The new Paramount+ series Fatal Attraction is putting a spin on the 1987 hit film. The show will explore two timelines, one of which chronicles Dan Gallagher’s life after he’s spent years in prison for the murder of Alex Forrest. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Alyssa Jirrels and Amanda Peet about Ellen and Beth forging relationships with Dan upon his release from prison.
“I think it’s a really complicated, very loaded experience for her,” Alyssa told HollywoodLife. “I think initially it’s the shock of the cellular experience of seeing that person for the first time, but I think the whole time she’s sort of testing his character. I think she has a desire to push him away and a desire to be the one who’s in control and to get back at him in some way. To me, I always felt like she has a deep, deep loyalty and love for him and was always pulling for him all through the years, but it’s just not safe enough to experience that until she’s tested a little bit.”
The situation is equally complex for Beth, Dan’s ex-wife. Their family was torn apart after Dan cheated on Beth with Alex Forrest. “I think in Beth’s case it’s also very complicated. There’s a lot of resentment and lack of trust, but also I think she feels sorry for him,” Amanda said. She also added that Beth and Dan will “attempt to cope together with the distance from the years gone by where they weren’t in touch.”
In the 1987 critically-acclaimed film, which starred Glenn Close and Michael Douglas, the character of Ellen was just a young girl. In the television series, Alyssa gets the opportunity to basically create an entirely new character through the adult version of Ellen in the present-day timeline.
“I think if there had been a really fleshed-out version of Ellen in the original that would have haunted me a little bit at this stage,” Alyssa admitted. “But it was just really great to be able to, whether it’s a reimagining or not, it’s such an excellent character and the writing is so good. It was a gift to be able to go through and follow that arc with her and explore all the depth that’s there.”
Fatal Attraction premieres April 30 on Paramount+ with the first 3 episodes. New episodes will be released weekly after that.