Just days after completing her work on Dying for Sex, Jenny Slate decided to cut off all her hair.
Having maintained a similar hairstyle throughout her adult life, Slate found that her long hair began to symbolize her sadness while filming the FX cancer comedy. “I felt that my long hair held the sadness, and I just needed to reboot my physicality,” she explains, noting how she wanted to detach from her character. “Typically, an extreme haircut suggests, ‘Oh hey, looks like you’re getting divorced!’ But this is the first time I’ve changed my look because something positive happened to me.”
Indeed, Dying for Sex could be a significant milestone for Jenny Slate, with its premiere on April 4 as a notable limited series that could reshape an actress’s career. While Slate, 42, does not necessarily need a career shift, she has made her mark over the past decade—making memorable appearances in Parks and Recreation, participating in Marvel films, voicing characters in animated features, and recently portraying Blake Lively’s sister in a highly-discussed drama (Slate remains tight-lipped about the current controversies surrounding that project).
However, her role in Dying for Sex represents a departure from her previous work. The miniseries, co-created by Liz Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock, is based on the story of the late Molly Kochan, portrayed by Michelle Williams. Kochan, diagnosed with terminal cancer, leaves her unfulfilling marriage to explore transformative sexual experiences, with her best friend Nikki—Slate’s character—by her side until her passing.
“This series is about love in various forms—a woman and her body, a woman and her neighbor, a woman and her vibrator,” says Rosenstock. “Ultimately, it is a story about two best friends and the vitality that friendship brings.”
For Slate, who started her career amidst comedy, this opportunity could lead to more dramatic roles. She emerged from the Brooklyn comedy scene in the late 2000s after studying at Columbia University, developing a noteworthy career, including credits in stand-up, film, and hosting roles. About a year ago, she communicated with her agents that she wanted to engage in projects that would enable her to explore her full potential, expressing a need for creative experiences that resonate deeply with her.
Shortly after this decision, she found herself auditioning for Dying for Sex, which had been in development since before the COVID-19 pandemic. “We needed someone who could highlight Michelle and unlock her potential, who could be kind yet bring humor,” Rosenstock recalls. Slate quickly became a standout for the role, feeling a connection to the material and the project as a whole. Now that she has completed this pivotal role, Slate is looking forward to taking on more projects that make her feel just as fulfilled.
