At 16, Olsen, who excelled academically at Campbell Hall, a private school in L.A., began studying Russian theater. While immersing herself in the Soviet theatrical tradition, Olsen had an epiphany: She definitely wanted to pursue acting. She started performing in school plays and decided to apply to NYU’s theater department. During her sophomore year in 2009, she auditioned to be the understudy for the Broadway play Impressionism, starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons. “For an entire year, I was the understudy to Margarita Levieva,” Olsen said. “And I met my agent, Rhonda Price, then. I didn’t really want to meet her—I wanted to finish school. It all happened so fast and naturally.”
It was decided between Olsen and Price—almost ordained—that Lizzie would concentrate on theater and movies rather than television, which is where her sisters had become famous. Their lives in the public eye have not made Olsen wary exactly—just informed and cautious. “Theater seemed safe,” Olsen said. “In the theater, you’re sort of hidden. Most paparazzi are not after stage actors. At first, movies were really frightening to me. In my mind, if you’re in a movie, you’re officially out there.” She paused. This was an uncharacteristically dark thought. “But then you realize, who cares?” Olsen continued, suddenly brightening. “I just want to do what I want to do.”
She started reading scripts—eight or so a week. “I auditioned for everything. I love waiting rooms before auditions. Everyone is so nervous and looking each other up and down. Sometimes, I just look at everyone else freaking out, speaking to themselves. I had a teacher who said every time you audition, it’s another opportunity for someone to see you act. The casting agents and directors don’t want you to suck, because if you suck it makes their day longer. And if you’re not what they want, that’s not your fault.”
Luckily, an abundance of talent has smoothed Olsen’s path and allowed her to remain unburdened by thoughts of rejection: She landed her first movie, Peace, Love & Misunderstanding, only six months after she began auditioning. She was about to start filming in upstate New York when she read Martha Marcy May Marlene. “I was obsessed,” Olsen recalled. “I thought, This is the kind of part I want to play when I’m older. With Martha, I could do all the things I want to do later, but now.”
Martha was written by Durkin, who is one-third of Borderline Films, a Brooklyn-based collective run with Antonio Campos and Josh Mond. Their independent film company has an interesting, utilitarian structure: Durkin, Campos, and Mond, who bonded and formed their company as film students at NYU, each writes, produces, and directs. The three men work on each others’ movies in every capacity—from finding financing to honing the script to casting to overseeing the production to directing. For example, while Durkin wrote and directed Martha, Mond produced and Campos consulted throughout the movie. “They all split duties,” Olsen recalled. “Antonio would give his two cents about how to stage certain scenes in the movie. All three work really closely together.”
