The Cast of ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ Gets Real About Motherhood, Money, and Making It Work
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After a screening of Apple TV’s new comedy-drama, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” the show’s cast and creative team sat down with L.A. Times Television Editor Maira Garcia for a lively Q&A.
The panel, which featured author and executive producer Rufi Thorpe, executive producers Matthew Tinker and Eva Anderson, rapper-turned-actress Rico Nasty (KC), and actress Lindsey Normington (Rose), dived into everything from OnlyFans research and union organizing to the wild, cosmic coincidence behind how Rico Nasty ended up on the show.
What’s the Show About?
Based on Rufi Thorpe’s best-selling novel of the same name, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” the show follows Margo (Elle Fanning), a college dropout and aspiring writer who turns to OnlyFans to support her new baby when the bills pile up.
She’s the daughter of an ex-Hooters waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an ex-pro wrestler (Nick Offerman), and the show doesn’t shy away from just how hard it is to get by. The series also stars Marcia Gay Harden, Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty and Lindsey Normington.
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Adapting the Book
Author and executive producer Rufi Thorpe said her biggest worry going into the adaptation was that the baby would quietly disappear from the story, since infant actors can only work about 20 minutes at a time, making it tempting to park them in a bassinet and move on.
“So much of Margo’s journey, in terms of her own self-actualization, comes as a byproduct of herself as mother and that experience of falling in love with her child,” said Thorpe.
On set, two babies shared the role, and one of them said “dadda” on camera during the courtroom scene, sending the crew into a delighted panic.
Thorpe continued to talk about how the crew did a great job including the baby in the show, saying, “I still couldn’t have imagined that they would nail it to quite this extent.”
Rico Nasty Had to Audition Like Everyone Else
Even though Thorpe had been secretly fueling her late-night writing sessions with Rico Nasty’s music, the rapper’s casting wasn’t a given. Making her acting debut as KC, Rico had to audition just like everyone else. “There were people in there that were really serious, and I can tell they probably went to school for this,” Nasty recalled. “The only thing I can do is be myself right now.”
What she didn’t know at the time was that she had practically been willed into the show. Thorpe had a tight, 20-song playlist she used to break through writer’s block while drafting the novel, and four of those tracks belonged to Nasty.
In a wild stroke of cosmic alignment, Apple later licensed one of those exact songs, “iPhone,” for the series without anyone knowing the backstory. It was a series of total coincidences that perfectly mirrored the show’s collaborative spirit. As Nasty put it, “When you’re making cool stuff, it attracts cool people.”
The Apple TV series, created by David E. Kelley and based on Rufi Thorpe’s 2024 novel, stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning and Nick Offerman as a loving but dysfunctional family.
Lindsey Normington Brought Her Own Experience to Rose
Having spent a decade working as a stripper, actress Lindsey Normington was fiercely protective of how sex work is portrayed on screen. When she took the role of Rose, she pushed to keep a key scene where she and KC check Margo for defensively claiming, “I don’t make porn, I make art.”
Normington’s advocacy extends far beyond the screen; she also helped organize Star Garden in North Hollywood, making it only the second strip club in U.S. history to successfully unionize. For her, the show’s collaborative environment was a rare and validating experience. “I feel like I was really heard on that subject and across the board,” Normington said.
Looking Ahead to Season 2
The show has been renewed for another season with the same writers’ room returning, plus one new addition. While details remain tightly under wraps, Executive producer Matthew Tinker confirmed that production will be staying local to Los Angeles.
The complete first season of “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is streaming now on Apple TV.
More Screenings
