‘You can’t help but root for underdog’: Kristen Wiig on her role in Palm Royale

American actress and comedian Kristen Wiig has said she loves playing an underdog in comedy series Palm Royale.

The 52-year-old Saturday Night Live alumnus stars as Maxine Dellacorte, an outsider trying to break into the high society of 1970s Palm Beach, Florida, in the Emmy-nominated series.

Wiig, best known for her work on the hit comedy Bridesmaids, returns for the show’s second season alongside Allison Janney, Laura Dern, Carol Burnett and Ricky Martin.

Also reprising their roles are Josh Lucas, Amber Chardae Robinson, Kaia Gerber and Leslie Bibb, while Patti LuPone and John Stamos join the cast in season two.

In season two, Wiig’s character Maxine is a social outcast after a public breakdown and a scandal at the Beach Ball that ended the previous season.

With her husband Douglas, played by Lucas, preparing to marry his pregnant girlfriend Mitzi, played by Gerber, Maxine must rely on her wit and cunning to prove once and for all that she not only belongs but might just have what it takes to rule Palm Beach.

Speaking about the new series, Wiig told the PA news agency: “In season one, she was really focused on getting into this clique and this club and all of that. She was also quite obedient to her husband Douglas and very submissive in that relationship.

“This season, we’re seeing Maxine outside of that dynamic. It’s interesting to see where her mind goes when she’s finally let loose into the world.”

Wiig admits that while her character is flawed you cannot help but root for her.

“I do think, as far as the underdog goes, you can’t help but root for her, even when she’s doing things that make you think, ‘Oh, please don’t do that,” said Wiig.

“You always understand why she’s doing it. In season one, we really wanted to explore that line, having her do things that seem pretty despicable, like stealing Norma, her mother-in-law’s clothes while she’s in a coma, but still making you like her and root for her.

“Trying to find that balance is really in the writing. Honestly, I don’t even have to do much because the writing does so much of the work. It’s just that good.”

Chardae Robinson, who plays Virginia Lyons, a feminist book store owner who is revealed to be an FBI agent in season two, says her character is one of the most authentic in the series.

“Virginia prides herself on being grounded, but she doesn’t really have a choice,” explains the American actress.

“A lot of the characters actively choose to be part of this society, they decide, ‘I want to belong.’

“But being black in the ’70s, you don’t get that choice. The first thing people notice when she walks into a room is the colour of her skin and that she’s a woman.

“So her struggle with belonging is similar to everyone else’s, but on a whole other level. The others worry about whether they can fit into high society because of how they look or the image they project. She just wants to be accepted for who she is.

“She’s authentic and grounded in her principles but she’s also navigating the challenges society places in her way.”

Palm Royale airs on Apple TV on Wednesday November 12.