Inde Navarrette on 'Obsession' Oscar dreams, freaky stories, what happens to Nikki after the credits transcript

Hello gold derbyites. Welcome back to another edition of awards magnet. I'm deputy editor Ethan Alter and today we're featuring my interview with the breakout star of the breakout horror hit Obsession Indie Navarati. Curry Barker's horror movie has taken America by storm since it premiered in theaters, becoming one of the year's biggest box office hits. It's also part of a wave of successful films made by directors who got their start on YouTube.

And Navarati's performance as Nikki is the internet's new favorite obsession. As we discussed in the interview, the actress gets to play multiple versions of the character and offers insight into the personal choices she made that inform the role. We also talk about why the internet is rooting for Navarati to get a best actress nomination at the 2027 Oscars. She would join such recent horror winners as Amy Madigan in Weapons and Michael B.

Jordan in Sinners. Listen to our interview and check out Obsession in theaters now. >> You suck so so much. a love only the branch of a willow tree could conjure. >> It's weird how you two are dating all of a sudden. Like super dating. >> I think is going through something. >> Like what is she okay? >> No. >> Shees. What kind of spell you put on her? [laughter] All right, Awards Magnet fans, hide your house cats because we've got Indie Navarretti on the podcast today.

Welcome, Indie. Thanks so much for joining us. >> Thank you for having me. [laughter] >> It's great. I congrats on all the success around Obsession. Uh it's it's amazing to see this movie take fire. It's amazing for cats, cat owners to hold their cats a little more tightly uh as a result. But what what's just been the general vibe the past month as you've seen this movie take off? >> Oh my god. I think every single day it's just the thought process of I I'm so happy.

I'm so happy and then I get happier every single day cuz it's just breaking new goals and it's just seeing people love it and sneaking into the theater and hearing conversations. It's just I couldn't have wished for a better scenario. >> Right before the weekend I went and saw it again in theaters. uh get I'd seen it a few times already, but going to see it again and just every time you're on screen, the audience reaction to you is amazing.

Just people are always like like the the the the teens next to me were like, "Oh god, watch out. WHAT YOU GOING TO DO NOW?" Like they're just on the edge of their seat no matter how many times they watch it, which is a real testament to what you and Curry have pulled off here, I think. >> Oh, thank you. Yeah. The last time that I was in the theater, seeing people, especially at moments because Curry's really great at building this tension, right?

Um and really leaving the audience with not knowing what's coming next. And so just seeing people grip even when I know that there's not a scare coming and I go, "Oh, well, yeah, that makes sense." You don't know cuz Curry's so good at building that suspense, it's kind of funny to watch. >> Well, well, we know where we are now, like all the success and everything, but take us back to the origin story, how you first got cast in Obsession.

What's What's the What's the origin story behind this? >> Yeah, so I um I really wanted to do something new that I had never done before. um to kind of a test myself and also just I felt like I was a boiling pot that kept like as soon as steam would come out I kept being taken off the stove and I really wanted to like blow off some steam if you will and so I got the obsession script and I was like wow this is I've never resonated with a story more I've never understood exactly how to play a character but obviously it's very challenging and very scary because of everything that was on the page and that Curry wrote so I did the first audition I was lucky enough to get a call back and I felt as though it was the worst audition I had ever done.

[laughter] I said, "I've learned a lot. I've learned a lot." And then I was lucky enough for them to bring me back for a chemistry read. And so I just kind of took that third chance and opportunity to really just give it everything that I could cuz I really wanted to play Nikki. And I was lucky enough to get the role. And the chemistry read with Michael was phenomenal. I mean, I've always joked that him and I have brother sister uh chemistry and that's why it works.

Um, but it was just such a really beautiful time. And then I got the phone call and we started work I think a month and a half later after the chemistry reads. >> What was the scene you auditioned with? >> So um I was the Hansel and Gretle monologue was and I was having fun with voices because again after that um second audition I was like how could I make it worse? How could I make everybody in this room so deeply uncomfortable? and Cooper Tomlinson who plays Ian uh who is uh Curry Barker's like uh partner was right in front of me and I remember just looking into his eyes and just thinking and falling in love with the process of making him deeply uncomfortable.

So it was the monologue, it was the car scene at the beginning and then it was the I can be Nikki um scene. So we had three kind of showing all of the different aspects of her. >> And then jumping ahead to the shooting, what was the first scene you shot uh that you remember? Yeah, the first scene that we shot was uh they're kissing and she freaks out and she goes backwards. I think it's actually one of the first kind of uh jump scares in the film.

