28
TheSeverancestar was working with famed directors like David Lynch and David O. Russell.
But at home, she was being pulled in a lot of different directions.
From the outside, 1996 appeared to be a banner year for Patricia Arquette.
She wasnewly marriedand fresh off of shooting a new David Lynch movie,Lost Highway.
My life was very chaotic and sad, Arquette, 54, admits.
Her relationship was rocky; her mother had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.
She had a young son at home to take care of.
I felt like I was kind of failing a bit in every category.
The drastic disconnect between the success in her working life and the struggles in her home life was isolating.
The project marks the reunion of Arquette with herEscape at Dannemoradirector Stiller, who directs six ofSeverances nine episodes.
And honestly, he was so different as a director on [Escape at]Dannemorathan onSeverance,too.
Hold on has Ben Stiller been severed?
Take me back to 1996.
How were you feeling about your life and career?
There was a lot that was happening.
I was working with David Lynch, this amazing filmmaker; David O. Russell, this amazing filmmaker.
Emotionally, I felt like I was being pulled in a lot of different directions.
And you’re supposed to show up at these red carpet events and do your job and promote things.
And sometimes it’s in opposition to what’s really happening in your life.
I do think I probably have very unrealistic expectations of myself.
Would I be easier on myself right now?
I doubt it, because I’m pretty hard on myself in general.
And that goes from work all the way through every aspect of my life.
I don’t cut myself that much slack.
Are there any moments from working on that movie that stand out?
We sang a lot ofJesus Christ Superstar[on theFlirting with Disasterset]before wed roll.
It works, I think, for the story.
And everyone was like,Patricia, get the baby to stop crying.
The baby tells the truth.
The baby doesn’t want to be here right now.
It’s hot on this plane.
I can’t control a baby!
You were also finishing filmingLost Highwaywith David Lynch that year, which must have been interesting.
Part of why I did that, obviously, the number one reason was to work with David Lynch.
That was very interesting to me.
I also had real phobia about nudity and I’m a very modest person.
I wanted to deal with that myself and see if I could confront my own demons on that.
So did it hold you back?
How did you feel after it all?
Well, it was a struggle for me the whole time.
But I also was wondering what my nature was before all this influence and impact of other things.
It was a deeply personal exploration.
That kind of stuff really made me happy.
It still does, honestly.
What kind of crafting makes you happy now?
I’m working with an artist.
I’m making some glass projects.
During the pandemic, I tie-dyed everything on Earth sheets, towels, napkins.
I was tie-dyeing my days away.
Those are kind of the things that are more self soothing to me.
Was there anything you splurged on at 28?
I always splurged a bit on shoes, if I’m honest.
And shoes are like the cars for my feet.
After I drove away, I was like, am I really driving a Porsche?
This is so typical.
I’m having a midlife crisis!
What was your biggest regret at 28?
I just couldn’t figure out how to make my life work.
I would say, knowing what I know now, things are too hard.
you might’t change people and you might’t fix everything by yourself.
I know theres a lot ofHollywood lore around your marriage to Nick Cage.
Here’s the thing.
So it wasn’t really about one particular relationship.
It was across the board.
That aspect of myself made things pretty rough.
What advice would you give your 28-year-old self?
I would say you’re free to’t fix everything.
You also can’t do everything for everyone.
What do you think your 28-year-old self would think of the person you’ve become?
I think my 28-year-old self would be like, wow, you’ve been through a lot.
You’ve been through a lot and accomplished a lot and you’re really happy now.
So maybe it was all supposed to be like that imperfect in years.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
