The Act’s Patricia Arquette on how she got into character as Dee Dee Blanchard
When it aired in the US earlier this year, true-crime drama The Act was the talk of the internet. It’s now made its way over to the UK, so we spoke to its star, Patricia Arquette, about getting into character as Dee Dee Blanchard.
Dee Dee suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, which is why her daughter Gypsy Rose Blanchard – played by Joey King – claims she was physically and psychologically abused, forced to take medications she didn't need and undergo unnecessary medical procedures. She was also forced to use a wheelchair, and told by Dee Dee that she had leukaemia.
This behaviour tragically led to Gypsy’s boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, murdering Dee Dee. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015.
So how do you prepare to play a part like Dee Dee? Patricia told us she did plenty of research into Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, and how it’s affected other families like the Blanchards.
“I found a lot of research material, including an amazing interview with a woman in prison whose child had died because of Munchausen by Proxy,” she told Cosmopolitan UK.
“When you watch this lady for a little while she goes into these little states every now and then, and it started to become clear to me that she was really mentally ill.”
Patricia also spoke to therapists who have experience in dealing with the condition, which made her realise what may have been at the root of Dee Dee’s behaviour.
“I felt like some of Dee Dee's underpinnings were her terror of abandonment so she needed to almost enslave Gypsy so that she would never leave her.
“She was creating this fiction in the world that she was a great mum, and did everything to take care of her kids, so that she could earn love and attention in the world.
“But at the same time, she was a complete narcissist, and didn't really care how this was impacting her child. So, there were so many levels of distortion and deception.”
As a way of coping with playing such a “horrible” character, Patricia says she would often find herself apologising to The Act cast and crew in between takes.
“Just replicating and pretending that I was doing these things that this woman did, that was just so horrible.”
Even her children tried to get her to turn down the role.
“I told my kids that I might do this thing about a lady who has Munchausen by Proxy and they were like, ‘No don't do that Mum! Don't play that lady!’”
The Act is available to watch on STARZPLAY now.
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