Kathryn Hahn Swears She’s Only “Accidentally Funny”
For many people, the struggle of trying to have a child can more often be a source of grief than laughter. But that is the very axis around which the Netflix film Private Life revolves, to great effect. In it, Kathryn Hahn plays Rachel, who has tried to become pregnant by nearly any means possible and is therefore navigating an “assisted reproduction roller coaster,” as the actor explains in W‘s annual Best Performances issue. The result is a revelatory performance, though that shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed Hahn’s prolific career. Here, she explains why she thinks she is “accidentally funny,” reveals her favorite karaoke song, and even explains why Timoth´ee Chalamet‘s face drives her wild.
How old were you when you decided this is what you wanted to do with your life?
Honestly, I think I was in kindergarten. I remember seeing a play and realizing that was what I wanted to do. I remember always wanting to retreat to my room or somewhere private to play pretend by myself.
Were you always funny?
You’d have to ask my family members, but I’m sure that I was not. I think I was always the class clown. My family is very funny. The dinner table was a tough room. But I never would feel confident doing stand-up or improv. I’m always in awe of improvisers that make something out of complete nothing. I need something to hold on to, or else I’m like, “Uhhh…”
What was the first thing you auditioned for that you got?
Probably a musical at the Cleveland Playhouse called Sneakers. I remember it was back when the Cleveland Playhouse was a rec company, so it was a lot of local actors who we would see in the same shows over and over again. I was in a group called the Curtain Pullers at the Cleveland Playhouse; I always thought I was going to be able to pull the curtains, but I never did. I was really bummed about that.
How did Private Life come to you?
I’m such a huge admirer of [writer-director] Tamara Jenkins’s. Her writing is so extraordinary and so specific. I just feel that she keeps excavating to the heart and the truth of every moment. My favorite thing as an audience member and as a human being and as a performer, is that sweet spot where you think, “Am I going to burst into tears or am I going to start hysterically laughing?” It’s that catch in your throat, that messy humanity that she is able to capture.
The movie is quite autobiographical. Did you find that comforting or difficult?
I would say the movie is more emotionally biographical than actually biographical. I know Tamara and her hubby went through a version of it, but I would say I’m not playing Tamara. The character that I play, Rachel, is going through an assisted reproduction roller coaster. There are a lot of hormones that are not her own racing through her body.
You and Tamara look like you could be related.
It’s not conscious, though. It’s so weird. She has a very specific way of speaking. She has a very specific POV. It was a very small film. I guess I just started taking on her POV, for sure.
Best Performances: Featuring Nicole Kidman, Claire Foy, Rami Malek, and 29 of Hollywood’s Biggest Stars
Claire Foy wears a Burberry top, corset dress, socks, and shoes; Charvet scarf. Emily Blunt wears a Burberry dress, shirt, socks, and shoes; stylist’s own top.
Kiki Layne wears a Prada top and headband; Tiffany & Co. earrings. Jonah Hill wears The Row jacket, shirt, and tie.
Margot Robbie wears a Chanel cardigan and skirt; stylist’s own top. Michael B. Jordan wears a Calvin Klein 205W39NYC cardigan and vest; Brioni trousers.
Nicole Kidman wears an Armani Privé dress; Cartier earrings; Cornelia James gloves; stylist’s own veil.
Mahershala Ali wears a Prada suit; his own top and bracelet. Amy Adams wears a Givenchy dress and belt.
Eddie Redmayne wears a Givenchy shirt and pants. Rami Malek wears a Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello shirt.
Saoirse Ronan wears a Celine by Hedi Slimane dress.
Nicole Kidman in Boy Erased and Destroyer
“In Destroyer, I play a cop who’s been through a lot—she’s very American, very angry, distressed, and disturbed. I wasn’t the first choice for that role—it went to somebody else and she didn’t want to do it. I read the script and put my hand up and said, ‘What about me?’ ” Did the wardrobe contribute to the character? We took so long to find the leather jacket that I wear in pretty much every frame of the film. I became so obsessed with that jacket, I would wear it at home. I put it on first thing in the morning. My kids visited the set and were shocked at the way I looked. You know, I’ve been working as an actor since I was 14 years old. It’s a choice, but it’s also a calling. Sometimes, I kind of try to move away, but it always pulls me back.
Comme des Garçons coat, T-shirt, skirt, tights, and boots; headpiece by hairstylist Malcolm Edwards. Inflatable latex costumes by artist Sasha Frolova (throughout).
