Lucy Spiller

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lucy Spiller
First appearance Pilot
Portrayed by Courteney Cox
Episode count 13
Information
Age 42
Date of birth 1966
Date of death
Occupation Editor-in-Chief of DirtNow magazine
Former Editor-in-Chief of Dirt Magazine
Former Editor-in-Chief of Now Magazine
Former Journalist
Family Leo Spiller (brother)
Spouse(s) Holt McLaren (romantic interest)
Tina Herrod (former fling)

Lucinda Jane Spiller is a fictional character on the FX television series Dirt, played by Courteney Cox.

Contents

[edit] Characterization

Lucy is a workaholic with a brilliant eye for a story and little remorse about the lives she tangles with. She is constantly burdened with the guilt of the suicide of her father and the feelings of loneliness which stem from this. She does however, truly and unconditionally love her best friend Don Konkey and her brother Leo. For Don, she goes to great lengths to keep him healthy - on his medication, and she and her brother are also close. She finds herself unable to reach orgasm with anything other than her vibrator until she meets Holt McLaren.

The name of the character Spiller is said to resemble Bonnie Fuller of Star Magazine.[1]

[edit] History

[edit] Season 1

As a teenager, Lucy came home to find her father had committed suicide by hanging himself, which his suicide note promised was for her benefit. Childhood friend Don Konkey was the only one there for her after her mother, and to an extent her brother had tried to move on from this while she was left still grieving.

After graduating college, Lucy went to work for TV Guide where her career was launched by an article on Sammy Winter, the child star of Buster Rules, a fictional Charles in Charge-style 80s sitcom. While working there she befriend future rival Tina Herrod (played by Jennifer Aniston) with whom she would have several sexual encounters, which she later dismisses. She later was chosen to manage both Drrt!, a fictional tabloid and Now, an American institution before deciding she could merge them into a glossy tabloid.

Lucy Spiller runs the magazine DirtNow, (previously two separate magazines), which is marketed as a respectable tabloid. Lucy is under constant pressure to get concrete information on gossip to publish, even bribing her own brother to get photos of his "in closet" star boyfriend. After the suicide of her father when they were younger, Lucy has not had outstanding relationships with men and has trouble having an orgasm, which she mainly gets through her vibrator. However, she slept with Holt McLaren several times and each one had an orgasm. He however seems to want to end that relationship as soon as possible but is drawn to her anyway.

For a period of time, Lucy is stalked by a mysterious stranger who she refuses to accept could be longtime schizophrenic friend Don Konkey, but is more disturbed when it is revealed it had been her brother. She berates her brother on his "sexual indecision" and mislaid projection of his pain over his father's suicide after he accuses her of making victims out of the celebrities she does stories about. After he reveals that he had been suicidal, like her father, he echoes the words in his suicide note, upsetting Lucy.

Celebrity couple Holt McLaren and Julia Mallory's lives are turned upside down by Lucy. Julia's life takes several unfortunate turns, while Holt's career is on the up, but neither of them are happy. After Tina Herrod reveals to Julia about Lucy's relations with Holt - personal and professional, Julia stabs Lucy at her home repeatedly, savagely, and as Farber remarks later in the second season, "almost sexually." Lucy tells Don to come and take pictures of her as she is, and then to call 911 afterwards. The episode ends with her lying in a pool of blood, cradled in his arms.

[edit] Season 2

In the beginning of the second season we see Lucy in the hospital, having fallen into a coma after the attack. She regains consciousness and leaves the hospital early, going right back to work.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly. Cox Dishes Dirt for FX Pilot, The Hollywood Reporter, March 1, 2006.