From left: Laura Dern, Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Lawrence, Renate Reinsve, Jessie Buckley and Amanda Seyfried were photographed Nov. 16 at The Sun Rose West Hollywood. On Dern: Gabriela Hearst suit, vest. Styling by Elizabeth Stewart. On Erivo: Rabanne top, skirt; Roberto Coin jewelry. Styling by Jason Bolden. On Lawrence: Givenchy dress, shoes; Longines watch; JAR earrings from Sotheby's. Styling by Styled by Ryan Hastings. On Reinsve: Schiaparelli blazer, blouse, pants; Completed Works rings. Styling by Karla Welch. On Buckley: The Row sweater, skirt, cummerbund. Styling by Danielle Goldberg. On Seyfried: St John vest, pants. Photographed by Beau Grealy This year's Oscar frontrunners have more in common than usual. Start with their films, of course, where overlapping themes abound. The darker sides of motherhood, and the way grief seeps in, are front and center for Jennifer Lawrence's Die My Love, Jessie Buckley's Hamnet and even Amanda Seyfried's The Testament of Ann Lee - which trades more specifically in the grief of not being a mother. There are bad dads of every variety: Renate Reinsve's Sentimental Value (distant, narcissistic); Lawrence's Die My Love again (apathetic, bumbling); Cynthia Erivo's Wicked: For Good (megalomaniac). And though Laura Dern was on hand to discuss Is This Thing On?, it's worth mentioning that she also stars in Jay Kelly, the final boss of complicated fatherhood. Related Stories Business Japan's Toho Moves to Capitalize on Europe's Anime Boom Business Colombia Boosts 2026 Tax Credit Allocation for Foreign Productions to Record $90 Million The actress' performances, though varied in breadth and scale, are all deeply personal to the women who embody these roles. Lawrence and Buckley found themselves unlocking a new connection to their own matrescence. Erivo's time as Elphaba mirrored her own journey to superstardom. Reinsve and Dern both reunited with dear friends (directors Joachim Trier and Bradley Cooper, respectively) behind the camera. And Seyfried worked through newfound levels of discomfort for Ann Lee's absurd (a compliment!) song-and-dance numbers. All six women gathered on a rainy Los Angeles afternoon to discuss their experiences onscreen - as it turns out, it's normal to feel embarrassed! - and in navigating the months-long road show that is compulsory to releasing a film these days. "I really appreciate when other actors do it, and I watch these interviews all the time because I'm so curious about other people's processes," says Reinsve. "But doing it myself, it's weird and the opposite of what I do on set." What is a favorite, or most rewarding, way that you have gotten to know a recent co-star? Jessie, I believe you have a great story about going out with Paul Mescal before Hamnet. JESSIE BUCKLEY I told you that in absolute secrecy. What happens at Joyface stays at Joyface [a vibey NYC bar]. They play ABBA and all the old hits. We got really drunk and went out dancing, which is a good thing to do with Paul Mescal when you're getting to know him. JENNIFER LAWRENCE [Die My Love director] Lynne Ramsay had me and Rob Pattinson do interpretative dance lessons before we started filming. And then our first day on set was a naked scene where we were attacking each other like tigers. But it was kind of nice that it was day one because then it wasn't hanging over our heads. AMANDA SEYFRIED That's actually brilliant. And if you know what the genitals look like, you don't wonder. CYNTHIA ERIVO Mine pales in comparison because [Ariana and I] just went to my house and sat on the floor and ate crudités. We talked for five hours, got to know each other, and the next time [we saw each other], we were singing. LAWRENCE Nobody was naked? ERIVO Nobody was naked. LAURA DERN Bradley Cooper and I are old friends, and so are Bradley and Will Arnett, so we just dove into a workshop. We shared our dreams and our childhoods because in our movie, there's no backstory. It's about a marriage, and in the first scene it's falling apart, so you have to come in feeling like you know everything. You're all in various stages of your careers, and I'm curious at what point you started to feel full autonomy and control over your circumstances in this business? ERIVO I feel as though we all have that at the beginning, but we just didn't know it. We relinquish the power to everybody else, and we're pressured into doing some things that we don't need or want to do - but from the beginning, our yeses and our nos are our own. I don't think the choice to do what I wanted was ever not there - it's just louder now. RENATE REINSVE I think the signals you get from inside yourself about what is right are really small in the beginning and get stronger and stronger the more you get scolded by experiences. These past few years, I finally feel like I'm on the right path, but it's taken a long time. Renate, you were offered a lot of romantic comedies after the success of The Worst Person in the World, but did you feel