Reviewed by: Lauren Perry
Love in Fairhope—an interview with the cast + producer
Reading time: 5 minutes
Hulu’s new series set in South Alabama, Love in Fairhope, is a “uniquely unscripted romance series” featuring five women and their experiences with “reimagined romance” in different stages of life (Hulu).
To get the inside scoop, The Bama Buzz spoke with producer Lauren Weber and cast member Claiborne Walsh. Here’s what we found out.
About Love in Fairhope—featuring the producer
When producer Lauren Weber created the concept for Love in Fairhope, she had never visited Alabama. She just “had a hunch that this region would be great for a backdrop.”
After booking a trip to Pensacola, Weber rented a car and drove along the coast. She had researched Magnolia Springs, and stopped there first. “It was beautiful, but it was too small.”
So she kept searching. The owner of an inn told her to stop by Fairhope, and Weber didn’t realize that she’d discover the perfect location there.
“The minute I drove along the scenic highway with the Spanish moss and then pulled up into Main Street and sat and ate lunch and saw how people interacted, it just clicked.”
Lauren Weber, producer, Love in Fairhope
After that, she moved to Fairhope temporarily with her producing partner and started casting by word of mouth. They worked with local business owners and realtors, simply asking if they knew anybody—of varying ages—that would be a good fit for Love in Fairhope.
“We knew we wanted to cast from 20 to 80. We wanted it to be multigenerational, and everybody knows everybody and everybody. It was easy to sort of navigate. And then we started camera testing with a local videographer, and these these five women just lit up the screen.”
Lauren Weber, producer, Love in Fairhope
One of the women who lit up the screen was Claiborne Walsh. Here’s what she had to say about Love in Fairhope.
Hearing from the cast of Love in Fairhope
Claiborne Walsh hadn’t even heard of Love in Fairhope when someone told her that they had recommended her to be on the show. Walsh said that she “didn’t think a whole lot of it”—until they contacted her and set up an interview at her home.
“We sat here for like 2 or 3 hours, and they absolutely didn’t want to leave. So, there you go. I must’ve made some kind of impression. I’m not sure what kind, but I did.”
Claiborne Walsh, cast member, Love in Fairhope
Walsh had some experience on camera, having been in a movie filmed in Fairhope many years ago. So, she wasn’t nervous to be in front of the camera.
She got to the set a bit early, because she loves to get to know the cast.
“Everybody’s got a story. Everybody’s got a story, and loved them to death. I loved the people I worked with. It was just so much fun and so entertaining and so informative.”
Claiborne Walsh, cast member, Love in Fairhope
Walsh, while not a Fairhope native, was familiar with the area from a young age. Her family had a summer home there, so she went back and forth between Mobile and Fairhope as a child.
When Walsh married, she and her husband moved to the Eastern Shore. Even though they moved around, they kept that house and kept coming back to the bay.
Fast-forward to about two years ago. Walsh’s husband passed after battling stage four cancer, pneumonia, a blood clot in his leg and dementia.
“It was bad…I was sad, but it was a relief at the same time, to know that he wasn’t suffering anymore.”
Claiborne Walsh, cast member, Love in Fairhope
After that, Walsh’s life changed a lot. She had to sell her house and buy a new one, and the rent on her consignment shop—which she had owned for nearly 12 years—tripled.
Needless to say, Walsh had endured a difficult time before she was cast on Love in Fairhope. However, her sense of humor still shone through in the show, as well as her love for Fairhope.
When asked what her favorite part of the town is, Walsh responded, “Everything.”
“The people are warm and gracious. The trees have Spanish moss hanging down, the wisteria comes out, the azaleas bloom, the dogwoods, the winds off the bay, the sunsets. Oh my gosh, I can’t name just one thing. There’s so much.”
Claiborne Walsh, cast member, Love in Fairhope
Falling in love with Fairhope
It seems the affinity for Fairhope is contagious, because producer Lauren Weber fell in love with it too.
“The beauty and the magic and the kindness of the people, the multigenerational families, the faith…
It was the perfect backdrop for our show. While making the show I fell in love with it.”
Lauren Weber, producer, Love in Fairhope
She fell in love with it so much that she moved to Fairhope. Now, her family’s relocated there as well.
“I have a deep sense of pride for the community, and I hope that the show highlights all the good things about it, because it’s such a special, unique place.”
Lauren Weber, producer, Love in Fairhope
In the show, Weber wanted to capture the kindness and community of Fairhope, which she said is “infused in our show in ways that I think are just sort of woven into the storytelling.”
If you haven’t seen that storytelling yet, you can catch Love in Fairhope now streaming on Hulu.
Explore more of Fairhope
We love Fairhope just as much as Claiborne and Lauren. Here are some of our favorite guides to the magical town:
- 5 must-visit spots in Fairhope’s French Quarter
- 7 exciting things to do in Fairhope for a romantic weekend getaway
- 5 reasons to love downtown Fairhope (with pictures)
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