Samara Weaving Is Taking Hollywood by Storm

I vividly remember my first encounter with Samara Weaving. We were approximately two months into quarantine, and I, like so many others, was holed up at home binge-watching Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix series Hollywood. Weaving appeared on-screen in a striking red ensemble consisting of a dotted blouse and pencil skirt nipped in at the waist, her blonde ’40s-style barrel curls fastened with a flower. A swipe of cherry lipstick finished the look. Her star power stopped me dead in my tracks. Who is this girl? I immediately asked myself. And how is the rest of the world not losing it over her?

It turns out they are. After appearing in the 2017 Oscar-nominated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Weaving landed a covetable contract with Louis Vuitton (she is currently starring in its F/W 20 campaign), and a leading role in the devilishly fun 2019 dark comedy Ready or Not followed. This summer, she stars in the hotly anticipated comedy Bill & Ted Face the Music, the latest installment of the iconic ’90s franchise starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Even as I sit down to write this, Weaving’s momentum is outpacing me. Hulu recently slated her as one of the leads in Nine Perfect Strangers, a book adaptation that everyone is predicting will be the next Big Little Lies. With each new project, Weaving’s brilliant performances captivate fresh audiences, but celebrity is a mere side effect, not the end goal, for the 28-year-old. “There’s a difference between fame and success,” she warned. “If you’re looking for fame, that’s quite fickle and dangerous because you will never be famous forever.”

Fame aside, Weaving is clearly playing the long game, choosing projects that highlight her range as an actress and teaming up with respected industry players along the way. So even if this is your first encounter with the Australia native, I can assure you it won't be your last.

By:

Anna Laplaca