Elisabeth Moss spoke to Empire in a recent interview about being originally set to play Rose in Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” before the role went to Kirsten Dunst.
Moss previously collaborated with Campion on the series “Top of the Lake,” and the actress noted that she “wishes” she “could have done” the Western feature with the Oscar-winning director. “The Power of the Dog” went on to land 12 Academy Awards nominations, including a Best Supporting Actress nod for Dunst. Campion also won Best Director at the 2022 Oscars.
“It’s hard because I really, really wanted to do it and Jane and I talked about it for a couple of years,” Moss said. “But she and I have been very kind to each other in that process, knowing that sometimes these things just don’t work out, and it’s not really anyone’s fault.”
Moss also approved of Dunst’s turn in the role.
“I was actually so happy that Kirsten was doing it because I respect her so much as an actress,” Moss continued. “I think if that role had gone to somebody that I didn’t love, I don’t think I would have liked that.”
The “Shining Girls” star concluded, “Obviously it’s such a beautiful film. In the end, I’m happy that it happened the way that it did, but I would say my only desperate desire is to work with Jane again.”
And don’t count out a “Top of the Lake 3” just yet: “I’ve told her multiple times, ‘Just say the word. Let me know what country to be in, and I’ll be there,’” Moss teased.
Moss reportedly exited “The Power of the Dog” due to scheduling conflicts with the Emmy-winning series “The Handmaid’s Tale.” She also made her directorial debut with Season 4 of the Hulu series, exclusively telling IndieWire in 2021 that being behind the camera was “honestly the most fulfilling thing creatively I’ve ever done.”
She continued, “What I wanted to do was [direct] on this show because I’m so knowledgeable about the show and I wanted to take that a step further. I felt like I could do it. And then I just ended up really, really loving it.”