‘The Better Sister' showrunner Regina Corrado: Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks ‘are at the top of their game'
In Prime Video's eight-episode limited series thriller, The Better Sister, Chloe (Jessica Biel) navigates life with her husband Adam (Corey Stoll) and son Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan) — until Adam's murder unravels long-buried family secrets. Meanwhile, Chloe's estranged sister Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) struggles with addiction, further complicating the already fractured family dynamic.
"They are at the top of their game," says series co-showrunner Regina Corrado, praising Biel and Banks for their performances at the heart of this gripping family drama. The series, based on Alafair Burke's novel, explores themes of sisterhood, betrayal, and redemption, all with an unpredictable mix of twists and humor.
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"The book is fabulous," says Corrado, who cocreated and showruns the series with Olivia Milch. "Olivia got it first and really responded strongly to the family [drama]. In every family, we all get different versions of our parents, particularly if addiction is in the mix. There are lots of twists and turns and it's a great family drama."
Biel and Banks had never met before being cast as the sisters. "You got to witness their relationship in real time," Corrado says. "They got to know each other — and also the sisters are estranged — so it was kind of like the play within the play."
For Banks, a three-time Emmy nominee for comedies 30 Rock and Modern Family, the role offered an opportunity to showcase her dramatic range. "Elizabeth gets to do a lot of drama," Corrado says. "I loved seeing that aspect of her. There's still a lot of comedy even though it is a serious show, and they're just very loving and strong. [Both Biel and Banks] have really high standards and that was awesome for us."
Balancing the show's comedic elements with its heavy themes of betrayal and tragedy was a priority for the showrunners. "One sister steals the other one's husband, basically," Corrado explains. "Raises her child as her own! It's unforgivable stuff. How could you not have comedy? How could you not try to build characters and supporting players that are going to even the playing field? It's like life — if you experience any kind of grief or any kind of tragedy — there is always a relief in humor. There's no other way to survive. It was important to us to make them real women."
A self-described "sap," Corrado says what she enjoys most about the series is the love between sisters, despite all the pain they've caused each other. "I loved seeing that develop," she explains. "I loved peeling those layers away. Are they going to be together? It's like the love story! Are they going to get together at the end? Is it possible? That, to me, was as important as 'Who did it? Who did the big deed?'"
Bringing The Better Sister to the screen wasn't without its challenges. Corrado credits her co-creator and collaborator Olivia Milch for keeping the production on track. "She is so competent and so capable. Any ball I dropped, she was going to catch it. This partnership was incredible for me. The challenges for us were just that it was a tremendous undertaking. It's running a giant company with artists! It's people-managing for the most part. It never ends — it's a marathon."
All episodes of The Better Sister drop on Prime Video on May 29, catering to binge-watchers eager to uncover the mystery. Corrado, however, prefers to take her time with shows. 'I'm not a binge-watcher,' she laughs. 'I have an 11-year-old son. There is no binging at home! Even with The White Lotus, which I loved, I had to stop and let it sink in."
Corrado, a previous Emmy nominee for Deadwood: The Movie, expresses excitement at the possibility of The Better Sister earning recognition from the TV Academy this season. "I would be so proud and happy for all of us," she shared. "Every single person who worked on this brought so much goodwill and good cheer. We had a very good time and I would be so happy for everybody. "
This article and video are presented by Prime Video.
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