Update: Since this interview was published, The Bear has been renewed for a fifth season.
Abby Elliott answers my call first thing in the morning, but she has already been up for hours with her two young children. Like her character, Natalie 'Sugar' Berzatto, in the award-winning dramedy The Bear, family is at the centre of Elliott’s world.
For season four, which has returned to screens this week, family extends beyond those complicated yet often beautiful relationships she has with her gastronomically-gifted yet somewhat tortured brother, head chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), erratic mother (Jamie Lee Curtis) and often hot-headed ‘cousin’ Richie (Ebon Moss Bachrach), after Natalie gave birth to her first child in the show’s third season.
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‘Sugar is a mum now. Whilst she is very invested in the restaurant, she is equally invested in Carmy’s happiness and is a maternal figure to him too,’ says Elliott. ‘She is definitely torn in different directions and struggles to find bandwidth for the chaos of the restaurant. She doesn’t have the energy anymore, but at the same time, she is very fulfilled and happy in her personal life.’
Last year, one of the most beautiful episodes of series three – Ice Chips - belonged to Elliot during her birth scene. It is far from a normal day in the office when you are pretending to give birth in front of Hollywood great, Jamie Lee Curtis. The scene was as intense as it sounds, and the experience on set has left a considerable mark on the actress.
‘We did two takes and were there for two hours,’ Elliott recalls. ‘I was intimidated by the idea of meeting Jamie back in season two, but immediately she put me at ease. I knew going into the birth episode that it was going to be a safe space with Jamie. She forces you to be in the moment – I memorised the lines quite monotonously so I could go off Jamie’s lead on the day. She is the most supportive, wonderful friend and the most giving actor I’ve ever worked with, and the whole labour experience felt very true to life, for me. Jamie and I both describe it as the most free thing that we’ll ever really do as artists.’
Of course, in real life pregnancies have no rehearsal, but with Elliott, there was an exception. Whilst she wanted to maintain the raw authenticity of her scene with Curtis and not rehearse it down to the second, she did in fact film her own birth in preparation. This notion of day-to-day reality interweaving with on-screen life feels intrinsic to Elliott and The Bear; she frequently refers to the cast and crew as a family. ‘We have this inherent dynamic, that as soon as we get back to Chicago each year, we really just fall back into our thing – just like when you haven’t seen your family in a while.’
Despite the world of gastronomy, and its on-screen representations being largely male-dominated, The Bear also spotlights females in the hospitality industry with the likes of Elliott, Ayo Edebiri as Sydney and Liza Colon-Zayas as Tina in leading roles. ‘Tina and Sugar have this relationship now after Tina talks about the birth of her son – I loved doing that scene so much. As we’ve gotten to know each other, our dynamic has evolved; finding those really interesting, beautiful moments and playing them out on-screen has been so fun. I’m playing out friendships in real time on the show.’
Elliott always felt that there was something special in the show, but its worldwide domination even surprises her at times. ‘After seeing the pilot, I knew it was definitely unique. I thought at best, it would have this cult following and maybe be popular with restauranteurs, but I didn’t know at all that it would last as long as it has. The state of the industry is very strange right now, and it’s rare that a show is extended further than one season. But, it’s not just a show about a restaurant – people keep coming back for the relatable stories about family and trauma. It’s been a wild journey.’
As for a season five? Elliott has no idea. 'I think you’ll know before me,' she jokes.
In its four-season tenure, the show has featured starry appearances from the likes of Olivia Colman, Will Poulter and Sarah Paulson. As well as Sarah Snook – who Elliott just worked with on upcoming drama series All Her Fault – another dream co-star for Elliott is, unsurprisingly, within the family. Her father is Schitts Creek star and comedian, Chris Elliott. 'My dad is an actor and loves the show. He is so funny, and was actually the first one to watch the pilot with me. He was like, this is so special. He compared it to The Panic in Needle Park - he’s a movie buff.'
As much of the cast were amateurs in the kitchen, learning on the job was key - with the cast mastering their culinary skills under the supervision of the show’s culinary producer, Courtney 'Coco' Storer. It would be ironic if the on-set catering was not up to par with the show’s impressive recipes, but Storer’s secret to a happy cast? A simple focaccia served with honey and sea salt, 'the best thing between takes,' says Elliott.
There is one recipe Elliott has taken with her into real life too, from season one, where Sugar makes a take on chicken piccata. 'The trick is to use olive oil and butter, which is always a good combination' she jokes. 'It is a pretty simple recipe. You just have to really watch the butter to make sure it doesn’t burn and blacken the chicken too much. I fell in love with that recipe that day. I just remember, in the van going home from set, I had the chicken in my hand and was just like, free-eating it. Coco can do no wrong. She makes everything you see on the show and her work is so beautiful.'
ELLE UK asks Abby Elliott for her favourite eats in London, and across the pond as a New York native:
- The Windsor Castle Pub in Kensington
- The Churchill Arms in Kensington
- Dishoom in Shoreditch
- NOPI by Ottolenghi
- The Ginger Pig Butcher in Hackney
- Le B in Greenwich Village, New York City
- Sushi of Gari, Upper West, New York City
- Pomodoro, Upper West, New York City
- Café Cluny, West Village, New York City
The Bear season four is out now on Disney+.
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