Actors frequently undergo miraculous hair and makeup changes to turn them into the characters they play. Elle Fanning’s transformation for the new true-crime biopic The Girl From Plainville is one of those truly impressive makeovers.
Fanning’s Role In New True Crime Series
Fanning stars as Michelle Carter in the upcoming Hulu true-crime show, based on the unprecedented “texting suicide” case that took place in 2017. Carter was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of her boyfriend Conrad Roy. Roy committed suicide in 2014, and it was discovered that Carter had exchanged texts with him in his final hours, encouraging him to do so.
She was indicted in 2015 and went to trial two years later. Carter was sentenced to two and half years in prison for her hand in Roy’s death but was released after 12 months for good behavior.
Her Makeover Into Michelle Carter
Fanning underwent an impressive transformation to play Carter in The Girl From Plainville. While the two women do look similar, the most noteworthy change to Fanning’s appearance is the addition of thick, dark eyebrows. Fanning’s hair is also shorter and a bit darker than her usual light blonde locks.
The pictures that have been released from the show so far also see Fanning recreating outfits that Carter wore while on trial. Her performance is so spot-on; she even recreates the facial expressions Carter made.
In addition to the physical transformation, Fanning studied Carter before stepping into the role. “There’s a real version of her and also what the media did to her, that really villainized her in a way,” Fanning said in an interview with Deadline. “You can’t judge. Part of the reason why I like being an actor…is exploring the psychology behind, Michelle in this case, what could bring her to do the things that she did.”
“I felt very close to her and the young people in this story,” Fanning continued. “We’re seeing the effects of this now, and how modern this story truly is and how that affects your mental health (which) was something I wanted to dive into.”
Fanning Also Produced The Show
Fanning also served as an executive producer on the series, and Patrick Macmanus, writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner for the series, praised her work. “She did not want this to feel sensational,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “She wanted it to be an honest portrayal of not just these families and what they went through, but from what people are going through in general on a day-to-day basis when it comes to their mental health.”
The Girl From Plainville will premiere on March 29, and if Fanning’s physical transformation into Carter is any indication, we’re in for another impressive performance from the actress.
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