Hollywood’s leading ladies gathered for something rare: an honest conversation about motherhood, grief, and what it really takes to survive in this business.
This year’s Oscar frontrunners—Jennifer Lawrence, Jessie Buckley, Amanda Seyfried, Cynthia Erivo, Renate Reinsve, and Laura Dern—sat down on a rainy Los Angeles afternoon to discuss their critically acclaimed performances.
From interpretive dance lessons to naked first-day scenes, these women pulled back the curtain on filmmaking’s most intimate moments.
And what emerged was far more revealing than any typical press junket.
Breaking the Ice: When Getting to Know Co-Stars Gets Weird
Before cameras roll, actors often find unconventional ways to build chemistry with scene partners.
Buckley revealed she went dancing with Paul Mescal before filming Hamnet, hitting up Joyface, a vibey NYC bar. Getting drunk and dancing to ABBA hits proved an effective bonding strategy.
We got really drunk and went out dancing, which is a good thing to do with Paul Mescal when you’re getting to know him.
Lawrence’s approach with Rob Pattinson for Die My Love took a different turn—director Lynne Ramsay had them do interpretive dance lessons before filming began.
And then our first day on set was a naked scene where we were attacking each other like tigers. But it was kind of nice that it was day one because then it wasn’t hanging over our heads.
Seyfried appreciated the tactical brilliance: “If you know what the genitals look like, you don’t wonder.”
Erivo and Ariana Grande took a simpler route—sitting on floors eating crudités for five hours before singing together.
The Power You Didn’t Know You Had
When asked about autonomy in their careers, Erivo offered perspective that challenges conventional wisdom about Hollywood power dynamics.
I feel as though we all have that at the beginning, but we just didn’t know it. We relinquish the power to everybody else, and we’re pressured into doing some things that we don’t need or want to do — but from the beginning, our yeses and our nos are our own.
Reinsve described how internal signals about right choices start small but strengthen over time through experience.
After The Worst Person in the World became a breakout hit, she received numerous romantic comedy offers but turned them down to avoid typecasting.
Finding Films About Women, Not Just With Women
When questioned whether it’s easy finding movies genuinely about women versus movies that merely include female characters, Erivo’s answer was blunt: “No. That’s the short answer.”
Lawrence asked whether the Bechdel Test matters in role selection.
You know what, I didn’t care, but now I do. I’m always like, “How much is she speaking, and what is she saying when she does speak?”
Dern’s latest film Is This Thing On? exemplifies what’s possible—a true two-hander about relationships rather than a male-led story with women relegated to supporting roles.
Director-Actor Relationships: Creative Marriage or Creative Chaos?
Several actresses discussed reuniting with directors for multiple projects, comparing these collaborations to intimate partnerships.
Reinsve worked with Joachim Trier again after The Worst Person in the World, though she noted Norwegian cinema prioritizes director vision over star power.
Her second collaboration required playing an angry, depressed character, which affected on-set communication.
After you have that experience, you come out of it and you’re still friends, and you actually get closer.
Seyfried compared artistic partnerships to romantic ones, rejecting conventional advice about separating business from relationships.
When Shooting Two Films Becomes One Chaotic Schedule
Erivo revealed that both Wicked films shot simultaneously—sometimes switching between projects within the same day.
Lawrence related to scheduling chaos from X-Men, where her character’s appearance changed dramatically between blue Mystique and blonde Raven.
They’d say, “We’re going to try to shoot something else,” and it’s like, “OK, just give me eight hours.”
She also mentioned working with an actor who successfully refused to shoot a scene when unprepared—and production accommodated the request.
Dancing Through Discomfort
Seyfried discussed extensive preparation for The Testament of Ann Lee, admitting profound discomfort with choreography despite appearing natural onscreen.
It’s internal because no one’s got time for that. There are too many people doing too many things. So I’m just like, “I’m a piece of shit, I’m a piece of shit, are we rolling?”
Lawrence approved: “That’s a good mantra.”
Living Out Intrusive Thoughts on Camera
Lawrence described filming a bathroom destruction scene for Die My Love where the script simply read: “She destroys the bathroom.”
Once it got going, it was like I was living an intrusive thought out loud. How often do you want to take a shampoo bottle and just (mimes squeezing it out) and smash things?
The authenticity resonated because she experienced severe postpartum depression with her second child—whom she was pregnant with during filming.
Watching cuts while suffering postpartum created uniquely challenging circumstances.
Becoming Accidental Advocates During Press Tours
Lawrence initially maintained strict boundaries about discussing her children but found motherhood discussions inevitable when promoting Die My Love.
She openly shared that Zurzuvae medication helped her postpartum depression, inadvertently becoming a spokesperson for maternal mental health.
Reinsve noted the strangeness of articulating work completed a year prior and unexpectedly becoming an advocate for experiences depicted onscreen.
Buckley wished audiences could experience films without actor interpretation narrowing their personal relationships to the material.
Sometimes I wish we didn’t have to talk about it at all and could just put it out there and let it be.
When Directors Don’t Want You Explaining Their Work
Dern recalled David Lynch’s frustration when she attempted explaining Blue Velvet at age 17.
He was like, “You don’t ever have to tell them anything about what we’re making. You could just say that we had fun.”
Lawrence referenced Lynch bringing a cow to an Oscar campaign, highlighting his resistance to traditional film promotion.
The Ancient Scream: Accessing Grief Authentically
Buckley described filming Hamnet’s death scene, which wasn’t scripted with specific direction for her visceral scream-cry.
I’d created a really strong bond with this little boy, and it felt like that scream was ancient. It just came through, I have no idea how.
Erivo expressed concern about protecting oneself after such emotionally demanding performances.
Buckley credited her grounded personal life—making toast, gardening, walking—plus therapy and close family relationships for maintaining balance.
What These Actresses Actually Expert In
Beyond their film roles, these women revealed unexpected passions:
- Lawrence: English royal history, specifically the Tudors
- Reinsve: Quantum physics
- Buckley: Gardening (though admittedly “rubbish” at it, having grown “one flaccid courgette”)
- Erivo: Music as a second language
Seyfried praised Erivo’s musical expertise with striking specificity: “You are an expert at finding notes and making them fucking throttle your soul.”
First Hollywood Paychecks and Stolen Dreams
Most actresses spent early earnings on practical necessities like rent.
Erivo bought her first Chanel bag with saved per diems and paid off student loans—but the bag was stolen.
Seyfried also lost a cherished Louis Vuitton bag to theft.
Dern’s story carried particular poignancy: she bought a camera and tripod, but when the camera was stolen (possibly by a boyfriend), she kept the tripod as a bedroom coatrack for two years.
I was so proud that I got to buy this for myself, so I put the tripod in the corner of my bedroom and used it as a coatrack for two years because I wanted it to matter.
The theft caused her to abandon photography entirely—until this conversation inspired her to reclaim that passion.
Erivo immediately offered to accompany her camera shopping, prompting Lawrence’s assessment of the suspected ex-boyfriend thief: “Fucking bitch.”