Jade Pettyjohn Of "Little Fires Everywhere" Talks About The Hulu Drama
Based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller, "Little Fires Everywhere" follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. The story explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger in believing that following the rules can avert disaster. Jade Pettyjohn, who stars as Lexie Richardson, joined BUILD.
Video Transcript
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BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Hey, what's up, everyone? It's Brittany Jones-Cooper, and welcome back to "BUILD at Home." Today, I'm going to be chatting with Jade Pettyjohn from "Little Fires Everywhere." But first, I want to remind you guys watching to visit nokidhungry.org. Due to school cancellations, 704 million school meals have been missed. And unfortunately, there's a lot of kids who depend on that food every day. So if you're looking for a way to get involved, and if you want to donate and help out those communities, make sure you visit nokidhungry.org.
And now, I've got to bring Jade onto the screen, because I just finished the finale of "Little Fires Everywhere." I got a sneak-peek screener. And I'm a little shook. So I can't wait to talk about it. Welcome. [LAUGHTER]
But first, I want to check in with you and just see how you're doing. What's going on?
JADE PETTYJOHN: I'm doing well. I mean, I really am not the person to complain, because I know that there are so many other individuals that are being hit very hard by this. So I do want to acknowledge that I definitely happen to [INAUDIBLE] about staying creative and trying to keep some sense of normalcy and routine and, yeah, just staying indoors as much as I can.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: What does staying creative mean for you?
JADE PETTYJOHN: I think that artists are so vital in times like this. And I think that self-expression and creative outlets are just really therapeutic for yourself, but I think that it creates positive effects on others as well. And I don't think that that should ever be halted in any kind of way. So for me, I write a lot. I think that's really important. I will talk to friends. I will paint, even though I'm terrible at it, but I'm learning about it. And trying. You know, I make music. And I learn, and I think that just living an artful life is important. And I don't want that to stop just because I have to stay indoors.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, that's awesome. You know, I've been writing too. What kind of stuff have you been writing?
JADE PETTYJOHN: That's amazing! I write a lot. I'm writing a lot of poetry right now. That's the medium. You too?
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, I wrote, like, seven poems last week.
JADE PETTYJOHN: I love that. Oh, my goodness.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: It just seemed like the quickest way to process what was happening in real time.
JADE PETTYJOHN: I could not agree with you more on that. It's such an easy way to just purge what you feel through art. And I want an artistic renaissance happening. And so I totally love that you're doing that.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, I do feel like that will be maybe a silver lining that comes out of this, is we're seeing the importance for the arts. And we're also seeing that those are the communities being really hard hit with a lot of artists out of work and just seeing the importance of all of that. You're seeing it more now, I think.
JADE PETTYJOHN: You really are. And I think what's interesting, too, is its artists that are also getting people through this, you know-- watching your favorite show, listening to music, winding down reading a book. It's the artists that really create this therapeutic effect on a culture, I believe. And it's unfortunate that the artists are being hit really hard. So any way we can support each other, I think, is really important.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: And I have to ask-- you've been social distancing. Who are you with, and what is that vibe like? Are you guys surviving each other? [LAUGHTER]
JADE PETTYJOHN: We're surviving. I'm with my family. It's a pretty, pretty small group, which is good and really nice. We're definitely getting really comfortable with each other, [LAUGHTER] you know. But I think what's really great is we've also figured out ways of giving each other space too. I mean, it's amazing that we have some kind of human connection, and we can be with each other. But I think we all respect each other's spaces, and everyone needs to have their moments to themselves as well. And so I think we figured out, just recently, how to really navigate that and know when someone needs to have their space, or when they-- [LAUGHS] you know, yeah.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: You're picking up those vibes, the eye looks, eye rolls. You're like, OK, I'm going to go to my space. You go to yours.
JADE PETTYJOHN: Exactly, exactly, yeah you learn to pick up on it.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Have you guys been watching "Little Fires Everywhere" together?
JADE PETTYJOHN: We have, which is really cool. I shot this-- this time last year, we started shooting it. And my parents never came. They visited set a couple of times, but they never read the scripts or anything like that. My dad never read the book. So seeing their reaction to it each episode was really exciting, because they're my family, and I love them. And getting to see them experience something that I created with people that I love dearly and that I feel so passionate about was such a beautiful thing to witness.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Did you guys watch the finale yet?
