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Did you know about Elisabeth Holmes and her story before you were offered this role?
I did. She was someone I was so fascinated with before this project.
How did you prepare to play her?
Elizabeth Holmes is a very complex person so there were many. First, it was really about finding the similarities between how I was going through life, how Elizabeth did it based on interviews or anything I could watch or read.
It was a treasure trove of information. But I did not want to imitate her. It is such a journey to represent such a complex. It’s a big responsibility but one I could not leave.
Elisabeth has a very different way of speaking. How did you master that?
The shape of my mouth is not the same as hers, but I could make sounds a little closer than she does. Mimicking in that way is part of my job as an actor, but I worked really hard to get the right sound. I speak with a much louder tone than Elizabeth so it was difficult. She actually deepened her voice, even more, to sound more powerful and impactful. I could not get all the way there, but I went much deeper. I’m actually a little worried about what people are saying about it, but I did my best to capture the strangeness of their voice.
Did you see the Saturday Night Live version of Elizabeth Holmes before you took over the film role?
I do not remember seeing it, but I know the turtleneck sweater, the lips, the voice, the messy hair, the SNL Elizabeth Holmes. I did not look for it after I was cast, but with any character like this, you have to take the iconic things that make up the character and throw them away for a minute. Then you can gradually add elements again to create the fully formed human being.
How do you go about choosing projects at this stage of your career now that you’re also a busy mom?
I just want to work, do good work and work with good people. I like the decisions I have made and I am very grateful for the opportunities that have come our way. But for me, it was less and less about the outcome and everything about the experience.
Is it true that in addition to acting you also go to the toy store?
Yes, I’m working with two of my girlfriends, who also have two kids, on a toy idea. So I’m balancing now between a toy company and studying roles. I can only do it when the kids are asleep and I can get my computer.
How hard is it to juggle everything?
I think every time you think you can not do something, you actually can and you do more. But I’m very happy to have a man who is an awesome dad and my mom is there to help me.
Would you say that parenting is a second time easier?
Yes, because you have the instincts. And it turns out I care less about the things I learned the first time (laughs). I’m just going with the river.
How does your daughter enjoy having a little brother?
She is obsessed with him. My son is a typical year-old right now. He’s like, ‘Where are the sockets? Where’s the glass? Show me where the knives are, I’ll have some fun! ‘ He has masculine energy (laughs).
You live on a farm, far away from the bright lights of Hollywood. Was this a conscious decision for when you started a family?
Yes, it was very conscious. I always wanted to live on a farm. I need to feel grounded and being somewhere I can trust will always be there. We just get more and more animals, but as long as there is room for them, we will find ourselves with another goat (laughs).
How justified would you say your life is?
Ganz. I struggle hard to impress people that I am normal and that I have no one to wake me up with breakfast in bed. I’m not a driver around. Every time I meet someone new, I’m so desperate to understand them that you can talk to me. I want to connect like everyone else because I am like everyone else.
You’ve come a long way since Mean Girls. How do you look back on that time in a movie that is still loved by so many?
Mean Girls was my first time even seeing a movie camera. I worked on All My Children, which was a sea opera and very different. Direct Mean Girls felt like it had real energy in it and we had all the time in the world to do a scene. There was so much food and I would get excited for lunch every day because I knew it was a buffet and it was free. I do not understand box office or any of the ins and outs of this industry; I was just excited to talk in a movie and express myself that way. It was the best and it turned out to be a great movie.
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