Nami goes through a lot in Into the Grand Line. She gains confidence in herself as a navigator, powers through the effects of a wicked Kestia bite, and becomes more comfortable leaning on her fellow Straw Hats when necessary — but one particular plot point that heavily defines Nami’s Season 2 arc is her connection with Charithra Chandran’s Vivi. And now we know, according to Rudd, that’ll be a driving force for her character in Season 3 as well.

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In celebration of the release of Vladimir, Henwick visited the Collider Ladies Night studio to discuss making the irresistible eight-episode Netflix show opposite Rachel Weisz and Leo Woodall. She plays Cynthia, Vladimir’s (Woodall) wife. After moving to a new town to take jobs at a local university, Vlad attracts the attention of Weisz’s character, a seasoned professor there. Before long, that initial interest sparks an all-consuming fantasy for her. The question is, will she act on it?

In addition to celebrating the release of Vladimir, Henwick also took some time to look back on past achievements, including her truly epic run in the franchise realm.

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In this interview, Peyton reflects on the end of Cobra Kai, why she knew School Spirits would be special from the start, and how she approaches some of Maddie’s most emotional moments — including the “I love you” scene and the garage scene with Milo Manheim's Wally, and that game changing moment between Maddie and her mom at the end of Season 3, Episode 7. She also shares what’s still on her acting bucket list (including her dream to lead a psychology horror movie), how she practices self-care, and what she’s most proud of right now.

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During this hourlong conversation, LaNasa revisits the highs and lows of navigating Hollywood as an actor before diving deep into Dana’s journey in The Pitt Season 2. She discusses Dana’s evolution, her reaction to Langdon’s (Patrick Ball) apology in Episode 6, offers up a Season 2 finale tease, talks about working with Noah Wyle as a co-star and as a director, and what may be next for Dana.

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As Simon becomes trapped behind the veil of Split River High — with a ticking clock working against him — Ventura dives deep into the character’s evolution, his shifting alliances, and why Simon might be a better liar than we ever realized.

Kristian Ventura’s Simon has always had his hands full on Paramount+’s School Spirits. As the only living character who could see Maddie (Peyton List), he took on a considerable amount of responsibility while trying to solve the mystery of her disappearance. And then, even after discovering what happened to her, he had to meet the challenge of figuring out how to reunite her spirit with her body. By the end of Season 2, he and the others pull it off, but at his expense. In the Season 2 finale, it’s revealed that now Simon is trapped behind the vale of Split River High. Complicating matters further, Simon’s predicament involves an especially intense ticking clock. Unlike Maddie, he’s alive on the other side, and being there is taking a toll on him.

With School Spirits Season 3 well underway, Ventura visited the Collider Forces studio for a long-form conversation about the show and his journey to it. He told the shocking story of how he first decided to become an actor, revealed what it was like to be in the middle of a bidding war between talent agencies, and then went into detail on adjusting to Simon’s wholly different situation in School Spirits Season 3.

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In Episode 2, we met a woman (Elysia Roorbach) who accidentally used superglue to apply her lashes. In Episode 4, when Langdon (Patrick Ball) can’t get her out the door fast enough, she insists on seeing the “best doctor in Pittsburgh,” a doctor going by the name Dr. J on TikTok. Turns out, Dr. Javadi is a megastar on MedTok.

While one might be quick to label it a light and fun Episode 4 storyline, this new layer of Dr. Javadi’s world has loads to say about her, and also about the nature of social media apps and the inaccessibility of academia. While on Collider Ladies Night, Azeez took a moment to explain what put Dr. Javadi on the TikTok path.

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In this in-depth interview, Blake reflects on the highs and lows that shaped his career, his Hazbin Hotel audition, and how he approaches complex character dynamics like Angel Dust and Husk. He also teases what fans can expect from Hazbin Hotel Season 3, breaks down key Season 2 moments, and dives into what it was like tackling a song like “Losin' Streak.”

Blake and Perri also get into conventions, voice acting advice, Vivienne Medrano’s creative leadership, and Blake's experience finding the perfect voice for the Egg Boiz.

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Johnny Sequoyah leads Johannes Roberts’ Primate as Lucy. While visiting her father (Troy Kotsur) and sister (Gia Hunter) back home in Hawaii, another family member of Lucy's takes a turn — their chimp, Ben. Ben is bitten by a rabid mongoose. While Lucy and her friends enjoy the family pool and dream-like views, Ben loses himself to the sickness and becomes, as Roberts put it, “the Freddy Krueger of chimps,” and brutally starts picking them off one by one.

With Primate playing in theaters nationwide, Sequoyah swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio to dig into her journey, including highs like working with a legend like Alfonso Cuarón, and also the lows of being recast in a show. On top of that, Sequoyah offered up a behind-the-scenes look at the staggeringly impressive movie magic required to create her Primate scene partner, Ben the killer chimp.

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Since then, Birch has appeared on The Walking Dead and Mayfair Witches, made her directorial debut with The Gabby Petito Story, and now continues to make bold career choices, joining Kristen Stewart’s feature directorial debut, The Chronology of Water.

Based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s acclaimed memoir, the film follows Imogen Poots as Lidia, a young woman who finds escape from her abusive home thanks to competitive swimming. However, that safe haven is rocked when she runs head first into a dizzying string of loss, addiction, and self-destructive choices before finding healing via her sister (played by Birch) and also through writing.

With The Chronology of Water gearing up for its nationwide release, Birch visited the Collider Ladies Night studio to discuss her journey in film and television, beginning with early formative experiences on sets like Hocus Pocus and Patriot Games.

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The success of the soundtracks beyond the main series is a remarkable achievement, but one of the most staggeringly impressive aspects of Haft and Underberg’s work is how heavily, and successfully, their songs contribute to the Hazbin Hotel storyline. Yes, the songs can simply be a blast to listen to, but they’re also brimming with brilliant narrative subtext.

With Hazbin Hotel Season 2 out in full, Haft took the time to swing by the Collider Forces studio to break down his journey to the hit Prime Video series, and also to dig into the creation of many of the Season 2 songs. He offered up a peek behind the curtain of much-talked-about tracks like “Gravity,” “Piss (A Love Song), and “Love in a Bottle,” but he also made a point to zero in on one particular aspect of “Live to Live" because he thinks it’s actually “the most important musical moment of the entire show.”

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The two star in the highly anticipated adaptation of Freida McFadden’s incredibly popular novel. Sweeney plays Millie, a young woman who accepts a job working as a housemaid for Seyfried’s character, Nina Winchester, and her family. Initially, it seems like a dream gig. The Winchester home is beautiful and Nina appears to be a lovely employer. However, on day one of the job, things take a turn. Or rather, Nina takes a turn.

In celebration of The Housemaid’s release this weekend, and The Testament of Ann Lee’s upcoming rollout, Seyfried joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to discuss the experiences that led her to this moment — a truly exceptional moment during which she has two wildly different films hitting theaters at about the same time, both featuring breathtaking work from her.

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Mila Kunis, Cailee Spaeny and Kerry Washington are some of the latest to join Rian Johnson’s growing Knives Out family. In the third installment of the Oscar-nominated franchise, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Spaeny and Washington play two of Monsignor Wicks’ (Josh Brolin) parishioners. Washington’s Vera Draven is a lawyer whose father was a close friend to Wicks before he passed, and Spaeny plays Simone Vivane, a renowned concert cellist struggling with health concerns.

When Monsignor Wicks is suddenly killed in the middle of a service while totally alone in the storage closet, Kunis’ Police Chief Geraldine Scott calls upon Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to investigate. Could Vera or Simone have killed Wicks? Or perhaps it was another member of his flock? Or, what about the church newcomer, Josh O’Connor’s Father Jud Duplenticy? This time around, Blanc will have to do the impossible — solve a locked-room murder mystery.

The Knives Out movies have become highly regarded for their summer camp-like sets and for their unparalleled rosters of talent, and Wake Up Dead Man is no different. Not only are Kunis, Spaeny and Washington fantastic additions to this cinematic world, but they also rock a wonderful group dynamic in an interview setting, one oozing with enthusiasm for each other as people and artists, feelings that left them eager to reunite for another film.

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Thus far, that mentality is working in Reinhart’s favor big time. This year she celebrated the release of American Sweatshop, a wildly intense and deeply chilling tale of a social media moderator responsible for ridding the internet of the most offensive content, and the toll that job takes on her. That movie, which features a exceptional lead performance from Reinhart is available to buy or rent on digital platforms. Next year the one to keep an eye on is Forbidden Fruits, in which Reinhart plays Apple, the leader of a coven called The Fruits that operates out of a Free People-like store in the mall. With an ensemble that includes Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp, and Lola Tung, there’s no doubt Forbidden Fruits will make waves when it hits theaters in 2026.

But, a very special something you don’t have to wait for? Hal & Harper, a limited series that’s quietly one of the best new shows of 2026. From the mind of Cha Cha Real Smooth writer, director, and star, Cooper Raiff, Hal & Harper stars Reinhart opposite Raiff as the title brother and sister. Throughout eight episodes, the show explores Hal and Harper’s codependent relationship, digging into the benefits of having an impossibly loving and supportive sibling, while also showing how that dynamic is holding them back. In order to do that to the fullest, the show also cuts back to pivotal points in Hal and Harper’s childhood, scenes during which Raiff makes the bold decision to have him and Reinhart play the seven and nine-year-old versions of their characters — to great effect.

Between American Sweatshop and Hal & Harper, Reinhart doesn’t just go two-for-two in 2025, but she starts to lock in the fact that she’s an undeniable star, an actor with range that Riverdale only scratched the surface of. Plus, it also proves that that pickiness is paying off. “Where you have maybe 25% control of your career, in that industry, I want to feel that I milked that percentage of what I could control.” So far, so good in that respect.

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Reinsve leads the film, which is one of the year’s best, as stage actress Nora, the estranged daughter of acclaimed filmmaker Gustav Borg played by Stellan Skarsgård. When Gustav attempts to reconnect with Nora by offering her the lead role in his new film, she adamantly refuses, so Gustav turns to a Hollywood star instead, Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp. Now Nora and her sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) must navigate their complex family dynamic while their father focuses on what could be his comeback film after a 15-year hiatus.

Yes, Reinsve delivers yet another staggeringly impressive performance that’s bound to pave the way to a significant awards season run, but as Reinsve explained while at the Collider Ladies Night studio, she didn’t always feel so widely embraced. In fact, much of her earlier years involved getting kicked out of places.

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Hear about all that and get a sense of when we can expect to see Hazbin Hotel Season 3 and Hazbin Hotel Season 4 during this edition of Collider Ladies Night!

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O’Brian plays Jenni Laughlin in the film, one of three people selected to participate in The Network’s most popular and most dangerous game show, The Running Man. The risk is high, but so is the reward. If Laughlin, Glen Powell’s Ben Richards, or Martin Herlihy’s Jansky manage to evade McCone (Lee Pace) and The Hunters for 30 days, they win a whopping billion New Dollar reward. The odds of that happening? Mighty slim given no one’s ever won The Running Man, but producer Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) ensures their pursuit of that jackpot has sky-high entertainment value every single step of the way, even if it means putting the contestants’ lives at greater risk or manipulating his audience.

With The Running Man now playing in theaters nationwide, O’Brian returns to Collider Ladies Night after first making an appearance on the “Pre-Party” edition of the show for the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and then being part of the first-ever live Ladies Night at San Diego Comic Con in celebration of Twisters. This time around, not only does O’Brian break down her experience playing “chaos personified” in The Running Man, but she also looks back on the last five years and reveals which projects opened new doors, and which ones didn’t boost her star in this industry as much as you might expect.

