Although the show, which debuted on Netflix Thursday, is set on nearby Nantucket, the majority of filming for “The Perfect Couple” took place on the Cape in places like Chatham, which also happens to be where Fahy discovered another local treasure: Pizza Shark. “You know I have the merch?” boasted Fahy. (Fans may recall her viral Instagram post from February, where she rocked a Pizza Shark sweater.)
“We were staying really nearby, Chatham, so we went to that location all the time,” she added. “I’m a pizza enthusiast, so I do try to find the good pizza spots wherever I am.”
Aside from having “just a blast” visiting with family — and munching on the occasional slice of pizza — Fahy had fun sinking her teeth into her delicious role on Netflix’s new murder mystery series. Based on the 2018 Elin Hilderbrand book of the same name, “The Perfect Couple” centers around a wealthy Nantucket family led by matriarch and famous novelist Greer Garrison Winbury, played by Nicole Kidman. Greer isn’t a fan of her son Benji’s (Billy Howle) bride-to-be Amelia (Eve Hewson), with tensions flaring on the island as their wedding day approaches. Things take a gloomy turn when a body washes up on the beach, setting into motion a whodunit story filled with twists and turns that will keep viewers guessing.
In addition to Kidman, “The Perfect Couple” features quite the star-studded cast of possible suspects and questionable characters, including — in the show’s words — “DILF” Tag Winbury, Greer’s brawny husband played by “Spotlight” star and Hampshire College alum Liev Schreiber. Meanwhile, Dakota Fanning stars as the groom’s uptight and demanding sister-in-law, Abby. “Where Nicole goes, everybody follows,” Hilderbrand told the Globe last month. “The cast is incredible.”
Fahy, who recently earned an Emmy-nomination for her role on HBO’s hit series “The White Lotus,” plays maid of honor Merritt Monaco, best friend to Hewson’s Amelia. Without spoiling anything, Fahy’s character has an unexpectedly pivotal part in the show, but it’s the deep friendship with Amelia that really drew the Longmeadow native into the role.
“I just kind of loved the friendship between Merritt and Amelia,” Fahy explained. “I have friends like that who feel more like family to me, and so, I really loved that was sort of the center of her story in a way, at least when we first meet her.”
As a stylish social media influencer, Merritt showcases a wardrobe, like the rest of the characters, filled with outfits that just scream Nantucket fashion. While that style isn’t really Fahy’s cup of tea, she enjoyed the attention to detail the costume department paid to channeling those beachy, New England vibes.
“Growing up in New England it’s like a very iconic sort of style that I’ve always been aware of,” Fahy said. “There’s the famous ‘Nantucket salmon’ or whatever that red color is, that’s like so specific to that area. It’s cool when you can really get specific about stuff. It just helps the world feel more alive and authentic.”
In preparation for the role, Fahy opted not to read Hilderbrand’s novel, noting how there are some differences between the book and the series, which is why she “wanted to have a clean slate.” That said, Fahy’s mom and friends, who are big Hilderbrand fans, were very excited to hear the news of her joining “The Perfect Couple.”
“I became a lot more aware of her fanbase and sort of the Elin Hilderbrand world after coming onto the show,” Fahy said. “It’s a pretty incredible fanbase.”
Playing Merritt meant Fahy got to act a lot opposite Hewson (as well as another character we won’t spoil here). The Bay State star praises the Irish actress as being a “great” and “very easy” to work with scene partner. The show’s big wedding setting also meant that Fahy got to be on set with almost the entire cast for certain scenes, which was a treat.
“I had a couple of moments where I was able to be there while everyone else was on set too, and those were always my favorite days,” Fahy said. “It’s just fun to have everybody around.”
One of the more memorable scenes featuring the entire cast occurs in the show’s dance-filled opening credits à la Apple TV+’s “Pachinko” and HBO’s “Peacemaker.” Everyone from Kidman to Schreiber boogies down in a choreographed number by Charm La’Donna set to the song “Criminals” by none other than Nantucket native Meghan Trainor. As for who had the best moves on the dance floor, Fahy gave props to Hewson, Howle, and Schreiber.
“At first we were kind of like, ‘What is this? Why are we doing this?’” Fahy said. “And by the end of it we were just laughing so hard and having so much fun.”
While the dance sequence is one of the first things fans will see when they stream “The Perfect Couple,” it wasn’t filmed until the last day on set.
“It was the last thing that we shot of the whole series,” Fahy said. “It was a perfect way to end.”
“The Perfect Couple” is now streaming on Netflix.
Matt Juul can be reached at [email protected].
