Netflix Miniseries 'Maid' Filmed the Extremes of Single Motherhood Around This Popular City
Published Oct. 2 2021, 2:52 p.m. ET
New on Netflix in October is the miniseries Maid, based on Stephanie Land’s 2019 memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. Margaret Qualley stars as young mother Alex, who suffers through the trials and tribulations of escaping an abusive relationship and supporting her young daughter.
The series focuses on a course of different locations throughout its 10 episodes, but each seemingly underscores the loneliness and unyielding world Alex is living in. That said, where was Maid filmed? Here's the scoop on the show's filming locations.
'Maid' is filmed in the same location as many Netflix projects.
Stephanie Land's memoir describes part of her life in Port Townsend, Wash., and the show is set north of Seattle. However, the show wasn't actually filmed in the United States at all, likely as a result of COVID-19 restrictions in place when filming started in September 2020. A majority of the series was filmed in locations around Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Filming reportedly began in and around the city of Colwood, then moved to nearby Langford. Because the series often depicts Alex traveling from location to location, a variety of roads, highways, and terminals are used to capture her travels. Some of the most easily identifiable locations used in the show include Sidney Pier, the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, and the Great Canadian Dollar Store.
Many locations in the district of Saanich were used for the show as well, including a waterside house in the neighborhood of Ten Mile Point. The Ten Mile Point house serves as the location where Alex is on her first job in the home of a luxurious family. In addition to the primary filming in British Columbia, several scenes were briefly shot in Vancouver.
'Maid' is based on a true story, and author Stephanie Land was consulted through the making of the show.
Maid is based directly on writer Stephanie Land's memoir of the same name, which was released in 2019. Director Molly Smith Metzler went on a research trip to visit Stephanie as soon as Netflix greenlit the show and wrote a heartfelt Instagram caption about her appreciation for her and her story.
"It’s the first time I met Stephanie Land. We walked around in the rain for a few days, seeing the sights she wrote about. We were blown away by her generosity. John and I asked her a million questions." Stephanie then wrote her own heartfelt post, expressing how nervous she was to trust others with her life story and how thankful she was that they did it justice.
Stephanie said, "John, Molly, and Erin have spent so much time getting to know me and Story, and truly care about us … almost how I imagine family members would ... It’s not easy, anticipating millions of people watching moments from your life that you wish your body would forget, but it has been a huge relief to know my story is in such good hands."
"Thank you for the friendship, for putting up with my anxious texts, and the hours and hours of hard work you put into making this happen in the best way possible."
Maid is now streaming on Netflix.
