “This is hilarious, but I couldn’t possibly accept it at this time.” Sarah was eight months pregnant at the time. I don’t know how she did it; she walked a mile uphill through rugged terrain in Birkenstocks to get to set. She was such a powerhouse throughout the entire process. We had one another. Jennifer LaFleur [who portrays Peggy] breastfed as well. There was a great deal of motherhood surrounding the motherhood narrative. It was amazing to learn that a studio was interested in producing something that we all agreed was humorous. It feels as though we are on the verge of change. There is still a long way to go, but productions are beginning to go in the direction of “We will live in the practicality of you feeding your child and supporting you, even if it slows production or affects the budget.” This is workplace equality, and it has to occur more often.
I enjoy that this film explores the concept of a woman who is not a natural caregiver, but rather than portraying this as a negative trait, it is humorous.
Yeah! And that can also be humorous. Women’s issues are topics that must be discussed and are also humorous. Humor is the great leveler. Lex begins by simply going through the motions (actual thrusting motions) of attempting to conceive. Then, dropping someone else’s infant puts her on this evaluation odyssey. “Do I truly desire this? Perhaps I don’t?” It’s a lovely journey we’re all taking with the character, which reminds us that we’re permitted to struggle with things. And the majority of us will struggle with this.
Explain your experience working with Jermaine Fowler. You and your partner possess such natural chemistry, which made your relationship feel incredibly genuine.
Jermaine is an excellent actor. Everyone agrees that he is quite funny. His experience, as far as I am aware, consists primarily of comedy roles, thus this was an emotional role for him to do. I was frightened because, same. Having previously portrayed a 13-year-old [on Pen15], this was one of the first adult characters I’ve portrayed in a while. Previously, I portrayed a prepubescent; my breasts were strapped and I had not yet had my period. This character is now struggling with parenting and what it means to be a woman. It was a significant swing. [Jermaine] and I bonded due to our shared vulnerability in completing the assignment. It was really entertaining to observe his growth in every aspect. He is also an exceptional human being. He is extremely caring and compassionate.
The intimate scenes with Jermaine are a significant element of this film. How did you approach the sex scenes, and what is it that makes you the most comfortable on set?
I like to feel as though I can go as far as I want in certain situations, and that the director and, most importantly, my co-actor are at ease with it. I want to visit locations that I wouldn’t necessarily feel comfortable with a large number of people viewing, which is odd given that it will be filmed. However, I frequently find humor in instances that are truly, horribly awful. I wanted to include this in the sexual scenes. There’s a time you can’t really see—behind it’s that curtain—but it’s doggy-style, or whatever they call it, and I’m exhausted, on my elbows. I want to feel unrestricted enough to pursue a variety of useless activities. I’m quite private at the moment, to the point where I ask, “Can it be a closed set?” so I can feel more comfortable being the oddball that we all are.
The humorous interactions you have with Aparna Nancherla, from her frowning at you in the hospital to punching you in the face, are among my favorite sequences. Please describe working with her.
She is simply brilliant. I recall being blown away by one of the situations where she is little intoxicated. The film is built on an outline and improv, with some lines written into the outline and some not. She is also a writer, so the ideas she came up with were excellent. And she portrayed the intoxicated character so wonderfully, given that she is such a legitimate performer. I was then punched by her. I have no idea how that worked out so well! The punch essentially passed the camera, which works quite well. I was terrified throughout those occasions! It was flawless.
Wait, were you unaware that she was going to strike you?
No, I was aware that it would occur, but I was shocked by how Sarah controlled the scene; I was trying to visualize the cut. I believed it worked so beautifully. Aparna is quite terrifying.
Photo: Hulu
Pen15 had such a lovely ending, but I miss it! Would you and Maya Erksine return to that universe in the future? Perhaps a flash-forward season or film?
We have definitely discussed it. Always intended were these three tale arcs. It’s interesting to examine mature issues, but I believe that the 13-year-old rejection that we all carry with us and which informs adult storytelling is so visceral and real. It has the same limbs as adult fiction, but it’s so hilariously straightforward. If I had to guess, it still feels somewhat incomplete. On some level, more could be said.
So, Season Four?
Currently, there is no more. Maya and I are occupied with other endeavors, and it’s been very pleasant not to operate a business together. It’s been good to go to K Spa, talk trash, and not have to ask, “What are we doing tomorrow!?” We require that. And we need a creative outlet to do something different for a while. But I hope that, when the time is perfect, we will return to more Pen15 stories in the future.
I can speak for myself and other fans when I say it was moving to see you and Maya become mothers at the same time. Have you done any of this parenting stuff jointly, such as introducing your children?
Oh, yeah. Maya and I are the closest of friends. At this point in our personal adventure of meeting in college, running a writers’ room, and learning so much about life and each other, we have been through so much. Every genuine relationship goes through many stages and experiences, but we are truly best friends. Our children adore one another.
COVID threw a bizarre wrench into the pregnancy process because so much was unknown and there were no immunizations available. Unfortunately, we had to remain physically separated. It was quite coincidental that we were experiencing the same thing at the same moment; it was a bit strange. Everyone experienced loss during COVID, as well as the heartache of being separated from their loved ones. However, it is astounding to continue to experience the same highs and lows. We are able to relate and bounce off of one another. It’s a wild existence that we all share!
»Anna Konkle Discusses Upcoming “Pen15” Seasons And Hulu’s “The Drop” More is to be said«