Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
Imagine playing a character based on a real person and hearing from that person after years of silence. Joey King, the star of Hulu’s popular series The Act, experienced this realistically. She played Gypsy Rose Blanchard in The Act, and since Gypsy was released from prison last December, the two have started texting.
Yes, you read that right. King recently revealed on the Armchair Expert podcast that she and Blanchard have been talking since her release from prison. Let’s delve into this unexpected friendship and its meaning to both.
Meeting through scenes
While filming The Act, King hadn’t directly interacted with Blanchard. But after Blanchard’s release from prison in December 2023, things changed. Despite not having any contact during the drama series filming, King revealed, “Gypsy sent me a message recently. We didn’t have any contact when we were filming the show, but since she’s been released, she reached out, and we had a quick little exchange, which was really nice.”
While King didn’t share the details of her chat with Blanchard, she wanted to clear up some nasty rumors online. “Having that private conversation with her was really lovely; we both know there’s absolutely no ill will towards one another. People like to make up stories, but there was nothing to clear up between us. It was just nice to catch up for a bit.”
Bringing Gypsy’s story to life
In the series, Joey portrayed Gypsy alongside Patricia Arquette, who played her mother. The series, which tells the true story of Blanchard and her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, plotting to kill her mother due to her suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, made a profound impact on viewers.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a rare disorder where a guardian exaggerates or induces illness in a child for attention. King spoke about the immense responsibility she felt while portraying Blanchard, who suffered from this disorder. Blanchard was released from prison last year after serving eight years for her mother’s murder.
King’s wasn’t offered Gypsy’s role initially
The role of Blanchard was a challenge for King but also a rewarding experience. She expressed on the podcast, “I was so lucky. I auditioned for The Act, I was not offered that role. I did not do Gypsy’s voice in the audition—they did not want anyone to. Once I got the role, I was like, ‘Guys, I kind of think we should do it.’”
King’s portrayal of Blanchard received critical acclaim, earning her nominations for a Golden Globe and Emmy.
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King’s support for Blanchard
Since Gypsy’s release from prison in December, she has been making significant changes in her life. Joey expressed her support for Gypsy’s newfound freedom, “Gypsy is free—she can do whatever she wants. I’m happy for her… I’m really happy for her.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s life after prison will be shown in a new TV series on Lifetime. This comes after their six-hour special, The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, which was a big hit with almost 10 million views last month. Meanwhile, if you want to watch The Act, you can currently stream the series on Hulu.
