Elisabeth Moss names her favourite movie of all time
Elisabeth Moss has become one of the most in-demand actors working today. Although her comic timing has worked well in movies like Jordan Peele’s Us, some of her strongest moments have come from playing wounded characters in dramas or thrillers, from her starring role in The Handmaid’s Tale to the tortured woman trying to outrun the spirit of her supposedly dead husband in The Invisible Man. For all of the heavy roles that she has taken on in her filmography, Moss still goes back to something more wholesome when discussing favourites.
After being asked about her favourite films of all time, Moss explained that she had an affinity for Meg Ryan movies when she first started, telling Entertainment, “When Harry Met Sally is my favourite movie of all time. Then, I would go with Sleepless in Seattle.” When looking at the romantic comedy classics, some of them seem like the furthest thing from Moss’s best work, oftentimes playing up the ditsy parts of the romance to move the plot along.
Then again, there is always more substance to every iconic romantic comedy and the depth behind movies like When Harry Met Sally can also be found in many recent films. While the Billy Crystal/Meg Ryan pairing might have its antecedents in films from yesteryear, the way the movie illustrates both the happy and bitter sides of their relationship has crossed over to most modern movies. Although audiences are focusing on the ‘will they/won’t they’ aspect of the film, the bittersweet scenes from Ryan have informed Moss’ performances as well, knowing when to play both the happiness and heartache in equal measure.
Outside of her main favourites, Moss also singled out a 1950s classic as one of her favourites as well, continuing, “I think maybe All About Eve. That’s what comes to mind, I mean, there’s a lot of other films. But I have to say, All About Eve is one that I will watch over and over and over again.” Featuring a breathtaking performance by Betty Davis, the story of a Broadway star slowly clawing her way up to a high-ranking position is something that nearly everyone looking for a career in show business has focused on at some point.
Moss would praise Davis, with the movie sparking a love affair with the actors’ work that continues today. Throughout her filmography, Moss also infused pieces of her favourite films into her first roles. Starting as a child star, some of her first major roles began in coming-of-age drama-dies, where she was free to have a bit more fun with the role like Meg Ryan did initially.
When working on some of the heavier material, it’s easy to see the common threads, like focusing on the subtle mannerisms of pain or sorrow on her face. The best example is in a select scene from Us where Moss’s “doppelganger” sees her family has been killed. Using only the power of her face and the sound completely muted, Moss delivers a powerhouse performance in heartbreak and horror, as if she’s channelling the cinema stars of old to get her point across. Moss has earned her road stripes as one of the best actresses working today, and those years rewatching some of her favourite films have been put to use whenever she’s behind the camera.
