The Emmy nominee also talks David O. Russell’s headline-grabbing new movie, the “acutely raw” feeling of breaking out as an actor while raising young kids, and her next chapter
It’s Hahn’s fourth Emmy nomination in 10 years. In that time, she’s emerged as an unlikely Hollywood lead, getting critical recognition and a certain degree of fame for deeply vulnerable, intimate work.
She’s toplined such indie gems as Private Life and Afternoon Delight, tenderly led lyrical literary adaptations including Tiny Beautiful Things and Mrs. Fletcher. She’s also a new, unexpected Marvel favorite: Her star turn on Agatha All Along, reprising the witchy role from WandaVision that netted her an Emmy nod, is among the most wildly creative of her career. That Disney+ show, which received a handful of below-the-line Emmy nominations, remains in limbo for a potential season two, but The Studio will soon make its way back to Apple TV+. Indeed, Hahn is plenty busy. As we chat, she’s in production on an as yet unannounced project, and she recently finished filming on Madden, David O. Russell’s already controversial new biopic starring Nicolas Cage. There was a lot to catch up on. Vanity Fair: Of all your recent Emmy nominations—for Transparent, WandaVision, and Tiny Beautiful Things—I’d argue The Studio is the outlier of the group, as a broader comedy. Does it feel that way to you? Kathryn Hahn: One hundred percent, yeah, you’re right. I hadn’t really done anything of this size, with this much gas on the pedal, so I was very excited to jump when I read it. She was so clear on the page. It looked so fun. There was an ease to it, which is always a good sign with the comedy; it didn’t feel like it was going to have to be too muscled or too sweaty. There was a flow already to her. I had just done Agatha. I had a year basically off where I was with my family, and I don’t think I’d worked since. This came, it was shot in LA, it was really close by, and also I knew it was such a fun part. It made me think of those big ensemble comedy movies you used to do. You’ve talked about not knowing how you would fit into those environments when you first started doing them. What was it like to return to the genre here? Weirdly like a full circle. I love that feeling of the circus. There is something about an ensemble—that the whole thing would fall apart if one person is not carrying their weight. Especially in a farce like this, keeping those balls in the air, no pun intended. I was so much younger when I did those , and I was so in my head about it. I wasn’t in improv. My training was in theater. I never thought I’d find myself in comedies like that. So a lot of those early ones with McKay or with Ferrell, I was definitely in survival mode. When did you realize you were a) really funny, and b) able to keep up with those guys? During Anchorman, watching how Adam worked with those actors and watching those guys do their thing, was such a lesson. It felt anarchic. Everything that I had been told not to do, we were encouraged to do. That kind of reckless, fearless, throwing yourself into it—it all opened for me. I felt I had the same freedom going into the next parts. It just felt more and more comfortable, and less and less prescribed. The Studio did unbelievably well in the Emmy nominations, so it’s clearly beloved in the industry. It’s also so brutal and bleak toward the industry. What do you make of that combination? There is such a nostalgia baked into this show—there’s clearly respect and awe. I can only imagine Seth and Evan growing up as these Canadian boys thinking of Hollywood. So that makes the specificity of what actually goes down a) that much funnier, and b) that much less cynical or mean. It’s under this layer of people that love film. If it was just solely a mean takedown, it would not be as appealing. That’s my two-cents working theory. I was bummed to see Agatha didn’t get more nominations. Obviously, WandaVision was a strong contender in its year—but do you find that awards recognition can be harder for superhero shows, even ones as creative as these? WandaVision was so exciting and so nuts, and that was my first trip with Marvel. I had no idea what to expect, and we felt like such little stepsisters in that whole world—and definitely Agatha felt that way too. It was probably the most nourishing, difficult, incredible, life-altering show that I’ve ever done. The fact that we got to make it in the first place was so thrilling, honestly. I can’t believe that we actually got away with it. I’m forever so proud of it. I mean, yeah, I wish there had been so much more recognition. Of course. I am obsessed with all those artists. I’m sure you are very sick of season two questions— Oh, David, listen: I’m not sick of it at all, because I am also really chomping at the bit. Obviously, I hope. So we’re where we’ve been. We’re literally where we’ve been. Definitely nothing has been forwarded to me, so who knows? I love that part, and I love Jac so much. You’ve talked about the prime of your career arriving after you had your children. When I think of my favorite performances of yours—and what I feel like are the gutsiest, like Private Life or Tiny Beautiful Things—motherhood is so core to those texts. I have to imagine there’s some interweaving of life and work there, right? I had been asked to do things with mostly women creator-filmmakers, with authorship about these projects. I felt that they saw it in me, what that moment in my life was. I hadn’t really felt like I was seen in those ways before. You really want to play with the people that want to play with you, and so whatever they saw in me that they recognized in themselves and in their work, it allowed for this emotional thinking that was essential. For those projects, there was no other way to do them. Those parts and the juiciest time of my career happened after having kids, and now as my kids are much older, I look back at that, and I miss them. It’s weird. I miss that. I’m so grateful for it, but that was a lot of emotional time. It is an interesting thing for a mother to look back at the most successful time happening when her kids were that young. I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about it. I couldn’t wait to throw my whole self into these parts. It was like the way I felt in school. The material seemed not of the mainstream, not what you would think a young mother would be doing. It is definitely not lost on me that that period of time happened to be when my kids were really young. It was very acutely raw. It’s something you can feel watching those performances. Yeah, for sure. Private Life, and also those incredible filmmakers, to be able to go through those journeys, which were so personal to them—I don’t want to say it’s a duty to fulfill, but it felt like, because that material was so raw, there was no choice. I love being able to ask those questions and live in that kind of uncertainty at a moment when I was feeling the same thing. That’s probably the answer to your question at the very beginning. In these projects and others, you’ve so convincingly played filmmakers and writers—do you think about directing? Yeah, for sure. I’ve felt very much like an actor for hire my whole life, David. I love acting. I couldn’t imagine, from the time I was born—there was never another option. Just like, I was an actor. I didn’t know how it was going to turn out. I didn’t know what it was going to look like. I certainly didn’t have whatever brand deals, anything. I just knew I was an actor. So the fact that this career has swung so wildly around is beyond my wildest dreams. So a yes to directing, in short? Oh, yeah. Oh my God, I forgot you asked. Yes, I would love to, if the right thing came along. Because I’m so inspired by these writer-directors, if it was something that I also could have written, that would be amazing. I did want to ask you a little bit about David O. Russell’s Madden, which you just shot. There were some reports of on-set strife. What can you share about your experience on that film? My experience was fantastic. I mean, just not knowing whatever, whatever—in the bubble of working with those incredible actors, it was like a dream. I loved working with Nic Cage. How was David as a director? He’s known as a great actors’ director, but also an intense guy. I would say both, yeah. Got it. Are there other filmmakers you’d love to work again with? I would love to work with Joey again. I would love to work with Tamara again. My friend Lisa Cholodenko is incredible, and I’d love to work with her. All people I’ve been eager for new stuff from! I know! But you know what? So many of these humans won’t say anything unless they need to say it. And I agree with that. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Listen to Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men podcast now.
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