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Germann absolutely sizzles as Sam. Whether he’s bubbling over with rage, desperate for Cate (Maddie Phillips) to calm his mind, or yearning to be his best self, Germann captures the complexity of the character’s situation to the fullest, showing off immense range via a single role, especially in Season 2. At the end of Season 1, Sam turns to the dark side and plays an especially big part in the massacre at Godolkin University. Can a character ever come back from something like that? Had you asked me that question in November of 2023 when Gen V Season 1 wrapped up, my answer would have been a resounding no. However, thanks to Germann and the Gen V writing team, Sam makes the turn quite successfully in Season 2, not by quickly wiping the slate clean but by challenging the character to face his mistakes, acknowledge that there’s no quick fix and sort through the wealth of emotions that come with such a situation.

With Gen V Season 2 now available to stream in full on Prime Video, Germann swung by the Collider Forces studio for his very first solo longform interview. During the conversation we touched on his parents’ influence as experienced actors themselves, what it was like powering through six years of auditions before he finally scored Gen V, the difference between what he thought was in store for Sam in Season 2 and what wound up happening, what the future could hold for the Sam and Emma (Lizze Broadway) relationship, and so much more.

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During their chat, Thompson revisits working on Veronica Mars with Kristen Bell and discusses how Justin Simien's Dear White People was a personal acting game-changer. She also digs into the reality of joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and celebrates her longstanding collaboration with Hedda director, Nia DaCosta.

Hear about all of that and so much more in this interview!

Here's the official synopsis for HEDDA: "A provocative reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, Hedda follows enigmatic newlywed Hedda (Tessa Thompson), who is outwardly composed but hiding a simmering discontent that threatens to explode when the brilliant and charismatic Eileen Lovberg (Nina Hoss) reenters her life. Over the course of a raucous party, the high and low of society endure the consequences of this dangerous and unknowable woman yearning for a past love. What ensues is a ruthless game of manipulation, where lust, jealousy, and betrayal collide. Written and directed by Nia DaCosta, Hedda is a daring exploration of power, desire, and a woman’s refusal to be confined."

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With the Gen V Season 2 finale now available to stream on Prime Video, Broadway returned to the Collider Ladies Night studio to talk all things Emma Meyers. She went into detail on how heavily the late Chance Perdomo and his Gen V character, Andre Anderson, influenced Emma’s Season 2 arc, and also Broadway’s own personal journey as an actor. She also put the spotlight on Emma’s new connections this season, namely her team-up with Sean Patrick Thomas as Andre’s father, Polarity, and her budding friendship Jessica Clement’s Harper.

Enjoy all of that and more in this Gen V edition of Collider Ladies Night!

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Carden also makes a mark on the indie cinema space this year courtesy of Seth Worley’s phenomenal feature directorial debut, Sketch. The movie utilizes a downright brilliant concept to explore a family’s grief. Jack (Kue Lawrence) and Amber (Bianca Belle) recently lost their mother, and they’re coping with it in two totally different ways, as is their father, Taylor, played by Tony Hale. While Jack and Taylor are bottling it all up, Amber is expressing herself with art — or, more specifically, by drawing violent monsters in her notebook. One day, that notebook falls in a pond. But, it’s not any old pond. This pond has magical powers, and it brings her sketches to life, and those sketches go on to terrorize her town.

Carden enters as Liz, Jack and Amber’s real estate agent aunt. Initially, she’s wholly focused on helping Taylor sell their home but soon comes to realize that the fight against Amber’s drawings is very real, and she’s going to have to fight creatures made of marker, crayon, glitter, and more alongside her brother.

Sketch is a top tier original film. Not only is the story idea genius, but even as a first time feature filmmaker, Worley’s got the skillset necessary to expertly bring the ambitious concept to screen on an independent film budget.

With Sketch now available to rent on digital platforms, Carden visited the Collider Ladies Night studio to discuss her experience making the film, and to look back on unforgettable career milestones like scoring her role in The Good Place, which earned her an Emmy nomination, and her time working on Prime Video’s gone-too-soon A League of Their Own.

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After getting her start with American Horror Story and Parenthood, Salazar jumped into two of the most popular young adult film franchises of the 2010s with supporting roles in The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and Insurgent. Those projects teed her up nicely to headline her very own studio action film, Alita: Battle Angel. In the series realm, Salazar also starred in two especially unforgettable streaming shows, the Prime Video animated series Undone, and Netflix’s Brand New Cherry Flavor. The combination of all of those titles and then some highlights Salazar’s endless range, and having such range came in handy big time on her latest project, Prime Video’s Play Dirty.

The Shane Black-directed action comedy is based on the “Parker” book series by Donald E. Westlake. Mark Wahlberg steps in as Parker, a skilled thief who assembles a team to pull off a seemingly impossible heist. That team includes Salazar’s Zen, an invaluable member of the crew, but also one you’re going to want to keep an eye on.

While on Collider Ladies Night, Salazar deemed the project a no-brainer to take on for two reasons. One, Shane Black. The other? “Everything I've done in my career led me to this.” Hear all about it in this interview!

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In the film, Cosgrove plays Dawn, a young woman eager to study art in Paris, France. While she does manage to get into a prestigious program there, she can't quite afford it. That's where her reality TV-loving sister swoops in. Turns out, one of her favorite shows is doing a season set in Paris, so all Dawn has to do is get on the show, get eliminated fast, and then she's free to study. Trouble is, after Dawn is indeed selected as a contestant, the producers reveal that the season will actually take place in Paris ... Texas.

With The Wrong Paris now available to watch on Netflix, Cosgrove visited the Collider Ladies Night studio for a chat about making the movie, and her journey to the streamer. While we did dig into her time on Drake & Josh and iCarly, Cosgrove also made a point to emphasize what a wonderful time she had on the set of her very first feature film. That movie? The 2003 smash hit, School of Rock starring Jack Black. After that, she discusses her experience serving as an executive producer on the iCarly revival, and shares memories from the set of The Wrong Paris.

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Cho leads the voice cast of one of the biggest hits of 2025, and one of the greatest pop culture sensations of recent years, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. Cho does the speaking voice while Ejae delivers the incredible vocals for Rumi, one of three members of the K-pop group Huntr/x. While the world sees a trio delivering catchy hit after hit, what the average person doesn’t know is that Huntr/x’s music also charges the Honmoon, a magical barrier that keeps demons from the human world. When a demonic K-pop boy band called the Saja Boys enter the picture, they threaten Huntr/x’s ability to remain at the top of the charts and turn the Honmoon gold. The situation also runs the risk of exposing Rumi’s greatest secret.

With KPop Demon Hunters continuing to dominate the Netflix charts, striking gold at the box office with wildly popular sing-along screenings, and starting to build some serious awards season buzz, Cho swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio for a chat about her journey to the film, a journey that included a number of experiences that had Cho consider leaving the industry.

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As many well know, I went quite hard covering 2013’s Evil Dead and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. I adore those projects and love a considerable amount of the work that Levy’s delivered over the years. Tammy in A Little Prayer, however, is different. As Levy explained, “I found her to be extraordinarily brave, like heroically brave, but also so kind.” Levy also joked the character doesn’t have the “acerbic scary side” many of her other characters do. But it’s more than that. Tammy is impossibly thoughtful and loving. She’s the type of big screen character who’ll leave you thinking, “I wish I had more people like Tammy in my life,” or, “I wish I was more like her.” In fact, Levy herself even noted, “I thought, ‘I want to be more like Tammy.’ And I actually still think that.”

A Little Prayer puts the spotlight on the next-level special bond between a man and his daughter-in-law, Strathairn’s Bill and Levy’s Tammy. Bill is a pillar of his community, a quietly authoritative veteran who leads his family and his business with kindness and warmth. However, after bringing his son David (Will Pullen) into that business, Bill questions David’s ability to keep himself afloat at the office, and also if he’s remained faithful to Tammy.

With A Little Prayer now playing in select theaters, Levy swung by the studio to discuss the film's journey from Sundance 2023 to its 2025 theatrical release. She also looked back on working on Suburgatory, discussed the Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist cancellation, and teased her upcoming film with Josh Brolin and Austin Abrams, Whalefall.

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In her latest, Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s Drive-Away Dolls follow-up film, Honey Don’t, Qualley headlines as the title character. Honey is a private investigator in Bakersfield, California who gets caught up in a series of deaths tied to a mysterious church. With the help of her assistant (Gabby Beans), Honey’s attempt to crack the case puts her in Reverend Drew Devlin’s (Chris Evans) orbit and overlaps with her budding relationship with Aubrey Plaza’s MG, and her role as a supportive sister and aunt to Kristen Connolly and Talia Ryder’s characters respectively.

With Honey Don’t now playing in theaters nationwide, Qualley joined me for a Collider Ladies Night chat during which we revisited her days as a dancer, including what prompted the switch to focus on acting. She also looks back on memorable lessons learned making The Leftovers and The Nice Guys, considers how working on The Substance changed her, and talked about her top-tier scene partners in Honey Don’t.

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Alien: Earth takes place in the year 2120, two years before the events of the first film. Blenkin’s Boy Kavalier created one of the five companies that run the planet, Prodigy Corporation. Considered a “boy genius,” Boy K created the program that gives us Wendy, Sydney Chandler’s character, the first synthetic to be infused with human consciousness. Her brother, Lawther’s Hermit, has no idea she’s undergone such a procedure, so when the two reunite and he realizes who she is, it’s a mighty complex situation, to say the least.

With the first three episodes of Alien: Earth now available to watch, it’s time to release my conversation with Blenkin and Lawther filmed at SDCC in FX’s podcast studio created in partnership with Press Play: Creatives and At Will Media. In true Collider Forces fashion, we carved out time to discuss their journeys on the stage and screen, and pivotal experiences of honing their crafts as actors, and then veered into Alien: Earth territory where Blenkin and Lawther dug into key scene partners, character motivations, and deleted scenes.  

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The new Starz show puts the spotlight on Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and Claire Beauchamp’s (Caitríona Balfe) parents. For Jamie, it’s Jamie Roy’s Brian Fraser and Harriet Slater’s Ellen MacKenzie, and Claire's parents, Henry Beauchamp and Julia Moriston, are played by Jeremy Irvine and Corfield. Whereas Brian and Ellen’s romance starts and remains in the same time period, Henry and Julia experience a significant upheaval when, similar to their daughter, they travel from 1917 to 1714, crossing paths with Brian and Ellen.

Soon after a brief chat with Corfield and much of the main ensemble at San Diego Comic-Con, Corfield swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio for an extended conversation about the first two episodes of Season 1, and to offer up a few teases of what’s to come. 

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In true Collider Ladies Night fashion, the group began by pinpointing pivotal early career experiences that helped pave the way to their latest projects. After that, Douglas and Harrison revisited their time on the Clown in a Cornfield and Dangerous Animals sets, respectively, and then Keen, Nélisse and Shipp debuted the very first footage for their upcoming films.

For Keen and Nélisse, that meant celebrating the world premiere of the teaser trailer for their new horror film, Whistle. Directed by Corin Hardy, Whistle puts the focus on a group of friends who happen upon an ancient Aztec death whistle. When someone blows the whistle or hears its sound, the countdown begins. Their future deaths start coming for them.

From there, Shipp put the spotlight on Violent Ends, a revenge thriller that poses the question, “If you lost the most dear thing to you, what the fuck would you do to the people who took it from you?” Collider Ladies Night After Dark had the privilege of showing off one of Shipp’s most breathtaking moments in the movie before turning towards another upcoming release, Forbidden Fruits. In that one, Shipp stars opposite Lili Reinhardt, Victoria Pedretti and Lola Tung as a group of women who “work at a Free People-esque mall shop,” and also practice witchcraft. 

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Every edition of Collider Ladies Night demands a significant amount of prep work, including these live versions of the show. But, ultimately, the success of a Ladies Night interview comes down to the guests, and with this group, we truly hit the jackpot. Bode, Pinnock, Holland and Brooks all took the stage with a sky-high passion for their current projects, a deep respect for what it took to hit this point in their careers, and an eagerness to celebrate one another.

