Katherine Langford Gets Real About 'Knives Out' and Her Feminist New Project

Katherine Langford is entering an exciting new phase of her career. After first rising to fame starring in Hannah Baker in the first two seasons of 13 Reasons Why, the Australian actress has been taking on several roles that showcase the versatility of her craft. In 2018, she played one of the titular character’s best friends in the modern rom-com Love, Simon, and she recently joined a star-studded ensemble cast for Knives Out, the mystery film that’s been a hit both critically (it’s Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay, among other nods throughout the season) and commercially, thanks to viewers’ genuine excitement about the story. Later this year, she’ll take on her second Netflix leading role in Cursed, which reimagines the Arthurian legend through the eyes of a teenage heroine, Nimue.

Langford has been embracing all her busy acting schedule has brought her, especially the cast bonding—of Knives Out, she remarked on the fun of seeing the talented ensemble “be reduced to complete children” when playing word games during downtime. She’s also excited about how the industry has brought her closer to the inner workings of fashion, revealing a creative spirit that was only more tangible as she celebrated Fendi’s Solar Dream collection last night, on the cusp of New York Fashion Week. Soo Joo Park DJed the event after an opening set by Coco and Breezy, and a host of stars and fashion insiders (plus one very adorable dog) came together to celebrate the house's Spring 2020 wares with cocktails and conversation amidst the new pieces and campaign imagery.

“We’re here today for Silvia [Venturini] Fendi’s first big collection, and it’s so bold,” Langford said of being part of the event. “The fact that they’re showing men’s and women’s in the same night is also really cool. Tonight I’m wearing a piece that was actually part of the men’s collection, but it’s interchangeable.” Genuinely excited about the piece she’s referencing, Langford then proceeded to demonstrate how her necklace unclasped magnetically, right in the middle of the iconic double-F.

With lots of positivity in the air as the crowd celebrated the renewing energy of Venturini Fendi's Spring 2020 collection, Langford had her mind on the future while speaking with L’Officiel USA. Read on to learn the talent’s thoughts on sunny day activities, the feminist nature of her new show, and why she’s excited to see what younger generations accomplish this decade.

Knives Out has been a huge hit. Is there anything that surprised you about how people received the film? 

For me, it was really special because [the audition] came at such an unsuspecting time of year, and the way it came together was really quick. In a way, it was a really intimate shoot; we all shot basically on one location. So to be able to share that and see how well it was received by so many people was a really wonderful surprise and a real testament to Rian Johnson and the whole cast and crew. It was a real joy to be a part of.

Are there any favorite memories you made with the cast?

So many favorite memories. I think most of them stem from when we were all shooting together and doing these big scenes. We were shooting in this big house, and in between takes, we would go downstairs which was sort of our green room, and we would talk and play word games. Seeing a room full of incredible actors kind of be reduced to complete children playing these word games was really fun.

Soon you’ll be starring in Cursed. What do you think is the significance of telling such well-known stories of the Arthurian legend through the perspective of a young female protagonist? 

I grew up such a fan of the fantasy genre and sci-fi and I love history, and the Arthurian Legends are age-old folk tales that have been told for generations, but the one thing about them is that they’re nearly 100% male. I think the significance is telling these incredible stories of heroism and seeing a woman as a hero, but not just as a hero, seeing her as a true heroine. That means incorporating all of the things that a woman would have had to overcome to become a heroine, not just following a man’s story of what a hero is. It’s facing and acknowledging everything that she would’ve had to have gone through. I think there’s a lot to be taken from that, and it was definitely an incredible experience. We’re still working on it at the moment.

What are you most excited about in the new decade?

There’s a couple of things that I’m excited about for me personally, but I have recently been looking at the world, and I think globally there’s a lot happening at the moment that we need to change or we need to focus on. I don’t know whether those obstacles excite me, but I think what excites and inspires me is seeing the younger generation want to take action against those and knowing that that generation in the next 10 years will have the power to do that politically, if not vocally, which we already have.