Amy Adams in Vice
“My role in Vice is Lynne Cheney, Dick Cheney’s wife. It’s a huge responsibility to play a living person. I didn’t meet Lynne, and that’s interesting too—playing somebody who’s alive but whom you’ve never met. Plus, I age from 20 to 70 in the film, so that was another challenge.” Did her conservative politics affect your performance? I really just absorbed her point of view. Whether I agree with it or not doesn’t really matter. To get into character, I would have long debates about policy and politics as Lynne Cheney with our director, Adam McKay. I called him many names. I teased him about wearing shorts on set and how that was disrespectful. But I didn’t swear, because Lynne wouldn’t swear.
Valentino gown; Valentino Garavani earrings; Marc Jacobs boots.
Saoirse Ronan in Mary Queen of Scots and On Chesil Beach
“This is the first time I’ve played any queen or monarch. Mary had to hold herself in a certain way when she was presenting herself at court, but when she was on her own, in her intimate quarters, she was quite different. I began to feel like a bit of a boss. A boss queen!” Did you learn any royal skills? Yes, I learned to ride. My horse in the film was also Wonder Woman’s horse—his name is Prince, and he is the biggest diva I’ve ever met. Prince doesn’t do anything for anyone, especially me, and had a nervous cough that you’d hear right before we’d do a take. Everything I did was for that horse, just to get his approval.
Balenciaga dress and shoes.
Lakeith Stanfield in Sorry to Bother You
“The director of the film, Boots Riley, had been following me for quite a while before I finally met him. He handed me the script for Sorry to Bother You literally put it in my hands. I was like, Who is this strange person? When I read the script, I realized I had no idea how deeply strange he is. But his strangeness revealed itself to be another form of beauty.” Growing up, who was your cinematic crush? Jennifer Love Hewitt. I loved her. I couldn’t comprehend anything, except that she was beautiful. What’s your favorite Halloween costume? I’m always the Joker. Every year. Soon there will be a black Joker movie, and it will be me.
Maison Margiela Artisanal Men’s Designed by John Galliano suit; Tiffany & Co. earrings; John Hardy cross necklace; Chrome Hearts thick chain; Hoorsenbuhs long chain; Stanfield’s own rings.
Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots
What was your first red-carpet outfit? I was 18. The Australian equivalent of the Emmys is called the Logies, and I was nominated. It was my big moment, the biggest thing that had happened to me. So I went all out on the dress: It was very short at the front, long at the back, lots of layers, bright colors, and shiny fabric. It was, like, orange, black, orange, black—with a big bow at the back. I had stipple-looking hair, and I was very tan. It was…a look. I don’t regret it, because I was 18 and having fun. I can dress boring for the rest of my life.
Staud coat; Giu Giu turtleneck; Vex Clothing tights; Urstadt Swan gloves; Manolo Blahnik shoes; stylist’s own veil.
Timothée Chalamet in Beautiful Boy
“Beautiful Boy [which is about a father and his son, who is addicted to drugs] was a script they’d been trying to get made for 10 years. Every guy actor my age had gone up for it. I’ve been lucky, but a lot of the bigger Hollywood movies like Spider-Man, things like that, I didn’t get. So, for Beautiful Boy, I did a lot of research and read about drugs, and I brought the books to my first meeting with the director. I could see in his eyes that he was thinking, This kid is nuts. But I felt this movie—the subject of drug addiction—was so important. I wanted to make an anti-glorification-of-drugs movie. And I think we did.” Did you meet Nic Sheff, whom you play in the film? Yes. I met him a week before we started shooting. And there was nothing about Nic that fit my stereotype of an addict. That was the learning grace of this movie: Nic is alive and well, but the reality is, it’s a day at a time. You never really beat it. You lost so much weight. Was your mom worried about you? My mom was worried! I lost 18 pounds. First, I’m in a movie where I was having sex with a peach, and then it was like, “I got another movie!” She said, “Great!” And then I had to tell her what it was about.
Charvet shirt.
Claire Foy in First Man
Growing up, what was your favorite toy? I had a disgusting pillow until I was about 21. Shamefully, I took it to university. Do you get nervous before filming? Oh, yes, I get nervous. It’s a gradual process of trying to work yourself up to being brave enough to be on set. You always worry that everyone’s going to say, “Ooh, we’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake.” What was the name of your first pet? Thumper. And the first street that you lived on? I don’t know. So you’re a one-name sensation: Thumper is your porno name. Thumper it is.
Burberry cape; Falconiere bonnet.
Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
What was the first record you bought? Bon Jovi. “Livin’ on a Prayer” is such a good song. I love a good emotional ballad. The greatest YouTube hole to go down is Leona Lewis when she was on The X Factor. Every week, she just came and delivered. Occasionally she’d take her shoes off. Do you watch other reality shows? I’m quite excited because The Hills, which is my original reality-TV guilty pleasure, is coming back. I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Heidi Montag. Do you have a secret skill? Yes. I’m incredibly good at being early. I’m always the person who gets to the airport four hours early. I drive everyone crazy.
Dior Men jacket and pants; Urstadt Swan gloves; Givenchy boots.
Michael B. Jordan in Black Panther
Do you have a favorite movie villain? For me, it’s a tie between Heath Ledger as the Joker and Michael Fassbender as Magneto. Villains, like Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, are the most interesting characters. They are the ones you can empathize with—they want you to not like them, but you can still understand their motivation.Even though you’re the villain in Black Panther, do people on the street still say “Wakanda forever” to you? They don’t immediately realize that my character is not exactly pro-Wakanda. Midway through saying something, it registers: Oh, he wasn’t really with Wakanda. But by then they’ve already committed.
Is it difficult to act when you’re basically naked? I’m always naked. So, no.
Hermès sweater.
Joanna Kulig in Cold War
“The director, Pawel Pawlikowski, wrote the part of Zula for me. I knew that the inspiration for the character came from his mother. Zula is her real name, and, like me, she was blonde. I saw her photo.” Was that the hardest part about portraying the character? No. The hardest part was the dancing. In general, I have a problem with coordination. I spent six months in a Polish folk ensemble learning how to dance. We partied together, we drank together, and we’d dance for six hours during a concert. It was like a family, and I started to build the character of Zula. Soon, I had her thoughts and personality. And I finally learned how to dance!
Chloé dress; Louis Vuitton hat.
Elizabeth Debicki in Widows
“I was a dancer for many, many years, and I thought I was going to be a ballerina. When I was about 12, I went to a summer school for the Australian ballet and I was already taller than my teacher. So I remember saying to myself, I’m going to have to rethink this plan.” Did you audition for Widows? Yes, I put myself on tape in my friend’s garage. How glamorous! I remember wearing a lot of eyeliner. I picked out some hoop earrings. And, funnily enough, in the finished film, she ended up looking a lot like she did in my test.
Marc Jacobs coat; Noel Stewart headpiece; Cornelia James gloves; Falke tights; Vivienne Westwood shoes.
Regina King in If Beale Street Could Talk
“I took a break from making films. My son, Ian, was getting to the age, around sixth grade, when kids are starting to spread their wings, and everything that was being offered to me was outside of Los Angeles, except for TV. I didn’t want to travel to make films. So I like to say I was one of the first movie actors who made the leap into television.” Do they call Beale Street your comeback film? I like to use the LL Cool J song: “Don’t call it comeback. I been here for years.”
Givenchy dress; Graham Tyler hat; Linda Farrow sunglasses.
Willem Dafoe in At Eternity’s Gate
“I painted in a movie called To Live and Die in L.A., but it wasn’t about painting—it was more about counterfeiting and killing people. In playing Vincent van Gogh, painting was the key to the character. I had to know what I was doing. The director, Julian Schnabel, would say, ‘Hold the brush like a sword’ and ‘There’s no such thing as a bad mark.’ I began to think that painting is about making an accumulation of marks. Acting is the same: You create a character scene by scene. It’s a series of marks that start a rhythm, and that rhythm sends you where you need to go.” Who is your cinematic crush? Warren Oates. When I saw him perform, I thought, That’s not an actor, that’s a man. It kind of broke my heart to find out he was actually a trained actor.
Balenciaga coat.
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie in Leave No Trace
“I play a girl who is with her father in the wild, far away from civilization. Since I live in New Zealand and couldn’t fly to America, I auditioned on tape. We had a lot of props: a bucket, a toothbrush, a sleeping bag, and a rabbit named Coco. I also ran through the New Zealand bush with a GoPro in my mouth and sent that off as well. I didn’t meet the director in person. Six months later, on Christmas, I found out that I had gotten the part.”
Moschino Couture dress; Capezio tights; Sergio Rossi shoes.
