Julianne Nicholson Still Has Nightmares About an Old Job

Julianne Nicholson Interview

Julianne Nicholson, the August: Osage County and Mare of Easttown star, 52, teams up with Nicolas Cage in Dream Scenario (in theaters Nov. 10), a cautionary tale about one of the dysfunctional aspects of the modern life: social media fame. In the film, Paul (Cage) becomes the most famous man on earth when he begins to pop up in millions of people’s dreams (but not in the dreams of his wife Janet, played by Nicholson). Soon the dreams turn into nightmares, and so does the couple’s life.

Parade sat down with Nicholson to discuss the new film, working with Cage and her own dreams.

Walter Scott: In my wildest dreams, would I ever have come up with this idea? What was your first thought when you read the script? 

Julianne Nicholson: I had a similar reaction. I thought, I’ve never read or seen or heard anything like this, and that’s what made it so exciting to be a part of.

The film demonstrates how social media can make you famous and then destroy your life, especially for someone as needy as Paul. What is your take on the movie’s depiction of one of the potential dark aspects of modern life: social media?

Oh, my goodness. Well, I think there is something to immediate fame from “nothing” that can be dangerous. To have that many more eyes on a story, on a person, on a trend, it just magnifies whatever the experience is, which is dangerous, especially if it feels unearned.

Many actors say to me, “I’m so glad fame didn’t happen when I was younger because I wouldn’t have been ready for it,” and, in this, Paul wasn’t ready for it.

Paul was definitely not ready for it. He can barely get someone to turn their head when he’s walking down the street, so to suddenly have that onslaught of attention was more than he could handle, to say the least.

Do you think that Janet and Paul have a happy marriage? 

None of us is easy to live with, I don’t think. I think they did have a happy marriage. I think they even do have a happy marriage when the movie starts, and I’m not sure they can’t find their way back to each other. I think that this is a moment, a very challenging moment, where they don’t see eye to eye. They’ve been married 15 years and I think they’re in their groove, they’re in their habit, but I think they do love each other.

What was it about Janet that you liked? 

I thought it was an interesting exploration of a marriage, and in this couple’s life, in their middle age where we can start to feel less interesting, less desired, less visible—that felt interesting to me to explore, and then it’s turned on its head so drastically. I also loved the idea of being a person in these circumstances and just trying to explore what that might be like.

There is that moment where Janet tries to cash in on Paul’s 15 minutes of fame, which later turns on her. 

She’s no angel either. She’s feeling overlooked at work and she’s feeling like opportunities have maybe passed her by, so she’s not above trying to take advantage of this moment either, which I like. She’s not an angel, she’s not perfect, she’s just also trying to do the best she can.

That’s also how Paul’s feeling, so I guess she understands him? 

I guess to a certain extent, but I think she’s also worried about the trouble he’s going to get himself into because he seems to grasp at the attention with both hands immediately, without any looking around it.

There are strange consequences. Is that what Janet’s concerned about? 

Yes, and also, it’s immediate when danger is upon them, that happens pretty quickly, and it’s definitely going to give you pause before wanting to go any further down that path.

Do you like to examine what’s happening in the world now? The film also addresses cancel culture. 

I thought that [writer/director] Kristoffer Borgli did a great job of exploring those topics without necessarily qualifying them as good or bad; more just shining a light on it. And he did that with a sense of humor, which I appreciate. Not to say that there’s anything funny about the Me Too movement and where it stems from, but I thought that Kris’ take in this story was smart and funny.

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There are different levels of cancel culture, what some people do is worse than others, but in this instance, Paul did nothing. 

I know, the amazing thing about the story is that everyone turns against him and he’s done nothing. But it’s that thing where once we see it on our phones, we tend to believe it’s true.

Nic was almost unrecognizable in this. What was he like as an acting partner? 

I think he’s incredible. I always want to watch Nicolas Cage when he’s on screen, and he just showed up so committed to this role, to this whole movie, to Kris, and it was amazing to work with him. I’ve been a fan of his for so long and so to get to be across from him in a scene was a privilege.

Did the movie make you think about the role that dreams play in our lives? Do you think dreams have a message for us? 

I think dreams are fascinating and dream analogy is really interesting, but I don’t personally subscribe to making decisions based on it. But I have friends who are actors who use dreams for their work and sometimes I feel as if I’ll dream differently depending on what’s going on in my life.

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Do you consider yourself a character actress? 

I think “character actress” is the ultimate compliment, so if someone considers me a character actress, I’m delighted.

At what point in your career did you decide, “Oh, I’ve made it. I’m going to have a career as an actress, I’m not going to have to have a Plan B”? 

I’m still waiting for that moment, actually.

Seriously? 

It’s so funny, people have such ideas about what it feels like to be an actor. It’s a process, you just keep going but literally, you’re never, ever assured of what’s coming; never.

But there was a point where you didn’t have to be a waitress anymore. 

I stopped waitressing when I was 28. But by the way, I still have waitress dreams. I stopped waitressing almost 25 years ago, and I’ll still have a dream where suddenly my whole section has been sat, I can’t find my pen, the bartender’s not there, there’s no more ice. And I wake up still with my heart racing and just like, “Oof!” So relieved.

You’re married to actor Jonathan Cake, but you two are the opposite of a Hollywood couple. Is it a concerted effort to keep your personal life low-key? 

We didn’t have to have a conversation like that, we’ve just followed the life that we want to live and that means no one cares, which is fine by us and definitely fine by our kids.

You won an Emmy for your role of Lori Ross in Mare of Easttown. What was it like to get that recognition from your peers, and has it changed anything? 

I haven’t noticed it change anything in any practical sense, but it was such a wonderful night and, of course, it gives you a little bit more confidence that maybe you’re doing something right.

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Do you have a special place for your Emmy? 

It kind of moves around with us. We’ve been moving a lot the last couple of years, so no, not a special place, just on a shelf.

Is that because of work? 

No. No, life, personal. We decided to move, to leave California, which is bittersweet, I have to say. My family’s all on the East Coast and my husband’s English. We loved our California years.

Is there a kind of role that you’ve always wanted to play that you haven’t been offered yet? 

Well, it’s funny because that role changes. Last year, for about a year, I really wanted to do a Western. But I wanted to be on horseback, not looking out for my man. But now it would be fun to do something kind of glamorous actually, because I feel like I’m always leaning towards the “everywoman.” I never really like to wear a lot of makeup, and so maybe it’d be fun to go in completely the other direction. I don’t know what the story is necessarily. I’m starting with the physical there, but it’s a start.

Watch Dream Scenario in theaters starting Nov. 10.

*Interview conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike

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