Greta Lee has become one of Hollywood's most versatile stars, but she's ready to trade in her futuristic roles for something a little more... dusty. In a recent interview, the Past Lives breakout revealed she's eager to leave sci-fi and tech-centric stories behind, hoping to saddle up for a Western instead.
Lee, who has recently starred in a string of projects exploring humanity's relationship with technology—from the snarky AI in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to a tech pioneer in Tron: Ares—is ready for a change of pace. "Well, look at the world we live in! Of course it's interesting; I can't escape it," she said, acknowledging the relevance of tech themes. "I think that is sort of the zeitgeist of the moment that we live in. I, just like everyone else, am asking those questions myself."
But Lee is ready to break the mold. "I'm trying to think what I can do now that would break that theme," she mused. "Like a period piece where I'm on a boat, and it's like the 15th century, and I'm like a horse wrangler? I don't know, maybe it can swing the other way. There are many different stories that I want to tell. [...] I would like to do a Western! And I would be thrilled to not have tech be any part of that at all."
Lee's recent film Late Fame is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and PVOD, and it's a far cry from her sci-fi adventures. The film stars Willem Dafoe as a former writer who reconnects with his love of poetry after meeting young fans, leading him to a surprising relationship with Lee's character, Gloria. Directed by Kent Jones and written by Samy Burch, the film has been praised for its nuanced performances.
Lee had nothing but praise for her co-star, calling Dafoe "What I want in a scene partner." She elaborated, "He is incredibly present, prepared, bold, giving, and supremely playful, which was so necessary for us." She also spoke about the depth of her character, Gloria, saying, "There is a largeness to her and a performativeness to her and an old-school kind of glamor and style, but all of those things required a person who could be my match."
Lee's upcoming projects include the Pixar sequel Toy Story 5 and the Netflix film The Last House, both of which continue her exploration of tech themes. She's also set to reunite with her House of Dynamite co-star Rebecca Ferguson for the rom-com Honeymoon/Funeral. But if her latest comments are any indication, we might see her on a horse sooner rather than later.
For fans of Lee's work, her desire to explore a Western is an exciting prospect. It's a genre that has seen a resurgence in recent years, and Lee's talent for bringing depth to complex characters would be a perfect fit. Whether she's wrangling horses or holding a six-shooter, one thing's for sure: Greta Lee is ready for her close-up in the Old West.
While we wait for that dream project to materialize, you can catch Lee in Late Fame, now available on home video. And if you're in the mood for more Westerns, be sure to check out Tarantino's favorite Western before it leaves Tubi, or catch Matt Reeves' Apes epic while it's still free.
