It’s hard to imagine the Broadway world without thinking about legendary dancer Gwen Verdon and famed choreographer and director Bob Fosse. Both had a lasting impact on stage and cinema, and their personal and professional drama will be documented in FX’s upcoming drama Fosse/Verdon.
Eight-time Tony award winner and one-time Academy Award winner Fosse and Broadway legend Verdon left a legacy on the Broadway world. Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell take on the iconic roles of Verdon and Fosse, respectively. In order to prepare, they worked closely with Nicole Fosse, the pair’s daughter who is a consultant on the series.
“We are looking to do something that is authentic, and having Nicole is an incredible asset because she’s able to share not only the facts as she remembers them, but the emotional experience,” executive producer Joel Fields told said at the Television Critics Association press tour in February. “There’s also a book, and there’s archival material and all sorts of other stuff to look at. Our goal is to explore a relationship between these two characters and to do it in an authentic way, and we are never looking to, kind of, whip something up.”
Nicole revealed that the series shows a new side of Verdon, one that many didn’t know. “She was absolutely lovable, and everyone’s memory of her is only fond memories. But, like everybody, there was an edge sometimes,” she said at TCA. “She would find herself in a situation at different times in her life that was very difficult, and we are trying to show the whole human being, not just the fun and the laughter, which was predominant and extremely lovable.”
Learn more about the story of Fosse and Verdon below.