14 things you probably didn't know about 'The Undoing'
Jessica Focht
- HBO's "The Undoing" is trending, but even fans may not have heard all these fun facts about the show.
- It shared a set with "Gossip Girl," and the show features a few popular New York City locations.
- Nicole Kidman sang the series' theme song, even though she was originally reluctant to the idea.
Ever since the finale of HBO's latest psychological thriller, "The Undoing," aired, viewers have been debating its numerous twists and turns.
The six-episode miniseries, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, centers on the lavish and mysterious lifestyle of elite Upper East Siders.
Fans may know who the killer is now, but read on for some fun facts they probably don't know about "The Undoing."
The show is based on a New York Times bestselling novel.
The show is loosely based on Jean Hanff Korelitz's book, "You Should Have Known."
That makes the show Nicole Kidman's second successful book to TV adaptation with writer David E. Kelley. She previously starred on HBO's "Big Little Lies.
Kidman sings the theme song, but she didn't want to.
Kidman agreed to cover "Dream A Little Dream of Me" for the series' theme song at the request of director Susanne Bier, but the actress was originally hesitant.
Per Elle, during a recent interview on Zoe Ball's BBC Radio 2 show, Kidman said her voice is "not good."
She eventually gave in to the director's request though and recorded the track in her husband Keith Urban's at-home studio.
"We laid it down and sent it in, and they mixed it so it ended up in the series," she said. "... I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."
The show's costume designer created autumnal coats specifically for Kidman's character.
There's been a lot of buzz on the internet about the fashion on this show, specifically Grace Fraser's (Kidman) many long, lavish coats.
Costume designer Signe Sejlund designed some looks herself, so, unfortunately, fans won't be able to get their hands on them.
"I made those three pieces for the character of Grace Fraser. They are now only available in the storage area of the HBO archive," the designer told Town and Country in November.
Their autumnal tones were also specifically important for the designer's vision.
"Grace [Fraser, Kidman's character, whose husband is accused of murder] is different from the other Upper East Side's very rich women in the show," Sejlund said. "She wears autumnal colors. She is more mysterious and not so easy to read as opposed to Sylvia."
This is the second time Donald Sutherland has played Kidman's on-screen dad.
In 2003, Donald Sutherland played Reverend Monroe in the period war film "Cold Mountain," and Kidman played his daughter, Ada Monroe.
"The Undoing" filmed at one of the same New York City locations as "Gossip Girl."
Both popular shows focus on the money, lies, and drama of Manhattan's elite, but only eagle-eyed fans will have noticed they also shared a set.
The Reardon School heavily featured on "The Undoing" was shot at the same courtyard and building as Constance Billard School for Girls/St. Jude's School for Boys from The CW's "Gossip Girl."
In real life, the New York City mansion is part of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Noah Jupe played a young version of Shia LaBeouf in his autobiographical film "Honey Boy" (2019).
Next to his veteran costars Hugh Grant and Kidman, Noah Jupe may seem like a newbie. But he's starred in a few blockbusters recently.
He gained acclaim in the 2019 drama "Honey Boy" as young Otis — a character who writer Shia LaBeouf based on his own childhood.
Jupe has also appeared in "Wonder" (2017), "A Quiet Place," (2018), and "Ford v Ferrari" (2019).
Before "The Undoing" Noma Dumezweni found success playing an iconic character on Broadway.
Before she acted as the pragmatic defense lawyer on "The Undoing," Noma Dumezweni played Hermione Granger in "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" on Broadway.
The Fraser's beach house is available to rent on Airbnb.
If you've finished the series and are missing the show's luxurious setting, you can rent the Fraser's beach house on Airbnb — booking rates start at just over $1,000 a night.
The house, which is located on Long Island's North Fork, was originally built in 1893 as a Coast Guard station. The house also appeared on the HBO show "Girls."
"The Undoing" is Matilda De Angelis' first major role in the US.
Although she's an award-winning star in Italy, playing Elena Alves on "The Undoing" was Matilda De Angelis' first American role.
Even De Angelis couldn't figure out who the killer was while reading the script.
In a November interview with Harper's Baazar, De Angelis said she was uncertain about the identity of the killer while reading the script.
"Try as much as you want, but believe me, it's impossible," she said. "I think I've changed my mind about 100 times while reading the script. And I was sure like, 'Yeah, it's this, it's this, it's this!' And then, no."
Sutherland's character frequently sits at a New York City landmark.
On many of the episodes, a contemplative Sutherland sits in front of paintings in a dark and dim-lit room. New Yorkers will probably recognize it as The Frick Collection, an art museum located on the Upper East Side.
Lots of celebrities have become fans of the show.
Per Elle, both Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner posted to their Instagram stories the night of the show's finale, and Kidman reshared them on her own account.
Kourtney Kardashian also posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, "Who Killed Elena Alves?", which led to a little mild flirting with one of the show's stars, Édgar Ramírez.
Outside of the Kardashian/Jenner clan, Hailey Bieber also posted an Instagram story the night of the finale that read, "If anyone ruins @undoinghbo finale by posting it on their Instagram, I'll cry."
Kidman later replied, writing, "Promise, no spoilers."
"The Undoing" drew the largest HBO audience since "Big Little Lies."
In today's world of streaming, it's rare for a show to gradually gain a fanbase up to the finale.
However, since HBO released an episode of "The Undoing" every Sunday night, it made history as the network's first original series to have consistent audience growth each week, according to Deadline.
The show's finale brought in 3 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode of an HBO original series since the season-two finale of "Big Little Lies" in 2019.
According to the director, there may never be a second season of the show.
Bier spoke to Marie Claire in November about the future of the hit HBO show.
"I would love for David [Kelley] to write a season two, but, as of now, there are no plans, no nothing of a season two. There might never be any plans [for] it," she told the publication. "I think it would be so much fun to do a season two, but right now it's just wishful thinking."
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