Here, EW talks to those three actresses about that challenging, rewarding experience.
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Check back throughout December for more Best of 2017 (Behind the Scenes) stories.
What follows is one of the years most stunning scenes, which you might see a clip from above.
FX
The young actresses give striking, series-best performances as you watch them struggle through unimaginably tragic thoughts.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your reaction when you first read the script?
And I was right!
Liane Hentscher/FX
I thought it was really funny.
So it was like, me as Mikey writing Pamela a eulogy, and we eulogized her.
What did you write in the eulogy?
MIKEY:Id talked about how I admire Pamela.
Its a hard thing to write about because were basically talking about her as if shed passed away.
I said something like, I wish Id gotten to know you better.
you’re free to see that Frankie knows shes taken it far with what she says to Sam.
you might see that come through in her eulogy, that its just torn her apart.
Right Frankie accuses Sam of traumatizing you three by forcing you to stage her funeral.
Does Frankie have a point?
HANNAH:Kind of!
MIKEY:I think she does [too].
So that was very powerful for her.
OLIVIA:I think it was kind of a mixture.
Shes going to be gone.
I just have to say one last thing to her.
So yes [Frankie] kind of does have a point.
Talk a little bit more about how Pamela worked on the scene with you three as a director.
She goes, Okay!
and she was serious.
She pulled me and Hannah aside, and told us something… very personal to her.
I was completely inconsolable the entire time.
So hearing her performance really brought me to the place that I needed to be.
Im very thankful for that.
HANNAH:The way the whole show is, is that its just extremely real.
Thats the way she directed it: She wants things to be real.
She never really says a whole lot.
Yes, shell give you tips and pointers, but she didnt really lay out the whole thing.
Ill be honest: She cried.
It was very intense.
So there were real tears?
HANNAH:Oh yeah, absolutely.
Partly because we were exhausted but also it was really emotional.
OLIVIA:Yes, the tears were real.
[For me] it was because [Pamela] told me to listen to what was happening.
So its not just, Okay, I have to cry, now cry.
It was, Oh my God, Im listening to this, this is making me emotional.
And then I just let it out in the end.
Even after the camera was off, we were all still bawling.
Hannah mentioned being right about thinking it was going to be a rough filming experience.
What was the atmosphere on set?
HANNAH:It wasnt quite tense or anything.
It was good it was a really good environment to work in that day.
We have really amazing crew members and everyone was very lovely.
The energy was great.
It was one of my favorite days on set; I felt really close to everyone.
OLIVIA:We were all excited to do the scene.
The emotions were going to feel today are going to suck, but we got this.
So we just kind of helped each other out throughout the day.
We were dehydrated from all the tears.
It was emotionally exhausting.
Did preparing and filming the scene make you think at all about your own mom or your personal life?
It made me think, I hope I dont do these things to my mom.
The way they treat their mom is not very nice!
Like, Hey, I need to go tell my mom that I love her real quick.
It even gets me emotional now.
What do you think your characters took away from Eulogy?
So its like, Im not just dead my moms dead!
Were both dead and were the only ones that are dead, so its special.
MIKEY:Max is like a goldfish in her emotions.
note: Louis C.K.
I have to say something.
I feel deep sorrow and empathy for the women who have come forward.
I am asking for privacy at this time for myself and my family.
I am processing and grieving and hope to say more as soon as I am able.
