A Brief Guide to Greta Gerwig’s Life in Film (So Far)
When Greta Gerwig is involved with something, you can just tell. The multitalented writer, actor, and director has worked on myriad productions in different ways, but her signature view of the world is easy to spot; it’s on display in her 2017 tour de force Lady Bird, of course, but that’s far from her only filmic accomplishment.
Gerwig originally meant to become a playwright after her childhood dreams of ballet dancing were thwarted by the strain on her knees, but instead she found her way to TV and film. After studying English and philosophy at Barnard College, she began cowriting and appearing in movies, and since then she’s become a beloved and respected director as well as a leading lady. Below, find a short guide to some of her key turns, whether onscreen or behind the camera.
Greenberg
This 2010 dramedy starring Ben Stiller wouldn’t have been the same without Gerwig’s performance as Florence Marr, personal assistant to a Hollywood family who ends up falling for a categorically wrong guy.
Frances Ha
Gerwig cowrote this 2012 film with her now partner, Noah Baumbach, in addition to starring as the down-on-her-luck titular character. Gerwig has expressed frustration at people undervaluing the role she played in the film’s creation, telling the New York Times, “Something that used to really hurt me is, people would say, ‘Did you help write the script?’ And I’d say: ‘I cowrote it. I didn’t “help” to write it.’ It used to make my blood rise.”
Mistress America
This story of female friendship and adulation costars Gerwig and Lola Kirke and was cowritten by Gerwig and Baumbach. Gerwig, who also was a producer on the film, showed a different side of herself in Mistress America, slipping into the role of a dizzy, intoxicating wannabe restaurateur with ease.
Lady Bird
Gerwig’s 2017 directorial debut dazzled critics with the love and care it showed for its titular character, played by Saoirse Ronan; the city where it’s set (Gerwig’s own hometown of Sacramento); and the fraught mother–daughter relationship at the center of the film (involving a stunning turn from Laurie Metcalf).
Little Women
Gerwig’s hotly anticipated adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women comes out in late December, but there’s already plenty of buzz about it; with a cast that includes Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, and Florence Pugh, how could there not be?
Originally Appeared on Vogue
