Few acting resumes include as many visionary, boundary-pushing auteur filmmakers as Chloë Sevigny’s. A selected list of the directors she’s worked with could easily fill an IndieWire top ten: Harmony Korine, Vincent Gallo, Lars Von Trier, Whit Stillman, Kimberly Peirce, Olivier Assayas, and David Fincher — to name a few. In fact, as IndieWire co-founder Eugene Hernandez put it at a sit-down with the actress at the Provincetown International Film Festival last weekend, Sevigny was at the epicenter of the independent film renaissance of the late 1990s and early 2000s that inspired IndieWire’s creation in the first place.
Read More: Why Chloe Sevigny Waited 20 Years To Make Her Directorial Debut With The Female-Friendly ‘Kitty’
“It was the work of Chloe and so many of her collaborators…that inspired the site we created. So without even knowing it, Chloe, you were part of what helped inspire us to do what we did at IndieWire,” said Hernandez in his introduction.
Sevigny was in Provincetown showing her short film, “Kitty,” the actress’ first foray into directing. It’s a visually lush and fantastical film based on a short story by Paul Bowles, whose work once led her to travel to Marrakech with Korine in the mid-’90s, “Just kind of following in his footsteps.” As the festival presented her with their Excellence in Acting Award, Sevigny and Hernandez sat down for a career-spanning talk that included some eyebrow-raising anecdotes from her days working with indie cinema’s most lauded (and eccentric) directors.
Read More: Sofia Coppola On Female Sexuality In ‘The Beguiled’ And Why She Hopes Gay Men Find Colin Farrell Sexy
Here are seven things you may not have known about Sevigny’s most memorable films, and some of the greatest (and most controversial) indies of the last twenty years, according to her:
1. Before “Boys Don’t Cry,” Drew Barrymore wanted to play Brandon Teena, and she asked Harmony Korine to direct it.
“Drew Barrymore had actually approached Harmony and she wanted to play [Brandon Teena] and she wanted me to play Lana in her version. There were some weird initial meetings around that, which obviously didn’t go very far. She sent in these kind of Herb Ritts photos of herself done up as a boy. She looked really attractive, but it wasn’t gonna work. And then I actually went and auditioned for the [Brandon Teena] part. Kimberly Peirce said, ‘You’ve never wanted to be a boy, have you?’ And I said, ‘No,’ and she was like, ‘Why don’t you come back in and try out for the other part?’ So I did, and I got it.”
2. Sarah Polley was Kimberly Peirce’s first choice to play Lana in “Boys Don’t Cry.”
“I only got the part because Sarah Polley passed. That happened to me a lot in the ’90s. She got a lot of parts that I wanted.”
3. The reaction to that infamous blow job scene in Vincent Gallo’s “The Brown Bunny” still haunts her.
“I thought it would just kind of play to an art house audience, I don’t know why I thought it would just go under the radar. Vincent’s a real character. I love ‘Buffalo 66.’ I put my faith in him, believed in him. He’s also very seductive, as you can imagine… I think it was a way of kind of reclaiming myself, which sounds odd, but after the celebrity and stuff, being like: ‘No, that’s not who I am, I’m this other thing, and this is what I stand for.’ Or wanting to push the envelope. Like John [Waters], who’s here.” Sevigny gestured to Waters, who called out from the audience: “I loved the ‘The Brown Bunny’! The insects on the windshield…”
Read More: ‘Lizzie’: First Look at Kristen Stewart and Chloe Sevigny in Gothic Historical Murder Mystery
4. “The Brown Bunny” didn’t hurt her career, but it did hurt some relationships.
“I got my first studio film after that. I’d never been offered a studio film. It was ‘Zodiac.’ I don’t think it really hurt me, necessarily. I mean, it hurt me, in a lot of ways… Some relationships have had trouble with it. Of course, my mom and I don’t talk about it.”
5. Whit Stillman is terrifying.
“He’s very precise, and he also likes to do things a lot… It becomes surreal. Not as much as Fincher — he does full takes. Whit just wants you to say one line or one word again and again and again in a series. It’s terrifying. So scared of that man. And yet I keep going back. Glutton for punishment.”
6. Lars Von Trier spanked her on the set of “Dogville” (often).
“I think that Lars tortures the main actresses, and the supporting players get a free ride. He was really into spanking me. But in a playful way. He’d always tease me, like I had to be punished. And he knew I was into Black metal so he was always teasing me about like going off and burning churches. We had a funny rapport. But I think he was harder on Nicole [Kidman].”
7. The Chloe videos hurt her feelings.
“Ugh, I have a really complicated relationship with those. I don’t want to say I’m offended, ’cause that’s such a strong word. But I don’t enjoy them. I think because he’s a comedian. If he was more of a drag performer, I would feel like less – they hurt my feelings. Maybe I should be tougher, I don’t know. But they do.”
