HBO’s ‘Coastal Elites’ cast tackles social satire and anxiety

Viola Davis, LeBron James among honorees at AAFCA TV Honors

FBy Lynn Elber

or Bette Midler and Sarah Paulson, making HBO’s “Coastal Elites” in pandemic-forced isolation proved an unsettling challenge.

“It was just bizarre, completely bizarre, because it leads you ... down all these rabbit holes of ‘What’s next? I mean, what else could happen to me?’” Midler said during an online news conference Wednesday about the social satire. It debuts Sept. 12.

For Midler, the unusual working conditions reinforced how hard the pandemic has slammed the entertainment industry. Most TV and film production came to a standstill in March and is trying to recover, including with socially distanced approaches to taping.

“People used to say that showbiz was depression-proof,” Midler said, with moviegoers keeping it afloat during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Turns out it’s not, she said, and “now we discovered that we’re all out of work!”

“Coastal Elites,” a series of monologues written by Paul Rudnick (“Sister Act”) and directed by Jay Roach (“Bombshell”), also stars Issa Rae, Dan Levy and Kaitlyn Dever. Crews taped the cast at home in early summer under quarantine guidelines aimed at controlling the coronavirus.

The work, originally conceived for New York’s Public Theater, offers “contemporary stories of characters breaking down and breaking through as they grapple with politics, culture, and the pandemic,” HBO said in a release.

Midler said she welcomed the chance to take part in the project but couldn’t ignore the oddity of making it. Paulson agreed.

The connection actors share on a set is what “I’m usually the most interested in and inspired by,” Paulson said. The timing also proved affecting.

“Because it had happened deep enough into this time (the pandemic), my paranoia level was high already. And there were all of a sudden seven people in my backyard, and that was more people than I had seen in an area in several months,” Paulson said. “So it’s a little frightening.”

LOS ANGELES:

Passion

Midler said she did gain some emotional release from making the series. In a series clip, her character vents about politics with a New Yorker’s passion.

“I identified very, very strongly with the character. I felt almost as if Paul had written it for me, because he knows how nuts I am on the subject of the current inhabitants of the White House. So it was cathartic for me,” she said. But not enough: “I’m still in a state of rage and anxiety.”

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are among several honorees at the AAFCA TV Honors later this month.

The African American Film Critics Association announced the recipients of the second annual event on Wednesday. The virtual ceremony is scheduled to air on Aug. 22.

Comedian-actress Aida Rodriguez will host the invitation-only streamed event.

“In a time of such uncertainty, we have witnessed how powerful the medium of television and streaming is,” said co-founder and president of AAFCA. “We couldn’t be more proud to honor shows and performances that uplift and inspire at a time when we all need entertainment the most.”

Davis will be honored for best actress for her role on ABC’s “How To Get Away with Murder.” Brown will receive best actor recognition for his character on NBC’s “This Is Us.”

will be presented the TV Icon award for his contributions to television with his creating of ABC’s “black-ish” and “#blackAF” on Netflix. will present him the award.

“I Promise” will receive the AAFCA’s inaugural award for best short film. The documentary series on Quibi chronicled the first year of James launching the I Promise School in his hometown of

HBO’s “Insecure” will take home the comedy award, while Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s “For Life” was given best drama. (AP)