During the panel, Holland recalled first moving to Hollywood as a teenager and her ongoing journey of finding a sense of belonging, Pinnock looked back at her time “scamming” and the day she found out she booked her first series regular role, Brooks discussed why her time at Juilliard teed her up for great success in the superhero genre, and Bode discussed making her feature debut with one of the biggest hits of 2024, Wicked.

After that, all four took a moment to look forward to all the good on the horizon - specifically Peacemaker Season 2, Ghosts Season 5 and Wicked: For Good.

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Similar to the 1997 original, on July 4, Wonders’ Ava and her group of friends go for a drive and stop on the side of the road to watch the fireworks. When one walks into the road, an approaching car swerves to avoid hitting him and veers off the edge of the cliff. Rather than report the incident, the group attempts to sweep it under the rug. And they’re confident they’ve done it until they all regroup next year and come to learn that they’re being hunted by a killer who claims, “I know what you did last summer.”

With I Know What You Did Last Summer now playing in theaters nationwide, Wonders joined me for a Collider Ladies Night chat to retrace her steps to the film. She looks back on her time studying at Harvard and how booking the role of Riley on HBO Max’s Generation wound up being a career game-changer. She also discusses her directing ambitions and what she took from watching Rogen wear multiple hats on the set of The Studio, and then breaks down all the biggest moments of I Know What You Did Last Summer, including sharing scenes with franchise icons Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., and the movie’s third act twists.

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In celebration of the release of Superman, in which Hoover plays Daily Planet gossip columnist Cat Grant, she took the time to swing by the Collider Ladies Night studio and recap her journey to joining three of the biggest franchises of all time - DC, Marvel and, most recently, One Piece. It’s a list of accomplishments that certainly can be traced back to Hoover’s natural talent, but as we often discuss on Ladies Night, in film and television, finding someone who sees you and what you’re capable of can be essential. Hoover found that in Gunn.

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The Pitt is undeniably (and deservedly) one of the most celebrated new shows of the year and Dearden’s performance has proven to be an especially big standout among an ensemble full of aces. She plays Dr. Mel King, a second-year resident about to begin her very first day at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital's emergency room, aka, The Pitt. While there are nerves at the start of the shift, Mel’s an extremely skilled doctor who excels under pressure and also has the emotional capacity to connect with patients in ways others can’t.

With the show on the cusp of what could be an extremely successful Emmy season, Dearden carved out some time on a day off from filming Season 2 to swing by the Collider Ladies Night studio and run through her experience playing Mel and adapting to The Pitt’s one-of-a-kind filming schedule. We also took the time to zero in on a few key scenes from Season 1, one of which has become an especially beloved fan-favorite — the “Savage” scene.

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In Jurassic World Rebirth, Blaise plays Teresa Delgado. Just before starting her first year at college, Teresa takes a boat trip with her father (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), her little sister (Audrina Miranda), and her boyfriend (David Iacono). Little do they know, they’re sailing through Mosasaurs territory. Fortunately, Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett and her team swoop in to save them, but the Mosasaurs sets its sights on their boat instead and the entire group winds up stranded on Ile Saint-Hubert, an island that InGen once used to run a secret R&D facility.

While trying to make their way to a rumored village on the island, Teresa and her family are left with no choice but to steal an inflatable raft right out from under a sleeping T-Rex’s nose and ride it down river to get them closer to this supposed safe haven.

With Jurassic World Rebirth now playing in theaters nationwide, Blaise joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to revisit her journey to the franchise, a journey that included two hit TV shows - Fresh Off the Boat and Manifest. She also recapped her Jurassic World audition, revealed her character’s backstory, explained why she thinks of Garcia-Rulfo and Iacono as family, and, of course, walked me through exactly what it was like to film that river raft scene.

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M3GAN 2.0 picks up about two years after the events of the original film. Since Gemma’s (Williams) A.I. creation went on a murderous rampage, she’s put her focus on advocating for government oversight of artificial intelligence. However, when Gemma discovers that the M3gan tech wasn’t entirely destroyed and was used to create a military-grade weapon called Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), she’s left with no choice but to resurrect and team up with M3gan to stop Amelia from growing too far beyond the control of her human creators.

With M3GAN 2.0 now playing in theaters nationwide, Williams joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to retrace her journey in film and television thus far, and to dig into how her craft in front of and behind the lens has evolved.

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In Ginny & Georgia Season 3, Brianne Howey’s Georgia is trying to avoid becoming a convicted “Mayoress Murderess.” While Abby stands firmly by Ginny’s (Antonia Gentry) side as she powers through her mom’s trial, Abby must navigate a multitude of personal challenges of her own, challenges that undoubtedly will reshape her priorities and who she is moving forward.

During our conversation, Douglas mentioned using journaling to tackle her work as an actor, so I opted to ask how her journaling as Abby has evolved from Season 1 to Season 3. As Douglas explained, in Season 1, she had a “teenage edge to her.” Douglas continued, “It was very surface-level. She was kind of catty and loved her friends, but in a way that it’s easier for her to tease than to be affectionate.” In Season 3, however, her journaling is far more fleshed out because “she's aware that she needs help.” Douglas credits Abby’s very first experience going on a romantic journey with making feelings a bit easier for her. “I was trying to exercise what that would feel like for somebody who has only ever used intimacy in a way that is performative, or kind of a form of self-harm, just what that would look like on paper and the slow burn and the build-up of coming to terms with the fact that you're learning how to love and you're learning who you love, and you are only a teenager.”

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After an epic run playing Caroline Forbes on The Vampire Diaries, appearing in over 170 episodes, Candice King has a brand new series regular role. She’s playing Bess Sinclair in Prime Video’s adaptation of E. Lockhart’s hit young-adult novel, We Were Liars.

Emily Alyn Lind leads the series as Cadence Sinclair, a teenager who spends her summers on her grandfather’s (David Morse) private island with her family, including her mother, Penny (Caitlin Fitzgerald), and her two aunts, Carrie (Mamie Gummer) and King’s character, Bess. The Sinclair family is considered American royalty, but when a tragedy strikes on Beechwood Island, their legacy and lives are totally upended.

With We Were Liars now available to stream in full on Prime Video, King took the time to swing by the Collider Ladies Night studio to revisit her journey to the show. She looked back on making the pivot from music to acting, finding confidence in her craft on the set of The Vampire Diaries, and making her way through Bess’ mighty complex storyline in Season 1 of We Were Liars.

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The Walking Dead: Dead City picks up a number of years after the events of the main series. When Hershel (Logan Kim) is kidnapped by the Croat (Željko Ivanek) and taken to Manhattan, Maggie must turn to Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for help. While Maggie does manage to make it off the island with Hershel, Negan is pressured to remain by The Dama (Lisa Emery). Season 2 kicks off about a year later with the New Babylon Federation conscripting the residents of The Bricks to head into Manhattan for an expeditionary mission tied to their agenda to ultimately retake it. Maggie agrees to go, but only if no one else from her community is forced to do the same. So back to Manhattan she goes, along with a stubborn Ginny (Mahina Napoleon) and a stowaway Hershel.

After powering through five episodes of Season 2 as an executive producer and playing Maggie trying to survive yet another perilous mission in the Big Apple, the time has some for Cohan to put on yet another hat. With the release of Season 2, Episode 6, “Bridge Partners Are Hard to Come by These Days,” she is officially a director. In celebration of the milestone achievement, Cohan joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to discuss her early days on The Walking Dead, her experience advocating for herself when her initial series regular contract concluded, how she approached stepping into the executive producer role with Dead City, and how she felt about taking on an extremely ambitious episode for her very first venture as a director. 

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Brianne Howey’s had her hands quite full playing Georgia in Netflix’s smash hit Ginny & Georgia since day one, but things take an especially dark turn in Season 3, which involves a sharp tonal shift and even more dire circumstances for the characters to power through. When the series kicked off in 2021, Howey began tackling the challenge of playing a highly likable character who does bad things, but without undermining the severity of her crimes. Not only did she start off strong in that respect, but for three seasons now, she’s consistently backed Georgia’s most complex decisions with maximum humanity. While you may not agree with every choice the character makes, Howey ensures you always understand them and that Georgia has your heart every single step of the way.

Season 3 begins with Georgia behind bars after being arrested at her own wedding for the murder of Cynthia’s (Sabrina Grdevich) husband, Tom (Vincent Legault). While she is able to go home under house arrest for the duration of the trial, her existence is rocked in every respect. Confined to her home, her world becomes smaller than ever, the situation upends her relationship with Paul (Scott Porter), it puts Zion (Nathan Mitchell) in an especially tough position, Austin (Diesel La Torraca) will undoubtedly be changed forever, and Ginny’s forced to decide how far she’s really willing to go for her mother.

What does it look like when a devout mother sees her relationship with her children threatened? What does it look like when a confident conwoman is stripped of her power? What does it look like when someone who has successfully hidden gruesome secrets for years has them all exposed? That’s what I dug into with Howey on a new edition of Collider Ladies Night.

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Ambudkar’s Jay has been through a lot since Ghosts kicked off in October 2021. He learned his wife (Rose McIver) could see ghosts and powered through countless ghost-sparked shenanigans with Sam serving as the intermediary until he finally got the chance to see them for himself courtesy of an exorcism hiccup. On top of that, Jay’s also hit a number of key personal milestones. He opened a B&B with Sam, took a significant step forward with his father (Bernard White), and opened his dream restaurant. Trouble is, Jay also inadvertently signs a deal with the devil at the end of Season 4, a deal that will likely have Elias (Matt Walsh) out to kill him in Ghosts’ fifth season.

There’s much to love about Ghosts, but one of the show’s greatest achievements is finding the ideal lead ensemble. Not only does every ghost actor play their role to perfection, but the show is expertly anchored by its living leads - Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar. In fact, the duo are so successful at making Sam and Jay so uniquely their own, it came as a shock when Ambudkar revealed that, initially, he passed on the project.

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After watching the movie, stars Brec Bassinger (Stargirl), Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game), Anna Lore (Gotham Knights), Rya Kihlstedt (Superman & Lois) and Taylor joined Nemiroff on stage for an in-depth conversation about the legacy of the Final Destination franchise, from the significance of casting lesser-known actors to bringing a very particular level of realism to this Death-defying narrative.

In this discussion, Taylor, who has worked on every Final Destination film, spanning nearly three decades, talks about working with directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky (Freaks), and explained why Bloodlines was a much different experience than the first film. The cast also discusses the inner workings of those gruesome Final Destination death sequences, the joys of working in horror, why certain deaths and even characters had to change from script to screen, and tons more.

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Brec Bassinger’s been racking up impressive film and television accomplishments since she was 13, but Final Destination Bloodlines is bound to send her star soaring even higher for a multitude of reasons.

Bassinger is at the heart of one of the movie’s most highly anticipated set pieces - the opening premonition. As a young Iris, she takes us back to 1969 when her boyfriend, Max Lloyd-Jones’ Paul, attempts to whip up a very special night. He surprises Iris with a visit to the Skyview, a restaurant that sits atop a 500-foot steel-beamed tower, and proposes to her. However, soon after their magical moment, a penny sets off a chain reaction that ultimately kills everyone in the restaurant and brings the entire structure down.

Due to the genius “bloodlines” concept, that’s the extent of Bassinger’s involvement in the movie. When the opening destruction concludes, the film shifts to the present day, where Kaitlyn Santa Juana’s Stefani experiences the Skyview disaster in the form of a nightmare. Yes, we do get an older version of Iris, played by Gabrielle Rose, but as far as Bassinger’s direct contribution to the movie goes, she gets a single sequence to make an impression - and she does, big time.

