Plus, the casting knews that made her “fall out of my chair,” how this series was different than anything she’s made, and meeting the other Michelle Williams.

Michelle Williams on the part of Dying for Sex that ‘gut-punched’ her: ‘I couldn’t stop crying’

Plus, the casting knews that made her "fall out of my chair," how this series was different than anything she's made, and meeting the other Michelle Williams.

Published on August 14, 2025 01:30PM EDT

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Michelle Williams is vanquishing her fears

*Interview by Gerrad Hall**Illustration by Sophia Franco*

Dying on camera isn't necessarily something new for Michelle Williams — her *Dawson's Creek* character, Jen Lindley, dies on the series finale from a heart condition, and her character was killed in Martin Scorsese's *Shutter Island*. But the way she confronts life in the face of death in *Dying for Sex* is something different.

The FX limited series is based on the true story of Molly Kochan, who, after her cancer returns, this time with a terminal diagnosis, leaves her husband to live her best sexual life — that includes vibrators (and the movie *Speed*), webcamming, submissive males, puppy play, and more.

Created by Elizabeth Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock, the series — which received nine Emmy nominations — also stars Jenny Slate as Molly's best friend, Nikki Boyer, Rob Delaney as her neighbor, Sissy Spacek as her mom, and more. Below, Williams strips back the layers of the funny and poignant series.**

Michelle Williams for EW's 'Awardist' digital magazine.

**THE AWARDIST: *Dying for Sex* is entertaining, it's intimate, it's provocative — which I don't mean in a salacious way. And s--- gets real there at the end, of course; that finale is so emotionally brutal, but beautiful. Is the finale one that you find people talking about most? Or is there perhaps an earlier moment, something more to do with the way she lived versus the way she died, that people have latched onto?**

**MICHELLE WILLIAMS:** No, I think you're onto something. Those last two episodes, I think we had the same feeling as a cast, too, because when we started making the show, we only had maybe three episodes written. So we didn't know exactly where we were going. We had the guideline of the podcast, we had Molly's book — in real life, Molly's goal before she passed was to write her story down, and she did it, and she finished her book before she died. We chose to not put that into the show, but we had that as additional material, additional source material. And then of course we had Nikki and all of her memories and photographs and stories. But the show itself took a lot of leaps, a lot of dramatic leaps, a lot of comedic leaps away from that material and kind of became a little bit of its own thing. And so we didn't really know, and we had Nikki's blessing for this, we didn't really know exactly where we were going. So these scripts would come in, episode 5 with puppy pee play...

**With Conrad Ricamora.**

Didn't see that one coming. But we were like, "Well, this is better than I could have dreamed of. I can't wait to go do this," this puppy pee play that leads into this really long scene with Sissy Spacek, where these two women tell each other what it was like for them in such a brutal way. So when [episodes] 7 and 8 came around, we were all saying to ourselves, "How are they going to do it?" And Liz and Kim and I had a lot of conversations, a lot of back and forth, a lot of creative exchanges about the thematics of the show. And then 7 dropped and we were all shattered, and then we had a big collective group cast cry. We couldn't believe what we were holding. The multitudes that we were holding, from Nurse Amy breaking it down in real time what really happens to the body when you move into active dying, to flying penises. I mean, heads exploded. *How did they do it?* They put it all together. And somehow, what I'm hearing from other people is that it worked.

Jenny Slate and Michelle Williams on 'Dying for Sex'.

**It absolutely worked. By the way, Paula Pell as that nurse — we've had her here on the podcast before, and it was just nonstop laughs. She's so incredible. I can't imagine anyone else in that role. When my time comes that I want her there with me.**

Paula's going to be there with me. I made her promise.

**It only feels right. So once you get to 7 and 8, what were your feelings about dying on camera versus it potentially being something that we don't see?**

In the podcast, there's a lot of material around her actual death, and her last words, that dialogue is taken directly from the podcast and is exactly what Molly said to Nikki when she was dying. So I knew that that experience would be a part of our show because, I mean, when I listened to the podcast, it's the thing that just absolutely gut-punched me. I couldn't stop crying, the way that she chose to take her last breaths and what was on her mind, what was on her heart, and the... I don't mean to cry, but how she went out was, she lived, and it got me bad. It got me.

