Less than 24 hours after touching down from a whirlwind press tour through London, New York, and Tokyo, Rachel Brosnahan is already back in action—shimmying into an itty-bitty (and no small feat to get into) sequined LOEWE dress for the images that grace these pages. Just like her famously fashion-obsessed alter ego, Midge Maisel, she’s nothing if not driven by great clothes. She’s also exhilarated, jet-lagged, and feeling a whole slew of things that come with a year poised to be one of the biggest of her career. “I’m grateful to be able to seize the moment while I have it,” she says. A few hours later, she’s video calling me from her New York home, surrounded by boxes as she prepares to move farther downtown in the city.
The last time we caught up with the 34-year-old star, she was somewhere in the middle of America—on a cross-country RV road trip with her husband, Jason Ralph. It was the height of the pandemic, and she was en route to shoot Yearly Departed, a comedy special she produced about the chaos that was 2020. She had to arrive healthy, ergo the old school method of travel. At the same time, she was filming the final seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—the wildly successful series that earned her two Golden Globes, an Emmy, and a place in pop culture history. “We’ve said it so many times that it starts to sound fake, but it really was like lightning in a bottle,” she says of her time working on the show. “Most people never have an opportunity like that in their lifetimes, and we were just so lucky.”
When we chat, it’s been just a few days since the opening of The Amateur, a vigilante spy thriller she stars in alongside Rami Malek—a return to the kind of gritty, high-stakes territory she burst onto the scene with back on House of Cards. And that momentum only builds this summer, as she steps into the DC cinematic universe as the latest embodiment of Lois Lane, a role so iconic it has defined generations of actresses from Margot Kidder to Amy Adams. Superman, the highly anticipated reboot directed by James Gunn, opens July 11. Slated to launch a bold new chapter in the franchise, the film follows Clark Kent (played by David Corenswet) as he reconciles his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing—and his romance with a certain intrepid reporter.
Brosnahan’s Lois is sharp, powerful, and emotionally layered—a modern-day heroine who holds her own in a world of superheroes and villains. “She’s one of the characters that’s evolved the most in the history of the comics,” she says. In the early days, Lois was often portrayed as a damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued. Today, she’s a fearless investigative journalist, unafraid to chase the truth—even when it puts her in the line of fire.
“I feel very grateful to be in the midst of a moment that I’ve been laying the groundwork for.”
In preparation for shooting, Brosnahan interviewed several real-life reporters—research she made central to her portrayal. “On the surface, I understand this character pretty well. We’re very similar in a lot of ways. I understand her passion, her determination, and her feeling motivated by the word ‘no,’ ” she says. But those conversations helped her go deeper. One journalist, she recalls, described being an adrenalin junkie even as a child. “She was always drawn to the extremes of the human condition, and that’s what brought her into the profession,” Brosnahan says. “That really spoke to me, and so I used that as a basis for Lois.”
Joining the DC universe comes with its own set of thrills, chills, and expectations. “It’s a brand new world for me, and I’ve never been a part of something with a baked-in fan base,” she says. “That can be equal parts intimidating and a massive opportunity. It’s been really cool to meet some of the fans and hear how excited they are about this project. I don’t think I fully understood how much Superman means to people.”
“The further I get in my career, the more grateful I am for the opportunity to be surprised.”
Working with CGI was also new. “I’ve never felt like a worse actor in my life!” she says, laughing. Her first two days on set were simple—just Lois and Clark scenes alongside Corenswet, no frills. “I was like, ‘Fun! Turns out superhero movies are just like all the other ones!’ ” she says. “And then we started hanging from wires, shooting with fake animals that weren’t actually there, and doing all sorts of other jazz that’ll get added in post. But it was great. You learn really quickly what you are and aren’t good at.” Mid-laugh, she adds, “If we do another one, I’m going to have to go to mime school and learn a thing or two about acting with invisible stuff—because that was a first for me.”
While it’s too early to predict whether there will be a Superman sequel, it’s safe to assume the DC universe will keep Brosnahan in orbit. In the meantime, she’s stepping behind the camera to direct her first (very under wraps) project in collaboration with her production company, Scrap Paper Pictures. “It’s been a pretty magical experience from top to bottom—one that feels incredibly hard to top. And I can’t wait to be able to talk about it and share it at some point,” she says. She also stars in the upcoming film Lear Rex, a Shakespearean adaptation with a star-studded cast that includes Al Pacino, Jessica Chastain, and LaKeith Stanfield.
Brosnahan is staying booked and busy for the foreseeable future—a situation she sees as both a stroke of luck and the result of years of hard work. “I feel very grateful to be in the midst of a moment that I’ve been laying the groundwork for,” she says. “The further I get in my career, the more grateful I am for the opportunity to be surprised.”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever felt like I could plan anything, but what’s the saying about luck and opportunity?” she asks, as the jet lag finally kicks in. Off-screen, her husband chimes in to help with the phrase she’s looking for on Google. “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity,” she reads aloud. And with that, she’s ready for it all.
Photography: Drew Jarrett (Supervision New York)
Video: S. Mckinley Akins
Styling: Fiona Green
Makeup: Lisa Aharon (The Wall Group)
Hair: Xavier Velasquez (A-Frame Agency)
Manicure: Gina Eppolito
Photo Assistants: Liam McKeon, Paul Storey
Stylist Assistants: Lennon Gabriel, Luna Lopez, Noreen Rizwan
Production: Megan O’Donnell Hyperion LA
Editorial and Creative Director: Sahar Nooraei
Entertainment Editor: Elycia Rubin
Art Director: Jessica Hui
Fashion Director: Haley Dach
