What I love about the way they both [Paul Thomas Anderson and Joaquin Phoenix] work is that all of the monkey business is on film. There's no monkey business outside of the monkey business of making the movie. There's no ego bullshit, there's no wasted energy. It's all directed at the story and that's rare.
Katherine WaterstonI don't want to be a basket case on set. I try to sort of quiet all of that, all those thoughts, kinda just let yourself be aware of them when you're preparing to do the work but then once you get there you have to feel as free as possible. Anything that I perceived as something that ran the risk of stressing me out, I just left outside the studio doors because I didn't want to undermine myself.
Katherine WaterstonSeeing someone happy on set is just a very small slice of the reality of an actor's life.
Katherine WaterstonCostume design is so important and really helpful, and I really love that aspect of character development, just figuring it out.
Katherine WaterstonI've never had to talk about my work, nobody's given a damn about it - you know, what I thought. I find that I sort of like that, to get to keep it to myself. It's a bit bizarre.
Katherine WaterstonIt's weird. I feel like people assume if a character is very different than you, that means it's difficult to get into their head or into their skin.
Katherine WaterstonI look back at my adolescence, and Im shocked at the things I did that were my idea of adult behavior.
Katherine WaterstonSo when things start going badly, you're invested in the characters in a way I think amplifies the horror and the fear because you're invested.
Katherine WaterstonI thought acting was what grownups did. It was such a part of my childhood. I was already in love with performing before I knew there were other options. By then, it was too late.
Katherine Waterston