Filmed in Atlanta, 'Single Drunk Female' stars and creator find humor in recovery

“I am an alcoholic, a recovering alcoholic, and I had first started writing about a hot mess … Then I got sober in 2014, and I realized that this story was about an alcoholic and that it was about me,” said Finch. “The mother-daughter relationship is really me and my mother, and there’s some stuff later in the season about the father that definitely relates to me as well. I never was arrested or hit a party bus, but … a lot of the authentic sober feelings are definitely from an authentic place.”

Black-D’Elia weighs in on playing Sam:

“The only really straight comedy I did before this job was a series called ‘The Mick,’ on Fox, which was sort of like jumping into the deep end of the pool because all of my scenes were opposite Katelyn Olson, who I consider to be one of, if not the funniest, people on television,” said Black-D’Elia. “So I learned a lot from her, and she instilled me with the confidence that I could tackle a part like this, and it’s just been an absolute joy. I really love this space, this particular comedic space.”

“I know that a lot of people think that drunk acting is this, like, really challenging thing. For me, I was way more concerned with the Boston accent, personally. I think as a Jersey girl; I know all too well how often people can get East Coast accents wrong, and how it can feel like a personal affront,” Black-D’Elia said. “So yeah, that was the thing that kept me up at night, the Boston accent.”

Sheedy weighs in on playing Carol:

“Every single role lends something to the next one. We learn something from everything,” said Sheedy, “Carol is really my mom, myself as a mom and some other influences, but she’s coming from the place that I am at right now, at 59, which is a very different place than where I was 20 years ago.” Sheedy went on to comment on a specific episode directed by Travon Free.  Sheedy said that when she first read the scene, she knew immediately that there was something special about it. “It could have been played in so many different ways, but I felt when I read it … it was not a joke.” Sheedy continued, “And I have got to say, Travon Free was directing that episode, and I didn’t even know him from before, and I just went up and told him how I felt that the exchange needed to go … and he GOT it. He didn’t even say ‘oh, I don’t know,’ he just said, ‘great, go for it’!”  Sheedy concluded by saying that she felt incredibly trusted by Free and that matters so much when actors and directors are working together.

On filming in Atlanta:

All three women agreed that filming in Atlanta was lovely. According to Sophia Black-D’Elia, “Atlanta is such an amazing place to shoot, and I hadn’t filmed anything in Atlanta in over 10 years … it’s so amazing to see how busy it’s gotten and how many productions are being shot.  I think there was something like 72 other production filming when we were, which is so incredible.” She continued, “I loved shooting in Atlanta. The people were lovely, the food was amazing, our crew was incredibly dedicated and were all easy laughs which are all welcome and appreciated on a comedy set.”

Off-the-cuff moments that steal the show:

“If you’re watching the show and you’re wondering what’s been made up, just look to any scene that features Jon Glaser because he’s an improv genius,” said Black-D’Elia. “I don’t think anything he and I have ever said to each other in the cut of the show was ever written on a page anywhere. Especially the opening scene of the pilot when I come in, and I’m drunk, and he ultimately fires me — I think almost that entire scene was just riffed between he and I because he kind of can’t help it. It’s like a beautiful compulsion.”

“Single Drunk Female” is available to stream on Freeform via Hulu here.