Funny, Fierce & Fearless

The Kitchen Costars Got Serious For Their New Film But Can’t Help Cracking Up As They Talk Friendship, Freebies And . . . Odd Drink Orders

- Mia Mcniece

In their new movie The Kitchen, Tiffany Haddish, 39, Melissa McCarthy, 48, and Elisabeth Moss, 37, take on the roles of tough-talking Mob wives who gain control of New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in the 1970s after their husbands are sent to prison. Despite the cast’s comedic caliber, the gritty drama is a far cry from McCarthy’s and Haddish’s previous laugh-out-loud films, such as Girls Trip and Bridesmaids—though it’s less of a departure for Moss, known for her acclaimed TV series The Handmaid’s Tale and Mad Men. The women’s characters, Ruby, Kathy and Claire, often go to unthinkable lengths to stay alive (both killing their enemies and gruesomely disposing of their bodies), and the film tackles tough topics such as sexism, racism and spousal abuse.

But as with their previous projects, at the heart of the film is a message about female friendship. “It’s a story of three women from very different lives who live in the same neighborhood with the same problem and come together to survive,” says Moss of the film, which also stars Domhnall Gleeson and Common. Offscreen, the stars formed an equally strong connection. “Working on a film is like summer camp,” says McCarthy. “It’s what I love most about making movies. There’s probably no other place where this congregation of people would happen. You get to really know them, and it becomes so personal so fast. I will always feel close to them.” The trio shared plenty of laughs as they talked texting, drinking and bonding. “They are my best friends,” says Haddish. “We are sisters.”

None of you had ever worked together before. What were your first impressions of each other?