The stall, a new series from Disney+ and Star+, joins the recent wave of stories about anti-heroes and questionable success practices. But this time, moreover, it’s a look at new regions of power in a tech-driven world. Elizabeth Holmes, for a while considered the most powerful businesswoman in the world, became a broken idol a few years later. One that took the tricky journey through manipulation, lies, and fraud across Theranos to a whole new level.
The stall, the TV version of the story on Star+, manages to create an uncomfortable perception of contemporary power and influence. Also telling the rise and fall of a kind of commercial success that is always disconcerting.
After all, Holmes even received recognition from Forbes for his management ability and his brilliant career at the top of the recognition of his peers. How could Holmes pull off such a deception and sustain it for such a confusing length of time? What was the central point of a large-scale embezzlement that went unnoticed for several years?
Series The stall try to answer questions honestly and directly. Based on Rebecca Jarvis’ podcast of the same name, the plot goes over every point of what happened in addition to delving into Holmes’ personality. With a solid script and brilliant direction, the show manages to recreate the rise and fall of an ominous personality. And it does it, moreover, with a journey into darkness supported by a brilliant cast that captures the story’s strange ambiguity. We tell you who’s who in a production that chronicles one of Silicon Valley’s biggest recent scandals.
Amanda Seyfried as Series Villain: Elizabeth Holmes
Amanda Seyfried has the daunting task of playing Elizabeth Holmes, the woman who managed to deceive Silicon Valley. The actress took her role seriously and exploited her physical resemblance to Holmes. He managed to deepen his personality and create a strange combination of strength, vulnerability and mystery in The stall.
The actress has put in months of work to achieve an accurate portrayal of the controversial character in her portrayal for Disney+. From mimicking Holmes’ distinctive tone of voice and accent to his rigid body language. Seyfried transformed his interpretation into a means of fully understanding the behavior and also the design of Holmes’ triumph.
Naveen Andrew as Sunny Balwani, the second-in-command of The stall
Sunny Balwani was the former president and chief operating officer of Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes’ company. Both had an intense romantic and professional relationship, which in one way or another was used by Holmes to justify his behavior. In reality, the relationship was a secret throughout the company’s heyday and was hidden from investors.
While Balwani says it was a way to maintain the couple’s “intimacy”, Holmes says it was a form of manipulation. During the trial, text messages and emails were shown revealing the relationship to be a sticking point for Holmes.
In fact, during her trial, Holmes insisted that Balwani abused her emotionally and physically. Balwani denied Holmes’ accusations.
Laurie Metcalf as Doctor Phyllis Gardner in The stall
According to the Rebecca Jarvis podcast, Elizabeth Holmes approached Professor Phyllis Gardner to help field-test her project. Gadner discussed the project on a supposedly revolutionary diagnostic method and ended up refusing to participate. The scientist would later say that she spotted the hoax as part of Project Theranos almost immediately. “She (Holmes) came up with (an idea for) a patch that would detect a microbe and then deliver antibiotics,” Gardner told Refinery29. The professional immediately suspected that something fishy was going on in Holmes’ large-scale plans.
Gardner was later one of the witnesses to Theranos’ downfall. His testimony for John Carreyrou, included in the Wall Street Journal report on the company, was decisive. In the fiction of The stallLaurie Metcalf manages to build a relentless and brilliant version of the character, very close to the real thing.
William H. Macy as Doctor Richard Fuisz
A childhood friend of the Holmes family, a former patent attorney, physician, inventor and businessman, was one of the key points of the investigation against Theranos. His testimony for the article of The Wall Street Journal by John Carreyrou, in which he explained how Holmes stole the patented technology, contributed to his conviction.
William H. Macy managed to create a character in The stall which vividly captures the moral struggles of the real character, as well as his inherent cynicism.
Dylan Minnette as Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz
The grandson of prominent Theranos member George Shultz was one of the first to notice the inconsistencies in the company’s technology proposal. He tried to warn his grandfather several times, without success.
Finally, Tyler Shultz contacted John Carreyrou to explain the irregularities inside Theranos.
In the fiction of The stallTyler Shultz is played by Dylan Minnette, who lends credence to Schulz’s thankless role in the midst of a messy case.
Sam Waterston is Theranos Board Director and Tyler’s grandfather, George Shultz
Economist and politician George Shultz was one of the most prominent figures on Theranos’ board of directors. His resume includes serving as Richard Nixon’s secretary of labor and treasury. Later, he will be President Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of State. With such a political career, his involvement in Theranos was essential for Holmonth. In fact, the scammer spent a lot of time and effort overcoming Schultz’s resistance. And he succeeded: to the last day of his life he supported Holmes or at least refused to testify against him.
Sam Waterston plays the character in The stall solidity and serene strength to an emblematic figure of the American political world.
Stephen Fry is Theranos Chief Scientist in The stall
Ian Gibbons joined the Theranos team in 2005, becoming the scientific face of the company. Also one of its first members to discover that the promises of a revolutionary diagnostic method were impossible to keep.
His opposition to fraudulent verification methods led to his firing, only to be rehired at the request of the rest of his team.
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Gibbons committed suicide in May 2013.. The tragic event occurred after the first hearing of the patent lawsuit between Theranos and Richard Fuisz. When Elizabeth Holmes learned of his death, she sent a member of her staff to demand any “confidential Theranos property”.
In the fiction of The stallGibbons is played by terrific actor Stephen Fry, who effectively captures the scientist’s moral dilemma.
