Laura Linney Misses Playing Her Chaotic Character on Ozark

Laura Linney talks about her character on the series Ozark, working 15 hours at the New London Barn Playhouse in New Hampshire and her miniseries John Adams.
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Laura Linney Misses Playing Her Chaotic Character on Ozark - Late Night with Seth Meyers
• Laura Linney Misses Pl...
Late Night with Seth Meyers
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[@NiyoMalik]

She played Wendy so well I can't trust a word she says.

[@broderickfall]

😂😂 Now that's a compliment

[@dannymonroehatzlacha6923]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ZaydDepaor]

It is because she was playing her own character, so she just has to be herself

[@terrilreece8045]

For real! 😂

[@dmarti47]

Most underrated comment right here!

[@Stehako]

She is so good in her “Ozark” role that I kept having to remind myself that she wasn’t scheming or being entirely fake in this interview, as Wendy would have been.

[@GoogleIsAPieceOfShit2023]

She’s very good in being hateable!!!

[@waryaawariiri1812]

She is a true, consumed political animal with zero ethical qualms in that series. I loved her facial expressions when she wanted to influence people.

[@DUARTE99]

Same lol

[@peterkarlsson1825]

She is great in most movies and tv-series.

[@StaceWah]

I'm up to S04E10 and at least once an episode I say out loud: "Laura Linney is a BEAST!!!". Like her performance in that scene when the priest visits. Oooof!

[@soulsurvivorla]

Wendy Byrde is one of the all-time greatest female characters written for television! Laura Linney is incredible!

[@aasthasharma8392]

Along with Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul

[@ericrobinson3995]

BONAFIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@waffles87]

@@aasthasharma8392 at least Kim is likeable

[@csloane4129]

I was thinking same thing. She's so complex and it was often hard for me to read when she was and wasn't being authentic, that it took me 3 seasons to even fully understand she was not a good person, no matter her circumstances. The way the writers fleshed her out slowly and with just enough contradiction made her feel like a real-life malignant narcissist or sociopath, who hides their motives so well that it has you questioning yourself. Because of how insidious it was, I feel gas-lit by her character. Lol.

[@marklana]

@@waffles87 who cares if she's likable??

[@carlosquintero8188]

One of the true great actors in the world. Her range, nuance and realism are remarkable.

[@karenling2106]

catch new episodes of the final season of ozark

[@clarytan]

Totally agree ! And her roles have been sooo varied too! Truman Show, love actually… and she was in Frasier too!

[@ZaydDepaor]

Or she is actually just acting the way her character really is.

[@billynation4113]

Actress !

[@cindyklassen3993]

@@clarytan Oooo I don't remember her in Frasier...now have to rewatch!

[@marcgw496]

She better win an Emmy for this role.

[@halcorley4738]

Agreed; her performance S 4 is yet another expansion of the character -- albeit into darker woods with far darker revelations about Wendy's moral compass -- and should make this her year. What people forget: she imbues this woman with a recognizable humanity; even her justifications for the direst doings can remind us of the ways we adjust our own standards to fit circumstances. Wendy is grounded and all too knowable -- in many ways, one of us -- and that's entirely attributable to Linney.

[@kiteracer2497]

She will, but if someone else was better then It wouldn't be fair

[@leolor9328]

She didn’t for s3 and I think that it was her peak acting in ozark, especially during “that” scene.

[@AliHassan-on3pr]

She outclassed everyone in season 4 part2 with her character

[@A_friendwithoutbenefits]

2019 I get why she didn't win. She was amazing but Jodie Comer was sensational in early Killing Eve playing Villanelle and the multiple characters that Villanelle pretended to be, multiple accents and all. It was deserved for Jodie to win that year. 2020 I don't get, Zendaya was good but Laura was better and Laura should have won the Emmy. Hope third time lucky this year for Laura! She deserves it, I think she was better in season 4 than all the other nominees were in their shows this past year.

[@wiktoriakorszlak6275]

I love Laura Linney, she seems like the sweetest person and she's such an amazing actress

[@rickmjr9569]

But she’s really Wendy at home 🤣

[@dee_dee_place]

Laura Linney is an excellent actress. I've always loved her performances.

[@lisamarie15]

Tales of the city❤️

[@davee.9906]

When an actor can make you hate their character the way I hated hers it's a sign of how great an actor she is. And she also Directed some episodes of the show and she did a great job of that too. Oh and I loved the way it ended. They finally ended a show I like with an awesome finale.

[@JuliaJulia007]

It would of been so much more satisfying if somebody took out Wendy.

[@christiecrawford1653]

@@JuliaJulia007 YES. And they teased it with the car accident.

