Actress Claudia Ferri joins us on Close-Up Culture to speak about her role in the critically acclaimed TV series, Palm Royale. It follows an ambitious woman who schemes to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive table: Palm Beach high society circa 1969.
Palm Royale is one of the most talked about shows of the moment. What interested you in this project?
So much about Palm Royale was inspiring to me! The era, the people behind the project, the accomplishment level of the actors and actresses of the Palm Royale production, it was like landing right smack into the heart of my Hollywood dreams.
What excited you about the role of Raquel?
The most challenging, yet exciting thing about Raquel was having to bring her to life with the information about her coming in bit by bit. I had to present a character that was compelling and had room to grow into her own ark, as details about her surfaced on the page of the scripts landing on my desktop. Who is she really? Is she more than superficial and unkind? It was my duty to do some internal homework on her character and be prepared to show depth by being as details as I could about her back story. I’m not aware as to what might happen regarding a second season of the Palm Royale but, Raquel is very much still someone I’d like to get to know more about.
Palm Royale is a show about high society. I imagine there were some lavish shooting locations. What was your experience like on set?
It was mind-blowing! Jon Carlos (Production Designer), Amelia Brook, Mark Robert Taylor, Rachel Aguirre (Art Directors), and Ellen Reede (Set Decorator) created this amazing environment where nothing was spared to bring authenticity to the realm in which we evolved as actors. For Raquel’s Havana Night fundraiser, they actually built a reflecting pool in one of the ballrooms of the Biltmore. It was sensational!
What will be your biggest takeaway from working on the show?
Working under the direction of Abe Sylvia &Tate Taylor, pairing up with Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney & Ricky Martin, all of whom are exquisite to work with! But everyone was so kind and consummate professionals; it made it a memorable adventure. Last but not least, just being on this show alongside such a legend as Carol Burnett is clearly a pinch-me moment.
You have a fascinating filmography but one project that really caught my eye was the video game Assassin’s Creed II. How do you reflect on that experience?
I love working on productions that go all in to benefit the end results. Assassin’s Creed II is another such project. Yves Simoneau, the director, with whom I have worked on several projects, is a fine-tuner who really does not shy away from tweaking intricate details of a character with the actor. It ranks high on my preferred projects of all time list.
I was fascinated by the technical aspects we were relying on; It was a great green screen experience.
What’s next for you?
I just finished shooting a recurring Guest Star role in Montreal on the series called Cerebrum for the CBC. This was the final season of a show that garnered 1.2 million viewers a week. Offers are coming in for some TV projects that are still subject to confidentiality but things are looking good for the near future. To be continued! 😉