Follow in Elle Fanning’s footsteps at these ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ Fullerton filming locations

Why is the new Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles — which stars Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman and Nicole Kidman — set in the Orange County city of Fullerton?

Author Rufi Thorpe, who wrote the book the series is based on and is an executive producer on the show, is from Orange County and has set some of her earlier books in smaller Southern California locales too — in Corona del Mar (where Thorpe grew up) and a fictional Southern California beach city inspired by El Segundo.

In an interview with LAist last year, Thorpe said that setting Margo’s Got Money Troubles in Fullerton was her “little authorly gift” to the character of Margo, who has a baby at the age of 19 and turns to OnlyFans to make ends meet.

Thorpe said she grew up visiting a friend of her mom’s, a classical pianist, in Fullerton, so she had a sense of the city’s low-key vibe: “It’s a very cute city, and [there’s] just so many dentists and tax preparation offices — just so many!”

And it felt like a nice place to put her main character, who she was going to be putting through a lot: “Yes, it was going to be terrifying and hard and she wasn’t going to know if she was going to get through it, but she was going to do it in Fullerton, dammit.”

That the show was also filmed in Fullerton (and Los Angeles too) was thanks in part to writer/producer David E. Kelley’s commitment to keeping production work local, and the fact that the series received a state film and TV tax credit. (Fullerton locations have also been used for other movies and TV shows.)

It maybe also didn’t hurt that Kelley’s wife, Michelle Pfeiffer, is from Orange County herself, which Pfeiffer told the Television Academy’s emmy magazine was part of the reason why she connected so much with the book, and signed on along with Kelley, Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman and others to executive produce the series.

The locations IRL

Fullerton College

A screenshot of Elle Fanning in a scene from "Margo's Got Money Troubles," filmed at Fullerton College.

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Apple TV

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The scenes that were shot on location at Fullerton College, where Margo is a freshman and has an affair with her English professor, didn’t just add to the show’s sense of place. The community college’s newspaper The Hornet reports that the fees for filming at the college also helped fund a scholarship program.

Rutabegorz

Rutabegorz Restaurant in Fullerton, CA.

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Monica Bushman / LAist

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The popular Fullerton cafe Rutabegorz isn’t specifically named in the book or show, but it’s well known in Orange County (with another location in Orange), and is the setting of a pivotal scene between Margo and her mom Shyanne, played by Pfeiffer.

A little bit of Rutabegorz history (from this author, who went to high school in Fullerton!): Before it became a coffeehouse in the 1970s, and later a full restaurant, for 48 years it was the office and residence of a doctor, who — according to a sign in the restaurant about the building’s history — was the first to administer the antibiotic medication penicillin to a patient in Southern California.

Today, Rutabegorz is known for its quirky decorations, healthy food options (including very big salads) and long-running $1 chip and dip special.

The Fox Fullerton Theatre

The Fox Theatre in Fullerton, CA.

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Monica Bushman / LAist

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The Fox Theatre in Fullerton dates back to 1925 and is one of the city’s most recognizable buildings, but it hasn’t been an operational theater since 1987, when it closed and fell into disrepair. The Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation, which is leading the ongoing restoration effort, does hold some special events there, including the 100th birthday celebration for the theater in May of 2025.

Angelo’s and Vinci’s Ristorante

Angelo's and Vinci's on Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton, CA.

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Monica Bushman / LAist

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Next door to The Fox Theatre is another beloved, but also now closed, Fullerton institution — the Italian restaurant Angelo’s and Vinci’s. The site of many a special occasion meal for locals, with ornate decorations (and a monster-themed wine cellar) the restaurant closed in 2023 after a 52-year-long run.

In the series, Margo is a waitress at Angelo’s and Vinci’s and has her baby shower there. And for anyone who remembers going to the restaurant, it’s nice to see the space alive again in the show.

Fullerton Car Wash on Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton, CA.

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Other Fullerton locations in the series include the Fullerton Car Wash (across from the British pub The Olde Ship) and the Fullerton Lodge Motel, which locals will recognize as being next to the popular B&B Donuts and across from Costco.

More Fullerton spots to check out

Fullerton is only one stop (and about a 30 minute ride) away from L.A.’s Union Station on Amtrak or Metrolink. Here are some other spots to check out if you’re making a day trip:

• Electric guitar history: The creator of some of the most popular electric guitars in the world was a life-long resident of Fullerton. The Leo Fender Gallery is housed in the Fullerton Museum Center, which is right down the street from Rutabegorz.
• Great pizza in Orange County: Fullerton is home to a couple of multi-award winning pizza places — Two Saucy Broads for New York style pizza and Fuoco for Neapolitan style. 
• A touch of Disney magic, plus cocktails: Somewhat of a counterpart to Angelo’s and Vinci’s in its old-school charm, the restaurant and cocktail bar The Cellar (actually located in a basement) dates back to 1969 and was designed by one of the “imagineers” responsible for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland (which opened in 1967).

New episodes of 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' are available to stream on Apple TV on Wednesdays. The final two episodes air May 13 and 20.