Less than two weeks after Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from prison, one of the stars of Hulu’s The Act, Patricia Arquette, speaks out.
Arquette, who portrayed Blanchard’s mother, Clauddine ‘Dee Dee’ Blanchard, in the 2019 mini-series, shared her reaction to Gypsy Rose’s new life outside of prison. “She’s all grown and she’s been through a lot,” the actress told PEOPLE. “And there’s a weird thing of art imitating life and then the reality.”
Patricia Arquette pointed out that she thinks for someone who had a very specific, difficult childhood to come to this age of social media, she hopes it’s not too much for Gypsy Rose. “And I hope people are gentle on her,” she continued. “And I hope she enjoys her freedom. No child should ever go through that.”
Arquette further spoke about what drew her to The Act role. She explained that she became “fascinated” by Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose’s story because it was so unnatural. However, her children Harlow Jane and Enzo Rossi were originally against her playing the Dee Dee.
“They’re like, ‘Don’t do that. We know that story. Please, Mom, don’t do that,’” Patricia Arquette recalled. “I’m like, ‘You guys. I’m not going to turn into her. What are you talking about?’”
The role earned her both an Emmy and a Golden Globe. In regards to Gypsy Rose being free from prison, Arquette added, “I hope she has a beautiful life.”
Gypsy Rose pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for her part in Dee Dee’s infamous 2015 death during her July 2016 trial. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In September 2023, she was granted parole after serving nearly eight years.
Will Gypsy Rose Blanchard Watch Patricia Arquette’s ‘The Act’?
Although Patricia Arquette and Joey King’s The Act is based on her mother’s murder, Gypsy Rose Blanchard stated she doesn’t believe the Hulu mini-series was meant for her eyes.
During a recent interview with E! News, Blanchard stated she hasn’t had a desire to watch The Act. “I’ve lived it,” she said. “I think that was for everyone else and not for the person that actually lived it. So, I won’t be watching it.”
However, Gypsy Rose’s family friend and representative, Fancy Macelli, told E! News following The Act’s debut that Blanchard was “Very happy that Joey King was chosen to portray her.”
Patricia Arquette’s co-star Joey King previously spoke about portraying Gypsy Rose in the mini-series. “It is very different from the things I’ve been doing,” she told E! News in 2019. “That’s why I love it so much, because I was able to showcase something that I haven’t showcased before, that I can completely transform myself, that I am capable of portraying a different person. It was really exciting for me.”