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
Tuscaloosa man sentenced to 24 years in prison for drug crimes

Tuscaloosa resident receives 24-year prison term for drug-related offenses

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A man from Tuscaloosa was sentenced for his…
St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic School to close due to funding issues in Prospect Heights, Illinois

Funding Challenges Lead to Closure of St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic School in Prospect Heights, Illinois

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) — A school in Prospect Heights announced it…
President Donald Trump on the phone in the Oval Office.

Trump Suggests Vatican as Possible Venue for Ukraine Peace Negotiations Following Lengthy Call with Putin

DONALD Trump says the Vatican could host Ukraine peace talks after a…
Ursula von der Leyen and Keir Starmer meeting.

Keir Starmer Announces Major Compromise as Brexit Agreement Reached, Leading UK Back Into Close Ties with Europe

SIR Keir Starmer’s Brexit ‘surrender summit’ deal has been agreed this morning…
Bruce Springsteen ignores question about Trump feud while signing autographs

Bruce Springsteen Sidesteps Trump Feud Query During Autograph Signing

Bruce Springsteen, the iconic singer-songwriter often referred to as “The Boss,” chose…
Man charged after allegedly touching passenger, their food on plane

Man Accused of Inappropriate Contact with Passenger and Their Food on Plane

A man accused of touching a female passenger and sticking his hands…
ComEd electricity price hike coming June 1, Citizens Utility Board warns

Citizens Utility Board Alerts: ComEd to Raise Electricity Rates Starting June 1

CHICAGO (WLS) — Your monthly ComEd bill could soon be going up…

TikToker Emilie Kiser Reflects on Cherished Moments with Son Trigg, 3, Before Tragic Accident

A TikTok influencer recently expressed the importance of treasuring moments with her…
LA County DA Nathan Hochman promises crackdown on illegal immigrants: 'The fun is over'

LA County DA Nathan Hochman Vows to Take Strong Action Against Undocumented Immigrants: ‘No More Leniency’

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman, known for his tough stance on…
Teen engineering student dies after 'intentional' gunfire penetrates floor during party

Engineering student loses life as gunshot pierces floor at party

A student from a college in Michigan lost his life in what…
Here's what to do if your car was damaged in the JAX airport parking garage fire

Here’s When You Can Retrieve Your Car from the JAX Airport Garage After the Fire

Members of the Jacksonville Aviation Authority Board said around 600 parking spaces…
Father and two children lying in bed.

TikToker Emilie Kiser Shares Heartbreaking Last Video of Her 3-Year-Old Son Trigg Before Accident

WELL-KNOWN TikToker Emilie Kiser posted a video showing her husband in bed…