Death Becomes Her might not have come out on top at this year’s Tony Awards — but the cast is riding the high of their viral TikTok sound.
“That fabulous Jennifer Simard is everything,” Michelle Williams told Us Weekly exclusively on the Tony Awards red carpet in New York City on Sunday, June 8.
Simard, 54, has been going viral on TikTok for the past few weeks after social media users discovered the song “Hit Me” from Death Becomes Her. More specifically, the line where she sings: “That. Was. Rude … that was pretty f***ing rude.”
Based on the film of the same name starring Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep, the musical — which has Megan Hilty going up against Simard — follows a similar story of two women who drink a potion to keep them young forever. The “that was rude” moment comes after Hilty’s Madeline Ashton shoots frenemy Simard’s Helen Sharp in the stomach. Since they’re both dead, there’s no real harm done, just the creation of a catchy one-liner.
@deathbecomesbway This feels good. #hitme #thatwasrude #deathbecomesher #jennifersimard #meganhilty #christophersieber
♬ Hit Me – Megan Hilty & Christopher Sieber & Jennifer Simard
Not only have theatergoers taken to filming that particular moment while in the crowd (something Us Weekly does not condone), but other social media users have also put their own spin on the song. Videos set to the sound generally show the TikToker satirically sharing some minor inconvenience in their life set to the song.
Williams, 45, explained to Us on Sunday how the viral moment has impacted the stage show.
“[The audience], they’re anticipating that [line],” Williams said. “When they hear it, everybody goes crazy.”
For the musical, Williams took on the role of Viola, who is similar to the film’s character Lisle von Rhuman, played by Isabella Rossellini.
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“I studied,” Williams told Us when asked how she prepared to take on this Broadway role. “There are a couple singers I studied, a couple actresses that I studied. Then Isabella Rossellini, I wanted to give her that respect too of the iconic role that she created.”
Rossellini, 72, even went to the show earlier this year — which was a major moment for Williams.
“She hugged me and said she was proud,” the actress recalled. “I said, ‘That’s all I need.’”
Death Becomes Her was up for nine Tony Awards on Sunday, including Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical nods for both Hilty and Simard. The show lost in eight categories, taking home a win for Best Costume Design of a Musical.
