BEST PERFORMANCES 2017

Dev Patel Has a Very Unusual But Very Effective Tip for Winning on Oscars Night

The star of Lion and Slumdog Millionaire on his path to his award-nominated roles.


Best Performances 2017 - Dev Patel
Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

The 26-year-old English actor Dev Patel has had some remarkable luck so far in his celebrated career. For his first job, his mother brought him to an open call she spotted in an ad in the back of a free London newspaper. That turned out to be the long-running BBC series Skins, a breakthrough teen drama that turned into a cultural phenomenon. Patel’s first film role came to the then still-largely-unknown actor when the daughter of the director Danny Boyle brought his name to Boyle’s attention when he was casting the lead in Slumdog Millionaire—which would go on, of course, to win the Oscar for Best Picture. But in Hollywood, luck only gets you in the room. You still have to make the part yours, as Patel’s emotionally grueling six-hour audition for Lion, for which he was recently nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, proves. Here, he recalls the moments that transformed his career—and his and Boyle’s winning formula on Oscars night.

What was the first job that you auditioned for?

My mum saw an advert in the back of this newspaper called The Metro, which is a free newspaper on all the trains in London. She tore it out and dragged me to this open casting. I was 16-years-old and very reluctant. I was just this very awkward teenager and there were all these drama students doing their vocal warm-ups, all that kind of stuff. And I was like, “Oh man.” I was in my school uniform with my mum, and we waited outside the National Youth Theatre in London. It was for this TV show called Skins.

And you got it.

I did get it, yes, so it was a success. I played this character called Anwar. I was wildly hyperactive and he’s kind of like that little Chihuahua that keeps humping your leg? He’s very sexually charged and was trying to do anything to lose his virginity. [Laughs.]

But everyone on Skins was like that. It was a wild show.

Yeah, it was crazy. There was some really awesome actors on there. I’d never been on a set before, so everything was alien to me. You know the only thing that felt familiar was “action,” because I’d seen that in films before. So I kind of, you know, mouthed everyone else’s lines and was wildly swinging; my performances were so over the top. [Laughs.]

Dev Patel Lion

“When I was cast in Slumdog Millionaire I was 17. At our first major screening, I walked the red carpet in my school shoes and a terrible suit I found on the high street, in London, with my mum. My costar, Freida Pinto, was very beautiful, very glamorous, and they said, ‘We can’t have this kid walking the red carpet with her! He’s spoiling the whole picture!’ So they gave me a new suit and fixed me up. It was a bit like Pretty Woman.”

Hermès sweater; Frame Denim jeans.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Were you a theatrical child?

Yeah, I think I just was very energetic. My mum put me into martial arts and drama. It was the only way to channel that energy into something productive.

When you were doing the show did you immediately feel that this was your calling?

Yeah. In between action and cut, all those voices and all that external noise just goes quiet, and you’re coasting in a different space. That is something I really enjoy.

And how old were you when you did Slumdog Millionaire?

I did Slumdog when I was 17. So right after Skins. [The director] Danny Boyle was out in India, New York, Los Angeles, going through all the agencies looking for the lead in this film. I was very off the radar. His daughter was a fan of the TV show [Skins]. And one day he came home after a year of searching, he was going to pack it all in and his daughter was like, “Dad, you should try this dude.” So I got to audition for him.

I would have imagined that Slumdog was kind of an amazing personal experience, because it went from zero to 50. I mean, it went to the Toronto Film Festival and from that point forward it was a straight shot to the Oscars. [Chuckles.] I mean, what was Toronto like for you?

Yeah, the film festival in Toronto was insane. I remember walking up in school shoes, and I had this terrible suit that I found on the High Street with my mum. [Laughs.] An my costar, [Freida Pinto], is a beautiful, very glamorous, well-styled young lady. The stylist was like, “We can’t have this kid walking down the carpet with her. He’s just spoiling the whole picture.” So they gave me a suit and fixed me up a little. It was a bit Pretty Woman, I guess. Yeah, I felt like Julia Roberts.

Then you guys won everything. And the suits got better and better.

Yeah, it’s just been fun.

What were the Oscars like?

