Palm Royale star Laura Dern says love from her LGBTQ+ fans has been ‘the greatest gift ever’
Laura Dern knows she’s a gay icon. (Valerie Macon/Getty)
Laura Dern knows she's a gay icon. (Valerie Macon/Getty)
Gay icon Laura Dern has thanked her LGBTQ+ fans during the press tour for the second season of Palm Royale.
The 58-year-old Blue Velvet and Jurassic Park star has been a long-time queer ally on and off-screen.
Notably, she is part of LGBTQ+ pop culture history as she made a guest appearance on ’90s sitcom Ellen when Ellen DeGeneres’ Ellen publicly came out to Dern’s character. It was one of the first prominent coming-out moments on television.
‘The Puppy Episode’ also marked the same year DeGeneres came out as a lesbian in real life.
Reflecting on the steadfast support she’s received from the LGBTQ+ community, Dern told PRIDE: “There’s nothing more incredible!
“I am honoured to have incredible support. My origin story of really knowing the connection I was privileged to be a part of was Ellen’s ‘Puppy Episode.’
“It’s so crazy that it wasn’t that long ago.”
She also noted that her connection with the community came through fan letters expressing what the episode meant to them.
“In fact, a letter from a grandmother who was thanking Ellen and I for helping her get closer to and understand her grandson was one of my favourite letters that I ever received,” Dern said.
“We can work together to open up a sense of compassion and empathy that sadly is not there from those who live in fear.
“To be welcomed into community, for me, has been the greatest gift ever! For us as producers, we want you to be happy! That means the world.”
What do the reviews of Palm Royale say?
Reviews of Palm Royale season 2 are a mixed bag. Currently, the show has a 56% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Based on Juliet McDaniel’s 2018 novel Mr. & Mrs. American Pie, Palm Royale follows the ambitious Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Kristen Wiig). She is determined to climb the social ladder and make a name for herself in late 1960s Florida.
IndieWire shared a favourable review, writing: “But Palm Royale isn’t just about more, more, more. It also rewards viewers’ acute attention and active curiosity.
“The meticulous language, gorgeous sets, and gasp-worthy costumes are foundational elements of equal if not greater importance to the narrative itself.”
Meanwhile, Next Best Picture outlines: “Unfortunately, the show does little to make us care about keeping up.
Also, Decider adds: “We keep trying to have some patience with Palm Royale, but this show is still too much in love with the visuals, needle drops and word salads it pushes out to viewers, and its characters remain ciphers we find a hard time caring about.”
Will Palm Royale have season 3?
Currently, there is no confirmation for a third season of Palm Royale.
However, the entirety of season two hasn’t yet been released, so there’s still time for a renewal announcement.
Where is Palm Royale filmed?
Palm Royale is predominantly shot in Los Angeles, California, but some sequences are filmed in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Palm Royale Country Club in Florida isn’t a real location and is pieced together with shots of other places.
These stand-in locations include the Bel-Air Bay Club in LA, a South Pasadena mansion and a Bel-Air compound.
How to watch season 2 of Palm Royale?
Palm Royale season 2 is now available to stream on Apple TV.
The first episode debuted on November 12, the second on November 19. A new episode will drop every Wednesday until the season finale on January 14, 2026.
