[Lennon Parham’s answers were collected prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike authorization.]
Minx is quickly approaching its Season 2 finale, and the characters have been through quite a lot already, particularly Shelly (Lennon Parham), Joyce’s (Ophelia Lovibond) sister and a contributor to the show’s titular publication.
After first finding a spark with Bambi (Jessica Lowe) in Season 1, Shelly has come even further out of her shell, having explored swinging alongside her husband and most recently engaging in an affair with Joyce’s former professor on a visit to Vassar. As she struggled to find herself and come to terms with her identity, Shelly finally came to the realization in Episode 7, “God Closes a Door, Opens a Glory Hole,” that she is a lesbian.
Starz
“The process of coming out, I think, or discovering your sexual identity isn’t necessarily a straight line for most people,” series creator Ellen Rapoport told TV Insider. “And we really wanted to show what it would be like, all the chaos of having this very unexpected thing happen to you and realize that maybe everything you’ve told yourself about your own sexual identity and who you are as a person is not necessarily the case.”
For Parham, she shared, “I love seeing how it played out. In 1973, Shelly’s options are pretty limited; it’s too scary to think that she would live her true self. And so that is so repressed inside of her. She’s trying to make it work with her husband and trying the swinger thing and trying all of these other avenues until she’s realizing that her true self is a lesbian, you know?”
Shelly makes the realization when she finds herself holed up in a closet writing her latest column for the Minx magazine, and by the episode’s end, she’s compelled to share the realization with her husband Lenny (Rich Sommer). “They wrote it so beautifully,” remarked Parham. “I think she does love her life and love her husband, but it’s like she’s finally awakened and in a safe space to admit to herself what she truly deeply wants.”
While it will be tough to let go of some things, Parham credited Bambi with giving Shelly the insight to even take a step towards finding herself. “I think she’s mad at her for opening her eyes to this and for being the most desirable creature in the world. But I think when she realizes that, [Shelly knows] it doesn’t really have to do with Bambi.”
It may have been a long and winding path for Shelly since Season 1, but Rapoport revealed she “wanted to show the chaos and ultimately the beauty,” of that experience. Where will that path lead her as Season 2 comes to a close? Tune in to find out.
Minx, Season 2, Fridays, 9/8c, Starz