The Oscars were just beautiful. We were just wonderfully naïve to it all. So you weren’t coming into it jaded. There was just a complete hopefulness and you’re seeing all these incredible actors just walking right past you. You’re just like, “Oh my god, there’s…” I was waiting to meet either Jim Carrey or Will Smith. And the press hauls was months and months long, and we were really exhausted answering the same questions for a year of your life. But they promised me, like, “Will Smith is going to be there on the Oscars day.” I was getting a little disheartened—and then, all of a sudden, after the commercial break he emerges from the stage floor. And I’m like, “Aaaah.” He went and presented some awards and then, in between the break, he came down and everyone is greeting him. And he’s like, “Where is Dev Patel?” “Where is Dev Patel?”

Oh my gosh.

He’s looking in the audience and I’m freaking out, because I have a picture of him. I waited outside of the Hancock premiere in London, and I got a picture of his forehead on my terrible Nokia phone, because I’d been waiting for hours. And Danny Boyle is like, “He’s here, he’s here, he’s here.” And he came over, and I just sunk in my seat. And he was so wonderful and warm. That was cool.

And we did this thing, me and Danny, where we kept rubbing all the Oscars statues’ bums as a good luck thing, as we walked down the red carpet.

And it worked.

It did, yeah.

So how did Lion come about?

I heard on the grapevine about this incredible true story of this young boy who was torn away from this family and heads across India on these trains. It was a tale of survival, and then he gets adopted by this Australian family, and grows up as an Australian lad, down to the cricket team he supports. It was beautiful. He falls in love with this American girl and slowly you see that his roots—that he’s been trying to suppress to fit in—all of a sudden start bubbling up and start to haunt him in his everyday existence. And he uses Google Earth to literally find his mother from space. [Chuckles.] Like, a needle in a haystack. It’s an anthem of diversity and triumph and love, and at its it’s a mothers-and-sons story. As you can see I’m harping on about my mum, but that’s something that really resonates with me. And, you know, I had to audition.

You had to audition?

I had to audition. It’s very interesting, when your resume works against you sometimes. You work so hard to book jobs, but all of a sudden you become, ah, obvious. I had to fight against that. Because they’re like, “Oh, he’s been done before. He was in Slumdog. We’ve seen all that he can offer.” So I Skyped with Garth [Davis, the director]. I put myself on tape. Then, when I was in London doing this film with Jeremy Irons, they called me in to a read with Garth, which was terrifying because I had been practicing an Indian accent for two months, and then all of a sudden I’m trying to piece together this Australian tongue. And it was a six-hour audition.

Did he tell you in the room you had it?

Well, kind of. After we’d finished, he said, “Look, I really want you to transform for this if it comes your way.” But I could see the connection in the room. I remember closing the door behind me and I’m out in the street in London with teary eyes, my hair is all messed up. You know, it was like that weird audition where you give it your all, and then they’re, “Okay, thank you.”

And did you celebrate when he called?

I did, it was great. He called and said, “Look, I want you to start growing your hair. I want you to start training to put on some weight. We want to grow you up a bit.” I called my agent straight after and said, “Don’t send me any work or distractions or other auditions. I really want to commit the next eight months to doing this right.” Because the story demands that and Saroo’s journey demands it. For someone that looks like me those characters don’t come around every so often.

They might now.

[Laughs.] We’ll see.

So let’s ask some fun questions: Who’s your cinematic crush?

I fall in love really easily. You know, it was pretty mesmerizing working with Rooney [Mara, his costar in Lion]. She’s got this very old-world charm, the complete opposite of the spectrum to the energy that I bring. I’m this big, goofy Labrador, and she’s a quiet but really strong presence. It was beautiful working with her and watching her. So her and probably also Bruce Lee. Man looks sexy in that yellow jumpsuit.

Bruce Lee. [Laughs.] I think that’s the only time he and Rooney Mara has ever been in the same conversation. [Laughs.] What movie other than Lion, which of course makes everyone cry, makes you cry?

Oh man, I cry again very easily, but The Pursuit of Happyness always tickles me. Well, it doesn’t tickle me, it, it makes me cry. I really relate to those kind of underdog stories.

What’s your biggest pet peeve in life?

I don’t like people who are quick to judge. You meet some very judgmental types in this industry. We’re floating in a fishbowl of labels. That’s dangerous, yeah. There’s lots of facets to people, that’s what we as actors are trying to explore. So it kind of goes against the grain of what we’re doing.