That was our our first day. >> Wow, that's quite a leap in to go right to that. That's how did you prepare for that knowing that you weren't going to get a lot of runup time. You were just jumping right into the scares. >> You know, it's kind of funny. Curry likes to talk about how I was a little bit private with what I was going to do, especially with Nikki. I didn't show a lot of it because I felt like if I showed it to people, I wouldn't have um I just needed to keep her private.

I've really kept Nikki close to my chest. And so on that first day, Curry talks about how relieved he felt watching me be able to do that. But I honestly think a really good effective jump scare that I've that I did on Obsession was kind of scaring myself. So I think that really aided the aspect of of all of the Nikki scares. So that's kind of the prep, learning how to scare yourself. >> Yeah. One of the things I really admire about your performance each time I've seen the movie is just I'm really realizing how you're playing multiple versions of Nikki like like like like you where there's one movie at the beginning but then throughout there's alternate ones and so I like there's there's many layers to what's going on here.

So was that something that you devised or was it sort of implicit what you Curry were talking about that there there are multiple Nikki at at play in this film? >> Yeah, I I think Curry did a phenomenal job with writing a character like this. I think um how how freaky it is, right? When you don't know somebody's intention, but also just what a Rubik's cube of a person that I get to play and having so much fun with all of the different sides of her and how do they come together?

When do they show up? How do they show up? What is the honest and grounded version of this? I didn't want to make her hyperbolic. I didn't want to make her just scary. I really wanted to make her uh human and real. Um and kind of walking that tight line of it. But a lot of it had to do, you know, with Curry's writing and um and the poetry that he wrote and just the lines and then kind of my own little twist on her. So it was it was it started with him and a collaboration. >> Well, you mentioned that you kept Nikki close to the vest.

So in terms of Nikki Prime, OG Nikki, however you want to call her. What kind of backstory did you give her? We only learned a little bit of details about her past. Who do you think she was before all this happened? What did you work out in that way? >> Well, my favorite aspect whenever I was reading the script was where are her parents? M >> you know, we kind of learn about her dad and why her dad's not there and they're not close and she doesn't really care, but you know, what does it feel like to be a child that doesn't have any parents?

What what what kind of person do you, you know, become and the skin that you wear and the way that you react to things and who do you date and why do you act this way? And you know, we see her being so kind to the homeless men. Well, she's got a good heart. She thinks of others first. Like, she really wants to check back in with Bear. No, I'm so sorry. What were you saying? Like, we just get these little hints of her.

So, I mean, within the backstory that I created was just kind of, you know, maybe she was left whenever she was really young and she's just very thoughtful. But what I loved about Curry's writing was because the movie is solely from Bear's perspective, we fully don't get an understanding of who Nikki is. Uh, because Bear doesn't even fully understand who Nikki is. And I thought that was such a fascinating avenue that Curry decided to go down. >> And you were okay with sort of that ambiguity.

It sounds like because sometimes some actors really want specificity. It helps. Oh, I was a huge fan of that ambiguary because I love uh cinema. I love films and I really loved how this was something different than I had ever seen before. So, I really leaned in and trusted Curry. >> One early line that really jumped out at me is uh where you're in the car at the car scene and you say, "When I have a crush on somebody, nobody knows." I think that's so key to Nikki and her mystery.

And I and I wonder tell me about that line and what that line means to you and suggest it to you. Well, I think it I think another line also aids to the understanding of that is whenever she says, you know, you're not a total brick wall and she's talking about Ian. I mean, we kind of learned throughout the film that she was hooking up with Ian, she was crying in the breakroom about it. And, you know, why would she choose somebody as emotionally unavailable as Nikki?

I mean, as Ian, kind of going back to, you know, her history with her parents and, you know, how Bear is the only person that she can feel like she can open up with and be safe and and what does that mean? So, does she like him? Does she not? Does, you know, is it that brother sister aspect? is is she genuinely saying, you know, nobody knows because she keeps everything so close to her chest cuz she's a scared like she's scared of that vulnerability.

So, it's just it's so fascinating, right, how it creates these conversations, but for her it's that mystery for Bear that he kind of falls in love with and has liance with. >> Uh I I think Curry has said that uh that he shot two versions of the car scene, one where Nikki is clearly into Bear and one not so much and sort of blended them together. Is that your memory of how that scene sequence came together? because we shot this two years ago, there's some things that I kind of go, >> it was that.