JADE PETTYJOHN: I've watched the finale.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Are you as shook as I am? I just finished it 15 minutes ago, and I just-- it was so intense, and so beautiful, and so sad, and I think, I mean, anybody who's been watching it is going to be so pleased next week. Did you have that same reaction?
JADE PETTYJOHN: Yeah, it's so funny. I mean, I shot it. We did that. I filmed it. And I was still hanging on the edge of my seat watching it and going, oh, my god, what's going to happen? And what I love about the finale-- It's definitely my favorite episode. It's just you have every character in the show is at their most unraveled point, and a lot happens when you see people in a space like that and the things that one does in order to break free of this wild ride that the entire series has represented is really interesting. So I can't wait for people to see it. I think it's going to be very surprising and interesting, and it gives me butterflies thinking about it. [LAUGHS]
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, and your character got one hell of an arc. I'll say that. So take me you playing Alexandria-- or Alexandra-- and, you know, in what ways was she different than in the book, well things were new in the series that maybe weren't in the book about her?
JADE PETTYJOHN: Yeah, so I think that Celeste Ng did such a beautiful job at creating this character in the book. But, you know, it is a series. You have more time to really elaborate on a character, and you don't have to scratch on the surfaces. You have more time to play and discover her. So I think that what was really quite, I think, beautiful was more just-- in the show, you have an opportunity to discover how toxic her environment really is through her privilege, and through all of her blind spots, and her mentality, and how detrimental it is, not only for herself, but everyone around her-- this idea of striving for perfection, and nothing else matters, and then being so insulated from the rest of the world.
And I think that the show really explores that with Lexie, specifically, just because we have more time than a book, which was really incredible. But she's complex, and she's interesting. And like you said, she has varying intense arc, because she starts off one thing. And then her world crumbles down, and you just see she's just walking amongst the ruins and is a completely different person because of it.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, and a huge part of her storyline is an unwanted pregnancy. And I want to know what kind of feedback you got or saw on social media about that episode and the impact it had on viewers.
JADE PETTYJOHN: I was so excited to see what people would feel about that particular episode. That was one of my favorite episodes to film ever. And it was so important to me to tell the story correctly and with a lot of truth and consideration to women and young girls that do go through things like that. And what I loved was there were so many people who felt strongly against Lexie during that entire episode, because the way she handles it is so ungraceful.
But at the same time, those same people that felt so strongly against her also could empathize with her, and understand her, and feel what she felt in the sense of feeling like her world was caving in. And I think that's just life, you know. I think that it's messy and conflicted. And so seeing people receive it like that-- understanding her, sympathizing and empathizing with her, and also getting angry with her-- was a really beautiful conflicted feeling that I loved. I loved [INAUDIBLE] about that.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Well, I mean, one of the huge themes in the series is motherhood and how conflicting that can be, and how hypocritical that can be. And we really explore motherhood through a lot of different lenses, which I don't think I've really seen in a piece of art like this. It is really compelling. And so do you find yourself conflicted in siding with one mother over another? And do you have favorites like we have favorites? [LAUGHTER]
JADE PETTYJOHN: Of course, I mean, I was a fan of the book before even getting an audition. So this story is just such a compelling story. And then I think the series-- it really, like you said, it explores motherhood on such a deep level that you can't help but ask yourself questions and side with people. And what I love about it is although I think you can agree and disagree with everyone's choice as a mother, which I think is really interesting.
But above all, you understand each one, you know. And there's something so powerful and strong about any kind of mother, even when they make the wrong decisions. But there's this just driving force to help their children in a way that-- whether it's a right way or wrong way. But it's a beautiful thing to see, so I definitely have my favorites. But I can draw inspiration and respect and admiration for all of them, which is really powerful.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Absolutely, and it makes you have the same feelings towards your own mother or grandmother when you imagine what their life was like before you, and you start looking back at the decisions they made and maybe why they made them. I mean, it's a super relatable idea, I guess, and theme.
JADE PETTYJOHN: I completely agree with you. It gives you a opportunity to look at your own family-- your mother, her mother, and so on, and just farther down the generation line, and seeing how mothers change and how we're similar. And it's really interesting.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, and another huge theme in the show are race and class. And in the final episode, we really see everything come together. I'm interested, what kind of conversations did you guys have as a cast about race and class and the kind of topics you guys were covering so intimately?
JADE PETTYJOHN: Yeah, we had so many discussions about it, which was really, really important for me. In the beginning, I wanted to make sure that I understood the cultural and society mentality of the '90s in Shaker Heights, Ohio at that time. And it had this very progressive idea of being colorblind, and we don't see race. But really, if you actually look at that concept, it's incredibly regressive. And same as with the class levels and factions, there are so many fabrications in that with this idea that we're doing something good.
