Michelle Williams is a critically acclaimed actress who has been wowing audiences with her nuanced performances since the late 1990s. The one-of-a-kind performer has been acting since she was around 11 years old, but she really shot to fame during her passage in “Dawson’s Creek”, where she played the role of Jen Lindley. But while the TV show is a great learning experience for Williams (as well as her claim to fame), she revealed on Variety’s “Actors on Actors” that her six years on the beloved teen drama series were not always ideal.
One of the reasons the starlet struggled on the TV show was because she wasn’t allowed to bring her own creative input to the role. Given that Williams herself is an incredibly inspired person, it’s no surprise that she gravitates towards roles that allow her to be as creative as possible. This is one of the main reasons why Williams tends to seek independent films rather than more commercial and blockbuster projects. She said in an interview with Vogue that when it comes to her creative choices, “I’m not afraid to come up with an idea and express it. »
Although Williams has an illuminating resume due to her outstanding performances in film and television, there are many aspects of her personal life that are incredibly fascinating. Keep reading to learn more about the talented actor.
She left home at 15 to become an actress
When Michelle Williams was just 15, she made the bold choice to leave home to start her life in Hollywood. The situation led to her being emancipated from her parents so that she could pursue a more independent lifestyle in the entertainment industry. Fortunately, she was not legally separated from her parents due to some estrangement. According to the “Dawson’s Creek” alum, it was more of an act that was done to jump-start his career. “You [didn’t have to have] a social worker or a teacher with you, which makes you more profitable as a hire,” she told The New York Times. “So I didn’t need anyone to take care of me. »
According to the ‘Blue Valentine’ star, because she was so young, she had a hard time adjusting to life on her own. She remembers surviving on pizza for breakfast and dinner because she couldn’t cook, for example. “It was like somebody was hiding all the secrets,” she said of her teenage years when speaking with GQ. “How to take care of yourself and where to find the things that would help you take care of yourself. »
Despite her struggles, Williams claims she is a lone wolf by nature, so living alone was almost natural for her. Hey, all the power to her!
She was not a fan of being a child actor
During an “Actors on Actors” session with Variety, Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams discussed their experiences as child actors. Just like Portman, Williams also got her start in the entertainment industry around the age of 11. The star is extremely passionate about acting, in part because it allows her to step into an identity whenever she struggles to understand her own. “Pretending to be other people gave me at least someone to be,” she told The New York Times.
Although Williams admits acting and performing is extremely cathartic for her, she’s not the biggest fan of being part of the media circus. And while she found it a little easier to navigate her way through the limelight as an adult, she says it was a lot harder to handle as a child star. Speaking about her experience in the spotlight during her childhood years, she looked back on the times with bittersweetness. “It worked out well,” she told Portman in the Variety interview. “It’s a very long way and not necessarily very pleasant. It’s a hard childhood to have – or a lack of a childhood to have. »
Williams went on to say, “I love doing it…and I can’t really imagine doing anything else.” I want to keep doing it. But when I see kids on set, or when I work with kids in movies, I feel really torn about their role there. »
She’s not a big fan of her work on Dawson’s Creek
Although “Dawson’s Creek” is a defining show for Michelle Williams’ career, the actress doesn’t look back on her time in the teen drama with too much nostalgia. Although the star considers her time on the show a professional educational experience, the six years she spent playing Jen Lindley weren’t as fulfilling for fame as she would have liked.
During an “Actors on Actors” interview with Variety, Williams explained how her time on the show made her feel like a product as opposed to an artist involved in a creative pursuit. She explained to fellow actress Patricia Clarkson, saying, “You had no input,” adding, “I didn’t want to be told what to do. She went on to add that she hasn’t played any television roles since then due to “fear of losing input.” Clearly, Williams has her head on her shoulders and she’s not afraid to use her voice when it comes to creative decisions!
Although she eventually left the show due to creative differences, great things came out of her experience on this show. Not only did it help her rise to fame, but it also sparked the beautiful, lifelong friendship she shares with her former film co-star, Busy Philipps. As she shared on Instagram, Philipps and Williams are best friends for life, and she can’t wait to grow old with the movie star.
Inside her beautiful relationship with the late Heath Ledger
The late Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams bonded over playing husband and wife in the Oscar-winning hit “Brokeback Mountain.” The pair fell in love behind the scenes at the indie film, and it was clear to everyone involved on set that they were falling in love. “I remember being in rehearsal, and they were both wide-eyed,” Jake Gyllenhaal, who also starred in the film, said (via E! News). “There were sparks immediately. And even before the movie premiered in theaters, the happy couple welcomed their lovely daughter into the world.