Yes, the opening Skyview disaster is a production feat that’s packed to the brim with widely impressive effects and stunts, but a big reason why all of that work hits so hard is because Bassinger doesn’t waste a second filling out Iris’ world and sparking a meaningful connection with the viewer. That level of engagement ensures Final Destination Bloodlines' opening premonition isn’t just a cool horror set piece, but one with some real emotion and meaning.

In celebration of Final Destination Bloodlines’ big release, Bassinger joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to revisit her days on Nickelodeon, to discuss making DC’s Stargirl, and to dig into every ounce of her unforgettable Bloodlines performance.

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While Carrasco's Flower remains an impossibly lovable hippy, Season 4 continues to remind us that while she may be forgetful, Flower is often the smartest in the room. She proves as much in Season 4, Episode 18 when she outwits Trevor (Asher Grodman) and Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) and winds up doubling the $5,000 Trevor gives to her. On top of that, we mustn't forget, while living, Flower attended law school and that could make her the ghost who's best suited to help Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) with that Season 4 finale cliffhanger.

Check out Sheila's Collider Ladies Night interview for loads of information on that, some of Flower's biggest Season 4 moments, and also a breakdown of her journey from being an NYU student to a series regular on a beloved CBS show.

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One of the very best parts of having a returning guest on Collider Ladies Night? Realizing how much they’ve accomplished during such a short period of time. Geraldine Viswanathan made her first Ladies Night appearance in 2020 for The Broken Hearts Gallery and since has completed a four-season run on Miracle Workers, starred opposite Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks and Sarah Snook in The Beanie Bubble, headlined Drive-Away Dolls with Margaret Qualley, made Oh, Hi! with Molly Gordon which secured distribution out of Sundance 2025, and now she’s part of one of the biggest film franchises of all time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Viswanathan makes her first MCU appearance as Mel in Thunderbolts*. She’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) extremely attentive and diligent assistant. Initially, she seems quite loyal too, but when Bucky (Sebastian Stan) suggests Mel secretly slip him information on Val in hopes of having her impeached, eventually, Mel concedes. While that choice may suggest Mel’s willingness to double-cross her boss, ultimately, she changes course again, pushing the button that saves Val’s life from the Sentry (Lewis Pullman).

So where does Mel stand? Does she skew more villain than hero? Does she still admire Valentina? That’s exactly what I dug into with Viswanathan during her second Collider Ladies Night interview.

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At the top of the Emmy-winning series’ sixth and final season, Serena was close to finding a way out. She winds up on a train to Alaska with June (Elisabeth Moss) where she can get a fresh start with Noah. However, old habits die hard and her behavior ultimately exposes her identity and turns the train passengers into an angry mob. Thanks to June, she manages to escape the riot, but rather than continue her pursuit of a new path forward, she returns to Gilead to settle in Commander Lawrence’s (Bradley Whitford) New Bethlehem. While she’s promised things will be different there, it quickly becomes clear that that’s not the case, something Serena’s own leadership tactics perpetuate.

With The Handmaid’s Tale nearing its big finish, Strahovski returned to Collider Ladies Night to dig into some of Serena’s biggest moments in this final go-around, and to reflect on her experience tackling the character for six seasons.

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However, as of Season 3, Episode 9, “How the Story Ends,” the time of Van Palmer being a dual role has ended. The character doesn’t succumb to her cancer diagnosis, but rather, is stabbed by Hilary Swank’s present-day Melissa. It’s a crushing end for a fan-favorite character, one that Ambrose admits, doesn’t offer closure, but because it was never meant to. However, Ambrose herself has found peace in the feeling that she “was just handing [Van] back to Liv.”

With all of Yellowjackets Season 3 available to stream on Paramount+, and with the show’s Emmy campaign picking up steam, I got the opportunity to welcome Ambrose to Collider Ladies Night. During our 40-minute chat, we revisited some pivotal moments of her career, many of which pointed toward a deep appreciation of the rehearsal process. And, it turns out, that love of rehearsing is what helped her and Swank figure out how to play Van’s death and deliver a scene that feels “crackling and real and exciting and weird.”

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In May 2023, Hewson became the very first guest on Collider Forces, a show they inspired. Collider Forces is a Collider Ladies Night spin-off series designed to use a similar style of conversation to highlight even more need-to-know voices in this industry, ones that are changing it for the better. Hewson’s inspired significant change in recent years. Change for themself, change for non-binary representation in Hollywood, and also a significant change to the Yellowjackets narrative.

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Just to name a few, she has it out for Mari (Alexa Barajas) all season, she essentially bullies the other Yellowjackets into voting Coach Scott (Steven Krueger) guilty of burning down the cabin, and in one of the most crushing scenes of the season, she shatters Melissa’s (Jenna Burgess) heart, putting an end to the ShaunaHat romance. It’s cruel and often unforgivable behavior, however, Nélisse insists that she’s still rooting for Shauna, and her reasoning ties to an essential building block of a good villain figure. “You see all of her roots and all of the reasons that led her to the person that she is in the third season.” She added, “I wouldn't say that everything that she's done is obviously forgivable, but I understand where it all stems from.”

During her visit to Collider Ladies Night, Nélisse weighed in on the fan reaction to Shauna’s behavior in Yellowjackets Season 3, shared her devastating take on the demise of ShaunaHat, and also revealed what 90s Shauna would think of who Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) is in the present day.

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As Eaton noted during her first Collider Ladies Night appearance for Yellowjackets Season 2, “Lottie does everything from the best place. She's trying to give her heart to everyone. It might not come across in the right way sometimes, but she's always well intentioned.” Does that thinking still apply when it comes to axe murder, ruining the group’s chance of recuse, pushing Travis (Kevin Alves) to the brink, and then some in Season 3? Eaton does, indeed, hold tight to that mentality. “[Lottie] knows that the best version of herself is once she's connected [to the wilderness] and that can help the group.”

During her second go-around on Collider Ladies Night, Eaton digs into how that thinking influenced Lottie's choices this season, offers her thoughts on Lottie possibly being the one who burned down the cabin, confirms how far Lottie walked over the pit during that scene with Travis, reveals if Lottie was really trying to help Mari during the hunt, and so much more!

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Meghann Fahy’s been thriving on screen for quite some time now. She was in over 80 episodes of One Life to Live as Hannah O’Connor and starred in the hit Freeform series The Bold Type which ran for five seasons. But, there’s no denying that The White Lotus was a different kind of game-changer. Not only did Mike White’s HBO series continue to be a pop culture sensation in its second season, but the quality of the new episodes earned nine members of the ensemble Emmy nominations, including Fahy.

Since that Emmy nomination? Fahy’s downright soaring. She had a role in the 2024 genre mash-up gem Your Monster starring a Collider Ladies Night favorite, Melissa Barrera. She was in The Perfect Couple with Nicole Kidman, she was in Rebuilding with Josh O’Connor which earned high praise at Sundance, and is also in Molly Smith Metzler’s highly anticipated Netflix series Sirens with Julianne Moore and Milly Alcock. All very exciting achievements, but there’s something extra special about the movie Fahy has hitting theaters on April 11. Christopher Landon’s Drop marks the very first time Fahy is #1 on the call sheet for a feature film.

She headlines as Violent, a widowed mother reluctantly going on her first date in years. While dining in an upscale restaurant with her dating app match, Brandon Sklenar’s Henry, Violet starts getting a string of unusual and alarming anonymous drops to her phone. Is it her date? Is it another diner? Or perhaps it’s an employee at the restaurant. Violet doesn’t know and she’ll have to figure it out on her own because the assailant is watching and they insist she tell no one - or else.

Drop rocks a sharp script and the much-needed skilled mind and eye to execute it in Landon, but the success of the film heavily depends on Fahy’s ability to deftly navigate the production challenges that come with such a concept while also ensuring the viewer can feel the threat Violet’s under, and she excels tackling both - big time. While celebrating Drop’s World Premiere screening at SXSW, Fahy visited the Collider Media Studio at the Cinema Center for a Collider Ladies Night interview to go back to the beginning and recap her journey to landing at the top of the call sheet.

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Marking the feature writing and directing debut of her husband, Jimmy Warden, Borderline stars Weaving as Sofia, an extremely popular 90s pop star with a dangerously obsessive fan, Paul Duerson, played to over-the-top perfection by Ray Nicholson. While Sofia often has her loyal bodyguard (Eric Dane) at her back, one night, Paul slips through the cracks, determined to carry out his grand delusion, marrying Sofia.

Borderline is wonderfully bonkers in many respects, but it’s also an effective edge-of-your-seat thrill because Weaving successfully crafts an anchor character who can play with the extreme while feeling just grounded enough to convey she’s fighting for something real. It’s a reminder that, yes, Weaving is an absolute ace in the horror genre, but she’s also got the endless range to deftly handle a horror genre mash-up - and any other type of film she wants to tackle, for that matter.

With Borderline now available to watch in theaters and on digital, Weaving joined me for a Collider Ladies Night interview to revisit her film professor father’s early influence, to look back on her very first trip to LA and what it was like finding her place in Hollywood, and to discuss how she pushed herself in new ways in Borderline.

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Maslany plays Lois in The Monkey, mother to twins Hal and Bill, both played brilliantly by Christian Convery. Lois’ husband (Adam Scott) thought a drum-playing monkey would be a great gift to bring home to his boys - until he discovers its tendency to kill victims in especially outrageous and horrific ways. He disappears, leaving Lois a single mother. The trio forge forward well enough until Hal and Bill unearth their father’s monkey.

With The Monkey currently in theaters, Maslany joined me for a Ladies Night chat to discuss her experience working with Perkins on not one, but two feature films - The Monkey and also Keeper, which was filmed before The Monkey and is due in theaters via Neon later this year. She also took the time to highlight another exciting upcoming project, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, looked back on her experience joining the MCU via She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and discussed what it was like winning a breakout performance award for Grown Up Movie Star as well as an Emmy for Orphan Black.

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Cypress’ first main role on a TV series was playing Simone Deveaux in Heroes, but that run only lasted one season. After that, it was Unforgettable on CBS, but Cypress jumped into that one when the show was already in its second season. Next up was a main role in The Blacklist: Redemption, but again, that foundation had already been built pror to Cypress’ involvement because, of course, it was a The Blacklist spin-off. Cypress needed more, and she deserved more. In fact, she wished for just that. “I want a really good show. I want the best job I've ever had, and I want it to be good, and I want it to last.” That wish was granted. It was Yellowjackets.

Cypress stars as the present day version of Taissa Turner, played in the 90s by past Ladies Night guest Jasmin Savoy Brown. At the start of the series, Cypress’ Taissa is running to become a New Jersey state senator. However, when her past in the wilderness catches up with her, Taissa starts to unravel, threatening her chances of winning the election. Shocking many, including herself, Tai wins the race, but at that point it’s too late. The wilderness has firmly dug its claws back into the surviving Yellowjackets, reuniting Taissa with Van (Lauren Ambrose), and then bringing the whole (?) group back together at Lottie’s (Simone Kessell) compound to sort through the wealth of complications the 1996 plane crash left them with as adults. Their get-together concludes with an especially twisted hunt, one that results in Natalie’s (Juliette Lewis) demise. When Season 3 kicks off, forget politics. Taissa has narrowed her focus to one thing and one thing only, keeping Van alive - even if she has to turn to the wilderness to do so.

With Yellowjackets Season 3, Episodes 1-4 now available to stream on Paramount+, Cypress swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio to discuss her journey to Yellowjackets, and offer some insight into the most powerful and cryptic moments of Season 3 thus far.

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While Callie appears to be keeping it somewhat cool at the start of Season 3, there’s no doubt there’s a lot bubbling up underneath because, as Jeff explains, Callie just witnessed her mother’s friends wearing animal masks chasing her through the woods with knives, she shot one of them, and then saw Natalie (Juliette Lewis) die. Sure, they arrived at Lottie’s (Simone Kessell) wellness center with “five Dateline’s worth of problems,” but the problems they added to that list while there changed the game big time for Callie. In the first few episodes of Season 3, we start to get a sense of how.

