Today’s youth would describe it as audacious!
FX’s Clipped, delves into white male privilege, corporate power, and the consequences of sidelining the wrong people in a riveting retelling of a recent sports scandal. The limited series consists of six episodes and seeks to dramatize, to some extent, the real-life controversy involving former L.A. Clippers owner, Donald Sterling (portrayed by Ed O’Neill, a far cry from his usual lovable Modern Family persona). In 2014, Sterling was caught on tape delivering a despicably racist diatribe to his “assistant” and paramour V. Stiviano (Cleopatra Coleman), rebuking her for associating with Black individuals, especially after posting a photo with Magic Johnson on social media.
Kelsey McNeal / FX
The NBA responded by banning Sterling for life. The build-up to the tape’s release, the subsequent deterioration of Sterling’s marriage to his wife Shelly (Jacki Weaver), and his conflicts with the team’s coach Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) became headline news for weeks. The series also explores the discord among players (including TV versions of Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Jordan), Stiviano’s memorable interview with Barbara Walters, and the creation of a 30 for 30 podcast, which made executive producer Gina Welch’s job significantly easier.
During a February interview with some of the key cast members, Welch remarked, “We tried to adhere as closely as possible to the actual documents, whether it was the V. tape, a lawsuit, or the Barbara Walters interview. There was so much absurdity and larger-than-life characters in this story that it made recreating their excessive wealth and underlying ugliness fascinating. I aimed to capture the surreal and absurd essence of Los Angeles, making these scenes both substantial and entertaining.”
For Coleman, the abundance of information available and Stiviano’s personal history provided enough insight to portray a woman frequently underestimated. The actress shared, “She’s a free-spirited, unapologetic person, but she’s human. I began with compassion. Once I delved into her background and understood where she came from, it all made sense to me. It wasn’t difficult to grasp her psyche.”
However, adapting this story for the screen had its challenges. O’Neill, for one, hinted that the discomfort of recounting such a disturbing tale might deter him from future fact-based projects. He revealed, “I prefer working on projects that allow for moments of laughter. With all the legal hurdles we faced, I don’t foresee myself delving into true stories for a while.”
FX’s Clipped, Series Premiere, Tuesday, June 4, Hulu
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