Elle Fanning has been producing her own projects since her days on Hulu’s The Great, but her time on Margo’s Got Money Troubles changed everything. Fanning, who stars in the Apple TV series and also produced it under her Lewellen Pictures banner (alongside her sister Dakota), said she was able to give notes and feedback with a level of confidence she hadn’t felt before and that she credits the lead character herself for that. “Playing Margo, I just had this confidence, and it was the most free I’d felt on a set. I wasn’t vain,” she says. “I didn’t feel like I was looking outside of myself thinking, what do I look like, or what are people going to think of this?”
Margo’s Got Money Troubles is the adaptation of Rufi Thorpe’s bestselling novel about a college student turned single mother who launches an OnlyFans account to pay the bills; the bidding war for the screen rights started well before the 2024 release even hit shelves. The series, which was just renewed for a second season, called for Fanning to do everything from breastfeeding to performing choreographed dances. “I also ate more than ever before,” she says. “I don’t mean ate like body-wise, I mean literally. In every single scene, I’m eating a new food. The Harvest Cheddar Sun-Chip supply in the United States has gone down in the United States because of me.”
Here, Fanning reflects on what it was like making the first season and where she’d like to see the story go.
Whose idea was it to get the (then unreleased) song from Robyn’s new album for the show’s intro credits?
We were originally talking about maybe wanting an artist to write a song for the intro, and so were thinking about who would be good. Our music consultants knew that Robyn had an album coming out, and I love her — I sang “Dancing on My Own” in a movie [Teen Spirit] before. I’ve seen her in concert. Someone had a connection and they reached out and they let us use that song. I just really love that whole intro. We were all suggesting little animated elements, like a pregnancy test and a donut. You can spot all the Easter eggs.
How competitive did it feel as you were pitching the author, Rufi Thorpe, on this show? I know a lot of folks were interested in the rights.
I knew a lot of people had the manuscript and were talking to her, so I knew we had to bring our A-game. But then I heard she was a really big fan of The Great, so I felt really good going in. Our first conversation was on Zoom, it was A24, David E. Kelley, Nicole’s team, and me. It’s nice to have a team like that behind you. We showered her with praises and hoped for the best.
You’ve been working on another adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale for a long time. I’m curious which felt like a tougher battle?
I’m filming The Nightingale right now, we’re almost halfway done. But that was different because it was already set up with TriStar. This was 10 years ago. And then six years ago, when we were first going to film it, [Dakota and I] weren’t going to be producers on it. My grandmother read the book, and she was the first person to put it on my sister and I’s radar way back when. We were too young to be in it, but she was like, if they ever make this into a movie, you guys need to know the book. We told our manager about it, and she did some detective work, and the rights were already bought. Margo was pretty seamless even though it was competitive — after we got the rights, we found Apple and it all came together.
Getting the cast together was, too. As an actor, I knew I wanted to play Margo. Nicole was a real champion because she wanted to produce it and be on board, and then David really created her character. Lace isn’t in the book, but there is a mediator so she’s kind of based on that, and David expanded it to write a really fun role for her to play. I think getting to be an ex-pro wrestler really sealed it for her.
What were the discussions about dropping the book’s romantic storyline?
We explored it for sure. That was a big “what if.” I think we always knew it felt a little crowded, but we did try. In the hopes for a second season, it felt like something to save for later. You want to give Margo her time, because you have to introduce everyone in the first season and you want viewers to fall in love with the characters. There was a lot that Margo was going through, we’re throwing a lot of obstacles at her. We had to give it all the proper time.
A lot of people are comparing Margo to Euphoria. Do you see that?
I think we’re different because our show is a little more about family. It’s heartwarming. The comps we talked about were Little Miss Sunshine and Shameless, because of this village of misfits and the dysfunctional family. But there’s an element of fantasy and whimsy, and Margo is definitely a Gen Zer.
Was there a learning curve working with the baby actors?
We had River and Graham. They would fall asleep on me in between takes. I want kids, and I love babies, so I really enjoyed that. But also, I got to give them back to their parents at the end of the day. I was very aware of how important the motherhood dynamic is to the core of the show, and of how I needed to authentically get that right. I was always asking questions. If Bodie had colic, I was like, “What does that entail?” We had a lactation consultant on set, and tons of moms who were always informing me that I didn’t look like I was in enough pain. I also fought to have the babies in the shots as much as possible. Obviously, there’s a time limit when you’re working with babies, but they just add so much texture to the scene and to the way we as actors respond to them. It’s so much better than using those creepy dolls.
And also, the studio teacher that I had on set when I was a kid, now works with babies too as an additional guardian to help the parents. And she was the studio teacher for River and Graham. She was so sweet, she was getting such a kick out of the fact that she watched me as a kid and now she was watching my “kids.” But I got close with all of them. River actually had her first birthday party after wrap, so I went over to the park afterwards. I DM with their parents too.
Rufi Thorpe has talked about all the research she did, speaking to OnlyFans creators; did you do your own in addition to that?
Lindsey Normington, who plays Rose and has worked as a stripper, was a great help and gave an amazing perspective. We created a whole scene based off of something she said. When Rose talks about Margo’s internalized whorephobia, that’s directly from Lindsey. Margo was in denial, thinking, “Well I don’t make porn. I make art.” But it’s all art. And I’m happy that we had Lindsey on set to help with that perspective — and because I got to watch her pole dance, and she taught me a few things.
Do you still have any of the choreography from the show?
I’m trying to think if I could remember any of the Hungry Ghost dance. The amazing thing about being a producer is assembling all of the people on set. I had one of my friends from my childhood ballet class Sadie Wilking, who is now a choreographer, come in and choreograph the TikTok dance. And that’s a Rico Nasty song called “IPHONE,” she let us use it in the show.
At the end of the season, we see potentially something between Jinx and Shyanne. Where do you think they’re going?
I mean, Jinx is complicated. There’s definitely a darkness to him. He also has that other family. He has kids. But it’s also interesting because I don’t think Shyanne and Kenny are right for each other ultimately, but Greg [Kinnear] has made Kenny so lovable. He’s complicated, and I think David writes that so beautifully. You are very quick to judge, but then your perspective changes by the end. Even with Mark, who is pathetic, but I can sympathize with him.
Do you have TikTok?
I do, and it’s weird. It’s not private, but I made one with my friend way back when it came out and I didn’t really know what it was. There was this funny viral video of a blonde girl with braces who turns around and makes a face and it was like, “You dig?” So I did that, and I kept my username as all these numbers, not my name. But people were finding it and it still exists. But I do scroll on TikTok.
What is your algorithm at the moment?
It’s a lot of clips of filmed podcasts. But it can definitely get strange. For a while, it was these videos where you’re in prison and they serve you food and you have to choose. Like, eat a million burgers or a giant milkshake?
Have you been to an Applebee’s before, and if not then what is your preferred chain restaurant?
We filmed the engagement scene in a real Applebee’s, so I have been. But I like Red Lobster because of the Cheddar Bay biscuits, and Chili’s is good, too. I had planned to go when they came out with the viral mozzarella sticks, but they’re probably old now.
