What Jason Bateman Had To Say About Working With Julia Garner
Fans and celebs love Jason Bateman. Jennifer Aniston hasn't got a bad thing to say about her cinematic partner in crime. "He's just delightful," she told Relevant. "There's nothing about him that isn't squeezable." No wonder they've starred in five movies together. But it's not just Rachel from the Perk who's crushing. The Guardian hailed Bateman as "incredibly nice" and claimed he "has the pleasing facial symmetry of a catalog model." Jeeze, get a room.
However, he hasn't always been the saccharine star with the squeeze factor; Bateman has an edge and knows how to use it. Following his "Arrested Development" days the ex-child star indulged in "all-night booze and drug binges" before entering AA. "I stayed at the party too long," he admitted to The Guardian. After his wife issued the ultimatum: partying or parenting, Bateman turned his life around.
He chose the latter but drew on the former for directing and acting in "Ozark." Per Netflix, he plays Marty Byrde in the gritty drama. Byrde's your run-of-the-mill suburban money-laundering financial advisor who goes on the lam drags his family to the wilderness, and becomes a drug dealing kingpin. Initially, the trailer-dwelling locals, such as Ruth Langmore, are portrayed as the outlaws. Langmore's sassy, street smart, and from a family with a criminal history longer than their arsenal of sawn-off shotguns. Thanks to Julia Garner, she's also the standout character in the show and a costar favorite. Here's what Jason Bateman had to say about working with Julia Garner.
Jason Bateman is blown away by Julia Garner's acting abilities
Jason Bateman is one of those actors and directors celebrities love working with. One of the reasons is probably because he always gives props where props are due. "It's a very complicated full life that she manages, and she does it with grace and kindness and warmth to her closest friends and to a person she might meet that day on set," he raved about five-time co-star Jenifer Aniston to Variety.
Bateman has also talked up his fellow "Ozark" cast member, Julia Garner. "The reason I like watching Julia's acting so much is her ability to show vulnerability, even when the character is being aggressive," he told The Cut. Bateman praised the young actor for her on-camera awareness and acting nuance. "[Garner has] an incredible ability to be very accurate with a small look or gesture," he said.
The director said Garner's "vulnerability" greatly contrasts her intense fieriness. "She is as sweet as she is sour, as much of a beauty as she is a beast," Bateman told The Hollywood Reporter in 2020. "And her ability to toggle between those polarities ... the writers write to that." Laura Linney, who plays Bateman's on-camera wife, Wendy Byrd, is also a big fan. "Julia throws herself into her work with an abandon," she told THR. Linney marveled at Garner's ability to completely immerse herself in character and go all out. "She sticks her finger right into the socket," Linney said.
Julia Garner's career is skyrocketing post Ozark
"Ozark" was the catalyst for launching Garner's career, making her a bonafide star. Before playing Ruth Langmore on "Ozark," Garner had appeared in numerous movies and TV series. However, except for "The Americans," she'd always landed bit roles or starred in small indie projects, per IMDb. Now, she's a double Emmy Award-winning actor in hot demand. So, what's next for Garner?
"I go wherever the good story is," she told The New York Times. "I do weird parts — there's always something wrong with my character, or they are in a really weird situation," Garner shared. That was definitely the case with "Inventing Anna," where she played the fake socialite Anna Delvey. In 2018, The Cut published the bizarre, true story of Anna Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin. Delvey was a skilled con artist who faked being a Russian heiress to reap the rewards of life in New York's social elite. According to The Sun, Shona Rhimes bought the rights and turned it into a hit Netflix show.
"What's really interesting about Julia is she might be one of the most intellectual actors I've ever met," Rimes told The Hollywood Reporter. "She came at [the role] from a very psychological profile kind of place," Rimes continued, praising Garner's talent for getting to the heart of a character — and her excellent Russian accent. Well, if Hollywood powerhouse Shona Rimes is heaping praise on you then you know the future's bright.