Gideon Adlon’s third credit of her acting career was going toe-to-toe with her mother, Jewish actress Pamela Adlon, in the FX series “Better Things.” While few actresses could hope for a better dance partner early on than their own mom, it showed us the ferocity and quickness that Gideon brought to the table.

Six years later, she’s moving into bigger waters. Instead of grabbing small, one-episode roles on television shows, Adlon has a bigger chunk of the spotlight in the new NBC show, “The Thing About Pam.” Renee Zellweger is grabbing most of the headlines for her lead performance as real-life convicted killer Pamela Hupp, but Adlon’s work as Mariah Day is also making waves.

According to the actress, who was born in Los Angeles in 1997,  it’s a very meaningful role that leaves a bigger dent than most. Adlon elaborated on the opportunity, and power behind playing such a real person on her Instagram page.

“Portraying Mariah Day in #thethingaboutpam was an experience I will never forget,” Adlon said in an Instagram post. “Mariah is so strong. I was lucky enough to speak with her on the phone at the beginning of this process and I cannot thank her enough for being so open with me.”

Playing Mariah

Imagine the feeling of taking on such a role. You are portraying someone who has suffered a horrific tragedy in losing her mother in a gruesome, and very publicized, murder, as well as her father being charged and convicted of the crime, only to be exonerated years later. When done right, though, courageous roles pay big dividends.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by gidvicious hummingbird (@gideonadlon)

Building a career

Before “Pam” came along, Adlon’s biggest rolls were a pair of films. “Blockers” featured the haywire adventures of three sets of parents as they attempt to derail their daughters from a terrible prom night. She portrayed the daughter of Ike Barinholtz’s Hunter, who befriended the two other girls in kindergarten and now sees them as sisters making a big leap together closer to adulthood. John Cena and Leslie Mann co-starred, and the film was very funny.

Adlon’s striking screen feature is her eyes. They pierce and convince all at once without too much effort. When you’re exchanging zingers with Cena and Mann, you must be quick and memorable. It’s those attributes that helped her make an impact in a much more serious role in “The Mustang.”

The Mustang

The 2019 drama starred Matthias Schoenaerts as a convict who participates in a rehabilitation program created to bring two wild beasts together with the hopes of taming each of them. Adlon had a small part as Schoenaerts’ estranged daughter. She was only in a few scenes, but those piercing eyes stuck with you every time her dad made a mistake in prison. Her innocence, and his drive to be better, loomed over the film.

“The Thing About Pam” places those sad yet knowing eyes into a similar yet much different vice grip for six episodes. of the show. The next credit is new territory for the actress.

What’s Next

“Sick” doesn’t have a release date yet, but it has Adlon in the starring role. She plays Parker, who entices her friends to hide away during the pandemic at a secluded lake house. From there, it’s not hard to see where the thriller/horror could be going, but it’s a big step for Adlon.

There’s a lot of interesting things about the soon-to-be 25-year-old. She is the descendent of a famous Rabbi, NAME???>? according to a Finding Your Roots episode in January. Her Instagram page is littered with adorable childhood videos and snapshots with her mother and siblings. Along with getting to know the actress, you’ll meet the coolest grandmother on the planet.

ADLON also loves to cook, saying in one post that she’s “a good Jewish lady very focused on feeding all her friends pasta al limone.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHYY2TwF2cP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link