Julia Garner Admits She Was 'Hopeless' and Contemplated a Future Without Acting Before Landing Ozark

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Julia Garner's life was transformed when she was cast in Ozark.

The Inventing Anna star reflected on life before and after fame for Vanity Fair's 29th annual Hollywood Issue — and mentioned how the Netflix drama altered her way of thinking.

"When I was 21, I had a pretty dry year," said Garner, now 29. "This was before I booked Ozark. It wasn't a great year for me as an actor. I felt a little hopeless. I wasn't getting jobs for a few months."

It was an acting drought that made Garner question her role in the industry. "I remember thinking, If I'm still in the same place in five years, I don't want to do this," she said, adding that her mindset changed in her 20s. "You're not 16 or 17 anymore. You're not the bright, shiny new toy, and this business relies on shining. They love a shiny new toy. I booked Ozark and I kept pushing because I felt like I still had a lot to do."

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Since taking on the role of Ruth — which scored her an Emmy and Golden Globe — in the four-season crime drama, Garner has risen to fame different from the success she experienced in her teens. Because of the spotlight that now follows her, Garner admitted she curates just how much of herself she allows the public to see.

"I try not to give too much of my personal opinion away, because I feel like that's going to make my job harder. The whole point of my job is for people to relate to me and feel moved and escape," she said. "It's tricky because nowadays, everyone is so out there, and the mystery is disappearing. And when a person doesn't have mystery anymore, you can't get it back."

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Garner called it "dangerous" — the idea that an actor must "play around with your identity" to fit a role. "It's important to surround yourself with the people that are good influences and keep you grounded, and not just necessarily 'yes people,'" she said. "It's very easy to become jaded in this business. There are a lot of people who tell you and show you at a certain point that they love you, but you have to have an X-ray and really see which ones have that genuine love."

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Ozark's fourth and final season aired in 2022. Garner also recently stepped into the shoes Anna Delvey — another crime queen — for the 2022 limited Netflix series Inventing Anna. Both series are now streaming in full on Netflix.