Kate McKinnon to play Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in a Hulu series, which is perfect
Aux Features TV
In the sort of casting decision apparently target-engineered to elicit an “Oh fuck, that’s perfect” from any and everyone exposed to it, Deadline reports this afternoon that Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon has just been tapped to play Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in an upcoming limited series from Hulu. If the deal goes through, McKinnon would star in The Dropout for the streaming service, applying years of experience playing dead-eyed, tight-lipped, off-puttingly smiling weirdos to perhaps the apex of said craft.
Holmes has come under much amused scrutiny in recent months, thanks in part to Alex Gibney’s recent HBO documentary The Inventor, which detailed not only the massive con that was Theranos’ much-hyped, much-didn’t-do-shit blood-testing kits, but also a lot of long, terrifying looks at her eyes, the windows of the…soul? (In this particular case, it’s kind of difficult to tell.)
In fact, we just had to go back and check to make sure that McKinnon hasn’t already played Holmes before, or, indeed, created her, as part of some sort of clandestine experiment in comedy character generation gone horrifically awry. Meanwhile, McKinnon would also serve as an executive producer on the series, which is being adapted from a podcast-turned-20/20-documentary of the same name that aired earlier this year.
70 Comments
KATE MCKINNON IS PLAYING THANOS!!!??? FUCK YEAH!!!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who read that wrong.
“When I’m done, half of humanity will still exist.”“Half of humanity? I thought this blood device was supposed to save people’s lives.”
All that for a drop of blood
COTD
Supposed to, yes. Actual mileage may vary.
Oh snap!
goaheadandtakemymoney.gif
KATE MCKINNON IS PLAYING A THEREMIN!!!???
McKinnon’s eyes don’t crazily bug out enough for her to be convincing in this role
They’re holding off filming long enough for McKinnon to develop hyperthyroidism.
Can’t wait to hear “the voice,” though.
Fun fact: McKinnon and Holmes were born less than a month apart.
ARE THEY THE SAME PERSON!? Quick anyone know where we can get a blood test?
Not a reliable one.
Perfect casting.
Seriously someone as creepy and surreal as a human being as Elizabeth Holmes could only be played by an extremely committed comedian. So it would be either Kate or Jim Carrey in a drag while doing his Andy Kauffman method acting schtick, so that 20 years into the future we would see a documentary of him being a creepy asshole to everyone, befriending General Mattis and asking for drops of blood.
I’m all for dogpiling on this criminal idiot now that she’s been exposed as a criminal idiot, but what I don’t care for is this Elizabeth Holmes person (assumedly) getting paid for stuff like this. A podcast. A 20/20 special on that podcast. A movie. A Hulu series. There have been rumors that Holmes is already working on her next business. Is selling her criminality that business?She was able to raise almost a billion dollars for her completely fraudulent company. I’m happy to be wrong here, but beside the fact that there will actually BE a Hulu series to watch when all is said and done (unlike that blood testing machine she claimed to have invented, but didn’t), how is this any different? I’m getting a little sick of people getting rich from doing nothing but breaking the goddamn law and then bragging about it.
what I don’t care for is this Elizabeth Holmes person (assumedly) getting paid for stuff like this Why would you think that Holmes would get paid? I don’t think there’s any case law that says that the real-life subject of a drama necessarily has to be paid for the rights to their story.There is a “newsworthiness” exception to the general right of publicity, and Holmes would certainly fit that exception. This webpage has a useful guide to the legal issues involved.
I fully admit to my ignorance on the subject, and really only assumed she’d be getting paid because it’s her story and likeness being represented. Like I said, I’m happy to be wrong. Thanks for the info.
Even though I believe she isn’t getting paid for any of that stuff, your larger point, that she’s a narcisstic sociopath who gets off on attention regardless of whether it’s good or bad, is still a good reason to be unhappy with this decision.
Also true. She’s already lassoed some rich boy heir who gave her his MIT ring to wear around her neck. I’ve called her a sociopath before, but I don’t even know what to make of her now. Seriously the worst lifestyle tourist I’ve ever seen.
Holmes isn’t making a dime on the podcast, book, or TV show and is probably going to federal prison soon. What on Earth makes you think she’ll get paid for any of this?
As stated in a previous reply, I assumed she’d be getting paid for the rights to her story and likeness. Again, I’m happy to be wrong, but I’d just like some evidence of her ‘not making a dime’ on any of this besides snappy retorts.
If you’re Jordan Belfort and you write a memoir detailing all of your crimes and then Wolf of Wall Street gets made, you get paid.Elizabeth Holmes still maintains innocence, and all of the material coming out on her is based on the work of investigative journalists. She don’t get shit.
Much better.
And even if she does come out with a book, screenplay, or some such, she may end up getting sued under Son of Sam laws by some of those investors whose money she burned through.
You’re right to even consider it, some of the people from the Fyre shit got paid for those docs.
I put no amount of deplorable behavior past absolutely anyone anymore, nor their ability to profit from it.
