Michelle Williams: Fosse/Verdon will acknowledge Gwen Verdon’s contribution to Bob Fosse’s art

Fosse/Verdon is based on the creative and romantic relationship between director–choreographer Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell) and actress-dancer Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams).

Michelle Williams plays Gwen Verdon in Fosse/Verdon.

Michelle Williams plays one of the titular roles in biographical miniseries Fosse/Verdon. The series is based on the creative and romantic relationship between director–choreographer Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell) and actress-dancer Gwen Verdon (Williams).

While Fosse is a well-known figure, Verdon less so. Williams says, “Actually when they met, their positions were completely different. She was the Broadway star; the greatest dancer of her time and still considered the greatest dancer of all time. And he was a failed actor. She gave him a shot as a choreographer; she got him hired as a director. And she was sort of behind-the-scenes uncredited fixer for many, many years. And that is one of the things that the show is hoping to do is to acknowledge her contribution to his art and also help people to pronounce her name correctly.”

Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon’s marriage was rocked by the former’s extramarital affairs. The couple separated in 1971. They remain legally married until Fosse’s death in 1987. Verdon never remarried. She died in 2000.

Michelle Williams portrays the journey of her character over decades. In the beginning, her Verdon is 30 years old and she is 64 by the time the series ends.

“We span a lot of time. We go from 30 to 64. And it was like seeing my dead grandma. It was really nice,” Williams says.

“And also when you’re in a lot of old-age makeup, everybody wants to hug you; they just want to come to grandma for a little cuddle. I actually really enjoyed it. Maybe it was my favorite part of the show; being grandma,” she adds.

Fosse/Verdon has received positive reviews. It holds an 82 per cent rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus reads, “Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams give viewers plenty of razzle and dazzle in Fosse/Verdon — a straightforward miniseries that is hampered by rote biographical tropes, but still shimmies with the requisite glitz, grit, and all that jazz audiences crave.”

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Fosse/Verdon premieres in India on Star World on July 29 at 9 pm.

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