Steven Yeun in Burning
“I like filming death scenes. When I was on The Walking Dead, I had known for some time about my character’s death. I was really excited for that day—I was looking forward to getting my skull bashed in. In Burning, my death scene was really fun. That was the only time it snowed, which was unexpected, and it added some magic to the moment. Everybody fantasizes about what it would be like to die. If I could make a career out of being killed, it would be okay.” Do you have a secret skill? Yes. I’m really good at getting parking spots. I’m so confident that the spot is going to be there, that it’s always there. Right in front.
Gucci jacket, shirt, pants, hat, and shoes; Charvet tie.
Elsie Fisher in Eighth Grade
“I have been acting since I was 5. My first job was doing the voice of Agnes, the youngest daughter, with the big ponytail on top of her head, in Despicable Me. I was in the sequel, but I was too old for Despicable Me 3, because I can’t do my 5-year-old voice anymore.” In Eighth Grade, there is a pool-party scene that is nerve-wracking. You wear a very awkward green bathing suit. Yes, it is anxiety inducing. I did not pick the bathing suit. They wanted a lime green one so my character would stick out. I still have it. I mean, I don’t go to the pool that much, but that’s my bathing suit now. I love it.
Gucci dress; Eugenia Kim hat; Sophie Buhai necklace.
Jonah Hill in Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot
In the film, your character, Donny, has a fantastic fashion sense. One of the things that inspired me was a photograph of Yves Saint Laurent in Morocco in the ’70s. I looked at it and was like, Oh, level-10 Marrakech! So Donny wears a lot of caftans and Moroccan stuff in the movie—kind of our Tom Petty and Yves Saint Laurent level-10 Marrakech. He also has a very calm, Zen outlook on life. Donny had conquered a lot of the things that were dark and demonic about himself, and he was able to be peaceful and calm. That was a joy to play. I miss being Donny— even his long blond hair. What was your most memorable birthday? My mom once sent a mariachi band to play my favorite song, “Feliz Navidad.” It was winter in New York and eight mariachis played my song. I was like, “Am I hallucinating right now?”
Raf Simons coat; the Row T-shirt and jeans; Paul Smith boots.
Kiki Layne in If Beale Street Could Talk
How did you find out you had the part in Beale Street? It was nine in the morning and Barry Jenkins, the director, called and woke me up. He just got to talking and didn’t introduce himself. Finally, he said, “Girl, do you even know who you’re talking to?” He went on to tell me that they were giving me the role! I was trying to rush him off the phone so I could really go crazy and cry and call my mama. What is your go-to karaoke song? “Drunk in Love,” by Beyoncé. Especially if you’ve got somebody that’ll hold down Jay Z’s part. That’s definitely the move. I feel like you have mood hair: Sometimes it’s long, sometimes it’s short—up, down. Oh, yeah, we gotta switch it up. You never really know how it’s gonna be: Will it be curly? Straight? And watch out when those colors start coming in!
Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello dress and boots; Prada headband; Tiffany & Co. earrings.
Carey Mulligan in Wildlife
“Paul Dano, who cowrote and directed Wildlife, called me and said he was going to send me the script. I was kind of flattered that he thought I could play Jeanette.” She’s a tormented character. Did you have trouble shaking her off at the end of the day? No. When you’ve got kids, they expect you to come home and be Mom, not some weird drunk woman. At the end of the day, I take off that hat, leave that person at work, and come home and watch the Food Network. I love Chopped. They make disgusting things, but I do like Bobby Flay. Chopped and Bobby Flay are the perfect antidote to films like Wildlife.
Michael Kors Collection dress; vintage hat from New York Vintage, New York; Tiffany & Co. earrings; Carolina Amato gloves; Capezio tights; Jimmy Choo shoes.
Yalitza Aparicio (far left) in Roma
“The shoot for Roma lasted six months. We shot in chronological order. It was a very long process for me. I had not seen any of Alfonso Cuarón’s films. I actually didn’t know who he was. Alfonso asked me not to watch any of his films until we were done with the filming. He didn’t want me poisoning my mind with any images or ideas.”
Marina de Tavira in Roma
“I was the only actor in Roma with any previous experience. It was really challenging. First-time actors—and many of them were children—have a completely different way of working. Alfonso Cuarón would play tricks on us—make things happen that we were not expecting. That way, he made real life appear on set.”
From left: Valentino gown. The Row gown; Tiffany & Co. earrings.
Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns
“The hardest thing about playing Mary Poppins was learning how to dance. One day, you’re handed a hat and a cane, and I was like, Oh, my God. And, also, the initial idea of taking on a character that iconic was daunting. But once I got over my fears, it was deliciously fun.” What was your first red-carpet outfit? It was for My Summer of Love, and I was far too tanned. I was wearing a very bright yellow dress. I always laugh at how sweaty I looked. Horrible. Who is your girl crush? Rihanna. I mean, come on. She’s smoking.
