It'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.

So 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.

I look back at my adolescence, and Im shocked at the things I did that were my idea of adult behavior.

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.

I 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.

I dont think Paul Thomas Anderson has a standard approach to anything.

Ive always wanted to play the villain. But the young girl is never the villain.