As pointed out by the astute eyes of the internet, she may not be getting paid directly. But, she is now famous and that has social credit that will be cashed out. You’re not incorrect, the world is short sighted.
That’s kinda how I see it too. Everyone and everything these days is corrupt up to its goddamn eyeballs, so I figure she’ll get a check out of it somehow.
I mean, Bernie Madoff is famous in roughly the same way and the only pay-out he’s getting is from guys in jail who want Swiss Miss. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-series-casts-bernie-madoff-not-only-as-a-crook-but-a-product-of-a-corrupt-system-2017-01-12
She’s a public figure and therefore any information about her that is readily available to the public is considered part of the public domain. Not a copyright lawyer but did have to take a few law classes.
The other responses helped me figure that out, too, but thanks!
That’s why you’re the law-talking guy.
That she’s not getting paid is another sign of bad business dealing. Where’s her my-side style book “Bad Blood: Tests of Courage” and movie deal?
Maybe they’ll shoot it in prison.
I can think of one podcast that she most likely did not get paid for:
https://www.behindthebastards.com/podcasts/part-one-elizabeth-holmes-the-ceo-who-treated-your-blood-like-a-phone.htm
It’s not a bad assumption to make, though. The Fyre Festival founder got paid for his interview with Hulu: https://themuse.jezebel.com/billy-mcfarland-was-paid-an-undisclosed-amount-to-appea-1831765055
Kate has so much potential and I’m never sure how many of her projects showcase that potential. This one actually could.
Would this be her first dramatic/serious role?
She’s in Yesterday, the new Danny Boyle movie.
an upcoming limited series from Hulu.
For fuck’s sake! Stop giving this idiot the fucking spotlight! And this includes fucking writing about her, William!
This could be a wickedly dark comedy if done right. I’m onboard.
This could go down with Alan Rickman as Snape and Oliver Reed as The Devil in the pantheon of great casting decisions.
[USES FAKE/STUPID PUBLIC SPEAKING VOICE]That video clip from Splinter or whatever with her employees dancing makes me want back an old-school muscle car over each of their faces and pop the clutch, so the torque will shread their heads to nothingness. I would like their loved ones to be watching.
Elizabeth Holmes is the female equivalent of Ted Cruz.
Yeah I bet she eats the same soup every day because of some dipshit philosophy about not wasting her brain power deciding on what to eat.
Ya she says she does that with her clothes in the HBO doc. It’s in the same breath as claiming she works like 17 hour days and doesnt have time to make unnecessary decisions.
Ha yep, figures!
Oh and I think she also frames it around “well this is what Steve Jobs did, to save mental energy. You know, THE Steve Jobs?”
I think Janet Varney deserves it.
holy SHIT. Janet’s got that down PERFECT.
I’m still hoping (admittedly in vain, most likely) for a Stan Against Evil revival, which wouldn’t make it without Janet.
Spot on. Janet Varney was awesome in Stan Against Evil.
Wait what happened to the Jennifer Lawrence movie?
Honestly this announcement is the only concrete proof I have that Elizabeth Holmes isn’t just Kate McKinnon’s character in some obscure critical darling TV show on a station I’ve never heard of.
I’ve been thinking Briga Heelan was ideal for the role, but this works too.
Perfect, but Mira Sorvino would be uncanny.
Honestly, I’m more stoked about her doing Holmes than J-Law.
So…every Junior High School teacher who gave an 8th grader a blowjob was unavailable?
Kate McKinnon isn’t near as talented or versatile as this web site would like you to believe
OMG I can definitely already hear the voice. FYI “The Dropout” was much better than Gibney’s documentary, which I find unfortunate since I’m usually a fan of his work, but he barely scratched the surface in the 2 hours he gave us.
Kate McKinnon is so great that I will watch her do anything and laugh my ass off.
I really hope McKinnon nails Holmes’ fake deep-voice act. Even better if she uses Holmes’ “real” voice when appropriate. Since most of us have never heard her real voice, McKinnon can really have some fun with it.
Kate McKinnon To Play Her One Character Again
Groooaaannnnnn.This is not a sound disgruntled at Kat McKinnon being cast – she’d be great in this. However after listening to a podcast about Theranos and seeing Hulu’s handling of The Act, I really just don’t want this thing to exist.
Between John Carreyrou’s book, the podcast, and the HBO documentary, I think I’m all full up on content about this saucer-eyed grifter and the billion dollars in VC she hoovered up. I had a cancer scare last year and by the time it was over (one tumor removal and hysterectomy later), I’d had what seemed like gallons of blood drawn. That was probably the least painful or scary part of the whole process; the ultrasounds I had to get were more uncomfortable. I get that some people are afraid of needles or have “difficult” veins, but is this really a problem that needed a literal billion dollars thrown at it?Anyway yeah, good casting.
Uunfortunately that’s not how venture capitalism works. Its not “is there a need for this in the world” as much as those leeches would want you to believe, it’s more “are there enough people stupid enough to market this to?”
That explains Juicero