Elizabeth Olsen talks Love and Death

Be back. And now I'm in a room that's, I'm in a massive building in New York right now. Oh, wow. And then before, and I have a beautiful view of the Hudson. Oh, that's nice. This is a Max building or discovery or whatever it's called. Oh, oh. So you're in a corporate, are you in a conference room? I am. Okay. Business, business official. So business, such an executive now. I've changed. Are you, do you live mostly in New York? Where do you stay most of the time? No, I live in LA and in, um, and in, uh, Northern California. Okay. All right. Well, come back to LA soon. Cause we like it better when you're here. I know we're going to lure you into person. That's the one thing is our friendship is bound by zoom. We'll need to meet in person. Have we never done in person? I don't think so. Oh, I think I know that I've, I know that I've met you in person, but I don't think that there's an interview in person. Well, let's just keep meeting this way. I get up. I'll be in a different background every time. Yeah, that'd be good. It's a different, different conference room, a different place. It's not my own. So Elizabeth love and death. It starts April 27th on HBO max. You play Candy Montgomery, who people know about possibly, although I was watching with my husband last night, he had no idea what was going on. He had not seen other adaptations of this story. He had not seen the documentaries and stuff. And I was like, Oh, just wait. I mean, it's a wild, wild story. When I first read the script and was sent the Texas monthly article, um, that covered this case, I genuinely thought it was short fiction. Um, I thought it was short narrative fiction. I did not believe it was definitely stranger. You know, the saying of stranger than fiction, it's, it's that and more. And, um, so I, when I had my first conversation with David and Leslie, I didn't actually understand that it was, that it was a true story and I didn't like Google it or anything because I don't usually Google things after I read scripts, I just assume they're, they're made up and that was an added element where I was kind of horrified by, um, that it didn't make it less interesting to play and to, to explore. And there's a part of yourself where you're trying to honor this person that exists in the world. And, and, and the, and the woman who died and not let anyone get off the hook, but also tell, um, an entertaining story that, um, that, that exposes maybe why people make the decisions they make, even when they're questionable. Well, and that's what I was going to, I mean, cause obviously we don't want to give, um, any spoilers or anything, but I think it's fair to say that in the, in the pilot, you'll see Kandi Montgomery, um, basically go up to a fellow parishioner, a family friend and say, I'm into you, uh, would you be interested in having an affair? I mean, as simple as that in a way. And yet there are layers of, um, oppression, especially, I think you could say religious oppression. I think definitely just like this basic need for human connection. I mean, there's a lot more layers to it. And I think, can you set up sort of who Kandi Montgomery was in a way in this, in this sort of Wiley, Texas, the small town, which is very much built around this, this church, I mean, that's sort of like the big thing in the town, but also like has basic needs like anyone else and so much more of a dynamic character than you think just on paper. Yeah. It's all, it's all young families. They call it Silicon Prairie. It's where there's a lot, it was a tech boom in Texas and the, um, in the seventies and we're in 1978 and all of these families are doing all the things that they are supposed to do. They have, they check all the boxes. They have, they have the marriage, they have the house, they have, they have the nicer house in the house that they started in. They have the kids, they have a church community. And this woman that I play is definitely someone who leads with aspirations and, and romanticism. And she has a romanticized vision of things that she never experienced or had, and she's also a doer and like a go getter. And so when she decides that something that she's missing is lusty affair, she decides to proposition someone to have it with her. And, um, it's not the sexiest affair you've ever seen. Um, but it is filling a hole in her life that she feels, but it doesn't satisfy it because you can't really satisfy this, this thing that you're chasing that is all based on, um, comparisons and aspirations and projections of some sort of external life. What was your, uh, what, what did you discuss? Because Jesse Plemons plays Alan Gore, the man that, that Candy Montgomery in real life had an affair with, and it led to a horrible, horrible tragedy, which we won't spoil, but what was your, what were your discussions with Jesse about, okay, what is the dynamic between these two people? What is the attraction? Why are they doing this thing? Cause what is so kind of heartbreaking. And I, I, I assume there may be some truth to this, um, that they really, really both of them did not want to hurt their spouses that were very focused on that and yet they were doing this incredibly selfish, destructive. Yes. We talked a lot about their, um, emotional intelligence being similar to being in high school when you fall in love for the first time, or you are, um, you're following impulses without really thinking about them. And we've talked about that a lot. And when you look at these, we have this book that we also used as a reference called evidence of love. That was the only, um, interviewer journalist, anything that Candy Montgomery participated in after the trial. And so in this book, you have, you have letters that she wrote her husband when they were courting each other. And it, they seem so young