[laughter] Um, but I mean, if that's what Curry said, then that's definitely what happened. Um, and I also loved that he wanted to do that, right? To really be true to bear's perspective because when you're when you really like somebody and you don't know how they feel, you can read into things or other things would set you off and that's not how they meant. So, I just thought it would played into the realness of what that relationship would feel like.

Um, but I know that the script is online and I think that that monologue, if you want to get deeper into the way that Nikki thinks and who she is, uh, that is a very truthful monologue to the way that Nikki um, is and I find it very fascinating. Yeah. >> In your mind, is she into bear like like do you want to put a an expl an explainer on that or do you prefer to leave it ambiguous? You know, I've kind of said publicly that my perception of Nikki is that there could have there could have been a yes to that of, you know, she's dating these people like Ian who's like emotionally unavailable and she wants that.

She wants the difference between love and romance. She's scared of it. And, you know, Bear kind of is this safe option. And as you're getting older, sometimes when you grow up with a childhood like that and it's really important to kind of feel that safe avenue and it could feel unsafe because you're not used to it. So, I think long story short, there is a world where Nikki does like Bear, but I think kind of throwing away that process and thought process whenever you're watching this movie, cuz whether she does or does not, I think, isn't uh a driving factor, but personally, it's the woman that played Nikki.

There's a little aspect, I believe, um that it could have could have been. >> I know. And again, I I like the way we're we're never quite certain. It's good that the movie doesn't come down one way or the other. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Nikki, wait. I was going to ask you um >> what >> I I lost my train of thought. >> I help why >> one wish will you only get one wish? I wish Nikki Freeman love me more than anyone in the entire world.

Right after that, obviously, Bear makes his wish and that's when we that's when we lose Nikki Prime and we go to Nikki 2.0 and get many more after that and and the way that happens is so great, just that backlighting of you on the porch where you're in darkness and we don't quite know, but something's different about you. So, tell me about making that shift in that scene and knowing, okay, we're introducing a new Nikki at that moment.

Yeah, I think you know the wish is um making her completely do everything humanly possible in order to have this o emotional intimacy with him in order to get to the point where they are in love with each other more than anything in the world, right? Cuz that's what the wish is. So, you know, lying about the father creating this emotional intimacy that wasn't really there, you know, pulling at his heartstrings. So, you know, the beginning process of this wish, I it it's just kind of leaning into doing everything humanly possible in order to get that emotional intimacy with the person, even if it comes down to lying, right?

Cuz it's just it's on a fast track. It's not real, but it's this massive necessity that she needs and she's kind of doing everything out of that necessity. Uh, so it was very interesting doing that. And the way that I really wanted to tackle that was to never think that she was lying, >> to really play into the realness of that. You know what I mean? because it is real for her. She doesn't understand. So, never thinking that she's lying.

Like for me in that moment, you know, my dad was really dying or, you know, I was really upset or whenever I was confused, I really was confused. And so, kind of just kind of playing into that. >> And I I love when you're when we first see you talking to to Bear and and and you're sort of arguing with yourself a little bit like like you almost realize, oh, I'm being taken over like my sense of self is going away. And we're getting two almost two voices going on there, which I really like the way you play that.

Was that something again? Was that Curry's direction? How were you thinking about how how that that sense of battling Nicole's would be happening in that moment? >> That was a lot of Curry because that was earlier on, you know, in this process. Um, cuz we shot everything inside of the house first. So, I did the majority of, you know, the bigger Nikki side and the bigger emotions and to kind of play with this fine-tuning of of just little looks and and and moments in between. >> Um, a lot of it I needed direction from him because again, I had never done anything like this.

And so him fine-tuning and and us kind of having that um shorthand in conversation uh was really really helpful and really really fun. I mean how fun it is to kind of shock yourself and to shock another person. Watching Michael's face was phenomenal. But yeah, playing those two people was great cuz we kind of played with this idea of you know she was just inside the house. She was going to take off her shoes. Maybe she was going to light some incense.

Maybe she was going to like do anything or put on a show. and suddenly she's outside and she she's confused and then she snaps back into something else, right? So, it's just kind of everything that's going on. >> And there's and that's one of many great moments where a curry uses darkness on your face to a great extent. There's that other great moment later on where your eyes are glinting kind of like a cat's, but there are moments where just Nikki's face is in darkness and and you you sort of don't have that ability to sort of communicate.

