IN CONVERSATION WITH LOUISA JACOBSON
interview by JANA LETONJA
Louisa Jacobson is poised for a landmark summer, showcasing her versatility across film, television, and theatre with a trio of high-profile projects — all landing in June. She appears in ‘Materialists’, the new film from ‘Past Lives’ director Celine Song, alongside Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, currently in theaters. This past Sunday, she returned to the small screen in Season 3 of HBO’s Emmy-nominated period drama ‘The Gilded Age’. Then, on 24th June, she takes center stage off-Broadway in ‘Trophy Boys’, a sharp new play directed by Tony Award-winner Danya Taymor at MCC Theater. Offscreen, Louisa recently accepted the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award at the 2025 Greater NY Dinner, cementing her place as not only a talent on the rise, but a voice to watch.
dress GABRIELA HEARST
gloves vintage
You’ve got three very different projects landing in the same month — film, TV, and theatre. How does it feel to be in such a creatively charged moment, and what have you learned about your range through these roles?
It feels really exciting. I finally feel like I’m able to exercise my range as an actor, particularly with ‘Trophy Boys’. Getting to play my character, Jared, on stage every night is so thrilling and a welcome reminder that I can be very expansive. I always knew the range was there. In drama school it was common to embody a wide range of characters, but those opportunities feel rare in life. So, this play really feels like a gift. Also, ‘Materialists’ and ‘Trophy Boys’ have both been opportunities for me to play in the world of comedy, which I’m discovering I really love.
coat JASON WU
From HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’ to off-Broadway ‘Trophy Boys’, you’re navigating very different worlds. How do you recalibrate emotionally and creatively when shifting between genres and mediums?
‘The Gilded Age’ finished shooting earlier this year, and ‘Materialists’ wrapped last summer, so fortunately I’m not doing all of these things at once. Right now, I’m only doing ‘Trophy Boys’, so I’ve been able to focus on one thing at a time. With regard to shifting genres and mediums, I think my character Charlotte in ‘Materialists’ is like a 2025 version of my character Marian in ‘The Gilded Age’. They both are modern women who find themselves grappling with the pressure to marry, and questioning whether or not marriage will fulfill them. So, I think in that sense it was easy for me to access Charlotte, I already knew who she was.
‘Materialists’ was my first time ever acting on a film set. I had been so used to working in television, where shooting moves relatively quickly, and where we have to honor the etiquette and rigid rules of the time period. When I stepped onto the ‘Materialists’ set, it was so surprising to feel like there was time to really sink into a scene. I also felt so much freer playing a contemporary character. There’s inherently just more ease, both in the body and in speech, that comes with that. That said, my experience on ‘The Gilded Age’ certainly helped me technically. Working on that show is like getting a masters degree in on-camera acting. There’s so much rigor required to bringing that world to life, and I love that. It’s such a delicious challenge.
full look PROENZA SCHOULER
You’re starring in’ Trophy Boys’, a play that unpacks masculinity, power, and feminism while subverting casting expectations by featuring queer women and nonbinary actors in male roles. What has this experience taught you about performance, gender, and embodiment?
We’re essentially doing drag, so in that sense ‘Trophy Boys’ is a playful exploration of gender as performance through repeated, stylized acts. But of course, it’s also a sharp criticism about gender constructs. It’s through the drag that we understand the real-world consequences of toxic masculinity, and its ability to uphold harmful patriarchal systems. I think the subversion exists not only in the casting, but also in the play’s very structure, particularly its combination of genre, or form. The play mixes stylized comedy with stark realism to further push these boundaries and subvert expectations. The effect is quite harrowing. I’ve had many people say they “forgot we weren’t actually boys,” which is a fascinating takeaway and further supports Judith Butler’s theories on gender as performance. Basically, this play is continuing to teach me that there is no such thing as a fixed, inherent gender. Masculinity and femininity, and everything in-between, exist in all of us, all the time.
vest, trousers and belt KALLMEYER
gloves vintage
Whether it’s the already mentioned ‘Trophy Boys’ or ‘Invasive Species’, you’re drawn to work that engages with urgent social questions. What draws you to these kinds of high-stakes, socially charged narratives?
I’m always drawn to stories that are really honest and reflect something about ourselves, or about our society that we either can’t see, or simply refuse to see. Stories that push boundaries while also being rigorously honest are the ones that have the most potential to change us, or at least force us to think about something differently than we had before. To me that is the most exciting and fulfilling part of this work.
You assistant-directed ‘Invasive Species’ last year to critical acclaim. What was it like stepping behind the scenes—and how did that shift your relationship to the craft of storytelling?