[@itss_nattyj]

Indeed! I feel that way about a couple of other actors from other shows (i.e., Jacob Elordi who plays Nate Jacobs on Euphoria).

[@uglybetty8747]

I agree

[@simonstrajnar1832]

wait there is not gonna be season 6 ?

[@jackmoreno5988]

She is so uniquely beautiful. And her voice is so fitting for her. Idk. She’s just gorgeous.

[@cmel7841]

Seriously CRAZY good in Ozark, everyone was really good but her character was sooo easy to hate.

[@BorgesProduction]

An amazing actress. She makes Ozark intense with her unpredictably and charm at the same time

[@biglocc2209]

I’ve never watched a character that I want to win and absolutely despise at the same time. She played Wendy to perfection

[@Tedster10]

it is hard to imagine anyone else playing Wendy. Laura does such a good job bringing the character to life!

[@comedycomedy6888]

Such a good job of smiling and speaking sweetly while she twists the knife. . . .

[@55555gino]

One of the best female characters on tv ever. Laura is phenomenal , she deserves all the awards

[@HerLovesBooks]

The fact that Wendy Byrde survived and I’m still trying to get over it is a testament to her portrayal of the character. Laura is a wonderful actor.

[@vuxdinh]

God, isn't she just a beautiful human being? and an amazing actress too. Well-acclaimed in both movies and TV. I particularly love her voice and how well-spoken she is. She needs to do voice for animation or voice-over for documentaries.

[@lauraleggettlinney]

Hello dear fan! Thanks for the comment, blown away by your love as well! You seem to be a great fan. Where are you from?

[@monabear7287]

In the Nanny Diaries, she wears a red dress in one scene. No woman has ever looked so beautiful! And agreed about her voice- it sounds cultured, sophisticated.

[@chris2ollie]

Laura Linney deserves a nomination for her role as Wendy Byrde in Ozark, outstanding performance!

[@julescoady9665]

She already has

[@mario_ibarra]

Nomination? LOL she deserve the fucking entire Emmy, badass

[@stevenabrego3446]

Bro her character development was insane! Did not expect that type of performance, she was top notch !

[@lauraleggettlinney]

Thank you for your kind words! Blown away by your love as well! You seem to be a great fan. Where are you from?😘

[@ethanwillcocks3010]

Ozark has made me a full on Laura Linney fan! Her work as Wendy Byrde was phenomenal! Still figuring out how I feel about the ending, but no matter what, all the actors brought their A game EVERY EPISODE! Laura made Wendy such a juicy and despicable character that I couldn't stop watching! Ozark will forever be the glorious hidden gem of Netflix for me

[@seanwilliams480]

Go back and watch The Truman Show again and you’ll see a bit of Wendy Byrd way back then.

[@dd4850]

Ending sucked it’s okay to admit

[@DaveyFish1]

@@dd4850 yeah definitely haha. It’s alright to admit it

[@dt4935]

Love her. one of the greatest actresses of her generation. I love the fact that she seems not to care for the so called movie star fame. she's actually a professional artist. so humble, kind and intelligent.

[@morbidmanmusic]

She is no different than any other "star". It's just you like her..

[@cindyklassen3993]

I am with you on this one. I have always "liked" her as an actress, but after seeing her stamina and grit on Ozark, and even her quickness and depth on this interview...LOVE her!!!!

[@markjeffreys438]

I worked with her, on the Big C she is such a beautiful person. Thanks for the shirt she bought me!

[@psammiad]

I first loved Laura Linney as Mary-Ann Singleton in Tales of the City. Such a great actress.

[@HlifeRomania91]

Yes

[@LynnIPoor]

She was amazing in Ozark. She deserves an award!!

[@BillBene67]

Laura is an amazing actor. Just incredible. I truly forget I'm watching fiction when I see her in this show. All of the cast are great actors. She is just an absolute diamond in acting

[@nickbigd]

She is such a versatile actress, due more accolades than she has received.

[@KCNwokoye]

Love Laura! She's always playing gutsy characters.

[@jacobmeglich6699]

Ozark overall was great and very well acted but if there’s somebody who stole every scene it’s Ruth and Wendy, I hope both of their careers sky rocket even more because their performances on this show were truly great

[@redflamelcd]

She's my favourite character on the show. The scheming!

[@krouac]

No mention of Laura Linney would be complete without praise for her electric performance in Primal Fear. This was one of my early memories of seeing her onscreen and she was amazing as she has been in everything since.

[@marymary9327]

Yes!!!

