'On Becoming a God in Central Florida' actor Beth Ditto says Bets' southern, country personality resonates with her, as does the 90s aesthetic
Beth Ditto is just two films old in the acting business. Her debut saw her featured in a supporting role in Gus Van Sant's 'Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot' as Reba, a rebellious Southern woman at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The role of Bets, Ernie's kind-hearted and supportive wife in 'On Becoming a God in Central Florida', is Ditto's first major part.
But you wouldn't know it if you saw her performance on the Showtime TV series. She holds more than her own in scenes with veteran actors like Mel Rodriguez, who plays her husband Ernie and Kirsten Dunst, who plays Krystal Stubbs, her neighbor.
Part of this acumen might stem from the fact that Ditto identified so closely with her character. "She reminded me of the women I grew up with. Being where I'm from, there is a similar kind of culture in the way that it is very country. There aren't that many options when it comes to places to work. You are either going to be working in retail, a factory, like whatever is local....where I'm from, it's Walmart; everyone works at Walmart. That really resonated with me," she told MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) in an exclusive interview.
She was also drawn to how the script delved into the way desperation leads people to do bad things. "People usually don't do things that are inherently bad or take advantage of people. It's not like they want to, but because they have to. I think this is really true when it comes to certain marginalized groups of people, where they are forced to sell stuff like Amway," Ditto added.
Commenting on the lead character, Krystal Stubbs, she emphasizes how her actions center around "getting through" the situation she is in. "I see a lot of that in my friends, in my family and my friends' families too."
Ditto mourned the lack of opportunities in the United States and how "there was no support for mothers". She explained, "We don't have a long maternity leave, the childcare programs are horrible... you really have to struggle to make it."
Ditto also pointed out that while Krystal knows that FAM is a pyramid scheme and a scam, Bets is far more unaware. "I think she sees it as a silly thing that her neighbor is doing. She doesn't know the full scope of it because Krystal doesn't really talk about it. But she has her suspicions based on how she watches [Krystal's] baby while Krystal begrudgingly goes to these [FAM] meetings after working long hours and spending all of her money [on FAM products]. She also sees how [Krystal's] husband is going out to recruit, not sleeping, not taking care of himself, not spending time with his family, being the opposite of what he is trying to be. And I think Bets is a bit smug and superior because her husband is not like that. [Ernie] is like the stand-up guy, who goes to work, takes care of his family." For Bets, FAM is a "silly little dream thing" but she has no idea about the devastating effects of that dream.
'On Becoming a God in Central Florida' was a homecoming of another sort for Ditto because of the 90s time period the TV series is based in. "I was like 'this is so 90s!' when I saw all the baby stuff," she remarked. Part of a big family and one of seven siblings, Ditto was frequently saddled with babysitting duties. "There were like three kids younger than me. So, me and my sister watched the kids a lot."
On the show, everything from the walker, the high chair, the baby clothes, the baby plates and cutlery, all reminded Ditto strongly of her childhood. "I was like, wow...it really took me back in time. It was so surreal," she said.
Acting was not something Ditto had thought about doing consciously. "People asked me. I would never have thought to do it [otherwise]. I never really took it seriously...I don't take it that seriously even now. People asked and I said yes," she shared.
This is Ditto's second time playing a Southern woman and she laughed as she said the common conceptions about Southern women "are pretty true for the most part". She added that while she was "not a typical Southern woman" with a more "down-home rural approach to life", she did grow up around women like that.
She identified two reigning prototypes - "One is the [Southern women] who smile, are dainty and polite. Well, that's true. But then there is also the rough and tumble women who have dirt under their fingernails who work really hard, you know, farm girls. The people who know how to struggle."
And the one quality that unites all Southern women? "We are all really good talkers. We can talk about anything." Hopefully, we will see Ditto on screen again soon, talking up a storm.