**It's so impactful, and there are things to learn and take from that. Seeing how someone in the worst part of their life can actually find a way to live, she did it.**

Exactly. She did. And that's not easy. It's a choice you have to make over and over and over again despite incredible pain, physical limitations. And she found a way to work with them. It's strange because it became sort of a portal for her to clear her shame around being in a body because of something that happened to her when she was young that she was carrying, and this diagnosis became her last chance to experience pleasure without shame.

**So all of that said, you have a really incredible and long list of film and TV and theater credits, but how did this particular project hit different? What did you get to personally explore with Molly that you have not with any previous roles?**

I was very excited to look around and see so many women. It was not lost on me what a remarkable opportunity it was to make a show about women, written by women, directed by women, starring women, with so many women and so many women on the crew about a horny dying woman and her best friend. That doesn't feel like an opportunity that comes along very often. So I really recognized, this is so special that FX has given us this opportunity. They've given us this money to make this show, and let's try and congregate around something in such a devotional way and make it really good and make more opportunities for more women to tell more stories about each other.

Michelle Williams on 'Dying for Sex'.

**In what ways did, from an acting perspective, Molly challenge you? What scared you most about playing her? And maybe you didn't know this at the beginning since you only had the first three episodes, but of course you had the podcast and all of that.**

Yeah, it's true. I really didn't know what was going to come down the pipeline, so I didn't know. But I think that when I go to work, it's actually a place where I try and vanquish fear. I reserve that for my normal life: I'm afraid of cars going too fast. I'm afraid of doctors' offices. I'm afraid of the phone ringing and there's bad news on the other end. But when I go to work, I might feel vulnerable, or I might feel nervous, or I might feel like I'm not good enough, but real fear, I'm going to try and leave that behind and open up a space of permission and willingness and love and try and let myself have that.

**You want work to be fun and creative and productive. Why be scared of it? **

Life is scary enough.

**That is so incredibly true. Jenny Slate as Nikki — so, Jenny comes with her own energy as Jenny, but then Nikki has her own very particular energy as well. So what did Jenny bring that you maybe weren't necessarily expecting?**

I was such a fan going in and so aware of the magnitude of the talent, the depth and breadth. When we did a reading together — we did an audition together — it was pretty clear what she was coming in with.

**I don't feel like she's had an opportunity like this to really showcase how she's not just a comedian, a funny lady. She knocked this out of the ballpark. Was it like that watching that in person?**

I think we just felt so connected to each other in the making of it and the desire to do justice to these women's story, to the story of these two women. And so the focus and the concentration and the desire was never lagging. I mean, we were all like dogs with bones.

Jenny Slate and Michelle Williams on 'Dying for Sex'.

**The real Nikki Boyer, she's an executive producer on this. Was she around on set or did she leave it to you guys and not want to feel like she was interfering or anything?**

No, she was very present, but also created a lot of space for interpretation or imaginative leaps and was there to weigh in and say, "Oh, I remember this thing." Or, "This is reminding me of something." Just to weigh in. This project came together and then it fell apart, and then it came back together; it's so hard to get anything made, and it's such a miracle just to get to day one that I think that she was, and we all were there in a spirit of deep appreciation that this was actually happening. Every day on set was an opportunity for her to reconnect with Molly and for all of us to connect with the spirit of Molly, and so every day was its own little miracle.

**You mentioned Sissy Spacek earlier, as Gail. My gosh. Now, you've never worked with Sissy, right?**

No, but maybe in a past lifetime or something. Maybe we were on the farm together or something because wow — wow, am I in love with her.

**There's such a powerful stillness about her that I was watching, wondering every second, what is she going to do next?**

**But there's also, I don't want to say it's an unpredictability about her, but there's a curiosity. When she walks in on Molly and Pet, and then Neighbor Guy comes in because of all of the commotion and Gail reveals Molly's cancer to him — there are so many layers to that scene and that episode. Was there much discussion between the two of you about that one or was it just like, "Let's get into it"?**

Let's get into it. Let's get into it. When I heard that she was doing this show, I fell out of my chair. *Sissy Spacek?* And then I also thought, "Huh, maybe this very strange material is as good as I think it is, because Sissy Spacek has decided to bless us with her time. She read this, she responded to it, and she's coming to be with us." That scene, I couldn't believe it. Something that's really special when I think back on the show is how long the scenes are. The episodes are short, and the scenes are long, so you really get this playing field, and that felt so rewarding that that scene goes from puppy to Sissy to Neighbor; it's like a really dynamic thing that's happening, and there's mountains and crevices and nooks, and you're like, "Wow, there's so many places to go here." And so to go on that wild ride with her, I will never forget the experience of that, of locking eyes with her and experiencing the most potent form of the truth, and, like you said, not knowing where it was going. That was a big one for me. That stays with me.

