This article examines the cast of the infamous comedy series Grace and Frankie. Continue reading the conclusion for additional information.
About Grace and Frankie
Grace and Frankie is an American comedy sitcom produced by Netflix and created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris. The sitcom stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein, two elderly women who forge an odd relationship after their husbands announce they are in love with each other and intend to marry.
In supporting, roles are Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen, Brooklyn Decker, Ethan Embry, June Diane Raphael, and Baron Vaughn.
The series launched on May 8, 2015, on Netflix. From 2016 to 2020, the second through sixth seasons were released. The seventh and final season debuted with four episodes on August 13, 2021, and the remaining twelve were published on April 29, 2022.
The Premise of Grace and Frankie
Grace Hanson is a sharp-tongued, retired cosmetics magnate, and Frankie Bergstein is a quirky artist and hippie whose long-term husbands, Robert and Sol, are successful divorce attorneys in San Diego, California.
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When Robert and Sol proclaim they are in love with one other and are leaving their wives, Grace and Frankie’s lives are flipped upside down. Now, the women, who have never been especially fond of one another, are forced to live together while navigating family drama, medical scares, business initiatives, and love upheaval on their way to becoming best friends.
Cast and Characters of Grace and Frankie
- Jane Fonda portrays Grace Hanson (née Purcell), a no-nonsense cosmetics magnate.
- Lily Tomlin portrays Frances “Frankie” Bergstein (née Mengela), an artist who “ride[s] her own wave” and frequently requires Grace’s assistance.
- Sam Waterston portrays Sol Bergstein, a former divorce attorney who has become an advocate for LGBT rights.
- Following retirement, Robert Hanson, portrayed by Martin Sheen, plunged himself into the theatre.
- Mallory Hanson, played by Brooklyn Decker, is the second-born daughter of Grace and Robert, the younger sister of Brianna, and the mother of Madison, Macklin, and the twins.
- Ethan Embry as Coyote Bergstein, the first-born adopted child of Frankie and Sol, Bud’s older brother, Faith’s uncle, and Jessica’s husband.
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- June Diane Raphael portrays Brianna Hanson, the eldest child of Robert and Grace, who is now the CEO of Say Grace, a thriving cosmetics company that Grace handed to her upon her retirement.
- Baron Vaughn portrays Nwabudike “Bud” Bergstein, the second adopted child of Frankie and Sol, the younger brother of Coyote, the father of Faith, and the husband of Allison.
Production of Grace and Frankie
Development
Grace and Frankie received a 13-episode, straight-to-series order from Netflix in March 2014, with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin signed to the starring roles.
The series was conceived and written by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris, who also act as executive producers alongside Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Paula Weinstein, Tate Taylor, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, and Marcy Ross of Skydance Productions. On May 8, 2015, all thirteen episodes were simultaneously released.
Filming
Grace and Frankie’s first season was shot in Los Angeles, California, from early August until late November 2014. The second season of the show’s production began in July 2015 and concluded in November of the same year. Final season production concluded in November 2021.
Reception of Grace and Frankie
The initial season of Grace and Frankie was met with mixed reviews from the media. It has a rating of 57% on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 6.42/10.
The site’s critical consensus states, “Grace and Frankie’s superb cast adds unmistakable charm, but its shoddy dialogue and cliched sitcom structure will leave most viewers wanting.” Based on the opinions of 27 reviewers, the season’s Metacritic score is 58 out of 100, indicating “mixed or mediocre reviews.”
Controversy on Grace and Frankie
Fonda and Tomlin voiced displeasure when it was revealed that their salaries were just equal to those of Waterston and Sheen, despite the fact that “the program is not ‘Sol and Robert,’ it’s ‘Grace and Frankie,'” as Tomlin put it, and argued that this represented a huge pay disparity.
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Shortly thereafter, Waterston and Sheen publicly supported their co-stars’ salary requests, with Waterston being cited as saying, “I think they’re being cheated.” After almost 200,000 fans of the series signed a petition condemning the disparity, the two actresses issued a public statement denying the criticism, stating:
“This merely serves as a reminder to be cautious of how we come across in interviews. We appreciate everyone’s support and attention to this problem, but Grace and Frankie’s structure is fair, and we couldn’t be happier to work with Skydance, Netflix, and this show’s fantastic ensemble.”
Fonda and Tomlin sent a statement to TheWrap emphasizing that they were never dissatisfied with the pay and that they had, in fact, “made a joke about our salary in an interview that was taken out of context.”