With the first three episodes of Yellowjackets Season 3 now available to stream on Paramount+, Desjardins swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio to explain how she took the character from a seemingly stereotypical bratty teenager, to a highly determined - and often manipulative - young adult who’s been heavily shaped by her mother’s mysterious past and will stop at nothing to get answers.

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From the moment I met Mary Mouser during the earliest stages of Cobra Kai’s run on YouTube, one thing was abundantly clear - this is a wildly talented artist who pours her whole heart into her work and is quite excited to talk about the extensive amount of thought and care she puts into it. That immediately made her an interviewee I’d keep chasing and now, seven years later, not only have we had many wonderful press day conversations, but Mouser has officially become our second Collider Ladies Night three-time guest.

On top of that, that great care and attention to detail Mouser has when tackling her work makes her an optimal fit to play the Cobra Kai character with an especially mature and nuanced arc throughout the show’s six-season run. At the start of Season 6, Part 3, Sam LaRusso and the other Miyagi-do fighters think the Sekai Taikai is over. When that changes, Sam is put in an especially complex situation. Not only would she have to face off against her friend, Tory (Peyton List), but she’d be doing so for nothing in the grand scheme of things because of Miyagi-do’s extreme point deficit. Sam opts to quit, a choice that, more often than not, is frowned upon on screen, and in life. However, courtesy of strong writing and development from Cobra Kai’s Big 3, Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg, and Mouser’s dedication to understanding and justifying the choice from the character perspective, Cobra Kai manages to recontextualize what it means to quit.

During her third appearance on Collider Ladies Night, Mouser looks back on some early Cobra Kai scenes that set the foundation for Sam to be able to make such a choice, she discusses where things land for Sam and her father, and also for Sam and Miguel, and she explains what Cobra Kai means to her and her character after six seasons.

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Holt’s star started to rise with not one, but two Disney shows and a Disney Channel Original Movie. First it was Disney XD’s Kickin’ It, then came the movie Girl vs. Monster, and after that it was the Disney Channel Original Series, I Didn't Do It. All fantastic opportunities for a young actor getting a foothold in the industry, but all projects that would wind up labeling Holt as a particular kind of actor. When the time came to grow beyond Disney projects, Holt cared a good deal about that carrying label - until she didn’t. “I just couldn't care anymore. I think I cared so deeply about people not wanting to view me as a Disney star, and now I just embrace it.”

Embracing it has served Holt exceptionally well since the end of I Didn’t Do It. While making the most of the invaluable lessons learned on those Disney sets, Holt has gone on to headline the short-lived but beloved Marvel series Cloak & Dagger. She also delivered big starring in the Hulu series Cruel Summer. She starred opposite Kiernan Shipka in Prime Video’s horror comedy Totally Killer, and now she leads yet another slasher movie that’s a total blast, Heart Eyes. 

Holt plays Ally in the Josh Ruben-directed romantic comedy slasher film. After a setback at work, Ally agrees to have dinner with Jay (Mason Gooding), the hotshot designer her boss brought in to oversee her assignment. Trouble is, it’s Valentine’s Day and the Heart Eyes Killer is out for blood. When HEK suspects Ali and Jay are on a date, they become HEK’s next target.

With Heart Eyes now playing in theaters nationwide, Holt took the time to swing by the Collider Ladies Night studio to recap her journey to becoming an undeniable force in the genre space.

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The two most recent films to have Magaro as a headliner are an Oscar nominee and a Sundance 2025 Grand Jury Prize nominee. The former is September 5, a film that masterfully brings the viewer into ABC Sports’ control room at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics as they redefine live news when they have to shift from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. The film recently scored an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and was deserving of far more.

The other film Magaro is in the midst of celebrating is his Sundance 2025 selection, Omaha. In Cole Webley’s feature directorial debut, Magaro plays a father who suddenly wakes his two young children, Ella and Charlie, and insists they must go on a road trip. Ella soon comes to suspect that what seems like a fun family adventure is actually something wholly different for her father.

In honor of Omaha’s big debut at the Sundance Film Festival and September 5’s Oscar run, Magaro took the time to swing by the Collider interview studio at Sundance, brought to you by Rendezvous Capital, for a Collider Forces interview. While paving the way to his experience making those two films, Magaro explained how he came to embrace his truth as an actor, a truth that’s sparked some of the very best performances we’ve seen in recent years.

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Her latest in that department is Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man, a new spin on the 1941 classic. In this version, Christopher Abbott and Garner play Blake and Charlotte, a husband and wife struggling with their relationship. When Blake receives a death certificate for his estranged father and the keys to his childhood home, he thinks that could be just the getaway they need to get things back on track. Along with their young daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth), they head out to the remote house in the mountains of Oregon. However, just before arriving, they’re attacked and Blake suffers a scratch that kicks off a horrific transformation. 

With Wolf Man now playing in theaters nationwide, Garner joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to revisit her journey in film and television thus far, with an extra special emphasis on her experience working in the horror genre.

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The film features a top-tier ensemble that includes Benesch, John Magaro, Peter Sarsgaard, Ben Chaplin and more as the ABC Sports broadcasting team in Munich, a team that must shift from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage, marking the very first time such an event was covered by a live broadcast. In September 5, the story is told entirely from their perspective, exploring the intricacies of high-tech broadcast capabilities and the responsibilities that come with them, a combination that’s become increasingly relevant with each passing day.

With September 5 expanding nationwide on January 17th, I got the opportunity to sit down with Benesch for a Collider Ladies Night chat to revisit her journey in film and television thus far, and to dig into the prep work necessary to accurately portray a translator in September 5.

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Bakalova worked with Gunn for the first time on Guardians on the Galaxy Vol. 3 in which she played Cosmo the Space Dog. While Gunn’s run with the Marvel Cinematic Universe would come to an end there, his working relationship with Bakalova wouldn’t. Gunn made the shift from Marvel to DC, and brought Bakalova along with him. He cast her as Princess Ilana Rostovic in his adult animated series, Creature Commandos, the project that’d kick off the new DC Universe. At the start of the show, Task Force M is brought in to protect the Princess and the nation of Pokolistan from Circe (voiced by Anya Chalotra) and the Sons of Themyscira. However, as the season progresses, those involved start to question who they’re protecting the Princess from - and if she needs protecting at all.

With all seven episodes of Creature Commandos Season 1 now available to stream on Max, Bakalova joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to revisit her journey to the DC animated series, and to share her take on what goes down during the finale episode of the season.

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Williams has been enjoying a different kind of spotlight since August 2024. That’s when his film, Better Man, premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival before moving on to the Toronto International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and more. Based on Williams’ true rise, fall and resurgence, Better Man chronicles his journey from finding fame as a teenager with the boy band Take That, to parting ways with the group and mounting a solo career. While Williams did find great success on that path, it was one that also came with a significant number of struggles that, as Williams himself lists, included, “childhood trauma, fame too early, mental illness, addiction, [and] rehab.” Better Man shows how he powered through those challenges as Williams sees himself, as a “performing monkey.”

With Better Man gearing up to celebrate its nationwide release on January 10th, Williams took the time to join me for a Collider Forces conversation to revisit the early days of his music career, explain how his definition of having “it” has evolved over the years, discuss why he trusted Gracey with his story, and so much more.

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Timothée Chalamet plays Dylan in the James Mangold-directed film, which follows the all-time great from meeting his icon, Woody Guthrie (Scott McNairy), to becoming one himself. With guidance from Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), Dylan begins his rise in the New York City folk scene. However, the higher he rises, the more he feels constrained by the expectations of the folk community, constraints Dylan opts to demolish via a controversial and groundbreaking performance.

With A Complete Unknown now playing in theaters nationwide and surging on the awards circuit, I got the opportunity to sit down with Barbaro for a For Your Consideration edition of Collider Ladies Night. During our 30-minute chat, we covered Barbaro’s experience transitioning from dancing to acting, the project that gave her confidence she could make it in the film and television industry, how she was inspired by Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and, of course, her experience making A Complete Unknown alongside Chalamet.

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In celebration of the release of the double dose of Christmas special episodes, McIver returned to Collider Ladies Night to look back on some pivotal moments of her career, like working with her acting coaching and moving to Hollywood, and to dig into two unforgettable aspects of these new episodes — McIver channeling Sodaro’s one-of-a-kind work as Nancy, and Jay finally being able to see the ghosts.

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Barden plays a young Valya Harkonnen in Dune: Prophecy. While living on Lankiveil, Valya frequently butts heads with her family who seemingly have no urgency to restore the Harkonnen name by taking revenge on the Atreides. After her brother’s murder, allegedly at the hands of Vorian Atreides, Valya joins the Sisterhood where she quickly discovers she holds great power and has few limitations when it comes to using it on others to get what she wants.

With Dune: Prophecy wrapping up its first season, Barden joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to revisit her journey to the franchise and to dig into how she found her Dune character alongside Emily Watson. Barden also offers her thoughts on a number of key scenes for Valya this season, and pinpoints what she’d love to see happen in the show’s recently announced second season.

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The Brutalist begins by focusing on Adrien Brody’s László Toth, a famous architect who flees post-war Europe with hopes of building a new life in America. Separated from his wife, Jones’ Erzsébet, during the war, he settles in Pennsylvania alone with hopes she’ll join him there soon. Eventually, László gets what appears to be a dreamy offer from a wealthy industrialist, Guy Pearce’s Harrison Lee Van Buren. After coming to learn about László’s famed work overseas, Harrison hires him to craft his own dream project, to build a grand scale community center in honor of his late mother. It’s an opportunity for László to establish a foundation in his new home no doubt, but it’s also one that’s riddled with complications involving legacy and power.

While Jones may not appear on screen during that period, Erzsébet’s presence is felt via her own voice over and what she means to László. Essentially, the audience spends half the film awaiting her arrival and fantasizing about how it might play out. When the moment does finally come, anticipation is through the roof, and Jones makes the most of it. When Erzsébet enters the picture, alongside their niece Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy), it quickly becomes abundantly clear that she is an undeniable force determined to build the best possible life for her family in their new home.

With The Brutalist now playing in select theaters, Jones joined me for a Collider Ladies Night interview to revisit the path she’s carved for herself in cinema thus far, and to discuss making The Brutalist with Corbet, including her experience working on one particularly intense emotional beat that might very well be one of the best scenes of 2024.

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At the center of Liz Feldman’s (Dead to Me) latest for the streamer, we find Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano as Lydia and Paul Morgan, a couple gearing up to sell their gorgeous 1920s Spanish-style Los Feliz villa. The appeal of the property sparks a bidding war, a war Jacobson’s Leslie finds herself right smack in the middle of. Leslie and her wife Sarah, played by Poppy Liu, are ready to do just about anything to snag the house, but then they start to suspect there might be some dark and dangerous secrets tied to the property — secrets that’ll test how far they’re truly willing to go to get their dream home. 

As we now come to expect from a Liz Feldman show, No Good Deed is a laugh-out-loud romp that’s also brimming with heart and pathos. Jacobson is especially adept at achieving a pitch-perfect blend of the two qualities, further cementing the fact that she’s not only a hugely talented comedic actress, but a dramatic star, too. 

In celebration of No Good Deed’s release on Netflix, Jacobson swung by for a Collider Ladies Night chat to revisit her choice to leave the Atlantic Theater Company for the The Upright Citizens Brigade, and how, all these years later, she’s finally come to accept that she didn't have to study at an acting conservatory to take on dramatic roles.

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While the movie itself appears to be in good shape in Best International Feature, Best Actress has proven to be an especially competitive category this year. Many prognosticators are favoring the work of Mikey Madison in Anora, Karla Sofía Gascón in Emilia Pérez, Cynthia Erivo in Wicked, Nicole Kidman in Babygirl, and Angelina Jolie in Maria in particular. All phenomenal performances worthy of the praise they’re receiving, but don’t be surprised if we see someone climb those ranks in the coming weeks, and I’m predicting that someone could and should be Fernanda Torres.