Jenny Slate, Sissy Spacek, and Michelle Williams on 'Dying for Sex'.

**Big one in terms of career highlight?**

Yeah. Absolutely.

**Rob Delaney as Neighbor Guy. I love that we never got a name because it's not really important. He's just that guy who's there. But what I found more fascinating, and correct me if I'm wrong here, is that there was never any actual intercourse, actual sex, until the finale. Everything else had just kind of been in the same space, in the same room. So that relationship with him, obviously, it's so different from everyone else. What did you love most about exploring that particular relationship with him?****

Sharing space with him. Again, when they said, "The role of Neighbor Guy, a nameless guy who gets kicked in the... will be played by Rob Delaney," I was like, "Are you kidding me? That heavyweight? All right." When the material is as raw and vulnerable as this, you really meet each other in that place. There's an instant bond. There's an instant sense of support and faith, and it's sort of a beautiful thing to build over, to know you're going to go places with somebody that will be a one-of-one experience, and you'll always share that. So that's really what I take away from it, is our support of each other and our trust in each other, and that we shared that space, and we'll always have that.

Rob Delaney in 'Dying for Sex'.

**The series also stars Jay Duplass and Robby Hoffman and David Rasche and Esco Jouléy, who I... **

When you say those names, I'm like, "I cannot believe that we got to make this show." And these people, I didn't know Esco, and then Esco showed up, and my first thing with Esco, I was like, hitters everywhere. Look at all this talent! Esco is a legend in the making. David, don't even get me started.

**I loved the evolution of that relationship with the doctor. I didn't expect that to be such an important aspect of that journey. **

No, neither did I. And then it utterly broke my heart at the end when he has to come in and give her the news. I mean, I was like, "Oh my God, is my heart breaking?" He's so fond of her against his better judgment. They'd found a way to connect to each other, two people in total opposition with totally different attitudes about the same thing, found a way to connect, which really is what the world needs now.

**Looking back on your career, *Dawson's Creek*, of course, it put you on the map, but what show or movie do you think really changed the course of your career?**

Probably the biggest change came with *Brokeback Mountain*. There had definitely been stepping stones to that along the way, but *Brokeback*-

**Big anniversary this year for that one. Was it about just the material and the Oscars of it all, or was there something else?**

That was the most attention I'd ever received for something I'd done or being a part of something. So that was a big shift.

Michelle Williams on 'Fosse/Verdon'. Pari Dukovic/FX

***Fosse/Verdon*, before you shot that, did you have all the episodes?**

Gosh, no. That was epically difficult because you didn't have all the episodes and an episode would land and you have two dances and a song and so much material that you need to learn while you're engaged in shooting another episode. So that really became a seven-day-a-week job because you would sing and dance on the weekends and shoot during the week. But again, these scripts land and you're like, "I can't believe I get to do it. I'm going to work hard for it, but I can't believe I get to do it."

**Every now and then, I hear that a limited series, everyone has all episodes up front, so that certainly helps things. But people are keeping you on your toes, so that's fine.**

I like it. I like it.

**I, and so many other people, were fascinated this year by you and singer Michelle Williams finally met — you saw her on Broadway in *Death Becomes Her*, visited her in her dressing room. Well, I said "*finally* met," but was it "finally"? Had you ever met before, or was this truly the first time?**

This was truly the first time.

**Through the years, have you ever received mail for her? Have you received calls that were intended for her, but you got them?**

Yeah, I've gotten mail for her. She's gotten mail for me. We've been mistaken for each other on lists of people showing up [at events]. Michelle had said that she didn't like the socks and underwear that her mom got her for Christmas, and my mom was really upset with me [thinking I had said] I didn't like the socks and underwear that she'd gotten me for Christmas — but it was the other Michelle Williams.

Actress Michelle Williams visits singer Michelle Williams in her dressing room during 'Death Becomes Her' Broadway run.

Michelle Williams/Instagram

**I hope you've never shown up to an audition or a meeting and they thought it was going to be her?**

When she was on her Broadway run, I did have a few people say to me, "Aren't you going to be late for curtain?" And I was like, "I...am not late for curtain."

