NYC Ballet principal dancer Unity Phelan moonlights as a TV star on ‘Étoile’: ‘Cherry on top’
Share this @internewscast.com

Unity Phelan’s acting résumé has range, to say the least.

In the last six years, she’s appeared in a brutal and bloody blockbuster action film, a mind-bending auteurist drama and a fizzy TV comedy series. 

But the projects have one thing in common: In all of them, she wears ballet shoes.

Phelan, a principal with the New York City Ballet, has become Hollywood’s ballerina. 

She was learning the ropes as an assassin in “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” with Keanu Reeves, dazzled as a dancer in a corridor in Charlie Kaufman’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” and now takes on a secondary role in the series “Étoile” from the creators of “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, available on Prime Video.

“This all feels like a delightful bonus,” Phelan, 30, shared with The Post after rehearsing with the New York City Ballet. “It’s the perfect cherry on top of my career.”

And she’s had quite a career. Critics have called the five-foot-eight dancer “incandescent.”

Born in Princeton, NJ, Phelan studied at the Princeton Ballet School from a young age, while also nurturing a passion for musical theater.

“I was passionate about Broadway and have always loved singing,” she mentioned. “My entire family enjoys singing. My dad and sister are both in choirs, and my parents actually met through singing.”

So, while learning how to pirouette, Phelan also refined her belting and jazz squares.

“I went to a camp called Ghostlight Theater Camp [in Maine] religiously as long as I could until I got into New York City Ballet,” she added.

Those acting chops she picked up years ago have finally come in handy in “Étoile,” an eight-episode series about the creative and romantic hijinks at two ballet companies: The Metropolitan Ballet Theater (a stand-in for the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center) and Le Ballet National in Paris.

Phelan plays Julie, a star dancer who’s replaced after she topples over while foolishly filming a TikTok video in high-heel Louboutins. 

“It’s the first time I’ve spoken on camera and actually acted and worked on scenes,” she said. “The other ones I danced in I was primarily silent and did some acting with my face, but not with my voice. And so this was a tester for me.”

Off-camera, Phelan got useful tips from Tony Award-nominated Broadway star and “Maestro” actor Gideon Glick, who plays eccentric choreographer Tobias Bell.

“Gideon has become a close friend of mine,” she said. “We had a couple scenes together. We got to hang out a lot. He’s amazing and so much fun and was so giving.”

The more-experienced actors had to pick up some new tricks, too. The non-dancers, like Glick, 36, and French actress Lou de Laâge, as world-renowned ballerina Cheyenne Toussaint, had their own beginner ballet classes, Phelan said.

They worked hard to create an unusual dance story. Often backstage ballet dramas, such as the psychological horror movie “Black Swan,” are pitch dark and filled with vicious personal vendettas and body dysmorphia. Sherman-Palladino told Phelan “Étoile” would be different.

“Amy, from the beginning, she was, like, ‘I’m so excited you’re gonna be here,’” she recalled. “‘We’re not gonna do anorexia. We’re not gonna do dancers stab each other in the back. We’re not going to do the lipstick on the mirror in the dressing room. We’re going to be as true to form as it can be while still making it dramatic.’”

Phelan added that, while heightened, “Étoile” really does look a lot like what actually goes on backstage at the David H. Koch Theater. 

“Obviously it’s dramatized,” she said. “But there’s moments of it where I’m like, ‘Yep, that happens and that’s very real and that is a lot like what our day is.’”

Phelan, a cheerful workaholic, kept a packed schedule during the three-month filming process. She danced at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the Vail Dance Festival in Colorado, as well as in Saratoga, Mexico and Copenhagen. 

But the “Étoile” experience was a special one.

“It’s still crazy to me that I got to be a part of this as an actor,” Phelan said. “It’s really cool.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Brown University shooting: Timeline of terror that left 2 dead, 9 injured

Brown University Alumnus Shares Harrowing Experience of Surviving Two Campus Shootings as Police Release Suspect

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A graduate student at Brown University, who has now…
President Trump signs executive order classifying fentanyl as ‘weapon of mass destruction’

Trump Labels Fentanyl a ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’ in New Executive Order

In a decisive move on Monday, President Trump signed an executive order…
At least 10 dead after mass shooting during Hanukkah event on Australia's Bondi Beach

Revealed: Months-Long Intelligence Alert on Iranian-Linked Terror Threats Prior to Bondi Incident

Senior Israeli intelligence officials have disclosed that Australia received warnings months in…
Zelenskyy says peace proposals to end the war in Ukraine could be presented to Russia within days

Zelenskyy Teases Imminent Peace Proposals: A New Chapter in the Ukraine-Russia Conflict?

In Kyiv, Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that negotiations with U.S. officials…
Trump Treasury Adopts Biden Stance on Brazil Courts; Bolsonaro

Trump Treasury Aligns with Biden’s Approach on Brazilian Judiciary and Bolsonaro

The Trump administration has lifted sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre…
Candace Owens, Erika Kirk Meet Over Charlie Kirk Death Texts

Explosive Meeting: Candace Owens and Erika Kirk Address Controversial Charlie Kirk Death Rumors

Erika Kirk and Candace Owens have agreed to pause their public clash…
7 dead after small plane crashes near Toluca International Airport while attempting emergency landing

Tragic Plane Crash Near Toluca Airport Claims 7 Lives During Emergency Landing Attempt

In a tragic incident on Monday, a small aircraft attempting an emergency…
Report: House Republican Healthcare Bill Lowers Obamacare Premiums by 12 Percent, Saves $30 Billion

House Republican Healthcare Bill Promises 12% Decrease in Obamacare Premiums, Saves Taxpayers $30 Billion Annually

In a recent development, the House Republican healthcare bill is projected to…
Brown University was ‘soft target’ for shooter who remains at large, criminal profiler says

Criminal Profiler Identifies Brown University as Vulnerable Target in Ongoing Search for At-Large Shooter

In what experts are calling a tragic breach of security, Brown University…
JetBlue pilot calls Air Force near-miss 'outrageous' after tanker crosses flight path

JetBlue Pilot Outraged by Near-Miss After Air Force Tanker Crosses Path: An Aviation Safety Alarm

A JetBlue aircraft narrowly averted a potential midair collision with a U.S.…
'You will be caught': Family speaks after Jacksonville father killed outside Paxon Shopping Center

Justice Sought: Family Speaks Out After Tragic Loss of Father at Jacksonville’s Paxon Shopping Center

“We might not catch you today,” declared Corey Denmark’s family in the…
Accountability and ethics in City Hall

Exploring Accountability and Ethics in Municipal Governance

As Zohran Mamdani prepares to step into the role of Mayor this…