The true story behind the Emmy-nominated series 'Maid'

The Netflix series 'Maid,' released in the fall of 2021, has been a great success with fans of the platform. Lead actress Margaret Qualley and the writing team were nominated for a 2022 Emmy Award with this dramatic story.

The American mini-series about the hardships of a maid was based on a true story...

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In ten episodes, it recounts the poignant daily life of Alex Russel, a 25-year-old woman victim of domestic violence. Faced with the extreme behavior of her companion, who is a violent alcoholic, the mother decides to run away with her two-year-old daughter Maddy. Destination: unknown.

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After spending about three months on the streets, Alex finally finds work with a very wealthy family. She then becomes a cleaning lady to provide for her daughter's needs and give her a better life.

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'Maid' highlights social issues throughout the episodes. First, the issue of domestic violence is raised. How do you escape it when you are a mother without a job or any support?

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The series also questions the precariousness and conditions of house cleaners, who have to accept laborious and challenging work for a small salary—the opposite of the American Dream.

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The show highlights the social divides that exist in our societies. Alex Russell, who is experiencing significant financial difficulties, is pitted against a very wealthy family who lives in a whole different world. The young woman doesn't have a chance.

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Alex's story didn't come straight out of a screenwriter's imagination but is actually based on a true story. The 'Maid' series is an adaptation of the autobiographical novel by Stephanie Land, entitled 'Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive.'

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In her book, Stephanie Land recounts her difficult past. At 27, the young American who dreamed of becoming a writer becomes pregnant just four months after she started dating her then-boyfriend and decides to keep the child. She, therefore, puts aside her studies to devote herself to her little girl. After suffering domestic abuse from her boyfriend, she seeks refuge with her father, only to experience further physical violence in his home.

Photo: stephville.com.

The author and her daughter are then taken care of by an association and live in a homeless shelter for 90 days. She then finds a job as a housekeeper that pays around $ 9 an hour, just enough to feed her daughter.

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More than two years later, Stephanie won a university scholarship, graduated, and became a journalist. She recounted her experience in 2015 in an article for Vox entitled 'I spent 2 years cleaning houses. What I saw makes me never want to be rich.'

In this article, Land recounts her daily life as a cleaner and the little secrets she discovered during her working days: “ So I started looking through the piles of papers instead of straightening them. I looked for secrets in the nightstands, for the story below the American dream. I searched for the stashes of empty wine bottles and peeked into medicine cabinets. I checked how many pills they'd taken in two weeks and learned which prescriptions had turned into recreations."

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This article gained momentum in the United States to such an extent that a publishing house became interested in it and offered the author the chance to compile her memoirs in a book.

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Released in January 2019, this book quickly became a bestseller. It ranked 3rd on the New York Times Best Seller list. It is also said that former President of the United States Barack Obama counted this book among his favourites in 2019.

Stephanie Land's moving book shed light on the social inequalities that exist in the country. It also speaks about the trauma that women who are victims of domestic violence go through. Hearing about the adaptation project on Netflix, the author said she was immediately seduced. She saw it as a way to give visibility to her story and that of thousands of other women. Stephanie is currently preparing a new book which is expected to be published in 2022.

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Behind the adaptation of this book for Netflix, we find the screenwriter Molly Smith Metzler, who is no stranger to putting the excesses of society under the spotlight. Experienced in drama series, she has notably worked on the popular series 'Orange is the New Black' and 'Shameless.'

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In the role of Alex Russell, we find the American actress and model Margaret Qualley. The actress, not yet 30, caught producers' attention in the HBO series 'The Leftovers' and Quentin Tarantino's film 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.' Her performance in 'Maid' was nominated for an Emmy Award.

For the first time in her career, Margaret Qualley got to work with a very special person… her own mother! Talent is hereditary among the Qualleys; Margaret is the daughter of model and musician Paul Qualley and actress Andie MacDowell, who is also part of the cast of 'Maid.'

Actress Andie MacDowell reunited with her daughter Margaret Qualley on the 'Maid' series sets to play Paula… Alex's mother!

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Andie MacDowell is known for her roles in the 90s hit films such as 'Green Card' and 'Four Weddings and a Funeral.'

A true and poignant story, social issues put in the spotlight, a rising Hollywood star, and a famous actress from the 90s; everything was in place to make the series 'Maid' a hit.

Photo: Netflix