‘There were places I had to go that I'd never gone before': Chloë Sevigny on bold career choices, polarizing characters, and ‘Monsters'
The honor — for her searing portrayal of Kitty Menendez in Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story — left Sevigny both 'thrilled' and stunned. 'My mother's thrilled, and all of my friends and loved ones were calling,' she says. 'I got on the plane, and the flight attendants were like, 'Congratulations!' I was like, 'Wow, people really hear about this.''
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It's not Sevigny's first experience with major awards recognition. Before her Golden Globe win for Big Love in 2010, she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for Boys Don't Cry at just 24 years old. Reflecting on that moment, she vividly recalls the thrill of sharing a room with her acting idols. 'I was very much in awe seeing all these actors and actresses that I had so looked up to,' she says. 'I was so proud of the movie, and I thought the story was so important. It is probably still one of the biggest moments of my life.'
As a young cinephile, Sevigny was drawn to a wide range of talent — from Italian legend Anna Magnani to American icons like Gena Rowlands and Mia Farrow. "Those were my three favorites," she shares. 'I was also really into all the Jean-Luc Godard films and the French actress, Anna Karina. And of course Sissy Spacek, Shelley Duvall — kind of these oddballs.' That eclectic taste has long informed her fearless, unconventional career choices.
Below, Sevigny opens up about collaborating with Ryan Murphy in Monsters, the high-stakes challenge of her Emmy submission episode, 'Don't Dream It's Over,' and why she embraces projects that are sometimes 'polarizing,' including her upcoming film After the Hunt with Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield.
Gold Derby: Have you had a chance to reconnect with the cast and crew of since its 11 Emmy nominations?
Chloë Sevigny: I talked to Ryan Murphy, I talked to Cooper Koch [Erik Menendez]. I haven't spoken to Javier Bardem {José Menendez] yet. Everybody's very excited. I also talked to some of the other producers and one of the directors.Ryan's method — I think a lot of people love it, and some butt up against it — but I really admire it. I think finding these artisans and actors that you love — and work with over and over again — it gives the actors and the different craftspeople a real boost. They feel more comfortable pushing themselves. With Kitty, there were places I had to go that I'd never gone before, and I had to push myself as an actress. Having worked with Ryan before, and knowing he believed in me, gave me confidence to push myself.Episode 6, "Don't Dream It's Over," delves into Kitty's mental state and begins with her declaration: 'I hate my kids. They're parasites. Not just my kids — kids in general.' What was it like delivering that dialogue?
I think there's been so much more talk around postpartum and women's health lately, and it felt rare to vocalize feelings like that. These boys were imposing; she was scared of them and they didn't respect her. It was an amazing opportunity to address this on television and tie it into the cycles of abuse, which are central to the show.
Kitty deeply resents her kids — was that emotional dynamic difficult to navigate?
Yeah, they've taken her body and they've taken her career. I think a lot of mothers kind of feel that way and don't know how to necessarily vocalize it or wouldn't vocalize it and just bury it. Luckily, Kitty had the means to go to therapy and try and work through it. It didn't necessarily work out for the poor woman, but yeah.There's a moment Kitty breaks down, pleading with José to pay attention — she's suicidal. What do you remember about filming that?
It felt like high stakes because this was kind of my episode. I knew this was my chance to really do a deep investigation into her and lay her out for the audience. I just really wanted it to land. It was also a sizable monologue and I wanted to impress Javier with my acting skills. I just wanted to be able to bring the power.
Some of Kitty's outbursts towards Lyle and Erik — like, 'You're a ruiner of lives! I should poison us all!'— carry emotional weight but also feel somewhat humorous. Did you enjoy those moments?
I think there had to be a few moments of levity because it's just so heavy, and I think that came in the form of the montages and the music, but we also had to bring it as characters. I think we've all seen that with our mothers, right? I mean, when they actually lash back. I remember that would always be the most hurtful, when my mom would be like, "You're being a bitch," or she would curse back at me or something. I'd be like, "Whoa! What?"Lyle and Erik accuse Kitty of poisoning their spaghetti, leading to her seizure-like episode, during which Lyle claps as if she's performing. What was it like portraying Kitty's vulnerability in moments like that?
So painful. Can you imagine? I felt protective of Kitty, but I had to give myself over to the structure of the show. They wanted to show different people's perspectives of her, which was hard. I had to stay grounded in those episodes where she's pushing a little more or the sons are painting her as more of a monster than I necessarily think she is. What was it like working with Javier Bardem?
Javier is a great actor — generous and gentle. He talked a lot about his family, he's a real family man. We were committed to the scripts and we both wanted to bring our A game. If we wanted extra takes, we felt comfortable asking for them. He complimented me after some strong takes, which meant a lot.
How did Kitty's polished appearance — her glamorous costumes and hair — affect your performance?
Ryan wanted Kitty to be more glamorous than real-life pictures. He felt it better reflected the wealth of the family and what the boys were aspiring to. We drew inspiration from Princess Diana's silhouettes to project power and strength. The costume, hair, and makeup teams were amazing and made the process feel soothing and creative.
Your next project, Luca Guadagnino's , is already generating buzz. What can you tell us about it?
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I heard it's going to be polarizing, which seems to align with the work I've done throughout my career. I think people will be surprised by Julia Roberts — she's a real tour de force — and Andrew Garfield plays against type. Luca's work is always surprising, especially his editing. I'm excited to see it with everybody in Venice later this month.You've had such a bold career path, starting from . Are filmmakers drawn to your unconventional choices, or does it reflect something about you?
It's definitely the filmmakers! Luca once paid me a compliment about my career choices, saying they meant a lot to him, and that was very moving.I think certain artists or filmmakers are attracted to the decisions I made early in my career. I feel like I'm kind of like Steve Buscemi. I'm more like a traditional family person. I was raised Catholic. I have immense guilt, and I think that because I have this very safe family and group of friends, I can push myself and my art and do things that are more risky because I have this really amazing, solid foundation.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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