and, um, so naive. And we talked about that being a place that they're coming from. Um, and so that was, that was a big starting point for Jesse and I with Leslie Winkler, our director. Well, and I thought the, the dynamic between her female friends that we see, including pastor Jackie, who is unfortunately leaving the church and Candy's like, no, you can't leave me. You know, there's this kind of like, you're my best friend. I need you. But also we see her revealing about this affair and really her kind of like gossip friend, this other woman, Sherry played by Kristen Ritter and the dynamic of pastor Jackie's like, but you have Sherry. And she's like, Oh, but she's Sherry. Yeah. You share everything with Sherry, which is so interesting. I can't get past the eyeshadow with Sherry. Kristen Ritter looks amazing. She has an amazing look. Iconic. And her hair looks unbelievable. Yeah. It's, um, yeah, it's very, I don't even, it's so funny when I'm filming those kinds of scenes and thinking about the relationships, I really think it's funnier to take them at face value when you're playing them as opposed to like leaning into the fact that she is speaking, you know, from both sides of her mouth. I, if you play it at face value to me that she, every time she says something like that, she actually means it. And then just does the opposite. I find just kind of more fun to play than, um, like overanalyzing it and being hyper aware of what's happening. And what was your dynamic with, uh, Lily Ray, because it's such a fascinating, I mean, they are, they're, they're close friends, although it's not, it's, it's a, it's a, it's a tense kind of friendship. Sometimes they have kids the same age and all of that. And yet it's must've been really interesting to play knowing that for, you know, probably more than a year here, you know, Candy was having an affair with, with Betty's husband. And it, and obviously that was in your mind, but completely, you know, uh, on the down low, her, uh, her relationship with Betty is, is really uncomfortable. Um, I think they, they're, I think they're at their core, very different types of women who believe in different values and it's almost like those, those two women and no, in no world actually, we're going to fully get along. Um, and it's, it's really about, yeah, it's, it's, uh, I don't know. Lily, Lily had a lot of opinions about Candy and, uh, and I always just, I, there's a saving grace in my mind of playing her that I, I at least enjoyed because of her optimism, even if it was like, um, totally ignorant, blind optimism. What was, um, what is next for you, Elizabeth? Oh, nothing. I've been so unemployed. I was going to say, are you taking a little break? Yeah. I, I, yeah, we finished in April and I, I did a small little thing with a friend of mine, um, a little thing, a little film. And, uh, other than that, I've been doing a whole bunch of nothing. And, and, and a lot of reading and a lot of viewing and trying to figure out what to do next and with him. Well, that's yeah. Cause I was going to say like you probably like many people, when you sign on to the Marvel cinematic universe, you're, you're like locked in for an, like an extended amount of time. And so I've always enjoyed some of the projects that you've picked when you've probably had time, like, sorry for your loss, we've had you on for, or, or, or even like love and death. And so what, what is it that you look for in a script when you have time? And now it seems like. Allegedly. Cause you, you recently said like, you don't have a contract. Stop asking me about the Scarlet way. But like, you know, you now have time to figure out like, Oh yeah. What, what do I want to do? And like, what, what, what do you look for when you're thinking about signing onto a project? Right now? I think the thing that I'm most interested in is, is just a director that I want to work with people who have strong visions and tonally, uh, maybe have similar tastes. And I do, I do however, when I, even if I do love a director and I read a script and I don't know how to play what they're asking me to participate, how, how they want me to be in the, in the film or the script or the show. I, I think if I don't have an instinct on how to play it genuinely after thinking about it for quite some time, I think I'm just going to make the show worse or the film worse. And so I just, even if it's someone I want to work with that ends up happening. Um, and so I'm being picky right now. Um, only because I also want to do right by someone who I respect and not, um, just say yes, because I want to work with them. Um, yeah. And do you ever think about going back and doing a theater? Oh gosh. All the time. I was really hoping to do a play this year. Yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah. It didn't come together sadly. Um, but, uh, yes, I really want to do theater. I think the greatest thing about WandaVision and Love and Death getting to film them so close to each other is they're both really physical jobs. And it made me really want to get back on stage. What are you looking for? Was it, it's like, no, there's a play that I was that, that I, that I do want to do. Um, it's a two hander and sadly it just didn't come together with, um, an actor who, who I thought I was going to be making it with, but that was, that was a lot of free time, but maybe something else will come up. I'm, I'm curious about your experience on Wind River, which was so brilliant and I love, and Taylor Sheridan of course is now completely wrapped up, you know, just superstar writer, director, executive producer, um, and has just, you know, released incredible movie after incredible movie, but I'm curious about working with him, but also just being in the freezing cold, um, and, and working on Wind River. It was, it, it was a really hard