"Dying For Sex" Trailer: Michelle Williams Embarks on a Bold Journey of Love, Liberation, and Loss in This New FX Series with Jenny Slate

Based on the true story and hit Wondery podcast, this FX limited series explores one woman’s pursuit of pleasure and meaning after a life-changing diagnosis.

To be an American is to be innately uncomfortable with the subject of sex, sexuality, and anything that brings pleasure. It’s like the '60s never happened, man. So maybe now is the perfect time to tackle these subjects head-on in a new FX series—preferably one starring Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, Sissy Spacek, Jay Duplass, and Rob Delaney.

Dying For Sex isn’t just a provocative title; it’s an honest exploration of the complexity of sexual liberty, particularly female liberation. This eight-episode limited drama is not only based on a true story but also delves into the freedom that comes from fully understanding one’s own urges and desires.

Michelle Williams stars as Molly, a woman who has just been diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage for years, Molly decides—with the encouragement of her overly supportive best friend, Nikki (played by Jenny Slate)—to leave her husband and embark on a self-described “sex quest” to reconnect with her desires and finally experience happiness and satisfaction, perhaps for the first time in her life.

Executive produced by Elizabeth Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock, the creative minds behind New Girl, Dying For Sex is based on Molly Kochan and Nikki Boyer’s popular Wondery podcast of the same name.

The six-part podcast featured Nikki narrating her experiences of being a supportive friend to Molly during her cancer treatment and sexual awakening. Tragically, Molly passed away in March 2019, but not before completing her best-selling memoir, Screw Cancer: Becoming Whole, which was published posthumously.

The FX series also stars Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek as Molly’s mother, with Jay Duplass playing Steve, Molly’s soon-to-be ex-husband. Rob Delaney takes on the role of one of the many suitors Molly encounters on her journey.

Side note: Rob Delaney, best known as Deadpool’s lovable mustachioed pal Peter, has also openly shared his own experience with profound loss. His best-selling memoir, A Heart That Works, details his journey through grief after the tragic death of his 2-and-a-half-year-old son from a brain tumor, offering an unflinching look at navigating parenthood, love, and loss.

Dying For Sex premieres April 4th on FX and Hulu/Disney+, with all episodes available for streaming. Watch the trailer, above.

Here’s the show’s official synopsis:

FX’s “Dying for Sex” is inspired by the story of Molly Kochan, originally shared on a Wondery podcast created with her best friend, Nikki Boyer. After Molly receives a diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, she decides to leave her husband Steve, and begins to explore the full breadth and complexity of her sexual desires for the first time in her life. She gets the courage and support to go on this adventure from her best friend Nikki, who stays by her side until the very end.