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Four episodes in, Id say cautiously yes.
More on that below.)
Youre like, I hate my family.[Laughs.
]I love that.
So I was thinking, Whats the most hyperbolic version of this story to tell?
More than just light bondage games.
So it was the melding of those two together.
Here you have this pretty intense and dark storyline, but with so much humor.
The book made me laugh out loud so much.
It was really fun to take that book and expand from that, with the rich characters shed created.
When did you decide to turn it into a show how did these conversations start?
Alissa Nutting:It just kind of came really organically.
Its just this sense of always having to be aware of whos watching you at any given time.
Personally, its really kind of part of my relationship with technology I both feel spied upon and safer.
I completely drank the Kool-Aid.
I have Echoes in every room.
I dont want the Echo to hear me flush my toilet!
Even though thats probably the least embarrassing thing that its picking up on.
But I bare all to my Echo now.
How did you come up with that specific tech?
I never read terms and contracts.
So it was really a true dilemma for me.
But also, it could be a time-saver.
The push-pull of it is something that Christina and I wanted to explore.
Like, did things already come to pass that you had made up?
We were like, This doesnt even take place in the future now!
Alissa Nutting:I was like, Slow your roll, Elon!
And then we had a year relying entirely on technology.
It became even more timely than we initially anticipated.
Its ironic, how reality caught up with what we were writing about.
Alissa Nutting:It made me worry.
Is this some simulation?
Like, Oh, okay, this is what youre writing?
So youre saying you caused COVID.
Alissa Nutting:Yes.
But we made a great show from it.
I do want to talk about some things you cut from the book and why.
Theres no Jasper, no dolphin-fucking plotline.
Alissa Nutting:[Laughs loudly.
]Well, we have very exciting ideas for season two.
Hopefully were just getting started.
But youve incorporated the dolphin in a different way.
Byron has one in his pool.
Alissa Nutting:We have.
Dolphins are pervasive in the show.
So how exactly did Covid change the show?
You had to cut episodes?
I remember that day very well.
And during that time, Alissa and I went back and did so much rewriting.
And then we got back to shooting in October of 2020.
It was a blast.
What did you change in the halfway-through rewrite?
One of the biggest changes was Byron.
In the book, he comes across as the villain.
As misguided and controlling as he is, he does love his wife.
Lets talk about Cristin.
I cant imagine anyone more suited to the role.
Did you write with her in mind?
Alissa Nutting:Yeah.
She was the number one.
I used to joke thatMade for Loveis Made for Milioti.
I didnt see any way around it.
Shes so expressive and just has such an incredible talent.
She not only pulls it off but layered it even beyond our wildest imagination.
Her range really elevated the whole thing.
Christina Lee:She was so integral in developing Hazel with us.
She just intrinsically understood that character so well.
And nail the scene.
Wed be like, How did she do that?!
Whats something specific she contributed to Hazel?
Who is that person?
What happened to her to make that choice?
Was Ray Romano always who you pictured for Herbert?
And how did you convince him to play this man in love with a sex doll?
Alissa Nutting:Hes such an incredible dramatic actor.
Ray is just capable of giving hes so likeable.
Even when his character is doing something frustrating, his performance is so meticulous.
You always understand his motivation.
It was one of those things where, when his name came up, there was this gasp.
Its slightly unexpected but could elevate the role so much.
That was very important to us; shes not treated as such in the book, either.
That went a long way with the casting of Ray.
You see a real relationship there.
You see why hes with Diane, and bringing humanity to that relationship was enhanced by casting Ray.
How did you cast Diane?
Christina Lee:It was hard to get her.[Laughs.
]I dont know if this has been said before.
But Dianes physical features are based on someone.
Alissa Nutting:I sat for a face-casting for Diane.
Because there are just proprietary rights issues that happen with any doll, their face is usually copyrighted.
So I became the literal face of Diane.
So the resemblance isnt quite something that you figure out unless Im standing next to her.
That was very fun.
Christina Lee:We always joked that Diane has a look of slight dissatisfaction, just like Alissa.
Now that you say it, I totally see it.
It really added this element of feeling that Diane was one of the crew.
And she called action
Alissa Nutting:[Freezes on the Zoom like Diane.]
That was very impressive acting.
Alissa Nutting:No, I know.
Im really, really good at playing an inanimate sex doll.
Do you think of the things you write as deranged or deviant?
Or do they feel normal to you?
How do we fill those needs when theyre not met, and when systems and people let us down?
To me, thats always the greatest question.
So Id respectfully disagree.
I wouldnt have gotten divorced if my husband treated me like this!
What am I doing wrong, that this doll is doing right?
Wholly unrelated last question: I love your Grub Street Diets so much.
How are you living?
Alissa Nutting:Not well.
Not well at all.
I will say it had a negative impact on my diet.
Alissa Nutting:Its very low nutritional value.
And I live them.