And what was your first kiss?

I remember having a very awkward kiss with a girl in the playground who I really had a big crush on. Her name was Kelly, I’ve forgotten her second name, she used to suck her thumb. [Chuckles.] It was a very weird kiss, and then all my friends were like, “Ew, you kissed a girl.” But my first proper kiss was probably onscreen in Skins. It was my first kiss and my first sex scene, all of that in one go.

Were you nervous?

I was damn nervous. I’d never had sex before and I was simulating it in front of a camera. I stayed up the night watching James Bond trying to be romantic, and then all of a sudden they’re like, “More chihuahua.”

Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams and More Are the Best Performances of the Year

Stone wears Chloé tunic; Wolford leggings; her own rings. Beauty: Covergirl. Affleck wears Louis Vuitton jacket and shirt.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair for Affleck by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; Hair for Stone by Mara Roszak for L’Oréal Paris at Starworks Artists; Makeup for Affleck by Peter Philips for Dior; Makeup for Stone by Rachel Goodwin for Chanel at Starworks Artists; Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Portman wears Dior dress; Mish New York earrings. Beauty: Dior. Negga wears Carolina Herrera dress; Lalaounis earrings. Beauty: Laura Mercier.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; Makeup by Peter Philips for Dior; Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Adams wears Prada shirt; Djula earrings. Beauty: Giorgio Armani. McConaughey wears Burberry shirt.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; Makeup by Peter Philips for Dior; Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Driver wears AG T-shirt. Mortensen wears Alternative Apparel henley.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; Makeup by Peter Philips for Dior; Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Williams wears Louis Vuitton dress and bodysuit. Beauty: Nars. Edgerton wears Burberry T-shirt; Rolex watch.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; Makeup by Peter Philips for Dior; Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Kidman wears Chanel dress; Tiffany & Co. earrings. Beauty: Chanel. Ali wears Simon Miller T-shirt.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; Makeup by Peter Philips for Dior; Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

La La Land

“My real name is Emily Stone, but when I started acting, that name was already taken by another actress, so I had to come up with a different one. For a 16-year-old, picking a new name is an interesting prospect, and back then I said, ‘I’m now going to be Riley Stone!’ So, for about six months I was called Riley. I landed a guest spot on Malcolm in the Middle, and one day they were calling, ‘Riley! Riley! Riley! We need you on set, Riley!’ and I had no idea who they were talking to. At that moment, I realized that I just couldn’t be Riley. So I became Emma. But I miss Emily. I would love to get her back.”

Sonia Rykiel sweater; Commando briefs.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair for Stone by Mara Roszak for L’Oréal Paris at Starworks Artists; makeup for Stone by Rachel Goodwin for Chanel at Starworks Artists. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Gold

“I was attracted to Gold because it reminded me of my dad. He loved shady deals. He’d much rather do a shady deal with fun people than a good deal with a bunch of straight-asses. He invested in diamond mines in Ecuador, and there were no fucking diamonds there. It was a scam, but he loved that. That’s the spirit of my character, Kenny Wells. There’s a little poem we have in the movie—‘Bird With No Feet Sleeps in the Wind.’ And that’s it: If Kenny, or my dad, gets the money or not, does it really matter? Would he change? No. Not that guy. These are people who are going to con, finagle, and boot-scoot their way in the side door. They never had the front-door entrance to the American Dream.”

AG jacket; Current/Elliott T-shirt; Levi’s jeans; John Hardy bracelet (right); Ann Demeulemeester boots.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Arrival and Nocturnal Animals

“Tom Ford became my muse on Nocturnal Animals. My character, Susan, was very personal to Tom, and so I based my interpretation on him. Tom would ask on set, ‘Why is Amy using her hands like that?’ And I said, ‘I’m copying you, Tom!’ I used him. I used him up.”

Gucci shirt; Djula earrings.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Jackie

“Playing Jackie Kennedy is scary. I was nervous at first, and I started by doing a lot of research. The biographies on her are all a little bit trashy, but the transcripts of her interviews with the historian Arthur Schlesinger were really helpful. He taped everything, and you can hear Jackie’s voice. Her intellect and her wit and what she’s bitter about are immediately apparent. At the same time, I was going to costume fittings and makeup tests. When I put on the Jackie wig, the physical and emotional sides came together. The hair itself is so iconic that once you have it right, you can start to see Jackie. I don’t really look like her, but I felt like I was in her skin.”

