I have a new title to add to the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix, and it’s Sirens. For me, the thrilling miniseries kind of came out of nowhere, but I’ve been zooming right through it, and it’s very much worth a watch if you have a Netflix subscription. I’m personally almost done with the series, which is currently No. 1 amongst TV shows on the aforementioned platform’s Top 10. At the while, I still can’t stop thinking about that gum swapping scene from the first episode. Now, I’ve learned some wild facts about it.
Sirens does a great job of illustrating how Milly Alcock’s Simone is a bit too close and intimate with her boss early in the series. That’s evident when Julianne Moore’s Michaela asks Simone, her live-in assistant, to help her sext her husband. But the one scene that got me thinking is the moment when Michaela asks Simone to take her gum to improve the scent of her breath as they enter a function. I thought it had to be real, and turns out I was right. Per Alcock:
The gum scene, that was like my first day with her, and I actually ate her gum.
I mean, there wasn’t really any way around it, was there? While I would definitely be repulsed if I saw someone do this in real life, I guess it’s theoretically the same as swapping spit during a make-out scene, which definitely tends to be part of the job of an actor. However, Alcock shared one way it could have been worse:
There was one [take], I thought they were going to use it, you know when you take gum out and it gets caught on your teeth, just a string.
So not only did they swap gum, but they did so for multiple takes. This anecdote sure isn’t for the germaphobes of the world. As it stands, the scene is wild enough, but it would’ve been repulsive had it involved the gum becoming stringy and getting caught in someone’s teeth. It’s interesting that Alcock was sure that particular version would make it in the show. Ultimately, though, I guess the filmmakers decided to spare us on that. (Thanks, guys.)
25-year-old Milly Alcock is just getting her start in Hollywood, and now she has an odd story (or brag?): sharing gum with Oscar winner Julianne Moore. The Australian actor made her breakthrough via the fantasy series House of the Dragon, playing the role of young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. More recently, she wrapped on the Supergirl movie and is expected to make her debut as Kara Zor-El in this summer’s Superman movie.
As for Sirens, Alcock is incredible as Simone, and I’m really enjoying watching her play the assistant to Moore’s enigmatic socialite as her older sister, Devon (played by Meaghan Fahy) rocks the boat of her pastel-colored life when she desperately visits her in hopes of getting some assistance for their sick father. It’s safe to say this is a show that’s going to stick with me, as that gum surely stuck to those teeth.
Check out Sirens for yourself right now. Also, read up on the titles that are set to hit the 2025 Netflix schedule of releases. Also, watch Alcock’s best movie and TV performances.
