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Hulu's The Girl From Plainville is a whole new perspective and narrative covering the case of Michelle Carter and Conrad (Coco) Roy III.
According to reports, in 2014, Roy committed suicide after messaging Carter, who urged him to take his own life. Now, in 2022, the Hulu series has depicted the narrative on the small-screen, with Colton Ryan playing Conrad Roy III.
The Girl From Plainville narrates the story of Michelle Carter's relationship with Roy in the months leading up to his demise. So, what happened to Conrad Roy? The story goes that Connor took his life by breathing in carbon monoxide gasses inside a parked truck.
Two teenagers, leaked text messages, and many more secrets are unveiled as the series takes audiences to a clearer viewpoint of the tragic incident.
Colton Ryan's career and his role as Conrad Roy III in The Girl from Plainville
Colton Ryan's career took off when he co-starred in Bob Dylan's Broadway musical titled Girl from the North Country and triumphed as a sad teen in the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. What's given, however, is that Hulu's miniseries titled The Girl From Plainville will have the most influence on him as an actor.
The eight-episode series is based on the infamous and heartbreaking Massachusetts 2014 suicide case of an 18 -year-old boy named Conrad Roy III (nicknamed Coco), who made national news. The miniseries was created with the intention of providing people with clarity regarding the incident that shook the nation.
Michelle Carter (Elle Fanning), a Plainville girl from a middle-class family, and Ryan's blue-collar Roy, a Fairhaven teenager, meet on vacation in Florida and have an emotionally intense attachment through the internet. Although the two did not meet a lot or have a physical relationship, they bonded on an overly intense level.
Unfortunately, their bond comes to an abrupt end when Roy commits suicide, and Carter gets accused of involuntary manslaughter. Colton Ryan started off by conducting extensive research on Roy's life when he was cast as the teenager in The Girl From Plainville.
Variety reported that while rehearsing for his part, Ryan even talked to a member of the Roy family and did not reveal details about his knowledge. He visited Roy's residence in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, as well as the Kmart parking lot, where he took his own life.
More about Ryan's role as Roy in the Hulu series
The Girl From Plainville follows the two teenagers' connection leading up to Coco's death in 2014, as well as the lawsuit that ensued after. Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2017 and was released in January 2020 after completing 11 out of the 15 months of her sentence.
Ryan's portrayal of Coco in the Hulu series is his second bow depicting a character who suffered a similar demise, the first being his performance as Connor Murphy in the Broadway musical and film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen.
In an interview with Variety, the budding actor revealed that he and his family are aware of the coincidences. He recalled,
"I think you can already imagine what that phone call to my mother was like. She sort of like, ‘Should I know something? Do I need to be worried?’ And I asked myself that same question. It’s just an introspective thing you start thinking, like, what is it about me that I bring to this dark place?"
He stated that he has experienced a great deal of loss in his personal life:
"I lost people a lot when I was really young, and I sort of feel like an armchair expert on that. I feel very useful."
In the same interview with Variety, Ryan confirmed that the cast of the series worked closely at hand with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as well as other social workers. He also spoke about his visit to Coco's hometown, the Kmart parking lot, and a conversation with the teenager's family member:
"I really wanted to just know what the other parts of the days looked like — the times with his mom and sisters, the guys in the boat talking about how he’s funny, imaginative, whip smart, sarcastic."
He added,
"He sent memes back and forth to his mother. Things that are just full of joy, full of lightness. I wanted to know what that really looked like. That was my mission — to remind people that as complicated as it was, he was a boy first and foremost, and he lived a life."
The visit helped him learn a significant deal about Roy, which later on showed in his portrayal in The Girl From Plainville.