What were those moments like for you? Did K tell you what you what it would look like and did you get a sense of how to prepare your face for those moments where you're in darkness? you know, me and Curry really worked on um uh a lot of the physical choreography of things and a lot of the emotional aspect. Um like he'd kind of tell me different levels and we'd work on levels and so if he wanted a certain level, I would take it to that level.

And um one of my favorite moments is us being in the car and you know she's crying about her dead dad or her dying dad. And one of my favorite moments is she looks back up at him and the shadow is across her eyes and it's kind of you look at her and say, "Are you really crying? Are you not crying? It sounds like you were just sobbing your eyes out, but you just look at him and there's there's no evidence of crying and how insane that is.

That's what gives me the chills. So, in those moments, there were tears in my eyes. You know what I mean? That it was there, but with the way that Curry shot it, it just really amplifies the horror of not knowing what Nikki's intentions are sometimes. >> It's so interesting, too, because Michael, you have to give Michael things to react to in that scene, but we, the audience, can't react to it. to your point, we can't see her tears necessarily.

So, what was that process like with Michael? Like, how did he respond to those moments where, you know, we can't see you, but he can. How did he know how to >> Oh my god. Sometimes sometimes he would break character. I think one of my favorite moments is whenever I say, "I'm your freaky Nikki." Um, after the party scene and we're kind of in, uh, he just went, "Oh my god." And it [laughter] and it's a wonder, you know, we we were really doing these long shots.

And it was just the funniest thing ever there. Like the examples like that just really kind of go to show what our day-to-day was because again I in order to play Nikki kept her really close to me like my chest. So poor Michael sometimes had no idea what I was going to do. Um and you know some of those reactions are real. A lot of the um WTFs in the car in the very early or you know there's a moment where I come over to his side of the car and I open up the car door and then I run this way.

I run this way. I run this way and then I run back. That was on accident. I forgot which way I was supposed to go. And Michael's just [laughter] like, "What is going on?" And it's those real moments that Curry really loved um and kept in the movie. So, it was really great working opposite Michael. His reactions, I think, make the movie. >> Well, going back to what we were talking about earlier in terms of how Nikki feels about a bear, did you ever tell Michael, "Oh, Nikki might actually be into him." Like, was that ever did you or you never brought that up with him? >> No, we never brought it up, but it wasn't necessarily like a we're we're keeping this away from each other.

I always think that me and Michael really wanted to do this movie justice and were solely focused on our characters, right? The same way that I couldn't think about me being a liar. Um, he couldn't think about, right, this bears a villain mentality. He really had to focus in in order to play the truth of that. Cuz you know, a villain doesn't realize that they're a villain on my aspect. Nikki doesn't know she's lying, right?

So to really play these characters. But we never had that conversation. And we had a conversation about it way later, like a few weeks ago. We were like, "Did we ever talk about that? No, we never talked about that. Why didn't we talk about that?" And it was just cuz we were so focused on what we wanted to do. Um, but working with him has been phenomenal. He's one of the best scene partners I've ever had. He's my favorite. >> Love it.

Does he have an answer like like has he thought about whether or not Bear could have if he had said something in that scene, Bear and Nikki would have gotten together? Like in his mind, does he have his own take on how that would have happened? >> That's a really good question. Unfortunately, I did well. [laughter] >> I didn't share it with you when you were talking. >> No, no, he's keeping secret. >> Love it. Let's Let's talk about smiles.

You have you have a lot of different smiles in the movie when you're you're playing Nikki at different points. How much did you practice that? How and and does each smile tell a story in your mind and and getting to that point with each one? >> Yes. Yes. Um me and Curry had a lot of fun with the smiles and I'm quite sensitive and so I didn't want to take anything home. So, I kind of used Curry as a mirror where I put full trust in him where I would show him the faces and he would tweak and whenever I heard, you know, that's perfect.

No, keep it going. Keep it, keep it. That I loved because there was some aspects of this movie where it wasn't for me. It was for the audience. Of course, you know, it's my body and it's my face and it's everything that I'm doing, but it's not for me to see, right? Like my eyes are on on in my head. And so, it was really cool having Curry kind of make me his little marionette doll. Um, and so what was beautiful for me was I really got to focus on the way that either, you know, Prime Nikki, as we were calling her earlier, um, feels underneath.