[@christinamiller1927]

Yes, yes, yes!! Loved her in that and so many other films. From there to Wendy, who I loathed more with each episode of this last season, she's like that stutter, "pppp-priceless". :-)

[@cindyinnew]

Excellent performance in an excellent film

[@demonicsweaters]

She dug deep into this character and it’s amazing. She’s wonderful!

[@aviadfenyo2204]

I’ve been a fan of her work for years. She should get an Emmy

[@starshipvoyager]

One of the smartest actors around. When Laura Linney plays a part, you can see the character thinking. Brilliant stuff! And Ozark is the best thing she's ever done. Now that it's over, I may just go back to the beginning and watch it all again, now that I know how it all turns out.

[@cindyinnew]

I’ve watched it so many times

[@AlbertKimMusic]

She honestly made me realize what it truly takes to be a hollywood actor, brillllliant work

[@hutchlyrics]

What a lovely lady! She was consistently incredible all 4 seasons. And thank you Seth for directing such pleasant conversation.

[@rishabhshiju7118]

That head bump in the second last episode was so subtle and yet powerful to capture the chaos that she represents

[@jons4534]

She really is a great actress. I saw her here in London in a one-woman show a few years ago. Such a privilege to see her up close and personal. It was a remarkable performance. (Ozark was great, but The Big C is still my favourite!).

[@lubazak636]

Loved her in the Big C!!!!

[@benedictchinweuba5820]

The best actress in this series by a MILE. Brilliant performance!

[@Red23Red23]

I absolutely love Laura Linney! She is so amazing and talented! I loved her Ozark character of Wendy. She was my favorite character on that show. I'm going to miss the show very much. Its now on my top five favorite shows ever. I also loved her performances in the movies Congo and The Life of David Gale.

[@virtuoso8642]

Laura Linney was my main reason to get into Ozark in 2017. The only Netflix drama I cared about at that time was House of Cards. I knew if Netflix could produce another character sort of like Claire Underwood, I’d be into it. I guess people hated “Wendy Byrd” or whatever, but Ozark would not be nearly as interesting without her. She’s a joy to watch.

[@stardustcheng]

As someone who loves female villain baddies, Laura's Wendy Byrde is one of my fav

[@livelovenow8862]

The screenplay is so well written. The dialogue is tremendous. No false notes.

[@margaretpeabody243]

Laura is so self-assured, she almost comes across as terse which helps her with villainous roles. With her versatility you can laugh at her as well. A beautiful woman, nice legs.

[@user-fb4sb1zi8g]

She really played Wendy so well that it’s difficult to know when she’s being sincere in real life bc she pretended to act so sincere with characters on the show when she was manipulating them lol she deserves an Emmy for this role for sure!

[@lauraleggettlinney]

Thank you for your kind words! Blown away by your love as well! You seem to be a great fan. Where are you from?☺

[@drijazdurrani]

She was brilliant in the " Primal Fear"

[@samanthab1923]

That’s what I always remember her from. Then she did Mothman Prophecies w/Gere again.

[@denny8093]

She is one of the most underrated actresses, she is so dam good

[@MikalMichelle]

She was also amazing in The Big C. Laura Linney is so talented!

[@lesliecalvert3458]

She will always be Wendy Byrd to me..i loved Ozark..so well written and acted..Julia Gardner and Jason Bateman and Laura Linney were so spectacular..and i am a die hard Georgia Dogs fan which makes me love her more..go dawgs

[@garnuth]

Laura Linney is one of my favorite actors and according to my mom, my wife looks exactly like her. win-win!

[@miket4560]

She is quite amazing, there is not a day on her. In fact, looking better now than ever. The charm factor is huge as well. Thanks for the clip. 🇨🇦

[@haleys8376]

Performance of a lifetime as Wendy Byrde!

[@thenovice4370]

Wow, she actually has a sense of humour IRL 😆It's hard not to look at her, and not think she must be scheming. Phenomenal actor that outshines a cast of all insanely talented actors

[@LL-iu3bi]

i cant wait till she gets another role i love her performances!!!

[@FRANK-oc8ku]

HER VOICE IS SO STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL

[@annajankowska2017]

Yes! That's what I love the most about her

[@flashesofblack4128]

Such a beautiful lady with an equally sweet spirit! She did so well on that series.

[@lauraleggettlinney]

Hello dear fan! Blown away by your love! You seem to be a great fan. Where are you from?

[@carlycoppi4769]

She's so incredible and I loved the ending of Ozark but so sad about Ruth 😪

[@somasubstance]

Yeah... she was incredible in the Adams miniseries. Now I want to rewatch it!

