Anyone who’s accustomed to seeing Julianne Nicholson in melancholy roles like Ivy Weston from August: Osage County or Lori Ross from Mare of Easttown were no doubt shocked — albeit delightfully — to see her cutting the rug as a quirky influencer this season on Hacks.

Affectionately named Dance Mom, Nicholson’s character is recruited by Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) and Kayla (Megan Stalter) to perform on Deborah’s (Jean Smart) fledgling late-night show. The hope is that her big presence on social media — where Dance Mom posts bubbly videos of herself performing wacky, old-school choreography — could help juice ratings.

“I’m more than just heartbreak,” Nicholson jokes about transitioning from heavy, dramatic roles like the one she currently plays on Hulu’s Paradise to the slapstick of Hacks. “That’s been one of the most fun things about it, just flipping the script in that way when people are expecting a certain thing and you can still surprise them. Like, what a gift.”

The Hacks creators wanted Nicholson for an earlier season but she couldn’t work out the timing. Fortunately, for the UK-based Nicholson — who’s a self-described “huge fan” of the Max show — the team reached out again and pitched this “chunkier” arc that could be filmed in one week in Los Angeles.

Before production began, however, Nicholson studied with London-based choreographer Corey Baker to pick up some mad skills for her breakout performance.

“You can go onto the internet to the TikTok, the Instagram, and there are people out there who are committed to these dances,” explains Nicholson. “Dance Mom has a very loose history with dance, but it’s more about creating a TikTok dance for a middle-aged woman. It’s sort of like bringing old school dance class into the moment.”

“I love dancing, but I don’t fancy myself a good dancer, to be clear,” continues Nicholson. “Corey is the goofiest, silliest guy, so it felt so effortless. We always laughed. On one of the short little TikTok bursts, I put my thumb up and nod. That was another one that really cracked us up every time.”