*This interview has been edited for clarity and length.*

*Listen to the full interview with Williams — where she also looks back on some of her very early work on *Baywatch* and *Home Improvement*, as well as the Ridley Scott film *All the Money in the World* and working with Christopher Plummer, and she previews her next project, the movie *A Place in Hell*— on *The Awardist* podcast, below.*

More ‘Awardist’ content

Beyoncé wins her first Emmy with *Beyoncé Bowl,* putting her halfway to EGOT status

This *Parks and Rec *character is Adam Scott's pick to get a spinoff: 'I'd like to see how that worked out'

Anthony Mackie claims he's a good luck charm for costars getting award nominations: 'I'm the white dude legend'

Stars react to their 2025 Emmy nominations: 'What the heck?!'

Harrison Ford earns first Emmy nomination at 83 for *Shrinking*

Drama and comedy nominee episode submissions

Lead and supporting acting nominees appear on a number of episodes each season of their respective shows, but once they're nominated, they pick just one to submit for consideration when it's time for final voting (Aug. 18-27). But does the episode actually matter, and are voters actually watching? That's a deeper discussion for another time.

So, who submitted what? Check out the list below for the lead and supporting nominees in the drama and comedy categories.

Jean Smart on 'Hacks,' Quinta Brunson on 'Abbott Elementary,' Kristen Bell on 'Nobody Wants This'.

Courtesy of Max; Disney/Gilles Mingasson; Hopper Stone/Netflix

**LEAD ACTRESS****Uzo Aduba, *The Residence —* “The Mystery of the Yellow Room”**Kristen Bell, *Nobody Wants This* *—* “Pilot”**Quinta Brunson, *Abbott Elementary* *—* “Strike”**Ayo Edebiri, *The Bear* *—* “Legacy”**Jean Smart, *Hacks* *—* “I Love LA”

**LEAD ACTOR****Adam Brody, *Nobody Wants This* *—*“Pilot”**Seth Rogen, *The Studio* *—* “The Pediatric Oncologist”**Jason Segel, *Shrinking* *—* “The Drugs Don’t Work”**Martin Short, *Only Murders in the Building* *—* “Escape from Planet Klongo”**Jeremy Allen White, *The Bear* *—* “Tomorrow”

Ebon Moss-Bachrach on 'The Bear,' Harrison Ford on 'Shrinking,' Tyler James Williams on 'Abbott Elementary'.

FX; Apple TV+; Disney/Gilles Mingasson

**SUPPORTING ACTRESS****Liza Colón-Zayas, *The Bear* *—* “Napkins”**Hannah Einbinder, *Hacks* *—* “Mrs. Table”**Kathryn Hahn, *The Studio* *—* “Casting”**Janelle James, *Abbott Elementary* *—* “Music Class”**Catherine O’Hara, *The Studio* *—* “The Promotion”**Sheryl Lee Ralph, *Abbott Elementary* *—* “100th Day of School”**Jessica Williams, *Shrinking* *—* “Changing Patterns”

**SUPPORTING ACTOR****Ike Barinholtz, *The Studio* *—* “The War”**Colman Domingo, *The Four Seasons* *—* “Eco Resort”**Harrison Ford, *Shrinking* *—* “The Last Thanksgiving”**Jeff Hiller, *Somebody Somewhere* *—* “As Much as I Like Not Feeling”**Ebon Moss-Bachrach, *The Bear* *—* “Doors”**Michael Urie, *Shrinking* *—* “Full Grown Dude Face”**Bowen Yang, *Saturday Night Live —* “Host: Jean Smart”

Adam Scott on 'Severance,' Noah Wyle on 'The Pitt,' Sterling K. Brown on 'Paradise'.

Apple TV+; Warrick Page/Max; Disney/Brian Roedel

**LEAD ACTRESS****Kathy Bates, *Matlock* *—* “I Was That, Too”**Sharon Horgan, *Bad Sisters* *—* “Boom”**Britt Lower, *Severance* *—* “Attila”**Bella Ramsey, *The Last of Us* *—* “Convergence”**Keri Russell, *The Diplomat* *—* “St. Paul’s”

**LEAD ACTOR****Sterling K. Brown, *Paradise* *—* “The Day”**Gary Oldman, *Slow Horses* *—* “Identity Theft”**Pedro Pascal, *The Last of Us* *—* “The Price”**Adam Scott, *Severance* *—* “Cold Harbor”**Noah Wyle, *The Pitt* *—* “9:00 P.M.”

