“Chemistry Lessons”
Apple TV+
[This story contains spoilers from the finale of Lessons in Chemistry.]
Academy Award-winning actress Brie Larson has had supporting roles in romantic comedies such as The Spectacular Now and Trainwreck. But in “Lessons in Chemistry” she tells her own love story.
“Part of my initial interest in this story is that depictions of love are so sacred and so important, and how they come to you and why they come to you is part of the magic of this life,” says Larson, who plays the lead role of Elizabeth Zott in the Apple TV+ series. “It also means it’s very hard to come to terms with.”
Larson worked closely as executive producer with showrunner Lee Eisenberg, who developed the series, and decided how best to show this battle by bringing the narrative from Bonnie Garmus’ novel of the same name to television. For Larson, it was a challenge to embody Zott, a chemist who can no longer rely on the predictable when she falls in love with research chemist Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman) at Hastings Laboratory and suffers an unimaginable loss.
“I’m just a lot more emotional than she is,” Larson tells , explaining that she would do takes where she would let out a loud scream to express her emotions and then get back into character. “Elizabeth is just not a crier. She doesn’t have access to that.”
But it was worth it to figure out how to portray a woman who doesn’t have to sacrifice her mind for love, but rather learns to be open to receiving it.
“It was so nice for me to be able to do something loving and sweet and not always talk about the darkest things that are happening in the world,” says Larson, whose latest film, “The Marvels,” which stars her as Captain Marvel, is currently playing in the cinema.
“I think it’s a very beautiful representation of working with someone you love, and the fact that his spirit, his uniqueness and specificity and his love of science bring them together I think is very sweet.”
How does it feel to be on a press run after the actors’ strike and to finally be able to promote this project?
Oh, I’m so excited just to hear what people get out of it. We spend a lot of time thinking about it, dreaming about it, and working on it. So I’m just excited to see what happened and what resonates with people.
What about this story resonated with you the most, making you want to take on the role of both the lead character and executive producer?
I can’t emphasize enough how important the character of Elizabeth Zott was to me when I started reading the book. The tone really fascinated and surprised me. Because as someone who makes things, I think a lot about tone. It’s a dance that’s not about making something less dark or scary, but about making it in a way that allows people to get closer to it and actually think about it or think about it. I felt like she did so well in the book. And that felt like the biggest thrill and challenge for me. I also think that ultimately it is about the connection between science and love that we deal with, that we organize our lives around and the realization that it is both. It’s about process, care and meticulousness, but there’s also chance and coincidence. And I think that’s where love falls in. It cannot be contained. You don’t know when the time will come. The feeling that these are two things competing against each other in this show just felt very rewarding to me.
How does your experience working on a historical TV series like this compare to your other projects?
I have to say, about two weeks later I was really confused because my whole world, aside from me sleeping, was in the 50’s and everyone is dressed in these clothes and those are the only cars I see. And the Hastings laboratory was a huge complex; everything was connected. At some point I had to remind myself: I’m in downtown LA, my name is Brie. But you’re so immersed in another world and it’s really cool. Putting on her costume, for example, is a complete departure from the way I dress in everyday life. This helps us get an idea of what we have done right from the start.
Brie Larson with Lewis Pullman in chemistry class. Apple TV+
Lee Eisenberg says that you and Elizabeth have some characteristics in common in relation to the fact that you two –
Bossy? (laughs). Probably very stubborn and bossy.
Actually funny and incredibly focused. How do you identify with Elizabeth and how did you find playing her challenging?
There are many things that I identify with. I have an intense focus. If it’s something I want to do, I can just stick with it and I dedicate myself to the things that I love and want to do. And yes, I am bossy and opinionated. I believe in what is true. I also think I’m a pretty literal listener, and I can say what I feel pretty clearly and not be afraid to say that.
But I think the biggest difference between Elizabeth and me is that I’m just a lot more emotional than she is. The beauty of life alone constantly makes me cry. Sadness makes me cry too, but I would say I’m constantly moved and touched by humanity, and Elizabeth is just not a crier. She doesn’t have access to it. And I didn’t think about it that much until we were actually shooting those scenes and Lee just kept saying, “No, you have to keep it down.” And I thought, “I don’t think I can do that.” Sometimes I had to Doing takes where I would just let out a loud scream and then we would just keep filming because it was like I was so deeply touched; I don’t have that capacity. So it’s interesting to keep that sense of distance. It’s a great part of my job that I get to explore different ways of being in the world. But I’m emotional. I can’t do it.
How did you and Lewis Pullman find the unique chemistry between Elizabeth and Calvin on set?
Part of my initial interest in this story is that depictions of love are so sacred and so important and how they come to you and why they come to you is part of the magic of this life. But it also means it’s very hard to come to terms with. Everyone has had their own experiences in life. So how do you talk about it? Luckily, we had a great director who was really great at guiding us and helping us understand the film because we don’t have that much time to talk about such a great love. And that’s part of the effect. So when we were on set and it was working, we were all like, “Phew, is this going to be okay?” Because the show really wouldn’t work if you didn’t buy that relationship. That simply does not work.
It was so nice for me to be able to do something loving and sweet and not always talk about the darkest things that are happening in the world. And as we progressed with this story, I just felt like this love story was really the anchor. In a book you have the opportunity to get into someone else’s head so you can reflect differently; We have to show everything in a TV show. But I think it’s a very beautiful representation of working with someone you love, and the fact that his spirit, his uniqueness and specificity and his love of science bring them together I think is very sweet.
The friendship between Elizabeth and Harriet (Aja Naomi King) is an unexpected relationship that also develops. Can you talk about what impact this development has on the overall story?
Like I said, with the difference between a book and TV: You can read a page of Elizabeth going to the grocery store, but all you’re thinking about is what she’s thinking about. They don’t necessarily take the time to imagine who else is in the supermarket. We have to make these decisions. And when we started talking about the series, we realized that we couldn’t tell this story at this point without considering the bigger picture and the context of the events. So we had some really great consultants who were able to talk to us about this city [Sugar Hill], in that area, and what happened. Aja Naomi King is simply amazing. And you – I just feel like I’m going to cry. She is just so beautiful and so true and honest and cared so much about me. And I was just so grateful that she really worked so hard and really felt compelled to tell this story, and I was there and just supported that. It’s a difficult question when it comes to tone and how to express reality, and those were tough days. But we had each other and I’m really happy about it.