So a lot of those smiles, you get to see the pain behind the eyes and then also just the smile um or you know the intensity behind the smile or or how long it takes. There's a shot where I hold a smile for a really long time after Bear goes to work in the duct tape door and you see her eyes fluttering and you see like maybe some tears or her eyes are welling up because it's not natural for somebody to smile that long and it's really freaky whenever you feel, you know, or see the face twitching because why are you forcing that much happiness?

Like there's so much that's going into it where um I just allowed my body to do what it needed to do. No, watching that scene, I wondered how long you had to keep your face frozen like that and how hard it was to not break because Yeah, it's amazing. >> I said I' on lunch I just do this. I just massage my my smiling muscles. [laughter] >> How many takes of that scene did you do where you had to keep your smile frozen that way?

Do you remember? Was it the first one that they or did you have to do multiple ones? >> I don't think we had to do a lot because we had um we had a gag to do after that. It was all one shot. Um, so I think we did two of those. Um, I think we did two and I think one of it was um trying a different smile and then the second one trying a different one. Um, just to see give Curry options. >> And what's so great about that scene and this was definitely vocalized in the audience I saw it with the other day was that like basically that moment she becomes sort of an NPC character like you just she just stands there and spends all day in that in that place.

And that really freaked people out. That idea of like not having that autonomy to even move anymore. I think that's a that's fascinating. >> Yeah. One day I came to Curry and I was like, well, if uh Bear doesn't I if um Nikki isn't being perceived by Bear, does she exist? Does that dopamine rush, does that meaning of life come in? Um because right now she's solely living for him, so what should she do? And you know, in the script, Curry talks about lack of food, lack of eating, not being interested in doing anything.

And obviously, you know, there's real life stories of, you know, being so codependent off of somebody that you can't you feel like you can't eat with them or you can't do anything without them. Um, but specifically talking within um Nikki and Bear in that moment, you know, she if a tree falls doesn't make a sound, you know, playing with all of these ideas and so whenever he leaves and she stays there. So the way Curry's mind worked was just beautiful and playing Nikki was awesome. >> Absolutely.

The the the physicality is also important there. So there there we talked about the nighttime scene earlier where you're sort of watching bear and you're in the corner. H some scenes definitely look like you're doing movement. Other times it looks like there's some reverse going on with the camera. How how did you arrive at that physicality where you're moving quickly and things like that? >> Oh my god. Fun fact, I have a torn ACL.

So we he wanted to do uh there's a moment where you know she's saying they're having this beautiful moment of I can be Nikki. I love you in every reality and then she goes backwards. And so on the day we tried going backwards and tried going backwards and I was like Danielle, hold it together. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. And then I just so humbly went to Korean and go Mino can do this. Mino can walk backwards.

Um so he was like, "Wait, what if you go forwards and we reverse it? Like let's try that." And so obviously that's what we did in the film and I think it was the better decision because it's just so unanny. um or you know in in the corner uh when she comes out and she goes no like that's sped up or slowed down to kind of give it this again like that this freaky um freaky uh nature um or Ayana who's um the woman who's doing the movement with the glass with the flowers a lot of the movement was me but she just did it so beautifully where she's a dancer she's a phenomenal dancer and she just moved across and just is holding it and oh my gosh so yeah the We did a lot of speeding up, slowing down, and it was really freaky to watch for the first time.

Not going to lie. >> I believe it. And again, it goes that idea of like Nikki sort of fighting herself. Like that's how I read a lot of those moments like like she isn't in control of her body and she knows it. There's that fight going on inside her. I think seeing and feeling that fight um you know wasn't a really a difficult thing to access because I think uh you know I'm a different person right now than I'm a different person with my mom or you know with my friends or by myself and I think we all kind of feel this duality within ourselves but it was so nice to be able to portray that cuz sometimes you don't want to and I just found um a lot of fun doing that.

Um I love how much people love that aspect of Nikki. People also really love the no no scene. That's everywhere. We saw that when you were on Jimmy Kimmel the other night, too. Tell me about walking through that scene. Yeah, that's obviously key moment. I'm sure there's a lot of discussion with Curry and Michael about how to do it. So, walking through what that scene was like. How many takes did you do? What were the variations you tried? >> Yeah.

