In reality, it turns out that Dee Dee suffered from Munchausen by proxy and forced her daughter to shave her head, use a wheelchair, and undergo unnecessary medical treatment. On the surface, Dee Dee (played in The Act by Patricia Arquette) seemed to be a devoted mother caring for her incredibly sick daughter, Gypsy ( Joey King). “I was so flabbergasted,” Sevigny told Rotten Tomatoes - a natural reaction to hearing the full story of Dee Dee and Gypsy Blanchard.
The Act star Chloë Sevigny was so engrossed by the documentary that she watched it twice in a row.
The series, which is Certified Fresh at 92% on the Tomatometer, is based on a Buzzfeed News article by writer Michelle Dean called “ Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered,” which was subsequently turned into the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest. They’re just like us: also deeply fascinated by true-crime stories, like the one at the center of The Act.
