Five Things with Lynn Hirschberg

Actress, Screenwriter, and now Director, Brit Marling, speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor-at-Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about a peculiar acting coach in Los Angeles, working on set, the radically feminine works of photographer Francesca Woodman, the cancellation of her first show, The OA, and a powerful lightning storm that left Marling feeling inspired.

Emmy nominated actress Margaret Qualley speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor-at-Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about her sister, New York City, a special beach house she shares with a loved one, the time she decided to quit her lifelong passion of dance, and finding the love of her life, Jack Antonoff.

Emmy nominated actress Keke Palmer speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor-at-Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about her Grandmother, Robbins Illinois, her collection of journals, the first talkshow she hosted, and the simple joy that her family gives her.

Grammy nominated country singer and songwriter, Kelsea Ballerini, speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor-at-Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about her mother, Central High School in Knoxville Tennessee, a mailbox, divorce, and becoming a disrupter.

Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and, most importantly, pop-star Charli XCX speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about being a workaholic, traveling to Los Angeles as a teenager to make music, a wall in her house that features art by her friends, that time she fired her management team, and what it felt like to finally take a vacation where she felt relaxed.

Emmy nominated actress and producer Natasha Lyonne speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about Nora Ephron, Film Forum, obsessing over The New York Times crossword puzzle, listening to quantum physics audio books, the time Chloë Sevigny helped her get out of a bad relationship, and going to the beach with her dog Rootbeer.

Emmy nominated actor, Colman Domingo, speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about his longtime friend, Michelle Lloyd Maya, Vaya De Guadalupe, a song by The Spinners, negotiating a well overdue salary raise, and a bad bout with bronchitis. 

Emmy nominated actress and producer, Kaley Cuoco, speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about John Ritter, her ranch in Hidden Valley, a special ring made of hair, her divorce, and her dog Norman.

Grammy award winning musician, Jack Antonoff, speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about his sister Rachel, Long Beach Island, the objects he keeps in his recording studio, the pandemic, and falling in love. 

Oscar nominated director Maggie Gyllenhaal speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about her acting coach, why she decided to shoot her movie in Greece, how the film Silkwood (1983) influenced her, the time her children got whooping cough, and the day she married Peter Sarsgaard.

Oscar nominated director Denis Villeneuve speaks candidly with W Magazine's Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg, about working with his first mentor on a documentary, a secret island he likes to visit, his father's watch, the divorce from his first wife, and how the birth of his children allowed him to become the artist he is today.

Oscar award winning actress, Penélope Cruz, speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about working with Pedro Almodóvar, the beach, pictures from a life-changing trip to Kolkata, learning to say no to projects that didn't feel right, and spending time with her Grandmother as a child. 

Oscar award winning screenwriter and director, Pedro Almodóvar, speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about his photoshoot for W Magazine's 2022 Directors Issue, working with the ultimate muse, Penélope Cruz, his latest film, Parallel Mothers, and how he almost directed the 2005 classic, Brokeback Mountain. 

In a special bonus episode of 5 Things, Oscar award winning director Quentin Tarantino speaks candidly with W Magazine's editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about the novelization of his 2019 film, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.  

Grammy nominated singer songwriter Phoebe Bridgers speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about her mother's comedy career, crashing her car, the guitar she smashed on SNL, the tour she almost went on with Ryan Adams, and pure joy of making music with Boy Genius. 

Emmy nominated actress and writer, Rashida Jones, speaks candidly with W Magazine's editor at large Lynn Hirschberg about her father, the beauty of Los Angeles, the paintings her grandmother made, how tinnitus has changed the way she sees the world, and her never ending love of dance. 

Oscar award winning director Sofia Coppola speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large Lynn Hirschberg about her photography teacher Paul Jasmin, growing up in Napa, an inspiring telegram, her valiant attempt to direct The Little Mermaid, and marrying her husband Thomas Mars. 

Oscar-nominated actor Riz Ahmed speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about his older brother, the city of London, the drum sticks he used while acting in The Sound of Metal, studying at Oxford, and finding out that The Sound of Metal received 6 Oscar nominations. 

In Part 2 of his podcast episode, Oscar-award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about addiction, the birth of his daughter, and giving up acting to become a writer. 

In Part 1 of his podcast episode, Oscar-award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about his father, New York City, Scarsdale, and a photograph that left a major impression on him. 

Oscar-nominated director Emerald Fennell speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about her lifelong best friend, the house she grew up in Herefordshire England, shopping, a strange encounter with a "psychic," and marrying her husband.

Oscar-nominated director Lee Daniels speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about the process behind making his 2012 Paperboy, the magic of Jewel's Catch One in Los Angeles, and becoming the first same-sex couple alongside Billy Hopkins to adopt children in Pennsylvania.

