Melissa Fumero on drama and friendships in Grosse Pointe Garden Society

Melissa Fumero loved stepping into the role of Birdie for NBC’s new series Grosse Pointe Garden Society. On the surface Birdie is loud and unapologetic but even in the audition process she immediately found softness and vulnerability underneath. This became one of her favorite aspects of the character straight out of the gate. As one example she spoke to how refreshing it was to see Birdie create a connection with Aja Naomi King’s character Catherine in a space where female characters are often pitted against each other.

Whilst the series centers around a gardening club she noted that she didn’t have to learn as much about the specifics of gardening thanks to her characters lack of experience and expertise. This was also reflected in her costumes which saw Birdie show up over dressed for getting her hands dirty, and Fumero shared how the costumes being incredibly detailed was one of her favorite elements.

Since the show takes places across two timelines six months apart it required a lot of judicious note taking and tracking to find the emotional journey of each timeline and scene. However everyone on the cast and crew helped with this process to help make it feel seamless.

Watch the full conversation below:

Q&A on the NBC series Grosse Pointe Garden Society with actor Melissa Fumero. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company.

Follows four members of a suburban garden club, as they get caught up in murder and mischief, as they strive to flourish.