Equipment dress.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Paterson and Silence

Silence is the story of two Jesuit priests on a journey from Macao to Japan in search of their mentor, a priest who may have renounced his faith. When Martin Scorsese asked me to come to his house to talk about the movie, I already knew that for 28 years it had been his passion project. We talked about Silence, but when Scorsese starts a sentence, ‘When we were shooting Raging Bull…’ you can’t help but say, ‘Yeah, okay, tell me everything.’ So we talked for a long time, and finally he asked me if I would be willing to lose weight for the role. It made sense: How can you play a 17th-century persecuted priest while eating great meals? So I lost around 51 pounds. The weight loss was only bad in that, you know, I’d try to figure out how to play a scene and I had no ideas, because I was so damn hungry. Then I’d have a scoop of peanut butter and suddenly everything turned on!”

Dior Homme jacket; Rag & Bone Standard Issue T-shirt and jeans; Rolex watch. On model: Wolford  stockings.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Hell or High Water

What was your first audition? My parents were both actors. I had just graduated from college, and my father had gone in for an audition for Gilmore Girls. He told the casting directors, “My son is back in town. Will you have him in for a reading?” So it was nepotism at its best. I can’t remember the role—maybe a boyfriend to someone? I got my start playing boyfriends, husbands-to-be, and princes.

In Hell or High Water you play a kind of modern Western antihero. You don’t speak much. When I read the script, the image that came to mind was of a man on a porch squinting through harsh sunlight into the distance, but not talking. I have a lot of similar memories of my father, where we are sitting next to each other and not saying much. Westerns have a stoic silence I’ve always appreciated. These days, we have so many distractions. I have minor ADD, so if anything grabs me and keeps me from petting my dog or collaging or just daydreaming, I immediately pay attention.

Brunello Cucinelli sweater; Sandro trousers; Loewe shoes.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Michael Kors henley. Model wears Araks robe; Stella McCartney Lingerie bra; Fifi Chachnil briefs; Falke stockings; Gianvito Rossi shoes.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer. Retouching: DTouch; Produced by Kyle Heinen and Joey Battaglia for Rosco Production; Digital Technician: Nicholas Ong; Photography assistants: Nick Brinley, Maru Teppei, Kris Shacochis, Brian Bee; Fashion assistants: Ryann Foulke, Sam Walker, Dena Giannini, Schanel Bakkouche; Hiar assistants: Quentin Barnette, Kristin Heitkotter, Louis Orozco; Makeup assistants: Grace Ahn, Miguel Ramos; set-design attestants: Tony Cecilia, Lizzie Lang, Andre Andrews; production assistants: Mike Stacey, Davin Singh, Damian Sanchez, Asli Akal; Special thanks to Quixote Studios, Los Angeles.

Loving

“When I auditioned for the part of Mildred Loving, I had to sort of disappear into her character. Usually, I don’t create a costume for an audition, but this time I wore a summer dress. I knew that coming in the door looking like this woman would have an impact. A year later, I learned I got the part. At the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, I walked up the steps of the Palais in full makeup, and I walked down the steps with mascara dripping. It was such an emotional experience. All I could think was that I needed to blow my nose before it dripped all over my frock.”

Prada top and skirt; Fabiana Filippi  top (underneath).

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Hidden Figures

“I’m a pretty good actress. You could say that, right? Well, to play Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who figured out a way to get NASA astronauts into space, I had to be believable as a math expert—and I failed math in college. Precalculus looked like Chinese to me. Even with two tutors, I still failed. So God has an incredible sense of humor, because now I am playing a mathematician! Even on set, they would have a professor there to try and teach me. I said, ‘Show me what I have to write and I’ll memorize it, because I’m not gonna get it.’ Take that, math! I won: I became an actress.”

