Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang "The Mayor" (w/ Laura Dern)
Feb 11, 2026
Laura Dern, award-winning actor and producer celebrated for Jurassic Park and Big Little Lies, bursts in wearing pink corduroy. She riffs on channeling anger in Enlightened, creating complex female roles, on-set dinosaur wonder, punk and David Lynch influences, industry challenges like theaters and funding, and a hilarious Real Housewives lobby moment.
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Acting Channels Personal Emotion
- Laura Dern says her characters let her "work out" feelings she bottles up, turning personal emotion into craft.
- Playing Amy in Enlightened unlocked a new zone of anger that informed later roles like Renata in Big Little Lies.
More Women Leaders Changed Characters
- Dern links changing on-screen roles to more women in leadership, which expanded characters' complexity.
- She notes new female roles allowed portrayals of righteous anger and power previously unavailable.
Stay Present Rather Than Chasing Moments
- Dern values presence over retrospect and humility as a core trait she admires in others.
- She recommends staying present in work so you don't have to play catch-up with your career later.