The actor Laura Dern called the Fred Astaire to her Ginger Rogers: “He’s in my dream”
Laura Dern is one of the most dynamic and versatile performers of her generation, with the actor starring in everything from commercial blockbusters to the work of strangely beautiful auteurs like David Lynch and Kelly Reichardt. Over the years, she has found success from roles in beloved classics such as the original Jurassic Park, Blue Velvet, and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
From the electric presence of Renata Klein in Big Little Lies, the original HBO series that defined a new era of long-form television, to the terrifying legacy of Smooth Talk, there isn’t much that the actor hasn’t achieved, with her work spanning across all areas of the industry and having a profound impact on Hollywood as a whole. She has been particularly pivotal in the movement towards gender equality and more substantial roles for women, with the impact of Wild and The Tale sparking a renaissance of messy and unconventional women in film.
But over the years, she has also become infamous for her on-screen pairings and creative partnerships, whether with David Lynch or Reese Witherspoon. The actor described one co-star with whom she most enjoyed working.
In such a tumultuous business, it is never surprising when a film is announced but never sees the light of day, whether it be the failed space thriller from Lynne Ramsay or the almost project from Todd Haynes starring Joaquin Phoenix. But perhaps it was the almost existence of one fateful project that led Dern to be reunited with Woody Harrelson, with the pair almost acting alongside each other in the 19934 comedy Benny and Joon before they both backed out of the lead roles. However, this led to unfinished creative energy between them, with the duo then returning to work together in the 2017 film Wilson.
Directed by Craig Johnson, the film follows a middle-aged and divorced man called Wilson who finds himself obsessing over his past and where it all went wrong. However, after the missed opportunity to work together in 1993, the pair leapt at the chance to finally star alongside each other.
When discussing her highly anticipated work with Harrelson, it seems as though this twenty-year gap was worth the wait, with Dern saying, “Woody is the bravest, most beautifully open actor I could have ever dreamed up. He’s in my dream of… You know, if I got to be Ginger Rogers, who my Fred Astaire would be. But, beyond all of that, the physical comedy is mind-blowing and the fact that we both got to play out these very physical characters and how they use their bodies and to find the humanity within that, not just the joke. That is like the most delicious gift ever.”
Dern and Harrelson had worked with each other on a play shortly after the saga of Benny and Joon, building up a strong rapport that they were keen to build on and return to on-screen. Harrelson returned the compliment to Dern, describing her as “one of the great actresses that we have”. While Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are a high bar for any cinematic pairing, perhaps Harrelson and Dern are up for the challenge of recreating their electric chemistry in future projects.
