Overview of D’Arcy Carden Loves Brooke From The Five-Star Weekend as Much as We Do
Amanda Hirsch interviews D’Arcy Carden about her career, her background in comedy, and especially her breakout role as Brooke in The Five-Star Weekend. The conversation is warm, funny, and very behind-the-scenes: D’Arcy shares how she got into acting, what it was like filming in Nantucket, why Brooke resonated so deeply with viewers, and why she’s excited that Season 2 has been announced.
Key Takeaways
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Brooke was an instant connection for D’Arcy
- She says she knew the character right away when she read the material.
- Brooke’s insecurity, overthinking, and emotional arc felt immediately familiar and easy to play.
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The show’s ensemble was a major part of its magic
- D’Arcy loved that the cast of women came in mostly not knowing each other.
- The group bonded quickly on set, and that chemistry translated onscreen.
- She describes the project as unusually joyful and says there were “no bad days” filming it.
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Season 2 has her excited
- Since the book ends, the second season will move beyond the source material.
- D’Arcy says she’s heard some ideas and is eager to see where the writers take it.
- She joked that she’d happily go back “tomorrow.”
D’Arcy Carden’s Career Journey
Early life and identity
- Grew up in California in a creative household.
- Her parents worked in the music business and ran a music magazine, which gave her early exposure to performers and backstage life.
- She added the apostrophe to her name as a kid after being inspired by the bassist in Smashing Pumpkins.
Training and comedy roots
- Studied theater in Oregon, where she focused more on stage acting and Shakespeare than screen work.
- Moved to New York and trained/performed at UCB, where she built her comedy skills through improv.
- She describes the UCB years as grinding but formative.
Early jobs and industry connections
- Worked babysitting/nannying jobs, including for Bill Hader’s kids.
- Stayed in touch with the family over the years, which became a meaningful ongoing relationship.
- Eventually crossed paths professionally with people she knew from her early comedy days.
Behind the Scenes on The Five-Star Weekend
Shooting in Nantucket
- The production split time between Los Angeles and Nantucket.
- Filming on location felt special and vacation-like, even though everyone was working hard.
- The cast got to eat, hang out, drink, and spend time together in a way that made the experience feel unusually close-knit.
Brooke’s emotional storyline
- D’Arcy says Brooke’s coming-out journey felt important because it portrayed a woman discovering herself later in life in a natural, non-sensational way.
- One of the most emotional scenes for her was the one involving her husband and the truth of Brooke’s identity.
- She appreciated how her character’s friends responded with support rather than drama.
Favorite memories
- The cast took lots of photos, and D’Arcy said she was often the one insisting on group pictures.
- She also remembered a final cast dinner that turned emotional and felt like a true celebration of what they had made together.
Fun Personal Moments Mentioned
- Disneyland was where she met her husband.
- She tells a cute story about him holding her hand on a ride as a playful gesture that turned surprisingly meaningful.
- She and Amanda bond over:
- audiobooks versus reading,
- Oura rings and sleep tracking,
- sweating during podcasts,
- and the cultural shift toward very natural manicures.
- D’Arcy also shared a few lighthearted favorite things, like walking while listening to audiobooks and being a big fan of memoirs.
Main Takeaway
This episode is both a career retrospective and a celebration of The Five-Star Weekend. D’Arcy Carden comes across as funny, grounded, and deeply thoughtful about her work. The biggest themes are female friendship, late-in-life self-discovery, ensemble chemistry, and the rare joy of making a show that everyone involved clearly loved.