Monse shirt; La Perla bra; Forevermark by Natalie K earrings; Jimmy Choo shoes.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Rules Don’t Apply

“I never knew Howard Hughes, so I’m able to take liberties, to allow my imagination to go to work. I like to quote Henry Ford, who said, ‘History is bunk.’ I like to quote Winston Churchill, who said, ‘History will be kind to me, because I intend to write it myself.’ And, in Rules Don’t Apply, I quote Mr. Hughes himself. He said, ‘Never check an interesting fact.’ ”

Jeffrey Rüdes sweater.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair and makeup for Beatty by Natalia Bruschi. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Manchester by the Sea

“I used to love movies that made me cry, and now all movies seem to make me cry. I don’t like that so much. I have my own things to cry about. I remember being young and sitting on the floor in my father’s apartment watching The Elephant Man on his black and white TV. When the Elephant Man did his speech—‘I am not an animal’—I started sobbing. That’s a tearjerker. That film made a superstrong impression on me. It set a certain standard in my mind of what was possible.”

Louis Vuitton pants; Falke socks. On model: Alexander Wang sweater.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

A Monster Calls and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

“Recently, I seem to be doing a lot of dying onscreen. Lizzie, my character in A Monster Calls, has cancer, and I became obsessed with the way someone’s voice changes as their body deteriorates, and how they change the way they hold their body. Cancer patients would tell me things like, ‘You become obsessed with painting your nails, because your body is out of control.’ It became harder and harder to play Lizzie. I don’t think I’m going to die anymore.”

Giorgio Armani dress; Djula earrings; Tacori  ring.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Allied, It’s Only the End of the World, and Assassin’s Creed

“It might sound weird, but I always cry at the end of Step Brothers. I’ve seen the movie 10 times, and it still touches me at the end, when Will Ferrell sings. You don’t expect to cry watching that type of comedy, but I always do.”

Burberry trenchcoat; Loro Piana sweater; Chopard earrings.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Hell or High Water

“I remember doing an interview years ago and being asked if I was one of those actors who takes the part home with me. I answered, ‘No. Not really.’ My wife happened to be in the room, and she started to laugh. Apparently, I had been playing a terrible person—a killer or someone who buries people alive or something—and she definitely noticed. I wasn’t fun to live with.”

Boss coat; A.P.C. jeans; the Frye Company boots.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Lion

“When I was cast in Slumdog Millionaire I was 17. At our first major screening, I walked the red carpet in my school shoes and a terrible suit I found on the high street, in London, with my mum. My costar, Freida Pinto, was very beautiful, very glamorous, and they said, ‘We can’t have this kid walking the red carpet with her! He’s spoiling the whole picture!’ So they gave me a new suit and fixed me up. It was a bit like Pretty Woman.”

Hermès sweater; Frame Denim jeans.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

The Edge of Seventeen

Where was your first kiss? My first kiss was actually onscreen. I was in a graduate-thesis film called She’s a Fox, and I had to kiss two guys in it. I think I was 12. I was very nervous. One of the guys was shorter than me, and he had to stand on an apple box… Awkward! He told me, “I’m going to pretend I’m kissing my mom!” I was pretty sure that’s not the thing you say before you kiss a girl, so I looked at him and said, “Okay, I’m going to pretend I’m kissing my dog!”

Where was your first real-life kiss, then? At my house, by my front door. Which kind of sucks, because every time I walk through my front door I think about it. The kiss was a little messy, and I looked at the guy and said, “No, no, you can do better.” That’s not what you’re supposed to say, but I said it anyway.

Max Mara bralette; DKNY pants; Cartier earrings; Jimmy Choo shoes.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Max Mara bralette; DKNY pants; Cartier earrings.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer. Retouching: DTouch; Produced by Kyle Heinen and Joey Battaglia for Rosco Production; Digital Technician: Nicholas Ong; Photography assistants: Nick Brinley, Maru Teppei, Kris Shacochis, Brian Bee; Fashion assistants: Ryann Foulke, Sam Walker, Dena Giannini, Schanel Bakkouche; Hiar assistants: Quentin Barnette, Kristin Heitkotter, Louis Orozco; Makeup assistants: Grace Ahn, Miguel Ramos; set-design attestants: Tony Cecilia, Lizzie Lang, Andre Andrews; production assistants: Mike Stacey, Davin Singh, Damian Sanchez, Asli Akal; Special thanks to Quixote Studios, Los Angeles.