Carrie Coon and Aimee Lou Wood on 'The White Lotus'.

Fabio Lovino/HBO (2)

**SUPPORTING ACTRESS****Patricia Arquette, *Severance* – “Sweet Vitriol”**Carrie Coon, *The White Lotus* – “Amor Fati”**Katherine LaNasa, *The Pitt* – “9:00 P.M.”**Julianne Nicholson, *Paradise *– “Sinatra”**Parker Posey, *The White Lotus* – “Full-Moon Party”**Natasha Rothwell, *The White Lotus* – “Amor Fati”**Aimee Lou Wood, *The White Lotus* – “Amor Fati”

**SUPPORTING ACTOR****Zach Cherry, *Severance* – “The After Hours”**Walton Goggins, *The White Lotus* – “Amor Fati”**Jason Isaacs, *The White Lotus* – “Amor Fati”**James Marsden, *Paradise* – “The Day”**Sam Rockwell, *The White Lotus* – “Full-Moon Party”**Tramell Tillman, *Severance *– “The After Hours”**John Turturro, *Severance* – “Woe’s Hollow”**

***Check out more from EW's *The Awardist*, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV, movies, and more.***

More episodes of ‘The Awardist’ podcast

Seth Rogen on the 2 cameos he was 'shocked' to get for *The Studio* — and where season 2 will pick up

*Matlock* stars Kathy Bates and Skye P. Marshall on exposing Matty's lies and whether Olympia can forgive her

Noah Wyle on that tribute to his grandfather on *The Pitt*, why making the show was a risk

*Abbott Elementary* star Janelle James reveals what Ava said during that bleep-filled scene

Emmy winner predictions: Drama, Comedy, Limited Series

Outside of the limited/anthology series category — where Netflix's *Adolescence* is a sure bet — the rest of the 2025 Emmys race is full of toss-up categories. That includes the two big ones, Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series. Will it be *Severance* or *The Pitt*? Can HBO Max's *Hacks* secure its second win, or will the star-studded Hollywood satire *The Studio* give Apple TV+ the first win in this category since* Ted Lasso* season 2? Read on for our picks in the Emmys' three biggest categories. *—Kristen Baldwin*

Owen Cooper, Ike Barinholtz, Adam Scott, and Ayo Edebiri.

Netflix; Apple TV+; Matt Dinerstein/FX

**OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES*****Andor*, Disney+***The Diplomat*, Netflix***The Last of Us*, HBO***Paradise*, Hulu***The Pitt*, HBO Max***Severance*, Apple TV+***Slow Horses*, Apple TV+***The White Lotus*, HBO**

**Who will/should win:** *Severance*

**OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES*****Abbott Elementary*, ABC***The Bear*, Hulu***Hacks*, HBO Max***Nobody Wants This*, Netflix***Only Murders in the Building*, Hulu***Shrinking*, Apple TV+***The Studio*, Apple TV+***What We Do in the Shadows*, FX**

**Who should win:** *Hacks*****Who will win:** *The Studio*

**OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES*****Adolescence*, Netflix***Black Mirror*, Netflix***Dying for Sex*, Hulu***Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story*, Netflix***The Penguin*, HBO

**Who will/should win:** *Adolescence*

*The *77th Emmy Awards* air Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. on CBS. Click here to read Kristen Baldwin's full analysis of the big three categories.***

Other issues of ‘The Awardist’ digital magazine

Sterling K. Brown on his journey in *Paradise*, why he thought about his wife for one scene, *This Is Us* fans, and more

*Severance* star Adam Scott on being 'deathly afraid' of that Innie vs. Outie finale scene — and getting a concussion

Jason Segel and Jessica Williams tease *Shrinking* season 3 and the 'dirtiest thing that's ever been put on television'

*Nobody Wants This* stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody on that kiss, staying out of the comments, and the OMG season 2 moments

*Hacks* stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder on their 'darker turn' and taking risks on season 4

Emmys Flashback

Isabel Sanford after her best comedy actress win at the 1981 Emmys.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

At. Last. [*Laughs from audience.*] Excuse me, I put a piece of cheese in my mouth — I wasn't expecting this. [*Chews cheese.*] See, I've waited so long, all my humility is just gone. [*Laughs.*] ... I want to thank God, and thank Norman Lear for hiring me."****—ISABEL SANFORD | LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES, 1981 | *THE JEFFERSONS*****

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