An inspiring journey: women behind the scenes of Hulu’s ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ speak out. In a recent interview with Variety, the talented female cast of the hit series delved into the heartwarming creation process and the significant impact the show has had on their lives.
“In this lifetime, to have a writer like you in this world to help us synthesize the human experience, because we all go through pain, suffering, joy, happiness, humanity, those experiences through your eyes has changed my life,” executive producer Reese Witherspoon told author Cheryl Strayed in a conversation.
“And the book ‘Wild’ literally changed my life by making that movie with you. But through that experience, we started talking about ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ and how important that is, that people feel seen and heard and not alone in this world.”
Laura Elizabeth Dern, both a star in the film adaptation of ‘Wild’ and an executive producer for ‘Tiny Beautiful Things,’ highlighted the book’s transformation into a bible.
Basically, “Each of us found it in some magical way at the very moment we needed it, which is how ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ comes to you,” Reese Witherspoon said. “The show is doing the same. It is a gift for all of us to see ourselves in.”
Series creator and showrunner Rachel Elizabeth Tigelaar (known as Liz Tiglaar) had long been a fan of Cheryl Strayed’s books, and the opportunity to adapt them presented itself when the team at Hello Sunshine recommended her. The search for the lead actress to play the role of Clare, a representation of Cheryl, resulted in the perfect fit: Kathryn Hahn.
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Reading the book left her feeling less alone. “We’re in this era of a messy, flawed heroin as a person to be as a woman, which is so interesting to me because I feel that what’s so beautifully captured in Liz’s adaptation and so tricky, and so beautiful and singular and honest, is that you scratch the surface of any single person on this planet and everyone’s a disaster underneath,” said Kathryn Hahn.
Having played a representation of Strayed in ‘Wild,’ Reese Witherspoon now shares a bond with Kathryn Hahn and understands the complexity of the character.
“It’s not easy. It’s raw. It’s probably the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt in my entire life,” Reese Witherspoon said in the interview. “I cried almost every day off-camera. It challenges your ideas of self and you’re challenged to not judge yourself. You’re in your messiness and it’s hard to go there and let people see you be messy.”
Hahn gained valuable insights from playing Clare, and as she approaches her fiftieth birthday, she has discovered a newfound sense of power. Reflecting on her younger self, she stated, “I wish I could take that younger self and be a little less tough on her,”
A significant theme in the show revolves around the advice each woman would give to their younger self. When asked by Hahn, she said my advice is to remain authentic. “Women are pretty adept shapeshifters. We adapt for who we’re talking to instead of holding true to who we are with whoever that audience is. That’s what I’m trying to teach my daughter and something I would have told my younger self.”
For Witherspoon, she would remind her younger self to… “You don’t know who you are, it takes a minute. Just follow what you’re good at — not your dreams, but what you’re good at. You’ll figure out who you are but you’re gonna make some mistakes and that’s okay too.” She later added, “There’s real beauty in self-discovery. It’s kind of your job on this Earth to figure yourself out and have compassion for yourself and save yourself. Because you can really drown in that or you can reach for something better… That starts with asking big questions.”
Dern emphasized the significance of accepting both one’s own imperfections and those of other young women: “There is nothing meaner than a middle school girl. We can talk about the boys but also talk about how we have the opportunity to champion each other in the most difficult moments and celebrate that in each other. The more compassionate we can be in our sisterhood the better off we’re gonna be.”
“I want to tell everybody in their 20s, especially women, stop obsessing and being consumed with who is going to love you, just figure out what you love!” said Tiglaar
Strayed shared one of her most impactful personal experiences, which was featured in the pilot episode of the show ‘Tiny Beautiful Things.’ During a difficult moment in her life, she was on a bus and a young girl boarded and offered her a purple balloon. Strayed initially hesitated to accept it, feeling that she didn’t “have the right to such a tiny, beautiful thing.”
“We always have a right to take that balloon,” Strayed added. “And so, my best advice to my younger self and all of our younger selves is take the balloon.”
With its themes of self-discovery and empowerment, the show invites us to reflect on our lives and the advice we would give to our younger selves. So sit back and immerse yourself in the heartwarming tales shared by these incredible women. All episodes of ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ are now streaming on Hulu, ready for you to embark on a journey of self-reflection and growth.