And so I wanted to understand that concept in totality. And as a cast, we definitely sat down together, especially the Richardsons. During our "family" dinners on set before filming, we would talk about it and try and figure out what the kids were exposed to as far as race and class conversations, and what kind of conversations were being held at the dinner table, and things like that, and what wasn't, and what we weren't exposed to, which I think is really important. Because even though it does take place in the '90s, it really parallels realities that we see today in different ways. It's incredibly similar.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I grew up in the suburbs of Nebraska. And so watching the Richardson family and seeing those characters, I mean, I definitely see that that is an issue that is still very prevalent in a lot of communities. And I thought it was really brave of the show to really have this honest conversation about how that impacts lives.
JADE PETTYJOHN: It's so important to bring as much honesty to it as possible and to be unapologetic in that approach, because I think there's a lot of power in holding up a mirror to a society and seeing what happens, you know. There's growth that can come from that. There's the ability to see something as it really is, not how we want to see it. And then the willingness to change from that, because I think we all want to be good. I think we try to be good and caring. And I think empathy and things like that are inherent traits, but they can get lost, and it can get messy. And so what I love about the show is it gives you an opportunity to regain your empathy.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, and empathy needs to be nurtured, you know, so it definitely gives you a chance to grow and learn from that. And then, of course, we have to talk-- Reese plays your mom. Again, I'm still recovering from this finale. It was so emotional. Just take me through those intense scenes with her and anything that you learned from her either as-- she's a producer or as an actor.
JADE PETTYJOHN: I learned so much from Reese as both as an actor and a producer. For the majority of this series, actually, we don't have a lot together, other than dinners, and dinner scenes, and things like that. However, my character and her character are so similar, and we had had many conversations about her being the main [INAUDIBLE] and both of them being a vessel of each other. And so there was a lot of conversations in the beginning of making sure that I emulated my mother and how that played out. But by the end of the series, the season finale,
Reese and I have a lot of really great work together on really intense, intense moments in scenes. And that's where I really felt like I learned so much from her as an actor, because I was really actually working with her and realized how generous of a scene partner that woman is. She-- it gets so intense, and she would-- she would just have my back in ways that I've never really experienced before. And then seeing her get into that mentality because-- guys, you thought you saw Elena unraveled, just wait till you see this next episode. It's insane.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: I don't think we've seen Reese quite like this before, you know.
JADE PETTYJOHN: No, never before seen. [LAUGHTER]
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: And I saw recently you took over Hulu's Instagram and shared some behind-the-scenes moments. So looking back on the experience, is there a photo that is just really special to you, or a moment that you'll just always remember?
JADE PETTYJOHN: There are so many moments. And I really tried not to take a lot of photos on my phone as much, which was really interesting. I mean, I'm human, so I did have all of them as you can tell with the Hulu take over. But I have this photo. I don't know if I posted it, but it's from a disposable camera, 'cause I wanted to capture the moment. But I didn't want to be on my phone while we're filming, especially the last episode. And so I have this disposable camera. And I got the film back, and it was this photo of all of the women and me on my final day of filming. So it was Reese, and Kerry, and the entire producers, Pilar, and Lauren, and Lynn. And that moment just totally represented what my experience was on "Little Fires," because it was just such a maternal, warm and free environment in a way that I've never experienced on the set before.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Wow. That is so incredible. Where's this photo? Did you post it?
JADE PETTYJOHN: I'm trying to remember if I posted it. I don't know. I don't know if I did. I might have to post it now.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: If you did it, please post it. I want to see it
JADE PETTYJOHN: Yes, yes, it's a really good one. It makes me really happy. [LAUGHS]
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Well, this show makes me happy. I'm not even lying. I've been watching it since it started. And I love it it's on Hulu. And it's coming out week-to-week. And it gives you something to look forward to. And the performances have been dynamite. And just congrats on the project. It is so good. [LAUGHS]
JADE PETTYJOHN: Thank you so much. That really means a lot.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Yeah, no problem. And if you guys haven't been watching, you still can. "Little Fires Everywhere" is streaming on Hulu. And the finale airs next Wednesday on Hulu. So make sure you catch up before then. And Jade, thank you so much for joining us. Stay safe. Stay inside.
JADE PETTYJOHN: Thank you.
BRITTANY JONES-COOPER: Bye.
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