Julia Garner firmly believes that Anna Delvey, the central figure in Inventing Anna, would be best friends with Ruth Langmore from Ozark. Garner, an up-and-coming American actress, made her mark in 2017 with her role as Langmore in Ozark, a character she has portrayed ever since.
More recently, she starred as Delvey in Inventing Anna, a real-life fraudster who was convicted of conning over $200,000 from New York’s high society. Despite the contrasting nature of these two projects, there are notable similarities between the characters.
In Ozark, Langmore is a 19-year-old woman raised in poverty in the Ozarks, surrounded by a family of criminals. She possesses intelligence, ambition, and the potential to become a criminal mastermind, driven by her desire for wealth and influence. On the other hand, Delvey, a 25-year-old woman, masquerades as a German heiress to deceive New York socialites into funding her lifestyle.
In Inventing Anna, Delvey is captivated by fashion and the luxurious life of the elite. Although she may not be a true mastermind, her relentless pursuit of fame and her knack for achieving her desires set her apart.
In a conversation with ET Canada, Julia Garner shares her belief that Delvey and Langmore could potentially become best friends. She acknowledges that their first impressions of each other might involve some judgment, given their starkly contrasting backgrounds.
Nevertheless, she believes that any initial animosity would diminish over time, leading them to bond over their shared ability to inspire and influence others.
According to Julia Garner, “Initially, I believe Ruth and Anna would have a tendency to judge one another due to their vastly different backgrounds. They might not get along at first, but by the conclusion of their journey, they could very well become best friends. Their shared passion for inspiring others is the common thread that connects them.”
Garner raises some compelling observations regarding Delvey and Langmore. Initially, they are not the type to easily trust others and would likely approach each other with caution. Nevertheless, both possess a remarkable talent for manipulation and the ability to inspire others, whether positively or negatively.
Their ambitions for wealth, power, and influence drive them, albeit for different motivations. Conversely, their backgrounds are quite distinct; Langmore’s tough upbringing, marked by poverty, crime, and trauma, contrasts sharply with Delvey’s more sheltered and pampered life.
However, when it comes to engaging in criminal activities and their effects on others, they certainly have the potential to connect over their shared abilities. Garner’s exploration of the imagined friendship between Delvey and Langmore highlights her deep understanding of her characters.
To prepare for her portrayal of Delvey, she made several visits to her real-life counterpart in prison, allowing her to gain genuine insight into the character. Garner observed how Delvey could effortlessly oscillate between a light-hearted demeanor and a darker side.
This darker trait in Delvey may align well with Langmore’s intense personality. Ultimately, the idea that Garner’s characters from Ozark and Inventing Anna could be best friends is a delightful hypothesis, grounded in the actor’s thorough comprehension of her roles.