The whole thing had a bit of levity, Olsen, 36, says brightly.
Theres always a sense of humor and play.
Its the only thing I want to do every day which makes for maybe exhausting dinner parties.
What drew you toThe Assessment?
Sci-fi is a brilliant genre for us as audiences to theorize and reflect on our existence.
Its this imaginary space where you just go with what the rules of the world are.
Can you tell me about a time in your life when pretending felt really hard?
Im really bad at pretending, and I could benefit from being better at it.
Ive always been honest to a fault, [even] as a child.
The whole fake it till you make it thing is hard to wrap my mind around.
Theres a benefit to knowing how someone wants you to behave, and behaving that way.
I just have never been good at it, and Ive never really successfully tried, either.
Motherhood is a big theme with several of your roles, including the Scarlet Witch.
What about playing a mother or a woman longing for motherhood fascinates you?
But that really raises the question: Who cares if youre an exceptional person?
Everyone deserves to have the most primal right of being able to parent if thats what they want.
Theres such a variety of reasons why people want it, and its no one’s business.
This allegory of who gets to have the resources is its own thing to reflect on as well.
Do you take life lessons or pieces of wisdom with you from your roles?
It doesnt change how I live my life.
I think its more that I live my life, andthatinforms how I play characters.
My beliefs inform why I want to tell certain stories.
If theyre in dialogue with each other, thats why Im drawn to stories that Im drawn to.
Your character struggles with fitting into the world she inhabits.
How did that resonate with you?
[That feeling] comes from this feeling of abandonment that she had from her mother.
She chose to blame her mother instead of understanding why she made the choice she made.
We all have these moments.
I feel like were often very much trapped by our own perspectives.
I had that moment with my grandmother.
I wasnt very close to her growing up because she traveled all the time and wasnt around.
I always felt like she didnt really care about being a grandparent.
Then one Christmas shes 94 years old we end up having this three-hour conversation.
You also have a rom-com coming out soon with Miles Teller and Callum Turner.
What can you share about it?
Its aBilly Wilder typeof film.
Its old-school and timeless.
Im really excited to share it in the fall.
Its a warm, heartfelt, funny piece that will make people feel good.
Im really excited for it.
Im here for the rom-com renaissance.
Me too, especially because people are trying to do it in refreshing ways.
I think the thing that wasnt sticking was when it was trying to be too current in culture.
You cant fight how fast culture is moving, so you have to be more inventive.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
