Allison Williams candidly admitted to some cringe-worthy teenage beauty blunders, including her bronzer application and the misguided use of black eyeliner as an eyebrow pencil. She even noted how recent TikTok trends featuring early 2000s makeup styles felt uncomfortably accurate.
Now 37, Williams has matured significantly, both personally and professionally, often in front of the camera. After her memorable portrayal of the ambitious, musically inclined Marnie in HBO’s ‘Girls,’ she made a name for herself in popular horror films like ‘Get Out,’ ‘The Perfection,’ ‘M3gan,’ and its sequel. Today, her style, including her makeup, is impeccably refined.
Her latest film, ‘Regretting You,’ directed by Josh Boone and based on Colleen Hoover’s novel, brought Williams face-to-face with a younger version of herself. She plays Morgan, a woman in her thirties who became a mother at 17. A sudden family tragedy forces Morgan to re-evaluate her life and her relationships with her 16-year-old daughter, Clara (Mckenna Grace), and an old friend, Jonah (Dave Franco). Through flashbacks, utilizing subtle lighting and de-aging techniques, Williams also embodies Morgan as a teenager.
On a recent weekday morning, Williams, daughter of news anchor Brian Williams and TV producer Jane Stoddard Williams, exuded adult sophistication while walking through the American Museum of Natural History. Yet, her inner child shone through as she enthusiastically circled back, wide-eyed, to a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, exclaiming her delight. She revealed that while she once felt the need to rein in her ‘theater kid’ tendencies as a teenager, being a mother to a young son (with actor Alexander Dreymon) now allows her the freedom to fully embrace her inner enthusiast.
‘Regretting You’ marks another journey back to her youth for Williams. Post-‘Girls,’ she largely moved away from romantic leading roles, partly to demonstrate her versatility and partly because Marnie’s character (and, by extension, Williams herself) had become a magnet for online criticism. A brief break from such roles felt necessary. While Williams remains keenly aware of her privileged background (a status she’s willing to leverage, especially for a chance to preview the museum’s Apex Stegosaurus), she now feels prepared to tackle roles that resonate more closely with her own life experiences, rather than, say, playing a killer doll inventor. She expressed a desire to explore themes she’s navigating in her own life, such as relationships, marriage, and motherhood. She also shared that ‘Regretting You’ even brought her father to tears.
During an hour-long conversation, both inside and outside the museum’s dinosaur wing, Williams’s speech was peppered with words like ‘fossilized’ and ‘excavate.’ She delved into topics like her career, motherhood, and her ability to let loose, even hypothetically vandalizing a car. The following are edited excerpts from that discussion.
When considering a new role, you’ve mentioned asking yourself three questions: ‘Why this? Why me? Why now?’ How did these apply to your decision to take on ‘Regretting You’?
Williams explained that the film evoked a sense of nostalgia, reminding her of the kind of movies that once filled Blockbuster shelves. She acknowledged that her previous horror roles were instrumental in helping her shed the ‘Marnie’ persona, a challenging but necessary process. Regarding Morgan, she found the character to be somewhat emotionally demanding, and she aimed to portray her experience with as much empathy as possible. For the ‘Why now?’ question, Williams felt that in a world full of chaos and constant stimulation, audiences desire an escape into relatable, albeit frustrating, human dramas. She affectionately termed this the ‘Hooververse.’
Who is Morgan?
Williams described Morgan as a character in ‘suspended animation’ — a woman who, after becoming a mother at 17, essentially put her own life on hold. Morgan made choices Williams wouldn’t have, dedicating herself entirely to being Clara’s mom, her sister’s caregiver, and her husband’s support system, without pausing to address her own profound existential questions. We meet her at a pivotal moment when her daughter is the same age Morgan was when she got pregnant, and Morgan is determined to guide Clara through this critical life stage differently.
Do you consider Morgan to be an ‘Allison Williams type’ of character?
She responded that the character initially fits a type she’s played before, in that Morgan is closed off from aspects of herself. What was particularly rewarding, however, was the opportunity to portray Morgan’s growing vulnerability as those hidden parts were unveiled. Unlike many of her previous characters who maintained a certain emotional distance from the audience, this role allowed her to genuinely express rage, sadness, and fully navigate the stages of grief.
Well, thank you for representing the ‘uptight ladies.’
Williams humorously retorted that someone has to keep things running smoothly and organized in the world.
What do you find enjoyable about portraying a tightly-wound woman completely unraveling?
She finds it incredibly enjoyable. She confessed to having to consciously hold herself back from going ‘all the way’ and completely shattering on screen. Williams loves the aspect of playing Morgan where the character might furiously attack a car, then return home to scold her daughter for a missed curfew, finding that dichotomy authentic.
Do you experience similar freedoms in your personal life? Living in Connecticut, away from the public eye, do you have the space to, say, metaphorically ‘beat up a car’?
Williams mused that she believes she could, in some form. She acknowledged her susceptibility to overstimulation and emphasized that having a quiet retreat is crucial to being a better mother and partner. She added that anyone with anxiety understands the importance of having a space to withdraw.
I noticed that comments on your old interviews were often quite harsh, with people expressing a strong dislike for you. Do you understand why?
She admitted to understanding it ‘deeply.’ Williams explained that her ‘theater kid energy’ can be off-putting to some, which is why she only sings professionally about once a decade to avoid becoming ‘too annoying.’ She also recognized her numerous layers of privilege, making her a less appealing underdog and ‘more satisfying to root against.’ While she still cares what people think, she accepts their reactions. Interestingly, she noted a shift, with Generation Z now having a much more sympathetic and positive view of Marnie.
Is Morgan a good mother?
In the ‘Winnicott sense,’ Williams believes Morgan is a ‘good enough mother.’ Her daughter is alive, thriving, has solid morals, and is rebelling appropriately. However, Morgan herself feels she isn’t as good a mother as she aspires to be.
As a mother to a young son, what was it like to imagine parenting a teenager?
Williams stated that imagination helps, but the key is finding personal relevance. She noted that toddlerhood often mirrors teenage development, giving her years to prepare and learn from wiser parents. For Morgan’s portrayal, she drew insights from individuals she knew who became parents at a young age.
What was it like to see your de-aged teenage self on screen?
She said ‘M3gan’ had already prepared her, as the titular character was designed to be ‘poreless and perfect,’ making her feel ‘resentful’ when sharing the screen. While it ‘broke’ her, she finds it fine now. She was never professionally filmed at 17 but remembers her appearance and is content with who she is today.
How do you perceive the fantasy of reconnecting with someone who knew you as a teenager?
Williams described it as the nostalgia of experiencing romance for the first time. The fantasy involves that ‘fossilized’ teenage version of a person reappearing in your adult life and seamlessly fitting the adult you’ve become. In reality, she noted, the adult version of that person often makes you realize how strange it is to have ever harbored such a romantic notion.
Your previous horror films were explicitly about larger issues like racism or AI dangers. What is ‘Regretting You’ about?
She reflected on the unique experience of discussing a movie that isn’t centered around a major societal issue, humorously concluding that ‘there’s no issue bigger than loss and family.’ For ‘Regretting You,’ the focus is purely on grief, parenthood, self-worth, and passion, which she found to be a refreshing and therapeutic change.