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
Related stories'Glow' Producers Didn't Want to Cast Alison Brie -- Here's How She Fought to Change Their MindsBen Stiller Explains the Importance of Celebrating Human Stories that 'Don't Center on Aliens or Robots' -- Nantucket Film FestivalNoah Hawley on the 'Fargo' Finale and Why the Fate of Gloria Burgle Matters More Than You Think...
Read More: Why Chloe Sevigny Waited 20 Years To Make Her Directorial Debut With The Female-Friendly ‘Kitty’
“It was the work of Chloe and so many of her collaborators…that inspired the site we created. So without even knowing it, Chloe, you were part of what helped inspire us to do what we did at IndieWire,” said Hernandez in his introduction.
Sevigny was in Provincetown showing her short film, “Kitty,” the actress’ first foray into directing. It’s a visually lush and fantastical film based on a short story by Paul Bowles, whose work once led her to travel to Marrakech with Korine in the mid-’90s, “Just kind of following in his footsteps.” As the festival presented her with their Excellence in Acting Award, Sevigny and Hernandez sat down for a career-spanning talk that included some eyebrow-raising anecdotes from her days working with indie cinema’s most lauded (and eccentric) directors.
Read More: Sofia Coppola On Female Sexuality In ‘The Beguiled’ And Why She Hopes Gay Men Find Colin Farrell Sexy
Here are seven things you may not have known about Sevigny’s most memorable films, and some of the greatest (and most controversial) indies of the last twenty years, according to her:
1. Before “Boys Don’t Cry,” Drew Barrymore wanted to play Brandon Teena, and she asked Harmony Korine to direct it.
“Drew Barrymore had actually approached Harmony and she wanted to play [Brandon Teena] and she wanted me to play Lana in her version. There were some weird initial meetings around that, which obviously didn’t go very far. She sent in these kind of Herb Ritts photos of herself done up as a boy. She looked really attractive, but it wasn’t gonna work. And then I actually went and auditioned for the [Brandon Teena] part. Kimberly Peirce said, ‘You’ve never wanted to be a boy, have you?’ And I said, ‘No,’ and she was like, ‘Why don’t you come back in and try out for the other part?’ So I did, and I got it.”
2. Sarah Polley was Kimberly Peirce’s first choice to play Lana in “Boys Don’t Cry.”
“I only got the part because Sarah Polley passed. That happened to me a lot in the ’90s. She got a lot of parts that I wanted.”
3. The reaction to that infamous blow job scene in Vincent Gallo’s “The Brown Bunny” still haunts her.
“I thought it would just kind of play to an art house audience, I don’t know why I thought it would just go under the radar. Vincent’s a real character. I love ‘Buffalo 66.’ I put my faith in him, believed in him. He’s also very seductive, as you can imagine… I think it was a way of kind of reclaiming myself, which sounds odd, but after the celebrity and stuff, being like: ‘No, that’s not who I am, I’m this other thing, and this is what I stand for.’ Or wanting to push the envelope. Like John [Waters], who’s here.” Sevigny gestured to Waters, who called out from the audience: “I loved the ‘The Brown Bunny’! The insects on the windshield…”
Read More: ‘Lizzie’: First Look at Kristen Stewart and Chloe Sevigny in Gothic Historical Murder Mystery
4. “The Brown Bunny” didn’t hurt her career, but it did hurt some relationships.
“I got my first studio film after that. I’d never been offered a studio film. It was ‘Zodiac.’ I don’t think it really hurt me, necessarily. I mean, it hurt me, in a lot of ways… Some relationships have had trouble with it. Of course, my mom and I don’t talk about it.”
5. Whit Stillman is terrifying.
“He’s very precise, and he also likes to do things a lot… It becomes surreal. Not as much as Fincher — he does full takes. Whit just wants you to say one line or one word again and again and again in a series. It’s terrifying. So scared of that man. And yet I keep going back. Glutton for punishment.”
6. Lars Von Trier spanked her on the set of “Dogville” (often).
“I think that Lars tortures the main actresses, and the supporting players get a free ride. He was really into spanking me. But in a playful way. He’d always tease me, like I had to be punished. And he knew I was into Black metal so he was always teasing me about like going off and burning churches. We had a funny rapport. But I think he was harder on Nicole [Kidman].”
7. The Chloe videos hurt her feelings.
“Ugh, I have a really complicated relationship with those. I don’t want to say I’m offended, ’cause that’s such a strong word. But I don’t enjoy them. I think because he’s a comedian. If he was more of a drag performer, I would feel like less – they hurt my feelings. Maybe I should be tougher, I don’t know. But they do.”
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
Related stories'Glow' Producers Didn't Want to Cast Alison Brie -- Here's How She Fought to Change Their MindsBen Stiller Explains the Importance of Celebrating Human Stories that 'Don't Center on Aliens or Robots' -- Nantucket Film FestivalNoah Hawley on the 'Fargo' Finale and Why the Fate of Gloria Burgle Matters More Than You Think...