Louis Vuitton coat; Eugenia Kim hat; Manokhi gloves.
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody
“The first thing I auditioned for I almost wasn’t allowed to audition for. I got a call from a casting director, and she asked to speak to the agent representing Rami Malek. I said, ‘Uh, speaking.’ She kind of laughed and said, ‘Call me when you have an agent.’ I go, ‘You’re already laughing—give me a shot.’ It was three lines in Gilmore Girls. I convinced her to let me read, and I got the part.” Besides in the film, have you ever sung any Queen songs in public? In Japan, with our version of the band, we dressed up in animal onesies and did “Bohemian Rhapsody,” like the original video. It was filmed, and I’m sure someone will get drunk and throw it out there into the ether.
Officine Générale pants; Atsuko Kudo Couture Latex Design gloves.
What I think is so interesting about the way that you approach comedy is that you don’t treat it like comedy. In other words, you approach it almost like it’s drama or just like it’s life, so to speak. You’re not playing it as comedy so much as it becomes comedic because of the situation.
I think it goes back to your question at the beginning in terms of do I think of myself as funny. I think I’m accidentally funny more so than thinking of it as a craft. I’m in awe of those comedians that know how to hit it again and again and again. I think for this particular performer bird, I have to root it in the same thing no matter what it is; the rubber band has to be taut to who I am and what it is that I want. It always comes from the same muscle. Then you arrive on the day and then you have to throw so much of it away and just receive.
Have you always been good at physical comedy?
Again, no. I would say that it seems so accidental to me. I just have to go for something. No matter what the material is, I like the feeling of having no stone left unturned. I hate the feeling of, “I wish I had tried that,” or “I wish I asked for one more take,” or “I wish I had a chance to …” Certainly I will try it all, or at least ask to, and sometimes politely be turned down.
What is your karaoke song?
I have so many. I like some Rihanna, “Take a Bow.” I like a ballad. I like Sheryl Crow, “Strong Enough.” It’s a beautiful song to me. I like “Miss Independent” by Ne-Yo. I love, love, love karaoke.
Where was your first kiss?
Cloak room, fourth grade. Oliver Dunford. I’ll never forget it. He really didn’t see it coming and he rebuffed it with a vigor. He recoiled and basically ran out. I was like, “Well, that didn’t go as I had thought. I misread the signs.” He looked like the greatest American hero but in miniature. He had a beautiful, beautiful blond curls.
What was your favorite event on your birthday?
Maybe I was 12 or 13, my mom took myself and six girlfriends to an Applebee’s and we had a lunch. It felt very grown up. I think my girlfriends and I had two or three Laura Ashley dresses that we would circulate. I wore one of those three dresses to lunch, I’m sure. We kept using the same three dresses over and over again.
What was your favorite Halloween costume that you ever had?
I was a tooth fairy for many years because my mom spent a lot of time making it and then she just kept pushing it on me. It’s basically your standard princess costume, but then you hold a wand with a tooth on it that’s coated in foil, which is a bummer because you’ve got your bag of candy and then you also have to hold a wand with a tooth on it or your mom will be upset.
Who was your cinematic or television crush growing up, or now?
I just recently met Willem Dafoe. I know this is a fucked up thing to say, but I really did love him in Wild Heart. Lauren Dern was a cinematic crush. I had cinema crushes on so many women. Who right now is a crazy cinematic crush? Timoth´ee Chalamet just destroys me. That face is just so killer.
What is a skill that people would be surprised to know that you’re good at?
I’m an incredible organizer if anybody needs something. I like a clean space. Throwing shit out gives me such joy. My kids sometimes feel a little bit gaslit though, so I have to watch it. They’re like, “Wait, what happened to that?”
Up Close and Personal With Troye Sivan, Emma Stone, Poppy and More Stars at W‘s Best Performances Party
Up close and personal with Nicole Kidman at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Tracee Ellis Ross at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Keegan-Michael Key at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Troye Sivan at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Caitriona Balfe at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Poppy at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Emma Stone at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Patricia Clarkson at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with the stars at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Stefano Tonchi and Amy Adams at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Willem Dafoe at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Kate Beckinsale at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Kathryn Hahn at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Lakeith Stanfield at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
Up close and personal with Haley Joel Osment at W’s Best Performances party, photographed by Eli Schmidt on his iPhone XR.
