Meghann Fahy has built a streak of high-profile roles that place her amid luxury, dysfunction, and mystery in pristine coastal settings.

From her Emmy-nominated turn in “The White Lotus” to starring roles in “The Perfect Couple” and Netflix’s latest limited series “Sirens,” Meghann Fahy has become synonymous with characters unraveling in idyllic locations.

“I guess audiences want to see rich people behaving badly in nice places!” Fahy tells The Hollywood Reporter with a laugh.

“I didn’t realize I had done three of those shows in a row until someone pointed it out to me after Sirens. Then I was like, ‘Oh shit, I gotta do something else.’”

Choosing Complex Characters

In The Perfect Couple, Fahy plays Merritt, a woman longing for connection. “Merritt seemed like somebody who desperately wanted a family. That’s her motivation,” Meghann Fahy explains.

“She’s lonely. She wants to create something for herself.”

Despite its soapy murder mystery plot, the show roots itself in emotional yearning. But not every creative decision was an instant hit with the cast.

The now-notorious flash mob in the opening credits? “None of us wanted to do it,” Meghann Fahy admits. “I really struggle with learning choreography. But in the end, it worked. People talked about it.”

The Toll of Water Work

Fahy has endured physical extremes to bring her characters to life, especially in aquatic scenes. The White Lotus may have begun her “water work” era, but The Perfect Couple took it to another level.

“I had to get a lifecast made for my dead body. It took all day. It was uncomfortable,” she recalls. “And even then, we spent so much time in the actual water. At the end of the day, my whole body was shaking. Jack Reynor said, ‘If I read a script and there’s water in it, I’m not doing it.’ And now I get it.”

A Love for Dark Comedy

Fahy’s most recent project, Sirens, is where she felt the greatest creative shift. Playing Devon, the punk sister in a spiraling sibling relationship, offered her an edge she hadn’t explored onscreen before.

“I’ve never loved a character this way,” Meghann Fahy says. “Devon is so different from anything I had done. She doesn’t care what people think, and that was so freeing. I wasn’t thinking about how I looked because Devon wouldn’t.”

Building Bonds and Stretching Skills

Meghann Fahy’s chemistry with Sirens co-star Milly Alcock, who plays her sister Simone, grew organically. “We hung out in New York a lot before filming. Milly is actually more like Devon in real life, kind of punk. So for her, it was easy to drop into those dramatic moments.”

The show’s emotional centerpiece is a scene in episode two—a one-take, eight-page dialogue between the sisters. “It was rare and incredible. One of my favorite days on any set,” Fahy says.

To decompress, Fahy turned to a different kind of drama. “I started Dawson’s Creek. It helped me disconnect.”

Breaking the Typecast

With her recent string of roles, some wonder if Meghann Fahy risks typecasting. She acknowledges the concern. “Most people met me in White Lotus as Daphne. I love her, but I’m so different energetically. Devon’s comedic sensibility is more who I am.”

Fahy hopes Sirens shows her range. “If you haven’t done something before, people can be skeptical. But I wanted to prove I could step into this different space.”

What’s Next for Meghann Fahy?

Fahy is currently filming The Good Daughter opposite Rose Byrne and Brendan Gleeson. “It’s intense, with lots of Southern dialogue. Rose is a legend, and I just shot a scene with Brendan yesterday. I was pinching myself.”

She’ll move on to The Banquet later this year and then take a well-earned break. “After I’ve been really busy, I plan a trip somewhere I’ve never been. That’s how I treat myself.”