Elisabeth Moss names her five favourite films
Elisabeth Moss, also known as ‘The Queen of Peak TV’, has built an awe-inspiring career for herself. Her first recognised role was Zoey Bartlet in NBC’s The West Wing and, from there, appeared in the period drama series Mad Men, for which she won the Critics Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries.
Most TV fans would recognise Moss for her appearance in The Handmaid’s Tale, a hard-hitting dystopian series based on the Margaret Atwood novel. Her performance as June Osborne earned Moss many other accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Leading Actress. The show has also won an Outstanding Drama Series award, thanks to her performance.
Of course, it goes without saying that Moss has also made a name for herself in the film industry. Her big screen credits include the psychological drama Girl Interrupted and Jordan Peele’s social commentary horror Us. With that, the actor also received mass acclaim for her powerful performance in The Invisible Man, playing a domestic abuse survivor haunted by her abusive ex-partner, attracting most of the film’s praise.
Moss’ professional appearances in films often include psychological thrillers and heavy subject matter. However, her taste is vastly different. To delve a little deeper, Moss spoke to Rotten Tomatoes and shared her top five favourite films, ones that shed a little lighthearted humour.
Moss names her first entry Annie Hall, Woody Allen’s 1970s romantic comedy about a comedian who finds love. “I don’t know how many times I’ve seen it and it doesn’t even matter anymore.” Moss shares. “It’s one of those movies that, every time it comes on TV, I have to sit down and watch it even if I’ve seen it before”. The actor then references what is it about the ‘nervous romance’ story that makes it so re-watchable for her. “It’s such a real relationship, you know. I mean, the first thing I love about Annie Hall is the humour. It’s just hilarious”.
Allen’s romance is followed by one of Rob Reiner’s. For Moss, When Harry Met Sally “is like an I-know-every-word kind of movie, you know, that I just can’t get over. It’s very comforting to me. It’s one of those comfort films”. She then compares the 1980s rom-com, a story about two friends who try to keep a romance out of the picture, to the types of films made in the modern era. She feels this is concerning, stating: “All the things about these romantic comedies and relationship movies or whatever, they don’t even make them like that anymore, you know?”
Billy Wilder’s classic Sunset Boulevard is next on the list. Moss shares insight into its influence on her, revealing that “it sort of formed my idea of that raw, dramatic acting”. This is heavily present in Moss’ work in The Handmaid’s Tale and The Invisible Man, both roles that signal raw, powerful emotion.
She then praises another element of the film, adding that “the writing in that movie is unbelievable. So many incredible one-liners”. This leads to another comparison between the era in which her favourite film was released and the industry in which Moss works. When thinking of Wilder’s writing from 70 years ago, Moss shares her opinion that “movies written that way wouldn’t fit in, really, these days. It would sound strange, like you couldn’t really do it now. But thank God we have them”.
Check out the full list below.
Elisabeth Moss’ five favourite films:
- Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
- When Harry Met Sally (Rob Reiner, 1989)
- Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)
- Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957)
- All About Eve (Joseph L.Mankiewicz, 1950)
To round things off, Moss stays with the 1950s when sharing her next favourite film. She enjoys Sweet Smell of Success, directed by Alexander Mackendrick in 1957, because “the one-liners are so smart, you know?”. The film is about a news writer’s attempt to control his younger sister’s choice in relationships, a plot that calls for some controversial tones. Moss addresses this content as “there’s something a little bit darker about that movie”. When asked if this darker tone is a selling point for her, the actress replies: “Yes, for sure, for sure. But I mean mainly it was the writing, that is what attracts me to the older black and white classics”.
The conclusion to Moss’ list is another vintage classic. Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s film All About Eve focuses on a Broadway star searching for power among those around her. Moss also considers this a re-watch, revealing films from this time “are the films I can watch over and over again that I’ve loved since I was a little girl”.
She also shows love for the beloved and influential star of the film, as watching it “started my love affair with Bette Davis. It kind of introduced me to what an actress was”. Moss combines her love for Davis’ performance with the dialogue she performs. “Just full of the most iconic lines”, she gushes, “all of these movies… rarely do we have movies these days where you can quote”.
