Apple TV+’s Lessons in Chemistry is set in the 1950s, where Elizabeth Zott dreams of being a scientist, only to restricted by a society that believes women better serve in domestic roles. She accepts a job on a TV cooking show, where she sets out to teach overlooked housewives much more than recipes. The show stars Brie Larson, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Walker and Lewis Pullman.
Millicent Shelton (pictured, photo by Kenneth Dolin) directed two episodes and recently chatted with Post about the success of the show.
Hi Millicent! Congratulations on your recent DGA Award nomination. How does it feel to be recognized for your episode on Lessons in Chemistry?
“First, working on such a great project feels amazing, but it feels extra rewarding to be recognized by my peers. It’s one thing to have fans who watch the show reach out and say they really enjoyed the episode, but having your colleagues, some of the top directors in the craft, single you out and recognize your contribution to the art form feels extra rewarding.”
This show is set in the 1950s. What sparked your interest in directing period pieces?
“I enjoy directing period pieces because it feels like the ultimate storytelling to me. When directing contemporary work, you see people walking around in their modern surroundings. However, with period pieces, the magic of filmmaking comes to life immediately. It's amazing to see familiar buildings in a new light when you realize they were built in the 1930s. Bringing in 1930s cars and period-appropriate wardrobe transports us to a different time. It feels like we're no longer in the present but rather back in the 1930s, and it brings back a sense of wonder and excitement. I feel like a kid again. When shooting period pieces, I always aim to accurately reflect the story and characters and make the piece feel authentic to the time period. Many portrayals of earlier eras, such as the 1950s, are too glossy and clean, and while people were dressed up like that, the world was not like that at all. The characters' wardrobes can still be well put together, but we should also convey the messy, realistic nature of the world they lived in, as it is more representative of true life.”
Can you elaborate on your experience directing Episode 6 - “Poirot,” and how you incorporated your perspective into reimagining the protest by the Sugar Hill residents?
“For the ‘Poirot’ episode, there are two time periods: 1959 and the 1930s. I needed to focus on making the two time periods feel different, not just through wardrobe, makeup and cars, but also through the characters' attitudes and the events happening around them. To me, the 1930s were a more desperate time for people, and I wanted that to be reflected in the characters' attitudes and circumstances. We had a pretty heavy storyline, where a father was not accepting his son because of his sexual preference. It was some pretty serious storytelling of a parent who was intolerant of his child and a sister, who was very much accepting and accepted that love is love. We had to place that within the 1930s, so the amount of intolerance and what he was willing to do to his kid, which is obviously unacceptable now - you cannot put your son in the truck of your car, but in the 1930s, that was abysmal yet possible. We pushed it to the extent that we could with the characters, and we really wanted to humanize the brother, so the outrageously prejudiced behavior of the father was apparent.
“Interestingly enough, we could not find real photographic evidence of the Sugar Hill protest, but we do know that, historically, it did happen. I did a lot of research, talked with a historian, and got a lot of information about what a protest of this type during this period would have looked like. I discussed with the writers, Lee Eisenberg and Elissa Karasik, to make some appropriate changes. Being a Black female, I just knew on a gut level what felt real to me. For example, originally in the script, Harriet Sloane brought her children to the protest. That was one thing I felt that wasn't representative of the culture. Black families would not bring their children out to a protest if they believed there was a possibility of violence, even though it was a non-violent protest. Usually, a non-violent protest results in violence happening to the non-violent protesters. To Lee and Elissa's credit, they agreed and took the children out of the scene, which completely changed the tone of what happened in the scene. It's one thing for parents to be there, be non-violent and stand their ground. It's another if a parent is doing that with their children present, because the parent's fear is the children's survival. Because they weren't there, Harriet could be the strong woman that she was; even if she was threatened, she risked only her safety and sat down. Seeing a powerful Black woman take authority in this situation was important.
“Harriet is played by the lovely Aja Naomi King, who played it with so much internal force and fierceness that she was a leader who gave everybody power. Historically, the plight of a Black woman in America is holding back her tears, whereas everyone else is free to cry. Myself being a Black American female director and having an actress who understood the story we were telling gave a lot more depth to that scene, just drawing from our personal experience.”
How do you believe your personal background and experiences have influenced your storytelling and directorial style?
“I think that for every director, your background and personal life affects how you direct. The more of a life you live, the more nuances and heart you can work into a performance. In the Sugar Hill protest, I understood those characters, but I also understood Elizabeth's plight throughout the series. Being a female director in a generally male-dominated industry, I totally understand how it felt to be a female scientist back in the day. Knowing that you're qualified for the positions and are worthy of the job title but not getting the type of attention or opportunities that your peers are getting just because you are a female is very similar to what it feels like being a female director. The tides are turning, but they are turning slowly. To feel like, ‘Wow, I am capable; there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to rise up,’ because being a director has nothing to do with your sexuality; it's all about creativity. (That’s) how Elizabeth felt about her place in the science world. I was drawn to this project because, like Elizabeth, I believe that you don't give up; you preserve and you fight back. You will achieve if you hang on to your dream. A lot of me was put into the ups and downs of Elizabeth's journey because I have lived a version of that journey. Also, I have children, and her relationship with her daughter was something that I could understand and relate to. The love between a mother and daughter is something that is very unique, and I have a great relationship with my daughter that I could draw from and with my mother as well. You always put a little bit of you into the piece, and it's great when you have that personal connection with it because I think you can work with that and work with the actor to make it feel human and rounded and to give it those nuances between the dialogue that bring it to life.”
What were some of the more memorable moments for you while working on Lessons in Chemistry?
“The Sugar Hill protest was very memorable. We thought that was going to be the longest day of shooting, but it was actually one of the shortest. We pretty much triggered everybody - not only people in front of the camera but also those behind. There was one moment after I said, ‘Cut,’ and the entire crew was quiet. I noticed Aja and Brie crying, the extras crying, and the production assistants crying, and that’s when I was like, ‘Oh, okay, this is working.’
“On the other hand, one of my favorite memories was when we were in the diner with Alice and Brie in between setups. It was late at night, and Alice was full of energy, talking a mile a minute and putting on a show. She and Brie were sitting in the booth, laughing and acting like they were best friends for the longest time. It was a beautiful memory that I will always cherish. While there were many good memories from the show, these two are my favorites.”
Did you face any unexpected challenges when directing this episode?
“This is a loaded question because you always face challenges on any set. You always feel like you need more time, no matter what. I loved working with this crew, the writers and the cast. One of the biggest challenges for me was that I was the first director to film multiple scenes inside the Supper at Six set, and had to film there for an entire week. We had many scenes, and making that set feel alive and different for each scene was challenging. Zack Galler (DP), Kris Kolpek (AD) and I prepped and walked the set for a couple of days. We discussed what we should do cinematically to keep the camera alive and what we should do with the extras to keep it moving with the appropriate tone per scene. For me, I had to think about how I was going to represent each space and what it meant in its perspective scene. By the end of that filming week, my head was spinning. We had filmed so many scenes in the exact same set that I felt bleary-eyed. Being in that one space was so challenging, but our hard work planning during prep paid off. It cut beautifully and felt alive.”