But she doesnt flinch.
She squares up and calls his bluff, yelling, Lets go, old man!
That was day one, scene one, Wonders tellsVoguewith a laugh.
Photo: Jacob Rozenberg
In hindsight, it was definitely a test from Seth and Evan.
They were roles that she loved, butThe Studiowas a chance to do a complete 180.
The comedy series is both a loving tribute to Hollywood and a scathing roast of it.
Kathryn Hahn (as Maya Mason) and Wonders onThe Studio
Wonders costars as Quinn Hackett, Remicks overeager assistant.
Quinn is an absolute savage, Wonders says.
I remember that feeling of wanting the whole world right now.
Wonders, Seth Rogen (as Matt Remick), Hahn, and Ike Barinholtz (as Sal Saperstein) onThe Studio
(Conan OBrien, Colin Jost, and BJ Novak number among its alumni.)
It was like a boxing ring for jokes, she says.
You had to train yourself to only pipe up if you knew you were gonna crush.
Wonders in archival Anna Sui forThe Studio’s Los Angeles premiere.
Vogue: Did you relate at all to Quinn when you were first starting your career?
Its such a strong, delusional sense of self-belief.
Is there a sense of freedom that comes with playing someone as uninhibited as Quinn?
There would be women on set who would be like, Oh my God, I love Quinn.
I wish I could talk to my boss the way she does.
I havent seen many characters like her.
She has a Machiavellian streak, too.
In The War, she realizes she can outmaneuver Sal (Barinholtz) by weaponizing her identity.
I thought that part was so interesting because it was calling out the tokenism of it all.
What was it like making the turn from drama to comedy?
It felt so, so good.
Honestly, I think its way harder than drama.
But you also really have to thread the needle.
The show has a pretty stacked cast.
What was it like working alongside so many comedic powerhouses?
Ive never learned so much from my fellow costars as I did on this set.
Kathryn Hahn and Catherine OHara are so incredible.
It really inspired me to just let it rip.
What was that like?
It was so cool.
I mean, just shaking Martin Scorseses hand?
I think its a real badge of honor in this industry to not take yourself too seriously.
And he was like No, no, no.
We have Ron Howard on set!
The show has such a fun, frenzied energy to it.
How did it feel, actually shooting?
Early on in rehearsals, I would kind of whisper to Evan, What if I trythis?
And he would say, You dont even have to ask, just do it.
Thats how I found my footing.
Quinn has a very specific, almost seventies-inspired wardrobe in the show.
How did her clothes inform your performance?
Her clothes are totally a sense of armor.
Always the blunt bob.
I mean, it was a wig, but it had to be this very Edna Modecoded look.
Something sort of masculine, powerful, and no-nonsense.
Youve worn a few designs by your aunt, Anna Sui, during the shows press tour.
How did that come about?
Thomas Carter Phillips is my brilliant stylist and we had lots of conversations about how to match that vibe.
And she was like, Well, I have the archive…
Oh, wow.
Yeah, the archive is something thats very precious to her, and rightfully so.
Wonders in archival Anna Sui forThe Studios Los Angeles premiere.
What can you tell me about it?
Im so excited for it to come out.
I mean, [Arakis] movies are always pushing the envelope.
They kind of leave you with a feeling that you have to work through privately.
I think that this movie will do that too, but it is also a comedy.
With my character, it was fun going fromThe Studioto that set because I had my comedic engines revving.
Gregg is such a legend.
Outside of acting, youre still working on writing and directing.
Who are some of your biggest influences?
Haden Guest is the director of the Harvard Film Archive, and hes the greatest cinephile Ive ever met.
He introduced me to Fellini, which was huge, and Nagisa Oshima.
I watched his movieBoyon my birthday on the original 35mm print, and it was the coolest birthday ever.
Those were the movies that made a huge impression on me.
I mean, the show is both a love letter and an absolute takedown of Hollywood.
You really feel how much Seth and Evan love movies when you watch it.
Everyone is obsessed with it and also so frustrated with it.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
