Rebecca Hall Likes Her Roles Like She Likes Her Reality TV: A Little Unhinged
In the psychological drama The Listeners, the actor is driven to madness. At home, she relaxes with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
It’s been a busy year for Rebecca Hall. The 44-year-old actor starred opposite Evan Peters in Ryan Murphy’s body horror series, The Beauty; popped up for a guest spot on The Studio; and led Janicza Bravo’s psychological drama The Listeners, playing a woman driven to madness by a low humming sound that no one else seems to notice. In many ways, Hall was born to perform: Her mother was the opera singer Maria Ewing, and her father was theater director Sir Peter Hall, the founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company. But despite growing up around—and on—the stage, Hall insists she was a quiet kid. For W’s TV portfolio, she discusses her early shyness, her go-to reality shows, and her celebrity crush—other than her husband, Morgan Spector, who chimes in during the interview.
How did The Listeners come into your life?
I was at a point in my career where I was looking for something off the beaten path. My agent said, “There’s this kind of crazy TV thing about a woman who starts to hear a buzzing in her ear and doesn’t know where it is coming from. And it’s being directed by Janicza Bravo.” I was like, “I’m in. Done.” I love Zola, and I got to know Janicza when I was promoting Passing, the film I directed. I instantly fell in love with her, and we became very good friends. It was so thrilling to get to do something with her. She's such a unique director.
How would you describe the show?
It’s about going mad quietly. I’ve done a lot of those roles, but this one was really interesting to me. It’s about losing connection with people and community in modern society, and what that means. After all, we’re all struggling with who gets to define what’s real and what’s true.
How important is costuming when it comes to embodying a character?
It's hugely important. I’m a person who loves clothes, and I love expressing myself through what I decide to wear. I love collaborating with costume designers. In The Listeners, a lot of my costumes were meant to evoke the films of Eric Rohmer: 1960s-style capris, bright colors, and cream shirts. It was girly, but I liked it.
Hall wears a Polo Ralph Lauren tuxedo jacket and shirt; Graff earrings. Morgan Spector wears a Ralph Lauren Purple Label tuxedo jacket and shirt.
Do you watch your husband in The Gilded Age?
Yes, I love it. I actively resent it if Morgan asks me to test him on lines because then the future shows will be spoiled. And if I hear little bits of things, I get mad. I’m like, “What are you talking about? That can’t happen!”
Were you a theatrical child?
No, I was very shy. I sat around and drew people, and I got upset if people spoke to me.
When did that change?
Has it? [Laughs] I am good at talking now, but when I was young there wasn’t much space for it. There were a lot of theatrics in my childhood. I decided to be quiet and observe, which I think was the beginning of my interest in acting. I started acting when I was 9, but it felt like it was years in the making.
Are you more like a dog or a cat?
I'm a cat. Have you seen children’s television? It’s so anti-cat biased. Cats are always selfish and a little obsessed. I love cats.
Who is your celebrity crush, besides Morgan?
Robert Mitchum, specifically in Out of the Past and The Night of the Hunter, which is so disturbing. He was very beautiful, and he had this interesting face. I like interesting, beautiful, manly men. Obviously, I have a type.
Do you and Morgan watch reality TV?
Constantly. For me, it’s relaxation. I never did The Real Housewives for a really long time, and then I did. I went deep, and now I’m grappling with the Beverly Hills ladies from the beginning. We also watch The Great British Bake Off.
Morgan Spector: That was how Rebecca introduced me to British culture.
RH: We were in danger of breaking up over the difference between a biscuit and a cookie.
MS: And then we go into the U.K. version of Love Island. It is so extreme: The music is awful, the colors are awful.
RH: It’s designed to give you a headache.
MS: But people on the show still fall in love. And I’m like, Oh humanity!
Hair by Mustafa Yanaz for L’Oréal Professionnel; Paris at Art + Commerce; Makeup by Sam Visser for YSL Beauty at Art Partner; Manicure by Eri Handa for Dior Le Baume at Home Agency; Set design by Mila Taylor-Young. Produced by Prodn; Production Team: Mitch Baker, Noah Conboy, Steven Dam, Torrance Hall, Parker Hanley, Taryn Kelly, Conor McIntyre, Wesley Torrance, Daniel Weiner, Jasmine Williams; Photo Assistants: Keegan Gay, Jeremy Gould, Carlos Vigil; Digital Technician: Kylie Coutts; Fashion Assistants: Lizzie Bowden, Tori López, Kayla Perno, Sofia Prochilo, Celeste Roh, Tyler VanVranken; Tailor: Lindsay Wright; Hair Assistants: Tiana Amani, Harley Beman, Kazuto Shimomura; Makeup Assistants: Elika Hilata, Juan Jaar, Meghan Nguyen, Yuui Vision; Set Assistant: Kate Atkinson.