So, right before in prep, you know, there was this scene from Get Out, which is a very similar scene. And I really really loved that actress's performance because you just see the depth in the nose. you just see the depth in in what something is underneath and what something is on top. And I really took a lot of notes from that of um how can you communicate in a way that's very subtle? Um and so every no meaning different things.

No, my dad's dead. No, don't ask me that. No, I don't want to have this conversation. No, don't do that. Like every no was uh climaxing and it all meant different things. So that scene was really important to me again just to further like playing this underneath version with this other person on top and on Get Out is one of my favorite movies of all time. So I think just being able to kind of cosplay that environment for a second.

I was freaking out. Um but yeah, I think what was beautiful about Curry was kind of taking inspiration from other movies. I mean obviously that word is very those word those scenes are very very similar. Yeah. Um but to be able to take these ideas and make them in to his own um was really beautiful to watch and again cosplaying that scene was [gasps] just >> Yeah. >> Do you remember what was it all uh the versions in the film?

Was it all one take or it spliced out together of different takes? You happen to know if you sort of like nailed it in one and you was like, "All right, that's it. Let's do it." >> Oh, I I think it's all one take. >> Oh, okay. >> I think [laughter] I think it is. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz I think I started doing my head tilt on one. Yeah. I Something that I love about Nikki is she kind of does these head tilts and you really don't know where she's going to go.

There's a moment on the couch whenever he goes, "Did you cut my hair?" And she goes, "Mhm." And he goes, "Don't do that." And she like starts to feel embarrassed and she kind of sinks into herself for a second. You're like, "Oh god, is what is she going to do right now?" And then you just see like the toddler and her dying. She goes, "I'm back to a lunch." Like it's just moments like that that kind of build the suspense that you don't know where she's going. >> Yeah.

We met we mentioned the party scene earlier as well and that's also another great moment because and that's one a moment where you're not interacting just with Michael. You get to be around other people. What was that like playing this version of Nikki with other people around you? Suddenly you have more people to play off of. >> When I tell you when I tell you at first that was the scene that I think I was so terrified of doing at first and because we shot out everything in the house I felt so comfortable with the crew.

I mean we had all become I mean I'm doing all of these things in front of everybody. So, I think after a while you kind of are desensitized and and it's not that crazy. So, what I thought was going to be the scariest scene um ended up being a lot less scary than I thought. Um me and Michael joked that finally we got to talk to other people that wasn't each other. Um but it was just so again falling in love with that process of looking at everybody and trying to make them incredibly comfortable.

But what's so beautiful about that scene is you know I'm making eye contact with the three people that I share this movie with. you know, Megan Lawless, Ian, uh, sorry, not Ian, sorry, Cooper, Cooper Thompson, and, you know, Michael Johnston. So, just feeling that camaraderie and that comfortability to play and yeah, but there were times where I was like, "Hey, do you mind not making eye contact with me? It's 3:00 in the morning and I'm freaking out." But it was a lot of fun to shoot that scene. >> And what's funny, too, is because they wouldn't have seen a lot of the extreme stuff you were doing those actors.

So, suddenly they're like, "Wait, who what's happening here?" Like like like Yeah, that that reaction, some of those reactions must really have been real in that as a result. Oh, I remember Megan telling me later that that she was just looking at me like, "Oh my god." Oh my god. Okay. Yeah. I >> I think one of the saddest moments in the movie, too, is just that nighttime scene when when we hear Nikki Prime start talking uh to Bear saying, "Please kill me.

Please kill me." It's possible you can think that that could be, you know, a trick, but I think that really is her talking in that moment. And yeah, and and tell me about getting that that that scene and preparing for that scene because I think that's that that's a great little little beautiful tragic moment. >> Yeah, I think what a terrifying thing that you um at least for filming it to to feel this feeling of I can't physically move and I must communicate, you know, and the way that I accomplished that was just holding so much fear in my body, feeling like I couldn't move.

Um and then just trying to communicate uh is kind of the way that I tackled that moment in the film. Um because it might get lost in translation, but uh Barrett says later on in the car with Nikki, sorry, with in the car with Sarah that he has sleeping pills in his pocket. And the reason for that is because, you know, Nikki's asleep. Nikki's physical body is asleep. Um which is why she's able to communicate that way.