Grammy and Oscar nominated star Andra Day speaks candidly with W Magazine’s editor at large, Lynn Hirschberg, about wishing she had stage parents, losing her cherished cross necklace, auditioning for The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, and her beloved niece and nephew in the latest episode of W Magazine’s podcast, 5 Things with Lynn Hirschberg.

In part 2 of Lynn’s conversation with Quentin Tarantino, the filmmaker reflects on his first experience at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991, when Reservoir Dogs premiered and, as he puts it, there was “an explosion of American independent cinema.” He also goes through every single film he saw in theaters in 1979—including The Deer Hunter, which he went to see six times.

In Part 1 of Lynn’s interview with Quentin Tarantino, the filmmaker covers everything from his decades-long admiration of the late New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael to how he rejects the characterization of Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood as a “love letter” to Los Angeles. He goes deep on the process of writing his first script, True Romance, with Roger Avary, and recalls his early attempts at screenwriting (he never made it past page 30). Tarantino says that, when he was younger, going after his dream of making movies felt almost non negotiable: “Everything else was just so depressing by comparison that I had no choice but to live my dream. It was the only outlet I had."

Charlize Theron opens up about family, her childhood in South Africa, and the people who helped her break into Hollywood. The Bombshell actress tells Lynn about JJ Harris, her late mentor, and speaks candidly about how therapy helped her balance her relationship with her home country and its traumatic history. She also shares a story of an unruly camel on her first modeling job in Morocco, confesses her love for Temptation Island and The Bachelor, and reflects on the enduring importance of one of her most vulnerable roles.

Saoirse Ronan sits down with Lynn Hirschberg to discuss pivotal moments in her life, ranging from early memories to professional milestones. The actress talks about working with filmmaker Greta Gerwig (whom she first met via Skype) on 2019's Little Women. She also highlights her favorite place in the world (the “heaven” that is New Zealand), gets into her love of the movie Dirty Dancing, and recalls how, when it came to dressing up when she was younger, she was more of a Tai than a Cher.

Greta Gerwig sits down with Lynn Hirschberg to discuss the process of adapting Little Women into her latest film, her relationship with her partner Noah Baumbach, and how getting “completely rejected by the world of academic art-making” pushed her to seek a broader education that ultimately brought her to where she is today. Gerwig tells Hirschberg about her love for Big Sur—a place that felt like “Brigadoon” to her while growing up—and how the day after attending the Academy Awards for Lady Bird, she packed up and retreated to a cabin in the woods to write. She also gets into the complex dynamics between the March sisters, the strangest part about making movies, and how she has a running list of future project ideas in the double digits.

Marriage Story director Noah Baumbach sits down with Hirschberg to discuss the films that impacted him the most as a child, his deep connection with Brooklyn, collaborating with his partner Greta Gerwig and the most difficult time in his professional career. Baumbach also talks about how the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers still comes up in therapy sessions and how, even though people rarely ask him about the autobiographical aspect of Francis Ha, there’s a line in the film that encapsulates how he felt in his late 20s.

Nicole Kidman sits down with Lynn Hirschberg to discuss everything from her early family life (including the fact that she was born in Hawaii) to how she met her husband, Keith Urban, at a get together in California for Australian-Americans called "G'Day L.A." (In fact, she and Urban had their picture taken together when they were first introduced—Kidman says they both look liked "stunned mullets.") The actress also shares deeply personal details about how she processes emotions, and how life, including childbirth, major shifts, and losses have fully informed her craft. She recalls her father's humble nature—including the fact that he refused to fly business class, even when Kidman offered—and, ultimately, concludes that her main inspiration is to "give, give, give artistically."

Awkwafina—the viral comedian-turned-actress—sits down with Lynn Hirschberg to talk about her role in The Farewell, the responsibility she feels when it comes to Asian representation in Hollywood, and growing up in Queens. She recalls the unconventional audition song she chose to play (on the trumpet, no less) when applying to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School (the performing arts school made famous by the film Fame). She also discusses how releasing her YouTube Hit “My Vag” was the scariest thing she’d ever done. It may have cost her a job at the time, but she describes the “full circle moment” she experienced on the set of Oceans 8, when filming on location in front of her former office. She also admits that, according to her grandmother, “My Vag” is the best thing she’s ever created.

Margot Robbie speaks candidly with Lynn Hirschberg about growing up on Australia’s Gold Coast and the people, places,  and things that mean the most to her. The actress also talks about being blown away by the power of her costars Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron on the set of Bombshell, and reflects on working with Quentin Tarantino on the set of Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,  in which she got to briefly reprise her role as a Pan Am flight attendant in addition to playing Sharon Tate. One of the highlights of her life, Robbie says, was being asked to join Frances McDormand on the Oscars stage during her acceptance speech.

For the premiere season of W Magazine's Five Things, Lynn Hirschberg sits down with Margot Robbie, Awkwafina, Nicole Kidman, Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig, Saoirse Ronan, Charlize Theron, and Quentin Tarantino to discuss "five things" that have made them who they are. Subscribe to be the first to hear each new episode.