Jenny Slate's 'Carousel' Role: A Surprising Turn

Jenny Slate has embraced a new dramatic role in Rachel Lambert's "Carousel," a film that unexpectedly captured her attention. Initially intending to take time off for her family's move and daughter's new school year, Slate was compelled by the script. "Carousel" centers on two former high school flames reconnecting in Cleveland, with Slate portraying Rebecca and Chris Pine as Noah, a divorced doctor.

Slate found the script to be a "surprising and new and unexpected version" of what she had been seeking creatively. Her character, Rebecca, is described as feeling stuck and afraid to accept love, a sentiment Slate deeply understood and connected with. This role continues Slate's recent dramatic explorations, moving beyond genre limitations to inhabit emotions authentically.

"Carousel" is written and directed by Rachel Lambert, who developed the script during COVID-19 lockdowns. Chris Pine also praised the script's "clarity" and Lambert's "acute observation of the smallest details of daily life," noting the film's exploration of human desperation for connection and intimacy.

For Slate, the project signifies a period of "freshness and maturity and sunshine and shadow and wholeness" in her career. She expressed satisfaction with inhabiting roles that explore a wide spectrum of feelings without fear, fitting into a new season of her creative output.