In celebration of the film’s award season run and upcoming theatrical release, Torres joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to revisit the significant moments that molded her as an actor and artist, and to discuss her experience making I’m Still Here, an experience that often transcended acting and felt more like being.

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Not only did Squibb finally get the chance to headline a film, but she plays the title character in one of the best movies of 2024. In Thelma, Squibb plays Thelma Post, a 93-year-old woman living alone in Los Angeles. Her grandson, Danny (Fred Hechinger), checks on her often, but not often enough to stop her from giving up $10,000 in a scam. Determined to fix the mistake herself, Thelma sets off with her friend Ben (Richard Roundtree) and his scooter to track down her money.

After celebrating its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and amassing a slew of wildly positive reviews leading up to its summer 2024 release, Thelma is now in the midst of an awards season push, specifically for Squibb’s lead performance. While celebrating Thelma’s success, Squibb visited the Collider Ladies Night studio to walk us through her journey from stage to screen, and to discuss what it was like finally getting the opportunity to headline a movie.

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East was a scene-stealer in Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award nominated feature playing Monica, Sammy’s devoutly Christian (Gabriel LaBelle) girlfriend. However, it’s Heretic that proves she’s a true powerhouse in a leading role. She headlines alongside Sophie Thatcher as Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes, respective. They’re two young missionaries making the rounds in suburban Colorado telling the locals about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Eventually, they knock on Hugh Grant’s Mr. Reed’s door. Little do they know, he’s ready for them, and he’s determined upend their beliefs in the church.

With Heretic now playing in theaters nationwide, East joined me for a Collider Ladies Night chat to revisit her earliest inspirations, general love and knowledge of cinema, what it’s been like finding her voice in Hollywood thus far, and pinpointing the pitch-perfect tone for her character in Heretic.

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The Palme d'Or winner stars Madison as Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn who finds herself in the middle of a rather unusual and frequently madcap adventure of sorts after meeting Vanya, the son of a Russian billionaire. After hiring Ani a few times, Vanya offers her a larger sum to be exclusive for the week. During that week, the two impulsively marry in Vegas. Convinced the love is genuine, Ani is excited to begin her new life as Vanya’s wife, but when his parents find out about their marriage, they send their henchmen to annul it, an assignment that ultimately sparks a wild chase through the streets of New York.

With Anora continuing its successful run in theaters while its awards season buzz builds, Madison joined me for a special FYC edition of Collider Ladies Night to break down the pivotal career moments that teed her up for success headlining a likely Best Picture nominee.

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Since His House’s release on Netflix, Mosaku became a scene-stealer in Lovecraft Country, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Loki, she did her first voice performance for the acclaimed animated series Scavengers Reign, and now, for the very first time, she’s at the top of the call sheet for a series, ITV’s Passenger, which is now available to stream on BritBox.

Mosaku leads as Riya, a former Metropolitan Police officer who decides to relocate to the tiny town of Chadder Vale to care for her mother-in-law. After the one-two punch of a gruesome discovery and a strange disappearance, Riya becomes convinced that something isn’t quite right in Chadder Vale. However, her Chief Constable, Linda (Jo Hartley), refuses to entertain any of Riya’s theories. She's far too focused on maintaining the town’s reputation and winning Best Kept Village. But is it all a facade? Are past troubles and recent unsettling events uncovering the sinister truth of Chadder Vale? Riya is determined to find out.

With all six episodes of Passenger Season 1 now available to stream on BritBox, Mosaku took the time to make her second appearance on Collider Ladies Night. After recapping many key credits during her last Ladies Night interview, this time around, the focus fell heavily on her growing voice and presence in film and television, and how she aims to use them.

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Special Ops: Lioness stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe, the head of a clandestine CIA operation — the Lioness program. Joe recruits female operatives called Lionesses to essentially put everything on the line to fight the war on terror. In Season 1, De Oliveira was an absolute powerhouse as Cruz Manuelos to say the least. There was a staggering ferocity to her performance, and it gave the show an energy that felt uniquely hers. Given that, one couldn’t help but roll into Season 2 wondering, how could they possibly do that again, but with a different Lioness? From the moment Rodriguez appears on screen as US Army Apache pilot, Captain Josephina Carrillo, it’s instantly undeniable that Taylor Sheridan and co. had done it again. They found another actor who’d give 110% of herself to the Lioness role and absolutely soar while navigating the pressure and complications of her character’s situation.

With Lioness Season 2 four episodes into its eight-episode run on Paramount+, Rodriguez joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to revisit how she built her foundation as an artist, and why the opportunity to be on a show like Lioness was a long time coming, one that offered her a role that made her feel validated as an actor.

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In the ABC medical drama, Soo headlines alongside Joshua Jackson, Sean Teale and Don Johnson. Johnson plays the captain of a luxury cruise ship called The Odyssey, while Soo and Teale step in as Avery and Tristan, the ship’s nurses who are well versed in both the social drama and medical challenges the ships' passengers tend to pose. Now, however, they’re led by a new head physician. It’s Jackson’s Max Bankman, an experienced doctor who thinks he knows best, but quickly learns he’ll need to lean on Avery and Tristan’s experience dealing with and caring for folks on the high seas.

With Doctor Odyssey in the midst of its Season 1 run on ABC, and streaming on Hulu, Soo took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to go back to her earliest sources of inspiration, and to break down her journey from stage to screen.

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The wickedly sharp and chilling feature stars Thatcher and East as Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, two young missionaries who are busy ringing doorbells in suburban Colorado. Trouble is, on this day, they ring the wrong one. When Grant’s Mr. Reed welcomes them inside, they think it’s an opportunity to get out of the rain while also telling him all about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, little do they know, Mr. Reed is well versed in their religion and others, and he’s determined to rock their beliefs to the core.

With Heretic hitting theaters nationwide, Thatcher joined me for a Collider Ladies Night interview to chat about her wonderfully horror-heavy path in film and television thus far. She looks back on that heartbreaking Yellowjackets Season 2 finale and discusses how it impacted her Season 3 performance. She also breaks down her experience working opposite Grant and East in Heretic to create a pitch-perfect lead trio for the film.

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The sequel focuses on Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley, a global pop sensation who hit a rough patch courtesy of substance abuse struggles and a terrible car accident. With her mom and manager, played by DeWitt, at her back, Skye readies herself for her comeback tour. The pressure is astronomical, and her mom often reminds her of just that; she’s only getting one second chance. As though the stakes couldn’t be higher, Skye then has a downright nightmarish encounter. She witnesses someone take his own life and, in the process, he gives her the smile curse.

In celebration of Smile 2’s nationwide release, and hugely successful first weekend at the box office, DeWitt joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to celebrate her filmography and dig into why an actor who’s terrified of horror films wants to make them.

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How exactly does one hit the point in their career when they’re enthusiastic about a hugely ambitious role that demands they take it to an 11 from start to finish? That’s exactly what I dug into with Scott during her return to Collider Ladies Night after appearing on the show back in 2021. During that first Ladies Night chat, we dug into Scott’s journey in film and television from a business perspective, retracting her steps from project to project. This time around, however, we put the spotlight on the evolution of her craft — a craft so well-refined and powerful that Scott is willing and able to take Skye to places that demand every ounce of her being, both emotionally and physically.

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Perhaps it never went quite that way for Matthew Lillard, but his career in film, television and beyond has taken a unique turn over the years, and it’s an important one. Lillard isn’t headlining films — although I do have high hopes that will change — but he is getting supporting roles in some especially wonderful gems. Five Nights at Freddy’s, of course, was a hit for Universal and earned a sequel, and he’s also in Mike Flanagan’sThe Life of Chuck, which just scooped up the coveted People’s Choice Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Both wonderful wins in which Lillard delivers big as an actor, but a personal favorite aspect of seeing Lillard’s star soar especially high in recent years is watching how he’s used his success to foster community. Or rather, as he puts it, he’s become “the grandfather of geek culture.”

I witnessed this for the first time at MegaCon 2023. I was quite familiar with San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic-Con, but the fan convention circuit is different. It’s less about promoting upcoming projects and more focused on connecting fans with the artists they love. Lillard takes that very seriously. As a diehard Scream fan since 1996, I was thrilled when offered the opportunity to moderate the Scream panel which included Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy and Neve Campbell. Per usual, I prepped to the max and was ready to roll with a mile-long list of questions, but when I arrived and met the foursome, I was quickly informed that they’ve got this. At the time, nearly all of my moderating experience happened during post-screening Q&As or studio-produced convention panels that leaned heavily on a conversation leader and/or a specific run of show, so I didn’t quite know what they meant by that. We hit the stage, they gave me the first question of the panel, and then they took the reins, and it was a beautiful thing.

Lillard and Ulrich hopped off stage, walked out into the crowd and spearheaded a conversation that didn’t feel like panelists and audience, but rather, one big room of Scream lovers all hanging out together. Yes, Lillard, Ulrich, Kennedy and Campbell celebrated their iconic film, but the panel was much more about making their fans feel seen and bringing everyone closer together. It was abundantly clear that it worked, and that it meant something to everyone in the room. The first thing I said to a friend after walking off that stage? “That just made me even prouder to be a Scream fan.”

I sit here a massive fan of Lillard’s, fully believing he’s very deserving of those lead roles, but he’s connecting with the masses in a way that matters. During our Collider Forces conversation, we looked back on the early days of his career and the key moments that nudged him in this direction and ultimately made him a very important voice, and force, in fandom and a champion of unique forms of storytelling.

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Jardin’s wildly impressive feature-directorial debut is a body-swap film. The night before Reuben’s (Devon Terrell) wedding, he reunites his group of friends for a little pre-wedding party. When an estranged member of that friend group, David Thompson’s Forbes, shows up, he has a mysterious suitcase in tow. He pitches they play a party game with its contents, a curious machine he helped design. They agree, hook themselves up to the device, and Forbes flips the switch. Suddenly, they all swap bodies. The game? Figure out who is in whose body.

The tension is high across the board and every single character in It’s What’s Inside rocks complex layers that are fascinating to explore via the body-swap scenario. But, one particular character’s situation comes with some especially high stakes because she’s got a lot to lose. On top of that, who she is and what she’s created has an especially heavy influence on quite a few members of the group. It’s Debnam-Carey’s Nikki, a hugely successful social media influencer.

While celebrating It’s What’s Inside’s release on Netflix, Debnam-Carey swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio to dig deep into Nikki’s predicament and break down how the cast prepared to complete some serious acting gymnastics and craft a seamless body-swap experience. On top of that, we also took some time to look back on her journey as an artist, beginning with the recognition that she was meant to be an actor, not a percussionist.

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Penned by Mike Flanagan, “Stowaway” features YouTube star, journalist and voice actor Alanah Pearce as Halley, a young mother who heads out into the desert in hopes of having and documenting an extraterrestrial encounter. After interviewing a number of locals, Halley does manage to track down a spaceship, but the thrill of discovery is short-lived. Halley’s eagerness to explore the unknown lands her in a nightmarish situation that forces her to confront what she’s left behind at home in pursuit of finding something out of this world.

Siegel has a wealth of experience in film and television. Not only has she starred in hits including The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher, but she also headlined and co-wrote the 2016 gem Hush. How did those titles and more tee her up for success behind the lens as a director? That’s what we dug into during her third go-around on Collider Ladies Night.

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Well aware of her work in Kill Bill, Death Proof, Inglorious Basterds, Whip It, and then some, I was quite eager to see what Bell could do both in front of and behind the lens in new ways. Not only did she headline Raze, but she also produced it and heavily contributed to the development of the story and the action right from the start. It was a significant leap that suggested she’d continue to soar in film and television in a multitude of ways.

