Another successful project from writer, director, and comedian Judd Apatow is the original Netflix series, "love." In this show, a nerdy, insecure, but kindhearted man, named Gus, embarks on a wild adventure in the form of a romance with wild beauty and recovering alcoholic, Mickey. The show is in its third season, diving deeper into the relationship between Mickey and Gus, their idiosyncrasies, and the relationships between the supporting cast. In this season, we have the pleasure of seeing a memorable performance from Vanessa Bayer.
'Sarah From College'
As the show progresses, the layers of these characters and their history start to peel away.
While Mickey is used to airing all of her dirty laundry, Gus is more guarded for fear of rejection. Season 3 starts to expose secrets about Gus and his past. In one episode titled, “Sarah from college,” Mickey and Gus attend a wedding of one of Gus’s former college friends. From the get-go, Mickey is her usual laid back and snarky self, but Gus is acting more anxious than usual. It's revealed that a former girlfriend named Sarah, played by Vanessa Bayer, is also attending the wedding. Not only was she a girlfriend of Gus, he actually proposed to her. This, of course, spurs tension between Gus and Mickey as the night continues.
Vanessa Bayers her soul
The tumultuous evening ends with Gus driving his inebriated former fiance back to her hotel and escorting her back to her room.
While we're all on edge expecting her to make a move on her former beau, Vanessa delivers a raw and genuine performance. The character of Sarah reveals her pitfalls with love as she had found herself in the arms of a married man after separating from Gus six years prior. Through smudged mascara and complete vulnerability, she opens up to him about how she never envisioned breaking apart a family and having that same man leave her in the end.
Vanessa's character says a very poignant line that could resonate with a lot of people. She says, "Now I'm at this weird age where like I'm too young to be divorced, but I'm too old to be like dating everybody. And I'm too old for my career and now I don't have any of it." Vanessa's performance really has you empathizing for her character and you can see the pity in Gus' eyes.
Vanessa's background
Vanessa Bayer is originally from Ohio and attended the University of Pennsylvania for communications. Bayer was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 15 where she found her love for comedy and it's ability to provide relief in times of stress. She interned on "Sesame Street" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
Her claim to fame was when she landed a role on "Saturday Night Live." Other female actors have first launched their careers at "SNL" like Kristen Wiig, who was just cast as Cheetah in the upcoming "Wonder Woman" film. It was there that everyone could see her talent with popular characters like "Bar Mitzvah Boy" and "Rachel from Friends." Even though this role on "Love" was one small step toward the dramatic genre, it is clear that she has incredible talent and we will be seeing much more of her not only in comedies but all movie genres.
There are many comedians who seem to have incredible talent as dramatic actors like Robin Williams and even Amy Schumer, who is a classically trained actor. Some of Schumer's more dramatic scenes in "Trainwreck" (also starring Bayer) and her role in "Thank You For Your Service," are quite impressive. Keep your eyes on the horizon for Vanessa Bayer. She's a real talent.