The Witch and Split

You say you don’t like watching horror films—so what’s it like for you to act in them? I’m a real scaredy-cat. I’m not good at being frightened. But I do like acting in a horror movie, because I get to feel so intensely. You put yourself in these extreme emotional situations, and it wears you out in a great way. Afterward, I go home and get a good night’s sleep. The work chills me out: I’m a lot more stable since I’ve been in scary movies.

What frightens you? Revolving doors. I worry they’ll cut me in half. Strangers will see me tense up and hold my hand as I’m going through them. I’m constantly worried that I’m not going to make it through the door alive.

Gucci  jacket, shirt, and pants.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Midnight Special, Elvis & Nixon, and Nocturnal Animals

“Doing a sex scene is just like having sex, except without any of the pleasure. The horror, fear, anxiety, sadness, and loneliness of sex is all there to enjoy—but none of the happiness.”

Saint Laurent jacket, shirt, and tie; Tiffany & Co. watch.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Hacksaw Ridge and Silence

“The majority of my process in playing a priest in Silence was praying. I’d never really prayed before, and I developed a relationship with a power greater than myself—call it God, call it love, call it what you will. It became very natural to me, and I realized that we’re all praying all the time. There’s that human impulse to worship and to long for a connection to the divine. Unfortunately, in our culture we are driven to worship things that are false and empty. I had a year of exploring this idea of what we are truly longing for and how we actually go to the places that can feed that longing. We all get glimpses of eternity every day. It’s just a question of whether we’re looking up from our iPhones long enough to notice.”

Alexander McQueen jacket and pants; A.P.C. shirt.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Maggie’s Plan and 20th Century Women

What is your karaoke song? It’s the nerdiest one ever: “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” by Billy Joel. It’s one of those songs that if you were a certain kind of teenage girl—me!—you thought knowing all the words would help you get a boyfriend. And then, about 30 seconds too late, you realize that it won’t. But it remains my song. I had the same thought about “Modern Major General,” by Gilbert and Sullivan. I thought guys were looking for a girl who could memorize a lot of names, but they didn’t care about that. They just cared about getting a hand job or something.

Do you have a cinematic crush? I would have to say Melanie Griffith in Working Girl—the first time she meets Harrison Ford at the bar. She’s all done up and she tells him, “I’ve got a head for business and a bod for sin.”And young Harrison Ford…what a dreamboat! But it’s her I truly love. She’s so compelling and funny. She’s sexy without being plastic. I think a lot of people miss seeing women that way.

Proenza Schouler dress; Guidi boots.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Moonlight

Were you a dramatic child? Yes, I used to stand in front of the mirror and try to make myself cry. I would also try different accents. I was living in an imaginary world, usually with Michael Jackson. He was going to rescue me! I used to draw pictures of me and Michael getting married, and I would send them to his fan club. I would imagine Michael waiting for me at the gate of my school, eager to whisk me away to a happier world.

Why Michael Jackson? I imagined myself as a Peter Pan kind of character, and Michael represented that existence. He was my guy.

Miu Miu coat, sweater, shorts, and shoes.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Manchester by the Sea

“As a little kid, my first love was IMDB [the data bank for movies and television]. I would memorize the birthdays of child actors. I really wanted to be an actor, and I related to the kids in the industry. But now that I think about it, memorizing their birthdays is not cute at all—it’s a little serial killer–ish.”

Prada sweater; Brooks Brothers  boxers.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.

Lion

What was your favorite birthday? When I turned 40, my husband, Keith [Urban], drove me up to the top of this small hill in Australia and sat me down. He had put together this huge fireworks display. It was just for the two of us! It was sexy.

What is your pet peeve? When people say they will do something and they don’t. And I know it’s terribly demanding, but I don’t like it when my husband doesn’t answer his phone. I have to keep calling and calling, and I get anxious. Does that make me high-maintenance?

What movie has made you cry? Last year I saw Room, and I was absolutely devastated by it. I’m raw as I get older. I have to be careful what I let in.

Where was your first kiss? This is crazy: We were playing hooky from school. I had my first kiss while watching The Shining. Is that not weird? And we did a few things other than kiss too! I didn’t see a lot of the movie.

Chanel sweater, dress, shorts, and shoes; Bulgari earrings.

Photographs by Craig McDean. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Orlando Pita for Orlando Pita Play; makeup by Peter Philips for Dior. Manicures by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Piers Hanmer.
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