IN CONVERSATION WITH LINDA CARDELLINI

interview by JANA LETONJA

Emmy, SAG, and Independent Spirit Award nominee Linda Cardellini has built one of the most expansive and shape-shifting careers in modern film and television. This March, she returns to HBO in the dark comedy DTF St. Louis. With upcoming roles also in Apple TV+’s Way of the Warrior Kid and A24/Peacock’s Friday the 13th prequel, where she takes on Pamela Voorhees, she continues to defy categorization, moving seamlessly between prestige drama, horror, comedy, and cultural phenomenon.

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DTF St. Louis brings you to HBO in a darkly comedic love triangle. What drew you to this story?

The scripts were so good and the characters were so complex. There was so much going on within them and between them.

Steve Conrad is an incredible writer. I loved that he was also going to direct every episode. It felt like such a specfic vision. Also the cast. I knew at that time that Jason and David were involved, and thought it would be so great to get to work with them. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Carol just felt very different to me, the way her character unfolds in the series, with her many layers and all of her idiosyncrasies. That felt exciting.

How would you describe the tone of the series. Is it more romance, satire, or thriller?

I would say the tone is all of the above and then some. It is also dark and funny, and quirky on top of being dramatic and suspenseful. It really bends tone and genre. I think Steve Conrad is in a category of his own, which I love. It is deeply human and relatable, yet also so peculiar at the same time, which was wonderful to navigate as an actor.

You’ve navigated drama and comedy throughout your career. Does one feel more instinctive to you?

I think I gravitate toward drama, but even in our worst of times, we have to find the humor in life. That’s how we survive. I love the way DTF St. Louis blends these two contrasting elements. It is so much fun to play. You get to go to so many places as the character. 

In Crystal Lake, you step into the role of Pamela Voorhees. Howdo you approach reinterpreting such an iconic horror character?

Pamela is very iconic and the fans love her deeply. When you look at the films, she really only surfaces for a short time, but her presence has such an impact on the franchise and the fans. She is the original killer. Brad Caleb Kane, our show runner, is really the go to for all things Friday the 13th. He is a super fan. He created this rich backstory for the character for me to play. We pay homage to the original Pam, played iconically by Betsy Palmer. I tried to honor the things we knew about her and build on them as well.

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shoes CHRISTIAN DIOR

Horror often reveals something deeply human. What do you think this prequel explores beneath the surface?

I think the prequel explores the making of the monster that we know as Jason, and his mother is a huge part of that. It explores who they were before that first movie happens. What happened to them to make them what they became. What the grief did to Pam, and how their fates are forever intertwined.

Your performance in ‘Dead to Me’ earned Emmy and SAG nominations. What did that role unlock for you creatively?

Judy was such an incredible role and character that I will love and hold dear to me forever. Liz Feldman really gave Christina and I these beautifully funny, flawed and amazing women to play. At the heart of it is connection and friendship.

Christina, Liz and I really connected and worked as a team. Liz crafted incredible material and then  allowed us to find things on the day, on the set, with each other and trust ourselves. It unlocked a real freedom in me, to be encouraged to try anything. I trusted those women implicitly on set. 

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You’ve worked in everything from indie films to major studio blockbusters. How do you choose projects now?

I choose projects based on the script, the people involved and if it is somethingthat can feel new to me somehow. Maybe it is something thecharacter does that I have just never tried to do before. 

How do you sustain curiosity after such a long and varied career?

Fortunately, it is a job where you can never know everything, so it keeps me curious. There is always something new to learn and experience. There’s still a thrill I feel when starting a new project. Like it’s an unknown world, a new  adventure.

What role challenged you the most emotionally, and why?

That’s a tough one because each role feels that way, but looking back, maybe Judy. She was a wonderful challenge. On any given day she went from zero to 100. There was so much to feel and to do in that role and her evolution over the course of those three seasons was quite a rollercoaster ride. It stretched me in so many ways. Judy had such an incredible spirit, even in spite of her many flaws.  

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How do you protect your private self while inhabiting so many public characters?

I give everything I can to the work while I am doing it, and when I am not working, I can clock out. I enjoy my privacy. I lead a very normal and low key life that keeps me engaged and busy.

When you look at the arc of your career, what feels most meaningful — longevity, reinvention, or impact?

I think maybe the longevity. I’m grateful to have been able to do something I love for so long. When I first started acting, I didn’t know how I would make a career out of it. I just loved it. When I think of all of the decades I have been able to work as an actor, I’m overcome with appreciation for all the people who have supported and trusted me, and allowed me the honor to live out my dream.

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Is there a specific director or co-star that gave you advice that has stayed with you and factors into your creative decisions?

My experience so far is a beautiful amalgamation of all of the extraordinary creative people I have encountered along the way who have influenced me in ways both spoken and unspoken.

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TEAM CREDITS:

talent LINDA CARDELLINI
photography TYLER PATRICK KENNY
styling ANNA KATSANIS at Walter Schupfer Management
makeup HINAKO NEHA at A-Frame Agency
hair EDUARDO PONCE at Opus Beauty
nails NAOKO SAITA
production JAY SIVAYAVIROJNA
styling assistant ROBBIE LUNDEGARD
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN
special thanks HYPERION Studio