Allison Williams Talks Quentin Tarantino with 'Girls' (Ahead of Big Reveal), Eczema and Acting

The actress talks to The Hollywood Reporter about the new partnership and what it was like to see Lena Dunham's HBO series on The New York Times' 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century: "It threw me off course."

They say timing is everything. But it is not always with you.

The Hollywood Reporter had the chance to spend some time with Allison Williams on Zoom — 20 minutes, to be exact — two days ago to talk about a new partnership in her life. The star of Girls, Get Out, M3GAN and Fellow Travelers has teamed up with Sanofi and Regeneron to share her personal experience of living with moderate to severe eczema and how she found relief with Dupixent (aka dupilumab).

The conversation was timed for Eczema Awareness Month, but Tuesday's interview opportunity also came with a shocking surprise on the small screen: A decade after one of the most buzzed-about shows of the 2010s ended its run, Girls is returning to HBO with a five-episode limited revival that brings back LeHam, creator WilliamSiamma, WilliamMeat, creator, and stars to the network. HBO brings it back. Andrew Runnels

"Girls" returns to HBO for a limited time

HBO has ordered two seasons of the original animated comedy Merrick & Treves from the creators of Archer.

We were already asking him about the girls, but Williams, ever the pro, made sure to keep the big reveal under wraps during the eczema-centric conversation, only to see it fall apart an hour later. However, she noted that she and Dunham only spent time together (perhaps to record a video announcement?). "I saw her on Saturday. We're on a date. We talk about it a lot and I'll show up whenever she wants me to," she said of the girls' reunion.

Beyond the above, THR asked Williams about the experimental indie she just shot in Wales with Quentin Tarantino and Kylie Minogue, the status of her SXSW thriller with Charlie Day, and what it feels like to see Girls on the New York Times list of the 100 best shows of the 21st century.

I'll take every opportunity to engage you with a few questions, but I was surprised to see an interview opportunity coming up to talk about… Eczema?

When I get into something, I go hard. When I discover something that I want everyone to know about, I like to get the biggest megaphone I can. What seems like such a small thing in my life has had much bigger implications on my quality of life than I could have imagined. I was immediately very, very interested in partnering with Sanofi and Regeneron because I know so many people in my life who have eczema and have always had it. They assume that their options stop at prescribing topical medications. If that doesn't work, they assume, "Okay, I guess I'm stuck with this." So was I, until it appeared on my scalp and elsewhere.

For some reason, I've been good on my shins all my life. Then all of a sudden it moved to my scalp and I was like, "Oh, no, that's not happening." I went to my dermatologist and asked, "Is there anything I haven't tried yet in the pantheon of treatment options?" I thought maybe he would give me a topical medication, but he mentioned Dupixent or dupilumab. (More details on Dupixent here and safety information here.)

I remember it clearly. As he explained how it worked, I realized he was describing an injection. I was afraid of the super shot. I always looked at people who injected themselves as if they were the bravest and most determined people of all time. I was amazed at the ability to put needles in my body. But my dermatologist guided me on how to do it and gave me ideas on how to create a routine around it. The proof is in the pudding. I am sitting now and talking to you. Not only am I not afraid of injections, I have a routine around them. It's a Little Ritual There are many people who fall into the six-month-and-older, moderate-to-severe eczema category for whom topical prescription medications have not cured the condition. Technically, all those people might have that option, if they talk to their doctor, it would be really helpful and make a big difference in their life. I just wanted people to know in case they didn't know.

As someone who is in the public eye and has to be on red carpets or in the wardrobe department, how have you been following this?

Now that I'm experiencing fewer symptoms, less flare-ups and itching, I can appreciate how much it has been a big part of my daily life. It was something that just had to be worked on. When I was younger, we tried a bunch of different strategies. I used to wear gloves or mittens to bed so I wouldn't itch my legs, but then I'd take them off in my sleep and itch. Anyway, as I got older, I started determining what to wear based on the condition of my legs. If I was on fire, I wouldn't wear shorts. If I wasn't, I would have done it.

I remember one year when I flew to Los Angeles for the Golden Globes. It was the year Girls won for Best Comedy. I had already chosen my dress, it was long and long, which was a good thing because on the morning of the awards, I was watching TV and using the cap clip pointlessly on my itchy leg - it sounds crazy, but people with eczema will understand. Maybe I had a gel manicure and couldn't get that satisfying feeling with my nails. I was watching TV and my legs itched and I looked down. Not only was there the initial flare-up, but now there were scratches and big red hives. It was a disaster.

You can look at pictures of me in that scene in my beautiful black long dress celebrating the win. If you had x-ray vision, you would have seen the craziness going on with my legs. It's something that costume departments and make-up departments need to know if it needs to be covered, and it's unpredictable. It was just a variable I had to work on.

You mentioned talking to friends about eczema. Is there a celebrity thread where people share tips and tricks?

I want to be one. I like it when people talk to me about it. I'll give you an example: a friend and I were talking about it the other day because she had done it for some reason and put it away. During our conversation, she got very nostalgic about it and how much better she felt when she said, "Okay, I think I'll email my dermatologist. I'll get back to you." If it has brought you relief, and you have such a reaction to it, then that is positive. I hope to hear about all the people I know who are using this drug without realizing it.

