“The Great” Actress Elle Fanning Transforms Grief into Powerful Performance

The Great, Hulu’s reigning queen, is back with a twist similar to the hit series Succession. In the newly released third season, The Great kills off one of its two main characters, which is a major spoiler. It is Elle Fanning’s Catherine the Great, who has been dodging death threats and political coups since arriving in Russia, who manages to survive the season. Instead, her lovably obtuse and oddly tender husband, Peter the Great (played by Nicholas Hoult), meets his demise in the sixth episode. The circumstances of Peter’s death remain murky as he falls through the ice while riding his horse across a frozen lake.

Fanning, in an interview with Vanity Fair, reflected on how she felt following Peter’s death and the responsibility of leading the show soon after. She described the pressure she felt to portray Catherine in a specific way, particularly during her manic grief and extreme denial after Peter’s passing. Fanning and her co-stars found it challenging as they did not want the show to become overwhelmingly sad, as they are a comedy. According to Fanning, one of the most defining moments during Peter’s death scene was when he turned around to say something to Catherine as he slipped through the ice. Fanning believes that he was going to come back, but deep down, she knows it is only her romanticism.

Fanning indicated that the show was inspired by Catherine’s parental instincts as she is not, in reality, very maternal. Peter was an excellent father, and Catherine finds that endearing. It is complicated as he stands for things that Catherine does not agree with him on, and as she is progressive, Catherine is trying to pass through things that Peter is entirely against. Fanning also revealed that she knew about Peter’s death in season two, which was never in line with historical facts, but it was necessary to push the story forward dramatically.

In the interview, Fanning revealed that she had a broken wrist while filming a scene where Catherine is playing badminton. It was the day they had an ’80s roller disco to celebrate the midpoint of shooting, and she fractured her wrist. She described how after his death, Peter’s character lingers on a bit in Pugachev, Peter’s hired look-alike. As a result, they had filmed so many goodbyes for Nicholas on the set.

Fanning described shooting the last dance sequence as a cathartic experience. In the scene, Catherine dances wildly to “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC. Fanning stated that the moment was a silent one, contrasting the show that is so much about language.

In conclusion, Fanning’s portrayal of a grieving Catherine is both humorous and poignant, and her performance emphasizes the tragedy and absurdity of experiencing grief in a world that is both unpredictable and surreal. The Great’s third season is taking a significant risk by killing off one of its main characters, but Fanning’s standout performance and the show’s intricate balance between tragedy and comedy demonstrate the show’s flexibility and adaptability to stay relevant to its audiences.