[@anuheacolleado4372]

First time I’ve ever watched anything Laura Linney has been in…she’s amazing, seriously next level

[@lekadanielle6400]

She is just too good!! ❤️👏🏾

[@kristooley4112]

One of the best actors we have. John Adams was a masterpiece.

[@lawalsh927]

Laura Linney is a phenomenal actress. If you feel like you can hate her after Ozark, it simply means she was flawless in her portrayal.

[@lauraleggettlinney]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@exnihilog.4421]

Amazing actress. Love her work with the Wendy Character. Brilliantly done

[@mixodorians12]

Love her voice.

[@EvidenceBasedMedsin]

She’s one of the best actors I’ve enjoyed watching. Thank you for the performances.

[@Penthai9]

I just love her, what an artist!

[@joshdrayton1230]

One of the greatest actors of her generation. And one of the few who rarely (maybe never?) chooses badly. If she's in it, you know it's good.

[@paulvee1299]

Those last 3 episodes of Season 3. Man, does she ever knock it out of the park. Especially Fire Pink.

[@workingtoseethelight8244]

I will always love Laura Linney and anyone connected to Ozarks forever, as this is a once in a lifetime series! Bless you Wendy! Wait... No, Wendy Stop Stabbing Me, Please....

[@elizabethhook9959]

I first took notice of her in "The Savages", with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and I did not know who she was, but I was so impressed, and from then, a total fan. She was incredible in Ozark, I will be rewatching that series again, I know it.

[@merrybluegirl8930]

That was a great film!

[@KrazyKanucker]

Everyone on Ozark, Laura Lindy as Wendy Byrde and everyone behind the scenes were awesome 👍

[@Hello_Pri]

Love Ozark and also loved watching John Adams. A great miniseries.

[@margitedwards8451]

So glad you talked about John Addams series. First HBO series to hook me way back when and so good to hear her talk about it.

[@khan.2705]

Love her and love her performance.

[@714milky]

She was so hateable in Ozarks! What a great actress. Show. Script. Directing. Superb show all around.

[@BlueCollar1212]

I’d love to meet her. She just seems so kind

[@lorenzobarzan6347]

I loved so much this show i could not belive it is over..like forever..so sad

[@BossMan-vl5cd]

Will forever love her for her role in Ozark.

[@MartsEntertainment]

What an amazing actress!

[@adamperez8245]

I could have been killed.. but you weren't! 😂

[@bbradley3726]

On a show filled with such amazing talent I thought she was the standout! Just brilliant. Her character's transformation was fascinating to watch.

[@lauraleggettlinney]

Hello dear fan! Blown away by your love! You seem to be a great fan. Where are you from?

[@saramsarams]

She is such a brilliant, excellent actress. So good in ozark

[@darietto75]

Amazing show with an incredible actress(es).

[@PatriciaLopez-nr5nf]

Laura should’ve won an award for that show Ozark

[@lauraleggettlinney]

Glad you think that, Zendaya deserved it as well!

[@S1L3NTG4M3R]

She DID a great job!!!

[@nont18411]

She is so great at playing villains

[@DUARTE99]

She is one hell of an actor!

[@omarsahibb]

Wendy byrde is One of the Best rol i have seen in TV SHOW. What a actress is Laura Linney

[@joelv92]

She killed it! Laura Linney ages like fine wine 😍

[@lauraleggettlinney]

Hello dear fan! Blown away by your love! You seem to be a great fan. Where are you from Joel?

[@bernlin2000]

What an incredibly gorgeous woman, she is aging flawlessly. I will never forget her as Jim Carrey "arranged wife" in The Truman Show. What an unbelievably prescient masterpiece, her performance was perfect!

[@mylifefornick]

Loved her since Congo! What an awesome badass.

[@afterforever2765]

Love her. Well done, Laura!

[@roverguy23]

She’s my favorite character in the Ozark show.

[@Habitarse]

I still remember the first scenes from tales of the city, were she walks in the city with her suitcase... Epic!

[@jons4534]

I still chuckle when I remember her rant about not having to apologise for instant coffee back in Omaha (or wherever she hailed from in small town America). Great books, great tv series.

[@priyanktiwari5152]

I just love her frm Nanny Diaries ❤️❤️❤️

[@jamesmorrison2055]

I love Laura Linney. So many people hated Wendy on Ozark but I she was probably my favorite character next to Ruth.

[@richdouglas2311]

Laura Linney.....oh, my. Still love her.

[@w1tchmom]

I love her!!!!

[@Applxy354]

She is just so beautiful.

[@Marc-NZ]

season 5 is coming!!! my top 3 show

[@ghlee2300]

Great interview ♥️

[@jwuansalmond3197]

She’s a great actress and plays HBIC roles so well!