Greta Gerwig

Posted July 31, 201311 yr

Greta Celeste Gerwig (born August 4, 1983) is an American actress and filmmaker. Gerwig first came to prominence through her association with the mumblecore film movement. She has collaborated with directors Joe Swanberg and Noah Baumbach on several projects, including the film Nights and Weekends, which the two co-wrote, co-directed and in which they co-starred. Gerwig made her mainstream debut in 2011, in No Strings Attached. She also co-starred alongside Russell Brand in Arthur.

Life and career

A native of Sacramento, California, Gerwig is the daughter of Christine (née Sauer), a nurse, and Gordon Gerwig, a financial consultant and computer programmer. She is of part German ancestry. Gerwig attended an all-girls Catholic school. She has described herself as "an intense child". With an early interest in dance, she intended to do a degree in musical theatre in New York. She graduated from Barnard College, where she studied English and philosophy instead. Originally intending to become a playwright, Gerwig was cast in a minor role in Joe Swanberg's LOL in 2006, while still studying at Barnard. She began a partnership with the director and an association with other mumblecore filmmakers. Commenting on her work in Greenberg and other films, New York Times critic A. O. Scott described the actress as an "ambassador of a cinematic style that often seems opposed to the very idea of style." She made her first talk show appearance, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in 2010. Mainstream success remained elusive, "I was really depressed. I was 25 and thinking, 'this is supposed to be the best time and I'm miserable' but it felt like acting was happening for me, and I went back to acting classes'.

Gerwig voices one of the main characters in the Adult Swim cartoon China, IL. In 2011 she was cast as one of the leads in the HBO pilot The Corrections which was cancelled.

Gerwig has reportedly been dating writer-director Noah Baumbach since late 2011, though they have only officially acknowledged the relationship recently. They worked together on his film Greenberg in 2010, and co-wrote Frances Ha, which was theatrically released in May 2013 after being screened on the festival circuit since September 2012.

Quote