Pamela Adlon wins fans in ‘Better Things’
While some celebrities try to keep details of their personal lives to themselves, Pamela Adlon turns her life into content for “Better Things,” and nothing is too private for the TV comedy.
Last season, scenes showed the show’s main character, Sam, suffering the indignities of night sweats, weight gain and prepping for a colonoscopy.
It’s that willingness to go there on unconventional TV topics that has earned “Better Things,” which is on FX and Hulu in its fourth season, critical praise and a loyal fan base.
“I keep little moments and details in my head … things that I want to remember. It’s almost like, you know, I’m journaling my life,” Adlon said. “Some of those things that I think are crazy or funny or weird to me, I’m able to put it in … and it works in the world of this show.”
Both Adlon and her character, Sam Fox, are single mothers of three daughters, managing acting careers and their feisty mom. The third season saw Sam challenging a movie director on issues of safety and respect for cast and crew, navigating her teen’s departure from home, and the aging process for women over 50. The show has struck a chord.
“People are thanking me … People are somehow feeling seen, you know,” Adlon said. “(The show) goes deep and it’s resonating. And when it’s funny and dirty and raw, or when it’s the incredible feelings show — whichever part of it they’re reacting to — I’m so happy to be the David Copperfield of the weirdness in the show.”