Sure enough, at the end of September 2024, there we were celebrating Raze 10 years after release, discussing her accomplishments working on blockbusters like Thor: Ragnarok and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and teasing her upcoming feature directorial debut. Bell is a proven unstoppable powerhouse in this business, and it was a treat and honor to get to discuss how she found her craft and voice in such a high-pressure line of work, and how she continues to expand that skill set every step of the way, making a bigger and bigger mark on this industry with her art.

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Inspired by the 2022 Danish original, James Watkins’ Speak No Evil stars Davis and her Halt and Catch Fire co-star, Scoot McNairy, as Louise and Ben, a couple vacationing with their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) in Italy. While there, they meet Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son, Ant (Dan Hough). After enjoying their getaway with this far more free-spirited couple, it’s time for Louise and Ben to return home where they must face relationship woes and financial struggles. When they receive an invitation to visit Paddy and Ciara’s countryside home, they accept hoping that another day-to-day shake-up could be just what they need to put them on a better path. The trouble is, this particular getaway is destined to become a psychological nightmare.

The original Speak No Evil is an exceptional film, which left many wondering, why remake it, especially so soon after the original’s release? Admittedly, I was quite skeptical myself, but then I saw the new movie. Not only is Watkins’ Speak No Evil a hugely entertaining and effective thrill, but it’s also one that sparks a fascinating conversation about human connection and how far one is willing to be pushed. In particular, how far can Davis’ Louise be pushed before she’s had enough and must leave that house? The movie’s success hinges on Davis’ ability to get the audience on board with Louise’s internal struggle and, courtesy of her pursuit of truth in her work, she pulls that off exceptionally well.

With Speak No Evil now playing in theaters nationwide, Davis joined me for her second Collider Ladies Night conversation to recap how she developed her approach to her work as an actor, and how she applied it to Louise in Speak No Evil to ensure you’re with her every single step of the way throughout this extremely twisted vacation.

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Stella plays Elliott in the film, a teenager gearing up to leave home for college. On her 18th birthday, she opts to celebrate by taking mushrooms with her friends and, while high, she’s visited by her older self, played by Aubrey Plaza. While her “old ass” is hesitant to reveal too much about the future, she does share a few thoughts about how Elliott could make the most of her limited time home sweet home.

My Old Ass was my favorite film of Sundance this year, and now it’s on track to crack my Top 10 Films of 2024. Writer-director Megan Park whips up a brilliant concept that highlights the beauty of growing up and forging forward in life, but also how there’s much to gain from remembering and appreciating the experiences of our youth, even the ones that aren't wholly positive. With My Old Ass now playing in select theaters, I got the chance to welcome Stella to Collider Ladies Night to recap her road to headlining her first film and making an indelible impression on cinema in 2024 in the process.

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Dormer stars opposite Naomie Harris in the stage-to-screen adaptation as two estranged school friends, Carla and Heather, who reunite and get involved in some rather diabolical events. As Dormer put it, they’re “women who are both capable of profound darkness and profound vulnerability,” a combination that consistently tests your nerves and allegiance all through the film.

With the twisted psychological thriller now playing in theaters, Dormer joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to discuss some influential moments in her career that paved the way to embracing the opportunity to portray such an angry yet vulnerable character in The Wasp.

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Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner headline the movie as The Lady and The Demon. It’s a story loaded with brilliantly crafted twists and turns from writer-director JT Mollner and the team, so we’ll keep the plot synopsis simple; the two have a one-night-stand and it kicks off a murder spree.

I’ve been itching to get Fitzgerald on Collider Ladies Night since Strange Darling’s world premiere screening in September 2023, and now the time has finally come. With Strange Darling now playing in theaters, she joined me for a Ladies Night chat which, yes, included some Scream TV Series talk, but also heavily focused on her exquisite work in Strange Darling.

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Gray started building her fan base on the music-driven social media app Musical.ly, a following that transitioned over to TikTok when Musical.ly merged into TikTok in 2018. At this point in time, Gray is the 24th most followed TikTok creator with a whopping 53.7 million followers. She also has nearly 24 million followers on Instagram and 3.66 million subscribers on YouTube where she shares vlogs and her own music, much of which is quite successful. While Gray is still very passionate about all of this work, she’s eager to pursue an additional path in entertainment, a path she dubs her first love — acting. 

With the high school comedy Incoming starring Mason Thames now available to stream on Netflix, Gray swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio for an interview covering her journey from Musical.ly to professional actor. She ran through some of her earliest acting inspirations, discussed what it was like making the move to Los Angeles as a teenager, and pinpointed the highs and lows of breaking into Hollywood as a social media star eager to build a career as an actor.

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Based on Carl Hiaasen’s bestselling novel, the Apple TV+ series Bad Monkey stars Vaughn as Andrew Yancy, a detective who got the boot from the Miami Police Department and sent to the Keys where he’s further demoted to a health inspector. However, when a human arm is fished out of the water in the area, Yancy can’t help himself; he’s got to prove that this individual’s death was no accident, but rather, a murder. Trouble is, he no longer has the resources and support to crack the case, and must sort through a string of unusual personalities to find answers. Complicating matters further for Yancy is Monaghan’s character, Bonnie, a mysterious woman he had an affair with and keeps coming back to.

In celebration of Bad Monkey’s August 14 debut on Apple TV+, Monaghan returned to Ladies Night to dig into her collaboration with Vaughn and a few other past co-stars who heavily contributed to Monaghan’s confidence in her craft and goals for the future.

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For those out there who’ve yet to watch Hazbin Hotel Season 1 on Prime Video, what are you waiting for? It rocks an 80% on the Tomatometer and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it was the largest global debut for a new animated series on Prime Video, and trust me when I tell you, once you hear the show’s original music, you’ll be eager to take Hazbin with you everywhere you go. The show comes from the mind of one of the most exciting voices in animation right now — Vivienne Medrano. After developing certain characters, including Alastor, for much of her life, Medrano independently produced a Hazbin Hotel pilot that currently has 112 million views on YouTube. From there, A24 swooped in and teamed with Prime Video to turn the YouTube hit into a full-fledged series. Now, not only is Hazbin Hotel Season 2 in the works, but Prime Video has also ordered Seasons 3 and 4 as well.

The animated musical takes place in Hell where Erika Henningsen’s Charlie Morningstar is determined to help sinners earn forgiveness and gain access to Heaven. How does she go about doing that? By creating a hotel for rehabilitation called the Hazbin Hotel. The trouble is, very few believe in her idea. The hotel has a mere seven residents - Charlie, Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz), Husk (Keith David), Niffty (Kimiko Glenn), Sir Pentious (Alex Brightman), Angel Dust (Blake Roman) and Talai’s Alastor. But can Alastor be trusted? While he seems loyal to Charlie and her cause, Alastor is an Overlord of Hell who’s in the midst of a power struggle. That begs the question, are his intentions pure or is he scheming behind the scenes?

During his Collider Forces interview, Talai recapped his journey in the industry thus far from his earliest acting inspirations to appearing on popular shows like American Horror Story and Ghosts, and ultimately scoring the role of a lifetime with Hazbin Hotel.

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All three have seen their stars soar especially high in recent years. Barrera has become a certified beloved scream queen via her work in the Scream franchise and Abigail, but she’s also an artist of great range, a skill she shows off big time in the stellar upcoming genre mash-up, Your Monster, which arrives in theaters just in time for Halloween on October 25th. Henningsen is a musical theater powerhouse. After originating the role of Cady Heron in Mean Girls the musical on Broadway, she scored a one-in-a-million opportunity. She voices the lead character in Hazbin Hotel, a series that posted the largest global debut for a new animated series on Prime Video and has amassed a wonderfully rabid fanbase since. Then there’s O’Brian who’s racked up a number of huge credits in a very short period of time. (And there’s no doubt there will be many more to come.) After appearing in the MCU and in the Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, she stars in what’s now one of the biggest box office hits of the year, Twisters. 

Clearly there’s a whole lot to celebrate here, but just as important as honoring all of the highs is acknowledging the journey one experienced to get them. During our hour-long Collider Ladies Night panel at San Diego Comic-Con in front of a 4,900-seat crowd, Barrera, Henningsen, and O’Brian took the time to peel back the curtain and offer unparalleled insight into what it takes to build a career as an actor.

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Fukuhara’s Kimiko has come a long way in the hit Prime Video series. She was introduced in Season 1 as a feral supe who’s especially violent. But fortunately, Tomer Capone’s Frenchie sees more in her, an inner truth that, with some warmth and kindness, could help her emerge from past trauma, find community, and become one of the most valuable components of The Boys in the process. Four seasons later, Kimiko remains a deadly force to be reckoned with, but one with a massive beating heart determined to do whatever it takes to keep her friends safe and make the world a better place by taking down Homelander (Antony Starr) and Vought.

With The Boys Season 4 finale now available to watch on Prime Video, Fukuhara took the time to swing by the Collider Ladies Night studio for a lengthy chat recounting how she went from an aspiring journalist to becoming an actor in one of the hottest shows running right now.

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It Follows completely changed the game for Monroe in 2014. The David Robert Mitchell-written and directed film featured a brilliant concept that was expertly executed, putting the project on the path to becoming a modern horror classic. That wasn’t the only 2014 release Monroe had that earned such high honors. She also starred in Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard’s The Guest, yet another beloved film festival gem that went on to be hailed as top-tier horror by the masses. And Monroe has not stopped excelling in the genre since. She consistently works with directing visionaries with bold and ambitious ideas, ideas that give Monroe opportunities to push boundaries in horror storytelling and challenge herself as an actor in that space. Not only is her latest in that department a big winner in every respect on screen, but the quality of the work seems to be paying off significantly. Longlegs is already setting records for its distributor, Neon, and is poised to take in $14 - $17 million for its debut weekend.

Monroe leads Longlegs as Lee Harker, a new FBI agent who finds herself working on an especially gruesome case. Given her unusually adept perception, FBI veteran Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) recruits Lee to help him track down a serial killer with ties to the occult. 

In celebration of Longlegs’ nationwide release, Monroe swung by for a Collider Ladies Night interview to dig into how she carved out the perfect place for herself in Hollywood.

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In the third, but maybe not final installment of the X trilogy, Goth returns as Maxine Minx. Maxine is the sole survivor of the 1979 farm bloodbath in Texas, and now she’s busy trying to make it in Hollywood in 1985. Maxine has stuck with the adult film industry and found a good deal of success there, but she’s eagerly awaiting her chance to show off her acting chops on the big screen, and she finally gets that chance thanks to director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki) who casts her as the lead in the horror film The Puritan 2. Maxine’s eager to give the project everything she’s got and become a star, but a distraction comes in the form of a serial killer who strikes a little too close to home.

With MaXXXine now playing in theaters nationwide, Goth took the time to return to Collider Ladies Night and discuss how her career and craft have evolved since the making of X and Pearl, and how becoming a mother has changed her approach to the work as well.

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After the events of X, MaXXXine follows Maxine Minx to Hollywood in the 80s where she plans to become a star. Maxine is convinced she’s got the talent and determination to make it in the movies, but given her notoriety in the adult film realm, getting her big break has been impossible — until she meets Debicki’s character, Elizabeth Bender. Even though the producers of Elizabeth’s new movie would rather not have Maxine headlining the film, Elizabeth believes in her and insists on giving her the opportunity.

While many might be quick to highlight Baz Luhrmann as the person who took a chance on Debicki and sent her star soaring with The Great Gatsby, Debicki herself insists he’s not the only one. Yes, Luhrmann did give her her first lead role in a feature film, but Debicki insists directors taking a chance on actors never ends. “Yeah, you need to be good at your job, but it's also a real combination of timing and people believing in you enough to give you the job.”

