Palling around on Firefly lane
Sarah Chalke knew she was going to face some challenges filming the new series Firefly Lane. but nothing filled her with dread more than the scene in which her character performs karaoke.
“I was kicked out of choir in Grade 5 when Mrs. Mckinnon said, ‘Chalke girls,’ to my sister and I, ‘mouth the words to this performance,’” the actor said. “In that moment, all my dreams of playing Éponine in Les Miserables died.”
Chalke got through it, of course, and viewers can see the result as the 10-episode series streaming on Netflix.
based on a 2008 novel by Kristin hannah, the series follows two friends, Kate and Tully, over three decades of friendship. Chalke, who is known for her work in sitcoms such as roseanne and Scrubs as well as the CBC show Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy, plays Kate, who takes the path of housewife and mother; Katherine heigl, known for a slew of romantic comedies as well as the series Grey’s Anatomy and Suits, is Tully, a Seattle talk-show host.
Joining the two showbiz vets are roan Curtis and Ali Skovbye. The two play younger versions of the two characters.
“We definitely collaborated beforehand and talked about certain things,” Curtis said. “As we kept going, it also kind of snowballed. I would see bits of stuff that she and Katherine had filmed. but I had grown up watching Sarah, and that made it a lot easier. having a rolodex of Sarah-isms in my brain from watching her on TV was definitely helpful.”
Co-produced by Canadian company brightlight Productions, the Pacific Northwest-set series was filmed in Vancouver. Three of the leads have connections to the area: Chalke, Curtis and Skovbye were all raised in the Lower Mainland.
“In terms of shooting in Vancouver, it was a dream from beginning to end,” Chalke said. “It really was one of those unicorn rare jobs where everything comes together. you fall in love with the story, and then shooting here in my hometown, all of the pieces of the puzzle came together.”
Firefly Lane is the second adaptation of a beloved novel for Curtis, who also starred in The Magicians.
“because the books are so character-driven, the biggest thing is that you get these two people,” she said. “The book has a lot of humour and a lot of heart. And I think Sarah and Katherine both have keen comedic capabilities but are also skilled dramatic actors. Our showrunner Maggie (Friedman) did an incredible job of capturing all the magic and love. I think readers will be happy with how it’s been brought to life.”
For an actor, the series offered a rare opportunity, says Chalke, “to get to all in one day have a scene where you’re going through something painful and sobbing on someone’s shoulder and then dancing on a table. It’s such a balance of drama and comedy. There was never a day that was boring.”