Jenny Slate, a talented actor and author known for her roles in Obvious Child and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, delves deep into her creative journey. She shares how her role in FX’s Dying for Sex allowed her to stretch her acting wings. Slate discusses her relationship with family, motherhood, and overcoming societal pressures. She reflects on the impacts of social media toxicity and weaves in wisdom from her poet father. With aspirations for the future, Slate merges personal growth with creative expression, leaving listeners inspired.
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Jenny's Career Shift
Jenny Slate asked her agents for roles offering "full wingspan" performance opportunities.
She waited for such a role despite financial pressures, prioritizing artistic fulfillment.
insights INSIGHT
Nikki's Complex Character
Jenny Slate's character, Nikki, in Dying for Sex is dynamic and multi-faceted, embodying both soothing and explosive qualities.
This complexity allows for a deeper exploration of her character's motivations and relationships.
insights INSIGHT
Molly's Journey of Healing
Molly, played by Michelle Williams, seeks sexual experiences after her diagnosis not for reckless abandon, but for healing and reclaiming her power.
Her past abuse led to repressed pleasure and fear, making this journey a form of self-discovery.
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In *True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us*, Danielle J. Lindemann examines the rise of reality TV as a dominant cultural medium. The book delves into how reality TV reflects and shapes societal perceptions of key institutions and social constructs like family, class, and gender. By analyzing popular shows, Lindemann reveals how reality TV both mirrors and influences our understanding of the world around us.
Lifeform
M. Jacobs
Jenny Slate's "Lifeform" is a collection of essays offering a candid and humorous look at her personal journey. The essays explore themes of singledom, finding love, and the challenges and joys of motherhood. Slate's signature wit and vulnerability shine through as she reflects on her experiences with honesty and self-awareness. The book delves into the complexities of relationships, self-discovery, and the transformative power of love. It's a relatable and insightful read for anyone navigating the ups and downs of life.
Little Weirds
Jenny Slate
The tempest
William Shakespeare
The Tempest, written around 1610-1611, is one of Shakespeare's last solo works. The play revolves around Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, who was usurped by his brother Antonio and left to die at sea with his infant daughter Miranda. They survive and find refuge on a remote island, where Prospero masters magic and enslaves the native Caliban and the spirit Ariel. When a ship carrying his enemies passes by, Prospero conjures a tempest to bring them ashore. The play explores themes of magic, betrayal, revenge, and forgiveness as Prospero manipulates the shipwrecked characters to rectify past wrongs and ultimately forgives them. The story also includes the romance between Ferdinand, the King of Naples' son, and Miranda, and ends with Prospero's decision to return to Milan and reclaim his dukedom[2][3][5].
Jenny Slate returns today for her fourth appearance on the program.
We discuss how this role in the new FX series Dying for Sex offered her ‘full wingspan’ as a performer (5:45), embodying best friend and caretaker of Molly, played by Michelle Williams (9:25), and what she extracted from herself to play a confrontational character (12:30). Then, Jenny describes her relationship to motherhood (17:30), her breaking point while making her 2019 film The Sunlit Night (22:32), and how some timeless words from her first story collection Little Weirds help make sense of this moment (28:56).
On the back-half, we unpack Jenny’s journey to healing from social media (33:11), a token of advice from her father, poet Ron Slate (41:48), and, to continue our tradition—Slate’s personal and creative aspirations for the years to come (43:51). To close, a formative passage from Shakespeare’s The Tempest (51:57).
Hear our previous talks with Jenny from 2022, 2020, and 2017.
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