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Scodelario’s star began to soar via her work as Effy Stonem in the hit British teen series, Skins. After doing four seasons of the show, Scodelario began to pick up other television and film credits, credits ranging from Hollywood blockbusters like 2010’s Clash of the Titans to Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights, which celebrated its big debut at the 2011 Venice Film Festival before going on to other top tier fests like the Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance.

Over a decade later, Scodelario still enjoys a vast range of work. She headlined the 2019 horror gem Crawl, jumped into a popular game franchise with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, and then did the Christmas romantic comedy, This Is Christmas. Yet another vastly different standout credit on her resume? The new Guy Ritchie Netflix series, The Gentlemen, a kinetic crime comedy that's enjoying a good deal of Emmy buzz this season. 

Inspired by Ritchie’s 2019 film, The Gentlemen series stars Theo James as Edward Horniman. After his father passes, Eddie inherits the family estate and becomes Duke of Halstead. As if all that isn’t enough to process, Eddie is soon made aware that his father secretly made an arrangement with Bobby Glass’ (Ray Winstone) weed empire. If Eddie continues to let them grow their product below ground on his property, he'll get large sums of money in return, money Eddie needs given the state of the family farm and his brother’s (Daniel Ings) habit of accumulating massive debts with dangerous figures. The person in charge of this weed empire while Bobby is in prison? His daughter, Scodelario’s Susie Glass.

In celebration of The Gentlemen’s successful Season 1 run, Scodelario joined me for an episode of Collider Ladies Night to retrace her steps from breaking out via Skins to starring in an acclaimed Guy Ritchie production.

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Created by Amy Chozick and Julie Plec, The Girls on the Bus is inspired by Chozick's memoir, Chasing Hillary. It follows four female journalists played by Benoist, Carla Gugino, Christina Elmore and Natasha Behnam, who are on the campaign trail with aspiring presidential candidates. They all have vastly different backgrounds and goals, but find themselves supporting one another as they navigate career pressures, personal challenges, and frustrations with flawed presidential hopefuls.

As Collider’s Taylor Gates noted in her review, “[Girls on the Bus] handles serious topics, from sexism and racism to abortion and corruption, in a way that feels both raw and palatable while never taking away from the show’s watchability and enjoyability,” and I must agree. Powered by its perfectly assembled core four and their infectious charm, Girls on the Bus quickly earned my investment and heart. Given that, it’ll probably come as no surprise that the show’s cancellation was a massive disappointment. However, that’s not stopping Benoist from celebrating what she and the team achieved.

Benoist took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to recap her road to Girls on the Bus, to discuss her collaboration with her three top-tier co-stars, and to explain why the show’s cancellation will have zero impact on how she looks back on the experience of making it and the final product she and the team produced.

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Best plays Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was, in the Game of Thrones prequel series. Despite having a number of qualities that’d make her an ideal leader, Rhaenys was passed over to succeed King Jaehaerys I for being a woman. She eventually comes to terms with the decision and attempts to serve Westeros valiantly as a dragon rider and as the wife of Lord Corlys Velaryon of Driftmark (Steve Toussaint). Despite Viserys (Paddy Considine) naming Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) his heir, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) takes the throne, solidifying the stark divide between the Greens, those who support Aegon, and the Blacks, those who continue to back Rhaenyra’s claim. As a member of Team Black, Rhaenys begins Season 2 doing what she can to keep her side safe while strategizing for all-out war.

With House of the Dragon Season 2 kicking off its highly anticipated run on Sunday, June 16, I recently sat down with Best for a Ladies Night conversation to discuss how she’s honed her craft over the years, and Rhaenys’ approach to being a strong leader with war brewing in Westeros.

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Glen Powell headlines Richard Linklater’s Hit Man as the title character, in a sense. Powell’s Gary isn’t a hit man, but rather, a “hit man.” He’s a college professor who moonlights for the New Orleans Police Department by posing as a hit man in attempt to catch people trying to off an enemy. It turns out, Gary is quite good at the gig, effortlessly adapting his image to the type of hit man he thinks his target would best respond to. However, one target throws him for a loop — Arjona’s Madison. Madison is struggling with an abusive husband and sees no way out, so tries to hire Gary, posing as Ron, to kill him. Trouble is, Gary winds up falling for Madison, and she winds up falling for him, too — but as Ron.

Hit Man is an utterly delightful and hugely entertaining neo-noir, one that required maximum precision to pull off. Powell isn’t the only one playing a person putting on a persona in the film. So is Arjona. Pulling off such a performance in a way that holds tight to the grounded challenges that put their characters in these positions is no easy task, but Arjona excels tackling the challenge. While Madison was likely a strong character on the page, there's no doubt that Arjona's work is what makes her soar.

How’d Arjona acquire the skill set to genre jump, entertain and craft a deeply human character all at once? That’s exactly what we discussed during our Collider Ladies Night interview in celebration of the release of Hit Man, which is now available to stream on Netflix.

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Hazbin Hotel is largely set in Hell where Henningsen’s Charlie, the daughter of Lucifer (voiced by Jeremy Jordan), is fed up with Heaven’s treatment of the souls in Hell. Due to overpopulation, once a year, an army of angels led by Adam (Alex Brightman) swoop down from Heaven and exterminate as many sinners as possible. In an effort to save her people and give them the second chance she thinks they deserve, Charlie creates the Hazbin Hotel, a place where sinners can be rehabilitated and then ascend to Heaven. 

In celebration of Hazbin Hotel Season 1’s epic run on Prime Video, a run that sparked an enormous diehard fanbase and deserves some serious Emmy season love, Henningsen joined me for a Collider Ladies Night chat to revisit her road to Hazbin, to discuss her experience bringing Charlie to screen, and to tease what the future holds for the character.

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Hazbin Hotel is something Medrano’s been working on since middle school. After years of honing the characters, she created an independently made pilot episode, after which A24 swooped in to help turn it into a series that Prime Video distributed in January 2024. Not only did the show premiere to glowing reviews, but it also became Prime Video’s largest global debut for a new animated series. But, perhaps most impressive of all was the fervent fanbase the show quickly amassed. Yes, Medrano and Hazbin already had quite the following via the pilot, which crossed 100 million views on YouTube in February, but the debut of Hazbin Hotel Season 1 on Prime Video undoubtedly increased that following exponentially.

The show puts the spotlight on Charlie Morningstar (voiced by Erika Henningsen), the princess of Hell. Due to overpopulation in Hell, angels swoop down from Heaven once a year to conduct a purge, wiping out as many sinners as possible. Charlie’s had enough of seeing her people perish and strives to change the system via her Hazbin Hotel, a hotel designed to rehabilitate sinners and get them into Heaven. Not only is Hazbin Hotel brimming with curious characters, wildly creative world-building and thematic heft, but it’s also a musical — and every single song on its soundtrack is a true banger. 

The competition in the Animated Program category at the Emmys is fierce courtesy of iconic long-running series like The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers, and new standout programs like X-Men ’97, but given the quality of Hazbin Hotel and the colossal passionate fanbase it's ignited, it deserves to be in the mix.

How exactly does one get from middle school doodles to spearheading an Emmy-worthy animated musical? That’s exactly what I covered with Medrano on her episode of Collider Ladies Night!

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Cut to April 2024. Fallout hits Prime Video and becomes an instant sensation. The majority of the season puts the spotlight on Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, and Aaron Moten, all of whom give powerhouse performances. With only eight episodes, a bunch of curious locations, a number of key factions to establish, and quite a few complex agendas unfolding, how does an actor with minimal screen time in just two episodes manage to make an impression? Ask Mendes-Jones, because that’s exactly what he does with his character, Dane, a member of the Brotherhood of Steel.

With screen presence like that, there’s no doubt in my mind Mendes-Jones’ star will continue to soar, so he instantly became a top priority guest for Collider Forces.

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Based on his own personal experience which he adapted into an award-winning Edinburgh Fringe one-man play, the Richard Gadd-created series stars Gunning as Martha, Donny Dunn’s (Gadd) stalker. What Donny thinks is just a simple act of kindness, offering Martha a free cup of tea on a tough day, winds up being a life-changing exchange as she wedges her way into just about every part of his life. Not only does the relationship turn Donny’s day-to-day on its head, but the experience also challenges him to address some long-buried trauma.

Baby Reindeer isn’t some massive production with a significant monthslong promotional campaign behind it. It’s something that caught on in a big way, seemingly out of the blue, simply because it’s an exquisitely crafted and incredibly well-acted piece. While Gunning isn’t new to the industry by any means, the success of Baby Reindeer has instantly turned her into a highly recognizable name, one earning a good deal of Emmy buzz at the moment, and it’s inspiring many to check out her other credits, films like 2014’s Pride and the ongoing Prime Video series, The Outlaws.

In celebration of this extremely well-deserved game-changing moment, I welcomed Gunning to Collider Ladies Night to revisit her road to Baby Reindeer, to break down the nuances of Martha, and to discuss what it’s like becoming a bonafide Emmy contender.

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In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Allan’s Mae finds herself forming an unexpected bond with Owen Teague’s ape character, Noa. It’s hundreds of years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes. Apes are now the dominant species while humankind struggles to find safety. Given Noa’s grown up in the confines of his village and knows little of the outside world, he’s shocked when he encounters Mae and she isn’t some feral creature, but rather, a brave being of intelligence with wants and a drive that isn’t so different from his own.

With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes arriving in theaters nationwide on May 10th, I got the chance to have a Collider Ladies Night conversation with Allan to recap her journey in the industry thus far, and to dig into her experience finding Mae and conveying her complicated contributions to paving the way to a brighter future for humankind.

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One of the greatest joys of having two Ladies Night conversations a mere year apart with Barrera? Seeing how much she manages to accomplish in that short span, and hearing about how deeply she considers those experiences and how that impacts her goals and perspective on the industry going forward. At that point, making the independent feature, Your Monster, which just premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, heavily influenced her priorities for herself in filmmaking. In March 2023 she explained, “I had a mentality of like, I need to do something big to make a splash and to make a name for myself so that I can green light projects.” However, after working on Your Monster and also The Collaboration, that switched to, “I just want to do projects that speak to my soul and that stretch me.”

Perspective shifts happen often, and should. What good are our experiences if we don’t grow and learn from them? Barrera, however, powered through a rather seismic one since our last Collider Ladies Night interview after she was shockingly fired from Scream 7 due to social media posts regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. During this new Ladies Night interview, Barrera detailed how that and other recent experiences in Hollywood have heavily impacted her understanding of what she’s here to do. From there we lean into yet another new release that solidifies Barrera as a horror genre powerhouse, and bonafide movie star, her latest collaboration with Radio Silence, Abigail.

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Purnell plays Lucy in the series adaptation of the hugely popular Bethesda game. She’s a vault dweller living safe and sound in Vault 33. They’ve got food, water, and a kind community with a neighborly vibe. Above ground, however, it’s the exact opposite. 219 years since nuclear bombs decimated the surface, everyone else is just trying to survive in an apocalyptic wasteland with little to no rules or morals. In an effort to find her father (Kyle MacLachlan), Lucy opts to do the unthinkable, leave the comfort of sheltered vault life behind to venture out into the ruthless outside world.

In celebration of Fallout’s big debut on Prime Video, Purnell joined me for a Ladies Night conversation to recap her journey in film and television thus far, and discuss how her career priorities have changed over the years.

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Mendes stars in and executive produced her latest feature, Música. Director Rudy Mancuso also stars in the film as a young street performer from Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood. He’s in a relationship with Francesca Reale’s Haley, but is coming to learn that they might not be on the same page about how and when to find success and stability as a young adult in this world. Could Mendes’ Isabella be the solution? Soon after meeting her, he becomes convinced she understands him better than anyone. But, is it ever that simple?

With Música celebrating its big debut on Prime Video this week, Mendes carved out some time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to discuss her experience finding her way after Riverdale, and coming to realize that producing is of great interest.