But what is kind of beautiful about it, and again going back to this nature of just really letting my body feel whatever it needed to feel and show what it needed to show, not feeling embarrassed about it, is if you look closely, my body's shaking. So, of course, feeling that physical anxiety when you're feeling that amount of fear. And I mean, what a terrifying thing to do to ask somebody to think that death is better than the experience that you are currently having.

Um, kind of just shows what the other Nikki is really feeling underneath all of it. So, it was such an important moment for me to play because I get these small little moments uh with the audience to show the journey that Prime Nikki is having underneath and to really bring them back into what is to that she's experiencing. So, I really wanted to be truthful in those moments. >> And then in terms of the most one of the more violent scenes of the movie where Sarah meets her end and [laughter] keep responsible for it, how much of that were you doing?

How what can you tell us about sort of slamming that the head on the the steering wheel over and over? >> You mean arm day. You >> arm day. Love it. >> Arm day. Just I left with my bicep being huge because it just kept going. It kept going. I mean, we trimmed it down, [laughter] but filming it just boom boom boom. And I have my hair in front of my face. So I swear to God what you're gonna if my hair was out of my face, you would just see me going is like you just and just cuz the doll's head and you know having to match.

But Megan Law is just so phenomenal and her and I kind of working together on is this okay? Can I grab like how do you make it look violent without it being violent? And you know don't squish it too hard. Uh because our phenomenal prop ms like made this beautiful brick. Um but I couldn't squish it because it's foam. You know what I mean? and I have to make it look real and I have to stick it in between the wheel. So, the choreography of it was really beautiful and Jen Albert kind of um whom is our uh stunt coordinator and intimacy coordinator just really kind of got into the groove of everything and Curry wanting it to you know be smash smash smash smash but after a while I was like my hand is tired, my arm is tired.

Um so that was just so interesting and I mean the doll and everything I had never done it before and so it was just so cool. a at the end of the film, Nikki's the last one standing and she snaps back to reality. Have you thought about what happens next to her? Like do you like do you do you still think about where she might be after all this has happened? >> Yes. Well, I have Yes. Since Curry's obviously the writer and director and uh in a Q&A he said that um Nikki's fate is shown in his next movie where you know on the screen it says you know a girl is charged with triple homicide.

So that's obviously clear where she's going to go. But what I love was I am uh staying off social media to a certain extent, but sometimes I'll get sent stuff that's really funny. And uh somebody posted kind of being my lawyer and like really like working it out and like really defending me. And I was like, wait, maybe she just doesn't go to jail because if this person is my lawyer, I would win everything. My goal is to make sure that Nikki doesn't go to jail.

Uh other people's goal is uh you know, having her be charged with triple homicide, which I think is just >> I say justice for Nikki. Let's keep her out of jail. I like it. [laughter] It it's great. I mean certainly the movies resonate with a lot of audiences, certainly younger audience especially and I think there's been a lot of talk about how the movie handles dating uh in this modern age. Is that is that something that that you've seen and you heard your reactions for people like people really connecting with how this handles dating relationships today for young younger people. >> Whenever I first read the script, the reason why it resonated so much to me was I felt like she was a fullyfledged person and she got to feel these big emotions that I feel like sometimes people feel shameful of and and have to hide.

And um I really wanted to play her truthfully that way. If somebody said, "Oh, that feels like me." For the people that understood, they understood. And the people that didn't, it could create these conversations because it created conversations with me. It was just such a beautiful process that I got to experience on Obsession kind of opening up and and sharing my experiences and and feeling why I knew how to understand this character and everything.

And so hearing that other people are having that experience as well just makes me feel really really happy because it was such a beautiful experience that I got to do. >> And a lot of those fans are also all over as as an award site. We know this. We keep track. A lot of these fans are all over the the internet saying Indian for best actress. How does that make you feel? How how do you feel this Oscar campaign already taking shape online for >> Oh my god.

I mean it's an honor. I mean that's kind of a dream of everybody's. Uh, what I makes me feel so proud was just I really, really, really love Nikki and I love that other people love Nikki and to be quite honest, that's enough for me. But of course, I I would be lying to you if I said that that's not a dream and that isn't extremely validating and makes my heart just swell. So, yeah, it's an honor and it just makes me really excited that I first and foremost love Nikki and love the way that people love Nikki.

So, [laughter] >> well, there's definitely person. We saw Amy Madigan win for Weapons earlier this year and Glattis is also a great like character like that. I can see Nikki connecting with that. Have Were you excited when Amy Madigan won? Was were you a big fan of Weapons and her performance? >> Yes, I loved Weapons, but I really am a huge massive Sinners fan. Sinners is top movie of all time for me. Um, I really loved that experience.

