Britton, who plays two versions of a mom in the series, told Good Morning America on Tuesday, “It was very interesting sort of doing that and shifting gears like that. But that was what the fun challenge was.”
At its core, Phony is a coming-of-age story, following a teenage boy named Sonny, played by White Lotus star Sam Nivola. The trailer depicts Sonny’s strong relationship with his mom, who also appears to be his best friend. When he wakes up after a car accident, he immediately senses something is wrong.
“It’s about that kind of moment of separation and becoming distinct from your family and your parents and when you realize that maybe your parents aren’t these sort of omniscient god beings that you thought they were and how that’s painful, but also universal,” Nivola told GMA.
He added that working with Britton on what he described as his “first proper big lead roles” was “the best.”
“I felt like I really had the access and opportunity to have really deep, creative discussions with her,” Nivola said. “She’s so smart about all of it, not just acting but story and about understanding your character’s place in the story and I just learned so much from her.”
When asked about her new mom role in Phony, Britton reflected on the many maternal figures she’s played over the years and shared why she likes playing mothers.
“I think they’re the greatest on the planet,” she said. “Every single mom is different from every single other mom. And so every opportunity I get to play a mom is an opportunity to show our uniqueness and that one isn’t exactly the same as another.”
Britton noted that her role in the Hulu show is “no exception.”
“Playing this mom in all of her versions is pretty cool,” she said.
Phony is available to stream on Hulu.
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