Assistant directing ‘Invasive Species’, and also shadowing Deborah Kampmeier on the set of ‘The Gilded Age’, were both invaluable opportunities for me, because they allowed me to see things from a broader perspective with regard to storytelling. Sometimes when you’re acting, it’s easy to become myopic in your approach to storytelling, which makes sense, because you are in charge of your character. But both experiences in directing were a good reminder to approach the work more holistically, or with more of a “macro” lens, because that can actually spark your imagination and give you more specific ways in. I also just have much more appreciation for all the hard work that goes into making something happen. Through shadowing on ‘The Gilded Age’, I started to understand more how TV production is such a brilliant and well-oiled machine, all parts contributing to make the thing happen. It was so cool to sit in on storyboarding meetings during pre-production, and then see on the actual day of shooting the director, DP, and camera team all build the shots together, based off the broader visual story the director wanted to tell. I also feel like it’s made me a more collaborative actor.
full look GUCCI
Your character in ‘Materialists' exists in a film that feels both intimate and stylish, balancing Celine Song’s signature emotional intelligence with a sharp aesthetic. What excited you most about being part of that world?
I just think that Celine Song’s work is so beautiful, bravely honest, and so human. I watched ‘Past Lives’ maybe four times when it came out, and I absolutely loved it. As I mentioned earlier, I’m drawn to work that is really honest and forces us to look at things we can’t see or don’t want to see. I think ‘Materialists’ does this brilliantly. Also the scene between Charlotte and Lucy is so wonderful because it’s tragicomic, which is such a fun and challenging playing space for an actor. Just the writing of that scene itself was really exciting to me. It jumped off the page when I first read it for the audition.
You recently accepted the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award. What does visibility mean to you — not just as a performer, but as a queer woman?
Visibility is the antidote to shame. Shame upholds the status quo and I think to be visible is a radical act against that. Growing up, if I saw more people I could relate to who were out and queer, I probably wouldn’t have waited so long to accept myself. In that sense, I hope I join the ranks of queer women and nonbinary people who are brave examples for those who don’t see themselves reflected in the media as much as straight people are. Visibility is extremely important, especially right now in this moment where so much is at stake for our community.
coat JASON WU
shoes GUCCI
Navigating the creative industry today, how do you stay grounded in your identity while moving through spaces that are both celebratory and performative?
I always try to bring authenticity to every aspect of my life, and that includes all parts of this career. I think staying grounded and staying authentic requires paying attention and staying present. I try to pay attention to how much time I spend online, how I take up space in a room, the needs of those I love, and my own needs. My friends, family, and community are also a wonderful source of grounding energy.
You’ve collaborated with some of fashion’s most outstanding brands like Kallmeyer, Louis Vuitton, Celine, Courrèges and Khaite. How does fashion intersect with your identity as an artist—and what role does it play in shaping or revealing character, on or off stage?
To be an actor now, with the integration of social media, the fashion industry and Hollywood, feels very different to what it was even a decade ago. Actors now are often tasked, sometimes with the help of a stylist, to build a brand or a visual image of themselves that tells a story. To me, this is actually a very fun task because I feel that fashion and brand-building is an extension of my creativity and self-expression. My stylist Edward and I have a very collaborative approach, which I cherish. I really love and appreciate fashion so much, not just as an art form in itself, but for the power it has in shaping identity. What I choose to wear every day, and what I choose to wear on the red carpet is always such a fun and satisfying form of expression and communication, and it has been since I was little. Dress-up was my favorite form of play as a kid. Costume is also an integral part of character-building as it’s part of the visual storytelling. What we wear and how we dress has the power to show, or conceal, who we are. It can help us fit in, but it also has the power to make us stand out.
coat JASON WU
hat vintage
Looking across your recent and upcoming projects, do you see a common thread emerging in the kinds of roles or stories that speak to you?
Radically honest, daring, boundary-pushing, and tragicomic stories may be a common thread.
So much of your recent work involves risk, vulnerability, and disruption. How do you know when a role or project is worth that leap?
I usually know it’s worth it when I feel a little sparkle of joy. When the material really jumps off the page, and I’m genuinely excited to get up and make an audition tape for it, I know it’s worth the shot.
As you stand at this exciting point in your career, what’s something you’re holding close from your past — and something you’re reaching toward in your future?
From my past, I’m always holding my theater training very close. Drama school is where the fundamentals are built. That’s where I discovered my respect for acting and the reason why I pursue this career, so I always try to hold on tightly to that. For my future, I’m reaching toward radical self-acceptance, confidence and patience. Pursuing this career is a long, bumpy road full of uncertainty, so I think learning to accept that uncertainty and keep the faith alive is always the ultimate goal.
leather jacket DUNST
trousers GANNI
shirt ZEGNA
tie vintage
boots GUCCI
TEAM CREDITS:
talent LOUISA JACOBSON
photography RUBEN CHAMORRO
styling ANNA KATSANIS at Walter Schupfer Management
makeup ALEX LEVY
hair CLARA LEONARD at The Wall Group using Bumble and Bumble
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
editorial director and interview JANA LETONJA