Uh, I watched it with my cousin and her and I just I haven't had a a moment in a film in a really long time where I just started crying and it just felt good. Um, and I had that with the barn scene in centers and just Michael B. Jordan's performance. I feel like, you know, again, having this opportunity for somebody to just show their range and show what they are capable of is just it it it's inspiring for everybody involved.

So, I feel like that Oscar win was extremely I mean um so yeah, I was super excited. >> I am sure Michael B. Jordan has seen uh Obsession Somewhere. So, I I look for I hope you encounter him somewhere and you could talk about it at some point. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it seems like for a long time horror had a hard time being taken seriously sort of by by critics and certain by Oscar vote. It seems like that's changed now thanks to things like Sinners and Weapons.

Like, do you do you feel Obsession being treated differently and the people you talk to that way that it's not just classified as just a horror movie? >> Oh, that's a good question. You know, I think so. And I think a lot of that has to do with just, you know, the resonation that people are having and if that's a word. Anyways, uh [laughter] >> we'll go with it. We'll go with it. >> Right. It's a word. It's in the dictionary.

Right. Um, >> and just the feeling that people are having with the film, the closeness, and to me, I really love that. Um, but I mean, I think it's just the authenticity and I think it's, you know, people seeing films that make them feel something. And I hope that it continues cuz I really have fallen in love with horror in a deeper way. Um, and I know that people love horror. Um, and some of my favorite performances are in horror.

I mean, Tony Colette I watched um, in Hereditary. Um, and that to me, oh my god, what a strong performance. Um, I'll build her an award myself and I will ship it to her house. Um, [laughter] >> yeah, I really hope so. And I mean, it's just strong performances, right? And and that's what the Oscars really talks about is strong performances. Um, and I believe that a lot of them are in horror as well. >> And I feel like Curry certainly could potentially get in for his screenplay.

Uh, because it's really has taken off. People seem to really respond to it. Would you be excited to see Curry or Michael uh factor into the awards too? Are you >> I I think that whenever you know somebody wins an obsession all of obsession wins, you know what I mean? So what an honor that is. So whether it's me, Michael Curry, uh Rock Burwell for the score, I mean set design, uh I mean all of the practical effects that we got to do, um anything involved really, it just it's an honor for everybody. >> And and we should ask obviously the Oscar for being in the future.

Uh, what was the first award you ever won, though? It doesn't have to be an acting award or anything like that. We always like to ask what the first award someone won was. >> I think I got a participation award for soccer. >> Not going to lie, I I did a lot. I played rightwing. I'm not I do not have the endurance of anybody. I think participation award. >> That's good. It's always good to be part to participate. So, so having had this obsession experience and clearly it was important for you, it was just just just a great gamechanging career moment for you.

Where do you hope what what do you hope you take from this experience to your next one? What do you think you'll take away from this and be able to apply to your next role? >> Kind of chasing that high to challenge myself. I think obviously whenever you're really scared of something, but you really want to do it justice and do it correctly and then you get that high of uh accomplishing it and feeling proud of it. I kind of want to feel that moving forward.

So really taking projects that that challenge me but also allow me to um feel proud. And I I know it won't happen every single time, but just kind of having that thought process moving forward, which I think I get from my mom and my dad. >> And what would you say to all the young actors out there who who again are seeing you in theater say like, "Oh, wow. This is possible." What's something that that you would hope to to let them know as they as they as they pursue this? >> Again, like challenge yourself, but also be extremely stubborn, you know what I mean?

Kind of be delusional a little bit. You have to really believe in yourself before other people will. Uh I think a lot of people in this industry um are very visual and sometimes they need to see it to believe it. Uh not all the time obviously. Um but you really got to believe in yourself first and then I think a lot of goodness will will come. So fall in love with the process of being delusional. >> Thank you Indy Naetti for sharing your time, your wisdom.

You're we're all obsessed with the session. We're hoping it's continued to do well. I'm sure it will. Uh and and best wishes to you. We're going to see you at the Oscars next year. [laughter] >> Thank you so much. >> All right. Take care. Thanks for listening to Awards Magnet, a gold derby podcast. Like what you heard? Leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. [music] Awards Magnet is produced by Andrew Merrill.

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