Although things didn’t work out for Ledger and Williams, they shared a beautiful and loving relationship for several years. Yet tragedy struck Williams and her daughter when Ledger died of an overdose in 2008. Williams, who still had tremendous love for her former partner and the father of her child, was overcome with grief after her loss. According to a source close to Williams who spoke to People, they believe Ledger and Williams’ breakup was circumstantial as opposed to the two falling in love. “In the end, there were too many differences,” the insider explained. “She kind of turned her head towards those at first, but when Matilda was born, that’s really when she started to re-evaluate things. Another friend revealed: “I don’t think they fell in love; it was probably a tough love. »
Why she gravitates toward indies rather than blockbuster hits
Although Michelle Williams is one of the hottest stars in the entertainment industry, she can rarely be seen in blockbuster movies. The celeb has no doubt been offered incredibly lucrative movie roles in more commercial films throughout her film career, but Williams is extremely selective and cautious about the projects she chooses to do. And according to the ‘Manchester by the Sea’ star, she tends to lean towards lower-budget independent films as opposed to the more lucrative and popular blockbuster hits.
Another reason Williams enjoys working in the indie genre as opposed to something more popular and big budget is the sense of community found on indie sets which she says just doesn’t show up in movies anymore. commercial. “I love working on films where it feels like family,” she revealed in an interview with Time. “One thing that I’ve found very difficult about acting is all the transients, and sometimes I feel like I’m living my life in a circle of hellos and goodbyes, and it’s not isn’t really my… I wouldn’t choose that for me. It’s not really my nature. And so I liked doing independent films because it’s a very tight-knit group of people and there’s a lot of continuity in that world.
Independent films in which Williams has shone include (but are not limited to): ‘Blue Valentine’, ‘Wonderstruck’, ‘The Station Agent’ and ‘Meek’s Cutoff’.
Michelle Williams reveals her most important role of all
Michelle Williams has delivered so many sparkling performances throughout her decades in the spotlight. Yet when asked in an interview with Time what her most important role of all time was, she didn’t hesitate to come up with an answer: being a mother. According to the actor, being a parent has turned his whole world upside down and altered every aspect of his waking life. “I feel reborn as a human being,” she says of the transition from being childless to being a parent. She added: “There’s not a part of my life that hasn’t been touched. »
The talented performer has an incredibly close bond with her brood, even refusing to do movies if it means being separated from her children. When she was about to shoot “Blue Valentine” alongside Ryan Gosling in 2010, she initially backed off because she wanted to be with her daughter after the tragic death of Heath Ledger. Luckily, however, they changed the filming locations so that Williams could still shoot the movie while being near her child.
Williams welcomed her third child into the world in November 2022. Speaking about her adoration for motherhood, Williams told USA Today, “Being a mother is not just who I am in my relationship with my daughter, but it’s part of the kind of work I want to do and the relationship with the person I want to be for her. »
The star is a big introvert
While it might be hard to believe that such a daring performer like Michelle Williams could be introverted, the brilliant actress enjoys being alone much more than spilling all the details of her life story to the press. Still, according to Williams, playing the role of Marilyn Monroe in 2011 while filming “My Week With Marilyn” played a role in altering her personality.
Because the iconic Hollywood legend was known for being a bold, daring and ultra-confident bombshell, stepping into the role was almost liberating for the usually soft-spoken and reserved Williams. She said of her personality when speaking to Natalie Portman during a Variety “Actors on Actors” session, “I’m really a shrink and hideout type person,” so when she got to portray Marilyn, it was a transition. quite exciting. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said of the character: “At a certain point, something else takes over. I don’t really feel like myself these days. »
Additionally, his “Dawson’s Creek” co-star Jensen Ackles says he had to go the extra mile to get Williams to open up to him. “Michelle Williams wasn’t very welcoming,” the actor revealed to Us Weekly. “She was quite introverted. You had to earn his respect a bit. Luckily, Ackles was able to get used to the starlet over time by getting into the same music as her. After the awkward initial phase of their relationship, Ackles says that over time, they ended up having “wonderful conversations.”
She lived with several famous actors
Over the years, Michelle Williams has lived with a handful of high profile actors. She may be introverted, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t interested in forming close bonds with others with whom she shares lifelong friendships. Interestingly enough, the ‘Manchester By The Sea’ star was roommates with fellow Oscar winner Jessica Chastain, with whom she ‘became like sisters’ as they both starred in an Anton Chekhov play, according to an interview. that Chastain had with Marie Claire.
But that’s not the only time Williams has lived with a beloved actor. As she geared up for her hit ‘Blue Valentine,’ where she stars alongside love interest Ryan Gosling, the two decided to take their dedication to the film one step further when they moved in together for an entire month. . They even lived with the young actor who played their daughter in the film. Although Williams leaves home to spend time with her real-life daughter, we admire her dedication to her role! The “La La Land” actor told NPR about the experience, “We all worked really hard to create that part of the love story, when they fall in love. We wanted it to be authentic, real and true. »