About your new movie "Tangled in the Blue" starring Quentin Tarantino, Kylie Minogue, you, Jason Isaacs, R.Z.

It was one of the most amazing creative experiences of my life. It's a film by a Welsh filmmaker named Jamie Adams, who makes films with a very specific formula: low-budget, six-day, improvised films. This is the formula usually filmed in Wales. We shot this movie over six days. There is a plot, but all the dialogue is improvised, and the film changes as you go. He takes pictures with a camera. It's a very unique style of filmmaking, and he's tried every few days, but six is ​​the magic number.

It was an incredible experience, not just because of the cast. I pinched myself every day. It was completely surreal. But the creative process was great. It was playful and each part had to improvise at the same time. If someone cites the book they are reading, it should be shown as a reference the next day. Every part is working and working together. It was a wonderful experience. I haven't seen the cut yet, but I think I will soon

I didn't have any direct scenes with RZA, which is too bad, but I got to hang out with him.

What was it like working with Quentin Tarantino or Kylie Minogue?

Both of them have done a lot of acting in their career. They were only really recognized for other skills. Somehow, it was fun working with both of them in a skill that is deeply embedded in their entire system. Quentin is such a performer. I've heard that when he auditions people, he actually performs with them. He loves to visualize and show. Kylie was also very open and present. It was a blast.

When you're doing something that's improvised and stretches you like that, it should add more fuel to your creative fire.

This is really helpful. To be honest, as an actor it seems like part of a balanced diet. You should also have a project like this in combination with something you're working on long term. Simon Pegg has done two of these with Jamie and may be doing a third soon, and he's said that he's been shooting Mission: Impossible for about four years, so shooting a whole movie in six days was [exciting]. For these two things to happen simultaneously in one career is unbelievable.

This is a unique process. You have to stop being precious about anything. When it's really impromptu, the camera often focuses on just one person for an entire conversation. Then they roll the camera, and who knows if you're going to go to the same places. The funniest thing you say might not even be on your face, and you should be okay with letting it go. It was an interesting exercise, especially for someone who likes to be meticulous in my preparation, to put all that aside. I kept feeling like I was living in one of those anxiety dreams where I wouldn't learn my lines for a play and I'd be pressured onto the stage - unless it was on purpose. I kept texting Jamie, "Do I have to do any prep? Is there an assignment? I feel weird showing up on this set with nothing memorized."

You had a movie at SXSW that made waves, Kill Me. What is the latest in it?

Still looking for a home. I am very eager to give birth to it. We are very proud of it. I worked with Charlie Day, which is a lot of fun. He is one of the true jewels of our business. Its writer and director Peter Warren was making his first feature film. It was a small independent film shot in Salt Lake City. We shot fast and for a lot of money and made something really special. I can't wait until we can give it birth with the right vehicle. I'm hoping we're pushing for a decent lifespan, but that might mean waiting a little longer. That's okay.

What conversations are you currently having with fellow actors, producers, and filmmakers about the realities and challenges of the business?

Everyone feels behind on something that no one is involved in. It is a creature that is moving and shifting itself, and we all do our best to keep up with it. Even the people driving the change aren't necessarily responsible for it or aware of the implications it will have for everyone. I was talking to a friend of mine who's a visual effects supervisor, and he said, "It was so slow. This is crazy." Obviously, this is one field that may feel the impact of AI sooner than others.

But for actors, not only is there not much work. Also, due to the lack of work, the expectation is that you can turn six pages of your tape in 24 hours. It's like, "Well, dance for me. If you're too hungry to work, pull a rabbit out of your hat. Make a miracle happen." This doesn't feel good either. I think it will be resolved eventually, we will find our stillness in this new landscape. There's a lot of change going on right now, but it's really painful for a lot of players right now - even just on their health care quota. It's hard, really hard. I've always considered myself very lucky to make a living from this job. I don't take it for granted and I didn't expect it to for a long time. I feel this strongly right now, especially as the bar for how to sustain a life is being raised higher and higher.

I feel legally required to ask Alison Williams about girls. The good news is that the show made the New York Times list of the best TV shows of the 21st century, making it into the top 10. The list?

i did I looked at all the entries. I think I first saw it through the Times Alert. Out of curiosity, I thought, "I'm just curious to see what this list looks like." Then he stopped me in my tracks. It's a very strange feeling to have the synergy of something that you value so much in your personal life—something that was so important and fundamental to who you are as a human being—also something that people you don't even know appreciate and mean to them. This is an amazing overlap.

For me, Girls is really big. This is among the best experiences of my entire life. The fact that it's also on the [New York Times] Top 10 TV Shows of the 2000s is amazing.

Does this provide more fuel for a reunion? Lena Dunham recently told Andy Cohen during her book tour that she has an idea to revive it. Did you see it and did you talk to him about it?

I saw him on Saturday and we went together. We talk about it a lot and I show up whenever he wants me to.