job and a really fulfilling one. I think sometimes with being an actor, you go, you go home and you're not that tired from work and you are exhausted every day, um, from battling elements and also the, and what we also had to shoot, but also just the elements itself made you so physically tired and I loved it. Um, Taylor was an amazing leader, especially since we were in such crazy situations, we were actually filming in blizzards, we were, um, going to set on snow cats, like it was wild. Um, and you need someone who really understands those elements as your leader. And so he did a phenomenal job with that. And it was, it, it was a great, it's a really great experience. I mean, the training that I got to do learning how to use a, um, a Glock. I, I had so much time and training with that, and I never thought I would ever want to be anywhere near a fake or real gun. And there is, uh, it was, it was an amazing experience being able to understand the responsibility of what it, of what it means to be around something like that and to really, um, protect it and protect everyone around you. And, um, that was, it was, it was, uh, it was some of the best of the best people I got to work with on that too, who were amazing at their job. So it was, it was a fun, it was a really fun project and meant a lot to me and to everyone who worked on it. At what point, cause you started, you know, so early, you know, working with, you know, in your sister's movies and, and, and stuff like that, well, that's what I'm talking about. At what point did you decide, Oh, I don't only want to, uh, I don't only want to take acting seriously, but I, you know, I want to go study it. And you, because you at NYU and Atlantic theater company, uh, Moscow art theater, like you, you really dived in with the craft, but at what point did you decide that's what I want to do? Well, it was all I did as a kid and it was all my friends did as well. It was really our community and our group. Like every, every recess was creating our favorite television show into a musical and every Spanish oral presentation was, uh, we made an, we made a musical. Like we just, we couldn't stop my friends that I grew up with. We participated in the same summer camp every year, um, where we did three plays every summer and I did ballet. And so it was just something I always did. And there was a moment where as a child, I thought I wanted to be a professional actor and I missed one nutcracker because I did, I missed too many rehearsals. And so my, my ballet teacher didn't let me do a nutcracker performance and it broke my heart. And then I realized at that moment that I want to be an actor when I'm an adult and I want to keep being able to do ballet and to play sports. And, um, so that lasted three months and, uh, and then it was really deciding about going to college. When you start to focus on, is this something I'm serious about? And I do think in high school, I had a, I really learned a lot about, um, Russian theater and Russian history and the importance of the theater to the Russian people throughout history. And I think I was able to separate whatever the experience of living in LA within a certain film industry. And what, what certain parts of it that I didn't like, I was able to separate that from the, um, tradition and history of storytelling that I can, I could like pedantically or pretentiously attach myself to in a way that justified wanting to be an actor. What were your favorite shows that you turned into a musical when you were a kid? Um, we did, you know, Betty LaFayette before ugly Betty was an American show. My friends and I would watch Betty LaFayette on TV and we would pretend to translate it. So we created an entire Betty LaFayette musical in Spanish class. So sophisticated. I know, my God. We thought so. We also loved waiting for Guthman so much. So everything was, uh, we stole so many like, uh, stool room, everything was this like a stool room play on words where we just, we read, we changed all of the words out of the musical at the end of waiting for Guthman for every single history play. Yeah. That Angelica's window we made into a musical. Were you like growing up, like being on the sets of like full house and your sister's movies, or were your parents like, no, you need to be in class. You need to be in school. Or were they letting you like run around in Paris and all these places that. Yeah. I never went to the fun places they went during the summertime. Cause I had my theater camp and I felt like I was missing out. Like if they went to Rome, they went to Paris and went to Australia. I never went to any of those places until I went to them as an adult. And I knew that they weren't going anywhere, but my theater camp. I would be missing out on. And so that's why I didn't go. But, um, no, I think the only times I was really on set was when it was easier for my parents to have four kids in one place after school, you know, Elizabeth, I wish we could, I, I could literally talk to you for hours about Candy Montgomery, who you, I could tell you for hours about anything, but we could literally dive into, but I, I literally, when I realized that there are people on this planet that do not know this story, I don't want to give anything away because it's, it's so compelling anyway. By the way, too, not to spoil, but like kind of a wild ending. So I'm curious how it will be portrayed in the, in the series. Yeah. There's a wild ending. I got, all I'm going to say is I got three episodes in and saw the acts. All I'm going to say, but that's a big shocker if you don't know the story. Yeah. You really don't think that's where the show is going. You really don't. Anyway, it's going to start April 27th on HBO Max called love and death. Elizabeth Olsen. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for having me again.