- 6/22/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Similar News
The Best Movies Now Playing in Theaters
- 4/19/2024
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
“The fail that keeps failing”: Bill Maher Slams Timothée Chalamet, Kate Winslet and Others for Regretting Working With Woody Allen in Hottest Take of 2024
- 4/18/2024
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire
Tribeca announces feature line-up by Amber Wilkinson - 2024-04-18 15:16:14
- 4/18/2024
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
TCM Classic Film Festival Turns 15 with Se7en 8K IMAX Restoration, Lawrence of Arabia and The Searchers on 70mm & More
- 4/23/2024
- by Scott Nye
- The Film Stage
Brian Helgeland Talks Scrapped ‘Cleopatra’ Script Starring Angelina Jolie: ‘A Political Thriller’ with Lots of ‘Assassinations and Sex’
- 4/23/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
TCM Film Fest: Detective & Cop Films - Se7en, The Big Heat, The Mad Miss Manton
- 4/22/2024
- by Christopher James
- FilmExperience
‘The Hunting Wives’ Adds Karen Rodriguez, Michael Aaron Milligan & Hunter Emery
- 4/23/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
“It’ll be up there with the best comic book film of all time”: Deadpool Creator Makes a Bold Claim About Hugh Jackman Starrer Living Up to the Best MCU Movie (It’s not Infinity War)
- 4/23/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Cate Blanchett, Millie Bobby Brown & Colin Farrell Among Cannes Immersive Film Lineup
- 4/23/2024
- by Hannah Abraham
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.
More to explore
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Casts Thandiwe Newton (Exclusive)
- 4/23/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Terry Carter, ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘McCloud’ Actor, Dies at 95
- 4/23/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Trailer: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds Fight to the F—ing Death in Raunchy MCU Debut
- 4/22/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety - Film News
Netflix to Present Sneak Peek of New Wallace & Gromit, Zack Snyder’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’ at Annecy
- 4/22/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Lord of the Rings’ Owner Embracer to Separate Into Three Standalone Publicly Listed Entities
- 4/22/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran and K.J. Yossman
- Variety - Film News
Meg Bennett, Soap Opera Actress and Writer, Dies at 75
- 4/21/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chuwi Is the Voice of a New Puerto Rican Generation
- 4/23/2024
- by Juan Arroyo
- Popsugar.com
Camila Mendes on Why We Need More Latine Representation in Rom-Coms
- 4/22/2024
- by Brenda Barrientos
- Popsugar.com
Saraciea Fennell: "The Black Girl Survives in This One" Is the Representation I Didn't See in Horror Books
- 4/22/2024
- by Saraciea Fennell
- Popsugar.com
Tell Me Más: Bodine Talks New Album "Quemo Lento" and Growing From Hardships
- 4/22/2024
- by Juan Arroyo
- Popsugar.com
Ethan and Maya Hawke Almost Abandoned ‘Wildcat’ After Discovering Flannery O’Connor’s Racist Letters
- 4/23/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
‘The Ritual’: Al Pacino & Dan Stevens To Lead New Exorcism Film Coming Out In 2025
- 4/23/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Eddie Redmayne Lives a ‘Monastic’ Life for Broadway’s ‘Cabaret’: Lay’s Chips for Lozenges and ‘the Most Painful Massage’
- 4/23/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Glen Powell Says Sydney Sweeney Orchestrated Meta ‘Anyone but You’ Marketing Campaign
- 4/23/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Why Everyone Is Talking About Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer’
- 4/23/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Trailer: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds Fight to the F—ing Death in Raunchy MCU Debut
- 4/22/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety - Film News
Sylvester Stallone Thought ‘My Career Is Over’ After ‘Rocky II’ Injury Tore His ‘Pec Off the Bone’; He Saved the Film by Boxing Right-Handed: ‘We Don’t Quit’
- 4/23/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Ethan and Maya Hawke Almost Abandoned ‘Wildcat’ After Discovering Flannery O’Connor’s Racist Letters
- 4/23/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
‘The Ritual’: Al Pacino & Dan Stevens To Lead New Exorcism Film Coming Out In 2025
- 4/23/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Post Malone Partners With Michael Bay and Brad Fuller’s Platinum Dunes, Vault Comics For New IP Universe
- 4/23/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Casts Thandiwe Newton (Exclusive)
- 4/23/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Terry Carter, ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘McCloud’ Actor, Dies at 95
- 4/23/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
Netflix to Present Sneak Peek of New Wallace & Gromit, Zack Snyder’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’ at Annecy
- 4/22/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Terry Carter Dies: ‘Battlestar Galactica’ & ‘McCloud’ Star Was 95
- 4/23/2024
- TV Insider
Terry Carter, McCloud and Original Battlestar Galactica Star, Dead at 95
- 4/23/2024
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com