'Fosse/Verdon': Accuracy of FX's new series is reflected in Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell's stunning transformations

'Fosse/Verdon': Accuracy of FX's new series is reflected in Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell's stunning transformations

FX's highly anticipated limited series 'Fosse/Verdon' is slated to release on April 9 and the first trailer which premiered at the 91st Academy Awards was enough to convince us that it is a must-watch. All thanks to the stunning transformation of award-winning stars Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell who will be starring as Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse.

The transformation was so convincing that that when Michelle Williams came on the screen as Gwen Verdon, many thought it was Verdon herself. The Broadway star's signature curly red hair replaced Michelle Williams' platinum pixie and fans freaked out. "Michelle Williams looks more like Gwen Verdon than Gwen Verdon looked like Gwen Verdon," a Twitter user commented on the show's first look.



 



 



 

How did this happen? Of course, biographical portrayals have a responsibility to be as accurate as possible, even in a drama, and, by the looks of it, 'Fosse/Verdon,' gets that right.

Based on Sam Wasson's 700-page biographical novel 'Fosse', the upcoming series has adapted the choicest episodes of Fosse and Verdon's tumultuous personal relationship and iconic professional partnership.

In order to don the look of the four-time Tony Award winner, 38-year-old Williams wore a Stacey Butterworth wig and the high-volume hairpiece coiffed by Christopher Fulton. Her makeup as a young dancer in love with Bob Fosse, and an older one out of love with Fosse, was done by key makeup artist David Presto.

Even when Williams was off the sets, she kept her Verdon look intact and was spotted in the red wig and sweats. This isn't the first time she's been associated with Fosse. In 2014, she made her Broadway debut as singer Sally Bowles in 'Cabaret' revival. 

Actor Michelle Williams attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City 
Actor Michelle Williams attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City 

Oscar-winning Sam Rockwell portraying Osar-winning Bob Fosse is also a delight. A Twitter user said "Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse in a TV series means we'll get to watch several hours of Sam Rockwell dancing, a universally beloved thing."



 



 



 

Fosse, who had a unique dance style, inventing the "amoeba" technique which has been adapted by Rockwell as the trailer demonstrates. A throwback to the 50s' glamour and a lot of jazz hands, the FX show seems to revisit the lives of the iconic duo who changed the landscape of American industry. Their personal lives haven't been fictionalized in the show since Gwen and Bob's daughter, Nicole Fosse, served as the executive producer, supervising all aspects of production.

Sam Rockwell, winner of the Best Supporting Actor award for the movie 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' poses in the press room during the EE British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) held at Royal Albert Hall on February 18, 2018 in London, England (Getty Images)
Sam Rockwell, winner of the Best Supporting Actor award for the movie 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' poses in the press room during the EE British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) held at Royal Albert Hall on February 18, 2018 in London, England (Getty Images)

"My mother and father have one of the greatest love stories ever known," the 55-year-old Broadway thespian told THR in a statement. "They were extremely complex people with an indestructible bond, loyalty, and trust that endured both fantasy and reality. Finally, we have a creative team with the talent and wisdom to tell the story."

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